It took a very long time for this to grow on me. But over the years it's gone from a sell-back to a full A.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Tom Verlaine - Flash Light: 9 (A)
It took a very long time for this to grow on me. But over the years it's gone from a sell-back to a full A.
Tom Verlaine - Tom Verlaine: 4.5 stars
It goes Marquee Moon, Adventure, and then this, with a brief final flicker with Flash Light. I happen to have this on beautiful vinyl, as well as the Collectors' Choice reissue. I shouldn't have bothered with the latter, since it wasn't even remastered. I guess I just wanted the small thrill of acquiring it again in a fresh format.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Kanda Bongo Man - Kwassa Kwassa: 4 stars
Diblo Dibala on lead (with Rigo Star). Contains all tracks from the following two releases:
Kanda Bongo Man - Non Stop Non Stop: 4 stars
Kanda Bongo Man - Amour Fou/Crazy Love: 4 stars
Diblo Diabala on lead. Contains all tracks from the following two releases (except the track "O. Eternal" from the second, yellow one, which I dutifully listened to three times on YouTube):
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Funkadelic - Free Your Mind. . . and Your Ass Will Follow [honorable mention]
:-) [5 listens] [Some sources praise this (Allmusic critics and users, Spin guide, Pitchfork) but others pan it (Christgau, Hull, Rolling Stone guide). I could be completist and get it, but that would mean I'd end up getting America Eats Its Young and god knows what else. The undeniable songs are on the compilations.]
Gene Clark - No Other [honorable mention]
:-) [Could be a 7 ( B+) but I'm not really sure. It's # [folk] anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it. "Lady of the North" is a great song.]
The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium [honorable mention]
:-) [Almost bought this, mostly because I saw them on this tour, I think on August 18,1992 at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, with my brother. That would have been about two months before this recording. I remember thinking they were a huge disappointment live. But it was an important moment in my life with my brother, and so I was tempted. This album kind of supports the idea that the show was bad, because this is bad, although by the last few songs they end up killing it. It is also the only full-show live album by the band, and it's kind of a historic event, opening for The Who. But even after all that, I'm trying to keep down the physicals, I can stream this anytime, and it's really not an essential document. Not going to buy it just for nostalgic reasons.]
Sam Mangwana - Aladji: 3.5 stars
Will buy this if I ever see it for a reasonable price. [And I did.]
Kanda Bongo Man - Zing Zong: 3.5 stars
Here's where I stop with him (other than the live Soukous in Central Park). Sango appears to be a remix album. This album has all the tracks from Isambe-Monie and more. That one looks like the following, and is the last of the many albums he put out with two songs as the title (see my other reviews of this artist):
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love [honorable mention]
:-) [Generally seems to be regarded as the least good of their three studio albums. I agree.]
Jon Hassell - Power Spot: 8 (A-)
Have a great vinyl copy, even though it was originally issued on CD too (1986). I think at that point I was still primarily collecting vinyl.
Max Romeo - Open the Iron Gate: 8 (A-)
[a/k/a Revelation Time] I have the vinyl with the cover depicted. I also have the CD called Open the Iron Gate 1973-1977, which has a few bonus tracks. Here is the alternative cover:
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, "Waldstein" (Pletnev)
[Placeholder for three listens. Nice work.]
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Liz Phair - Supernova [maxi-single] [no grade]
Placeholder. In making sure I had heard it all from her, I noticed this with some good grades on Allmusic. Played it to see what that was about. From Wikipedia: "Fragments from "In Love With Yourself", "Johnny Sunshine," and "Money" appeared on the "Supernova" single, condensed into one track called "Combo Platter (Girlysound)".The "Johnny Sunshine" fragment is played backwards." So that's why the good grades, no doubt. I dutifully listened to "Combo Platter" three times. I'm done with Girly-Sound now.
Girly-Sound [Liz Phair] - "The Girly-Sound Tapes" [honorable mention]
Never released in physical on their own, this is her first three home demos, before Guyville, under the name Girly-Sound (titles in image, which was included for that purpose). They have to be bought with the remastered anniversary Guyville (Girly-Sound to Guyville). I won't be doing that, considering the honorable mention grade and the extent to which many of these songs have been collected or rerecorded elsewhere. I listened to whole collection 2 or 3 times, and then listened to the songs that are not on Juvenilia or re-recorded on other albums. That is, I gave an extra listen to the ones on disc 2 of Funstyle included here, which I give honorable mention, and the remaining tracks, which I also give an honorable mention. Those remaining tracks are:
6 Dick Pimp (Girly-Sound Version)
Don't Holdyrbreath (Girly-Sound Version)
Miss Lucy (Girly-Sound Version)
One Less Thing (Girly-Sound Version)
Hello Sailor (Girly-Sound Version)
Easy Target (Girly-Sound Version)
Ant In Alaska (Girly-Sound Version)
Thrax (Girly-Sound Version)
Love Song (Girly-Sound Version)
Gigolo (Girly-Sound Version)
Slave (Girly-Sound Version)
Open Season (Girly-Sound Version)
Suckerfish (Girly-Sound Version)
If you're paying attention (and I got this right), these 13 songs are the only pure reason to buy this anyway. And if you want the other 10 that aren't rerecorded, or on Juvenilia, you have to pick up Funstyle.
Liz Phair - "Carnivore" b/w "Carnivore (raw)": 3.5 stars
Just being complete with her. Single between Guyville and Whip-Smart. Doesn't appear to be collected anywhere else, so I found it on YouTube and played it three times. One side is a "raw" solo acoustic version, and the other a studio rendition. Not paying $10 for used versions, but I'm glad to have heard it. I might break down and buy it though, because it looks so great. We'll see if the mood strikes me.
Lori McKenna - The Bird & The Rifle: 4 stars
This is all I will end up having by her (see review of Unglamorous). Xgau gave it an A minus, but later named it his number 5 album of 2016, above 8 or so full A's, so clearly he upgraded it to a full A. Hull likes it as only one of two A minuses from her, and it's her highest rated album on Allmusic by users. So this is the one I will keep on the shelves.
The Mighty Diamonds - Indestructible: 4 stars
Never released on CD, surprisingly. I am the proud owner of a beautiful vinyl copy.
Joe Higgs - Triumph!: 3.5 stars
Not the greatest fan of this, but I have a beautiful vinyl copy and am keeping it.
Friday, November 15, 2019
The Mighty Diamonds - Reggae Street: 3.5 stars
This is one of those that should be available for a "nice price" but it's not. You have to way overpay for a first generation CD transfer, or go for original vinyl, which also does not come cheap. Plus it's always hard to go for vinyl when there is a CD available, but it's over-priced. I feel like I'm settling for vinyl in those cases and that's not why I buy vinyl. So, I'll be skipping this. Never much into this harmony trio anyway, and this one is a little bland-sounding to my ears.
Mark Stewart + Maffia - Learning to Cope With Cowardice
:-| [Actually listened to this two more times after receiving the crybaby comment below. What? Honorable mention's not good enough for you? I guarantee you I've put 100x more time and effort into this blog than anyone ever put into this album, and in response to an honorable mention, this entire blog is a waste? (I would have been happy with an honorable mention.) But I took the crybaby comment to heart and re-listened. After a 5th listen, I realized I'd over-rated this, so docked it to neutral.
Note: I listened to it one more time after his death, and also the bonus disc entitled "The Lost Tapes." Now that he's dead, I'll probably buy the damn thing as a keepsake, especially since it's On-U Sound.]
Mose FanFan [Mose Se Sengo "Fan Fan"] - Bayekeleye: 3.5 stars
I'm a little torn on this one. On the one hand, it is consistenly pleasant. On the other hand, it is acoustic soukous and therefore never quite takes off. It sounds like one, long, very good but not great song. Anyway, it is only selling for high import prices, so I am going to skip it.
Sonic Youth - Battery Park, NYC - July 4th 2008: 3.5 stars
I agree with Tom Hull on this one, rather than Christgau. The latter was at the show, so he's probably not 100% objective in giving it a full A. He also names it "Kim's album" or something like that, so it's also going to increase his "female record" count. As a final nail in its coffin -- it's vinyl only. So stupid.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream: X stars
Unrated because I am not qualified to rate jazz. This album appears to be among his most respected (together with Misterioso, Brilliant Corners, Monk's Music, and Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane), so I have it. Plus I paid $8 for a beautifully remastered version of it.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Friday, November 1, 2019
Ike & Tina Turner and the Ikettes - Come Together: 3.5 stars
In the normal course I would skip this as before my time and/or an early soul/R&B album, but I some how wound up with a vinyl copy. Not sure why I even bought it in the first place, but I may have had some reason based on the backing musicians or something. I vaguely remember a consideration like that feeding into my purchase decision. So I'll keep it. Really might be more of an honorable mention.
Nils Lofgren/Grin - batch review
I am going to stay with The Very Best of with this/these artists. I was tempted to get the 2-CD version of the three albums below, but I couldn't bring myself to do it given the grades, especially since it's one of those 3 albums on 2 CDs jobs. If it were individual albums in sleeves, I would probably have gone for it.
Grin - honorable mention - 4 out of 12 tracks are on The Very Best of
1+1 - 4 stars - This is the best of the three, but 6 out of 10 tracks are on The Very Best of so I can't justify the purchase. This is especially true because I would need to buy used vinyl or an unremastered CD.
All Out - honorable mention - 5 out of 10 tracks are on The Very Best of
I aslo listened to Nils Lofgren (1975) three times, but I will pass on that as an honorable mention. Incidentally, I would give The Very Best of 4 stars. It has the above noted tracks, one previously unreleased, a b-side and one track from Gone Crazy.
Grin - honorable mention - 4 out of 12 tracks are on The Very Best of
1+1 - 4 stars - This is the best of the three, but 6 out of 10 tracks are on The Very Best of so I can't justify the purchase. This is especially true because I would need to buy used vinyl or an unremastered CD.
All Out - honorable mention - 5 out of 10 tracks are on The Very Best of
I aslo listened to Nils Lofgren (1975) three times, but I will pass on that as an honorable mention. Incidentally, I would give The Very Best of 4 stars. It has the above noted tracks, one previously unreleased, a b-side and one track from Gone Crazy.
Kanye West - Jesus Is King: 3.5 stars
No physicals. Probably wouldn’t buy a gospel album at B+ from this artist anyway, especially at 27 minutes. “Follow God” is a tremendous track though.
Paul Simon - Greatest Hits, Etc.: 4.5 stars
I've got this on pristine vinyl. No later collection has this kind of selection, and I have a ton of his studio albums anyway.
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