Most of the time, I think this is all the Madonna I need. Probably an A+, but I never played it non-stop.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection: 4.5 stars
Most of the time, I think this is all the Madonna I need. Probably an A+, but I never played it non-stop.
Madonna - You Can Dance: 3.5 stars
Not collecting a B+ remix album, especially a 1987 original issue CD, which has three repeat tracks on it. Would feel weird buying expensive used vinyl on this too, even though I like the 7-track version a lot.
Little Simz - Grey Area [honorable mention]
:-) [Reminds me a little of the hype surrounding Dizzee Rascal. Remember him?]
Saturday, October 26, 2019
UB40 - The Singles Album [placeholder]
6 of 9 tracks are on Signing Off, which I have. (Christgau seems not to have noticed this, or maybe he was using a different version that had different tracks? I can't seem to find a copy with his label/year.) The remaining 3 (which I did listen to 3 times) are, frankly, pretty weak, so I’ll pass. They are:
"My Way of Thinking"
"Dream a Lie"
"The Earth Dies Screaming (12" Version)"
"My Way of Thinking"
"Dream a Lie"
"The Earth Dies Screaming (12" Version)"
Dub Syndicate - batch review
I listened four times at least to each of the regular-issue albums in the box set Ambience in Dub 1982-1985, which is a sister release to the African Head Charge box set Environmental Holes & Drastic Tracks 1981-1986. I really want to get this to have a matching set, but I just can't justify the expense, given the grades. Here they are:
The Pounding System - honorable mention
One Way System - neutral
Tunes from the Missing Channel - honorable mention
North of the River Thames [w/Dr. Pablo (not Augustus Pablo)] - honorable mention
As you can see from my review of Classic Selection, Volume 1, I ended up just getting that (paying a fair amount for a pristine used copy) and nothing more by them.
The Pounding System - honorable mention
One Way System - neutral
Tunes from the Missing Channel - honorable mention
North of the River Thames [w/Dr. Pablo (not Augustus Pablo)] - honorable mention
As you can see from my review of Classic Selection, Volume 1, I ended up just getting that (paying a fair amount for a pristine used copy) and nothing more by them.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Alpha Blondy and the Wailers - Jerusalem: 4 stars
Also in the market for the companion Apartheid Is Nazism 2010 release on Wagram/Test. Other versions are not in digipack, which I want. Plus I want a matching set of these. Have a notification alert up on Discogs for that one, and will add it if it ever becomes available for a reasonable price.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Parliament - Tear the Roof Off 1974-1980 [placeholder]
[I think I'm going for the update of this, Gold, for better sound.]
Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic: 7 (B+)
Upped from honorable mention. Next to last 13 minutes of aimless instrumental doodling (title track) originally did it in for me, but I grew to tolerate it. Christgau gave this a B+ when it came out, but then appears to have downgraded it to a B when he did his Funkadelic catalog overview in 2008 (and grouped it under "Be Careful").
Liz Phair - Funstyle: 7 (B+)
Upgraded from honorable mention. Disc two girly-sound tracks are fine, and glad to own some in physical.
ABBA - Arrival [honorable mention]
:-) [Some really good songs, but overall, extremely saccharine. Stick with Gold, which obviously has the big hits from this one.]
Smog - Knock Knock: 3.5 stars
Not going to explore this artist's catalog any further. This and Red Apple Falls are in the collection, and I think that's enough. Widely acknowledged as his best works, so I don't want to go down a rabbit hole for albums that are very unlikely to be any better. These two also happen to be the two produced by Jim O'Rourke. I did try one other to test my hypothesis, and it supported it.
Yy - Hold the Fort Down: 3.5 stars
Not really available for purchase. Should have given himself a name that was pronounceable. I think he would have ended up reaching some people. You can get away with that kind of thing only if you're already Prince.
Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance: 7 (B+)
Probably closer to an honorable mention for me -- it sounds a little one-note like all of their releases to my ears -- but giving it the benefit of the doubt for general regard.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Loudon Wainwright III - Grown Man: 3.5 stars
B+, but not going in the collection. Once owned it, but don’t really own folk at that level. First, I only really even consider the LWIII albums that Christgau rated A- or above. The only ones I have are ones that Christgau and Hull gave full A: Career Moves, Poole, and Older Than My Old Man Now. Also see my other reviews of this artist to understand my overall viewpoint.
Ian Hunter - Shades of Ian Hunter: The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople [honorable mention]
:-) [HM is for the non-Mott tracks, that is, the Hunter solo tracks only (sides three and four). Tracks consist of 5 tracks from Overnight Angels, and 3 and 2, respectively, from his first two solo albums. The first two album sides on this are all Mott songs that are on A Retrospective.]
Chuck Cleaver - Send Aid: 7 (B+)
Christgau over-rates this in my opinion, like I would say he does with all of Wussy's releases. He also has the artist(s) over to his house for dinner, so that brings all his reviews of him/them into question. Anyway, at this grade I would still buy it, but it’s essentially an EP (10 tracks at 27 minutes) selling at full price, so I’ll pass, unless the price comes down. [4 listens]
Big Star - Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93: 3.5 stars
B+, but not buying at that level for live album by non-original reunion line-up.
Parliament - Live: P-Funk Earth Tour: 7 (B+)
# [live] [Also, only available in first generation CD transfer and vinyl. And the vinyl is ridiculously expensive.]
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Greatest Hits of ... [honorable mention]
:-) [This is the 1989 release, and I'm printing the cover to avoid confusion.]
David Bowie - Live Nassau Coliseum '76: 4 stars
I actually own this as part of the Station to Station (Special Edition) 3-CD boxlet. I am glad to own it, and a live Bowie set from the 70s finally.
The Glands - Double Thriller: 4 stars
If the self-titled one is a full A, bordering on A+, this one is an A-, bordering on full A.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
MC Paul Barman – "How Hard Is That?" b/w "'Housemate Troubles" [Matador single] [honorable mention]
:-) [He should have always released singles and EPs.]
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Flipper - The Peel Sessions (August 15, 1993): 4 stars
Not an actual release. Demonstrates that the songs on American Grafishy weren't bad, it's just that the recording diminished them. (Contains three songs from that plus "Way of the World.") The band really gelled at that point. I saw them live just before they recorded this, and it was one of the most memorable shows of my life. One of the guys seemed so high I couldn't understand how he could still play. They played a riveting set that sounded like this recording for not much longer than this. They were on for 25 minutes at most.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Psychedelic Furs - Should God Forget: A Retrospective [honorable mention]
:-) [Three listens for the extra tracks, that is, those not on the first four albums or All of This and Nothing (or live ones, which seemed terrible on single listen). Ie, three tracks each from Book of Days and World Outside, plus a single, all listed below. Bottom line, if you want a compilation, stick with the perfect All of This and Nothing. I am not buying this for 7 pretty good tracks.
I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow
Entertain Me
Should God Forget
Torch
Until She Comes
All About You
There's A World Outside]
I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow
Entertain Me
Should God Forget
Torch
Until She Comes
All About You
There's A World Outside]
Well Charged - Vital Dub: 7.5 (high B+)
Might have gotten the band and album names switched. Totally unavailable at anything approximating a reasonable price, so no physical. Upped a notch for historical importance. [5 listens]
Gregory Isaacs - Mr. Isaacs: 7 (B+)
Upped from honorable mention, and I purchased the 2-disc reissue with the companion album, Leggo Dub by Ossie All-Stars, on the second disc. The great Tony Chin on rhythm guitar on that one. See separate review of that release. There are 7 extra tracks on the Isaacs disc and 6 on the dub disc.
Prince Far I - Heavy Manners: Anthology 1977–83: 7 (B+)
Contains four albums (two on each CD): Free From Sin (1979), Jamaican Heroes (1980), Voice Of Thunder (1981), and Musical History (1984). All good, hard to differentiate. But this is not the way to listen to them, ie two 77 minutes spells in a row. A decently selected comp would have been better in my view.
I-Roy - Gussie Presenting...: 3.5 stars
No reasonably priced CDs, and not going for used vinyl at B+ on this.
Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette: 3.5 stars
Possible A minus -- I like it better than Nightclubbing for instance -- but not available for reasonable purchase other than as used Blu-ray cluttered with extra crap, used imports, deluxe editions etc. If they reissued as a simple single, remastered disc, I would buy.
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing: 3.5 stars
Very spotty. Could get Island Life to get the best songs on here but see the review for that album.
George Clinton - Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends [honorable mention]
:-) [Might be B+ like Tom Hull thinks (Christgau gives it an A-), but only expensive used vinyl and first generation CD transfers anyway.]
Nina Simone - Sings the Blues: 3.5 stars
# [vocals] Seems like her most loved work, so I will stop here.
Neil Young - Neil Young [honorable mention]
:-) [Relatively auspicious debut: spotty, but with some classic songs and a nice vibe.]
Don Carlos - Just a Passing Glance [honorable mention]
:-) [Could be a B+, but physicals are not reasonably available so I'm not sweating that distinction. Black Uhuru original member who recorded a couple singles but left before the first album Love Crisis/Black Sounds of Freedom. One of those singles, which I found on YouTube, is "Folk Song," credited to "Uhuru - The Sound of Freedom." Really early roots reggae from 1972. Nice song.]
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