5/20/2026

Todd Rundgren- Initiation: Side One (1975)- ****
Nick Drake- Five Leaves Left (1969)- ***1/2
John Hammond- Mirrors (1967)- ***
Black Uhuru- Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1983)- ***1/2
Bob Dylan & The Band- The Basement Tapes (1975)- ****
Rainbow- Rising (1976)- ****
Trouble- S/T (1990)- ****

5/19/2026

Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Scott Colley- Peregrine (2026)- ***1/2
(Nice trio session, though Erskine is a bit more subdued behind the kit than I'd like him to be. Still some great stuff.)

The Who- Sell Out: MONO (1967)- ****
(Happy Birthday, Pete! Thanks for the greatest record of all time!)

The Kinks - Arthur, Or...:Kevin Gray Stereo Master (1969)- ****

Robert Fripp- Exposure: Third Edition (1979/1983/1985- ****
(I did this once, maybe even twice on Burning Wood, but I've improved and expanded "The Exposure trilogy" playlist.)
https://amazon.com/music/player/user-playlists/0c89d151155f4e10840950175931c507sune?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_H72rtf4gFKeblYSdLPRgiUyUb

The Who- Who's Next: Steven Wilson Remix (1971/2023)- ***1/2
(Big fan of Steven Wilson's Yes and XTC remixes, but this is a muddy mess. No high end at all. Moon's drums sound like they are covered in towels. Maybe it works better in Dolby Atmos. I'll need to try that. But the original W-1 press on Decca is still the one to beat.)

Dwight Twilley- Scuba Divers (1982)- ****
(His best! Period.)

Blue Oyster Cult- Agents Of Fortune (1976)- ****
Thin Lizzy- Chinatown (1980)- ****
(Top ten concert of all time- The Dictators opening, followed by Thin Lizzy, followed by Blue Oyster Cult, The Palladium, NYC 1978.)

Graham Parker- Imaginary Television (2010)- ***1/2
(Pretty sure this was the first time hearing it. I really liked it. Short, sweet. GP fans, thoughts?)

5/18/2026

Steve Hackett- Defector (1980)- ***1/2
(Both "Spectral Mornings" and this record were really solid, though I still prefer his first two.)

The Appletree Theatre- Playback (1968)- **1/2
(Terence & John Boylan and a whimsical collection of psychedelic twee. Eh.)

Elvis Costello- Mighty Like A Rose (1991)- **1/2
(Every few years I try this record, hoping something inside me changes. But nothing ever does. I always feel the same. With the exception of three or four great tracks, the songs feel forced and clumsy, the arrangements are heavy handed and the kitchen sink production is nerve shredding.)

Faces- Ooh La La (1973)- ****
Chris Bergson- East River Blues- **1/2

The Hollies- Butterfly...Plus (1967/2020)- ****
(The classic, one of my favorite albums of all time, augmented with a few tracks and b-sides from around the session.)

The Fabulous Thunderbirds- What's The Word? (1980)- ***

iPod on Shuffle:
Jewel In A Cobweb- Jules Shear
Ruination Day (Part 2)- Gillian Welch
License To Kill- Bob Dylan
Hearts Of Stone- Los Lobos
I'll Be Gone- Tom Waits
Do Do Do- Joe Jackson
On I Go- Fiona Apple
Going Down- Bryan Ferry
You're Lonesome Now- Charles Perrywell
Don't Bring Me Down- David Bowie
This World- World Party
I Don't Mind- Buzzcocks
Rattlesnake Shake- Fleetwood Mac
Sweet Dreams- Tommy McLain
Jeepster- T. Rex
Summer's Day Song- Paul McCartney
5:15 The Angels Have Gone (SACD Mix)- David Bowie
You Don't Know Me At All- Nick Lowe
Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine- Taj Mahal
Medley: Blues Minuet/Until The Real Thing Comes Along/Baby Won't You Please Come Home- James Booker
Downbound Train (Electric Nebraska)- Bruce Springsteen

5/17/2026

Velvet Underground & Nico- S/T: MONO (1967)- ****
Steve Hackett- Spectral Mornings (1979)- ***1/2

Maria McKee- Life Is Sweet (1996)- ***1/2
(Never got on board with Lone Justice, but I really enjoy McKee's solo records. This one especially. It's filled with great melodies and it's also noisy at times. Been years since I heard it. Still holds up.)

Milton Nascimento- Milton (1970)- ***1/2
Roxy Music- Country Life (1974)- ****

The Beach Boys- SMiLE: White Trash Soul Version ('66/'67'/2026)- ***1/2
(Fun hybrid using tracks from the unofficial, official and "Smiley Smile." It's HERE, if you care.)

The Beatles- Rubber Soul: U.K. MONO RM (1965/2009)- ****

The Young Rascals- Groovin': MONO (1967)- ****
("...on a Sunday afternoon.")

Johnny Thunders- Que Sera, Sera (1985)- ***1/2
Black Sabbath- Heaven & Hell (1980)- ****
David Bowie- Diamond Dogs: Bonus Tracks (1974/2004)- ****

Carlene Carter- Musical Shapes (1980)- ****
(This record, Rockpile "Seconds Of Pleasure," Elvis Costello's "Trust," Nick Lowe's "Labour Of Lust," and Squeeze's "East Side Story." Put'em in your CD carousel and hit shuffle.)

Dead Boys- Young, Loud & Snotty (1977)- ****

Television- Marquee Moon (1977)- ****
(When life gives you lemons, play "Marquee Moon.")

5/16/2026

Chicago Transit Authority- S/T (1969)- ***1/2

The Who- Live At Leeds (1970)- ****
(The greatest live album of all time turns 56 today. Turn it up!)

July-S/T (1968)- ***
(One of Sal Maida's favorite psych records. I prefer Blossom Toes and Skip Bifferty. This one never takes, and I keep trying.)

The Beach Boys- Pet Sounds: Kevin Gray Stereo Cut (1966/2015)- ****
(This record turns 60 today!)

Ron Wood & Ronnie Lane- Mahoney's Last Stand (1976)- ***
The Beatles- S/T, 2009 Stereo RM: Single Disc Edit (1968/2026)- ****

Todd Rundgren- Live In Chicago '91: The Riviera Theater (1999)- ****
(Amazing performance. Band is on fire. Todd's in excellent voice.)

Van Halen- 1984 (1984)- ****
Thin Lizzy- Johnny The Fox (1976)- ****
Joan Jett- S/T (1980)- ***

5/15/2026

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings- Acoustic Reckoning, Port Chester: 4/11/2026 (2026)- ***
(A brilliant idea and a terrific show. But, I am used to Gillian's and David's voices blending as one, and on this set, it seems Gillian is struggling a bit to hit her high harmonies. Maybe it's age, or as a friend suggested, maybe it's the Dead's material that is out of her comfort zone. Still worth listening to if you're a fan.)

Peter Gabriel- S/T (1978)- ***1/2
Mahavishnu Orchestra- Inner Mounting Flame (1971)- ***1/2
Prince- Graffiti Bridge: Personal Edit (1990/2026)- ***1/2

Peter Frampton- Carry The Light (2026)- **1/2
(I wanted more from this. Songs are very samey and they go nowhere. His guitar playing is still fab, but I'll never listen again.)

Teddy Thompson- Never Be The Same (2026)- ****
(Might be his best record. I'll decide on second or third spin.)

King Crimson- Larks' Tongues In Aspic: 2023 Mix (1973/2023)- ****
Paul McCartney- Flowers In The Dirt, 1988 Demos (2017)- ****
Bad Brains- I Against I (1986)- ****

Johnny Thunders- So Alone (1978)- ****
(Marriott, Lynott, Cook, Jones, Chrissie, Johnny--so many of my fave miscreants on one record!)

Pretenders- Viva El Amor (1999)- ****
(The unsung classic in Chrissie's catalogue, and the rare occasion when the cover "Human" is better than the Divinyls original.)

5/14/2026

Nico- Chelsea Girl (1967)- ***1/2
Sarah Quintana- Baby Don't (2025)- ***1/2
Boozoo Chavis & The Magic Sounds- Boozoo, That's Who? (1993)- ***1/2
The Boys- Alternative Chartbusters (1978)- ****
The Fabulous Thunderbirds- The Doc Pomus Album, 1978 (1978/2026)- **1/2
Robert Walter, Eddie Roberts, Stanton Moore- The Breaks (2026)- **** 
Amy Grant- The Me That Remains (2026)- ***
The Bluerunners- Honey Slides (2005)- ****
Sally Baby's Silver Dollars- Live At Jazz Fest, 4/23/2026- ****

5/13/2026

Cal Everett- The Weight Of Early Promise (2026)- ****
("For fans of Emitt Rhodes and Paul McCartney," it says. Maybe. To my ears, this is a really good Billy Joel record. I mean, his voice and phrasing is all Billy! And maybe a bit of Emitt.)

  

 

 

Bob Dylan- Live '66: The Royal Albert Hall Concert (1998)- Acoustic Set-***/Electric Set-****
(Actually Manchester from a few days earlier.)

Roxy Music- Avalon: Personal Edit (1982/2023)-***1/2
The Guitars Unlimited Plus 7- Crazy Rhythm (1961)- ***
v/a- Black Rockabilly Vol. 3: A Rockin' Bandit Compilation (2026)- ****

Irma Thomas- Live In The Gospel Tent, 5 /2/2026 (2026)- **1/2
(I've seen Irma at Jazz Fest do her Gospel/Soul set a number of times, and it's always outstanding. But this year's set is a trainwreck. The backing singers are flat, and I think Miss Thomas and the band were in two different tents during "My Sweet Lord." She's still the Queen!)

Warren Zevon- Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School (1980)- ***1/2

Paul McCartney- Personal Playlist (2026)- ****
(https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/a777cc0dfaa04c0bbe1208f93737eb26sune?ref=dm_sh_lwj3fA0Fz1YGOGkczm3vApTTk)

Phil Manzanera- Diamond Head (1975)- ****
Joe Jackson Band- Volume 4 (2003)- ***1/2 

5/12/2026

Joe Gibbs & The Professionals- African Dub All-Mighty: Chapter Three (1977)- ***
Freda Payne- Band Of Gold (1970)- ***1/2
Jon Batiste- Hollywood Africans (2018)- ***1/2
Todd Rundgren- Runt: Alternate April 1970 Master (1970/2023)- ****

Paul McCartney- Memory Almost Full (2007)- ****
(New Mojo has Macca on the cover and a few songwriters pick their favorite McCartney songs, including Elvis Costello-  "Jenny Wren," Lucinda Williams - "My Love," I'm with her, by the way, and Paul Weller who chose "You Tell Me" from this record.)

Paul Weller- At The BBC Vol. 2: Disc One (2026)- ****
(Speaking of Weller, the first disc of this new BBC set was excellent. Great alternate versions, a few acoustic takes, some cool covers.)

The Lemon Twigs- Personal Playlist (2026)- ****
The Kinks- Face To Face: Kevin Gray MONO Cut (1966/2016)- ****

Joe Walsh- Analog Man (2012)- ****
(Unsurprisingly sounds like ELO with Joe singing lead. If you're a fan of both, there is no reason to not love this record.)

5/11/2026

Harry Nilsson- Nilsson Sings Newman (1970)- ***1/2
Irma Thomas- Take A Look (1966)- ***1/2

The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind!- ****1/2 
(Gets better with each spin. New fave below.)
 

Graham Parker & The Shot- Steady Nerves (1985)- ****1/2
(There are at least four songs on this record that should have been huge MTV hits. Here's one of them.)

Utopia- Deface The Music (1980)- ****
XTC- Drums & Wires (1979)- ****

Frank Zappa- Hot Rats (1969)- ***1/2
(I think it was Steve Vai who said "Willie The Pimp" was his favorite guitar solo. It's an 8 minute solo in a 9 minute song, and it's def one of mine.)

Judas Priest- Point Of Entry (1981)- ****
Utopia- Adventures In Utopia (1979)- ****
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- Damn The Torpedoes (1979)- ****

5/10/2026

Dexter Gordon- Go! (1962)- ****
Nara Leao- Nara '67 (1967)- ****
Baden & Vinicius- Os Afro Sambas (1966)- ****
Magic Sam Blues Band- West Side Soul (1968) - ****
v/a- Black Rockabilly Vol. 2: A Rockin' Bandit Compilation (2026)- ****

5/9/2026

XTC- Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999)- ****
The Soft Boys- A Can Of Bees (1979)- ****
David Byrne & Brian Eno- Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008)- ***1/2
John Cale- Slow Dazzle (1975)- ****
Allen Toussaint- Toussaint (1970)-****

Wings- At The Speed Of Sound (1976)- ****
(50 years in---that's NUTS---and I just realized, "Must Do Something About It," a track I never liked, sung by drummer Joe English, might as well be a Billy Joel song. The chord changes and phrasing, especially on the bridge, is right off of "Turnstiles.")

Chris Stamey- Anything Is Possible (2025)-***
(The Lemon Twigs sing on 5 songs, including a "Pet Sounds" cover. Marshall Crenshaw is singing on a track, as well. The problem is, Stamey can't sing.)

Be-Bop Deluxe- Futurama: 2019 Stereo Remix (1975/2019)- ****|

Cheap Trick- S/T (1977)- ****
Cheap Trick- In Color (1977)- ****
(How's this for a one-two punch out of the box? Same year!!)

5/8/2026

The Lemon Twigs- Go To School (2018)- ***1/2
Raspberries- Personal Playlist (2024)- ****
Genesis- Duke (1980)- ****
U.K.- Danger Money (1979)- ****
Led Zeppelin- Hampton, 9/9/71 (1971)- ****
The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind! (2026)- ****1/2
The Lemon Twigs- Songs For The General Public (2020)- ***
R.E.M.- Dead Letter Office. (1987)- ****

5/7/2026

Melvin Jackson- Funky Skull (1969) - ***1/2
(One of the wackiest records I have ever heard and I mean that in a good way.)

v/a- Black Rockabilly Vol. 1: A Rockin' Bandit Compilation (2026)- ****

Neil Diamond- Wild At Heart (2026)- ***
(Better than I expected. Some winners. A few losers. Def worth a second visit.)

The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind! (2026)- ****1/2
Clive Hunt- Orthodox Dub (1978)- ***1/2
v/a- Soul Deep: A Burning Wood Weekend Mix (2026)- ****
The Rolling Stones- Between The Buttons: U.K. MONO (1967)- ****
The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind! (2026)- ****1/2







 

5/6/2026

The Allman Brothers Band- A Decade Of Hits: 1969-1979 (1991)- ***1/2

The Lightmen Plus One- Energy Control Center (1973)- ****
(Modal, spiritual, free. Take your pick. Highly recommended if you dig this sort of jazz.)

Jim Jones All Starts- Cat Fight (2026)- ***
(This is a lot of fun from the get go, but not much changes by the end. Lots of groovin' and howlin' but not a lot of actual songs.)

Kool & The Gang- Light Of Worlds (1974)- ***1/2
Elvis Costello- Live At The El Mocambo (1978)- ***1/2

Foxtide- Entropy (2026)- **1/2
(Press release said, "California sounds revival? Not called as such yet, but that line leading from The Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield through the ‘70s scene seems to be being revived and modernized by the likes of The Lemon Twigs and a number of other artists. Judging by Entropy, its new album, San Diego trio Foxtide should definitely be included in any such revival list." WRONG! This record is slightly more interesting than a Coldplay record and sounds NOTHING like the aforementioned trio of bands.)

Bash & Pop- Friday Night Is Killing Me (1993)- ****
Joe Jackson- Hope & Fury (2026)- ****

Traffic- Mr. Fantasy: Mobile Fidelity Remaster (1967/1993)- ****
(First time I heard this. It's pretty damn great! I'll take as many mixes of this as I can.)

The Lemon Twigs- Do Hollywood (2016)- ***1/2
(This record blew my mind in 2016. It's fair to say, this record started the love affair with The Lemon Twigs. But ten years later, and two brilliant records in the last three years with a new one due this week,  have to say this record plays like a hot mess. The kids have come a long way and there are plenty of fun moments to be had on "Do Hollywood." But...wow. This is a nutty record.)

Utopia- Live From Levon Helm's Studio, 7/3/81 (1981)-****
(One of the very best Todd/Utopia live shows. Top Three. The memories add to it, of course. It was a live simulcast on WNEW-FM. I had my cassette player armed and ready. My girlfriend was over, a new Todd fan, or actually, more of a Kasim Sulton crush. And the band played more than half of the yet to be released new album. Still, the band was on fire. And it still sounds great.)

5/5/2026

Joe Thomas- Is The Ebony Godfather (1971)- ***
Leon Russell- S/T (1970)- ****
Julian Cope- E-Man Groovin' (2026)- **1/2
Ronnie Foster- Two Headed Freap (1972)- ***1/2
Jocelyn Brown- Somebody Else's Guy (1984) ***1/2)
Brian Eno- Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (1974)- ****
Montage-S/T (1969)- ****
Buzzcocks- Singles Going Steady (1979)- ****
Labi Siffre- Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972)- ***
v/a- The Lemon Twigs: Mood Swings (2026)- **1/2
Small Faces- S/T: Decca, MONO (1966)- ****

Sugar- Copper Blue (1992)- ****
(Today wasn't a great day for writing notes. But this record inspired me to at least say this. "Copper Blue" is relentless! Hook after hook after hook. Loud and hard and in your face and never skimping on melody. Like Motorhead playing power pop. That is all.)

5/4/2026

Del Jones' Postive Vibes - Court Is Closed (1973)- **
(Not a typo, the album cover says "postive." This is the first line of a user review on Discogs-
"STONE CLASSIC early 70's black, aural-Counter-Cult-statement using the form of dynamic Jammer FUNK... 'n I mean FUNK!" Well, I found nothing funky about it. Trippy and amateurish.)

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Time (2010/2026)- ****
Etta James- Tell Mama (1968)- ****

Jimmy Lewis- Totally Involved (1974)- ****
(Great southern soul. Jimmy is a screamer! And he's got some great raps, too.)

v/a-The Lemon Twigs: Inspiration (2026)- ***1/2
Graham Parker 12 Haunted Episodes (1995)- ***
Abba- Gold (1992)- ****
Clarence Reid- Running Water (1973)- ***

Gary Klebe- Out Loud (2026)- **1/2
(I like about a dozen songs by the Shoes. I never quite understood their cult status as legendary power poppers. The breathy vocals and sameness did little for me, though I do love the handful of songs I love. This solo outing from Klebe doesn't venture from the Shoes formula, which I guess might be a good thing for Shoes followers. But for me, it was a poppy blur for 40 minutes. And I really don't like how he sings. He's kinda clunky.)

The Who- A Quick One: True Stereo, Abbey Road HSM (1966/2022)- ****
The Skeletons- Waiting (1992)- ****

5/3/2026

Matteo Monico- Alfred Hitchcock: A Portrait In Piano (2025)- ****
Ian Carr-Belladonna (1972)- ***1/2

Rhetta Hughes- Re-Light My Fire (1969)-***1/2
(Didn't know Rhetta or this record, but it was a great spin. A real soulful beauty. Check it out, when you can.)

Steely Dan- Gaucho (1980)- ****
Graham Parker- Another Grey Area (1982)- ***1/2

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Time (2010/2026)- ****
Robert Walter, Eddie Roberts, Stanton Moore- The Breaks (2026)- ****
(Loved both of these. Burning Wood reviews on tap.)

Paul Weller- 22 Dreams: Demos & The Like (2008)- ****
New York Dolls- S/T (1973)- ****
The Jam- The Gift (1982)- ****
Gloria Jones- Come Go With Me (1966)- ****

 

5/2/2026

Jerry Garcia- Reflections (1976)- ****
(A Grateful Dead record in all but name. And a damn good one, too.)

 

Frank Sinatra- A Swingin' Affair! (1957)- ***1/2
Todd Rundgren- Nearly Human (1989)- ****
David Bowie- Reality (2003)- ****

Tin Machine- S/T (1989)- ****
(I will never not defend this record.)

Harry Connick Jr.- She (1995)- ****
(The inside of the CD book says "Harry Connick Jr. & His Funk Band" and that band includes George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, Zig Modeliste and the Bonerama horns for starters. Not before or since has Harry sounded like this. I played this to death in 1995 and saw the tour, which was one of the most entertaining live shows I have ever seen.)

 

 

Soundgarden- Superunknown: Sal's Edit (1994/2025)- ****
Hole- Celebrity Skin: Sal's Edit (1998/2020)- ****

Aerosmith- Rocks (1976)-****
(The greatest rock album of all time. Really.)

Swag- Catch-All (2000)- ****
(The greatest power pop album of all time. Really.)

The Runaways- Waitin' For The Night (1977)- ***
(Cherie Currie is gone. Joan Jett takes over. An uncredited Sal Maida plays bass for the Stu Sutcliffe of the band, Vicki Blue. Fun record.)

5/1/2026

John Hammond- So Many Roads (1965)- ***1/2
(I'm reading Robbie Robertson's memoir "Testimony" and didn't realize all of the times I've had this record in my hands that his backing band was HUGE! Mike Bloomfield, Charlie Musselwhite, and Mark Helm, Eric Hudson and Jaime Robertson, aka, Levon, Garth and Robbie.)

The Meters- Trick Bag (1976)- ***1/2

I-Roy- Ten Commandments (1978)- ****
(I-Roy's masterpiece, versioning Marley's "Exodus" album in its entirety, with each song based on a commandment.)

Raw Spitt- S/T (1970)- **
(Charlie Whitehead aka Raw Spitt produced and arranged by Jerry Williams aka Swamp Dogg. I gave it four songs. It's just a whole lotta bland, conisdering those involved.)

Sister Nancy- One, Two (1982)- ***
(A reggae classic and a rare one at that, that finally got a reissue after years of original copies going for $500-$1000. I never warmed to her voice.)

Ringo Starr- Long Long Road (2026)- ***1/2

Los Hombres Calientes- Vol. 3 New Congo Square (2001)-  ****
(Starting with their 1998 debut, right through their final release in 2005, this New Orleans collective featuring Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Headhunter Bill Summers and Victor Atkins, along with numerous special guests including Burning Spear, John Boutte, Cyril Neville and Shannon Powell, put out some of my favorite music. They were always a go to while in New Orleans, and the rare occasions tghey played New York City. I haven't listened to these records in some time, but it's Jazz Fest and so they came to mind. I strongly suggest starting at the beginning.)

The Claypool-Lennon Delirium- The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy (2026)- ****
(This is a great record. It would be even greater if the unfunny Claypool crap was edited out. It would also make the album a more user friendly 45 minutes.)

Percy "Thrills" Thrillington- Thrillington (1971/1977)- ***1/2
(I found this unlistenable 50 years ago. It's actually quite good. If you don't know it, it's an instrumental version of McCartney's "Ram," recorded around the same time, but shelved until 1977. The styles range from big band, easy listening, dancehall, and maybe even jazz, if you use your imagination. Really smart.)

10cc- Sheet Music (1974)-****
The La's- S/T (1990)- ****
Graham Parker- The Real Macaw (1983)- ****
(What a trifecta!)

4/30/2026

Catalyst-S/T (1972)- ***
(Funk and fusion out of Philly, with Odeon Pope and Alphonso Johnson. Not bad. Ended stronger than it began. I thought the tune below was groovy.)

Merry Clayton- Gimme Shelter (1970)- ***1/2
(This is a really good record!)

Neil Young- Tonight's The Night 50 (2025)- ***1/2
Dave Mason- Alone Together (1970)- ***
Cheap Trick- All Washed Up (2025)- ****

Tears For Fears- Personal Playlist (2023)- ****
(This band has fans, of course. They're popular, of course. Yet, it still feels like not enough people know anything beyond "Shout." Playlist below. And it's a damn good one, if I do say so myself.)

Tears For Fears Playlist

The Who- Who Are You (1978)- ****
(Underrated.)