Pere Ubu - Carnival of Souls: liked

The only thing this has going for it in my mind is that Tom Hull gave it a B+, but he often bases this on a single listen, which to me means very little.

Death Grips - Exmilitary: 7 (B+)

Good mixtape. Physicals exist but are ridiculously expensive.

Franco - 20eme Anniversaire - 6 Juin 1956 - 6 Juin 1976, Vols. 1&2: 7 (B+)

# [comp]

Speedy Ortiz - Twerp Verse: 7 (B+)

#indiepop/noise

Frankie Cosmos - Vessel: 3.5 stars

Outside my domain.

Tyler Childers - Purgatory: 7 (B+)

#country

Various - East of Africa: Pioneers of African Popular Music: 8 (A-)

Another great Dakar Sound compilation, this time of earlier Congolese rumba. Leans towards the Nico/Rochereau/Kalle African Jazz side of things, which I personally prefer to the Franco OK Jazz alternative.

Various - The Kampala Sound: 1960s Ugandan Dance Music: 8.5 (high A-)

I burned this from digital files during that phase of my listening/collecting habits, because actual physical copies in any format are too expensive, and I will keep that on the shelves. [De-shelved in 2020]

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball: 7 (B+)

Christgau top 10 of 2012?

The Gladiators - Proverbial Reggae: 8 (A-)

Various - The Rough Guide to the Music of West Africa: 8 (A-)

Flipper - Gone Fishin': 7 (B+)

I have this on pristine vinyl, and am glad I do. I'm not springing for the remastered CD.

Various - Merveilles du Passe: Musique Congolo-Zairoise, Volume III: 7.5 (high B+)

Physicals way too expensive for this grade.

Leonard Cohen - The Essential Leonard Cohen: 4 stars

I love the guy, but I can't say he's ever recorded an album I'd give more than 4 stars (other than the live one Field Commander Cohen -- 4.5 stars). I'd give ten of his fourteen studio albums 4 stars though, three 3.5 stars (Songs from a Room, Recent Songs, and Dear Heather), and one 3 stars (Death of a Ladies' Man). That's a pretty remarkable oeuvre.

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen: 4 stars

Wussy - What Heaven Is Like: liked

:-)

Matthew Sweet - Tomorrow's Daughter [honorable mention]

:-|

Leonard Cohen - Live in London: 8 (A-)

I feel churlish for saying this, but these live versions go on for too long. They average about 6 minutes, and at about 4 minutes, I'm ready for the next one.

Leonard Cohen - The Future: 8 (A-)

See review for I'm Your Man.

Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man: 8 (A-)

More than half of each of this and The Future are on The Essential Leonard Cohen.

Moby - Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt [honorable mention]

Suede - Dog Man Star: disliked

Four plays, because some people seem to really love this. Downgraded from neutral on fourth play.

Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker: 4 stars

Wussy - Getting Better: neutral

Limited edition, vinyl-only covers EP

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - It's the Talk of the Town and Other Sad Songs [Hannibal, 1989]: 8 (A-)

Great cover - and probably I may be underrating it by a notch, or even two. Update (November 2025): Eventually upped from 7.5 (high B+) and obtained. I just couldn't let it go, and the final straw was that a brilliant friend of mine who is deep into this era of music saw the tracklist and said it was an excellent selection of songs. Christgau gives this what I would call an 8.5 (high A-). And 1989 was such a great year for music, although I gather this was originally released in 1985.

Brian Eno & The Winkies: Peel Sessions (February 26, 1974): 8 (A-)

No cover art for this one, but here's what they looked like:

Printed out in slim case and shelved.

Gogol Bordello - Pura Vida Conspiracy: 8 (A-)

Franco & le T.P.O.K Jazz - 1972/1973/1974 [honorable mention]

3.5 listens. We all know "Azda" of course. Included cover, not sure why. I'm more of a Rochereau guy.

Gogol Bordello: Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony: liked

Four plays (provisionally graded at 7 (B+) on third play, but ended up here).

McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy: 7 (B+)

# [jazz]

Lush - Lovelife: neutral

:-|

Beck - Sea Change

:-| [five listens]

Kool A.D. - Word O.K.: 7 (B+)

Digital-only

Various Artists - Let Them Eat Jellybeans!: 3.5 stars

Physicals prohibitively expensive.

We™ - As Is.: 3.5 stars

I'd probably buy this if it was available new for a reasonable price.

Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View: 3.5 stars

I'm giving this a B+ in honor of its sales. It probably deserves just an honorable mention in my book. In my quest to listen to and collect some of the highest selling albums of all time, this and Jagged Little Pill are where I draw the line. Or maybe even Billy Joel's two volume greatest hits. We'll see with that one.

Galaxie 500 - This Is Our Music: 8 (A-)

Love the cover photos on this one. This is the two-disc reissue with the Copenhagen live set. Grade is for the regular issue album, although the live set is nice to have.

Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy: 4 stars

John Prine - The Missing Years: 8.5 (high A-)

Clay Harper - Old Airport Road [liked]

:-) [4 listens]

The Jam - Setting Sons: neutral

:-|

The Jam - Sound Affects: liked

:-)

Jonathan Richman - I, Jonathan: liked

:-)

Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy: 4 stars

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: 7 (B+)

# [alt-country] [but I have it anyway because it's revered]

Noura Mint Seymali - Tzenni: 3.5 stars

Not buying a B+ of Mauritanian griot, but did buy her next one, which is a hair better. This one's good though, and if you love Arbina, you'll want this.

Silver Jews - Starlite Walker: 7 (B+)

No reasonably priced physicals.

Indeep - Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life!

😐

The Antlers - Hospice

😐

Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space: 7 (B+)

I've owned it in the past, and really try not to rebuy things that I've sold off. I toyed with buying it again anyway, because it's become so well-loved, but it's strangely expensive. Many, many listens, trying to hear what others have heard in it. #spacerock?/electronica? 

Tune-Yards: I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life: liked

:-)

Bill Frisell - This Land: neutral

:-|

Paramore: After Laughter

😐

Big Thief - Capacity: 7 (B+)

Neil Young - Roxy - Tonight's the Night Live [honorable mention]

:-)

John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness: 8 (A-)

Atlas Sound - Logos [honorable mention]

😐

L7 - Bricks Are Heavy: 10 (A+)

Amen Dunes - Freedom: 8.5 (high A-)

L7 - Slap-Happy: 7 (B+)

No reasonably-priced used copies.

Miles Davis - Milestones: 7 (B+)

#jazz

Miles Davis - Miles Ahead: neutral

:-|

Pere Ubu - Apocalypse Now: 8 (A-)

Same band members that recorded Worlds in Collision.