8/30/2026

Dolly Parton- Jolene (1974) ***

Os Tincoas- S/T (1973) ***1/2

Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin- Love Devotion Surrender: MoFi HSM (19732024) ****

Horace Andy- Mr. Bassie (1998) ***

Jethro Tull- This Was: Kevin Gray Cut (1968/2026) ****1/2

Deep Purple- Perfect Strangers (1984) ***1/2

Michael Penn- Six Pack (2026) ***1/2

Taj Mahal- Mo' Roots (1974) ***1/2

Genesis- Selling England By The Pound: Nick Davis Remix (1973/2008) ****

Elvis Costello & The Attractions- IbMePdErRoIoAmL (1982) ****1/2

The Heartbreakers- L.A.M.F.: The Found '77 Masters (1977/2021)- ****

Generation X- S/T (1978) ****

The Replacements- Boink!! (1986) ****

• Revisiting "Love Devotion Surrender" last week knocked me out. I decided I needed an upgrade and this MoFi half speed master is perfect. A fantastic pressing. 

• "This Was" is my favorite Tull album, followed by "Stand Up" and "Thick As A Brick." Needless to say, I was stoked to see Rhino release a box with the first five Jethro Tull records all revamped by the one and only Kevin Gray. I've had an original U.K. MONO of "This Was," an original U.K. stereo, an original U.S. stereo and a Steven Wilson remix. None come close to this Kevin Gray cut. Can't wait to dig in to the other four.

8/29/2026

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Natty Dread (1974) ****

Elton John- Madman Across The Water (1971) ****

David Bowie- Hunky Dory (1971) ****

Strawberry Alarm Clock- Incense And Peppermints (1967) ***1/2

Jellyfish- Spilt Milk: Vinylphile Edition (1993/2026) ****

Dr. John- Locked Down (2012) ****

8/28/2026

Burning Spear- Marcus Garvey (1975) ****

v/a- Good News: Bunny Lee & Friends (2013) ***1/2

Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992) ****

Badfinger- Magic Christian Music (1970) **1/2

Alabama Shakes- I Must Be Dreaming (2026) **1/2

Mastodon- Marrow Deep (2026) ***1/2

The Linda Lindas- Gotta Get Out (2026) **1/2

Todd Rundgren- A Cappella (1985) ****

Elton John - Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy: Sal's Version (1975/2025) ****

Grace Jones- Living My Life (1982) ****

 

 

• Bunny Lee & Friends is a really solid reggae collection from Doctor Bird. Worth seeking out. I'm also going to check out a companion dub disc called "Dub Will Change Your Mind" featuring The Agrovators. 

• I never got the Alabama Shakes, but I liked Brittany Howard's solo stuff enough to try again. I still don't get the Alabama Shakes. This new record goes nowhere. 

• For "Capt. Fantastic," I removed "Meal Ticket" and replaced it with "Philadelphia Freedom." That is all.

 

8/27/2026

Iggy Pop- Blah Blah Blah (1986) ****

Bonerama- So Much Love (2026) ****

Adrian Belew- Mr. Music Head (1989) ***1/2

Lunachicks- Pretty Ugly (1997) ***

The Meters- Fire On The Bayou (1975) ****

Pearl Jam- Backspacer (2009) ****

Pink Floyd- Piper At The Gates Of Dawn : MONO (1967) ****

Jet- S/T (1975) ****

The Knack- Get The Knack (1979) ***1/2

Elvis Costello- Extreme Honey: The Very Best Of The Warner Years (1997) ****

Judas Priest- Screaming For Vengeance (1982) ***1/2

 

 

• It's been years since I listened to "Blah Blah Blah," an Iggy/Bowie record that I always thought was good, but not great. Man, did it sound great after the long lay off.

• Watched the Lunachicks documentary "Pretty Ugly" and enjoyed it. I really hadn't listened to much of their music. Decent punk rock. The two records I've heard so far have been uneven, but the tracks that are good are really good.

• Jet's 1975 debut is the great lost Sparks record, and actually better than a few Sparks records from the 70's. Andy Ellison, Davy O'List, Martin Gordon! This is the Traveling Wilburys of 70's glam and no one cared. Actually, I had never heard it until a few years ago. Now it's a fave!

• I played "My Sharona" 10 times a day for the entire summer of 1979 and then I just couldn't listen to it for years. But that guitar solo is one for the ages. There may be better solos, by better guitarists, but it's hard to find a guitar solo as exciting as Berton Averre's solo in "My Sharona."

 

8/26/2026

The Wailers- The Wailing Wailers (1966) ****

Dolly Parton- Hello, I'm Dolly (1967) ***1/2

Paul McCartney & Wings- Band On The Run (1973) ****

Strawberry Alarm Clock- Where's One ? (2026) ****

Dolly Parton- The Bargain Store (1975) ****

Willie Tee- I'm Only A Man (1970) ****

Carly Simon- Comes In Waves (2026) **1/2

XTC- The Big Express (1984) ****

King Crimson- In The Wake Of Poseidon: Steven Wilson Remix (1970/2010) ***1/2



 

8/25/2026

John McLaughlin With The One Truth Band- Electric Dreams (1979) **1/2

Bruce Springsteen- Lucky Town (1992) ***1/2

The Everly Brothers- Best (1959) ****

Grey De Lisle & Les Greene- Grey & Greene (2026) ****

John Waite/The Babys- Personal Playlist (2019) ****

The Byrds- Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968) ****

Lunachicks- Babysitters On Acid (1990) ***1/2

Michael Monroe- Nights Are So Long (1987) ****

Mott The Hoople- The Hoople (Sal's Version, 1974/2024) ****

 

• John Waite is one hell of a singer. This playlist hit the spot.

Every Step Of The Way
Saturday Night
Keys To Your Heart
Act Of Love
Turn & Walk Away
Broken Heart
When You Were Mine
Head First
Isn't It Time 
Tears
Let's Get Out Of Here
Change
In God's Shadow
Every Time I Think Of You
Midnight Rendezvous
Wild One
She's My Girl
Missing You 
Don't Walk Away

• (Removed both "Trudi's Song"- yes, I know it's about Ian's wife, but it's not very good- and "Through The Looking Glass," because the b-side "Rest In Peace" is a better ballad than both. And I added the two last singles "Foxy Foxy" and "Saturday Gigs," because they belong!)

 

8/24/2026

Ellen Foley- Nightout (1979) ****

John McLaughlin- Electric Guitarist (1978) ***1/2

Pete Townshend- Scoop (1983) ***

The Stranglers- IV: Rattus Norvegicus (1977) ****

Tom Waits- The Heart Of Saturday Night (1974) ****

Boz Scaggs- Silk Degrees (1976) ****

The Rolling Stones- Flowers: MONO (1967) ****

Michael Monroe- Outerstellar (2026) ****

The Rolling Stones- Some Girls (1978) ****