Here's a list I put together to submit to Monty Colvin for him to read on his podcast. He read a considerably edited version of it, but here's the unedited, raw content I sent Monty:
* - subject to change at any given moment, yadda, yadda, and yadda
15. Atomic Opera - For Madmen Only A HUGE sound on this album. This is the heaviest thing I've heard that came out of the Sam Taylor factory. If "Justice" doesn't crush your skull, you need to remove that titanium plate. "Blackness" contains really cool clean/distorted guitar contrasts, seemingly inspired by David Ohlerking of the Awful Truth. "New Dreams" is a killer anthemic closer to this amazing album.
14. The Mustard Seeds - s/t This album should have been big, but it wasn't. Led by Matt Bissonette, who is better known for his work with Joe Satriani and David Lee Roth, this band's self-titled album combines delightfully quirky lyrics with tasty harmonies that sound like King's X had figured out how to make radio friendly pop. And the album closer "King Kong" leaves you on the floor as if the big ape himself just sat on you. The only thing that really hurts this otherwise masterful power pop tour de force is the production and mastering - this album must be turned up LOUD.
13. Galactic Cowboys - The Horse that Bud Bought Gets better with every listen. Production wasn't great, but the songs were amazing. The first 4 songs slay me, and the album closer "My Life" is one of the best GC songs ever.
12. Spock's Beard - Snow A double disc concept album that actually works. Suggests both The Who - Tommy and Genesis - Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in the themes and some of the music, but presented in a unique way that the band hasn't topped before or since. Some hard driving stuff, but the closing of the album would move Mr. Spock himself to tears.
11. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy This is the mighty Zep at the peak of their powers. Everything I like about Zep is represented here - killer riffs, top notch instrumentation, folky and funky interludes. All that's missing is a touch of their blues influence found on most of their other discs.
10. Dream Theater - Awake Amazing combination of chops and feeling - although there is no overriding story, it flows like a concept album. Their later albums show how much they missed Kevin Moore as a songwriter. Not to mention this is before they tried sounding like everyone else and still had their own well-defined sound.
9. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing Something for everyone on this album. Wistful melodies mixed with skull crushing riffage show that Porcupine Tree is a force to be reckoned with. Despite the masterful drumming by Gavin Harrison and the stellar songwriting and guitar work by Steven Wilson, it's the pulsating basswork by Colin Edwin that drives this thing.
8. Opeth - Damnation Produced by Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, this is a masterpiece of haunting melodies that represents a departure for Opeth. Stripped of the cookie monster vocals, Mikael Akerfeldt reveals that he can carry an album with his smooth, emotive voice. The riffs are about as heavy as you can get on an acoustic, sort of like Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies album. This music would have fit in well in the '70s, and sets an amazing mood for any occasion!
7. The Beatles - Abbey Road I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about this band and album. The side 2 song cycle is a classic masterpiece that inspired many, including Galactic Cowboys. Side 1 also offers some amazing tunes such a "Something" and "Happiness is a Warm Gun". Brilliance from the greatest band of all time.
6. The Police - Regatta de Blanc This is Stewart Copeland's coming out party. The intricate and powerful drum work steals the show, while Sting has his most success copping a reggae feel in a rock context of any of his albums. Not many radio classics on the album, but it flows better and holds up better than anything else they've done.
5. King's X - s/t The band has said that they felt like they were doing a parody of themselves on the self-titled album. They were also going through turmoil with their manager. You know what? I don't care! This is where they perfected their early sound, mixing massive Brian May style riffs with Beatlesque head-spinning harmonies. Personal highlights include "Ooh Song" and "What I Know About Love", which are loaded with sonic goodness (turn up the latter song to hear dUg's wonderful bass textures). The closer "Silent Wind" is the only track not up to the standard of the rest of the album, as it lacks the songcraft of the rest of the set. Although "Dogman" and "Gretchen" have their place, this is the King's X album I reach for the most.
4. Rush - Hemispheres The birth of prog metal. The guitar tone on this album is amazing, and the arrangements mind blowing. The opening side-long song might be the greatest thing they put on vinyl. And the last song, "La Villa Strangiato" is their best show-off song, an instrumental riff candy store. And who can forget the medieval mood and metaphorical madness of "The Trees"?
3. Echolyn - Cowboy Poems Free If you asked me a year ago to name my favorite Echolyn album, it would have been As the World. However, the recent remastering of Cowboy Poems Free produced an array of sonic delights. The early 20th century Americana lyrical themes will instantly put images of the Dust Bowl and Prohibition in your head, and the tunes will leave an indelible imprint in your brain. So much emotion and ambience that leaves you wanting more.
2. Yes - Drama Wait, that guy's not Jon Anderson? It can't be any good. Well, kids, this is an amazing album, not only because of what the two Buggles bring to the table, but Squire, Howe, and White all stepped up their games. This is Yes at its heaviest, and at its most inspired.
1. Galactic Cowboys - Space in your Face The perfect blend of my three favorite genres: prog, metal, and Beatlesque power pop. Nobody else has done it this well. The songwriting, musicianship, vocals, and production all combine to result in aural nirvana. If the album only included the first 2 tracks and the last 4 (including the hidden tracks), it would *still* be #1 on my list.
I want to start an entry so I can keep track of my favorite releases in 2009 thus far. This list is in rough order of how I prefer the albums. To be on this list, I have to have listened to the whole album. Note this is *every* album I listened to this year, so being on the list does not mean the album is good. In fact, the last few on this list I consider very bad or boring at best.
Here we go...
Porcupine Tree - The Incident Mastodon - Crack the Skye Devin Townsend - Ki Shawn Farley - 5240 Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue R.E.M. - Live at the Olympia Clutch - Strange Cousins from the West Dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, the Delusion Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Kansas - Know Place Like Home Brett Kull - The Last of the Curlews Saga - The Human Condition Abigail's Ghost - d_letion ApologetiX - Recovery Creed - Full Circle House of Heroes - The End is not the End Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers Vol. 2 The Mars Volta - Octahedron Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings Living Colour - The Chair in the Doorway Muse - The Resistance Paul McCartney - Good Evening New York City Collective Soul - Collective Soul Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome Megadeth - Endgame Steve Morse - Out Standing in their Field They Might Be Giants - Here Comes Science The Wildheards - Chutzpah! Devin Townsend Band - Addicted U2 - No Line on the Horizon Hawk Nelson - Live Life Loud Chickenfoot Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane Weezer - Raditude Chris Cornell - Scream
Here's my annual early-year posting listing the upcoming releases I'm most anticipating this year. This year is poised to blow away 2008 for the volume and quality of new music. Without further ado:
Porcupine Tree (fall) Wally Farkas - Past Due Gristle Planet X OSI - Blood (April) Dream Theater (early summer) Echolyn Spock's Beard Transatlantic (late 2009) Jerry Gaskill? dredg Beatles remasters
I'll update this post as I get further info. Now go read a real blog!
I wanted to say a brief word about my daughter Amy. She passed away two weeks ago today at the age of 5 1/2. She was a little angel and a fighter, having battled numerous challenges in her life. You can read all about her at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amykirsten .
Things are tough right now, as we miss her badly. We do appreciate all the prayers and support that have been extended to us. We are also thankful that her pain is no more, and her body is whole with our heavenly Father.
Even though the below song isn't a perfect match to our Amy, there are some key parts to the lyrics that hit home with me. Enjoy:
I was the geek who collected baseball cards as a kid. While I gave that hobby up some 25 years ago, I still have some sentiment towards that era of baseball, as I had a familiarity with those players that I didn't even approach until I took up fantasy baseball a few years ago. For those of you who followed baseball or collected the cards in the early 80s, you will get a kick out of these scans that the Yahoo baseball experts have been putting up, one per franchise. I think many of these are still in boxes and albums in my parents' attic, waiting for the day when their value returns.
