A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Trash...
AKA LOGMAN Does an Oopsie!
So, I spent 24 hours travelling and listening to all this music that I've been working my way through. Which is all fine and dandy. Being that I was travelling, I kept all my scores/ratings and ramblings in notes on my phone. And then the most hilarious thing happened and I had to restore my phone before being able to do a backup. Which meant I lost all my data from the last 6 months - including all the listening history! Now how will I know how many times I listened to ELLEGARDEN and Queen back in December?!?
So I lost about 2 weeks of listening time sorting this all out. Plus all this music I listened to while travelling and getting sorted? You guessed it - I will have to listen to it and rate it and discuss it all over again. Which is a shame, because I am sure my original bLogging would have been super entertaining and full of extremely witty dialogue. For sure...
So let's get back to it! We are almost 6 months into 2025 and I am still barely a third through this...
F is for FarOutIHaveToListenToTheseFTDAlbumsAgain!
FTD062: An American Trilogy, January/February 1972 - Elvis Presley
Another live compilation in the form of an actual live setlist. The recordings for the most part are really good and the band are seriously on fire! Elvis' voice is definitely not at its best, though.
Highlights: Never Been to Spain, You Gave Me a Mountain, A Big Hunk O' Love
6.5/10
FTD092: As Recorded At Boston Garden '71, Boston, 10 November 1971 - Elvis Presley
This show is mostly decent, but the recording/mix is just not great. Almost sounds like an audience recording? The crowd were certainly hot! Elvis didn't even kiss everyone during Love Me Tender. Anyways, clearly the real king of the garden was Bret Hart. Both Boston and Madison.
Highlights: You've Lost that Loving Feeling, I Can't Stop Loving You, Suspicious Minds
6/10
Full Blast - MC Hammer
Really just a glorified EP from the Hammerman; five songs and then the instrumental version of said five songs. Look, part of what I will always love about Hammer is that he works in such a great pop/dance vibe in the hip-hop. But when the man is angry and lets loose on his diss work, it goes hard!
Highlights: Full Blast, Hard Times, I Used to Love Her
7/10
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy - Sarah McLachlan
Last time I was listening to this album, I was wandering around Shanghai airport. This has probably been a more focused listen, which is great, because this album is pretty good and at times I really like McLachlan's voice and delivery. And whatever is going on musically, for the most part. It has been too long now to compare these versions to those found on the Freedom Sessions album, so one day next year I will have to do a direct back-to-back listen and comparison.
Highlights: Possession, Wait, Circle, Ice Cream
7/10
Fun in Space - Roger Taylor
This album sounds exactly like it came from someone involved in the creation of Queen's Hot Space album. In fact, some of these songs sound like they were reworked for that album - because some of them sound very similar. Whenever I read this album title, I get confused and start singing Prime Jive to myself. Because there is that line Roger Taylor sings about "rock in space" and the full title of the song is Rock It (Prime Jive). Try to keep up, please...
Highlights: No Violins, Let's Get Crazy, Airheads
6/10
A Funk Odyssey - Jamiroquai
Bah gawd this album blew my mind back in 2002 and was responsible for me becoming a Jamiroquai fan. Rob Harris' guitar work is so unbelievably funky and out of this world. And that bass line on Love Foolosophy is super funky. And then Stop Don't Panic features the sort of funk guitar that completely changes the game. Intergalactic Disco Express, right here.
Highlights: Little L, Love Foolosophy, Don't Stop Panic, Main Vein
8/10
The Funky Headhunter - MC Hammer
Hammer sans MC has no time for suckers talking smack. For the longest time, I thought It's All Good was on Too Legit To Quit. Kids are stupid. Especially the kids not listening to this album, because it is super awesome. Sure, as usual some of the songs are a bit long, and the whole album probably could have been edited down a bit (18 tracks at 1 hour 15 is genuinely not necessary), and my man don't need to be making me choose a side between him and Run DMC. And Hammer for sure wasn't all talk; Redman is on the record that Hammer came to him personally and had him apologising for talking trash, because Hammer don't play like that. Y'all busters should have just let Hammer do his pop super hype dancing!
Highlights: It's All Good, Don't Stop, Break 'em Off Somethin' Propa, It's All That, The Funky Headhunter
7/10
FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake
I
gushed stupidly about this album back when my bLog was just getting started - almost 20 years ago! Does the album hold up in 2025? Well... yes. Absolutely.
Losing My Way is mostly a cool song, but the lyrics are pretty cringe; there is nothing about JT that I find relatable to a broke meth addict. Somehow I have ended up with a censored version, which annoys me in all the ways you could imagine. And it has a bunch of remixes at the end that are all unnecessary. Especially the one featuring Beyoncé. But especially 50 Cent being super lewd and gross. Otherwise, it is still a very great album that I just need to get back to the original uncensored un-deluxe version.
Highlights: SexyBack, My Love, LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude), What Goes Around.../... Comes Around (Interlude)
8/10
"Albums" listened to so far: 648
