Let Old Acquaintances Be Forgot...

It's been, I believe, the longest break since I've kept this little journal going. December was crazy with home life, raising three wonderful but taxing children and wrapping up a college admission season that was the busiest it's ever been. I really didn't participate this year towards Christmas though I really enjoyed the holiday and the season. Everyone in my family, which for holiday's sake, included my mom and dad, my brother, his wife and two sons, my wife and three children and myself were or are all sick. My household is wiped out right now. You know you're down for the count when all you want is a night-time effervescant, a shot of Southern Comfort and to have your head on the pillow by 8:00. Tonight's going to consist of this journal, a little light reading and lights out. Two to three hours before the ball drops. I wish I had a satellite dish; I'd watch the ball drop real-time in order to crash and call it a night.

Politics is politics. Since Thanksgiving weekend, the CIA admitted to destroying videotaped torture, the Democratic "lead" Congress has given the President everything he wants, the rush to the first primaries and caucus has lead to name-calling and not much else and we've seen an assassination in Pakistan. Cripes. All I know is that we still have about 390 days left of the worst president in our nation's history.

Anywho, I wanted to "trump" Chris's Top 10 list, but I have a coupla problems. The first is that most of the cd's I own and always seem to purchase are contemporary to chapters 29 through 33 in my history book. I did find some epic music this year but a lot less than normal. That's the twins there. I did sample and contemplate several of Lefty's top ten even when the albums were first released. Spoon was there, Nationals is still there. Many coulda-shoulda-wouldas in there: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Sharon Jones and many others. I'm making two lists, top fives each; one is of new music and the other is live- and re-released recordings. So, drum roll, please...

New Music of 2007
1. Bruce Springsteen - Magic. Shocker, there, though the more I listen to it, the stronger the best cut keep getting. Edit that one, English teacher. There are still, in the vein of The Rising, that I just don't seem to get and one song that's a bit weak, but this album contains some of Bruce's best music of his career.

2. John Fogerty - Revival. Nothing more than I've already said about this one except you try re-writing your best material, only to top it!!! John's 80s records clunked; his 90s material cooked. Revival just flat rocks.

3. Willie Nile - Streets of New York. This one's technically a 2006'er but it took me so long to find it. Worth every penny and while it is a topical album, one need not know anything about NYC to appreciate this one.

4. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger. This guy continues to confound me. How can someone keep banging so much music and sound so authentic, whether it be rootsy jamming, Stonesy R&B or country? A great record, the latest in a slew of great releases over the last three or so years.

5. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. You know a record's good when you can throw it on for the first time in months and it still sings to you. This one does just that.

Honorable mentions: Ian Hunter's Shrunken Heads, Jesse Malin's In the Gutter.

2007 Top Re-releases
1. Miles Davis - Cookin' With/Steamin' With. Since finding the second two of that amazing four-piece set (newly remastered as well), I can't go a week or so without this quintet. It's classic, it's epic and it's unforgettable. I thought that Relaxin/Working were superior and what we have is an easy four-way tie.

2. U2 - The Joshua Tree. What's to say, except apologies to my brother. While I'm still not convinced the extras are worth it, it's either the whole package or nothing. I'm choosing the package.

3. Neil Young - Massey Hall, 1971. I agree with what one writer said about Harvest: Neil shoulda simply released this one and called it a day. While I have a bootleg from a month later in the tour with some of the Harvest material more fleshed out, this one's incredible in its sparse beauty. The accompanying video also reminds viewers that a young Neil did exist and he was awesome.

4. Stax Records 50th Anniversary Celebration. Two discs of pure magic. Who wouldn't want to record a Stax-type record? The history of post-World War II South (to Nixon) is all here and it's killer. A great party cd as well.

5. Bruce Springsteen - Live In Dublin. The Seeger Sessions Band was better than naysayers claim and Bruce was happier in 2006 than he was on stage in 2007. This record, the first of two in one year shows how folk music didn't start rocking with that guy from Minnesota.

honorable mention: Traveling Wilburys. First disc great, second okay. Also a slew of jazz re-releases and discoveries.

Adieu, 2007 and welcome, 2008. If I may be as blessed next year like this one, I'm in for a good one. I hope for all of your sakes that you are blessed with good health and happiness and family members that don't totally drive you insane. God bless the peace makers, though we know they don't stand a chance of getting elected. See you next year!