I was crazy about The Hold Steady’s Separation Sunday. Although I have purchased every subsequent album, none of those hit me like that first blast. They all seemed like variations on a similar theme – not necessarily a bad thing, but none of them grabbed me by the balls like Separation Sunday.
A few weeks ago I heard “Honolulu Blues” the single off of the new Craig Finn solo LP. Wow – this was something a bit different. I began anticipating the full length. I have had several listens now and I really like it. The music is just different enough from The Hold Steady to feel like something new, but familiar.
It is slowed down and twangy at times. Finn’s vocals are more intimate and relaxed. The lyrics are at times more cryptic than the typical The Hold Steady lyrics. The narratives are bit more obscure. But I kind of like that – it makes me wonder – it is not so much like watching a movie. I am a sucker for the local Minnesota references.
Overall – music and lyrics – are more atmospheric and a more mature to me than The Hold Steady. That is a good thing for me. Highly recommended. I will be reserving a spot on my “Best of 2012” for this early year release.
My favorite diva. The show I saw in the 80s was top-5!
RIP Etta.
I was originally turned on to Kathleen Edwards as a alt-country princess. I was really intrigued to hear this album would be produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). I had read they were a couple. I was a little worried Justin would get too atmospheric, but he brought just the right touch.
Kathleen has wonderfully angelic voice. It reminds me a lot of Susanne Vega. I am just a couple of listens in, but each listen brings out more nuances. Justin’s production is so subtle you don’t notice it, but on each additional listen you hear the Bon Iver.
If you like Bon Iver and folky chick singers you will love this album. If you crave melancholia and reflection you have found the right place. See the nice story over on NPR. To sample the album on NPR click here.
One of the joys of the last year of crate digging is the extensive catalog of Grover Washington Jr. on Kudu that is available for cheap. Grover was big enough in the day that he sold a lot of records so there is a good supply of used vinyl under his name.
This is one of Grover’s funkiest releases. He rides the fine line between jazz and James Brown. A terrific studio band backs him including the great rhythm of Harvey Mason (drums) and Ralph McDonald (percussion).
If you want an introduction to high quality jazz funk from the mid-70s this is a must have release. This seems like an album that should be sampled by hip hop artists and sure enough a quick search found:
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “A Touch of Jazz”
- Heavy D’s “You Ain’t Heard Nuttin’ Yet”
- Salt-N-Pepa’s “My Mike Sounds Nice”
all sampled this great release’s titular track. Enjoy – should not cost you more than a couple bucks at your favorite used record store.
Listen to the opening riff of Grover and then head to Dj Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince at about the 2:20 mark.
I learned the other day reading a review of Etta’s latest (The Dreamer) that she has leukemia and is not long for this world. This saddens me greatly. Seeing Etta live in the early 80s was a top-5 concert experience. This got me digging through my old vinyl and I pulled out this outstanding album.
This was released in 1980 and produced by the great Allen Tousaint. This is classic soul music and Etta was a the top of her game despite this being a lost period for Etta (her Wikipedia entry has a section that ends in 1978 and does not pick up the story again until 1988). How I originally stumbled upon this is not remembered – I assume it was the Tousaint production that caught my eye.
Tousaint assembled and wonderfully funky New Orleans cast to back Etta. He had her cover several of his great songs and she does them proud. One of my favorite Tousaint songs is “Night People” and this Etta version is my all time favorite. She purrs, she growls.
If you are a fan of neo-soul, for example Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, you will love this album. Enjoy this song off the album – the opening riff would be a sampler’s delight:
I ran across a review of this album in Stereophile. Based on the review it sounded like something I would like. What did i find? A bit of Neil Young Crazy Horse buzz guitar, a bit of The Doors on the nod, and a bit of 90’s shoegaze.
This is a wonderful rock and roll drone. It sounds both classic rock and totally contemporary at the same time.
Yesterday I posted 20-11 and today it is 10-1. In reality order does not matter that much. Depending on my mood any of these final 10 could be my favorite album of 2011. For the most part the top-10 is dominated by artists I have a long relationship with. But there are a couple of new faces – and that is what keeps me in the game – hoping to discover that artist you have never met who will blow you away. Everyone on this list was a new friend once.
Looking forward to what music I will discover in 2012. But one last time, let’s savor 2011.
#10
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks -Mirror Traffic: Malkmus and Beck together at last and what do you get? A great Pavement album.
#9
Robbie Robertson – How to Become Clairvoyant: It took Robbie to make a great Clapton album. This is classic rock with bit of a modern twist. It is mellow; yet there is a lot of rock percolating under the surface. Very cleverly arranged, but disguised as easy. Listen carefully there is a lot going on here.
#8
Lady Gaga – Born This Way: I am a latecomer to Gaga. I saw her in the summer of 2010 at Lollapalooza when she was an up and coming curiosity and in my mind a merely a refreshed Madonna. She put on a good show and what stuck me then was that she had a much Elton John as she did Madonna, and I guess that is what makes her special. She is a real musician and not just a pop star. “Born This Way” is a pop masterpiece – it is dance, it is rock, it is pop. It has deep messages and it is fluff. As a pop star Gaga is as good as it gets – genuine, but still a put on. This album is a wonderful calling card and foundation to her pop stardom, because no matter what you must have great songs and Gaga’s got great songs.
#7
Grieves – Together Apart: I am not much of a hip-hop guy, but being around Pwelbs has rubbed off on me. I like my hip-hop melodic and I like good stories. And it better invoke old school soul and funk grooves. Grieves meets all my requirements.
#6
Greg Allman – Low Country Blues: I like that this is not an Allman Brothers album, but a real solo album. The great T Bone Burnett brings out the best in an over the hill rock star and reminds us what a great blues artist Greg Allman is.
#5
Miles Davies Quintet – Live in the Europe 1967 (the Bootleg Series Vol. 1): Why is this on my list? Because it is Miles and it was released in 2011. Enough said, see full review.
#4
Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire: Ryan Adams pressed the pause button and saved us from his prolific output and allowed us to anticipate and then enjoy a new album. For a while I just could not digest the volume. It was like eating a fine dessert when you are already stuffed – it might be gourmet, but it just doesn’t taste good when you are full. I don’t know if this is his best work in years, but I enjoyed it because I was hungry and craving it. Nothing new and innovative – just finely crafted. See full review and Minneapolis solo show review.
#3
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator: I have been waiting for Derek Trucks to put out a great record and this is it. I am true fan and have all his albums. They have all been good, but a bit disappointing – until this one. Derek never seemed to have the right vocalist for his foil and there it was right under his nose – his wife Susan Tedeschi. Add to that is a full band – I am true sucker for guitar and horns. Great arrangements, great songs, great vocals and tasteful guitar solos. As talented as Derek Trucks is his greatest asset is his restraint – lets call it taste. PS – special thanks to my brother-in-law Steve for getting me the cool autographed poster for Christmas!
#2
Paul Simon – So Beautiful, So What: Simon is a genius. He had hit a bit of a dull patch for me, but he pulled this one out of his ass. I would put it up there with Graceland – not as shockingly good (Graceland opened the pop world to African pop when the average rube had never heard it – I am an average rube). This is just well crafted pop magic. Youthful yet mature.
#1
Wilco – The Whole Love: Wilco has been on the top of my list for about 10 years now. Frankly I was starting to get bored. Then this album made me fall in love again. There is nothing notably different about this album from other Wilco albums – it is just damn good. It does everything they do best – it is weird, it is Beatleseque, it has great players, it is Wilco. See full review.
I do not have a particularly adventurous music taste and my consumption is limited to what I can afford to buy. I don’t have the time to do high quality crate digging – either physically or virtually. So my 2011 acquisitions were formed by what I already know and what is widely hyped in the mainstream music press.
If there is a theme in my selections for the year it is artist doing what they do best – reworking their masterpieces with maturity and craftsmanship. Most of my selections are not career defining, but rather career refining.
#20
Bill Frisell – All We Are Saying…: The Beatles continue to provide inspiration to a variety of artists. Frisell’s folk-jazz stylings are perfect for these meditations on The Bugs.
#19
Decemberist – The King is Dead: Best R.E.M. album in a long time.
#18
Rolling Stones – Some Girls: Normally I would not put a reissue on the list, but CD number 2 is a “new album.” Like last year’s Exile reissue the Stones dredge up outtakes and buffed them up into a new “lost” album from the late 70s. Why are the Stones special? Because their floor scraps/throw-aways make it to my best of list. Their garbage would be another band’s gold. See full review.
#17
Radiohead – King of Limbs: It has taken me a while, but I am finally getting post OK Computer Radiohead.
#16
Adele – 21: The retro British soul divas have had quite run now. But Adele is the best of the bunch. The album was hugely popular and it is amazingly good for something so popular. This is tasteful music that appeals to young and old. Not particularly original but impeccably executed with style and grace. No one will be embarrassed to be an Adele fan. This is not quite a masterpiece – some songs are hall of fame caliber and others are filler. Adele needs to make a great album from end to end before she has a masterpiece.
#15 
Superheavy – Superheavy: This is a gimmick, but so what. Diverse musicians mashing it up creating world pop. Best thing Jagger has done outside of the Stones (I know that does not say much). See full review.
#14
Wheedle’s Groove – Seattle’s Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-79 (Limited Edition 45 Box Set): This is what motivated me on Black Friday. The music is fun, it has a great back story (see full review) and it has great packaging for a vinyl junkie like me. If you thought vinyl was engaging, well 45s really keep you engaged – you can barely take a leak before it is time to flip sides.
#13 
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two: Just a bunch of old hip-hop guys reminding us why they popularized the genre for the masses.
#12 
Yuck –Yuck: Didn’t get enough Pavement with the new Malkmus album? Lost your Sonic Youth albums? Listen to Yuck. Hey someone has to play the sounds we miss.
#11
Bon Iver – Bon Iver: – Can we still love Bon Iver now that he is a big star? I think we can. This is “For Emma” with a budget. Bon Iver takes his folky sounds and melds them modern hip-hop production values. You can see why Kanye wanted to borrow this guy. This is probably the most original sounding album on the list.
To be continued…
Per Allmusic.com:
“Rock fans had been waiting for a Steve Winwood solo album for more than a decade, as he made his way through such bands as the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. When Winwood finally delivered with this LP, just about everybody was disappointed. Traffic had finally petered out three years before, but Winwood, using such former members as Jim Capaldi and Rebop Kwaku Baah, failed to project a strong individual identity outside the group. That great voice was singing the songs, that talented guitarist/keyboardist was playing them, and that excellent songwriter had composed them, but nothing here was memorable, and the long-awaited debut proved a bust.”
Hindsight is 20/20. When I listen to this album now I can see the foreshadowing of mega-success that would come few years later with “Arc of Diver” and “Back in the High Life.” In 1977 this was failure, but by the mid 80s this would be seen as amazing. As always Winwood was an innovator. Nothing like Traffic – Winwood could see the future of pop music. Brilliant.
Steve Jobs is a cultural icon. I can’t think of another CEO who could have been eulogized and mourned like Jobs was – it was on par with the death of Princess Diana. To use the cliché he was a rock star.
Walter Isaacson is a very fortunate man – he was given free access to Jobs, friends, associates, etc. to write a very candid biography and timed to be released shortly after Jobs’ death. It has been a huge best seller.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like a know the man – the genius, the visionary, the charmer, the asshole.
I have to admit that I am sucked into being fascinated by Jobs and Apple. I have lots of Apple products in my family and I write this blog on a 5-year-old MacBook (which is a testament in itself). I think Apple products are the best, but I also know they are not perfect and they are priced like a luxury item. In general I am underwhelmed by the iPad. So I am not a complete sucker for all things Jobs and Apple. But I still remain fascinated by Jobs.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how to run a business. I recommend this book to anyone who loves their Apple products. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in successful people. I recommend this to anyone who reads rock star biographies (most of the books I read).
What did I learn? As a business person you need to be focused on something other than profits. For Jobs it was about creating great products through an enduring company – the proverbial company built to last. With that focus things like profits, shareholder return, market cap, etc. will take care of themselves.
However, there is some magic here – you must have that “vision thing” and Jobs had that. Do we all have that as business people if we just dig deep in our hearts and souls?
I also learned about drive. Jobs knew what he wanted and pushed as hard as he could to get it. Did he push too hard? He was hard on people. He was candid – more than “brutally candid,” he was cruelly candid. Could a kinder more gentle Jobs been just as successful?
He did what he did without typical “hard skills.” He was not a programmer and he was not an engineer. He did not even have conventional managerial skills. Apple was not the originator of any of its great products or ideas – they just executed and monetized it better than everyone else.
He had weird habits around eating, hygiene, spirituality, etc. So weird they would be socially crippling to most.
So in the end I am more fascinated with Jobs today after reading this book than I was when I started and I am inspired to do more with my own life – that is about all you can ask from a biography.
Axl's Catch Groove 