The Libertines - The Libertines: 7.5 (high B+)

 

The Libertines - I Get Along [EP]: 7 (B+)

The Libertines - Time for Heroes - The Best of The Libertines: 7 (B+)

# [best of] I was hoping that this might be a great listen since it ostensibly cherry-picks the best songs from their first two albums, but it didn’t end up that way.

Kool Keith Presents Thee Undatakerz - Party in tha Morgue!: liked

Only nominally a Kool Keith album - limited verses from him.

Rail Band - Rail Band: 8 (A-)

At least one reviewer identifies this as Buffet Hotel de la Gare. It's their second album. Only reissued on vinyl, which is stupid, and takes me off the market for the original release from 1973. I can only find one copy of that listed at the moment, anyway. For $121 shipped.

Ini Kamoze - Pirate: 7.5 (high B+)

Thanks to Christgau for inspiring me to stick with this. It grows on you. Sells only for a fortune though. Vinyl-only reissue in 2020. Update: Found a reasonably priced original vinyl copy.

Ini Kamoze - Statement: 7.5 (high B+)

Good luck finding any of his first three albums at an affordable price. Update: I ended up finding this for sale new, on CD, for a reasonable price, from his personal website, of all places.

Franco & Orchestra Jazz - L'Afrique Danse No. 6: X (X)

The albums of this old series sell for very high prices obviously. The only one I would consider buying of the first six is the Rochereau one.

The Cucumbers - The Fake Doom Years (1983-1986): notation

As can be deduced from the cover and the title, this compiles all of their early output on the label Fake Doom. See separate review of self-titled EP. In addition to that, it has the album Who Betrays Me (Christgau grades this at B+ and I will probably get to it at some point), one song from the All Shook Up EP (only unique song on that EP), and two previously unreleased tracks.

The Cucumbers - Old Shoes [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)

#indiepop

The Cucumbers - The Cucumbers [Profile, 1987]: 7.5 (high B+)

Outstanding track: "My Boyfriend." #indiepop

Placebo - Placebo: liked

:-)

Ossie All-Stars - Leggo Dub: 7 (B+)

I have this as an extra disc on the reissue of the Gregory Isaacs album Mr. Isaacs.

Docteur Nico - L'Afrique Danse No. 5: X (X)

A little too early-vintage for me to grade. I just don't have the ears or maybe the chops for most music recorded before the late 1960s, which holds true even for the DRC. Can't be bought for decent prices anyway. The first three releases in the L'Afrique Danse series are various artists, and the next three each focus on a different giant, namely, Rochereau, Nico, and Franco. #earlyrumba

Various - Version Dread: Dub Specialist: 7.5 (high B+)

#multiartistcomp

Steve Earle - I Feel Alright: 7.5 (high B+)

I'm certain I got this when it came out but must have sold it back. I listened to it three extra times now in order to assign a formal grade. #country

Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band - The Mountain: 7 (B+)

I did get this when it came out but must have sold it back. I just played it again to give it a formal grade, which would have been no more than 7.5 (high B+) in my mind at the time if I sold it. #country/bluegrass

Steve Earle - Train a Comin': 8 (A-)

Steve Earle - Guitar Town: 8 (A-)

Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley: X (X)

Elvis Presley - Elvis: X (X)

Elvis Presley - From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis: 8 (A-)

For those who don't know, this contains the album In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada [recorded 1969], and also Back in Memphis. So this is the "back" cover.

Elvis Presley - Elvis at Sun: X (X)

This contains the first disc of Sunrise. Ie, you get that, for a great price, and without the second disc of crapola you don't want or need.

Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis: 7.5 (high B+)

I will probably get the Legacy Edition. My copy of this is disc only. I think a pet destroyed everything else. Normally I don't worry about that, but this has the benefit of containing Back in Memphis also. Seems like a nice set for a good price.

Lou Reed - Hudson River Wind Meditations: 7.5 (high B+)

I'd probably still buy it even though it's #newage, because it's Reed, if it were selling for non-artisanal prices. Actually, I realized that the reason it's priced that way is that it comes with a book, so maybe I'll pick up a copy after all? Plus, it's his last studio work. Update (March 2026): Just no reasonably-priced copies to be had, so I won't even bother with an alert at this grade.