America -- S/T

  Folk Rockin' hybrid love child of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  Even though they could be considered a rip off band, c'mon you never thought that Horse With No Name was a Neil Young tune at some time or other, they can sometimes out do their contemporaries that they are ripping off.  

The Electric Chairs -- Blatantly Offenzive

  Punk Rock classic Blatantly Offenzive has such hits as F*** Off and Toilet Love, but the wonders of offensiveness don't end there, no no no!  Wayne, now Jayne, County the front man/woman is the hybrid between Joey Ramone and Jackie Curtis.  County used to wear outfits entirely made of garbage on stage, he took what the Dolls did and turned it right up to eleven, maybe even twelve.  This album is drenched in Rock 'n' Roll, grunts included, even covering Garage Rock classic Night Time by the Strangeloves.  The record is a great example of New York Punk, maybe less talked about than the Ramones or the Voidoids, but still important part of the scene, keeping the Warholian feel.  To quote the closing track, Rock 'n' Roll Resurrection, "Rock me Jesus, Roll me Lord, soaking in the blood of Rock 'n' Roll!"

The Detroit Cobras -- Mink, Rat or Rabbit

  The original sultry soul singer revival, forget those pop star imitators, the Cobras are the real deal.  These guys musta been diggin' deep in their 45' collections to find all these obscure tunes to cover.  But these aren't mere cover songs, like some wanna-be bar band, they made these tracks their own, and if you listen to this record there's no disputing it -- that's sure as sh*t!  You've got a good range of  ol', Country, R&B, and Soul, all Bluesely Garage Punkified to the up most perfection.  I'm so confident of their greatness that I once told a friend, right before I put the album on, "if you don't like this we're not friends anymore."  But I knew there wasn't a chance that anybody wouldn't like this record.  Mink, Rat or Rabbit, sure, but I'll take Cobra istead!

The Young Rascals -- S/T

  First of all check out those shirts and ties, yikes ... what were they thinking???  The Young Rascals self titled debut is at best ok, definitely proves Phil Spector's theory about the album, being pretty much why bother, 10 duds for 2 hits, makes allot sense for the early sixties.  Not that the tunes here are all that bad, it's good ol' American blue-eyed soul, mostly all cover songs, except for one, which isn't anything to write home about.  Even the number 1 mega hit single "Good Lovin'", is a cover of the Olympics, which they make it sounds almost the same as the original ... so no I'm not diggin' it.  The Young Rascals are a good band, just not worth the time, better off spending your dough on a Olympics album instead!!

Prince -- 1999

  This guy is one of the greatest rock star alien's since Bowie, bringing the mainstream to the dirty underground .... It all starts off with apocalyptic party tune 1999 and follow suit from there with his Minneapolis Pop sound.  The fourth side depicts Prince's best musical innovation, minimalist synth funk, these tracks are always his best work.  But "don't worry, I won't hurt, I only want you to have some fun," because, "life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last," so, "tonight I'm going to party like it's 1999," ... well not really ... those days for me are long gone, thank god!

The Clash -- London Calling

  The ultimate Clash album London Calling, some say they sold out, abandoning punk rock, I think that's a load of crap, unless selling out means you made one of the greatest records of all time?  The album is a mish mash of styles, but all Clash music, a sorta World Punk, making the movement accessible to everyone, speaking to them all in song, just like the greats, Dylan, The Beatles, etc, can do.  London Calling is such a good record that if you meet someone who doesn't like it, run away, because they're probably not from Earth!

Hank Williams -- Lives Again

  Hank Williams provides half of the archetype that is Rock 'n' Roll music, Robert Johnson providing the other.  Lives Again is a basic greatest hits, everyone knows each and every one of these songs on this record.  Williams's haunting voice of a man suffering with chronic pain (spina bifida), addiction and heart break is incomparable but often mimicked, even with the uptempo numbers you hear the drowned out alcoholic gasping for air just to have himself a good ol' time.  There will be nothing else like Hank Williams, his influence spans generations and his legend will live forever.