Add. #3

CD#477  Lambchop - Aw Cmon (is what the CD case says, it turns out the CD inside is actually No You Cmon which was released at the same time)

Nothing breathtaking but nice, though my favourite of my three recent purchases is:

CD#478 Lambchop - What Another Man Spills

Again quite understated but tuneful and beautifully played.

CD#479 Teenage Fanclub - Man-Made

One of their later albums and quite dull and unremarkable - someone will no doubt tell me the early stuff is better - for some reason they have completely passed me by, though if everything they've done is like this I haven't missed much.

Add. #2

Another trip to Exmouth, six more to listen to: 

CD#471 Clare Teal - The Road Less Travelled

Not what I thought it was going to be at all. As it came from the Folk section I was expecting something at least folk-ish, but it turned out to be "easy-listening jazz". She has a fine voice and a bass player who's not afraid to play lots of notes, but it struggled to fill me with joy.

CD#472 Tom Waits - Alice

Tom Waits doing what Tom Waits does, I liked it but I'm not sure I will be buying everything else he's ever done.

CD#473 Tindersticks - Waiting For The Moon

This was dreary and dull. 

CD#474 Aimee Mann - Lost In Space

I like this a lot, I'd forgotten about Aimee for a while until I re-listened to an MP3 album of hers and bought this as a consequence.

CD#475 Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank The Cradle

I couldn't remember what I made of the previous Iron & Wine album (Day 81) I bought when I picked this up but it's not bad if nothing special.

CD#476 Teddy Thompson - A Piece Of What You Need

I bought this because it has my favourite of the few Teddy Thompson songs I've heard on it - Don't Know What I Was Thinking - there are some other good tunes on here too.

Addendum #1

Four more purchases from Exmouth Market, I'll add details once I've listened to them properly, i.e. not in the car.

CD#467 Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock

Reviews of this could best be described as variable, to me it's fairly light-weight Americana and better heard on the stereo than in the car. Neither awful nor spectacular.

CD#468 Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

A mighty debut album, written, recorded and paid for by themselves before they signed to a label. 

CD#469 The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall

This is their third studio album, first major label release and often considered their best.

CD#470 Red House Painters - Red House Painters (Rollercoaster)

There are some good things about this, their second studio album, but it's a bit hit and miss as far as my tastes go.

Complete list

Day 1
CD#1 Kris Delmhorst - Songs For A Hurricane
CD#2 The Unthanks - Here's The Tender Coming.
CD#3 Lo-fi Lung - Heading for Those Trees/ Sit Down For A Day
CD#4 Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
CD#5 Jonatha Brooke - The Works

Day 2
CD#6 Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
CD#7 Graham Parker - Howlin' Wind
CD#8 Meshell Ndegéocello - Bitter
CD#9 Boo Hewerdine - Harmonograph

Day 3
CD#10 Robyn Hitchcock - Olé! Tarantula
CD#11 The Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart
CD#12 Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
CD#13 Jane Taylor - Montpelier

Day 4
CD#14 World Party - Private Revolution
CD#15 XTC - Mummer
CD#16 Elvis Costello - When I was Cruel
CD#17 Silver Sun - Silver Sun

Day 5
CD#18 Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
CD#19 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
CD#20 Hensley & Wright - Strong
CD#21 Toyah - Sheep Farming In Barnet

Day 6
CD#22 The La's - The La's
CD#23 Shack - H.M.S. Fable
CD#24 David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name . . .
CD#25 Gene - Drawn To The Deep End
CD#26 Tubeway Army - Tubeway Army

Day 7
CD#27 Eels - Souljacker
CD#28 Catatonia - International Velvet
CD#29 Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
CD#30 Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
CD#31 Nic Jones - Penguin Eggs

Day 8
CD#32 Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
CD#33 Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform
CD#34 Sixpence None The Richer - Sixpence None The Richer
CD#35 R.E.M. - Murmur
CD#36 Nirvana - In Utero
CD#37 Fairport Convention - Liege and Lief

Day 9
CD#38 The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
CD#39 Eric Roche - With These Hands
CD#40 Rilo Kiley - Take Offs and Landings
CD#41 Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Day 10
CD#42 Emily Slade - Fretless
CD#43 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
CD#44 Oasis - Definitely Maybe
CD#45 Ash - Nu-clear Sounds

Day 11
CD#46 The Himalayans - She Likes The Weather
CD#47 Ruth Theodore - White Holes of Mole Hills
CD#48 Fastball - All The Pain Money Can Buy
CD#49 The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

Day 12
CD#50 Lee 'Scratch' Perry and The Upsetters
CD#51 Good Cop Bad Cop - Liberal Hearts Bleeding
CD#52 The Good The Bad & The Queen - The Good The Bad & The Queen
CD#53 Annette Bjergfeldt - The Kissing Post
CD#54 The Jam - All Mod Cons

Day 13
CD#55 The Bluetones - Expecting To Fly
CD#56 Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
CD#57 Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club
CD#58 Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties

Day 14
CD#59 Michael Manring - Soliloquy
CD#60 Michael Rattray Allstars - Smile At Who You Need To
CD#61 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - How I Long To Feel That Summer In My Heart
CD#62 Blues Traveler - four
CD#63 Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom

Day 15
CD#64 XTC - English Settlement
CD#65 Eurogliders - This Island
CD#66 R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant
CD#67 The Cure - Galore
CD#68 Max Richter - Songs From Before

Day 16
CD#69 Fischer Z - Red Skies Over Paradise
CD#70 Elvis Costello - Get Happy !!
CD#71 XTC - Drums and Wires
CD#72 Suede - Coming Up

Day 17
Bought more CDs

Day 18
CD#73 R.E.M. - Out Of Time
CD#74 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
CD#75 Kate Rusby - Awkward Annie
CD#76 The Decemberists - What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World

Day 19
CD#77 Husky Rescue - Ghost Is Not Real
CD#78 Iggy Pop - The Idiot
CD#79 Pink Floyd - Endless River
CD#80 Blondie - Plastic Letters
CD#81 Sam Phillips - Fan Dance
CD#82 Crowded House - Crowded House
CD#83 of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Day 20
CD#84 Feist - Metals
CD#85 Grandaddy - The Broken Down Comforter Collection
CD#86 Big Star - # 1 Record
CD#87 Homespun - Homespun

Day 21
CD#88 Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns
CD#89 The Strokes - Is This It
CD#90 McAlmont & Butler - The Sound of . . .
CD#91 Voice of the Beehive - Honey Lingers
CD#92 Julie Fowlis - Cuilidh
CD#93 Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
CD#94 Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration

Day 22
CD#95 Gang Of Four - Entertainment!
CD#96 Del Amitri - Waking Hours
CD#97 Green Day - American Idiot
CD#98 Red House Painters - Red House Painters (Bridge)

Day 23
CD#99 Paul Simon - Surprise
CD#100 OP8 - Slush
CD#101 Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
CD#102 The Fratellis - Costello Music
CD#103 The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
CD#104 Barenaked Ladies - Gordon

Day 24
CD#105 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
CD#106 The Levellers - Levelling The Land
CD#107 Clive Murray - Earthman
CD#108 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
CD#109 Split Enz - Second Thoughts
CD#110 Mull Historical Society - Us

Day 25
CD#111 Ry Cooder - My Name Is Buddy
CD#112 Various - Northampton Under Glass
CD#113 The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
CD#114 Counting Crows - August And Everything After
CD#115 Tubeway Army - Replicas

Day 26
CD#116 Mo Foster - Time To Think
CD#117 Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

Day 27 - Day off.

Day 28
CD#118 Steve Lawson - Grace and Gratitude
CD#119 XTC - White Noise

Day 29
CD#120 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight
CD#121 Elvis Costello - Spike
CD#122 Moses - Django
CD#123 Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese

Day 30
CD#124 Curtis E Johnson - The Compleat Unknown
CD#125 Paul Simpson - Noise With A Purpose
CD#126 Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
CD#127 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
CD#128 Grandaddy - Below The Radio
CD#129 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly

Day 31
CD#130 Sam Brown - Stop!
CD#131 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
CD#132 Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle
CD#133 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
CD#134 Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone

Day 32
CD#135 Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
CD#136 Cocteau Twins - Milk And Kisses
CD#137 Public Image Ltd. - Public Image: First Issue

Day 33
CD#138 Etienne Mbappé - Misaya
CD#139 Queen - A Day At The Races
CD#140 Counting Crows - Somewhere Under Wonderland

Day 34
CD#141 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
CD#142 Juliet Turner - Live

Day 35
CD#143 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Blood and Chocolate
CD#144 Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads
CD#145 Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop
CD#146 Radiohead - Pablo Honey
CD#147 Counting Crows - Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation)

Day 36
CD#148 Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith
CD#149 Chris Thile - How To Grow A Woman From The Ground
CD#150 Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish ?
CD#151 Ruth Theodore - Wormfood

Day 37
CD#152 The Ruts - Something That I Said
CD#153 The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
CD#154 Be Bop Deluxe - Live! In The Air Age
CD#155 The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
CD#156 Jonatha Brooke - Live In New York

Day 38
CD#157 Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
CD#158 Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
CD#159 Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
CD#160 Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience

Day 39
CD#161 Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus
CD#162 The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
CD#163 Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town
CD#164 Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Almanac
CD#165 Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde

Day 40
CD#166 P.I.L. - Metal Box
CD#167 Juliet Turner - Burn The Black Suit
CD#168 Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
CD#169 The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
CD#170 Therapy? - Troublegum

Day 41
CD#171 Radiohead - The Bends
CD#172 Taj Mahal - Mo' Roots
CD#173 The Zutons - Tired Of Hanging Around
CD#174 Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Day 42
CD#175 Gail Ann Dorsey - I Used To Be
CD#176 Bellowhead - Matachin
CD#177 No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

Day 43
CD#178 The Jayhawks - Music From The North Country
CD#179 Rogue State Circus - Songs From The Sea Of Serenity
CD#180 Echo And The Bunnymen - Evergreen
CD#181 Chyco Siméon - Finally
CD#182 The Story - Grace In Gravity

Day 44
CD#183 Thunderclap Newman - Hollywood Dream
CD#184 The Congos - Heart Of The Congos
CD#185 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - In Step
CD#186 The Incisors - Demos/We All Have Stories
CD#187 Counting Crows - This Desert Life

Day 45
CD#188 Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer
CD#189 Split Enz - True Colours
CD#190 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
CD#191 Moses - The Swimming Zoo
CD#192 The Monkees - The Definitive Monkees

Day 46
CD#193 Eva Cassidy - Songbird
CD#194 Julia Nunes - Settle Down
CD#195 Marcella Detroit - Jewel
CD#196 Meshell Ndegeocello - The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams
CD#197 Invocal - Uneven Keel
CD#198 Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
CD#199 R.E.M. - Monster

Day 47
CD#200 Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
CD#201 XTC - The Big Express
CD#202 Jonatha Brooke - Plumb
CD#203 Jennifer Kimball - Oh Hear Us
CD#204 Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon

Day 48
CD#205 John Watts - Ether Beep Start
CD#206 Catherine Maclellan - Dark Dream Midnight/Water In The Ground
CD#207 Liam Dullaghan - Making History
CD#208 Marillion - Script For Jester's Tear
CD#209 Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line

Day 49
CD#210 R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-fi
CD#211 Matt & Kim - Grand
CD#212 Blur - 13
CD#213 Silver Sun - Neo Wave
CD#214 Steve Lawson & Theo Travis - For The Love Of Open Spaces
CD#215 Radiohead - Ok Computer

Day 50
CD#216 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
CD#217 Gil Scott-Heron - Ghetto Style
CD#218 The Elected - Me First

Day 51
CD#219 Juliet Turner - People Have Names
CD#220 The Smiths - The Smiths
CD#221 McAlmont & Butler - Bring It Back
CD#222 Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
CD#223 Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

Day 52
CD#224 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
CD#225 Presumed Innocent - Where Clouds Cried Acid Tears
CD#226 The Mavericks - Trampoline
CD#227 Rush - Feedback
CD#228 Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti
CD#229 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

Day 53
CD#230 Syd Barrett - Barrett
CD#231 The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers
CD#232 Extreme - II: Pornograffitti
CD#233 Jonatha Brooke - Careful What You Wish For
CD#234 Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites
CD#235 Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
CD#236 Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
CD#237 Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays
CD#238 Steely Dan - Aja

Day 54
CD#239 Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
CD#240 Pink Floyd - Meddle
CD#241 The Who - Who's Next
CD#242 Cheap Trick - The Greatest Hits

Day 55
CD#243 R.E.M. - Up
CD#244 Kula Shaker - Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts
CD#245 Mark Hollis - Mark Hollis

Day 56
CD#246 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
CD#247 Supergrass - I Should Coco
CD#248 Suede - Dog Man Star
CD#249 Tich Vango - As The Crow Flies

Day 57
CD#250 Kris Delmhorst - Five Stories
CD#251 David Bowie - Heathen
CD#252 Sam Brown - Box
CD#253 Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
CD#254 Roy Harper - Stormcock
CD#255 The Jam - The Gift
CD#256 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Day 58
CD#257 Joni Mitchell - Hejira
CD#258 Little Monkeys - Live at the Marquee
CD#259 Marcus Miller - Silver Rain
CD#260 R.E.M. - Reveal

Day 59
CD#261 The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates - King Of America
CD#262 Thelonious Monk - Monk's Moods
CD#263 The Vapors - Turning Japanese (The Best Of The Vapors)
CD#264 Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds

Day 60
CD#265 Pink Floyd - Animals
CD#266 Fairport Convention - Fairport Convention
CD#267 Black - Wonderful Life
CD#268 Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
CD#269 Show Of Hands - Roots: The Best Of Show Of Hands
CD#270 Various - Now That's What I Call Northampton Vol 1
CD#271 Moses - Golden Flatts

Day 61
CD#272 Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
CD#273 Pink Floyd - The Wall
CD#274 Monsieur Pantin - Ma Rosalie

Day 62
CD#275 Gram Parsons - GP/Grievous Angel

Day 63
CD#276 Placebo - Placebo
CD#277 XTC - Go 2
CD#278 Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
CD#279 Marillion - Fugazi
CD#280 Terrorvision - How To Make Friends And Influence People
CD#281 Travis - The Man Who

Day 64
CD#282 Blondie - Parallel Lines
CD#283 Beth Orton - Central Reservation
CD#284 Blur - Parklife
CD#285 Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation (Best Of)

Day 65
CD#286 Jonatha Brooke - Ten Cent Wings
CD#287 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk
CD#288 Buckcherry - Time Bomb
CD#289 Gene - Revelations

Day 66
CD#290 R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction/Reconstruction Of The Fables
CD#291 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Babylon By Bus
CD#292 The Wallflowers - Bringing Down The Horse
CD#293 Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
CD#294 Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights

Day 67
CD#295 Stiff Little Fingers - Get A Life
CD#296 Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
CD#297 XTC - Nonsuch
CD#298 Aerosmith - Honkin' On Bobo

Day 68
CD#299 Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
CD#300 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Armed Forces
CD#301 Suede - Suede

Day 69
CD#302 Joni Mitchell - Blue

Day 70
CD#303 The Clash - London Calling
CD#304 Deacon Blue - When The World Knows Your Name
CD#305 R.E.M. - Out Of Time.
CD#306 Steely Dan - Katy Lied
CD#307 Mull Historical Society - Loss

Day 71
CD#308 Fischer-Z - Fish's Head
CD#309 Thomas Leeb - Upside Down
CD#310 Nirvana - Nevermind
CD#311 Rilo Kiley - The Execution Of All Things

Day 72
CD#312 Jonatha Brooke - Steady Pull
CD#313 Be Bop Deluxe - Futurama
CD#314 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Punch The Clock
CD#315 Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets
CD#316 Boo Hewerdine - Anon
CD#317 Counting Crows - Hard Candy

Day 73
CD#318 Juliet Turner - Season Of The Hurricane
CD#319 R.E.M. - Around The Sun
CD#320 Donald Fagen - The Nightfly
CD#321 The Jam - Setting Sons

Day 74
CD#322 Steve Lawson & Jez Carr - Conversations
CD#323 Sam Brown - Of The Moment
CD#324 Massive Attack - Collected

Day 75
CD#325 Robbie McIntosh - Unsung
CD#326 Muse - Absolution
CD#327 The Wonder Stuff - If The Beatles Had Read Hunter. . . The Singles
CD#328 Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Day 76
CD#329 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
CD#330 Meshell Ndegeocello - Peace Beyond Passion
CD#331 Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
CD#332 Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Trust

Day 77
CD#333 Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet - The Juliet Letters
CD#334 XTC - Oranges And Lemons
CD#335 Terrorvision - Regular Urban Survivors
CD#336 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
CD#337 Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails
CD#338 R.E.M. - Document

Day 78
CD#339 Joni Mitchell - Song To A Seagull
CD#340 Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul - Men Without Women
CD#341 The Jam - Sound Affects
CD#342 The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow
CD#343 R.E.M. - Green
CD#344 Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True
CD#345 XTC - Black Sea

Day 79
Bought more (4) CDs.

Day 80
CD#346 Feist - The Reminder
CD#347 Marillion - Clutching At Straws

Day 81
CD#348 Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
CD#349 Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
CD#350 Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking
CD#351 Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be
CD#352 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

Day 82
CD#353 Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy
CD#354 Sam Brown - 43 Minutes
CD#355 XTC - Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2)
CD#356 Pink Floyd - The Division Bell

Day 83
CD#357 Marvin Gaye - The Very Best Of . . .
CD#358 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
CD#359 Counting Crows - New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall.
CD#360 Boo Hewerdine - Thanksgiving

Day 84
CD#361 Various Artists - Help
CD#362 The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun
CD#363 Blur - The Great Escape
CD#364 Julia Nunes - I Wrote These

Day 85
CD#365 Primus - Antipop
CD#366 Lee Perry - Dub-Triptych

Day 86
CD#367 Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
CD#368 Ned Evett - iStole
CD#369 John Lennon - Lennon Legend
CD#370 Eddie and the Hot Rods - Live and Rare
CD#371 The Barracudas - Complete EMI Recordings
CD#372 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - The Blue Trees
CD#373 Ocean Colour Scene - Marchin' Already

Day 87
CD#374 Meshell Ndegeocello - Comfort Woman
CD#375 Various Artists - Shine 7
CD#376 Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music
CD#377 Blur - Blur

Day 88
CD#378 Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry
CD#379 Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart - Bongo Fury
CD#380 Rush - Permanent Waves
CD#381 Stereophonics - Word Gets Around
CD#382 XTC - Skylarking

Day 89
CD#383 Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
CD#384 Deacon Blue - Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
CD#385 (John) Watts - Spiritual Headcase

Day 90
CD#386 People In Planes - Beyond The Horizon
CD#387 Aztec Camera - Stray
CD#388 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

Day 91
CD#389 Zwan - Mary Star Of The Sea
CD#390 Gwyn Ashton - Beg Borrow and Steel
CD#391 Julia Nunes - Some Feelings
CD#392 Jon Roniger - My World

Day 92
CD#393 Eliza Carthy - The Definitive Collection
CD#394 Homespun - Effortless Cool
CD#395 XTC - Homespun
CD#396 Boo Hewerdine - Toy Box No.1
CD#397 The Story - The Angel In The House
CD#398 The Who - A Quick One
CD#399 Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
CD#400 Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
CD#401 Steve Ellis - Best Of Days

Day 93
CD#402 Gail Ann Dorsey - Rude Blue
CD#403 The Elected - Untitled bonus disc
CD#404 Sam Brown - Ukulele and Voice
CD#405 Various Artists - Tom Hall 1944 - 2003
CD#406 Counting Crows - Across A Wire: Live In New York City

Day 94
CD#407 Queen - News Of The World
CD#408 Days Of Worth - The Western Mechanism
CD#409 Roger Davies - Littletown
CD#410 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
CD#411 Rush - Signals

Day 95
CD#412 Soft Machine - Out-Bloody-Rageous - An Anthology 1967 - 1973
CD#413 Muse - Showbiz
CD#414 Burns Blue - What If . . .

Day 96
CD#415 XTC - Apple Venus Vol. 1
CD#416 The Wild Roses - The Wild Roses
CD#417 Small Faces - Small Faces
CD#418 Ocean Colour Scene - Ocean Colour Scene
CD#419 R.E.M. - Reckoning

Day 97
CD#420 The Cranberries - No Need To Argue
CD#421 Various Artists - Shine Best Of '97

Day 98
CD#422 Deacon Blue - Homesick
CD#423 Robert Plant - Now And Zen
CD#424 Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
CD#425 Curtis E Johnson - Caledonian Postcards
CD#426 Tim Finn - Big Canoe
CD#427 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

Day 99
CD#428 Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is
CD#429 Feeder - Polythene
CD#430 Chyco Simeon - Roots-Mwen
CD#431 Devo - Duty Now For The Future / New Traditionalists

Day 100
CD#432 Juliet Turner - Let's Hear It For Pizza
CD#433 Various Artists - Mastercuts: 70s Reggae

Day 101
CD#434 The Works - Beware Of The Dog
CD#435 Gary Dunne - Twenty Twenty Fiction
CD#436 Michael Rattray Allstars - untitled
CD#437 Guthrie Govan - Erotic Cakes
CD#438 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Spanish Dance Troupe

Day 102
CD#439 Various Artists - Out Of Our Idiot
CD#440 Boo Hewerdine - A Live One
CD#441 Tim Finn - Before and After
CD#442 Cast - All Change

Day 103
CD#443 Bob Dylan and The Band - Before The Flood
CD#444 R.E.M - Dead Letter Office
CD#445 Max Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour
CD#446 Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers -  Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers

Day 104
CD#447 Steve Lawson - Behind Every Word
CD#448 Jonatha Brooke - Live

Day 105
CD#449 Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth
CD#450 Hensley & Wright - Glass Bridges
CD#451 Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds
CD#452 Small Faces - Best Of
CD#453 The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

Day 106
CD#454 Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon
CD#455 Steely Dan - Gaucho
CD#456 Meshell Ndegeocello - Dance Of The Infidel
CD#457 The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come
CD#458 Fischer Z - Reveal

Day 107
CD#459 Bruce Springsteen - The River
CD#460 Marillion - B'Sides Themselves
CD#461 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
CD#462 Jonatha Brooke - Back In The Circus

Day 108
CD#463 Mott The Hoople - Greatest Hits
CD#464 Bob Marley and The Wailers - Mellow Moods
CD#465 Supertramp - Retrospectacle
CD#466 Barenaked Ladies - Disc One 1991-2001

Day 108

CD#463 Mott The Hoople - Greatest Hits

Ian Hunter started his career with a band based in Northampton and was an apprentice at British Timken, a mile or so from where I live. Eleven tracks is quite meagre for a Greatest Hits, but worth it for Roll Away The Stone on its own.

CD#464 Bob Marley and The Wailers - Mellow Moods

40 tracks on 2 CDs, bought from . . . where else ? Exmouth Indoor Market.
Not by any means a Greatest Hits and none the worse for that.

CD#465 Supertramp - Retrospectacle

Another compilation, 32 tracks on 2 CDs this time and very much a Greatest Hits collection, with lots of great songs.

CD#466 Barenaked Ladies - Disc One 1991-2001

A collection of most of their singles released in the first 10 years of the band. 

. . . and until I buy some more CDs that's that.

I gave myself 32 weeks (4 CDs a day, 5 days a week) and finished in less than 16, which has surprised me, as I wasn't keeping note.

If I'd planned things better/at all, then I wouldn't have finished with four compilations, but such is life. It's been fun, mostly, and there are a number of albums that I'll look at with more fondness than I had before I started, some that will always be favourites and some that will almost certainly never be listened to again . . . at least I gave them one more try.

Day 107

CD#459 Bruce Springsteen - The River

You could probably make a case for cutting this down to a single album, but nevertheless there's some great music on here.

CD#460 Marillion - B'Sides Themselves

The last release before Fish left, it includes Grendel, Market Square Heroes (one of my favourites) and Freaks.

CD#461 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?

Not bad for a debut album . . . and this CD version has 6 extra tracks including one of my favourites, The Wind Cries Mary.

CD#462 Jonatha Brooke - Back In The Circus

Apart from The Works (which has all the lyrics written by Woody Guthrie) this is the only album (that I'm aware of) that includes a co-write and also covers - The Beach Boys, James Taylor and The Alan Parsons Project (Eye In The Sky - which is coincidentally is the only thing by The Alan Parsons Project that I own, on a flexi disc).

Day 106

CD#454 Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon

My favourite of the five I've listened to, it feels a little toned down in terms of her vocal style, but none the worse for that.

CD#455 Steely Dan - Gaucho

There are many bands where you can easily hear where in the timeline of album releases a particular album sits, and then there's Steely Dan. This is their seventh of nine albums but it could easily be the second, or a Donald Fagen solo album, or a Walter Becker solo album (IIRC, I have his second solo album, Circus Money as a download but haven't listened for a while).

CD#456 Meshell Ndegeocello - Dance Of The Infidel

Her sixth, a jazz album with a Meshell groove.


CD#457 The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come

. . . and with that, they were gone.

CD#458 Fischer Z - Reveal

The first of John Watts' solo albums released under the Fisher Z name (original band member Steve Skolnik plays keyboards on one track). 

Day 105

CD#449 Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth

This was the first album to feature all of The Attractions in eight years, they toured and released a second album before Bruce Thomas ended his association with EC completely.

CD#450 Hensley & Wright - Glass Bridges

A quick search reveals that more often then not it's Chris Newman & Stella Hensley these days, but they're occasionally joined by Johnny "Magic Boy" Wright with whom she recorded this.

CD#451 Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds

Music written and recorded for the soundtrack to a film La Vallée, just before it all took off with Dark Side Of The Moon.

CD#452 Small Faces - Best Of

A 14 track compilation. I've left a few Best Of CDs out because I subsequently bought most of what was on them, but there are quite a few really good Small Faces songs on here that I haven't already heard, and while I heard Afterglow on CD#41 back on Day 9 I'm more than happy to hear it again.

CD#453 The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

Their eleventh album, the most recent of the three of theirs that I own - I should buy some more.

Day 104

CD#447 Steve Lawson - Behind Every Word

10 years old now, but still fresh and interesting to listen to even if it has been a while.

CD#448 Jonatha Brooke - Live

Her third solo album, and the first release on her own label, Bad Dog Records.

Day 103

CD#443 Bob Dylan and The Band - Before The Flood

Live recordings from various dates on a 1974 US Tour. While I don't usually don't have a problem with Bob Dylan's singing there are a couple of songs on here that are hard work and on the whole I prefer The Band's performances of their own material.

CD#444 R.E.M - Dead Letter Office

B-sides, rarities and a few covers, plus the five songs from their debut Chronic Town EP.

CD#445 Max Richter - 24 Postcards In Full Colour

Neo-classical/ambient snippets. The longest piece 2:49, most around a minute long.

CD#446 Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers -  Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers

Second album from a new line up, though the drummer David Robinson had originally remained (he later co-formed The Cars and continues to play with them) he left before this was recorded. This is as lo-fi and naive as the first album and includes a rendition of The Wheels On The Bus. 

Day 102

CD#439 Various Artists - Out Of Our Idiot

A multitude of songs from Elvis Costello in different guises and backed by different musicians, some rare some previously unreleased.

CD#440 Boo Hewerdine - A Live One

The title gives away the surprise, so you might have guessed that this is a live album. One with an interesting story though, in that it's a recording of (at the time) Boo's first solo acoustic gig for a number of years and a gig that re-energised him and provided a new enthusiasm for recording and touring.

CD#441 Tim Finn - Before and After

His 4th solo album, the first after joining and then leaving Crowded House.

CD#442 Cast - All Change

Their debut album, after John Power left The La's.

Day 101

CD#434 The Works - Beware Of The Dog

A quick search suggests I acquired this at one of Steve Lawson's Darbucka evenings, which I assume must have included Patrick Wood, the composer/arranger + guitars/keyboards of this 2005 jazz album.

CD#435 Gary Dunne - Twenty Twenty Fiction

Not completely sure where I got this, but his use of loops to create backing for his acoustic singer-songwriter material hints that it might have been another Darbucka evening.

CD#436 Michael Rattray Allstars - untitled

Seven acoustic songs from Michael (and Gavin).

CD#437 Guthrie Govan - Erotic Cakes

Not sure how I came to own this as instrumental rock guitar isn't really my kind of thing, but own it I do so I'm listening.

CD#438 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Spanish Dance Troupe

Their sixth album, the last to feature founder member John Lawrence.

Day 100

CD#432 Juliet Turner - Let's Hear It For Pizza

Her debut album, it's all here if a little raw and unpolished. 

CD#433 Various Artists - Mastercuts: 70s Reggae

A wide array of artists across 3 CDs playing a lot of familiar songs, many of them original versions that are more familiar as later covers.

Day 99

CD#428 Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is

Released alongside my favourite Zappa album (Tinseltown Rebellion) which I have on vinyl - I should pick it up on CD or download and listen to it more. This bears a resemblance, but I like the feel of his live albums more than the fully studio ones for some reason.

CD#429 Feeder - Polythene

Their debut album, this may be only the second time I've listened to it. Described as the UK's answer to Smashing Pumpkins there is a suggestion of that, though I can also hear a few of the UK bands of the time in here too.

CD#430 Chyco Simeon - Roots-Mwen

Bass-led funk/jazz with a hint of Marcus Miller.

CD#431 Devo - Duty Now For The Future / New Traditionalists

Devo's 2nd and 4th albums on one CD, for some reason.

Day 98

CD#422 Deacon Blue - Homesick

Nice enough, but lacking anything like the stand out tunes from earlier in their career.

CD#423 Robert Plant - Now And Zen

No-one who has heard any music recorded in the 80s would be surprised to hear this was released in 1988.

CD#424 Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings

41 tracks, 29 songs, this claims to be everything ever recorded by Robert Johnson, though I have another CD somewhere that claims they're the wrong speed (an interesting theory and the slowed down versions do make the idea at least plausible).

CD#425 Curtis E Johnson - Caledonian Postcards

A four song EP from Northampton's favourite Scotsman.

CD#426 Tim Finn - Big Canoe

More 80s studio shenanigans. It's not awful but I'd rather listen to Split Enz.  

CD#427 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

The last album with John Frusciante.

Day 97

CD#420 The Cranberries - No Need To Argue

The sofa on the sleeve is the same one as on the first album, and also features in the video for Alright by Supergrass. 

CD#421 Various Artists - Shine Best Of '97

The second of my two Shine compilations, a great selection of songs and a reminder that I ought to check out one or of the artists who I've only heard on this CD.

Day 96

CD#415 XTC - Apple Venus Vol. 1

The finished studio recordings whose demos I listened to a few days ago, and the last XTC album to feature Dave Gregory.

CD#416 The Wild Roses - The Wild Roses

Another raffle prize, this one came with a t-shirt.

CD#417 Small Faces - Small Faces

This is not their first studio album, which was also called Small Faces (Decca), but their second.

CD#418 Ocean Colour Scene - Ocean Colour Scene

Remixed under record company instruction against the wishes of the band, no-one much seems to like this album. I've heard a lot worse. 

CD#419 R.E.M. - Reckoning

On the other hand, everyone loves this album, and so they should. 

Day 95

CD#412 Soft Machine - Out-Bloody-Rageous - An Anthology 1967 - 1973

A selection of music from their first seven albums. Weird and wonderful.

CD#413 Muse - Showbiz

I haven't listened to this for ages and I'm currently pleasantly surprised.

CD#414 Burns Blue - What If . . .

Sam Blue and Vinnie Burns were both in Ultravox during the recording of the 10th album Ingenuity. This sounds nothing like Ultravox.

Day 94

CD#407 Queen - News Of The World

A few years ago I was given an old ukulele that came out of an elderly relative's loft, in the case there was the centre spread from a News Of The World printed in 1911, on which was the music for a song called The Spaniard Who Blighted My Life, plus ukulele chords.

CD#408 Days Of Worth - The Western Mechanism

Back when I was making guitars I made a pair for the two guitarists in this band, one of which appeared in a piece they did in Metal Hammer magazine and the video they did for one of the songs on this album. I was delighted to see a recent YouTube video of a reunion gig where one of them was still being played.

CD#409 Roger Davies - Littletown

Very pleasant acoustic singer-songwriter stuff. I got this as a consequence of a (charity?) gig I did a few years ago that Roger was part of.

CD#410 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

I started listening to this, having not heard it for ages, thinking that while I like Hotel Yorba and Fell In Love With A Girl, a whole album of that was going to be a challenge, but there's more variety to it than I remembered.

CD#411 Rush - Signals

I'm not a massive Rush fan, so I'm guessing I bought this as one of a 3 for £10 on Exmouth Indoor Market. Despite that I'm enjoying it, so my money didn't go to waste.

Day 93

CD#402 Gail Ann Dorsey - Rude Blue

This her second solo album, I like it but a little more of her lovely bass playing in the mix would have been nice.

CD#403 The Elected - Untitled

A 3 song bonus disc that came with Sun, Sun, Sun.

CD#404 Sam Brown - Ukulele and Voice

A five song EP with Sam singing and playing the ukulele (the clues were there if you were paying attention).

CD#405 Various Artists - Tom Hall 1944 - 2003

A fantastic tribute to local legend Tom Hall, it features a selection of his songs performed by various Northampton based artists alternating with a story (Moses For Christmas) written by Tom, read by Alan Moore.

CD#406 Counting Crows - Across A Wire: Live In New York City

A live double album, the first CD is from a recording for VH1 Storytellers, the second for MTV's Live from the 10 Spot.

Day 92

CD#393 Eliza Carthy - The Definitive Collection

A mixture of very traditionally performed folk tunes and some more modern renditions.

CD#394 Homespun - Effortless Cool

The second of their three albums.

CD#395 XTC - Homespun

A collection of demo recordings that ended up on Apple Venus Vol. 1

CD#396 Boo Hewerdine - Toy Box No.1

A six song E.P. from 2008.

CD#397 The Story - The Angel In The House

The second and final album from Jonatha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball before they went their separate ways.

CD#398 The Who - A Quick One

An interesting mix of songs with some decidedly odd moments, including the band singing "cello cello cello" instead of actual cellos on one track because they couldn't afford them. 

CD#399 Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

This and Suede's debut are the only Mercury Prize winners I have on CD, I also have Portishead - Dummy on cassette.

CD#400 Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

Some people don't like this, which is fine. I like it a lot.

CD#401 Steve Ellis - Best Of Days

A solo album from the ex Love Affair singer.

Day 91

CD#389 Zwan - Mary Star Of The Sea

A brief interlude between Smashing Pumpkins albums, it sounds a lot like Smashing Pumpkins.

CD#390 Gwyn Ashton - Beg Borrow and Steel

Born in Wales, raised in Australia and at the time I bought this, running an open mic night in Bozeat. The album was recorded "live" in the studio in 12 hours and mixed in the following 8.

CD#391 Julia Nunes - Some Feelings

Her latest and most polished to date, another Kickstarter success I joined in with.

CD#392 Jon Roniger - My World

I bought this from Jon, who was in the UK playing small venues, including the one I was also playing at. I got a free T-shirt (which I still have somewhere).

Day 90

CD#386 People In Planes - Beyond The Horizon

When I bought the Liam Dullaghan CD (#207) from eBay this came free with it.

CD#387 Aztec Camera - Stray

I absolutely adored the first album but lost interest after the second, Roddy does write some great songs so I really ought to give his solo stuff a listen sometime.

CD#388 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin 

Led Zeppelin.

Day 89

CD#383 Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

For quite a while in my youth D'yer Mak'er was my favourite Led Zep tune. I haven't given it much thought recently but it's quite possible this is still the case.

CD#384 Deacon Blue - Whatever You Say, Say Nothing

It's ok, but nothing really stands out that I'd want to hear again immediately.

CD#385 (John) Watts - Spiritual Headcase

I bought a lot of John Watts/Fischer Z all at the same time, listened to it once and put it aside (mostly because it didn't sound like his stuff I particularly like) but hearing this again it's much more interesting than I gave it credit for.

Day 88

CD#378 Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry

The follow up to the big breakthrough album, it's not hugely different but none the worse for that.

CD#379 Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart - Bongo Fury

A curiosity in many ways, this arrived in the post one day and I still have no idea where it came from. It was addressed to me but I don't recall buying it, nor anyone letting me know it was on the way. It may be that someone somewhere is still annoyed with me for not acknowledging its arrival or sending payment.

CD#380 Rush - Permanent Waves 

First up is everybody-who-doesn't-really-like-Rush's favourite Rush song.

CD#381 Stereophonics - Word Gets Around

A great debut album, though the first half is better than the second. 

CD#382 XTC - Skylarking

My CD and vinyl both have the sanitised cover for faint hearts.

Day 87

CD#374 Meshell Ndegeocello - Comfort Woman

Her 5th, full of slow bass grooves.

CD#375 Various Artists - Shine 7

One of a series of Indie compilation albums which led me to a lot of great bands.

CD#376 Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music

Their fourth, considered by some to be their peak, certainly so in regard to chart success.

CD#377 Blur - Blur

It starts with Beetlebum followed by Song 2, then it all goes a bit mental.

Day 86

CD#367 Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

You can't fault the ambition of a double album but most (if not all) could be trimmed to make a fantastic single album.

CD#368 Ned Evett - iStole 

He's noted for playing a fretless guitar with a glass fingerboard. This isn't as mad as that might suggest.

CD#369 John Lennon - Lennon Legend

A 20 track Best Of.

CD#370 Eddie and the Hot Rods - Live and Rare

Some live tunes and some previously unreleased demos. I was once on the same festival bill as them and while it was glorious weather for us it absolutely tipped it down by the time they went on.

CD#371 The Barracudas - Complete EMI Recordings

 Ba-ba-ra-ra-cu-cu-da-da!

CD#372 Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - The Blue Trees

Their 7th. Short and sweet, some instrumental, some in Welsh.

CD#373 Ocean Colour Scene - Marchin' Already

This could easily have been the second half of a double album with Moseley Shoals as the other half.

Day 85

CD#365 Primus - Antipop

Mad bass-led shenanigans.

CD#366 Lee Perry - Dub-Triptych 

Three albums on two CDs - Cloak and Dagger, Blackboard Jungle Dub and Revolution Dub. Dubtastic!

Day 84

CD#361 Various Artists - Help

A 1995 charity CD for children in war-stricken countries. Some interesting, some a bit rubbish, some originals and some covers.

CD#362 The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun

Mostly quiet but sometimes loud, singer-songwriterish with some nice melodies, this is only the second time I've listened to it, I must do better.

CD#363 Blur - The Great Escape

Apparently The Universal was recorded with a ska feel to it originally, and rejected. It was worth the wait to hear it in its final form, one of my favourite Blur songs.

CD#364 Julia Nunes - I Wrote These

Her second album of ukulele and guitar driven singer-songwriter tunes.

Day 83

CD#357 Marvin Gaye - The Very Best Of . . .

I really should get some of his studio albums but for now this is all I have.

CD#358 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Because I came to Led Zeppelin late I'm still not tired of hearing Stairway To Heaven, which was handy.

CD#359 Counting Crows - New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall.

Some cracking versions of some great songs, one or two I like more than the studio versions.

CD#360 Boo Hewerdine - Thanksgiving

I do like a bit of Boo, this one is from 1999. 

Day 82

CD#353 Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy

More cool West Coast grooves to ease into a Saturday morning.

CD#354 Sam Brown - 43 Minutes

A&M refused to release this because it didn't have a hit single on it. Idiots. Inspired to follow her own path by the illness of her Mum it was Sam being fully Sam and not a popstar writing and performing "hits".

CD#355 XTC - Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2)

Their last release, with just Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding left. Some interesting songs on here nevertheless.

CD#356 Pink Floyd - The Division Bell

Until the release of The Endless River 20 years later, this was the last studio album. Not always critically acclaimed, but there are a number of tracks that I really like, and that's all that matters.

Day 81

CD#348 Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald

Sad little alt-country songs of death and despair.

CD#349 Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days

Singer-songwriter Sam Beam with songs as light and gentle as Richmond Fontaine, but much more cheerful.

CD#350 Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking

The last Fairport Convention CD left to listen to, I added it to today's list in memory of fiddle and mandolin player Dave Swarbrick, whose death was announced this morning.

CD#351 Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be

Without knowing anything about Devendra Banhart before buying this I was expecting more singer-songwriter acoustic stuff, but there's far more going on here than that, a very pleasant surprise.

CD#352 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

Probably the weakest of their albums but even so there are still some good songs. 
 

Day 80

CD#346 Feist - The Reminder

I heard this in the car and it wasn't its best environment, so I'll listen to it properly sometime soon.

CD#347 Marillion - Clutching At Straws

Their final album with Fish, it's mostly really good and a fine farewell.

Day 79

Bought more (4) CDs.

Day 78

CD#339 Joni Mitchell - Song To A Seagull

Her debut, the vocals recorded while she sang into the space above the strings of a grand piano (producer David Crosby's idea).

CD#340 Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul - Men Without Women

Miami Steve Van Zandt's first solo album. Not a huge commercial success but I really like it.

CD#341 The Jam - Sound Affects

Great fun from start to finish.

CD#342 The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow

Mostly BBC sessions plus a couple of singles - as good as anything they did.

CD#343 R.E.M. - Green

Stand is my favourite track, but there's not much I dislike about this.

CD#344 Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True

The debut album, backed by country rock band Clover but none the worse for that.

CD#345 XTC - Black Sea

Probably my favourite, there are some cracking songs on this.

Day 77

CD#333 Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet - The Juliet Letters

Despite exchanging rock band for string quartet, there are still two people named Thomas - Michael and Jaqueline instead of Bruce and Pete. 

CD#334 XTC - Oranges And Lemons

For a long time I only had this on cassette, and didn't think much of it. It's worth hearing it for The Mayor Of Simpleton alone but there's a lot more here I like these days too.

CD#335 Terrorvision - Regular Urban Survivors

Perseverance is brilliant.

CD#336 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Some people rate this above Dark Side Of The Moon, but not me. I do like it though.

CD#337 Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails

I'd forgotten how many good songs there are on this. 

CD#338 R.E.M. - Document

One of their finest.

Day 76

CD#329 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People

I don't know if it's familiarity from listening a lot or that they reached peak R.E.M. on this, but it always sounds slightly different to their other albums to me. Whatever the reason it's a fantastic piece of work.

CD#330 Meshell Ndegeocello - Peace Beyond Passion

Meshell's most successful album, and a cool way to relax on a Sunday morning.

CD#331 Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Not too far from being a Gilmour solo album, nevertheless it's still worth a listen.

CD#332 Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Trust

This is one of his best, though "his best" in this case covers nine albums.

Day 75

CD#325 Robbie McIntosh - Unsung

This album came about due to the persistence of, of all people, Douglas Adams. A collection of (mostly) solo acoustic instrumentals, some familiar, most original.

CD#326 Muse - Absolution

Overblown, hysterical nonsense, but great fun and almost impossible to resist nodding a head to.

CD#327 The Wonder Stuff - If The Beatles Had Read Hunter. . . The Singles

I've got a couple of Wonder Stuff albums on cassette, but only this on CD.

I once made Miles Hunt laugh.

CD#328 Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Superb.

Day 74

CD#322 Steve Lawson & Jez Carr - Conversations

Bass and piano improvisations - there's some live looping on bass, and post recording a little bit of reverb added before final mastering, but otherwise each piece is recorded live with no cuts or overdubs, or prior rehearsal.

CD#323 Sam Brown - Of The Moment

The title was a fan's suggestion via Sam website when it was realised (or discovered) that her previous album titles were spelling out her name (as long as you ignore the 43 before Minutes). Sadly due to voice problems it looks as if the pattern will never be completed as this is currently her last album.

CD#324 Massive Attack - Collected

I'm not an avid listener or collector of this kind of music, and I got this singles compilation from points collected through use of a credit card. Despite that it's been listened to more than just the once before today, which is more than some CDs I've spent money on.

Day 73

CD#318 Juliet Turner - Season Of The Hurricane

Third studio album of four, it's way past time there was another one.

CD#319 R.E.M. - Around The Sun

I like it more than Peter Buck - "...(it) just wasn't really listenable, because it sounds like what it is, a bunch of people that are so bored with the material that they can't stand it anymore."

CD#320 Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

If you're the main vocalist in a band - one of a duo who have written and produced a number of popular albums (using a large number of session musicians) - and you make a solo album with a producer and an engineer who've worked with the band before, and with musicians who are mostly ones who have worked with the band before, then the result is quite likely to be similar to the albums made by the band.

Sometimes this isn't a bad thing at all.

CD#321 The Jam - Setting Sons

Great stuff, part of the soundtrack of my youth. I was 16 when this was released and they were probably my favourite band at the time.

Day 72

CD#312 Jonatha Brooke - Steady Pull

More delightful tunes from the lovely Jonatha.

CD#313 Be Bop Deluxe - Futurama

Maid In Heaven, 2mins 26s of pop perfection.

CD#314 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Punch The Clock

One of his best.

CD#315 Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets

Described by Nick Mason as a cross-fade from Syd to Dave. 

CD#316 Boo Hewerdine - Anon

Songs of delicate beauty sweetly sung.

CD#317 Counting Crows - Hard Candy

Angst-filled magnificence from one of my favourite bands.

Day 71

CD#308 Fischer-Z - Fish's Head

Apparently the video for the single Say No was banned by the record company for fear it would endanger its employees worldwide. For a song whose message is "It's time we stopped fighting and started being nice to each other".

CD#309 Thomas Leeb - Upside Down

More slapping and tapping on acoustic guitar, playing tunes that are occasionally familiar - great fun to watch live but as I've said before, lacking something when all you have is the audio.

CD#310 Nirvana - Nevermind

It'll be 25 years old this year, which makes me feel ancient.

CD#311 Rilo Kiley - The Execution Of All Things

Their second album, full of all the things I love about Rilo Kiley. 

Day 70

CD#303 The Clash - London Calling

Their finest hour.

CD#304 Deacon Blue - When The World Knows Your Name

Despite buying Raintown and Fellow Hoodlums (on cassette!) this passed me by for a long time. Maybe it was because of the line "I'll do what I should have did" in Real Gone Kid. ;O)

CD#305 R.E.M. - Out Of Time.

One of my favourite R.E.M. albums.

CD#306 Steely Dan - Katy Lied

Not an album I've listened to often, but I'm really enjoying listening to it tonight.

 CD#307 Mull Historical Society - Loss

Quirky but fun.

Day 69

CD#302 Joni Mitchell - Blue

A fine way to start the weekend.

Day 68

CD#299 Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

If you like Led Zep then there's a lot to listen to here.

CD#300 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Armed Forces

A big favourite of mine to celebrate reaching 300.

CD#301 Suede - Suede

Followed by my favourite Suede CD, a cracking album.

Day 67

CD#295 Stiff Little Fingers - Get A Life

One of my favourite memories of SLF was seeing them live sometime around 1982. There were lots of calls from the audience for them to play Suspect Device and finally Jake Burns addressed this, explaining that they'd moved so far away from the time that encouraged the writing of the song that they no longer felt able to play it. Once this was done they started playing it, and it took 3 or 4 bars before the crowd realised what was going on and cheered.

CD#296 Pink Floyd - The Final Cut

A remarkable howl of anguish at the loss of his father and the war-mongering of the government at the time, nothing much has changed, sadly.

CD#297 XTC - Nonsuch

Dave Mattacks on drums, fitting in pretty well. It took a while before I bought this as, like a lot of artists do, they settled into a groove which wasn't as interesting as they were at their height. It's ok, but nothing special.

CD#298 Aerosmith - Honkin' On Bobo

This is my only Aerosmith album, and I have no idea why I bought it. It's pretty good fun though.

Day 66

CD#290 R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction/Reconstruction Of The Fables

Recorded in London, full of songs about the southern US.

CD#291 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Babylon By Bus

An excellent live double album from 1978.

CD#292 The Wallflowers - Bringing Down The Horse

Their biggest seller, songs by Bob's lad Jakob, guest appearances from a number of people I like, including Mike Campbell, Adam Duritz and Sam Phillips.

CD#293 Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

Magnificent.

CD#294 Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights

Much to my surprise, wiki says this album was produced by Joe Boyd, who was also responsible for the first album of the day, Fables Of The Reconstruction.

Day 65

CD#286 Jonatha Brooke - Ten Cent Wings

Whilst discovering a new band or solo artist at a point where they've already released lots of albums is great, it's all too easy to not give every album the time you would if it was the only new thing you have. With Jonatha I've more than once picked up the Live In New York album to listen to again instead of one of the albums that it takes songs from, partly because it's such a great album to listen to (I do the same with Juliet Turner's live album). This means that albums like this don't get listened to as often as they should, which is something I'll have to remember. 

CD#287 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk

The first RHCP album with the "classic" line up of Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante and Ferrell. 

CD#288 Buckcherry - Time Bomb

This is their second album and the last with the original line-up, apparently. It's very shouty.

CD#289 Gene - Revelations

All the way back on Day 6 I said that I only have one Gene album, but I was wrong, I have two.

Day 64

CD#282 Blondie - Parallel Lines

Still my favourite, wonderful stuff.

CD#283 Beth Orton - Central Reservation

I wasn't sure about this the first time I listened to it and haven't picked it up since, but this time I'm really enjoying it.

CD#284 Blur - Parklife

Mostly great, and it has my favourite Blur song (End Of A Century) on it. 

CD#285 Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation (Best Of)

This is my second listen to this (picked up on a whim from Exmouth Market) and I'm not any more impressed than I was first time.

Day 63

CD#276 Placebo - Placebo

Not heard this for ages, I thought there were only two tracks worth listening to and that Nancy Boy was a lot faster, I was wrong on both counts.

CD#277 XTC - Go 2

Their second and the last one with Barry Andrews, before Dave Gregory joined and the sound moved away from thin and quirky to something richer and quirky.

CD#278 Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf

Another one not listened to for a while. My favourite version of No One Knows is a live acoustic performance found on YouTube, particularly Nick Oliveri's bass tone.

CD#279 Marillion - Fugazi

More prog shenanigans from Fish and the boys.

CD#280 Terrorvision - How To Make Friends And Influence People

Bought because of the single Oblivion which is a great song and far and away the best thing on this album.

CD#281 Travis - The Man Who

Another mystery, as I love this album but it's the only Travis album I own. 

Day 62

CD#275 Gram Parsons - GP/Grievous Angel

His two solo releases, the second one posthumous. There are flavours of all sorts of other bands, some contemporaries (Big Star) and some who came later (The Jayhawks) in a mix of straight country, country rock, alt country etc.

Day 61

CD#272 Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic

The most upbeat, chirpy Steely Dan album so far.

CD#273 Pink Floyd - The Wall

This is the time I really became aware of Pink Floyd, with the release of Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2. I'd heard Dark Side Of The Moon at a friend's house but before I'd really started to get into music, so it hadn't really registered with me.

CD#274 Monsieur Pantin - Ma Rosalie

Anglo-French, mostly (16/19) instrumental folk shenanigans, featuring pipes. woodwind, guitar and mandocello.

Day 60

CD#265 Pink Floyd - Animals

I was reminded while listening to this of a song by The Leyton Buzzards called No Dry Ice Or Flying Pigs, which I'm currently listening to on YouTube - great fun!

CD#266 Fairport Convention - Fairport Convention

Their first album, and quite different from their other work. Sandy Denny joins after this and they write a lot more of their own songs, moving away from US folk rock to something a little more British.

CD#267 Black - Wonderful Life

Tinged with sadness due to his recent demise, this kicks off with the title track - which is a lovely song and one that means it'll be a long time before he's forgotten. R.I.P. Colin Vearncombe.

CD#268 Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

My all-time favourite Iggy album, one I used to listen to a lot as I used to put it on my bedroom stereo cranked up full and drum along to it.

CD#269 Show Of Hands - Roots: The Best Of Show Of Hands

I saw them once playing to about 50 people behind a pub in Lympstone, Devon - huge fun.

CD#270 Various - Now That's What I Call Northampton Vol 1

A collection of tunes from Northampton's finest. 

CD#271 Moses - Golden Flatts

Last to be played and their last album. It's just as good as the first, and a pretty good way to sign off. 

Day 59

CD#261 The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates - King Of America

The first without (apart from one song) The Attractions - it's none the worse for that, despite my preference for most of his work with them.

CD#262 Thelonious Monk - Monks Moods

69 tracks on 4 CDs covering his career from 1947 to 1955.

CD#263 The Vapors - Turning Japanese (The Best Of The Vapors)

This includes all of the excellent first album (which I have on vinyl) and some of the second album (which I don't), plus my favourite Vapors B-side - the live version of Here Comes The Judge.

CD#264 Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds

Wonderful, magical, remarkable - as a youth I used to put my vinyl version of this on my stereo in my bedroom and turn the light off so I could concentrate on listening. A superb cast (and band) performing a brilliant piece of work

Day 58

CD#257 Joni Mitchell - Hejira

A chilled start to the day.

CD#258 Little Monkeys - Live at the Marquee

Clive Murray (from Day 24) playing guitar with Little Monkeys at, if the title is to be believed, The Marquee.

CD#259 Marcus Miller - Silver Rain

Marcus Miller slapping and popping away as he does. I saw him at The Jazz Cafe a few years ago and my abiding memory, apart from the heat, was a harmonica player who appeared to have written the wrong keys down on his setlist. There was a keyboard solo toward the end of the night which started with a repeated single note (in the right key) for about 8 bars that I cheered for its tunefulness relative to the harmonica.

CD#260 R.E.M. - Reveal

Impossible to hear Imitation Of Life without remembering the clever video that accompanied it.

Day 57

CD#250 Kris Delmhorst - Five Stories

More acoustic singer-songwriter loveliness with backing vocals from another singer recently listened to, Jennifer Kimball.

CD#251 David Bowie - Heathen

An interesting mix of originals and covers, including I Took a Trip (On a Gemini Spaceship), originally by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy (Paralyzed would have been more amusing to hear, but you can't have everything).

CD#252 Sam Brown - Box

More loveliness from a beautiful voice.

 CD#253 Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island

Lo-fi fuzztastic indie folk-pop, apparently. This is the debut album, the next one (on the way) is supposed to be the masterpiece.

CD#254 Roy Harper - Stormcock

Prog-folk! No idea why I don't have more than just this album.  

CD#255 The Jam - The Gift

Released not that long before they split up, with songs like Precious and Trans-Global Express being cited as the cause of the split (I'm not a fan either). Despite this the good songs are as good as anything they did and not a bad way to sign off. 

 CD#256 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Mighty stuff with a decidedly live feel to it.

Day 56

CD#246 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

I heard this once or twice in my youth but obviously wasn't listening very closely as I was quite surprised by the CD when I bought it a few years ago. Far more ragged and strange than I recalled, much more interesting though.

CD#247 Supergrass - I Should Coco

Great tunes, great fun.

CD#248 Suede - Dog Man Star

Often considered their masterpiece, it's third on my list, but what do I know.

CD#249 Tich Vango - As The Crow Flies

Local singer-songwriter, I won this in a raffle.

Day 55

CD#243 R.E.M. - Up

Not as popular as some of their albums but I really like it.

CD#244 Kula Shaker - Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts

Bought because of Shower Your Love, the rest is ok but my favourite hasn't changed.

CD#245 Mark Hollis - Mark Hollis

Once of Talk Talk, this is his first and probably last solo album.

Day 54

CD#239 Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Fuzz-tastic guitar and crashing drums mixed with quiet moments of delicate beauty.

CD#240 Pink Floyd - Meddle

Mostly enjoyable mellow prog-rock, plus a howling dog.

CD#241 The Who - Who's Next

If this was on vinyl then my liking of 33 1/3 % of it would be appropriate.

CD#242 Cheap Trick - The Greatest Hits

It starts with a (previously unreleased) cover of Magical Mystery Tour, which is an odd choice for a greatest hits album. I bought it for one of my favourite songs, the live version of I Want You To Want Me.

Day 53

CD#230 Syd Barrett - Barrett

The last album from what was left of Syd.

CD#231 The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers

Ramshackle country/folk rock from the Catskill Mountains.

CD#232 Extreme - II: Pornograffitti

I hadn't noticed before, but the bass player is called Pat Badger, which amused me more than perhaps it should.

CD#233 Jonatha Brooke - Careful What You Wish For

A little more beefed-up in places but underneath that it still has lovely songs beautifully sung.

- - - - - - - - - -

With the number of CDs I currently have (or am expecting in the post any day) I've now passed half way, so only another 231 and I'll be nearly done ( I doubt I'll get there without buying one or two more ;O)  ).

- - - - - - - - - -

CD#234 Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites

The second album, the first with Dan Vickrey, it doesn't suffer from being the second album in part due to it being released three years after August And Everything After, with most of that time being spent touring and writing the songs that fill the album, whereas some second albums are filled up with songs that didn't make the first one and can be a bit hit and miss as a result.

CD#235 Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska

I lost interest in Springsteen after The River, especially the Born In The USA stuff, and missed this completely at the time of its release, probably as it's not particularly radio friendly. Despite that it's an interesting album, though not one of my favourites.

CD#236 Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

I don't have much in the way of jazz on CD, but it's difficult to avoid the gateway drug of jazz albums unless you refuse to ever listen to jazz. I have listened for pleasure a number of times since I bought it, so this isn't being played just because I have to listen to all my CDs, and I'm sure I'll hear it again.

CD#237 Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays

Folk music, with electric guitars, sitar and robots. 

CD#238 Steely Dan - Aja

The one I listen to most often, though I've no idea if it's my favourite or not.

Day 52

CD#224 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps

I've got other NY albums, but this is my only CD.

CD#225 Presumed Innocent - Where Clouds Cried Acid Tears

More local music - two of the three were bandmates of mine what seems like a lifetime ago - great days!

CD#226 The Mavericks - Trampoline

Great fun, every home should have a copy.

CD#227 Rush - Feedback

The sound of Rush having fun, it's not the worst thing they've ever done ;O)

CD#228 Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti

I do like a bit of Frank, and there's lots on here.

 CD#229 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

More fun, frolics, murder and mayhem with Colin and the gang.

Day 51

CD#219 Juliet Turner - People Have Names

Her most recent (2008) and possibly her last, which would be sad. Having said that she's done some great work, so I shall be grateful for that.

CD#220 The Smiths - The Smiths

I remember being stunned by this album when I first heard it, not sure quite to make of the amazing contrast between the music and the vocals/lyrics which were like nothing I'd heard before. Superb and unsettling in equal measure.

CD#221 McAlmont & Butler - Bring It Back

This is their second and probably final album, 7 years after the first, though Wiki says they played some gigs together last year, so you never know.

CD#222 Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle

Depending on my mood (and also which one I'm listening to at the time) this is either the best or second best Springsteen album. Either way it's always good to hear it.

CD#223 Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

Whenever I get round to listening to Steely Dan I always enjoy it, so it's puzzling I don't do it more often.

Day 50

CD#216 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

It's not in my top 5, but it does have Fat Old Sun on it, so it's not all bad.

CD#217 Gil Scott-Heron - Ghetto Style

A compilation which appears to be a passable summation of his career up to the time of its release - the only album (ignoring remixes and a posthumous release) it misses out is 2010's I'm New Here, which I like a lot.

CD#218 The Elected - Me First

The main man of The Elected is Blake Sennett, once of Rilo Kiley, this album has the drummer Jason Boesel too. Not unsurprisingly this sounds a lot like the quirkier Rilo Kiley stuff which was often written and sung by Blake, surprisingly I like some of it more than I do one or two of his Rilo Kiley offerings.

Day 49

CD#210 R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-fi

I put this in with the thought that I've never liked it (or listened to it) much. It's better than I remember but not hugely memorable, it mostly just meanders along with no particular highs or lows.

CD#211 Matt & Kim - Grand

From hi-fi to lo-fi, it's another from the lucky dip of Exmouth Market. It's a little giddy for a Sunday morning, but a nice contrast to the sounds of New Adventures In Hi-fi nevertheless.

CD#212 Blur - 13

Not sure about this one, there are some great tunes and some noise, and a couple of others are ok, but it's a bit neither one thing nor another. 

CD#213 Silver Sun - Neo Wave

A mixed bag today, but this will make things better. I love this album.

CD#214 Steve Lawson & Theo Travis - For The Love Of Open Spaces

I was going to attempt a fruit and cream based metaphor but wasn't sure I could get away with it, so this is Steve with added Theo, delicious.

CD#215 Radiohead - Ok Computer

Not bad at all.

Day 48

CD#205 John Watts - Ether Beep Start

"The essence of 'Ether', my voice, guitar and basic grooves, was recorded at home on a laptop. The plan was to go out with a Mac, an audio interface, microphones and other minimal equipment, to a number of international locations where I had some contacts to just let things happen. In the beginning I planned to record songs in specific places. It soon became clear that the best approach was to meet people, most of them for the first time, play them a few of the tracks and gauge which ones they could best contribute to. We ended up working with some 30 people in the UK, New York and Europe."

It's remarkable that without reading the above I'd have said that it was recorded conventionally in a studio. Either way it's good stuff.


CD#206 Catherine Maclellan - Dark Dream Midnight/Water In The Ground

A Canadian singer-songwriter, she lives on Prince Edward Island, and having had a quick look around it on Google street view, who can blame her, it looks as peaceful and lovely as these songs.

CD#207 Liam Dullaghan - Making History

A local lad, a brilliant debut solo album.

CD#208 Marillion - Script For Jester's Tear

The most varied and interesting of their albums for me, and my favourite.

CD#209 Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line

Their most recent album and currently the only one I've bought, I should buy some more.

Day 47

CD#200 Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

Probably my favourite, a superb album from start to finish.

CD#201 XTC - The Big Express

Andy Partridge obviously had fun with the Linn LM-1 on this, though I'd have dialed it back a touch if it had been up to me. Despite that this one of my top 5 XTC albums.

CD#202 Jonatha Brooke - Plumb

Though it says Jonatha Brooke + The Story on the case, this is the first solo album, and everything that makes Jonatha's music special begins here, great stuff.

 CD#203 Jennifer Kimball - Oh Hear Us

The other half of The Story with Jonatha Brooke, this is her second solo album (which came in the post this morning). It's perfectly fine but not begging me to buy the other one.

CD#204 Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon

A 2 CD Best Of with a DVD documentary that I still haven't got round to watching yet, I really must rectify that. 

Day 46

CD#193 Eva Cassidy - Songbird

A Christmas present from the year when she was posthumously popular in the UK. A sad story but a lovely voice.

CD#194 Julia Nunes - Settle Down

I first heard Julia on YouTube, playing a cover of a Counting Crows song. She got quite a following on the back of quirky videos, mostly of covers, shot alone or with friends. Sadly, due to her career getting serious, a lot of them have been removed from YouTube. This was her first crowd-funded CD and the enclosed booklet has my name on it somewhere.

CD#195 Marcella Detroit - Jewel

Hopefully this was one of my Britannia freebies, because while I like "I Believe" there's not much else going for it.

CD#196 Meshell Ndegeocello - The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams

There have been four albums released since I bought this, none of which I have heard. I shall have to do something about that.

CD#197 Invocal - Uneven Keel

Oestrogen-laden left-field acoustic music (their words, not mine), Invocal were (until 2010) "an all female acoustic act that performed with cello, guitar and four harmonious voices". Lots of fun . . . and local. 

CD#198 Muse - Origin Of Symmetry

This has my two favourite Muse songs on it, New Born and Plug In Baby, though if I'm listening via YouTube I always pick live versions as they seem to have just a bit more excitement to them even though the CD versions are pretty damn perfect.

CD#199 R.E.M. - Monster

There's more to this than I remembered, though they could have eased up on the use of tremolo a bit.

Day 45

CD#188 Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer

I can't remember how I came to buy this, as it's not something I'd usually look out for. Having said that the songs are good and well played, and she has a lovely voice. So despite it not being "my sort of thing" I like it a lot.

CD#189 Split Enz - True Colours

As far as I can recall, my first encounter with Split Enz was I Got You, which made my reaction to their earlier work more pronounced. It's more conventional than the glorious wackiness of something like Stranger Than Fiction, but still good to hear again.

CD#190 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

My favourite of the albums I have (three or four), I'm wondering if I should buy some more.

CD#191 Moses - The Swimming Zoo

Their first album, full of good songs and lovely harmonies.

CD#192 The Monkees - The Definitive Monkees

I was heartbroken when told that they didn't play their own music (even though by that time they had been doing so for years). Regardless of who wrote what and who played what, The Monkees are/were/always will be great.

Day 44

CD#183 Thunderclap Newman - Hollywood Dream

Their only album, it has Pete Townshend on bass. The single is good but there's not much else to get excited about.

CD#184 The Congos - Heart Of The Congos

This pops up on Top Album charts a lot, which is what encouraged me to buy it recently. Released in 1977, when I was listening to Elvis Costello, Sex Pistols and The Ramones, it feels like something from a generation before, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.

CD#185 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - In Step

He's a fantastic player, and I like his voice which is great for his style of music, but I'm not enough of a fan to be able to sit through two albums in a row (sometimes even the whole of one) without getting bored. This is true of a number of the CDs I own but SRV is noticeably consistent in his ability to satisfy my cravings for his music in a short space of time :O)

CD#186 The Incisors - Demos/We All Have Stories

The Incisors describe themselves as "turbo melodic pop rock" and sound like a lot of post punk/new wave stuff I listened to in the 80s. I bought these two CDs after seeing them play at The Cavern Pub in Liverpool (IIRC they were on just before the band I was playing in - Rogue State Circus) and really enjoying their set, particularly the song "Indonesia" which is possibly one of the best songs ever written.

 CD#187 Counting Crows - This Desert Life

Second to August And Everything After in my personal CC chart, Mrs Potter's Lullaby is one of my favourites of their songs.

Day 43

CD#178 The Jayhawks - Music From The North Country

This compilation has been described as "tracing their story from their beginnings as a struggling local act to their final chapter as a struggling national act." despite that there some great tunes to be enjoyed.

CD#179 Rogue State Circus - Songs From The Sea Of Serenity

Since this album's release I have gigged with the Rogues, on drums once or twice, on guitar for a while and most recently on bass, so I know these songs very well indeed - still fun to listen to this nevertheless as the songs are great, and well played.

CD#180 Echo And The Bunnymen - Evergreen

I bought their first album (vinyl) and saw them live back in the early 80s. They were pretty good back then, much better than this. It isn't awful but it's no Crocodiles.

CD#181 Chyco Siméon - Finally

Funky, jazzy, Marcus Miller-style bass led tunes. Groovy.

CD#182 The Story - Grace In Gravity

Jonatha Brooke (previously mentioned on Day 1 and Day 37) and Jennifer Kimball (I don't have any of her solo work), this their first album (of two) before Jonatha went solo. 

Day 42

CD#175 Gail Ann Dorsey - I Used To Be

Bass player to the stars, this is Gail being a star in her own right, nice and chilled for a Sunday morning.

CD#176 Bellowhead - Matachin

I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to any genre of music, so enjoying Bellowhead's take on classic folk tunes has never been a problem for me, though as one who dips in and out of things as the fancy takes I haven't got round to hearing their most recent work as what I have has been sufficient.

A quick look at their Wiki page tells me that they're currently playing a farewell tour which ends next month and then Bellowhead will, for the time being at least, be no more. Which is a shame.

CD#177 No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

I've not listened to this for ages, there's more good stuff on here than I'd remembered. 

Day 41

CD#171 Radiohead - The Bends

It's pretty close, but this is probably my favourite.

CD#172 Taj Mahal - Mo' Roots

Roots reggae mixed with some James Brown mixed with some blues, it's possibly all things to all men.

CD#173 The Zutons - Tired Of Hanging Around

Valerie's great but the rest is a bit forgettable, I'm afraid.

CD#174 Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

I like the weird Floyd, the silly Floyd, the shouty Waters period and the mellower post-Waters period. So I like this. 

Day 40

CD#166 P.I.L. - Metal Box

I've got one of the original vinyl copies of this, and was amused to get the CD in a smaller tin, but I'm not a huge fan of either ;O)

CD#167 Juliet Turner - Burn The Black Suit

I definitely prefer the backing and arrangements on her live album but the songs are still great.

CD#168 Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

Written at the same time as The Wall, there is inevitably a Floyd feel to it even without Roger's familiar vocals. It's more of a complete piece but there aren't any stand out individual moments as a consequence. I haven't heard it for a while and it's much better than I'd remembered.

CD#169 The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

This band have been a source of great joy for me in the last few months, and this is another cracking album.

CD#170 Therapy? - Troublegum

Three songs are huge fun, the rest are less so - that's better than The La's !

Day 39

CD#161 Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus

As far as I can recall I only have Uprising on vinyl, but a splurge in recent years has filled in all the gaps from Catch A Fire onwards, great stuff.

CD#162 The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers

Recorded in 1972 - released in 1976, two years after the band had split up.

CD#163 Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Although this was written and recorded after Born To Run it's always felt more the other way round to me.
Some classic songs on here though it's not as complete as some of the others for me.

CD#164 Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Almanac

Bought on a whim in Exmouth, wiki says Emily's an Australian based in the UK and The Red Clay Halo are a trio of multi-instrumentalists, together they've made four albums and this is the third. It's very nice indeed.

CD#165 Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde

In equal second place with a couple of others behind Highway 61 Revisited for me, but still a great record.

Day 38

CD#157 Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish

I can remember hearing There's No Other Way on the radio but Blur mostly passed me by until Parklife came out. I bought this fairly recently but didn't really take much notice of it, though their performances of For Tomorrow and Chemical World at the Hyde Park gigs in 2009 are two of my favourites. 

CD#158 Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View

Bought as part of the four free CDs from Britannia Music. While it's not chock full of hits, it's a lot better than I remember.It

CD#159 Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals

20 years old now, still fun.

CD#160 Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience 

I used to listen to this a lot but haven't heard it for quite a while, so it's nice to catch up.

Day 37

CD#152 The Ruts - Something That I Said

This is a Best Of album and I love half of it - they were, for me, a little hit and miss.

CD#153 The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here

Tim (and for a while, Neil) Finn from Split Enz and Neil (and for a while, Tim) Finn from Crowded House.

CD#154 Be Bop Deluxe - Live! In The Air Age

A live album, featuring song from their first three albums plus a couple of older songs.

CD#155 The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

What a band, ridiculously earnest lyrics yet sometimes gloriously silly, sublime guitar playing and cool hair. Four albums in four years . . . and done.

CD#156 Jonatha Brooke - Live In New York

Like the Juliet Turner Live CD this is far more than a live Best Of - my copy included a DVD of the songs on the CD - this is a recording that can hold its head up high in comparison with any of her studio albums and in some ways it far exceeds them. I was lucky to see Jonatha live at The Stables (with another musician I love to hear, Gail Ann Dorsey on bass) but even that night pales in comparison to this.

Day 36

CD#148 Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith

In the last 12 years I've been to a lot of acoustic nights, if Elliott had been the feature act at any of them I would have considered him better than many I've heard, but I doubt I'd remember much about his set the next day.

CD#149 Chris Thile - How To Grow A Woman From The Ground

A side project from Nickel Creek's Chris Thile, mixing originals and covers from a range of acts, from The White Stripes to Willie Dixon.

CD#150 Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish ?

Another "they're/he's supposed to be good, I suppose I could buy something and see", I bought The Hour Of Bewilderbeast at the same time. It's better than I remember it being.

CD#151 Ruth Theodore - Wormfood

Bought because I liked the sleeve design, I'm a particular fan of CDs not in the usual hard plastic case.
I'd rather listen to this than Elliott Smith any day.

Day 35

CD#143 Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Blood and Chocolate

For me this is the last great album recorded with the Attractions. There are two more but I've only heard one, so it's possible I might be wrong.

CD#144 Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads

This is why listening to all my CDs was a good idea - I'd forgotten all about this and it's really good.

CD#145 Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop

 I'm not a huge Jeff Beck fan, but I bought this to see if I'd change my mind. There might be something he's done that I'd like but this isn't it. It's well played, just not my thing.

CD#146 Radiohead - Pablo Honey

Even people who like Radiohead don't all rate this album highly, but I like it a lot.

CD#147 Counting Crows - Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation)

Another Counting Crows album I've hesitated about buying, even though I've listened to (and enjoyed) two of the songs recorded here (performed live) on YouTube a number of times.
It's an album of cover versions, some by artists I've heard of (Big Star, Travis, Fairport Convention) and some I know nothing about (Pure Prairie League, Dawes, Coby Brown).

Day 34

CD#141 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music

I've had the first and sixth Talking Heads albums on vinyl for years, so it was about time I bought something else, I may well buy some more before the year's out.

CD#142 Juliet Turner - Live

Some live albums are just to eke out a little more cash from fans, some are pretty ropey and others are something special.

This is something special, not just because it's not far off a greatest hits album, not just because there's enough background sound between songs to make you feel you're part of an intimate night of live music, but because the musicians are fantastic and the arrangements are different enough from the originals for it to feel like something new, and that's before you get to the superb songs and the glorious individuality of Juliet's singing.

Day 33

CD#138 Etienne Mbappe - Misaya

Another bass player discovered via Steve Lawson and Myspace, another album where not understanding the words doesn't spoil the experience whatsoever.

CD#139 Queen - A Day At The Races

I've got a few albums bought because I didn't really have much by a particular band or singer and thought I ought to buy some, and in this instance I picked up this and News Of The World.
There are some Queen songs that I love (Somebody To Love is most definitely one) and a lot that I'm fairly indifferent to, but while they don't really grab me they're worth another listen.

CD#140 Counting Crows - Somewhere Under Wonderland

For some reason I didn't rush to buy this despite loving the first song I heard from it (Palisades Park, great video too) but finally here I am. There are a couple of other songs that jump out on first listen but it might take a few more listens before I decide where it sits. It's ok, but it's no August And Everything After.

Day 32

CD#135 Talk Talk - Laughing Stock

Their last studio album, apparently "the recording process has long been described as one of the most arduous and prone to control freakitude ever." though you wouldn't know it to listen to the resulting music.

CD#136 Cocteau Twins - Milk And Kisses

Another last studio album. It was never going to usurp Treasure as my favourite Cocteau Twins album, but it's still pretty good.

CD#137 Public Image Ltd. - Public Image: First Issue

This is certainly ground-breaking in terms of the post-punk landscape but I bought it (the original vinyl rather than this CD) having heard the single Public Image, and as far as I can recall I was mostly disappointed. My favourite track is probably Fodderstompf which the drummer described as “Not even a song just a wank, ripping off our fans. It still turns my stomach thinking about it.”

Day 31

CD#130 Sam Brown - Stop!

Sadly no longer singing due to voice problems, this where her solo career began. It sounds very 80s but none the worse for that. 

CD#131 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous

This is where I started with Rilo Kiley and it's still my favourite, though I do skip past one or two songs towards the end when listening in the car.

CD#132 Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle

Picked up today with the thought that I could have bought this 39 years ago, but chose not to. I loved Tubeway Army but while I bought Cars and then Complex I've never bought any other Gary Numan stuff, mostly due to the increase in synth sounds instead of synths and guitars mixed.

Was I right ?

For me, yes. It feels like the whole future world/lonely android thing has been taken to its limit and lost all emotion as a consequence, and what resonated with me listening to Replicas was a feeling of isolation but with some small connection to humanity (perfect for a teenager!), whereas this has gone beyond that into complete disconnection. I don't like it much now and probably wouldn't have liked it then.

CD#133 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland

I do like Hendrix, but I'm not a die hard fan. There were times that I was listening more to the skill of the drummer than anything else, but there is some cool stuff on here. And great drumming.

CD#134 Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone

Apparently this is more guitar-heavy and less jazzy-pop than her previous work, but it's all I have so I don't know if that's good or bad. The next one goes back to being more experimental, apparently. 

Day 30

CD#124 Curtis E Johnson - The Compleat Unknown

It was in the genial company of Curtis that I first tasted sweetcorn . . . and LSD, though probably not at the same time.

CD#125 Paul Simpson - Noise With A Purpose

A solo guitar-and-pedal-based explosion before he went and found jazz. Nice.

CD#126 Sharon Van Etten - Are We There

 An earlier album is titled "epic" which would appear to have been premature after a couple of listens to this.

CD#127 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

I  bought this after watching a live performance of I'm Amazed on Letterman that I stumbled upon on YouTube, the majority of the tracks don't quite reach the same height, but it's not bad. 

CD#128 Grandaddy - Below The Radio

This is not as I had thought, an album by Grandaddy. It's a mixtape put together by Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, which includes tracks by people I've heard of, including Giant Sand, The Handsome Family, Pavement and unexpectedly, Snow Patrol - plus a lot I'm hearing for the first time.

CD#129 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly

Described as dream-pop, this is another Exmouth Market purchase, the two main members are the singer who is from a band called Mazzy Star and the drummer from My Bloody Valentine, who writes, sings and plays various instruments. Very relaxing. 

Day 29

CD#120 Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight

Their first major label release and their last album together. Not my favourite but despite the high polish there's enough Rilo Kiley in there to make it listenable.

CD#121 Elvis Costello - Spike

For a long time this was the last EC I bought, possibly because while it has some good moments it's a bit all over the place, in part because it was recorded in four different locations with four different groups of musicians, none of whom were Bruce Thomas.

CD#122 Moses - Django

I first heard Moses supporting Sam Brown at The Stables in Wavendon. This is only six songs so more of an EP than an album.

CD#123 Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese

The world would be a poorer place without Primus. 

Day 28

CD#118 Steve Lawson - Grace and Gratitude

Looped bass that's perfect for a relaxed Sunday morning, lovely.

CD#119 XTC - White Noise 

Some good, some weird and a magnificent cover of All Along The Watchtower which sounds like no other.

Day 27

A day off !