Muddy Waters - Trouble No More: X (X)

Please see post re: His Best, 1947 to 1955.

Various - History of House Music, Vol. 2: New York Garage Style [Cold Front, 1997]: 7.5 (high B+)

#electronica/dance

Alberta Hunter - Amtrak Blues: X (X)

I owned this once and sold it off after numerous listens, not because I didn't like it so much as it wasn't something I wanted to collect. I probably still feel that way. I don't really see this as blues, or even jazz -- more like traditional pop vocals. I just listened to it again to make sure. Really great album. #traditionalpop/vocals

Joy Division - Substance: 8 (A-)

The Specials - The Singles Collection: 8 (A-)

The Specials - The Specials: 8.5 (high A-)

The Specials - Ghost Town/Why?/Friday Night Saturday Morning [Chrysalis EP, 1981]: 9 (A)

Bauhaus - 1979-1983, Vol. 2: liked

:-)

Muddy Waters - The Best of Muddy Waters: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: X (X)

I'd feel like a cad giving this anything other than 10 (A+), so I'll employ my usual dodge and leave it ungraded. I like to use that grade only for things I play obsessively, for a long period of time. In fact, that's pretty much what the grade means to me. I would never do that with this. But I do love it. Why when we want to listen to blues/oldies/etc. do we always have to take them in massive doses? I don't want to always hear an hour plus of Muddy. If fact, I almost never do, and when I do, it's more of an exercise in scholarship than a pure listening pleasure. I feel like that with most of the albums in the genres I noted earlier. On the other hand, this one's perfect: 11 songs, 32 minutes of some of the most core blues there is. I had this in the sell pile until I realized this one day looking at it. Now it's back on the shelves and is what I would most likely play when I just want to hear some Muddy. I also love this 20th Century Masters series.

Howling Wolf [Howlin' Wolf] - Rides Again: placeholder

I had to put up this placeholder while I considered the necessity, for historical, discographical, and/or artistic reasons, of getting a copy of the so-called "Memphis" or "RPM" recordings issued and reissued under various titles over the years. Here are the ones I considered, without labels and dates to keep this from turning into a discographical treatise. I did listen to the above configuration three times, but ultimately went with the Ace reissue of Sings the Blues pictured below.

Sings the Blues, all of which's tracks appear on the above:

Sings the Blues was also issued as Big City Blues:

Rides Again was also issued as Moanin' at Midnight: The Memphis Recordings:

I'm sure I've missed some. I am aware, for instance, that Bear Family Records issued two volumes of this material, with repeated tracks and whatnot that made it unpalatable to me as a listening object. In the end, I just went with the cheapest/most readily-available, which as noted above was the Ace reissue of Sings the Blues.

The Bats - Corner Coming Up: liked

:-)

New York Dolls - Actress: Birth of the New York Dolls: liked

Aka Dawn of the Dolls [Fab Discs, 1997] as a Johnny Thunders release, not to be confused with the reissue of Lipstick Killers (Mercer Street sessions) by the Dolls on Cleopatra Records. Upped from "neutral" because it's the New York Dolls. I read somewhere on the internet that "Actress" is often referred to as the name of the early New York Dolls but was never actually used at the time. I'm a Dolls completist, but I'll be skipping this one. #demos

ps, This was also released together with French Kiss '74 on Cleopatra Records, which is the Bataclan show in 1974. I will post about release(s) of that show separately.

The Five Royales - The "5" Royales [King, 1960]: X (X)

I guess there were only four of them, so the title of the album has the "5" in quotes? But the cover also shows five guys, so who knows? I had originally determined to de-shelve this, because I thought it was a compilation of some kind that I didn't want, but apparently, it's a regular-issue album? Anyway, I've now determined to keep it for the time being.

Big Thief - Double Infinity: 8 (A-)

Sam Cooke - The Man and His Music [RCA, 1986]: X (X)

I originally de-shelved this, as an early CD-era comp that I didn't want, but I changed my mind. It's not a re-issue label early CD-era comp, which makes a bit of a difference. And it's also widely considered to be his best compilation, although I will try the later-issued Portrait of a Legend 1951-1954 [Abkco, 2003], which actually has better reviews than this one. I also looked into The Legendary Sam Cooke [RCA, 1974], but that one's a three-LP set, so I obviously will not look further. It was in one of Christgau's now-defunct Rock Libraries (replaced by the one under review), so that's why I looked. I would listen to Greatest Hits [RCA, 1998], but it doesn't appear to be streaming.

The Four Tops - The Best of Four Tops: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: 8 (A-)

Wilson Pickett - The Definitive Collection [Atlantic/Rhino, 2006]: X (X)

Awaiting shelving. But I already de-shelved A Man and a Half and Greatest Hits in favor of this. I also streamed The Very Best of Wilson Pickett [Rhino, 1993] once.

Mutiny - Funk Plus the One: 7.5 (high B+)

#r&b

New York Dolls - From Here to Eternity: The Live Bootleg Box Set: notation

Contains tracks from the following shows:

Paris, Bataclan, December 23, 1973: 3 tracks, contained on my issue of Red Patent Leather

Detroit, December 31, 1973: 13 tracks, ?

Long Island, My Father's Place, April 14, 1974 (WBOB radio broadcast): 11 tracks

Vancouver, 1974: 9 tracks

Dallas, September 1974: 8 tracks

New York, 1975: 12 tracks, Little Hippodrome show - on Red Patent Leather

Sweden, 1984: 3 tracks, too few to worry about

New York Dolls - Misc. Releases: notation

Here are some misc. releases explained, to avoid confusion in the future. All albums are credited to the New York Dolls, except the first, which is a various artists compilation:

Punk Power, Vol. 1: Digital-only release which includes the Personality Crisis EP

Live 1974: Live show at Le Bataclan in Paris, France in December 1973, broadcast by Radio Luxembourg

Street Trash: Includes the Dolls Personality Crisis EP and Planet Studios demo tracks, together with Heartbreakers tracks

New York Tapes 72-73: Planet Studios and Mercer Street/Blue Rock Studio demo tracks

Great Big Kiss: Planet Studios demo tracks, plus Little Hippodrome/Red Patent Leather live tracks

Archive Series: Studio and Live [Rialto, 2001]: Not sure what this is

The Glam Rock Hits: Tracks from Personality Crisis EP, the Planet Studios demos, and Red Patent Leather

The Glamorous Life - Live: Tracks from Planet Studios demos and Red Patent Leather

Hootchie Cootchie Dolls: Two outtakes from the first album, combined with Mercer Street/Blue Rock Studio and Planet Studios demo tracks. Also appears to end with two live tracks from live show in Santa Monica, CA in 1974.

Looking for a Kiss [Delta Deluxe, 2003]: Outtakes from the first album, combined with Planet Studios demo tracks, and live tracks from a show in Montreal Canada, September 27, 1974

Ism - Constantinople [EP]: liked

Really getting into the Amerindie weeds with this one. “C.I.A. Man” is right behind “Walk Through Walls” for sheer annoyingness.

Half Japanese - Horrible [EP]: liked

The first 6:45 (4 tracks) of this EP are probably more of a 7.5 (high B+). But the remaining 5:45 (one track), in other words, the “song” “Walk Through Walls” is probably more like a 1.5, if my grading scale went down that low. It is mostly Jadwin B. Fair shrieking at you like a little girl. Probably the worst track I have ever heard.

Bauhaus - The Bela Session [EP]: 8 (A-)

Contains the original single ("Bela Lugosi's Dead" b/w "Boys"), with three additional tracks from the same session that produced those other two. I guess the original release is an EP, even though it only contained those two tracks (plus a short, hidden demo track), because the title track is ~9 minutes long, so too long for a single. Anyway, this EP is not available for anything less than a fortune, so I actually sprang for the original single, even though I usually do not buy singles, because of its importance, and also because, as noted, it's more of an EP.

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Rock 'n Soul Part 1: 8 (A-)

Thanks to my good friend Tammy for inspiring me to focus on this one and helping to give me the courage of my convictions. Love the cover too, with its orange tones and touching illustration of brotherly love.

Ben Webster - Soulville [Verve, 1957]: X (X)

This one gets a 10 (A+) from Tom Hull. #pre-bopjazz

Devo - Total Devo: liked

:-)

Devo - New Traditionalists: liked

Five listens

Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories: His Greatest Hits [Atlantic, 1974]: 7.5 (high B+)

There's a much later single-disc best of compilation I could try (Classic Hits [Rhino, 2004]), but this OG one is still in print, in a nice digipack, remastered, that was going for $5 shipped, so I just want with that. I made an exception for #bestof on this because Jim Croce was one of the very few (like two or three) music artists my parents played when I was growing up (the other two that come to mind are Janis Ian and Charles Aznavour).

Various - MTV Party to Go, Vol. 2 [Tommy Boy, 1992]: liked

:-)

Various - Jazz Satellites, Volume 1: Electrification: notation

I should've bought this when it came out. Oh well. I have an alert up and will purchase it sound-unheard if one ever shows up for a reasonable price. Cover added so that it sticks in my memory, plus it's cool.

Stevie Wonder - Music of My Mind: 8 (A-)

Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale: 8 (A-)

Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July: 8 (A-)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions: 9 (A)

Stevie Wonder - Talking Book: 9 (A)

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella and Louis: X (X)

I won't dare to grade this, but I have it and have heard it the requisite number of times.

Mississippi John Hurt - Rediscovered: X (X)

I don't trust myself to grade blues, but this one's obviously been on the shelves for many years.

Run the Jewels - 4: 8.5 (high A-)

The Coasters - The Coasters' Greatest Hits [Atco, 1959]: notation

Not sure why I started parsing this one, but all songs are on 50 Coastin' Classics. These four songs are the only ones on here that are not on Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years, so this is not a good complement to that one:

"The Shadow Knows"

"I'm a Hog for You"

"Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart"

"Sweet Georgia Brown"

I also looked at The Very Best of the Coasters [Rhino, 1994]. All songs on that are on 50 Coastin' Classics too, and on Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years, except for the following four, so it's also not a good complement to that one:

"I'm a Hog for You Baby"

"What About Us"

"Run Red Run"

The Coasters - Young Blood [Atlantic, 1982]: notation

All songs other than "Love Potion #9" are on 50 Coastin' Classics.

The Coasters - Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years: X (X)

I downsized from 50 Coastin' Classics to this. That one was just too much Coasters for me. And it matches my Drifters choice. See posts re: the Clovers for why I did not go all-in with the third of the series.

Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus: neutral

Talk about too much of a good thing. I will evaluate the Funcrusher EP separately. Update: I streamed the EP separately four times. On its own, I would grade it 8 (A-), but it's basically unavailable in this format, so it won't get its own post, and I'm not going to get the overstuffed "Plus" version just to have the EP.

Otis Redding - The Otis Redding Story: 9 (A)

As it says on the cover, a three-disc set. And a classic one at that.

Otis Redding - Love Man: 7.5 (high B+)

#r&b

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother: 8.5 (high A-)

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Best of Pete Rock & CL Smooth (Good Life): 8 (A-)

Public Image Ltd. - Public Image: First Issue: 8 (A-)

Public Image Ltd. - The Greatest Hits, So Far: 8 (A-)

Public Image Ltd. - Album [Elektra, 1986]: 7.5 (high B+)

Also known as Compact Disc, I suppose. Can that really be Steve Vai on guitar (per Wikipedia)?

Earth, Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes: 8 (A-)

Iasos - Inter-Dimensional Music: 7 (B+)

Collected, even though #newage, because it's a classic of the genre.

CMAT - Euro-Country: 7.5 (high B+)

Maybe it's an 8 (A-), but it's #import anyway and not selling at domestic prices like the first two, even if those were imports also. Maybe if I see it selling for $12 one day like the other two....

CMAT - Crazymad, for Me: 8 (A-)

Buck 65 - Super Dope: 7 (B+)

Honestly, I liked his work better before he went all "old skool."

Choc Stars - Awa et Ben [GlobeStyle, 1986]: 8.5 (high A-)

I think the "2nd" is because this is the second album by the group on GlobeStyle? In any case, I consider it the "brother album" of Choc Shock Choc, which is the first? They both came out in 1986 in any event.

Stone Temple Pilots - Purple: liked

:-)

Mott the Hoople - Rock and Roll Queen: notation

[to come]

Mott the Hoople - Mott: 8.5 (high A-)

Mott the Hoople - Greatest Hits: 8.5 (high A-)

I have the remastered version with two extra tracks. One might ask why this is necessary if one has the Retrospective compilation. Good question. Melomania would be my answer, plus I just like it as a greatest hits album, especially with the judicious two bonus tracks. It's a beautiful thing.

Various - MTV Party to Go, Vol. 4 [Tommy Boy, 1993]: 9 (A)

I love the way Christgau catches these great comps. It was a particular godsend in the pre-streaming era. This one got an 8/10 in the Spin guide, so, possibly the same as I give it here, although that guide doesn't use half-numbers (which I wish it did, at least for 7 and up), so there's no way to say for sure. Christgau's placement of this in his 1990's book indicates more of an 8.5 (high A-), to use my rating system. If I pulled it off the shelf and listened again, I might even bump it up that half notch. Unlikely to happen any time soon though. The second volume got a 9/10 in the Spin guide (although Christgau only gave it one of those three-star honorable mentions). That volume is on my listening list due to the Spin grade. Update: In connection with evaluating Vol. 2, I decided to play this again to be more exact with my grade. Decided to bump it up two notches. It really does kick from start to finish much more than Vol. 2.

Sally Timms - Cowboy Sally: 7.5 (high B+)

Even though this is very possibly #country or #altcountry, or some other genre I don't collect (#covers at the very least), I still have a copy, either because it's Mekons-adjacent, or because it's actually cowpunk or some genre I do collect. I do have to admit I swallowed my pride in getting this, because she was nasty to me once in the green room before a show in Philly a quarter century or more ago. Honestly, I was a little loopy, and I'm sure I was gushing a little too much over Tom and Jon, who were and are heroes to me, and I was a little starstruck, but still, that's no way to treat a fan. Maybe another way of saying this is that I have to hedge a little in case I'm subconsciously docking it a notch because of that unpleasant personal interaction. Yeah I'm over it, and I apologize if I was a little too much to take, but I still feel like I have to explain myself in grading this.