12/20

If at first you don't secede, try and try again! Who would have thought that on the twelfth anniversary of my (now) wife's and my dating relationship I would watch my two year old son sit on the couch and cackle to his first Mickey Mouse cartoon? One of life's little treasures.

Ah, the year's reached an end. Time for the navel-gazers and experts to tell us what this latest trip around the sun all meant. Other than health and a growing family (of course, priorities), there's the music. And, damnit, taking a cue from Lefty (with a fantastic list to boot), here's my Top 10 cd purchases of 2006. No particular order. This doesn't include the countless cds for my rock history course or the older and classic albums that stand out (sometimes even above these):


Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. British, Irish and American folk tales delivered in a timeless style that celebrates the spirit of New Orleans and the human condition. More punk than anything else seen this year.

Bob Dylan - Modern Times. Another classic from this year. Only Dylan can reinvent himself in the way he does and continue to spin successfully. Spirit On the Water? Probably the most beautiful song since his divorce album.

Bernard Fanning - Tea and Sympathy. Thank goodness for records like this, just when we're all ready to hang it up and just keep buying albums from 1973. Here's an album with the classic influences but the modern touches to make one wonder, "did this guy jam with Delaney Bramlett or play on Exile On Main Street?"

Jackie Greene - American Myth. Out of the Bay Area, this up-and-comer's "debut" is absolutely perfect from beginning to end. Like Ryan Adams' Gold from 2000 but without the pretension or the tedium of the sixteen million songs a month and a half long. Another young musician with his influences in all the right places. And he supposedly plays all of the instruments.

Derek Trucks Band - Songlines. I agree with Chris in that the only thing keeping this from being my number one is the slight overproduction the album receives. Other than that, the band's in fine form, the originals equal if not top the covers and the boys give us one doozie of a collection of songs to just slaughter live.

The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers. The Beatles joining Mott the Hoople? While I haven't absorbed this one like the others, every time I spin it I get knocked out thinking that power pop doesn't sound any better than this.

The Black Crowes - Tall/Band Sessions. While the music's from the mid-90s, one of my all-time favorite bands has released some classic bird music. I love this band, I love their songs, I love their albums and I love the fact that these boys, once labeled as "classic rock knock-offs" have created another record of timeless tunes. The album that eventually turned into Amorica's okay but the 1997 is among their best.

Alice Peakcock - Who I Am. I've always been in awe of the singer/songwriter that could deliver their heart on a platter while making me feel that I wrote that song. This, her third, is considered her weakest album. If this is the case, I'm not sure I can handle listening to what's seen as her best. She's beautiful, extremely talented and she reminds me that Sheryl Crow's soft spot can really be Joni Mitchell or Bonnie Raitt when she wants to be.

Gov't Mule - High and Mighty. Warren Haynes surpasses James Brown as the hardest working man in show business. While this album has its issues, when the band's on, look out; there's nothing as hard-hitting or brutally powerful as a Mule kick.

Branford Marsalis Quartet - Braggtown. My favorite contemporary artist, Branford makes me feel like I'm living in a time when jazz music is important. At least it is when I play his music, especiallyl this wonderful album released in September. Being able to see a couple of the songs performed from spitting distance (another post) makes this even better. If you're a jazz nut, this one needs to be in your collection yesterday.

Honorable Mentions: The Little Willies (love Norah), Emmylou and Mark Knopfler, Jack Johnson's latest that came out late last year, The Drive-by Truckers' A Blessing and a Curse (great to have been turned on to them this year). I also just picked up The Beatles Love, which I'll talk about at another date as well. Biggest bummer: Bob Seger's latest, though I'll probably spin it a couple of times over the Christmas vacation.

Up next: the best concerts of 2006...