Sunday, April 19, 2026
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.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
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.
Friday, April 17, 2026
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.
Sunday, April 12, 2026
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.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
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
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.
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]: 7.5 (high B+)
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 worry about this kind of thing.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Lokassa et Soukous Stars - Megamix, Vol. 1: 8 (A-)
On guitar: Dally Kimoko, Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Nene Tchakou
The Fall - Palace of Swords Reversed: 8 (A-)
There are only three songs on here that I don't already have: "Putta Block," "Wings," and "City Hobgoblins." So I'm going to end up skipping this, because I don't like the prices being asked.
The Fall - Dragnet: liked
Many, many plays. To me, this is the one early Fall album I can't get behind. However, I do have a copy, because so many others seem to really like it, and because it completes my collection from Witch Trials through Kurious Oranj. Therefore, I have also posted the cover. I didn't sweat the version I bought because of my I would say disinterest in the album. Note: I way docked this from the 7.5 (high B+) appearing in a former batch review. Not sure what I was thinking/hearing at the time.
The Fall - Grotesque (After the Gramme): 7 (B+)
Upped from the "liked" appearing in a former batch review, after many more than the four or five plays that went into that original assessment.
The Fall - Live at the Witch Trials [I.R.S., 1979]: 8 (A-)
The Fall debut, studio album (despite the title). Upped from the 7 (B+) appearing in a former batch review, after many more plays than the at least three that went into that original assessment. The only remastered CD version is the two-disc "deluxe" edition -- which is absolutely swamped in crappy, worthless extra tracks, in my opinion. I listened to the extra tracks only once to make this determination. Terrible. (Well, there is a three-disc Cherry Red issue from 2019, which has the same tracks, but has the original album on its own disc, which is good. This pushes it out to three discs.)
The only other remaster is the vinyl reissue on Cherry Red from 2024. For some reason, this sells for a high price. Why didn't they also issue this remaster on CD? No doubt because it would cannibalize sales of the dumbass three-disc version.
As far as unremastered CDs, there is the original one on IRS from 1989, which is a first-generation CD transfer, and then the 1997 Cog Sinister vinyl drops, which reportedly even have skips on them. Cog Sinister did a 2002 reissue, sourced from the original masters this time, with three nice bonus tracks, but this is impossible to find. In the end, I found a VG copy of the original IRS CD issue for a tolerable price, and just went for that. Way too much agonizing over this, but the Fall catalog is a hellacious mess.
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Archers of Loaf - EPs/singles batch review
I don't typically grade singles, but I have all the following, which says something how much I love this band (and how good they are):
The Loaf's Revenge [EP]
The Results After the Loafs Revenge [EP]
"Jive Kata" b/w "Slow Worm"
"Vocal Shrapnel" b/w "Density"
I kind of wish I had been able to purchase these two 2020 singles, but I never got around to it after streaming them, and now they're gone and selling for way too much:
"Talking Over Talk" b/w "Cruel Reminder"
"Raleigh Days" b/w "Street Fighting Man"
Archers of Loaf - Vitus Tinnitus [EP]: 8 (A-)
I have this on 10" vinyl, even though it was issued on CD at the time. I think it's in one of those damn CD wallets.
Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World: 7 (B+)
Collected as part of Original Album Series, even though #r&b.
Friday, April 3, 2026
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