Jeff's Pick #10.

Bruce Cockburn – Speechless  (2005)

 

One listen to this CD and you will be convinced that Bruce Cockburn is one of the world’s most talented and under rated guitar players. The CD consists of 15 songs. Most have been previously released on various albums. We are also treated to 3 new recordings and one that was only available in Japan. As with most Bruce Cockburn albums, the recordings are audiophile quality.

Jeff's Pick #9.

Tim Hollier – s/t   (1971)

 

A beautiful slice of British psychedelic folk from this unfairly neglected artist

Jeff's Pick #8.

White Witch s/t  (1972)

  White Witch were a glam/psych/hard rock band from Tampa that released 2 excellent albums.  Some prog elements are found on both albums. 

Jeff's Pick #7.

Richard Bargel Live w/Klaus ‘Major’ Heuser & Band    (2010)

 

One of the best blues albums I have heard in years. These two Germans play with a gritty intensity and passion that would make Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters proud.  Incredible “you are there” sound quality.

Jeff's Pick #6.

Peder af Ugglas – Autumn Shuffle   (2005)

 

A beautiful instrumental album that sounds like a combination of Ry Cooder and Mark Knopfler. Peder plays a wide variety of acoustic and electric guitars as well as keyboards. A mixture of blues, folk and prog rock with a serene, moody, and contemplative atmosphere that is always engaging. The sound on this Opus 3 recording is absolutely stellar

Jeff's Pick #5.

Susan Cowsill – Just Believe It  (2005)

 

The first solo album from the little girl from the Cowsills is fabulous. A piece of singer/songwriter perfection. Susan has taken life events and turned them into great songs. Her wonderful voice and fine production enhance the package. Check out her wonderful rendition of Sandy Denny’s “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”. Her version of “Don’t Worry Baby” left me in awe. This CD is a gem!

Jeff's Pick #4.

Pat Metheny & Charlie Haden – Missouri Sky Duets  (2003)

Back in 1997 Pat and Charlie recorded the wonderful Beyond The Missouri Sky album. It was a beautiful synergy of acoustic bass and guitar that won them a 1998 Grammy.  This is from an excellent sounding FM broadcast. Beautiful music from two masters that will sooth the soul. 

Jeff's Pick #3.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More  (2009)

 

Stunning harmonies, musical craftsmanship and memorable melodies make the debut of this West London four piece a wonderful listen. 

Jeff's Pick #2.

The Black Crowes – Before The Frost  (2009)

 

It took me a while to get into this 2LP set but I eventually came to love this album. Rootsy blues rock with some folk and country influences. Give a listen to  “I Ain’t Hiding” with it’s wah wah guitar and cowbell and feel comfort that the Crowes are keeping that swagger of 1970’s southern rock  alive and well.

Jeff's Pick #1.

Clifford T. Ward – Home Thoughts  (1973)

 

A brilliant masterpiece from this tragically ignored English musical poet.

Simon's Pick #10.

 

Transatlantic-Whirld Tour 2010    

 

 

The guys from Transatlantic reformed last year. This 3CD set contains the entire 3 hour concert which has only 6 songs. (Self indulgence at its best). First half is The Whirldwind. Second half are songs from the first 2 CD’s. I like their version of “We All Need Some Light” which has Roine Stolt doing the lead vocals.

 

 

Simon's Pick #9.

Frank Zappa-Shut Up’n Play Yer Guitar

 

The title says it all. These are various recordings of Frank Zappa from his tours in 1979 and 1980. All the tracks appropriately emphasize Frank’s great guitar work.

 

 

Simon's Pick #8.

 

Strawbs-Nomadness 1975

 

Although this probably doesn’t rank up as classic Strawbs, I did find myself going back to this record. As of many good records, you need to listen more than once. The obvious song here is Golden Salamander . I also enjoyed To Be Free and A Mind of My Own.

 

 

Simon's Pick #7.

 

The Move-The Move 1968

 

Here is another 2CD expanded edition added to my top ten. I can hear this CD grow. More appropriately “I Can hear The Grass Grow” First CD is a mono mix of the original LP. The remainder is the usual singes, b sides and unreleased songs. I have always enjoy Shazaam , However, I’m  leaning towards this as my favourite Move recording.

 

 

Simon's Pick #6.

 

The Derek Trucks Band-Soul Serenade 2003

 

What I have enjoyed about Derek Trucks, it is a band project. His guitar playing emphasise on the mood of the music. Although he’s a great musician, he avoids the trap of guitar wanking. This CD has a laid back jazz feel to it. Keeping in my tradition of overplaying, it does feature one song with Gregg Allman on vocals.

 

 

Simon's Pick #5.

 

David Bowie-Space Oddity 1969

 

Always enjoyed David Bowie’s music, but never been a die hard fan. This 2CD package includes the original recording. The 2nd disc features several demo outtakes and various b sides and BBC radio sessions. A great listen throughout on both CD’s.

 

 

Simon's Pick #4.

 

Grateful Dead-Two From the Vault 1992

This CD features recording from August 23-24 1968 at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. Always love this era of The Dead. Nice long jams and extended  version of Good Morning Little School Girl. Also, never get tired of hearing Dark Star.

 

 

Simon's Pick #3.

 

Blue Oyster Cult-Some Enchanted Evening 1978/2007

 

This remastered version is extended to 73 minutes. A DVD is also included in this package. My favourite is Astronomy. Also great cover versions of Born To Be Wild and We Gotta Get of This Place. The DVD footage was not intended for commercial use. Better listening than viewing

 

 

Simon's Pick #2.

Stick Men-Soup 2010

 

No surprise that this recording has a Crimson feel to it. Both Tony  Levin and Michael Bernier are on Chapman Stick. Pat Mastelotto is on drums. Great hearing the different sounds that come out of this instrument. I do enjoy their version of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.

Simon's Pick #1.

Mahavishnu Orchestra-Original Album Classics 2007

Great package containing five MO CD’s. I have always had Birds of  Fire on LP and borrowed Inner Mountain Flame from the library several times. I can easily spend an afternoon listening to all CD’s. Not much more needs to be said when you have this level of musicianship.

James' Pick #10.

Bob Carpenter - Silent Passage, Stony Plain Records, 1975

  According to the sketchy bits of info I can find on Bob Carpenter this was sadly his only album recorded .  Silent Passage was written and was recorded over a 4 year period and is a true magical Canadian-folk masterpiece IMHO.   The music on Silent Passage plays is highly emotional and memorable and I played this album a lot in 2010 and fell in love with this one BIG time !   Guest appearances from a young Anne Murray,  Emmylou Harris and Canadian Prog Rocker Ben Mink.  A few interesting side notes is that Bob used to open for the Perth County Conspiracy and he was born in North Bay !. 

James' Pick #9.

Dorothy Ashby - Afro-Harping, Cadet Records, 1968

      Dorothy Ashby was as strange as it might sound a jazz harpist who recorded in the 60s and 70s for lables like Prestige, Verve and Cadet.  This little gem has been a mecca for hip hop artists over the years and has been sampled extensively !  ...and why not...great trippy grooves, tons of great bits and pieces showcasing a nice range of instrumentation..flutes, bongos, xylophone, harp......what else could you ask for........dont think that after listening to this album you will say "man...that was great, but it could have used a bit more harp!" (aka Cow Bell)

James' Pick #8.

The History Of Vancouver Rock & Roll   Volume 4 

   I am always on the hunt for long lost garage-psych treasures, but it was this rare Canadian compilation that had my ear in 2010.  This highly sought after collection was assembled by the Vancouver record collectors association has was released on both long playing vinyl and CD (sorry Simon no 8-Track!).   Too many high points to capture them all here but this 16 track collection will keep your toes tapping and your spirits HIGH.   Lots of pre-famous musicians and bands presented here for you to discover which makes this an ever trippier album.  Unlike many of the garage-psych era recordings a good chunk of these songs were remastered from the original tapes.   A wonderful collection!

James' Pick #7.

Egg - The Civil Surface, Virgin Records, 1974

   I have been a big fan of  Egg's The Polite Force (1971) album for a long time and surprisingly it took me this long to pick up their final record from 1974.   After the first 2 Egg albums the band split up and in 1974 Dave Stewart , Mont Campbell and Clive Brooks returned to the studio joined by members of  Henry Cow and space guitar wizard Steve Hillage.   The result of this wild collection of musicians is an album that I could not put down all year.   A bit of Space Prog, Canterbury , Psychedelic rock all swirled together with a huge array of woodwind and reed instruments. 

James' Pick #6.

Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart, Jagjaguwar Records (2010)

      Black Mountain's 3rd album is yet another wonderful and powerful album!  Once again they play with a sound like an ode to the forefathers.....Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.   Stephen McBean fuzzed out guitars along with Amber Webber's vocals creates a combo that you have to hear.  Let me say that Wilderness Heart is not for the "weak at heart" with its thumping and pounding bass and drum interplay.  This album was nicely recorded and sounds fantastic on a good stereo.  This album is less progressive than their previous "In The Future" and feels more stripped down and straight forward.    This album has the right mix of organ pumps and synth runs as well helping to create that  BIG WALL OF SOUND they love to play within.    Overall a striking album with some great songs and a real heavy vibe that you don't hear much these days anymore.   

James' Pick #5.

Peder Af Ugglas - Autumn Shuffle Opus 3 Records (XRCD), 2007

    Sadly Peder Af Ugglas is not a common household name including from within his native homeland of Sweden.   Autumn Shuffle was an album that I could not put down all year with his captivating guitar and piano work.  Peder surrounds himself with some of Sweden's top musicians on this release and the end result is a true work of art.   After months of loving this album I have just placed an order for his second album so perhaps this will make my 2011 list ....you never know. 

James' Pick #4.

Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming Of The True, KG Music, 2000

  Kevin Gilbert has been of great interest to me over the years with his creative musical versitility and his many musical influences.  "The Shaming Of The True" was remastered and re-released in 2010 by the Kevin Gilbert estate and really gives us a high quality production finally.   "Certifiable # 1 Smash" never sounded so good with Gilbert's acapella-ode to the music industry.  Musically this album is of course rich in texture and variation pretty much in the prog-rock vein.  Kevin Gilbert was a musical genius and this album is a testament to this fact. 

James' Pick #3.

John Patton - Understanding, Blue Note Records, 1968  
 
    As a continuation of Blue Note's "Rare Groove Series" comes John Patton's organ drenched masterpiece.  This groovy album features the distinctive sax work of Harold Alexander and the beats of Mr. Hugh Walker.   You can't listen to this album without tapping you toes or air drum to the almost - hypnotic rhythms these guys create..  Fans of Jimmy Smith will absolutely adore this album with Patton's  organ work.   "Chittlins Con Carne" by K Burrell and "Alfie's Theme" by Sonny Rollins are 2 featured tracks that just groove on.   Sonically this album was brilliantly re-mastered sounding fresh and  give me that "Live in your living room" vibe coming cleanly and warmly right out of your speakers.  

James' Pick #2.

R.L. Burnside - Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down, Fat Possum Records (2000)

  Along with Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside was an old time blues musician that as far as I knew was long ago gone from Chicago Blues Scene .  Then to my surprise I heard a few news songs from him and was so intrigued that I started to track down his later albums.  "Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down" takes the Blues into totally new territory and has managed to break new boundaries here on this album.  I think Bob will absolutely love this album with it's wild mix of scratch , guitar, harmonica and deep blues vocals of a master.  Tracks like "got messed up" completely won me over and this album is an absolute gem.   a bit of a cliche i suppose but i highly recommended album to you and you need to hear this one before YOU die !

James' Pick #1.

Judy Garland - Live At Carnegie Hall, Capitol Records, 1961

   As you know I grew up with a musical mom who adored Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.  "Judy Live" was an album that I grew up living to and had not heard this album in over 20 years (since the last time my mom played it and sang along...any maybe cried along the way).   Judy could tear your heart out and bring you as a listener to places few others could.  In 2001 Capitol Records released the 40th anniversary edition of this huge album.   Along the way Bob Norberg (Capitol Mastering) managed to find a missing track originally left off the album and unbelievably found the orignal had been overdubbed with crowd noise and fake applause and so Bob totally reconstructed this album in the proper sequence and included missing monologues and segments between songs.  The end result is simply breathtaking and I recently satr and re-listened to this album with my mom who said it "totally sounds like a new album".    

Bob's Pick #1.

Stars - The Five Ghosts

Probably the most played album of the year for me. Other albums provided songs that got heavier rotation, but no album was played in its entirety more than this Toronto band's latest album. The gorgeous voice of Amy Millan (yet another member of Broken Social Scene - there's a lot of them) mixes wonderfully with male vocalist Torquil Campbell and together they sing not only catchy, but sophisticated pop songs over ringing guitars and atmospheric effects. There's elements of soul, electro pop, 70's pop and 90's alternative music, but it combines into their own sound.

Bob's pick #2.

Plants And Animals - La La Land

Though sounding occasionally like their friends Arcade Fire (both bands are from Montreal), this trio provides catchier hooks and riffs while bringing obvious progressive rock influences into their compositions. There's folk influences too, but the band manages to develop their own sound without feeling like they're bouncing between genres. The album contains one of my most played songs of the year which I ended up using as the backing music to a movie clip video montage.

Bob's Pick #3.

Metric - Fantasies

Popular with the trendy kids and critics of Toronto (they formed in Toronto), the band really does deserve much of the praise they've received. Vocalist Emily Haines (also a member of Broken Social Scene) is the focus as she uses her strong voice to guide each song's oddly compelling melodies through electric guitars, keyboards and vaguely electronic sounding beats. More pop music should be going in this direction. With a new song prominently featured in the movie "Scott Pilgrim vs The World", one hopes more people will notice.

Bob's Pick #4.

Mercury Program - Chez Viking

Often lumped into the category of "post rock", this instrumental band does indeed share several similarities with others of the genre like Tortoise, but they seem to have a far greater consistency to their music. Their frequent use of vibes in place of keyboards brings an "earthy" quality to their music (yes, I know that sounds stupid, but I can't think of a better way to describe it) and though it feels strictly composed, it flows from one passage to the next effortlessly without ever relying on individual solos. I never seem to tire of any of their albums.

Bob's Pick #5.

King Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde

7 songs and just shy of 2 hours in length, King Sunny and his band do not sit still for one single second (except when Ade counts out the opening of a new tune - "1, 2, 3, 4..."). Though still recognizably juju music (guitar based mix of American pop and African polyrhythms), Ade doesn't dominate the show and meshes perfectly with fantastic organ work and the seemingly hundreds of percussionists. Solid and insistent grooves that never get tired and never devolve into bad jam band wankery. Seeing this live must be crazy good

Bob's Pick #6.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - New York City Live

Couldn't have named the band better myself. Other than a single drummer, the entire group consists of 8 horn players (all brothers) weaving their way through a wide variety of styles (funk, hip hop, jazz and rock all mix with African and Middle Eastern influences) that create sinuous lines and pull you along like a pied piper. A more funky drummer may have made this a more dynamic album, but it's easier to get lost in the winding paths of the horns with a straightforward backbeat.

Bob's Pick #7.

Jonas Hellborg - Good People In Times Of Evil

I dove headfirst into Jonas Hellborg's career this year and could have picked just about any (or even all) of 5 or 6 of his albums. I shouldn't really say "his" - most are collaborative affairs (though he does much of the writing) and one of his main partners is phenomenal guitarist Shawn Lane who can play incredibly fast, but also very lyrically and with subtlety. This particular album combines these two with Indian percussionist V. Selvaganesh (son of Vikku Vinayakram from Shakti). The interplay is stunning at times with the three musicians tuned to exactly the same frequency.

Bob's Pick # 8.

God Is An Astronaut - The End Of The Beginning

Band of the year for me...I finally decided to check them out this year after hearing bits about them and gobbled up everything they've released. Beautiful building instrumental music with simple melodies (similar to Mogwai, but with a stronger groove) is the foundation while churning guitars provide backdrop, keyboards/vibes add colour and walls of sound are created to bolster the rising goosebumps on your arms. Wonderful stuff.

Bob's Pick #9.

Galactic - Ya-Ka-May

The liner notes state that "this is not your father's New Orleans record" - in other words, the band has taken the feel of swampy Louisiana and injected their own influences which pull in modern hip hop and soul. Though not all of it grabs me, more than a fair share of it does with several tracks moving and grooving like nobody's business. The band simply cannot lay down a bland rhythm and they play funk the way the rest of us breathe in air. This also contains one of my most highly played tracks of the year - the fantastic "Cineramascope".

Bob's Pick #10.

Bonobo - Black Sands

Part Cinematic Orchestra and part DJ Shadow, this album by DJ and producer Simon Green builds each track up with skittering beats, basslines and lovely repetitive riffs (occasionally featuring vocals as well). Though there are samples, Green plays all instruments himself and manages to make the whole album feel, dare I say, organic. Indeed Green actually tours with a band to play these tracks live and I expect the horn players (mostly sax) would have great amounts of room to stretch out with jazzy solos. Perfect "chill" music that will also keep you completely engaged