Hi All,
Hope everyone had an opportunity to be at, or at least see on TV, that excellent Farm Aid Benefit concert. I watched the last couple of hours and really enjoyed what I thought was a great solo set by Dave Matthews. Neil was really good too; watching him stomp around with the native American dancers was great fun. Like others have already mentioned, I was very pleased with the way CMT handled the broadcast. Fantastic that they played each set without any interruptions. Makes for great taping :-)
If I may, I'd like to attempt a new thread. I was thinking about all the great new music I've heard in the last few months, much selected on the advice of kind and informed Rusties, who have been so gracious since I joined the list. This let me to considering my favorite albums of the last year or so. Without further ado, here they are:
1. Bruce Springsteen, "The Rising": A great comeback for the Boss. I feel like it's one of his best ever. The emotional subject matter is handled with great subtlety, and the music is great.
2. Ryan Adams, "Gold": My introduction to Ryan. Wonderful heartland rock and roll with a touch of Neil and a little bit of Rolling Stones.
3. Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot": A classic! Many picked it as their album of the year, and I can't argue.
4. Old 97's, "Satellite Rides": Twangy, alt-country band grows up. A great listen.
5. Drive-by Truckers, "Southern Rock Opera": I raved about this in a previous post. A very intelligent brand of southern rock and roll.
6. Neil Young, "Are You Passionate": Grows and grows on you. It's fascinating the way Neil never gives you what you expect.
7. Kev Russell's Junker, "Buttermilk and Butterflies": My sneak pick. A new album by the lead singer of the Gourds. A great bit of psychedlic, hillbilly, bluegrass funk, if there is such a thing. High energy, crazy fun!
8. Michelle Shocked, "Deep Natural": Michelle is a long favorite; a wonderful lyricist with a swinging folk sound. Great new album.
9. Uncle Tupelo, "89/93 An Anthology": Not al lot new here, just great music from the original "Alt-Country" band. A must have for Wilco fans.
10. Grateful Dead, "Grateful Dead perform the songs of Bob Dylan": Do I need to say more?
Honorable Mention- "Buffalo Springfield Boxed Set" : Fabulous to listen to after so many years of listening to boots with less than great sound.
By the way, these are in no particular order. Well, this has been long, but I hope not too boring. Hope you find this a topic worth discussing. I'd love to hear what you think, and see what your top ten are as well.
Cheers, Paleojack
