MusicHead

Learn more

The Rotation, #43

stack of lp records close up

Whitney Houston: I’M YOUR BABY TONIGHT (1990)*

And now for the real Whitney.

Perhaps it’s my mood, or general distaste for 90’s R&B, but I’m not feeling this record. Even the tracks I remember from my childhood are hitting me cold.

Collected Tracks

  • N/A

Billy Bragg & Wilco: MERMAID AVENUE, VOL. III (2012)

First heard this record years ago. I remember it as a clearly “leftover tracks” release from the sessions. It’ll be interesting which tracks, if any, I claim from it.

Collected Tracks

  • My Thirty Thousand
  • The Jolly Banker
  • Union Prayer
  • I’m Out to Get

Wilder Woods: WILDER WOODS (2019)*

Really don’t know anything about this artist, but I’ve had “Supply & Demand” in my list for a while. Finally getting around to trying him out. He sounds like a lot of the contemporary artists I like. I’m not gonna keep him in the rotation.

Collected Tracks

  • Supply & Demand

Wilderado: WILDERADO (2021)*

Another artist I don’t really know, but I’ve had the track “Rubble to Rubble” for a while. Much more enjoyable than the previous entry. Still along the same likes as my normal taste, but a generally more enjoyable feel.

Collected Tracks

  • Astronaut
  • Head Right
  • The Worst of It
  • Surefire
  • Outside My Head

Will Hogue: NEVER GIVE IN (2013)*

I have so much respect for these under-the-radar independent artists who’ve been able to string a career along for decades. I saw Will Hogue open for Jump, Little Children in 2000 and he’s just as great here as he was then. Stylistically, he’s rock, but his songwriting sound so much like contemporary country. I wonder if he’s had success writing songs for others.

Collected Tracks

  • A Different Man
  • Never Give In
What is The Rotation?

The primary way I build my digital music collection is by maintaining a playlist called, “The Rotation.” On this list, I load albums of artists I’m interested in hearing; mostly new-to-me artists or albums. Because I need some organizational principle to conduct this survey, I go by the alphabetical listing of the artist. I typically move from earlier records to later records, although there are exceptions. If I’m excited to hear a new album by a favorite artist I’ll add it in an apparent random placement to hear it sooner than later. From this list I’ll select tracks to add to my collection. It’s rare that I DNF a record, and uncommon for me to not select a single track from it. I’ve been doing this for a while and am currently on my 9th trip around the alphabet. Above are the albums heard in a given session and what thoughts, if any, I have about them. These are mostly first impressions, so don’t expect in-depth analysis.


Asterisks (*) after the album title indicate that it is a new-to-me record.

Leave a comment