Listen to an album a day in 2025: February

I know Spotify is corrupt, doesn't pay artists enough, and has an AI music problem (one, two). But I don't pay for it, and listen to commercials even though the heroine of Laid suggests that's not to be done. You don't like the links, don't click them. Pay for a service for me, and I'll link that up. 

2/1/2025 Charcoal Grace by Caligula's Horse, which had a name, Incitatus, but that's not the band name. (Spotify). This Australian prog rock band's 6th album. 

Jim Grey – vocals

Sam Vallen – guitars, production, engineering, mixing, arranging

Dale Prinsse – bass, engineering, photography

Josh Griffin – drums

2/2. Document by REM (Spotify). I really loved this band, with the Violent Femes and Prince as my youth soundtrack. Murmur and Reckoning are great albums before this, and I love every album after this too. I like their whole corpus.  

2/3 Two Against Nature by Steely Dan. (Spotify)

2/4 Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. (Spotify)

2/5 Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven by Louis Armstrong (Spotify).

2/6 Charlie Parker with strings. (Spotify).

2/7 Closure/Continuation (2022) by Porcupine Tree. (Spotify).

2/8 Five versions of Messy by Lola Young (Spotify). Playlist.

2/9. Azymuth first three albums (Brazilian jazz funk band).

1975 self titled album (Spotify)

1977: Aguia Não Come Mosca (Spotify)

1979: Light as a Feather (Spotify)

José Roberto Bertrami (keyboards)

Alex Malheiros (bass, guitars)

Ivan Conti (drums, percussion).

2/10 Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard and Soft (2024)

2/11 Eilish was named after Holiday, who is amazing. When you go so far back in time it's probably better to listen to a playlist.

But I do love her album with Lester Young. I have a 2CD set, but there's a playlist.

2/12 Hudson (2017) (Spotify). John Scofield.

2/13 The Harder They Come Jimmy Cliff (Spotify)

2/14 Ozric Tentacles Strangeitude 1991 Spotify

2/15 Emily Remler Firefly 1981 spotify

2/16 Beatles St. Pepper 1967 Spotify

2/17 Back in Black 1980 ACDC spotify

2/18  Hot Rats (1969) by Frank Zappa. Second track has vocals. (Spotify).

Frank Zappa – guitar, octave bass, percussion

Ian Underwood – piano, organus maximus, flute, all clarinets, all saxes

Also featuring

Captain Beefheart – vocals on "Willie the Pimp"

Max Bennett – bass on all tracks except "Peaches en Regalia"

Shuggie Otis – bass on "Peaches en Regalia"

John Guerin – drums on "Willie the Pimp", "Little Umbrellas" and "It Must Be a Camel"

Paul Humphrey – drums on "Son of Mr. Green Genes" and "The Gumbo Variations"

Ron Selico – drums on "Peaches en Regalia"

Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin on "Willie the Pimp" and "The Gumbo Variations"

Jean-Luc Ponty – violin on "It Must Be a Camel"

Lowell George – rhythm guitar (uncredited)

2/19 Grant Green Idle Moments 1965 spotify.

2/20 Phenobarbital Sessions 2017 Abbey Rader (spotify) with John McMinn.

2/21 Stooges Funhouse 1970 spotify.

2/22 Exile on Main Street 1972 Rolling Stones (spotify)

2/23 Moving Pictures 1981 Rush spotify

2/24 Highway Companion 2006 by Tom Petty spotify.

2/25 Carl Weathersby Leaving Mood (2011) spotify. I hadn't caught that Weathersby passed last year (obit). I saw him at Kingston Mines in Chicago probably 20 years ago. Of all the people in Chicago, he's the one I remember. 

2/26 Charlie Love So Happy I Could Cry (1988) spotify. He's the other fellow I remember from that time going to blues clubs. 

2/27 Robert Cray Sweet Potato Pie (1997) spotify.

2/28 Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings (1990) Spotify.