The Early Bird: Top New Recorded Releases 1-27-23 – 3-2-23 Reviewed
Considered to be one of Bob Dylan’s great work but only if your revisionism hasn’t found a minimum of works that aren’t great, in which case it is what we expect if not more, Time Out Of Mind follows two excellent cover albums and is proceeded by Love And Theft (another masterpiece); Dylan wouldn’t fall to earth till 2009. Forget the streaming sampler of The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments – The Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997), it is a remix of TOM for eleven tracks plus an additional twelve and very good outtakes as well; presumably these are the mixes his producer Daniel Lanois didn’t like. The mp3 is $35 and includes a live album and more outtakes (Sampler: A-, MP3: A).
Let’s stick with albums and the return of Toronto’s Fucked Up -a tough to love hard rock mindfucks, with their best work since 2011, One Day, written and recorded in 24 hours it is hard headed classic rock (Grade: A); what Lady Gaga has wrought couldn’t be clearer, especially Ava Max who sounds like poker face redux on the hard dance pop of Diamonds & Dancefloors (Grade: C+); Sam Smith’s fourth album Gloria is better than their first, a superb collection of ballads and top dance including a coupla killas with Jessie Reyez and “Body Shop” (Grade: A-).
Over at singles, I reviewed Rosalia’s classic Urbano pop “LLYLM” earlier today (here) (Grade: B+); on her way to prison for tax evasion, Shakira freestyled over Bzrp and went viral while hitting her ex viciously (Grade: B+); Bobby Schmurda is to gangs what Frank Sinatra was to the mafia except Bobby actually joined them (Grade: B); “Made You Look” (feat. Kim Petras) is the remix of Meghan Trainor’s return to doo wop (Grade: A-). Finally, Luke Combs deals himself a hand after being dealt out by new kids like Morgan and Zach though the wise “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old'” is a true return (Grade: B+)
Diamonds & Dancefloors – Ava Max – C+
The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments – The Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) (MP3) – Bob Dylan – A-
The Bootleg Series Vol. 17: Fragments – The Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) (Sampler) – Bob Dylan – A-
Rats – Bobby Shmurda – A-
One Day – Fucked Up – A
Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs – B+
Made You Look (feat. Kim Petras) – A-
Gloria – Sam Smith – A
LLYLM – Rosalia – B+
Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – B+
