Your favourite new album of 2006?

[bigburner]

This can be either a recent release or an old album that you heard for the first time in 2006.

No lists please, just the album that had the biggest effect on you this year.

My choice, and I know that there's still a month to go to find a better one, is:

"Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" by Paul McCartney.

I wasn't going to buy this CD because I thought I had moved on from Paul McCartney. It was given to me by a friend. I nearly didn't play it a second time because it didn't make an immediate impact on me. After I heard it for the third time I knew that I loved it. Now that I have heard it a dozen times I think it deserves to sit beside The Beatles albums. It's a blend of rock'n'roll, little Beatlesque numbers, and heartfelt songs motivated by the death from cancer of Paul's first wife Linda and the recent separation from his second wife Heather.

If you do buy this CD just be aware that there's a 14th song not listed on the cover. It comes on 10 seconds after the 13th song has finished. A little acid flashback...

Nigel.

[Alloroc]

Come on, Feel the Illinoise!.

My absolute favourite album come from the American musician Sufjan Stevens called Come on, Feel the Illinoise!

It's a wonderful piece of work where lyrically he blends local legend with real life stories. Musically, he's quite experimental mixing folk, rock, brass and acoustic all together to produce a very original sound.

Stevens took all of the recording, engineering and production duties upon himself. The result is an eclectic mix of songs, alternately triumphant and soaring or subdued and meditative.

He makes a point of referencing many of the states iconic figures: Lincoln, Sandburg, Frank Lloyd Wright, Casimir Pulaski. At the same time, Stevens doesn't turn a blind eye to the darker moments of Illinois history. John Wayne Gacy Jr. recounts the sordid details of the his crimes. The Black Hawk War an instrumental track, is named after a particularly bloody battle between the Illinois militia and the Sauk and Fox Native Americans over land rights.

Then tracks such as 'Come On! Feel the Illinoise', 'Chicago' and 'The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts' are superbly upbeat.

All in all, 'Illinoise' is my most played album of the year. It is a truly intelligent piece of work and while not immediatly accessible for some, I assure you that after a few listens you will be bowled over by its beauty, innocence, darkness and brilliance. If I do say so myself!

[chinets]

Feist---Let it Die!! Just the best IMHO!!

[miner]

Les Paul and Friends - 'American Made, World Played'.

[Blindamood]

Donald Fagen's "Morph the Cat"

This is a spectacular new release from Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan fame), important not only for the music, but also for the continuing support of multi-channel surround. I bought the DVD-Audio disc, which comes packaged with a CD as well. The recording quality is excellent, as is the surround mix, which is consistent with other high-quality Steely Dan/Fagen surround mixes by Elliot Scheiner.

Highly recommended! :T

[BTB]

Ray La Montagne - "Till the sun turns black"

[Bob]

I have two favorites for 2006. Alison Krause + Union Station Live, three album box set from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Master Recordings vinyl. One problem I have with box sets is I seldom play them all the way through. Not the case with this one, each time I have pulled it out I have played all three records from begining to end. My only complaint with it is that it sounds like a studio recording. The recording doesn't capture the stage space around the performers. Possibly because it is a DSD recording.

My absolute favorite for 2006 is Mary Gauthier, Mercy Now. I find this country blues album mesmerizing. I would liken her to a female Leonard Cohen.. Her words draw graphic, intimate, pictures. When it comes to blues, she is the real deal.

[shades]

Venessa Carlton-Be Not Nobody (2002). Just beautiful to listen to her play the piano.

[JonMarsh]

K. T. Tunstall, "Eye to the Telescope" (if you judge favorite by how often I play it). She's Scotts/Chinese mix, and has a fairly unusual singing voice and style, mix of folk and R&B








Don't worrry, I know I have no taste, I just like female performers who remind me of the music scene in Boulder CO in the 70's and the people I knew then...

[8thDwarf]

This can be either a recent release or an old album that you heard for the first time in 2006.

No lists please, just the album that had the biggest effect on you this year.

My choice, and I know that there's still a month to go to find a better one, is:

"Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" by Paul McCartney.

I wasn't going to buy this CD because I thought I had moved on from Paul McCartney. It was given to me by a friend. I nearly didn't play it a second time because it didn't make an immediate impact on me. After I heard it for the third time I knew that I loved it. Now that I have heard it a dozen times I think it deserves to sit beside The Beatles albums. It's a blend of rock'n'roll, little Beatlesque numbers, and heartfelt songs motivated by the death from cancer of Paul's first wife Linda and the recent separation from his second wife Heather.

If you do buy this CD just be aware that there's a 14th song not listed on the cover. It comes on 10 seconds after the 13th song has finished. A little acid flashback...

Nigel.

Paul under distress = his best from the heart ,like Flaming Pie.
Nigel Godrich producing...nice.
If you have not seen Chaos and Creation Abbey Road Youtube then see it being made.

[LikeCoiledSteel]

TOOL- 10000 Days

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

[DL86]

TOOL- 10000 Days

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

double that!

[Ovation]

I have two favorites for 2006. Alison Krause + Union Station Live, three album box set from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Master Recordings vinyl. One problem I have with box sets is I seldom play them all the way through. Not the case with this one, each time I have pulled it out I have played all three records from begining to end. My only complaint with it is that it sounds like a studio recording. The recording doesn't capture the stage space around the performers. Possibly because it is a DSD recording.

The SACD MCH mix recreates the stage space very well and I consider this disc to be the most well recorded music I own, and possibly have heard.

My favourite for 2006, so far, is the SACD of Hilary Hahn's performance of Elgar's Violin Concerto and Vaughan William's Lark Ascending (the latter is a favourite of mine when I want to wind down at the end of a tough day).

I do have a raft of music that I've purchased that I've yet to listen to (taking care of a one year old while teaching part time interferes with my listening time), so that title might be supplanted, but I doubt it.

[Chris D]

Blindamood, I've read some amazingly glowing statements about the Donald Fagen: Morph the Cat album. I've added it to my wishlist, but haven't bought it yet. Never been a Steely Dan fan.

[KeithM]

A senile Animal from The Melvins was pretty much amazing.

[Bluespower]

I'm a huge Dan Fan and especially for the solo works of Donald Fagen. I don't know if he'll ever be able to eclipse "The Nightfly" or "Kamakiriad" but "Morph The Cat" is in the running. I have every CD and DVD-A that has been released and treasure them all.

[garysi]

Without a doubt, the best record of 2006 goes to Ys(pronounced "ease", a legendary town in Brittany)by Joanna Newsom. This is nothing short of a masterpiece. The CD is thrilling, but the vinyl is sublime. Van Dyke Parks wrote the orchestrations, and they are haunting, beautiful,dreamy, and full of pop and Americana touches. The others in my Top Ten are Detroyer's Rubies- Destroyer; Boys and Girls in America-The Hold Steady; Orphans-Tom Waits;Tropicalia-Various Artists; Savanne-Ali Farks Toure; Return to Cookie Mountain-TV on the Radio; Fox Confessor Brings the Flood- Neko Case;Gulag Orkestar- Beirut;Vince Gill- These Days.

[bigburner]

K. T. Tunstall, "Eye to the Telescope"
Don't worrry, I know I have no taste, I just like female performers who remind me of the music scene in Boulder CO in the 70's and the people I knew then...

You have good taste. "Eye to the Telescope" is a great album which has been played many times in my house.

[chinets]

Good taste, is exactly how I would describe this album " Eye to the telescope" ,Love that Album too!

[cobbpa]

I'm into indie/alt music, and recently have picked up 2 albums I've absolutely loved more than anything I'd heard all year.


On the lighter side...
The Honorary Title --> Anything Else but the Truth

and the darker / heavier side
Brand New --> The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me


Both are worth at least listening to samples on Amazon if you're into any sort of rock music.

[8thDwarf]

Who/Endless Wire

[Thelonious Funk]

Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

When you think you've heard everything the man did... Then you hear something that is better than almost anything you've heard before....

[sokoban]

My favorite album of the year was definitely "Play, Pause, Stop" by the Benevento Russo Duo.

[Thelonious Funk]

I saw the Duo at Langerado, and they were better than I can describe with my limited vocab.

Words fail me.

I am at a loss.

And so on.

So if you like them, you must dig Medeski Martin and Wood, or Soulive, or both?????

[earwit]

Great releases in 06

I'm amazed when I hear from people that there isn't any great music
coming out anymore...

Here are some of my favorite releases of 06

David Gilmour On a Island .. this Cd was many years in the making, and the
Pink Floyd guitarist has an album that is almost on par with Floyd..

Kate Bush Aerial.... this is a acquired taste of an long -term English artist. She has made this amazing double CD, try the song Coral room for a mellow piano piece.

Foo Fighters Skin and bones, great acoustic set from one of the best hard
rock bands in the world today..

Mosquitos III... The is from a small indepedant label, The music is happy,
modern Bossa Nova. My wife is quite fond of...

Kaki King.. Until We Felt Red.. this album is a real sleeper, This album from a 25 year old girl, who somehow combines, excellent guitar playing, folk, jazz, rock, with innocent vocals....

[Thelonious Funk]

Kaki King.. Until We Felt Red.. this album is a real sleeper, This album from a 25 year old girl, who somehow combines, excellent guitar playing, folk, jazz, rock, with innocent vocals....

I saw Kaki King at Langerado too... Only back then there were no vocals. I like her too.

[earwit]

Kaki King..

Yes Mr. Funk..

Kaki Kings first 2 albums are all instrumental, that I would compare
to Micheal Hedges, then in 2006 something happened she added vocals,
she experimented, created her own unique musical fusion...

What I like so much about this CD is hearing
how Kaki is growing and delevoping as an artist...

Soo many artsits in my opinion become stagnant by
their third recording....