Nuggets from 2005

[Henning]

Walkabouts - Acetylene
M. Ward - Transistor radio
Smog - A River Ain´t Too Much To Love
Ryan Adams - Cold roses
Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust
Bright Eyes - I'm wide awake
Vic Chesnutt - Ghetto bells
Martha Wainright - Martha Wainwirght
Maria McKee - Peddlin Dreams
Grey DeLisle - Iron & Flowers
Les Hommes Sauvages - Playtime

[Diane]

1. Robert Plant, Mighty Rearranger.

2. Bruce Springsteen, Devils and Dust

3. Christy Moore, Burning Times

I still haven't got the new Neil Young . I hope Santa will be kind.

Diane

[Shane]

Heartless Bastards: Stairs and Elevators
Richard Hawley: Coles Corner
Bruce Springsteen: Devils and Dust
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl
The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang
Neil Young: Prairie Wind
Stuart A. Staples: Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04
Marianne Faithfull: Before the Poison
Neil Diamond: 12 Songs
Eels: Blinding Lights and Other Revelations
Mick Harvey: One Man's Treasure
Van Morrison: Magic Time
The National: Alligator
The Blind Boys of Alabama: Atom Bomb
David Gray: Life in Slow Motion
William Elliott Whitmore: Ashes to Dust
Frank Black: Honeycomb
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Matt Sweeney: Superwolf
Bettye LaVette: I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
Dirty Three: Cinders
Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama: Live at the Apollo
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: Summer in the Southeast
Paul Anka: Rock Swings
Malcolm Middleton: Into the Woods
Youth Group: Skeleton Jar
Anthony and the Johnsons: I Am A Bird Now
Daniel Lanois: Belladonna

[jerry]

Bruce-Devils and Dust
Graham Parker-Songs Of No Consequence
Ringo Starr-Choose Love
Richard Thimpson-Front Parlour Ballads
Bruce-Born To Run 30th Anniversry Edition
Patti Smith-Horses Anniversry Edition

[philo]

is this the way to amarillo - peter kay ........

[tomsakic]

Martha Wainwright: Martha Wainwright
David Gray: Life In Slow Motion
Alicia Keys: Unplugged
Mercury Rev: Secret Migration
Beck: Guero


That's all what I can think of, and it's worth for me. I heard most of thos elisted CDs, but I don't think they are more than OK to be listed in years' gems. Like, Antony is great, but it isn't that I come back to him often. Sufjan Stevens also. I've listened more to, I don't know, Franz Ferdinand... I'm still expecting Betty LaVeette (soon:-), and only last week I noted that Patti Smith's Anniversary Horses are imported - that will be my next buy.

[Kush]

Restricting my list to only 2005 releases that I bought during the year:

12. James Mcmurtry - Childish Things
11. Willie Nelson - Countryman
10. Tab Benoit - Fever for the Bayou
9. Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust
8. Wynton Marsalis - Live at the House of Tribes
7. Bryn Terfel - Simple Gifts
5. John Hiatt - Master of Disaster
5. Zucchero - Zucchero & Co.
4. Souad Massi - Mesk Elil
3. Robert Glasper - Canvas
2. Hugh Masekela - Revival
1. John Hiatt - Live from Austin TX

They are all good. The rankings only reflect my current musical tastes.

Note: For Lucinda Williams fans (Henning, Tom Sakic and Bobbie come to mind) the live in Austin CD and DVD is out.

[lizzytysh]

You sure have more disposable income than I do, Kush . As soon as I get the ability, I'm going to copy the first album I ever heard by Hugh Masakela [actually, the only one, now that I think about it ].

That's a nice photo of Lucinda.

I just heard tonite, on one of those play-music-on-the-TV stations, a guy say that they were expecting Prairie Wind to be at or very near the top in this year's voting, which he said they're doing the old-fashioned way [presumably no chads ]. Some editorial comments he made about it, and a couple of songs on it, were all very positive. Reading here and listening to him, I'd like to get that album. Devils and Dust, too.

~ Lizzy

[Bobbie]

Lucinda dyed her hair!!!!!! Or maybe it was bleached before... I have no idea! Henning must know...

Thanks Kush, for thinking of me. I'm going to check it out right now... I bought the new live album when it came out (which is fabulous - she SNARLS those songs) ... but I'm not sure if this is something else still. Regardless, I don't have the dvd...

[Bobbie]

Ahhhhh. I was confused, but I've got it sorted now...

The live cd I have was recorded at The Fillmore, and the new release is from a few years ago at Austin City Limits...... wonderful! Thanks again, Kush!

[tomsakic]

I still don't have Fillmore live CD, so it's first on the list. I anyhow noted that I never watch concerts on DVDs - it simply isn't the format. Live music is for listening from the recordings, or for being there, on the show. Not for TV or DVD or VHS tape.

[Henning]

Tom, I agree with you - I am not interested much in live DVD's. BUT .... the problem with me and Lucinda is.... I can't get enough of her ! So I need to have that cookie.

[Kush]

Here's the site for the Live from Austin Series. Johnny Cash's concert is also available now.

http://www.livefromaustintx.com/

I am not a big one for live DVD/VHS either.....you can watch it 3-4 times tops. I much prefer the CDs.
How many times can you watch the nasal whining hippy snarling and generally being nasty or the sweetly sopirific Leonard being....well sweet and soporific?
I really like to watch Springsteen+E Street NYC concert though for all the stage histrionics and Johnny Clegg+Savuka for all the dancing. But I wouldnt spend money on either of those without the supporting cast.

[lizzytysh]

What is it, Tom, that's objectionable to Live performances being seen on DVD [or video]? It's there that you see the facial expressions and interactions between the performers and each other, and the audience ~ as well as hear the in-between-song comments that get left out in some recordings. When you cannot possibly be, it's the next best thing to being there, for me. The 'issue' is that you need to remain virtually stationary in order to take in a DVD/video and, in today's world of fast movement and sound bytes, that would seem a problem for some/many. A CD can be absorbed whilst on the run or multi-tasking.

Thanks.

~ Lizzy