Dennis Brown - Revolution [liked]

:-) [Way too expensive even if I wanted to 7 (B+) it.]

Helen Reddy - Helen Reddy [honorable mention]

:-)

King Tubby/Lee "Scratch" Perry - King Tubby Meets the Upsetter at the Grass Roots of Dub [honorable mention]

:-)

The Rolling Stones - Dirty Work: 7 (B+)

 

Wire - Behind the Curtain: Early Versions 1977 & 78: 7 (B+)

 

Not paying ridiculous high prices for used odds-and-sods.

The Honest Cartwrights - The Honest Cartwrights [placeholder]

 

Placeholder only, because I spent time looking for this 4 song EP. I think Christgau mistitled it, and it's called "Duh"? Some sources call it that anyway. Discogs calls it by its first track "On the Wagon." Other three songs are Jackin, Shadow of the Bomb, and Cartwright Theme. I could only find one song from this on Youtube, and I'm not sure which one it is, or even if it's from this. As I said, a placeholder so I don't duplicate this research in the future.

Various Artists - The Wailing Ultimate [Homestead, 1987]: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [multi-artist comp] I'm also looking to hear Human Music (1988) on the same label. Bigger names on that one.

Volcano Suns - Farced

:-(

Love Child - Witchcraft [honorable mention]

:-)

Blind Willie Johnson - The Rough Guide to Blues Legends: Blind Willie Johnson: X stars

 

# [blues] I actually bought this, but have put it in the sell/donate pile. The Blind Willie disc is only okay in my book, and goes on forever. The Gospel Blues Legends bonus disc extolled by Xgau is also nothing great. Way too much of a good thing.

Love Child - Okay? [honorable mention]

:-)

Various Artists - Dunedin Double: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Even though it is a various artists comp, I would still buy it, for the Chills, because of historical importance, and because I like the scene. But it's way too expensive.

Third World - Journey to Addis [honorable mention]

:-) [Reggae lite]

Wire - Object 47 [honorable mention]

:-)

Volcano Suns - The Bright Orange Years: 7 (B+)

 

A little tuneless, in the MoB vein, but still solid. CD reissue is ruined with "bonus tracks" and used vinyl is too expensive for a barely B+ hardcore album, so not going physical. Love the cover.

Chai - Wink

:-|

Loretta Lynn - Still Woman Enough: 7 (B+)

 

# [country]

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: 7 (B+)

 

More R&B than hip hop to me. I guess they call it neo-soul. I bought it when it came out and sold it back because I really didn't like it. I think that's because a few of the hip hop songs are great, but the R&B-ish tracks can be awful. I thought then, and still do now, that it was wildly over-rated [one of the best-selling albums of all time, it was on the recent Rolling Stone list of 500 best albums -- in fact it was #10]. Anyway, I just re-listened to it 3 more times, so probably about 10 times total. My wife has it in her collection though, so I'll snag it from there and put it on the shelves.

Algiers - There Is No Year [honorable mention]

:-)

The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better: 7 (B+)

 

Used copies only, and way too expensive for B+.

Ze Manel & 2M G-B - Tustumunhos di Aonti: 8 (A-)

 

Not every track is great, but some are. From Super Mama Djombo. I will treat this like the later releases from that group that I did not print out. Obviously, there is no reasonable way to buy this, except on a vinyl-only reissue.

Horace Andy - Skylarking: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [rock steady/early reggae] (Also, used copies way overpriced.)

Ini Kamoze - [Sly & Robbie Presents] Ini Kamoze: 8 (A-)

Would definitely pick this up if it was available for less than a fortune. It's good, it's Sly & Robbie, and it's a "mini-album," a format I generally favor. Even the used CD reissues sell for a fortune, especially for a mini-album. [Ultimately found a new CD remaster on Taxi for just over $20 and went for it. It's the version with 2 extra live tracks.]

Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Chimurenga for Justice: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Way too expensive used to buy at this grade. Spotty too.

The Fugs - batch review

I would give what appear to be their first two albums a "neutral" at best. Below are the covers, since they are confusingly-titled. The Fugs First Album was originally issued as an album by "The Village Fugs" and was entitled Sing Ballads of Contemporary Protest, Point of Views, and General Dissatisfaction. The Spin guide does not appear to know this and gave them different grades. The second album is simply entitled The Fugs, which is what most bands would normally entitle their first album, although I realize not everyone does. [Update 2024 - I ended up buying the first one, because of the Stampfel & Weber participation and it was available for a great price. I'm also upgrading it to 7 (B+), which would normally be # [folk], except for Stampfel & Weber and I feel like I should have something by them. Plus, Christgau gave and Hull both give it an A-, so, I give.]

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage [honorable mention]

:-) [Standout track: "Lavender Fields"]

Dogmatics - Everybody Does It [honorable mention]

:-) [Fairly formulaic rockabilly-type punk]

Dry Cleaning - Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Digital only. This and the first EP (Sweet Princess) were released on vinyl together with this same cover. It sells for close to $300 now, not that I would buy it anyway. I would, however, if they were released together on CD.

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley - 11th Street, Sekondi: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [highlife]

Girl in Red - If I Could Make It Go Quiet: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [indie pop]

Olivia Rodrigo - Sour: 7 (B+)

 

# [R&B] Bought it anyway.

Various Artists - What Goes On: The Songs of Lou Reed: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [multi-artist comp; import] Alot of really slow, sometimes boring covers.

Sleater-Kinney - Path of Wellness

:-( [Four listens]

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence [liked]

:-) [4 listens]

Vic Mensa - I Tape

:-( [Yet another Christgau hip hop fail.]

Sparklehorse - Good Morning Spider [honorable mention]

:-)

The Dream Syndicate - Medicine Show

:-|

Dry Cleaning - Sweet Princess [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Digital/cassette only. Nothing you haven't really heard before, which doesn't mean it sounds bad.

Too Much Joy - Mutiny [honorable mention]

:-)

Todd Snider - First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder [honorable mention]

:-)

Carsie Blanton - Love & Rage [honorable mention]

:-)

Jim O'Rourke - Bad Timing

:-|

Czarface & MF Doom - Super What?: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [full-priced EP]

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Press Color [honorable mention]

:-)

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Mambo Nassau: 7 (B+)

 

# [Euro]

Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe: 7.5 (high B+)

 

No-No Boy - 1975: 7 (B+)

 # [anything categorized as a "project"] [4 listens]

Too Much Joy - Mistakes Were Made [honorable mention]

:-) [Fourth listen after Tim Quirk wrote that piece on Christgau's Substack sucking up to him. Still not a B+. Christgau should not review albums by his "pals" and/or people who employ him to do things.]

The Bug - London Zoo [honorable mention]

:-) ["Poison Dart" is a great track.]

Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club: 7 (B+)

 

The Flies - Get Wise [honorable mention]

:-)