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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 22, 2021 10:09:55 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
8. Dale Watson - The Sun Sessions
Dale Watson absolutely sounds like he could have come out of Sun Records. So when he decided to record an album at Sun Studios it seemed like a no-brainer. But this isn't a covers album. These are new songs written by Watson in the classic Sun rockabilly style. This is Dale doing what Dale does best, playing and writing old school country music.
And the longest song on the album is 2:47. That's what I'm talking about.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 23, 2021 10:29:44 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
7. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
The next three or four albums could go in any order depending on the day. So there's that.
This album is Steve Earle meditating on mortality and what it means. And Earle has certainly had his opportunities, before and since, to face his mortality. This is a solid album by Earle. Not one of his best, but not among his few lesser works. I don't think Earle ever made an actively bad album, not even when he was drugged to the gills, but this is just solid work. It runs the gamut of his influences and he records two songs that he wrote for Joan Baez. And we get the song he wrote for 'Treme with Alan Toussaint's great horn arrangement.
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Post by tartanphantom on Jul 23, 2021 23:26:17 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011. 8. Dale Watson - The Sun SessionsDale Watson absolutely sounds like he could have come out of Sun Records. So when he decided to record an album at Sun Studios it seemed like a no-brainer. But this isn't a covers album. These are new songs written by Watson in the classic Sun rockabilly style. This is Dale doing what Dale does best, playing and writing old school country music. And the longest song on the album is 2:47. That's what I'm talking about. One of my bands did a multi-band extravaganza-type show in Nashville with Dale on the bill (along with others like Wayne Hancock and Dexter Romweber Duo) several years back. He's got a great ear for the "classic" country and rockabilly sound. Pretty nice guy, too-- I love green room chatter with other artists on those multi-band gigs... comparing notes on gigs, gear, songwriting, etc.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 26, 2021 9:42:19 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
6. Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
Have I mentioned that I'm a big fan of the Drive-By Truckers. This may be my favorite non-Isbell Truckers album (though their 2020 release "The Unraveling" may get there). This is actually pretty subdued by DBT standards. It's shorter on rockers and heavier on acoustic guitars than the usual DBT album. And that's all to the good because it puts Hood & Cooley's writing at the forefront and works great on their cover of "Everybody Needs Love."
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 26, 2021 9:43:40 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011. 8. Dale Watson - The Sun SessionsDale Watson absolutely sounds like he could have come out of Sun Records. So when he decided to record an album at Sun Studios it seemed like a no-brainer. But this isn't a covers album. These are new songs written by Watson in the classic Sun rockabilly style. This is Dale doing what Dale does best, playing and writing old school country music. And the longest song on the album is 2:47. That's what I'm talking about. One of my bands did a multi-band extravaganza-type show in Nashville with Dale on the bill (along with others like Wayne Hancock and Dexter Romweber Duo) several years back. He's got a great ear for the "classic" country and rockabilly sound. Pretty nice guy, too-- I love green room chatter with other artists on those multi-band gigs... comparing notes on gigs, gear, songwriting, etc. That's cool. I really love Dale Watson's sound (and Wayne Hancock also). Been a big fan for a whole lotta years at this point.
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Post by impulse on Jul 26, 2021 10:47:34 GMT -5
I have to say that while being largely sick of classic rock, I recently got the urge to listen to Led Zeppelin, but specifically only their later more experimental stuff. The further from their electrified blues-rock stompers, the more I like it anymore. I mentioned I wanted to listen to Zep while driving and my wife put on Stairway, and I almost threw up in mouth a little, though. We do have fun trying to make sense of their lyrics. Specifically, trying to guess does this mean something or were they just REALLY high.
I am enjoying some of their funkier, groovier, odd-time-signature, syncopated bizarre stuff despite my expectations. Even this urge will quickly pass, I'm sure.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 26, 2021 13:24:56 GMT -5
Saw Riders in the Sky on Friday. Just a super fun show. Great music. Funny stuff. While the audience definitely skewed to my age or older there were enough young people there to give us hope...and a few little guys. My boys got autographs and a picture after the show and I talked to Joey Miskulin (Joey the Cowpolka King) for a minute. If you get a chance see them...because they're all over 70.
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Post by tartanphantom on Jul 26, 2021 13:56:29 GMT -5
Love those guys. I love Too Slim's saguaro cactus tie in the 2nd pic. Just a fun, fun band with fantastic stage presence and great chops to back it up.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 26, 2021 15:12:04 GMT -5
Love those guys. I love Too Slim's saguaro cactus tie in the 2nd pic. Just a fun, fun band with fantastic stage presence and great chops to back it up. His cac-tie is pretty great. The other thing that struck me when I did a deep dive in to the background of the members is how very educated the band members are. Ranger Doug has a Masters in Lit from Vanderbilt, Too Slim has a Masters in Wildlife Management from Michigan and Woody Paul has a Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics from MIT. Joey seems to be the odd man out having been a child accordion prodigy...which is nothing to sneeze at.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 28, 2021 10:23:40 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
5. Robert Earl Keen - Ready For Confetti
This album is just vintage Keen. Twelve tracks, ten written by Keen with a cover of Todd Snider's "Play a Train Song" and the traditional "Soul of Man." It's alternately contemplative and wryly funny with that Robert Earl Keen grin. It may not have the hardest hitting singles but it's a great cohesive album. The excellent resonator (and other guitar work) by producer Lloyd Maines is a big plus.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 29, 2021 9:49:57 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
4. Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven
Alvin, whether solo or with The Blasters (or with friends like Jimmie Dale Glimore), has rapidly become one of my favorite working performers. He just keeps putting out great records that explore the wealth of influences that make up Americana music.
This album is anchored by a tribute to the late great Johnny Ace, who in his short 25 year life and five year career, had a huge influence on the course of American music. "What's Up with Your Brother?" is a super fun duet with brother Phil Alvin.
Listen to more Dave Alvin!
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 30, 2021 9:52:30 GMT -5
Favorite albums of 2011.
3. Mesabi - Tom Russell
I've talked about Russell a lot. Only Tom Russell would make an album with songs about Sterling Hayden, Bobby Driscoll, Ukulele Ike and the sport of Jai Alai. As usual this one is focused on the southwest border that figures so prominently in Russell's work. And he brings some friends along for this one, including Augie Meyers and Calexico.
Any album by Russell is worth a listen or two. This one is one of his best.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2021 13:19:05 GMT -5
I have to say that while being largely sick of classic rock, I recently got the urge to listen to Led Zeppelin, but specifically only their later more experimental stuff. The further from their electrified blues-rock stompers, the more I like it anymore. I mentioned I wanted to listen to Zep while driving and my wife put on Stairway, and I almost threw up in mouth a little, though. We do have fun trying to make sense of their lyrics. Specifically, trying to guess does this mean something or were they just REALLY high. I am enjoying some of their funkier, groovier, odd-time-signature, syncopated bizarre stuff despite my expectations. Even this urge will quickly pass, I'm sure. Latter era Zeppelin gets interesting to explore. Some people somewhat dismiss their material after Physical Graffiti. But interestingly enough, Presence to a number of guitar players (myself included) is really interesting because Page took so much control with Plant still recovering from his car accident injuries, and features a lot of Jimmy's playing. I think it's an often overlooked album. And on the flip side, their last "proper" album, In Through the Out Door flips that around with Page deep in the throws of heroin addiction (not to mention Bonham's alcoholism that would soon sadly take his life) and Jones (with Plant now recovered) really taking control and the output being much as you described. On another Zeppelin note, I always like to recommend the Jimmy Page/Black Crowes "Live at the Greek" performance from 1999 (released in 2000). I don't know why it's so magical, it's mostly just old Zeppelin material and I'm not even a big Black Crowes fan, but the chemistry is fantastic and hands down this is my favorite post-Zeppelin Page collaboration.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2021 13:35:14 GMT -5
I'll add one more Zeppelin comment. Zep III is the album I can go back and listen to the most these days. That is a really musically diverse album, and back when as a whole band they were in their prime and still hungry. Some great rockers on the album still, but that whole second side with Gallows Pole, Tangerine, That's the Way, and my personal favorite Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is just timeless.
Also, How the West Was Won is the essential live recording, forget the Song Remains the Same. Even Page said the former really captured them at their best.
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Post by impulse on Jul 30, 2021 16:00:58 GMT -5
Yes, Presence, In Through the Out Door and III are the ones I blew off when I was younger, but these days they are more interesting to me because they are so varied and unusual and basically sound the least like Led Zeppelin™.
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