2011 "Best" Albums and your Musical Highlight/s of the Year

Best by a country mile.

Jono

Whilst i think the PJ is OK, I never get all the way through it, normally giving up after 4 tracks. Guess I must try harder.....

Glad to hear this album is doing the rounds up in Suffolk/Norfolk and that you are enjoying it. The bass must sound pretty impressive on the DBL's.

Thanks, now playing on spotify and added to my amazon wish list.

Derry good choice , the album and gig were high on our 2011 list.

Was that on your "nothing stands out" list?

Adrian,

Just posted on the other thread about this album.

She had only been playing  for two years.

Wonderful album.

I dont have a clue what she is singing about?

But its full of emotion and a good vinyl pressing..

I remember doing a round robin about Diamond mine when i got the pro-mo.

You said not buying any vinyl at the mo.

Julian sent me a mail a few weeks back saying you must get this album.

I told the fookin world to get it before it came out.

Its now number one on your list.

Stu

Stu, it is doing the rounds! Good catch. I sold it to MilesSmiles and J.N, who sold it to Julian, Tony M and some others. Looks like a very popular forum album this year.

You must try the Nils Frahm album and you can get it on vinyl. The snap, crackle and pop add to the very ambient atmosphere of the recording. 

Just trying to find a vinyl copy of this at the mo.

Not released on vinyl....

Fingers crossed for a vinyl release in Jan.??

Llike EST vinyl,It took time and could only be had from Germany.

Fingers crossed.

Stu.

Try and find her performances on Later if you can.

Spine tinglingly good.

Jono

For me it has to be the very last John Martyn album, Heaven and Earth with three stunning tracks worth the price of admission alone. 'Heel of the Hunt' which has more rhythm than Jamaica (and a real test of PRAT), 'Could've told you before I met you' which sounds like JM meets Prefab Sprout and the final track,'Willing to Work' with some stunning drumming by Arran Ahmun. Sound quality top notch throughout too.

Miss you big man.

Cheers John

For gods sake would you guys stop it...you are costing me a fortune on Amazon!!!

Come on Dustysox tell us your albums of the year.

Hi Lontano,

Pretty much what you guys have said!!!

Recent albums i have brought all be it not just from this year...

Mario Biondi "Change of Scenes"

John Martyn "The Church

Nickel Creek "This Side"

Radar "Nothing is Real"

Julia Fordham " Porcelain"

Arthur Blythe "Exhale"

Nils Lofgren "Cry Tough"

Steven Wilson " Grace for Drowing"

Nicholas Payton "Bitches"

Various "Bossa Jazz"

Cassandra Wilson "Belly of the Sun"

Richard Hawley "Truelove's Gutter" This is beautiful, all most brings a tear to ones eye,

Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela "Hands"

& The brilliant Diamond Mine...my favourite 1am album

Just listened to Fatou on Spotify and luved it now on order.

Like I said cost me a fortune, add that my recent addition of NAP 500, and it's bread n water on Christmas day for us!!!!

Since I have had my Naim system and reading this fantastic froum this "soul boy" now listens and loves all genre of music...hell..I even brought "The Wall a few weeks back. Something five years ago was not on my radar.

Suffice to say I love my system, I love reading your posts, and being introduced to "new music". On my beautiful system....more please!!!

Jono,

I posted she was going to be on the show the week before it was shown.

No one listens to me on here

I am off to drink some bleach,Morgan Spice with Coke with ice and Lime.

Stu

Captain Morgan surely Stu!!!

For me,, ill have to agree with most of the lists ,but these are my most played

PJ Harvey,, let England shake, all round great record slightly pretentious maybe but a very creativ erecord all the same.

Arctic Monkeys ,, Suck it and see... this is the  we have grown up as a band  album,, great musically and creative lyrics

Johnny ... johnny ... teenage fanclub spin off . a complete mix from 60s tunes to the downright silly with  a song singing the virtues of bread.. what more could you want.

looks like i need to get  copys of Metronomy and king creosotes diamond mine! seems i am missing out

O and don't get me started on Claude Challe "Music for our Friends" series....beautiful from an ex DJ/Soul Boy point of view.

This for me, by a long chalk.

I'll start with my biggest disappointment:

Thic could have been so good, but somehow it doesn't gel.

There's not much science in my top ten. These are just the first ten CDs that occurred to me in the space of about half an hour, with a bit of memory jogging from my Amazon order history. I'm a huge admirer of the English jazz pianist John Taylor, so the first two are more or less obligatory:

Meadow: Blissful Ignorance

 John Taylor & Stephane Kerecki: Patience

Jon Balke Batagraf: Say and Play

Fascinating, percussion and chant dominated soundscapes. ECM does "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" without the samples. A complete change of direction from Balke's great "Siwan" album last year.

Gianluigi Troves & Gianni Coscia: Round About Offenbach

Two Italian masters at the top of their game.

Enrico Rava Quintet: Tribe

The old lion of Italian jazz with his best album in years.

[em] (Wollny/Kruse/Schaeffer): L(IV)E

Cutting edge piano trio with a fantastic live set. Their fifth CD is recorded and awaiting a release date - I can't wait!

David Binney: Graylen Epicentre

I have no idea what the title means but the large ensemble playing is ambitious and exciting. The likes of Binney and Craig Taborn are reviving my interest in US jazz.

Gwilym Simcock: Good Days at Scloss Emau

Yes, it was the token jazz entry on the Mercury shortlist, but don't let that put you off - this is a terrific album of solo piano invention.

Pablo Held: Glow

The young German pianist steps up a gear or two with this album of complex arrangements for a large ensemble.

Francois Couturier: Mompou - Musica Callada

I love Mompou, and admire Couturier's willingness to try new things. This is a lovely take on selections from Musica Callada. I can't recommend it highly enough.

So yes, a great year for music (there are many more CDs I could have listed, some of which have already been mentioned. The only downside is that there aren't enough hours in the day to listen to all of it!

Cheers

Nigel

Some super selections there Nigel. I have to say I really like the new Jon Balke album and need to spin it a bit more. Maybe it should be in my 20.

Cheers

Ps - I have not seen the Kerecki/Taylor album before. Now spinning on Spotify and sounding interesting. Might pick up a copy....