2025 in 2025: Day 187

Word Up! - Cameo

I only have the title track, which just happens to be a stone cold funky classic. This would appear to be a remix, so one day I will have to get the album version. And the full album.

10/10

The Works - Queen

This is probably their most consistent album from the 80s. Mercury pushed his vocals so much on this album - you can hear him struggling in some parts and it really gives the songs a bit more emotion.

And Brian May's tone is absolute perfection on every song.

Highlights: Machines (Back to Human), Hammer to Fall, Radio Ga Ga, Is This The World We Created... ?

9/10

World Championship Wrestling - World Championship Wrestling

This is just a couple of random themes that should be with the other collections I have, I guess? I am kind of partial to the original intro for Thunder...

6/10

World Clique - Deee-Lite

This is only the single Groove Is In The Heart. Fun fact: on release, LOGMAN thought this song was terrible. 10 year-old LOGMAN did not understand that it is possibly the greatest dance song of the decade.

10/10

World Domination - BAND-MAID

This is just such classic hard rock, with a little bit of old school metal washing over it. It is all such a groove, it is hard to not find it enjoyable. And musically DICE is the greatest rock song on the planet, but the lyrics are so hilarious. But BAH GAWD the music and melody are amazing!

Highlights: DICE, Rock in Me, Spirit!!, Anemone, Daydreaming

7.5/10

WORLD GROOVE - TRF

Early 90s techno dance pop - almost similar to the music on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II & III soundtracks. 

Highlights: WORLD GROOVE 3rd. chapter (main message), 私が望むもの…あなたが欲しいもの (Do what you want)～

6.5/10

A World of Pandemonium - the HIATUS

Crazy how much they toned things down after the first couple of albums - especially that second album. I thought it was connected to the earthquake/tsunami of 2012, but this album pre-dates that and was the start of the change in style. 

Highlights: On Your Way Home, Superblock, Shimmer, Bittersweet/Hatching Mayflies

7.5/10

World Power - Snap!

More early 90s dance hip-hop kind of thing. I never really realised how lewd some of these lyrics are!

Highlights: The Power, Ooops Up, Mary Had a Little Boy

6.5/10

WWF Forceable Entry - Various Artists

I only have the mighty Whatever by Our Lady Peace. It is one of their angriest songs. It was also the entrance theme for a man that went on to murder his family and himself, so... Whatever?

10/10

X is for X. I do not make the rules...

X-TV Series - Various Artists

Bah gawd! I am no expert on anime, but this show is easily one of the best I have ever seen. Death and destruction everywhere. And the music is very fitting; the intro song is super badass dance rock and the score itself is just all round EPIC. And then the outro song is so completely different in terms of style - like a very standard late 90s/early 00s J-Pop song.

Highlights: eX Dream - Myuji, Destiny - Naoki Sato, Secret Sorrow - Kohei Koizumi, A Suite (Dragons of Heaven) - Naoki Sato

7.5/10

X-TV Series II - Various Artists

They just mean the second soundtrack, because there is no Series II of X. Because everyone gets murdered or maimed! I need to watch it again.

Highlights: A Suite (Dragons of Earth) - Naoki Sato, Strength - Kohei Koizumi, eX Dream [TV Edit] - Myuji, Crystal - Kenichi Suzumura

7/10

X&Y - Coldplay

This is where they really became a modern version of U2. I do not like U2.

Highlights: White Shadows, Square One, Fix You

6.5/10

XL - Resorte

Angry Mexican nu-metal! Very much luchador entrance music - which may or may not be how I discovered this album in the first place...

Highlights: Aqui No Es Donde, Hijos De La Bonga, Bastara, Caliente

7/10

Xpectation - Prince

Instrumental jams - somewhat jazzy, mostly funky. There is even a jazz flute solo. And a whole lot of funky guitar.

Highlights: Xpedition, Xogenous, Xpectation, Xosphere

7/10

XX, Vol. 1 (20 Aastat Meteoriitide Sajus) - Smilers

I only have the song Sellel Ööl. Speaking of luchador entrance music... Please welcome the Estonian Thunderfrog! I have not heard this in years - probably since he was brutally murdered by that thing trying to destroy Chikara. That was awful. I am going to revisit Chikara once I finish with WCW in 2001 2026.

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1875

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2025 in 2025: Day 169

Spiritual Minded - KRS-One

I only have the song South Bronx 2002. I will never defend the lack of KRS-One in my library.

8/10

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists

What a wonderful movie. The soundtrack is a mixed bag; I really only got it for Wilco's Just a Kid - which sounds a lot like Urge Overkill. I have not heard any other Wilco. Is that standard for them?

Highlights: Just a Kid - Wilco, You Better Swim - Motorhead, Goofy Goober Rock - Tom Rothrock with Jim Wise, Bikini Bottom - Electrocute

6/10

Stabbing Westward - Stabbing Westward

While a very contrasting style to their earlier industrial metal, it is still their mostly miserable dark selves, just in a more polished radio-friendly package. Which suits my sensibilities even more! Pretty sure 2001 LOGMAN thought this album was 100% his jam. It does not hold up quite as well, but there are still some killer moments.

Highlights: Angel, Last Time, Perfect, High

8/10

Stakes Is High - De La Soul

Talk about no nonsense Golden Era hip-hop. This is the type of album you can appreciate the beats and the grooves, because it is just solid all the way through. But when you focus on the lyrical content as well, it just lifts it to the next level. 

Highlights: Stakes is High, The Bizness, Wonce Again Long Island, Brakes, Big Brother Beat

7.5/10

Stand Still, Look Pretty - The Wreckers

Oh hey, yesterday I was all 'I should have a Michelle Branch album' and here is one! Except it is her doing country music with some other young girl. Probably not so young now. 

Highlights: I am starting to be able to really hear when John Shanks is in charge...

5.5/10

STANDARD - SCANDAL

My girls doing their usual rockin' pop styles, before they got adventurous and even more awesome. At least when they were just doing this style, it is all pretty fun, if not all that amazing. Certainly could do with a bit more Mami...

Highlights: 打ち上げ花火, キミと未来と完全同期, OVER DRIVE, 涙よ光れ

7/10

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - Oasis

I will not pretend this is the greatest Oasis album or anything, but I do see this album as being growth and a little more creative - clearly Noel was keen to experiment a little on the production side of things. And it gives it more of a psychadelic 60s vibe for the most part. I wish they had continued to explore that and just gone full 68 Beatles.

Highlights: Fuckin' In The Bushes, Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is, Gas Panic!, Roll It Over

8/10

Star Fleet - Brian May & Friends

This is the first disc of the mighty Star Fleet box set, which means I finally have the mighty Star Fleet in my CD collection! Because I had been living with the original 12" for many years and was always sad to not have it in my iTunes library to crank up. EVH murdering his string on Let Me Out will never not be funny.

Highlights: Star Fleet [Complete Version / 2023 Mix], Let Me Out, We Will Rock You (Fast) [Live At The Palace Theater, LA / 1993]

7.5/10

Star Fleet Sessions - Brian May & Friends

Things kick off with EVH pulling out the opening riff for the future Van Halen classic Top of the World, and from there it is just an hour of these dudes demoing the same two songs. Which is kind of interesting to see/hear how things progressed in the studio.

Highlights: Star Fleet (Take 1), Jam, Funky Jam

6/10

Star Time - James Brown

Now, LOGMAN is not one to praise a compilation or anthology set for being a necessary own - usually you can achieve everything on those by simply collecting many albums. And we have seen how that actually works for me... Anyway, Star Time by James Brown is five hours of the most essential soul and funk cuts and is absolutely worth owning and listening to again and again. Being compiled chronologically, the first disc is my least favourite. But once we hit that second disc and the mid-60s, there is not a bad moment. Just stone cold funk grooves. Soft funk, hard funk, dirty funk, funky jams. And the fun part is a lot of the songs are the full unedited versions; not the "Part 1" and "Part 2" found on the original singles or albums. And Catfish's solo on Ain't It Funky Now is about the funkiest guitar solo on the planet that you just have to do the chickenhead bop to.

Highlights: Get Up Get Into It and Get Involved, I'm a Greedy Man, Funky Drummer, There Was a Time, Bring It Up (Hipster's Avenue), It's Too Funky In Here, Get Up Offa That Thing (Release the Pressure)

9/10

Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk - Meco

The best thing to come out of Star Wars. The Other Galactic Funk is pretty solid as well!

Highlights: Star Wars, Other Galactic Funk, Star Wars/Cantina Band [7" Edit]

9/10

Star Wars and Other Hits - Stars on 45

This is some type of disco megamix that starts with the theme for Star Wars and then quickly moves on to other awesome songs, like Layla, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Ma Baker, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Bette Davis Eyes, and many more. I stumbled upon this when first trying to find the Meco Star Wars stuff. It is fun.

8/10

Starfish - The Church

This is purely the song Under the Milky Way. It is a solid 80s goth synthwave pop track.

8/10

start over [Single] - BAND-MAID

One of the most pop songs from everyone's favourite band of hard-rocking maids. And probably one of their strongest songs ever. Ending with a bold "I don't give a fuck" is just pure *chef's kiss*.

10/10

State of Mind - Holly Valance

This is only the title track. I recall how much this song was trashed on release, however LOGMAN was like 'That disco beat and the super processed vocals go hard!' Like, it is still kind of terrible, but I still think those parts are fantastic. Temu Kylie Minogue never did anything else of worth.

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1610

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2025 in 2025: Day 51

Daydream - Mariah Carey

Wasn't this, like, the peak of Mariah's popularity? Or was that earlier in life? I know that, at the time, I thought One Sweet Day was the worst possible musical combo in the universe. I think I was just trying to be edgy, because there is no way I thought this was the worst song ever even back then. And we all know Boyz II Men can sing awesome as hell. Oh, now we get Mariah singing a Journey ballad? That's a nice surprise. 

Highlights: One Sweet Day, Fantasy, Open Arms, Always Be My Baby

8/10

Daydreaming/Choose Me [Single] - BAND-MAID

Choose Me is awesome and I am super happy to get some more BAND-MAID.

10/10

Daylight - Needtobreathe

Christian pop-rock time! These guys were pretty popular when I was at church and stuff, but even then I waited until I found the CD for $1 before buying. And honestly, it is pretty decent. Lyrics are a bit preachy and self-important, but musically these songs are solid.

Highlights: Don't Wait for Daylight, Shine On, Haley, You Are Here, Lost

7/10

Dazed and Confused (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists

Oooh yeah, one of the most important albums of my high school growth. Funnily enough, for all the killer songs in that movie, this soundtrack actually could have been even more awesome? But it still rocks. Hard. My CD is actually scratched badly, and so there are some skips and whatnot during some of the songs, so I am on a bit of a mission to replace the whole album with the original albums these all appeared on. I really should finish that off. Also, this version of Rock and Roll All Nite is just odd and I have to assume it was a re-record by the 80s lineup?

Highlights: Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer, School's Out - Alice Cooper, Tuesday's Gone - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fox on the Run - Sweet, but yeah the whole album rocks my socks

9/10

De La Soul is Dead - De La Soul

Possibly their weirdest album. A whole bunch of songs that are barely songs and random skits about people being not good - which are generally fun. Who Do You Worship? is super hilarious. Then the last half of the album features a lot more solid old school hip-hop grooves and I go home happy. Pretty sure I've been singing the hook to Ring Ring Ring for 35 years now...

Highlights: Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey), Keepin' the Faith, A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturday", Let Let Me In

6.5/10

Dear Impossible Foggy Demo - Ryan Adams

I would ask what was going on and what I was thinking with this, but at this stage I think my Ryan Adams collection has more bad than good. Especially annoying when you realise half of these could have been if recorded properly.

Highlights: Sunflowers and Rain

4/10

The Death of WCW - Bryan Alvarez

This is an audio book. It is long. It is Bryan Alvarez reading me through the history and rise and fall of WCW. This is a nice timely recap, since I have been taking a break from WCW viewing these past few months and will be returning to it soon. Also, Alvarez is such a great person to listen to; his voice always accurately portrays his complete frustration and dissatisfaction with what he has had to watch.

Highlights: Lessons Not Learned

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 399

2025 in 2025: Day 45

The Concert for Bangladesh - George Harrison and Friends

Starting my day with a 17 minute Indian stringed-instrument performance. I guess that is one way to ease in to a morning - but it does suit my mood, as I slept later and am taking my time getting my head together. But after that we are in for some good old-fashioned rock'n roll! And seriously, what a killer lineup these concerts had. I enjoy that Ringo forgets half the lyrics to his song. I also enjoy that Leon Russell was just a darn charismatic enigma in this show. He already looked like he was a fifty year-old rocker that had lived a hard life and sang like a man that had been playing in boozy smoke-filled clubs all his life - and he wasn't even thirty yet! Bangla Desh is the best performance of the night, for sure. I hope one day we can get a remix of this album the way they are doing other Beatle's-related albums, because I am sure it can sound better.

Highlights: Just Like a Woman - Bob Dylan, Bangla Desh - George Harrison, Jumpin' Jack Flash/Young Blood - Leon Russell

7.5/10

CONQUEROR - BAND-MAID

Oh my, I had almost forgotten about these young women! This album is not as consistently awesome as World Domination, but it has some fantastic shining moments. Some of these songs are like a better My Chemical Romance. A MUCH betterer My Chemical Romance. I need to check out what they have released since this album and see how good it is. No idea why I stopped listening to them. The drumming on this album is massive and I really dig the timing changes in songs like Bubble. Wow, I can't believe I have to wait another nine months until I get to listen to World Domination...

Highlights: endless story, カタルシス, PAGE

7/10

Conspiracy of One - The Offspring

Original Prankster is more of the same garbage these guys had been releasing with their last album, but then they followed up with Want You Bad - which may be one of their greatest songs ever? The rest is pretty standard fare from The Offspring; nothing terrible, nothing too exciting.

Highlights: Want You Bad, Million Miles Away, Living In Chaos

6/10

Conti Ukiss - U-Kiss

This is just one song and I need to shazam it, because the title is a mess of jibberish. But it is a pretty cool song.

7/10

The Cookbook - Missy Elliot

This is big change of pace. At the time, I rated this album VERY highly. Time hasn't been as kind to it; there are still a bunch of awesome songs, but it just feels like most of the tracks are missing a little something. Missy's rhymes are always awesome, though.

Highlights: Lose Control, Can't Stop, Teary Eyed, Meltdown, Time & Time Again

7/10

Cool as Ice - Various Artists

This is the soundtrack to that cinema epic, starring Vanilla Ice. Great stuff. This is very standard 1991 R'n B type of music. So, Partners in Kryme actually did have another song? I refuse to believe they were a real group. Vanilla Ice really uses these songs to showcase his incredible rapping and rhyming skills. And his softer side for the ladies, thanks to Never Wanna Be Without You - which may well be the funniest ballad ever created. Forever by D'New sounds like 3 people playing keyboard, but can't hear the other 2 people playing. And then someone next door is practicing the saxamophone. And nothing says '1991 movie soundtrack' like an instrumental with dialogue from the movie overtop. Vanilla Ice's parting message on this album is he is not down with... peace??

Highlights: Cool As Ice, The People's Choice, Get Wit' It - Vanilla Ice, You've Got to Look Up - DeREK B, Drop That Zero - Stanley Clarke

6/10

Core - Stone Temple Pilots

I like to pretend that this is not the best album by Stone Temple Pilots, because I like to think Tiny Music is. And I'm right. But, also, this album is, too. Because holy balls does it slam! Weiland's lyrics are all political poetic and his vocals are both powerful and vulnerable, the guitar riffs are massive and with thick distortion, the bass lines are grooving everywhere and the drums are rock solid. There's even a Metallica-sounding instrumental in here. And then these guys refused to ever sound like this again! That was also not a bad thing, because they made great music after this, but this album just feels like peak grunge.

Highlights: Sex Type Thing, Piece of Pie, Plush, Dead & Bloated

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 346