Kamakiriad (1993)
Aug 15, 2026
Fagen’s road-trip concept record, heard properly for the first time — and maybe better than The Nightfly.
Rock
Abacab (1981)
Aug 3, 2026
Bought in Chattanooga to hear what Padgham did at The Farm. Sold three weeks later.
Selling England by the Pound (1973)
Jul 17, 2026
The most expensive record in the Daddy Kool haul and the worst-sounding thing on the shelf.
Coverdale/Page (1993)
Jul 17, 2026
Kip said it was actually quite good. One song was.
The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)
Jul 16, 2026
Came to it backwards, by way of Nothing Like the Sun, and the opener is still the weakest thing on it.
Outrider (1988)
Jul 15, 2026
Side B is what this record is about — Page and Farlowe, gritty and dirty.
Pretzel Logic (1974)
Jul 1, 2026
A tired pressing of a great record, and the problem of telling 1974 from forty years of somebody else’s stylus.
i/o (2023)
Jul 1, 2026
A brand new record with a scratch on side A, audible every revolution.
Songs from the Wood (1977)
Jun 30, 2026
The front end of the folk-rock trilogy, and the better-sounding record of the two.
Heavy Horses (1978)
Jun 29, 2026
The middle of Tull’s folk-rock trilogy, and an impressionistic broad brush of a record.
Frontiers (1983)
Jun 25, 2026
A no-skip first side, gauzy engineering, and eighties drums that deserved better microphones.
A Farewell to Kings (1977)
Jun 24, 2026
Dull until you turn it up, and then Cygnus X-1.
Cornerstone (1979)
Jun 17, 2026
Styx as glam, and the Broadway impulse starting to show.
“Sultans of Swing”
Feb 3, 2026
Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” is a working-class song about passion and tragedy.
Dire Straits (1978)
Feb 1, 2026
I heard “Sultans of Swing” on a playlist this morning, and had to listen to Dire Straits’ entire debut album.
“Been Undone”
Jan 17, 2026
Peter Gabriel releases the first song in his new lunar cycle.
This Was (1968)
Dec 26, 2025
Mick Abrahams died, so I figured it would be a good time to revisit his only contribution to Jethro Tull.
Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Nov 30, 2025
Floyd hits differently on a good system. Tonight’s listen to their 1973 masterpiece proved this is the case.
“True Companion”
Nov 27, 2025
Donald Fagen’s “True Companion” blends early-’80s sci-fi melancholy with the ancient pulse of Homer.
Houses of the Holy (1973)
Aug 25, 2025
Some notes on Zeppelin’s fifth studio release in 1973: a hell of a record, even if the recording quality is inconsistent.
Moving Pictures (1981)
Aug 18, 2025
To deviate from the norm: some notes on Rush’s 1981 masterpiece—a staple of my life’s soundtrack since its release.
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Aug 15, 2025
Some notes on Led Zeppelin’s second offering—one of the best!
Aqualung (1971)
Aug 8, 2025
Listening to a classic album from Jethro Tull.
Gaucho (1980)
Aug 4, 2025
Some listening notes on one of my favorites from Steely Dan.
Emotion & Commotion (2010)
Aug 2, 2025
Another Jeff Beck spin, this time a later album.
Blow by Blow (1975)
Aug 2, 2025
Some notes on Jeff Beck’s 1975 stunner of a rock-fusion release.
The Nightfly (1982)
Jul 31, 2025
A true Fagen classic from the ’80s and his first solo album.
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Jul 27, 2025
My first ever Stones listen.
“Crash”
Mar 20, 2025
David Byrne channels J. G. Ballard in 1994.
“Earthshine”
Nov 30, 2002
Peart’s lyrics in this song are rich, reflecting the many faces of inspiration in our lives.