Sunday, June 15, 2025
Bruce Springsteen: Land of Hope & Dreams [EP]: liked
Docked a notch for giving us plebes a lecture on politics. Always hate it when the most powerful people on earth complain about the power structure that they embody and benefit enormously from, as if it came from somewhere else and they are not complicit in keeping 99% of the country and world down. What a blind, pretentious jackass. Such a fake "everyman." Cries about his dad's plight and everything, as if he doesn't have everything he wants now and doesn't fly private jets. Music's decent though, thanks to his band.
Various - The Perfect Beats: New York Electro Hip Hop + Underground Dance Classics 1980-1985/Volume 2: 7 (B+)
# [multi-artist comp] I played this because it is one of the few compilations in the New Rolling Stone Album Guide to receive a 5-star rating. I’m not sure why it received that rating. I do love the cover though.
Kate Bush - The Dreaming: 7 (B+)
There appear to be only first-generation un-remastered CD transfers, and remastered editions on the artist's own label, selling for a small fortune new and/or used. In fact, all NM copies of this in any edition seem to be selling for a small fortune. Not sure why there isn't a $15 remaster easily available anywhere. Anyway, the album is very experimental and takes some getting used to. It grows on you though.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents: 8 (A-)
I have the version with the track order revised from the original album, plus 4 additional songs: "Age," "Highly Inflammable," "I Am a Cliche," and, of course, "Oh Bondage Up Yours!". I think some people got worked up about that, but I think it flows well, and I'm glad to have that last song on something of theirs.
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter VI: liked
Not nearly as bad as everyone seems to be saying. Docked a notch for bloat and for the relentless use of words I cannot say.
Monday, June 9, 2025
Les Abranis - Album No. 1 (Id Ed Was): 7.5 (high B+)
This is a vinyl-only re-issue. Could be an 8 (A-), but the original vinyl is ridiculously expensive, and I'm not going to play it again to make sure.
Sunday, June 8, 2025
.jpg)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll: 8.5 (high A-)
This is the 1987 release on vinyl by Demon. I once owned the same-titled 1992 release on CD by Rhino but sold it off. It has all the songs on this, plus more, which I think I thought was too much. It also has this regrettable cover:
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Top Albums of 2025 [very spotty and incomplete effort on my part this year so far]
10 (A+)
None
9.5 (high A)
None
9 (A)
Soul Coughing - Live 2024
8.5 (high A-)
None
8 (A-)
None
7.5 (high B+)
None
7 (B+)
None
Soul Coughing - Live 2024: 9 (A)
The show I saw on this tour was one of the best I've ever seen by any band. I might subconsciously be upping this a notch as a document of that, but I don't think so. I've enjoyed playing and replaying it many times on its own merits, even with a 90 minute running time.
Friday, June 6, 2025
The Dils - Studio Tracks [EP]: 8 (A-)
The Kinman brothers' band before they formed Rank and File. This doesn't actually seem to exist, so I just made a playlist on Spotify. I only learned about these guys from the Comet Gain song "The Ballad of a Mix Tape" from their album City Fallen Leaves. These are the songs, and the total running time is 18 minutes. Put out an EP already! It's not that hard to do. I'll do it for you if you want, for free, and give you all the proceeds!
"I Hate the Rich"
"You're Not Blank"
"Blow Up"
"Class War"
"Mr. Big"
"Sound of the Rain"
"It's Not Worth It"
"Red Rockers"
Astor Piazzolla - The Rough Guide to Astor Piazzolla: X (X)
Not sure I hear in this what the great critics hear. I guess I'm just a lowbrow at heart (maybe a middlebrow)? # [Roma]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)