# [Might be a notch higher without the twang.]
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Taylor Swift - Midnights: 7.5 (high B+)
Originally 8 (A-), but docked a notch after the Christgau review made me question my judgment. Kept physical anyway, because it's Taylor Swift.
Friday, December 30, 2022
Michael Prophet - Michael Prophet [a/k/a Gunman] [honorable mention]
:-) [Cover included to avoid release confusion]
Beach House - Once Twice Melody [honorable mention]
:-) [Docked a notch for bloat. Standout track: "Superstar." Seems a little surprising to me that this is by far the worst user-reviewed album of theirs on Allmusic. Critically, it's one of their top three.]
Thursday, December 29, 2022
De Kaboul a Bamako - Sowal Diabi: 7.5 (high B+)
Never been a big fan of Mamani Keita, who appears to be the driving force behind this "project." I even de-shelved her album with Marc Minelli -- Electro Bamako -- several years ago. #wassoulou(-ish?)
Monday, December 26, 2022
Them - batch review
Really the albums Them (a/k/a The Angry Young Them) and Them Again. I suppose I would give the first an 8 (A-) and the second a 7 (B+), respectively. But it doesn't really matter because they are only available in really old expensive vinyl, or in un-remastered CDs or CDs with bloated extras. They should be reissued in a nice two-CD set. I almost settled for the following, because it has 8 of the 14 tracks on the first and 9 of 16 on the second, plus three additional songs not on either ("Here Comes The Night," "One More Time," and "One Two Brown Eyes"), and notes by Lester Bangs:
Van Morrison - Hymns to the Silence [Polydor, 1991]: liked
Docked a notch for bloat. Halve the two ~10 minute songs (!), and cut back a few of the other longer ones (or get rid of a short track or two), and it fits on a single disc and would be at least 7 (B+) in my book, ranging up to 8 (A-) or even possibly 8.5 (high A-) depending on how much of the dross you cut.
Van Morrison - Blowin' Your Mind: 7.5 (high B+)
Basically #miscarticles. Not sure how Hull got to a full A on this. Main songs have been re-released in numerous configurations over the years (as T.B. Sheets, Bang Masters, etc.), none of which are satisfactory for a variety of reasons -- not remastered, duplicate tracks, missing tracks, etc. I almost went with something called Super Hits, which is probably remastered, and sells for a few bucks, but it doesn't have "T.B. Sheets," which is the main draw of these Bang sessions. "Brown Eyed Girl" is obviously essential, but it's on Best of, and we've all heard it so many times already anyway. So I ended up not getting anything to represent this period, and will just start with Astral Weeks, which is the big bang anyway. I still need to do a scrub on Them. Update (December 2025): Ended up picking up a remastered copy for just a few bucks, after listening to it a few more times. Upped it a notch also.
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Peter Stampfel & The Ether Frolic Mob - The Sound of America: 7 (B+)
Christmas Albums
These are the ones that get played every year:
Bing Crosby - White Christmas
Various - A Very Special Christmas
Louis Armstrong & Friends - What a Wonderful Christmas
Elvis Presley - It's Christmas Time
Various - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Jama Ko: 8 (A-)
Album of the year (2013 - took me forever to formally grade) for Muzikifan and top 10 with a full A from Christgau probably means I'm underrating this by at least a half notch and very possibly a full one.
Serengeti & Polyphonic - Don't Give Up: 7.5 (high B+)
Only three copies on CD in the universe it seems. Not paying what's being asked.
Friday, December 23, 2022
Van Morrison - Down the Road: liked
Not sure what Tom Hull sees in this one. The highest I could see going on this would be 7.5 (high B+).
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Louis Armstrong - Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule [placeholder]
All but three songs are on What A Wonderful Christmas by Louis Armstrong & Friends -- "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" (a duet with Ella which is on the must-hear Ella and Louis Again), "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (a mostly a capella trifle with Velma Middleton), and "Moments to Remember" (which has nothing to do with Christmas). I'm ignoring "What A Wonderful World" (for obvious reasons) and the recitation of "A Visit From St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)."
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Grade Post
Before November 2020 grades were from 3.5 stars (B+ equivalent) to 5 stars (A+ equivalent) in half star increments. Letter grade equivalents were not noted at that time. This system did not allow for 3.75, 4.25, or 4.75 stars, which is why the new system was developed based on number grades from 7 to 10 in half digit increments. [I do translate old star grades to their number/letter grade equivalents (by simply doubling the number and adding the letter equivalent) when I see them and am inspired to do so. In such cases, I don't always consider whether to upgrade 3.5 stars to 7.5 (high B+), 4 stars to 8.5 (high A-), or 4.5 stars to to 9.5 (high A).]
In the new system, number grades in half digit increments are noted, with their letter grade equivalents in parentheses. No grades are assigned below 7 (B+). So:
10 (A+)
9.5 (high A)
9.5 (high A)
9 (A)
8.5 (high A-)
8 (A-)
7.5 (high B+)
7 (B+)
For albums below 7 (B+), the post title will say:
liked*, with a :-) in the body of the post or other text [equivalent to 6.5 or low B+]
nothing or neutral, with a :-| in the body of the post or other text [equivalent to 6 or B]
nothing or disliked, with a :-( in the body of the post or other text [from 0 to 5.5 or from F to B-]
*originally "honorable mention" (and still remains so in some posts before 11/24)
The # symbol in the body of a post signifies that the album is in a genre that is not collected at grades below 8 (A-) (or even at 8 (A-) for overpriced imports), unless it does extremely well in the polls or for some other reason noted in the post. The perceived genre is specified in brackets following the # symbol. Otherwise, all graded albums are collected, unless they are OOP, selling for ridiculous/import prices, and/or digital/vinyl only, etc.
I generally will physicalize a digital- or vinyl-only release with a grade of 8.5 (high A-) or 9 (A) or above.
I got so many hateful comments about "honorable mention" entries [e.g., "How about my dick give you an honorable mention?"] that I changed it in very late 2024 to "liked". I will change prior "honorable mentions" to "liked" as time allows and as people spew hateful comments on particular entries. Not trying to offend anyone, just document what I think about the music I listen to so carefully.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Homeboy Sandman - Still Champion: 7.5 (high B+)
Selling at artisanal pricing, for a 33 minute album.
Various - Golden Afrique, Vol. 3: 7.5 (high B+)
Even though at this grade for a multi-artist comp I would normally not get this, I would make an exception here because I have the first two volumes. But the prices are outrageous. Second disc holds up much better than the first.
Saturday, December 17, 2022
Niney the Observer - Observation Station: 7.5 (high B+)
# [multi-artist comp] All tracks produced by Niney. I almost made an exception and bought this, because the backing band on these tracks is Soul Syndicate, but it's too expensive on the used market.
Rokia Kone and Jacknife Lee - Bamanan: 7 (B+)
Six listens - actually, I went through the three-listen review process twice by accident and didn't even realize it, which means I didn't recognize it at all, which probably means it's more of a "liked" and is a bad sign in any event. But I'll keep it at 7 (B+) because that's what I came to independently twice. #wassoulou/import
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Sunday, December 4, 2022
Burial - Tunes 2011 to 2019 [placeholder]
I have all the songs from all the EP's on here, except for: "State Forest," "Beachfires," "Subtemple," "Young Death," "Nightmarket," and "Claustro." I played all of these three times. Not good enough to rebuy 2/3 of the collection just to have.
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Boston - Don't Look Back [honorable mention]
:-) [Actually only played once at this time, since I heard it so many times when it came out. Title track is legendary.]
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East-West: liked
The name of the band on this release actually doesn't have the "Paul" in it, but I inserted it for consistency's sake.
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