I bought a whole lot of albums again this year from many different genres. I think I ended up with around forty that were released in 2007. Here’s what I’ve chosen for my top twenty:
1. GRINDERMAN: I picked this as the best album of the year because it’s one of the most daring. GRINDERMAN is made up of Nick Cave and three members of The Bad Seeds. Nick Cave wanted to change things up, so he tossed aside his piano and learned to play guitar about a month before they went into the studio. And play he does, in a squalling, grating, bluesy kind of way – what I like to call “beautiful noise.” The other members of the band include Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos and Martyn Casey. Warren Ellis, who is usually limited to playing the violin in the Bad Seeds, also plays some different instruments. He cuts loose with an electric bouzouki and creates a stunning array of sounds. Before going into the studio, the band members suggested to Nick Cave that, since it wasn’t a Bad Seeds project, he should stay away from songs about God and love and try his hand at some other subjects. Nick came up with some great songs like “Electric Alice,” and for that song the band produced some strange noises that sound like a wave of synaptic firings across your skull. The eponymous title track is an electric blues song with a guitar solo that starts off with Nick Cave plugging the amp jack into his guitar to create some nasty feedback. The standout track is a humorous song titled “No Pussy Blues” that is about an aging performer who has a girlfriend who “just doesn’t want to” no matter how hard he tries. In an interview, Nick said the song “is the howl in the dark of the Everyman.”
2. Kings of Leon – Because of the Times: This band of brothers had been on the periphery for me up until this year. I’d heard them on the radio and in a TV commercial, but I didn’t really pay attention until I heard “Black Thumbnail” on The Roadhouse. I bought the album shortly before they played at Bumbershoot, and went to the show not knowing what to expect. They put on a great show. The album became my most listened to CD for the next two months.
3. P.J. Harvey – White Chalk: This one is kind of Nick Cave in reverse. Polly put away her guitar and learned to play the piano. It’s a short album of sparsely instrumented compositions centered around a piano that is often times used as a percussion instrument. P.J. sings the sorrowful sometimes spooky songs in a haunting soprano voice. It all adds up to a very beautiful sounding record that I’ve found myself listening to over and over.
4. John Doe – A Year in the Wilderness: I’ve been a huge fan of John Doe for twenty-five years or so. I love this guy’s voice. He gets help on this short, twelve-song album from Dave Alvin, Jill Sobule, Kathleen Edwards, Dan Auerbach (from The Black Keys), Greg Leisz and Aimee Mann.
5. Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band – Magic: The album sounds like a throwback album. On first listen, I thought it sounded much like Born in the USA and The River. The themes of the songs on the album are similar to stuff he’s done in the past, but updated for current times. This is a political album. Without naming names, it addresses the trickery that got us into the war and keeps us there, the importance of upholding American Ideals, profiteering by giant corporations, the human cost of war, and the grief of losing loved ones in what we all knew would be a fiasco.
6. Chuck Prophet – Soap and Water: This is another artist that I knew about but never really listened to very much. This year I listened to an NPR interview of him, bought his album, and went to his show at The Tractor Tavern a couple weeks later. Great album, great show. I’m a fan now.
7. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: Another great album full of catchy tunes.
8. I’m Not There soundtrack: A two disc set loaded with 33 Dylan covers and one Dylan original. I picked the Cat Power cover of “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” because it’s got a great Memphis soul groove going. Other standout tracks are by John Doe, Mark Lanegan, Jeff Tweedy, Tom Verlaine, and the list goes on and on. If like Dylan, you’ll love this CD. You might even love it if you don’t like Dylan.
9. Tom Brousseau – Grand Forks: I really had no clue who this guy was when I walked down to Sonic Boom to check out his in-store performance. Why go? Because I wanted to go see Hillary Hahn, a virtuoso violinist who played on his album and was touring with him. I liked the quirky little songs this guy sang in a high voice that at times reminded me of Hank Williams. “Plaid Lined Jacket” is a great song, and Hillary Hahn doesn’t even play on it. Check out “Blue Part of the Windshield” to hear the violin, and “Fork in the Road” to hear some John Doe harmony. He released another album much later in the year. I better check that one out too.
10. Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back: I saw Mavis at Bumbershoot a couple years ago, and she didn’t sound all that good. Kind of raspy. I thought maybe she’d lost. Turns out it was just a bad day for her. She still has pipes, and you can hear them on this album. It’s produced by Ry Cooder who plays guitar on the album and contributes a song or two.
11. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights: Speaking of pipes, Sharon Jones has them. My god this woman can sing. She’s backed up by the Daptone Records house band, The Dap Kings. An eight pieced funk/soul band that play super tight like the old Tower of Power. This album sounds like it was recorded thirty years. I think they might be using period instruments and making analog recordings. Sounds big and juicy.
12. Mary Gauthier – Between Daylight and Dark: This is the first album I’ve bought by this artist. It’s a Joe Henry production that has mostly spare arrangements that showcase Mary’s voice and the song lyrics. Her writing reminds me of Dylan. Looking forward to seeing her at The Tractor next month.
13. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black: Modern soul sung by a lovely lady covered in tattoos that likes to drink, shoot smack, and thinks rehab is for pussies. What more do you need to know? Oh I know… the backing band on seven of the tracks on the album, including the hit song “Rehab” is The Dap Kings.
14. Bettye Lavette – The Scene of the Crime: The Drive By Truckers do their best impression of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section as they back up Bettye on this groovin’ record. Bettye’s got pipes too. Must be the year of the pipes.
15. Ry Cooder – My Name is Buddy: A previous post from March 2007 tells you about this album.
16. The White Stripes – Icky Thump: It rocks. That’s all you need to know.
17. Ha Ha Tonka – Buckle in the Bible Belt: I first heard this band on the KEXP morning show when they were performing live in the studio (can’t remember if it was a special from New York or Chicago…) They sang an acapella version of “Hangman” that blew me away, then to close their set they played “Caney Mountain,” and I was hooked. I was too stupid to go see them live at the High Dive when they were in town the next week.
18. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II: The standout track on this album is the eighteen minute epic “Ordinary People.” Not many people can make an eighteen minute song that’s great from start to finish, but Neil can.
19. Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade: Steve moves to New York City, buys a beat box, picks up his banjo and records some city folk tunes. Lovely wife Alison Moorer provides backing vocals. It’s all good.
20. The Budos Band – The Budos Band II: Another Daptone Records band. What can I say? I like the funk.
Other notable albums in no particular order:
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter – Like, Love, Lust…, Otis Taylor – The Definition of a Circle, Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger, The Cops – Free Electricity, The Gourds – Noble Creatures, Holmes Brothers – State of Grace, Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch, Mocean Worker – Cinco de Mowow!, Prince – Planet Earth, Public Enemy – How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People…, Patti Smith – Twelve, Laura Veirs – Saltbreakers, Wilco – Sky Blue Sky, Dead Rock West – Honey and Salt.
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