21st Century Blues

Here we are, born to be kings we're the Princes of the Universe. I was not going to pick a favorite album of the entire decade because honestly I didn't think one album from the last 10 years could be good enough. I'm at an age where music just can't carry as much weight in my life as it had before (which if you read this blog you may be amazed to know this is the downsized version of my music fandom). For my favorite album I tried to think of an album that wasn't just enjoyable musically but summed up the decade for me personally. So I went through the usual suspects - Journey, Yes, Metallica, I'd say Van Halen but they didn't do anything in the way of new albums, Tom Petty, etc. and came up empty. My mind kept returning to a certain album. My internal dialogue went round and round to if I should pick this album because though I played it often it wasn't the most played album I've had either. When I ranked my Top 10 favorite albums in the year this was released I ranked this at like Number 7 or something, definitely not Number 1! But my mind won't quit on choosing this as the album that represents the last decade for me.

And so it goes, my pick for the album of the decade is a disc I didn't even pick as my favorite in the year it was released.

Sheryl Crow - Detours (2008)

The album was made at a time when Crow had been in the press a lot due to her increased outspokenness on politics, high profile break up with cyclist Lance Armstrong and bout with breast cancer. These themes are packed into the lyrics of the Detours album, grafted onto strong memorable melodies and smooth, tasteful production thanks to Bill Bottrell. By openly writing about her personal experiences and beliefs, Crow has pulled off a Jackson Browne - a disc that's relatable to others via introspection.

Detours basic message is easy to write off as hippie sentimentality, that if everyone looked in their pure hearts we would have world peace and equality. A pretty yet unrealistic point of view, but from that position Crow captures the feeling of picking up the pieces of disappointment and heartbreak on a personal, societal and political scale. The song that grabbed my attention was "Gasoline", written just before the big price increase on oil last year that voiced the frustration with getting gouged at the tank perfectly. From there I got into the deceptively carefree "Love Is Free" and the sad 70's singer songwriter pop rock of "Now That You're Gone". The rest of the album is just as good but I don't want to go on and on about every song (though I probably could). When I think of an album that says what it feels like to live in the 21st Century, this is the one I think of. So what the world needs now is some love and compassion, I guess the hippie chick has got it right after all.

Best Of The Rest Of The Decade

It's gotta be a strange twist of fate, Olivia Newton John has an important question to ask. No,it has nothing to do with getting physical.

Okee Dokee, time to start wrapping up this set of posts I haven't even gone over my favorites of '09 and the year's almost over. No cohesive theme to what's left just as Rush would say "Subdivisions"

One Nation Under A Groove

Dance sister dance, as Genesis said I can't dance but I do like dance music when it's done with a little funk. The kind of funk you get with real musicians not samples of real musicians or computer programming. So who was jammin' on the one this decade? The Red Hot Chili Peppers mellowed out a lot yet on their double disc Stadium Arcadium (2005) they mixed things up so you got the chill Chilis ("Snow"), the rock Chilis ("Dani California") and the funked up Chilis ("Tell Me Baby"). It took a little bit for this to grow on me but it has become a classic to me.

Fellow for 90's groove experts Dave Matthews Band shook off the need to sound like someone else on this year's Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King. Groo Grux is the most natural sounding DMB release since Beyond These Crowded Streets (1998) and a fine tribute to their late saxophonist Leroi Moore.

While far from his best the Purple One started a comeback in 2004 with Musicology. A nice rehash of the type of melodies and beats Prince does so well.

All About Retro Soul

A wave of nostalgia hit pop music the past few years and some artists were able to hook up with a sizable audience by performing soulful music sans hip hop cool. Train wreck Amy Winehouse led the charge with her excellent Back To Black (2006) disc. That album contained performances by the Dap Kings who were with Sharon Jones for her outstanding '07 release 100 Days, 100 Nights.

That's Retro Progress

Progressive Rock has died a million deaths yet one band that keeps the spirit alive is Dream Theater. The New York band put out new music on a regular basis my favorite of which was their softest of the decade Octavarium (2005). The singles "I Walk Beside You" and "The Answer Lies Within" were OK but hid the real pleasures of the disc such as the knotty "Panic Attack" and the absolutely epic 24 minute title song.

Meanwhile standard bearers of the Prog name Yes mustered their last studio effort, 2001's Magnification. Recorded with an orchestra in between Wakemans, Magnification is shaping up to be the classic band's last shot of new material. Outside of the silly "Don't Go" it's a treat with some nice hooks and sweeping arrangements, you know, the stuff that makes Yes great.

Guitarist Steve Howe couldn't leave things at that though, reconciling a quarter century old grudge with John Wetton to reform the original lineup of Asia. Their '08 reunion album Phoenix was more mellow than I liked but no one...wait let me restate NO ONE can deny the power of original Asia! OK, a lot of people can and do deny it but not on my watch.

Have You Never Been Mellow?

Have you ever tried - that is the question Olivia Newton John posed decades ago. And the answer is yes, I have been mellow and to prove it I have to give props to Norah Jones jazzy pop debut Come Away With Me (2002) that goes down easy like - must resist dirty metaphor - hot tea on a cold winter night. Bluegrass experts Alison Krauss and Union Station were finger pickin' good on Lonely Runs Both Ways (2004). Then Krauss went and teamed up with Led Zepper Robert Plant for their Grammy lauded team up Raising Sand (2007). And the 21st Century kicked off with a tight reunion via Walter Becker and Donald Fagan a 'la Steely Dan. 2000's Two Against Nature was a return to their tastefully clean pop rock ways.

You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Odd

We now arrive at the potpourri category of Jeopardy taking random bands for $100. Kicking it off is the one hit wonder Los Lonely Boys whose 2004 album is a treat for fans of Latin inflected Texas blues rock (I know, such a large category). Aussie retro rockers Jet converted millions to IPOD listeners with their awesome advertisement hit song "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" from the feckless Get Born disc (2003). Really belonging to the Old Timers post, Tom Petty had a pleasant mellow ride on the Highway Companion (2006) album. And just for laughs, the amazing comedy duo Flight Of The Conchords served up a very funny EP The Distant Future (2007) which I played as recently as two nights ago.

That's almost all, next up I choose my favorite CD of the 2000's so far. A hint, it's a shocker. At least it shocks me and I'm the one picking it.

Old Timers Day

Classic rockers did their best to not let Rock and Roll die, spending the decade releasing new music to their shrinking fan bases. Some proved they still had something relevant to say while others looked like they were going thru the motions.

The Future Past Of Rock And Roll

Probably the most visible (and biggest following) performer to make my list is The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. He was prolific, putting out like five albums. Of those, the one to impress me was 2007's Magic where I felt he had a good batch of songs ("Radio Nowhere", "Livin In The Future" and "Long Way Home" were highlights) and recaptured some of the 'ol E Street magic (I thought they sounded stiff on 2002's The Rising which is otherwise a good disc). The Boss's idol, or The Bosses Boss if you will, Bob Dylan, issued the excellent Love and Theft in 2001. Dylan's album had a ramshackle well worn feel alongside vibrant material (like the relaxing "Sugar Baby"). Meanwhile, Sir Paul McCartney came up with a winner on his Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (2005) by having quality tunes and a nice homemade feel. "Jenny Wren" had a great classic Beatles feel to it.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly

More prolific was Neil Young who should win the award for most faithful recreation of a 60's event by spitting out a vitriolic anti war album in Living With War (2006) which doesn't make my list for song quality yet deserves mentioning just for intent. Maybe the only 60's liberal rock survivor I can think of that used his flower power era anti establishment cred for something other than a marketable cache of cool. Agree or disagree with him, Young showed guts to stand behind his established politics even as it just made him seem that much more like a walking antique. But in terms of the actual music, I liked the acoustic Prairie Wind (2005) on which Young muses on fleeting personal mortality.

John Mellencamp also went acoustic and a little somber on Life, Death, Love and Freedom (that's probably not the right title but too tired to look up right title) the disc that turned around decades of hatred...for me that is. I hated John Mellencamp's music since 1982 yet this album grabbed my attention. This disc made me feel like American values of fairness and freedom for all were slipping through my very fingers. Impressive album.

Jackson Browne (a personal favorite of mine) also went anti war in a more low key way (because he is Jackson Browne after all) in 2008's Time The Conqueror. Browne's songwriting was as eloquent and So Cal with its laid back urgency (oxymoron alert!) as ever in an enjoyable way. And though John Fogerty made an anti war statement on the weak Deja Vu All Over Again (2004) CD, he turned it around musically by reviving his Creedence sound on Revival (2007). By getting back to his old swamp grounds Fogerty's anti Bush rants like "Gunslinger" carried more weight.

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Speaking of laid back So Cal urgency, Browne's fellow scenesters also dished out plenty of harmony driven goodness. Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had nice solo turns with Under the Skin (2006) and Trouble In Shangri La (2001) respectively, outshining their one Mac disc together the spotty Say You Will (2003). Buckingham went the acoustic route with rewarding results. The minimal instrumentation gave a break from Buckingham's usually dense production style adding freshness to head boppers like "Show You How". Ms. Nicks pumped up her resume' with a polished disc containing older songs written in her songwriting prime. Hence the outstanding numbers "Sorcerer" and "Planets Of The Universe" saw the light of day with strong results.

Meanwhile Hell froze over again thanks to The Eagles double disc smackdown Long Road To Eden (2007). While far from an astounding album, it's solid and a firm reminder of their best qualities.

Gotcha Covered

Because writing new compelling material is the ultimate challenge for every rock and roll artist, watching established performers turn to cover albums became a regular event. Of these, my favorite was the first Matthew Sweet / Susannah Hoffs team up Under The Covers Vol 1 (2006). They had a nice heartfelt vibe in paying tribute to power pop's past. Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and Tommy Shaw (Styx) also teamed up well on their paean to the early 70's with Influence (2007). Shaw / Blades had the best cover of Yes' "Your Move" ever (Sweet / Hoffs covered it in '09). In this list of Marvel Comics Team Ups I've got to throw in The Black Crowes with Jimmy Page Live At The Greek (2000) for tearin' it up on Led Zep covers. Let's face it, unless you were one of those Billionaires at the one and only Led Zep reunion show this is as close as you're gonna get to Valhalla. Bean town's Aerosmith rocked hard and well on their "blues" covers album Honkin On Bobo (2004) including a nice zipping take on "Baby Please Don't Go". Lastly, Def Leppard's best effort in the 21st Century was 2006's Yeah. Lep even got me to enjoy "Rock On", a song I personally loathe for just plain sucking in general.

Next, I'll run a catch all thru the remaining genres before naming my favorite album of the new millennium.