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 175

Their Greatest Hits: The Record - Bee Gees

I am not against the 60s hits at all - they are generally decent little pop numbers, and some of them are brilliant songs - but once this hits the latter end of disc one (the mid-70s), it is GAME ON! 

Highlights: Nights on Broadway, If I Can't Have You, You Should Be Dancing, More Than a Woman, Night Fever, You Win Again, Alone, For Whom the Bell Tolls

8/10

There's Only Now - Eskobar

This purely the song Someone New - a collaboration with Heather Nova. And this is peak Heather Nova awesomeness.

9/10

These Days - Bon Jovi

This is Richie Sambora at his most bluesiest - and the album peaks in places because of it. It also has fairly boring lows, but it is actually a better album than I remember. Or those great songs are greater than I remember...

Highlights: Something for the Pain, These Days, Something to Believe In, Hey God

7.5/10

These Days Tour '95 (Live) - Bon Jovi

JBJ giving a fairly average performance. Luckily this is only a short live EP; a few Slippery When Wet classics, their "current" single, and a bad cover.

Highlights: Wild in the Streets

6/10

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind

An alt rock pop masterpiece. I think some people like to call this "Power Pop" or something, because there is some serious emotion in here that absolutely NO ONE can match. Kevin Cadogan's riffs and licks are what really elevated the songs - something that was seriously lacking on every album after (except for maybe Dopamine).

Highlights: Motorcycle Drive By, The Background, Graduate, God of Wine, Narcolepsy, Losing a Whole Year, Semi-Charmed Life

9/10

Thirty Three & 1/3 - George Harrison

Bah gawd that is some funkyass bass in Woman Don't You Cry For Me. This album always surprises me, because it is mostly very enjoyable and has a bit more soul to it.

Highlights: Woman Don't You Cry For Me, Beautiful Girl, This Song, It's What You Value

7/10

This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Not quite as pretentious as Sound of Silver? Maybe actually more pretentious? Either way, the peaks are high, but not as consistent as their previous albums. A bit more cruising through the indie hipster electro vibes. Nancy Whang is still the winner - her "ONE TOUCH!" is a standout.

Highlights: Dance Yrself Clean, One Touch, Home, Drunk Girls

8/10

This is Not a Test! - Missy Elliott

Solid and consistent album; pretty straight-up no nonsense hip-hop all the way through, featuring some decent collabs and MASSIVE beats.

Highlights: Wake Up, Pass That Dutch, Is This Our Last Time, Pump It Up, Spelling Bee

8/10

This Is Shit - The Shit

A little less... insane than the usual offering from The Shit. But it is still great fun and fast-paced. I am not sure Chuck Norris genuinely endorsed this album...

Highlights: Us vs. Cops, WW3 is Suicide, Rats, Totally Speechless

6.5/10

This Is... - Icona Pop

I Love It is the sexy bitch jam of every summer. The Jay-Z references/homage is pretty darn hilarious, though. Has pop music really stopped evolving? Because this album sounds like it could have been released last year.

Highlights: I Love It, All Night, Just Another Night, Girlfriend

7/10

Those Weren't The Days - Whiskeytown

You know, today has been so upbeat and mostly fun... and then getting immediately hit with the downers on this album is just a bit jarring. Once things finally pick up a bit, it gets more enjoyable for sure. I feel like I have heard some of these songs in different forms numerous times throughout the marathon now...

Highlights: The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over, Believe, 10 Seconds Til the End of the World, Empty Baseball Park

6/10

A Thousand Suns - Linkin Park

Artistically speaking, this is LP's greatest achievement. Ironically, my computer started asking me questions about the Oppenheimer movie just as the quote from him was playing to start the album. Chester really brought it this album. Like, holy hell did he bring it. They all did, but that was the perfect ending. And even though half of these tracks are just interludes, it ties together perfectly (and the songs just kill). My day needed more people referencing Jay-Z's The Blueprint²!

Highlights: Waiting for the End, The Messenger, The Catalyst, When They Come for Me, Iridescent

9/10

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - My Chemical Romance

Was the concept on this album they are hitmen or something? Or just angry emo teenagers? Either way, it works; the heavier guitars and big screaming makes for a more fun musical experience. Legit an almost perfect album of pop punk hooks.

Highlights: Helena, Thank You For the Venom, I'm Not Okay (I Promise), I Never Told You What I Do For a Living

8/10

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all - Limp Bizkit

I do not have the full album, thankfully. I am not even sure how I ended up with half the album. It is all much more nu-metal and rough than anything that would follow.

Highlights: Counterfeit, Faith

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1700

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2025 in 2025: Day 156

Ring Ring - ABBA

This is the least memorable ABBA album. Making your wife sing a song like I Am Just a Girl, with lyrics like "I am just a girl, not the kind of woman men would like to meet/Just another girl no one looks at in the street/" and then about how she is meant to love her man, is a form of abuse.

Highlights: Ring Ring, Rock'n Roll Band, He is Your Brother, Nina Pretty Ballerina

7/10

RIOT ON THE GRILL - ELLEGARDEN

This is the Summer album for all Summers. If you are looking for shelter in a Sharknado, come find me... and I will be too busy air-drumming to this album to help. Possibly the greatest album ever made that makes me smile so much I want to cry.

Highlights: 虹, Missing, モンスター, BBQ Riot Song, Marry Me, I Hate It, Red Hot

100/10

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

Absolute peak 70s Bowie. Glam art rock with poptastic hooks. My opinion that Suffragette City is his best song still stands.

Highlights: Suffragette City, Moonage Daydream, Ziggy Stardust, Rock'n Roll Suicide

8/10

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: 30th Anniversary Edition - David Bowie

This is the bonus disc, which features some demos and b-sides. The b-sides are as great as the demos are bad.

Highlights: Moonage Daydream (New Mix), Velvet Goldmine, John I'm Only Dancing, Round and Round

7/10

Rise Up 2.0 [Single] - Six60

I guess the 2.0 thing means it is a remix or something? I guess this is like dubstep or something? I do not know. It is kinda groovy.

7/10

River of Dreams - Billy Joel

In parts, Joel and band go pretty hard on this. There is a certain ferocity to No Man's Land that you do not often find in a Billy Joel song, and a few other tracks have some real driving feel to them. The rest of the album just feels like middle of the road radio/record label pleasing tunes.

Highlights: No Man's Land, All About Soul, The Great Wall of China, The River of Dreams

7/10

Road To Rouen - Supergrass

This is such an anomaly in the Supergrass discography; more serious rock, no fun at all to be had anywhere. Much of an artistic kind of approach, focused on good riffs. 

Highlights: Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6), Road to Rouen, Kick in the Teeth, Low C

7/10

Rock 'n' Roll - John Lennon

John Lennon does a lot of cocaine and records some of his favourite rock'n roll classics to avoid getting sued. There are so much horns it almost sounds more like The Blues Brothers or something. Not a bad thing.

Highlights: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy, Stand By Me, Slippin' and Slidin', You Can't Catch Me

7/10

Rock and Roll Over - Kiss

Hells yes. Great album, RIP Ace!!!

Highlights: Take Me, I Want You, Calling Dr. Love, Makin' Love

8/10

Rock Dust Light Star - Jamiroquai

This is a bit more lowkey but straight-up electronic influenced. Wild to listen to this so soon after Return of the Space Cowboy - like a completely different band.

Highlights: All Good in the Hood, Goodbye to My Dancer, She's a Fast Persuader, Hey Floyd

6.5/10

Rock in a Hard Place - Aerosmith

Wait - so this is the album without Joe Perry or Brad Whitford and that people thought was terrible? Because I like this more than half of the albums Aerosmith did with Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. 

Highlights: Jailbait, Rock in a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat), Bolivian Ragamuffin, Jig is Up

7/10

Rock N Roll - Ryan Adams

I can never decide if this album is the ultimate in his douchery or it is actually as brilliant as it sometimes feels. Because today it feels the latter.

Highlights: 1974, The Drugs Not Working, Hypnotixed, Do Miss America

8/10

Rock N Roll B-Sides - Ryan Adams

These are not nearly as punk rock as the main album. But actually more enjoyable than I remembered.

Highlights: Red Lights, I'm Coming Over, Luxury

7/10

Rock Show [Live] - Run-D.M.C. & Third Eye Blind

This is the performance on David Letterman. I am not really sure why have this, because Stephan Jenkins is not a great live singer. But it still kicks serious butt.

8/10

ROCK-STAR - Stray Kids

More boombastic crazy stuff from JYP's favourite protégés. I mean, I do not really know if they are his favourites, but they sure make him a lot of money!

Highlights: Social Path, MEGAVERSE, COMFLEX, LALALALA

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1440

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2025 in 2025: Day 153

Reality - David Bowie

This was yet another 'Bowie is back to his great self!' releases in the early 00s. And this time... they were right! Except Bowie sounds like he is actually having a blast making this album. That hook in Never Get Old might be his best chorus in years.

Highlights: Pablo Picasso, Never Get Old, Reality, New Killer Star

8/10

Reanimation - Linkin Park

A remix album when they had only put out one album sure seemed ambitious... but I will be damned if it does not work. For the most part. Bringing a bunch of badass MCs to add their badass MC skills certainly helps. Less nu metal and more electro hip-hop.

Highlights: 1stp Klosr, Enth E Nd, PPr:Kut

7/10

Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z

Jay-Z sounds so different with low budget production. Still got mad flow, but I wonder if this album was done the way he did all his others? The skits and interludes are pretty lame.

Highlights: Brooklyn's Finest, Ain't No, Bring It On, Regrets

7/10

Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

I find it almost impossible to listen to this album and not focus on the awesome work of Steve Stevens. Really, they should be credited as Billy Idol and Steve Stevens. 

Highlights: Rebel Yell, Crank Call, (Do Not) Stand in the Shadows, Blue Highway

8/10

Rebirth - SS501

It has been a while since I have had some random K-Pop. This is Love Like This and it is super dance idol boys singing to some girl. I know that, because every verse starts with "Hey girl..."

6/10

Rebloom - SeeYa

And now for some super dance girl idol K-Pop instead? This song is His Voice. 

6/10

Reckless - Bryan Adams

I may forever call Into the Fire my favourite BA album, but Reckless is just so full of hits and legendary songs, it is hard to deny its greatness. I am not sure 80s pop rock gets any more perfect than this.

Highlights: One Night Love Affair, Heaven, Run to You, It's Only Love, Summer of '69

10/10

The Reckoning - Needtobreathe

I find the lyrics on this album much less holier than thou, however musically it much less captivating. Some of it is really just super middle of the road. Still some flashes of greatness in there, though.

Highlights: Keep Your Eyes Open, Oohs and Ahhs, Drive All Night, The Reckoning

7/10

Red Carpet Massacre - Duran Duran

The reunion lasted all of an album before these dudes went back to chasing trends, hooking up with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Which I have zero problem with.

Highlights: Red Carpet Massacre, Falling Down, Dirty Great Monster

6.5/10

Red Star - Third Eye Blind

I love it when 3EB get all upbeat and get those big hooks going. Add in some full on anti-right commentary and critiscm and LOGMAN remembers why he liked them so much.

Highlights: Non-Dairy Creamer, Red Star

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1400

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2025 in 2025: Day 139

Orion - Ryan Adams

I do not think he used a fake name for this one, right? And for good reason; it is probably a bit more solid than the ones he did that way. Clearly put more effort in. It is not metal like he claimed, but that suits me fine. More of a 70s prog rock concept album about battles in outer space. Some seriously great riffs all around.

Highlights: Fire and Ice, Imminent Galactic War, By Force, End of Days

6.5/10

The Other Side of the Coin - Ace Frehley

This is a bootleg of Ace Frehley demos from the 80s and 90s. Most are pretty much what you would expect from bootleg demos, but at least it has Back in to My Arms Again, which is from 1984 and he finally recorded a proper studio version 40 years later... and it is awful. The demo is a million times better. We will get to the modern version at the tail end of this marathon... Some of this stuff sounds like Ace was auditioning for Devo.

Highlights: Take Me to the City, Back in to My Arms Again, Into the Night

6/10

Otras Canciones - George Harrison

I really have no idea what this compilation is. Half the titles are just Titulo desconocido and all the songs are in poor quality. Some rare songs, some single versions, some songs repeated. Clearly a messy bootleg, this one!

Highlights: The sheer randomness

6/10

Our Secret Spot - the HIATUS

The tamest album from the Hiatus. It was released right before the ELLEGARDEN reunion tour started, so I get the feeling it was a bit rushed and maybe lacked a bit of effort. Between the Black and Grey was released a year later, so clearly my man had a lot going on. 

Highlights: Servant, Back on the Ground, Firefly / Life in Technicolor, Get Into Action

7/10

Our Version of Events - Emeli Sandé

This is just the song Next to Me. I ended up with this by chance, but that is good because it is a pretty cool song.

8/10

Out of Control - Peter Criss

For some reason, I remembered this being not so great. I even remembered my Kissathon II review as saying it was bad. I listened today, and I thought it was pretty good. Then I read my Kissathon II review, and I scored it about what I would now. Except I would be much less harsh on the production? So I would be less funny? Sounds about right.

Highlights: There's Nothing Better, My Life

6/10

Out of Here - Corduroy

An album that genuinely changed my life - it really altered how I approach funk guitar and my own playing in general. This and Jamiroquai's A Funk Odyssey were insanely influential at the time. As much as I dig their funk-jazz instrumentals and fake movie scores, adding vocals just took these guys to the next level for me. Adding beautiful melody lines and harmonies? Killer stuff. Not literally, or the 3,000 of us that bought this album would be long dead...

Highlights: Don't Wait For Monday, Practice What You Preach, Out of Here, The Diceman, Motorhead

9/10

Out of the Light - Brian May

The bonus disc for the Back to the Light reissue. Some instrumentals, some live songs, all good times. Hearing him and Slash go back to back like that kind of makes Slash sound bad. 

Highlights: Too Much Love Will Kill You [Guitar Version], 39/Let Your Heart Rule Your Head [Live], Too Much Love Will Kill You [Live], Driven By You [Cozy and Neil Version '93]

7/10

Out of the Vein - Third Eye Blind

This album rocks to hard... for the first half. It is just big powerful banger after big powerful banger, hook after hook, fist in the air and screaming along! Then the second half is all totally chilled out and kind of repetitive and less inspired? Except for Company. That song still goes kind of hard.

Highlights: Blinded, Forget Myself, My Hit and Run, Faster

8/10

Outside - David Bowie

Yes, I know the album title is actually 1.Outside. I will fix it later. But that is the least of this album's concerns. The whole thing is a mash of weird industrial and prog and electro crazy and should be listened to in the dark.

Highlights: We Prick You, Outside, Hallo Spaceboy, Strangers When We Meet

5/10

Outtakes and Demos - Queen

Another self-compiled collection of tracks from the Queen reissues. Quite interesting for the most part. I would like a proper version of Feelings Feelings if they have it somewhere. 

Highlights: Feeling Feelings [Take 10], Sail Away Sweet Sister  [Take 1 with Guide Vocal], Football Fight [Early Version - No Synths!], The Hero [Revisited Version]

6.5/10

The Overture & The Underscore - Sarah Blasko

About as lo-fi as a chill indie record could ask for. And without being all that negative or depressing. However, it is the darker songs that really shine on this album. Blasko often sings with a very breathey style, but I really dig when gets a bit more forceful. And her lyrics are genuinely topshelf.

Highlights: Beautiful Secrets, Don't U Eva, Sweetest November, Remorse

7/10

Oyster - Heather Nova

Talk about influential albums! So much emotion and passion wrapped up in acoustic songs, layered with beautiful harmonies, solid rhthym and very moody guitars. Honestly, when I was 20, this was the album I wanted to make.

Highlights: Walk This World, Walking Higher, Maybe An Angel, Doubled Up, Island

8.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1248

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2025 in 2025: Day 58

Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars

Hikola: Bruno Mars is great!

LOGMAN: Yeah, he's the man!

Hikola: *checks my iTunes to put on some Bruno Mars* Ummm you only have 1 song of his? And you're telling me he's the man?

LOGMAN: Yeah, he's the man!

Hikola: You have so much rubbish on here that you hate, yet this guy is "the man" and you only have 1 song??

LOGMAN: Yeah, he's the man!

Hikola: Get some more Bruno Mars, would you?!?

LOGMAN: Yeah, he's the man!

10/10

Dookie - Green Day

Kids these days with this sanitised version of Green Day don't know what it was like in 1994 to hear Basketcase for the first time. Or get this album and realise that pop-punk is the future. I used to busk like 90% of this album. And listening to this now makes me really appreciate how much I just made up half the lyrics to some of these songs. Also, my friends in 1994 thought I was dumb for liking this album. Then When I Come Around hit the radio and everyone wanted to borrow my CD. It's tough being more awesome than everyone else...

Highlights: Lowlights might be easier?

9.5/10

Doolittle - Pixies

Are these cats like the godfathers of grunge or something? This album is hilarious; for every great song, there is an almost unlistenable few minutes of dirge that barely resembles a song. No. 13 Baby is not in fact the child of ELLEGARDEN's No. 13. Non-pretentious non-grunge LOGMAN is less than impressed.

Highlights: Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven

5/10

Dopamine - Third Eye Blind

When this came out, like most Third Eye Blind, I listened a lot. A LOT. So much, in fact, that two songs from it are still in my Top 25 Most Played playlist - and that is without listening to the album since 2017. Seriously. I have actively avoided it for five years now. Everything Is Easy sounds like The Cure musically. In fact, I would argue that this whole album is heavily influenced by both 80s New Wave and the music of 2015 - which also heavily borrowed from 80s New Wave. Here's to another five years...

Highlights: Shipboard Cook, Back to Zero, Something in You, Get Me out of Here, Say It

9/10

Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

The contrast on this album is made less obvious by having John and Yoko trade songs. And that is one reason the album works - if they had done something like Side A = John, Side B = Yoko, it would have been one side of standard rock'n roll and then one side of provocative new wave. But mixing them together actually makes it more cohesive, to me. One day I will check out the Stripped version of this album. One day...

Highlights: Watching the Wheels, Cleanup Time, Woman, Hard Times Are Over

7/10

Double Happiness - Jimmy Barnes

This is Barnesy doing duets with a bunch of Australian artists I do not know. And a few I do. Like The Living End - that is a great combo! Bah gawd I will always get chills when Jimmy Barnes screams those crazy high notes, like on What Will They Say. The man is a true one-of-a-kind. Even when doing hip-hop.

Highlights: What Will They Say, Gonna Take Some Time, Resurrection Shuffle, Higher

7/10

Double Platinum - Kiss

Oh, this album again! Kiss trying to make things more interesting, but just making things silly?

Highlights: Strutter '78, Calling Dr. Love, Rock Bottom (Intro)/She

8/10

Down To The Promised Land: 5 Years of Bloodshot Records - Various Artists

This is purely Monday Night by Ryan Adams. It is a very good song!

9/10

Down With The King - Run-D.M.C.

The Kings are back! With some proper hip-hop guests like Pete Rock and A Tribe Called Quest and Onyx. And even Tom Morello! And some disses at MC Hammer. Come on, guys - can't we all just get along? Run even says that exact line on In The House, so why is he starting trouble with a fellow man of god? This whole album hits HARD and it is glorious.

Highlights: Down With The King, Come On Everybody, Can I Get It Yo, Ooh Watcha Gonna Do, In the House, Get Open, Wreck Shop

9/10

Dr. Dolittle 2: Original Soundtrack - Various Artists

Of course this is not the whole thing - simply Do U Wanna Roll (Dolittle Theme) by Snoop Dogg, R.L. and Lil' Kim. This is one of the coolest singles Snoop Dogg has done since Doggystyle. It is at least better than anything he did at WrestleMania?

8/10

Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe
This album is the business. The title track is just badass. Slice of Your Pie is also fairly badass. Complete with an outro from The Beatles and Bryan Adams singing backing vocals. Seriously. Reminds me of when Kiss enlisted his help to make their most rocking album after making some dire stuff on their own. BRYAN ADAMS IS THE FIXER! Man, the production on this album is just off the charts. Kickstart My Heart may well be the greatest 80's rock song of the 80's. I've always liked Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.), but I probably liked it more when I was younger and had no idea what was going on with the lyrics - now it just seems like some adolescent male fantasy. Sticky Sweet is kinda more of the same. And while She Goes Down just continues that lyrically, musically it is just so badass I don't care. Then we finish things off with another couple of power ballads - Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) and Time For Change. Peak Crüe, right here.
Highlights: The Whole Damn Thing

10/10

Draw The Line - Aerosmith

Wasn't I just lamenting the fact that I have not had much Aerosmith come up? Well, looks like I spoke too soon, or something, because here is some more 70s Aerosmith in my face. It is fairly standard 70s Aerosmith. Which is fun.

Highlights: I Wanna Know Why, Get It Up, Bright Light Fright, Sight for Sore Eyes

7/10

Dream Days at the Hotel Existence - Powderfinger

This is one of those albums where I have no explanation as to how or why I have it. Some of their songs can rock pretty well and definitely show some of that fire, but the ballads are pretty meh, to me. Otherwise, it is fine.

Highlights: Head Up in the Clouds, Who Really Cares, Surviving, Ballad of a Dead Man

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 461

2025 in 2025: Day 38

Cold Roses - Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

I want to say bad things about this album. I really do. But it still holds up as an awesome piece of work. From song one, this album is brilliant. And by the time I reach simply the ending of Cherry Lane (which is amazing), I am once again convinced this album is very very good. Certainly a high point of The Cardinals - it was their first album and they never topped it. Heck, I'm not sure they did anything that even came close to matching it. 

Highlights: Meadowlake Street, Let It Ride, If I Am a Stranger, Life is Beautiful

9/10

Cold Roses Rarities - Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

I checked my marathon notes and was surprised at how little I wrote about Cold Roses. And I stand by what I wrote about these songs; they really sound like they have zero to do with that album and are mostly not good.

Highlights: Nope

5/10

Cold Spring Harbor - Billy Joel

Dude is doing his best Paul McCartney impersonation throughout this album; then I realise it was recorded and released in 1971, so The Beatles being a massive influence is not really a surprise. This is mostly acoustic; simply Billy Joel singing while accompanied on piano or guitar, though a few songs have some overdubs and whatnot. Overall, it makes for a very simple and relaxed debut album that is not too dissimilar in parts to Elton John's 70s work.

Highlights: You Can Make Me Free, Turn Around

6/10

Collected Works 1962-1990 - George Harrison

I really need to clean this up; I'm certain I have 95% of these songs elsewhere and in better quality, so not sure why I still have it. It would have saved me about 5 hours of listening time today! That said, going chronologically through the career of George Harrison is a pretty decent way to spend 5 hours... I'm curious as to what some of these sources were, because some have different lead ins and It's All Too Much has a very extended outro. Ditto for Something. And then they end super abruptly. I am now convinced Blue Jay Way could have been a much better song. "Without going out of my door/I can know all things of Earth" - George predicting the internet in 1968. Once The Beatles meet their end, it's on to an endless supply of demos - including some jamming with Bob Dylan! That demo of Dark Horse sure gives a good idea of how the song/album could have sounded if George had stayed healthy. And once we hit the 80s, there seem to be a bunch of songs that I am actually not all that familiar with?!? Like, are these b-sides or outtakes or something? And we finish things off with the extended Traveling Wilburys singles. Some neat little surprises on here!

Highlights: Dehra Dun, Dark Horse (Demo), Flying Hour, Lay His Head, Sat Singing, Cheer Down [Because these are all rarities]

7/10

A Collection - Third Eye Blind

This is not the actual album they released, merely a collection of their b-sides/rarities that I collected and then threw under that album title to keep them in one nice place. And it only covers 1997 to around 2005? Well, that was peak 3eb, so that makes sense. Because these songs are all awesome; fun punk rock, good upbeat pop rock, stupid immature Xmas songs, ridiculous sad songs. These cover all the Third Eye Blind genres.

Highlights: New Girl, Christmas Reincarnated, Persephone, Eye Conqueror

8/10

The Collection - Alanis Morissette

As you can expect about now, this is only the songs that aren't on an actual album. Which is not many. Quality over quantity, mofos! Still is about as awesome as Alanis gets this side of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. I have no idea where this live version of Dear Prudence came from. Did I just get obsessed with the song so much that I looked up live versions by my favourite artists? It is underwhelming - particularly after the supreme awesome that is Uninvited.

Highlights: Still, Uninvited

9/10

'Albums' listened to so far: 320

2025 in 2025: Day 25

Bloodflowers - The Cure

If you ever want to feel depressed, The Cure are certainly the band to listen to. I think the first time I heard this album was watching them perform it in full on the Trilogy concert, and it immediately blew me away. I saw a bunch of online hate for it recently, which is odd because I remember it being hailed when it was released, much like their last album; lots of sprawling, spacious songs, with lyrics discussing the sadness of turning 40... yeah, imagine turning 40. In fact, that does make it funny now; in 39, Smith is constantly saying "The fire is almost out", and yet here we are 25 years later and they are still touring and making new music. I mean, they have only released 3 studio albums since Bloodflowers, and the last one took 16 years to release. So maybe he was right? Also, the solo in the title track is the best. A lot of noisy guitar solos on this one, compared to their usual thing.

Highlights: Watching Me Fall, Maybe Someday, Bloodflowers

8.5/10

Blow - Heather Nova

This is a live album that sort of bridges the gap on Nova's first two albums; it features a bunch of songs that would appear on her second album, but it all still sounds very indie alt. rock and crazy like her first album. Actually, the songs from her first album on here sound different still, as they feature a lot more instrumentation and are a bit more powerful. Her voice is definitely a lot rougher (not in a bad way, just a bit different) and adds a bit of an edge to some of the songs. I have always loved this version of Sugar, and the slower tempo on this version of Maybe an Angel makes it a bit more epic. Shaking the Doll definitely has more edge than the studio version. 

Highlights: Sugar, Maybe an Angel, Frontier, Doubled Up

6.5/10

Blue - Third Eye Blind

By Prime, the production on this album is tight! My man Brad Hargreave's drumming is massive, as well. I still remember the first time hearing this album and it sounding so different to their debut, I did not know what to think. Within a few listens, it soon became one of my favourite albums ever. Genuinely not a bad song on the whole thing. I may have soured on 3eb in the last few years and I try not to listen to music like this these day - depressing and whatnot - but I will never not enjoy listening to this album and this was a good reminder that when these guys were banging out the pop rock good times, no one did it better. 

Highlights: Anything, Wounded, The Red Summer Sun, Farther

8.5/10

Blue Light [Single] - Ryan Adams

This was when DRA was releasing singles online in rapid speed back in 2015. I think he may have released 10 in about 18 months, all with 2 or 3 tracks like this. And I think this may have been one of the strongest? Very much channeling his 80s synthpop influences like The Cure and The Smiths. 

Highlights: Blue Light

6/10

Blue Rock - The Cross

I'm not sure if I've ever really listened to The Cross before? I know I would have heard them, but I don't think I've ever actually sat down and listened to them properly. This was Roger Taylor's group on the side from Queen, where he played guitar and was the frontman. This is their third album and it mostly rocks. The slower songs are mostly forgettable. Apparently this is the only album from The Cross I have? I was sure my Dad had their first one, because that has Freddie Mercury and Brian May on it. Maybe only on vinyl? 

Highlights: Bad Attitude, Dirty Mind, Millionaire

6/10

Blue Sunshine - The Glove

Robert Smith doing weird collaborations with other 80s British new wave artists. Not having him sing on any of the songs make it sound like he isn't involved at all - except for Sex-Eye-Make-Up which sounds completely like a song by The Cure. It's all very much the result of a couple of guys doing a lot of drugs and messing around in a studio. I would have liked to have heard Mouth to Mouth with Smith on vocals.

Highlights: Punish Me With Kisses, Mouth to Mouth, Like an Animal [12" Club What Club? Mix]

6/10

Blue Sunshine [Disc 2] - The Glove

Of course I have the reissue with bonus tracks and a bonus disc. Sure, I'm not a fan of the album or anything, but it was released as part of that wave of The Cure reissues, so I had to buy it. This is basically all of the songs on the first disc, but in demo form with Robert Smith on vocals. It is actually quite interesting - kind of what the album could have ended up sounding like. I honestly prefer some of it; not only having RS on vocals, but also the music being stripped back this way.

Highlights: Looking Glass Girl [RS Vocal Demo], Mouth to Mouth [RS Vocal Demo]

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 212

PASSPO☆ - Let the Good Times End

So fun facts:

A year ago, I discovered PASSPO☆ - a super fun Japanese idol group. Now, normally idol music is really not my thing. But PASSPO☆ just so happen to make music that is pure super fun pop punk goodness and I can't help but listen to it all the time. And their gimmick is they are flight attendants, and I'm a bit of a sucker for gimmicks. Anyways, their album Cinema Trip is brilliant. Second best album of 2017, in my opinion.

So a year ago they released their last single, Stand Up Girls! (すてんだっぷガールズ！～第1話 ダメダメ怪獣にご用心～). It was my first exposure to PASSPO☆. It is awesome.

Today, their song Bachelorette wa Owaranai (バチェロレッテは終わらない) has become my most played song in iTunes, knocking 3eb's Shipboard Cook off the top spot after 3 years. I haven't even had the Cinema Trip album in my iTunes for a year - it's just that darn fun.

And today, PASSPO☆ will perform their final concert.

It's kind of my own little PASSPO☆ circle. I'm sad they are disbanding, but that just seems to be what happens to every Japanese band I become a fan of. I was disappointed to miss them in concert during my trips to Japan and now I won't get the chance. But at least I will always have their super fun pop punk music to make smile. And it's ever so fitting that they take the top spot in my iTunes library on the day they go their separate ways.

Safe travels, PASSPO☆. Logman is your passenger for life!