Ask 411 Music 01.13.06: The Weird Edition
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 01.13.2006
New Ryan Adams and Strokes, Dennis Agajanian, the Party Shuffle returns, Weird Al takes on the world, the (ex) Champ Is Here!, and a bonus look back at 2005 thats too hot for 411!
What's going on amigos? Mitch Michaels back at you with the first "Ask 411 Music" of 2006. Who would've thought it would last this long? Well, why the hell wouldn't it, dick?
I picked up a couple new CDs at Best Buy with my Christmas gift cards. The first was the DualDisc version of Ben Folds' Songs For Silverman. I've been enjoying Folds' EPs that he's been quietly releasing since Rockin' The Suburbs, but I just wasn't interested in this one when it first dropped last April. Wrong time of year, too many good CDs coming out, who knows? Well, with my new surround sound setup, I got interested in hearing what they'd do with someone like Ben Folds in 5.1. Well, the answer is, unfortunately, not much. I wish bands would utilize that 5.1 mixing a little better on these DualDisc and other similar formats, but, so far, I haven't found too many albums that benefit much from the expanded sound. That said, Songs For Silverman turned out to be a great album, and I especially enjoy songs like "Bastard", "Landed" and "Late" (the understated tribute to Elliot Smith). The video portion of the DualDisc is pretty fun and interesting, too.
Longtime readers might not believe this, but I also picked up the newest Ryan Adams disc, 29. Why? Well, believe it or not, Heartbreaker (Adams' solo debut) is one of my Top 25 or so all-time albums and I'd read that 29 was going to be a return to that form for Adams: acoustic guitar, piano and vocals. Well, it is and it isn't. While the basic fact is true, the production is way different. More polished, which takes away from the intimate feel that Heartbreaker nailed. Of course, you could forgive that if the songs didn't flat out suck. Sorry folks, avoid this one like you have all the other ones since Gold.
I also picked up the shiny new Strokes CD, First Impressions Of Earth, at my local Sam Goody (with another Gift Certificate, and only paid $6.99 at that, bitch!). I'm still listening to it, but I would say it's better than the dismal Room On Fire, but still miles away from their stellar debut Is This It. The songs on this one sound great, but the lyrics just aren't there. Maybe after I live with it for a while I'll change my mind.
Busy 2 weeks for me musically, as I also caught San Diego-based acoustic guitarist Dennis Agajanian at Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, VA last Sunday. Agajanian holds the Guinness record for fastest acoustic flat picking, and he definitely showed that off Sunday evening. But he also pulled out some stellar songs, ranging from bluegrass (the mountain-flavored "Hear Jerusalem Moan") to country (the awesome "Outlaw" and "Come To The Rock", as well as a cover of "The Cowboy Song", which was kind of weird to hear in a church) to hymns (a great closing sing-along on the classic "Nothing But The Blood") to classical (a moving guitar version of Bach's "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring"). It really was a great performance, and I suggest catching this guy if he's coming to a church or concert hall near you. In fact, here's his schedule for the rest of the month:
Jan 15, 2006 - Lancaster, OH (Fairfield Christian Church)
Jan 22, 2006 - San Francisco, CA (Regeneration Church)
Jan 22, 2006 - Fremont, CA (Calvary Chapel Fremont)
Jan 27, 2006 - Vienna, VA (McLean Bible Church)
Jan 29, 2006 - Apex, NC (Calvary Chapel Cary)
Jan 31, 2006 - Manila, Philippines (Fanklin Graham Festival)
So check him out. If you think church music is always boring then YOU'RE boring.
Do The iTunes Party Shuffle
If you use iTunes, you probably know all about the mysterious Party Shuffle. I hate the feature, and it always has the oddest selections, no matter how much I tweak it. So, just to make it good for something, here's my iTunes Party Shuffle this week with some comments:
Clint Black "Nobody's Home" This is one of the amazing five Top Ten hits from Black's debut Killin' Time, not to mention a really fucking depressing song. It's all about a guy and his routines and how everything's on autopilot since "she" left. Seriously, this is hurtin' country at its most basic.
O.A.R. "Coalminer" This is from their 2003 release In Between Now & Then, and is one of the better sounding cuts on the album. The song is a kid's point of view about his dad, a restless coal-miner by day and musician by night, who one day up and left. As ho-hum lyric-wise as it sounds.
KJ-52 "One" A cut from KJ's latest, Behind The Musik, this sounds more like it was drawn from his debut album 7th Avenue, as it is stylistically the same. Kind of "old school", if you will. All about Jesus, the "one love, one God, one way". It's a good album closer.
The Tractors "Baby Likes To Rock It" If you blinked during 1995, you may have missed The Tractors, and that would be a damn shame. This Oklahoma group burst onto country radio with this weird ass number that name checked Jerry Lee Lewis and the "go-go, go-go dancer just a-showin' off her chest". It was so strange for country radio at the time, and hell, it still sounds strange, but damn does this swing. If you ever get a chance to check out any of The Tractors' other material (their self-titled debut is still ranked high on my list), just do it. These guys know what they're doing and do it great.
Alabama "Christmas In Dixie" - Well, fuck you Shuffle. This is a few weeks late. This is one of my favorite non-traditional Christmas songs. This track from one of country music's most enduring bands just perfectly states that feeling that everyone feels about Christmas. It's a personal thing that can't be wrapped up or pinpointed, because we all have those different memories from different parts of the US, but the spirit's always the same. Good stuff.
Lucero "My Best Girl" - Lucero is my new favorite band of 2006. Fuck the other 50 weeks, I've found them. Some kick-ass alt. country in the vein of Drive-By Truckers and Uncle Tupelo, Lucero have been around since 2001, but are just now gaining national exposure, thanks in part to the recently released Aaron Goldman documentary Dreaming In America. This is a great number from their self-titled debut, and I'm not gonna describe it, go listen to it! "The only girl a boy can trust is his guitar".
ASK411 MUSIC
We're ultra-light on questions this go round, and our first e-mail is actually a correction from last time's Weird Al question:
From Al's official web site (www.weirdal.com):
AL IN THE STUDIO!
Al has finished recording and mixing the first six songs for his new album. No word yet on when he and the band will be going back in the studio, but we'll keep you posted!
Bottom line: Given the fast production schedule Al tends to use (to keep his parodies timely), your reader can probably expect a new Weird Al-bum sometime in 2006.
Cheers,
--
Tom Head
author, "The Absolute Beginner's Guide to the Bible" (Que/Pearson)
editor, "Conversations with Carl Sagan" (Univ. Press of Mississippi)
Thanks for the info, Dr. Head. You do realize your last name is funny, right? Just saying. I actually checked out Al's website first when checking Al out last time, but the news section doesn't seem to have any sort of discernable organization, and the studio news was buried pretty deep. There's no date associated with this post, but I agree, seems we'll be able to hear some new Weird Al material this year or early next.
There's some numbers I've always wanted to run with Al, so let's try this:
On the surface, "Weird Al" Yankovic may seem unsuccessful, or even a joke. I mean, look at his job: he takes popular songs and rewrites them into something silly, usually about food, then adds an accordion, and boom, he's done. But when you think about his genre (humor and novelty songs), Weird Al has outlasted them all. How many comedy songwriters have had 11 albums chart on the Billboard 200, or have had 8 Billboard Hot 100 singles over the course of 20+ years? Or hell, 3 Grammys! How many artists of any genre can say that? And why? Because Al is smart, funny and a great musician. His voice is unique but not grating, he and his band's ability to ape certain genres and somehow do it with humor is amazing, and he's a likeable guy, so you want Al to win.
Popular Al-lore concludes that "Al has had a better career than most of the bands he has parodied". Is this statement true? Let's take a look at the cold, hard facts. (First, the rule is, I'm only counting parodies. No polka inclusions, and no "in the style of" songs, such as "Bob" (Bob Dylan) or "Dare To Be Stupid" (Devo). So don't bitch that I left stuff out, bitch. All chart histories are from Billboard.)
Billy Ray Cyrus ("Achy Breaky Heart" vs. "Achy Breaky Song") The race between the curly haired one and the mulleted one is actually a little closer than you'd think. Cyrus, of course, had a ton of success in country and pop with his debut album Some Gave All and his follow-up It Won't Be The Last, partly due to the fertility of country music at that time (early 90's), partly because of the maddening success of the line-dance classic "Achy Breaky Heart", and partly because, hell, he put out some good songs. Cyrus is still around today; he released a gospel album in 2004 that was well received in the CCM and country communities. Both Al and Cyrus have had some TV success ("The Weird Al Show" vs. that doctor show Billy Ray had, both of which were cancelled pretty quick). In the end, though, Al has had a much longer and steadier career than Billy Ray, with a brighter future ahead.
Winner: Al (1-0)
Robert Palmer ("Addicted To Love" vs. "Addicted To Spuds") Another close race, Robert Palmer began making music in the mid-70's, but his biggest boom was during the 80's with his 2 Grammy award winning singles "Addicted To Love" and "Simply Irresistible". Palmer was active before and after his peak period, with critically well received jazz and R&B albums in both the 70's and the early 90's. Palmer began to grow fairly quiet following 1992, with a few under the radar releases here and there. Al does have Palmer in the "still breathing" area, as Palmer died in 2003. In the end, Palmer garnered 13 Top 200 albums and 15 Top 100 Singles over his 28 year career, just edging Al out by a nose.
Winner: Robert Palmer
Billy Idol ("Mony Mony" vs. "Alimony") Another push, as when Billy Idol was hot, he was REALLY hot. Idol got his start the same year as Al (1983), and had 5 Top 200 albums under his belt when "Mony Mony" came out in 1987. Idol didn't last much longer, though, as he kind of fell off the musical radar once the 90's rolled around. Idol has been enjoying a career resurgence over the last few years, though, with a few hot singles following a VH1 concert appearance. Overall, I have to say Al's career has been steadier, despite Billy's bigger boom period.
Winner: Al (2-1)
Coolio ("Gangsta's Paradise" vs. "Amish Paradise") For a few years in the mid-90's, Coolio was flat-out the man. He made gritty urban rap that was accessible to pop fans and, while that isn't revolutionary today, it was almost unheard of in 1994. Before "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio had already been simmering on the charts, but it was that Grammy award winning #1 that took the man to new heights. Things quieted down after 1997's My Soul, though, and a chance at reemergence with El Cool Magnifico in 2002 bombed.
Winner: Al (3-1)
Queen ("Another One Bites The Dust" vs. "Another One Rides The Bus") Despite their decline leading up to Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, and their virtual inactivity following the loss of their lead singer (although a reunion is going on now), it's hard to argue that Queen didn't have an amazing career while they were around, including a stellar 23 Top 200 albums, which admittedly includes tons of retrospectives and live sets. Still, it would be hard for Al to mount an offense against rock legends like Queen.
Winner: Queen
Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Under The Bridge"/"Give It Away" vs. "Bedrock Anthem") Damn, this one is hard. RHCP came onto the scene in 1984, a fun blend of funk and punk. 1991 saw them finally hit the big time, with the back to back success of "Under The Bridge" and "Give It Away" from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magic. But that was just the beginning for the band, as a string of big hits have followed since then, including their peak moment, 1999's Californication. The band is still going strong today and is considered one of the most unique and influential alt-rock bands on the radio. While the band and Al have both reached similar numbers, I would say the successes of the Chili Peppers have been bigger successes. Sorry Al.
Winner: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Men Without Hats ("Safety Dance" vs. "The Brady Bunch") I covered Men Without Hats back in my Two Hit Wonders piece a few months ago. Bottom line, a couple good years in the 80's isn't gonna be enough to take down Al Yankovic.
Winner: Al (4-3)
U2 ("Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" vs. "Cavity Search) When Al took on "Hold Me", the U2 hit from the mid-90's flick Batman Forever, he knew he was taking on a legend. Since 1981, Bono and the boys have become one of the most revered units in the rock realm. Just look at the stats: 15 charted albums (6 #1s), 28 charted pop singles (2 #1s) and 14 Grammys over a 26 year career. Sorry Al.
Winner: U2
Avril Lavigne ("Complicated" vs. "A Complicated Song") Avril burst onto the national scene in 2002 with a blend of teeny pop and punk-lite image that was in immediate contrast to the statutory dance diva trend of the time. The result was immediate success and near-immediate over-saturation of her debut smash "Complicated". The album Let Go was also a big success, as was her follow-up, 2004's Under My Skin. Though Avril shows no sign of slowing down, her 3 years on top barely can qualify past "flash in the pan" status, so Al's got her on longevity alone for now.
Winner: Al (5-4)
Eminem ("Lose Yourself" vs. "Couch Potato") If the rumors are true (and they ain't), now's a great time for an Eminem retrospective, considering he's all but retired. Em, as a friend of Dr. Dre, took the world by storm with the quirky "My Name Is" in 1999, but he has ruled the mainstream rap world with his sometimes fun, sometimes poppy, always profanity laden hip-hop ever since. Still riding high on the success wave, Eminem starred in the semi-biographical pic 8 Mile in 2002. Sure, Al has UHF to counter back with, but then you'd have to mention that Em's "Lose Yourself" from the soundtrack was not only a smash #1, but also an Academy Award winning performance. While Al may have Eminem on endurance (Em hasn't even been around for a decade yet), numbers don't lie, and 5 hit albums, 16 high charting singles and 9 Grammy Awards are something that are gonna be remembered for a while. Too bad he didn't let Al make a video, though.
Winner: Eminem
Michael Jackson ("Beat It" vs. "Eat It", "Bad" vs. "Fat") This one's a no-brainer, and while years of scandal have severely damaged the public perception of the Gloved One, even Al himself would admit that Michael Jackson will ultimately be remembered as a legend in the music biz.
Winner: Michael Jackson
Backstreet Boys ("I Want It That Way" vs. "eBay") In 1996, the Backstreet Boys came along and revamped a long dead genre: boy bands. With their mix of good looks, danceable tunes, sweet R&B harmonies and unbridled pop, the Backstreet Boys defined the genre that generated more clones in just a few years than can be counted. In the late-90's, the Backstreet Boys ruled. Until N*Sync came along, anyway. But they had a good run of hit album (5 to date), and 2005 saw a career resurgence of the band. Unfortunately, it's gonna take a few more years of success to convince me that the Boys will be remembered in the end as a hit making machine instead of just an answer to a pop trivia question.
Winner: Al (6-6)
Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun" vs. "Girls Just Want To Have Lunch") In a way, the early careers of Weird Al and Cyndi Lauper parallel each other. Both got their start in the early 80's and both can attribute a lot of their initial success to the early days of MTV. While Cyndi had an unmatched run on top to begin with, she's still managed to carve a niche for herself in modern days, with a good enough fan base to merit a charting 2005 album, The Body Acoustic. Still, you can sort of graph Cyndi's career as a downward sloping line, while Al's is more of a straight one. In the end, straight and steady wins.
Winner: Al (7-6)
Cherry Poppin' Daddies ("Zoot Suit Riot" vs. "Grapefruit Diet") Remember the swing revival? No? Maybe? Well, "Zoot Suit Riot" was one of the more interesting hits from that era. The Daddies got their start as a swing/ska band in 1990, but it was this hit in 1998 that brought them their taste of fame. The band pretty much called it quits in 2001, and with only one charting single and album under their belt, Weird Al laughs in their face.
Winner: Al (8-6)
The Presidents Of The United States Of America ("Lump" vs. "Gump") In 1995, hot on the heels of the alterna-rock explosion, P.U.S.A. tuned up their 5 strings and cashed in with a couple of big songs ("Lump" and "Peaches"). The band took a long hiatus after their follow-up album, and then reactivated in 2000. They're still making music today, but can only be known as a two hit wonder to anyone but their most hardcore fans.
Winner: Al (9-6)
Crash Test Dummies ("Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" vs. "Headline News") The Crash Test Dummies were an eccentric acoustic rock group from the early 90's. They had a little bit of success with their debut album in 1991, The Ghosts That Haunt Me, but it was the follow-up, 1993's God Shuffled His Feet, that produced the big hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". The band was unable to capitalize, though, and have more or less disbanded going into this millennium. Frontman Brad Roberts does release albums under the band name, though, from time to time. In the end, the Dummies can only claim 2 charting albums and a handful of hits.
Winner: Al (10-6)
El DeBarge ("Who's Johnny" vs. "Here's Johnny") El DeBarge was the lead singer of 80's R&B group DeBarge until the mid-80's, when he decided he could make it on his own. He floundered around during 1985, but the next year brought him his big hit, "Who's Johnny" from the Short Circuit soundtrack. Following Number 5's big screen success, DeBarge sunk back into oblivion. And another one rides the bus.
Winner: Al (11-6)
MC Hammer ("U Can't Touch This" vs. "I Can't Watch This") For better or for worse, Hammer will always be remembered for bringing rap to a mass audience with the 1990 mega-hit "U Can't Touch This" from his sophomore release Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em. But while Hammer put out a couple of successful follow-ups, by 1995 he was all but a memory. He's still around (re:alive) today, after trying to kick start his career multiple times, but while Al is popping up for funny commentary on the VH1 talking head shows, Hammer is more in the desperate category in the VH1 "Surreal Life" set.
Winner: Al (12-6)
Greg Kihn Band ("Jeopardy" vs. "I Lost On Jeopardy") The Greg Kihn Band actually had a decent run in the early 80's, with minor hits like "The Breakup Song", "Happy Man", "Love Never Falls" and, of course, their #2 hit "Jeopardy". Of course, the year after they broke with "Jeopardy", people were left saying, "Who the fuck are the Greg Kihn Band?"
Winner: Al (13-6)
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts ("I Love Rock N' Roll" vs. "I Love Rocky Road") The actual combo of Jett and The Blackhearts only lasted for a couple of years in the early 80's, but in that time, they charted 5 singles, including the #1 "I Love Rock N' Roll". They got back together in 1999 for the album Fetish, but that went nowhere. As far as Joan Jett goes, I think her contribution to the rock world is entirely overestimated, but I do give her credit as the rare woman who was a rocker first and a female second, paving the way for great bands like The Donnas today. Longevity's gotta give it to Al, though.
Winner: Al (14-6)
Tiffany ("I Think We're Alone Now" vs. "I Think I'm A Clone Now") Though Tiffany will always hold a place in history as the founder of mall music, as well as a girl who had a bunch of hits in the late 80's, the fact remains that she hasn't charted a single since "Radio Romance" in 1989.
Winner: Al (15-6)
Huey Lewis & The News ("I Want A New Drug" vs. "I Want A New Duck") You may not realize it, but Huey Lewis & The News really ruled the 80's, with something like 20 charted singles and 8 albums in the Top 200. Stylistically, their music sounds pretty light and dated, but that doesn't keep it from being good rock for the time. It also didn't prevent them from scoring several #1 hits, before and after "Drug" had its stay on the radio. I'm tempted to call for a tie here, since Al's been around longer, but Huey & The News had a better run at the top. Aw, hell, we'll give it to The News. Insert American Psycho reference here.
Winner: Huey Lewis & The News
Tone Loc ("Wild Thing" vs. "Isle Thing") Before MC Hammer, there was Tone Loc, who's rough and sexy hit "Wild Thing" landed him the second rap album (Loc-ed Out) ever to top the pop charts in 1989. The follow-up single, "Funky Cold Medina" was a big hit, too. Following the failure of his follow-up, 1991's Cool Hand Loc, Tone abandoned music for acting. While Ace Ventura: Pet Detective may have done a little better than UHF at the box office, I think Al's the easy winner here.
Winner: Al (16-7)
Puff Daddy ("It's All About The Benjamins" vs. "It's All About The Pentiums") Despite the confusion over his name (what's he going by the week?), if you heard a hit rap/R&B song in the 90's, odds were good that Puffy and Bad Boy Entertainment had their fingerprints on it. If you only considered his 4 hit albums, 11 hit singles, 2 Grammys and recent inactivity, you could probably give this one to Al in a close race, but when you consider Diddy's career as a whole, both on the mic and behind the boards (and the desk), you cannot ignore his success.
Winner: P. Diddy
Barenaked Ladies ("One Week" vs. "Jerry Springer") Though they had been favorites in Canada for much of the mid-90's, it was 1998's "One Week" that really broke BNL stateside. Ever since, the radio has never been at a loss to play a catchy or quirky tune by these musical cads from the north. While the Ladies have endured quite a career before and after their flirtation with TRL success, they still need a few more years of activity and quality output under their belt before I could put their career at Weird Al-level.
Winner: Al (17-8)
Damn, and that's all of that I can handle today. Next column I'll do the concluding Part 2 with 26 more acts! Can Al hold onto his commanding lead? Tune in next time to find out!
Reader Chuka, who has something to do with "setline", brings up a question that's a bit outdated following WWE New Year's Revolution:
Hey whatsup....?
How are you doing...?
I'm fine..
Well, my question is:
What do you think off WWE Champion John Cena...?
And what do you think of his cd...?
Greetsz,
Chuka
Hey, I'm doing good. Uh, thanks.
As far as ex-WWE Champ John Cena goes, I really dig his debut album with his cousin Tha Trademarc. For those not in the know, John Cena parlayed his career as a WWE wrestler into a side project as a rapper last year. Admittedly, I'm a fan of some bad rap, but I think the production on You Can't See Me (done by Eligh of Living Legends fame) and a good deal of the songs are top notch. I like the testosterone-fueled swagger on the album, the rude humor, it's all good, and it doesn't take itself too seriously while it also doesn't take itself too lightly, either. I think Cena & Co. come out with a good blend. The album didn't set the world on fire, but it did reach #15 on the Billboard charts. And while you'd think critics would be salivating to ream a product like this, it pretty much came back with a "Hey, it's not too bad", which is quite a feat in and of itself. The single "Bad, Bad Man" (with Freddy "Bumpy Knuckles" Foxx) did get some decent reviews, though, even though I think the "A-Team" inspired video could've been done better. All in all, though, I like a lot of the rhymes and songs on You Can't See Me, and I think if Cena ever gets some more time to really concentrate on studio work, and can surround himself with the right kind of people, we may see a really good sophomore effort.
EXCLUSIVE: MORE OF THE BEST OF 2005
Well, I've really stretched our 2 questions this week, but that's not all we've got for you. See, due to some kind of mix-up, I wasn't included in much of 411's 2005 Year In Review feature. I did write up my most memorable and top ten albums of the year, though, and since they wound up not getting posted, I thought I'd make that exclusive here. So if you're not sick of 2005 retrospectives by mid-January, allow me to throw in one last look at the year that was.
Most Memorable Albums
For good or bad, these are some of the albums that really left a mark on me from 2005:
Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound - This album really stuck with me. Not for how good it was, but how it managed to tread just enough water to please critics and new fans alike. There is nothing on this CD that Beautiful Letdown didn't do and do better.
90's Rock New Releases - There was one word for most of the new records by my favorite 90's rockers: underwhelming. When I was compiling my year end list, it astounded me how much this talented group of artists seems to have fizzled into the new decade. Less than stellar releases by everyone from Sheryl Crow (Wildflowers was a major yawn fest) to Weezer (Make Believe, the first album I've ever heard to NOT benefit from Rick Rubin) to Beck (Guero, a return to form my ass) to Hootie & The Blowfish (Looking For Lucky, every song could be a single my ass) to the late, great Nirvana (Sliver was just an unnecessary reminder of how crappy last year's box really was) crowded the CD bins this year and hardly made a dent. With no one out there to fill the void of this kind of music, it seems that alt rock may really be in jeopardy in 2006.
The Killers - Hot Fuss - Sure, this album wasn't released in '05, but this really was the year of The Killers. With 3 big radio hits and their quirky videos, the band is stylistically a throw-back to the 80's with a sound that's totally refreshing if not fresh.
Foo Fighters - In Your Honor - Dave Grohl almost killed his own album. I mean, this guy IS rock right now, and we trust him, so when he sung the praises so high for the latest Foo Fighters release, people got amped. And then people got disappointed. It wasn't that the album was bad (cause it was really, really good), but the acoustic/electric 2-disc set just sounded so epic that no end result could please us.
Mitch Michaels' Top Ten Albums Of 2005
Last time I listed my favorite tracks of last year. Well, this week I'm giving you my favorite albums, a much harder category to rank in. My only criteria is that the release date had to be in 2005 and that I had to have actually bought the album (how can you say an album is your favorite if you don't own it?)
10. Aerosmith - Rockin' The Joint: Live At The Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas: This is a single disc live set by one of the greatest rock acts of all time. Rockin' The Joint proves that this band still knows how to play hard, even thirty years after "Dream On" hit the airwaves. It's also a chronicle of how awesome Joe Perry is on the axe. The set boasts a bunch of songs that are rarely played live, so it's also a favorite for fans.
9. Will Smith - Lost And Found: After a few missteps in his post-Fresh Prince career, it seems like Big Will has finally found his groove again. Smith gives some of his peers hell on this one, which is interesting to hear, but he also keeps it fun while managing to update his style to both blend with and blow away more modern hip-hop.
8. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan: This album was a critical darling before the first note was written. But if you can get past the hype, you find that Jack and Meg White really do make some tight, awesome songs that blend genres so deftly, you literally don't know what the hell you're hearing. They continue this on their latest, and you like it.
7. V/A - Elizabethtown: Music From The Motion Picture - Songs To Drive & Live By: This movie sure looked like it sucked, but a Cameron Crowe soundtrack always delivers and this one was no exception. With stellar tracks by folks like Tom Petty, Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket, this CD truly is an experience worth having.
6. Wednesday 13 - Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying & The Dead: This is such a fun set, I just had to include it for my year end wrap up. Wednesday 13 (formerly of the Murderdolls) revels in his horror metal genre, and instead of catering to the menacing (a la Danzig) he reveals a lighter side of a genre that sometimes gets too serious. That's not to say the music isn't great: both the lyrics and the riffs on this one roar.
5. Drive-By Truckers - Gangstabilly/Pizza Delivarance: Although not technically new, DBT's first two albums were virtually impossible to find until they were re-released by New West this past January. The songs here have become concert staples over the years, so fans were clamoring for a taste of the studio versions. While more country flavored than the band's recent offerings, these CDs show that DBT has always been about rocking a crowd's ass off by any means necessary.
4. The Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart: While it might not measure up to the band's 2002 release Red Letter Days, Sweetheart is quite possibly the most honest and clever set of songs written in years. The current Wallflowers four-piece line-up really gels on this album, and there is something beautiful to discover at every turn.
3. Audio Adrenaline - Until My Heart Caves In: Seeing a band in concert always increases my interest in them, and Audio A is no exception. The songs on this CD rock hard but still keep the free musical experimentation that characterized previous AA records. Until My Heart Caves In almost sounds like the beginning of a new chapter for this CCM staple, and I'm interested to see what's to come.
2. Garth Brooks - The Limited Series: So much surrounding this album, with the exclusivity to Wal*Mart, the Black Friday release, etc., it's easy to lose sight of what's inside the box. What you get are Brooks' last two studio albums (Sevens, which just may be the best country album of the 90's, (and I'm including No Fences), and Scarecrow a swan song that was a bit disappointing but still carried some great tracks), Double Live, a CD souvenir of country's greatest entertainer, and a whole disc of unreleased studio stuff spanning Garth's 12-year recording career. While the "new" stuff is a little bit hit or miss, it's "The Old Stuff" that will keep country fans still waiting for Brooks' ultimate return.
1. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor: I mentioned this album's undoing hype in the "Memorable Albums" section, but when it comes down to it, the Foos have put together another kick ass CD. While every song isn't awesome, the great ones truly deliver, and the emotion and urgency behind them weren't reached by another band this year. Songs like the title track and "Best Of You" will outlast even the band, and I do expect to see more of In Your Honor on "Best Ever" lists for years to come.
