Updated as of February 18, 2026
KEY: star rating is on the four star scale
meaning of "/" or "\"
*** is three stars out of four
***/ is three stars leaning towards 3 1/2
***\ is three stars leaning towards 2 1/2
The Movies, Books, Theater, Concerts, CDs I've Seen/Read/Heard So Far In 2025
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
(Increasingly, I am sampling books, reading 10%, 20% or even 40 or 50% before deciding to move on. The books below are only the ones I've read completely. That also explains what looks like generous grading–more and more, if I sense a book is not going to be among my favorites, I stop reading. Too many books; too little time!)
1. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence (1913) *** 1/2
2.
MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES
(Not TV movies, of course, but movies and TV shows -- and TV movies if it comes to that. Mostly I only list TV shows when I've tackled an entire season at once or reappraising an entire series after it's over. This doesn't really capture my ongoing watching of current TV.)
(Not TV movies, of course, but movies and TV shows -- and TV movies if it comes to that. Mostly I only list TV shows when I've tackled an entire season at once or reappraising an entire series after it's over. This doesn't really capture my ongoing watching of current TV.)
1. Night Moves (1975) *** 1/2
2. She Done Him Wrong (1931) ***/
3. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) ***/
4. A Man On The Inside S2 *** (too broad, but settled down into sweetness again)
5. Kpop Demon Hunters (2025) *** (music works really well)
6. The Stranger (2025) (Ozon adaptation of Camus) ***
7. Enzo (2025) ** 1/2
8. Magrit and the Dead Lover (2026) ** 1/2
9. Song Sung Blue (2025) ***
10. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (at Kips Bay w Luis Feb 21) ** 1/2
THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS THEATER CONCERTS MUSEUMS
(The names after the shows are the people who joined me at the event.)
(The names after the shows are the people who joined me at the event.)
1. The Lemon Twigs at Bowery Ballroom (the Stones open) (alone) on Jan 30 ***/
2. Maybe Happy Ending (Broadway original cast February 6, 2026)(alone, crappy seat) *** 1/2
3. Ulysses (ERS at Public February 12, 2026) (w Zoe) ***
4. The Reservoir (at Atlantic w Dave Cohen courtesy of him Feb 21) (strong cast elevates material, Noah Galvin lead) ** 1/2
5. Ragtime (at Lincoln Center w Noam and Frima Feb 24) (gloriously sung) ***
6.
ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS AL ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS
1. U-Roy–Version Galore (1971) ****
2. Culture–Two Sevens Clash (1977) ****
3. The Gaylads–Soul Beat (1967) ****
4. The Skatalites–The Skatalite! (1969) *** 1/2
5. Tim Buckley–Goodbye and Hello (1967) **
6. The Skatalites–Essential Artist Collection (2023, Trojan) ****
7. David Gray–Dear Life (2026) ** 1/2
8. Jonny Greenwood–One Battle After Another (2025) *** 1/2
9. Christian McBride–Without Further Ado Vol. 1 (2025) ** 1/2
10. Emily Scott Robinson–Appalachia (2026) **
11. Keith Jarrett–Facing You (1972) ****
12. James Hunter–Off The Fence (2026) ***
13. Keith Hudson–Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood (1974) ****
14. Keith Hudson–Rasta Communication (1978) *** 1/2
14. Keith Hudson–Rasta Communication (1978) *** 1/2
15. Hüsker Dü–Candy Apple Grey (1986) *** 1/2
16. Mercedes Sosa–En Argentina (1982) ****
17. KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack (2025) ** 1/2 (music not so good on its own)
18. Chabuca Granda–Tarimba Negra (1978) *** 1/2
19. Harold and Maude (1971 film/2022 full soundtrack) ****
20. The Beach Boys–The Beach Boys Love You (1977) ***
21. The Beach Boys–Adult/Child (1977) ** 1/2
22. Baaba Maal–Lam Toro (1992) ***/
23. Chet Baker–In Tokyo, Live complete concert (1987/1993) ****
24. Thelonius Monk–Monk's Dream (1963) *** 1/2
25. Jill Scott–To Whom This May Concern (2026) ***
26. Charlie Parker–Now's The Time: The Quarter of Charlie Parker–The Genius of Charlie Parker #3 (1957) ****
27. Charlie Parker–Night and Day: Charlie Parker and His Orchestra–The Genius of Charlie Parker #1 (1957) ** 1/2
28. Charlie Parker–April In Paris: Charlie Parker With Strings–The Genius of Charlie Parker #2 (1957) ** 1/2
29. The Paragons–On The Beach: The Anthology (2007) *** 1/2
30. The Paragons–On The Beach (1967) *** 1/2
31. Brad Mehldau–Ride Into The Sun (2025) *** 1/2
32. The J. Geils Band–Bloodshot (1973) *** /
33. Astor Piazzolla–Adios Nonino (1960) ***
34. Kenny Dorham–'Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia (1957) *** 1/2
35. U2–Days of Ash ep **
36. Jan Allan–Jan Allan '70 (1970) ***\
37. John Abercrombie–The Third Quartet (2007) ** 1/2
38. Willie Colón and Hector La Voe–Casa Nuestra (1968) *** 1/2
39. Albert Ayler–Spiritual Unity (1964) ***
40. The Babys–On The Edge (1980) ** 1/2
41. Miriam Makeba–Pata Pata (1967) ** 1/2
42. Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben–Gil e Jorge (1975) ****
43.
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