In the days of itunes and top 40 radio, it seems as if the album is no longer important. Well it is to me, and I'm relieved to know that I'm not alone. Call me old-fashioned but when I put an album on I listen to it from beginning to end. I don't skip a slow song or fast-forward to the chorus. Maybe it's because I come from the days of cassette tape when it was just too much work to move ahead to the next song. To me a great CD is one that makes me feel. It can make me laugh, or even cry. It can make me tap my foot or sing along. It can make me play the air drums against my steering wheel while other drivers watch and shake their heads. It can make me not care that others are watching me, shaking their heads. It can make me feel alive. It can cause me to get a speeding ticket. (Thanks for nothing Zac Brown.) It just needs to make me feel SOMETHING.
I'm looking for cohesive albums that take me someplace. When I close my eyes I want to be transported to a beach in Tahiti or a protest rally in the '60's, if only for a few minutes. To those of you who say music sucks nowadays, this list is for you. While there are some good songs on the radio, most of it is boring and unambitious to me. I'm here to tell you that music is better than ever and I'm confident that this list will back me up.
For the record I should point out that I'm an unhip middle-aged white guy who may try to impress you with some hip words. I may even try to convince you that I am knowledgeable when it comes to music. Don't believe a word.
20. THE NATIONAL - HIGH VIOLET
Indie band The National, featuring baritone lead singer Matt Berninger, have struck gold with High Violet. It's probably unlike anything you will hear elsewhere. Matt is the Leonard Cohen of the new generation, without the assholishness. Since it's very unique it may take a few listens to get into it, but the hooky dominant alt chords of the acoustic guitar and the syncopated trance-like cowbell is stunning. Yeah, that's the ticket. The album really takes off at the midway point with Bloodbuzz Ohio.
Where it takes me: Atop Mt Everest with a Tibetan monk, or maybe just atop a Tibetan monk in a sleazy motel room.
Other key tracks: Runaway, Lemonworld, Sorrow
19. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Mumford & Sons may sound like a clothing store or a '70's sitcom, but they are in fact a great new band. They have an acoustic almost Maritimes folkie sound. You could call them old souls in young bodies except that sounds dirty. It's great, relaxing listening. In 'Little Lion Man' they sing "I really fucked it up this time." Anyone who admits to that deserves at least some recognition. 'Timshell' is a beautiful song about the little baby Jesus. Well either that or Rene Charles.
Where it takes me: To a small bar in Newfoundland having a pint with the laddies. Noo doot aboot it!
Other key tracks: Winter Winds, Awake My Soul, I Gave You All
18. Train - Save Me, San Francisco
Veteran rock band Train never quite equalled the success of their smash hit 'Drops Of Jupiter'. Until now. With 'Hey, Soul Sister' the band has rejuvenated itself. Full of catchy tunes and heartfelt singalongs, Save Me, San Francisco will put a glow in your heart and a lump in your pants.
Where it takes me: Fisherman's Wharf on a sunny day, with the birds, the tourists and the transvestites.
Other key tracks: Title track, Marry Me, Words
17. Tom Petty - Mojo
Tom Petty's got his mojo back. His best album since Sarah Palin was failing High School, Mojo rocks. There are no pretty ballads on here. I mean, let's face it, he makes Bob Dylan sound like Josh Groban. He has a great band and they are all in fine form on songs like 'The Trip To Pirates Cove' and 'Good Enough'. I think all music sounds better with an ipod (shameless product-placement), but this is especially true for Mojo. Well done Mr Petty, now go sit down before you break a hip.
WITM: Graceland (before Elvis died on the shitter.)
OKT: Jefferson Jericho Blues, Don't Pull Me Over
16. Sheryl Crow - 100 Miles From Memphis
Sheryl Crow's new album is all about Motown. It starts with the high tempo'd 'Our Love Is Fading' and ends with a Jackson 5 cover that you'd swear is Michael Jackson himself. I guess you could say that Ms Crow is a darker skinned Michael Jackson with a bigger nose. It's funky. It's soulful. It'll make you want to take off your underwear and throw it on her. Hopefully it doesn't stick.
WITM: Motown in the '50's and '60's. Maybe one of Gladys Knight's Pips.
OKT: 100 Miles From Memphis, Eye To Eye
15. The Black Keys - Brothers
While I call this band American alt-blues rock, I don't really know how to describe this album, so I'll just do what I always do. Use big words that don't mean anything to impress people with my 'brilliance'. Let's see. Dan and Patrick, the two members of The Black Keys, create a visceral and dynamic panacologue of archipelagic chronyism. This album is inscendiary. Actually this album has a really cool vibe to it with some interesting distorted vocals.
WITM: A blues club in New Orleans after too much Bourbon and a hit of LSD. Okay, two hits of LSD.
Key tracks: Tighten Up, Howlin' For You, These Days
14. Zac Brown - You Get What You Give
Now we're talkin'. The Zac Brown Band is the Lynyrd Skynyrd of our generation. Maybe throw in some Eagles while you're at it. They have been known lately for doing four hour shows and all seven members are brilliant musicians. 'Colder Weather' is probably the best track on here with some great old school harmonies. I can't help but sing along to that one. Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson make guest appearances but to me Zac Brown is as much souther rock as they are country, combined with a whole lot of soul.
WITM: Livin' it up at the Hotel California. (Such a lovely place.)
OKT: Let It Go, I Play The Road, Quiet Your Mind
13. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Montreal indie rockers Arcade Fire made a great album in 2010. The Suburbs contains some heavy, guitar-driven songs as well as some slower, reflective piano based tunes. They play a lot of instruments, including the Hurdy-Gurdy. I'm not sure what that is, but it's fun to say. Hurdy-Gurdy. They are good enough to be playing stadiums now, and maybe one day they'll fill them.
WITM: On a roller coaster journey, but not a lame coaster. A cool roller coaster with like loop-de-loops and stuff.
Key tracks: title track, Empty Room, Month Of May
12. Drake - Thank Me Later
I don't know much about rap yo, (did I mention I'm a middle-aged white guy?) but this is Drake's debut album and it features Alicia Keys, Nicky Minaj, T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye (he co-wrote a song). All of that and the fact that listening to these songs makes me want to wear a Mercedes logo around my neck, get a .357 Magnum tattoo, a gold tooth and find a crack ho to punch in the face makes this album worthy of my list.
WITM: The ghettos of Harlem, or Robson Street in Vancouver on a Friday night.
Key tracks: Fireworks, Over
11. Melissa Etheridge - Fearless Love
Artist, musician, humanitarian Melissa Etheridge is as good as ever on Fearless Love. This album is like having twelve children. How could I possibly pick a favorite? 'Indiana' is a piano-driven song with heartbreaking lyrics. It builds and it builds until it explodes. 'Drag Me Away' deals with her Cancer, or more accurately, about her fighting back and refusing to give up. It's powerful stuff and it rocks. Some songs have such great melodies that they don't even need music. 'Company' is one of those songs. Melissa could start it a capella and her great crowd would likely finish it for her.
WITM: Dairy Queen eating a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. I couldn't pay it a bigger compliment.
OKT: The Wanting Of You, Miss California, We Are The Ones
10. Bruno Mars - Doo Wops & Hooligans
Bruno Mars seemed to come from nowhere. He's had a couple smash hits and won a few awards, but is there any greater accolade than making my top 10? I think not. Bruno has a silky-smooth yet distinctive voice, he has the look of a star and a great debut album. (And B.O.B.'s your Uncle.) 'Just The Way You Are' was all over the radio and one of the best songs of the year. Lead track 'Grenade' is also on its way up the charts. He's my pick this year to be the next big superstar. (Past picks- Michael Buble, Lady Gaga and Milli Vanilli. Hey, two out of three ain't bad.)
WITM: On a luau on some tropical Hawaiian island featuring hula dancers with big coconuts.
OKT: The Lazy Song, Marry You
9. Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown
Who would put a song called 'The End' as the lead track? The Kings Of Leon, that's who. These guys are well on their way to becoming the biggest band in America, if Pigeons with diarrhea don't stand in their way. 'Mary' has a cool vibe to it. It has some fine background vocals and it's the one song that stood out to me on first listen. 'The Face' is a great mid-tempo song with some cool vocals. These guys have created a very ambitious album with some pop, some rock, some country. Really everything except Polka. It all works very well.
WITM: On my Grandma's front porch with a guy playing a banjo that has more strings than he has teeth.
OKT: The End, Back Down South
8. Kid Rock - Born Free
On the cover, Kid Rock is sitting in the back of a convertible, feet up on the seats, in a wheat field. The visual you get from that photo perfectly sums up this album. I call it a driving album, or more accurately a speeding album. You could also call it the lost Bob Seger album. Mr Seger even plays piano on one track. The title track is a career song for Kid Rock and it will make you want to outrun the Smokeys that are likely to be chasing you should you listen to this while driving. (Do they still call them Smokeys?)
WITM: Outrunning the Smokeys! Weren't you paying attention?
OKT: Care, Collide
7. Justin Townes Earl - Harlem River Blues
Steve Earl's son sounds a lot like his Dad, and he has just as much soul. This album would fit right in on Oh Brother Where Art Thou? It never strays from that old bluesy sound. The title track got my attention instantly. And there's even a Gospel Choir. How can it not make my list? Praise Jesus!
WITM: Death row in a Mississippi prison.
OKT: One More Night In Brooklyn, Learning To Cry
6. John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up
This album, consisting of '60's protest songs, just might be the most important album of the year. The fact that these songs are still relevant today tells us that we still haven't learned from our mistakes. (Wow, that was deep!) I don't know much about The Roots besides the fact that they are WAAAY too good for Jimmy Fallon. Mr Legend and The Roots are a perfect match on Wake Up and I can't help but feel I'm listening to a key moment in history, as well as brilliant music from beginning to end.
WITM: On a bus in the '50's with Rosa Parks, or egging BC Premier Gordon Campbell's house to protest the HST.
Key tracks: Hard Times, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
5. Ray Lamontagne And The Pariah Dogs - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise
A very similar album to Justin Townes Earl, but perhaps a little more ambitious with a more dynamic vocal. The title track is one of my favorite songs of the year. This album is exactly why God invented the tape recorder. (Allegedly.)
WITM: To another dimension in which I'm no longer an overweight balding middle-aged man.
OKT: Repo Man, New York City's Killing Me
4. Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
Infinite Arms has kind of an '80's vibe to it. It's very melodic, with some great harmonies and it's also quite unique. By my second listen I was hooked. I've probably listened to this album as much as any in the past twelve months. 'Older' is a solid, radio-friendly song that is fun to sing along to. (In key? Optional.) On 'Compliments' they sing 'Is there a God up in the air?' When I listen to this album, it makes me think that there just might be. (But then I think about the Platypus and wonder what 'God' would've created that?)
WITM: To an Allman Brothers concert in the '70's. Mushrooms optional.
OKT: Factory, Laredo
3. Vampire Weekend - Contra
I'd heard great things about Contra, and I must admit, when I bought it (Yes I buy ALL my music. I'm a firm believer in giving these often brilliant artists money so that they can continue to create more great music.) I did not like it at all. I only gave it another listen because so many critics raved about it. On second listen I loved it. It's almost like my brain needed a chance to process their unique sound. Take one part Paul Simon and one part bi-polar, World music, schizophrenic guy who plays 85 different instruments, and you've got Vampire Weekend. I listened to this album many times this year. I sang along. I played air guitar. I air drummed. I even air Zabumba'd. 'Cousins' is a great, radio-friendly rock song, and while listening to the final track 'I Think Ur A Contra' , I got the feeling there was something almost Beatlesque going on. Very cool.
WITM: On a musical journey from a beach in Jamaica, to an African village along a Crocodile-infested river, to a Shakira concert in a Buenos Aires stadium.
OKT: Horchata, Holiday, Diplomat's Son, Giving Up The Gun
2. Elton John/Leon Russell - The Union
To me there is a pretty big gap between the first eighteen albums on this list and the final two. When I first heard this album I felt that this was the next big Grammy winner. Recently it got bumped down to second but we'll get to that in a minute. (I can hear Jerry Seinfeld saying 'of all the losers, you came in first' in my head.) This is Elton John's attempt to resurrect the career of the long forgotten music legend Leon Russell. Add producer T. Bone Burnett to the mix and the results are magical. As great as the first half of this album is, the second half is where it really takes off. 'When Love Is Dying' is a great ballad and one of my favorite songs of the year. This is some of Elton's best work in years. These two pianists compliment each other very well with their different styles. (I hope there wasn't any pianist envy going on.) I think that clearly this union has brought out the best in both of them.
WITM: Back to a time when radio didn't play garbage; when image wasn't the single most important thing.
OKT: If It Wasn't For Bad, Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes, In The Hands Of Angels
1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I am not a Kanye West fan. It breaks my heart to put him atop this distinguished list. He's arrogant, out-spoken and annoying. But he's also brilliant, and he knows it. The opening track 'Dark Fantasy' is a key track because it tells the listener right away that this is no ordinary album. It's a song that I think only Kanye could've created. Following that is song after song of some of the most ambitious, unique music you will ever come across. The best song of the bunch is a stunner called 'Runaway'. In it he sings 'This is for the douchebags, this is for the assholes.' Could he be singing to himself? Kanye challenges every artist to be better, to be more ambitious. I hope more artists (the ones not on this list) will step up to the plate.
WITM: On an epic journey through time and space. Or in the line-up at the McDonald's drive-thru.
OKT: Power, All Of The Lights, Monster, Blame Game
I hope you liked my Top 20 List Of 2010's Best Albums. Now go out and BUY some of these and enjoy your journey. If you have a problem with my list, then get off your lazy ass and write your own damn list!
Tomorrow I will list my favorite songs of the year.
