ALBUMS

• STEELY DAN: AJA: 1977: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Steely Dan’s most commercial album- three hit singles -Peg #11, Deacon Blues #19 and Josie #26. Nearly 40 different musicians played on this album. The album was their highest charting one #3- They had another hit single that year- 1978 also FM {No Static At All} from the FM soundtrack #22. AJa was the name of a Korean girl who married one of Donald Fagen’s high school friends.

• THE SMITHS: MEET IS MURDER: 1985: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Cited by most as The Smiths greatest album- it was a #1 seller in the UK. #295 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest albums list and on the 1001 albums to hear list also.

• THE BYRDS: SWEETHEART OF THE RODEO: 1968: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: The Byrds 6th album and first with Gram Parsons- who is the star on this one – a shift from psychedelic rock to country rock- a universally acclaimed album and a huge influence on county-rock and Americana.

• MITSKI: BE THE COWBOY: 2018: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: I am hooked on this album- had to listen to it again today.

• MITSKI: PUBERTY 2: 2016: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: The album before Be The Cowboy- it is the first Mitski album I heard- made some best of 2016 lists- her fourth album- she continued to get better and better with each album. I love these short 2-3 minute pop songs- if you can’t say it in 3 minutes…

• THE BEATLES: LIVE AT THE BBC DISC 1 AND 2: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Beatles live in studio performances from 1963-65 on the BBC Light Programme  radio shows. A total of 56 songs and 13 tracks of dialog. 19 years later a second volume would finally be released. Great time capsule sets.

• THE KINKS: THE ULTIMATE KINKS: DISC 1 AND 2: 2002: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: The first disc has every British Kinks charting single in chronological order and the second side is b-sides and singles that didn’t chart. An excellent collection of Kinks music.