Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet: 10 (A+)

The Goats - Tricks of the Shade: 10 (A+)

Murs - The End of the Beginning: 7 (B+)

Batata y Su Rumba Palenquera - Radio Bakongo: 9 (A)

Keith Richards - Crosseyed Heart: neutral

:-|

Delaney & Bonnie and Friends - Motel Shot: 7 (B+)

At least four plays. #bluesrock

Jon Langford & Skull Orchard - Here Be Monsters: 8.5 (high A-)

The Mekons - Ancient & Modern: 8 (A-)

The Bottle Rockets - South Broadway Athletic Club: 8 (A-)

The Bottle Rockets - Studio albums as of 2015: batch review

In preparation for seeing the band live tonight, on tour for the new one (see adjacent review), I took the opportunity to revisit their entire catalog. In checking to see how my assessments compared with those of others, I found a lack of reviews. Here's how I would rate them though:

8 (A-) - Bottle Rockets (1993)

10 (A+) - The Brooklyn Side (1994)

8 (A-) - 24 Hours a Day (1997)

7 (B+) - Brand New Year (1999)

7 (B+) - Songs of Sahm (2002)

7 (B+) - Blue Sky (2003)

8 (A-) - Zoysia (2006)

8 (A-) - Lean Forward (2009)

8 (A-) - South Broadway Athletic Club (2015)

7 (B+) - Bit Logic (2018)

As you can see, in my view, their only completely undeniable album is The Brooklyn Side, which I consider to be essential. Most of their other studio albums are strong, although perhaps a little samey. In any event, the only alt-country band that I am behind. Basically, I love them. Update (September 2025): One day I will get around to giving each of these albums the individual posts they deserve, and maybe tweak the grades slightly to fit my new grading system. Most likely this would result in slight upward revision.

Blaqstarr - Divine EP: 7 (B+)

Sold back - probably more of a "liked." Not sure how Christgau gave this a full A. Hull gives it an A minus and files it under Techno/Electronica. #electronic

Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf: 7 (B+)

I went for Rated R, with more Gene Trautmann on drums instead of that Foo Fighters poser. I owned this one once, but I may have sold it off for some reason. If it ever shows up, I'll reshelve it though, because these are their two acknowledged classics, and Gene is on both of them.

Animal Collective - Sung Tongs: liked

Somewhat tiresome (by the time it hits the 45 minute mark, it feels like it's been on for twice that long).

Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom: 10 (A+)

Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too: liked

Upped from neutral. [at least 7 listens]

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear: neutral

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Mothers of Invention - Freak Out!: neutral

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Sharon Van Etten – Are We There?: neutral

:-|

The Clash - Black Market Clash [EP]: 10 (A+)

I'm probably one of the few people in the world who would name this as their favorite Clash album. I also have Super Black Market Clash, which I will not grade separately.

The Traveling Wilburys - Volume 1: 8 (A-)

The conceit's not clumsy, it's corny. But the concept ends up working, well enough at least.

Spacemen 3 - Playing with Fire: 7 (B+)

The Velvet Underground, made slightly boring. The first four songs are snooze fests and should definitely have been left off this overlong but intermittently exciting album. #experimental

James McMurtry - Complicated Game: 8.5 (high A-)

I was a fool to initially dismiss this artist unheard for many years simply on the basis of him being the son of a famous artist. This is the album I couldn't pass on, and it opened me up to him.

Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle: 10 (A+)

Archers of Loaf - vs the Greatest of All Time [EP]: 10 (A+)

My favorite EP of all time, after Black Market Clash.

Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang - En Yay Sah: 8 (A-)