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Lightnin' Hopkins The Very Best of (Tradition/RykoDisc) Largely due to the recent praise and attention that the amazing Fat Possum label has received, we blues lovers are getting a fair amount of great early blues classics reissued. This one, though, can consider itself a "must buy" collection and is one of the best compilations to come out in a while. Hopkins' quiet, laid-back delivery lends an air of urgency to the songs, but it's his vibrato voice that really nails these amazing classics to the floor. "Blues for Gamblers" is simply mesmerizing, and the bare accompaniment throughout makes this a truly spiritual listening experience. Pick this up and finally find out what the hell Nick Cave, Beck and Jon Spencer have been frothing at the mouth about. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins) Paul Westerberg Suicaine Gratifaction (Capitol/EMI)
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Various 100% Dynamite--Ska, Rock, Soul, Rocksteady & Funk in Jamaica (Soul Jazz Records)
There's nothing like a double album with big sounds and track after classic track. 100% couldn't get any better, exploring as it does the vaults of Studio One, Treasure Isle and Trojan, all important Jamaican labels responsible for some hot joints through the ages. Songs from Jackie Mittoo, the Upsetters, Tommy McCook and the Marvels show just how influential American jazz, funk and soul was to a variety of Jamaican artists in the '60s and '70s. This is a strong compilation from beginning to end and a must have for collectors. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
"Don't pin your hopes, don't pin your dreams/On misanthropes, guys like me." Ex-Replacement, ex-indie-rock hero, and most ex-cellent songsmith Paul Westerberg addresses his long-time fans directly on the opening cut of his new album. Sure, we knew after the last two 'Mats albums (let alone his first two solo shots) that Paul might not be in for the best of long hauls, but as goes the man so goes his latest set of double-edged rockers and ballads: "How am I feelin'?/Better, I suppose." 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)