Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Schoolly D - Adventures of Schoolly D [Rykodisc, 1987]: 7.5 (high B+)
Christgau seems to incorrectly list this as The Further Adventures of Schoolly-D (ie, adding “The Further”). This combines the self-titled debut and the original seven-track version of the follow-up Saturday Night? - The Album [Schoolly-D, 1986] (with “We Get Paid” appearing to be re-titled as “Get 'n' Paid” -- AI says these are different songs, but I’m not going to bother trying to verify that). I give the debut a 7.5 (high B+) and the follow-up perhaps a 7 (B+), maybe one notch higher. In any event, this is less than the sum of its parts -- while it's remastered and convenient, and nice-looking, it goes on for just too long. Not that way to hear this artist. Early CD-era move. Reminds me of that Mission of Burma release. #bestof
Graham Parker - Struck by Lightning [RCA, 1991]: 7 (B+)
I have a long and complicated history with this release. It came out during the time that I was really discovering the true, vast depth of rock music. I liked the album, but some critics, who had opened me up to, and were helping me navigate, these overwhelming depths did not share my appreciation, and I let them sway me and sold it off. Now I will re-collect it, even though, at this grade, at this point in time, I might try to otherwise categorize it as #pubrock or something and skip it. Add to these considerations that, while I'm not a GP completist, I'm an outright fan, probably more so than with respect to any pub rocker I can think of.
I note that the vinyl issues of this in the UK were accompanied by a bonus 12-inch EP, which contains songs appearing on the CD that could not fit on the otherwise single-sided vinyl. There are also two extra tracks on the EP, one of which appears on the Passion Is No Ordinary Word compilation, about which I will post separately.
Lee "Scratch" Perry - Dub Fire: neutral
Not sure why this got **** in the new Rolling Stone album guide, but that’s why I played it three times.
Nurse With Wound - Soliloquy for Lilith: liked
Even if I wanted to up this a notch for mere historicity, which I don’t, it would be #experimental/drone. And even if I wanted to up it three notches, which I really don’t, it would be too expensive, although if the two-CD version were selling for anything approaching a reasonable price, I might be tempted to pick it up as a novelty/collector’s item. In fact, as it is, I have probably already upped it a notch for one thing or another. Try The Disintegration Loops instead.
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Two Nice Girls - Like a Version [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)
Can't even find a decent cover image to purloin. I owned this once but think I sold it off. I kind of wish I hadn't, even though it's #indiepop, because it feels a little like a collector's item at this point. And it came out in the same year as Slay Tracks, although this one did get a CD release. Good year for EPs, as I remember.
Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues, Vol. II [Columbia, 1970]: X (X)
See post re: the original volume.
Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues [Columbia, 1961]: X (X)
What's a schlub like me going to say about something like this? I have it on pristine vinyl.
Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues [Columbia/Legacy, 1997]: X (X)
Not qualified to grade, but obviously essential. This is the single-disc, 16-track distillation. Beautiful, budget release. Never went for that famous but ridiculous 1990 box set that repeats songs after themselves. Who wants to hear things like that? Or "program" a CD? So stupid and useless. It won all kinds of awards though.
Katie Alice Greer - "Fly" by the Dixie Chicks: liked
Might be a 7 (B+), but no physicals anyway. Very lo-fi. And yes, I'm an aging perv and I want her. She's pushing 40 now anyway.
Bill Scorzari - Sidereal Days (Day 1): 7.5 (high B+)
Might be an 8 (A-), but #artisanal anyway. A few too many overlong songs. Should definitely have been edited down to 40 minutes -- with this kind of raspy, idiosyncratic delivery, and sometimes heavy subject matter, it just lasts too long.
Friday, June 19, 2026
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)