John Martyn - Solid Air [might be 3.5 stars, but I'm not going to worry about it - somewhat slight]

😐

The Marshall Tucker Band - Greatest Hits: 3.5 stars

Not getting a B+ greatest hits, but this is a fine collection.

The Germs - (GI): 3 stars

See my review of The Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables: 3 stars

I am breaking protocol and giving this a picture review, even though I'm giving it 3 stars. I realize its importance. I feel roughly the same way about the Germs. I've listened to this and the Germs' GI more times probably than any other albums I have not ended up buying.

Modest Mouse - No One's First, and You're Next: 8 (A-)

The Doors - L.A. Woman: 3.5 stars

See my review of Strange Days.

The Doors - Morrison Hotel: 3.5 stars

See my review of Strange Days.

Various: Now That's What I Call Tailgate Anthems: 7 (B+)

# [multi-artist comp]

Various: Now That's What I Call 90s Pop: 7.5 (high B+)

# [r&b; multi-artist comp]

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: I'm Going to Do What I Wanna Do: Live at My Father's Place: 4 stars

Very limited edition (I think I may have owned it once when it first came out). Anyway, kind of silly not to put it in general release -- it's a pretty good live album, which I mostly don't like. Plus it could fit on one CD if they just left off the terrible spoken word track Well. I was going to print out a digital copy and put it on the shelves, but I'm Not Gonna Do That for an A minus live album.

Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder

😐

Various Artists - Afrocolombia Remix Vol. 1: 4 stars

Would definitely buy this if it weren't vinyl/digital only. So stupid. The track "Viviano Torres - Mini Kusuto (Rafael Aragon Remix)" is brilliant.

The Clash - Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg

[Not sure what people hear in this Combat Rock bootleg alternative configuration. Hardly improves on a great record, if at all. In fact, I'm inclined to think it's noticeably worse, but am not going to spend anymore time listening to bootleg quality versions to make that determination.]

Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves: 8 (A-)

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West: 10 (A+)

Lee Ranaldo and the Dust - Last Night on Earth: 4 stars

Lee Ranaldo - Between the Times and the Tides: 4 stars

Mama Sissoko - Soleil de Minuit: 4 stars

Dawn Oberg - Nothing Rhymes With Orange

😐

Hard Working Americans - We're All in This Together: 7 (B+)

 # [folk/live]

Bonnie Raitt - batch review

Catching up on some of her pre-Nick of Time releases. I'm doing this as a batch review, with the catch-up ratings being joined with some for albums I've known for decades.

Bonnie Raitt - 3.5 stars
Give It Up - 3.5 stars (I have this - regarded as her critical best I believe)
Takin' My Time - 3.5 stars
Streetlights - neutral
Home Plate - 4 stars
Sweet Forgiveness - 4 stars (both this and Home Plate produced by Paul Rothchild)
The Glow - 3.5 stars
Green Light - 3.5 stars

# [blues]

Gang Starr - Daily Operation: 4 stars

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Safe As Milk: 4 stars

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - The Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot [double CD]: 4 stars

I give these both an A minus.

Various Artists - American Epic: The Best of Blues: 4 stars

Politically correct distillation of blues tracks from the 5 CD set. Vinyl-only, which is reason enough not to bother.

Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time: 7 (B+)

# [blues] [I know this is her most-loved album, but I can't bring myself to buy it only because of that.] [Update: found a near mint copy for about 5 bucks and couldn't resist. Then turns out I already had it. Idiot. Double purchase, my specialty. It's one of the reasons I started this blog. :-)]

Bopol Mansiamina - Serrez Ceinture: 8 (A-)

Great album, physicals too expensive.

Talking Heads - Fear of Music: 10 (A+)

Talking Heads - Remain in Light: 10 (A+)

King Krule - The Ooz

😐

Lord Echo - Harmonies

😐

Gang Starr - Hard to Earn: 3.5 stars

See immediately prior review of Step in the Arena.

Gang Starr - Step in the Arena: 3.5 stars

It's hard to parse their 1991-1994 three-album run. I'm opting for Daily Operation and then Full Clip (the collection), although Hard to Earn is a hair better than this and might even be an A minus. And I'm keeping Moment of Truth because I got into it when it came out (unlike the three album run, which somehow passed me by at the time).

Alan Vega - Alan Vega: 3.5 stars

This is a little samey, but has a good, atmospheric feel to it. I'd like to get it, but it's ridiculously over-priced as usual. It would be nice to have Rev's solo debut and Vega's also, both on new vinyl, but I'm going to opt for Saturn Strip by Vega, which is a better record than his debut I think.

The Jam - This is the Modern World

😐

The Jam - All Mod Cons: 3.5 stars

I've never been a huge fan of the band. Of course I've got In the City, but I'm trying to figure out which other ones to get, if any. I'll probably end up with just adding Snap or some later compilation, because their albums never really hold up for me all the way through. This one is no exception and will not be going on the shelves.

Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga - Virunga Roots Volume 1: 3.5 stars

Not much stands out here, plus no reasonably-priced physicals, so not shelving this one.

Les Bantous de la Capitale - 1963/1969: 3.5 stars

A little too on the "oldies" side for me, especially for Congolese rumba, so not shelving this. Physicals almost non-existent.

The Stooges - The Weirdness

😐

Various Artists - American Epic: The Collection [5 CD]: 4 stars

Personally, this strikes me on the enjoyment level as a B+ -- not terribly into the old-timey stuff -- but I upped it a notch for historic importance. I like the Harry Smith anthology way more. How can you improve on that? Anyway, not buying a 5CD set that I'm not crazy about.

Randy Newman - Dark Matter

:-|

Fat Boys - Fat Boys: 3.5 stars

A little too "early rap" for me (not such a big fan of the earlier stuff), so won't be adding it. But semi-classic nonetheless. Plus, the prices are stupid.

The Fall - Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology

:-| [Contains tracks from Grotesque, Slates [EP], Perverted, etc.]

Wenge Musica - Kala-Yi-Boeing: 8 (A-)

Got wind of this from the Gary Stewart book Rumba on the River (highly recommended). It's somewhat marred by cheesy keybs, but the guitar is spectacular. Anyway, physicals are way too expensive. [Found a nice copy for a reasonable price in autumn 2024 and upped to 7.5 (high B+), then upped it to 8 (A-)]

Dead Boys - Yound Loud and Snotty: 3.5 stars

I would buy this and add it to the collection on general punk importance, but for some strange reason it's ridiculously expensive. This should be $6.99 on CD.

Tim Buckley - Starsailor [Neutral at best. Pitchfork's #50 album of the 1970s?]

😐

Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

😐

Steely Dan - Gaucho

😐

Milan Hlavsa - Silenstvi: 4 stars

Devo - Freedom of Choice [honorable mention]

:-) [four listens]

Saint Etienne - Home Counties: 7 (B+)

# [indie pop; import]

Stooges - Ready to Die: 3.5 stars

I'm sticking as a matter of principle with the first three by this band, although I agree with what appears to be the critical and popular consensus that this is better than The Weirdness.

Prophets of Rage - Prophets of Rage: 4 stars

Moreno and L'Orch First Moja-One - Sister Pili + 2: 4 stars

Moreno and L'Orch First Moja-One - Vol. 2 More Pili: 3.5 stars

Digital only. Nowadays, I would not physicalize this given the grade, but Sisili (track #5) is so outstanding I'm inclined to do it just for that. Plus it was one of the first digital-only releases I bought, back when I was printing up nice jackets and whatnot, so I'll keep it for the shelves.

David Bowie - Live Santa Monica '72: 3.5 stars

Somewhat spotty; often grating guitar; essentially a bootleg; disfavored (by me) live format; and a slight resistance to Bowie in general adds up to me not shelving this. But good and probably earns its rep.

Deer Tick - Vol. 2

:-|

Steve Earle - So You Wannabe an Outlaw: 7.5 (high B+)

# [country]

Keith Hudson - Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood

:-( [Six listens]

George Jones - Walls Can Fall: 3.5 stars

I think I'm going to skip shelving this late-period Jones, which means I stop with the studio albums in 1980 with I Am What I Am.

A. Savage - Thawing Dawn: 7.5 (high B+)

Could very well be 8 (A-), but I don't have to parse that out because it's digital-only. [4 listens]

Hamell on Trial - Tackle Box: 4 stars

Originally determined to skip this one at B plus, but given Christgau's full A, and that it's the only album of his that Tom Hull has given any variety of A grade to, I listened one more time and determined to raise it to A minus and get it, and then probably sell one or more of the other albums of his that I have to subsidize the purchase. I think Christgau overrates him as much as he does Jinx Lennon. But maybe one day I'll hear it.

Paul Kelly - Greatest Hits: Songs From the South Volumes 1 & 2 [placeholder]

# [folk rock] I haven't listened enough to all 40 songs to grade this, in my view, oversized collection. But I have listened adequately to what Christgau identified as the top 15 (see below) and would give those an 8 (A-). I should probably listen to the other 25 some more. Nine tracks, or 60%, of the 15 Christgau identified are on Volume 1 (bolded below), which came out separately first, but I agree with Christgau that the other 11 songs on that 20 track album don't measure up.

"Everything's Turning to White"

"Bradman"

"To Her Door"

"Every F---ing City"

"Sweet Guy"

"From Little Things Big Things Grow"

"How to Make Gravy"

"They Thought I Was Asleep"

"When First I Met Your Ma"

"Deeper Water"

"Dumb Things"

"Song of the Old Rake"

"Be Careful What You Pray For"

"Shane Warne"

"The Oldest Story in the Book"

The Paranoid Style - Underworld USA: 3.5 stars

Digital-only. Christgau and his fanboy dorks want her so bad!

Thurston Moore - Psychic Hearts: 3.5 stars

Would definitely get this if it didn't cost a fortune.

Various Artists - Origins of Guitar Music (Southern Congo & Northern Zambia): 3.5 stars

Too primitive/folkloric/non-specific for my collection.

TLC - CrazySexyCool: 7 (B+)

# [r&b]