Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever: 7 (B+)

 

Upped from "liked" on fourth listen.

The Grateful Dead - In the Dark: 8 (A-)

 

Not sure why the critics piled on this one. It's a very good album. I guess Allmusic likes it: after their classic 2 albums, it's one of 6 studio albums they give 4 stars. On second thought, that's 8/13 studio albums get 4 stars or more. Still, not a bad grade. Allmusic users give it 4 stars aggregate, but the lowest number of reviews at that level. Built to Last, Shakedown Street and Go to Heaven are the only worse graded by users. Anyway, the people like it: this and American Beauty went double platinum (along with Europe '72), and Workingman's Dead went single platinum. If you ask me, all four of those belong in the collection, and then there's Cornell.

Los Lobos - ... And a Time to Dance: liked

:-)

Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.: 8.5 (high A-)

 

Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell: 8 (A-)

 

The Meditations - No More Friend [honorable mention]

:-)

Jeffrey Lewis - 12 Crass Songs: 7.5 (high B+)

 

This is #folk/covers, and it's OOP and not available used for reasonable prices anyway.

Tall Dwarfs - 3 EPs

:-) [Contains A Question Of Medical Ethics, Up The Down Staircase, and Sam's Spaniel]

Grant [G.W.] McLennan - Fireboy: 7 (B+)

 

Would definitely pick up a physical, but it's OOP and not available for reasonable prices used. They definitely chose the 3 best songs for Intermission though, which I have in physical.

Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock: 7 (B+)

 

I have this as part of the Original Album Classics set.

Big Daddy Kane - Long Live the Kane: liked

A hair below 7 (B+) in my book.

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra: 7 (B+)

 

#krautrock

Amon Duul II - Phallus Dei [honorable mention]

:-)

Cluster - Zuckerzeit: neutral

:-|

[Toots and] The Maytals - Monkey Man [liked]

:-)

Tackhead - Friendly as a Hand Grenade

:-|

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression [honorable mention]

:-)

Biz Markie - All Samples Cleared!: 7.5 (high B+)

Tom Ze - Fabrication Defect: 7 (B+)

 

#tropicalia

Body Meπa [Meta?] - The Work Is Slow: 8 (A-)

Upped from honorable mention. In a damn cardsleeve though.

Low Cut Connie - Tough Cookies: Best of the Quarantine Broadcasts: disliked

:-(

Pom Pom Squad - Death of a Cheerleader [honorable mention]

:-)

Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future

:-| [Not really qualified to rate this.]

Garbage - No Gods No Masters [Deluxe]: 7 (B+)

 

Weird one. The best songs to me are on the bonus disc of the deluxe edition, although that also has a couple mediocre covers. I would give the standard edition disc an honorable mention and the bonus disc a 7.5 (high B+). So the deluxe edition averages out to 7 (B+). [Choice cut: "Girls Talk."]

Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box

:-| [Various crappy demos and outtakes. Some decent songs. I'll probably cave and buy it eventually, because I appreciate the label doing this for people who don't want the whole box, and it's Nirvana.] [4 listens]