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

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 74

Forever Valentine - Whiskeytown

This is actually very good. Well, the songs are. Mostly. The recording is very budget, which is a bit distracting.

Highlights: Easy Hearts, Sittin' Around, Ghost Without Memory, Don't Wanna Know

7/10

Forget You [Single] - Cee Lo Green

I find the radio version of this song a bit more fun than the version with all the swearing. Except for when William Shatner does his thing with it.

9/10

forme - YUKI

This album is hard to pinpoint; there are some really great pop moments and some chill-out Sunday afternoon lounge-style stuff. It is mostly kind of there... and then it ends with a straight-up amazing song that always gives me the feels.

Highlights: 24hours, 美しいわ, チャイム, しのびこみたい, 風来坊

7/10

form [EP] - ichika

Super chill guitar virtuoso instrumentals. And purely guitar. So very sparse.

Highlights: I am now very relaxed

6/10

Forty Licks - Rolling Stones

I'm not sure how I ended up with such a large Stones compilation, when I am hardly what you would call a fan. I can appreciate some of their work, especially a lot of it on here. In fact, there are a few songs of theirs that I really like more and are not on here! What's up with that?!? I listened to 2 1/2 hours of Rolling Stones and didn't get to hear Highwire, but had crap like Undercover of the Night?

Highlights: Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Paint It Black, Get Off My Cloud, Honky Tonk Women, Beast of Burden, You Got Me Rockin'

6/10

Foundation - Drunken Tiger

Drunken Tiger is a lot of fun.

Highlights: Foundation, 슬픈 기타줄

7/10

Four Piece - 2

I had to buy this from iTunes, so it automatically translated the katakana. Which is interesting, because I had assumed the original title was For Peace. Shows what I know? Anyways, this is purely the b-side Black Star. Not the David Bowie song. Nor the amplifier. But the song is FIRE.

10/10

The Fragile (Left) - Nine Inch Nails

Dark and angry industrial stuff, but also some really really good instrumentals. Maybe that Trent Reznor guy should make instrumentals for movies?

Highlights: Somewhat Damaged, The Wretched, We're In This Together, La Mer

7/10

The Fragile (Right) - Nine Inch Nails

More of the same? Musically, it is all quite interesting and certainly serves well as background music while attending to various tasks. Or working. But maybe don't play track 6 in your office or retail store?

Highlights: Into The Void, StarFuckers Inc., The Big Come Down

6.5/10

Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton

By George, I really need to get one of the deluxe versions of this album. This whole album is such a vibe and I'm still rocking my original issue CD that skips songs from the original record. What kind of society are we living in?

Highlights: Show Me The Way, Wind of Change, Do You Feel Like We Do, (I'll Give You) Money

8/10

Frank - Amy Winehouse

This may sound odd, but I actually have never gotten the hype around this album. I find it all pretty boring. Winehouse could sing and all that, but there was just nothing on here that grabs me. Back to Black is far superior.

Highlights: Stronger Than Me, I Heard Love is Blind

6/10

Frank [Bonus Disc] - Amy Winehouse

Some of these live songs are good - somewhat better than the studio version, in my opinion. I'm not sure why, but whenever she sings about "Frank", I think she is talking about a pet rabbit. Every. Single. Time.

Highlights: In My Bed (Live at the Concorde), Mr Magic (Through the Smoke) [Janice Long Session]

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 607

2025 in 2025: Day 14

Back From The Dead - Spinal Tap

Let's start the day with Britain's loudest band! What I should have done was just pulled out some of my favourite lyrics, because sometimes when you are paying attention to these songs carefully, there is just a great line or two that just makes me laugh. Anyways, this is mostly re-recordings of older Spinal Tap songs. David St Hubbins sounds older, for sure, but the songs still rock. And are a lot of fun. I didn't need them doing reggae, though. Fun fact: I've never been a fan of Stonehenge as a song; it works in the movie as a skit, but as a song, it really isn't much to listen to.

Highlights: Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight, Rock & Roll Nightmare, Big Bottom, Heavy Duty
6/10

Back In Memphis - Elvis Presley

While not nearly as strong an album as From Elvis in Memphis, this follow-up still features that beautiful soulful sound that is found in all these sessions. Other than a few standout songs, this is all the fairly middle-of-the-road tracks that just couldn't make the cut, so the original album on its own does not actually score so well. Like, it's fine, but nothing special. But I have the reissue, which contains a bunch of mono singles from 1969. Which are almost all completely awesome. One of the few times I will be all 'Gimme the bonus tracks!'.

Highlights: Without Love (There is Nothing), Suspicious Minds [Mono], Kentucky Rain [Mono]

6/10

Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera

I forgot how good this album is. I'm not sure a 2 minute song with an almost chorus counts as an interlude? Oh, now I remember why I forgot how good this album is... because it isn't. The first half is amazing, but that ghastly fan appreciation 'song' is the turning point? It's all just completely self-congratulating and kills the vibe of the album. Far be it from me to tell an artist what they should do - that's only the purpose of my bLog - but this album should have been 1 disc and all the wannabe big band songs cut. They are just not good. I started off excited but ended up wanting to hit the skip button

Highlights: Makes Me Wanna Pray, Ain't No Other Man, On Our Way

6/10

Back to Bedlam - James Blunt

You're Beautiful is a good song. Shiizz, I ain't afraid of you mofos!

Highlights: You're Beautiful

5/10

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Some absolute brilliant songs in here. I love how straight up and raw these lyrics are. Winehouse had no issues telling you that she was talking about drugs and alcohol, or that you are a dick. Absolutely no poetical-political nonsense going on here!

Highlights: Rehab, Me and Mr. Jones, Back to Black, Addicted

7.5/10

Back to Black [Bonus Disc] - Amy Winehouse

I prefer the studio version of Valerie, otherwise this is almost like listening to a ska album. I don't know how else to describe it.

Highlights: Gettin' yo' skank on?

5.5/10

Back to the Light - Brian May

Bah gawd this album is fantastic. The title track alone is the most bombastic epic rock song you could ask for - definitely the most Queen sounding song on the album. Cozy Powell's drumming is huge. Dude was a beast. My only criticism would be the orchestration on Too Much Love Will Kill You. It's all a bit cheesy with the horns and whatnot. Still a great song. This album just rocks in general; you have the 'heavier' stuff, then the light-hearted rocking numbers, and some pop-rock, and your ballads. Overall, just a strong hard rock album from one of the greatest guitarist/songwriter/singer in hard rock.

Highlights: Back to the Light, Love Token, Resurrection, Rollin' Over

8.5/10

Starting with a fake British hard rock band and ending with a legit British hard rock legend perfectly wraps up this day.

"Albums" listened to so far: 114