The Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 8: Harpur College, Binghamton, NY, May 2, 1970: liked

I'm breaking protocol and posting the cover anyway, because this show seems beloved by so many (and I also like the cover). But the acoustic set seems a little boring to me during three good listens, and the solos on the electric sets are the kind that look good on the outside but are empty on the inside. I think having Keith Godchaux in the mix brought out the best in Jerry Garcia, and I loved what Donna's vocals did for the band. She wasn't just a beautiful face, although I think sometimes people denigrate her that way.

Flipper - Sex Bomb Baby: 9 (A)

I kind of wish I had a copy with the original cover, but this will do.

Flipper - Album - Generic Flipper: 9.5 (high A)

Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart - 8 (A-)

I cannot understand why this album gets so much hate. They literally don't even bother to list it in the last Rolling Stone album guide. Huh? I stayed away from it for so many years because of this hate. Oh well, I guess I get to appreciate a new Lou Reed album in my old age now that he's gone, so it got saved for me for a late life surprise. I'm not done with it quite yet and may end up even raising it a notch. I love listening to it and getting locked into a stare-down with Lou. I'm sure everyone feels this way, and I'm sure it's completely untrue, but I like to think he and I would have gotten along, if I had every been cool enough to get close to him. I feel the same way about his brilliant final wife. What a couple.

The Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 3: Pembroke Pines, Florida, May 22, 1977: 7.5 (high B+)

This doesn’t contain the entire show. I listened to the release at least three times and the entire show on Internet Archive once. They seem to have done a pretty good job of editing out the less-than-great songs from the show. # [live]

James Brown - Soul Classics/Soul Classics Volume II: notation

I'd like to get these because they look so cool, but they are too expensive.

The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile: 8 (A-)

I have this on a twofer with Wild Honey.

The Beach Boys - Wild Honey: 8 (A-)

I actually have this on a twofer with Smiley Smile, and I believe I also have it on vinyl (I'm too tired to go upstairs and confirm I still have it).

The Beach Boys - Endless Summer: 8.5 (high A-)

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds: 8 (A-)

James Blood Ulmer - Odyssey: 8 (A-)

Lady Gaga - Artpop: 8 (A-)

Warren Zevon - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology): 8 (A-)

Warren Zevon - Mr. Bad Example: liked

:-)

Jeffrey Lewis - The Even More Freewheelin’ Jeffrey Lewis: 7.5 (high B+)

Apparently on CD, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

KC and the Sunshine Band: Part 3: 7.5 (high B+)

I'm in the market for this as part of the Original Album Series.

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

I would get it anyway, given its influence, but the “EP” release is cluttered up with two remixes of one track and one remix of another at the end (which I dutifully listened to - they add nothing of substance, unless you’re into those kinds of things). # [electronic]

The Go-Betweens - Before Hollywood: 7 (B+)

Kronos Quartet/Laurie Anderson - Landfall: 7.5 (high B+)

More of a Kronos Quartet album, featuring Laurie Anderson, if you ask me. Six listens. # [string quartet music]

Prince Paul - Psychoanalysis (What Is It?): 7 (B+)

I'm certain I got this when it came out in 1996, all those 30 years ago, but I think I sold it off. In any event, I can't find it now. Anyway, this is less music than # [skits]. I'll keep it if I find it, otherwise....

Prince Paul - A Prince Among Thieves: 8 (A-)

Handsome Boy Modeling School - So... How's Your Girl?: 8 (A-)

Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People: 7 (B+)

Kaito [U.K.] - Montigola Underground [EP]: 7 (B+)

# [indie pop]

Sally Timms and the Drifting Cowgirls - The Butcher's Boy Extended Player [EP]: 7 (B+)

I've got this on my wantlist (it's essentially the Mekons) but doubt I will ever get a copy, given the prices it sells for.

The Fleshtones - Up-Front [EP]: liked

:-)

The Fleshtones - Living Legends Series: 7.5 (high B+)

# [best of]

James Brown - There It Is: notation

"Who Am I," "I Need Help," and "Never Can Say Goodbye" are the songs not on Star Time (at least in part, or in some version or other). I think this is the only place to hear “I Need Help,” which is decent, but certainly not worth buying the whole album. "Who Am I" and "Never Can Say Goodbye" are forgettable ballads.

Horace X - Sackbutt [aka Sackbutt Folk Spoil Sunday]: notation

Not streaming anywhere I could find, except for two or three songs. I listened to those and am not prepared to go out-of-pocket to hear the full album based on what I heard, but I would really like to give the full album some listens if I ever run across it.

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller): 9 (A)

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Doc at the Radar Station: 8.5 (high A-)

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Ice Cream for Crow: 8 (A-)

Buddy Guy - The Very Best of Buddy Guy: 7.5 (high B+)

Apparently, I got this more than 25 years ago and must have sold it off, because I cannot find it. Presumably it was 7.5 (high B+). This one is multi-label, unlike Buddy’s Blues (Chess), and has a lot of overlap with The Definitive Buddy Guy on Shout Factory. I will try the former.

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves: 8 (A-)

Various - Classic Rock Gold: 8.5 (high A-)

I stupidly de-shelved this for some reason and then realized I'd made a mistake. So I rescued it. Melomania. Anyway, Christgau said it best, as usual: "Yes, children, there really was a time when whole radio stations were devoted entirely to brawny-sounding [hairy] white guys bellowing, moaning, and even singing over electric guitars, electric guitars, and electric guitars."

The Clovers - Down in the Alley: X (X)

I don't even know anymore if what I have by these early vocal groups (the Clovers, the Drifters, the Coasters, etc.) is rational. But I have what I have I guess.

The Drifters - The Very Best of the Drifters: X (X)

Rescued this from the de-shelve pile. This contains all of Golden Hits.

Ray Charles - Ultimate Hits Collection: X (X)

Such a great collection. Superb. It came to my attention because Christgau called it the "budget alternative" to the titanic, five-CD, 102-track Genius and Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection [1997] box set. I also have Rhino's Anthology [1998] for some reason. That one appears to be a single-disc, 20-track amalgamation of their vinyl-only Greatest Hits albums issued that same year in two volumes, each with 13 tracks. So I guess it has six less tracks than those two.

Tammy Wynette - Greatest Hits: X (X)

I probably should be able to grade this. I just don't have the courage of my convictions.

The Marvelettes - Greatest Hits: X (X)

Please see post re: The Temptations Greatest Hits. Same thing, with the major exception being when they remastered the Temptations one in 1998, they did not appear to do the same for this, unfortunately.

First Generation CD-Era Compilations De-shelved

At some point, I made the determination that these are the kinds of things that don't make sense to keep hanging around in the streaming era. They are essentially singles artists and/or these are just early CD-era comps that no longer hold their allure for some reason. Maybe one day I will reconsider or regret this.

Jerry Lee Lewis - 18 Original Greatest Hits (Rhino)

Little Richard - 18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers - The Best of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers (Rhino)

The Coasters - 50 Coastin’ Classics (Rhino)

The Rascals - Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits (Atlantic)

Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City (Chameleon)

Bobby Bland - Greatest Hits Volume One: The Duke Recordings (MCA)

Various - Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 (Volume 3:1955-1958) (Atlantic)

Dionne Warwick [Warwicke] - Anthology 1962-1971: notation

Extreme overlap between this (which I think might have a different tracklist and year range in the title in different versions) and The Dionne Warwick Collection: Her All-Time Greatest Hits. I de-shelved the latter anyway at some point, so I'm not going to belabor this further. Then I did a dumb thing: I realized that Rhino's third comp: The Very Best of -- is not only upgraded in sound, its 0:48, instead of 1:12 like these other two, which means, to me, it's the ultimate, and selling for cheap, so I got a copy of that. Yes, I'm actually excited because it has less music. Sometimes less is more, and better sound....

The Impressions - Greatest Hits [1989]: 9 (A)

Rostam [Batmanglij] - Changephobia: 9 (A)

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Anthology: X (X)

See immediately prior post re: matching set for Diana Ross & the Supremes.

Diana Ross & the Supremes - Anthology: X (X)

Dreaded fatbox, early CD-era format. Can't even find a good cover image. But you have to have it, obviously.

Merle Haggard - More of the Best: 8 (A-)

Merle Haggard - The Capitol Collector's Series: 8 (A-)

Merle Haggard - The Essential Merle Haggard: The Epic Years: 8 (A-)

Merle Haggard - Working in Tennessee: 8 (A-)

Merle Haggard - If I Could Only Fly: 8 (A-)

Merle Haggard and the Strangers - Songs I'll Always Sing: 8 (A-)

I've got this on vinyl. Obviously, since it was never reissued on CD as far as I can tell.

Lee Dorsey - Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey [Arista, 1985]: notation

All songs on this are on the later collection Wheelin' and Dealin' except:

"People Gonna Talk"

"Yes We Can"

"Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley"

I listened to those three thrice, and deshelved the later collection at some point. I am also evaluating the Music Club comp from 2001 entitled The Very Best of Lee Dorsey: Working in a Coal Mine.

The Clovers - Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years: notation

Only two songs from this are not on the Down in the Alley comp:

"Love Potion Number Nine"

"Love, Love, Love"

I really want it, to have a matching set with the Drifters comp of the same title, but that is ridiculous. Then I would need the Coasters one too. :-) Update: I actually went for the Coasters one, because otherwise I would have nothing by them.

The Clovers - Five Cool Cats [Edsel, 1984]: notation

Only three songs from this are not on the Down in the Alley comp:

"Your Tender Lips"

"So Young"

"All About You"

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

This is what I have for the Drifters, on vinyl. Actually, I have one other CD-era comp, which I rescued from my de-shelve pile.

Willie Nelson - Nite Life: Greatest Hits & Rare Tracks (1959-1971) [Rhino, 1991]: X (X)

Not qualified to grade this, but I have it.

Willie Nelson - Night and Day: 8 (A-)

Willie Nelson & Hank Snow - Brand on My Heart/Willie Nelson & Webb Pierce - In the Jailhouse Now: 8 (A-)