2025 in 2025: Day 162

Sign O' The Times - Prince

Mostly minimalist, mostly just Prince. Somewhat psychedelic pop. And mostly funky. Probably as brilliant as it is funky.

Highlights: I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, U Got the Look, Sign O' the Times, It

8/10

Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe) - Prince

Three discs and four hours of outtakes, demos, rehearsals and whatnot from The Vault. And most of it is absolutely essential listening. Some seriously exceptional songs here and some epic big funky jams. This is what happens when you plan to make three albums and then try and whittle those down to one. Those Camille songs sure are fire. I also love that one of these demos still has the click track in there. 

Highlights: Soul Psychodelicide, In a Large Room with No Light, Love and Sex, Crucial, Emotional Pump

7.5/10

Sign O' The Times: Promo Mixes and B-Sides - Prince

The b-sides are all sorts of funky good times. And it never hurts to get a good extended mix of an already awesome Prince song. Someone talk to his estate about getting us more of these Super Deluxe Editions.

Highlights: Shockadelica, U Got the Look (Long Look, Shockadelica (12" Long Version), La La La He He Hee

8/10

Significant Other - Limp Bizkit

Between this and Eminem, 1999/2000 sure was the time to be a young angry white boy. And as much as we all like to make fun of Fred Durst, this album has a lot of fun moments. The downer stuff is just a downer, but when songs are less serious and mostly just Durst yelling about Ken Shamrock and being tough and broke (which also applies to Ken Shamrock?), that right there is my jam. Also, Method Man is pretty great.

Highlights: Just Like This, I'm Broke, Nobody Like You, Break Stuff

7.5/10

Silk Cuts - Various Artists

Another one of these big long remix albums. This time featuring a lot of classic UK garage tracks and a little bit of US hip-hop & R&B. 

Highlights: All Good - De La Soul & Chaka Khan, Do You Really Like It? - DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies, Flowers - Sweet Female Attitude, Course Bruv - Genius Crew, Gotta Get Thru This - Daniel Bedingfield

7/10

silver lining - LAMP IN TERREN

This dude has moments with his voice that legit give me chills. This is all just really strong driving emo-tinted indie rock. And I dig it.

Highlights: L-R, 緑閃光, send me, ゴールド・ルーズ, balloon

7.5/10

The Simpson Sing the Blues - Various Artists

Is this the most hilariously dated album in my entire library? It is even cheesier and sillier than I remembered; this is possibly the least rockin' version of School Days I have ever heard, Homer singing a blues rock song just makes it sound like a comedy moment on the show, Deep Deep Trouble may be the funniest 'rapping' of the 90s, and Lisa almost sounds like my girl YUKI when she sings. Marge and Homer singing a duet is absolutely funnier than any episode of The Simpsons in the last 25 years! As usual, Mr. Burns wins the song wars of Springfield!

Highlights: Look At All Those Idiots - Mr. Burns & Smithers, Do The Bartman - Bart Simpson, Sibling Rivalry - Bart & Lisa Simpson

6/10

Sing When You're Winning - Robbie Williams

I only have the one song here - Let Love Be Your Energy - because I never had much interest in the other songs from this album. His first two seemed pretty cool. This song is awesome.

9/10

SINGALONG - 緑黄色社会

While nowhere near as amazing as their debut album, this still has its share of highs and is pretty solid. Less indie pop and more radio friendly. This is what happens when you get signed to a major label.

Highlights: Shout Baby, あのころ見た光, Mela!, スカーレット

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1509

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2025 in 2025: Day 70

Family Affair - MC Hammer

Lots of preaching and reworking songs from Too Tight (Hammer's aborted album at Death Row). And a song by Tupac? And then some reworking of a couple of older songs. They are not as good as the originals. I like Hammer, and this is all fairly harmless, but I am still not convinced this needed to be a double-album.

Highlights: Never Without You, Praise Dance Theme Song, Unconditional Luv, Keep On, Let's Get it Started

6/10

fantasia - LAMP IN TERREN

Another band I forget are very good. I have another album from them and I always seem to listen to that more, so that makes listening to this now a timely reminder that this album is also solid and deserves more attention.

Highlights: キャラバン, 地球儀, 涙星群の夜, at (liberty), eve

7/10

Far - Regina Spektor

Comments about god and war are pretty silly coming from a staunch Zionist. By the time we got to this album, I feel like her quirkiness is overwhelming the actual good songwriting.

Highlights: Eet, Dance Anthem of the 80's

5/10

Fasterpiece - Sad Dracula

I think after his whole being cancelled, DRA should have just changed his name to Sad Dracula and released music that way. Because it suits the way he acts these days. This album is kind of decent, being that whole 80s college radio sound, but it does run out of steam.

Highlights: Starfire, California Gasoline, Lost and Found, S.O.S., Waiting for the Sun

6.5/10

The Fat of the Land - The Prodigy

Almost 30 years later and this album still kicks all the butt everywhere all the time. Punk dance music at its absolute finest (and butt kicking). That cover of Fuel My Fire is like a whole different banana.

Highlights: Smack My Bitch Up, Breathe, Narayan, Fuel My Fire

9/10

Fear of Flying - Mya

This is just Case of the Ex. Whatever happened to Mya? She was like the whole package.

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 558