Waco Brothers & Paul Burch - Great Chicago Fire: liked

:-)

The Cars - Candy-O: 8.5 (high A-)

The Cars - The Cars: 8 (A-)

The Cars - Complete Greatest Hits: 9 (A)

Same tracks as The Definitive, released in the same year [2002], just with a different running order. Contains all tracks from Greatest Hits [1985], except "Heartbeat City."

Iggy Pop - The Idiot: 8 (A-)

Iggy Pop - Lust for Life: 8.5 (high A-)

Ijahman - Are We a Warrior: 8 (A-)

Iggy Pop - New Values: 7 (B+)

Iggy Pop - Soldier: 7 (B+)

With Glen Matlock and Ivan Kral

The Upsetters [Lee "Scratch" Perry] - Super Ape: 7 (B+)

Perhaps upped a notch for general regard. Not sure why people think this is so great.

Ustad Massano Tazi - Maroc: Musique Classique Andalouse de Fes [Ocora, 1988]: notation

Can't find this to stream anywhere. I would buy this sound unheard because it intrigues me, but the price isn't right for that. I did listen to some of this artist's other work on YouTube that I could find, which supported this decision. I hope it becomes streamable one day.

Grace Jones - The Best of Grace Jones: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: 7.5 (high B+)

Goes on for too long. #bestof

Katie Alice Greer - Perfect Woman Sound Machine, Vol. 1: 8 (A-)

Vinyl-only. I would probably make an exception for her, but not at $30 shipped for eight songs at 26 minutes.

Montrose - Montrose: liked

Might be a 7 (B+), but none of the songs are sticking after four plays.

Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Upsetters - Cloak & Dagger: neutral

:-|

Iggy Pop - Instinct: liked

Not as bad as many people say it is. Also doesn’t seem like #69 “heavy metal” album of all time (as per Kerrang), not that I'm an expert in the genre.

Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bullwackie - Satan's Dub: liked

Dub version of Perry’s Satan Kicked the Bucket.

Tradition - Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol: liked

:-)

Eric Lou Root - Don't Worry: disliked

Getting through three plays was a chore.

Al Green - Full of Fire: 8 (A-)

Lee "Scratch" Perry - batch review

All of these have been on the shelf for many years. I don't want to grade from memory, so I'll grade them the next time I play them.

Lord God Muzick

Who Put the Voodoo 'pon Reggae

From the Secret Laboratory

Panic in Babylon

Live Maritime Hall

Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision: 7.5 (high B+)

Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity: 8.5 (high A-)

Title track is one of the best hip hop songs of all time, if you ask me.

Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed: 8 (A-)

Almost got a copy for completeness sake, but I have all tracks except for "Nowhere at All," the b-side to the single "Charley's Girl" from Coney Island Baby.

Various - Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia: 8.5 (high A-)

I also had The Philly Sound 1966-1976: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story of Brotherly Love, which is essentially an earlier, less comprehensive version of this.

Various - Solesides Greatest Bumps: 8 (A-)

Quannum - Spectrum: 8 (A-)

Latyrx - The Second Album: 8 (A-)

Lateef [the Truth Speaker] and Lyrics Born

Latyrx - The Album: 9 (A)

Lateef [the Truth Speaker] and Lyrics Born

Lyrics Born - Same !@#$ Different Day: 7 (B+)

Lyrics Born - Later That Day...: 7 (B+)

Sun Ra and His Arkestra - Greatest Hits: Easy Listening for Intergalactic Travel [Evidence, 2000]: X (X)

Not qualified to grade, but I have a copy.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood: liked

Sold this back some time ago, or maybe it's still in my huge sell pile -- too lazy to check. In any event, it's not on the shelves.

Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You: 7 (B+)

#indiepop

Various - Dancehall Stylee: The Best of Reggae Dancehall Music, Vol. 4: 7.5 (high B+)

#multiartistcomp

Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs (Deluxe Edition): neutral

Of the 11 "bonus" tracks, four are remixes of one song on the album, three are remixes of a second, and one is a remix of a third. That leaves three tracks (the first three on disc two), with the total time for all three being less than eight minutes. (As an EP, I would give those three tracks a 7 (B+).) This is for a minimum of $25, plus taxes and shipping. Total ripoff, especially since the album itself is good but not great. Here's the cover though because it's the Beastie Boys:

The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You: 8.5 (high A-)

The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace: 8.5 (high A-)

I think "L.A." is my favorite Fall track. I am in the market for the original 1985 US release on vinyl with 11 tracks. I do have the original 1988 CD release, with five extra tracks.

Aesop Rock - I Heard It's A Mess There Too: 8.5 (high A-)

Various - Dancehall Stylee: The Best of Reggae Dancehall Music, Vol. 1: 7 (B+)

#multiartistcomp

The Sneetches - Slow: neutral

:-|

Ride - 4 EPs: liked

Perhaps if I evaluated these separately I would bump one up to 7 (B+), but that doesn't seem worth the effort.

Robyn - Body Talk EPs: notation

Pt. 1 - All songs on Body Talk except "Cry When You Get Older" and "Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa" [final listen shelf - but maybe I will sell off in favor of Body Talk, which is in the same place]

Pt. 2 - All songs on Body Talk except "Include Me Out" and "U Should Know Better" [listened to both multiple times and will not be adding this]

Pt. 3 - All songs on Body Talk

Randy Newman - The Best of Randy Newman [Warner Archives/Rhino, 2001]: notation

Only two new tracks to me. "You've Got a Friend in Me", from the movie Toy Story, which of course I have heard in the course of being alive on the planet, and "Feels Like Home" (live 1996). People seem to like this compilation. I listened once and don't plan to play again. Also listened to the two noted tracks multiple times.

Moby Grape - 20 Granite Creek: 7 (B+)

#bluesrock

Etran de l'Air - Agadez: 8 (A-)

Etran De l'Air – Music from Saharan WhatsApp 01: liked

Digital-only

Professor Longhair - Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1949-1957 [Nighthawk, 1981] - notation

I was looking for a version of this to stream but couldn't find it anywhere. I was looking because it got five stars in the Rolling Stone album guide. I generally like Nighthawk releases, and this is a single-disc compilation, so I thought it might be just what I need for him. I thought perhaps all the tracks were cullable from the Fess anthology, but that does not appear to be the case. I then tried to cull it from Mardi Gras in New Orleans - Complete Recordings 1949-1962 [Jasmine, 2013], but too many of the tracks are missing from the version on Spotify. I even went so far as to see if I could just buy a copy sound-unheard, but they are too expensive for that. Oh well. Here's the album cover:

Professor Longhair - The Last Mardi Gras: X (X)

I have this on cassette for some reason, where it will stay.

Professor Longhair - Crawfish Fiesta: X (X)

#neworleans [De-shelved in 2022]

The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of... The Fall: 8 (A-)

Crooked Fingers - Swet Deth: 8 (A-)

The Fall - The Frenz Experiment: 7.5 (high B+)

Yo Yo - Black Pearl: 8 (A-)

The Go-Go's - Greatest: 9 (A)

Elvis Presley - Tiger Man: 8 (A-)

A little corny and forced, but definitely the best part of the TV special conglomeration to me.

Bike for Three! [Buck 65 and "Greetings from Tuskan"] - More Heart Than Brains: 8 (A-)

His collaborator definitely should have chosen a different name.

Public Enemy - Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits: 8.5 (high A-)

Nine Inch Nails - Broken [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

Black Eyes - Hostile Design [EP] [Dischord, 2025]: 9 (A)

Holy shit. Thank you for this.

Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs - Pharaohization!: The Best of Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs: 7.5 (high B+)

I almost picked up a copy, because it's one of the first, if not the first, retrospectives on Rhino, so somewhat of an historic release. #roots/bluesrock/texmex

The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter: liked

:-)

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm: liked

Docked a notch for bloat (songs drag on, and so does the album).

Various - Source: Music of the Avant Garde, Issue Number 4 [Source,1968]: liked

The release I listened to and am posting about here contains the following tracks:

Source Record Number One

A. Robert Ashley – “The Wolfman” (15:15)

B. David Behrman – “Wave Train” (15:15)

Source Record Number Two

C. Larry Austin – “Accidents”(16:59)

D. Allan Bryant – “Pitch Out” (17:45)

The two tracks on Source Record Number One are presented in the Spin guide as full albums, even though they do not appear to be such. At least, I could not find full albums with those track names. Or rather, there are Italian-only releases of albums with those titles, which also contain the track in question, but they are not on the Source label from 1968, as specified in the Spin guide. Anyway, I listened to those two particular tracks four times each.

Ray Charles - Doing His Thing: 7.5 (high B+)

#r&b

Lightnin' Hopkins - Blues Masters: The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins: 8 (A-)

I normally don't grade blues, but I feel pretty comfortable with this.

Serengeti - Kaleidoscope: liked

If I could listen to this more than the three free plays on Bandcamp, I would almost certainly give this at least a 7 (B+). Digital-only (and limited edition LP/cassette).

Lindval [Linval] Thompson - Cool Down [Clocktower, 1979]: 8 (A-)

With the great Tony Chin on rhythm. Never remastered. CDs are either on Abraham (which appears to be a highly suss label), French releases, or under the title "Presents African Princess," with different track titles, etc. So I just went for a vinyl reissue on Clocktower, which I think may be affiliated, or even the same as, Abraham, but I'm frankly sick of worrying about this kind of thing.