2006: THE YEAR IN MUSIC

Let me start off by saying that I'm not one of those bloggers that does a "Best of" end of the year wrap up in music. Even in this miserable era when the major record companies don't spend any time developing or promoting promising new artists, there's still too many bands, too many singers, too many indie labels, too many MySpace pages for any one person to hear enough of them to proclaim with any authority that these songs, this album, these artists are "the best".

So what's the point you might ask? Hey, its my blog and that means I get to share some songs and/or albums that impressed me this year, that's all. I'll single out my five favorite albums, because in the 21st century it doesn't matter what genre an album is, the idea of a cohesive, entertaining collection of songs by one artist (as opposed to random, downloadable singles) is something to celebrate in itself. Otherwise, its all about the singles here. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome...

_____________________________________

My Five Favorite Albums of the Year - All Genres

SURPRISE/Paul Simon (Pop/Rock) - Not an edgy choice, but sometimes you just have to reward pure professionalism, great songwriting and amazing craftsmanship. In a soft year, Simon's best work since Rhythm of the Saints stands out and gets better the more you listen to it. Best songs: "Outrageous", "Why Would You Live in the Northeast?"

THE LONG WAY HOME/The Dixie Chicks (Pop Country) - Confession: I only have three songs from this album, but they were among the best songs I heard all year and I have listened to the whole thing. Damn it, these ladies are American heroes--and on top of that, they are some of the smartest songwriters working today. And they deserve some kind of award for having the most popular song and video of the year ("Not Ready to Make Nice") despite limited initial airplay on country stations. Best songs: "Long Way Home", "Not Ready to Make Nice".

STADIUM ARCADIUM/Red Hot Chili Peppers (Rock) - Some critics said the album is too long. Wake up idiots--that's the point, this is the RHCP's everything-and-the-kitchen sink album and any time nowadays when you can put out a double album with 43 odd songs and have almost all of them be good and a handful be great, that's a great album. It didn't seem possible when they were rocking on the Sunset Strip with socks on their cocks back in the early 1980s, but the Peppers have matured into America's most durable and consistent rock group. Best songs: "If", "Hump de Bump", "Dani California."

THE ERASER/Thom Yorke (Alt Rock) - Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's solo debut is about what you'd expect, but maybe better--intimate little electronica-inspired gems about isolation, alienation and corruption both political and of the soul all in Yorke's trademark evocative falsetto. Not nearly as insufferable as it sounds with songs catchier than they at first seem. The soundtrack of smart angry liberals everywhere in 2006. Best songs: "The Eraser", "Black Swan", "Harrowdown Hill".

THE INFORMATION/Beck (Alt Rock) - Is this my #1 album of the year? Maybe...I go back and forth between this and Paul Simon. As he matures, Beck just keeps getting better and better, with The Information serving as a synthesis of the styles and lyrical qualities of Beck's three best albums--Odelay, Guero and Sea Change--without as much filler or self-indulgence. Two turntables and a microphone indeed. Best songs: "Elevator Music", "1000 BPM", "Think I'm In Love".

Honorable mentions: Kingdom Come/Jay-Z; Continuum/John Mayer; Idlewild/OutKast; Modern Times/Bob Dylan; High & Low/Greg Laswell; St. Elsewhere/Gnarls Barkley.

Ten Recommended Must-Have Downloads from 2006

1. "Crazy", Gnarls Barkley
2. "Promiscuous Girl", Nelly Furtado and Timbaland
3. "Lost Ones", Jay-Z
4. "Call Me When You're Sober", Evanescence
5. "How To Save A Life", The Fray
6. "In the Music", The Roots
7. "Touch It", Busta Rhymes
8. "Steady As She Goes", The Raconteurs
9. "Chaiya Chaiya Remix", DJ Rahman, et al (this one's hard to find so you might get it off the INSIDE MAN soundtrack)
10. "I Want You (Live)", Fiona Apple

Peace.