Before 11/2020, grades range from 5 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+), and 7 (B+). Ungraded albums are liked (fka honorable mention) :-), neutral :-|, and negative :-(. At least 3 listens per posted album. Search "Grade Post" for more info. I shelved/sold ~10,000 albums after at least 3 listens before starting this blog and will add entries for those as they come up. Yes, I know that album (probably).
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Mofungo/Information/Blinding Headache - Tape #1: 7.5 (high B+)
This is completely unavailable on anything other than original cassette from 1980. And it's completely unavailable on that as well. Normally I would not seek out something like this in digital and shelve it, but I made an exception for this since it's such a no-wave artifact and I want to make sure I can put it on again if I ever want to, and also so that I remember it once existed. 6 separate tracks for each band's blocks on this, but that's the best I could do. Slim case just to have.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Monday, June 22, 2020
Neil Young - Homegrown [honorable mention]
:-) [Would probably buy this if it was a regular studio album. May do that anyway if Christgau/Hull convince me it's better than I now think.]
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Sunday, June 14, 2020
The Scene Is Now - Tonight We Ride: 7 (B+)
# ["pomo chamber-rock" as Christgau puts it - not sure why everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and calling them a "jug band"]. Sounds like Mofungo somewhat, but not as compelling, and the singer sings out of key (also noted by Christgau). Wikipedia or someone said that most of their music is on the compilation The Oily Years, but this and Burn All Your Records are definitely not both all included there. If they ever put those two out on a single disc, I would probably buy it. I will listen to The Oily Years three times though. Maybe I'll think it rates an 8 (A-) and go for that.
Al Bilali Soudan - Tombouctou [honorable mention]
:-) [Elemental - with only tehardents (ngonis), calabash and voice. Goes on forever. Incredibly repetitive.]
Wussy - Ghosts: 7 (B+)
Free digital mixtape, contains "B-sides, rarities, related projects and two previously unreleased tracks."
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Built to Spill - Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston
:-| [Even as a completist, this is not collectable -- covers album]
Friday, June 12, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse [honorable mention]
:-) [Perfectly happy to follow Christgau's lead on this band]
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Adam Schlesinger: The End of the Movie (Carl Wilson Spotify playlist)
:-| [Something from Christgau. I don't get the appeal.]
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Monday, June 8, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Friday, June 5, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
John Coltrane - The Best of John Coltrane (Prestige): X stars
Christgau gave this an A minus, but I couldn't easily find it. In his review, he said "it does seem to be the first disc of Prestige Profiles: John Coltrane," so that's how I listened to it three times. I note that Hull gave the whole of Prestige Profiles only a B plus.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat [honorable mention]
:-) [To me, a step up from Kamakiriad, and might even be a notch higher than honorable mention. Christgau, a Steely Dan lover, only notes a "choice cut" on this. Tom Hull didn't review.]
John Coltrane Quartet - "Live" at the Village Vanguard: X stars
This is an acknowledged near-classic. I say near, because virtually no one that I can find thinks it's 5 stars, which is what would cause me to pick it up. People tend to praise it for its difficult and "new" second side "Chasin' the Trane." But they don't sound like they really enjoy that track when they praise it, more just marvel at it. Anyway, I'll stick with his studio albums. [5 listens] [ps, Caved and bought it on 5th listen. Let's see if I do the same with Rollins'.]
Monday, June 1, 2020
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