6/29/25

James Booker- Robert Sacre Tapes, Liege: 11/9/76- ***1/2
(The unreleased remainder of the set that was released on the "Mr. Mystery" LP. The Beatles' medley is Booker at his finest, though he doesn't sound too good on the two vocal tracks.)

Black Uhuru- Guess Who's Coming To Dinner- ***1/2
Snooks Eaglin- The First Decade: 1953-1962 (D1)- ***
John Williams- Jaws O.S.T. (2025 Mix)- ****
v/a- A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco- ****

Deep Purple- Come Taste The Band- ***1/2
(The Tommy Bolin record deserves more.)

v/a- One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found (Personal Playlist)- ****
(Best boxed set ever!)

James Booker- The Rauch House Party: Booker's Last Recording, November 1983- ***1/2
(There seems to be three people at this party and Booker seems out of sorts when speaking. But his playing is mind-blowing. You will never hear a version of Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" quite this brilliant ever again. He would be dead days later.)

Jules Shear- The Great Puzzle- ****
(When I listen to "Allow Me," it's my favorite Jules record. Same could be said about "Watch Dog." But tonight, this record is his best.)

Montage- S/T- ****
The Who- Odds & Sods (Sal's Version)- ****

6/28/25

James Booker- The Lost Atlantic Sessions- ****
(I have over 500 hours of rare and unreleased Booker recordings, and I had no idea this existed until yesterday. What a find!)

James Booker- Nice Jazz Festival, 1978- ****
Johnny Cash- Here's Johnny (Personal Playlist)-****
The Zombies- Decca Stereo Anthology- ***1/2
The Beach Boys- Friends- ***1/2
Bad Company- S/T- ***1/2

Pretenders-Live! Kick'Em Where It Hurts! (about half) - ***
(A muddy capture of a sluggish performance.)

Robin Trower- For Earth Below (2025 Remix With Alternates)- ****
(What they did here was restore Trower's complete guitar solos that were edited to shorten the length of the album. The album runs about three minutes longer and it kicks ass.)

Cheap Trick- The Latest- ****
John Waite/The Babys- Personal Playlist- ****



 

6/27/25

Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska- ****
Brinsley Schwarz- Nervous On The Road-***1/2

Fishbone- Stockholm Syndrome- ***1/2
(Fun new record. It's been a while. 4-5 keepers.)

Bruce Springsteen- Perfect World- ****
(The final installment of lost albums wasn't actually lost at all. This is a collection of stray tracks put together by Bruce specifically for this boxed set. Some tracks were recorded for but left off "Wrecking Ball." It also includes a trio of Joe Grushecky co-writes that both have performed live before. It's a hodgepodge for sure, but it's also the closest entry to sound like a Bruce/E Street record. More than a few really solid tracks, including "The Great Depression" which sounds like Bruce trying his best to write a Dylan song. Overall, a satisfying spin, though again, it makes sense why these songs remained in the vault.)

v/a- A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco-****1/2
(Been waiting for this and it did not disappoint. The Rolling Stones, C.C. Adcock, Steve Riley, Taj Mahal, Jon Cleary, David Hidalgo and more and more. What a blast!)

U2- October- ***
The Beach Boys- Brian's Summer Retreat (A BBJ Weekend Mix)- ****
Deep Purple- Deeper (Personal Playlist)- ****
C.C.Adcock- Lafayette Marquis- ****

 

6/26/25

Todd Rundgren- Lexington, 6/22/25-****
(Todd and the band sounding very inspired for his 77th birthday show. Well, not his "77th birthday show," but a show on his 77th birthday.)

U2- Achtung Baby- ****
Todd Rundgren A Cappella- ****
Squeeze- Cool For Cats- ****

Blue Oyster Cult- Agents of Fortune- ****
(Every song a winner. If you're not familiar with anything other than "Reaper" on this album, I guarantee that whatever you think the rest of this album sounds like does not.)

Dave Edmunds- Repeat When Necessary-****

Pretenders- II- ****
(I did not like this record when it came out. It felt like a lousy follow to that brilliant debut. It was only recently, maybe 2-3 years ago, when it hit me. Now I love this record and occasionally love it more than the debut.)

6/25/25

The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Stereo Remix)- ****

Van Morrison- Common One- ****
(Another record that I have no recollection of hearing before. Pretty intense at times, but there is a lot of beauty on this album. Probably not going to reach for it too often. Seems like an expensive wine, something you take out on special occasions.)

Martin Gordon- Gilbert, Gordon & Sullivan- ***1/2
Graham Parker- Another Grey Area- ***
Little Roy- Tribal War (about half)- **1/2

Bruce Springsteen- Twilight Hours-***
(The sixth LP in the "Tracks II" box is the most frustrating. I can't help but think this material and some of the arrangements would have made a great Scott Walker record. But sadly, the only chance Bruce takes here is recording an album out of his wheelhouse. Otherwise, these songs go nowhere. Like the "Nashville" record in this box, he just doesn't sound comfortable with this Bacharach-esque material. It doesn't suit him. It's not all bad, though "September Kisses" might be one of the worst songs in his entire catalogue. Awful, trite lyrics sung to the melody of Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles." I am keeping it at three stars because I think a number of songs could be pulled and enjoyed on their own.)

Todd Rundgren- Madison, 12/1/83- ***1/2
Irma Thomas- After The Rain- ****

Nick Curran & The Lowlifes- Reform School Girl- ****1/2
(I knew from the first five seconds of this record that it would be the best thing of the day.)

The Replacements- Pleased To Meet Me-****

Professor Longhair- Classics 1949-****
(Nick Curran by a nose.)

6/24/25

Göran Söllscher- Here, There And Everywhere: Söllscher Plays The Beatles- ***1/2
(Discovered this over at Steve's place. Some of it is stunning. Some of it doesn't work. Might have been better at 40 minutes instead of 55 minutes.)

Nara Leao- Nara '67- ****
Joshua Redman- Words Fall Short-***1/2

Sly Stone- High On You- ****
(Listening to this thinking, this may be the first time I am actually hearing this solo record. And how I didn't realize De La Soul sampled "Crossword Puzzle" for "Say No Go" is beyond me. This album is pretty damn good.)

Bruce Springsteen- Inyo-***1/2
(Record Five from Tracks II, "Inyo," has a wonderful sound throughout. It's not all mariachi, but Bruce sounds more comfortable here than he does singing on that "Nashville" record. My one complaint is his over-affected vocals. He lays on the Okie so hard, I can't follow the stories he's telling, which I imagine would make some of these tracks more powerful to my ears. Still, I enjoyed "Inyo." Nice surprise.)

Sparks- Mad!- ***1/2

Free- Tons Of Sobs-***1/2
(Solid debut, but the follow-up was even better.)

The Babys- On The Edge- ****1/2
(John Waite is arguably one of the five best rock and roll singers of all time. This record has at least four masterpieces of record making- "Turn & Walk Away," "She's My Girl," "Postcard," and "Dark Side Of Town.")

U.F.O.- No Heavy Petting-***1/2
Pretenders- S/T-****
Thin Lizzy- Fighting-****

6/23/25

Lloyd Parks- Officially- ****
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band- Safe As Milk (Original MONO Promo) -****
Martin Gordon- God's On His Lunch Break (Please Call Back)- ****

Bruce Springsteen- Faithless- **1/2
(Record Three from the "Tracks II" box did little for me. Any one of these songs might have been more effective on an E Street Band album. But ten similar sounding, moody spirituals was quite frankly, a bore.)

Jet (1975)- S/T- ****
Jellyfish- Spilt Milk-****

Bruce Springsteen- Somewhere North Of Nashville-***
(Record Four from "Tracks II" has a lot of twang but not much originality. It doesn't feel like a country record that came naturally to Bruce. It has a few moments, but just adding pedal steel to standard rock and roll tracks doesn't make a very convincing country album. The sweeping drama of the Laurel Canyon sound on"Western Stars" is a much better record.)

The Skatalites- The Skatalite!- ****
Dead Boys- We Have Come For Your Children-****
David Bowie- Earthling-****
Utopia- Chicago, 10/20/77 (Highlights)- ****1/2

6/22/25

Matthew Shipp- New Concepts In Piano Trio Jazz-***1/2
The Miles Davis Quintet- Steamin' With...***1/2

Lloyd Parks- Officially-****
(Loved this. Groovy, laid back reggae record from one time member of The Termites. Fantastic. Ansel Collins on keys, too.)

Martin Gordon- God's On His Lunch Break (Please Call Back)- ****1/2
(This was GREAT! Gordon was a member of Sparks, Jet and Radio Stars and this 2006 release was a rec from a friend. Every track a winner. ) 

Bruce Springsteen- L.A. Garage Sessions '83-****
(One down, six to go. Familiar with a bunch of these tracks from various bootlegs. But together in one place in excellent quality, is a revelation. Loved this.)

Bruce Springsteen- Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions-***1/2
(I wasn't a fan of the Oscar winning song, so an entire album of synths and drum loops didn't sound appealing, so I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this. At least five great tracks.)

6/21/25

Augustus Pablo- King Tubbys Meets Rockers At 5 Cardiff Crescent, Kingston-***
Bob Marley & The Wailers- Rare Ska Sides From Studio One- ***1/2

Liam Finn- Hyperverse-***
(Loved the sound of this record. Just wish he could have found a few more melodies.)

v/a- Sin On Saturday, Pray On Sunday Volume 1-***
The Kinks- Face To Face (MONO)- ****
Gyasi- Androgyne-***1/2
The Move- Message From The Country- ****
Todd Rundgren's Utopia- S/T- (Side One-****, Side Two- ***)

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts- Rogue To Redemption (three songs)- **1/2
(I may try this again. I was expecting power pop on a friend's rec, but it felt more like Bon Jovi. I don't hate Bon Jovi's music, just didn't want it now.)

Ultravox!- Ha! Ha! Ha!- ****

His Lordship- Bored Animal- ****
(Hot off the presses. Might be better than the debut and that debut killed me.)

The Kinks- The Journey Pt. 2-***1/2
(I love Part One. This doesn't play as well. Great songs, of course. But something went wrong in the sequencing.)

The Strokes- Is This It?-****

6/20/25

Van Morrison & The Chieftains- Irish Heartbeat- ****1/2
Bob Marley & The Wailers- Rock To The Rock- ***12
The Move- Shazam-****
Graham Parker & The Rumour- Heat Treatment-****
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band- Manchester, 5/14/25- ****1/2
McKinley Dixon- Magic, Alive- ****
The Beach Boys- Made In California (Personal Highlights From The Box)- ****
Ellen Foley- Nightout- ****
New York Dolls- S/T- ****
 

6/19/25

Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari- Grounation-****
Genesis- From Genesis To Revelation-****
Jessie Hill- Golden Classics- ***1/2
Queens Of The Stone Age- In Times New Roman- ****

Hannah Cohen- Earthstar Mountain (half)- **1/2
(Another overrated Mojo Mag suggestion)

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Burnin'-****

King Curtis- Live At The Fillmore West-****1/2
(This record put me in the best mood I've been in since 2019.)

Joe Jackson- Look Sharp-****
Mott The Hoople- Dudes! (Personal Playlist)-****

 

6/18/25

Van Morrison- Beyond Words (three songs)- **
(Lost patience almost immediately with this record.)

Paul McCartney- Pipes Of Peace-***1/2
(A much better record than my initial take 40 years ago.) 

Jackie Mittoo- Reggae Magic- ****
Miles Davis- Bitches Brew (Record Two)- ***1/2
Stevie Wonder- Mono Singles- ****

Queen- Epic- ***1/2
(Just released, digital only comp of their "epic" tracks, whatever that means. Isn't everything this band does epic? I love every song here, but there doesn't seem to be much thought behind this. And the songs sound like they're from several sources.)

Ray Barretto- Acid-****1/2
Prince- The Chocolate Invasion-***1/2

Motorhead- Another Perfect Day-****
(The one record with Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson seemed to split Motorhead fans. I love it.)

6/17/25

P.P. Arnold- The New Adventures Of...- ****
Christine Kittrell- Sittin' Here Drinking- ***1/2
Garland Jeffreys- Personal Playlist-***
Be-Bop Deluxe- Drastic Plastic (2020 Remix & Bonus Tracks)- ****

McKinley Dixon- Magic, Alive- ****
(Did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It won't be for everyone, that's for sure. But I think it's pretty great.)

Jimi Hendrix- Midnight Lightning-***
v/a- Best of Loma Records: The Rise & Fall Of A 60's Soul Label (Personal Playlist)-***1/2

Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias- Chip Off The Old Block-***
(New Orleans legends go to Memphis and record with the surviving members of the legendary Hi Rhythm Section. I wanted more. It's basically an average New Orleans Indians funk record, save a song or two.)

Todd Rundgren- City Winery, NYC: 3/7/12- ****

6/16/25

Sun Ra- On Jupiter-****
(Really good Sun Ra record if you're unsure about Sun Ra. Great combo of accessible, wacky and surprising, with great playing throughout.)

Os Tincoas- S/T (1977)- ***1/2
King Tubby- Water Dub (about half)- **

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard- Changes- ***1/2
(Interesting record. Certainly keeps you on your toes.)

Bob Marley & The Wailers- More Axe-***1/2
(Very good, but not as great as the earlier material. This sounds like the band transitioning from the earlier sound to the sound they perfected on "Burnin'" and "Catch A Fire.")

Bill Nelson- Powertron-***

Todd Rundgren - Liars-****1/2
(When the time is right, this is my favorite Todd record.)

The Quireboys- A Bit Of What You Fancy-****
(Forgot how much fun these guys were.)

Rick Derringer- All American Boy-***1/2

The Bob Seger System- Ramblin' Gamblin' Man- ****
(This is the first time I've heard this record. Hard to believe. Great stuff.)
 

6/15/25

Les Paul & Mary Ford- Bye Bye Blues!- ****
(This record is a few different levels of sublime.)

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Best Of The Wailers, 1970-****1/2
(All of the early, pre-Island Wailers stuff is fantastic. Two different sounds between the early and the popular, and both wonderful. But the early stuff gets no appreciation.)

Stanton Moore Trio- The Offbeat Session-***1/2
Curtis Mayfield- Sweet Exorcist-****

Van Morrison- Pay The Devil-**1/2
(15 songs. 15 identical arrangements.)

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Satisfy My Soul Jah Jah, 1971-1972-****
(See above)

The Beatles- 1962-1966 (2023 Mix)- ****
Black Sabbath- Master Of Reality- ****

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band- Night Moves-****
(My friend Shuster played this record and "Stranger In Town" over and over and over on his boombox as we walked around Greenwich Village looking for trouble in 1978. I couldn't listen to it for almost 50 years because of it. But I heard a snippet of "Fire Down Below" while in CVS and the memories started to flood my head. I had to pull it out and give it a spin. It really holds up.)

The Jam- Sound Affects-***1/2
(I love this record. It didn't work tonight. It will again.)

The Replacements- Boink!!-****1/2
(My fave 'Mats record.)

Dr. John- Desitively Bonnaroo-****

6/14/25

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap- Elemental- ***
(Dee Dee is a bit nerve-shredding on this session or I would have graded it higher.)

Van Morrison- Back On Top- ****
v/a- In The Pocket With Eddie Bo- ***1/2
Sly & The Family Stone- Deeper (BW Playlist)-****
Los Lobos- Native Sons-****

Stanton Moore- Take It To The Streets- ****
(Stanton, George Porter Jr. & The Dirty Dozen Brass Band jamming on 14 New Orleans classics! Hard to keep still.)

Thin Lizzy- Chinatown-****1/2
(This record is a feast of Phil Lynott vocalisms! Love this so much. Very underappreciated.)

Sinead O'Connor- The Lion & The Cobra- ***1/2
The Beach Boys- Sounds Of Summer (Personal Playlist)-****1/2
Bee Gees- Main Course- ****

6/13/25

Van Morrison- Remembering Now-****1/2
(Even better the second time around.)

Steely Dan- Countdown To Ecstasy- ****
Vanilla Fudge- S/T (Kevin Gray MONO Master)- ***

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts- Talkin' To The Trees (five songs)- **
(I guess it was asking too much to have great records from both Van and Neil. This was all kinds of terrible.)

AC/DC- Powerage- ****
(Nice palate cleanser to get that nasty Neil Young record out of my head.)

Frank Sinatra- Greatest Hits- ****

Jules Shear- Watch Dog-****1/2
(I haven't played this one in a while. Produced by Todd Rundgren, this is a match made in my heaven.)

Queen- A Day At The Races-****

Thurman- Lux-****
(I've written about this record a few times on Burning Wood. One and done glam band thatm does Bolan and Bowie better than most who try to do Bolan and Bowie.)

6/12/25

The Kinks- Give The People What They Want- ***1/2
XTC- Skylarking (Corrected Polarity Version)- ****
Charlie Rich- That's Rich-****

The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds (Stereo)- *****
(Nothing is going to sound better than this today.)

Van Morrison- Remembering Now- ****1/2
The Beach Boys- Smile-****
Page & Plant- Nagoya, 2/17/96- ****

6/11/25

Curtis Mayfield- There's No Place Like America Today- ***1/2
Miriam Batucada- Amanha Ninguem Sabe- ****
Paul McCartney & Wings- Band On The Run- ****
Sly & The Family Stone- There's A Riot Goin' On- ****

Stanton Moore & The Clinton Administration- Take You Higher-****
(Been awhile since I listened to this. Only two records under their belt--a George Clinton tribute and a Sly tribute. "Take You Higher" features Stanton Moore on drums, Robert Walter on keys, Fareed Haque on guitar, among others. Great stuff.)

v/a- The Ace Story (Personal Playlist) - ****
Elvis Costello- Spike (Sal's Special Edition)- ***1/2
Dillinger- Cocaine In My Brain- ***
James Booker- Junco Partner-****
The Cult- Electric-****

6/10/25

Sly & The Family Stone- Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back- **1/2
(Not as bad as I remember. If the earlier classics didn't exist, this would be a very acceptable record.)

Sly & The Family Stone- Back On The Right Track- ***
(See above. This is even better than "Heard Ya Missed Me," even though most tracks are just rewrites of his classics. Certainly not the throwaway everyone thinks it is.)

Sly & The Family Stone- Small Talk-***1/2
Larry Young- Of Love & Peace-***1/2
Joao Gilberto- Chega De Saudade-****
Sly & The Family Stone- Life- ***1/2

Mista Savona- Havana Meets Kingston (about half) - ***
(Australian producer mashes two classic styles to occasional success. I prefer one or the other.)

Kiss- MTV Unplugged- ***1/2
Black Sabbath- Heaven & Hell-****
Nazz- Nazz Nazz- ****
James Brown- The Payback- ***1/2

James Brown- Sho Is Funky Down Here-****
(On a mini J.B. binge and noticed this record from 1971. I didn't recognize the title or the album cover. Looked it up on All Music, where they trashed it, calling it the most "unsoulful" record of Brown's career. It's strange alright, with JB on a chintzy electric piano and/or organ, and fuzzed out guitars playing instrumentals more suited for a Russ Meyer film. But I have to say, I really dug it.)

Prince & The Revolution- Parade- ****
Rufus- Rufusized- ****
Todd Rundgren- Runt. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren-****

 

6/9/25

Boz Scaggs- Slow Dancer-****
Roxy Music- Flesh & Blood-***1/2
David Bowie- The Man Who Sold The World- ****
Ty Segall- Harmonizer- ***1/2
Thin Lizzy- Black Rose-****1/2
Brinsley Schwarz- Nervous On The Road-***1/2
Diana Ross- Diana-***1/2
James Brown- In The Jungle Groove- ****
Sly & The Family Stone- Higher! (Disc Three)- ****1/2
The JB's- Pass The Peas- ***1/2

 

6/8/25

Thad Jones- The Magnificent Thad Jones-****
(A fave. Swingin' on a Sunday morning.)

Dobby Dobson- Oh God, Are You Satisfied?-**1/2
(Lightweight and treacly.)

Miriam Batucada- Amanha Ninguem Sabe- ****
(Absolutely sublime discovery, thanks to our friend pmac and his Kingston To Rio blog.)

Huey "Piano" Smith & Friends- Pitta Pattin'- ****

Turnstile- Never Enough (three songs)- **
(I listened to this because I saw a clip of Rob Halford & James Hetfield rocking to this band live at some festival. It's this awful hybrid of hardcore punk and boy band pop. Not what I was expecting or wanted.  Really put me off.)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Get Happy!- ****
Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen- Live At the Bitter End, 5/31/25-****

Utopia- Swing To The Right (Todd's Original Acetate)- ****
(Different sequencing, different mix, a few alternate lead vocals, two extra songs--man what a find!)

Pearl Jam - Backspacer-****
(My favorite PJ album.)

Buzzcocks- Love Bites-***1/2
 

6/7/25

Blind Faith-S/T (Side One)- ****
T. Rex- The Slider- ****
The Gladiators- Trenchtown Mix Up- ***1/2
Earl King- More Than Gold: The Complete Ace & Imperial Singles, 1955-1962- ***1/2
Roxy Music- Singles, B-Sides & Alternates (Personal Edit)- ***1/2

Larry Young- Mother Ship-****1/2
(Larry Young's "Unity" is one of my favorite jazz records of all time. But this, his last session for Blue Note, is very close behind. Actually, it might be better than "Unity.")

Aaron Neville- My True Story-****
Badfinger- Magic Christian Music-***
The John Sally Ride-Three To One- ****

The Rolling Stones- Exile On Main Street-****1/2
(Two things about this record-
One: any record that has both "Happy" and "Tumbling Dice" on it already puts your record at a great disadvantage, I don't care who you are.
Two: if you have anything to say about this record, other than, "Yep, you're right," you're wrong.)

v/a- Restless! Reckless! And Reviled!-**** 

6/6/25

The Gladiators- Roots Natty-****
(Excellent 2025 RSD release which collects some late 70's singles, dubs and oddities. A great player!)

Dirty Dozen Brass Band- Voodoo-***1/2
Mike McGear- McGear-***1/2
Joe Jackson- I'm The Man- ****

Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Blood & Chocolate-****1/2
(Whenever I listen to this or "King Of America" it confirms my feelings that that one/two punch equals Costello's two greatest records.)

Ron Wood- I've Got My Own Album To Do-****
Led Zeppelin- IV-****1/2

The Yardbirds- Little Games (MONO)- **1/2 
(This isn't a very good record.)

Devo- 50 Years Of De-Evolution (Personal Playlist)-***1/2
The Rolling Stones- More Hot Rocks (1986 Remaster for Virgin Vinyl, Sides One, Two & Three)- ****
Graham Parker- The Up Escalator-****

 

6/5/25

John Ellis & Double Wide- Dance Like There's No Tomorrow- ***1/2
(Quirky record out of New Orleans that I really like with Jason Marsalis, Matt Perrine...at times it feels like if Zappa did a gospel record in New Orleans.)

Joe Higgs- Studio Rehearsal, L.A.: 11/7/84 (about half)- ***
(Interesting for a bit, but couldn't hold my interest.)

Pulp- More-***1/2
(Can't say I was much of a Pulp fan. Not sure I've heard enough of their music to really know if I am a fan. This "comeback" had a few moments. Don't think I'll play it again, though.)

Roxy Music- Siren- ****1/2
Marshall Crenshaw- Jaggedland-****

The Kinks- Latter Day Gems- ****1/2
(This was put together for me by a friend who is a Kinks expert, when I asked "What are the best Kinks tracks from the 80's and beyond?" He nailed it. One of my favorite playlists.)

The Beach Boys- Summer Days (And Summer Nights)- ****

6/4/25

Jackie McLean- It's Time- ****
(Solid, hard bop outing on Blue Note. Hard to find a bad Jackie record, though "'Bout Soul" can be a bit much.)

Cliff Hillis- Be The Now-***
(Strong recommendation from a friend. Nice pop record. Maybe a bit lightweight for my taste. It could have used more harmony vocals. But a good set of songs.)

Little Freddie King- Going Upstairs-****
(Nothing groundbreaking, just total vibe and feel.)

The Beach Boys- Love You-****
(Crazy, gorgeous, silly, trippy, misunderstood. Classic!)

Jackie Mittoo- Wishbone- ***1/2
(Mittoo covers a lot of musical ground here, but notably absent is reggae. This record plays more like a Blaxploitation soundtrack than what you'd expect from Jackie. Interesting spin.)

Daryl Hall/John Oates- The Complete "Livetime" Concert: 12/8/77-****
(Found this while bloghopping. Not a big fan of the official live album, which was sloppily created from this performance. I was surprised to see such a daring set list was played that night, which makes this live recording so much better.)

The Hollywood Brats- Sick On You-****
(Just read that singer Andrew Matheson died, so I had to put this on. Even if you are not a fan of glammy punk rock, you need to read Matheson's book "Sick On You." Seriously, one of the funniest books on being in a band I have ever read.)

Roxy Music- Stranded-****
(My third favorite Roxy. An underappreciated record. A far better record than the debut.
Tous ces moments
Perdus dans l’enchantement
Qui ne reviendront
Jamais-JAMAIS, JAMAISJAMAISJAMAISJAMAIS!)

The Beach Boys- Stack-O-Tracks-
(This is the first time I've listened to this from head to tail, with full attention. These musicians weren't kidding. The backing track to "Darlin'" is worth the price of admission.)

Wire- Chairs Missing-****

 

6/3/25

Miles Davis/Sonny Rollins- Dig- ***1/2

The Meters-S/T-****
(Just rated their catalogue over at POPSURFING, so I needed to listen.)

Roxy Music- Manifesto (Remix)- ***1/2
(I love this record and it is usually a 4-star listen. Some days higher. But I inadvertently listened to the repress which replaced "Dance Away" and "Ain't That So" with inferior remixes. That'll never happen again.)

Badfinger- Wish You Were Here-****
(Every time I play it, I think this may be their best, or at least their most consistent.)

Gregory Isaacs- Night Nurse- ***1/2

Key- Fit Me In-*** 1/2
(Fun, one and done pop band from Germany. Very Macca.)

Matthew Sweet- Blue Sky On Mars- ****
(Yeah yeah. I know. "Girlfriend!" Yes, "Girlfriend" is a great record, and it's where most of us came in. But this one gets the job done in half the time!)

Gyasi- Androgyne- ***1/2
(Good record, but the new one is better.)

The Beach Boys- 15 Big Ones- ****
(This will never be on anyone's Top Beach Boys Albums list, but it's on mine. A much better record than people think.)

Golden Earrings- Winter-Harvest-****
(Five or six albums before "Radar Love!" Long career, many great records, many terrible records. But this one is worth your time.)

6/2/25

Steely Dan- Two Against Nature-***
Lord Creator- Jamaica Time- ***1/2
The Holy Mackerel- S/T- ***1/2
The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer- ****
The Meters- Cabbage Alley-****1/2
Wilco- A.M.-***1/2
Sunflower Bean- Mortal Primetime-****
'Til Tuesday- Voices Carry- ***
Elvis Costello & The Imposters- Look Now-****
Egg- S/T- ***1/2
Suede- Sci-Fi Lullabies (Disc One, about 8 songs)- **1/2

6/1/25

Fats Domino- Complete Imperial: 1948-1962 (Personal Playlist)- ****
Jon Cleary- So Swell- ****
v/a- Fatty Fatty: 1967-1970- ***1/2
Suede- Dog Man Star- ***
The Rolling Stones- Black & Blue- ****
Jon Cleary's Piano Bass & Drums- Lafayette Square, 4/14/10- ****1/2
Galactic And Irma Thomas- Audience With The Queen-****
Suede-S/T- ***1/2
Psychedelic Furs- Forever Now- ****
Paul Westerberg- 14 Songs-****

 

5/31/25

Bobbie Dazzle- Fandabidozi (five songs)- **1/2
Junior Byles- Beat Down Babylon-****
v/a- Zildjian Jam At Tipitina's, 4/29/25- ****1/2
Brinsley Schwarz- Live At Rockpalast, 1975- ****
Sparks- Propaganda- ****
Paul Collins' Beat- The Kids Are The Same-***1/2
D.B.A. (Derringer, Bogert & Appice)- Doin' Business As- ****

iPod on Shuffle:
There Goes My Baby- The Drifters
I Don't Wanna Be In Love- Geraint Watkins & The Dominators
Slow Down (MONO)- The Beatles
How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad- Lovelites
Solomon A Gundy- Big Youth
Flowers In The Rain (MONO)- The Move
Duke's End- Genesis
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)- The Beach Boys
48 Hours- The Clash
Groovin'- Aretha Franklin
Stairway To The Stars- Blue Oyster Cult
Thorn In My Pride- The Black Crowes
Fish On The Sand- George Harrison
Legalise Me- Pretenders