Elvis Presley - Elvis [NBC-TV Special]: 7.5 (high B+)

Mix of studio production numbers including medleys of his songs, "sit-down" performances and "stand-up" numbers with an orchestra. Soundtrack to the TV special, which I also watched. The production included two sit-down shows and two stand-up shows. I listened to both stand-up shows once and the second one twice. Counting that as three listens, I’d give those 7 (B+) (could do without the strings). That just leaves the sit-down shows. For that, I'll just listen to Tiger Man, because Hull recommends it so highly. Not going to bother with the second show. I'm sure it's very similar and RCA chose the other one, so it must be at least a hair better. I did buy a copy of Memories: The '68 Comeback Special when it came out a quarter century ago, but it's got so many repeat tracks, and includes the full special, so I'm going to put that in the sell-pile and get a copy of Tiger Man to represent that whole extravaganza. #miscarticles/soundtracks

Taha/Khaled/Faudel: 1, 2, 3 Soleils: In Concert: 8 (A-)

Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual [honorable mention]

:-)

Mofungo - Unreleased: 7 (B+)

Digital-only

Burning Spear - Living Dub [Vol. 1]: 7.5 (high B+)

Famous dub of Social Living (aka Marcus' Children). Originally issued in 1982 with the above cover (actually, there was a 1980 issue with a very similar cover, but without the volume designation). Album reissued with a different mix (by Barry O'Hare) in 1993 on Heartbeat, with this cover:

I listened once to this remix. The album was then reissued on Spear's own label, with the original mix, and the title Original Living Dub, Vol. 1 and this cover:

Somewhat overrated in my view, but still worth having. In the market for a used copy of the original mix at a reasonable price. I listened to the original mix four or five times.

Trouble Funk - In Times of Trouble (w/Saturday Night Live! from Washington, D.C.): 7 (B+)

Contains Saturday Night Live (aka Saturday Night Live! from Washington, D.C.). #gogo

U-Roy - Super Boss: The Great Treasure Isle Collection, Vol. 1: notation

On Lagoon/Culture Press. All tracks are on Your Ace from Space comp, with three exceptions:  “What Is Catty?”, “Way Back Home,” and “I Can't Lose.”

The Fugs - Greatest Hits 1984-2004: 7 (B+)

Released on the band’s own label in 2006. Completely and totally unavailable, it seems. It's #folk anyway.

The Fugs - Songs from a Portable Forest: 7 (B+)

Looks like Christgau gave this the equivalent of an 8.5 (high A-), Hull a B. I’m closer to Hull, obviously. Grade, btw, is for the songs not on Greatest Hits 1984-2004, which I will grade separately. #bestof/folk

Beneficence/Jazz Spastiks - Summer Night Sessions [honorable mention]

:-)

Goodie Mob - Dirty South Classics [placeholder]

:-| [Contains tracks from albums I have. Played once to check the gestalt. Might have bought if not so overpriced used.]

Goodie Mob - World Party: 8 (A-)

Goodie Mob - Still Standing: 8 (A-)

Swans - Filth: 7.5 (high B+)

Normally, this would be # [noise; experimental], but I've had a nice copy on vinyl for decades. [Actually, I purchased the 1991 CD reissue on Young Gods Records. While this was not remastered, it was "re-equalized" (whatever that means), and, more importantly, it contains their self-titled first EP, which I think might be their best work. See separate review of that.]

The Itals - Cool and Dread [honorable mention]

:-)

Dub Syndicate - Pure Thrillseekers: 7 (B+)

Tracks mainly from later releases on Lion and Roots, Lincoln Scott's own label. #bestof

The Shirelles - Anthology 1959-1964 [Rhino, 1984]: 7.5 (high B+)

This post is for the 16-track CD version from Rhino issued in 1986. The LP version with the same name and cover, from the same label, issued in 1984, had 28 tracks. No doubt all, if not almost all, of those extra tracks could have fit on the CD, but for some reason Rhino did not include them on the CD.

Call me a cad, but girl groups just don't do it for me. I looked into the 16-track The Very Best of the Shirelles CD issued by Rhino in 1994, beloved of Christgau and Hull, on the theory that it might have better sound, which might enable me to get into it easier. It has the same number of tracks, but swaps two songs as set forth below. In any event, it is not available at a good price, and since it has almost the same tracks, I skipped it. Just to be thorough, I also played the 1999 release on Varese Sarabande called 25 All-Time Greatest Hits once.

Anthology - "Sha La La" and "Maybe Tonight"

Very Best - "I Met Him On A Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)" and "Welcome Home Baby"

[De-shelved in 2022]

The Human Hearts - Viable: 7 (B+)

# [comp] Vinyl-only anyway.

Elvis Presley - Reconsider Baby: 7.5 (high B+)

#oldies/comp

Various - Now That's What I Call Club Hits 2: 7.5 (high B+)

# [multi-artist comp; dance/r&b]

Sly & Robbie - Silent Assassin: 7.5 (high B+)

Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn?: 7.5 (high B+)

Shakira - Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran: 7 (B+)

Upped from "liked" on fourth listen.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Glasgow Eyes: disliked

:-(

Sly & Robbie - Rhythm Killers: 8 (A-)