This week's album reviews:
- Otis Clay "Soul man Live In Japan" **** stars (classic soul collection that should be in every fans collection
- Kensington Market "Aardvark" **** stars (great late-'60s Canadian psych LP that's been forgotten by the rank and file)
- Richard Hell and the Voidoids "Blank Generation" **** stars (punk for people that don't like punk)
Detailed reviews at: www.BadCatRecords.com
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
LINE BLINDNESS
I didn't realize it, but America is apparently suffering from an epidemic of line blindness. What is line blindness ? Literally the inability to see/recognize a line of people, or vehicles coupled with a feeling of self-importance that apparently enables a person to decide they are superior to everyone else allowing them to simply go to the head of the line, or simply ignore it.
7:05 - waiting for the Fairfax Connector bus. One of about twenty people in line. Car shows up just as the bus pulls in. Young woman gets out of the car, looks at the line of people getting ready to get on the bus and simply ignores all of us and walks on to the bus.
7:40 - Ballston metro stop; people lining up to take the escalator out of the metro station. Amazing to see how many people ignore the line and simply circle around to the front and butt in.
5:20 - Back at the parking lot. Get in my car and pull into line to get out of the parking line. I watch one person drive their SUV on to the grass in order to avoid the line.
C'mon people ... are you that much better than the rest of us?
7:05 - waiting for the Fairfax Connector bus. One of about twenty people in line. Car shows up just as the bus pulls in. Young woman gets out of the car, looks at the line of people getting ready to get on the bus and simply ignores all of us and walks on to the bus.
7:40 - Ballston metro stop; people lining up to take the escalator out of the metro station. Amazing to see how many people ignore the line and simply circle around to the front and butt in.
5:20 - Back at the parking lot. Get in my car and pull into line to get out of the parking line. I watch one person drive their SUV on to the grass in order to avoid the line.
C'mon people ... are you that much better than the rest of us?
Sunday, March 10, 2013
TWO WEEKS OF RECORD REVIEWS
Busy at work the last two weeks so I didn't have a lot of time to post any reviews. Rather than post individual links, you can go to the BadCatRecords website to see these (and thousands more): www.BadCatRecords.com
- Henry Cow "Leg End" *** stars (way too experimental for my tastes)
- Captain Beefheart "Strictly Personnel" **** stars (equally experimental; no make that weird, but somehow endearing)
- Nektar "Recycled" *** stars (not as good as I remembered it being)
- Essra Mohawk "Primordial Lovers" *** stars (critics claim it's a classic - moments of inspiration; moments of dullness)
- Lawrence Shaul "Profiles In Love" *** stars (totally unknown ex-Classics IV keyboard player; great on the soul tunes, but there are only three of them on the LP)
- Jade Warrior "Floating World" *** stars (technically amazing and occasionally mesmerizing, but parts of it are ... dull)
- Essra Mohawk "Essra Mohawk" *** stars (I liked it better than her supposed classic release)
- Av'nir "Av'nir" *** stars (unknown Canadian band that's actually more AOR than progressive - couple of suprisingly good tunes and if they sung in English they probably would have been stars)
- John Martyn "Bless the Weather" **** stars (amazing acoustic guitar player and I liked his voice)
- 8th Day "8th Day" **** stars (overlooked Invictus soul release even though three of the songs are actually from the band 100 Proof Aged In Soul)
- Denny Doherty "Watcha Gonna Do" *** stars (his solo debut and surprisingly good, especially when he channels Mike Nesmith)
- Allman Brothers Band "Eat a Peach" **** stars (yes it's way too long, but damn if it doesn't have a ton of classic tunes on it)
- Chris Bell "I Am the Cosmos" **** stars (hated it when it came out and turns out I was just plain wrong - classic LP that should appeal to all Big Star fans)
- Beggars Opera "Changing Times" **** stars (Their second LP and a surprisingly entertaining spin)
- The Swingers "Thunder and Lightning" * star (litte know Johnny Kitchen project; horrible to the point a couple of tracks are worth hearing)
- Bill Cowsill "Nervous Breakthrough" *** stars (his debut after being kicked out of the family band - moments of specialness, but the flip side is largely dull covers)
- The Walker Brothers "No Regrets" ** (Well, releasing this comeback album should have been a regret - pretty plodding and dull)
- Henry Cow "Leg End" *** stars (way too experimental for my tastes)
- Captain Beefheart "Strictly Personnel" **** stars (equally experimental; no make that weird, but somehow endearing)
- Nektar "Recycled" *** stars (not as good as I remembered it being)
- Essra Mohawk "Primordial Lovers" *** stars (critics claim it's a classic - moments of inspiration; moments of dullness)
- Lawrence Shaul "Profiles In Love" *** stars (totally unknown ex-Classics IV keyboard player; great on the soul tunes, but there are only three of them on the LP)
- Jade Warrior "Floating World" *** stars (technically amazing and occasionally mesmerizing, but parts of it are ... dull)
- Essra Mohawk "Essra Mohawk" *** stars (I liked it better than her supposed classic release)
- Av'nir "Av'nir" *** stars (unknown Canadian band that's actually more AOR than progressive - couple of suprisingly good tunes and if they sung in English they probably would have been stars)
- John Martyn "Bless the Weather" **** stars (amazing acoustic guitar player and I liked his voice)
- 8th Day "8th Day" **** stars (overlooked Invictus soul release even though three of the songs are actually from the band 100 Proof Aged In Soul)
- Denny Doherty "Watcha Gonna Do" *** stars (his solo debut and surprisingly good, especially when he channels Mike Nesmith)
- Allman Brothers Band "Eat a Peach" **** stars (yes it's way too long, but damn if it doesn't have a ton of classic tunes on it)
- Chris Bell "I Am the Cosmos" **** stars (hated it when it came out and turns out I was just plain wrong - classic LP that should appeal to all Big Star fans)
- Beggars Opera "Changing Times" **** stars (Their second LP and a surprisingly entertaining spin)
- The Swingers "Thunder and Lightning" * star (litte know Johnny Kitchen project; horrible to the point a couple of tracks are worth hearing)
- Bill Cowsill "Nervous Breakthrough" *** stars (his debut after being kicked out of the family band - moments of specialness, but the flip side is largely dull covers)
- The Walker Brothers "No Regrets" ** (Well, releasing this comeback album should have been a regret - pretty plodding and dull)
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