The Cramps - Gravest Hits [EP]: liked

Despite the implications of the album title, this is their first release, after their first two singles, which it compiles along with an extra song, a cover of "Lonesome Town." Produced by Alex Chilton. I happen to have this one on cassette for some reason.

Askia Modibo - Wass Reggae: 7 (B+)

Not available used at reasonable prices for a B+.

The Jesus Lizard - Liar

:-|

Swans - To Be Kind [honorable mention]

:-)

Fleetwood Mac [with Peter Green] - The Pious Bird of Good Omen [honorable mention]

:-) [Very traditional blues]

Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection: liked

I'm going with Honky Chateau and Rock of the Westies with Elton, plus Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which is his best per AllMusic users and a personal favorite from my youth. Plus the first Greatest Hits.

Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!!: 7.5 (high B+)

Upped from "liked." I've got this on a wantlist in the version shown, which matches my copy of Laughter, which I like better.

Boise Cover Band - Unoriginal Artists

:-| [Doug Martsch of Built to Spill side project]

Mickey Guyton - Remember Her Name

:-|

Parquet Courts - Sympathy for Life: 7.5 (high B+)

The Heptones - On Top [honorable mention]

:-)

Thomas Anderson - Ladies and Germs: 7 (B+)

Upped from "liked" after fourth listen.

Apollo Brown - Sincerely, Detroit: liked

:-)

Buster Poindexter - Buster Poindexter [liked]

:-)

Dexys Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay [honorable mention]

:-)

King Crimson - The Young Person's Guide to King Crimson [placeholder]

[See review of In the Wake of Poseidon]

King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon: neutral

This completes my study of this band. I would listen to the comp Young Person's Guide, but it's not on Napster, and was never released on CD other than in Japan. Plus, in my listens I would have heard 11 out of its 15 tracks, and of those other four, only one track was on a regular issue album - "Ladies of the Road" from Islands.

Jimi Hendrix - Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix: 9.5 (high A)

Generally considered the best latter-day one-disc comp, this has nothing not on Voodoo Child and the regular issue albums, except the studio version of "Red House" from the UK edition of the debut. I stupidly marked this as "liked" after listening once, and didn't realize what a fine update it is to Smash Hits. After giving it four more listens years later (on another Hendrix kick), and liking it greatly, and since it's on the family's label/imprint, I picked up a copy. It's beautiful.

Robert Earl Keen - A Bigger Piece of Sky: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [country]

Derek Senn - How Could a Man: 7.5 (high B+)

 

# [indie folk]

Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka [honorable mention]

:-)

Merle Travis - Songs of the Coal Mines: liked

:-)

Merle Travis - Folk Songs of the Hills: neutral

:-|

Guru - Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1: 7 (B+)

#jazz

American Music Club - Everclear

:-|

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman: liked

:-)

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz: liked

:-)

Muddy Waters - Blues Sky: 7.5 (high B+)

Contains three tracks from each of his first two Blue Sky late-period studio albums and four from the third, plus two okay live tracks from the live one. #blues/bestof

Pussy Galore - EPs batch review

Feel Good About Your Body - liked

Groovy Hate Fuck - 7 (B+) (not available for reasonable prices) (Spin "Essential Punk Album")

Pussy Gold 5000 - liked

Sugarshit Sharp - liked (non-Shove "later" EP)

All of these except for the last are on the Corpse Love comp (ie, all of the Shove EPs). Unfortunately, that's no way to hear this band (also includes snippets of their version of Exile and some other random things). Good for archival purposes, but good luck listening to 78 minutes straight of their caterwauling. Band needs to be taken in small doses.

Shove label had its headquarters about a mile and a half from where I now live. I walked over there and looked at it. Actually looks like a really nice place. Maybe it wasn't then, or maybe that just reflects the privileged upbringing of their Ivy-educated frontman.

Various Artists - Jack Ruby Presents the Black Foundation: 8 (A-)

OOP and selling used for far too much for a VA comp at A minus.

The Plastic People of the Universe - Magical Nights: 7.5 (high B+)

Normally, I would not buy a best-of at this level, but I'll make an exception for this band.

Blueprint - Two-Headed Monster: 8 (A-)

Voz Di Sanicolau - Fundo De Mare Palinha: 8 (A-)

I am grading the 10” vinyl-only reissue version pictured here. I'm not buying a vinyl-only reissue. I also listened once to the original album (from which this is a selection), but it's selling for too much used, and it also seems like the reissuers did a selection for good reason -- the other tracks don't seem nearly as good.

Richard Thompson - Live! (more or less): notation

 

Second disc is unavailable to stream even on YouTube. So if I wanted to hear it, I’d have to buy the vinyl unheard, and I already have the first disc (which is just Bright Lights). Plus, it's #miscarticles/live.

Los Guanches - The Corpse Went Dancing Rumba: 7 (B+)

# [son]

ESG - Come Away with ESG: 7 (B+)

# [dance/electronica]

Ashford & Simpson - So So Satisfied: liked

:-)

FKA Twigs - Magdalene

:-|

Blondie - Plastic Letters: liked

Four listens. Docked a notched for tinkly keyboards throughout; although, come to think of it, I don't really need that to settle at "liked." Maybe just acknowledge that it's on the border of that and 7 (B+), but this is where I land.

Ezra Furman - Twelve Nudes

:-(

Lokassa Ya Mbongo - Adiza: 8 (A-)

Totally unavailable at reasonable prices. Dally Kimoko on guitar. On wantlist.

Duane Allman - An Anthology: 7.5 (high B+)

# [best of]

Bill Laswell - Hear No Evil: 7 (B+)

# [experimental] Listened twice to the second disc on the reissue.

Prince Far I [the Arabs] - Crytuff Dub Encounter Chapter 1: 7.5 (high B+)

Best of the Cry Tuff series in my opinion. #import

Prince Far I – Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 3: liked

:-)

Arlo Guthrie - Running Down the Road: 7.5 (high B+)

# [folk]

Various Artists - Best of Studio One: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Not buying a various artist comp at B plus.

Steely & Clevie - Play Studio One Vintage: 7.5 (high B+)

Update (January 2026): Upped from liked on fourth play, almost half a decade later. #covers

Lil' Kim - Hard Core: 7.5 (high B+)

# [porno rap]

Dennis Brown - Love's Gotta Hold on Me: liked

:-)

Dennis Brown - The Best of the Joe Gibbs Years: 8.5 (high A-)

OOP and unavailable at other than ridiculous prices. I would buy Visions and Words of Wisdom separately, but the latter is way too expensive, and I don't feel right buying only one of the set. So, given the poor state of his catalog, I’ll end up with nothing. Couldn’t find any other comp that had a fair number of the Gibbs tracks. This is alot like not having the two great Justin Hines albums, but what can I do?

Bomba Estereo - Deja: 7.5 (high B+)

I think some places might be calling this "Agua"? Totally unavailable anyway.

Tom Ze - Vira Lata na Via Lactea: liked

:-)

Miles Davis - Bags Groove: liked

Too much vibraphone for my taste.

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley - Simigwa [honorable mention]

:-)

Korn - Follow the Leader: neutral

:-|

Joni Mitchell - Dog Eat Dog [honorable mention]

:-)

Miles Davis All Stars - Walkin': X (X)

Seems like it's one of the ones with the first great quintet, because of the title, but it's not. Those four I have in a nice box. #jazz

Halsey - Badlands: liked

Four plays

Gregory Isaacs - Out Deh! [honorable mention]

:-) [4 listens]

Nirvana - Live at Reading

 :-| [I'll keep it though because it's Nirvana.]

Terry Allen - Bottom of the World: liked

Listened three times in the days between starting to use streaming services and starting this blog.

Wolf Parade - Thin Mind: liked

Note to self: Guy 8 (A-)

This Kind of Punishment - In the Same Room [honorable mention]

:-)

Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People: 7 (B+)

Aka Jimmy Cliff. Never given a modern reissue, so I will stick with the majority of tracks from this that are represented on Classic Jimmy Cliff.

Shane MacGowan and the Popes - The Snake: 7.5 (high B+)

# [Celtic rock/punk] [But I have it and so will keep it.]