Since I see this LP in my record collection ev day and haven't heard it in 30+ yrs, I had to give it a spin. I believe it's the cover that caught my eye when I bought it circa '87. Didn't have high expectations but it's surprisingly potent. IMO, even better than Legendary Hearts. Good tunes on this.

1993 was a pretty great year for music. Yo La Tengo's Painful. Suede's sublime first album. The Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. Nirvana's final studio LP, In Utero. And quite possibly my fav one of that year: PJ Harvey's Rid of Me. Steve Albini's behind the console. Beautiful, raw, candid, powerful record.

The Buddha of Suburbia. It took a long time (two years) for this soundtrack to be released in America. An often forgotten/neglected item in Bowie's legendary catalog. It's inventive, filled with good ideas and, IMO, it's still extremely potent. Strangers When We Meet is a personal fav from this one.

A companion piece to Neil Young's 1979 LP, Rust Never Sleeps : the soundtrack to the concert film. There's acoustic Neil here. There's also hard-rocking Neil. There's storyteller Neil. Sedan Delivery is a highlight, for sure. Overall, the performances are top-notch. Still a great live document.

1991 was a great year for music. Many releases are now considered bona fide classics: Nevermind, Bandwagonesque, Screamadelica, Achtung Baby, Blood Sugar, Ten, Black Album, Laughing Stock, ... But my fav of that year is prob My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Amazing LP that has stood the test of time.

Avalon. Superb final studio album for Roxy. Still somewhere in my all-time top 30 records. Lush, elegant, soothing, romantic. By the way, the recent Dolby Atmos surround mix of the LP by Bob Clearmountain is a thing of beauty. Sounds absolutely gorgeous. Highly recommended.

Calexico. Wonderful band. Just rediscovered their 2nd LP, The Black Light, released in 1998. Without a doubt, their best work. Mostly instrumental, it sometimes reminded me of a great spaghetti western soundtrack with its mariachi elements. It's catchy. It's textured. It's evocative. Timeless stuff.

Released only a few weeks after Nirvana's Nevermind, Bandwagonesque never reached its popularity, but IMHO, it's as great. Memorable tunes : melodic, energetic, catchy. Plus, the band doesn't take itself too seriously... even if it reminds me a bit of Alex Chilton at times. Underrated band and LP.

Just a beautiful album : David Sylvian's 1987 Secrets of the Beehive. Quite possibly his most accomplished. Perfect Sunday afternoon record.

RIP Bob Weir. This evening, the great American Beauty will be spinning.

Today marks a decade since David Bowie died at the age of 69. On the turntable, one of his very best 1970s albums. For many, his true masterpiece. RIP legend.

Lumpy Gravy. Zappa's first real solo LP and one of the first FZ LPs I've heard. A sound collage work with spoken word bits, noises, orchestration, musique concrète. Highly influential, ambitious, though Zappa newcomers shouldn't start here. They should go with the more accessible Hot Rats instead.

Electric Light Orchestra and Jeff Lynne. Quite a polarizing band. And artist. Some enjoy Lynne's productions, some say they always sound the same. And it's true that ELO's 80s-90s (and later, 2000s) LPs are not exactly thrilling but the band released many fine records in the 1970s. Like this one.

Talk Talk's 1991 masterpiece, Laughing Stock. Groundbreaking, highly influential for all the post-rock/shoegazing stuff that came after it. Amazing work of art, so ahead of its time. Personal fav is Ascension Day with its abrupt ending. But it's delightful from the first to the very last note.

It's a shame that a lot of young people don't know who Randy Newman is. They know "that tune from Toy Story" but they don't know who wrote (or even performed) it. But there's so much more than You've Got A Friend In Me… Last weekend, I gave Sail Away a spin. One again. A gem if there ever was one.

Steel Wheels. I believe it's the 1st Stones album I ever bought. Quite a polarizing LP among fans. The tune that caught my ear was Continental Drift. My best friends' father (RIP) was a huge Stones fan but always got song titles wrong. He called the hit single off of this LP Rockin' In A Hard Place.

Here we go for Year 2 of #TIUT11 on Bluesky... but technically it's the 10th year (8 years before that on X)! Another very good 1970s Van album. I wouldn't put it in the same category as Veedon Fleece or Tupelo Honey but it's solid, rewarding with multiple listens and thoroughly charming. A winner.

My favorite album of 2025. Not an original pick bc it made the top 10 of many music lovers this year, Geese's Getting Killed. Been listening to it since its release in September and will listen to it for years to come. Inventive, fresh, thrilling. Happy New Year! #TIUT11 will be back early in 2026.

Mentioning The Sundays a few days ago made me think of Mazzy Star. I listened to their '93 classic yesterday, So Tonight That I Might See. Gorgeous LP. '90s dream pop at its finest. My bro who was into KISS also had that album for some reason. And loved it. Hope Sandoval's breathy voice is lovely.

Red. Released a few months after the colossal Starless and Bible Black, in 1974. And the last studio Crimson LP of the '70s. IMO, it's an even better album than SABB. Tight musicianship (Marc Charig's cornet plays an important part on this record), adventurous, inventive. A wonderful, special album.

French icon Brigitte Bardot died today at the age of 91. She (along with Jane Birkin) was Serge Gainsbourg's muse. One of the best box sets I own is the gorgeous Gainsbourg Forever box with all the studio LPs. I had to listen to a few 1960s SG albums today. They really stood the test of time. RIP.

The Sundays on a Saturday afternoon. Good stuff. I remember when their superb debut (Reading Writing and Arithmetic) came out in 1990, it was considered "alternative" but truthfully, it's very melodic, accessible pop music. Still a great feel-good record. Harriet Wheeler had a lovely, angelic voice.

Mike Ratledge of Soft Machine died earlier this year at the age of 81. Truly a great band. IMO, the 3rd Machine LP is the best but there are many nuggets in their catalog. Like their stunning, trippy debut that blends jazz and psych elements. Just a wonderful record.

XTC's Skylarking. Not my personal fav XTC album but considered by many to be the band's masterpiece. Beautiful LP (produced by Todd Rundgren) with lush arrangements and top-notch, witty songcraft. Yeah, it's the one with Dear God (although the tune was not featured on the original pressing).

Excitable Boy. One of the first Zevon LPs. And one of his best. Certainly the one that made him famous. Featuring the title track, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, Lawyers Guns and Money and the now-classic Werewolves of London. Good stuff.

Just learned of the passing of Chris Rea. Really loved the guy. A very special talent. Got pretty much everything he released and talked extensively about his work (especially when I was on X). One album I forgot is Auberge, released in 1991. Superb record. Still a great listen. RIP.

Been listening to this superb 1993 Dan comp last weekend. All the Steely Dan albums, plus demos and B-sides. Of course, if you already own the LPs, it's not a necessary item. But for newbies and hardcore fans, it's a really nice, great-looking box. And the remastered sound is pretty damn good.

The New York Dolls were (and still are) incredibly influential. Glam rock in its purest form. In my youth, I knew David Johansen as Buster Poindexter, a pompadour-styled lounge lizard but had no idea he was also the Dolls' front man. Their 1st two LPs are bonafide classics. RIP DJ.

Murmur. Not only one of the best debuts of the 1980s but IMO one of the greatest of all-time. A thing of beauty.

Tonight's the Night. When I was a teen, that title always reminded me of the Rod Stewart tune. But this 1975 Neil Young LP has absolutely nothing to do with it. It's one of the man's most emotional and personal records. As harrowing as it is celebratory. And I wouldn't change a single thing on it.

Thursday Afternoon. For many years, I believed this record wasn't at the level of Eno's famous 1970s ambient works. But the more I listened to it, the more I came to appreciate it. It's a beautiful, meditative, contemplative 60-minute experience. And a major Eno work.

It's the 50th anniversary of Floyd's classic 1975 LP Wish You Were Here. Oh man, I listened to it a whole lot in the early 1990s, along with Dark Side, Meddle, Animals, Atom Heart, Ummagumma and The Wall. Crazy Diamond, Have A Cigar, title track. Gotta admit, it stood the test of time rather well.

Joe's Garage. Ok. By today's standards, the cover art is pretty tasteless but it's a good, ambitious Zappa record and it will always have a special place in my heart : 1st FZ LP I ever bought. Musically, it's varied, conceptual. Worth it just for the wonderful instrumental Watermelon In Easter Hay.

Stranded. I believe this is Brian Eno's fav Roxy Music album… and he's not even on it! He left after the completion of the previous one (For Your Pleasure). While I prefer the latter, this is a really fine Roxy LP. Side 2 is especially killer with tracks such as Song for Europe and Mother of Pearl.

IMO, The Band's 3rd LP, Stage Fright, is underrated; it doesn't really get the love it deserves. It's filled with clever tunes, has a charming, loose feel and is in the same league as the first two. Still a good listen. By the way, Robbie Robertson's memoir (Testimony) is a great read.

Sheik Yerbouti. I sure shook mine when I 1st heard it in the late '80s. And yes, in a way, it's Zappa's "dance" LP. There are elements of disco and, in hindsight, it's one of his most accessible works even if it's still quite messy and satirical. Hey, at its core, it's still a trademark Zappa album.

Love The Undertones. IMO, their 1st 4 LPs are must-haves. Discovered them in 1985 when I heard Feargal Sharkey's (very pop) single, A Good Heart, on the radio. "Who’s this guy?" I asked. Then I got pretty much everything by The Tones. Their solid 1979 debut is a great entry point for beginners.

I never stole anything… except McCartney’s 1st solo LP. From my brother's collection. I was fascinated by the cover art. When I listened to it, it sounded like a bunch of throwaway tracks (B maybe even C-sides) interspersed with a few hit singles. It had a charming lo-fi, "homemade" sound. Loved it.

Scary Monsters. Superb LP. In fact, it's probably Bowie's last truly great one (until Blackstar). What followed is what I call his "dark period", aka the '80s: Let's Dance (has its moments), Tonight (his worst), Never Let Me Down (meh). Monsters has moments of brilliance. I even prefer it to Lodger.

The thing with Oh Mercy is that it came after a handful of so-so Dylan albums. Critics praised it because, 1st, the material was way better. 2nd, Dan Lanois gave it a sleek surface. Nowadays, depending on your point of view, the prod either sounds dated or late-80s-nostalgic. Still, really fine LP.

Rock of Ages. Many prefer the sound and the quality of the performances of this LP over The Band's legendary The Last Waltz. And I can understand that. There's a looser feel here and the horn arrangements add a new, interesting flavour to the tunes. Great musicianship. Excellent live recording.

Today is Tom Waits' 76th birthday. Why not talk about a compilation? 22 tracks from '83 to '93 (my fav TW period). Songs selection is ok but would've preferred a little more of Bone Machine, a little less of Black Rider (where's Goin' Out West?). But hey, it's Tom, so it's still pretty damn good.

Summer 1987. I remember hearing this one for the very first time and being blown away. "Oh my. This guy's like a blues-oriented Hendrix!" is what I thought. About 1/2 originals, 1/2 covers. But in the end, who really cares when the playing's that great? A thoroughly impressive debut.

I'm not listening to Belle & Sebastian every day of the year. But when I'm in the mood, it really hits the spot. Tigermilk, Boy With the Arab Strap, Dear Catastrophe: all great. But I usually come back to their wonderful sophomore LP, If You're Feeling Sinister. Haunting with a wicked sense of humor

I never quite know what to say about The Black Rider. It's a mess. That's a fact. But a big, beautiful, ambitious, fascinating mess. There are worthwhile tracks, here and there, but also filler + a lot of cacophonic, meandering tunes that are hard to get through. Challenging, intriguing experience.

The Beach Boys' Today! It came out just a few months after Beatles for Sale and the Stones' 12 X 5. People always talk about Pet Sounds but the Boys made good stuff before that. This is where the band (and esp. Brian Wilson) became more mature. Good batch of tunes. A few covers but mostly originals.

Burnt Weeny Sandwich. First Zappa LP of the '70s, came right after the classic Hot Rats. Not as immediate as the latter but not as wild as Weasels Ripped My Flesh (that came a few months later). A bit uneven, all over the place but worth a spin for Holiday In Berlin + Little House I Used to Live In.

Some ppl I know can't understand why I sometimes prefer mono mixes over stereo ones. It's the case for many jazz records. And also Beatles albums (especially early ones). The answer is quite technical but simply put, they just sound way better. For example, With The Beatles has a rich mono texture.

Christmas is on its way and to get in the spirit, every year, I love to give the Charlie Brown Christmas album a spin. Beautiful arrangements, varied moods. Such a fun, charming, timeless record.

Tanx is as rewarding as Electric Warrior and The Slider, but there's a different vibe here. Probably because Marc Bolan wanted to try other things; the overall sound is more varied and adventurous. Underrated, and sadly, the last truly great T-Rex album.