2010....hmm. When Mike first talked to me about doing a 2010 Music wrap up, my thought was "why?" I couldn't really think of a good reason why 2010 stood out musically, but after reading Mike's year in review and doing some thinking, I was able to come up with some thoughts.
Album highlights for me include Nobody's Daughter by Hole (apparently I'm the only person who likes this album), Contra by Vampire Weekend (quirky, strange but creative enough to keep my attention), Black Ribbons by Shooter Jennings (everything Kid Rock is trying so hard to be without even trying), Recovery by Eminem (A return to form and probably the best overall record in his catalog), Crazy Love by Michael Buble (in some ways 'more of the same' and a small step forward at the same time), & Croweology by The Black Crowes (leave it to "the most rock & roll band in rock & roll" to do a Hits album with enough of a twist to still be original).
Album disappointments include Hellbilly Deluxe 2 by Rob Zombie (just not anywhere near as strong as anything he's done before), Slash by Slash (a wildly blatant attempt and fail at a Santana-esque record format that was tired a decade ago), Night Work by Scissor Sisters (maybe I was expecting too much but I was extremely let down by the lack of originality), All Night Long by Buckcherry (I would've liked this record far more if they had given it an honest title such as "We Re-Wrote The Same Songs Again") and Michael by Michael Jackson (not sure why, but I had my hopes up for this, it's obvious that these songs would've never seen the light of day in this form were the King of Pop still with us).
As for the live experience, this year I was blessed with quite the concert list so I wasn't left with much to complain about. The only show that was disappointing was John Mayer w/ Train at Pine Knob in the summer. Train was excellent as expected and as good as they always are. Mayer wasn't even remotely interested in putting on a good show and it was evident from start to finish. The other shows this year were astounding all the way around. I got to see The Black Crowes do 90 minutes acoustic followed by another 90 minutes electric at the Fillmore. That was followed by two hip hop legends in top form at Comerica Park when Jay-Z & Eminem performed together.Seeing Roger Waters perform his masterpiece The Wall from front row center was hands down the most exciting musical event of the year (and the past few) for me but honorable mention goes to the guys in King's X for tearing the roof off of the Emerald Ballroom and being kind enough to take pictures and indulge us for a bit after the show!
There are already a few albums on the horizon in 2011 that I'm looking forward to. Most immediately is 21 by Adele (February 22). The lead single "Rolling In The Deep" is a force to be reckoned with and if the rest of the album is half as good, we're in for a treat. Some time during the year, the Beastie Boys are set to finally deliver Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 which I'm kind of indifferent to until hearing a single, but still slightly optimistic about. The Foo Fighters haven't announced a title or release date, but the involvement of Butch Vig along with the Foos continued strong evolution has me interested.
I'm also very optimistic about Born This Way from Lady GaGa (May 23). At this point it's easy to hate on her as people tend to do when on artist explodes, but if the album holds true to some of the material that's leaked, she's going to shock people again in a good way. I'm cautiously optimistic about Collapse Into Now from R.E.M. (early spring), while I think they've got some great material in their later efforts (see: Imitation of Life), most late records have been uneven. I'd like to see one big strong effort from the Athens boys hit the world. Lastly, while it's still mostly a pipe dream, I'm really hoping that 2011 is the year I finally get my first full album of new material by Van Halen fronted by David Lee Roth since I was a kid.
Seeing as it's so early in the year, there hasn't been much in the way of tours announced yet so I don't have too much on my brain as far as that goes. Internet rumblings suggest that Guns N' Roses may finally be coming back to the US after spending the last year and a half on the other side of the world, which of course I'm excited about. I'd love to see another leg from The Black Crowes before they say good night but that looks to be unlikely. Hopefully some announcements will come soon and give me something to look for. Even if it's a light year in concert again, I'll make sure I hit the acts I know are guaranteed to give me something to remember in 2011 and I'll listen to the new releases in between!
-RR
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