THE BEST (?) OF 2006
Time to honor those recordings that made owning a disc player worthwhile this year. Not the best year by any means, but there were some highlights that should last longer than it takes to listen to them. Other than the first album, the rest are in alphabetical order because they rise and fall from week to week on the chart in my head. The Hubbard album belongs at the top of the heap though.
My criteria here is very simple, I played these the most. I get hundreds of discs in the mail each month (trust me it’s not as cool as it sounds) but when it’s all said and done these were the ones that were most often found on the floor board of my car.
Alas, you won’t find any new cutting edge type music here. Or even ten albums for that matter. However, if you’re middle aged and couldn’t be more out of the loop you may find some of these enjoyable. The fact that I’m only older than a couple of the acts on this list and that half of the albums are cover albums speaks volumes I suppose. Maybe this year I’ll get out of the house more.
RAY WYLIE HUBBARD - SNAKE FARMUnlike a lot of artists Hubbard gets better with each release. This one continues the trend and ups the ante. Working in the alt-country / outlaw genre he has consistently forged his own path and sought his own form of salvation at the expense of commercial success. In a field plagued with the likes of Ryan Adams, Jeff Tweedy and their ilk he’s been a rock. He has much in common with Leonard Cohen and his life long spiritual journey. Unlike Cohen though he is more musically ambitious. Not a knock on Cohen just the difference in their approach.
This eleven song album is a dizzying cycle that allows us to glimpse the life of a gypsy musician traveling the back roads of our memory that John Hartford wrote so eloquently about. He’s the dust covered mortal soul that walks into the eternal fire with a bible in his hand. Moments later he emerges from the flames covered in ashes with a rifle in the other hand. To hell and back for him is a trip for a pack of smokes and more ammo.
He’s Dylan’s “Man In The Long Black Coat” in the flesh. Dancehalls, saloons, one room churches with a missing bell, the back alleys of a ghost town and the seashores of Old Mexico are where you‘ll find him wandering. Fortunately we can experience all of this from our living room or car by popping in the disc. No unbearable heat or pesky ashes to contend with.
He’s Dylan’s “Man In The Long Black Coat” in the flesh. Dancehalls, saloons, one room churches with a missing bell, the back alleys of a ghost town and the seashores of Old Mexico are where you‘ll find him wandering. Fortunately we can experience all of this from our living room or car by popping in the disc. No unbearable heat or pesky ashes to contend with.
Working with producer Gurf Morlix he has taken his percussive (think early Chris Whitley here) Texas rock and blues sound to a new level. Great albums go nowhere though without great songs and he’s come down from the mountain with a worn bedroll full of them. All but the final track “Resurrection” are originals. Today’s hack country artists at best can only manage to warble a bumper sticker worthy refrain over some half asleep musicians from area code 615. When Hubbard tells us that “the way of the fallen is hard” or “I’m getting desperate, I’m about to derail” he’s got our attention for as long as he wants to talk. He’s not repeating someone’s story, he’s telling his own.
In addition to Morlix’s touch I must mention the contribution of drummer and percussionist Rick Richards. Like Keith Moon did for the Who Richards carries the tunes and never becomes a sideman in the mix. He shakes, rattles and rolls his way through the songs as Hubbard uses him punctuate his tales.
Like any enduring album that lasts and becomes something special it doesn’t reveal itself all at once. This one takes a few listens. You can handle it. The songs are rooted in Texas blues with a slightly modern twist. Some are sung and some are spoken as though he is telling you a story, some sound as though he’s trying to repeat a dream before it’s gone. Once you get into his groove though you’ll find the repeat button on your player that you didn’t know was there.
Like any enduring album that lasts and becomes something special it doesn’t reveal itself all at once. This one takes a few listens. You can handle it. The songs are rooted in Texas blues with a slightly modern twist. Some are sung and some are spoken as though he is telling you a story, some sound as though he’s trying to repeat a dream before it’s gone. Once you get into his groove though you’ll find the repeat button on your player that you didn’t know was there.
“And they found him in the desert picking flowers for the muse
Sometimes he’s the fire, sometimes he’s the fuse.
He’s loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder,
One is filled with music, the other’s filled with thunder.
He was long gone,
He was gone before they rolled away the stone.”
SOUND FILES HERE
Sometimes he’s the fire, sometimes he’s the fuse.
He’s loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder,
One is filled with music, the other’s filled with thunder.
He was long gone,
He was gone before they rolled away the stone.”
SOUND FILES HERE
Like any Beatles fan I approached this with both anticipation and dread. My fears were unfounded and these re-imagined versions serve to reinforce what enduring music this band made. In the hands of the new keeper of the flame Giles Martin, the remixes and “mash ups” reveal new layers of this familiar canon.
I’m not the type to sit in my living room in darkness surrounded by speakers with 5.1 this and 6.1 that in play so I may be missing even more nuances. I will say however that to me this is the perfect disc for the car. In that enclosed environment with a mere four speakers the music comes to life and make dodging SUV drivers with embedded cell phones easier.
Perhaps the most startling revelation here is that it reminds us of a time when songs actually had melodies with real singers. Not some burnout who didn’t get enough love as a kid droning over a din of computer programs set on repeat.
This is not her best album, but she’s growing as an artist and this new direction suits her well. She’s dialed down the wounded lover cry in her voice for a bit more authority and it really works well on these tunes. The songs are strong and reveal a singer who is growing by leaps and bounds.
She may lose a few fans with this one, but if an artist is going to keep moving it becomes inevitable that all won’t make the journey. In her defense, on her previous recordings she explored the alt-country genre about as much as she could. Careful listens to those earlier albums will show that this direction has been hinted at numerous times. Don’t fence her in, take the trip with her.
Everything you’ve read about this album is true. All of the accolades and all of the criticisms are valid. If more artists were like him and had no sense of time and space then maybe they too could come up with meaningful albums at this point in their careers. This is one of those rare recordings that yields a different favorite with nearly every listen.
Like Neil Diamond’s “12 Songs” from last year Dylan’s in a melancholy mood and very much aware that years have passed liked hours on his shift. Incredible single verses have given way to great couplets. No doubt a nod to our sound bite society. Each song is full of observations that we certainly would have missed if it were not for his ability to make them rhyme. The stuff that makes little or no sense are among the highlights. The closer “Ain’t Talking” essentially edits down the mess that was “Highlands” and makes a better case for that late afternoon stroll through his life and times as he tries to get to heaven before they close the door.
The above two paragraphs are just a new way of really saying that anything he comes up with is better than most of what we’ll ever hear. The sooner you admit it the sooner you can start enjoying this latest offering.
The above two paragraphs are just a new way of really saying that anything he comes up with is better than most of what we’ll ever hear. The sooner you admit it the sooner you can start enjoying this latest offering.
New recordings by Nelson are like the seasons, there’s always one a few pages down on the calendar. And just like those seasons I look forward to each recording. This album turned out to be more of a gentle breeze that carried through several seasons. Easily one of his best in years. Working from a set list by the late Walker he had little chance to fail. What he chose to do instead of a standard reading of these chestnuts was to get inside of them. His love of music is no secret, but these songs apparently are special to him.
He finds just the right arrangement for each one and records them with little or no thought to modern production flourishes. The lyrics and melodies are already so strong that he simply gives them an honest rendition that comes off timeless instead of timely. That is never an easy assignment when covering a single artist.
She’s got lots more songs and I’m more than ready for another volume anytime Willie is.
She’s got lots more songs and I’m more than ready for another volume anytime Willie is.
With this listing I’m including both versions of the album and all of the live shows, bootlegs, camera phone recordings and videos related to it. Bruce may have let a portion of his frat boy fan base down with this one, but he came full circle as an artist to these weary ears.
Like Willie Nelson’s “Stardust” album decades ago he has preserved a part of musical history that will take these songs to future generations. Even if in a hundred years some are known as a “Springsteen song.”
Like some of the other iconic artists that still record, the success of the recording hinges on whether or not they sound the least bit inspired. I can answer in the affirmative on this one. At times he sounds like his whole career has been leading up to this recording. This is his least self conscious recording since his “lost” classic “Lucky Town.” I’m sure he was aware that this wasn’t exactly what everyone has been clamoring for from him.
If you bought this out of habit and played it for a couple of weeks and thought it was cool then pull it out again and give it a really close listen. These are the songs that this country was built on and they still resonate today.
If you bought this out of habit and played it for a couple of weeks and thought it was cool then pull it out again and give it a really close listen. These are the songs that this country was built on and they still resonate today.
Cover albums at one time were unique and heartfelt (David Bowie’s “Pin Ups” and John Lennon’s “Rock And Roll”) and offered the listener valuable insight into the music that shaped certain musicians. Later, like the “unplugged” phenomenon they simply became a stop gap measure that artists resorted to instead of issuing new music. Too bad since it is such a great listening experience when it works. For these two it’s probably a great way to reintroduce themselves.
This album works like few others before it. The reason is simple and provides a lesson for artists contemplating projects like this. These two simply love the songs and have given no thought as to whether anyone will buy this in mass quantities. Everything works and it leaves the listener wanting them to record at least ten more volumes.
If you missed this album then you missed one of the years best musical moments.
If you missed this album then you missed one of the years best musical moments.
2 comments:
Nice list, Corky!
We definitely agree about the Springsteen (surprise, surprise) and the Sweet/Hoffs disc. I have to admit that the Kasey Chambers album makes my "Most disappointing of 2006" list (along with the Dixie Chicks and Allison Moorer). But you've now convinced me to give "Carnival" another chance...
My dad didn't seem very impressed with "Love"...
Post a Comment