Albums of the year 2020
Ok – so I thought I should put up an “albums of the year” list – having done so for many years. But this time there must be a major disclaimer. I spent at least 6 months of the year listening almost exclusively to West Coast Jazz recorded between 1952 and 1964. I have found very few new albums that I would recommend (despite virtually every review in Mojo and Uncut earning 4 stars). There are probably a bunch of great recordings that I missed.
Given the year that we have had – it is surprising just how few “lockdown” albums have emerged. So, I am going to issue two awards this year:
Artist of the Year
Taylor Swift – Taylor, who appeared a decade and a half ago as a young country starlet – morphed into the world’s greatest pop star and now combined with The National to release 2 (and maybe 3) stunning Pop-Indie-Folk albums: Folklore and Evermore. She is talking about re-recording her back catalogue after it was sold in a $300 million deal to the benefit of manager Scooter Braun. I can’t imagine that this would be difficult as most of the backing tracks are electronic and all she would need to do is sing. Nevertheless – now in her 30s – the time has come for Swift to look at her legacy and these recordings are the way forward (“She Loves You” to “The Long and Winding Road”).
Band of the Year
Drive By Truckers – again one year – 2 albums – “The Unraveling” and “The New Ok.” Kudos to the guys for trying to make a political statement – between Trump, Brexit and COVID 19 – where is all the anger? DBT are just a great band – all of there albums are worth a listen.
Most Over-rated Album of the Year
“Rough & Rowdy Ways” by Bob Dylan
Ok – I know that this is a sacred cow – but I bought this album on double vinyl – olive colored – soon after it was released. I am a big Bob Dylan fan: in my living room there is a stack of SACDs that I bought about 15 years ago that are “on rotation.” I have every album of his on CD, a foot deep pile on vinyl, countless box sets on CD and vinyl, cassettes, bootlegs, VHS, DVDs etc. I even bought “Triplicate” on vinyl. RARW, the album (and one entire side of vinyl) was preceded by an almost 20 minute snorathon single “Murder Most Foul” – possibly the most self indulgent song of the new decade. What a great 3.5 minute song this could have been! The rest of the album is filled, principally, with mid tempo swampy blues stompers – with close to zero musicianship (I could have played on the record) – no real singing (although that wasn’t an issue with the later Leonard Cohen albums) and every time I try to listen to the record my jaws almost lock up from yawning. I’m sure that the lyrics are brilliant – but c’mon – all 21st century Dylan albums are completely forgettable.
It is a strong 3 star album – with some careful editing (40 minutes, single disc) it could have been 4 stars. Why am I bothered? Because of a couple of lazy-assed publications that I admire (in particular Uncut) – have made it their album of the year. It currently scores 95/100 on Metacritic. Hmmm – and the cover is crap as well.
Please don’t beat me up I may learn to love it!
Foot notes:
a few years ago I took my brother to see Dylan during his crooner phase. This little man came on stage wearing a massive hat and a guitar. He stood still for 90 minutes (apart from some interaction with the piano), singing a bunch of songs that, while part of the great american songbook, were not worthy of his legend. He said absolutely nothing. At the end of the concert my brother said “That was a bit shite – and how do we know that that was really Bob Dylan?” The next day – the local newspapers (and many of my colleagues) were gushing with praise about what a great gig it was. I took this to be cognitive dissonance.]
BTW – read this re-review of “Blood On The Tracks” for similar criticism back in 1975.
Anyhow, for better or for worse – here is my list (and I reserve the right to change this at any stage in the future!) – they are not in any particular order:
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (Rock Pop etc) 2020
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit – Reunions
Drive By Truckers – The New Ok
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy
Taylor Swift – Evermore (and Folklore and the Long Pond Studio Sessions)
The Flaming Lips – American Head
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
Bright Eyes – Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was
Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings
Fleet Foxes – Shore (not yet available on vinyl)
Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels
Steve Earle & The Dukes – Ghosts Of West Virginia
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets – Live At The Roundhouse
(I didn’t really get into the new albums by Doves or Elvis Costello).
JAZZ ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
Ambrose Akinmusire – On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment
Gary Bartz And Maisha – Night Dreamer Direct-to-Disc Sessions
Redman, Mehldau, McBride, Blade – RoundAgain
Avishai Cohen / Big Vicious – Big Vicious
Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow – Life Goes On
REISSUES OF THE YEAR
Tom Petty – Wildflowers and All the Rest (various versions in CD and vinyl)
Blue Note Tone Poet – audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series
Neil Young – Homegrown (not sure if this should be classified as a reissue!”)
Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweetie (vinyl)
John Lennon – Gimme Some Truth (CD and BR-Audio)
Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love (CD and BR-Audio)
Mercury Rev – The Secret Migration (CD box set)
Charlie Parker – The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection (vinyl)
Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith – 25th Anniversary (CD/vinyl/book)
Wilco – Summerteeth (5 x vinyl box set; demos; live recording)
The Rolling Stones – Goats Head Soup (CD/Live CD/BR-5.1 surround)
Ella Fitzgerald – The Lost Berlin Tapes (vinyl, Verve records)
The Style Council – Long Hot Summers (Greatest Hits – 3 LP set)
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (Acoustic Sounds, 33rpm AAA Impulse vinyl reissue)
XTC – Nonsuch (vinyl reissue)
Sonny Rollins – Freedom Suite (Vinyl Me Please, AAA reissue)
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies (vinyl, CD, DVD)
Prince – Sign of The Times (4x LP; 8 x CD + DVD)
The Doobie Brothers – Quadio (4x BR-Audio; 4.0 surround sound)
The Richard and Linda Thompson box-set is probably great – but the quality of production got poor reviews – so I’m holding off. Likewise – I have been looking forward to the 20th anniversary edition of the Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy – but it doesn’t seem to be available yet.
Also – Sturgill Simpson has released 2 albums of bluegrass cover of his own music – worth a listen.
audioexchange 
Totally agree with regards to Dylan. I do not think it is a bad album but I really do not get why all the praise. Super overrated for sure.
Springsteen’s ok with me. I think it’s a bit too much phoned in though still a pleasant listen. I didn’t think much of Bright Eyes and Steve Earle.
Here’s my Top Ten
Other Lives – For Their Love
Matt Elliott – Farewell To All We Know
The Chats – High Risk Behaviour
bdrmm – Bedroom
Porridge Radio – Every Bad
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy
No Age – Goons Be Gone
Bambara – Stray
River Cult – Chilling Effect
Fuzz – III
Honorable Mentions
Do Nothing – Zero Dollar Bill
Dream Syndicate – The Universe Inside
Paul Weller – On Sunset
Idles – Ultra Mono
Bee Bee Sea – Day Ripper
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
Jarv Is – Beyond The Pale
Frankie And The Witch Fingers – Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters…
Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin – Misty Woman
Elvis Costello – Hey Clockface
Reissues
Tom Petty Wildflowes and all the rest
Lee Morgan Sidewinder (Bn Classic series), though my copy was defective and currently awaiting for replacement.
Thanks -a bunch of records here that I haven’t heard – will give them all a listen. I can’t say that I’ll spend a lot of time listening to many of the titles on my own list (above) in the years ahead.