Before Nov 2020, grades range from 5 stars 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+), 7 (B+). Ungraded albums are honorable mention :-), neutral :-|, negative :-(. At least 3 listens per album. Search "Grade Post" for more info. [I shelved/sold 10,000-12,000 albums before starting this blog and will add entries for some of those as they come up. If you don't see an album, it doesn't mean I don't know it.]
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Miles Davis - Cookin' at the Plugged Nickel: 4 stars
I really like this one, which is saying something given that I don't relate to much jazz. I also listened to Highlights from the Plugged Nickel a couple times, and was not moved to buy it. I actually went with the At Plugged Nickel, Chicago import set. I think it's a nice compromise from the single CD sets from this stand in Chicago, and the "Complete" set which Penguin loves so much. I will listen to that once just to be thorough, but I think it's a bit too much. The import set is the perfect 2 CD compromise, in a nice slim case, and I'll probably give it 4.5 stars.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Pop-O-Pies - The White EP: 3.5 stars
Definitely worth getting familiar with. Definitely not worth paying ridiculous prices for OOP copies, or printing out for the shelf.
Bembeya Jazz National - Defi & Continuite: 4 stars
The works of this band are extremely hard to find in physical. I would print this out, but I can't quite justify it. Guinean music is just not enough of a focus for me. But if I could find this release for a reasonable price, I would have purchased it.
Fever Ray - Plunge: 3.5 stars
Never really been into her solo work or with The Knife, so this won't be going on the shelves at B+.
Super Biton de Segou - Afro Jazz du Mali: 4.5 stars
This album is so obscure that the above crappy image is the best I could find (and it's from Amazon). This is one of Muzikifan's Africa Top 50 that I agree belongs on the list. The CD has nine songs, while the LP only has six. I think the LP got it right, because it's perfect, and the last 3 tracks on the LP cheese things up just slightly. I printed this one out. The great Mamadou Sissoko on guitar.
Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album: 3.5 stars
Normally, I would buy any album of theirs that is a B+, but I'm going to pass on this, because it's a goof of a side project, and I'm trying to save money and shelf space.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Langa Langa Stars - Les meilleurs Success de Langa Langa Stars, Vol. 1
Got this one from Gary Stewart's book. It's nice, but the songs are very similar (almost seems like the same song), so not buying over-priced used copies. Plus, do all the songs have to be 10 minutes long?
L'Orchestre Shakara Gagna-Gagna - Nelly-Kally Mayassa: 3.5 stars
Another in my long list of Diblo sideman albums. He plays solo on track 1, Rigo Star on all others. Not springing for a high-priced used vinyl, but if you see it a yard sale, snap it up.
Youssou N'Dour - Raxas Bercy 2017: 3.5 stars
Not sure what the deal is with this recording. It purports to be live, or at least is generally portrayed that way, but several of the tracks have zero crowd noise and definitely seem like studio recordings. I also am not crazy about it, but it's an official bootleg, so I took the trouble to burn it, put it in a slim CD case, print out a cover and stick it on the shelves, most likely never to be heard again. I wouldn't do that for an official "digital only" release, but I will for a bootleg I guess.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! [honorable mention]
:-) [I might be underrating a 7 (B+)]
Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves [honorable mention]
:-) [Possibly a B+, but not worth parsing out. Strangely out of print on CD. Says alot. Four listens.]
Courtney Barnett / Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice [honorable mention]
:-) [Possibly squeaks in as a 7 (B+), but not worth parsing out]
Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain [honorable mention]
:-) [Could be a B+, I'm not qualified to rate. See Getz/Gilberto review for further analysis.]
Sunday, February 18, 2018
The Chills - The BBC Sessions
[Haven't heard it, just a note to self that one day I would like to, especially the three early tracks from Submarine Bells from the 1988 session]
Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary: 3.5 stars
I might give this an A-, and put it on the shelves, if it weren't for Rob Sonic's raps, which I'm personally not a fan of. Aesop Rock is phenomenal on this one. So it's really an honorable mention, if fully docked for Rob Sonic.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Various Artists - The Subtle Distinctions: 3.5 stars
I made myself a digital copy of this informal mixtape by Jonathan Lethem. Very time-consuming. I won't by physicalizing it. I think it's been overrated.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila - Sema: 3.5 stars
Has some tremendous songs on it, but is also very spotty, hence the grade. Luckily, I don't have to worry about whether to buy it or not, because it's deeply OOP and used prices are ridiculous.
Spiral Stairs [Scott Kannberg] - Doris & The Daggers: 8 (A-)
Always convinced he was the real genius in Pavement. Bonus tracks on one vinyl edition are "Pig City" and "Vultures of Cabooture," and another vinyl edition was packaged with a separate 7" containing "Vulcan Hands" and "Part Time Alien." The 7" was not sold separately. Ironically, the first two singles above were packed on a separate 7" but since it's out of print, I'm not going to bother.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Burning Spear - Creation Rebel: The Original Classic Recordings From Studio One: 8 (A-)
Contains most of his first two albums, recorded at Studio One: his eponymous debut, Burning Spear (a/k/a Studio One Presents Burning Spear) and Rockin' Time. Each had 12 tracks. This has 8 from each, so two-thirds each. This album also contains three other songs not on the first two albums ("This Population," "New Civilization," "Zion Higher"), plus an alternate version of "Rocking Time." The four songs from the debut not presented are "Fire Down Below," "Don't Mess With Jill," "Journey," and "Them A Come," and from the second album are "Girls Like You," "Old Time Saying," "Walla Walla" and "Mamie." Not sure why they didn't include a few more of those songs, since there's a good 20 minutes or so of space left on the disc. Maybe they're bad. I'm not going to take the time to try to find out.
Joy of Cooking - Joy of Cooking: 4 stars
Definitely wouldn't buy this today, but I have a pristine vinyl copy, bought back when that was the only way to hear something like this, and I'm going to keep that.
Shad - TSOL: 3.5 stars
This is one of those rap albums I could have gone either way on. The second half is noticeably better than the first. B+ versus A-ish. Averages out to a high B+ or low A-. Decided on the former but keeping it just in case.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk [honorable mention]
:-) [Maybe it's B plus. Never been a huge fan of the band, so I'm sticking with Arab Strap and Sinister.] [5 listens]
Friday, February 2, 2018
Blink-182: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket: 3.5 stars
Enema of the State is more of a punk touchstone of the late 90s early 00s, so I'll keep that one, but this one is not going on the shelves even though it's about of equal quality in my view.
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