Top Twenty Tuesday: Best Albums of 2006, Part One
December 19th, 2006 | by Scott |That’s right, I said top 20. That’s because I could not limit the number of albums that I absolutely loved these past 12 months to just 10. There has been some great music churned out recently. There are a million best of lists out there. This, my friends, is the definitive one:
20. Sandi Thom–Smile, It Confuses People: This one makes it on the virtue of the sugary goodness of “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker.” Thom was a starving British artist. Too poor to tour, she decided to do a virtual tour from her basement. That led to a recording deal and one of the more upbeat, foot-tap worthy, offerings of the year. Download This: I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)
19. Neil Young–Living With War: Young churned out this angry, political soaked record on the fly but the passion and intensity keeps the power of this record afloat. It’s no cheery record and will not withstand the test of time. But for now, it’s tremendous protest music. Download This: After The Garden
18. Jars of Clay–Good Monsters: A thin year for Contemporary Christian Music has a couple of bright spots. One was this veteran group blessing us with another stellar outing. There is nothing new here as they explore the same ground that has served them well for over a decade. Download This: Oh My God
17. Roseanne Cash–Black Cadillac: All the pain, anger and heartbreak of loss channeled into one poetic tour de force. This is an album that captures the the complexity of grief and managing relationships in a fallen world. This is an album that ranks up there with the best that anyone in her family has ever recorded. And that says a lot. Download This: God Is In The Roses.
16. Bruce Springsteen–We Shall Overcome: The fact that the Boss sits at number 16 is testament to how much great music has been churned out this year. I’ve long been a fan of folk music and Pete Seeger is one of my favorite voices of protest music. The melding of Rock’s Poet Laureate with Seeger’s tireless words of activism conspired to produce a disc that I’ll still be listening to when I’m Seeger’s age. Make sure you get the re-released version with extra tunes. Download This: Bring ‘Em Home
15. the august–Thistle, Sparrow and the Tall, Tall Grass: This mesmerizing debut from these Chicago area folk rockerss might be higher on my list but their album came out less than two weeks ago. If this is any indication of the music that they will bless us with then I will be a fan for years to come. Jacky Dustin’s voice is compelling and silky smooth. Download This: Sugar Momma
14. Yusuf Islam–Another Cup: He will always be Cat Stevens to me. That melancholic voice that I grew up listening to is back with his first pop recording in 28 years. It’s like he never left. If you love vintage Stevens, you will love the sound of his voice cranking out those same profound nuggets of searching for truth, even if you don’t like his destination. Download This: Maybe There’s A World
13. Kate Campbell–For The Living Of These Days: Campbell is a revelation as she parlays a love for hymns, traditional and contemporary, into a disc of unsurpassed beauty and meaning. Listen to this offering and you will come face to face with a Jesus of incomparable grace and mercy. Download This: God of Grace and God of Glory
12. Hem–Funnel Cloud: You will not find a more ethereal voice than that of Sally Ellyson. This album is a further indication that they are the heir apparent to all things Timmons and display the sleepy Americana that would make the Cowboy Junkies proud. Fall into that sweet vocal and allow those elaborate strings to wash over you and you will fall in love with these masters of haunting folk-rock. Download This: Not California
11. Derek Webb–Mockingbird: This is the one Christian album in the last 10 years that made me stop mourning the passing of Rich Mullins. This is a wake-up call for the church to be the in-breaking of the Kingdom. A welcome breath of fresh air in the derivative world of CCM. Download This: A King and a Kingdom
Tomorrow I will be back with the 10 best albums of 2006. Any thoughts about the first 10? Any guesses about what you will see in the next post?
23 Responses to “Top Twenty Tuesday: Best Albums of 2006, Part One”
By justin on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
I’m still kinda mad at DW for giving away this album after I bought it. Mad might not be the right word.
Do you have any of his other albums? I love house show. it is stellar.
Also, I bought Sufjan’s Christmas collection.It is going to be mine and carrie’s family christmas music. My kids will want to listen to Sufjan when we decorate the tree. How awesome is that/
By Jason Bybee on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
I’m guessing we’ll see the Dixie Chicks up there somewhere. And Nathanson (if his disc released this year…I can’t remember).
I thought Mockingbird would’ve been higher. Such a powerful message. I’m like Justin…I’m not mad I actually purchased the record, but it bugs me that I dropped $10 on it when I could’ve had it for free.
I love Oh My God on the Jars album. Best track by far.
By Scott on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Yeah, Oh My God, is one of their best ever.
I love Mockingbird and I had just listened to it online (repeatedly) when it went free. So, that was cool. What bugged me was the idea that it was free, but what you were really doing was selling email addresses. Not completely free.
I love all of Webb’s stuff, though.
Nathanson released a live album this year, but I don’t rank those on lists like this.
By Jason Bybee on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
By the way, Scott, are you planning on crowning the winner of the Blogger Bowl here on your page? My boy Peyton saved me this week. Now if he can do it one more week. Go Hawg-mollies.
By Scott on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
sure
I made it to the big game in my church league–so maybe we both can celebrate this time next week.
By Jason Bybee on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Another observation: You like a lot more chick music than you used to. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
By Scott on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Wait until you see my top 10. 2006 was the year of the female artist.
By Jason Bybee on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
I’m gonna start calling you Lilith Fair.
By Matt on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
I’m guessing that Dylan’s Modern Times is still to come.
P.S. Jason, what’s the deal with Manning anyway? I was counting on him not finding his groove for at least another week!
By greg on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
I’ve listened to some clips of We Shall Overcome and have it on my list, but still haven’t gotten it yet. Maybe in 07.
Webb and Jars were my 2 and 3. And I can’t get into too much chick music (again, not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
I can only assume Iron Maiden will be in the top 10…
By Phil Wilson on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Better than Bulger who really let me down this week.
By Jason Bybee on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Matt,
I needed Peyton to play big, but I certainly couldn’t have anticipated a 44 point night.
Greg,
You gotta get We Shall Overcome. Great stuff.
By Jenny on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
We seem to have similar taste in music, so I’m curious if you are an Indigo Girls fan as well? If not, you need to check them out. Maybe they’ll make your list next year. Look forward to seeing your next installment today.
By Scott on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Surprisingly, Dylan is not on my list. It’s not that I didn’t like Modern Times, I just didn’t give it the repeated listens to warrant a slot. Same with the new Tom Waits. I haven’t invested the time to listen to it yet.
Again, Greg, if you get the Springsteen disc, get the expanded version. “Bring ‘Em Home” is the best track and wasn’t on the first release.
Jenny, make sure you check out todays entry.
By Travis on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
As always, I appreciate your recommendations.
I did notice that Stevens/Islam’s album is actually called “An Other Cup” as opposed to “Another Cup”. I thought that was weird. I wonder if there is something to that difference?
I was unfamiliar with Tom Waits until his great interview on the Daily Show a few weeks ago. I haven’t listened to his latest, but I just downloaded “The Day after Tomorrow”, which he sung on TDS, and it is being played regularly from my iTunes.
My number one this year has to be Damien Rice’s 9. I love his voice and his lyrics, and especially the way he and Lisa Hannigan blend so well when they do sing together. “9 Crimes” is excellent in this regard. Rice and Hannigan have recorded several songs together, some on “O” and some that are available on compliation albums. I have yet to find an entire Hannigan album, but when I do I’m sure it will make it high on my favorite list.
By Scott on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Travis, thanks for pointing out about Yusuf’s album. I had noticed that, but failed to do it right on my list.
If you are digging Waits then you have to go back to his 1973 release “Closing Time.” One of the greatest albums ever. And his song “I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You” is in my top 10 of all time.
I have not listened to Rice’s new one, but I was a fan of O. I’ll give it a spin. Hannigan has a beautiful voice. Too bad she hasn’t put out an album. Have you heard her sing “Silent Night?” Haunting.
By Tracy on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
How sad that I am so unfamiliar with this stuff. I just listen to NPR.
By Scott on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
That’s because you make me turn it off when I try to play it.
By jasonk on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Am I missing something with Tom Waits? I have to say that when he comes on the radio, I cannot change the station fast enough. His voice just grates on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. What am I missing here?
By Scott on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Jason, his voice is an acquired taste, for sure. I tend toward his earlier stuff before his voice was sandblasted by whiskey and nicotine. But I dig a lot of the newer stuff as well.
By justin on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Jason
Its cause you aren’t liberal enough.
By jasonk on Dec 20, 2006 | Reply
Well I won’t argue on the liberal issue, Justin, although I love music, not politics. That the two are so intertwined is a mystery to me. I belong to the “shut up and sing” crowd I guess, or maybe I can just separate the art from the ideology. No, my liberal level has nothing to do with my distaste for Tom Waits’ music, I guess its just like Scott said, it is an acquired taste.