Review: Chuck Berry - His Complete '50s Chess Recordings:

Upon first listen I've never listened to much Chuck Berry aside from Johnny B Goode and Maybellene, so the opportunity to hear so much from his catalog was an exciting prospect. And I was not disappointed. This is the beginning of Rock and Roll and your hair stands up listening to it. I skipped most of the duplicates and live tracks and can't wait to mix it down into a single disc for easier listening.

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Review: Andrew WK - We Want Fun Demos:

Upon first listen it's interesting to hear the progression of (or lack thereof) these tracks. It also makes me want to revisit The Wolf.

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Review: Black Flag - Discography

Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown/Panic Demo/Jealous Again/Police Story/Damanged Demos/Spray Paint/Decline Of Western Civilization/TV Party/Everything Went Black: Upon first listen it's obvious that the intensity and catchiness of these songs were present at a very early age in Black Flag history. What's not clear is the multitude of versions of the songs and how they fit into the history (at least to me) which makes getting into the band a daunting task. Still, I push forward.

Black Flag - My War/Family Man/Slip It In/Loose Nut/In My Head: Upon first listen it's almost like listening to a completely different band. Slower and heavier it's no wonder everyone only ever talks about Damaged.

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Review: The Mars Volta - Octahedron:

Upon first listen it's certainly a quieter album - with a much larger emphasis on the lyrics - than their previous efforts. Just when you're expecting it to get big, loud and crazy it just sort of fizzles. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - just disorienting the first time through.

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Review: Jello Biafra - Discography:

Upon first listen he makes a lot of really good points, but does so with such grandstanding it's sometimes difficult to take seriously - much like Michael Moore or Keith Olbermann. Once you get beyond that, his points are valid, mostly well thought-out (if sometimes a tad embellished) and disturbing. He also repeats a lot of the same bits as if those listening to the spoken word album had not heard his previous efforts. While probably not as disorienting when the albums are spread over a few years, but when listening back-to-back it's frustrating as you don't know when to fast forward or when to hear it through. Still, it's worthing listening to, though I wish there was a condensed version (say 5 discs) that represents all of his points of view without duplication.

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Review: Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows:

Upon first listen there is some really good tracks here, just not enough to recommend the album.

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