Irakere - Irakere: 7.5 (high B+)

# [live; Afro-Cuban jazz]

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

# [best of; pub rock]

Wolf Eyes - Dead Hills [honorable mention]

:-) [Including 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 2-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 major single and a nicely-produced digital sampling of his work during an early creative peak. Contains 3 songs from the debut, 3 from Statement, and 5 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 (A)

Eminem - Relapse: 8.5 (high A-)

I really got this one wrong when it came out. Like everyone else, I thought it sucked, although I certainly gave it its 3 listens or more at the time. Years later, listening again, I heard its greatness and listened over and over. One of his best, if not his best.

Eminem - Recovery

:-( [Basically just the overprivileged rapper screaming self-pitying inanities at you for close to an hour and a half 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 stars

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 ... [honorable mention]

:-) [de-shelved]

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+)

Wussy - Duo: 7.5 (high B+)

Limited edition, RSD issue