I've mentioned before my fondness for Paul Weller's post-Jam combo, The Style Council, despite the cynical scorn flung at them at the time, so I had no issues parting with pennies to pick up this, their second and no 1 hit album from 1985. It's as enjoyable as I remembered it, with Weller indulging his soul boy ambitions, tempered by keyboardist Mick Talbot's jazz and swing influences. All with a political edge which is and was very much in line with my political thinking. Op

Yet another bargain boot fair purchase. This is supposed to be the Small Faces' finest hour, their 1968 classic crossover of music hall style songs, pop and psychedelia, yet an album I hadn't previously heard. This was the band's third and final studio album, before Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton, and the rest of the band (Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones and Ian McLagan) dropped the 'Small', and brought in Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood from Jeff Beck's grou

The usual story. Boot fair, cheap stall, a complete punt. I'd heard the name Sebadoh, but had little idea what to expect. This is a 1990 compilation, consisting of 42 tracks - the whole of their second album, Weed Forestin' as well as half the tracks from their debut, The Freed Man. In music recording, there's hi-fi, there's lo-fi and then there's this. Short, unformed, minimal, often repetitive songs possibly recorded on a 1970s cassette recorder, in a muffled dustbin. Part

I picked this up for next to nothing at Holcot boot fair a couple of weeks ago, but only just got round to listening recently. It was welcomed in 2013, since many, knowing of Bowie's failing health, had assumed he'd retired from making music, so anything released by him (and it was ten years since his previous studio album) was going to be an event. Would it be harsh of me to suggest that the long wait, and the sense of relief at Bowie's return led to this being received less

Another boot fair punt here, and one I really had little idea on The name And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead ... gives some hint as to the sound. Wikipedia merely describes the band as 'alternative rock', but I can help thinking that this has much more of the post-punk sound I'd hoped for (and been disappointed not to get) from the power-pop trio Green Day, a couple of albums ago. I've really enjoyed this album. It's loud, raucous at times, with many more considered mo

When the man's offering 3 CDs for £2 at the boot fair, this is the sort of thing you end up taking home. I'd heard of Yello, but had no idea what they sounded like, apart from an appearance on the NME Mighty Reel cassette with Sensation. But there's nothing on this album which interests me as much as that 1982 release did. This is an uninteresting procession of rhythm heavy electronic dance style tunes and songs, and after three songs, I'm bored. Blazing Saddles hints at a bi

Twenty years too late to the party, that's me. After hearing about this uncompromising US "punk" band (sorry, kids, punk was a 1970s phenomenon and we've moved on now), and learning to play one of their songs at geriatric guitar classes, I thought it was worth 50p at the boot fair for this artifact. It starts great. American idiot is a rousing anthem, well delivered and a fantastic start to the album, and we're quickly into the extended five-parter Jesus Of Suburbia, which is

Just before my recent holiday, I took a visit to the local Saturday Boot Fair in Holcot, and stumbled over a nice bloke selling loads and loads of CDs for £1 each, or 3 for £2, and it was quite a profitable haul, as readers will see over the next few reviews. This was a CD I knew nothing about, but thought from the cover it might be a bit 'spacerock', certainly worth a quid. Finding out what it actually is proved a bit of a puzzle, but I eventually discovered that it's a comp

I suspect this was bought well over 20 years ago in a closing Our Price store (the last of which closed in 2003). In a closing down sale, I picked up about 20 CDs without boxes/covers for £1 each, and this one has a very low resolution home made cover, which I'm tempted to upgrade! Berlin is Reed's third solo album, and it's a tale of unrelenting gloom, a series of songs following the cycle of drug abuse and violence in Jim and Caroline's doomed relationship. Rolling Stone, a

The band's second album, is in essence a Steven Wilson solo album, with guest appearances by future permanent members Colin Edwin, Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison on a couple of tracks. I bought it online a couple of months ago, but figured we'd been a bit Wilson/PT heavy on this blog, and only got round to it now. This is the band's second album, but this is an updated version released in 2018, remixed and remastered by Wilson, also with the drum machine parts rerecorded

I've long had a soft spot for African Music, while realising that the continent is huge, and the term covers such a broad swathe of cultures as to be meaningless. This one, from a charity shop, is a classic, "it's a quid and it has a nice cover, it might be OK" to go alongside a number of such compilations I possess. Like so many of the others, it's a pleasant enough listen without too much that makes me sit up and take notice. By 1999 African pop music had far more exposure

Scritti Politti's debut album is one I bought on release, already owning the double A side single which preceded it. I remember feeling slightly diappointed at the time, but listening to it a lot. Albums were expensive, and you didn't just put them to one side after one listen if you weren't immediately convinced, as it's so easy to do now when CDs are very cheap and I'm in a better financial position. So, on seeing this on a market stall for about what I'd paid for the vinyl

While this wasn't the first Led Zeppelin album I heard it was the first that I had my own copy of, albeit a copied cassette which was played to death in the little cassette recorder I received for my 13th birthday. This and Nazareth's Razamanaz. So while I know this album well, it had been years (decades?) since I'd heard it, when I saw a reasonably priced copy in the market. I have to confess, it's still a great album, although certain things grate a little bit. First track,

I'm still buying second hand CDs at Harborough Market (small market of the year 2025), although this one did come still sealed. I saw Johnny supporting Blondie a year or so ago, and he gave a great performance, with a couple from this album, but as many of the old Smiths numbers, which it's great to hear live, without putting money into the pocket of a supporter of far-right UK politics who won't even live here (if you're reading, you'll know who you are). In a sense this is

I picked this one up in Harborough Market a couple of weeks ago, but have only just got round to listening. It was an album I was aware of, and interested to hear the post-folk Martyn. I have to say, it's been a pleasant listening, without anything earth shattering. It definitely marks a shift towards jazz from Martyn, evident from the extensive electric piano from Tommy Eyre and the liquid bass of John Giblin. The album opens with the laidback, gentle Some People Are Crazy,

Despite my teenage Genesis obsession, this was an album that never actually came into my possession, until a few weeks ago at Harborough Market for a small sum. This is often viewed as their first real prog album - their debut the previous year, From Genesis To Revelation had been a flop, and they quickly escaped the clutches of Jonathan King, returning to complete school, before reforming in September 1969. While there's certainly hints at what is to come, most of it is a di

This is the final CD from the charity shop haul from Stamford a couple of weeks ago, Siouxsie's first (yes, I was surprised, too) and so far only solo album sans Banshees. It's another one that I didn't approach with high expectations, and might even have stayed there, had my wallet not already have been out. My initial impressions are entirely predictable, There's little of the energy from Banshees' days, (and who can blame her - I don't have 1978 energy any more either), t

My Bowie education continues with this, his first studio album of the 21st century, picked up cheap in Stamford a couple of weeks ago. My expectations weren't high - I wasn't aware of this album being singled out for praise at the time, so expected a bit of 'Bowie going through the motions'. And how wrong I was. I've listened three or four times now, and enjoyed it more with each listen. Nothing stunningly groundbreaking, nor any attempt to set or follow trends - just a colle

The first episode of Floored Genius, released the previous year, was pretty much a best of Teardrop Explodes and Cope's solo work up to then, while this compiles a series of BBC Sessions, mostly from 1983-6, the earliest days of Cope's solo career, with a couple of later ones tacked on the end. This had sat on the CD racks at Oxfam in Market Harborough, hopelessly overpriced (more than double the Discogs median price) until a reduction forced it into my grubby mitts. So, let

In my defence, it was only a quid, I had my wallet out already, and I did enjoy Wakeman's 1970s work with Yes. In Wakeman's defence, these pieces were written for a series of 'futuristic films' and never intended as stand-alone compositions. Described as a 'series of virtuoso digital and analogue keyboard playing' suggests to me that the writer of the sleeve notes values Wakeman's keyboard talent (which isn't in any doubt) and crisp production - neither of which can be faulte