Dillinger - Ultimate Collection: 8.5 (high A-)

 

See post re: The Prime of Dillinger. This contains four tracks from each of CB 200 and Bionic Dread and three tracks from Cornbread. It also contains the title track from Marijuana in My Brain. All other tracks are singles.

Various Artists - Viva! Zimbabwe: 8 (A-)

Dillinger - The Prime of Dillinger: Gangster, Prankster and Rasta: notation

 

I will stick with Ultimate Collection. The 15-track US version of this (as opposed to the 20-track UK version) has the following songs which are not on Ultimate Collection:

"Marcus Garvey" - great, but see separate view of album Cornbread, upon which it appeared
"Killer Man Jaro" - not good
"Caymanas Park/Dub" - not good
"Natty Kung Fu" - okay
"Three Piece Suit and a Thing" - good
"Left With a Broken Heart" - okay
"Blackboard Jungle" - great
"Don't Take Another Man's Life" - okay

Ultimate Collection also obviously has songs on it that this doesn't have. I'm not going to make the effort to compare those. Overall, UC seems like the better comp, although this one is shorter and so generally I would prefer that. However, in this case, Dillinger has no truly great albums, but a large catalog of great songs, so the longer comp is probably preferable. Plus, I already have it, so I'll stop there. Certainly not going to pick this up for one good and one great song. ps, I also listened to half of Cocaine in the Brain: The Anthology [Trojan, 2004], and it grew so tiresome I gave up. 

Various - 30 Ans de Musique Africaine: 1960-1990: 7.5 (high B+)

Even though # [multi-artist comp], this one has some historical significance, and Ronnie Graham recommended it, so I'll keep it. It's also on Sonodisc.

Girls Against Boys - Cruise Yourself: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Tabu Ley Rochereau & Orchestre Afrisa International ‎– Seigneur Ley on Tour: 8 (A-)

 

Prohibitively expensive for a live album at A- (probably not actually live, but I have to have some excuse - at least it's pretending to be).

Toni Braxton - Secrets: 7 (B+)

 

# [R&B] [I could also try the self-titled debut, but it gets essentially the same grades, so I won't.]

Chemical Brothers - Brotherhood: 7 (B+)

  

Grade is for first disc, which is #bestof. Second disc - dance remixes - is endless and neutral at best.

Drake - Take Care (Deluxe): liked

Some good tracks. Best one is the Jamie xx/Scott-Heron retread (ie, the title track). Which sounds almost exactly the same as the original. Yet another hip-hop/r&b album that would have been improved by being half its 80-minute length. Four plays.

Neil Young - Way Down in the Rust Bucket: liked

Might be a 7 (B+) or even a 7.5 (high B+), but I generally don't go for vault dig programs like this comes from (or Dylan's similar program), plus it's #live, so I would probably skip it either way. The same reasoning should probably go for A Treasure, which I bought but probably shouldn't have and will therefore probably sell back. My other thought is, do we really need this, Weld, Year of the Horse, and Road Rock?

Tina Turner - Private Dancer: 7.5 (high B+)

#r&b

Various Artists - Tuatara: 7.5 (high B+)

 

I don't collect various artists at B+, although this one tempted me. It is ridiculously expensive though, so I will pass.

Mbilia Bel with Seigneur [Tabu] Ley Rochereau et l'Afrisa International - Faux Pas: notation

Placeholder only. Gary Stewart names this as a notable Rochereau release. As originally configured, three of its four songs are on her compilation Bel Canto, which I will review. The other song, "Motema Ekopona," I listened to three times on YouTube.

Archers of Loaf - Curse of the Loaf: 8.5 (high A-)

Vinyl-only silliness, but I bought it anyway, for several reasons: I was buying a shirt from them anyway; I love the band and want to support them; and it's the finest career summation.

Spillage Village - Spilligion: 7 (B+)

Upped dramatically from downface. 5 or 6 listens. Digital/vinyl only.

The Replacements - All for Nothing/Nothing for All: 8 (A-) [for second disc]

First disc is a greatest hits from Tim to the end. I listened to this once to see if it rehabilitated that run and turned in an A grade comp. It didn't. The second disc is previously unreleased songs. Christgau was right that it makes a great album. Reprise released each disc as CD1 and CD2 in a j-card case in Europe only. I looked into buying CD2 but it was too expensive. So I burned CD2 to disc and put it in a slim case on the shelves. Cover like this:

R.A. the Rugged Man - All My Hereos Are Dead [honorable mention]

:-) [Almost a B+. Beats are good, and some good cameos. Wu especially. But his spitting is literally spitting, and the sentiments are trite (mother should never have to bury children? life began when my daughter was born? (wait until she's 13 and hates you)...]

Seefeel - Quique: liked

:-)

Milo [R.A.P. Ferreira] - Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?! [honorable mention]

:-)

Milo [R.A.P. Ferreira] - So the Flies Don’t Come

:-(

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

 

# [power pop] I would probably buy this anyway, if it were a 7 inch.

Arto Lindsay - Mundo Civilizado: 8.5 (high A-)

 

Cavanaugh [Serengeti/Open Mike Eagle] - Quarantine Recordings: liked

:-)

Serengeti - keep winning (film tv and weddings I): liked

:-)

Tom Ze - Brazil Classics 4: The Best of Tom Ze: Massive Hits: 7.5 (high B+)

 

Christgau gives this a 10 (A+) and thinks it's one of the best albums of all time (which that grade would necessarily mean anyway). I see it more like Hull, who gave it what I would call a 7 (B+). Normally, this would be #tropicalia/bestof, but I have a copy in honor of that 10 (A+) from the Dean, and also as a hedge against me finally getting it one day.