2025 in 2025: Day 189

Young Americans - David Bowie

Bowie getting a bit funky and exploring his soul music influences. With some help from John Lennon. And a lot of saxomaphone.

Highlights: Fame, Young Americans, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Win

7/10

Young Man with the Big Beat - Elvis Presley

Oh, you thought we were done with Elvis box sets?!? This is purely his master recordings from 1956. Which is still 40 songs and over 90 minutes of awesomeness.

Highlights: One-Sided Love Affair, Trying to Get to You, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Rip It Up, Paralyzed, Don't Be Cruel

8/10

Young Man with the Big Beat: Live Performances - Elvis Presley

The Las Vegas performance is so fantastic; even as a young man, this dude never took any of this seriously - he keeps calling Heartbreak Hotel "Heartburn Motel", making jokes about the money his record label is making, and insulting all his own songs. The Louisiana Hayride stuff is a mixed bag - the performances are great and full of energy, but they were recorded off a radio in 1956 so the quality is about what you would expect.

Highlights: Long Tall Sally [Live at Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - May 6, 1956], Money Honey [Live at Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - May 6, 1956], Blue Suede Shoes [Live at Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - May 6, 1956]

6/10

Your New Favourite Band - The Hives

Fast punk mayhem. The Hives when they were young were something else!

Highlights: Here We Go Again, The Hives Are Law You Are Crime, Fever

8/10

Yourself or Someone Like You - Matchbox Twenty

This is the most 90s radio rock sounding album since the 90s. Rob Thomas' voice is sooooo American, but he manages to convey a lot of emotion, which really carries the simplicity of the songs. 

Highlights: Long Day, Busted, Real World, Hang

8/10

YUKI "The Present" 2010.6.14,15 Bunkamura Orchard Hall - YUKI

This is somewhat interesting, because in true YUKI form she gives a few of the songs more of a jazz interpretation and also works them in to some little medleys. The whole is just a bit let down because her voice is nowhere near the awesome as it normally can be. And it is a bit long. But the setlist is fantastic!

Highlights: ハミングバード [Live], 恋愛模様 [Live], ティンカーベル [Live], Home Sweet Home [Live]

7/10

YUKI concert tour "SOUNDS OF TWENTY" 2022 9月19日 札幌・カナモトホール - YUKI

I was really hoping this version of 呪い would resemble the PRISMIC tour 2002 version, but I forgot that YUKI is ever-evolving. 

Highlights: 愛に生きて [Live], ヘイ! ユー! [Live], パレードが続くなら [Live]

7/10

YUKI concert tour "trance/forme" 2019 東京国際フォーラム ホールA - YUKI

This tour, for me (forme?), is YUKI at her vocal peak. And the reworking of some of these songs is just phenomenal. But bah gawd even on the fairly faithful performances, her vocals are just so much more than expected. And the end run of this is ALL THE FEELS. No cap: this version of はみだせ ラインダンスから is one of my all-time favourite songs (which is amazing, since the studio version is just kind of a song).

Highlights: はみだせ ラインダンスから [Live], フラッグを立てろ [Live], 鳴いてる怪獣 [Live], JOY [Live], 美しいわ [Live]

8.5/10

YUKI LIVE "little night music" 2023年9月16日 東京・Zepp DiverCity - YUKI

The last of my live YUKI albums and this one sure is a killer! I am glad I still at least have a few YUKI studio albums to come.

Highlights: タイムカプセル [Live], プレゼント [Live], ラスボス [Live], 忘れる唄 [Live]

8/10

Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina [EP] - Momoiro Clover Z & Kiss

Such a perfect combination and it totally works, because MCZ do the whole heavy idol music thing at times and do it well (see my earlier words about their albums I have). 

Highlights: Yume No Ukiyo Ni Saitemina, Samurai Son

8/10

ZUTTO - BiSH

My girls ending the year of BiSH is OVER in a fairly appropriate way - one pop punk song and then a ballad. Not their peak or anything, but would have been a fine enough ending? Except they released another two singles after this. Milking it!

Highlights: ZUTTO, CALL ME AGAiN

8/10

・・・ - SAKANAMON

Japanese indie rock. Kinda quirky in parts, mostly pretty raucous and uptempo. 

Highlights: DAPPI, 反照, 凡庸リアライズ, STOPPER STEPPER

7.5/10

1:59PM - 2PM

Time for some classic K-Pop. It is fairly standard male idol quality stuff.

Highlights: My Heart, Heartbeat, I Was Crazy About You

7/10

Unfinished Music, No. 1: Two Virgins - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Ummmm what? Why is this album placed here? I would log in to my computer to figure out, but that died. Like my brain listening to this.

Highlights: Remember Love

Ummm/10

Unfinished Music, No. 2: Life with the Lions - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

I promise you, the intro for Cambridge 1969 will always be entertaining to me; just having Yoko Ono introduce it so calmly, before launching into her trademark wails over a wall of feedback is a masterpiece of trolling. 

Highlights: Song For John

Ermmm/10

Wedding Album - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

I would guess that under the "Sorting" field for these albums, it has a hash sign or something. Maybe an exclamation point - like a warning?

Highlights: Listen the Snow is Falling

Mmhmm/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1906

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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 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 97

hours... - David Bowie

This album gets a bad rap. Or at least it used to? But the 'heavier' songs are definitely worth the price of admission.

Highlights: The Pretty Things are Going to Hell, Something in the Air, Survive, New Angels of Promise

7/10

hours... [Bonus Disc] - David Bowie

This disc is so weirdly constructed; it is great having all the different versions (I especially needed all three versions of The Pretty Things are Going to Hell from Stigmata, so thanks for that!), but they are all sequenced by song. So having four versions of Seven back to back that progressively get worse was certainly a choice. 

Highlights: The Pretty Things are Going to Hell [Edit], Seven [Marius De Vries Mix], New Angels of Promise [Omikron: The Nomad Soul Version], The Dreamers [Omikron: The Nomad Soul Longer Version]

6/10

Hozier - Hozier

This was not as bad as I was expecting it to be. I am fairly certain this dude just has one melody and he has put it to different musical backgrounds. It is kind of like a male Florence + the Machine.

Highlights: Take Me to Church, Jackie and Wilson

6/10

Human Clay - Creed

Who needs some generic jock-rock? That riff on What If is pretty darn great. They are like the Nirvana of radio rock; jangly clean guitars on the verses and then big distortion in the chorus. With the occasional triumphant bridge.

Highlights: What If, Faceless Man, Higher, Inside Us All

6.5/10

Hungry for Stink - L7

And now for some dirty budget punk rock. And I am happy for it. They are almost not as angry on this album. Except for Fuel My Fire, which is all sorts of awesome. The rest ticks along nicely.

Highlights: Fuel My Fire, The Bomb, Riding with a Movie Star

6.5/10

Hunting High and Low - a-ha

Could this day be any more diverse? While I do not find the whole thing all that impressive, and it certainly sounds dated in parts, the singles from this album are absolutely perfect.

Highlights: Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines on T.V.

6.5/10

The Hustle - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony

Like most of my random disco collection, this is purely the one song. And it is a groove. Get down with your bad self!

10/10

Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park

Is this the best album I have listened to today? I always ALWAYS forget how good this album is until I listen to it. Have I mentioned I saw them live on tour for this album? Right before they got big; small venue, cost was very little, and afterwards they hung around signing autographs and just generally being cool guys. Made me a fan.

Highlights: Papercut ,In the End, Forgotten, A Place For My Head

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 808

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2025 in 2025: Day 93

Heartbreak a Stranger - Ryan Adams

This would appear to be a live single (two songs) and I have zero recollection of it being released, but then it was during a time when DRA was releasing a single every other week. And my memory is pretty hazy at the best of times.

Highlights: Black Sheets of Rain

7/10

Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams

Bah gawd what a rollicking way to kickstart an album. Especially when 90% of what comes after is sad and mopey. I know people (including DRA) act like Come Pick Me is like is crown jewel or whatever, but I would boldly declare Oh My Sweet Caroline to be the peak of his work here. The chord strikes coming out of the solo are beautiful. Bonus points to the banjo in Come Pick Me Up, though.

Highlights: To Be Young (is to be sad, is to be high), Oh My Sweet Caroline, Come Pick Me Up, Call Me on Your Way Back Home

7/10

Heartbreaker Deluxe - Ryan Adams

Guess it is a Ryan Adams and Heartbreak kind of morning? A lot of this is outtakes - some of which ended up being released further down the line. Did he ever do a proper studio take of Petal in a Rainstorm? Because the take on here is VERY good. 

Highlights: Petal in a Rainstorm, When the Rope Gets Tight, Locked Away (Demo), To Be Young (Demo)

7/10

Heartland - Real Life

This is purely Send Me an Angel. That opening synth is killer when the bass kicks in. iTunes says it is actually "Send Me an Angel '89 [Dance Mix]". Yet the year is labelled as 1983. I need some tea.

8/10

Heat - Jimmy Barnes

The bridge on Sweat it Out is very great. When I was a teen and this came out, I thought Stand Up sounded very much like Faith No More. As an adult I can freely state that kids are stupid. 

Highlights: I'd Rather Be Blind, Stand Up, Something's Got a Hold, A Little Bit of Love

7/10

Heathen - David Bowie

There was a period where every Bowie album was met with 'Bowie is back to his brilliant best' and drew comparisons to his work in the 70s. And always it was just forgotten until the next album came along. I liked some of these even more when performed live.

Highlights: Afraid, I've Been Waiting For You, 5:15 The Angels Have Gone, Heathen (The Rays)

6/10

Heathen [Bonus Disc] - David Bowie

Like it says on the box! A couple of remixes, a couple of outtakes. The outtakes are decent?

Highlights: Conversation Piece, Panic in Detroit

6/10

Heathen Chemistry - Oasis

Gosh I feel like I have written about this before... A real mixed bag; some killer classic-style Oasis songs and some really generic radio rock stuff. Liam's voice is awesome. In fact, these guys have had the same thing as Bowie since this album; it - and every one since - was labelled as being their best album since whenever they were at the peak of their popularity. Music press need to get their brains together.

Highlights: The Hindu Times, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Little By Little, Force of Nature

7.5/10

Heave on Earth - Belinda Carlisle

Let's talk about Belinda Carlisle's voice, shall we? She is certainly not actually that great of a singer, however there is something in her tone and delivery that absolutely works. And these songs are pretty much just great. Like a slightly rocked up Wilson Phillips, with less amazing harmonies.

Highlights: Heaven is a Place on Earth, I Feel Free, I Get Weak, Love Never Dies...

8/10

Helicopter Soup - Ryan Adams

I have moved a few random DRA songs that had no home to this album. Look Who Got a Website definitely belongs on an album called Helicopter Soup. I would really like to have heard a final version of So Lost. 

Highlights: Look Who Got a Website (Dot Com Motherfucker), So Lost [Dirty Power Demo], So Lost

6.5/10

Hell in a Handbasket - Meat Loaf

It almost sounds like Andrew W.K. and his band are backing Meat Loaf here. And wowsers he sounds old. And Chuck D turning up here is certainly random - but a pleasant surprise. Mostly harmless big-sounding rock stuff.

Highlights: Mad Mad World/The Good God Is A Woman And She Don't Like Ugly [Feat. Chuck D], Stand In The Storm [Feat. Lil Jon, John Rich & Mark McGrath]

6/10

Hello - Poe

There is so much going on with this album; all sorts of different genres and styles and it was probably considered very alternative at the time. The trip-hop wannabe jazz songs must have really confused the alt rock kids who were buying this for songs like Trigger Happy Jack. Speaking from experience...

Highlights: Trigger Happy Jack (Drive By A Go-Go), Choking The Cherry, Beautiful Girl, Fly Away

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 764

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 60

E.T. (feat. Kanye West) [Single] - Katy Perry

Even when I didn't think Kanye was a nutjob that should be ignored, I preferred the album version of this song. And I felt very awkward rapping his part in front of little kids. 

8/10

E=MC² - Mariah Carey

I remember the video for Touch My Body being completely hilarious. That intro for Side Effects sounds like the opening for a song by The Lonely Island. I do enjoy that all throughout this album some dude just keeps randomly yelling "M.C." And what does "O.O.C." stand for?

Highlights: Touch My Body, Cruise Control, I'm That Chick, Last Kiss, Thanx 4 Nothin'

7/10

Early Takes - George Harrison

Acoustic demos and alternate takes, mostly from the All Things Must Pass sessions. The acoustic takes are good for more of a focus on the lyrics and George's singing. These definitely showcase how great he actually was.

Highlights: I'd Have You Anytime [Early Take], All Things Must Pass [Demo], My Sweet Lord [Demo], Mama You've Been on My Mind [Demo], Woman Don't You Cry For Me [Early Take]

8/10

Earthling - David Bowie

Little Wonder is so schizophrenic; when it came out, I actually could not get past the verses, which is sad because if I had I would have realised how great that 'chorus' is. I'm Afraid of Americans never stops being awesome and just gets truer every day. This album is WAY betterer than I have ever given it credit for.

Highlights: Seven Years in Tibet, I'm Afraid of Americans, Looking For Satellites, Battle For Britain (The Letter)

8/10

East - Cold Chisel

The most classic Australian rock album by the most classic Australian rock band. And I feel like Cheap Wine might even be the most classic Australian rock song?

Highlights: Standing on the Outside, My Baby, Cheap Wine, My Turn to Cry

7.5/10

East of the Sun, West of the Moon - a-ha

This is certainly not their finest hour.

Highlights: Slender Frame, Cold River, Rolling Thunder, (Seemingly) Nonstop July

6/10

East Side Story - DJ Reggie

Not even this delicious bottle Pepsi Zero Peach can make me understand how I thought this was fun.

Highlights: Revenge of the Ninja, Kick Em' in the Dungeon

3.5/10

Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Look, I can be fair to this guy and still say that his songs are great when they are. And some of these songs are absolutely brilliant. Two features probably his most honest line ever. My only criticism is going to be the drums, because they sound blurgh. But gawdam the harmonies and vocals are very good. Actually, the more truthful line is in These Girls: "These girls are better off in my head". Any woman would be better off not dealing with you in real life, buddy!

Highlights: Goodnight Rose, Two, Oh My God Whatever Etc., The Sun Also Sets, I Taught Myself How to Grow Old

8/10

Easy Tiger Rarities - Ryan Adams

These are fine, I guess? One of the songs was actually re-released with a different title, but there is absolutely no difference between the two except for the title.

Highlights: Alice

6/10

echo - CHARA+YUKI

Two indie pop queens uniting to make an E.P. - 20 years in the making, since they actually recorded the first song back in 1999. And I'm pretty sure they were in a punk band together around then? Anyways, lucky for me, YUKI seems to drive this or at least it all sounds like a YUKI kind of album. And the good kind, too.

Highlights: 愛の火 3つ オレンジ (2020version), 楽しい蹴伸び, Night Track, echo

8.5/10

Echo - Leona Lewis

Gawdam whatta voice! And mostly great songs... that all sound the same. So if you want epic pop songs with massive vocals, then this is a great album. I like those things, so thumbs up from me! Even an Oasis cover thrown in for fun? And yes, that was also epic (though I probably prefer the Oasis version, because Liam's voice not so perfect).

Highlights: Happy, I Got You, My Hands, Broken, Lost Then Found

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 485

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 31

Brothers Gonna Work it Out - The Chemical Brothers

Massive DJ mix from The Chemical Brothers. It's mostly pretty funky. Mostly. I just did a google on this and my tracklisting does not match wiki. Nor do the times. Weird, because mine is a direct rip of the CD. And it is impossible to properly rate or anything, because it's just one massive DJ mix, really.

7/10

Bryan Adams - Bryan Adams

When I was about 13 or 14, I bought Gold Signature Tour Editions of Bryan Adams' albums, from You Want It, You Got It to Waking Up the Neighbours. I foolishly passed on this album and Live! Live! Live! and have never been able to find said versions of them again, so almost 20 years later I had to settle for just a normal edition of this album. As an album, it is quite different to everything he released after; more light-hearted and poppy. And no Keith Scott.

Highlights: Hidin' From Love, Win Some Lose Some, Remember

6.5/10

Buddah Mix - Cypress Hill

This was a bonus disc that came with Temple of Boom; it's just one track - a 20 minute DJ mix of songs from the first two Cypress Hill albums. They're all great songs, so there are worse ways to spend 20 minutes. Obviously a morning for DJ mixes!

7/10

The Buddha of Suburbia - David Bowie

I can appreciate this album for being both adventurous and having some wonderful songs buried within the weirdness. The instrumentals are really more like soundscapes or interludes; they certainly aren't musical or something you would put on to jam to. But the songs are generally pretty darn great and fit somewhat with some of the songs from Black Tie White Noise, which was only released a few months beforehand.

Highlights: Buddha of Suburbia, Strangers When We Meet, Untitled No. 1

6/10

Buhloone Mindstate - De La Soul

De La Soul with James Brown's old horns section and sampling some Run-DMC? And Michael Jackson? And an appearance from a legit Japanese hip-hop trio? As you might imagine, all this adds up to make a genuinely fantastic groove.

Highlights: En Focus, Long Island Wildin', Area, Breakadawn

7/10

Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Christina Aguilera and Cher

This journey through Christina's catalogue has forced me to accept that I just don't like her doing big band songs. In fact, I may have to face the reality that... I actually... don't really like much of what she has put out in general. She has been a totally mixed bag since Stripped. Her vocals sound super processed on this album, and I can not imagine why. I really liked this movie, but there are two standout songs on this album - and only one is by Aguilera.

Highlights: Express - Christina Aguilera, You Haven't Seen the Last of Me - Cher

6/10

Burn in the Night [Single] - Ryan Adams

Another one of his singles from 2015. These are actually good; very 90s garage rock.

Highlights: Burn in the Night, Cop City

6/10

Bury the Hatchet - The Cranberries

Hmmm... I find this woman to be one of the absolute worst singers I have ever heard in my life. And their guitarist produces some of the worst guitar solos I have ever heard in my life. At some point, I actually found I had about four of their albums in my iTunes library. And they were all deluxe editions. Thankfully, I saw sense and deleted all of them bar this; I kept it because Promises is a very good song. Starting this album, I am not sure that song is worth 70 minutes of The Cranberries. Halfway through, I was ready to eat my words, because things didn't start off too badly - and there was even another song I thought was very good! But then it slowly trailed off and got to Copycat, which is not only utterly terrible, but hilariously ironic in that the lyrics are complaining about bands copying other bands - yet there is ZERO originality found in The Cranberries. Heck, most of their songs they are trying desperately to sound like The Cure. At least a really terrible version. The singer seemed to really hate women; most of her songs are complaining about bad Mothers and the like.  If I could skip the rest of this dreck and delete now, I wouldn't even hesitate. 

Highlights: Promises, Shattered

3.5/10

Business as Usual - Men at Work

This is purely Who Can It Be Now? and I think I needed some fun 80s to try and recover from that. I could go for more Men at Work - I don't have this whole album, but an entire album from The Cranberries? Make it make sense...

7/10

Butterfly - Mariah Carey

I remember all the hullabaloo around this album when it was released; Carey had been strictly R&B/pop and this album was supposed to be more of her getting a sexier image and trying to get in the hip-hop scene or something. Sure, that influence is definitely there on a few songs like Honey and Breakdown, which hilariously samples Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but it is still mostly the middle of the road Mariah Carey of old with the songs about love and singing insanely high. Great background music.

Highlights: Butterfly, The Roof

6/10

BYE-BYE [Single] - Ayumi Hamasaki

I think this was Ayu's most recent single? It's... okay? My wife certainly wishes Ayu would say "Bye-bye" for a while...

7/10

Bye-Bye Show [Single] - BiSH

This was the culmination of a year-long BiSH is OVER campaign, where they released a single (2 songs) each month and would then disband. Of course, WACK realised the money they were making from this so milked it for an extra month... and then decided they would keep touring until their final concert in June - six months later. And of course, this would not be the final single...  Which is a shame, because ending things with a song called SPARK when their first song was called スパーク (Spark) seemed like a great full circle kind of idea. And also it is an awesome song.

8/10

The Byte is in My Blood - Robot Goes Here

This is some random punk dude that is also a scientist and makes solo electronic punk music. It's kind of fun; I'd almost be interested to hear how they could have ended up if not completely programmed, but I still admire his execution. This was one of those wonderful $1 CDs I bought back in the day. I miss getting fun surprises like this. Bahaha I forgot about his full electronic version of Back in Black - complete with computer generated vocals. I actually recall on his MySpace he had an EP that was just him covering other heavy metal classics, like Iron Maiden's The Trooper. Hilarious stuff.

Highlights: Back in Black

5/10

Finally finished with B albums!

"Albums" listened to so far: 262

2025 in 2025: Day 23

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Soundtrack - Various Artists

This was probably my favourite movie when I was 15. I even dressed a bit like Bill S. Preston, Esq. The soundtrack is very not 1995; it's mostly hair metal and awesome shredding guitars from 1991, because that was still kind of cool in 1991. I watched this movie so much I could probably tell where each song appears - except for the one song that is not in the movie. It always cracked me up that Drinking Again by Neverland was on the soundtrack, but For the Love of by Neverland - which does actually appear in the movie - did NOT make the soundtrack. Did the person compiling this just get confused on which Neverland song was supposed to be used? Anyways, the rest of the soundtrack features Winger delivering possibly their greatest song, Faith No More pre-Angel Dust, Steve Vai shredding up a storm, and Kiss delivering possibly the greatest song ever. And the question still needs to be asked: how on Earth did Primus qualify for a local battle of the bands in San Dimas? This is a good soundtrack. It makes me want to watch Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey again. Maybe even the full trilogy!

Highlights: God Gave Rock & Roll To You - Kiss, Drinking Again - Neverland, Battle Stations - Winger

8/10

Binaural - Pearl Jam

This was the peak and end of my love for Pearl Jam - it completely dropped off a cliff after this album. Not because I hate this album or anything, but because of everything they did after. In fact, LOGMAN 2000 loved this album! Eddie Vedder's voice on this album is kind of annoying. And Mike McCready seems to have been listening to a lot of Radiohead or something. Jeebus, Vedder's mumbling is killing this album. Matt Cameron's drumming is solid, though. I remember seeing a live clip of them performing Insignificance and he was just murdering his drumkit. Okay, I'm bored. LOGMAN 2000 was stupid.

Highlights: God's Dice, Evacuation, Light Years, Insignificance

6/10

Bionic - Christina Aguilera

Well, this is a change of pace. From a boring rock album to a confused pop album. This was Christina's answer to Lady Gaga and what was happening in pop at the time. There are some good songs and it all opens strong, just extra... raunchy? Well, I think that's what she was attempting; Not Myself Tonight works, but Woohoo gets a little gross (though it is still a very enjoyable track). Elastic Love is probably Christina's worst song ever. Maybe even in my top 10 of absolute worst songs by anyone. The middle of this album seems to veer heavily into ballad territory. Then it's finally back to girl power pop, except it's kind of all over the place, and Monday Morning sounds like some indie band I can't put my finger on. Holy smokes, Bobblehead is trying to give Elastic Love a run for it's money. This is the kind of garbage I would expect from someone like Fergie and would be super popular on tik-tok. This album could have used a lot more Linda Perry (her only contribution is one of the best songs on the whole album) and it is definitely too long - but that's probably my fault for getting the deluxe edition. My bad.

Highlights: Bionic, Not Myself Tonight, Lift Me Up

6/10

The Black Album - Jay-Z

Jay-Z at his peak, IMO. Just Blaze and Kanye sampling soul classics, Timbaland with a bigphat monster bounce, Rick Rubin dropping some old school beat - all while Jay raps over top about his life, how great he is and how this is the end. I think we can all agree that Encore is good, but the mashup version with Linkin Park is way better. The songs produced by The Neptunes and Eminem are clearly the weakest, so definitely not a perfect album, but the rest of the songs are so strong it doesn't really matter. I forgot about the Run-DMC sample in Justify My Thug. And the Michael Schumacher reference. Jay-Z the F1 fan, huh? Actually, I just straight-up forgot how darn great his lyrics on this whole track are. Awesome album and perfect way for Jay-Z to retire and say goodbye to being a rapper. Oh, his "retirement" lasted all of two years? Well, at least that is a longer retirement than your average pro-wrestler's...

Highlights: December 4th, What More Can I Say, Dirt Off Your Shoulder, 99 Problems, Public Service Announcement, My 1st Song

8.5/10

The Black Album - Prince

By Prime, this album is so funky. Just straight up FUNK. I'm hoping if we one day get a Lovesexy box set they will include this as well. Or just re-release it properly. Until then, I will sit here and get my funk on.

Highlights: All 8 songs are as funky as one another

8/10

The Black and White Album - The Hives

Yeeeeaaaah! These guys know how to open an album. This isn't quite the usual raw punk rock'n roll that The Hives deliver - instead a little more modern production thrown in. It also feels longer than they would usually do, but that might be just me? It is still The Hives in spirit, though. It's like having a beat up old noisy car, but throwing a new coat of paint on it. And then deciding that paint really doesn't work and looks silly.

Highlights: Try It Again, Tick Tick Boom, Hey Little World, Bigger Hole to Fill

6.5/10

Black Clouds - Ryan Adams

Black Clouds itself is such an Oasis ripoff, I can kind of see why he excluded it from any album. But then, when he eventually released Love Is Hell, it still included a ripoff of Purple Rain. So maybe he just wanted to limit the number of ripoffs per album? I didn't even enjoy listening to this when I did my Ryan Adams marathon - not exactly lighting my world on fire when I'm tired and find this dude fairly insufferable. 

Highlights: It finished

4/10

Black Market Music - Placebo

This is purely Without You I'm Nothing with David Bowie. I'm not entirely sure how I ended up with this, but I think I might prefer the original version in some ways. Either way, it's a very dark and somber song. Just what I needed after a miserable Ryan Adams "album"...

8/10

Black Sheep [Single] - Gin Wigmore

This... wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Sure, I still think she is nothing more than an Amy Winehouse imitator, but it is an enjoyable and catchy song. Probably would have sounded even better with Amy Winehouse singing!

7/10

Black Sunday - Cypress Hill

Hot Damn! This is one of those albums that just never gets old. Cypress Hill were one of those earliest hip-hop acts that crossed over to the rock/alternative crowd as well as the hip-hop heads. This album in particular; some of these beats are just straight up hard, and B-Real's voice is so unique, it just gave them a character that connected with the skate kids as well. That harmonica in Ain't Goin' Out Like That is awesome. I do not partake in the marijuana, but even I will tell you that these are the coolest songs about smoking weed you will ever find. 

Highlights: Insane in the Brain, Lick a Shot, Hits from the Bong, Break 'Em Off Some

8/10

Black Tie White Noise - David Bowie

We staying in 1993 for this one! I think this may actually be the first time I have listened to this album in full? It's such a mix of soul and 90s pop. Hard to explain. Maybe I'm just tired.

Highlights: Black Tie White Noise, I Feel Free, I Know It's Gonna Happen One Day

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 194

2025 in 2025: Day 19

BEST HIT AKG - ASIAN KUNG FU-GENERATION
I do love 遥か彼方. Like, it's hard to explain how awesome that song is. The rest of their hits? It's mostly okay. Nothing awful, but again fairly same-same. Although I have a feeling that if I weren't so tired and in the mood for something else, I would probably listen more intently and find more to really get into. However, my lasting memory of these guys will always be them absolutely murdering ELLEGARDEN's 虹 at the Nana-Iro Electric concert. 
Highlights: 遥か彼方, アンダースタンド, 藤沢ルーザー
7/10

Best In Show - Grinspoon
There was a time when I was unemployed and living in Melbourne, so I would spend a lot of my days at Borders listening to music (you could just scan a CD and load up the tracks to "preview"). Grinspoon's New Detention was high on my rotation at the time. But this is their greatest hits collection, so that story means nothing. This includes all their early heavy punk stuff like Dcx3, Just Ace and More Than You Are. Classic Aussie rock, this. I mean, it is over 20 years old now, so I can call it classic now. Like my time living in Melbourne. Crazy how time goes by.
Highlights: No Reason, Lost Control, Chemical Heart
6/10

The Best Of Acid Jazz - Volume 2
Fun story: I ordered, if I remember correctly, a Corduroy CD from ebay, and in the case was this CD instead. Which wasn't so bad, in the end, because I got the reissue of said Corduroy album instead, while getting more Acid Jazz in my life. This is mostly a lot more electronic than I remembered. And I was sure there was an early Jamiroquai song on here, but clearly I'm mistaken. It is quite the chillout groove vibes, though.
Highlights: Ain't No Use (Mo' Soul Mix) - Pure Wildness, Girl Overboard - Snowboy & Anna Ross
6/10

The Best of Blind Melon - Blind Melon
No Rain is the only song I have from this? That's odd - they had many great songs other than this. And ones I like a lot more. I need to get more Blind Melon.
7/10

The Best of Blondie - Blondie
Another 'best of' when I should really have their full discography. 
Highlights: Rapture, One Way or Another, Call Me
8/10

The Best of Both Worlds - Jay-Z & R. Kelly
Oh dang. This... has not aged well, has it? Particularly songs like Take You Home with Me. There are some seriously solid grooves here, but these two MFs rapping and crooning about getting it on with the ladies is a very uncomfortable listen now. And this last song is just straight up gross.
Highlights: The Best of Both Worlds, The Streets, Honey
5/10

Best of Bowie - David Bowie
This is a large compilation I should do more editing on; probably the first Bowie 'album' I owned, but have since accumulated many actual albums that contain about 70% of the songs here. Otherwise, it's 2 1/2 hours of Bowie's hits in chronological order, including songs from movies like Labyrinth. Mostly just singles versions. I need to get the full version of Absolute Beginners, because it is one of my favourite songs on the planet (I have the full soundtrack on vinyl). Suffragette City is a straight-up 12/10. Hallo Spaceboy sounds so much better live.
Highlights: Changes, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Young Americans, Fame, Modern Love, Blue Jean, Absolute Beginners, Magic Dance and just so much!
8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 160

2025 in 2025: Day 4

All About Chemistry - Semisonic
Almost 25 years ago, my brother moved overseas and left me a whole bunch of his stuff - including half of his CD collection. This was one of those CDs. And this is the first time I've ever actually listened to it! It's a fairly harmless piece of early-2000s radio rock. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
Highlights:
6/10

All Bad Things - Mötley Crüe
This was Mötley Crüe's farewell single. When they embarked on their final concert tour... before recording more songs and then going back on tour and then recording more songs and going back on tour. 80s rockers retire like they are pro-wrestlers. The funniest part of this song is that it opens with Nikki Sixx stating they "would rather just break up than be bland", but then this song is exactly that.
4/10

All My Life - Billy Joel
This was kind of in the same vein; Billy Joel kind of retired from releasing music in the 90s, and this was his first release since then, something like 15 years later. It's about what you'd expect from an older Billy Joel writing a love song. A very easy breezy piano ballad.
5/10

All Night Carnival - Various Artists
So there is this song called One Night Carnival by a group called Kishidan. And for the 20th anniversary of that single, their record label put together this album of other artists performing the song. It just so happens that their record label is Avex Tracks - home to some of the biggest artists in Japan. So you get 11 different artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, BiSH and Momoiro Clover Z giving their take on the same song. It's quite fun getting to hear all these different artists all on the same album... doing the same song. And that part can get a bit old. Because deep down, it is the same song 11 times. That said, some of them really do make this sound like a somewhat different song - the WANIMA version in particular. Because WANIMA are awesome.
Highlights: Ayumi Hamasaki, BiSH, WANIMA
7/10

All The Young Dudes - David Bowie
Well, my iTunes says this is Mott The Hoople, but this is definitely David Bowie singing. And it's a different version to the one found on the Aladdin Sane reissue. So I have no idea what version this is, right now. Clearly I have decided to start 2025 by failing at my musical knowledge. But this is the best studio version I have of the song. And this is a great song.
9/10

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
This is quite likely the best solo album released by a Beatle. Folksy rock songs, ruminations on religion and love, Hare Krishna chanting, instrumental jams. This album has everything. Even a huge stack of reverb and Psycho Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". I'm somewhat embarrassed that I do not have the 50th anniversary edition with the new remix (Harrison's son finally and went and did what his Father had been interested in doing, and stripped all that Spector stuff out), because I am genuinely interested to hear how it sounds, but I just don't drop all my money on albums I already own anymore - I save that for overpriced boxes of kung fu movies. And these Beatles-adjacent box sets have been getting more and more expensive. Wah-Wah is my favourite diss track of all-time (Euphoria is now a very close second). I dig the extra tracks on this, as well - apart from the 2000 version of My Sweet Lord. Also, people don't talk enough about Klaus Voorman's bass playing. Between this and Plastic Ono Band, the dude was awesome and had so much groove. Eric Clapton is also tolerable here. I'm not 100% convinced there isn't some type of modernisation going on with Out of the Blue, but it might be just the 5 hours of fake live Kiss I listened to yesterday. I'm sure George Harrison wasn't like that. And "moderinastion" is a hell of a word to throw at something released 25 years ago. I've written a lot, because this is a long album.
Highlights:
9/10

Allegiance - Firewind
I believe this was given to me by the guitarist in my short-lived rock band 15 years ago. I may have listened to it once? It's starting off like some sort of modern Iron Maiden. Wait - was that a dueling guitar and keyboard solo? I get why that dude liked this and gave it to me. Shred shred shred. Actually, with the dramatic vocals and the keyboards and the shredding (and the shredding keyboards?) it all sounds like a less-pop Psychic Lover! It's fun. Like most metal, I get pretty bored fairly easily, but still fun for what it is.
Highlights:
7/10

Aloha From Hawaii [12 January 1973] - Elvis Presley
This is the dress rehearsal concert from two days before the live broadcast. Okay, so this is a weird confession; I've seen this on my old DVD numerous times. However, I bought the Aloha From Hawaii boxset (both concerts on blu-ray and CD) a few months ago and... have yet to the listen to the CDs. Until now! Darn Elvis for being an unprofessional goof and messing up the lyrics to Burning Love - this could have been the best version ever! He also fumbles is his way through part of My Way. Shiz, Elvis ain't afraid of you mofos!
Highlights:
6.5/10

Aloha From Hawaii [14 January 1973] - Elvis Presley
Now it is time for the exact same concert just two days later! You see, Elvis performed and recorded the concert on the 12th as a backup in case they had any satellite issues on the 14th. It also meant they could make more money - as well as money for the children's benefit they were supporting with these shows. So the setlist is pretty much the same, just with a few extra songs (which are well worth it IMO). At least he remembers the words to Burning Love this time, though he does come close to messing it up still. In Elvis On Tour, the dude actually had to read the lyrics on stage. Normally Elvis made everything his own, but that was never the case when he covered The Beatles - his version of Something is just average no matter the night. Anyways, all I can say is this concert is OK to listen to, but much more enjoyable to watch, because you can see Elvis was having fun and that really lifts an otherwise average performance. Shiz, Elvis ain't afraid of you mofos!
Highlights:
7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 35

2025 in 2025: Day 2

Aerosmith - Aerosmith
I am almost ashamed to admit this, but... this is probably the first time I'm ever listening to this album. Like, ever. I'm not sure how that happened? I had Aerosmith obsessed friends in high school. I was given all their albums probably close to 20 years ago. So I have absolutely no excuse. Anyways, I'm guessing this is Aerosmith's debut album? It's rad as hell and I should have been listening to this much sooner in life. I think I like the live version of Dream On more, but otherwise this is solid 70s rock good times!
Highlights: Make It, Mama Kin, LOGMAN waking up to the awesome of this album.
7.5/10

Affirmation - Savage Garden
Okay, so no, this is not the full album - simply the song Crash and Burn. There will be more like this, I'm sure. Darren Hayes is a phenomenal singer and seems like a decent dude, but I could never really get into Savage Garden. However, this song is very good.
8/10

Afterglow - Crowded House
This is some sort of rarities compilation released after the band split back in... 1996? It's almost 30 years later and they're still going again, albeit it is now just the Neil Finn Family Travelling Jamboree or something. There's a reason most of this was just b-sides and demos that didn't make the cut for their albums.
Highlights: Private Universe [Acoustic Version], Anyone Can Tell, Recurring Dream
6/10

Afterglow - Sarah McLachlan
Two albums with the same name? I wonder how many times that is going to happen... and things sure have chilled out this morning! This is a solid album, but I can't help feel like it is trying to go somewhere and then just kind of doesn't. Like, she was trying to push her sound a little further on this and then they got scared and decided to stick with the classic mellow Sarah McLachlan sound. Or that is just purely her sound and these couple of tracks were just exceptions? I don't know. Solid album, nonetheless.
Highlights: Fallen, Stupid, Time
7/10

Afterglow [Deluxe Edition] - Crowded House
The Afterglow tour continues! I had expected this album would have been made obsolete by Crowded House releasing all their deluxe edition albums. Instead, they doubled-down and made it a deluxe edition as well - adding a bonus disc of demos and then three great songs from somewhere that almost make this worthwhile.
Highlights: Anthem, Instinct, Everything is Good For You
6/10

Aggression - Various Artists
I'm not sure who put this on iTunes, to be honest, because I thought the album would be called WWF Aggression? And also, it is spelled "Agression" in iTunes?? Anyways, I didn't purchase the whole thing - just the Run-DMC remix of the D-Generation X theme song. It's my theme song now.
10/10

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
David Bowie was the man. But, I actually don't recall the last time I listened to this album! I know it's iconic and all that, but I've never thought this was Bowie's best work. Definitely some killer stuff, and the lyrics to Time are just brilliantly bizarre.
Highlights: Watch That Man, Cracked Actor, Time, Let's Spend the Night Together, The Jean Genie
7.5/10

Aladdin Sane [30th Anniversary Bonus Disc] - David Bowie
This is some singles versions and live songs. The version of All The Young Dudes here is definitely not the best version. John, I'm Only Dancing seems to be my jam today!
Highlights: John, I'm Only Dancing [Saxophone Version]
6.5/10

Album - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Ooooh yeah! I love Joan Jett so much - a true pioneer and just a total badass. This album came after the success of I Love Rock'n Roll and feels a lot more raw, more rough. More punk rock. Well, the original songs do; the cover songs are all much more polished, which seems to be a constant with Joan Jett. Many songs that are just insulting a dude or dudes, so if you were a guy around Jett at this time, you should feel bad. I'm not a fan of Star, Star, personally. Otherwise this has become my favourite Joan Jett album over the years. This album is also a reminder that I need to split out the bonus tracks from these Joan Jett albums, because Had Enough is a perfect album ender and the bonus tracks after kill the vibe (and go on way too long).
Highlights: Fake Friends, Everyday People, A Hundred Feet Away, Secret Love, Coney Island Whitefish, Had Enough
7.5/10 (I'd easily go to 8 without the bonus tracks)

"Albums" listened to so far: 17