Release Date: 1995
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Well, Mr. Browne...we meet again. I was pleasantly surprised by For Everyman. but didn't quite dig The Pretender. So, let's put on the tie-breaker ... Title track sounds a little closer to "For Everyman," so far, down-the-middle '70s soft-ifornia rock. Slow start. … Continue Reading ››
#377
Release Date: 1990
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Uh oh. I'm doomed. 1948-1990. That's DECADES of music. Oh whew, it's only 2 discs. And it's great stuff, so no big deal. Wow, there are an endless amount of compilations out there of his music. But of course, this specific one … Continue Reading ››
#379
Release Date: 1994
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Well, if you want to try to win me over from the jump, throw a Phife cameo rap at the beginning that references A Tribe Called Quest in a almost Marvel comic crossover fashion. Good start. Sounds like vintage early '90s hip hop-infused new Jack Swingish, R&B. "Creep" showcases TLC at their best: solid samples, … Continue Reading ››
#380
Release Date: 1975
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: From the first beat, this classic reggae sound fits like your favorite t-shirt. The sound is like Al Green on the 1 and 3, with the gruff vocals of Toots Hibbert (who to Americans serves as the Kevin Durant to Bob Marley's LeBron James.) R&B, Soul, Rock, Ska, Funk, it's all in … Continue Reading ››
#381
Release Date: 2011
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Well, sort of. I used to try to download versions of this album during the old Napster heyday.
Impressions: Here. Here's a whole box of toys. Some are broken. Most don't quite match. I'm going to spill it out on this table and you can try to enjoy it, or better yet, figure it out yourself. Maybe if this Beach Boys … Continue Reading ››
#382
Release Date: 1976
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: No
Impressions: Proto-punk, proto-New Wave, proto-Talking Heads (with an actual future-Talking Head on keyboards)...but solid, simple...sounds perfect. Velvet Underground meets Punk or something. Again, weird I never really got into this album when I was younger. With the organ like in "Astral Plane", sometimes they sounds even Doors like, but swap Jonathan Richman's nerdy … Continue Reading ››
#384
Release Date: 1966
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: The Who's second album. When it comes to the Who, I probably respect them more than I enjoy them. Let's go...."Run Run Run" okay, but smells a little like the second album lull. "Boris the Spider" is pretty nutty and, of course, being a John Entwistle song, bass heavy. So, I guess everyone in the band wrote songs? Even … Continue Reading ››
#385
Release Date: 2001
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Another late-career Dylan entry. Okay, let's get through this... Bluesy, rockabilly opener. His craggy, nasal vocal style doesn't really appeal to me, but this sounds lighter and looser already. Unpretentious production. Something about "Mississippi" snuck up on me: he's older and been through some stuff and it seems lived in with lyrics like "I'm … Continue Reading ››
#388
Release Date: 1985
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Looking forward to this one. Well, not speaking the language, it loses a little in translation for me. But it's chockful of catchy, quirky tunes that are light, funky and don't have a ton of "world music" baggage. Rubbery basslines, … Continue Reading ››
#389
Release Date: 1989
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Okay, let's give this a spin. (Listens) Hmmm, must have placed a Bruce Hornsby CD on by mistake...no? DON: "Hey Hornsby... don't forget to bring over your piano and drum machine for this track." Sounds like 1989 for sure, with a … Continue Reading ››
