Sonny Burns- A Real Cool Cat (2011)- ***
(Nice stuff, but as long as Hank Williams records exist, no need for these sides. Sorry Sonny.)

Danny Ayala- Only Fools Love Again (2025)- ***1/2
(New, sweet solo album from Lemon Twigs multi-instrumentalist and background singer. Good record but it's missing something--two D'Addarios.)

His Lordship- Bored Animal (2025)- ***1/2
Bryan Ferry- Mamouna (1994)- ****

Shrunken Elvis- S/T (2025)- ***
(This was okay. A little too new-agey for my tastes. I was hoping for more Eno/Fripp weirdness.)

John Cale- Cat's Cradle, N.C.: 10/9/97-****
(A revelation! Really interesting acoustic instrumentation- a trio, two names I didn't recognize with Cale- featuring piano, lap steel, banjo and harmonica. Great, fresh way to hear this material.)

Ultravox!- S/T (1977)- ****
Bush Tetras- Rhthm & Paranoia: The Best Of (2021)- ***1/2

Rage Against The Machine- Renegades (2000)- ****
(I know people who not only hate this record, they get really angry over its existence. The sacrilege of rapping over the Stones and MC5 is just too much for them. But they also get angry over all hip hop and heavy metal, so.... 
I love this record, yet I don't like any other RATM records. I do love Tom Morello and what the band stands for, but their records leave me cold. Not this one. This record fires me up!)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Get Happy! (1980)-****
David Bowie- Rock 'N' Roll Star (2024)- ****

Electric Light Orchestra- Out Of The Blue: Brian's Edit (1977/2025)- ***1/2
(The edit helps, but I still like five other ELO records more.)

Van Halen- II (1979)- ****
(No sophomore slump here. Love this more than the debut.)

10/12/25

Paul Weller- True Meanings (2018)- ****
Bruce Springsteen- Inyo (1995-1997/2025)-  ***1/2
Kaleidoscope- Side Trips (1967)- ****

Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins- Sonny Side Up (1959)- ****
(One of my very faves, maybe Top Ten, if I don't think too hard. Worth the price of admission for Dizzy's vocal on "Sunny Side Of The Street.)

Tammi Terrell- Irresistible (1968)- ****
(Another great non-comp album from Motown. That riff in "Can't Believe You Love Me" is a killer.)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Trust (1981)- ****
Dr. John & The Bonnaroo Revue feat. James Booker & James Black- Dallas, 4/11/74- ***1/2

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- S/T (1976)- ****
Dwight Twilley Band- Sincerely (1976)- ****
(This was an excellent, albeit inadvertent, one-two punch.)

Nor-easter 45 Party:
The Sapphires- Who Do You Love
Any Trouble- Second Choice
B.W. Stevenson- My Maria
The Beach Boys- You're So Good To Me
The Four Tops- When She Was My Girl
Cissy Houston- Be My Baby
The Orlons- Everything
Tommy Hunt- I Am A Witness
Abba- Waterloo
Hurricane Smith- Oh Baby, What Would You Say?
Andrew Gold- Lonely Boy
Pure Prairie League- Amie

10/11/25

v/a- Soul Power '68, Disc One (2021)- ****
(Fantastic collection of rare and unreleased rock steady and soul tracks. Will hit Disc Two soon.)

Luiz Bonfa- Uma Prece (1955)- ***1/2

Engelbert Humperdinck- S/T (1969)- ****
(Like Tom Jones, though Tom occasionally rocked a bit, Engelbert's 60's Decca output had some really terrific pop singles. Tom became legit, but poor Dinck just got worse.)

Roy Harper- Stormcock (1971)- ***1/2
The Move- The Best Of...Sides 3 & 4 (1974)- ****

The Doughboys- Running For Covers (2019)- ****1/2
(One of the best of its kind. Smart, sincere and it rocks.)

Eno- Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)- ****
The Beatles- Let It Be: Giles Martin Mix (1970/2021)- ****

Robin Zander- S/T (1993)- ****1/2
(The great, lost solo album. A major showcase for one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time, this record has it all- power pop, rock and roll, country, big ballads, a Divinyls duet, guest vocals from Maria McKee and Stevie Nicks, Nilsson and Neil Young covers, Dr. John on piano--but it also had a label with issues, so there was little to no promotion. Bring this record back!)

Mike Viola- Electro De Perfecto (2011)- ****
Grace Jones- Nightclubbing (1981)-****

10/10/25

Peter Tosh- The Toughest (1996)- ***1/2
The Lijadu Sisters- Horizon Unlimited (1979)- ***1/2

Jeff Tweedy- Twilight Override: Disc Two (2025)- **1/2
(zzzzzzzzzz....THUD.)

The Beatles- Please Please Me (MONO, 1967/2025)-****

The Monkees- Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.: Kevin Gray Stereo Master (1967/2025)- ****
(Another stunning release from Kevin Gray.)

v/a-Play On: A Raspberries Tribute (2025)- ****
(This didn't disappoint. Really solid throughout, but nothing here is better than the originals, though Chris Price's Motown/Girl Group arrangement of "Nobody Knows" is pretty damn great. No real clams, though I could do without Ken Sharp, and the Shoes sucked the life out of "Overnight Sensation.")

Say She She- Cut & Rewind (2025)-****
Pink Floyd- Masters Of Rock (1974)- ****
The Jam - Sound Affects (1980)- ****

Fleetwood Mac- Rumours: Personal Edit (1977/2025)- ****
(Get rid of "Don't Stop," "Oh Daddy" and "Gold Dust Woman" and add "Silver Springs." A much better record!)

Pixies- Surfer Rosa (1988)-****







 

10/9/25

iPod on Shuffle:
Fools Like Me- Geraint Watkins
When The Boys Come Marching Home- David Bowie
Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)- Marvin Gaye
Money Honey- Elvis Presley
Andy's Chest- Lou Reed
All Night Thing- Temple Of The Dog
Blackjack Davey- Taj Mahal
Lucky Guy- Del Amitri
Nothing Lasts Forever- World Party
Lonely Boy Blue- Elvis Costello
Love You To (2022 Stereo Remix)- The Beatles
Lips Like Sugar- Echo & The Bunnymen
Searchin'- Alvin Robinson
September Song- Jeff Lynne
One Beautiful Morning- Bruce Springsteen
The One You Can't Have- The Honeys
Girl (1965 Stereo Mix)- The Beatles
Kingdom Of Izzness- Dr. John
Feeling Lonely- Small Faces
Hard Luck Story- Elton John
You're Lookin' Fine- The Kinks
Never Had A Dream Come True- Stevie Wonder
Let's See Action- Pete Townshend
Rip Off- T. Rex
Hang 'Em High- Jackie Mittoo
Nightingale- Roxy Music
Loisaida- Joe Jackson 

 

Sloan- Based On The Best Seller (2025)- ***1/2
(Three spins, still a good record. But not as good as "Steady." I'm also just a casual fan, so what do I know?)

Ralfi Pagan- With Love (1971)-****
(An amazing slice of Latin soul!)

Adrian Belew- Young Lions (1990)- ****
(This sounded great today. Probably his best.)

Tim Christensen & The Damn Crystals- S/T (2011)- ***1/2
Aerosmith- Draw The Line (1977)- ****
Stanton Moore Trio- Live At WWOZ, Spring Drive 2015 (2015)- ****
Xanadu- O.S.T.: E.L.O. Side (1980)- ****
Television- Marquee Moon: Kevin Gray Master (1977/2024)- ****

10/8/25

Holly Cole- Dark, Dear Heart (1997)- ***
Say She She- Prism (2022)- ***1/2
Galactic And Irma Thomas- Audience With The Queen (2025) -****
David Bowie- Diamond Dogs (1974)- ****

Neal Francis- Return To Zero (2025)- ****
(Really loving this.)

John Cale- Slow Dazzle (1975)- ****1/2
("Paris 1919" is such a rich listen, every single time, I forget just how great this record is. Actually, though Cale is not mainstream enough to be included in that "five great records in a row" game, an argument could be made for "The Academy In Peril," "Paris 1919," "Fear," "Slow Dazzle" and "Helen Of Troy.")

Joe Higgs- Life Of Contradiction (1975)- ****1/2
(I can't stress enough just how great this record is.)

Marvin Gaye- I Want You (1976)-****
Los Straitjackets- Somos (2025)- ****
The Jam- All Mod Cons (1978)-****
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets- Walkabout (2020)- ****
New York Dolls- Too Much Too Soon (1974)- ***1/2

10/7/25

Stanton Moore Trio- Conversations (2014)- ****
(After seeing Stanton Moore playing jam band funk and R&B for 15 years, it blew my mind seeing him in a jazz setting for the first time. Now, his jazz trio is going on ten or so years and it remains a highlight of every New Orleans trip.)

v/a- Jamaica Jazz From Federal Records: Carib Roots, Jazz, Mento, Latin, Merengue & Rhumba 1960-1968 (2019)- ***1/2

Jackie Edwards- Do You Believe In Love (1976)- ***
(Pretty average "lovers rock," though I did enjoy "High Noon.")

Brian Eno- Before And After Science (1977)- ****
David Bowie- Live Nassau Coliseum '76 (2017)- ****
Billy Nicholls- Would You Believe? (1968)- ****

Van Halen- For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)- ****
(Definitely the best of the Van Hagar records.)

The Jaded Hearts Club- You've Always Been Here (2020)- ****
(British supergroup plus pandemic/lockdown covers album equals just what I needed at the time. This whole record rocks, but imagine hearing "Reach Out, I'll Be There" two months into lockdown, June 2020. Cathartic sobbing, and for that, I will always love this album.)

The Beatles- Beatles For Sale (MONO, 1964/2025)- ****
Wilco- Summerteeth (1999)- ****

Motorhead- Ace Of Spades (1980)-****
(Everyone should own this record. Celine Dion fans. Wu-Tang Clan fans. Jascha Heifetz fans. Everyone!)