Journals 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 liked (fka honorable mention) :-), neutral :-|, and negative :-(. At least 4 listens per graded album and 3 listens per ungraded album. Search "Grade Post" for more info. I shelved/sold ~10,000 albums after at least 4 or 3 listens, respectively, before starting this blog and will add entries for those as they come up.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Jerry Lee Lewis - The Knox Phillips Sessions: 7.5 (high B+)

# [rockabilly/prev uns] [4 listens]

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Néné Tchakou - Soto: 4 stars

Dally Kimoko on guitar. Excellent underappreciated soukous record.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Protomartyr - Under Color of Official Right: 8 (A-)

Sunday, February 15, 2015

El Hadji Faye with Étoile 2000 de Dakar - Cheikh Ibra Fall: 4 stars

Not printed out for the shelves. Too close to a possible B+, although some songs are great.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground: 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition [Disc 4]: 4 stars

Not into all the different mixes etc. of this classic album, but I thought Disc 4 was worth checking out, so I did. Anything with "Foggy Notion" on it has to be worth a few listens. I also plan on listening to the two Live at the Matrix discs at some point. I realize they are from the same performances chronicled on the Quine bootlegs, the regular issue 1969 live album, and The Complete Matrix Tapes, but maybe I'll like this particular selection/presentation. I will probably only listen once though, since I've heard so many different versions of the Matrix performances so many times. Enough already. They are not that great.

Various - Champeta Criolla: A New African Music from Colombia: 8 (A-)

Digital-only [See post on volume 1]

Various - Champeta Criolla Vol. 2: Visionary Black Music from Underground Colombiafrica: 8 (A-)

Digital-only [Update 2024: This and the first volume are from the days when I would buy digital files and burn things which were digital only, which I stopped doing long ago.]