My anti-grunge Top 10 for 2011
1. Paul Simon <> So Beautiful Or So What...
2. k.d. lang Sing It Loud
3. Dionne Warwick Only Trust Your Heart
4. Seth MacFarlane Music Is Better Than Words
5. Seal Soul II
6. Aaron Neville I Know I've Been Changed
7. Nick Lowe The Old Magic
8. Pat Metheny What's It About?
9. Steve Miller Let Your Hair Down
10. Grace Jones Hurricane
2. k.d. lang Sing It Loud
3. Dionne Warwick Only Trust Your Heart
4. Seth MacFarlane Music Is Better Than Words
5. Seal Soul II
6. Aaron Neville I Know I've Been Changed
7. Nick Lowe The Old Magic
8. Pat Metheny What's It About?
9. Steve Miller Let Your Hair Down
10. Grace Jones Hurricane
For good reason this is on everyone's
list. Great songs, lyrics that bounce
easily between playful and thoughtful
and truly innovative recording
techniques. For overall content, this
wipes the floor with every other CD
released this year.
If you like it, go back to his last release,
Surprise, which I think was every bit as
good.
The inspiration that's brought to this
project is almost palpable. She got
someone to co-write with who is also an
inventive guitarist, and a terrific new
band.
She has kept her voice's strength and
purity like an athlete and recorded a
very satisfying collection of songs.
What's so wrong with that. Why isn't she
on everyone's list.
Another amazing voice in great
condition, but who would have thought
she would make one of her best albums
so late in life. And this isn't any scaled
down affair: a great band, great
arrangements and a great choice of
handpicked material.
This is an album totally over-looked in
any critic's list. Why?
Another album you won't find on any
critic's list, but deserves to be. There
are many great ingredients at work here.
A voice and approach that is from some
other era and a terrific orchestra with
stunning arrangements. But what really
puts it over the top is Seth's unusual
choices of material, not the songs you
might expect at all.
Again, totally ignored by critics.
Seal made big improvements after his
first Soul CD, choosing a smoother
approach. Covering the great soul
singers, takes an equal talent, but more
than that there really has to be an
attempt to improve on what is being
covered. A listen to any of these songs
will prove my point. Plus, these songs
are better than what passes for soul
these days.
If you recognize that Black Gospel is the
bedrock of much of American popular
music, then you'll love this album.
Aaron strips back the instrumentation
and production to the bare essentials,
sometimes just piano and voice. OMG.
Greatness. Cool song choices too.
And talk about a voice in great condition.
Click here to download 2 free songs:
http://nicklowe.com/
Soft is, indeed, the new Loud, as Nick
Lowe claims. The Old Magic is another
addition to his left turn away from
pop/rock songs into something more
mature, and I say, more timeless. Listen
to the song, Checkout Time or House
For Sale.
At first I was pretty under-welmed by
this collection of 60's cover songs, but
found myself playing it over and over
and enjoying more and more. Beautiful
and low key. Could have really done
without the song, Pipeline though. But
hey, this year sucked for music, we're
lucky to have this.
I don't even like Steve Miller and I like
this new collection of blues covers.
Who knew? This kicks ass, as they say.
The guitars sound great, the band is
tight and, well, it's a surprise.
A huge improvement over Bingo, his
last album.
This actually was out in 2008, but only in
the UK. It finally made it over here this
year. A great comeback. There is also a
companion CD of Dub mixes, which
should be sub titled, How to screw up a
perfectly good album.
list. Great songs, lyrics that bounce
easily between playful and thoughtful
and truly innovative recording
techniques. For overall content, this
wipes the floor with every other CD
released this year.
If you like it, go back to his last release,
Surprise, which I think was every bit as
good.
The inspiration that's brought to this
project is almost palpable. She got
someone to co-write with who is also an
inventive guitarist, and a terrific new
band.
She has kept her voice's strength and
purity like an athlete and recorded a
very satisfying collection of songs.
What's so wrong with that. Why isn't she
on everyone's list.
Another amazing voice in great
condition, but who would have thought
she would make one of her best albums
so late in life. And this isn't any scaled
down affair: a great band, great
arrangements and a great choice of
handpicked material.
This is an album totally over-looked in
any critic's list. Why?
Another album you won't find on any
critic's list, but deserves to be. There
are many great ingredients at work here.
A voice and approach that is from some
other era and a terrific orchestra with
stunning arrangements. But what really
puts it over the top is Seth's unusual
choices of material, not the songs you
might expect at all.
Again, totally ignored by critics.
Seal made big improvements after his
first Soul CD, choosing a smoother
approach. Covering the great soul
singers, takes an equal talent, but more
than that there really has to be an
attempt to improve on what is being
covered. A listen to any of these songs
will prove my point. Plus, these songs
are better than what passes for soul
these days.
If you recognize that Black Gospel is the
bedrock of much of American popular
music, then you'll love this album.
Aaron strips back the instrumentation
and production to the bare essentials,
sometimes just piano and voice. OMG.
Greatness. Cool song choices too.
And talk about a voice in great condition.
Click here to download 2 free songs:
http://nicklowe.com/
Soft is, indeed, the new Loud, as Nick
Lowe claims. The Old Magic is another
addition to his left turn away from
pop/rock songs into something more
mature, and I say, more timeless. Listen
to the song, Checkout Time or House
For Sale.
At first I was pretty under-welmed by
this collection of 60's cover songs, but
found myself playing it over and over
and enjoying more and more. Beautiful
and low key. Could have really done
without the song, Pipeline though. But
hey, this year sucked for music, we're
lucky to have this.
I don't even like Steve Miller and I like
this new collection of blues covers.
Who knew? This kicks ass, as they say.
The guitars sound great, the band is
tight and, well, it's a surprise.
A huge improvement over Bingo, his
last album.
This actually was out in 2008, but only in
the UK. It finally made it over here this
year. A great comeback. There is also a
companion CD of Dub mixes, which
should be sub titled, How to screw up a
perfectly good album.
Some of the best songs of 2011
I am thinking here: singles. Cool singles.
1. The Lady Is A Tramp
I have to put Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga's duet near the top.
You can hear how she pushes him to greater heights, and
it even got a New Yorker article just for the event. It's really
a novelty song too.
2. Body & Soul
Really, how could I forget Amy Winehouse's incredible
performance with Tony Bennett. Certainly better than
anything you'll find on the unfortunate posthumous
Lioness CD.
3. Bad As Me
It is pretty much a novelty song but Tom Waits gives us an
amazing thing. I am not sure how many times you would
want to hear this but... Yikes!
4. Richie & Ruben
Another hilarious and infectious song by Fountains Of
Wayne. Well crafted and lnstantly likeable. Too bad the CD
wasn't all this good.
5. Montezuma
My favorite from the Fleet Foxes CD which has a number a
cool songs.
6. Oceanea
Thomas Dolby's beautiful return, though the CD is a
bumpy ride.
7. Chinatown
Destroyer is the most unfortunate name for an artist.
Makes one think of Kiss. This is nothing like that.
8. Dear Avery
The Decemberists. What a productive band. What a great
song.
9. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
A Coldplay song that doesn't immediately sound like a
Coldplay song. I liked it.
10. Wild World
Marc Cohn's attempt at a comeback with his CD Listening
Booth 1970. A surprising and likeable remake of this Cat
Stevens gem. Check out his Maybe I'm Amazed. A very cool
album too.
11. Lonely Boy / Run To You <> The Black Keys
12. The Walk <> Mayer Hawthorne
13. Shell Games <> Bright Eyes
14. Love Shines <> Ron Sexsmith
15. My Country <> tUnE-yArDs (a very interesting artist)
16. Blind Pilot <> We Are The Tide
17. Being Green <> Andrew Bird
18. Wonderful <> My Morning Jacket
19. Lana Del Rey <> Video Games
20. Can't Keep <> Eddie Vedder ( a pretty horrifying CD)
Why no Adele? Sorry... Couldn't do it for some reason.
Big Snoozes of the Year
Snooze #1. Peter Gabriel <> New Blood
> a big orchestra & a morphine drip
Snooze #2 Kate Bush <>
50 words for Snow
> should be called 10 words for sleep
Snooze #3 Fiest <> Metals
> It took 3 years to make this???
1,2,3...snooze....
Big Big Mistakes of 2011
Pet Shop Boys <> The Most Incredible Thing
Music for a ballet<> An incredible disappointment
Paul McCartney <> Ocean's Kingdom
Better than another batch of sub par pop songs or yet,
another live album, but away from it's ballet, it is entirely
forgettable music.
THE BEST BOOK I READ... ( and I read a lot ).
A first-time diplomat thinks he can
change the criminal mentality of the
Hitler goverment.
Fascinating read about this royal 1%.
WWI was unavoidable with these pinheads running
the show....
I have to put Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga's duet near the top.
You can hear how she pushes him to greater heights, and
it even got a New Yorker article just for the event. It's really
a novelty song too.
2. Body & Soul
Really, how could I forget Amy Winehouse's incredible
performance with Tony Bennett. Certainly better than
anything you'll find on the unfortunate posthumous
Lioness CD.
3. Bad As Me
It is pretty much a novelty song but Tom Waits gives us an
amazing thing. I am not sure how many times you would
want to hear this but... Yikes!
4. Richie & Ruben
Another hilarious and infectious song by Fountains Of
Wayne. Well crafted and lnstantly likeable. Too bad the CD
wasn't all this good.
5. Montezuma
My favorite from the Fleet Foxes CD which has a number a
cool songs.
6. Oceanea
Thomas Dolby's beautiful return, though the CD is a
bumpy ride.
7. Chinatown
Destroyer is the most unfortunate name for an artist.
Makes one think of Kiss. This is nothing like that.
8. Dear Avery
The Decemberists. What a productive band. What a great
song.
9. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
A Coldplay song that doesn't immediately sound like a
Coldplay song. I liked it.
10. Wild World
Marc Cohn's attempt at a comeback with his CD Listening
Booth 1970. A surprising and likeable remake of this Cat
Stevens gem. Check out his Maybe I'm Amazed. A very cool
album too.
11. Lonely Boy / Run To You <> The Black Keys
12. The Walk <> Mayer Hawthorne
13. Shell Games <> Bright Eyes
14. Love Shines <> Ron Sexsmith
15. My Country <> tUnE-yArDs (a very interesting artist)
16. Blind Pilot <> We Are The Tide
17. Being Green <> Andrew Bird
18. Wonderful <> My Morning Jacket
19. Lana Del Rey <> Video Games
20. Can't Keep <> Eddie Vedder ( a pretty horrifying CD)
Why no Adele? Sorry... Couldn't do it for some reason.
Big Snoozes of the Year
Snooze #1. Peter Gabriel <> New Blood
> a big orchestra & a morphine drip
Snooze #2 Kate Bush <>
50 words for Snow
> should be called 10 words for sleep
Snooze #3 Fiest <> Metals
> It took 3 years to make this???
1,2,3...snooze....
Big Big Mistakes of 2011
Pet Shop Boys <> The Most Incredible Thing
Music for a ballet<> An incredible disappointment
Paul McCartney <> Ocean's Kingdom
Better than another batch of sub par pop songs or yet,
another live album, but away from it's ballet, it is entirely
forgettable music.
THE BEST BOOK I READ... ( and I read a lot ).
A first-time diplomat thinks he can
change the criminal mentality of the
Hitler goverment.
Fascinating read about this royal 1%.
WWI was unavoidable with these pinheads running
the show....
I don't think this was a very good year for complete albums
but there were lots of amazing songs.
but there were lots of amazing songs.
TwoMoonMusic.com
Both are Non Fiction
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