Is it Too Late for Another Best of List?

With one more week left in January, this may be late to post a best of 2012, but better late than never, right?

10. Sunken Condos - Donald Fagen; Solo record number four for Fagen has been spinning in my cd player daily. This one is on par with 1982's The Nightfly, Fagen's first solo record. The Don gets funky on this outing, which includes a nice reading of Issac Hayes' "Out of the Ghetto." 

 9. That's Why God Made the Radio - The Beach Boys; Despite all the resentments, ill will, and tragedy that this group has endured, the Beach Boys found a way to make a reunion album. Mike Love is still a hodad, but the title song, "Pacific Coast Highway," and "Summer's Gone," make this comeback worth the price of admission.

 8. Tank Full of Blues - Dion; Rockin' and relevant; The great Dion gave us a collection of original tunes that are just flat out awesome. "Holly Brown" and "I Read It (In the Rolling Stone)" are stellar, but my favorite is the closing tune, "Bronx Poem." Put this one in the cd changer, hit repeat, and let it blast.

 7. Music from Another Dimension - Aerosmith; Holy comeback, Batman! The boys from Boston have finally dropped the drama long enough to put together a strong album. There's more life in this one than you might expect from a band that's been together through 15 studio albums. "Luv XXX" and "Oh Yeah" open the album with a great 1-2 punch. This is a top five album without the Steven Tyler-Carrie Underwood duet on "Can't Stop Lovin' You." 

 6. Tempest - Bob Dylan; This one grew on me as I spent more time with it. Dylan's voice is ragged, but there's something about his singing that is fascinating. I'm not a Dylan fanatic, so not everything here is golden. “Pay in Blood” is one of my favorite tracks. The band cooks on this one, and Dylan’s cracking voice matches the angry lyrics perfectly. The album's opener, "Duquesne Whistle," is also a favorite. 

 5. Analog Man - Joe Walsh; When I heard that Jeff Lynne was producing Joe Walsh's latest, I was skeptical. Nothing wrong with Lynne's work, but his production tends to suffocate the artist. I should've known that Walsh would be able to keep Lynne in check. There's not a bum track to be found on Analog Man. The sense of humor that fans appreciate from Walsh is present in the title track, but more than just being a wise-ass, it's clear that he's gone through some changes. "Family" and "One Day at a Time" are signs that Walsh has found some peace along with sobriety. 

  4. La Futura - ZZ Top; Simply put, this is the comeback album of the year. Before their sound got watered down by synthesizers, the Top was a 3-man blues-rockin’ machine. Their latest album is a return to that glorious sound of a crunching guitar and steady-handed bass and drums. The first three tunes, “Gotsta Get Paid,” “Chartreuse,” and “Consumption” come out smokin’. “Over You” is the slow bluesy number that the band is so great at. “Flyin’ High” should be getting play on every rock station in the country. “Have a Little Mercy” closes the record in fine fashion. In a year of surprises, this was one of the more pleasant ones.

3. When I'm President - Ian Hunter; Hunter is best known for his song “Cleveland Rocks.” In the years since that song was released Hunter’s voice has become smoother, but his ability to rock is full force.

“Comfortable” opens the record on a raucous, upbeat note. Things get better from there, as Hunter brings the sound down for a moment with “Fatally Flawed,” and then raises the bar with the album’s title song.

 Even in those moments where Hunter lets his foot off the gas, (“Black Tears,” “I Don’t Know What You Want,” and the album’s closer, “Life.”) the emotion in Hunter’s voice holds your attention. I found this record to be one I can listen to over and over. 

2.Red - Taylor Swift; This is my favorite pop album of the year, hands down. I don’t think it’s a stretch to write that Swift is going to be this generation’s Bruce Springsteen. Swift’s songwriting has grown as she’s come of age, and she makes the same emotional connection that Springsteen does with his fans.

Swift sheds any remaining country music skin with the opening tunes, “State of Grace” and “Red.” Both are two of the finest pop songs released this year. Swift packs the emotion into “All Too Well,” before delivering the fun on “22,” another favorite of mine.

 1. Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen; The more I listen to Springsteen’s 17^th album, the more I find to enjoy. Springsteen’s writing is focused, with the songs fitting neatly into a story line that draws you in and keeps you listening all the way through. In the opener, “We Take Care of Our Own,” Springsteen asks the questions that set the tone for the rest of the songs, asking, “Where’re the hearts that run over with mercy?” “Where’s the work that’ll set my hands, my soul free?” In “Jack of All Trades,” the answer to the last question is found in odd jobs, with people doing whatever it takes to get by. “Death to My Hometown” describes the quiet death that many towns have encountered over the last few years. With the title song, the mood of the album shifts. The characters stand up after being knocked down and find the strength to keep on fighting. “Rocky Ground” and “Land of Hopes and Dreams” remind us that faith can see us through the hard times, helping us stand up and fight for a good and righteous life.

Summer Holiday - Ian Gomm

It was one of those stream of consciousness days. I heard a song on the radio, "Sex and Drugs, and Rock and Roll" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Hearing this got me thinking about Ian Gomm and his '78 hit "Hold On."

In America we got this song on the album called Gomm with the Wind, but the copy I bought was from the UK, where it was released a year earlier with a different title, Summer Holiday'. While it would be easy to dismiss Gomm as a one-hit wonder, there's no question that if you bought wither one of these albums, you got your money's worth.

For my money, "Hold On" isn't even the best track on the record, but it was a great single. The video below is kind of cheesy, but if you can stand the video, you'll get to hear one of the great pop songs of the 70's.

Hold On - Ian Gomm

Side one of Summer Holiday is a great display of the state of British pop in 1978. With the punk movement in full swing, pop music was looked down upon in many circles. "Hooked on Love" kicked off this version of the LP. It would've made a great single. It's got a great piano riff to drive the song, with some horns thrown in for good measure.

"Sad Affair" and "Black and White" follow in the same vein. Looking back on the record now, if it had been released a couple years later, it may have made a bigger impact. You can hear future success stories like Graham Parker and Dave Edmunds in these songs.

The first of two covers on the record follows. Chuck Berry's "Come On"  sounds like an Elvis Costello song in the hands of Gomm. It's an interesting treatment to the Berry chestnut.

"Hold On" appears in the fifth slot of the album, which may be an indication of how the song was viewed. I'm pretty sure it was the lead track on Gomm With the Wind.. "Airplane" is a fun little number that closes out the side faster than a speeding bullet.


Side two opens with "24 Hour Service," a nice little piece of pop pleasure. Looking back at it now, this album may have been a bit too smooth for US record buyers looking for rock that was rougher around the edges. While not everyone may have embraced the punk movement of the time, Gomm's pop stylings were also a bit much.

Interestingly enough, a very low-keyed cover of the Beatles tune "You Can't Do That" is probably the biggest risk on the album.  Gomm takes this A Hard Day's Night B-Side and reinvents the tune with a slow groove and a very cool bass line that is miles away from the original.

I always liked this album, but like many of the albums I've bought over the years, it had gone unplayed for a few years. I've played it a few times over the past couple of weeks, and it's been cool to hear again. It's definitely of it's time, which doesn't make it a bad album by any means. It's a record I'll keep in my collection.

Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen

You've got to hand it to Bruce Springsteen. His music is still as relevant with album 17 as it was back in 1973. As you might imagine, expectations run pretty high with each release. Will the new record be with the band or solo; will he use his Seeger Sessions ensemble or will this be another pop-like record? These are the things we think about as we wait for the official release day.

After three albums showing off Springsteen's pop songwriting skills, I was caught off guard by the sounds coming from Wrecking Ball. Once I cleared my expectations out of the way and accepted the record on its own merits, I am happy to say that I love this record.

Springsteen’s writing is focused, with the songs fitting neatly into a story line that draws you in and keeps you listening all the way through. Admittedly, Working on a Dream and The Promise were not thematically knitted together, at least not lyrically. Many Springsteen fans look for that storyline in the Boss's albums. For me, I thought both of those albums worked thematically, but the theme was more musical than lyrical.

So, with Wrecking Ball's opener, “We Take Care of Our Own,” Springsteen asks the questions that set the tone for the rest of the songs, asking, “Where’re the hearts that run over with mercy?” “Where’s the work that’ll set my hands, my soul free?”

In “Jack of All Trades,” the answer to the last question is found in odd jobs, with people doing whatever it takes to get by. “Death to My Hometown” describes the quiet death that many towns have encountered over the last few years.

With the title song, the mood of the album shifts. The characters stand up after being knocked down and find the strength to keep on fighting. The song I can't quite get my head around is "You've Got It." As a transitional piece to the spiritual tone of the album's last three tunes, it serves a purpose, I guess. 

“Rocky Ground” and “Land of Hope and Dreams” remind us that faith can see us through the hard times, helping us stand up and fight for a good and righteous life. "Rocky Ground" was a favorite of mine from my first listen. It's the closest we get to Springsteen's melodic side. And, it features the first rap found in a Springsteen song (courtesy of Michelle Moore), which makes the song even more interesting and enjoyable to these ears.

"Land of  Hope and Dreams" was a staple of the Reunion tour, but on Wrecking Ball, it gets a sonic upgrade that drives home the message of faith that we all need to get through the tough times.

The album's closer is "We Are Alive," a tune that would fit neatly with the songs recorded with the Seeger Sessions Band. The song borrows a riff from Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," and has Springsteen singing in the voices of the spirits that have died before us, but remain with us to help us fight to keep moving forward.

If you by the expanded version of Wrecking Ball, two additional tracks are included. "Swallowed Up (in the Belly of the Whale)" is the complete opposite of "We Are Alive." Dark and mournful, no one's spirit is rising up here. 

"American Land" is the second bonus track. I'm not sure we needed another version of this, but it does serve as a nice prequel to this album. 

Clearly, the death of Clarence Clemons left a hole in the sound of these songs. His solo from the live version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" was added to the version found on Wrecking Ball. 

It's easy to get caught up in comparing this work to previous albums. As I learned with this record, you've got to be able to listen to Springsteen's new music on its own merits. Sure, you'll hear elements of his earlier work within these songs, but Springsteen continues to move his music forward. What more could you ask for?

World Gone Crazy - Doobie Brothers

Hearing new music by the Doobie Brothers is like getting a letter from an old friend. Through all the changes this band has endured over the past 40+ years, the new music sounds great to me. This time around the boys are reunited with producer Ted Templeman, who I've always thought never got enough credit for his production skills.

World Gone Crazy opens with a Tom Johnston number, "A Brighter Day," which I think gets the album off to a solid start. It's not a rocker, but it is a very good mid-tempo tune that the Doobies were always great at pulling off. "Chateau" follows next, and while it would've been a great opener, it sounds great in the two-hole. It's a Pat Simmons rocker, with Ted Templeman picking up a co-writer credit.

Curiously, an early Doobie track gets remade on this set. "Nobody" goes back to the first Doobie Brothers album. Maybe they figured that it was time to give this one some new life.I liked this tune back in the 70's, and it sounds great here on World Gone Crazy.

Next up is the title tune, another Johnston-penned tune. Johnston is in fine form on this album, with songs that are the bread and butter for this band. Pat Simmons writes fine songs, but Johnston's tunes seem to be more street-wise. Both are versatile songwriters, but their styles are unique enough that you rarely see a shared writing credit among them.

Another example of this is in the next track, a mellow Simmons tune called "Far From Home." It's as much a Doobie Brothers track as any, but it so different from the tunes that Johnston write for this record. "Young Man's Game" is next up, and is a great reply to critics who think the band is too old to be rockin.

Michael McDonald reunites with his former mates to lend his vocal support to "Don't Say Goodbye." It's a nice number with a groove that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the group's albums released following Johnston's departure in the late 70's.

Johnston wrote the next two tunes, "My Baby" and "Old Juarez." Both tunes highlight the great vocal sound that has always been a trademark of the Doobie Brothers.

The lone bum track on the album is the next to last tune, a Simmons collaboration with Willie Nelson called "I Know We Won." Maybe it's Willie Nelson's presence or maybe it's just a bad song. Either way, this one's a loser.

"Law Dogs" closes out World Gone Crazy. This one's a Johnston tune, and it's got a bluesy feel to it, with some great slide guitar from John McFee. It's a curious closer, but I'm not sure what other song I would've put into that slot.

It is so good hearing the Doobie Brothers making quality new music. It looks like two new tunes and "Nobody" are featured in the band's current live shows, so that's a good thing. With only one bum track, World Gone Crazy is a winner in my book.

John Mellencamp - John Mellencamp

After watching Polygram do next to nothing to promote one of his best, Human Wheels, John Mellencamp decided he had had enough and went looking for another record company. He landed at Columbia and rewarded their confidence in him with another fine record, simply titled John Mellencamp.

This 1998 release is top notch Mellencamp. He wrote five of the songs with long-time writing partner George Green, and in keeping with the fresh start with a new label, Dane Clark handles the drumming duties and Moe Z. MD handles the sampling.

After all these years, I think it's easy to take Mellencamp for granted. He is a consistent performer and a fine song writer, and while some have called him a poor man's Springsteen, I've never viewed him like that.

On his Columbia debut, Mellencamp opens with a double-shot of upbeat sound with "Fruit Trader" and "Your Life is Now," a song that should have been a boss hitbound single. After slowing down for "Positively Crazy," Mellencamp picks up the pace again with "I'm Not Running Anymore," another one of those tunes that have hit single written all over it.

The CD chugs along with Mellencamp and his band giving some of their best performances. With his most recent releases being more stark, dark, and just a little bit dreary, go back and give another listen to John Mellencamp. It has held up well, and sounds great, 13 years later.

Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn

I listened to a lot of country music growing up. My folks liked country music, so it was always on their radios, and even though they didn't buy a ton of records, when they did, they were usually country and western. Some of that music reached through to me, even though just as much of it was garbage! I didn't realize how much I would appreciate this music as I got older.

What passes for country music today would make people like Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, and Buck Owens roll over in their graves. I have a theory on that, but that's writing for another day.

Loretta Lynn is one of those voices I remember hearing on the radio as I was growing up. By the time I was making my own choices about what to listen to and what to buy, Lynn wasn't on my list. Cut to 2004, and her work with Jack White. I am a marginal White Stripes fan, but I love what Jack White has done with Loretta Lynn on this CD and Wanda Jackson on her latest. As a producer, he treats these ladies with the respect they've earned, and he brings them into the 21st century on their terms.

On Van Lear Rose, White lets Lynn be true to her country roots, but where Owen Bradley would've added strings and a lushness to Lynn's honky-tonk sound, White uses his guitar and the big beat to drive these songs. "Have Mercy," "Portland Oregon," and "Mrs. Leroy Brown" are great tunes that move Lynn forward without compromising her ability to tell a universal story.

The cool thing about White as a producer is that he doesn't try to make a White Stripes record with the artists he's working with. The title song and "Story of My Life" are traditional sounding country songs that act as bookends to this fine CD. This one's a keeper.

Up 'til Now - Art Garfunkel

Okay, this is an odd first choice, but I knew this was a CD that was headed to the garage sale bin. This 1993 release was a half-hearted attempt at a rarities/greatest hits type collection, with some newly recorded songs thrown in for good measure.

Garfunkel's voice is a thing of beauty, but since he's not a songwriter, he's at the mercy of his own tastes for song selection. It's not always pretty. The best example of that is Garfunkel's version of Mark Knopfler's "Why Worry."

For my money, there are really only two songs worth moving over to the old hard drive. The first is a beautiful duet with James Taylor on "Crying in the Rain," and the other is the theme song to the TV show Brooklyn Bridge. Remember that show? It was a great little show, and Garfunkel's voice singing the theme was perfect.

The original version of "The Sound of Silence" is included here. If you didn't know, the original version of this song was strictly acoustic. The guitars and drums were added for the hit single version most are familiar with. Staying on the Simon and Garfunkel theme, there's an odd thing called "The Breakup," where Garfunkel is talking about their split-up while Simon is in the background feeding him instructions. Good for a laugh once, but after that it's annoying.

There you have it. That's my take on Up 'til Now.

It's Time to Write Again

After getting my office organized, I'm looking at five boxes of CDs that need listening to, along with four shelves, five crates, and three boxes of albums. If that wasn't enough I've got 12 shelves and a 14-hole CD stand filled with CDs that I listen to somewhat regularly. I've got plenty of music, but it's time to reduce.
So, armed with a 1TB hard drive and a desire to get rid of some of this music, I'm ready to blog my way through the music that is sitting in this room.

It's taken a long time to get my head around storing my music on the computer. And, I know it's not going to be everything. I'm only burning the LPs and CDs that aren't 100% cool with no filler. As artists resort back to the "two hits and ten tracks of shit" creed that Keith Richards used to describe albums back in the day, it has become a necessity to get the best songs on the computer and let someone else find some enjoyment out of what I get rid of.

To be fair, some of this music probably didn't age well. I'm not the same person today that I was when I bought much of this music. Tastes change, priorities too. There was a time when I thought of myself as a completist; I've got to have everything a particular artist released, good or bad. Now, with all this music around me, I can see that might not have been the best plan of attack.

But enough rambling. Let's get to the first CD that gets copied to the computer.

Magic in Indy

Well, he did it again. For the second week in a row, a Bruce Springsteen concert has left me speechless, unable to find the right words to properly capture the magic of another great show.

Last night's Indianapolis show was the best show I've ever seen him do. I realize this could change with the next show I attend, but I'm comfortable letting last night's show stand as the best.

Bruce came out and played like a man possessed. The show opened with "Night," and of course, Clarence's performance was right on the money. As it turns out, Clarence would be a busy Big Man for this night's show.

"Radio Nowhere" and "Lonesome Day" followed, as usual, but then it was audible time. Bruce saw a sign in the pit that caught his attention. He asked for it, looked at it, and then turned and faced the band with the sign calling for "Prove it All Night." This one's been showing up recently, so the band had no problem tearing into it and giving the Indy crowd a great performance.

Little Steven busted off another great solo in "Gypsy Biker," which was followed by "Magic" and "Reason to Believe." The energy in the pit and in the stands was electric. As Bruce was finishing up "Reason to Believe," he spotted another sign.

As he did before, he got a hold of the sign and then turned and faced the band. This time around the sign was for "Rendezvous." The band didn't skip a beat with this tour premeire, and it was great seeing the smiles on their faces when the song ended. They aced it, and they knew it.

"Because the Night," with Nils bringing down the house with another great solo, into "She's the One," and then "Livin' in the Future," didn't prepare us for what was about to happen next.

Bruce stepped up to the microphone, and in the understatement of the tour said, "We've got a special treat for you tonight."

There he was, The Phantom, Danny Federici, back behind his keyboards. The fans in the pit went nuts. The whole crowd gave Danny a great welcome back. Charlie Giordono gave Danny a hug, and then gracefully left the stage. The rest of the band looked Danny's way, before opening Danny's portion of the show with "The Promised Land." "Darkness . . . " was on the setlist, but this was a great choice for the moment.

The emotions were running high in the band and in the audience. Garry and Roy were beaming toward their returning comrade, and Clarence and Nils, both stood over by Danny at different points during the song.

Would Danny be one and done for the night? The answer would not just be no, but Hell no!

With Danny back, we got "Spirit in the Night" and "Sandy." During "Spirit . . ." I swear to God that Bruce was possessed by Van Morrison, as he did leg kicks, movng across the stage. The band nailed these two songs, and when they were over, Danny got another nice ovation.

Charlie returned to close out the main set, with the band attacking the material with an incredible level of intensity. It was a great main set, with Danny's return and the two great audibles. It should also be noted that the audibles replaced setlisted "Candy's Room," and "Growin' Up."

When Bruce and the band came back to start the 5-song encore, Danny was back in his rightful place. Bruce told the crowd they were "dedicating the encore to Danny," and with that, Roy kicked off the openng to "Backstreets."

What followed next can only be described as some of the best playing I've ever seen from Bruce and the ESB. They tore into "Kitty's Back," with Danny, Roy, and Bruce each taking great solos. Bruce was egging both keyboardists on during their solos, and then Bruce fired off an amazing solo of his own.

I've never seen the band as focused on each other as they were during this song. Steven and Soozie were in awe of what they were hearing, while Garry and Max kept the song moving like the great rhythm section they are.

I never thought I'd feel this way, but "Born to Run" was kind of anti-climactic. How could they go any higher, and give anymore of themselves than they had up to this point?

Well, they found a way, and it was all due to a girl named Hannah. She had a little sign that said "Dance with me," and when it caught Bruce's eye, it meant only one thing; "Dancin' in the Dark" was going to replace "Ramrod" on the setlist.

Toward the end of the "Dancin' . . . " Bruce pulled Hannah (9-10 years old, maybe) up to the stage for a dance. I'll tell you what, this girl put Courtney Cox to shame! Hannah had all the right moves, and Bruce was eating it up. He got her back into the pit, played some more, and then brought her out again. This time they moved across the stage, left and right. Not all the way across, but Hannah was getting plenty of profile, for sure.

Charlie rejoined the band for "American Land," teaming up with Roy on the accordion. When Bruce introduced the band, and got to Danny, there was a great ovation, and chants of "Danny, Danny, Danny" from the crowd. It was a beautiful ending to an incredibly emotional and power-packed show.

In the initial review on backstreets.com and in the Indianapolis Star, there was some noise made about the 5,000 empty seats. The backstreets.com review was amended to include the rest of the story, which was this.

The only empty seats wee nose-bleed seats. When I looked up at those, I knew that as much as I loved Bruce, I would not sit in one of those seats. The lower bowl and second level were full. The fans in the stands were on their feet quite a bit. Plus, there were some people up in the upper upper seats. The crowd of 11,000 was into the show, and at the end of the night, Bruce signed off with "Thanks for a great night."

No Bruce, thank you.