Madonna - The Immaculate Collection: 9.5 (high A)

Probably a 10 (A+), but I never played it non-stop.

Madonna - You Can Dance [1987]: 8.5 (high A-)

This one grew one me after four or five listens. I have the vinyl with seven tracks. The three repeat "dub" tracks on the CD version make it too much (I did listen to them thrice). All of them are repeats of songs already on the main album by the way. There were some CD versions with only seven tracks, but none available for sale.

Funkadelic - Funkadelic: 7 (B+)

UB40 - Little Baggariddim: 7 (B+)

Madonna - Madonna: 8 (A-)

Little Simz - Grey Area [honorable mention]

:-) [Reminds me a little of the hype surrounding Dizzee Rascal. Remember him?]

Jonathan Fire*Eater - Tremble Under Boom Lights

:-|

UB40 - The Singles Album: notation

Six of nine tracks are on Signing Off, which I have. (Christgau seems not to have noticed this, or maybe he was using a different version that had different tracks? I can't seem to find a copy with his label/year.) The remaining three (which I did play three times) are, frankly, pretty weak, so I’ll pass. They are:

     "My Way of Thinking"
     "Dream a Lie"
     "The Earth Dies Screaming (12" Version)"

Dub Syndicate - batch review

I listened four times at least to each of the regular-issue albums in the box set Ambience in Dub 1982-1985, which is a sister release to the African Head Charge box set Environmental Holes & Drastic Tracks 1981-1986. I really want to get this to have a matching set, but I just can't justify the expense, given the designations. Here they are:

     The Pounding System - liked
     One Way System - neutral
     Tunes from the Missing Channel - liked
     North of the River Thames [w/Dr. Pablo (not Augustus Pablo)] - liked

As you can see from my review of Classic Selection, Vol. 1, I ended up just getting that (paying a fair amount for a pristine used copy) and nothing more by them.

Sleater-Kinney - Sleater-Kinney: 8 (A-)

Alpha Blondy and the Wailers - Jerusalem: 8 (A-)

Also in the market for the companion Apartheid Is Nazism 2010 release on Test/Wagram. Other versions are not in digipack, which I want. Plus I want a matching set of these. Have a notification alert up on Discogs for that one, and will add it if it ever becomes available for a reasonable price. Update: I now have both.

Parliament - Tear the Roof Off 1974-1980: notation

I went for the update of this, Gold, for better sound. It is almost track-for-track the same, with differences too slight to detail.

Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic: 7 (B+)

Upped from "liked." Next to last 13 minutes of aimless instrumental doodling (title track) originally did it in for me, but I grew to tolerate it. Christgau gave this a B+ when it came out, but then appears to have downgraded it to a B when he did his Funkadelic catalog overview in 2008 (and grouped it under "Be Careful").

Liz Phair - Funstyle: 7 (B+)

Upgraded from honorable mention. Disc two girly-sound tracks are fine, and glad to own some in physical.

ABBA - Arrival [honorable mention]

:-) [Some really good songs, but overall, extremely saccharine. Stick with Gold, which obviously has the big hits from this one.]

Smog - The Doctor Came at Dawn [honorable mention]

:-)

Smog - Knock Knock: 7 (B+)

Not going to explore this artist's catalog any further. This and Red Apple Falls are in the collection, and I think that's enough. Widely acknowledged as his best works, so I don't want to go down a rabbit hole for albums that are very unlikely to be any better. These two also happen to be the two produced by Jim O'Rourke. I did try one other to test my hypothesis, and it supported it.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers [liked]

:-)

Yy - Hold the Fort Down: 7 (B+)

Not really available for purchase. Should have given himself a name that was pronounceable. I think he would have ended up reaching some people.

Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance: 7 (B+)

Probably closer to an honorable mention for me -- it sounds a little one-note like all of their releases to my ears -- but giving it the benefit of the doubt for general regard.

Malibu Ken [Aesop Rock/Tobacco] - Malibu Ken: 7 (B+)

Chance the Rapper - The Big Day [2019]: 8 (A-)

Self-released on CD, in what appears to be a limited edition, because it's already not available new, on his website or elsewhere, and used copies go for a fortune. Definitely not going to put up an alert for this at this grade and prices. Docked a notch for bloat. I note that Christgau gave this what I would call a 9.5 (high A). And I note that Hull gives this an A-, but it is his number seven album of the year, so it would be at least an 8.5 (high A-), or even maybe he should upgrade to 9 (A)? Update (October 2025): Upgraded to 8 (A-), still docked a notch for bloat. If it weren't for that, I might have to physicalize it. There are some big names on this (Death Cab for Cutie, Randy Newman (!), Nicki Minaj, etc).

Loudon Wainwright III - Older Than My Old Man Now: 8 (A-)

Loudon Wainwright III - Here Come the Choppers!: 7 (B+)

# [folk]

Loudon Wainwright III - Haven't Got the Blues (Yet): liked

:-)