2025 in 2025: Day 185

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

The man with the silky-smooth voice preaching about peace and god and drugs. This album could not be more relevant today. The transitions between songs are almost as seamless as Marvin Gaye's voice.

Highlights: What's Going On, Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler), God Is Love, What's Happening Brother

9/10

What's Going On (Deluxe Edition 50th Anniversary) - Marvin Gaye

Mostly live songs from a particular concert, but with the singles and an outtake tacked on the end. Bah gawd this man just sang like a dream,

Highlights: What's Going On (Original Singles Version), God Is Love (Original Singles Version), Head Title AKA Distant Lover

7.5/10

What's Going On: The Detroit Mix - Marvin Gaye

No, I am not sick of this album - I could listen to it all day long! This was like a pre-release mix, so uses alternate vocal tracks and the percussion is a little different in parts. A little more dreamy sounding. And the transitions are even better!

Highlights: What's Going On, Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler), God Is Love, What's Happening Brother

9/10

(What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis

Liam's voice on Roll With It is actually awesome. Noel's guitar tone is generally terrible and the electric guitars for the most part just sound messy. And the album is still the peak of Britpop and completely awesome.

Highlights: Cast No Shadow, Some Might Say, Champagne Supernova, Don't Look Back in Anger

9/10

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys

A whole lot of indie rocks about being young and going to the clubs? And it just rules the schools? Inject this straight into my veins!

Highlights: Fake Tales of San Francisco, From The Ritz to the Rubble, A Certain Romance, Still Take You Home

8/10

Wheatus - Wheatus

This is only Teenage Dirtbag. This is the only good Wheatus song. Because it is the only Wheatus song I know. Man, that chorus had no business being so good.

9/10

When I Was Born for the 7th Time - Cornershop

This is only Brimful of Asha. It is the only Cornershop song I know... and I do not like it all that much. It is about 4 minutes too long. I could have listened to three Arctic Monkeys songs again!

3/10

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king

What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight

And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring

There's no body to batter when your mind is your might

So when you go solo, you hold your own hand

And remember that depth is the greatest of heights

And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land

And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right - Fiona Apple

Yeah, I am going with the full title today. Fuck you and your problems. And that is kind of the vibe of this album - I love the angst in her voice on the opening track and on a few of the following tracks. And this may well the best lyrical display of the last 30 years. 

Highlights: Paper Bag, On The Bound, Get Gone, Limp

8.5/10

Whenever You Need Somebody - Rick Astley

This is purely Never Gonna Give You Up. One of the most iconic songs of the 80s. The man had a voice that did not match the face.

9/10

Wherever We Want - The Tomboys

More indie rock from Kobe's favourite daughters. Well, my favourite daughters of Kobe? Lots of fun. Lots of bad guitar solos and backing vocals. Just the way it should be.

Highlights: RING ME, フルーツキャンディー, 月ミセ屋, DONUT!

7.5/10

White Blood Cells - The White Stripes

Is this fun indie rock day or something? The difference here is I just find Jack White awfully pretentious about his indie-ness.

Highlights: Fell In Love With a Girl, Hotel Yorba, We're Going to Be Friends

6.5/10

White Pony - Deftones

Nu-metal goes art rock? Deftones are not really nu-metal, but I think they are kind of adjacent? Anyways, this is heavy and groovy and this is my kind of heavy duty stuff.

Highlights: Digital Bath, Korea, Feiticeira, Elite

8/10

Who You Are - Jessie J

This lady is the textbook definition of "over-singing". And while she can technically do it, she does not sound good doing it at all.

Highlights: Price Tag, Who You Are, I Need This

6/10

Whoa, Nelly! - Nelly Furtado

It is like party folk music - socially-conscious acoustic music, layered in fun happy beats and various DJ noises you would find in pop radio back in 2000.

Highlights: Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days), Hey Man!, I'm Like a Bird

6/10

WIDE - INKYMAP

Summer is here to kick your ass! Incredible follow-up to a great album - non-stop awesome punk rock, with a growing impact as the album continues. So like a snowball? I think I am confusing my seasons and metaphors...

Highlights: カクメイノヒ, Serchlight, Teardrop, Goodnight and Goodbye

10/10

Wide Awake in Dreamland - Pat Benatar

I only have All Fired Up and the guitar solo is trash, like I am listening to The Tomboys again. But bah gawd if ever there was a song to get you pumped up, this would be it.

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1845

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2025 in 2025: Day 21

Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 - Van Halen

Man, the David Lee Roth era flies by so quick on this compilation. I've never considered myself a huge fan of Van Halen, but when I listen to this I just dig it so much. Except for Dance The Night Away and And the Cradle - they're just kind of okay. The rest are absolute killer. The Sammy Hagar era is not represented entirely well, IMO; I feel like there were better songs that could have made the cut. However, Dreams is awesome and the guitar solo is one of my absolute fav Eddie Van Halen moments. And Right Now always gets me air-drumming. The return of David Lee Roth at the end is pretty awesome, too. Pretty sure we've been singing "Trampoline" in Me Wise Magic for 28 years now. This makes me regret not picking up the Van Halen box sets when I saw them cheap a while back, because clearly I need more Van Halen in my life. Or maybe this is the perfect amount, and that's why I like this CD so much?

Highlights: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' with the Devil, Unchained, Jump, Panama, Dreams, Right Now, Me Wise Magic

9/10

The Best of WCW Vol. 1: Nitro - World Championship Wrestling

Well, I guess this makes up for me not watching WCW for the past few months. Oh you want to watch Bret Hart stick fools in the Sharpshooter? How about 90 minutes of playing 'guess the pro-wrestler's entrance music' instead? The Total Package theme almost sounds like a Chariots of Fire ripoff. And it's been 30 years and I still can't tell the difference between Rey Misterio and Dean Malenko's themes when I first hear them. Pro-wrestling themes with lyrics are always way funnier - especially when they talk about doing all the wrestling moves and what not. The Four Horsemen theme is legit badass. And after watching so much WCW and no Pearl Jam, I'm now convinced this Chris Jericho theme is how Even Flow actually sounds. La Parka's theme is so funk-rock it's awesome and makes me want to play air-guitar on a steel chair. Wait - The Four Horsemen have a second theme song? American Made is no Real American, but it still rocks hard. Luckily we save the best for last with Bret Hart's second WCW theme.

Highlights: Four Horsemen, Satan's Sister (Hollywood Blondes Theme), Parental Advisory Explicit Acts (La Parka Theme), Hart Attack Comeback (Bret Hart Theme)

7/10

The Best of WCW Vol. 2: Thunder - World Championship Wrestling

Oh, I still haven't learned my lesson? Voodoo Child would have been good right now, but those nWo quotes in it are mixed way too loud. At least I get some more disco music with Disco Inferno's theme song? I mean, I'd prefer Disco Inferno from The Trammps again, but sure. Buff Bagwell doesn't even seem to know what's going on with his theme song. 3 Count is just laughable - and purposely so, given their gimmick. Hitman in the House has grown on me, but still stands as his third best theme song. the nWo Midcard theme is super funky. Oh cool - Badstreet U.S.A. is on here! I will never tire of A Man Called Sting. Wolfpac in the house! Wait - almost three hours and no appearance of Brad Armstrong's theme song? I feel cheated.

Highlights: Disco Fever (Disco Inferno Theme), Hitman in the House (Bret Hart Theme), Tear It Up (nWo Midcard Theme), A Man Called Sting (Sting Theme), Billy Kidman (Kidman Theme)

6/10

Best Shots - Pat Benatar

I think we must be almost done with Best ofs! This is some serious 80s power ballad stuff. Hit Me with Your Best Shot really is so weak - needs to be rocked up a notch or two. 

Highlights: Love is a Battlefield, All Fired Up, Hell is for Children, We Belong

6.5/10

BEST★SCANDAL - SCANDAL

No, this is not a best of. This is SCANDAL's debut album. Maybe they called it BEST★SCANDAL because they think they are the best? They might not be, but they can come close some times. These days, anyway. Their early work is more in the vein of pop-punk idol music. Which is totally cool with me! In fact, some of this seriously great.

Highlights: DOLL, ひとつだけ, SAKURA グッバイ

7/10

Between the Black and Gray - MONOEYES

Ugh American spelling. Anyways, more 細美さん means more good times, even if this album is more of a darker vibe. Likely a product of the times, as this was released at the end of 2020, so in the midst of the pandemic and lockdowns and awesome stuff. This is overall probably the weakest MONOEYES album, but the highlights are SUPER highlights. And a weak MONOEYES album is still better than a lot of band's stronger efforts.

Highlights: Fall Out, Interstate 46, Outer Rim, 彼は誰の夢

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 174