How can a cd get a positive review when you know you'll never listen to it again.

Ray Davies

Crap. You’d think with Ray Davies involved you’d get inspired versions of his songs similar to that of efforts by Van Halen, Dar Williams or the Jam. Instead you get mailed in versions that are nowhere equal to the originals that sound as if Ray mailed it in. What do we learn from this? Keep Jersey the fuck away from London and file the cd under in it for the money. .5 Because I can’t give Ray Davies a 0

Mumford and Sons

Every few years there is a call out for the new folk revival. What you get is a few bands trumpeted as the next great thing but soon become aware of the sameness of it all. This time Mumford is heading the pack as the most successful. The cd starts off well, and the cave and little lion man are outstanding tracks. But as the cd continues there is that creeping sameness throughout. Luckily they are not locked into endless ballads like their fellow folk brethren Avett brothers but instead we get a lot of mid tempo nowhereness. 2.0

Lia Ices

This is an amazingly produced cd. She has quite the distinctive voice. Otherwise see Mumford review without three good songs. 1.5

Frances Dunnery

Figured this was Sandi’s as there is a Del Amitri vibe to it. Never liked It Bites, bit too pompy prog for me, so was surprised by where he has ended up. The good: A good guitarist, lyricist with an eye for life around him. The bad: Too many mid tempo songs, and boy he treads the Phil Collins line way to closely. 1.5

Sex Pistols

Who came first the Ramones or the Pistols? Even though I owned the first three Ramones cds it was pistols that opened my eyes. Probably because Steve Jones has a bit more metal to his style than Johnny. Either way this band opened this whole style to me. God Save the Queen and Anarchy may be the most famous but EMI, Pretty Vacant, Problems and Holiday in the Sun are rock classics that few bands had the skill or attitude to pull off. 4.0

Funkadelic

Why doesn’t anyone play loud dirty waa waa guitar anymore. It be cool if they did.

Hall of Fame

The way I decided if an artist is worthy of my hall of fame boils down to a simple fact, Are you famous? What decides fame I have 3 criteria. 1 Did you have a career that enabled you over a long period of time to consistently put music out that the masses wanted to hear? 2 If not was your flash in the pan so bright that it changed the way we look at music? 3 Does the history of music somehow leads back to you as the starting place for others.

Finally if there is a band in there from your style that deserves it and precedes you musically you don’t get in till that band gets in. Example Metallica should not have gotten in before Judas Priest because Judas Priest was the bridge from Sabbath to Metallica (and arguably better).