Sunday, March 26, 2017
Robert Cray - I Was Warned: 8.5 (A-)
Way upped from 7 (B+) upon further listening. Man, did I get this wrong at first.
Thomas Mapfumo & the Acid Band - Hokoyo!: liked
He is obviously just beginning to get his feet on the ground. Very undeveloped.
Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports: 7 (B+)
I finally completed a close study of Eno's Ambient series and related works from the late 1970s/early 1980s. I've had most of these albums for years, but I haven't given them enough attention. After doing so, the only one I am skipping is Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, which is by Laraaji, and merely produced by Eno (see separate post). Which means I have (in addition to the subject of this post) and will grade as time allows:
Ambient 2: Plateaux of Mirror (with Harold Budd)
Ambient 4: On Land
Discreet Music
Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics
The Pearl (with Harold Budd)
Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks (with Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno)
I also have Music for Films, which I have posted about separately.
Makaveli [2Pac/Tupac] - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory: liked
Lowered from 7 (B+) on a fourth listen. A guy I know who is a hip-hop insider says that this is one of his favorite albums. I think he was in Vegas when the shooting occurred. Five plays.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Pepe Kalle - Larger Than Life: 8 (A-)
Unbelievably thankful to have seen Pepe live in LA just before he died. One of the top three shows I have seen. I was so ignorant about Congolese music at the time, I'm not even sure I paid attention to who was on solo. No reasonably-priced physicals. Update (April 2026): Found one and went for it.
Last Exit - Last Exit: 8 (A-)
No reasonably-priced physicals. Update (March 2026): Found one, finally.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Four Tet - Pink: 8 (A-)
Essentially digital only (I think there was a release in Japan?). Printed and shelved.
Leon Russell - Leon Russell: 3.5 stars
Not really my kind of music, but a dying friend gave this to me on vinyl from his personal collection, so I will keep it in memory of him.
Buddy Miller - Cayamo Sessions at Sea: 3.5 stars
Nice, but not exactly my type of thing, so not going on the shelves.
Kassa Overall - Stargate Mixtape: 8.5 (high A-)
Just this side of physicalizing. Digital-only (obviously). Outstanding track: "Lose Control"
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Bob Mould - Black Sheets of Rain: liked
I have a long history with this one, purchasing and selling and alot of listening and going back and forth. Maybe more than any album I can think of.
Bob Mould - Workbook [Virgin, 1989]: 7 (B+)
I've vacillated on this one over the decades. Giving it the benefit of the doubt for general regard.
Buzzcocks - Spiral Scratch: 8.5 (high A-)
Classic punk EP as you know. Remarkably hard to find in any original physical state. Domino has this on a CD in a slipcase, but only appears to be selling it as a part of a giant box set which is definitely for completists only. I bet they will eventually sell it as a single item, but I will have moved on and probably not notice it. What a waste. I would definitely buy one of those now if available. I will download this, print it out and put it in a slim case on the shelves.
Various - Compilation Musique Congolo-Zairoise (1972/1973): 8 (A-)
Physicals are basically unobtainable.
Curtis Mayfield - Curtis: 7.5 (high B+)
Nice. But I do not want to buy this on CD with a bunch of crappy extra tracks stuck on (pet peeve), and vinyl copies and/or original-issue CDs are way overpriced. Also, the three best tracks are duplicated on his essential Anthology. It's #r&b anyway.
Update (August 2025): Eventually collected as part of Original Album Series.
Belly - Star: 3.5 stars
See review of their other album, King. I like this one a hair better, but not enough to up it to 4 stars and put it on the shelves.
Belly - King: 3.5 stars
Never been much into the Throwing Muses family, but this one is nice. Still, none of it will make it to the shelves.
Various Artists - I Am the Center: 7 (B+)
# [new age] [I think I bought this anyway at one point and have now de-shelved it?]
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night: 7 (B+)
Used copies prohibitively expensive. Also, might actually be only an honorable mention.
The Goon Sax - Up to Anything: 7 (B+)
Not surprisingly, sounds alot like The Go-Betweens. Might add it to the shelves, but it's #import.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
The Ramblers Dance Band - Classic Highlife Hits, Vol. 1: neutral
Copies The Hit Sound of the Ramblers Dance Band
Various - Mbuki Mvuki: Terrestrial Hits Selected From the Catalog of Original Music [Original Music, 1992]: 8 (A-)
Update (February 2026): After almost a decade, I decided to pick up a copy upon further listening, and despite my continued lukewarm reaction to it. At this vantage point, it seems kind of seminal, and I found a beautiful copy for a very good price. Upped from neutral.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
The Band - Music From Big Pink: 10 (A+)
I have all their regular-issue studio albums (i.e., not including the covers album Moondog Matinee and the misc. articles collection Islands). In my view, this is their unqualified masterpiece.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Various Artists - Jeunes Orchestres du Congo/Zaïre des Années 70: 4 stars
Great compilation. No reasonably priced physicals though.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Thursday, March 2, 2017
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