Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle: 7 (B+)

#romani

Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door: 9 (A)

Led Zeppelin - Presence: liked

:-)

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin: neutral

Outstanding track: “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”

Pulp - Different Class: 7 (B+)

Upped a notch for being classic Britpop.

Blur - Blur: liked

See review for Parklife. This one is generally held in a hair less esteem than Parklife and those two Oasis albums. I agree with the general view. I will note that the very best songs on this one seem better to me than the best ones on Parklife, but overall Parklife seems like the better record. I found myself waiting for this one to end a little.

Blur - Parklife: 7 (B+)

Upped a notch for being generally regarded as classic Britpop, of which I am not the biggest appreciator.

Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club: 7 (B+)

# [dance]

Junior Byles - Rasta No Pickpocket: 3.5 stars

Not paying high-range full release prices for a reissue of a 20 minute EP padded with some (admittedly decent) bonus tracks. [Listened to actual EP songs four times just to be sure.]

Led Zeppelin - II: liked

:-)

Led Zeppelin - III: 8 (A-)

Led Zeppelin - IV: 8.5 (high A-)

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy: 9.5 (high A)

Martin Phillipps & The Chills - Sunburnt: 8 (A-)

 

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti: 10 (A+)

David Johansen - Live It Up: 7 (B+)

# [live]

Van Morrison - It's Too Late to Stop Now: 7 (B+)

Not sure why many people think this is so great. I've listened to it a dozen or more times and am always left a little underwhelmed. While it's #live, it's also Van, so of course I have a copy.

The 6ths - Wasps' Nests: 4 stars

Imarhan - Temet: liked

These Tuareg guitar band albums are all starting to sound a little the same.

Dr. Feelgood - Down by the Jetty: 7.5 (high B+)

# [pub rock]

Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric: 7 (B+)

Five tracks from this are on The Whole Wide World (ie, half of this). (Five tracks from The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric are also on that comp (ie, half of that second album).) Add three tracks from his singles to the comp, and that adds up to just keeping the comp, at this grade.

The Lordz - The Brooklyn Way [honorable mention]

:-) [Appearances by Everlast and Tim Armstrong bump this up a notch]

Lily Allen - Alright, Still: 7 (B+)

#indiepop

Lily Allen - Sheezus: 7 (B+)

#indiepop

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You: 8 (A-)

To me, this is clearly the best of her first three albums, although her first one is probably the most universally liked. But I agree with Christgau and Tom Hull on this one, although they like her other work more than I do.