Sun Ra- Singles Volume 1: The Definitive 45s Collection 1952-1961 (2016)- ***1/2
Syd Barrett- Barrett (1970)- ***1/2
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians- Element Of Light (1986)- ***1/2
(Someone recently said, this album has "John Lennon's influence all over it." I hadn't thought of that, and now that's all I hear.)
Paul Simon- Essentials: Personal Edit (2024/2025)- ***1/2
Wings- At The Speed Of Sound (1976)- ****
(Today's listening has been pretty good, but nothing has jumped out as a four star spin until this record. I didn't love this record at first. I bought it the week it came out at Crazy Eddie on Coney Island Avenue and it did nothing for me. I especially hated Linda's vocal on "Cook Of The House." But now, almost all of it pleases me, including Linda's song. "The Note You Never Wrote" is a beauty. The horn arrangement on "Silly Love Songs" is just fantastic. The whole vibe of "She's My Baby" is so perfectly upbeat. I also love the outtake of "Beware My Love" with John Bonham on drums.)
The Salt Collective- A Brief History Of Blindness (2025)- ***1/2
Robyn Hitchcock- Jewels For Sophia (1999)- ***1/2
(Good record. First time hearing it. Best track on first pass...)
Sailor- Trouble (1975)- ****
(Wikipedia calls Sailor "a British pop/glam rock group." Okay, they're British. They got that right. They have more in common with Abba than any glam band, but there is also some old British dancehall thoughout. Whatever label, I've always loved this record, as well as the debut. Here's a two-fer.)
Patti Smith Group- Radio Ethiopia (1976)- ***1/2
Lucinda Williams- Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)- ****
(This record is perfect. Every song. Every harmony. Every lyric. Perfect.)
3 comments:
Near-perfect is a huge thing for any record. Perfect is usually questionable. Lucinda's Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is exactly as you say. Perfection.
Sun-Ra released singles??!! That somehow made me laugh. I don't really think of jazz and singles in general. But Sun Ra releasing a single and checking the Billboard charts to see if it's hit the Hot 100 yet tickled me to no end. Incongruous I guess is what I'm saying. I suppose Captain Beefheart released singles too!
Man, I love Airscape, Bass, and Raymond Chandler Evening from Element of Light so, so much, and likewise No, I Don't Remember Guilford from Jewels For Sophia.
I find I like individual songs more than albums from RH, but when those songs connect, it's intense
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