His best in a very long time, in my view.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Al Green - The Immortal Soul of Al Green: notation
I've been very tempted to get this 4CD box set but always decide against it. It has songs drawn from his peak 1970s period (ie, non-gospel) with very few rarities (I think maybe just one long live track?). On the one hand, these kinds of boxes are great for artists who have long, spotty album catalogs, but on the other hand, this does not describe Al Green. His studio albums are mostly strong, and so I have most if not all of them. I also thought about the 3CD Anthology, but that's a rarities box as I understand it, which I only get if it proves somehow to be essential in one way or another, which this one does not appear to be. Here's the cover on that one:
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Ashford & Simpson - Come As You Are: 8.5 (high A-)
I think I like this one best of all their albums. Even the schmaltzy ones ("Believe in Me") are good. Hugh McCracken on guitar.
Friday, January 9, 2026
Muddy Waters - Rare and Unissued: X (X)
This is in my somewhat eclectic Muddy Waters collection, probably because Christgau gave this the equivalent of at least a 9 (A).
Various - Punk 45: Burn Rubber City, Burn! (Akron, Ohio: Punk and the Decline of the Mid-West 1975-80) [Soul Jazz, 2016]: 8.5 (high A-)
The liner notes I think incorrectly cite to The Akron Compilation [Stiff, 1978] as "The Akron Sound" from 1977. But this is a good Akron compilation, as are the LA and Cleveland entries in this Soul Jazz series. I intend to review The Akron Compilation at some point in the future.
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Joy Division - Permanent: 8 (A-)
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Not sure why I have this. I guess I've become a Joy Division completist over the years.
Zaiko Langa Langa - Hits Inoubliables, Vol. 4: notation
This appears to be a compilation of two albums: Pusa Kuna... Serrez! Serrez! and Volant: Makambo Ya Mikolo Oyo, each with four of the eight songs on this. I only listened once. It was mentioned in Gary Stewart's great book Rumba on the River, but seemed unremarkable on one play. He didn't actually say it was good. The former definitely sounded better than the latter. Actually, I played the former twice because the back half of the sebene on the last song, "Patshi Ya Ilo," was so outstanding. Actually, actually, I played it four times (see separate post).
Friday, January 2, 2026
Bopol Mansiamina featuring Nyboma etc.: "Esta Tierra no es Mia" b/w "La Cintura" [single]: 8.5 (high A-)
I normally don't rate singles, or post covers for them, especially digital-only ones, but one makes an exception for Bopol and Nyboma. Maybe I should be calling this an EP, because it's 12:24?
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Collected, but not necessarily shelved or graded yet (some with provisional grades) 2026
List made in 2026, but acquisition could have been many years ago ... decades, a half a century even:
Thomas Anderson - Letters From the Hermit Kingdom [7.5 (high B+)] [final listen shelf] [exception from #singersongwriter/folk/country for him]
Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls [8 (A-)] [in Amazon cart]
Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
The Cure - Mixed Up [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Vince Staples - Cry Baby [7.5 (high B+)] [final listen shelf]
Amadou & Mariam - Tje ni Mousso; Folila [each 8 (A-)] [each final listen shelf]
Various - Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 2 [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Various - The Real Hip-Hop: The Best of D&D Studios, Vol. 1 [final listen shelf]
Miles Davis - Get Up With It [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Various - Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque [Strut, 2011] [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Les Amazones d'Afrique - Amazones Republique [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Waylon Jennings - Honky Tonk Heroes
Ratboys - Singin' to an Empty Chair [8 (A-)] [in Amazon cart, awaiting good price]
Too Much Joy - Son of Sam I Am
Motorhead - No Sleep at All [8 (A-)] [in Amazon cart, awaiting good price]
Motorhead - 1916 [7 (B+)] [final listen shelf]
Beastie Boys - Music
Modest Mouse - An Eraser and a Maze [7 (B+)] [final listen shelf]
Pearl Harbor and the Explosions - Pearl Harbor and the Explosions [7 (B+)] [final listen shelf]
Ice Cube - The Essentials [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Ice Cube - The Predator [7.5 (high B+)] [final listen shelf]
Graham Parker - The Up Escalator [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Liars - They Threw Us All in a Trench... [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Pusha T - My Name Is My Name
Timbuk 3 - Greetings from Timbuk 3 [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Ramones - It's Alive; Subterranean Jungle; Pleasant Dreams [final listen shelf]
Ramones - Mondo Bizarro
Descendents - I Don't Want to Grow Up
Green Day - Warning [7 (B+)] [final listen shelf]
Le Tigre - This Island [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Grace Potter - Medicine [8 (A-)] [w/Marc Ribot] [final listen shelf]
Wednesday - Bleeds [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Wet Leg - Moisturizer [8(A-)] [in cart]
Jenny Hval - Iris Silver Mist [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium, Vol. 1 [7 (B+)] [final listen shelf]
Jeffrey Lewis - Bad Wiring
James McMurtry - Just Us Kids; Childish Things [each 8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
James McMurtry - The Horses and the Hounds [8 (A-)]
Chuck D - Enemy Radio: Radio Armageddon [7.5 (high B+)]
The Fall - Bend Sinister [in cart]
Katie Alice Greer - Barbarism
Aesop Rock - Appleseed [EP] [7.5 (high B+)] [in cart]
Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty: Chapters 1&2; African Dub All-Mighty: Chapters 3&4
Lee "Scratch" Perry - Mystic Miracle Star
Labelle - Nightbirds [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Lyrics Born - Now Look What You've Done, Lyrics Born!: Greatest Hits!
Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight [8 (A-)]
Alex Chilton - From Memphis to Vegas
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Robyn - Sexistential [in cart at 8 (A-)]
Yo-Yo - You Better Ask Somebody
Men at Work - Business as Usual
The Damned - Damned Damned Damned
The Damned - The Best of the Damned
The Intruders - Super Hits [Sony, 2007, not the 1973 title]
The Sex Pistols - The Original Recordings
A Flock of Seagulls - The Best of the Flock of Seagulls
Various - Konbit: Burning Rhythms of Haiti [final listen shelf]
The Jayhawks - Good Earth [final listen shelf]
The Fall - Cerebral Caustic [8 (A-)]
Crooked Fingers - Breaks in the Armor [8 (A-)]
Gogol Bordello - We Mean It, Man! [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Jonathan Richman - Only Frozen Sky Anyway
Boogie Down Productions - Sex and Violence
Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies
Pearl Harbour - Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost Too
Otis Redding - Original Album Series [Pain in My Heart; Sings Soul Ballads; Otis Blues/Sings Soul; The Soul Album; Dictionary of Soul]
Buddy Holly - Gold [aka The Buddy Holly Collection (1993)]
Bootsy Collins - Original Album Series [Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band; Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!; Bootsy? Player of the Year; This Boot is Made for Fonk-N; Ultra Wave]
Brian Eno and Karl Hyde - High Life [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
John Lennon - Wonsaponatime [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Aesop Rock - Black Hole Superette [8 (A-)] [in cart awaiting decent price]
Suicide - Half Alive [final listen shelf]
Suicide - Attempted: Live at Max's Kansas City 1980 [final listen shelf]
Suicide - A Way of Life
Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin? [7 (B+)]
The O'Jays - Ship Ahoy [8 (A-)]
Odyssey the Band - Back in Time [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Al Green - Soul Survivor; Explores Your Mind
Al Green - Have a Good Time [7.5 (high B+)]
Al Green - Truth n' Time [8 (A-)] [Xgau originally gave B+ when it came out but appears on his decade-end 1978 A-list; also pretty high up on his Dean's List for the year]
Joy Division - The Best of Joy Division
Peter Perrett - The Cleansing [8 (A-)]
Dean Wareham - That's the Price of Loving Me [8 (A-)]
Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock: The Album
Lupe Fiasco - Drogas Wave [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Bryan Ferry - These Foolish Things [8 (A-)] [final listen shelf]
Lily Allen - West End Girl [8 (A-)] [in Amazon cart, awaiting good price]
Catalog Scrubs Complete 2026
Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Close Readers [such as can be done]
Dolly Parton
Lily Allen
Nakibembe Embaire Group
Nobro
Tommy Womack
Womack & Womack
Bobby Womack
Schoolboy Q
Grant Peeples
Phoebe Bridgers
Richie Hawtin/Plastikman
Donny Hathaway
Bill Callahan
Merle Travis
Funkrust Brass Band
Goat
Warpaint
Mike Cooley
Patterson Hood
Anibal Velasquez
Chicago
Everything but the Girl
Tracey Thorn/Marine Girls
Ben Watt
Blaze Foley
Gurf Morlix
Age of Chance
Strokes
Julian Casablancas/Voidz
Albert Hammond Jr.
Three Johns/Jelly Bishops
Ani DiFranco
Latin Playboys
Aldous Harding
Los Lobos
Hold Steady
Keith Hudson
Soul Syndicate
Chemical Brothers
Sam Fan Thomas
Pink [P!nk]
Jali Musa Jawara/Djeli Moussa Diawara
Waylon Jennings
Messthetics
Serge Gainsbourg
Primus
Idlewild
Amadou & Mariam
M2M
Ruben Gonzalez
Cheikh Lo
Los Van Van
Kasey Chambers
Shelby Lynne
Fatboy Slim
Beats International
Badly Drawn Boy
Blackalicious
Sarge
Gothic Archies
Apples in Stereo
Ass Ponys
Sway & King Tech
Goldie
Roni Size/Reprazent
Silos
Vulgar Boatmen
Dan Bryk
Chicks on Speed
Golden Sounds Band
Opeth
Front 242
Archie Bronson Outfit
Skinny Puppy
Les Amazones de Guinee
Les Amazones d'Afrique
Sheila E.
Teena Marie
Meshell Ndegeocello
Black Sabbath
William S. Burroughs
Allen Ginsberg
Hal Willner
Dorothy Masuka
Eleventh Dream Day
Meat Beat Manifesto
La's
Garth Brooks
Too Much Joy
Fugs
Downtown Science
Lifers Group
Boubacar Traore
Charlie Feathers
Chris Smither
I.K. Dairo
Linda Gail Lewis
KLF/Justified Ancients of Mu Mu
Live Skull
Sundays
Black Eyes
The Ex
Pearl Harbor and the Explosions/Pearl Harbour
Peter and the Test Tube Babies
Lords of Acid
Motorhead
King's X
Paul Young
Dresden Dolls
Ice Cube
Let's Active/Mitch Easter
Memphis Minnie
Nurse With Wound
Two Nice Girls
Robert Johnson
Willi Carlisle
Algiers
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
War
Terje Rypdal
Mikey Dread
Chumbawamba
Johnny Shines
Robert Lockwood Jr.
Laurie Anderson
Khruangbin
Judas Priest
Offspring
Sunny Day Real Estate
Young Marble Giants
Fucked Up
Liars
ESG
Suicidal Tendencies
Mudhoney
Contortions/James Chance
Swell Maps/Jacobites/Nikki Sudden
Clipse/Pusha-T[/Malice]
Replacements
Paul Westerberg
DNA
Fall Out Boy
NOFX
Scrawl
Faith No More
Faith
My Chemical Romance
Television Personalities
Anti-Nowhere League
Timbuk 3
Girl Scout
Don Dixon
Hop Along
Amyl and the Sniffers
Ponytail
Protomartyr
Aaron Neville
Kraftwerk
Ramones
Kleenex/Liliput
Flipper
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Le Tigre
Void
Operation Ivy
Bopol Mansiamina
Against Me!
Grace Potter
Rage Against the Machine
Wipers/Greg Sage
Raincoats
Green Day
Salif Keita/Ambassadeurs
Foghat
Isaac Hayes
Elvis Costello [and the Attractions]
Thunderbirds Are Now
Steve Goodman
Herb Alpert
Gladys Knight [& The Pips]
Chris Knight
Macka B [looks like he dropped the hyphen at some point, so I revised all prior entries]
Sabrina Carpenter
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles/DRI
Dingonek Street Band
Pablo Moses
Delines
Team Dresch
Volcano Suns
Mission of Burma
Soul Glo
Mannequin Pussy
Mecca Normal
Embrace
Winston Hussey
Cro-Mags
Sun City Girls
Rancid
Stormtroopers of Death/S.O.D. [I realize they were trying to be "cheeky," but it's childish]
Ezra Furman
Essential Logic
Excuse 17
Skids
Joe Jackson
Ruts
Slits
Only Ones/Peter Perrett
Soft Boys/Robyn Hitchcock [& The Egyptians]
Members
X/Knitters
Rich Kids
Fear
Avengers
Alternative TV/ATV
Weirdos
Dils
Undertones
Vibrators
Subway Sect/Vic Godard
Penetration
Boomtown Rats/Bob Geldof [always thought his name was "Geldorf" lol]
Dictators
Mink DeVille
Juvenile
Mahlathini/Mahotella Queens
Schoolly D
Santana
Jeffrey Lewis
Beastie Boys
Goats
James McMurtry
Seefeel
Psychic TV
Throbbing Gristle
Water From Your Eyes
Jenny Hval
Billy Swan
Margo Price
Joe Gibbs
Dennis Brown
Dio [Ronnie James Dio]
Rainbow/Ritchie Blackmore
Cars
Shabba Ranks
Grace Jones
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Tony Williams
Priests
Katie Alice Greer
Ijahman
Manu Dibango
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali
Kesha
Last Exit
Hieroglyphics
Lee "Scratch" Perry
MSFB
Laura Nyro
Patti Labelle/Labelle
Leon Huff
McFadden & Whitehead
Bunny Sigler
Trammps
William DeVaughn
Billy Paul
Futures
Johnny Williams
Ebonys
Chi-Lites
Afrika Bambaataa
Souls of Mischief
Latyrx
Lateef the Truth Speaker
Lyrics Born
Sun Ra/Sun Ra and His Arkestra
Chromeo
James Booker
Cutty Ranks
Beres Hammond
Buju Banton
Garnett Silk
Bounty Killer
Neko Case
Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp
J. Geils Band
Country Joe & the Fish
Chicha Libre
Noel Ellis
Was (Not Was)
Freddie Hubbard
Ray Wylie Hubbard
UFO
Deep Purple
Montrose
Bad Company
Van Halen
Alicia Keys
Boredoms
Etran de l'Air
Sneetches
Cher
Professor Longhair
Swet Shop Boys
Men at Work
Damned
Incubus
Intruders
Jayhawks
Technotronic
Rickie Lee Jones
Voice of the Beehive
Moby Grape
Belle and Sebastian
Trinity
Robert Ashley
Wreckless Eric
Amy Rigby
Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby
Go-Go's/Belinda Carlisle
Suede
Songs: Ohia
Beat Farmers
Marnie Stern
Patrice Rushen
Lightnin' Hopkins
Cracker
Velvet Underground
Linval Thompson
Eric Bachmann/Crooked Fingers/Barry Black
Veruca Salt
Distillers
Tav Falco
Mad Professor
Madness
Wet Leg
Bebe Buell
David S. Ware
Pat Benatar
Blur
Living Colour
Bettie Serveert
Buddy Holly
Ronald Shannon Jackson
Bootsy Collins
Faith Healers
Dry Cleaning
DJ Screw
Mount Eerie
Ultravox
Robert Calvert
Joy Division
Blue Nile
Brian Eno
Marti Jones
Robert Fripp
Fripp & Eno
Adrianne Lenker
Gilberto Gil
Fu-Schnickens
E.T. Mensah
Bon Iver
Rory Block
Pete Townshend
Bill Frisell
Danny Brown
Suicide
Martin Rev
Alan Vega
Bad Bunny
Jane Aire [& Belvederes]
Rachel Sweet
People's Choice
Dee Dee Sharp [Gamble]
Bryan Ferry
The Bug
Joe Simon
Dave
Turnstile
Fugees
John Forte
Lupe Fiasco
Middle ClassDelfonics
Martina Topley-Bird
Lambchop
Suicide Commandos
Rubber City Rebels
Bizarros
Pagans
Jazz Destroyers
Broncs
electric eels
X-X
Defnics
Human Switchboard
Pressler-Morgan One Plus One
Poli Styrene Jass Band
Mirrors
Styrene Money
Rocket from the Tombs
Peter Laughner
Waitresses
Hammer Damage
Chi-Pig
Denis Defrange [and Mark Frazier]
Ralph Carney
Numbers Band [aka 15-60-75]
Geto Boys/Willie D/Bushwick Bill
Dead Boys
2026 Single Listens (unless 2 otherwise noted)
Dust - Hard Attack
The Cramps - Gravest Gravy
CS Cleaners - What's This?
Los Lobos - Disconnected in New York City [EP on Spotify; adjunct to same-named album?]
D4vd - Withered
Miles Davis - The Best of Miles Davis [Columbia/Legacy, 2002] [single-disc/Columbia-only]
Archie Bronson Outfit - Fur
Garland Jeffreys and Grinder's Switch - Grinder's Switch featuring Garland Jeffreys
Glady Knight & The Pips - Greatest Hits [Curb, 1990] [only gold-selling domestic compilation]
Dalek - Brilliance of a Falling Moon
The Who - 20th Century Masters: The Best of the Who: The Millennium Collection
Dead Pioneers - Post American
Dead Pioneers - Dead Pioneers [EP]
Range Rats - Range Rats
Zani Diabate - Kabako Zani
Wu-Tang Clan - Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang Clan’s Greatest [> 1/2 tracks from debut]
King Tubby/Jacob Miller - E-E Saw Dub [aka King Tubby Meets Jacob Miller in a Tenement Yard]
Television - Live at the Academy NYC 12.4.92
Count Ossie & The Rasta Family - Man From Higher Heights
Linval Thompson - Phoenix Dub
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon - As of Now
Barry Black - Tragic Animal Stories [instrumental]
Sideshow - Tigray Funk
Tav Falco & Panther Burns - 10th Anniversary Live LP: Midnight in Memphis
Tav Falco & Panther Burns - Hip Flask: An Introduction to Tav Falco & Panther Burns
DJ Fantome - Zando Beat!: Electro-Madness from Congo-Kinshasa
Moby - Future Quiet [14 slow, spare, depressing songs; 1h 25m]
Tapper Zukie - Bunker Buster
Brian Eno - Panic of Looking [EP]
Brian Eno - I Dormienti
Flipper - Nurnberg Fish Trials (Live)
Sister Irene O'Connor - Fire of God's Love
The Manhattans - Kiss and Say Goodbye: The Best of the Manhattans
The Cribs - Selling a Vibe
Ry-Co Jazz - Bon Voyage!!
The Bug/Ghost Dubs - Implosion
Six Sex - X-Sex [EP]
Nas and DJ Premier - Light-Years [“Yes indeedy/I wrote graffiti"?!? Wtf?]
Galaxie 500 - CBGB 12.13.88
Dove Ellis - Blizzard
electric eels - Die Electric Eels
Turnstile - Time & Space [really an EP]
Howlin' Wolf - The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues: X (X)
I don't trust myself to rate this, but it's obviously in the A-range somewhere near the top.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
XTC - Upsy Daisy Assortment: liked
Goes on a bit too long for my taste. Waxworks would be the way to go for me, but see separate post on that.
Various - The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story of Brotherly Love (1966-1976): 8.5 (high A-)
Would be 9 (A) except it flags a little at the end. I somehow can't find this. Did I sell this off in a fit of stupidity and/or desperation??? I honestly don't remember doing that.
Embrace - Embrace [Dischord, 1987]: 7.5 (high B+)
Interesting release history. Originally issued only on vinyl in 1987, when CDs had been in production for a few years, but it wasn’t released on CD until 1992, without a remaster. It was later remastered and reissued in 2002 and 2012, but annoyingly has two bonus tracks after the last song, “Last Song.” This seems like a mistake to me for an arguably hardcore release. Anyway, those remastered CDs go for a fortune, and I won’t buy original vinyl usually if there was a remastered CD. I guess I would make an exception if these were selling for reasonable prices, because of the historical importance of this, but they are not. In this case, I went for the 1992 release, even though it appears to be a first-generation CD analog transfer, because it has no bonus tracks, is essentially a companion release to the 1987 vinyl, and one was available for a reasonable price. Of course, Dischord has a habit of re-releasing things, and I predict that as soon as I receive my 1992 release, they will do just that with this.
Middle Class - Scavenged Luxury [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)
Second EP, and a good one, from this unjustly obscure band. Copies are priced too high to worry about, just like the first.
Middle Class - Out of Vogue [EP]: 8 (A-)
Great early CA hardcore EP. Sells for ridiculous amounts, so I won’t even bother looking out. Upped a notch for the presence of the title song, which some say is the first hardcore song. I have that one on a compilation or two, which also argues against paying a small fortune for this. It’s also four songs in five minutes.
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