Some record reviews

First, lemme say if there’s a seemingly disproportionate number of 5/5’s (and they are not all), it’s because I mostly try to buy what I think I’m gonna love.

Lucinda Williams, Vol. 5 – Xmas: my new fave Xmas record
Beats out Joey Ramone, doing one of the covers he does.
5/5

Billy Idol, Happy Holidays: my new fave “conventional” Xmas record
OK, my only one. From ’06, it doesn’t rock much (but do compare his version of Run Run Rudolph) to Lucinda Williams), but BI is actually quite the melodicist.
5/5

Joy Formidable, Into The Blue: very cool pro arrangements and production, less emphasis on the guitar, great keys-work and the singing is even better
it’s no longer indie rock, not sure what it is, a little prog, a lot original
one of the most under-rated drummers around, too
5/5

Lucinda Williams, Vol 4 Funny How Time Slips Away: many of the AM radio hits of the 70’s, perfect for her, great playing and her cool, eccentric vocals
5/5

Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Notes With Attachments: I fall into this
5/5

Lucinda Williams, Vol 4 A Night with Dylan: a worthy night
many of Dylan’s hits and some nice lesser-knowns, perfect for her, great playing and her cool, eccentric vocals
5/5

Tal Wilkenfeld, Love Remains: I do like it, but I think it’s over-produced/written/worked, and her voice is fine, but not my “type”
I came for the bass-playing, I got the songs, I’d rather more bass-playing
3/5

Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (remaster): another great re-master/box
the two-disc version, the 2nd “side” as worthy as the first, with selections from different album sessions
excellent re-mastering
5/5

Motorhead, March or Die: “commercial” Motorhead
And so what? You wanna fight, or you wanna ride?
4/5

Steely Dan, NORTHEAST CORRIDOR: Burroughs mighta liked it
… but who cares.
If you are a SD fan, this is a great-sounding set of covers by some of the people that recorded the originals, and some great hired guns (which also describes some of the people that originally recorded ’em, but these are different ones,…
5/5

VU, I’ll Be Your Mirror: VU in royal red
fascinating to hear bands they influenced do them
5/5

Low, Hey What: it’ll grow on ya
if you are already a up-to-date fan, you’ll understand. if yer just getting here, you’ll go, “HEY WHAT”, but if you listen a little more, you’ll go “HEY HEY”
5/5

The War on Drugs, I Don’t Live here Anymore: They moved in with me
… about 3 records ago, kinda a sleeper fave. they’ll never beat “Under the Pressure”, but then, I think no one could. Pretty sure there’s a lot of drum loops on here, always a surprising amount of keys, but when he guitars, when he sings – no one current is better.
5/5

Gov’t Mule, Blues Delux: I’m stubborn
I like my Mule to rock, and this often goes too trad – it’s well done, but I’ll go back to the originals if I wanna hear ’em done like they were, cool as it is for Haynes and co. to get there.
And yet, there are a cuppla very strong originals and also covers,…
3/5

Luicinda Williams, Jukebox 2 Southern Soul: the other 4 records in this series are that much better, and this is really good, just my least fave of the “genres” she’s doing – it’s a little MOR-ish.
4/5

Nebula, Live in the Mojave: Love it
I’m not sure I could ever give any stoner rock album (except by QOTSA) five stars – be definition it’s not dynamic, sophisticated, pretty, or mainstream. But man, is it cool, made for tequila with bee
4/5

Gang of Four, The Problem of Leisure: Notta Problem
This is sucha cool record that even non-Go4 fans will dig a lot of it – some really creative re-arrangements and even re-imaginings of already unique songs. And the fact that some songs are covered by more than 1 artist is actually bonus. Andy Gill will be missed,…
5/5

James McMurtry, The Horses and the Hounds: Tied for America’s best current songwriter
.. with Jason Isbell, McMurtry is a little older, a little meaner, a little more classically literate, both consistently the best around in all relevant categories of americana*.

*defined as , it ain’t just country, folk, rock or story-tellin’ or jams -…
5/5

Billy Gibbons, Hardware: So much better
… than his other solo work. He not only makes me boogie, he makes me laugh along with him.
5/5

Michael Shrieve, Two Doors: Esoteric
Best with a brandy, late at night …
4/5

Screaming Females, All At Once: Not even gradually
… can I get into this, which is disappointing. They are good players, I think it’s the writing that fails. And she’s so good on that cover with Garbage …
3/5

Lucinda Williams, Jukebox 1 Runnin’ Down a Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty: Best of the 4, sofar?
mmmmmmm, tied with the Dylan; I eagerly await the Stones record.
5/5

Dinosaur, Jr., Without a Sound: Actually, the sound
… of my second yout’. But then, I’m a Mascis fan for years now, even have his jazzmaster.
5/5

Dinosaur, Jr., Sweep It Into Space: Always 5 stars
Yes, I’m a fanboy, but this is really good, and incrementally they keep changing, and Lou always hits one into orbit per record, as J. hits, 4? 5? into outer space.
5/5

Beth Hart, Live at Paradiso: Blooze power
She’s really something to watch and hear, and the band keeps up.
I can’t wait to play this for a new girlfriend, almost any new girlfriend, to really tick her off.
5/5

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Live at Woodstock: Why just now?
This is fantastic, a real expansion of their AM songs – Fogerty was and is a treasure
5/5

Jenny Beth, To Love is to Live: 8675309 does not apply
This is not my style – techno, dance – but man is it done well, and I love Savages and Jenny is savage.
5/5

The Nels Cline 4, Currents, Constellations: Two sides
.. of this band, the, and you could call one currents and the other constellations but good lucking finding the separation between the guitarists, the avant, the melodic, the rhythms, the leads. Cosmic and brainy and not not-rock jazz.
5/5

Chris Cornmell, No One Sings Like You: No one
… shoulda released this like this – such a waste, and I usually like O’Brien’s work (check out Shaver’s live “Bar” record for him on great guitar, also) but this feels like … product, despite the occasional brilliant vocal moments.
2/5

Jason Isbel and the 400 Unit, Live from Alabama: Love ‘im live
Play it with his latest live record, it’s close onto a concert. When’s one o’ them comin’?
5/5

Tommy Bolin, Whips and Roses:

Tommy
Bolin.
Says it all.
5/5

Cheap Trick, Another World: Fun
It’s fun Trick, one of the only bands whose material seems to improve as it gets older, this is on the pop side, mebbe?
3/5

Bruce Spingsteen, The River: Nostalgia
take me to the river, wash me down
this is like the soundtrack to my only marriage
5/5

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Way Down in the Rust Bucket: Why did we hafta wait?
This should have come out years ago, my new fave live Neil. Try it in headphones …
5/5

Grifters, Eureka: what you’d like
… if yer a Grifters fan, and I am. 3/5