Stu Rosen
Second Unit
- Joined
- Jan 27, 1999
- Messages
- 305
Why not?
I'll give 2 lists:
Best of 2005 (no particular order):
Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise! - Like the best high school pageant you've ever heard, combined with Vince Guaraldi combined with a little Philip Glass - as beautiful as it is precious in concept (the second in a planned 50 salutes to our 50 states).
Los Super Seven - Heard it On the X - The border radio of your dreams, guest starring Raul Malo of the Mavericks, Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, Freddy Fender and the immortal Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier You - Proof that beauty is its own reward. Gorgeous vocals combined with sympathetic and lush pop. There's no more beautiful song this year than "Amazing Glow."
Marty Stuart - Soul's Chapel - it starts with Stuart playing Pops Staples' old guitar and gets better from there. Gritty, soul-steeped southern gospel that's light years ahead of Stuart's previous, and considerable, work.
Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947 - Intricately crafted and arranged pop. The 1947 "concept" doesn't really flow through the songs as a whole (unless someone wants to explain it all to me), but that doesn't diminish the achievement. Try "Denton Road," and "On Automatic" and go from there.
Various Artists - I Believe To My Soul - What a great album, produced by Joe Henry, reviving the criminally underappreciated careers of Ann Peebles, Mavis Staples, Billy Preston and Allen Toussaint. Far from nostalgia, this album shows the artists improving with age. If you like this, check out, also produced by Henry, "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise," by Betty Lavette.
Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations - Beautifully broken music. Homemade over years, and heartbreaking. Usually these fevered one-man projects sound antiseptic or fussed over. Not this double-CD, full of memorable melodies improved by Mark Everett's cracked but beautifully crafted vocals.
Iron & Wine and Calexico - In The Reins - One of my favorite bands (Calexico) providing a perfect setting for one of my kid's favorite bands (Iron & Wine a/k/a Sam Beam). Hushed vocals combined with the best spaghetti western soundtrack for a film that's never existed.
Van Morrison - Magic Time - To hear an artist, after 30+ years, come up with a song as profound and majestic as "The Lion This Time" is remarkable. The fact that the song is surrounded by selections nearly as good ("Stranded," "Celtic New Year") is proof that Van Morrison's last few albums are the great secret gems in a career that has started to be unjustly ignored.
Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire - A blues guitarist and vocalist in service of R&B. Try "Share Your Love With Me," which does Aretha's version proud.
ADDITION: Let me also add in a late entry - "Our New Orleans," a collection of new recordings from displaced New Orleans legends (Dr. John. Allen Toussaint, Buckwheat Zydeco, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and others). Any knee-jerk sympathies are blown away by the actual performances - restrained and profoundly sad.
Others worth hearing: Shelby Lynne's "Suit Yourself," Ry Cooder's "Chavez Ravine," Nickel Creek's "Why Should The Fire Die?," Ben Folds's "Songs For Silverman," and Teenage Fanclub's "Man-Made."
Now, Best Reissues of 2005 (again, no particular order):
Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live At The Fillmore West: Don't Fight The Feeling - The original Aretha album (Live at the Fillmore West) contained a so-good-it's-scary version of "Dr. Feelgood." This 3-CD collection (available only from Rhino Handmade's website and now, to my knowledge, sold out) combines all three nights of the performance and show that the other two nights were just as remarkable. It's always nice when hippies discover soul.
Ray Charles - Pure Genius - Everything Ray Charles recorded in his first stint with Atlantic Records. Just listen and hear R&B being invented, song by song. There may be nothing better than this.
Sam Cooke - One Night Stand: Live at The Harlem Square Club - Sam Cooke without the strings and overwrought Hugo & Luigi studio production is a thing to hear.
B.B. King - Original Greatest Hits - his earliest hits are energetic, inventive, just plain fun, and are all collected here.
The Band - A Musical History - 5 CDs and a DVD. An insanely good "4% Pantomime" with Van Morrison. The early Ronnie Hawkins stuff through the majestic version of The Weight with the Staples. So rich and deep it's almost impossible to fully absorb.
Looking forward to seeing what you all offer as your best.
I'll give 2 lists:
Best of 2005 (no particular order):
Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise! - Like the best high school pageant you've ever heard, combined with Vince Guaraldi combined with a little Philip Glass - as beautiful as it is precious in concept (the second in a planned 50 salutes to our 50 states).
Los Super Seven - Heard it On the X - The border radio of your dreams, guest starring Raul Malo of the Mavericks, Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, Freddy Fender and the immortal Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier You - Proof that beauty is its own reward. Gorgeous vocals combined with sympathetic and lush pop. There's no more beautiful song this year than "Amazing Glow."
Marty Stuart - Soul's Chapel - it starts with Stuart playing Pops Staples' old guitar and gets better from there. Gritty, soul-steeped southern gospel that's light years ahead of Stuart's previous, and considerable, work.
Michael Penn - Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947 - Intricately crafted and arranged pop. The 1947 "concept" doesn't really flow through the songs as a whole (unless someone wants to explain it all to me), but that doesn't diminish the achievement. Try "Denton Road," and "On Automatic" and go from there.
Various Artists - I Believe To My Soul - What a great album, produced by Joe Henry, reviving the criminally underappreciated careers of Ann Peebles, Mavis Staples, Billy Preston and Allen Toussaint. Far from nostalgia, this album shows the artists improving with age. If you like this, check out, also produced by Henry, "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise," by Betty Lavette.
Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations - Beautifully broken music. Homemade over years, and heartbreaking. Usually these fevered one-man projects sound antiseptic or fussed over. Not this double-CD, full of memorable melodies improved by Mark Everett's cracked but beautifully crafted vocals.
Iron & Wine and Calexico - In The Reins - One of my favorite bands (Calexico) providing a perfect setting for one of my kid's favorite bands (Iron & Wine a/k/a Sam Beam). Hushed vocals combined with the best spaghetti western soundtrack for a film that's never existed.
Van Morrison - Magic Time - To hear an artist, after 30+ years, come up with a song as profound and majestic as "The Lion This Time" is remarkable. The fact that the song is surrounded by selections nearly as good ("Stranded," "Celtic New Year") is proof that Van Morrison's last few albums are the great secret gems in a career that has started to be unjustly ignored.
Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire - A blues guitarist and vocalist in service of R&B. Try "Share Your Love With Me," which does Aretha's version proud.
ADDITION: Let me also add in a late entry - "Our New Orleans," a collection of new recordings from displaced New Orleans legends (Dr. John. Allen Toussaint, Buckwheat Zydeco, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and others). Any knee-jerk sympathies are blown away by the actual performances - restrained and profoundly sad.
Others worth hearing: Shelby Lynne's "Suit Yourself," Ry Cooder's "Chavez Ravine," Nickel Creek's "Why Should The Fire Die?," Ben Folds's "Songs For Silverman," and Teenage Fanclub's "Man-Made."
Now, Best Reissues of 2005 (again, no particular order):
Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live At The Fillmore West: Don't Fight The Feeling - The original Aretha album (Live at the Fillmore West) contained a so-good-it's-scary version of "Dr. Feelgood." This 3-CD collection (available only from Rhino Handmade's website and now, to my knowledge, sold out) combines all three nights of the performance and show that the other two nights were just as remarkable. It's always nice when hippies discover soul.
Ray Charles - Pure Genius - Everything Ray Charles recorded in his first stint with Atlantic Records. Just listen and hear R&B being invented, song by song. There may be nothing better than this.
Sam Cooke - One Night Stand: Live at The Harlem Square Club - Sam Cooke without the strings and overwrought Hugo & Luigi studio production is a thing to hear.
B.B. King - Original Greatest Hits - his earliest hits are energetic, inventive, just plain fun, and are all collected here.
The Band - A Musical History - 5 CDs and a DVD. An insanely good "4% Pantomime" with Van Morrison. The early Ronnie Hawkins stuff through the majestic version of The Weight with the Staples. So rich and deep it's almost impossible to fully absorb.
Looking forward to seeing what you all offer as your best.
