September 17, 2025

The Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn (12" Single) (1994)

*Photos of the record are included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: MCA 12-54883
 
© 1994 MCA Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: the crooklyn dodgers, crooklyn single, vinyl, 1994, flac,

September 15, 2025

Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: 6822-2-R
 
© 1987 RCA Victor
In the '80s and '90s, England's dance music team Stock, Aitken & Waterman was often accused of being too slick for its own good, and favoring style over substance. But the producers/songwriters (also known for their work with Dead or Alive and Samantha Fox) should definitely be proud of their work on fellow Briton Rick Astley's often captivating debut album, Whenever You Need Somebody. While the high-tech production is very '80s, Astley's soul/pop/dance music approach is very much a production of the '70s -- sort of the Average White Band meets Philly soul/disco meets Tom Jones. The best dance music works both on and off the dancefloor, and this certainly holds true on such slick yet gritty fare as "Together Forever," "Never Gonna Give You Up," and "Don't Say Goodbye." There are a few weak moments -- the lackluster "No More Looking for Love" being a glaring example -- but overall, this CD proved Astley to be a welcome addition to the British R&B scene. 
 
tags: rick astley, whenever you need somebody, 1987, flac,

Vanessa Paradis - Variations Sur Le Même T’aime (1990)

Country: France
Language: French (français)
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: 843 447-2
 
© 1990 Polydor
Having scored a pan-European smash three years earlier with her debut single, "Joe le Taxi," including nearly three months at the top of the charts in her native France, Vanessa Paradis reunited with producer Franck Langolff for this follow-up album. The legendary Serge Gainsbourg provided lyrics, but the results are hardly up to the treatments given his material by Jane Birkin. Paradis' vocals are wispy and pleasant enough, but the music is strictly pedestrian, slick dance-pop on tracks such as "Au Charme Non Plus" and "Amour Jamais." There's even a bit of grinding guitar bolstering "L'Amour en Soi," which seems blandly aimed at replicating Janet Jackson's "Black Cat." Her reading of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" has a quirky charm to it; although hardly making anyone forget the original, it wisely eschews the processed feel of the rest of the album and therefore stands out. 
 
 tags: vanessa paradis, variations sur le meme taime, 1990, flac,

Vanessa Paradis - Vanessa Paradis (1992)

Country: France
Language: English
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 513 954-2
 
© 1992 Remark Records
French pop star (and significant other of Johnny Depp) recorded her English-language debut record in 1991; the self-titled disc was a bit of a flop commercially, but, surprisingly, succeeds artistically. Producer Lenny Kravitz gives Vanessa Paradis some of his best songs and she really can carry a tune with her breathy little-girl vocals. The highlights of the record are many, but the songs that will have you smiling like a fool at the sheer poptasticness of it all are the gliding funk with orchestra of "Natural High;" the strutting girl group of "Be My Baby;" the sweet-as-sugar sunshine pop of "Sunday Mondays;" the psych-soul of "Your Love Has Got a Handle on My Mind" (which features Paradis' most assured vocal and a nice background assist from Kravitz); and the sweet soul of "Just as Long as You Are There." Even her cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" works wonders. It really shouldn't, but the propulsive beat and Paradis' sexy vocals somehow do the trick. The only song that falls flat is the autumnal folk of "Silver and Gold," as the ultra-serious lyrics and tone are painfully out of step with the glitter and groove of the rest of the record. Kravitz should be praised for his wonderful production. He rarely makes a wrong move and provides wonderful settings for Paradis to shine. It is too bad they didn't make more records together. Johnny Depp's gain is pop music's loss. Odds are there will never be a deluxe reissue (sadly), so you will have to seek this out in used stores and bargain bins. 
 
tags: vanessa paradis, vanessa paradis album, 1992, flac,

Everything But The Girl - Amplified Heart (1994)

*U.S. pressing.
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 82605-2
 
© 1994 Atlantic
Despite its title, Amplified Heart is one of Everything but the Girl's more acoustic works. A simple instrumentation of guitars and keyboards, augmented here and there by British folk-rock veterans like Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson, and Dave Mattacks, serves to set up a series of songs of romantic disillusionment. Declaring "my life is just an image of a roller coaster, anyway" and "I don't understand anything," among other things, over and over the songs speak of confusion and disappointment deriving from failed love affairs. The approach is much more introspective than that taken on the group's previous album of new music, Worldwide, but Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt's musical restraint supports it well. This is an album to listen to when you've just broken up with your lover, or even when you're just in the mood to think about lost lovers from long ago -- self-pity set to music. 
 
 tags: everything but the girl, amplified heart, 1994, flac,

September 13, 2025

Melakii - Ghetto Passion (12" Single) (1998)

*Photos of the record are included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: GC-101
 
© 1998 Ghetto Child Entertainment
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

*Notes from the author:
The tracklist printed on this record's label is incorrect. I have only ever personally seen this record twice in my life, and both copies had the same incorrect track listing. Since this is, to my knowledge, the only recording Melakii ever released in his musical career, I believe the pressing plant and record company both used the wrong track list. Below, you can view the tracklist as printed on the label, along with my corrections for each track title.

Tracklisting for Side A (according to the label):
A1: Ghetto Passion (Smooth Version) (Clean)
A2: Ghetto Passion (Smooth Version) (Dirty)
A3: Ghetto Passion (Smooth Version) (Instrumental)

In reality, there are no "clean", "dirty" or "radio" & "street" versions of "Ghetto Passion" on this pressing. The track contains no profanity anywhere in its lyrics. A1 is what's labeled as the Smooth Version (more on this later.) A2 is actually the instrumental track, and A3 is the acapella track, which, again, contains no profanity or censored lyrics.

Tracklisting for Side B (according to the label):
B1: Ghetto Passion (Rugged Version) (Clean)
B2: Ghetto Passion (Rugged Version) (Dirty)
B3: Ghetto Passion (Rugged Version) (Instrumental)

As with Side A, there are no "clean", "dirty" or "radio" & "street" versions. The Rugged Version of "Ghetto Passion" reuses the same lyrics as the Smooth Version. B1 contains the Rugged Version, B2 is actually the instrumental track, and B3 is the acapella track.

*Possible discrepancies between track versions: 
I personally believe that the track titles for the Rugged and Smooth versions were mistakenly swapped. Based on the different mixes and production styles, it seems likely that the version labeled as the Rugged Version is actually the Smooth Version and vice versa.

*While I cannot definitively prove that the track titles for the Smooth & Rugged versions were swapped, I encourage listeners to compare both versions and decide for themselves. 

For reference, this rip contains the correct track listings for A2, A3, B2, and B3.

tags: melakii, ghetto passion, single, vinyl, 1998, flac,

Bedroom Produksionz - Non-Fiction/Temple No. 8 (12" Single) (2000)

*Photos of the record are included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: KLP 122
 
© 2000 K
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: bedroom produksionz, productions, non fiction, temple no 8, number 8, vinyl, 2000, flac,

Mýa - My First Night With You (New Remixes) (1999)

*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Language: English, Spanish (Español)
Genre: R&B, House
Label Number: INTDM-97059
 
© 1999 University Music/Interscope
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: mya, my first night with you, new remixes, 1999, flac,

September 12, 2025

The Merry Thoughts - Millenium Done I: Empire Songs (1994)

Country: Germany
Language: English 
Genre: Gothic Rock
Label Number: BN 468
 
© 1994 Dion Fortune
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: the merry thoughts, millennium done empire songs, 1993, 1994, flac,

Rosetta Stone - Adrenaline (1993)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Gothic Rock
Label Number: CLEO 12752
 
© 1993 Cleopatra
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: rosetta stone, adrenaline, 1993, flac,

September 10, 2025

Onyx - Throw Ya Gunz (12" Single)

*Photos of the record are included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Hardcore-Hip 
Label Number: 42 74766
 
© 1992 JMJ/Rush Associated Labels/Chaos/Columbia
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: onyx, throw ya gunz, vinyl, single, lp, 1992, flac,

September 04, 2025

Merril Bainbridge - Between The Days (1998)

Country: Australia
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: USD-53154
 
© 1998 Universal Records
Reading the lyric sheet to Between the Days, Bainbridge's follow-up to the successful Garden, one wonders how the singer will turn such trite words into clever songs. Yet, from the first notes of the title track Bainbridge's little-girl voice hits all the peaks and valleys of the melody like an old pro, pulling nuances that you never knew existed out of those simple sentences. Credit is due to her long-time collaborator, Siew, whose clean, layered production gives the songs a depth that wouldn't be found otherwise, allowing them to breathe and expand as Bainbridge's vocals effortlessly float over top. 
 
 tags: merril bainbridge, between the days, 1998, flac,

The Neighbourhood - I Love You. (2013)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Pop
Label Number: 88883 70493 2
 
© 2013 Columbia/The [R]evolve Group
The Neighbourhood's debut album I Love You is equal parts stadium-sized indie rock and slick electronic pop with a little bit of contemporary R&B thrown in. In other words, it has everything it takes to appeal to a fan of modern pop music in 2013. Especially if that fan is into Maroon 5 and Coldplay, because a large percentage of the album sounds like Adam Levine fronting that band as they churn out one wide-screen midtempo ballad after another. It’s a blend of styles that doesn't quite work as well as it might have, as the light and slinky vocals of Jesse Rutherford don’t quite match up with the ponderous nature of the music, which leaves most of the album feeling like it was built out of parts that weren’t designed to be fitted together. Where it works better are the moments when the band switches up the tempo or scales back on the bombastic arrangements. "Sweater Weather"'s stripped-down verses and almost funky beats add a little life to the sound and Rutherford sounds more at home bopping along to the rhythms. The album closer "Float" has a little bounce to it as well, though it is brought down to earth by the echoing, overblown production. The same applies to "Alleyways." If the production had been a little more restrained and the band had written a few songs that didn't sound like they were meant to be played by U2 after a couple days spent listening to Top 40 radio, the album might not have been quite the heavy and ponderous thing it is. Without any breaks in the clouds though, the heavy pressure just builds and builds, leaving the listener with an overall experience that is oppressively grey and joyless. 
 
tags: the neighbourhood, i love you, 2013, flac,

The Neighbourhood - Wiped Out! (2015)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Pop
Label Number: 88875 15189 2
 
© 2015 Columbia
California's the Neighbourhood are on a mission to make goth R&B a touchstone in the musical lexicon. It's a sound they championed on their debut album, 2013's I Love You, and continue to explore on their sophomore effort, 2015's Wiped Out! Once again working with producer Justyn Pilbrow, the Neighbourhood expand upon the moody synth, heavy bass, and echoey guitar-based style of I Love You with a collection of tracks that, while not mind-blowing, will pleasingly remind most fans of the group's 2012 breakout track, "Sweater Weather." While other artists have flirted with the darker side of R&B, including Lana Del Rey, the xx, and Halsey (who also worked with Pilbrow on her similarly inclined 2015 debut, Badlands), the Neighbourhood commit to the aesthetic wholeheartedly on Wiped Out! Lead singer Jesse Rutherford brings a louche, cool-guy vibe to the microphone that combines the delicately melismatic lilt of The Weeknd with the plaintive angst of the Cure's Robert Smith. It's a memorable, if somewhat overly self-conscious stance. One minute, he's crooning self-seriously through fuzzy, echo-chamber effects ("Prey"); the next, he's sitting back, seemingly commanding the listener through pure hip-hop swagger ( "R.I.P. 2 My Youth"). This savvy, cross-genre approach means Wiped Out! will play well next to albums by any number of modern artists from Kanye West to Coldplay. It also doesn't hurt that cuts like "Cry Baby," "Daddy Issues," and "Greetings from Califournia" counteract the band's somewhat downtempo vibe with catchy melodies and light, dance-oriented beats. As the black & white album cover illustration of a palm tree on a beach implies, this is surf music for street goths and beach bums with bad attitudes. 
 
tags: the neighborhood, wiped out, 2015, flac,

August 27, 2025

Chris De Burgh - Flying Colours (1988)

*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 13 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop Rock, Pop
Label Number: CD 5224 DX 003782
 
© 1988 A&M Records
There really isn't any grandeur or magnificence tacked on to 1988's Flying Colours album, but that doesn't mean the songs themselves aren't without some worthiness. The album's atmosphere blends mild rock tunes with slower songs that rely on their demure appeal, helped by de Burgh's conservative musical style. Much like Into the Light but without the massiveness of "Lady in Red," the songs come off as more developed and mature sounding, especially in their combination of tempos and lyrics. The adventurous "Sailing Away," complete with gusty chorus and careless melody, makes for the album's greatest asset. Its airborne feel is much like that of "Say Goodbye to It All" or "High on Emotion," only with a lighter touch. "Missing You" and "Carry Me" fall within the boundaries of familiarity since they reflect de Burgh's knack for producing soft-centered love songs. Even "Night on the River" conjures up the romantic quiet of a moonlit evening through its faint charm and ease. Without the lure of a dominant single, Flying Colours remains as one of de Burgh's more typical sounding efforts, but is tainted somewhat by a lack of novel appeal. 
 
 tags: chris de burgh, flying colours, clors, 1988, flac,

Swallow - Blow (1992)

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze
Label Number: 9 45034-2
 
© 1992 4AD
Any early-'90s 4AD release is bound to have certain Cocteau Twins qualities, and Blow is no exception -- unfortunately, Swallow's vaguely danceable grooves add about three cups of water for every cup of pure art-rock influence, and the album comes across as a dated exercise in marginal blissfulness. There's a certain pop appeal to the album's tracks, and it probably won't disappoint those who are utterly dedicated to the arty genre defined by 4AD releases, but Blow simply doesn't distinguish itself from the legions of similarly inspired records that swept Britain during the label's heyday. 
 
 tags: swallow, blow, 1992, flac,

Cranes - Population Four (1996) ☠

Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: 61702-44005-2
 
 
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1996 Dedicated
The fact that Jim Shaw can be seen on the front cover in a Boss Hog T-shirt shows that something could well be up; if there's any band that would seem to be an opposite to Cranes' artistic vision, Boss Hog might be a prime candidate. Then again, Cranes have always had their rougher side, and the almost balls-out thrash metal riffing part way through "Fourteen" isn't totally unexpected. Population Four signaled the first major change in the lineup of Cranes for a while with the departure of bassist Cope. Possibly more interesting was what happened within the band: Jim Shaw stepped from behind the drums to take over lead guitar duties in full, Francombe switched to bass, while new member Manu Ros settled behind the drum kit. The band is ultimately the most conventional it's ever been on Population Four. The same sense of space, off-kilter touches in the mix and the like remain, but more than one song could almost be straightforward, even upbeat indie rock (as the sweet chime of "Can't Get Free" and the quite lovely semi-folk of "Sweet Unknown" show). It's a bit disconcerting at points, but in general the group pulls it off very well, while tracks like "On Top of the World" show the same combination of harsh and attractive as many past cuts. One interesting tweak comes in the production: after self-producing all its '90s work, the band recruited Breeders producer Mark Freegard to oversee things. Ros' playing is steady enough but doesn't seek to fully replicate the relentless, steady march of the band's earliest work. Alison Shaw's vocals retain the clarity that fully settled in on Loved while still sounding like they always have. "Stalk" is notable for being the singing debut of Jim Shaw, singing in a husky whisper slightly hidden behind the main acoustic melody. 
 
tags: cranes, population four, 1996, flac,

August 26, 2025

Vanessa Paradis - M & J (1987)

Country: France
Language: English, French (français)
Genre: Pop Rock
Label Number: 835 949-2
 
© 1987 Fa Productions/Polydor
Vanessa Paradis' pleasantly understated 1987 debut propelled the then 16 year old into modeling, acting, and further singing when the single "Joe Le Taxi" became an unlikely international hit. She would go on to become a French national treasure, date Johnny Depp, and be Lenny Kravitz' 1970s AM radio muse on a memorable English-language effort. But disregarding all of that, M & J is a remarkably solid album, driven steadily along by lite-pop arrangements and Paradis' disarming vocals. She's not an accomplished singer; at the same time, her wispy, girlish voice nestles perfectly into the album's clutch of head-nodding numbers. "Maxou"'s simply sunny piano flirts with a wide-eyed, almost naïve vocal; it's easy to imagine a black-and-white, silent movie sequence where the beguiling Vanessa is pursued through the streets of Paris by a luckless suitor. Paradis sashays her way across "Mosquito"'s slight new wave groove and sells the Latin cabaret feel of "Marilyn & John" with aplomb. But it's the wistful "Joe Let Taxi" where she really shines, since the track's sax-laced slow burn is the perfect foil for her fetching delivery. Remember in Tom & Jerry when Tom floats on the intoxicating drift of his true love's perfume? That's what this entire album makes you feel like. 
 
 tags: vanessa paradis, m and j, 1987, flac, 

Various Artists - 1988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment In Time (1988)

*U.S. pressing.
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock, R&B, Soul
Label Number: ARCD-8551
 
© 1988 Arista Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: various artists, 1988 summer olympics album, one moment in time, 1988, flac,

August 25, 2025

Bros - The Time (1989)

*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: EK 45390
 
© 1989 Epic
A rule of thumb in the music industry is that teenage heartthrobs are good for about two years, and Bros was in its second year when its second album, The Time, was released. A second rule of thumb is that teenage heartthrobs don't necessarily travel well, and while Bros ruled the British airwaves with the three hits included on this album--in descending and (notably) chronological order, "Too Much," "Chocolate Box," and "Madly In Love"--they never made much of an impression in the U.S. As with most teenage heartthrobs, the music wasn't the point; all of these songs are heavily produced, glossy dance tracks in which Matt Goss's enthusiastic but thin vocals are the least noticeable aspect. The point was image, and without a big promotional push, that image never became visible to Americans, while, in England, it was only good for the life of this record, completing Bros' two years of fame. (Epic Records in the U.S. reconfigured the album for American release, cutting the tracks "Streetwise" and "Space Sister" and adding "Life's A Heartbeat," the 1988 #1 U.K. hit "I Owe You Nothing," which also had appeared on Bros' previous album, Push, and the 1989 Top 10 U.K. hit "Sister.") 
 
 tags: bros, the time, 1989, flac,

Bros - Changing Faces (1991)

*U.K. first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 468817 2
 
© 1991 Columbia
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: bros, changing faces, 1991, flac,

August 24, 2025

Al Corley - Square Rooms (1984)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: 822 316-2 Q
 
© 1984 Mercury
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: al corley, square rooms, 1984, flac,

Stephanie - Stephanie (1986)

*German first pressing. 
Contains 14 tracks total. 
This album is also known as 
"Besoin" & "Live Your Life
in different markets and regions.
Country: Monaco
Language: English, French (Française)
Genre: Pop
Label Number: CAR 8.26366 ZP
 
© 1986 Carrere
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: stephanie, stephanie album, besoin, live your life, 1986, flac,

Inga Humpe - Planet Oz (1991)

Country: Germany
Language: English 
Genre: Pop
Label Number: 9031-72670-2
 
© 1991 WEA
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: igna humpe, planet oz, 1991, flac,

Stephanie - Stephanie (1991)

*European pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: Monaco
Language: English
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Label Number: 467327 2
 
© 1991 Epic/WTG Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

 tags: stephanie, stephanie album, 1991, flac,