some great al***s in 2006

Posted by: fred simon on 08 January 2007



Not a definitive or exhaustive "best of" list, just a bunch of albums released in 2006 I thought were really great, in no particular order:



1. The Beatles - LOVE ... nothing less than a masterpiece in my view

2. John Mayer - Continuum ... I wasn't a huge fan before, but I sure am now based solely on this album; I could go on and on about how great this record is, and it just gets better with each spin

3. Keith Jarrett - The Carnegie Hall Concert ... sublime

4. Ignacio Berroa - Codes ... spectacular, and sensitive, Afro-Cuban jazz

5. Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls ... one of the great singer/songwriters of our time, or of any time

6. Sara Isaksson and Rebecka Törnqvist - Fire In the Hole ... two wonderful Swedish singers sing Steely Dan with intimate accompaniment

7. Larry Goldings - Quartet ... if you like really good music, this album's for you ... I can't say enough about this record; Larry is one of the best pianists and organists making music these days and he's at the top of his game here ... it's technically a jazz album, but its deep musicality transcends genre

8. Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae ... a breath of fresh air from a new student of the old school

9. Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau - Metheny/Mehldau ... two of the best musicians of out time, or of any time, in their first meeting

10. Various Artists - Gospel Music (Hyena label) ... the good old stuff, and the real deal ... if you hanker for something of real substance, depth, and soul, this is what you need ... never mind the religion, this is humanity

11. The Beatles - LOVE ... yes, I think this album is so brilliant and thrilling I listed it twice



That's all for now ... I've left out a lot of really great shit. Oh, well ...

All best,
Fred

http://myspace.com/fredsimon


Posted on: 22 January 2007 by Nick Lees
Jeff, that must have been a hell of a gig. I envy you.
Posted on: 22 January 2007 by DenisA
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Shaw:
quote:
Originally posted by DenisA:
Porcupine Tree - stupid dream; Like most of Steven Wilson's music creation, this re-release has slowly won me over. I was introduced to PT 3 years ago on this Forum by Nick Lees and it has been the most rewarding musical journey I've ever had. Musical Progression is what drives Steven and the breadth of his output has no boundaries.

Denis

Denis,

If you like PT, I strongly recommend the album Let's Get This Mother Outta Here by Ship Of Fools. It's a re-mixed conflation of the two albums they made in three 90's (before going on amongst other things to form Cradle Of Filth but please don't let it put you off).

It's similar to that mid-period spacey PT (before Mr Wilson discovered Norwegian Death Metal). It's a one-off but it's a belter. Sadly I can find no better samples than here, so you'll have to fill in the blanks a bit with your imagination.


Gary

Thanks for the tip, I'll certainly check out SoF.
I noticed you mention Pure Reason Revolution, who are supporting Blackfield on 16 Feb @ The Mean Fiddler, I like their tracks on MySpace. I've really been looking forward to seeing Blackfield and hearing the PRR songs should make it memorable evening.

Denis
Posted on: 22 January 2007 by Nick Lees
quote:
Originally posted by DenisA:
Gary

Thanks for the tip, I'll certainly check out SoF.
I noticed you mention Pure Reason Revolution, who are supporting Blackfield on 16 Feb @ The Mean Fiddler, I like their tracks on MySpace. I've really been looking forward to seeing Blackfield and hearing the PRR songs should make it memorable evening.

Denis
That will be an interesting gig. I like the Blackfield album (and will no doubt get the new one) but for me they don't hit the same levels of inspiration that PT do at their best. PRR live will be fascinating - as they're such a melodic band and their harmonies are quite complicated it could be a challenge to reproduce the recorded sound.

BTW, I see Amazon Marketplace has the SoF for £4. A bargain (well it is if you like it I suppose!).
Posted on: 11 February 2007 by northpole
quote:
Keith Jarrett - The Carnegie Hall Concert ... sublime


Fred

Thanks for flagging that album up to my attention. Bought it on the off chance never having heard KJ previously nor knowing what to expect. I found as I progressed through the concert that I was just dragged further and further into it. Superb stuff.

Peter
Posted on: 11 February 2007 by fred simon


Peter, I'm glad you dug the Jarrett.

Wow, if that's your first exposure, there's an incredible world of Jarrett waiting for you. Let me know if you'd like some recommendations.

All best,
Fred

myspace.com/fredsimon