Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide Index by Release Year: 1986

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Consumer Guide Index by Release Year: 1986

Listing for 303 records from 1986 (selected by release date), sorted by grade.

A+	The Beastie Boys: *Licensed to Ill* [Def Jam] The Robert Cray Band: *Strong Persuader* [Mercury] *The Indestructible Beat of Soweto* [Shanachie]
A	Camper Van Beethoven: *Camper Van Beethoven* [Pitch-a-Tent] Gap Band: *The 12" Collection* [Mercury] Z.Z. Hill: *Greatest Hits* [Malaco] Hüsker Dü: *Candy Apple Grey* [Warner Bros.] Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman: *Song X* [Geffen] New Order: *Brotherhood* [Qwest] The Don Pullen-George Adams Quartet: *Breakthrough* [Blue Note] The Rolling Stones: *Dirty Work* [Rolling Stones] Sonny Sharrock: *Guitar* [Enemy] Paul Simon: *Graceland* [Warner Bros.] They Might Be Giants: *They Might Be Giants* [Bar/None]
A-	African Head Charge: *Off the Beaten Track* [On-U Sound] Phil Alvin: *Un "Sung Stories"* [Slash] Laurie Anderson: *Home of the Brave* [Warner Bros.] Art of Noise: *In Visible Silence* [Chrysalis] Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force: *Planet Rock -- The Album* [Tommy Boy] Black Flag: *Who's Got the 10-1/2?* [SST] Kate Bush: *The Whole Story* [EMI America] Camper Van Beethoven: *II & III* [Pitch-a-Tent] John Chibadura: *The Best of John Chibadura* [Zimbabwe Music Corporation] Ornette Coleman and Prime Time: *Opening the Caravan of Dreams* [Caravan of Dreams] Elvis Costello and the Attractions: *Blood and Chocolate* [Columbia] The Costello Show (Featuring Elvis Costello): *King of America* [Columbia] David and David: *Boomtown* [A&M] Don Dixon: *Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Like To* [Enigma] Steve Earle: *Guitar Town* [MCA] Brian Eno: *More Blank Than Frank* [Editions EG] The Feelies: *The Good Earth* [Coyote] Marvin Gaye: *Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye* [Motown] The Go-Betweens: *Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express* [Big Time] Jon Hassell: *Power Spot* [ECM] Jimi Hendrix: *Band of Gypsys 2* [Capitol] Jimi Hendrix: *Johnny B. Goode* [Capitol] The Housemartins: *London 0, Hull 4* [Elektra] Abdullah Ibrahim: *Water from an Ancient Well* [BlackHawk] The Jesus and Mary Chain: *Psychocandy* [Reprise] Katrina and the Waves: *Waves* [Capitol] Ladysmith Black Mambazo: *Inala* [Shanachie] The Leaders: *Mudfoot* [BlackHawk] The Lounge Lizards: *Live in Tokyo/Big Heart* [Island] Mahotella Queens: *Izibani Zomgqashiyo* [Shanachie] Thomas Mapfumo: *The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980* [Meadowlark] The Mekons: *Crime and Punishment* [Sin EP] The Mekons: *The Edge of the World* [Sin] Mofungo: *Messenger Dogs of the Gods* [Lost] Motorhead: *Orgasmatron* [GWR/Profile] Mutabaruka: *The Mystery Unfolds* [Shanachie] Aaron Neville: *Make Me Strong* [Charly] The Neville Brothers: *Treacherous: A History of the Neville Brothers* [Rhino] New Model Army: *The Ghost of Cain* [Capitol] Yaa-Lengi Ngemi: *Oh, Miziki* [MiyeMi] Pere Ubu: *Terminal Tower: An Archival Collection* [Twin/Tone] Pet Shop Boys: *Please* [EMI America] Astor Piazzolla: *Tango: Zero Hour* [American Clavé] The Pogues: *Poguetry in Motion* [MCA EP] The Police: *Every Breath You Take: The Singles* [A&M] Prince and the Revolution: *Parade* [Paisley Park] Royal Crescent Mob: *Land of Sugar* [No Other EP] Run-D.M.C.: *Raising Hell* [Profile] Salt-N-Pepa: *Hot, Cool and Vicious* [Next Plateau] Shop Assistants: *Shop Assistants* [53rd & 3rd EP] Sonic Youth: *Starpower* [SST EP] Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: *Live/1975-1985* [Columbia] Peter Stampfel and the Bottle Caps: *Peter Stampfel and the Bottlecaps* [Rounder] That Petrol Emotion: *Manic Pop Thrill* [Demon] The Three Johns: *The World By Storm* [Abstract] Timbuk 3: *Greetings From Timbuk 3* [I.R.S.] Sally Timms and the Drifting Cowgirls: *The Butcher's Boy Extended Player* [T.I.M.S. EP] Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: *Live Alive* [Epic] The Velvet Underground: *VU: Another View* [Verve] World Saxophone Quartet: *World Saxophone Quartet Plays Duke Ellington* [Nonesuch] Will Wright & Jim Reiman: *Childhood's Greatest Hits* [Rooster] XTC: *Skylarking* [Geffen] Zazou Bikaye: *Mr. Manager* [Pow Wow] Warren Zevon: *A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon* [Asylum] *Dance Traxx* [Atlantic] *Iscathamiya: Zulu Worker Choirs in South Africa* [Heritage] *Rap's Greatest Hits* [Priority] *Soweto Never Sleeps* [Shanachie] *Tango Argentino* [Atlantic]
B+	Gregory Abbott: *Shake You Down* [Columbia] Mahmoud Ahmed: *Ere Mela Mela* [Crammed Discs] Ali & Tam's Avec l'Orchestre Malo: *Ali & Tam's Avec l'Orchestre Malo* [Planisphere] The Bellamy Brothers: *Greatest Hits Volume Two* [Curb] The Bellamy Brothers: *Howard and David* [Curb] B-52's: *Bouncing Off the Satellites* [Warner Bros.] Bhundu Boys: *Shabini* [Discafrique] Big Black: *Atomizer* [Homestead] "Birdland" With Lester Bangs: *"Birdland" With Lester Bangs* [Add On] Black Uhuru: *Brutal* [RAS] Billy Bragg: *Talking With the Taxman About Poetry* [Elektra] Solomon Burke: *A Change Is Gonna Come* [Rounder] T-Bone Burnett: *T-Bone Burnett* [Dot] Burning Spear: *People of the World* [Slash] Charlie Burton and the Hiccups: *I Heard That* [Wild] Alex Chilton: *No Sex/Under Class/Wild Kingdom* [Big Time EP] George Clinton: *The Best of George Clinton* [Capitol] George Clinton: *R&B Skeletons in the Closet* [Capitol] The Cure: *Staring at the Sea: The Singles* [Elektra] Miles Davis: *Tutu* [Warner Bros.] The Del-Lords: *Johnny Comes Marching Home* [EMI America] The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: *Mardi Gras in Montreux: Live* [Rounder] Dogmatics: *Everybody Does It* [Homestead EP] "D" Train: *The Best of "D" Train* [Prelude] Kevin Dunn: *Tanzfeld* [Press] Roky Erickson: *Don't Slander Me* [Pink Dust] Eurythmics: *Revenge* [RCA Victor] Fat Boys: *Big and Beautiful* [Sutra] Fire Town: *In the Heart of the Heart of the Country* [Beat] Flipper: *Public Flipper Limited* [Subterranean] Mark Germino: *London Moon and Backyard Remedies* [RCA Victor] Peter Gordon: *Innocent* [FM] Great Plains: *Great Plains Naked at the Buy, Sell and Trade* [Homestead] Al Green: *He Is the Light* [A&M] Jimi Hendrix: *Jimi at Monterey* [Reprise] Ronald Shannon Jackson With Twins Seven Seven: *Live at the Caravan of Dreams* [Caravan of Dreams] Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: *Good Music* [Blackheart] Grace Jones: *Inside Story* [Manhattan] Ini Kamoze: *Pirate* [Mango] Earl King and Roomful of Blues: *Glazed* [Black Top] Fela Anikulapo Kuti: *Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense* [Mercury] Denise LaSalle: *Rain and Fire* [Malaco] Eddy Lawrence: *Walker County* [Snowplow] The Leaving Trains: *Kill Tunes* [SST] John Lennon: *Menlove Ave.* [Capitol] Lyle Lovett: *Lyle Lovett* [Curb/MCA] Branford Marsalis: *Royal Garden Blues* [Columbia] Meat Puppets: *Out Our Way* [SST EP] The Mekons: *Slightly South of the Border* [Sin EP] Bill Morrissey: *North* [Philo] Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper: *Frenzy* [Restless] Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper: *Get Out of My Way* [Enigma EP] Teddy Pendergrass: *Workin' It Back* [Asylum] Persian Gulf: *The Movie* [Raven] The Pheromones: *Yuppie Drone* [PVC EP] The Pontiac Brothers: *Fiesta en la Biblioteca* [Frontier] Public Image Ltd.: *Album* [Elektra] Ramones: *Animal Boy* [Sire] R.E.M.: *Lifes Rich Pageant* [I.R.S.] Lionel Richie: *Dancing on the Ceiling* [Motown] David Lee Roth: *Eat 'Em and Smile* [Warner Bros.] Schoolly-D: *Schoolly-D* [Schoolly-D] The Screaming Blue Messiahs: *Gun Shy* [Elektra] Archie Shepp: *Little Red Moon* [Soul Note] Michelle Shocked: *The Texas Campfire Tapes* [Mercury] Simply Red: *Picture Book* [Elektra] Ricky Skaggs: *Love's Gonna Get Ya!* [Epic] Skatalites: *Stretching Out* [ROIR] Slayer: *Reign in Blood* [Def Jam] The Smiths: *The Queen Is Dead* [Sire] Sonic Youth: *Evol* [SST] The Three Johns: *Crime Pays . . . Rock and Roll in the Demonocracy: The Singles '82-'86* [Abstract] The Three Johns: *Live in Chicago* [Last Time Round] Randy Travis: *Storms of Life* [Warner Bros.] Trotsky Icepick: *Poison Summer* [Old Scratch] Tina Turner: *Break Every Rule* [Capitol] UB40: *Rat in the Kitchen* [A&M] James Blood Ulmer: *Live at the Caravan of Dreams* [Caravan of Dreams] Volcano Suns: *The Bright Orange Years* [Homestead] Joe Louis Walker: *Cold Is the Night* [HighTone] Whodini: *Back in Black* [Jive] Wire: *Snakedrill* [Mute EP] The Woodentops: *Well Well Well . . .* [Upside] *Good to Go* [Island] *Something Wild* [MCA]
B	Colonel Abrams: *Colonel Abrams* [MCA] AC/DC: *Who Made Who* [Atlantic] Steve Arrington: *The Jammin' National Anthem* [Atlantic] Ashford & Simpson: *Real Love* [Capitol] Afrika Bambaataa and Family: *Beware (The Funk Is Everywhere)* [Tommy Boy] The Bangles: *Different Light* [Columbia] The Beat Farmers: *Van Go* [Curb] Big Black: *The Hammer Party* [Homestead] Arthur Blythe: *Da-Da* [Columbia] Jackson Browne: *Lives in the Balance* [Asylum] Cameo: *Word Up* [Atlanta Artists] Peter Case: *Peter Case* [Geffen] Bruce Cockburn: *World of Wonders* [MCA] Albert Collins: *Cold Snap* [Alligator] El DeBarge: *El DeBarge* [Gordy] Bob Dylan: *Knocked Out Loaded* [Columbia] Easterhouse: *Contenders* [Columbia] E.U.: *2 Places at the Same Time* [Island] The Feelies: *No One Knows* [Coyote EP] John Fogerty: *Eye of the Zombie* [Warner Bros.] Georgia Satellites: *Georgia Satellites* [Elektra] Debbie Harry: *Rockbird* [Geffen] Hungry for What: *The Shattered Dream* [Better Youth] Janet Jackson: *Control* [A&M] James: *Stutter* [Sire] Billy Joel: *The Bridge* [Columbia] Marti Jones: *Match Game* [A&M] Chaka Khan: *Destiny* [Warner Bros.] Kronos Quartet: *Music of Bill Evans* [Landmark] Patti LaBelle: *Winner in You* [MCA] John Lennon: *Live in New York City* [Capitol] Madonna: *True Blue* [Sire] Reba McEntire: *Whoever's in New England* [MCA] Sugar Minott: *Inna Reggae Dance Hall* [Heartbeat] David Murray: *Children* [Black Saint] Naked Raygun: *All Rise* [Homestead] Youssou N'Dour: *Nelson Mandela* [Polydor] The New Dylans: *The New Dylans* [Caveat Emptor EP] Jeffrey Osborne: *Emotional* [A&M] Pet Shop Boys: *Disco* [EMI-Manhattan] Pretenders: *Get Close* [Sire] The Rainmakers: *The Rainmakers* [Mercury] R&B Cadets: *Top Happy* [Twin/Tone] Red Lorry Yellow Lorry: *Paint Your Wagon* [Red Rhino] Lou Reed: *Mistrial* [RCA Victor] Stan Ridgway: *The Big Heat* [I.R.S.] Sade: *Promise* [Portrait] The Scene Is Now: *Total Jive* [Lost] Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: *Like a Rock* [Capitol] The S.O.S. Band: *Sands of Time* [Tabu] Soul Asylum: *Made to Be Broken* [Twin/Tone] Talking Heads: *True Stories* [Sire] David Thomas and the Wooden Birds: *Monster Walks the Winter Lake* [Twin/Tone] Richard Thompson: *Daring Adventures* [Polydor] UTFO: *Skeezer Pleezer* [Select] Luther Vandross: *Give Me the Reason* [Epic] The Windbreakers: *Run* [DB] The Woodentops: *Giant* [Columbia] Dwight Yoakam: *Guitars Cadillacs Etc. Etc.* [Reprise] *Remember Soweto 76-86: Bullets Won't Stop Us Now* [Mordam] *You Can Tell the World About This: Classic Ethnic Recordings from the 1920's* [Morning Star] *Crossover Dreams* [Elektra]
B-	John Anderson: *Countrified* [Warner Bros.] Bad Brains: *I Against I* [SST] Anita Baker: *Rapture* [Elektra] BoDeans: *Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams* [Slash] Bon Jovi: *Slippery When Wet* [Mercury] The Butthole Surfers: *Rembrandt Pussyhorse* [Touch and Go] John Carter: *Castles of Ghana* [Gramavision] Morris Day: *Color of Success* [Warner Bros.] The Dead Milkmen: *Eat Your Paisley* [Restless] The Fabulous Thunderbirds: *Tuff Enuff* [CBS Associated] Fishbone: *In Your Face* [Columbia] Aretha Franklin: *Aretha* [Arista] Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew: *Oh, My God!* [Reality] Peter Gabriel: So [Geffen] Nanci Griffith: *The Last of the True Believers* [Philo] Bruce Hornsby and the Range: *The Way It Is* [RCA Victor] Joe Jackson: *Small World* [A&M] The Kinks: *Come Dancing With the Kinks/The Best of the Kinks 1977-1986* [Arista] Cyndi Lauper: *True Colors* [Portrait] Huey Lewis and the News: *Fore!* [Chrysalis] Mantronix: *Music Madness* [Sleeping Bag] Metallica: *Master of Puppets* [Elektra] Ministry: *Twitch* [Sire] Van Morrison: *No Guru, No Method, No Teacher* [Mercury] New Edition: *All for Love* [MCA] Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: *It's Time for . . .* [Upside] Ritual Tension: *I Live Here* [Sacrifice] The Roches: *No Trespassing* [SOS EP] Sly Fox: *Let's Go All the Way* [Capitol] The Smithereens: *Especially for You* [Enigma] Jennifer Warnes: *Famous Blue Raincoat* [Cypress] *Mr. Magic's Rap Attack, Vol. 2* [Profile] *Red Wave: 4 Underground Bands from the USSR* [Big Time]
C+	James Brown: *Gravity* [Scotti Bros.] David Byrne: *Songs From True Stories* [Sire] Crowded House: *Crowded House* [Capitol] Roky Erickson: *Gremlins Have Pictures* [Pink Dust] Firehose: *"Ragin', Full On"* [SST] Force M.D.'s: *Chillin'* [Tommy Boy] Marvin Gaye: *Romantically Yours* [Columbia] Genesis: *Invisible Touch* [Atlantic] Philip Glass: *Songs From Liquid Days* [FM] Gwen Guthrie: *Good to Go Lover* [Polydor] Billy Idol: *Whiplash Smile* [Chrysalis] Rick James: *The Flag* [Gordy] Don Johnson: *Heartbeat* [Epic] Jesse Johnson: *Shockadelica* [A&M] Oran "Juice" Jones: *Oran "Juice" Jones* [Def Jam] The Mighty Lemon Drops: *Happy Head* [Sire] Iggy Pop: *Blah-Blah-Blah* [A&M] Bonnie Raitt: *Nine Lives* [Warner Bros.] Ready for the World: *Long Time Coming* [MCA] Jermaine Stewart: *Frantic Romantic* [Arista] George Strait: #7 [MCA] Translator: *Everywhere That I'm Not--A Retrospective* [Columbia] Van Halen: *5150* [Warner Bros.] Neil Young: *Landing on Water* [Geffen]
C	Boston: *Third Stage* [MCA] Belinda Carlisle: *Belinda* [I.R.S.] The Coolies: *Dig?* [DB] Culture Club: *From Luxury to Heartache* [Epic/Virgin] Bob Geldof: *Deep in the Heart of Nowhere* [Atlantic] Grandmaster Flash: *The Source* [Elektra] Daryl Hall: *Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine* [RCA Victor] Public Image Ltd.: *Live in Tokyo* [Elektra] Barbra Streisand: *The Broadway Album* [Columbia] Throwing Muses: *Throwing Muses* [4AD] Hank Williams Jr.: *Montana Cafe* [Warner Bros.] Steve Winwood: *Back in the High Life* [Island] World Party: *Private Revolution* [Chrysalis]
C-	Kool and the Gang: *Forever* [Mercury]
D+	Julian Lennon: *The Secret Value of Daydreaming* [Atlantic]
D	Minuteflag: *Minuteflag* [SST EP]

1985

1987