Best of 2013

I love end of the year best of lists.  I think anyone who is obsessed...be it with music, movies, books, whatever wants to share their opinions and take in those of others.  For me 2013 will be remembered for the songwriters and their songs.  It was such a good year for songs and I hope 2014 continues the trend.  So here it goes my favorite albums of 2013!

Album of the Year

Jason Isbell - Southeastern

Jason Isbell is the finest songwriter in America right now.  Hands down.  No questions asked.  After 3 really good records and powerful live album, Jason Isbell has created a timeless work of loss, love, longing, pain and redemption.  That is to say it is very much a record about life.  I've been gushing to anyone who will listen (and even those who could care less) since its release.  If you have not taken my advice up to now...go out and get it.  You will not be disappointed because right now nobody, and I mean nobody, does it better than Jason Isbell.

Runner-Up

Holly Williams - The Highway

That's not to say that Holly Williams doesn't come close, because she most certainly does.  The Highway is a mature work by the one Williams that has done Hank proud.  A strong cycle of songs about life on the road and at home told with depth and emotion.  A fantastic record.

For those of you in the Metro NY area Jason Isbell and Holly Williams are playing at the Space in Westbury on January 31st.

The Best of the Rest

In no particular order here are the records that round out my Top 10.  All of them deserve a listen on your part if you haven't heard them yet.

The SteelDrivers - Hammer Down

This is the first album since Gary Nichols replaced Chris Stapleton on guitar and vocals a few years back and the good news for Steel Heads is they sound just fine.  A really good modern bluegrass album.  If you are not sure if you like bluegrass (and we all do...some people just don't know it yet) this is a pretty good place to start.

John Moreland - In The Throes

All you have to know about this record is that Bruce Springsteen probably wishes he could have made it.  He may not be a household name, but man can he write a song.

Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison - Cheater's Game

Sort of a Texas singer-songwriter royal couple turns in an album of tales of love gone wrong...and right.  Great songs and the incredible vocals of Kelly Willis.  I really like their cover of Robert Earl Keen's No Kinda Dancer.

Sturgill Simpson - High Top Mountain

I love country music.  I hate the current pop crap country that is found on the radio and CMT.  This is very much the former to make you forget the latter.  Brings Waylon Jennings to mind and I mean that as the highest form of compliment.

Dale Watson - El Rancho Azul

Dale Watson has made the perfect honkytonk record to waltz your baby across the dance floor.  Slow slow quick quick slow slow.

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell - Old Yellow Moon

It's pretty great but what did you expect form Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell?

Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby - Cluck Ol' Hen

I know bluegrass is not supposed to have piano but this set absolutely cooks with the talents of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder along with Mr. Hornsby.  Check out Ricky Skaggs taking the lead on Honrsby's The Way It Is.  Traditional?  Maybe not, but it sure as hell is fun.

Son Volt - Honkytonk

Jay Farrar finally gives in to his country heart, picks up the peddle steel guitar and makes the best Son Volt album since Trace (at least in my opinion).

How about 1 More....

Robbie Fulks - Gone Away Backwards

Robbie Fulks drops the yucks and turns out what may be the best bluegrass album of the year.  It's bluegrass in instrumentation and pure country in tone.  Brilliant.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours from Me and Mine.  Let's hope there is much to write about in 2014!

See ya' in 2014!

Fourth Of July Musings and the Best of 2013 So Far...

So it's the 4th of July.  Happy Birthday America.  Now if everyone could play nice we would have something to celebrate but that's for another post.  Might as well dig a couple of 4th of July Songs.

Shooter Jennings

Dave Alvin

Bruce Springsteen

Since it's midyear I thought I might ruminate on the state of music (as are many of the bloggers) in 2013.  So far it has been a weak year that has seen some very good albums released.  Hell quality is always better than quantity.  So in no particular order here are the mid year all stars.

Holly Williams deserves a listen because she is Hank's grand daughter.  She deserves to be album of the year because this one is that special.  It's been in constant rotation since it was released and I still find new things to like about it.  A major singer-songwriter has been unleashed on the world.  Do not hesitate to pick this one up.

Speaking about major singer-songwriters...so much has been written about this masterpiece, another contender for album of the year, that I wonder if I have anything to add to the accolades.  This is simply an amazing, mature work by one of the premier songwriters of this or any other era.  It's that good.

This one was a complete surprise and I have to thank Autopsy IV over at ninebullets.net for first posting about this one.  Being totally unfamiliar with his work I was blown away by the first couple of songs I heard.  My wife hears Bruce Springsteen in the vocals and I definitely do as well.  However the Boss hasn't quite gotten this sound down so well in the past.  From what I have heard he rock more on his earlier albums, but this one is just right.  Check it out if you like Otis Gibbs, White Buffalo, etc.

Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis are husband and wife.  He has written some huge hits and she has a killer voice.  Together they make beautiful music.  I especially like their take on Border Radio.

Honest, real country music folks.  Fans of Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean can move along.  This is some serious, hard core country.  Thanks Sturgill.

Here's an early version of Life Ain't Fair with his old band Sunday Valley.

 



Speaking of hard core country this is the seconds album I've gotten by Eric Strickland.  If he keeps making them like this I'll keep buying them.  He seems incapable of making a bad record.

I had never heard Dale Watson before and I am kind of pissed at myself for that.  Great, honest, honkytonk or as he calls it Ameripolitan Music.  Whatever he wants to call it is fine with me.

So have a great day folks.  Pop a top or two and listen to some music.  It doesn't get much better than that on a beautiful summer day.  I hope the neighbors aren't expecting any top 40!

My Best Of 2012 List

I love end of year best of lists.  I still get a kick out of reading other people's opinions and I also end up finding a bunch of things that I missed this year.  I am going with a top 10 for 2012 with all but #1 listed in no particular order.  Was 2012 a great year for music...in my opinion it was a weak year that had some rather good releases.  So here goes nothing...

One of two really good country records that I found over on Triggerman's site.  Just some really great, heartfelt honky tonk music.  Easily better than 99% of what comes out of Nashville in 2012.

This is the other killer from Saving Country Music.  Jason Eady has crafted a piece of classic country music with the title track and the Patty Loveless duet "Man on the Mountain" just two of many high points.

Ian Hunter has crafted some great records over the past decade or so since he started working with the Rant Band.  This is another one.  Ian has his Rock & Roll shoes on for this one.

This live album from Jason Isbell has been on heavy rotation since it came out.  I am liking this more than any of the DBT albums and his solo work.  Jason and the 400 unit belong on stage in front of a crowd.  A great live album.

Bonnie Raitt is one of those artists that doesn't make bad records, it's just that some are better than others.  Slipstream is my favorite record of hers since Nick of Time.  The Dylan covers are exceptional.

I first heard the Hillbenders a couple of years back at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.  Bluegrass purists?  Nope?  Loads of great musicians and songwriters and a load of fun live?  You bet.  I play this one a lot.

 

I haven't really paid much attention to Graham Parker over the years since Squeezing Out Sparks.  Perhaps I should have.  This record has been on in my car almost as much as the Jason Isbell over the past month.  GP & the Rumour have made a good one.  Check them out live if you get the chance...great show with Ian Hunter last week.

 

I'm not advocating downloading but getting to hear a leaked copy a month or so back made grabbing this on vinyl a no brainer.  Two roots music legends combine to make a really, really good country record.

John Hiatt is another of those artists who never makes a bad record.  For two years in a row he has made a very good one.  It's seems almost effortless for him to write great songs.

Some Honorable Mentions:
Dwight Yoakam - Three Pairs
Melody Walker - Gold Dust Goddess
Tesdeshi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talking
Marty Stuart - Nashville Volume 1:  Tear the Wood Pile Down
Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street

And my choice for the Best Album of 2012...

Some folks hate it, some sort of like it.  I loved it.  After the disappointing Working On a Dream, Bruce returned angry and confrontational with some of the most pointed protest music of his career.  At times introspective, raging and angry...at others uplifting and renewing.  Probably my favorite Springsteen album since Tunnel of Love.  Looking forward to the Wrecking Ball Tour part 2 in 2013. 
 So that's my take on 2012.  Happy Holidays!

Recent Vinyl Releases

I've been getting a little lazy getting reviews out so I am going to try to shorten them up a bit and do more at once.  I spent a lot of years working in a record store and I used to slap short review blurbs on the inventory sleeve to "entice" potential buyers so I figured I'd go with that format for a bit.

Record Store Day Black Friday Releases

This limited release (7500 copies) features most of the second set from 5/30/71.  This was recorded during the same run as Skull and Roses and has that same kind of vibe.  Do we need another 15 minute version of Lovelight?  Why yes.  Yes we do.  And the sound is fantastic.

Released in 1968 but still reflecting that Summer of Love "glow", Forever Changes has grown in stature over the past 40 or so years.  In fact it was #40 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 of all time (if that means anything to you).  It has some really high points but does sound very much of that era so if you've missed this over the years give it a listen.

This was released as a numbered limited edition of 1000.  The album sees its official release on 12/9 so I was happy to grab it early.  The great Buddy Miller who can pretty much do no wrong teams up with roots legend Jim Lauderdale.  Great music pours out of your speakers and massive smiles pop up around the room.  Love it.

Some Other Recent Releases

I kind of dig the Drive By Truckers and found Jason Isbell's last couple of albums interesting, but I absolutely love this live CD.  A great band playing great songs and a kick ass Neil Young cover.  What else could you ask for.

The first two Marshall Tucker Band albums recently got the 180 gram treatment and were quietly released a couple of weeks back.  Does anyone care?  Damn right they should.  Two stone cold classics from the early 70's hey day of southern rock.  Much more country than the Allman Brothers and tastier playing than the Charlie Daniels Band.  There is way more to these albums than Can't You See.  Two classics from one of my all time favorite bands.

One of rock music's original angry young men is no longer very young, but he is still a little angry and his pen still writes razor sharp lyrics.  Politicians, hipsters, and society in general are all targets that are attacked with wit and wisdom.  Nothing really rocks but that's OK...we're all a bit older.

Last but certainly not least...The Beatles Remasters on Vinyl!  I wasn't going to buy them yet again, but I have begun to cave.  I picked up 4 recently (Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Let It Be) and the sound quality ranges from good to pretty damn wonderful.  Rubber Soul in particular is just tremendous.  I have some complaints with parts of Sgt. Pepper but the rest of what I have heard is worth the investment.  Am I going to buy the rest?  Probably.