Diblo Dibala - Amour et Souvenir: notation

This is on Discogs and Spotify with different covers, like this, respectively:

This is the French issue of Super Soukous, although the Spotify version has an extra song, “Mabele Simarro,” which is unremarkable.

M.I.A. - Kala: 8 (A-)

M.I.A. - Arular: 8 (A-)

Rod Stewart - The Rod Stewart Album: 8 (A-)

Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley: 8 (A-)

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story: 9.5 (high A)

The Rolling Stones - Live/Compilations: batch review and notation

As I've posted before, I think the Stones are the greatest band in rock history, although this is mainly on the strength of their Taylor-era work. I like their early and later work, but to me it pales in comparison. For this reason, I guess I am not a Stones completist (although I obviously have all their studio albums). Also because they release so many titles -- same thing with Dylan and Neil Young. Anyway, these are the live ones I have and have not yet posted about:

Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!

Stripped

Live Licks

Brussels Affair: Live 1973

Some Girls: Live in Texas '78 [Blu-ray]

Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones [Blu-ray and bootleg DVD]

These are the live ones I do not have but am still evaluating or have evaluated in the past but haven't posted about:

Got Live If You Want It!

Love You Live

Still Life

Flashpoint

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus [saw video; only six Stones tracks]

No Security

Shine a Light [saw ideo - I would stream the audio, but I'm not seeing it on Spotify]

I also have You-Know-What Blues on bootleg DVD.

These are the compilations I have:

Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass

Flowers

Through the Past, Darkly: Big Hits Vol. 2

More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies

Metamorphosis [I have this on vinyl]

Sucking in the Seventies

Rewind: 1971–1984

Jump Back: The Best of the Rolling Stones

Forty Licks

Randy Newman - Bad Love: 7.5 (high B+)

Randy Newman - Harps and Angels: 7 (B+)

Randy Newman - Trouble in Paradise: 8.5 (high A-)

John Lennon - Rock 'n' Roll: 8 (A-)

#covers Update (July 2026): I caved and upped this a notch and got a beautiful remaster.

The Rolling Stones - GRRR!: notation

I thought about buying the three-CD digipack version of this 50th anniversary collection, just as the collector's piece that it is, but decided against it. Even though their my favorite band, I'm not a completist with respect to them. (I skipped several live albums, the dreaded and awful Hot Rocks, that singles collection, etc.) But I couldn't find it for a good price anywhere at this late stage and just lost interest. And it's not on Spotify so I couldn't even check out the flow.

Shabazz Palaces - Exotic Birds of Prey [EP]: liked

:-)

Imperial Teen - Seasick: liked

At least four plays

Imperial Teen - The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band: liked

:-)

Imperial Teen - What Is Not to Love: liked

:-)

Super Rail Band de Bamako - Kongo Sigui: 8.5 (high A-)

Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play the Blues: Live From Jazz at Lincoln Center: 7.5 (high B+)

#live/jazz/blues

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party - The Supreme Collection, Vol. 1 [Caroline, 1997]: placeholder

As noted on Discogs, this is a combined reissue of Greatest and Latest Hits, Vol. 1 [Sirocco, 1988] (minus track "Milate Rahen") and Greatest and Latest Hits Vol. 2 [Sirocco, 1988].

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Rapture [Music Club, 1997]: 8 (A-)

Underwritten as "An essential selection from the genius of Qawwali". Music Club is a fantastic reissue label.

Howlin' Wolf - Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog [Chess, 1994]: 8 (A-)

Volume 2 in the Chess Collectibles series. I stupidly had this in the de-shelve box. Then I pulled it out, gave it another listen, de-fatboxed it, put it back on the shelf and am now even checking out the first volume in this series, One More Mile, by Muddy Waters. Just this side of what I like to call the early CD era, still fatboxed as noted but at least digitally remastered.

The Mighty Diamonds - Speak the Truth: liked

:-)

Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz [Impulse, 1961]: X (X)

Sometimes (often?) paired with My Kind of Jazz [Tangerine, 1970]. I did not listen to that one. This one is definitely not my kind of jazz, so if that one is in the same category.... #jazz

Paul Simon: Graceland: 9 (A)

Various - No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rebellion [Rhino, 2003]: 9 (A)

I love this compilation. For some reason, it seems to have been somewhat ignored by the critical community when it came out, but eventually, it came to my attention. I love it because it made me search up some of the more obscure punk bands, like Penetration, Subway Sect, the Boys, 999, Rich Kids, Rezillos, the Ruts, Sham 69, and the Skids. It's just great, and they had the wisdom to keep it to four discs. I consider it on a par with the other great four-disc genre/era compilations like The Funk Box, Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music, and The Sound of the Suburbs. I regret that I do not have the booklet that came with it, just the discs, in original jewel boxes, which I got for relatively cheap because of that. But there is something punk about not having the accoutrements. I did go up on eBay to see if anyone was selling the booklet but was disappointed to see the price gouging and so passed.