2025 in 2025: Day 155

Remember you - Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayu getting some edge and telling her haters to Fuck Off. Quite literally. It is funny; I tend to get in my head that this album is not great, but actually it kind of is? And even if it is not, VIBEES is possibly a top ten sexy bitch track if ever I heard one. I could genuinely listen to that all day.

Highlights: VIBEES, 23rd Monster, (NOT) Remember you, Dreamed a Dream

7.5/10

Remixes 1982-1990 - The Cure

This is actually somewhat of an interesting compilation. The extended mixes are basically the same songs with unnecessarily long intros, which kind of works with Pictures of You (at least this is actually extended this time - by all of 30 seconds). But why can we not get the normal 'New Vocal' mix of Boys Don't Cry, when he is happy to give us the remix version? 

Highlights: Pictures of You (Extended Version 1990), Primary (Red Mix 1990), Close to Me (Extended Mix 1985), Boys Don't Cry (New Voice Club Mix 1986)

7/10

Renegades - Rage Against the Machine

Kind of proof of my whole 'just do one album and bounce' theory with these guys. They could have just recorded all these covers as The Renegades or something, maybe brought in Chuck D to help out? Because these dudes turning all these hip-hop songs in to heavy rock is pretty darn dope.

Highlights: Pistol Grip Pump, How I Could Just Kill a Man, Renegades of Funk, Maggie's Farm

7/10

Republica - Republica

Haha this is so dated - sounds even older than it actually is, like early 90s techno mixed with Britpop or something. So it kind of sounds like 1999 J-Pop. Holy cow that original version of Ready to Go is surprisingly terrible!

Highlights: Drop Dead Gorgeous, Ready to Go (U.S. Mix), Holly

6/10

Return Of The Bumpasaurus - Sir Mix-A-Lot

Oh man, 90s hip-hop really was rife with homophobia and transphobia. And monstrous bass.

Highlights: Aunt Thomasina, You Can Have Her, Jump On It, Funk For Da Blvd.

6/10

Return of the Champions - Queen + Paul Rodgers

I have no issue with Queen bringing in Paul Rodgers; Brian May and Roger Taylor clearly wanted to get back to performing together and these guys made a decent enough album together. It just sometimes Rodgers' voice does not quite suit the classic Queen songs. Some of them he really does! Not even Brian May's massive guitar can save Feel Like Makin' Love from sounding super country. 

Highlights: Radio Ga Ga, 39, I'm In Love With My Car, These Are the Days of Our Lives

7/10

Return of the Space Cowboy - Jamiroquai

Old school funk acid jazz. This is the kind of album that makes me wish I was a better bass player, because Stuart Zender is the man!

Highlights: Light Years, Just Another Story, Manifest Destiny, Space Cowboy

7/10

Revenge - Kiss

Hand down the best 90s album from Kiss. Featuring the best song of the 90s by any band? Rock out with your socks out!

Highlights: God Gave Rock & Roll to You, Spit, Thou Shalt Not, I Just Wanna

8/10

Revenge - Eurythmics

Imagine if these were the same songs... This album starts off absolutely massive - Missionary Man may be one of the greatest ways to start an album in 1986* - then kind of loses steam in the second half. But is still probably my favourite Eurythmics album.

Highlights: Missionary Man, When Tomorrow Comes, Thorn in My Side, The Last Time

7.5/10

*I decided to check and I may be right - I can see only 1 other challenger for that, being Let It Rock from Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet

Revolution - Kara

Let's play random K-Pop song of the day! This time it is Mr. by Kara? It is fun; very big upbeat dance pop.

8/10

Revolver - The Beatles

Like Sgt. Pepper's, this album always has dorks saying it is the greatest album, or it is a perfect album, or other such nonsense. It is neither. Because Paul McCartney's songs on this album are mostly trash.

Highlights: Tomorrow Never Knows, And Your Bird Can Sing, I Want to Tell You, Eleanor Rigby

7/10

Revolverlution - Public Enemy

This is purely the title track. I really do not have much Public Enemy and I should probably feel too ashamed to show my face on the internet again.

8/10

Rhythm & Gangsta - Snoop Dogg

This only the single Signs with Justin Timberlake. It is probably the last good song this dude released - more than 20 years ago.

8/10

Ricky Martin - Ricky Martin

The best Ricky Martin songs are when he is just shaking those hips and making you boogie, but sadly most of this album is ballads. Which are mostly kind of meh.

Highlights: Livin' La Vida Loca, Private Emotion, Bella (She's All I Ever Had), I Count the Minutes

7/10

The Riddle - Nik Kershaw

I loved the 1966 Batman TV show as a kid. I still do - rewatched it a few years ago and had the time of my life. I recall this video had something with that version of The Riddler going on in it? I cannot recall if it scared me or just made me like the video.

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1425

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2025 in 2025: Day 92

He Got Game - Public Enemy

Would you believe this is the only full Public Enemy album I have ever actually listened to? I am going to correct that in 2026. This album goes hard, but does also feel very 1998 to me. The samples are great and Chuck D's lyrics are on point!

Highlights: Resurrection, He Got Game, Shake Your Booty, What You Need is Jesus, Go Cat Go

8/10

The Head on the Door - The Cure

This is pretty much the best 80s pop album by The Cure - a stunning combination of dark numbers and upbeat pop danciness. And it is all quick and to the point. No messing around here. That opening riff in Push is the absolute stuff.

Highlights: In Between Days, Push, Close to Me, Sinking

8/10

Heart and Soul - Joy Division

This is, of course, the full 4-disc collection. Which means I am sitting here listening to a full six hours of Joy Division. And, you know, it is great. Ian Curtis was a mad man. Quite literally. I have to say, I think disc 2 is my favourite of all this; the Closer album is solid and Love Will Tear Us Apart is genuinely their greatest track. When I made my terrible punk EP, it is crazy how much I was subconsciously influenced by these guys in part. And then the whole An Ideal for Living EP is so completely different to everything else - just full on punk awesomeness. Yeah, I am taking it back - this whole disc 3 is head-drillingly awesome. What I really enjoyed going through all this is hearing those little bits of the New Order sound coming through every so often. The live disc does not do much for me, however.

Highlights: She's Lost Control, Shadowplay, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Warsaw, These Days, No Love Lost, Insight

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 752

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2025 in 2025: Day 8

Anthology [Disc 1 Ascot] - John Lennon
Oh, I wanted more rough songs from The Beatles? Close enough! This first disc from the John Lennon Anthology collection covers the recording of The Plastic Ono Band and Imagine albums; it is all demos and alternate takes. And, quite honestly, some of them are very good. I can't stress enough just how amazing this demo of I Found Out is - the final release was like a simple shuffle groove, whereas this is some hard-hitting acoustic number. Imagine with the organ is such a weird take. Overall, well worth another listen.
Highlights: I Found Out [Home Recording], Baby Please Don't Go, Jealous Guy [From 8 Track Imagine Sessions]
6.5/10

Anthology [Disc 2 New York City] - John Lennon
This disc covers the Some Time in New York City and Mind Games periods. I'm likely in the minority, but I absolutely love STNYC - angry political Lennon is my security blanket. Well, actually, my blanket is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saying "Cowabunga", but it isn't quite the right size. Anyways, we don't get much in the way of demos from that album, but a lot of live stuff from political rallies and whatnot. Then demos/outtakes for Mind Games, and some random demos for I'm the Greatest and Real Love. I enjoy Lennon doing his scat in the studio - reminds me of Elvis doing fun stuff live. If you ever need a reminder of how society evolves, just listen to Geraldo Rivera boldly brag about raising money "for the mentally retarded", before Lennon screams out the n word multiple times in his song. Wild times. 
Highlights: All the live songs, Real Love [Home Recording]
6.5/10

Anthology [Disc 3 The Lost Weekend]
This covers the Walls and Bridges and Rock 'n' Roll recording sessions. Lennon should have done more rock'n roll, because he was awesome at it and his medley of Rip It Up/Ready Teddy is super fantastic. The banter between Lennon and Psycho Phil is kind of hilarious; Lennon is clearly in a state, and Spector is a lunatic, and some of the stuff they say is... sad, considering how they ended up.
Highlights: Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out) [Alt Version], Pretty much all the Rock 'n' Roll sessions - particularly Slippin' and Slidin'
6/10

Anthology [Disc 4 Dakota]
And now we get demos and alternate takes from 1979/80. This version of I'm Losing You is much more aggressive than the Double Fantasy version. And Nobody Told Me has a lot more life to it compared to the version on Milk and Honey. Actually, most of the outtakes from that album are like that. Dang, now I want someone to just redo that whole album so it's more like this. And less like what George Martin did to Grow Old With Me here. The home recordings are all very odd choices; we get Lennon mocking Bob Dylan and then his interpretation of an Indian guru or something. Great idea - let's just end the collection with him getting cancelled...
Highlights: the Milk and Honey outtakes
5/10

Anti Anti Generation - RADWIMPS
I was not enjoying this. At all. Not even Taka from ONE OK ROCK and the usually great IKIBIJIKI was not doing anything for me. It got about halfway through the album and I was just questioning why RADWIMPS do not make good music anymore... but then I managed to correct my mood a bit, and the rest of the album hasn't offended me so greatly. In fact, this album might not actually be as bad as I remembered. Still a far cry from what I know RADWIMPS are capable of. I'm tired.
Highlights: IKIJIBIKI feat.Taka, サイハテアイニ
5/10

AOI Bionix - De La Soul
This is actually somewhat of an understandable progression. Somewhat, given RADWIMPS do a bit of rapping in their songs. Except De La Soul are very good hip-hop. And that is exactly what this album is. Very good. I bought a box of all of De La Soul's CDs many years ago, because I needed the classic grooves of 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul is Dead in my life. The later albums just didn't get the same attention; not because they aren't good, I just got caught up in the early stuff that I knew. This album is a reminder that I need to give the other albums some serious attention. And also my box set is now out of date.
Highlights: Simply, Peer Pressure [Feat. B-Real], Trying People
7/10

Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Back - Public Enemy
This is just Bring tha Noize with Anthrax. The original rap/metal hybrid. Almost 35 years later this song still goes hard. 
9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 66