Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Best of 2008?

It's never too early. Although it's saying something -- perhaps about my age -- when all but the first two are reissues of old music. Some contenders, based on what I've heard:

Malcolm Holcombe -- Gamblin' House -- Imagine a bi-polar homeless man wandering onto the set of Austin City Limits, swigging from a bottle of Jack Daniels, and declaiming poetry like Dylan Thomas. With dobro accompaniment.

Eric Lindell -- Low on Cash, Rich in Love -- A very fine blues/R&B workout, with gritty vocals, and superb guitar work that hearkens back to Stevie Ray.

Fairport Convention -- Unhalfbricking/What We Did On Our Holidays -- Look, you've got Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson in the same band. It's ridiculous that these albums were ever out of print. But soon they won't be, and you should revel in the original music, as well as the new bonus tracks.

Sneaky Pete Kleinow -- Anthology -- Sneaky Pete played pedal steel for all the SoCal Sensitive Singer/Songwriters in the '70s, as well as his original group, The Flying Burrito Brothers. This is a compilation of his best work.

Van Morrison -- Re-issued versions of Avalon Sunset, Back On Top, It's Too Late to Stop Now, Sense of Wonder, Tupelo Honey, and Wavelength, with lots of previously unissued bonus tracks.

Most Ironic Upcoming Title: Amy Grant -- Sleepytime Worship: Casting Crowns Lullabye Renditions. Because nothing says engagement with the living God like a nap.

2 comments:

Trip McClatchy said...

Maybe it's a little early, Andy? I just finished my 2007 list. But I'll go with the Drive By Truckers and Marah as the quickest out of the gate in 2008.

Pilgrim said...

Thank you for the laugh, on the last one.
My introduction to Grant was years ago, through a cousin's album that carried a song, "There's grape, grape joy in Jesus. . . ."