Continuing a half-assed tradition, these are albums I liked that were new-to-me in 2019, and some honorable mentions. Many from used stores, not all. In no particular order, just as I am scrolling through my 2019 Albums iTunes playlist, and queuing ‘em up…
- Bob Dylan – Travelin’ Through, The Bootleg Series, Vol 15, 1967-1969
- Dr. John (RIP) – Desitively Bonnaroo (meh)
- Dr. John – In The Right Place (thumbs up)
- Dr. John – Remedies (includes the nearly 18 minute song, “Angola Anthem”)
- Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer (thumbs up)
- Albert Collins – Don’t Lose Your Cool(thumbs up)
- The Long Ryders – Final Wild Songs (compilation of their 1980s albums, a couple I heard on vinyl back in the stone ages)
- Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue (thumbs up)
- All The Young Droogs (box set of glam-rock singles from obscure UK bands from the mid-70s, thumbs up)
- Billy Gibbons – The Big Bad Blues (thumbs up)
- Otis Rush – Cold Day in Hell (replacement of a well-worn vinyl record purchased from Antone’s Records vinyl record adjunct on Guadalupe, is that even still in existence? Doubtful)
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Colorado (thumbs up)
- Neil Young & The Stray Gators – Tuscaloosa (1973 recording, released this year)
- Neil Young – Songs for Judy (1976 tour acoustic recording- “collects 23 highlights curated by journalist Cameron Crowe and photographer Joel Bernstein”. Enthusiastic thumbs up)
- Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue – 1975 recordings (another box set from Bob’s deep library of unreleased material)
- Tangerine Dream – Zeit (Spooky)
- Jenny Lewis – On The Line (I decided I enjoy the lyrics written by Jenny Lewis, and bought three of her solo albums)
- Mulatu Astatqé – New York – Addis – London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975 (Enthusiastic thumbs up, discovered via this Joe Tangari, Pitchfork review, “boogaloo, Latin jazz, and other Americo-Caribbean forms” mixed in with pentatonic Ethiopian melodies)
- Beatles – The White Album box set (including the legendary Esher Demos)
- Albert Collins – Frostbite (another replacement of something I wore out the vinyl version of)
- Hindu Love Gods – Warren Zevon, with R.E.M. as his backing band, performing covers of songs like Travelin’ Riverside Blues, Raspberry Beret, Vigilante Man, etc. Fun, sloppy, which is part of the fun…
- Jenny Lewis – The Voyager (thumbs up)
- Gene Clark – No Other (deluxe edition, including demos, replacing an older CD I still own)
- Rachid Taha (RIP) – Je Suis Africain (2019) Guardian U.K. review by Kitty Empire
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Live at Womad 1985 (thumbs up)
- Attarazat Addahabia & Faradjallah – Al Hadaoui (Habibi Funk)
- Thelonious Sphere Monk – Solo Monk (thumbs up)
- Prince – Originals (songs from the early 80s mostly, other artists recorded them, these are the demos)
- Robert Plant – Dreamland (thumbs up)
- Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger (thumbs up, mostly, though I agree with Ptichfork this isn’t Jack White’s best work)
- Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 (thumbs up)
- Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – Texas Swing (1987– Solid, sometimes the horn section is boring, lyrics cliché. Probably was a good live show, but, ya know)
- Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – Original Peacock Records (circa 1954 era – thumbs up)
- Dukes of Stratosphear (aka XTC) – Psurroundabout Ride (1985 Andy Partridge project, who has the tabs?)
- Nigeria 70: No Wahala: Highlife, Afro-Funk & Juju 1973-87 (12 tracks from 1973-1987, including Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Titbitis doing Iziegbe (Ecassa No.70))
- Townes Van Zandt – Sky Blue (demos from 1973, recorded at a home studio in Atlanta not my top TVZ, still thumbs up.
- Lambchop – This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) (thumbs up)
- Mdou Moctar – Ilana: The Creator (Thumbs up. Reviewed by Andy Beta, Pitchfork)
- Neko Case – Hell-On (thumbs up)
- The Kinks – Soundtrack from the Film, “Percy” (basically Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, Part One, with some orchestral arrangements conducted by Stanley Myers)
A few incomplete’s: albums I haven’t yet heard enough times to form an opinion
- Various Artists – Afro Baby: The Evolution of the Afro-Sound in Nigeria 1970-79
- Who – The Who
- Sudan Archives – Athena
- Omar Souleyman – To Syria, With Love
- Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
- R.E.M. – Monster Box
- Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Step
- Billy Bragg – Tooth & Nail
- Robert Ellis – Photographs
- The Raincoats – The Raincoats
- Bad Religion – Suffer
- The Claypool Lennon Delirium – South of Reality
- Low – Double Negative
- Julian Cope – Drunken Songs
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
- Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba – Miri
- Various Artists – Éthiopiques 8: Swinging Addis 1969-1974
- Various Artists – Éthiopiques 13: Ethiopian Groove – The Golden Seventies
And finally, don’t think I got any real duds this year, at least that I remember being irritated by, and irritated at myself for purchasing. If I remember any, I’ll add ‘em later.