Monday, August 20, 2018


Music Week

Music: current count 30165 [30119] rated (+46), 310 [325] unrated (-15).

Server still down, so I'm writing this for posterity -- not for immediate consumption. Working in seclusion like this made it seem more appropriate to continue using Napster to look up albums in my database as unrated (things I have physical copies of, or had, but they're often difficult to locate in my clutter). I started this a couple weeks ago with reggae and rap, then I started with the rock lists: currently up to rock-90s, although I skipped some 2CD sets along the way, and couldn't find others. The old music list below is mostly '80s. Along the way, I started to compile a list of Christgau A-list albums I missed. Mostly this came into play only after I had an unrated album by an artist: e.g, I had two unrated Anna Domino albums, but Christgau had preferred her first, so I checked it out too; David Johansen (I had Buster Poindexter unrated, but had missed two A- records, and wound up checking out a couple more; another case where I went fairly deep was Freedy Johnston. I had one unrated Kid Creole album, and went further there just to satisfy my own curiosity. On the other hand, after Christgau's A- picks from Steve Arrington and Rick James didn't make the grade, I didn't feel compelled to look further.

I figure I'll keep doing this for a while. August is always a slow month for new music -- indeed, most of the new jazz in my queue doesn't officially released until September -- so I don't feel much pressure to keep up. And with so much shit breaking all around me, focusing on the unrated list saves me from having to do a lot of research. It also, as this week shows, makes it much easier to keep the rated count up. Also, mixing in the Christgau picks where convenient makes it likely to find some A-list records of my own. (Lido and Never Home were Christgau picks, but Christgau didn't even review The Conquest of You and Whereabouts Unknown, so they came as big surprises.)

Along the way, I also took the time to reconsider a couple of records that I had previously rated, but seemed like I might have underestimated way back when. David Johansen was a special case because I recalled a number of songs there with the sort of detail I often have trouble mustering for A-list albums these days.


New records rated this week:

  • Dave Anderson: Melting Pot (2018, Label1): [cd]: B+(*)
  • Bad Luck: Four (2016 [2018], Origin): [cd]: B+(***)
  • Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. I (The Embedded Sets) (2017 [2018], Pi, 2CD): [cd]: B+(***)
  • The Tiki Collective: Muse (2018, Vesuvius Music/Slammin' Media): [cd]: B-

Old music rated this week:

  • Arthur Alexander: Rainbow Road: The Warner Bros. Recordings (1972 [1994], Warner Archives): [r]: B+(*)
  • Antietam: Victory Park (2004, Carrot Top): [r]: B
  • Steve Arrington: Dancin' in the Key of Life (1985, Atlantic): [r]: B+(***)
  • Backstreet Boys: Backstreet Boys (1996 [1997], Jive): [r]: B+(**)
  • Delaney & Bonnie and Friends: D&B Together (1971 [1972], Columbia): [r]: B+(**)
  • Anna Domino: East and West (1984, Les Disques du Crépuscle, EP): [r]: B+(***)
  • Anna Domino: East and West + Singles (1984 [2017], Les Disques du Crépuscle): [r]: B+(***)
  • Anna Domino: This Time (1987, Les Disques du Crépuscle): [r]: B+(**)
  • Anna Domino: Anna Domino (1986, Les Disques du Crépuscle): [r]: B+(**)
  • Th' Faith Healers: Lido (1992, Elektra): [r]: A-
  • Howe Gelb: Dreaded Brown Recluse (1991, Restless): [r]: B+(***)
  • The Golden Palominos: Blast of Silence (Axed My Baby for a Nickel) (1986, Celluloid): [r]: B-
  • Guy: The Future (1990, MCA): [r]: B+(**)
  • Rick James: Street Songs (1981, Gordy): [r]: B+(*)
  • David Johansen: In Style (1979, Blue Sky): [r]: B+(**)
  • David Johansen: Here Comes the Night (1981, Blue Sky): [r]: B+(***)
  • David Johansen: Live It Up (1982, Blue Sky): [r]: B+(**)
  • David Johansen: David Johansen and the Harry Smiths (2000, Chesky): [r]: B+(*)
  • Freedy Johnston: The Trouble Tree (1990, Bar/None): [r]: A-
  • Freedy Johnston: Never Home (1997, Elektra): [r]: A-
  • Freedy Johnston: Right Between the Promises (2001, Elektra): [r]: B+(**)
  • Freedy Johnston: The Way I Were (1986-92 [2004], Bar/None): [r]: B+(***)
  • Kid Creole and the Coconuts: To Travel Sideways (1993 [1995], Atoll): [r]: B
  • Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Kiss Me Before the light Changes (1994 [1995], Atoll): [r]: B+(**)
  • Kid Creole & the Coconuts: The Conquest of You (1997, SPV): [r]: A-
  • Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Lost Paradize Edits (1980-83 [2012], ZE): [r]: B+(*)
  • Lambchop: How I Quit Smoking (1996, Merge): [r]: B+(*)
  • The Leaving Trains: Favorite Mood Swings (Greatest Hits 1986-1995) (1986-95 [1997], SST): [r]: B+(***)
  • Bob Lind: You Might Have Heard My Footsteps: The Best of Bob Lind (1966-67 [1993], EMI): [r]: B
  • Shane MacGowan and the Popes: The Rare Oul' Stuff (1994-97 [2001], ZTT): [r]: B+(**)
  • Mojo Nixon: Whereabouts Unknown (1995, Ripe & Ready): [r]: A-
  • Mojo Nixon: Gadzooks!!! The Homemade Bootleg (1997, Needletime): [r]: B+(**)
  • Ozric Tentacles: Sunrise Festival (2007 [2008], Snapper): [r]: B
  • Buster Poindexter: Buster Poindexter (1987, RCA): [r]: B
  • Buster Poindexter: Buster's Spanish Rocket Ship (1997, Island): [r]: B
  • The Posies: Amazing Disgrace (1996, DGC): [r]: B+(*)
  • The Shangri-Las: Greatest Hits (1964-66 [1993], Charly): [r]: B+(**)
  • The Shangri-Las: The Best of the Shangri-Las (1964-67 [1996], Mercury): [r]: B+(**)
  • Pete Shelley: XL-1 (1983 [1995], Grapeview): [r]: B+(**)
  • Television: The Blow-Up (1978 [1982], ROIR): [r]: B+(***)
  • Television: Television (1992, Capitol): [r]: B+(***)
  • X-Ecutioners: Built From Scratch (2002, Loud): [r]: B+(**)


Grade (or other) changes:

  • Guy: Guy (1988, MCA): [r]: [was: B] B+(*)
  • David Johansen: David Johansen (1978, Blue Sky): [was: B+] A-


Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Kaoru Abe/Sabu Toyozumi: Mannyoka (1976, NoBusiness)
  • Choi Sun Bae Quartet: Arirang Fantasy (1995, NoBusiness)
  • Yelena Eckemoff: Better Than Gold and Silver (L&H Production, 2CD): September 21
  • The Equity & Social Justice Quartet: Argle-Bargle or Foofaraw (Edgetone)
  • Shay Hazan: Good Morning Universe (NoBusiness): cdr
  • Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra: Down a Rabbit Hole (Summit): September 21
  • Darrell Katz and the JCA Orchestra: Rats Live on No Evil Star (JCA): October 12
  • Ernest McCarty Jr./Theresa Davis: I Remember Love (Blujazz)
  • Joey Morant: Forever Sanctified (Blujazz)
  • Bobby Naughton/Leo Smith/Perry Robinson: The Haunt (1976, NoBusiness)
  • Stephane Spira: New Playground (Jazzmax): Steptember 21
  • University of Toronto 12Tet: When Day Slips Into Night (UofT Jazz)
  • Alexander Von Schlippenbah/Aki Takase: Live at Café Amores (1995, NoBusiness)
  • Western Michigan University Jazz Orchestra: Turkish Delight (Blujazz)
  • Miguel Zenón: Yo Soy La Tradición (Miel Music): September 21

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