Monday, February 23, 2026
Michael Hampton - Into the Public Domain: 7.5 (high B+)
Really grew on me, but #limitededition, and probably #jazz too.
Sly & Robbie - Meet King Tubby: 7.5 (high B+)
Might be an 8 (A-), but #import anyway. This original UK release with the orange cover and 10 tracks is the only one to get. Other import releases are first generation CD transfers or un-remastered CDs with bonus and/or alternate tracks.
Husker Du - 1985: The Miracle Year: 7.5 (high B+)
The grade is an average: the complete show January 30, 1985 set is an 8.5 (high A-) to me, while the 20 selected songs from other shows in 1985 is 7 (B+). So, the entire thing rounds up to 8 (A-), and then I dock it a notch for bloat, which makes it #live and #limited edition. The truth is that even at 8 (A-), I wouldn’t bother because the prices being asked by the lucky few consumers who snatched up copies early are ridiculous. Maybe the label will get smart and do another run, but probably not. Notably, there is no overlap between the two discs, and the better songs are not only from the complete show, but the better performances are too. I wish they would release that first complete show separately (they did release digital-only EPs of some tracks). If the complete show were a notch higher, I would buy the digital tracks of that show and burn it to disc, but I’m not going to pretend it’s 9 (A) just because it’s live Husker Du from their prime period. The whole thing is just too artisanal for me to get worked up about. I am looking into the specific sub-set of songs from the January 30th show that the label issued on EPs prior to this release, just to see if there is any rhyme or reason to that. The whole show is only an hour, so it would fit on a single CD, but maybe that 13-song sub-set is vinyl-appropriate?
Al Green - To Love Somebody [EP] - 7 (B+)
Digital-only. They’ll sell you a To Love Somebody t-shirt, but not the music.
Flamin Groovies - Groovies Greatest Grooves: 7 (B+)
Outstanding track: “Shake Some Action” (obviously). #garage/bestof
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Rod Stewart - 20th Century Masters: The Best of Rod Stewart: The Millenium Collection: notation
I usually love these, but there’s no way to justify this one. Four tracks from Every Picture Tells a Story, five from Never a Dull Moment, two from Gasoline Alley, and one from the debut. These are all strong albums worth having in their own right. The debut is probably the least strong, but it’s still good, and there’s only one song here from that. It’s obviously good enough that I played it four times. Musically, I’d give it a 9 (A), which I guess means I dock it three whole notches for complete inutility.
Tapper Zukie - From the Archives: notation
This contains all the songs on MPLA, except “Stop the Gun Shooting” and “Don't Deal with Babylon.” This also contains “Tapper [Tappa] Roots” and “Oh Lord” from Tapper Roots. See separate post on that album. Finally, this has “Peace and Love” and “The Bum,” which are good songs, but not good enough to make this necessary, in my opinion.
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