2025 in 2025: Day 194

After a travel through the 1980s and 1990s, let us check out the 2000s...

2000 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

Performing a tribute to Mother Love Bone in Las Vegas just seems like an odd choice. Christmas for me was making some money selling this record!

Highlights: Crown of Thorns [Mother Love Bone; Live in Las Vegas 22-08-00]

6/10

2001 - Dr. Dre

Spoiler: every song where Nate Dogg hits the hook is an absolute bomb of a track. Like, you could have the rudest and most basic verses, but if you roll out Nate Dogg to sing some soulful chorus, LOGMAN is just going feel that. Also, Eminem was so much fun back then.

Highlights: Forgot About Dre (featuring Eminem), What's the Difference (featuring Eminem and Xzibit), The Next Episode (featuring Snoop Dogg), Still D.R.E. (featuring Snoop Dogg)

7/10

2001 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

They almost had something to say this Xmas; Vedder actually sounds like he is putting a bit of effort into his vocals for once, and at least has the decency to get a better singer to sing stuff he can not.

Highlights: Indifference [Live @ Bridge School 21-10-01 w/Ben Harper], Gimme Some Truth [Live @ Groundwork Benefit, Seattle 2-10-01]

6/10

2002 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

This shit is getting so lazy - it is just live recordings every year. And considering they release all their live shows for purchase, a fan club member is doubling up on something they possibly already own. At least they played a fun Xmas song for once?

Highlights: 2002 was a good year, made better by the fact I was no longer receiving the Pearl Jam fan club singles

5/10

2003 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

Again, using a different singer increases LOGMAN's interest. Temple of the Dog were always the better band!

Highlights: Reach Down [Live @ Santa Barbara Bowl 28/10/03 w/Chris Cornell]

6/10

2004 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

I feel like Eddie Vedder did not need to give comparable proof he is not as good a singer as Michael Jackson, but here we are.

Highlights: I spent Xmas 2004 watching the full The Lord of the Rings. Extended editions. Because LOGMAN does everything right, duh!

4/10

2005 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

If these 'albums' had appeared earlier in my marathon, I would have quit and thrown my phone in the river for the turtles to use to order pizza. I do not need to hear Eddie Vedder mumble his way through another Elvis song for the rest of my life.

Highlights: Elvis could sing and had a strong voice

3/10

2006 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

These guys sure put in more effort when it involves a band they genuinely like. Bono is just a pretentious twat.

Highlights: Love Reign O'er Me

6/10

2007 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

Oh hey - they actually recorded Xmas songs! I am grateful this is the last one I have, but I must question why I had anything past 2001 in the first place - I stopped listening to this band by 2002. Just a sick compulsion to collect. I need to take some serious reflection here...

Highlights: Pearl Jam clearly want their fans to be miserable at Xmas

5/10

2009, Year of Us - SHINee

Well, after all that... that... I get hit with the silliest K-Pop song this side of Waikato River. Which is about as far from Seoul as you could imagine, but the sentiment remains... stupid? At least this song grooves.

8/10

3121 - Prince

The title refers to the number of times Prince mentions anything sexual. After the first 3 songs, I guess he lost count?

Highlights: Get on the Boat, Lolita, 3121, Love

7.5/10

7800° Fahrenheit - Bon Jovi

Standard hair metal mid-80s Bon Jovi. It rocks, but not in the most outstanding way that the next couple of albums would. At least JBJ could sing back then.

Highlights: Tokyo Road, King of the Mountain, The Price of Love, In & Out of Love

6.5/10

アーユーレディー - 緑黄色社会

Am I ready? To leave the English language behind for the rest of the marathon?? This song sums up my disappointment with 緑黄色社会; the verses are great and feel like they are building to something, but then the chorus is... something else.

6/10

アイ アイ シンドローム - Charisma.com

Big head-knocking beats, massive synths, solid rapping and dreamy vocals. These ladies really could do no wrong. Except for disbanding. That was wrong.

Highlights: AUTOMADE, NOW, OLHERO, HATE

8/10

ありふれた人生 - 加藤樹里果

I mentioned this girl before - this is the solo album I was telling you about. It is totally fine - believe me when I say I have heard MUCH worse in the last couple of days alone.

Highlights: Single Room, 感謝して生きよう。,ありふれた人生

6.5/10

アルトコロニーの定理 - RADWIMPS

Oh yes, plenty of RADWIMPS incoming! And this is where business really picks up; just the most awesome musical riffs and fantastic hooks and emotion building kind of stuff. I think this is the first album I am going to listen to once I finish things here...

Highlights: おしゃかしゃま, One Man Live, 37458, 七ノ歌

8.5/10

うれしくって抱きあうよ - YUKI

IMO this is the first album where YUKIちゃん actually sings like she can. It is the usual format, but just with so much... soul?

Highlights: プレゼント, 汽車に乗って, 同じ手, うれしくって抱きあうよ, just life! all right!

8/10

カーマイン - ELLEGARDEN

Oh what was that? A new ELLEGARDEN single? Yeah, I cheated a little to include this; they released it after I started the marathon, but there was no way I could NOT listen to a new ELLEGARDEN song. Even one that does not sound like ELLEGARDEN...

8/10

BAH GAWD this day turned around fast!

'Albums' listened to so far: 1974

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2025 in 2025: Day 193

1984 - Ryan Adams

Look, the guy is a total douchenozzle, but I will be damned if this is not the raddest 15 minutes of raw punk rock.

Highlights: Rats in the Wall, When the Summer Ends, Change Your Mind, Push It Away

9/10

1989 - Ryan Adams

Funny that the last proper Ryan Adams album in this marathon is the album that you can actually trace the end of his career back to! Taking a women's work and making it his seems totally appropriate. I think he nailed the style changes for a few songs, and a few it is just like 'yeah, we get it, you are depressed'.

Highlights: Style, I Wish You Would, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Bad Blood

7/10

1989 - Taylor Swift

Due to the production, this is probably the only Taylor Swift I can enjoy - some of the songs have a bit of a Eurythmics kind of vibe, and I really dig that. Bah gawd, Swifties are the absolute worst and make their cult leader even more insufferable. The songs that feel a bit more genuine are the better songs.

Highlights: I Wish You Would, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Out of the Woods, Welcome to New York

8/10

1991 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

The first Pearl Christmas single. Just one simple song and the band recording a message to their fans. There are many more to come...

Highlights: Quick?

5/10

1991 Remixes - Queen

When their studio albums were initially 'remastered' and re-released back in 1991, there was this fun gimmick of a few songs getting remixed in various ways. Most of it involves just adding a bunch of reverb to the vocals and drums. Some got a bit of a dance remix happen. And then Rick Rubin turned We Will Rock You in to a completely crazy hip-hop style thing. 

Highlights: Tie Your Mother Down (1991 Remix by Matt Wallace), We Will Rock You (Ruined by Rick Rubin), Flash's Theme (1991 Remix by Mista Lawnge)

7/10

1992 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

One of the best songs recorded by Pearl Jam and then a mess of samples? You know what? I deserve this.

Highlights: Sonic Reducer

6/10

1993 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

Similar to the 1992 Xmas single, where the A-side is brilliant and the B-side is... not. At least this time it is a live jam where they were being pelted with shoes.

Highlights: Angel

6/10

1994 Solo Recording - Ryan Adams

Acoustic country numbers - sounds like they were recorded during a radio appearance or something? Who the hell wanted DRA on their radio show in 1994?

Highlights: I am still awake - or is that a lowlight?

5.5/10

1995 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

There was no single in 1994 - I must have forgotten that. This one at least features four songs! And they are all live performances of covers - including a performance from the first concert I ever went to. 

Highlights: History Never Repeats [Live in NZ w/Tim & Neil Finn], Sonic Reducer [Live in New Orleans w/Joey Ramone]

6.5/10

1996 Christmas Sing - Pearl Jam

One terrible song about not being good enough for the Olympics, followed by a very average live performance of a song off No Code.

Highlights: 1996 was 30 years ago?

4/10

1997 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam & R.E.M.

Dudes could not even muster the effort to record another rambling nonsense for their fans, so had to get another band to do it for them? Fair call; if I had known that was an option, I would have got someone else to listen to their music for me!

Highlights: I saw Kiss live for the first time in 1997

4/10

1998 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

These recordings of two super bland old pop songs from the 60s were later released to the general public and Last Kiss became a big hit. I wonder if Eddie Vedder had given up pretending he was "very punk rock" by then...

Highlights: So very punk rock

6/10

1999 - Prince

Oh, thank Prime! This is pure 80s Prince R&B pop and funky rock. There is a bit of something for everyone. Especially the sex addicts?

Highlights: Little Red Corvette, 1999, Let's Pretend We're Married, All The Critics Love U in New York

8.5/10

1999 (Super Deluxe Edition) - Prince

Boy, there sure are a lot of 1999-era demos on here. Oh, wait - this is the 1999 box set! For some reason, I thought I was listening to the Purple Rain vault tracks. The really interesting part of these, for me, is that so many of the unused songs just got re-worked until Prince was happy enough to give them a home on an actual album. 

Highlights: How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? [Take 2 - Live in Studio], Moonbeam Levels, Irresistible Bitch, Lady Cab Driver/I Wanna Be Your Lover/Head/Little Red Corvette [Tour Demo]

7/10

1999 Christmas Single - Pearl Jam

Yawn. What a boring Christmas.

Highlights: 1999 with Prince was more of a party

5/10

1999: Promo Mixes & B-Sides - Prince

Speaking of partying like it is (was?) 1999... lots of edited versions of songs - which is kind of wrong, because these songs are classics, but radio is a bitch like that - and a couple of equally awesome B-sides. 

Highlights: How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore, Irresistible Bitch, Horny Toad, Little Red Corvette [Special Dance Mix]

9/10

'Albums' listened to so far: 1956

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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 n 2025: Day 184

The Way It Feels - Heather Nova

Look, it is fine and all, but all very unmemorable and generic. And I kind of understand. But I am also allowed to be disappointed, because I am fairly certain this was one of her crowdfunded albums that has my name in the credits.

Highlights: This Humanness, Girl on the Mountain, Serengeti

6/10

Wayne's World: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is only Dream Weaver by Gary Wright. It is a pretty great song. I really should get the full album at some point so I at least have the full Wayne's World Theme to party on with.

8/10

WCW Slam Jam 1 - Various Artists

The greatest wrestling album ever! Big screaming, big synth, ridiculous lyrics about the wrestlers in question - the best being "He's soooo pretty/It's making me upsetty!". Also, Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat is a family man who loves his wife and son. Seriously, that is all his theme goes on and on about. Just what I want in my wrestling themes.

Highlights: Ravishing Rick Rude (Simply Ravishing), Ron Simmons (Don't Step to Ron), Sting (Man Called Sting!), Steiner Brothers (Steinerized)

8/10

We Are Drugs - Third Eye Blind

I have to admit, I have enjoyed revisiting 3EB. In fact, I had almost forgotten about this EP. It is a bit more of an exploration of whatever was popular in 2016, so there are a couple of really terrible attempts at drum and bass or something? But like most 3EB, it is bookended by absolute brilliance.

Highlights: Cop vs. Phone Girl, Weightless, Company of Strangers, Sherri is a Stoner

7.5/10

We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings

The real punk we learned along the way was the poppiest indie grooves...

Highlights: That's Not My Name, Keep Your Head, Shut Up and Let Me Go, Be The One

8/10

We Too Are One - Eurythmics

There is something about this album I find awfully generic - what is it with that happening a lot lately?!? - yet I find this album quite beautiful lyrically. Annie Lennox always has brilliant lyrics. 

Highlights: The King and Queen of America, You Hurt Me (And I Hate You), How Long?, Angel

7/10

We Will Rock You - Queen + Five

Legitimately the most embarrassing moment in Queen's 50 year career.

MINUS FIVE STARS

Weezer - Weezer

Look, Rivers Cuomo is a gross creepo and Weezer are absolute dogshit. But I will be damned if this is not a super fun album. 

Highlights: Holiday, Buddy Holly, In The Garage, My Name is Jonas

8.5/10

Weird Tales of the Ramones - Ramones

I need to get out one day and jam some acoustic Ramones songs for busking one more time before I get too old and too useless. Or maybe being old and useless will make the experience more awesome? One day I will ditch this set and get all the individual albums, but that will probably also be when I am old and useless. The first two discs are just absolute killer, and the third is... actually pretty cool; I have generally had a less than positive impression of the group once Dee Dee left, but when I actually listen to this I change my mind. Ramones were awesome from beginning to end!

Highlights: Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La), Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love), Sheena is a Punk Rocker, Rockaway Beach, Don't Come Close, Glad to See You Go, Slug [Demo], I Wanna Be Sedated

8/10

Welcome 2 America - Prince

I am not sure why Prince decided to bury this album, yet still go on tour in support of it. Prince did a lot of things I did not understand. It is all pretty soulful, with a dash of dirty funk.

Highlights: 1000 Light Years From Here, Stand Up and B Strong, One Day We Will All B Free, Welcome 2 America

7/10

Whammy! - The B-52's

This may well be the most new wave silliness of all the new wave I own. Quirky lyrics, repetitive guitar licks, spooky keyboard sounds, Fred being Fred. 

Highlights: Trism, Queen of Las Vegas, Whammy Kiss

6/10

What a Waster - The Libertines

Just a quick couple of trashy punk songs.

Highlights: I Get Along

8/10

What About Now - Bon Jovi

Really, from the first attempt at a guitar solo, it becomes glaringly obvious Richie Sambora was not in the studio for this bland nothingness. His tone and style is unmistakable. As is Jon Bon Jovi's everyman schtick - which really grows old on this.

Highlights: Every Road Leads Home to You - Richie Sambora, every other moment where Sambora graced the recording sessions

5.5/10

What The Sea Wants The Sea Will Have - Sarah Blasko

Somewhat ethereal and always interesting. A little bit more going on here than her debut - possibly a little more adventurous, but still very much moody indie folk pop rock kind of thing?

Highlights: Hammer, Always on This Line, [explain], Planet New Year

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1829

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2025 in 2025: Day 181

Up Your Alley - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan goes full on 80s rock here - and she nails it, of course. It is good hard rocking fun!

Highlights: I Hate Myself For Loving You, Tulane, Just Like in the Movies, Ridin' With James Dean

7.5/10

Urban Hymns - The Verve

For as much as Oasis are THE band that defines Britpop in the 90s, this album may have been the last great album of the era. It is equal parts psycadelic swagger and big epic ballads. Like, some of these songs are just massive. And awesome.

Highlights: The Rolling People, Sonnet, Bitter Sweet Symphony, Weeping Willow

8/10

Ursa Major - Third Eye Blind

This is my reminder to finally get the uncensored version of this album. This is always such a tough album for me; Arion missing on bass is sad and my initial thoughts on Tony as a guitarist and overall fit for the group were not high. And it does happen to feature the absolute worst 3EB song in existence (One In Ten). In fact, the whole middle section is pretty mediocre. The start and the endings? Oh, those are some of the best gawdamn songs on the planet! The vocal layering in Sharp Knife is absolute perfection.

Highlights: Sharp Knife, Bonfire, Don't Believe a Word, Can You Take Me

7.5/10

Use Your Illusion I - Guns N' Roses

Despite the online nonsense I seem to read these days, this album actually serves as a solid follow up to Appetite for Destruction; it is still pretty much the same sort of vibe, just a little bloated, but it is the more "fun hard rock" Use Your Illusion album. Only a couple of big epics on this one, and they are absolutely brilliant.

Highlights: Coma, Don't Cry (Original), November Rain, Bad Obsession

8/10

Use Your Illusion II - Guns N' Roses

Look, I did not want this to be the case... but... I think this may be GnR's strongest album. It is a helluva vibe! Angry bordering on punk rockers and massive sprawling epics with the tastiest guitar solos like Slash is playing a hot fudge sundae. And I am going to give 60% of the credit to Duff. He is my new rock'n roll hero.

Highlights: Estranged, You Could Be Mine, Civil War, Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics), Locomotive

9/10

V is for 

The Vacation - The Vacation

Another $1 CD find - classic mid-00s raw rock, channeling fun and mindless 70s & 80s hard rock like AC/DC. Why do I have no AC/DC in my library? Does anyone else find that kind of weird?

Highlights: Trash, Make Up Your Mind, No Hard Feelings, W.I.I.F.M.

6.5/10

Vampire Weekend Covers - Ryan Adams

A dude I have issues with, recorded on social media covering songs by a band I do not know. Cool...

Highlights: short

4/10

Vampires (Paxam Singles Series, Vol. 3) - Ryan Adams

This feels like more of an EP than a single. And EP of stupid bullshit bookended by actual songs?

Highlights: Vampires

5/10

The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale - Prince

Pretty sure these are basically unfinished songs... but are still pretty funky and a good time, for the most part. Definitely not a real Prince album, however.

Highlights: It's About That Walk, 5+ Women

6/10

Veni Vidi Vicious - The Hives

Even more raw and rebellious than Tyrannosaurus Hives. I do not believe any band personifies punk rock the way The Hives do.

Highlights: Die All Right!, Main Offender, The Hives-Introduce the Metric System In Time, Supply and Demand

7.5/10

Version - Mark Ronson

This is purely the jam with Amy Winehouse, Valerie. Bah gawd this is a jam.

10/10

Version 2.0 - Garbage

Much more of a polished pop album than their debut - a lot less darker, at least musically. A bit more of a focus on dancier beats and hooks. No idea what type of flying train Shirley Manson is riding from Tokyo to Los Angeles...

Highlights: Special, When I Grow Up, Push It, Temptation Waits

7.5/10

The Very Best of - Dolly Parton

I only have Jolene. I should have songs like 9 to 5, but we already know LOGMAN is lame...

8/10

The Very Best of - Hues Corporation

This is the only corporation you should be a part of. And the only song I have is Rock The Boat. Man, this song used to mess me up live. Too many random chords changes in the verses. But I sure did love going "Rock on with your badself!"

9/10

The Very Best of Bonnie Tyler - Bonnie Tyler

And by "Very Best of", I am specifically talking about Holding Out For a Hero and Total Eclipse of the Heart. The former always invokes images of Short Circuit 2. The latter is just an absolutely glorious power ballad of the highest extremes.

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1785

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2025 in 2025: Day 164

Sinner - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

I am not sure if it is just the production, but this album rocks and Jett's voice goes hard! Somewhat more consistent than some of her 80s album and a bit more solidly punk. Also opening with some mocking of George W. Bush is a great way to set the tone.

Highlights: A.C.D.C., Riddles, Tube Talkin', Everyone Knows, Bad Time

7.5/10

Sinner - Drowning Pool

Thankfully this is only the song Bodies. It is a key musical ingredient in one of the greatest scenes in cinema history.

8/10

Siren - Heather Nova

Heather Nova hitting some serious pop hooks. beautiful soaring ballads and even some kinda sexy grooves. And my man David Ayers makes his guitar sound like various animals and contraptions to help take some of the songs to another level. This may well be her chilled-out pop masterpiece.

Highlights: Winterblue, London Rain (Nothing Heals Me Like You Do), Heart and Shoulder, Ruby Red

9/10

Six60 - Six60

I can kind of understand why these guys are so popular; some pretty cool guitar riffs, basic vocals anyone can sing, and all pretty harmless. And New Zealander's love to celebrate mediocrity. But, yeah, it is not the worst album a New Zealand group has released.

Highlights: Only to Be, Run for It, Take it from Here

6/10

sixxxxxx - Ayumi Hamasaki

Fun cheesy bops, somber ballads, Ayu thinking she is Linkin Park. This EP covers everything and does not waste time with any pretentious nonsense. And this was only 4 months after the glorious A ONE album. Legends will be told of how amazing she was before the fall...

Highlights: Step by Step, Sorrows, Summer Diary, Sky High

10/10

Skin of a Stone - Dead Flowers

Early 90s New Zealand grunge? Hard rock? Metal? It has to be one of the earliest rock songs featuring Maori vocals, right? I remember the time when Wildside was the record label for all the alt rock acts - pretty sure most New Zealand albums I bought were on that label.

Highlights: Plastic, Underground, Someday, Mihi

7/10

Skull & Bones - Cypress Hill

I really need to track down Sen Dog's nu-metal band, because enlisting the drummer from Rage Against the Machine to help you get heavy is always a winner. The first disc is standard Cypress Hill; do not smoke all their weed, they are bad dudes, etc. When I listen to Cypress Hill, I know what I am signing up for. Except for this 'Bones' disc.

Highlights: Valley of Chrome, Can't Get the Best of Me, Certified Bomb, Dust

7/10

Sky is the Limit - Drunken Tiger

It is funny how much these dudes like to shout out American rappers and their songs like they know who they are, but I guess they are trying to help make sure Korean kids know that Wu-Tang Clan are not something to fuck with?

Highlights: Jam Skhool (U Need To Learn Tho), 8:45 Heaven, 행복의 조건 (희망승일), 내가 싫다

7/10

The Skylarks - The Skylarks

Ryan Adams doing early bad grunge or something. Sounds like it was recorded on a tape recorder in the middle of a practice space. Covering Madonna shows he was always abusive to women!

5/10

Slap-Happy - L7

L7 move to a more "modern" sound, so now as they approach the millenium they sound like they are in 1993? 

Highlights: Livin' Large, Stick to the Plan, Mantra Down

6.5/10

The Slaughterhouse - Prince

Prince releasing self-produced funky tunes on the internet for his fans ONLY was peak internet. And then fans spreading it online for free is what the internet was for...

Highlights: Northside, Peace, Props 'N' Pounds, Y Should Eye Do That When Eye Can Do This?

7/10

Slave to the Grind - Skid Row

This album came out at exactly the wrong time. It should have been massive. It certainly was popular with me and my friends in 1995 when we realised just how hard it rocked. Still kind of hair metal (which is a good thing) but with some serious edge. Sebastian Bach well have had the best voice in all of the genre.

Highlights: Wasted Time, In a Darkened Room, Monkey Business, Riot Act

9/10

Sleeping With Ghosts - Placebo

This album is actually more enjoyable than I expected. I had a fairly negative idea of this band, because I am not a fan of the singer's voice, but there are some genuinely great songs in here. Much more pop and a little grand.

Highlights: The Bitter End, This Picture, Sleeping With Ghosts, Bulletproof Cupid

6.5/10

Sleepless in Brooklyn - [Alexandros]

Fairly standard Japanese fake indie pop. Like, it is good, but there is very little outstanding. The vocalist totally reminds me of the dude from Grinspoon, sometimes. The music does not at all!

Highlights: 明日、また, LAST MINUTE, Mosquito Bite

6.5/10

Slef Portait - The Shit

This is quite the concept album; it tells the story of a disturbed individual that is plotting to kill someone, and then does, attempts to kill themselves also, and then ends up in prison. It is all a bit cryptic, but the artistic storytelling is very moving. Boyz II Men can sing awesome as hell.

Highlights: I'm Going to Kill You, You're Dead, Oops You're Dead, I'm Going to Kill Myself in the Face, I Can't Make Records Anymore Cause I'm In Prison

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1535

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2025 in 2025: Day 162

Sign O' The Times - Prince

Mostly minimalist, mostly just Prince. Somewhat psychedelic pop. And mostly funky. Probably as brilliant as it is funky.

Highlights: I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, U Got the Look, Sign O' the Times, It

8/10

Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe) - Prince

Three discs and four hours of outtakes, demos, rehearsals and whatnot from The Vault. And most of it is absolutely essential listening. Some seriously exceptional songs here and some epic big funky jams. This is what happens when you plan to make three albums and then try and whittle those down to one. Those Camille songs sure are fire. I also love that one of these demos still has the click track in there. 

Highlights: Soul Psychodelicide, In a Large Room with No Light, Love and Sex, Crucial, Emotional Pump

7.5/10

Sign O' The Times: Promo Mixes and B-Sides - Prince

The b-sides are all sorts of funky good times. And it never hurts to get a good extended mix of an already awesome Prince song. Someone talk to his estate about getting us more of these Super Deluxe Editions.

Highlights: Shockadelica, U Got the Look (Long Look, Shockadelica (12" Long Version), La La La He He Hee

8/10

Significant Other - Limp Bizkit

Between this and Eminem, 1999/2000 sure was the time to be a young angry white boy. And as much as we all like to make fun of Fred Durst, this album has a lot of fun moments. The downer stuff is just a downer, but when songs are less serious and mostly just Durst yelling about Ken Shamrock and being tough and broke (which also applies to Ken Shamrock?), that right there is my jam. Also, Method Man is pretty great.

Highlights: Just Like This, I'm Broke, Nobody Like You, Break Stuff

7.5/10

Silk Cuts - Various Artists

Another one of these big long remix albums. This time featuring a lot of classic UK garage tracks and a little bit of US hip-hop & R&B. 

Highlights: All Good - De La Soul & Chaka Khan, Do You Really Like It? - DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies, Flowers - Sweet Female Attitude, Course Bruv - Genius Crew, Gotta Get Thru This - Daniel Bedingfield

7/10

silver lining - LAMP IN TERREN

This dude has moments with his voice that legit give me chills. This is all just really strong driving emo-tinted indie rock. And I dig it.

Highlights: L-R, 緑閃光, send me, ゴールド・ルーズ, balloon

7.5/10

The Simpson Sing the Blues - Various Artists

Is this the most hilariously dated album in my entire library? It is even cheesier and sillier than I remembered; this is possibly the least rockin' version of School Days I have ever heard, Homer singing a blues rock song just makes it sound like a comedy moment on the show, Deep Deep Trouble may be the funniest 'rapping' of the 90s, and Lisa almost sounds like my girl YUKI when she sings. Marge and Homer singing a duet is absolutely funnier than any episode of The Simpsons in the last 25 years! As usual, Mr. Burns wins the song wars of Springfield!

Highlights: Look At All Those Idiots - Mr. Burns & Smithers, Do The Bartman - Bart Simpson, Sibling Rivalry - Bart & Lisa Simpson

6/10

Sing When You're Winning - Robbie Williams

I only have the one song here - Let Love Be Your Energy - because I never had much interest in the other songs from this album. His first two seemed pretty cool. This song is awesome.

9/10

SINGALONG - 緑黄色社会

While nowhere near as amazing as their debut album, this still has its share of highs and is pretty solid. Less indie pop and more radio friendly. This is what happens when you get signed to a major label.

Highlights: Shout Baby, あのころ見た光, Mela!, スカーレット

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1509

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2025 in 2025: Day 160

The Scandalous Sex Suite - Prince

Remixes of Scandalous from the Batman soundtrack. One has a big extended guitar solo, one has Kim Basinger talking like Prince is trying to mack on her.

Highlights: That big guitar solo?

6.5/10

Scary Monsters - David Bowie

80s Bowie is just a lot of fun with his oddity. And funky basslines. 

Highlights: Ashes to Ashes, Fashion, Kingdom Come, Teenage Wildlife

7/10

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

Is this gayest album of 2004? Turning Pink Floyd into a club dance song would certainly suggest that. The whole thing just constantly switches between Elton John doing 70s pop and late 90s club remixes. 

Highlights: Music is the Victim, Take Your Mama Out, Filthy/Gorgeous, Laura

6.5/10

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

Super hipster indie rock all the way, but some of it is pretty good. Especially the songs performed by the bands in the movie. I would totally go to a Sex Bob-omb concert.

Highlights: We Are Sex-Bob-omb - Sex Bob-omb, Black Sheep - Metric, Teenage Dream - T-Rex, Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene

6.5/10

Scoundrel Days - a-ha

More of the usual from these dudes, somewhat darker? It was the mid-90s, so everyone was on that kick, but it is still kind of a mature pop thing.

Highlights: Cry Wolf, Manhattan Skyline, Scoundrel Days, The Swing of Things

7/10

Scream & Shout [Single] - will.i.am

It says Britney Spears is here, but is that her doing the British speaking voice? Repetitive trash. Which could apply to almost every song by will.i.am or Britney Spears.

4/10

Sea Change - Beck

This was the album that got me interested in Beck; it is more acoustic and introspective than anything else he had released to that point, and that was the sort of thing I saw myself doing. There are some good songs, but some of it is a bit... uninteresting. All very chill. Particularly compared to his other work.

Highlights: Sunday Sun, Lost Cause, Lonesome Tears

6/10

Second Sighting - Frehley's Comet

Nothing as catchy as the debut Frehley's Comet album, but still pretty decent Ace Frehley rock album. His style never changes. And that was a good thing. RIP Ace!!!

Highlights: Insane, It's Over Now, Loser in a Fight, Juvenile Delinquent

7/10

Secret - Ayumi Hamasaki

Big beats. Big strings. Big rock guitars. Big hooks. Big ballads. Big feels. Big anthems. If I ever met an Ayu fan that did not love this album, I would be big skeptical of them. 

Highlights: Startin', Born to Be..., kiss o' kill, BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters

9/10

Secret Samadhi - Live

This was Live trying to be a bit darker and edgier and just ending up being noisier and messier. And half these songs genuinely sound the same. Some really lame lyrics and even lamer guitar solos.

Highlights: Graze, Lakini's Juice, Gas Hed Goes West

6/10

SEE YOU - BiSH

Ah I missed BiSH! BiSH is OVER episode something seven? For every great month, there was a really average month. This was one of the latter.

Highlights: I am wasting my time with this marathon when I could be listening to better BiSH

6/10

Seeker Lover Keeper - Seeker Lover Keeper

Three of Australia's top indie folk women unite to make a super group of indie folk women and the result is... amazing lyrics and killer harmonies. I would say it is possibly a little underwhelming, but honestly it is pretty much what it says it is on the box. And I will always have all the heart emojis for Sarah Blasko.

Highlights: Even Though I'm a Woman, Light All My Lights, Bridges Burned, We Will Know What It Is

7/10

Send Away the Tigers - Manic Street Preachers

The most consistent rock album by the Manics. It is just straight up Summer rock, like they have been listening to ELLEGARDEN all Summer like me! Except Summer is only just beginning. And replace actual Summer lyrics with a communist manifesto.

Highlights: Your Love Alone is Not Enough, Indian Summer, The Second Great Depression, Rendition, Autumnsong

9/10

Seventeen Seconds - The Cure

Well, this sure is a change of pace. The REAL first album by The Cure. Lots of dark space and atmosphere and clean guitars.

Highlights: A Forest, Seventeen Seconds, Play For Today

7/10

SEX AND LOVE - Enrique Iglesias

Enrique and every guest artist he could find! And Pitbull just hanging around as usual. Some of this is just by the numbers, but some of it is a full on PARTY! And the ballads are pretty much all perfection.

Highlights: Bailando, There Goes My Baby, El Perdedor, Physical, Heart Attack

7/10

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

I gave a detailed review of this album waaaay back in the day! And I still maintain it is overrated.

Highlights: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, With a Little Help from My Friends, Sgt, Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1485

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2025 in 2025: Day 152

Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic - Prince

We doing the remix album first, because the alphabet does not care for sensibilities. Some fairly standard funkiness going on, and some straightahead pop rock as well. Teaming up with Chuck D makes for a hip-hop infused groove!

Highlights: Undisputed (The Moneyapolis Mix), Baby Knows, Prettyman, The Greatest Romance Ever Sold

7/10

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic - Prince

On release, the word was the remix album was better. LOGMAN strongly disagrees. Quite fun that he teams up with Sheryl Crow for the best song on the album after covering one of her songs in the funkiest of ways. 

Highlights: Man 'O' War, Baby Knows, Prettyman, Everyday is a Winding Road

8/10

Raw Like Sushi - Neneh Cherry

This is, sadly, only the smash hit Buffalo Stance. Sad because I should have this album and more Neneh Cherry in general. But happy because I am short on time. Give me more of my 80s collection failures!

9/10

Ray Charles & Friends - Ray Charles

And friends? This is Ray Charles hooking up with country music "legends" to record some country music "classics" while LOGMAN asks what in the bejeebus is "this"? It is fun, is what it is. You are a dork, LOGMAN.

Highlights: Two Old Cats Like Us, Seven Spanish Angels, Who Cares

6.5/10

Ray Charles & Friends Super Hits - Ray Charles & Friends

Wait - this is the exact same album but with a slightly different title? And "& Friends" added to the artist?!? See, kids - organising and actually LISTENING to your music collection is important and saves you having to waste your time with the same album multiple times...

Highlights: Two Old Cats Like Us, Seven Spanish Angels, Who Cares

6.5/10

Ray Sings, Basie Swings - Ray Charles & The Count Basie Orchestra

Now this is the Ray Charles I would like to listen to. Big band swing and soul.

Highlights: Look What They've Done to My Song Ma, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Georgia On My Mind, Every Saturday Night

7/10

Razorlight - Razorlight

I remember this being a big change in style from their first album, so will be interesting to compare when I finally to get that album. If I ever get to that album. For more pop oriented, if my memory serves me well. I have a deeply personal memory attached to America and it will never be separated from that, but when I hear it I could possibly listen to it multiple times. That country is such a failed experiment and makes for terrible viewing...

Highlights: America, Los Angeles Waltz, In The Morning, Back to the Start

7.5/10

Read My Lips - Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Modern pop disco does not get any better than this album. 

Highlights: Take Me Home, Murder on the Dancefloor, Music Gets the Best of Me, Is It Any Wonder

9/10

Real - Belinda Carlisle

This very much sounds like a pop rock album from 1993. And some of it really suits Belinda Carlisle's voice; she was a bit raw and unpolished, so it seems a bit more natural than some of her more pop stylings. Like, she sounds like she was a young upcoming artist or something like that.

Highlights: Goodbye Day, Windows of the World, Big Scary Animal, Here Comes My Baby

7/10

Real Life - Evermore

Wow this is turning in to one of those days. Solid NZ indie rock that is actually much better than one would expect.

Highlights: Light Surrounding You, Real Life, Inside of Me, Unbreakable

7/10

The Real Thing - Faith No More

As much as I love Angel Dust, this album shows what this band could do without Dr. Pretentious involved in things, because it is just killer hard rock all through. Very dated with these big loud keyboards, but Sir James Martin of the Faith No More Spiritual & Theological Centre and his Flying V are a driving force here and mostly just gets to let rip.

Highlights: Epic, The Real Thing, War Pigs, The Morning After

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1390

2025 in 2025: Day 147

Pulse - Pink Floyd

In a supreme shock to all in the universe, I am not a fan of Pink Floyd. But I am fan of the song Comfortably Numb. So I have this version of the song. Bah gawd this is one of the greatest guitar solos of all time.

9/10

Pump - Aerosmith

This album rocks so hard. It was actually the first I had ever heard of Aerosmith - I did not even know they were the band in the Run DMC video! Less blues rock and more just massive 80s stadium anthem stuff. Which they took to the next level on the following album. The constant lesson of this marathon is that Bruce Fairbarn was the greatest producer and it is a shame he died to so young.

Highlights: Young Lust, F.I.N.E., The Other Side, What It Takes

9/10

Pumpin' Blood - NONONO

I have no idea what this is or where it came from, but it is fun dancey pop and I dig it!

8/10

Purple - Stone Temple Pilots

Talk about reinvention; these dudes hit it out of the park with a grunge album that kind of sounded like everyone else at the time (except maybe better), and once they had their money they were all 'Hey, we actually just want to make music that sounds like Led Zepplin if they were a bit more radio friendly, but also hanging out at art school with Lou Reed and Andy Warhol, okay?'.

Highlights: Unglued, Lounge Fly, Kitchen Ware & Candy Bars, Big Empty

8.5/10

Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution

When I listen to this album on my own, I swap out Computer Blue for the full version, because that is how it was intended and it lifts the song to a different level. Sometimes I throw in the extended version of Let's Go Crazy for fun, as well. Anyways, this may well be the most perfect album ever made.

Highlights: Purple Rain, Darling Nikki, I Would Die 4 U, The Beautiful Ones, Let's Go Crazy

10/10

Purple Rain (Deluxe Edition) - Prince & The Revolution

Outtakes and rarities from the Purple Rain sessions. Apart from the aforementioned "Hallway Speech" version of Computer Blue, there is nothing that is essential. But there are some songs with thought-provoking titles...

Highlights: Computer Blue ("Hallway Speech" Version), Wonderful Ass

6.5/10

Purple Rain: Single Edits & B-Sides - Prince & The Revolution

In my library, only the Purple Rain album is credited to The Revolution, but they are involved in all of these, so I decided to be much fairer in writing. I am generally not in favour of single edits, but some of these extended versions are pretty great. And the b-sides are all absolute gems. 

Highlights: Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix), Another Lonely Christmas, Erotic City (“Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive”), I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version)

7.5/10

Push the Button - The Chemical Brothers

This is one of those albums where everything is just great and I can easily just rock the whole the thing endlessly. But at the same time, there is nothing that makes me go 'Oh hell yeah I NEED TO HEAR THIS SONG'. I think this was the first Chemical Brothers album that I thought lacked that moment. There is also a sad lack of Beth Orton or Noel Gallagher or Richard Ashcroft. Coincidence?!?

Highlights: Surface to Air, Hold Tight London, Galvanise, The Big Jump

7.5/10

Push Up [Single] - Freestylers

Very heavily Prince-inspired funky disco sexy pop song? I have spent many a year with this song in my head and not actually knowing what it was, so it is nice to finally have that sorted!

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1335

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2025 in 2025: Day 143

Piano Man - Billy Joel

Billy Joel channelling his Beatles influence and meshing it with Americana... does not work for me. And that live version of Captain Jack on My Lives was genuinely better than the studio version.

Highlights: Piano Man, Ain't No Crime, Captain Jack

6/10

PILE - Pile

Everyone's favourite Love Live! graduate with a very... average album. It is not entirely dissimilar to the 女子独身倶楽部 album I listened to yesterday. Look, I am not pretending Pile is some sort of vocal master who could out-sing the likes of Mariah Carey, but she is talented and her voice has something that means she is wasted on music like this. She certainly deserves better.

Highlights: It all kind of sounds the same

6/10

Pinkerton - Weezer

This album was such a bad idea and kind of shows how much of an insufferable pretentious douchenozzle Rivers Cuomo is. He may well be the Ryan Adams of the wannabe grunge kids. A bunch of badly recorded songs with lyrics about sexualising Japanese school girls and how a woman must be a lesbian to not be in love with him. Which is a shame, because the Blue album was fun and there are flashes of goodness in here. Musically. Lyrically it is completely cringe-worthy.

Highlights: Tired of Sex, El Scorcho

5.5/10

The Pinkheart Sessions - Ryan Adams

And speaking of insuffereable pretentious jerks... at least the RHCP mocking is funny? And hilariously ironic that he makes fun of them for having lots of tattoos and he is now the same. That performance on Letterman of Starting to Hurt was really great. Not the first one - the one he did when Letterman was retiring.

Highlights: Starting to Hurt, Mega-Superior Gold, Blue and Shy

5/10

Planet Earth - Prince

Prince let's his guitar rip for a little bit, gets soulful for a little bit, gets his pop on for a little bit, and then inexplicably serves trash for a little bit. This has flashes of his usual greatness, but overall is not the most daring example of Prince's genius.

Highlights: Resolution, Planet Earth, Guitar

6/10

Planet Rock - The Edge of Victory

Hey, look! It's a me! Not actually the full planned album, just some older demos of songs that were planned for the album and a couple that are just here because they rock.

Highlights: Me when I was good!

9/10

Planless Perfection - Hello Sleepwalkers

I do not remember how I described their previous work, but this time at least I hear them as Japanese prog-rock mixed with emo? I really think having both male and female vocalists gives the music a great dynamic.

Highlights: EYES TO THE SKIES, Jamming, 水面, ハーメルンはどのようにして笛を吹くのか

7/10

Platinum Underground - Vanilla Ice

This is weird. Not just because it is Vanilla Ice, but because this should probably be an actual album and is instead a jumble of songs from other albums and only has two songs from this actual album. At least I get to enjoy Ice doing his best Limp Bizkit impersonation. And I forgot that he sampled a bit of Ace. RIP Spaceman!!!

Highlights: Too Cold, Ninja Rap 2

6/10

Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - MC Hammer

This album is a party, no two ways about it. Sure, Help the Children is a bit of a mood killer and would have been a great collaboration with MJ, but everything else is just telling you to get down and have a great time. And Hammer always has a positive message in his lyrics; teaching you the postitive power of prayer, the perils of committing crimes, and that you cannot touch "this". It is possible that I love this album more now than I did back in 1990.

Highlights: U Can't Touch This, Pray, Dancin' Machine, Here Comes The Hammer, Have You Seen Her?

8.5/10

Please Please Me - The Beatles

The debut album from the greatest rock'n roll band! Sometimes I forget how darn fun their early works are. Then I put on an album like this and just have a good old time.

Highlights: Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There, Twist and Shout, 

7/10

PLECTRUMELECTRUM - Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL

Some of this album rocks and some of it is funky. Like most Prince albums. And then a bunch of it just does not really feel like Prince - more Prince adjacent or something. ANOTHERLOVE does feature the most awesome duelling solo between Prince and Donna Grantis.

Highlights: ANOTHERLOVE, WOW, PLECTRUMELECTRUM, FUNKNROLL

7/10

Pneumonia - Whiskeytown

I mean, there are a couple of very good songs on here. Mostly very chilled alt. country offerings. 

Highlights: Jacksonville Skyline, Don't Wanna Know Why, Sit & Listen to the Rain, Mirror Mirror

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1296

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2025 in 2025: Day 140

PAiNT it BLACK - BiSH

I have the b-side, SCHOOLYARD, becuase it is seriously awesome and I was on a bit of a mission to complete my BiSH collection... until they one-upped me by releasing their full discography in one big collection. In a pizza box. So, yeah, this is totally redundant now.

8/10

Pandora's Box - Aerosmith

A massive collection of 70s hits, live songs and alternate takes. It is kind of fun to hear the evolution of Steven Tyler's voice - dude sounds like a drunk having a laugh on their earliest recordings - but, otherwise, this is all very redundant. I have all the studio album tracks on their albums. And the live stuff is not that hot. It does have me looking forward to listening to Rocks, though.

Highlights: Sweet Emotion, No More No More, Nobody's Fault, Walk This Way

6.5/10

Panic - Alexei Sayle

Sadly, this is only Didn't You Kill My Brother? Alexei Sayle is very funny AND a full on Marxist as well. Hooray, the fat bastard! (FYI I am not insulting him, it was a song on his sketch show and I am sure zero people would get the reference, hence the disclaimer instead of just writing something else like a normal person).

7/10

Parachutes - Coldplay

Back when Coldplay were kind of a rock band? I would almost argue indie borderline folk rock, perhaps? Not very happy? Anyway you look at it, I have not listened to this album in probably 20 years and I had forgotten that it is actually very good - I have been too distracted by how terrible they have become. Except for that song with BTS. Keeping everything so much simpler would appear to have pushed them a bit more creatively. 

Highlights: Spies, Yellow, Everything's Not Lost, Don't Panic

7/10

Parade - Prince & The Revolution

Bah gawd this album is so bizarre. I can understand why The Revolution bailed on Prince after this; things are fairly minimalist, without having the normal structure and actual music you would expect from a Prince song. That said, there is still some serious funk and great rock to found in here. I would welcome a remix of this album, because I feel like the bass is sorely lacking and that could make a big improvement.

Highlights: Anotherloverholenyohead, Kiss, Sometimes it Snows in April, New Position

7/10

Paradise - Lana Del Rey

LOGMAN: Oh, hey, I have not listened to this in forever. I do not even remember the songs at all. *Cola starts* This song is not bad... *Listens to lyrics* oh... no...

Highlights: Not that

5/10

Paris (Live At Le Zenith 1992 / 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition) - The Cure

This is a very solid performance, and I am going to credit about 80% of that to Boris and his solid drumming - because the tempos is nice and reserved, almost on the beat and not pushing things at all. Also, I can appreciate how different the setlist is to the other live albums I have from The Cure. 

Highlights: Charlotte Sometimes, Play For Today, One Hundred Years, Close to Me

7/10

Party Queen - Ayumi Hamasaki

This album is the absolute nadir of Ayu's career. And I blame Timmy 100% for his terrible songwriting and attempts at rapping. THAT SAID some of the cringe is actually fun? Like, NaNaNa is incredibly tragic, but boy howdy do I love that chorus for that very reason. And then parts of the album - the songs without Timmy - are some of the greatest songs of Ayu's career? Well, top 20 songs, perhaps. So yeah, I do not know what the hell to say. 

Highlights: reminds me, call, how beautiful you are, Letter

6.5/10 (8/10 without Timmy. Maybe even 8.5)

The Passage - Kebee

Our next installment of random K-Pop songs in my library. At least time, I seem to have about half of the album. This is a bit less hip-hop and more R&B compared to some of the other random stuff I have. It is kind of groovy.

Highlights: Where are the Claps?

6/10

Past Masters - The Beatles

I will be honest: this is one of those compilations that I very rarely pay attention to, which is probably very silly. When I do listen to it, like today, I am just a very happy person, because it is mostly very good singles. And then it gets to 1969 and there are a bunch of killer tracks that I absolutely love.

Highlights: Don't Let Me Down, Old Brown Shoe, The Ballad of John and Yoko, Revolution, You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), Day Tripper

8/10

Past To Present 1977-1990 - Toto

I have never really been the biggest fan of Toto. They are seriously brilliant musicians, but maybe there is something too perfect about them?  However, some of their singles are undeniably awesome. 

Highlights: Hold the Line, Rosanna, Africa, Stop Loving You

7/10

Patient!! [BiSH Ver.] - BiSH

I have been waiting for this! The actual end of BiSH and it is exactly the extreme awesome I wanted. I could listen to this again and again and again... Start the day with BiSH, end the day with BiSH.

10/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1260

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2025 in 2025: Day 137

On the Hour: Series 00 - Christopher Morris

BBC comedy series. This is purely the pilot, which is very funny, but is mostly repeated in the first series.

7/10

On the Hour: Series 01 - Christopher Morris

More news shenanigans. Very British and very 1991, so some of it is either very dated or just goes a bit over my head, to be honest. But always worth having some Alan Partridge talking about sports. I had no idea his wife died! But, hey, "at least you get some time to yourself".

Highlights: Segment on backwards messages in songs, Alan Partridge being Alan Partridge, the environmental tips

7/10

On the Hour: Series 02 - Christopher Morris

And even more in-depth news reporting! I should watch this show again. Crazy that yesterday I listened to 7 hours of Buddy Holly and it was all considered one album, yet this show is split by season. Meh, it makes sense to me!

Highlights: Alan Partridge reviews the Olympic opening ceremony, truck drivers being blamed for the extinction of elephants 

7/10

A ONE - Ayumi Hamasaki

Things kick off with a big rock song - Ayu rock never disappoints - and then we get some big power ballads, ballads, rock, and some full on dance. Ayu's diversity never disappoints. This is genuinely one of my favourite albums; Ayu's voice is at its absolutely peak and there is so much emotion in everything she delivers. And musically this album just captures everything I love about Ayu and more. 2014-2016 Ayu was something else!

Highlights: Out of control, WARNING, Story, Anything for You, Last minute

9/10

One for All - Peter Criss

I am coming in to this trying to keep an open mind, but I do still recall my original review. How can I not?!? And my immediate reaction again is that Peter's voice on this is downright terrible. But you know what? It is not actually quite as bad as I remember. Maybe it was just coming with the low expectations? But yeah, retiring was Peter's best idea in a while.

Highlights: Doesn't Get Better Than This, Last Night, Falling Over Again, Whisper

5/10

One is not a Lonely Word - Drunken Tiger

A couple more random Drunken Tiger songs, because that is how I roll. One of these days I am going to get a full Drunken Tiger album. At least one!

Highlights: Emergency Situation, Memories of Death

8/10

One Live Kiss - Paul Stanley

Paul Stanley playing Kiss songs and his own songs from his two solo albums. His voice is old and the band are a bit much, but it is fun to hear these old 70s solo songs being performed live. Kind of makes me want to make my own recording of Goodbye at some point...

Highlights: Move On, Goodbye, Tonight You Belong to Me, Lick It Up

7/10

One Night With You: The Best of Love, Vol. 2 - Luthor Vandross

This is purely the song The Best Things in Life are Free, with Janet Jackson. The song is with Janet Jackson - the title is not that The Best Things in Life are Free With Janet Jackson. Though, truly, that might just make something free even more amazing. For some reason this is the version without the Mo' Money rap. My collection confuses me sometimes.

9/10

One Nite Alone... (Solo Piano and Voice by Prince) - Prince

This is definitely the most soulful release you will find from Prince. Complete with a history lesson! The minimalist production really makes for something a bit more special and intimate sounding. However, the label on this album is bit misleading; there are scatterings of drums and bass on probably half of the songs. But that is because Prince knew what a song needed.

Highlights: Avalanche, Pearls B4 the Swine, U're Gonna C Me, Young and Beautiful

7/10

One Nite Alone... Live! [Disc 1] - Prince

Not your usual Prince concert; mostly deep cuts and newer tracks - certainly no hits or anything to be found on this disc, at least - and some big epic funky jams. Well, that part is typical of a Prince concert, for sure!

Highlights: Strange Relationship, Muse 2 the Pharaoh, 1+1+1 is 3, When U Were Mine

7/10

One Nite Alone... Live! [Disc 2] - Prince

Less big long funky jams and more hits and whatnot. Although Prince does the best troll-job on an audience by reducing the biggest hits of the night to simply snippets in a medley. 

Highlights: Take Me With U, Everlasting Now, How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?, Family Name

7.5/10

One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain't Over! (Up Late with Prince & The NPG) (Live) - Prince

Now, this is one funky party! The aftershow gigs were pretty legendary for just being wild funk jams, and this features all sorts of funk legends popping in to get down with Prince. 

Highlights: Joy in Repetition, Peach (Xtended Jam), 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton, Everlasting Now (Vamp)

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1222

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2025 in 2025: Day 136

O(+> - Prince and the New Power Generation

This is probably one of my favourite Prince albums; it is not perfect, but he just went so hard with the new jack swing on this. And the funk. And the power ballad stuff. It starts off with a sermon on a mountain and just never lets up. Epic stuff. Also, Tony M gets a bad rap - he really was great on this album.

Highlights: Love 2 the 9's, My Name is Prince, The Morning Papers, Sexy M.F., 7

8/10

Obsessed - Mariah Carey

Mariah sends Eminem to the burn ward! Or something... she sure does not really sing on this like she used to; very heavy autotune and no fancy stuff. Honestly, sounds more like Lady Gaga!

Highlights: Obsessed

7.5/10

ODDINARY - Stray Kids

Fairly straight-forward big beat hip-hop K-Pop styles from these guys. And I mean that is quite different for Stray Kids; usually their stuff can get unnecessarily complicated! 

Highlights: Waiting For Us, MANIAC, Lonely St., Charmer

7/10

Odelay - Beck

I think Beck is rap for white people that pretend to like hip-hop. 

Highlights: Lord Only Knows, Where It's At, Jack-Ass, High 6 (Rock the Catskills)

7/10

Odelay [Bonus Disc] - Beck

Well this was.. pointless. Like spending my money on Beck!

Highlights: I legit could have bought a few meals instead of these Beck albums

4.5/10

Odyssey Number Five - Powderfinger

I do not have the full album - just a couple of decent songs. Which is a gawdam relief right now.

Highlights: My Happiness, My Kind of Scene

8/10

OE: Brazil - Various Artists

NZ dub and similar musicians do Brazilian style dub? Something like that, I think. So it is terrible in two countries? Just kidding - it is not that bad. Good background music, particularly the more bossa nova tracks.

Highlights: 2 4 1 - Barbatuques & Maaka Phat & P. Digsss, Embrace This Place - Funk Como le & Recloose & Tyna

5.5/10

Off The Soundboard: Live In Donington 1996 - Kiss

Reunion tour Kiss! Like most reunion tour Kiss concerts, it rocks; Gene sings like he has eaten razors, Peter drums with inconsistent tempos, Paul continues being a rockstar frontman, and Ace is Ace. I especially love the way he misses his line in Shout it Out Loud, but then jumps in and tries to make it fit. Very badly. And the beauty of being a music festival is we are talking a 90 minutes concert here - so it is just hot fire Kiss slamming it down!

Highlights: Love Gun, Black Diamond, 100,000 Years, Rock and Roll All Nite

8/10

Off The Soundboard: Live in Tokyo 2001 - Kiss

The last Kiss concert! For all of a year. The last Kiss concert with the original lineup! Except one of them got fired before the last bunch of concerts. Regardless, Eric Singer was awesome on drums and this concert kicks the big butts. Why could they not have made this Alive IV?

Highlights: Detroit Rock City, Deuce, Firehouse, Let Me Go Rock & Roll

8/10

Off the Wall - Michael Jackson

MJ with the disco fire! Take away She's Out of My Life and this would be a perfect album of banger after banger. Still a hell of a disco jam as it it.

Highlights: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Get on the Floor, Rock with You, Burn this Disco Out

8.5/10

OLest - Charisma.com

And speaking of bangers, it is everyone's favourite OL duo. Big beats, funky rhythms, catchy rapping and hooks. 

Highlights: 超絶に胸が痛んでいるあなたの上司, こんがらガール, アラサードリーミン, やれよ。

8/10

On a Day Like Today - Bryan Adams

For as much as I like Bryan Adams, this album is a bit of a weaker effort. There is a sequel of sorts to One Night Love Affair - or at least I like to think it is, because otherwise it just comes across as BA ripping himself off. And the man is way too self-aware to do that. I think maybe the whole thing is missing one of those big ballads he always seemed to pull out. Instead, outside of a few rocking tunes and that awesome duet with Melanie C, a lot of the songs are just kind of middle of the road. That duet with Melanie C sure is awesome, though.

Highlights: When You're Gone, Before the Night is Over, On a Day Like Today, Cloud Number Nine

7/10

On How Life Is - Macy Gray

I would not say no to hearing the rest of this album, but for now I will settle for only having Still in my library. Beautiful song. I still maintain that Macy Gray is the worst actor I have ever witnessed. I should watch Fuller House again...

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1210

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2025 in 2025: Day 132

Neon Nights - Danni Minogue

Kylie was all the rage again, so it made sense for Danni to get it on the action as well. This album is a tour de force of discofied electro pop. And, honestly, it defies expectations. Non-stop groove. The mashups are suspiciously well done, also.

Highlights: Hey! (So What), Come and Get It, Put the Needle On It, Creep, I Begin to Wonder

7.5/10

Never a Dull Moment - Tommy Lee

He totally should have billed himself as Tömmy Lee. It is all fairly generic modern hard rock. Like Foo Fighters meets Limp Bizkit doing a... Bowie cover. That last part is for real. I am not sure why, but I genuinely expected better from Mr. Lee. Still, better than any other solo album other Crüe members have released since 1993...

Highlights: Fame 02, Blue, Higher

6/10

Never Take Friendship Personal - Anberlin

Time for some mid-00s christian emo! Such an oxymoron. Or just a bunch of morons? That criticism aside, this is just classic emo rock. Some great riffs and cool screams. Lyrics get a bit pretentious, like most emo, but generally the melodies are on point. I will attest until my dying days that I could have improved A Day Late if they had recorded with me in the booth; the chorus just needed a little vocal repeat in the hook and it would have been perfect. Producer LOGMAN always knows best. Lyrics for that song, though, are super cringe; you are a happy christian man with "a lover" wondering what it would have been like to been "lovers" with your friend? Keep that to yourself, buddy! The first 15 seconds of Time & Confusion are killer. Maybe this album just hits me as something that had great potential and falls just short and that is what gets such a reaction from me? Is that the story of my morning so far?? Why am I writing so much about this album?!?

Highlights: Dance Dance Christa Päffgen, The Feel Good Drag, Time & Confusion, Paperthin Hymn

7/10

Nevermind - Nirvana

I want to hate this album. I want to tell you it is overrated and Nirvana are lame. I want to tell you grunge is lame. I want to tell you all sorts of edgelord nonsense. I really do! But by the time that first pre-chorus builds and the chorus explodes in Smells Like Teen Spirit, there is no use pretending. I know the truth. You know the truth. We all know the truth. I have the Butch Vig mix and it being the superior mix is the hill I will die on.

Highlights: Lounge Act, On a Plain, Stay Away, In Bloom

9/10

New Adventures in Hi-Fi - R.E.M.

New adventures in Ebow! This album is a bit more palatable than Monster, and certainly a bit more relaxed. And Peter Buck clearly just discovered how to use an Ebow.

Highlights: The Wake-Up Bomb, E-Bow the Letter, Leave, Bittersweet Me

6.5/10

New Clear Days - The Vapors

This is only the song Turning Japanese. Very appropriate. Give me more Japanese rock instead, please.

8/10

The New Golden Age (Live At Coachella 2008) - Prince

So this actually opens with Prince live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performing Turn Me Loose, before launching in to a listenable bootleg of Prince performing at Coachella. A fantastic mix of classics and newer material, and a whole barrel of covers done VERY well. And HOLY BUDDY CHRIST OF DOG RIVER not only is the band in good form, but Prince's guitar playing just puts everyone to shame. I thought his solo in Creep - yes, the Radiohead song - was amazing, but then he pulled out some sort of Hendrix-inspired blues solo jamming in Come Together and my face melted and I am dead. My corpse is going to finish my bLog for me.

Highlights: Come Together, Creep, Purple Rain, Turn Me Loose, Controversy/Housequake

8/10

New Jersey - Bon Jovi

This album is better than it has any right to be; I do not think there is another album of the 1980s that even comes close to achieving what Bon Jovi did here. Almost everything is epic in nature, without sounding overblown or overproduced. If you are looking for some of the best straight up rock songs Bon Jovi ever recorded, or the best power ballads they ever recorded, then this is the place to come. There is not a bad moment on the whole darn thing. Not even an average one!

Highlights: Stick to Your Guns, Wild is the Wind, I'll Be There For You, Blood on Blood - but really, just listen to the whole album

10/10

New Tattoo - Mötley Crüe

The Crüe return without all that modern nonsense of Generation Swine - including that awesome drummer of theirs, because Tommy hated them too much and wanted to make rap-rock instead. Things are still showing hints of punk, but it is more radio rock than anything. Definitely nothing as heavy as Dr. Feelgood or where they have headed since.

Highlights: Hell on High Heels, First Band on the Moon, She Needs Rock N Roll, Fake

7/10

New World Disorder - Biohazard

The title is like what happened in WCW when we had the New World Order Black & White, New World Order Wolfpac, and the Latino World Order. Fun times were had by all! Interestingly, this album came out around the same time all that was happening! All this anger at politicians and war and fascism and the general state of the world makes for the perfect soundtrack while tracking the Sumud Flotilla and watching activists get arrested by a terrorist regime.

Highlights: Switchback, Cycle of Abuse, Inner Fear On, Resist

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1165

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2025 in 2025 Day 129

Music Box - Mariah Carey

This is all pretty standard R&B; the usual safe songs with ridiculous over the top (but awesome) vocals. The singles/hits were singles/hits for a reason.

Highlights: Now That I Know, Dream Lover, Anytime You Need a Friend, Hero

6.5/10

Music for Our Mother Ocean - Various Artists

I bought this album because I was a massive Pearl Jam fan and it had a random Pearl Jam song on it, so that meant I had to have it. These days I would tell you that song is not so great and would likely be better if a better person sang it. And the same goes for 90% of this album because HOLY BALLS this is mostly just crap covers of songs that have something to do with the ocean, but mostly surfing. Except for Helmet covering Bjork's Army of Me. Like... why?!? Soundgarden just contribute My Wave, I guess because it has the word "wave" in the title. And it is probably the best song on the whole thing. Would you believe they made THREE of these compilations. Luckily, Pearl Jam were not on the second and I managed to live with just a download of their song on the third one...

Highlights: I Can't Surf - The Reverend Horton Heat, My Wave - Soundgarden, Waggy - blink-182, Good Times - Sprung Monkey

6/10

Music for the People - Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Good Vibrations is an absolute JAM and I dare anyone to say otherwise. Marky Mark himself is an absolute POS, and that is a real shame.

9/10

Music from "The Elder" - Kiss

You know, I once read something about how when Ace Frehley was sent a copy of the finished album, he listened to it and then threw it across the room. I would like to do the same.

Highlights: Dark Light, The idea of Ace Frehley throwing the tape while laughing as only Ace can

4/10

Music from Star Trek and Music from The Black Hole - Meco

Meco is at his best doing medleys of themes, so this is what I paid my admission for. I am not familiar with The Black Hole at all, so the second half of this just sounds like variations on the Star Wars themes, to me. Just with some funky slap bass.

Highlights: Star Trek Medley, Meteorites

7/10

Music From the Edge of Heaven - Wham!

Because I am a disgrace to my family and all around me, this is not the full album and only the hit song I'm Your Man. Which is an awesome song. I believe I mentioned this previously, but I really should have all the Wham!

8/10

Music to Crash Your Car To [Volume 1] - Mötley Crüe

I have all the albums on their own, of course, but I kept these collections in here for the bonus songs (after removing the full albums). And in this case, it features the original mix of Too Fast For Love. Which I had never heard until this release. And I gotta say... it is better! Mostly; Vince's voice has either been processed more or re-recorded in parts on the re-release, and there are some musical changes that I prefer (like the intro to Too Fast For Love - I like it just kicking without whatever they had going on here). And I am probably more used to the re-release tracklist/order. So... not really better just different? There are demos and stuff for the next 3 albums as well. Obviously, the demos are not as good as the studio versions. But this instrumental of Wild Side sure does reaffirm for me that it is one of the Crue's best songs.

Highlights: Toast of the Town, Rodeo, Tonight, Piece Of Your Action (Leathur Original Mix), Live Wire (Leathur Original Mix)

7/10

Music to Crash Your Car To [Volume 1] - Mötley Crüe

And we keep the party rolling! The original lyrics of Dr. Feelgood are hilariously bad. And "Ooh! Aah! Kickstart my heart!" is even funnier. I cannot imagine a world where Dr. Feelgood would have been so successful, had they not changed these songs for the better. Especially this gawdawful church organ in Time for Change. Then we get a bunch of random actual songs that are mostly kickass. Especially the ones from Decade of Decadence. 

Highlights: Say Yeah, Hypnotize, Primal Scream, Rock'n Roll Junkie, Angela, Anarchy in the U.K.

7/10

Musicology - Prince

School is in! This just a straight-up no-nonsense album, full of funky cuts, bluesy guitars and sexy jams. About as "classic Prince" as you could ever imagine from the man in 2004.

Highlights: Call My Name, If Eye Was the Man in Your Life, The Marrying Kind, Refletion

8/10

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

This is the album of a millionty cameos. Oh look - here comes Alicia Keys to just shout "Whoa-whoa" and here is Elton John to sing three words! This is also the only Nicki Minaj rap that was ever any good. Meanwhile, Kanye is just even grosser than usual. And Jay-Z embarrasses him on his own songs, again. Twice, even!

Highlights: Power, All of the Lights, So Appalled, Runaway

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1140

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2025 in 2025: Day 127

Mosaic - Wang Chung

Everybody have fun tonight! This is just peak 80s pop in all its glory. And there is a surprising amount of angry swearing at how our capitalist society is destroying our world!

Highlights: Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Let's Go, The World in Which We Live

7/10

Most of All: The Best of - Debbie Harry

Blondie were pretty cool. And Debbie Harry herself is cool. But... her solo work is pretty naff. Outside of a couple of songs, it is all very uninspired and only shows that her voice was pretty average. I am not saying someone like Mariah Carey could have made these songs more worthwhile... actually, her duetting with Iggy Pop would have been wild.

Highlights: I Want That Man, French Kissin' in the USA, Free to Fall, In Love With Love

6/10

Mother Love Bone - Mother Love Bone

These dudes had great riffs. A lot of great riffs. It is just that, in general, the rest of the song did not follow up on said great riff as well as you would want. BUT when they got it right, they really got it right. Despite the hype, I do not think they would have been any bigger had Andrew Wood lived.

Highlights: Stardog Champion, This is Shangrila, Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, Gentle Groove

7/10

Mötley Crüe - Mötley Crüe

When this came out, I remember people using all sorts of weird genre terms to describe; thrash metal, death metal, grunge... none of them at all accurate. People just looked at images and decided that was the sound. What it DOES sound like, is awesomeness. This is still kinda Mötley Crüe - just with a different singer. And big balls. New (temporary?) singer John Corabi's voice is so different to Vince Neil's, that it always amazes me he was their first choice. It's really a good mix of the heavier/darker songs and a little more radio-friendly rock, plus Droppin' Like Flies is sort of prog? Maybe kinda not really. Smoke the Sky is some sort of ode to marijuana usage - which is odd coming from guys that were supposed to be completely free of alcohol and drugs at this point (I mean, I'm pretty sure I saw Tommy knocking back champagne when I went to his DJ gig a few years back, but whatever). Honestly, when this album came out, I know I bought in to all the negative press around it - being a big fan of the original line-up, it was hard not to. But within a few years, I was able to realise that this album is actually darn awesome. Really darn awesome.

Highlights: Misunderstood, Hooligan's Holiday, Power to the Music, Welcome to the Numb

8/10

Mountain Top [Single] - ELLEGARDEN

When this was first released, it was never going to live up to my expectations; the first single in 16 years, the first piece of recording since their reunion, and just something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. It has since grown on me and definitely appreciate it a lot more. Still sounds kind of generic rock, but at least the lyrics are great. And ELLEGARDEN are back, mofos!

8/10

The Movie - The Shit

This may well be Ryan Adams' best work ever. Certainly his greatest lyrics. A lot of Andy Fiddlesticks, Jo Jo the Parrot and punching in the nuts. KING FUCKING KONG!!!

Highlights: Honky Tonk Ba-Donkey Kong, Jimmy, Blue as a Zoo, Taco Bell in Bed, Problems

9/10

MPLSound - Prince

I only just discovered what the MPLS stands for. I am not American, okay? This is a total solo Prince album and it is just funky pop all the way. By Prince standards, it is... mediocre. Like, he probably just sat down at the computer and pumped this all out in like half a day.

Highlights: No More Candy 4 U, (There'll Never B) Another Like Me, Valentina, Ol' Skool Company

7/10

Mr. Bad Guy - Freddie Mercury

Hard to believe this was his only real solo album. It is almost what you would expect; lots of keyboards, synths and dance beats, but a lot less layered vocals than a Queen album. I get the feeling that is more of a Brian May thing. The songs reworked for Made in Heaven sound better there.

Highlights: Made in Heaven, I Was Born to Love You, Mr. Bad Guy

6.5/10

Mr. T's Commandments - Mr. T

The greatest man ever is here to tell you how to be better. The most important 30 minutes of your life, outside of watching Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool.

Highlights: The Toughest Man in the World, Mr. T Mr. T, You Got to Go Through It, The One and Only Mr. T

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1120

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2025 in 2025: Day 120

LOVE YOURSELF 承 `Her` - BTS

These bad dudes hitting with a quick and killer EP. Pretty much just 8 awesome dance tracks. DNA has to be one of their most complete songs and MIC Drop is just straight heavy hip-hop.

Highlights: DNA, Best of Me, Pied Piper, MIC Drop

9/10

Love. Angel. Music. Baby. - Gwen Stefani

I was never a big fan of this album, outside of a few songs. Listening back some 20 years later and bah gawd her appropriation of Japanese is such a super lame way to try and be cool. Bitch can't even pronounce Harajuku properly. And lyrically this stuff is about as shallow and braindead as you could possibly achieve. Unbelievably, the best part of this album features Andre 3000. I guess negative x negative = positive. 

Highlights: Long Way to Go, What You Waiting For?

4/10

LOVEppears - Ayumi Hamasaki

This album is just one big hardcore dance party. Like, this dance beat kicks in and never stops! Even on a song like And Then that is all dark and moody - it still makes you want to dance your socks off. Which would be weird, because how does that happen without losing our shoes? Do your socks just melt because they were made with cheap cotton? Anyways, in spite of Ayu's voice on this album, it is just killer. Always much better than I ever give it credit for.

Highlights: Who..., And Then, End Roll, Fly High

8/10

LOVEppears/appears 20th Anniversary Edition - Ayumi Hamasaki

Did someone say dance party?!? When I see dance mixes labelled something like "EURO Mix", I wonder if that is how they would mix it in Europe. Like, is this how music is European clubs actually sounds? Anyways, these megamixes are kind of fun. The "Millenium Mix" of A Song for xx sounds very much like the album version. And from there, it is just appears, WHATEVER and immature mixed in different ways. And because that was too diverse, the final disc is just appears. I guess that was the original release or something? I would not know - in the year 2000 I was too busy listening to Limp Bizkit and Eminem to know what an Ayu was!

Highlights: being transported back to a Euro dance club circa-2000 which is something I never experienced so have absolutely no nostalgia for it.

6.5/10

LOVEppears/appears 20th Anniversary Edition [Disc 1] - Ayumi Hamasaki

And then we are back to the beginning with the original album, but remastered for the 20th anniversary. Hence the big box set. Sadly, it is the only Ayu album that has been afforded such treatment. I was really hoping they might do something similar for MY STORY, but alas. I have this and the original release on here because there are genuine differences in the audio - this almost appears to be an actual remix, but I could be wrong. I have certainly heard appears enough today...

Highlights: Who..., And Then, End Roll, Fly High

8/10

Loverboy - Loverboy

I really should check out the rest of this album, but of now I will just enjoy the groove of Turn Me Loose. Great song.

8/10

Lovesexy - Prince

This album is such wonderful popfunkrnb. So much fun and danceability.

Highlights: Eye No, Lovesexy, Alphabet St., Glam Slam

8/10

Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 - Various Artists

I only have the song Oh No by Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch & Nate Dogg. And it turns out I even have this on the wrong album? That is shocking. Almost as shocking as how cool this song? Pharoahe Monch has the coolest line of the week.

8/10

Turns out I also messed up my numbering last week and tried to force myself to listen to an extra 10 albums? Not on my watch!

"Albums" listened to so far: 1052

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