The Mekons - The Mekons Story [aka It Falleth Like the Gentle Rain From Heaven]: liked

Not as bad as Christgau and Hull would lead you to believe. Somewhere along the line I became a Mekons completist and got a copy of this despite merely liking it and it being #miscarticles.

Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Admonishing the Bishops [EP]: liked

Four songs, five listens

Material - One Down: 7 (B+)

 

# [experimental] [8+ listens] I used to own this and sold it off per the # tag. This was never released domestically on CD remastered (except for possibly on Celluloid in 2005, but a copy has never sold on Discogs, so it's either non-existent or ridiculously rare). [Actually, I ended up re-buying this as part of an inexpensive European 3 CD remastered set with Temporary Music and the Laswell album with SXL called Into the Outlands. See separate reviews of those albums, but all-in, I thought it was worth it.]

The Wrens - Silver: liked

Some signs of greatness to come. Four plays.

Various - Hanging Tree Guitars: 8 (A-)

 

Upped to 8 (A-) on sixth listen. I had to struggle to get to even this grade. Not sure how Christgau hears a 10 (A+).

Franco et TP OK Jazz - 1967-1968 [honorable mention]

 :-)

The Wrens - Abbott 1135 [EP]: liked

:-)

The Wrens - "Life Stories From the Union" b/w "Our Brightest New Year" [single]: liked

:-)

The Wrens/The Five Mod Four - Split CD [EP]: 7 (B+)

 

Various Artists - Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture: 7 (B+)

 

My Amazon purchase history indicates that I bought this back in 2006, 15 years ago. But now I can't find it - so I must have sold it back? For a "various artists" comp at B+, I probably wouldn't buy it now, and certainly won't be re-buying it.

Spoon - They Want My Soul: 9 (A)

 

Wilco - Wilco (The Album): 7 (B+)

 

Even though this is # [alt-country], I have a physical, because it's the only album of theirs that got an A-range grade from Christgau (maybe even 8.5 (high A-), hard to tell), and I bought it before you could stream first (or before I could, anyway). I'll keep it for that reason. Along with A.M. and YHF.

Thunderbirds Are Now! - Make History: liked

De-shelved in 2021

Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): 7.5 (high B+)

 

Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams [honorable mention]

 :-) [De-shelved in 2021]

Group Doueh & Cheveu: Dakhla Sahara Session: 7 (B+)

# [desert blues b/w French rock]

Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension

 :-|

Wu-Tang Clan - The W

 :-( [De-shelved in 2021]

KMD - Mr. Hood: liked

:-)

Faraon Bantu y Champetaman - Futuro Ancestral: 8(A-)

 

Digital only.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Live and Let Die: disliked

:-(

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo: Wanted: Dead or Alive: 8 (A-)

 

Better than the debut in my opinion. But similarly going for ridiculous prices used, so I'm going to have to do without it. There's a 2 disc version of both of these albums, which would be great to have. Try finding a copy of that.

Faust - Faust

 :-( [This is the debut from 1971.]

Faust - So Far: 7 (B+)

#krautrock, but ridiculously expensive anyway.

U2 - Zooropa [liked]

 :-)