Irakere - Irakere: 7.5 (high B+)

# [live; Afro-Cuban jazz]

Dave Edmunds - The Best of Dave Edmunds: 7.5 (high B+)

#bestof/pubrock

Wolf Eyes - Dead Hills: liked

Posting cover, to avoid confusion because there seem to be several versions of this. Could be a 7 (B+), but it's ridiculously expensive anyway, for 3 songs.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bringing It All Back Home - Again [honorable mention]

:-) [Sources call this an EP, but at 6 tracks and 30 minutes, it doesn’t seem to qualify.]

Various - Wiser Dread: 8 (A-)

I am now the proud owner of the first three Nighthawk reggae comps. The other two being Calling Rastafari and Knotty Vision.

Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper: 8 (A-)

Contains the title single, plus apparently re-recorded versions of tracks from his first three releases. Christgau gives this a two-star honorable mention and calls it a "minor Sly & Robbie album." I don't think it's minor, although I'm not sure I would call it major either. I would just say "solid," and note that it's good to have for the big single and a nicely-produced digital sampling of his work during an early creative peak. Contains three songs from the debut, three from Statement, and five from Pirate.

Creation Rebel - Close Encounters of the Third World: 7 (B+)

Obtained as part of the High Above Harlesden box.

Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective: 8.5 (high A)

Eminem - Relapse: 8.5 (high A-)

I really got this one wrong when it came out. Like almost everyone else it seems, I thought it sucked, although I certainly gave it its three listens or more at the time. Years later, revisiting it, I'm hearing it as great and have listened over and over. One of his best, if not his best, in my view. So I had to re-buy it, but got the re-release Relapse: Refill with seven bonus tracks on a separate disc. The grade for that edition is the same. It has this cover:

Eminem - Recovery: disliked

Basically just the overprivileged rapper screaming self-pitying inanities at you for close to 1.5 hours straight. Lil Wayne appears on one track halfway through providing the album's only redeeming moment. Probably around half a dozen listens. Owned at one point; I think I sold it off. Docked a notch for bloat.

Creation Rebel - Psychotic Jonkanoo: 7 (B+)

Purchased as part of the High Above Harlesden box.

The Brides of Funkenstein - Funk or Walk: 9 (A)

Missy Misdemeanor Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly: 8 (A-)

James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1962): X (X)

I know it's sacrilegious to say this, but is this show really that great?

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2: 7 (B+)

I have the standard edition. I streamed the 5 bonus tracks on the deluxe edition's second disc, and I would give them a 7 (B+) as a 24 minute EP. But I'm not buying it again to get those 5 tracks, even though I am seeing a near mint used copy selling for $8 shipped at the moment. I'd feel obligated if it was sold separately. I also note that he just released a 10th anniversary expanded deluxe edition that has 1 additional track of about equal quality ("Don't Front" featuring Buckshot of Black Moon) and 5 lame instrumentals.

Eminem - Encore: 7 (B+)

Eminem - The Eminem Show: 7 (B+)

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP: 8 (A-)

Eminem - The Slim Shady LP: 8 (A-)

50 Cent - The Massacre

:-| [de-shelved]

Taj Mahal - The Natch'l Blues: 8 (A-)

Taj Mahal - The Taj Mahal Anthology, Volume 1 [placeholder]

All tracks are on other comps in the collection.

Taj Mahal - The Best of Taj Mahal: 9 (A)

Taj Mahal - Taj's Blues: 8 (A-)

Taj Mahal/Toumani Diabate - Kulanjan: 8 (A-)

Eramus Hall - Gohead: 8 (A-)

Took me awhile to realize that it's not "Erasmus."

James Brown - In the Jungle Groove [placeholder]

I'm relying on Christgau's statement that "most of the renowned In the Jungle Groove is also available in briefer form on the box [Star Time], making it for serious students only." I am not a serious student. Love the cover though. I did stream it once. I'm not sure if the same goes for Motherlode, but I'm assuming so. I also streamed that one once.

James Brown - Star Time: X stars

Who am I to grade something like this?

Marvin Gaye - Anthology: X stars

Too seminal and early for me to try to actually grade. I also have The Very Best of.

Marvin Gaye - Midnight Love: 9 (A)

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On: 8.5 (high A-)

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On: 9.5 (high A)

The Byrds - Greatest Hits: 9.5 (high A)

The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers: 8 (A-)

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo: 9 (A)

Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...: liked

De-shelved at some point.

Withered Hand & Kathryn Williams - Willson Williams: 7.5 (high B+)

# [import]

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Play the Blues: 8 (A-)

Buddy Guy - Sweet Tea: 8.5 (high A-)

Hole - Ask for It [EP] [honorable mention]

:-) [Possible 7 (B+), but # [live; covers] anyway]

Wussy - Public Domain, Volume 1 [liked]

:-)

Fellow Travellers - Things and Time: 8 (A-)

Young Dolph - Bulletproof: 8 (A-)

Girl Talk - Night Ripper: 8 (A-)

Girl Talk - Feed the Animals: 8 (A-)

Courtney Love - America's Sweetheart: 8 (A-)

Silkworm - batch review

I have these on the shelves, and will grade them if I ever pull them off to play again. But being on the shelves means I thought they were at least 7 (B+), and I don't remember thinking any of them were more than 8 (A-).

Lifestyle

Italian Platinum

Firewater

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz: 8 (A-)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell: 7 (B+)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Yeah Yeah Yeahs [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

Be Your Own Pet - Damn Damn Leash [EP] [honorable mention]

:-)

Girl Talk/Freeway - Broken Ankles [EP] [honorable mention]

:-) [Digital only]

Misfits - Beware [EP] [honorable mention]

:-)

Arca - Entranas

:-(

Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust: 8.5 (high A-)

Nick Lowe - Pure Pop for Now People: 8.5 (high A-)

[a/k/a Jesus of Cool]

7 Year Bitch - Viva Zapata! [honorable mention]

:-)

The Baseball Project - Grand Salami Time [honorable mention]

:-) [Once owned the first three volumes, but deshelved them a few years ago. Baseball-oriented roots rock.]

Radiohead - In Rainbows: 7.5 (high B+)

[Upped from 7 (B+) in 11/24]

Radiohead - Kid A: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Radiohead - The Bends: 8 (A-)

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief: 7 (B+)