It Was a Very Good Year

With all the fine music released in 2006, narrowing the year down to only ten is a tough assignment. There was something for everyone in the music released in '06. Many bands and labels reached back into their vaults and brought out previously unreleased tunes and re-mixed and re-mastered versions of their known tunes.

The Beach Boys gave us a 40th anniversary release of Pet Sounds, The Black Crowes released two collections; a live set, Freak 'n' Roll and The Lost Crowes, featuring two cds from mid-90's sessions, Santana III was reissued with a bonus disc from the band's 1971 4th of July concert at the famed Fillmore West, and Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen released concert discs from the archives. Young's 1970 show from the Fillmore East and Springsteen's famous '75 show from London's Hammersmith Odeon saw the light of day in 2006. Hopefully more concerts from the vaults of both of these artists will appear in 2007.

Before I run out my top ten, here are some releases that should be on your list to buy, if you've not already done so.

The Fall Parade, The Anderson Council; Rockford, Cheap Trick; Blessing & A Curse, Drive-By Truckers; Transatlantic Dynamite, Kaiser George and the Hi-Risers; 1000 Years of Popular Music, Richard Thompson; Last Man Standing, Jerry Lee Lewis; Other People's Lives, Ray Davies; Under the Covers, Vol. 1, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs; Stay Happy, Outrageous Cherry; Broken Boy Soldiers, Raconteurs; One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This, The New York Dolls; Endless Wire, The Who.

All of which leads me to these ten, which at the end of 2006, I thought held up the best.

10 - Face the Promise, Bob Seger - Taking 11 years off from the business to raise his family, Seger returns to the fray as a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. He's still got his chops, writes great songs, and as his fans across the country have seen for the last couple of months, he's still a great live act. This cd features "No More," Seger's response to the war in Iraq.

9 - Highway Companion, Tom Petty - Another rock veteran delivers the goods in 2006. This was a solo release with TP getting an assist from fellow Heartbreaker Mike Campbell and former Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne. He took these songs out on the road with the Heartbreakers for what everyone assumed would be a farewell tour, but now sounds like could be a career re-birth.

8 - Overnight Sensational, Sam Moore - Comeback duets are popular, but before you lump this cd into that category remember that Sam Moore was half of the famous soul duo Sam and Dave. If anyone deserves an opportunity to team up with some of music's best, it's Moore. One of several highlights on this cd is the presence of Billy Preston, who sadly, played his last sessions for Moore. The song selection is first-rate and the performances from Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Sting, and Paul Rodgers (among the many) are equally as strong.

7 - The Captain and The Kid, Elton John - Releasing the follow up to Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 30 years on may have seemed odd, but allowing the time to pass before releasing the sequel makes the story that much better. Elton and Bernie wrote ten songs that took us from Elton's landing in LA ("Postcards From Richard Nixon") to the final reflection ("The Captain and The Kid") on a great career. A career, by the way, that has been resurrected by two strong releases, Songs From the West Coast (2001) and Peachtree Road (2004).

6 - Bronx in Blue, Dion - Like many artists of Dion's time, blues musicians were a major influence. Dion repays the debt with Bronx in Blue. It's just Dion and his acoustic guitar performing a blistering set of blues tunes. In addition to the 14 great performances on this cd, the liner notes provide some insight into the music and the artists. Some of the songs here you've heard from other artists; "Crossroads," "Travelin' Riverside Blues," "Terraplane Blues," and "Statesboro Blues" among them. This cd got next to no airplay in this part of the world, but it deserves to be heard. Do what you need to do to find this and turn it up!

5 - Modern Times, Bob Dylan - Another rock pioneer with a great release in 2006. Dylan's Modern Times is a great slice of Americana. The sounds on this cd are incredible. Dylan's songs make great use of what one might call traditonal folk instruments, cello, steel guitar, violin, viola, mandolin along with the basic rock setup, guitar, bass, drums, piano, and harmonica. The combination creates a musical portrait that is breathtaking. Dylan's voice is in great form too. If you don't already own a vinyl copy of Modern Times, seek it out. I know the cd's got a couple bonus tracks, but the vinyl version of Dylan's latest sounds great.

4 - Living With War, Neil Young - Neil Young is pissed. I'm sure this isn't the first time since the Kent State incident that inspired "Ohio" that Young has let his anger manifest itself musically. It is some of his best work since the aforementioned hit. This release sounds rushed with some ragged vocals that could've stood to be recorded again. Having said that, the ragged vocals and the rush release of Living With War display an urgency and give off an energy that more bands should tap into. I doubt that this one will be on a best of list coming from the White House.

3 - Rock and Roll is Dead, The Hellacopters - Rock and roll may be dead, but The Hellacopters do their part to bring it back to life. The 15 songs on this set absolutely burn. It doesn't matter what period of rock and roll you enjoy, The Hellacopters fit right in and will not disappoint. Check out "Everything's On TV," "Monkeyboy," "Murder On My Mind," and "Nothing Terribly New" as proof that this band is the real deal.

2 - Under the Skin, Lindsey Buckingham - The heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac released his best solo effort yet in 2006. He covers the Rolling Stones and Donovan here, with great versions of "I Am Waiting" and "To Try for the Sun." "Not Too Late," the opening track, should be the song of the year. Should be, but won't. I was happy to see that radio is getting behind this cd, but it's going to be Buckingham's tour that will really sell this. Five of the new songs are getting showcased on Buckingham's current tour and are getting a great reception from audiences. There's not a clunker in the bunch on this cd. If it's not a part of your collection, please add it to your list.

1 - We Shall Overcome: The American Land Edition, Bruce Springsteen - Inspired by Woody Gurthrie and Pete Seeger, Springsteen assembles a collection of musicians who bring songs dating back two centuries up to date and into our collective consciousness. Some of the tunes here were obscure (Dave Marsh's notes on each song add to the overall beauty of this set), but others have been a part of the mainstream for many years. Springsteen caught some grief for releasing this, an expanded version, so soon after the initial release. For my money, any cd with Springsteen's versions of "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live" and "Bring 'Em Home" is worth the price of admission. Throw in another new Springsteen number, "American Land," and that makes this set a must-have.

One final note: If you need more examples of the quality of this year's releases, see also, American V, Johnny Cash; Laugh Now, Cry Later, Ice Cube; Sacred Weapon, Nils Lofgren; Surprise, Paul Simon; Pearl Jam; A Good Life, Joe Grushecky; Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks.