| Best Reissues and Compilations | Keep remastering those 78s... |
- NICK DRAKE - Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon (Hannibal)
- It took me way too long to ge to Nick Drake. Quiet, introspective, very non-pop songs endeared him to fellow musicians and lovers of great music, but not to the general record-buying public, unfortunately. Now over 25 years after his too-young death, Hannibal has remastered and re-released all three of his albums, plus a fourth of miscellaneous material that was left over after he died. I'll get to the next one soon, but this one offered plenty to keep me busy.
- JOHN DUFFEY - Always In Style: A Collection (Sugar Hill)
- Terrific compilation from the late vocalist/mandolinist of the bluegrass band Seldom Scene. I had missed out on this band, and only had one of their albums (and it was the first one made after Duffey's death). I liked this compilation very much, and not just because it was compiled and produced by my friend Fred Jasper, either.
- LOS LOBOS - Just Another Band From East L.A... (Hollywood)
- The more historically significant of the two Los Lobos re-releases last year, I think. Luis Torres, who had produced this first Los Lobos album in 1977, had thought that the original master tapes were lost. Lo and behold, he found them in his garage, and now we have this record again. You may recognize some of the songs (they redid some of them on La Pistola y El Corazón), but there's plenty of "new" material to enjoy, and it's a fascinating look at how accomplished this band already was when they made their first record -- and there was nowhere to go from there but up.
- LOS LOBOS - Mas, El Cancionero (Rhino)
- A huge, amazing compilation, spanning 4 CDs and 25 years, ranging from their traditional Mexican beginnings to their more experimental side projects. A must-get, along with the one above.
- THE METERS - Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation, Fiyo on the Bayou (Sundazed)
- In his review of these re-releases, New Orleanian cartoonist and music writer Bunny Matthews said, "I'm ambivalent about Jesus; the Meters are my saviors. Any collection of New Orleans music without these three albums has a serious, gaping hole in it -- sort of like the Bible without the New Testament. "Cabbage Alley" and "Rejuvenation", in particular, are two of the greatest albums ever recorded and I'm talking about all albums -- from Bach to the Beatles, from the Slits to the Rolling Stones to Lizzy Mercier Descloux." He doesn't exaggerate all that much.
These guys are the godfathers of funk, not only on their own but as the backing band for myriad New Orleans recordings, and this shows them at their peak. Listen to Bunny. Get these records, if you have any interest in New Orleans music.
- GRAM PARSONS - Another Side of This Life (Sundazed)
- ZACHARY RICHARD - Silver Jubilee: The Best of Zachary Richard (Rhino)
| The Top Reissues of the Year |
A two-way tie between seven records, totaling 146 tracks. |
- HER BRIGHT SMILE HAUNTS ME STILL: THE WARNER COLLECTION, VOLUME I (Appleseed)
- NOTHING SEEMS BETTER TO ME: THE MUSIC OF FRANK PROFITT AND NORTH CAROLINA: THE WARNER COLLECTION, VOLUME II (Appleseed)
- LOUIS ARMSTRONG: THE HOT FIVES AND HOT SEVENS (JSP Records)
| Honorable Mentions | Basically a huge tie for 3rd- or 4th-favorite |
Also included on this list are some records that had some great songs, but not necessarily enough songs that impressed me enough to put it in the favorites list.Okay, and now ...
- RYAN ADAMS - Heartbreaker (Bloodshot)
- R. L. BURNSIDE - Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Fat Possum)
- DAVID GRAY
- EMMYLOU HARRIS - Red Dirt Girl
- JONES AND LEVA - Vertie's Dream (Copper Creek)
- LIL' BAND O' GOLD - Lil' Band O' Gold (Shanachie)
- NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALL-STARS - Shake Hands With Shorty (Tone-Cool)
- Unfortunately, the record seems to be out of print already. I guess sales weren't too good, which is too bad.
- GOLDMAN THIBODEAUX & CALVIN CARRIÈRE - Les misères dans le coeur (LouisianaRadio.com Records)
| Most of my favorites of the year | (Top Ten, Shmop Ten... I give up.) |
- ALTAN - Another Sky (Narada)
- BALFA TOUJOURS - Live at Whiskey River Landing (Rounder)
- JOHN BOUTTÉ - At the Foot of Canal Street
- PETER CASE - Flying Saucer Blues (Vanguard)
- CHARIVARI - I Want to Dance With You (Rounder)
- STEVE EARLE - Transcendental Blues (E Squared)
- JIMMIE DALE GILMORE - One Endless Night (Windcharger)
- THE GOURDS - Bolsa de Agua (Sugar Hill)
- COREY HARRIS AND HENRY BUTLER - vü-dü menz (Alligator)
- HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN - Dev'Lish Mary (Hightone)
- SONNY LANDRETH - Bayou Town (Vanguard)
- LLAN DE CUBEL - Un Tiempu Meyor (Fono Astur)
- MAGNOLIA SISTERS - Chers Amis (Rounder)
- MEDICINE SHOW, VOLUME 2 (Acadiana Arts Council)
- BRUCE MOLSKY - Poor Man's Troubles (Rounder)
- CHRIS SMITHER - Live as I'll Ever Be (Hightone)
- SOLAS - The Hour Before Dawn (Shanachie)
- DR. MICHAEL WHITE - A Song for George Lewis (Basin Street)
- XTC - Wasp Star: Apple Venus Volume 2 (TVT)
- DWIGHT YOAKAM - Tomorrow's Songs Today (Reprise)
| The Top Five | My five slightly-more-favorite-than-the-others favorites of the year, in no order and more or less a tie, as always |
The usual disclaimers apply ...
These aren't really ranked. They're all great. My "favorite of the year" was interchangeable depending on my mood and what day of the week it was.
All of these albums knocked my socks off this year, and at various points during the year I kept saying, "This is my favorite record of the year." Mix 'em up as you please, but do yourself a favor and get them. I list this batch in beta-alphical order.
- ANDERS OSBORNE - Ash Wednesday Blues (Shanachie)
- TIM ERIKSEN (Appleseed)
- NICKEL CREEK - Nickel Creek (Sugar Hill)
- BILLY BRAGG AND WILCO - Mermaid Avenue, Volume 2 (Elektra)
- KÍLA - Lemonade and Buns (Green Linnet)
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