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

Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Rolling Stones - Headin' for an Overload: 4.5 stars

Excellent Stones bootleg, maybe the best I've heard, but then again I'm no expert and have about a dozen I'm still trying to work through. Anyway, the best band ever at the peak of their powers. What could go wrong? This one's getting printed out and put on the shelves.

Parquet Courts - American Specialties: 3.5 stars

This one is a lot better than people give it credit for, which is nothing. It's basically a first EP. However, it's only on original issue cassette or re-issued over-priced vinyl, so it's not going on the shelves.

Parquet Courts - Human Performance: 4 stars

Another great band that keeps releasing 4 star albums, but I can never hear one at the crucial 4.5 level, although Light Up Gold comes close. I have also streamed their EP Monastic Living once and am not going to be spending any more time with that one.

The Silos - The Silos: 3.5 stars

Loudon Wainwright III - Album III: III.5 stars

Please see prior LWIII reviews.

Various Artists - Lost in Mali: 3.5 stars

# [hodgepodge; folkloric]

Wussy - Forever Sounds: 8 (A-)

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze [liked]

This and his prior album -- Smoke Ring for My Halo -- are extremely similar. While this one gets slightly better reviews, I've docked it a notch for bloat but kept the cover. It just goes on so much longer than it needs to, I feel. Smoke Ring doesn't have this problem.

Roxy Music - Greatest Hits: 4 stars

Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal: 4 stars

Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (Re-Mastered): 4 stars

A classic from the pre-download era. Printed out and put on the shelves.

Friday, February 24, 2017

John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death: 3.5 stars

I like Fahey’s work well enough. But I think I’ll just stick with Of Rivers and Religion/After the Ball and the anthology Return of the Repressed. This art form has always been a little too minimalist for me.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Automatic

:-|

Ka - Honor Killed the Samurai

😑

Garbage - Strange Little Birds

:-|

The Upsetters - Super Ape

😐

Monday, February 20, 2017

Various Artists - The Rough Guide to the Music of the Balkan Gypsies: 3.5 stars

# [Balkan brass]

Gil Scott-Heron - The Best of Gil Scott-Heron [1984]: 8 (A-)

This was re-issued on CD in 1991, apparently without being remastered. There is no overlap between this and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, except for the title track. I have this re-issue, even though it was apparently not remastered. I also looked at Glory (The Gil Scott-Heron Collection) [2CD, un-remastered, import-only]; Ghetto Style [import-only]; and Evolution (and Flashback): The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron [domestic, 46:32 and apparently un-remastered]. I made a playlist on Spotify of the latter and will evaluate that in due course, because it appears to have hardly any overlap with The Best of or The Revolution. There are also a 2006 [/2009?] Best of and Storm Music (Best of), both of which are import-only.

Finally, there is an import-only compilation of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson called Anthology: Messages that I may get to one day.