ALBUMS

• ELVIS COSTELLO: TRUST: 1981: NEW WAVE: 9.6 OUT OF 10.0.  VINYL: Elvis’s first four albums are such standouts that it feels like this one his 5th is sometimes overlooked.  Elvis would call it his most drug -influenced record. Favorites: Clubland, From A Whisper To A Scream, New Lace Sleeves, Luxembourg.

• DAVID BOWIE: THE NEXT DAY: 2013: Rock. 9.1  out of 10.0. CD. And out of nowhere came Bowie’s first album of new material in ten years. It would turn out to be his penultimate album. The Next Day would have fit in well with his late 70’s work. Favorites- The Next Day, The Stars Are Out Tonight, Where Are We Now?, You Feel So Lonely You Could Die. A great and unexpected comeback.

• THE BLUES MASTERS: VOLUME 4: HARMONICA CLASSICS: 1992: BLUES:9.0 OUT OF 10.0. CD. 16 blues harmonica classics starting out with the great Little Walter- the GOAT. Other favorites on this-“Help Me” -Sonny Boy Williamson, “Blues With A Feeling” The Paul Butterfield Band, “I’ll Be Around”- Howlin’ Wolf, “Easy”-Jimmy and Walter. A very strong compilation in the series. I had listened to the first three volumes a month ago and forgot to keep going through the series- there are 18 volumes.

• THE BLUES MASTERS: 1992: VOLUME 5: JUMP BLUES CLASSICS: 9.5 OUT OF 10.0. CD:18 songs on this compilation- from Joe Turner to Big Mama Thornton, Wynonie Harris, Ruth Brown- a fun listen, not a bad cut in the bunch.