Little Feat - As Time Goes By: The Very Best of Little Feat [placeholder]

Apparently this is the only decent compilation of this band's work, and it was originally an import. Finally released domestically in 2016, with all of 12 tracks. One is from Dixie Chicken, 3 each from Sailin' Shoes, Feats Don't Fail Me Now, and The Last Record Album, one from Time Loves a Hero, and a previously unreleased track.

Wednesday - Rat Saw God: 8 (A-)

The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge: 7 (B+)

Remastered CDs only available in 2-disc "anniversary" format (other than some limited edition releases), so I have to go without.

Pylon - Chain [liked]

:-)

GZA/Genius - Pro Tools: 8 (A-)

Outstanding track: "Pencil"

The Golden Palominos - Visions of Excess: 7.5 (high B+)

I'm in the market for a reasonably-priced copy of this on CD from 1985 (US release).

Four Tet - Three: 7 (B+)

# [electronic]

Various - Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola: 8 (A-)

Steel Pulse - Rage and Fury [liked]

:-) [4 listens] [For a bit there I was thinking 7 (B+), but in the final analysis, slightly MOR]

MC5 - Heavy Lifting [liked]

:-) [4 listens] [2024]

Karantamba - Galgi: 9.5 (high A)

Vinyl-only, but at this grade I'm going to buy the vinyl.

Brainiac - Hissing Prigs in Static Couture [liked]

:-)

Hinds - Viva Hinds: 7.5 (high B+)

# [indie-pop]

Black Uhuru - Strongg Dubb [placeholder]

Would like to hear this, but it is very hard to find. I did find a place where I could stream snippets of all the tracks, and it was enough to convince me that I should not pay for this. But I will stream it if I ever find a place to do so. It goes up on YouTube from time to time, so maybe I'll luck out one day.

John Cale - Slow Dazzle: 8 (A-)

Sonic Youth - Hold That Tiger: 7.5 (high B+)

# [live] Although of course I bought a copy on CD in 1998. According to Wikipedia, this was still "pitch-corrected" or sped up so as to fit on original vinyl. I find it unbelievable anyone would do that. I would love to listen to this at the correct speed, and maybe I would like it better. I've made a note to stream it again when it's re-released in early 2025 at the correct speed. I'm going to commit a sacrilege and say that the Ramones encore set is not that great.

Generation X - Generation X [liked]

:-) [Definitely a notable punk album. 4 listens]

The Chills - Secret Box: The Chills' Rarities, 1980-2000: 7.5 (high B+)

# [odds and ends] I would buy this anyway, because of how much I love Martin Phillipps, but here's what happened. When it was released in 2001 (long before streaming was normalized) as a limited edition, odds and ends collection, and 3 discs of it at that, I wrote it off as something I would not enjoy and did not need. Having now finally gotten around to streaming it, 4 times, I wish I had shelled out for it as a keepsake. Now of course it sells for a small fortune. Oh well. I have the entire set in FLAC and could burn CDs for the shelves, but that's too much of a project with 3 discs. I have alerts up in case one ever comes on the market for a reasonable price (extremely unlikely). But for Chills aficionados, this is essential listening. I note that The BBC Sessions is contained entirely in this box set, and I have a separate post for that. This grade applies to the numerous remaining tracks.

The Spinners - A One of a Kind Love Affair: The Anthology: 9.5 (high A)

Body Count - Merciless [liked]

:-) [Outstanding track: "Fuck What You Heard"] [Outstanding lyric, from the track "Lying Muthafucka," "Everybody got that one friend that every fucking word outta they mouth is bullshit."]

The Pixies - The Night the Zombies Came: 7.5 (high B+)

Fred Again - Ten Days: 8.5 (high A-)

Limited edition white vinyl only. Too bad. Might be a 9 (A), but I won't be burning any brain cells trying to make that distinction given the limited availability.

Wenge Musica Aile Paris - Nganga Nzambe: 9 (A)

Definitely one of the very top soukous albums I have ever heard. Always marred slightly from perfection in my opinion by ill-advised keybs and/or slight repetitiveness. But this one has that soaring lift that we soukous lovers crave. Splinter group from Wenge Musica. [In the market for a decent used CD copy at a reasonable price]

The Cure - Songs of a Lost World [liked]

:-) [Four or five listens - one thing to be sad, another thing to make it beautiful. Not saying I can do it.]

A Place to Bury Strangers - Worship: 8 (A-)

Public Image Ltd - End of World [liked]

:-)

Franco - Franco Luambo Makiadi Presents Les Editions Populaires (1968-1970)

Limited edition vinyl only. I don't even try to rate early Congolese rumba.

A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head: 8 (A-)

Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon - Wu-Massacre [liked]

:-)

Heems - Veena: 7 (B+)

Digital-only

Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was the Night: X stars

# [blues/country blues] Not qualified to rate blues, especially country blues.

Four Tet - Pause [liked]

:-) [Had this a few decades ago but sold it back, which means I listened at least 3 times, plus 2 or 3 in present day]

This Heat - Deceit: 7 (B+)

# [experimental]

Blind Willie McTell - The Rough Guide to Blind Willie McTell: X stars

# [blues] I'm really not qualified to be rating country blues. Goes on for a very long time.

A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers [liked]

:-)

Duane Allman - An Anthology Vol. II: 7 (B+)

# [best of]

Primal Scream - XTRMNTR: 7 (B+)

# [dance/electronica]

ABC - Beauty Stab: 7 (B+)

# [synth pop]

Johnny Thunders - Live from Zurich 1985 [liked]

:-)

The Smile - Cutouts [liked]

:-)

Best Coast - California Nights [liked]

:-)

Guns N' Roses - G N' R Lies

:-( [Docked two notches for racial and other slurs]

Buffalo Tom - Birdbrain

:-|

Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over [liked]

:-)

Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic: 9 (A)

Four Tet - Rounds: 9.5 (high A)

So fucking beautiful. I might even be underrating it.

Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction: 7.5 (high B+)

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman: 8 (A-)

Dim Stars - Dim Stars [LP] [liked]

:-)

Mobb Deep - Black Cocaine: 8 (A-)

One of the best hip hop EPs I can think of. Maybe that's not really saying much, since the EP is really not a much-used hip hop format. I also listened to the limited edition version of this, with the tracks "Waterboarding" and "Street Lights" added. The first is a throwaway, and while the second is better, the original 20 minute, 5-track EP is right where it should be and the version I have.

Ab-Soul - Control System [liked]

:-) [Came out in 2012, right before or around when I started streaming and before I started this blog. I feel confident that I gave this its listens at that time, since it's hip hop and Christgau A-listed it, but I don't have an official record of that. Anyway, I just listened to it now to give it it's like, and I presume that is the 4th listen.]

Orange Juice - Texas Fever [EP] [liked]

:-)

Bauhaus - In the Flat Field: 7 (B+)

One of those albums that was re-released on remastered CD, but never in its original configuration. And original vinyl is ridiculously expensive, to the point where I won't even bother with an alert.

Various - Performance [Orginal Motion Picture Soundtrack]: 7 (B+)

# [soundtracks]

Orange Juice - The Glasgow School: 7.5 (high B+)

# [odds and ends]

Orange Juice - Rip It Up [liked]

:-)

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - From Her to Eternity [liked]

:-)

Don Carlos and Gold - Them Never Know Natty Dread Have Him Credential [liked]

:-)