The star rating system takes into account that these were all "Acquisitions Of The Year" to warrant being written up. 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 price paid, packaging etc. are not relevant to the rating.
A number of these reviews also appear on the Amazon UK and/or Amazon US websites.
FEBRUARY 2010
11/2/10 Carla Bruni
No Promises (34.45)*
JANUARY 2010
23/1/10 Compilation
The Complete Motown Singles (Vol. 5) (79.05/71.29/77.12/77.55/75.44/74.32)****
DECEMBER 2009
18/12/09 Compilation
Birth Of Soul (Vol. 3) (74.49)****
7/12/09 Dick Dale
Mr Eliminator (36.58)**
NOVEMBER 2009
30/11/09 Eddie Cochran
Twelve Of His Biggest Hits/Never To Be Forgotten (50.53)***
OCTOBER 2009
23/9/09 Beatles
The Beatles (Mono Box Set)(557.00)****
SEPTEMBER 2009
23/9/09 Beatles
The Beatles (Stereo Box Set)(525.00)****
AUGUST
27/8/09 Incredible String Band
"U" (52.03/55.50)**
JULY 2009
12/7/09 Marvelettes
Forever - The Complete Motown Albums Vol. 1 (78.39/73.59/72.17)***
JUNE 2009
25/6/09 Rolling Stones
More Hot Rocks (Big Hits And Fazed Cookies)(38.13/52.28)***
22/6/09 Donovan
Barabajagal (76.55)*
22/6/09 Cocteau Twins and Harold Budd
The Moon And The Melodies (37.24)**
1/6/09 Marvin Gaye
Together/It Takes Two (62.49)**
MAY 2009
31/5/09 Donovan
The Hurdy Gurdy Man (57.50)**
13/5/09 Donovan
Mellow Yellow (65.13)**
APRIL 2009
27/4/09 Donovan
Sunshine Superman (67.05)***
19/4/09 Compilation
Girls With Guitars (56.30)***
19/4/09 Jeff Beck
Truth (70.37)**
18/4/09 Siouxsie and the Banshees
Voices On The Air - The Peel Sessions (69.58)***
MARCH 2009
6/3/09 Ikettes
Fine, Fine, Fine (62.01)***
FEBRUARY 2009
2/2/2009 Shop
Assistants
Will Anything Happen (38.21)***
JANUARY 2009
24/1/2009
Bob Dylan
No Direction Home (72.11/72.20)***
DECEMBER 2008
31/12/2008
Ann Peebles
The Complete Ann Peebles On Hi Records (Vol. 1): 1969-1973 (46.08/56.41)***
NOVEMBER 2008
20/11/2008 Darlene Love
So Much Love - A Darlene Love Anthology 1958-1998 (63.45)**
OCTOBER 2008
27/10/2008 Marvin Gaye
MPG/That's The Way Love Is (70.13)**
23/10/2008 Marvin Gaye
Moods Of Marvin Gaye/In The Groove (69.08)***
AUGUST 2008
23/8/2008 Gladiators
Dreadlocks The Time Is Now (62.37)**
21/8/2008 Ann Peebles
Greatest Hits (74.34)***
JULY 2008
28/7/2008 Nina Nastasia
Run To Ruin (31.09)****
25/7/2008 Dion
The Road I'm On - A Retrospective (48.05/53.44)***
24/7/2008 Steeleye Span
The Lark In The Morning (62.51/58.24)****
24/7/2008 Blondie
Eat To The Beat (43.13)***
15/7/2008 Compilation
Trojan Rocksteady Rarities Box Set (48.18/45.25/45.40)***
9/7/2008 John Martyn
The Electric John Martyn (48.34)*
4/7/2008 Dion
Lovers Who Wander/So Why Didn't You Do That The First Time (77.36)**
JUNE 2008
28/6/2008 Aretha Franklin
Live At Fillmore West (67.54/60.50)****
26/6/2008 Martha and the Vandellas
Spellbound: Lost And Found (63.22/66.14)***
21/6/2008 Everly Brothers
Everly Brothers Sing Great Country Hits/Gone Gone Gone (79.42)***
17/6/2008 Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack (78.11/72.05/79.52/78.14/79.51)***
16/6/2008 Everly Brothers
It's Everly Time/A Date With The Everly Brothers (72.15)***
12/6/2008 Magic Band
Back To The Front (55.44)***
2/6/2008 Nina Nastasia
On Leaving (34.00)**
MAY 2008
30/5/2008 Cornershop
Handcream For A Generation (60.52)***
13/5/2008 Cat Power
Jukebox (41.38/21.31)***
11/5/2008 Etta James
The Very Best Of Etta James (52.52/53.47/55.13)**
6/5/2008 Eighteenth Day Of May
Eighteenth Day Of May (47.45)***
APRIL 2008
22/4/2008 Tom
Tom Club
Tom Tom Club (39.32)***
15/4/2008 Pink Floyd
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (42.15/41.58/32.06)****
14/4/2008 Duane Eddy
Greatest Hits (61.50)***
11/4/2008 Hollies
The Essential Collection (66.56)**
MARCH 2008
19/3/2008 Deviants
Ptooff!/Disposable (78.09)**
11/3/2008 Jeff Beck
Shapes Of Things - 60s Groups And Sessions (72.33)*
FEBRUARY 2008
25/2/2008 Nina Nastasia
"Dogs" (44.01)***
12/2/2008 Diana Ross and the Supremes
Let The Sunshine In/Cream Of The Crop (69.10)**
8/2/2008 Bob Weir
Weir Here: The Best Of Bob Weir (78.11/77.10)**
JANUARY 2008
31/1/2008 Compilation
A Cellarful Of Motown (Vol. 3)(60.58/64.36)***
21/1/2008 Supremes
The Supremes (Box set) (69.40/64.10/67.26/70.53/36.17)****
15/1/2008 Brenda Holloway
The Motown Anthology (67.03/66.34)***
14/1/2008 Jefferson Airplane
Bless Its Pointed Little Head (65.31)**
12/1/2008 Grateful Dead
American Beauty (79.56)****
7/1/2008 Marvin Gaye
That Stubborn Kinda Fellow/How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You (59.11)**
3/1/2008 Compilation
SoulSatisfaction 02 - The Motown Connection (70.11)**
3/1/2008 Siouxsie
Mantaray (41.00)***
1/1/2008 Inez and Charlie Foxx
Mockingbird (76.19)***
DECEMBER 2007
24/12/2007 Chér
All I Really Want To Do/The Sonny Side Of Chér (65.35)**
18/12/2007 Gram Parsons
Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels - The Gram Parsons Anthology
(77.55/78.36)***
17/12/2007 David Axelrod
David Axelrod - The Warner/Reprise Sessions: The Electric Prunes & Pride
(76.34/70.42)**
16/12/2007 Electric Prunes
Mass In F Minor (26.28)***
12/12/2007 Beatles
Love (78.50)****
NOVEMBER 2007
12/11/2007 Belfast Gypsies
Them Belfast Gypsies (56.18)***
OCTOBER 2007
20/10/2007 Bryan Ferry
Let's Stick Together (37.56)**
3/10/2007 Compilation
Phil's Spectre III - A Third Wall Of Soundalikes (67.56)***
3/10/2007 Sons and Daughters
Dance Me In (EP)(US Import) (13.42)***
1/10/2007 Emma
Pollock
Watching The Fireworks (43.20)****
SEPTEMBER 2007
9/9/2007 Mable
John
Stay Out Of The Kitchen (67.08)**
AUGUST 2007
26/8/2007 Clash
The Clash (US Version) (43.35)***
26/8/2007 Clash
The Clash (UK Version) (35.20)***
23/8/2007 Temptations
Meet The Temptations/The Temptations Sing Smokey (63.13)****
15/8/2007 Grateful Dead
Aoxomoxoa (79.26)***
12/8/2007 Buddy Holly
The "Chirping" Crickets (34.15)****
11/8/2007 Funk Brothers
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection - The Best Of The Funk Brothers
(38.26)**
JULY 2007
24/7/2007 Grateful Dead
Anthem Of The Sun (39.04)****
21/7/2007 Ike & Tina Turner
The Soul Anthology (57.40/67.52)**
20/7/2007 Electric Prunes
Too Much To Dream (50.31/59.21)***
13/7/2007 Martha
Reeves and the Vandellas
Ridin' High/Sugar N' Spice (76.16)*
13/7/2007 Elgins
The Motown Anthology (75.27/60.43)***
13/7/2007 Electric
Prunes
Lost Dreams (63.52)***
9/7/2007 Detroit
Cobras
Baby (31.38)***
2/7/2007 Mable
John
My Name Is Mable (50.38)**
1/7/2007 John
Mayall and the Blues Breakers
John Mayall Plays John Mayall (50.49)***
JUNE 2007
27/6/2007 Detroit
Cobras
Life, Love And Leaving (29.46)***
24/6/2007 Miracles
Lost And Found - Along Came Love (55.05)***
22/6/2007 Annette
Peacock
My Mama Never Taught Me To Cook - The Aura Years 1978-1982 (78.33)***
21/6/2007 Ike
& Tina Turner
The Kent Years (62.59)**
15/6/2007 Cat Power
The Greatest (41.50)***
13/6/2007 Byrds
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (55.05/61.20)****
13/6/2007 Compilation
This Is Soul (79.29)***
31/5/07 Mogwai
Happy Songs For Happy People (41.49)****
27/5/07 Pretty Things
The BBC Sessions (79.10/79.08)***
19/5/07 Junior
Walker and the All Stars
Road Runner/Home Cookin' (71.04)***
18/5/07 Junior
Walker and the All Stars
Shotgun/Soul Session (79.06)***
17/5/07 Miracles
Going To A Go-Go/Away We A Go-Go (68.08)***
13/5/07 Peter
Green's Fleetwood Mac
Live At The BBC (56.57/51.53)***
3/5/07 John
Mayall and the Blues Breakers
Live At The BBC (36.57)**
5/4/07 Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston
Take Two Plus (53.12)***
4/4/07 Jimmy
Ruffin
Early Classics (52.20)***
4/4/07 Solex
Low Kick And Hard Bop (42.16)***
2/4/07 Byrds
There Is A Season (64.49/66.18/78.43/71.22)****
14/3/07 Kinks
BBC Sessions 1964-1977 (49.46/53.22)***
27/2/07 Marvelettes
The Best Of The Marvelettes - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
(US Import)(28.42)***
17/2/07 Jerry Lee Lewis
Southern Roots/Boogie Woogie Country Man (78.25)***
11/1/07 Grateful
Dead/John Oswald
Grayfolded (60.00/46.49)****
DECEMBER 2006
15/12/2006 Beatles
Love Me Do (CDS)(6.52)***
NOVEMBER 2006
30/11/2006 Tyrannosaurus Rex
Unicorn (73.43)***
28/11/2006 Tyrannosaurus
Rex
Prophets Seers And Sages, The Angels Of The Ages (59.49)***
4/11/2006 Everly Brothers
From Nashville To Hollywood (56.37)***
3/11/2006 Delta
Five
Singles And Sessions 1979-1981 (45.26)***
OCTOBER 2006
17/10/2006 Rolling
Stones
Rarities 1971-2003 (79.30)***
2/10/2006 Miracles
Early Classics (48.51)***
2/10/2006 Chuck Berry
Blues (39.50)***
2/10/2006
Sinéad
O'Connor
So Far... The Best Of Sinéad O'Connor (74.30)***
SEPTEMBER 2006
22/9/2006 Siouxsie
and the Banshees
Downside Up (64.55/71.42/73.53/19.40)****
7/9/2006 Temptations
Live At The Copa/The Temptations With A Lot O' Soul (72.15)**
2/9/2006 Wilko
Johnson's Solid Senders***
Solid Senders (62.41)
AUGUST 2006
31/8/2006 Beatles
The Capitol Albums (Vol. 2) (52.23/55.59/59.05/58.59)***
24/8/2006 Compilation
The Roots Of Chuck Berry (62.02)**
20/8/2006 Small
Faces
From The Beginning ( 44.19)**
17/8/2006 Tony
Joe White
Black And White (41.48)***
17/8/2006 Don
Covay
Mercy/See-Saw (63.08)***
10/8/2006 Pogues
The Ultimate Collection/Live At The Brixton Academy (75.02/77.46)****
8/8/2006 Yoko
Ono
Ono Box (71.33/71.56/65.17/57.51/73.10/49.15)***
7/8/2006 Mary Love
Then And Now (79.31)**
1/8/2006 Darlene
Love
The Best Of Darlene Love (76.43)***
JULY 2006
27/7/2006 Crystals
Ultimate Collection (77.25)****
22/7/2006 Ramones
Ramones Anthology - Hey Ho Let's Go! (78.55/77.18)***
9/7/2006 This
Mortal Coil
Blood (76.24)**
5/7/2006 Supremes
More Hits By The Supremes/The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland (64.26)***
2/7/2006
Davey Brothers
Monkey No. 09/Monkey Child (33.31/42.24)**
JUNE 2006
28/6/2006 Supremes
Love Child/The Supremes A' Go-Go (63.35)**
MAY 2006
11/5/2006 Lloyd
Cole and the Commotions
Rattlesnakes (35.51/57.19)****
3/5/2006 Echo and
the Bunnymen
Crystal Days 1979-1999 (76.54/72.52/76.24/76.58)***
APRIL 2006
10/4/2006 Stereolab
Oscillons From The Anti-Sun (50.51/56.07/57.57)****
7/4/06 Sharon
Tandy
You Gotta Believe It's... Sharon Tandy (78.12)***
3/4/06 Cocteau
Twins
Lullabies To Violaine (Vol. 1)(68.15/55.41)***
MARCH 2006
31/3/06 Compilation
A Cellarful Of Motown (Vol. 2)(59.41/61.41)***
28/3/06 Marvin Gaye
Early Classics (47.55)***
27/3/06 Beatles
The Capitol Albums (Vol. 1) (54.38/55.06/51.22/54.49)***
Martha
and the Vandellas
Early Classics (46.14)**
8/3/06 Compilation
This Is Northern Soul! The Motown Sound Vol. 1 (66.51/66.01)****
6/3/06 Grateful
Dead
Anthem Of The Sun (79.40)****
FEBRUARY 2006
21/2/06 Pogues
Red Roses For Me (57.45)****
14/2/06 Rip
Chords
Hey Little Cobra - And Other Hot Rod Hits (30.55)**
26/1/05 Candi Staton
Candi Staton (74.16)***
25/1/06 Martha and the Vandellas
Come And Get These Memories/Heatwave (70.40)**
24/1/06 Mary Lee's Corvette
Blood On The Tracks (55.41)**
21/1/06 Compilation
The UK Sue Label Story (Vol. 3): The Soul Of Sue (69.33)****
21/1/06 Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead (79.18)***
20/1/06 Tim Buckley
Blue Afternoon (39.55)****
171/06 Compilation
Sock It To 'Em Soul (78.50)***
13/1/06 Mary Wells
Looking Back 1961-1964 (55.52/59.05)**
12/1/06 Richard Thompson
Watching The Dark (74.23/70.50/72.13)**
DECEMBER 2005
29/12/05 Howlin' Wolf
The Real Folk Blues/More Real Folk Blues (US Import) (66.43)***
27/12/05 Muddy Waters
The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album (43.57)**
27/12/05 Compilation
Phil's Spectre II - Another Wall Of Soundalikes (63.32)***
21/12/05 Duke Spirit
Cuts Across The Land (45.33/36.39)***
18/12/05 Tyrannosaurus Rex
My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair... But Now They're Content To Wear
Stars On Their Brow (78.24)***
7/12/05 Nashville Teens
Tobacco Road (76.24)**
5/12/05
Compilation
Where
The Girls Are (Vol. 3) - Chess Female Singers And Groups
(66.03)***
NOVEMBER 2005
30/11/05 Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
The Pious Bird of Good Omen (64.20)*
26/11/05 Compilation
The Roots Of The Grateful Dead (53.32)**
26/11/05 Compilation
This Is...The Front Line (72.55)**
23/11/2005 Jefferson Airplane
The Essential Jefferson Airplane (49.36/76.43)**
22/11/05 Tricky
A Ruff Guide (66.37)***
4/11/05 Compilation
The Motown Box (58.11/61.00/60.01/34.16)***
2/11/05 Donovan
Summer Day Reflection Songs (42.32/54.02)***