Diary of a Melomaniac

Before 11/2020, grades range from 5 to 3.5 stars. After that, grade range is: 10 (A+), 9.5 (high A), 9 (A), 8.5 (high A-), 8 (A-), 7.5 (high B+), and 7 (B+). Ungraded albums are noted as liked :-) (honorable mention), neutral :-|, and disliked :-(. At least 4 listens per graded album and 3 listens per ungraded album. Search "Grade Post" for more info. I sold/shelved ~10,000 albums after at least 3 or 4 listens, respectively, before starting this blog and will add entries for those as they arise.

Sunday, August 28, 2022

My Idea - Cry Mfer: liked

Definitely might be a 7 (B+). I'll wait and see how Christgau rated this and maybe play it again and reconsider. [Collected]

Surfer Blood - Carefree Theatre [honorable mention]

:-)

Various - Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation - Original Soundtrack: notation

This is not on any streaming services I have access to. I could buy it for cheap, but it's a soundtrack, plus the heart of it, per Xgau, is "eight pieces of ebulliently sophisticated '50s pop from South Africa's swing era," which is not really an area I have much interest in. I did listen once to the other tracks that were more modern (Clegg and Savuka, Specials, etc.), and none of them really appealed to me on a first listen, so I'm skipping it.

Tommy Womack - 30 Years Shot to Hell: An Anthology: 7.5 (high B+)

Ended up getting this - revised grade to come. #bestof

Tall Dwarfs - Unravelled: 1981-2002: 7 (B+)

Don't buy greatest hits at this level. Wish they had a one-disc option.

The Paranoid Style - For Executive Meeting

:-| [Vinyl-only. Eventually released on CD, and purchased anyway, as part of a 4-disc package that came at a good price.]

Farafina - Faso Denou [honorable mention]

:-)

Derek Senn - The Big Five-O: disliked

:-(

Mose Allison - Greatest Hits [1988]

:-|

Sunday, August 21, 2022

The Waitresses - batch review

Average of the following is slightly below 7 (B+). None higher than 7 (B+) and some are "liked." Maybe I should rate them slightly higher, but none of them are available at reasonable prices anyway, except the EP, which I would buy except it’s the one I like the least, and it’s a 12” EP, which I do not like. I could solve the problem by buying the best of, but it's also not available at reasonable prices, even in the “Millennium Collection” format. It's #indiepop anyway.

Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?
Bruiseology
I Could Rule the World if I Could Only Get the Parts [EP]
The Best of the Waitresses - Six songs from first, five from second, and all four non-live tracks from EP

Tommy Womack - There, I Said It!: 7 (B+)

#roots/Americana

Tommy Womack - Now What!: liked

:-)

Chick Corea and Return to Forever - Light as a Feather: neutral

:-|

Cornershop - Urban Turban: 7 (B+)

Not paying import prices at B+. [Also read that the CD case is oversized, which is a pet peeve of mine. Also, this might even be an honorable mention. Finally, it’s billed as a “collaboration” album.]