Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine

:-| [At best. De-shelved in 2020s.]

Fiona Apple - When the Pawn ...

:-| [At best. De-shelved in 2020s.]

Billy Joel - Glass Houses [honorable mention]

:-)

Allen Ginsberg - Songs of Innocence and Experience [William Blake]

:-| [To be charitable]

Rocket from the Tombs - The Day the Earth Met the ...: 7 (B+)

Would definitely get this for historical value, if it were selling for reasonable prices. Also checked out the various Peter Laughner comps. Same situation.

The Meditations - Guidance [honorable mention]

:-) [4 listens, because the original issue was put on a CD, which I also listened to, which has 4 tracks from Message and the track "Justice" and looked like this:

Allmusic incorrectly it seems says the CD was released by Stern's, whereas it looks like it might have been on Makasound. Anyway, the original issue looked like this:

And actually, now that I'm listening to the "original plus about half of Message" version, I don't know. Sounds kind of like at least a 7.5 (high B+), so I bought it and will have to grade at some point.]

Heatmiser - Mic City Sons: 8 (A-)

Will definitely snatch this up if I ever find a used copy for a fair price.

Son Volt - Trace: 7.5 (high B+)

Not sure why all the irrational hate from Christgau and other establishment rock critics on this (most of the latter of whom are probably just following his lead like sheep). Probably upped a notch subconsciously from 7.5 (high B+) to counteract this, and also for general impact.

Rilo Kiley - batch review

Not inspired to go back and individually grade and post these, since I shelved them several years ago. They range from 7 (B+) to 7.5 (high B+) to 8 (A-). I prefer Jenny Lewis solo. I note that Christgau gives these all a full A and Hull all an A-, except for More Adventurous, which he gives a full A.

The Execution of All Things
More Adventurous
Under the Blacklight
RKives

Rilo Kiley - Rilo Kiley [a/k/a The Initial Friend EP] [EP] [honorable mention]

:-) [Album cover included to avoid future confusion]

Garbage - Version 2.0: 8.5 (high A-)

The Cure - The Walk and/or Japanese Whispers [honorable mention]

I'm reviewing this as the same album, because the 6 cut mini-LP version of The Walk (which also comes in 2 and 4 cut versions) has all the songs on Japanese Whispers except for "The Love Cats" (on Staring at the Sea) and "Speak My Language." So it's really just the latter. Also including cover art, so there's no confusion on my part in the future.

The Cure - Wish [honorable mention]

:-)

Slint - Spiderland: 7 (B+)

I was kept off this for many years by Christgau who brutally, and in my opinion unfairly, panned it.

Slint - Tweez

:-| 

Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves [honorable mention]

:-)

Merle Haggard - Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard: 8.5 (high A-)

Definitely the best Hag comp I've heard.

Wussy - Buckeye [honorable mention]

:-) [Europe-only comp. I actually only listened once, since I have all the individual albums from which the tracks on here were drawn.]

Baba Commandant - Sonbonbela: 8 (A-)

Digital and vinyl only.

M.I.A. - Mata: 8 (A-)

Digital only.

Melvins - Houdini [honorable mention]

:-)

Squeeze - Singles - 45's and Under: 7.5 (high B+)

I don't buy best-ofs at this grade.

Old 97's - Hit by a Train - The Best of Old 97's: 7.5 (high B+)

I don't buy best-ofs at this grade.

Old 97's - batch review

This band seems mostly beloved by Christgau and Hull. Pitchfork and Allmusic users don't seem too crazy about them. Very few reviews on AOTY. I never really got into their work, but ended up buying alot of the albums based on Christgau's rave reviews, before the streaming era when I couldn't listen to them first, and then hung onto them because I didn't dislike them. They all sound good when being played, but then don't sound familiar the next time. Here are the key albums graded by Christgau and Hull:

Wreck Your Life [Bloodshot, 1995] B+/B+
Too Far to Care [Elektra, 1997] B+/B
Fight Songs [Elektra, 1999] A/A-
Satellite Rides [Elektra, 2001] A/A-
Blame It on Gravity [New West, 2008] A-/A-
The Grand Theatre Volume One [New West, 2010] A-/B+
Most Messed Up [ATO, 2014] A/A-

I've listened to them all at least 3 times, and have them all except Wreck Your Life. I would rate all of them either honorable mention or 7 (B+), except Most Messed Up would be 7.5 (high B+) or even 8 (A-). Wreck Your Life is probably a neutral for me. Normally, I would not get Too Far To Care, but I have it, and it's the Allmusic site and user's favorite so I'll keep it. It's also on a lot of "alt-country" lists.

ps, also listened to Mimeograph [EP] three times. Either honorable mention or 7 (B+), but not getting it either way because it's covers album. # [covers]

Various - Jit - The Movie: 8.5 (high A-)

Standout track: "Wapunza Musha" by Leonard Chiyangwa. 

Iamdoechii [a/k/a Doechii] - Oh the Places You'll Go [EP] [honorable mention]

:-)

The Feelies - No One Knows [EP] [honorable mention]

:-) [Tempted to get used vinyl (it's a 12 inch, and was never reissued on CD), but it's expensive, plus two of the four songs are on The Good Earth and the other two are covers. Not crazy about the Beatles original. Of course I love the Neil original, but the cover is unspectacular. So really no compelling reason to own this, other than pure completism.]

The Trypes - Music for Neighbors [honorable mention]

:-) [I would buy this just for the EP with Mercer/Million -- The Explorer's Hold -- but the rest of it is just too slight. And the EP, which I would rate 7.5 (high B+), is selling for way too much used.] [If Xgau gives this a letter grade, I will listen again and reconsider.]

Missy Elliott - Under Construction: 7.5 (high B+)

Oriental Brothers International Band - Oku Ngwo - Di Ochi: 7 (B+)

# [highlife]

Various - Tropicalia: ou Panis et Circencis: 7.5 (high B+)

# [tropicalia/multi-artist comp]

Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood [honorable mention]

:-)

Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner [honorable mention]

:-)

Operation Ivy - Operation Ivy [honorable mention]

:-) [This is the 27 song compilation, with the entirety of Energy plus the Hectic EP plus two other tracks from I know not what.]

Kendrick Lamar - Section.80: 7 (B+)

Might be my favorite of his albums. Unavailable on CD.

Dan Ex Machina - All Is Ours, Nothing Is Theirs: 8 (A-)

Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered.

:-| [Would be a downface, except that there are one or two great tracks, which brings it up to neutral.]

Allen Ravenstine - Nautilus: 7 (B+)

# [experimental] Unavailable on CD anyway.

Various - Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical: 7.5 (high B+)

Don't generally buy multi-artist comps at this level.

Mutabaruka - Any Which Way . . . Freedom: 7.5 (high B+)

Not available anywhere for anything approaching a reasonable price.

Various - I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico: 7 (B+)

I don't buy multi-artist comps at this level.

Eric Church - Chief: 7 (B+)

# [country]

Justin Hines [a/k/a Hinds] and the Dominoes - Travel with Love [honorable mention]

:-)

Pearl Jam - No Code [honorable mention]

:-)

Pearl Jam - Merkin Ball [EP] [honorable mention]

:-) [Contains two songs "I Got Id" and "Long Road." The first is very strong but is on Essential. The second is mediocre and doesn't appear to have Neil, although maybe I just did not pay enough attention.]

Pussy Galore - Dial 'M' for Motherfucker [honorable mention]

:-)

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

:-|

The Smiths - The Peel Sessions [placeholder]

[3 out of 4 songs are on Hatful of Hollow. "Miserable Lie" is the only unique song, which isn't that good.]

The Smiths - The Sound of the Smiths [Deluxe]: 8.5 (high A-)

This is the 2 CD version. (The 1 CD version has pink lettering.) The first disc has all of Singles, plus some extra tracks. The second disc has some rarities etc. I'm kind of a Smiths completist. This and Singles are the best standard "best ofs" -- not counting the classics Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs -- so I wanted to add this. The other standard best ofs -- Best... I, ...Best II, and The Very Best of the Smiths -- no one likes and I'm skipping.

Afghan Whigs - Big Top Halloween [honorable mention]

:-) [Completely unavailable even if I wanted it. Only a thousand or something were printed.]

Bopol Mansiamina - Bolonga Ngaite: 7 (B+)

Same cover as a self-titled album on Celluloid. Tracks here are: "Bolonga Ngaite," "Bonjuor Le Soleil," "Choisi," "Controleur," "Kazi," and "Manuela." See my separate review of that Celluloid release. This one is streaming only.

MC5 - batch review

I long ago shelved their three regular releases -- Kick Out the Jams, Back in the USA, and High Time -- and won't be making the effort to grade them here. From 7.5 (high B+) to 8 (A-) for all of them. See also my review of Babes in Arms. I also listened once to the well-regarded compilation The Big Bang: The Best of the MC5 once. All songs on that are from the three regular releases, except a live one and three singles. I did listen to those four tracks three times each to be sure I didn't want to get the comp. I didn't.

Mutabaruka - Check It! [honorable mention]

:-)

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden [honorable mention]

:-)

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy [honorable mention]

:-)

The Police - batch review

Here are reference grades (Xgau, Hull, Rolling Stone, Spin):

Outlandos d'Amour [A&M, 1978] B+/B+/4*/7

Regatta de Blanc [A&M, 1979] B-/B+/4*/7

Zenyatta Mondatta [A&M, 1980] B/A-/4.5*/4

Ghost in the Machine [A&M, 1981] B+/A-/4*/5

Synchronicity [A&M, 1983] B+/A-/4*/6

My brother was really into this band when we shared a room, so I have heard all of these albums quite a few times. Every one of them sounded familiar on a first play in 2022, but I played them two more times each anyway. At this point, I would grade them all honorable mention or 7 (B+), except for Zenyatta Mondatta, which I would grade 7.5 (high B+). Ghost in the Machine is probably more definitely a B+ than the others. I cannot really make these distinctions easily. # [pop]

I could get the comp Every Breath You Take, but I know all the songs on it well and wouldn't give it more than a 7.5 (high B+), and I don't buy greatest hits at that level. Finally, I toyed with getting the box set of all 5 for ~$35, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on them, even at that price.

Bim Sherman - Danger [honorable mention]

:-) [Could be a 7 (B+), but it was never reissed on CD, and the vinyl is ridiculously expensive, so I'm not going to bother making the distinction. Soul Syndicate backs.]