#796 - Bloodletting, Concrete Blonde

"Concrete Blonde's best and most mainstream album benefits considerably from a stronger focus and good production. Consistent songwriting means a lack of weak material, and the dark inflection of most of the music gives the songs an edge. The title track remains a favorite of the goth set, though it was the hit single "Joey" that garnered the most attention. The up-tempo songs are the best; "The Sky Is a Poisonous Garden", "Days and Days", and "The Beast" really stand out. Of the slower songs, "Tomorrow, Wendy" has an irony that gives it an edge. Concrete Blonde's later albums don't really measure up to the quality of this one." (amazon editorial review)

#795 - Bursting At The Seams, The Strawbs

"Dave Lambert's heavy chording is so close that the record does come off closer in texture to a Who album at certain points than it does to the group's folk roots. But the kettle drums at the end of "Down by the Sea" also sound close, and you can practically hear the bowing on the strings...Bursting at the Seams is the greatest Strawbs album of all, and the most overpowering." (allmusic guide)

#794 - King of the Delta Blues, Robert Johnson

"It's incredible that Robert Johnson's music remains as complex, pained and creepy today as the day it was record 70 years ago. The Delta bluesman's influence on loner, satanic and doomed artist imagery, in both blues and rock 'n' roll, is incalculable, and this record is a major starting point for anyone interested in the blues." (real music guide)

#793 - Mingus Ah Um, Charles Mingus

"Charles Mingus' debut for Columbia, Mingus Ah Um is a stunning summation of the bassist's talents and probably the best reference point for beginners. While there's also a strong case for The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady as his best work overall, it lacks Ah Um's immediate acccessibility and brilliantly sculpted individual tunes. Mingus' compositions and arrangements were always extremely focused, assimilating individual spontaneity into a firm consistency of mood, and that approach reaches an ultra-tight zenith on Mingus Ah Um." (allmusic guide)

#792 - I Robot, The Alan Parsons Project

"With its title originating from an Isaac Asimov novel, I Robot's main concept is one that deals heavily in the field of science fiction. The album's idea is based around Parsons' concern with the onslaught of machinery and its inevitable takeover of man, both in a physical sense and a spiritual one...This album still remains one of this band's most accomplished pieces." (allmusic guide)

#791 - Feels Like Home, Norah Jones

"The definition of "grace under pressure," Jones ignored newfound fame and wealth by focusing on cutting another sensually casual CD with her band. Norah's old world musical integrity is completely intact and this time out she has the clout to invite her heroes Garth Hudson (of the Band) and Dolly Parton to join the session." (real music guide)