One of those independent releases selling in physical only at highly inflated prices and not through normal distribution channels, so I’m passing.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
People Under the Stairs - Sincerely, the P: 3.5 stars
One of those independent releases selling in physical only at highly inflated prices and not through normal distribution channels, so I’m passing.
Thomas Mapfumo - Shumba: Vital Hits of Zimbabwe: 3.5 stars
Won’t be buying because too much overlap with the other comps, although I’m tempted to because it has more of Gwindingwi Rine Shumba than any other album (5 out of 8 songs). However, it is ridiculously expensive used and I have three of those 5 already anyway (see review of that album).
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open [liked]
:-) [Couple great songs, particularly “Learning to Fly,” which is on Greatest Hits]
Ablaye Ndiaye Thiossane - Thiossane: 7 (B+)
Might be more of an honorable mention, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. Very salsa. Outstanding track: “Siket.” # import
Sonny Boy Williamson - Keep It to Ourselves: neutral
Not sure what Christgau and Hull hear in this. Downgraded from 7 (B+) on fourth listen.
Teddy Pendergrass - TP: 7.5 (high B+)
I owned this on vinyl once, but I think I sold it off to fund other purchases. Kind of wish I hadn't. This might be an 8 (A-), but given this history, I'm going to leave it here. # [r&b]
Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel: 7.5 (high B+)
[Upped way up from neutral after Skinty Fia made me reevaluate the band]
G-Eazy - The Beautiful & Damned
:-| [Goes on forever. With serious editing, maybe even down to EP size, might qualify as honorable mention.]
Prince and the Revolution - Around the World in a Day: neutral
Even this album has its supporters: Hull and the AllMusic contributor give it a B+, and AllMusic users rate it as his sixth best album (after the four obvious ones, it’s just behind Parade). Downgraded to disliked on fourth listen. Update (November 2025): Upped to neutral on fifth listen.
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Babylon by Bus: 3.5 stars
I listened to this alot in college. Not sure why certain critics deride it. I think it sounds good. But I'm going to use my live album exception, coupled with how much I overplayed this in college, to justify not shelving it.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Orchestra Baobab - La Belle Epoque 1971-1977: liked
Most of this early music is pretty rudimentary. Disc 2 contains all of On Verra Ca, which I have and is clearly the best stuff on the two discs. Even if I wanted to get it, I wouldn’t pay the inflated prices being asked ($100?!?).
Sunday, August 18, 2019
M.I.A. and Diplo - Piracy Funds Terrorism, Vol. 1: 7.5 (high B+)
Update (November 2025): Way upped from disliked on fourth or fifth listen. I'm not sure why I was resisting this so much only six years ago. I can even see this as an 8 (A-), but there are no real physicals anyway. #mixtape
Kass Kass - Kass Tout: 3.5 stars
This was put out on a dual-CD with their self-titled debut, Kass Kass. If that were available for a fair price, I would get that. If this and the debut were available individually for a fair price, I would get them both. But since they're not (this is only available on a "DC area" reprint for a reasonable price -- and I've become a little picky about editions), I will stick with the debut, which is on Stern's.
Super Rail Band de Bamako - Super Rail Band de Bamako: 8 (A-)
This is the 1992 release on Indigo. Actually, this is the CD version, which has no date associated with it. Apparently, it was released on cassette in 1992 though, on Label Bleu (another name for Indigo?). Anyway, that release had the following cover, and was named Djougouya Magni after the first song;
Orchestre Rail Band de Bamako - Orchestre Rail Band de Bamako: notation
This is their first, 1970 release on Bärenreiter. I would buy it for sheer historic value, if it weren't ludicrously expensive. All songs are on the first two volumes of the 2-CD Stern's compilations.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Psychic TV - Towards Thee Infinite Beat: 3.5 stars
# [industrial] Completely unavailable at anything approaching a reasonable price.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Various Artists - Black Stars: Ghana's Hiplife Generation: 3.5 stars
See review of BLNRB: Welcome to the Madhouse.
Various Artists - Urban Africa Club: Hip Hop Dancehall and Kwaito: 3.5 stars
See review of BLNRB: Welcome to the Madhouse.
Various - BLNRB: Welcome to the Madhouse: 7.5 (high B+)
Perhaps I should have done this as a batch review, with its two sister compilations on Out Here: Urban Africa Club: Hip Hop Dancehall and Kwaito and Black Stars: Ghana's Hiplife Generation (album covers below), because I made a batch buying decision. They are all 7.5 (high B+), perhaps even 8 (A-), but they tend not to stick with you so I went with the lower grade. Anyway, I can't accept having one of these releases at this grade without the other two, and I can't get all three at a reasonable price, so I will end up with none. And #multiartistcomp/import at that grade too.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Sunday, August 11, 2019
The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue: 9 (A)
Update (December 2025): I went for the 2025 remaster - sounds fantastic, beautiful digipak. I put the 2009 remaster in the sell pile.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
The Rolling Stones - Made in the Shade: 9 (A)
The best Stones comp, and the only must-have, in my view. Hot Rocks is for dumb shites that don't know shite about the Stones.
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Dub Syndicate - Classic Selection, Volume 1: 8 (A-)
Spin gives this a 9 out of 10. I could have splurged for the On-U Sound box, like I did for African Head Charge, but I just don't want or need all that Dub Syndicate, unlike with AHC, where it was somewhat justified by all the great reviews of each of the albums. Interestingly, the Spin guide gives the first four albums in the AHC box a combined grade of 33, while the DS box's four get 31. Plus, I got the AHC box for $27, while the DS box, which is less good, goes for more at $35 or more. So this will be the entirety of my DS collection. It's better than any of the individual releases in the box, and only contains four tracks from those four albums, two of which may have been remixed for this.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Public Image Ltd. - Paris au Printemps: 8 (A-)
The Handsome Family - Through the Trees [liked]
:-) [Upped a notch on 4th listen; album pick on AllMusic]
The Handsome Family - Down in the Valley: 7 (B+)
# [comp; import] [Upped a notch on 4th listen] Here is a link to this comp on Spotify. This has 2 tracks from Odessa, 6 tracks from Milk and Scissors, and 5 tracks from Through the Trees (one track, “Don’t Be Scared,” is an alternate version from a track on In the Air).
Eric Clapton - From the Cradle: 7 (B+)
Upped a notch on fourth listen, and upon a deepening appreciation of the man.
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