1/13/2026

Kyle Rowland- Not Holding Back (2025)- ***1/2
(Really solid record, though I might have given it four stars if it was 20 minutes shorter. Rowland covers a lot of ground, mostly sounding like Jimmie Vaughan and the T-Birds. But there are a few gritty workouts, too.)

Fotheringay- S/T (1970)- ****
(Sandy Denny post-Fairport, an underappreciated classic, I think.)

Jules Shear- Village Underground, 4/8/03 (2003)- ****
(Great solo show where Jules is joined by Brad Jones on bass a few songs in.)

(Jules lagniappe)

Bobby Charles- S/T (1972)- ****
The Who- Sell Out: Japanese True Stereo (1967/2021) - **** 

Paul McCartney- Memory Almost Full (2007)- ****
(Stephen Thomas Erlewine on All Music:
"Memory Almost Full is startlingly bright and frequently lively, an album that embraces McCartney's unerring gift for melody. Yet for as pop as it is, this is not an album made with any illusion that Paul will soon have a succession of hit singles: it's an art-pop album, not unlike either of the McCartney albums. Sometimes this is reflected in the construction --- the quick succession of short songs at the end, uncannily (and quite deliberately) sounding like a suite -- sometimes in the lyrics, but the remarkable thing is that McCartney never sounds self-consciously pretentious here, as if he's striving to make a major statement. Rather, he's quietly taking stock of his life and loves, his work and achievements. On the surface, it's bright and accessible, as easy to enjoy as the best of Paul's solo albums, but it lingers in the heart and mind in a way uncommon to the rest of his work, and to many other latter-day albums from his peers as well.")

Ratt- Out Of The Cellar (1984)- ****
(As far as records like this go, it's really one of the best. Hook after hook, great playing, loud and hard. How could you not love the hit, "Round And Round?" B-Side is good, too!)

Foxy Shazam- Animality Opera (2025)- ***
(This made my head spin. It's relentless. Some excellent moments that recall Queen at their peak. Sparks, too. But it's a bit of a mess overall.)