2025 in 2025: Day 197

Somehow I have made it to the end of the year with 17 albums to go. What a trip...

愛泥C - Charisma.com

Like always, big beats, dreamy vocals, quirky rapping. They have a formula that never changes - and I would never want it to!

Highlights: GODcustomer, サプリミナル・ダイエット, 骨抜きに恋して

7.5/10

携帯電話 - RADWIMPS

The B-side on this single is seriously groovy. Pre- movie soundtrack RADWIMPS really were something else.

Highlights: ハイパーベンチレイション

7.5/10

旅鳥小唄 -Songbirds of Passage- the LOW-ATUS

細美さん teams up with a dude that actually used to hate him to make some full on roots acoustic kind of stuff. Certainly more country than you would expect from a couple of Japanese punks.

Highlights: 丸氷, ダンシングクイーン, オーオーオー, いつも通り

7.5/10

星飼いの少年 - AKIHIDE

Somewhat jazzy and progressive. Mostly instrumental classical guitar based pieces.

Highlights: 青空, 星追いの少女

6.5/10

有頂天 - ポルカドットスティングレイ

First of all, during this period their singer had the best haircut in rock. Shiiiizzz I ain't afraid of you mofos. Secondly, there are so many cool riffs and driving rhythms that it is a veritable party up in here! ラブコール is a certified 20/10 banger!

Highlights: ラブコール, ICHIDAIJI, 有頂天, DENKOUSEKKA

8/10

柏木由紀なりのBiSH -BAD TEMPER- - BiSH

The final pre-BiSH is OVER single and a collaboration with 柏木由紀. I am not sure exactly who she is, but this song is pretty much standard BiSH; kinda punk, but with strings and big catchy stuff. Oh wait; since this is not strictly BiSH, does that mean it is not included in my giant pizza box? I best go investigate...

Highlights: 柏木由紀なりのBiSH -BAD TEMPER-, オーケストラ <KASHiWACK version>

9/10

此処から - Organic Call

I think this may be my first time hearing this song? Because it is so amazing I am sure I would have remembered it. Indie rock with an absolutely SOARING ending.

10/10

歪んだ鉛筆は誰かに折られないために - HAMIDASYSTEM

Dark brooding electro stuff. With vocals that legit sound like one of the girls from BiSH. If the singing was better, this would be seriously great. What can I say? iDOL is SHiT!

Highlights: インビジブル・ムービー, 水槽標本, 舞台に溶かされて

7/10

水平線、続く天青 [EP] - Organic Call

Hot dang, these cats are seriously very good! Easily the best find of this journey - which is stupid, considering they have been in my library for at least five years now. I need MOAR!!!

Highlights: 愛おしき日々たちへ, 空に灯す, 3秒前の憂鬱, 茜色

9/10

溢れた水の行方 - 緑黄色社会

I am not sure if this is peak 緑黄色社会, because their debut album is so brilliant, but this is certainly a worthy successor - even if it is just an EP. Just fantastic pop rock and even a little bit of edge on a couple of songs.

Highlights: Never Come Back, Bitter, サボテン, リトルシンガー

9.5/10

生と詩 - 2

May Prime bless those wonderful kids at Tower Records and their musical choices. One of the most raucous punk albums since The Hives. But also featuring one of the coolest guitar solos on the planet. This album deserved much more notoriety than it received. 

Highlights: 東狂, フォーピース, ルシファー, SとF

9.5/10

生命の弦声笛 - 十一

Somewhat traditional folk-styled music? Super chilled and relaxing - very sparse and minimalist.

Highlights: I feel good

7/10

祈跡 - RADWIMPS

Super early RADWIMPS is such a strange thing. Some of it just sounds like high schoolers messing around on their school's recording equipment.

Highlights: 祈跡

6.5/10

絶体絶命 - RADWIMPS

From the near nadir of their roots to the absolute peak of their awesome. I cannot even count the amount of times I had a fist in the air listening to this album. Hot damn - I had forgotten how cool it is. Perfect way to end a couple of days of RADWIMPS tearing up this marathon.

Highlights: 億万笑者, DADA（dadadada Ver.), 君と羊と青, 救世主

10/10

緑黄色社会 - 緑黄色社会

An absolute gem of an album; the most dreamy indie pop rock, full of emotion and generally fantastic musicianship. I have been critical of almost everything they have released since, because this album is so darn perfect!

Highlights: 真夜中ドライブ, 恋って, Re, 始まりの歌

10/10

脱・既成概念 - BiSH

BiSH is OVER - and so is this marathon, almost! This is one of the weirdest singles ever from them - just the cheesiest of dance pop iDOL SHiT. And the B-side is almost Harry Connick Jr-style jazz pop. I kinda dig it all!

Highlights: 脱・既成概念, I

8/10

華納好歌連場精選 - George Lam

And we have reached the end! And what a song to end with; 男兒當自強 the theme for Once Upon a Time in China (and The Return of the Mystery Monks of the Shaolin Temple - one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history). Makes you feel like giving everyone a no-shadow kick to the face. Especially me for listening to 2025 albums and it taking me all darn year!

10/10

'Albums' listened to: 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And remember: I ain't afraid of you mofos.

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 157

Rock'n'Roll Circus - Ayumi Hamasaki

This starts out extremely dark... but quickly pivots to full on pop fun. And lots of ballads.

Highlights: RED LINE ～for TA～ [album version], Microphone, Sunrise ～LOVE is ALL～, You were...

7.5/10

Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk & Rockabilly - Various Artists

Imagine it is Friday night and you are cruising the town in your 1957 Chevy. Not the phone. If you are not playing this collection, then you deserve to crash into an ice cream truck.

Highlights: Down on the Farm - Al Downing, Red Hot - Bob Luman, Froggy Went a Courting - Danny Dell, Sunglasses After Dark - Dwight Pullen, Duck Tail - Joe Clay, Cast Iron Arm - Peanuts Wilson

7.5/10

Rocky: Original Motion Picture Score - Bill Conti

If this does not get your blood pumping and want to take on the world, then you are dead and I am standing triumphantly on your grave with my arms in the air like Rocky.

Highlights: Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky), Going the Distance, The Final Bell, Butkus

8/10

Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky - Various Artists

As the title suggests, this is a best of the Rocky soundtracks/score - used in Rocky Balboa. Which is one of the greatest entries in the Rocky franchise. Which also is a way to sum up this album. All great songs connected by inspirational dialogue from the movies. I am a champion!

Highlights: Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky), Going the Distance, Redemption (Theme from Rocky II), It's a Fight - Three 6 Mafia

8/10

Rocky II: Music by Bill Conti - Bill Conti

Gonna Fly Now gets a bit more funkified, and the rest is not as exceptional as the first film.

Highlights: Redemption (Theme from Rocky II), Gonna Fly Now, Conquest, All of My Life

7/10

Rocky III: Original Motion Picture Score - Various Artists

Less of a score and more of a proper soundtrack, with Frank Stallone providing half the songs. And they are kind of disco pop. In 1982. Kind of reminds me of The A-Team a little.

Highlights: Eye of the Tiger - Survivor, Gonna Fly Now - Bill Conti, Conquest - Bill Conti, Pushin' Frank Stallone

7/10

Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

Bill Conti has been replaced by the man who did the score for The Transformers: The Movie. I would like to hear his full score. Instead we get a fun super 80s compilation, with such luminaries as James Brown, Go West and Kenny Loggins. Take that, communism!

Highlights: War/Fanfare from Rocky - Vince DiCola, Training Montage - Vince DiCola, Living in America - James Brown, No Easy Way Out - Robert Tepper

8/10

Rocky V: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture - Various Artists

Things go deeper in to mainstream music with a full on compilation of 1990 hip-hop. We get some Rob Base, Joey B. Ellis and the man himself, MC Hammer! And an Elton John ballad to round things off, I guess? How did nothing from this album make the cut for the Rocky Balboa soundtrack?

Highlights: That's What I Said - MC Hammer, Feel My Power - MC Hammer, Go For It! (Heart and Fire) - Joey B. Ellis, The Measure of a Man - Elton John

7/10

Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

I do not have the full album - I grabbed my favourite songs from this off my friend's CD. In 2024, I would have ripped the full CD. In November 2025, I would have taken one song less. Is this the strangely-sexiest song by Garbage ever?

Highlights: #1 Crush - Garbage, Local God - Everclear, Lovefool - The Cardigans, You and Me Song - The Wannadies

8/10

Romeo Must Die: The Album - Various Artists

Jet Li's first Hollywood leading role. Which meant teaming up with modern hip-hop and R&B superstars. Because hip-hop dudes appreciate martial arts. 

Highlights: It Really Don't Matter - Confidential, Swung On - Stanley Clarke, We At It Again - Timbaland, Try Again - Aaliyah

7/10

The Rookie: Music From the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is just a song called In My Time of Need by Ryan Adams. I may have this elsewhere? Probably a different version. Because LOGMAN has all the versions of everything like a moron.

6/10

Room Service - Bryan Adams

BA recording an album in a hotel while on tour just to prove he can. And it is mostly upbeat pop rock, so clearly he was staying in nice hotels. Or he was getting the kind of "room service" his buddies Kiss were singing about on Dressed to Kill...

Highlights: She's a Little Too Good for Me, Not Romeo Not Juliet, Room Service, Right Back Where I Started From

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1452

FREE PALESTINE

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

2025 in 2025: Day 18

Begin to Hope - Regina Spektor

I only first heard of Regina Spektor when I read an interview with Jeff Lynne praising her as a songwriter, which certainly piqued my curiosity. My initial reaction was that this album was way overhyped and I tended to gravitate to her earlier work. Boy, was I wrong! This album is just as clever and pretentious! And seriously fantastic. Not sure how I missed all this before. 

Highlights: Better, Après Moi

8/10

Begin to Hope [Bonus Disc] - Regina Spektor

Of course I bought the deluxe edition with a bonus disc! Who do you think I am? Some sort of novice? Plus, if I remember correctly, it was actually cheaper than the regular version. I miss when The Warehouse sold music and movies. Definitely not as strong as the album itself, but that's not really a surprise.

Highlights: Summer in the City, Uh-Merica

6/10

Beside You - Dave Dobbyn

A best of Dave Dobbyn? This is not something I wanted... Admittedly I do think Be Mine Tonight is a fantastic song. But I already have that in my iTunes *checks iTunes lilbrary* two other times? I have this song 3 times in my iTunes library?? I don't know what else this dude has ever done that might interest me, especially when it appears he has re-recorded some of these "hits". So, crappy songs made worse by being sung by an old man that sounds like a drunk playing at the local pub? Holy hell this album is 90 minutes long. I'm sure this MF has talked about weather in about 80% of the songs I've listened to so far. You know what the funniest part of this is? Numerous times I looked at this album in my iTunes library and thought to myself 'Should I delete this? No, there are a couple of songs I might want to keep' and if I had just checked I would have found ALL of those songs in my iTunes library on other compilations and then I wouldn't be here listening to this MF croon about kisses being like rain. Sounds wet. Who the hell kisses like that?!?!

Highlights: Be Mine Tonight, Slice of Heaven

3.5/10

A BEST - Ayumi Hamasaki

Talk about a palette cleanser! This was the first Ayu album I bought - for $1 at the opshop. Bargain. I've held on to it purely for the re-recorded songs and Love: Destiny, which I believe is not found anywhere else? I'm not really sure. But it is also good to have this little compilation, because it may be the only Ayu my wife will allow outside of Power of Music. My first impression of this album, and thus Ayu, was that maybe I had wasted $1; I didn't think much of her voice and thought the songs sounded very dated. My opinion has certainly changed somewhat... 

Highlights: A Song for xx [New Vocal & Mix], Depend on you [New Vocal & Mix], Who... and all the other awesome songs

9/10

BEST - SPYAIR

Look, I'll be real here; most of SPYAIR's songs sound the same. Half of this album genuinely sounds so similar that I have a hard time telling the songs apart. Luckily, it's a darn great song so all these songs sound like a good time. And the ones that actually sound different? Well, they are mostly EVEN BETTER. 

Highlights: 虹, Beautiful Days, サムライハート (Some Like It Hot!!), ジャパニケーション, Last Moment

8/10

BEST [Bonus Disc] - SPYAIR

I have not listened to this very often; the opening track is absolutely worth having the disc and there is nothing terrible, but this one gets even more same-samey than the main disc.

Highlights: Trust your anthem, MOVIN' ON, Just Like This

6.5/10

Best Fiction - Namie Amuro

Ayu's main rival! And I know a lot of people that seem to prefer Amuro and her R&B styles. I haven't listened to much of her work outside of this album. And even then, I have not really given this more than a few passing listens. It honestly reminds me of Aaliyah and wouldn't feel out of place in a movie like Cradle 2 tha Grave or Romeo Must Die. I don't associate R&B with Jet Li, but that just seemed to be how Hollywood tried to place him. I need to give this another run one of these days.

Highlights: Put 'Em Up, Alarm, Funky Town

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 153

Jet Li and the Temple of Doom

So to celebrate Jet Li's 52nd birthday on April 26th, I will start a 52 week marathon of Jet Li works. Every week, and in chronological order, I will watch a Jet Li film/documentary (or just play his awesome video game) and to document this fun rollercoaster ride of emotion, I have started a new BLog:

The Temple of Jet Li

Feel free to go bookmark that now and get ready for the adventures to begin April 26th!


Damn, I am awesome