2025 in 2025: Day 52

Decade of Decadence - Mötley Crüe

Album #400! The first Mötley Crüe compilation and it had an actual purpose; it is two songs from all of their studio albums up to this point in time. So if you were like me and only discovering them from Dr. Feelgood, this gives you a nice little taster of all their previous albums. And two is the perfect number, because there really are only two good songs on Girls, Girls, Girls. Live Wire and Piece of Your Action get remixed again to make them sound less budget. The massive outerspace reverb on the vocals might be a bit much, to be honest. They've also re-recorded Home Sweet Home. Controversial opinion; this version is better. The real piano sounds infinitely better than the tinny keyboards used in 1985, Vince's voice sounds much more polished, and Tommy's drums sound massive. Good production, yo! The whole thing is capped with new songs; Rock'n Roll Junkie is pretty awesome (ok, not technically new, but like you care) and Primal Scream is super awesome. Angela is actually pretty cool as well - fantastic hook in the chorus. Then we finish things off with the best rendition of a Sex Pistols song ever. This album is worth it just for the last 4 songs.

Highlights: Home Sweet Home '91, Primal Scream, Angela, Anarchy in the U.K.

10/10

Decadence - Head Automatica

Early 00s emo rock, but not actually emo and more groovy? Legit no idea how to explain it. There are very good songs, some not very good songs, and then a bunch of 'hey it's on in the background' kind of thing? It was cheap, so I'm cool with it. And I have probably listened to this album much more than one would expect.

Highlights: Dance Party Plus, Disco Hades II, I Shot William H. Macy

7/10

Def Jam 1985-2001: History of Hip Hop, Vol. 1 - Various Artists

I am not going to pretend this is anything more than Jay-Z killing it with Can I Get A... Like I said, he is killing it. First Jay-Z song I ever heard and I immediately knew he was the man. Ja Rule, however, can suck a phat one and I have also thought that since day one.

10/10

Definitely Maybe - Oasis

I still remember when this album came out; I heard Live Forever and thought it was a great song, but then Oasismania took over and I decided they were the worst band ever. I still think this album is overrated, but I at least can stop being edgy and thinking that song is anything but a fantastic pop rock song. I like when Oasis rock it out on songs like Bring It On Down, and Supersonic just oozes with attitude. You really need to be Liam Gallagher to pull that off properly.

Highlights: Live Forever, Supersonic, Bring It On Down, Slide Away 

8/10

+ (Deluxe Version) - Ed Sheeran

I have no idea how iTunes decided this comes next - are they ignoring the plus symbol and brackets? What does he mean someone should own a VHS player instead of a DVD player? And what has he got against blu-ray? 

Highlights: The a Team, You Need Me I Don't Need You, Give Me Love

6/10

Demolition - Ryan Adams

Well, at least they are not really demos? And mostly good songs? It is all just a bit mixed up. Starting to Hurt performed on Letterman was awesome - the second performance, not the original one in 2002. 

Highlights: Hallelujah, Desire, Cry On Demand, Chin Up Cheer Up

7/10

Desensitized - Drowning Pool

This is only the song Step Up. I think it was in some WWF songs pack that I downloaded at some point - strange to have this and not Bodies, which was infinitely more popular and I remember being used during the WCW Invasion nonsense. BUT this song is definitely better and totally sounds like something from a WWF show.

8/10

Destiny Fulfilled - Destiny's Child

Another 'one song' album. This time it is Lose My Breath. Totally badass song and probably the first (and only?) Destiny's Child song I liked. Before Beyoncé became this nonsense. Come at me, Beyhive! Shizz, I ain't afraid of you mofos!

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 407

2025 in 2025: Day 51

Daydream - Mariah Carey

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

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

8/10

Daydreaming/Choose Me [Single] - BAND-MAID

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

10/10

Daylight - Needtobreathe

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

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

7/10

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

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

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

9/10

De La Soul is Dead - De La Soul

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

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

6.5/10

Dear Impossible Foggy Demo - Ryan Adams

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

Highlights: Sunflowers and Rain

4/10

The Death of WCW - Bryan Alvarez

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

Highlights: Lessons Not Learned

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 399

2025 in 2025: Day 50

Dangerous - Michael Jackson

Jam jam here comes the man! Never have truer words been spoken. MJ albums always open with an awesome song, and this may well be the most awesome. The whole first half is New Jack badassery, before it slows down with Heal the World, which feels a lot like 'We Are The World Part II'. I don't care what anyone says - Black or White is peak pop-rock-funk perfection. Damn Slash's guitar solo on Give In To Me is seriously great. I can totally picture some young MJ fans crying when they first heard his spoken word outro for Will You Be There. MJ fans were insane like kids these days have no idea. I cannot hear Gone Too Soon without thinking of Usher singing it at MJ's memorial... Vocals on Dangerous are awesome. Bah gawd this album is awesome.

Highlights: Jam, Black or White, Keep the Faith

9/10

Dare! - The Human League

This is only the hit song Don't You Want Me. Alexis Sayle throwing this in to his Dr. Martin's song on The Young Ones will always be iconic.

8/10

Dark Horse - George Harrison

Hari's On Tour sounds like it is from some sports program or something, like maybe a cricket show? This album gets a bad rap, but I always find it really consistent and super listenable. The wobble-board thing in It Is "He" is hilariously fun. If his voice had not been so destroyed, I think this album would have been quite different.

Highlights: So Sad, Dark Horse, Far East Man

7.5/10

Darkbreaker (Elizabethtown Sessions) - Ryan Adams

A whole bunch of unfinished songs? I was about to say that this version of Everyone Knows is quite good, but then it all fell apart. Two is not bad, either, though the studio version on Easy Tiger is definitely better. I was concerned that during my Ryan Adams marathon 10 years ago I may have bought in to the hype (and my own obsession with this dude) and pretended this 'album' was great, but NOPE! Even then I knew this was trash.

Highlights: Don't Get Sentimental on Me, Elizabeth

4/10

Darkest Days - Stabbing Westward

The kind of industrial metal that makes you want to dye your hair black, paint your fingernails, turn out the lights and do whatever goths do in the dark. I used to listen to this while playing the original Gran Turismo, so not totally dissimilar? This dude's voice was seriously unbeatable until Taka came along. Thing is, amongst the angry dark heavy goth metal are some fantastic hooks. And that coupled with Christopher Hall's awesome screaming has me sitting here enjoying this album immensely. 

Highlights: You Complete Me, Save Yourself, Sometime It Hurts, Desperate Now, Waking Up Beside You

8/10

David Live - David Bowie

My man Bowie had better performances, but this is still a pretty decent live album. The bluesy version of All The Young Dudes is pretty great. Earl Slick sure likes shredding up a storm all over this show.

Highlights: Moonage Daydream, All the Young Dudes, Big Brother, Time

6.5/10

Day and Age - The Killers

This was when I started losing interest in The Killers. They still had a big stack of goodwill with me for their debut album, but this album is definitely a bit of a drop-off point. Well, mostly the last half - the first half is quite fun, though very different to what they had released up to this point. Brandon Flowers is the opposite of Christopher Hall, in that his voice is weaker and just getting more annoying. And the lyrics are getting pretty naff, as well. Again, it is not all terrible, but this is certainly where they stopped living up to their name.

Highlights: Losing Touch, Human, Spaceman, Goodnight Travel Well

6.5/10

A Day at the Races - Queen

Let's end day 50 with my first proper Queen album! It's fun; some years ago I would have told you this was one of the best albums ever, but then in the lead up to listening now I was convinced it was kind of average (for a Queen album - which is still top tier). But listening now and it just owns. Seriously. It has everything: straight up rock classics (Tie Your Mother Down), beautiful ballads (You Take My Breath Away), poptastic fun (You and I), epic dark stuff (White Man), random Japanese (Teo Torriatte) and some of the best songs in the Queen catalogue (Somebody to Love). Is that solo in Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy just the funnest? Drowse is the worst Roger Taylor song, but otherwise this album is Queen at their best.

Highlights: All the songs I already mentioned and everything else too

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 392

2025 in 2025: Day 49

Cyberpunk - Billy Idol

Vince Neil stole Steve Stevens, so Billy Idol's only answer was to make a weird concept album and fuse his brand of rock with 90s electronica? The dude even decides to do some rapping on here. I'd make fun, but all these fake commercials and news bits feel kind of like he was inspired RoboCop. And Shock to the System is a genuinely brilliant song. There are a couple of other good songs, but mostly this is all very dated and long and kind of silly.

Highlights: Shock to the System, Power Junkie

5/10

Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill

This album doesn't have the glorious production or menacing darkness of Black Sunday. But what it does have is funky grooves and super cool rhymes. Sometimes when a group doesn't have lots of money to hide behind, they are forced to be very good - and Cypress Hill were very good. Probably still are?

Highlights: How I Could Just Kill a Man, Light Another, Real Estate, Stoned is the Way of the Walk, The Funky Cypress Hill Shit

7/10

D.I.S.C.O. - Ottawan

Sadly, this is simply the single song from the French duo. It is a testament to the power and glory of disco music. That intro alone is life.

10/10

Da Real World - Missy Elliott

So we finally made it to the D albums! I loves me some Missy Elliott, but her first couple of albums just kind of meander a little. How did I forget Slim Shady is on here? Man, he was so fun back in the day. A lot of guest appearances on this album. And some preaching from Missy? That's not a fun way to end an album...

Highlights: Busa Rhyme

5/10

Dad Man Cat - Corduroy

One of the grooviest albums of all time. Also coolest song titles of all time, like How to Steal the World, The Girl Who Was Death and Skirt Alert. These cats were the coolest. I still need to split the live tracks from each album and put them on their own - they all come from an actual live album that was released a million years ago, but I do not have.

Highlights: How to Steal the World, Frug in G Major, Pony Tail, Skirt Alert, Money Is

9/10

Daft Punk is Playing at My House [Single] - LCD Soundsystem

It is not that song, because I have that on the self-titled LCD Soundsystem album. This is purely Jump Into the Fire (Radio One Live Sessions). This is so much better than that terrible version I heard a couple of days ago on The Craft soundtrack.

8/10

Dakota [Single] - Stereophonics

Great song, this one. The remix is pretty naff, though. And the other demo song on here is fine.

Highlights: Dakota

6/10

Dance Your Asteroids Off to the Complete Star Wars Collection - Meco

Another Meco compilation, but this time it is purely Star Wars themes. Including the Ewok celebrations from Return of the Jedi. Some of these are edited versions and a whole lot of fake movie dialogue has been edited in. The "Yoda" is hilarious; sounds more like Kurgen from Highlander! Bah gawd Meco has even re-recorded the full Lapti Nek in the corniest way. "C3PO" is rapping in Ewok language about Star Wars characters and this might be the one moment saving the album from being deleted. Jar Jar Binks rapping about himself may be even funnier!

Highlights: Darth Vader's Theme/Yoda's Theme, The Battle in the Snow, Ewok Celebration

7/10

Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie

This is purely the title track, because it is an 80s dance classic and I will love it forever. The guitar solo is way cooler than it had any right to be.

10/10

Dancing With Myself (From the Motion Picture Mean Girls) [Single] - The Donnas

An awesome cover from an awesome movie. I'm not sure if I love this more than the original, but maybe I do, because The Donnas had such great attitude. I started the day with Billy Idol being weird and ending the day with a cover of one of his best songs. Full circle!

10/10

Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys (Deluxe Version) - My Chemical Romance

These dudes owe their producers at least 80% of everything they ever earned, because they managed to make Gerard Way sound like a great screamo-style singer, when he was in fact just an average bad singer. Also, they can only make 'concept albums'. All that said, this album has some outstanding pop-punk moments. Bulletproof Heart is the most Green Day song this side of Green Day - right down to the title! In fact, I would argue that almost every song on this album sounds like someone else. And of course they have the cliched girl talking in Japanese moment. Anyways, this album is great and there is genuinely not a bad song on it. 

Highlights: Bulletproof Heart, Sing, The Only Hope For Me Is You, Save Yourself I'll Hold Them Back, The Kids From Yesterday

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 384

2025 in 2025: Day 48

Cross Road - Bon Jovi

This is purely the songs I don't have on other albums - that being the 2 new songs (Someday I'll Be Saturday Night & Always) and Runaway. Because I am lame and still do not have their debut album. I legit can not explain that in a rational way. Maybe that will be my goal for 2025? Start 2026 by listening to that album?

Highlights: Someday I'll Be Saturday Night, Always, Runaway

8/10

The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

A whole lot of dark and brooding alternative songs. Some fairly light industrial fare, as well. But when your soundtrack opens with this kind of song by The Cure, you can not help but win. I wanted to do something with Golgotha Tenement Blues during my video making days. It could have been used so much better in this film. Nine Inch Nails covering Joy Division. Rage Against The Machine with a song that I've heard about 7 different versions of and this one is not my favourite. The singer from Helmet had such a boring voice. I could have sworn there was a Skinny Puppy song on here, but I am not sad that I am wrong. 

Highlights: Burn - The Cure, Golgotha Tenement Blues - Machines of Loving Grace, Slip Slide Melting - For Love Not Lisa, Dead Souls - Nine Inch Nails

6.5/10

The Crow: City of Angels (Soundtrack) - Various Artists

The movie was not as good, but I would argue the soundtrack was better in some ways - or at least the better songs are much better? And some of the songs are much worse. I certainly did not need to hear Bush do anything, let alone cover a Joy Division song badly. Tricky is a weird dude. Knock Me Out is just awesome; Grace Slick and Linda Perry's voices are both so strong and full of emotion, they match perfectly in this song. Deftones sound so old school here, with the boxy guitar tone, Chi shouting in the chorus and Chino kind of semi-rapping. City of Angels sounds like a serious ripoff of Dam It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta. And things end with a glorious Heather Nova performance, which I will always welcome after a bunch of crap alt rock.

Highlights: Knock Me Out - Linda Perry & Grace Slick, Believe in Angels - Heather Nova & Graeme Revell, Teething - Deftones, Jurassitol - Filter

6/10

Crowded House - Crowded House

What a debut album this is. Neil Finn is the greatest songwriter from New Zealand - at least this side of Tim Finn, anyways. I am not even sure Crowded House ever topped this album; it is pure 80s pop rock greatness. It also is not said enough, but all three are/were fantastic musicians in their rights.

Highlights: Mean to Me, Don't Dream it's Over, Something So Strong, I Walk Away

9/10

Crown Royal - Run-D.M.C.

The worst Run-D.M.C. album! D.M.C. appears on a total of... one song? And instead they team up with quality MCs like... Kid Rock and Fred Durst. Need I say more? Well, it is not all bad; the one song that is pure Run-D.M.C. is awesome, as is the collaboration with Stephan Jenkins. Also, Simmons Incorporated is pretty darn great. Oh, D.M.C. is on this one as well - I just forget, because he lays down like 5 lines or something. Quite sad that this was the last album they released. RIP JMJ

Highlights: Simmons Incorporated (w/Method Man), Crown Royal, Rock Show (w/Stephan Jenkins)

6.5/10

Crush - Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi always sounds so corny when he swears in his songs. This is probably the Bon Jovi album that I listen to the least - well, until I got What About Now. This album is not as bad as that, but it is trying. It is just really really mediocre. And I don't think It's My Life is nearly as good as everyone else seems to think it is. 

Highlights: Just Older, Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen from Mars

5/10

CRUSH & BUILD - PSYCHIC LOVER

This is pretty much what I needed after that hour of mediocrity. PSYCHIC LOVER re-recording their 'biggest hits' or whatever they are (they are hits to me!). Somehow these songs sound even more boombastic and highly produced, when I am certain YOFFY just recorded these all at home on his own setup. Then again, they have a full on live band these days - maybe they recorded with them as well? Hard to judge which versions are better, to be honest here, but I certainly do not need English language versions. I often consider YOFFY to be the Japanese Jon Bon Jovi, but after listening to Crush and then this back-to-back, YOFFY is way better. IMAJO is no Richie Sambora, though (they are both awesome in different ways).

Highlights: Everything Except the English Versions

7.5/10

The Cure - The Cure

Man, this morning is too sunny and beautiful for this album! For some reason, I feel like I have already talked about this album. It is like The Cure, if the The Cure were angry and trying to be more metal? But then this is The Cure? The End of the World is like a total pop song, though, so everything I am writing is just proving to be nonsense? The Promise is epic. 

Highlights: Labyrinth, The Promise, The End of the World, Alt. End, Going Nowhere

7/10

Cut The Crap - The Clash

Joe Strummer does 80s pop? Joe Strummer does Garageband? Joe Strummer does a 'WTF am I doing?' Everything sounds so poorly recorded - even for The Clash. And there are just odd noises and samples going on in the background that distract from actual songs. The weird part is, I kind of wish they had just embraced the 80s ska-pop thing 100% and really gone for it, because there are couple of cool songs (or at least songs that have cool elements) that just end up crashing from the poor production and whatnot. Fingerpoppin' is a certified dancehall banger!

Highlights: Fingerpoppin', North and South

4.5/10

Cuts Like a Knife - Bryan Adams

I think this was BA's first really good album; You Want It, You Got It was fine, but Cuts Like a Knife is more polished and the songs are stronger, more consistent. I think maybe this was the first album Keith Scott joined the team? That would all tie in nicely; his guitar playing really adds something to what Bryan Adams brings to the table. As does whoever is playing these organ/keyboard parts. I could imagine Kiss doing I'm Ready - maybe not for Creatures of the Night, but definitely on Unmasked. 

Highlights: The Only One, Cuts Like a Knife, What's It Gonna Be, Take Me Back, This Time, I'm Ready

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 373

2025 in 2025: Day 47

The Craft: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is a whole bunch of 90s artists covering a bunch of 'classic' songs. Luckily for me, this includes a few of my favourite artists! We get Our Lady Peace doing a fairly standard remake of The Beatles' epic Tomorrow Never Knows, Letters to Cleo doing a song by The Cars, and then crap like Tripping Daisy completely ruining Jump Into the Fire. Bah gawd the LCD Soundsystem cover is a million times better, as is the original. But the real highlights are Heather Nova covering Peter Gabriel's I Have the Touch and some band called Love Spit Love performing the theme from Charmed! Yes, that is how I best knew the song and this version; it wasn't until many years later that someone told me it was actually a song by The Smiths. I like this version. I like Charmed. I have been meaning to watch that again - I never actually watched seasons 7 and 8...

Highlights: I Have the Touch - Heather Nova, How Soon Is Now? - Love Spit Love, Tomorrow Never Knows - Our Lady Peace

6/10

Crazy in Love - ITZY

This may be the most inconsistent ITZY release; there are some killer songs - and some that are right up there with the best of their songs - but there are also some of their worst songs on here. Or at least one bad song and a few weak ones. But yeah, those good songs are awesome. LOVE is a perfect ballad and Chillin' Chillin' is the most fun you can have - and hilariously both songs are exactly 3:30. Fun!

Highlights: LOCO, Sooo LUCKY, LOVE is, Chillin' Chillin'

7/10

Crazy Nights - Kiss

I'm not sure I need to write about this again? Maybe I do? Crazy Crazy Nights always hits hard. This album is just 80s good fun and makes me want to get a hot chocolate. It's cold, okay?

Highlights: Crazy Crazy Nights, Reason to Live, Turn on the Night

8/10

Crazy World - Scorpions

This is only the song Wind of Change. It is probably the only Scorpions song I have ever heard. Maybe I should hear more someday...

8/10

Creatures of the Night (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) - Kiss

This is two discs of demos and rarities from the Creatures of the Night sessions. Because listening to a bunch of Kiss demos has always worked out so well for me... but actually, these are not so bad. Things kick off with the *exclusive* tracks from Killers. I like them more than I apparently did during Kissathon II. Then it is demos for a song from Lick It Up, a song Peter Criss recorded on Let Me Rock You, the songs that appeared earlier/on Killers, a bunch of Gene's solo nonsense, a couple of songs recorded during the making of The Elder? And a Bryan Adams song. So anything BUT a song that actually was recorded for Creatures of the Night. I would actually complain, but I'll damned if the demo for Not For the Innocent isn't a million times better than how it actually ended up on Lick It Up; Paul singing the chorus is soooo much better! Also, It's My Life is here in demo form. And that song is awesome. Even without Ace doing some vocals. So this is not a total loss, although Chrome Goes Into Motion does sound legit like Spinal Tap. Then we are on to outtakes? So actual Creatures of the Night songs. Mostly. And mostly pointless. Unless you want to hear some bad guitar playing while Paul fumbles his way through I Still Love You a couple of times. At least the drums in the Saint And Sinner outtakes are massive. Gene's mouth-guitar solos are kind of fun, too. 

Highlights: Rock and Roll Hell [Take 2], I'm a Legend Tonight, Nowhere to Run, Not for the Innocent [Demo], It's My Life [Demo]

6.5/10

Creatures of the Night (1985 Remix) - Kiss

Ha! The last track on the Creatures of the Night (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) was the 1985 remix of Creatures of the Night. The first track on this album is the same song. So between the outtakes and then having this song repeated, I'm a little over this already. I wrote about this version of the album before and I stand by what I said. I definitely prefer this tracklisting. One day I might remove this album and just rework the tracklisting of the 'proper' version. One day...

Highlights: The better tracklisting

8/10

Creatures of the Night (Remaster) - Kiss

There was a noticeable volume jump to this from the 1985 remix, so I moved to turn it down. But then I decided I've been listening to this album for a while now and I want to hear it loud. It is much better. Also, the original mix is better than the 1985 mix. 

Highlights: Keep Me Comin', Rock and Roll Hell, I Love it Loud

9/10

Criss (Special Limited Edition EP) - Peter Criss

The Cat is a pretty fun song. The nursery rhymes are odd and mocking Gene and Paul always wins points with me. Did he end it with him hissing at people or something? This dude singing on Show Me is okay, I guess. He made a Queen reference, I think, so he also wins points with me. I seem to like him more than I did during Kissathon II. Like might not be the right word, but I was certainly harsh then.

Highlights: The Cat, Beth (Acoustic)

6.5/10

Criss Cat #1 - Peter Criss

Oh, that album title is not correct. This has been a fairly Kiss heavy day, which is at least proving easy for me to write about! Blue Moon Over Brooklyn is nowhere near as bad as I wrote initially. Or maybe it is just relative to how awful Peter Criss got later in his career? I also wrote that Down with the Sun is an instrumental? There are a lot of vocals - perhaps I was just referring to the music side of the song? Because the outro section is really good. Genuinely solid album!
Highlights: Bad Attitude, Walk the Line, Good Times, Down with the Sun

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 363

2025 in 2025: Day 46

Cosas Del Amor - Enrique Iglesias

How about we start the day with some beautiful Spanish crooning from Rogan Rodriguez's best friend and the hottest man in 90s pop? Okay, if you insist! Normally, I would prefer Enrique being the party man and pumping out something with a big beat and lots of fun. Most times it seems to include Pitbull, for some reason (I'm guessing Pitbull doesn't have much going on and just begs to be involved, because he wants to be friends with Rogan Rodriguez as well). But this album is mostly ballad after ballad, and they are mostly very good! And then there is one fun song in Para De Jugar, which also features some lady singing in English - they couldn't find someone that can speak Spanish? Or teach this women a few words in Spanish? Selfish cow.

Highlights: Cosas Del Amor, Para De Jugar, Desnudo, Sirena

8/10

The Cosmic Game - Thievery Corporation

Super chill lo-fi UK-influenced garage electronica. Good grooves on a cold morning like this. Even features some more Spanish singing. But it isn't Enrique Iglesias. They should have hired Enrique Iglesias.

Highlights: Warning Shots, Pela Janela, Sol Tapado, Holographic Universe

6.5/10

Cosmic Thing - The B-52's

Sometimes the retro fun of The B-52's - with lines about putting your caboose on the President's desk - is super... fun. But, I have to be honest; Bon Jovi did Dry County much betterer. Overall just a fun pop album. Fred is a super cool dude.

Highlights: Love Shack, Roam, Cosmic Thing, Junebug

7.5/10

The Cosmos Rocks - Queen + Paul Rodgers

Queen! Well, only half of them, really... but I will take it. Brian May using a wah pedal? That doesn't happen often. This one feels a lot more like old white man blues rock at times, which is acceptable given they are old British white dudes. They can still pump out a killer rock ballad better than anyone in the business, that's for sure. We Believe could easily just be too cheesy, but something about Rodgers' delivery makes it work. And that guitar solo. Some of the heavier stuff on here doesn't really do it for me, but overall this is a pretty decent release and it is a shame they haven't released anything since.

Highlights: Cosmos Rockin', Small, We Believe, Say It's Not True, Small reprise

7.5/10

COUNTDOWN LIVE 2019-2020 ～Promised Land～ A - Ayumi Hamasaki

The title says it all. Personally, I was not that impressed with this concert; I do not support Ayu doing concerts using only backing tracks, particularly in a large arena like this. She should always use a full live band. And this was the period where it had become the Ayu & Timmy show - that dude really tried to take over and make things about him as much as possible. It also does not help that she opens with one of my least favourite Ayu songs. And her voice sounds shot by the second song. In fairness to my Empress, this was only a few months after giving birth to her first child, so I will let it slide. 

Highlights: UNITE!, sending mail, evolution

6/10

Country Grammar - Nelly

Nelly + Ced The Entertainer were a great combo - his albums all went downhill once they stopped collaborating. And was this when every rapper had a crew like they were Wu Tang Clan? Like, Nelly out here on his debut album promoting his crew all over the place, like he and them matter to everyone. Save that nonsense for when you've been around a few years and had a bunch of hits. Which he did with this album. So yeah, it will be fine when he does it on the next album.

Highlights: Ride With Me, E.I, Tho Dem Wrappas, Luven Me

7.5/10

Cowboy Technical Sessions - Ryan Adams

Some old DRA demos? Only one of these ended up on anything later, though I would have liked to hear another version of Ghost. Liar is like L7 meets Nirvana kind of punk.

Highlights: Ghost, My Love For You Is Real

7/10

Cradle 2 the Grave (Soundtrack) - Various Artists

The best Jet Li and DMX movie boasts the hardest hip-hop soundtrack to a Jet Li movie. If X Gon' Give it to Ya doesn't get you going, then you might be dead. I'm not sure what someone would have to do to invoke the wrath of not just Obie Trice, but also Eminem AND DMX. They are three angry men. Is Stompdashitoutu the best song title ever? Certainly is a helluva hook. DMX turning into a preacher was very unexpected. A bunch of rappers I had never heard of before this album - or after - but some killer tracks up in herre!

Highlights: X Gon' Give it to Ya - DMX, Go to Sleep - DMX & Eminem & Obie Trice, Right/Wrong - DMX, Getting Down - DMX & Big Stan

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 354