2003 CD ACQUISITIONS OF THE YEAR

The star rating system takes into account that these were all "Acquisitions Of The Year" to warrant inclusion here. Therefore * represents 50-60%, ** is 60-70%, *** is 70-80%, **** is 80-90% and ***** is 90-99.9% (we're talking Pet Sounds, Blood On The Tracks or Forever Changes here). The pricing and packaging etc. are not relevant to the rating

Notes of generally available CDs are written up only after the CD has been fully investigated and indexed, and given at least one star. Click on the link to see what I thought of it, where appropriate.

A number of these reviews can also be seen on the Amazon UK or US website

JANUARY
1/1/03 Compilation
The Story Of Vee-Jay
(66.27/67.34)**
1/1/03 Associates
Sulk
(71.16)****
9/1/03 Jolly Brothers
Lee Perry Presents The Jolly Brothers
(43.29)***
9/1/03 Elvis Presley
Take My Hand - Gospel Favourites
(58.53)**
9/1/03 Lisa Germano
Geek The Girl
(43.38)***
9/1/03 Neil Young
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
(40.29)****
9/1/03 Belly
Sweet Ride - The Best Of Belly
(71.22)***
9/1/03 Temptations
At Their Very Best
(68.09/76.47)**
9/1/03 Nina Nastasia
The Blackened Air
(Canadian Import) (43.53)****
9/1/03 Laura Nyro
New York Tendaberry
(51.06)**
9/1/03 Sinead O'Connor
Sean-Nos Nua
(65.16)***
23/1/03 Wedding Present
Hit Parade 2
(39.43/40.23)***
23/1/03 Compilation
Trojan Mod Reggae Box Set
(44.46/45.26/48.19)**
23/1/03 Compilation
Trojan Ska Box Set (Vol. 2)
(43.22/41.30/48.49)***
23/1/03 Compilation
Trojan X-Rated Box Set
(49.15/43.18/51.45)**

FEBRUARY
4/2/03 Elastica
The Menace
(38.45)***
9/2/03 The Delgados
Hate
(47.36)****
9/2/03 Flying Burrito Brothers/Gram Parsons
Sleepless Nights
(38.00)****
9/2/03 St Etienne
Casino Classics
(77.09/68.37)***
9/2/03 John Mayall
London Blues 1964-1969
(58.42/74.38)***

MARCH
3/3/03 The Band
Music From Big Pink
(74.03)***
3/3/03 Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
(57.51)
***
9/3/03 Compilation
Warp 10+3 Remixes
(78.53/74.58)**
9/3/03 Compilation
Robert Johnson And Heroes Of The Delta Blues
(56.02)**
15/3/03 Love
Four Sail
(50.07)***
15/3/03 Beach Boys
Surfin' Safari/Surfin' USA
(55.38)**
15/3/03 Beach Boys
Surfer Girl/Shut Down Vol. 2
(60.56)**
15/3/03 Beach Boys
Friends/ 20/20
(66.58)**
28/3/03 Aretha Franklin
Lady Soul
(43.56)****
28/3/03 Compilation
Hammond Heroes
(73.04)**
28/3/03 Joni Mitchell
Clouds
(37.41)***
28/3/03 Múm
Finally We Are No-one
(56.12)****

APRIL
3/4/03 Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
The Best Of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
(77.53)***
3/4/03 Rolling Stones
Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)
(38.15)***
3/4/03 Rolling Stones
12 X 5
(32.24)****
4/4/03 Wedding Present
Bizarro
(47.27)**
17/4/03 Compilation
History Of Country Music - The Forties (Vol.1)
(50.12/48.55)*
17/4/03 Jimmy McGriff
The Best Of Jimmy McGriff - Pullin' Out The Stops!
(67.17)**
21/4/03 Spiritualized
The Complete Works (Vol.1)
(66.40/72.44)****
21/4/03 Kevin Ayers
Banana Productions - The Best Of Kevin Ayers
(73.04)*
21/4/03 Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
(76.50)*****
21/4/03 Ry Cooder
Chicken Skin Music
(39.59)***

MAY
2/5/03 Compilation
Uncut: Acid Daze
(58.47)***
7/5/03 Detroit Cobras
Seven Easy Pieces
(18.52)***
7/5/03 Wire
Chairs Missing
(52.02)***
15/5/03 Compilation
Mojo: Instant Garage (Music Guide Vol. 1)
(79.48)**
20/5/03 Breeders
Title TK
(38.01)***
20/5/03 Rolling Stones
Out Of Our Heads (UK Version)
(29.36)***
20/5/03 Rolling Stones
Metamorphosis
(48.03)*
23/5/03 Fall
Are You Are Missing Winner
(47.45)**
23/5/03 Compilation
Tamla Motown Big Hits & Hard To Find Classics
(Vol. 4)(56.37)
*
23/5/03 Compilation
Northern Soul Connoisseurs
(45.23)*
23/5/03 Tammi Terrell
The Essential Collection
(49.53)**
29/5/03 Compilation
500% Dynamite
(42.47)**
31/5/03 Roy Orbison
The Big O: The Original Singles Collection
(68.21/70.39)**

JUNE
6/6/03 Terry Riley
A Rainbow In Curved Air
(40.26)****
6/6/03 Bjork
Greatest Hits (72.25)***
6/6/03 James Brown
Godfather Of Soul
(55.49)**
6/6/03 Canned Heat
The Very Best Of Canned Heat
(73.22)**
6/6/03 Compilation
Doo Wop Classics
(46.58)**
28/6/03 Cocteau Twins
Victorialand
(32.55)**
28/6/03 Supremes
Where Did Our Love Go?/I Hear A Symphony
(65.24)***
28/6/03 Joni Mitchell
Song To The Seagull
(38.07)***
28/6/03 Joni Mitchell
For The Roses
(40.25)***
28/6/03 Compilation
Tamla Motown Connoisseurs (Vol. 2)
(59.42)*
28/6/03 Temptations
Cloud Nine/Puzzle People
(78.46)***
28/6/03 Cat Power
The Covers Record
(41.04)***
28/6/03 Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
The Original Fleetwood Mac
(55.40)**

JULY
1/7/03 Small Faces
The Darlings Of Wapping Wharf Launderette
(69.08/74.08)****
1/7/03 Tricky
Pre-Millennium Tension
(45.35)***
7/7/03 Lovin' Spoonful
Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful
(43.04)***
7/7/03 Chuck Berry
The Best Of Chuck Berry
(55.36/50.19)****
13/7/03 Temptations
The Temptations Wish It Would Rain/In A Mellow Mood
(72.01)**
13/7/03 Compilation
Immediate Blitz Of Hitz
(70.14/71.48)*
13/7/03 Annette Peacock
An Acrobat's Heart
(61.12)**
13/7/03 Pretty Things
Parachute
(62.59)**
20/7/03 Pretty Things
Latest Writs Greatest Hits
(71.27)***
20/7/03 Laurie Anderson
The Ugly One With The Jewels
(71.00)*
20/7/03 Compilation
A Place Called Africa - Songs Of The Lost Tribe
(54.32/74.07)***
20/7/03 Compilation
Flashing Echo - Trojan In Dub 1970-1980
(68.32/74.33)***

AUGUST
1/8/03 Ladytron
Light & Magic
(66.40)**
1/8/03 Carl Perkins
Boppin' Blue Suede Shoes
(62.10)**
1/8/03 Jimmy Reed
The Very Best Of Jimmy Reed
(53.57/53.15)***
4/8/03 Compilation
Boppers And The Blues
(73.30)*
5/8/03 Mary Wells
Early Classics
(48.47)**
19/8/03 Soft Machine
BBC Radio 1967-1971
(66.50/60.54)***
23/8/03 Compilation
Punky Reggae Party
(79.41/79.08)***
23/8/03 Compilation
Trojan Jamaican R&B Box Set
(49.42/42.00/45.57)**
23/8/03 Compilation
Mojo: Roots Of Hip Hop (Music Guide Vol. 2)
(79.36)**
23/8/03 Kevin Ayers
Bananamour
(52.36)**
23/8/03 Compilation
Take A Girl Like You
(69.22)*

SEPTEMBER
2/9/03 Ike & Tina Turner
Golden Classics (US Import)
(47.40)****
4/9/03 Compilation
Uncut: In God's Country - The Music That Inspired The Joshua Tree
(67.32)***
4/9/03 John Lennon
Lennon Legend - The Very Best Of John Lennon
(77.39)**
8/9/03 Love
False Start
(29.57)**
15/9/03 Eno
Here Come The Warm Jets
(41.58)***
15/9/03 Staple Singers
The Gospel According To The Staple Singers
(45.38)*
19/9/03 Compilation
The Wire: Wiretapper 10
(59.36/69.56)***
25/9/03 Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes
Super Hits
(38.55)*
25/9/03 Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash And Friends
(64.26)*
25/9/03 Kevin Ayers
Whatevershebringswesing
(51.26)**
30/9/03 Kevin Ayers
Joy Of A Toy (Promo)
(67.26)***
30/9/03 Compilation
The Early Blues Roots Of Bob Dylan
(61.17)*
30/9/03 Aimee Mann
Bachelor No. 2 Or The Last Remains Of The Dodo
(53.52)**
30/9/03 Aimee Mann
Lost In Space
(43.05)**
30/9/03 Compilation
Sing A Song For You - Tribute To Tim Buckley
(42.04/44.39)*


OCTOBER
19/10/03 Compilation
Phil's Spectre - A Wall Of Soundalikes
(65.05)****
26/10/03 Grateful Dead
Workingman's Dead
(79.51)****
26/10/03 Van Morrison
What's Wrong With This Picture
(63.43)**
26/10/03 Gary US Bonds
The Very Best Of Gary US Bonds
(45.03)*
26/10/03 Compilation
The Chess EP Collection
(76.29)***
26/10/03 Creation
Making Time (Vol. 1)
(60.04)*
26/10/03 Duane Eddy
Because They're Young
(51.56)**
26/10/03 James Brown/Eddie Floyd
Soul Brothers
(51.30)**
26/10/03 Jeff Buckley
Live At Sin-é
(79.33/77.42)**
26/10/03 Laura Cantrell
Not The Tremblin' Kind
(45.10)***
26/10/03 BB King
The RPM Hits 1951-1957
(75.56)**
26/10/03 Lord Sitar
Lord Sitar
(40.42)*
26/10/03 Eliza Carthy
Anglicana (Promo)
(54.29)***
26/10/03 Lisa Germano
Lullaby For Liquid Pig (US Import)(Promo)
(36.34)***
26/10/03 Chocolate Watch Band
No Way Out/The Inner Mystique (French Import)
(53.48)**
26/10/03 Tim Buckley
Starsailor
(36.04)****
26/10/03 Martha and the Vandellas
Dance Party/Watchout! (Promo)
(73.04)***
26/10/03 A Camp
A Camp
(55.29)***
26/10/03 Larry Williams
Bad Boy Of Rock'n'Roll
(53.50)***
26/10/03 Julie Driscoll
Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger And The Trinity
(51.51)**
26/10/03 Electrelane
Rock It To The Moon
(73.58)****
26/10/03 Richie Havens
Mixed Bag (US Import)
(38.24)**
26/10/03 Howlin' Wolf
The Genuine Article
(74.42)***
26/10/03 Natalie Merchant
Motherland (Promo)
(58.20)***
26/10/03 Elvis Presley
Essential Elvis: The First Movies
(56.16)**
28/10/03 Ray Charles
His Greatest Hits
(46.13/47.19)**

NOVEMBER
6/11/03 Fun Lovin' Criminals
100% Colombian
(52.01)***
6/11/03 Manfred Mann
The Very Best Of Manfred Mann
(56.15)**
16/11/03 Elastica
The Radio One Sessions (Promo)
(52.53)****
16/11/03 Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf/Moanin' In The Moonlight
(65.55)****
16/11/03 Elvis Presley
Loving You
(41.19)***
16/11/03 Elvis Presley
King Creole
(34.18)***
16/11/03 Free Association
David Holmes Presents The Free Association (Promo)
(42.29)**
16/11/03 Vashti Bunyan
Just Another Diamond Day
(40.00)***
16/11/03 Creatures
Hai! (Promo)
(50.24)***
16/11/03 Fall
The Real New Fall LP (Promo)
(44.23)**
16/11/03 Fall
Time Enough At Last - The Receiver Years
(59.39/54.15/64.45)*
16/11/03 Lamb
Between Darkness And Wonder (Promo)
(45.52)**
16/11/03 Grateful Dead
Birth Of The Dead
(54.37/72.09)**
16/11/03 Compilation
Riot On Sunset Strip
(55.59)*
16/11/03 James Brown
Messing With The Blues
(55.01/55.20)***
16/11/03 James Brown
Live At The Apollo (Vol. 2)
(42.10/50.51)*
16/11/03 Cliff Richard
Me And My Shadows/Listen To Cliff!
(77.03)*
16/11/03 Compilation
Mojo: 2003 - 18 Tracks From The Year's Best Albums
(77.01)*
26/11/03 Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas
Songs To No One 1991-1992
(60.48)**
26/11/03 Caravan
Caravan
(74.05)***
26/11/03 Caravan
Caravan And The New Symphonia
(78.20)***
26/11/03 Compilation
Motown Salutes Bacharach
(62.56)*
26/11/03 Compilation
The Roots Of Elvis Presley
(60.40)**

DECEMBER
14/12/03 Who
A Quick One
(56.39)****
14/12/03 Caravan
In The Land Of Grey And Pink
(74.47)*
15/12/03 Trader Horne
Morning Way
(52.51)***
24/12/03 Sam and Dave
I Thank You
(35.34)**
28/12/03 Compilation
Motown Meets The Beatles
(58.31)**
28/12/03 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The Tracks Of My Tears
(56.56)**
30/12/03 Pixies
Doolittle
(38.45)****
30/12/03 Compilation
Rough And Tough - The Story Of Ska 1960-1966
(70.23/70.43)***
30/12/03 Compilation
Tighten Up - Trojan Reggae Classics 1968-1974
(79.39/73.42)***

 

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Last updated February 13, 2006 13:05