2011-Music Year in Review

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about all of the new music I heard in 2011. At first I was disappointed that I couldn’t even come up with a “Top 5” for the year and was leaning toward calling it a bad year for music. Then I started reflecting on the three albums that were my favorites and based on those albums alone, I’d call the year a success. There were some let downs and a few records I just didn’t get to yet, but overall I’m happy with some great releases this past year.

Top 3 albums released in 2011:

Foo Fighters-Wasting Light 

              

Released in April, Wasting Light lives up to the hype and viral marketing that preceded it. Prior to this album, I considered myself a casual fan of the Foo Fighters at best. I never disliked them per se, but I never really got into an entire album of theirs. Wasting Light changed that in a definitive way as I can say that there isn’t one song on the record I don’t like. The best track on the album is actually the closer “Walk” which shows a big progression in song writing for the Foo Fighters. It’s also a great peek into what the rest of the album sounds like. Wasting Light is the type of album you can play straight through and be surprised by album cuts you may not listen to regularly and be reminded that those songs are just as good as others you may listen to more often.  Deeper cuts like “Dear Rosemary”, “Arlandria” and “A Matter of Time” are all excellent songs that also show a very positive direction for the band. My personal favorites are the aforementioned “Walk” as well as “I Should Have Known” and the incredible opening track “Bridge Burning”. Wasting Light is without a doubt the best album from 2011.

Adele-21

                 

For all the roar and praise Adele’s sophomore effort would go on to receive in 2011, it was released very quietly back in February. When the first single “Rolling in the Deep” hit radio a few weeks later, the record was off and running. 21 is unique to me in that the record company seemed to know what to do with it. When I first heard it back in February, I knew “Rolling…” would be a hit but I didn’t see the label being able to properly promote the rest of the record as singles. Whether it’s due to the monster success of that first single or the fact that the label is doing something right, they have since released several very successful singles from 21. “Someone Like You”, “Rumor Has It” and “Set Fire To The Rain” were all songs getting regular radio play, which came as a pleasant surprise to me. A couple well-handled covers appear on 21 in the way of The Cure’s “Lovesong” and The Steeldrivers “If It Hadn’t Been For Love”. Given the fact that Adele can put soul into just about any track, and the songs from this album have a deep soul in the first place, 21 easily places itself among the best albums released this year.

Rich Robinson-Through A Crooked Sun

                 

In mid-October, Rich Robinson (of The Black Crowes) released his second solo effort. Being a longtime fan of The Black Crowes, I had hope for the record but was a little leery seeing as Rich’s last solo effort (2004’s Paper) was uneven at best. Through A Crooked Sun is one of the best work’s Rich has ever produced, easily standing up to some of his best efforts with The Black Crowes. Kicking off with the southern groove of  “Gone Away”, Through A Crooked Sun takes you through a journey of the many influences and sounds we’re used to from Rich and his main band without ever sounding like a retread or forced in any way. Lyrically, these songs are a high water mark for Rich and I expect that going forward he should and will flex his lyric muscle when The Black Crowes reconvene as a complete group.  If the lyrics of the Fleetwood Mac-ish “ Falling Again” are to be taken at face value, it might be a while before the Crowes re-group though. So many songs could be picked out and considered a highlight. From the chunky groove of “It’s Not Easy” to the willing and able cover of Peter Green’s “Station Man” each track is refreshing to listen to and absorb each and every time. For a sample, check out either “Falling Again” or “Hey Fear”, either track is a great example of the brilliance found all over Through A Crooked Sun.

As I mentioned at the start, I initially looked back and thought 2011 wasn’t a great year for music due to the fact that I couldn’t think of a great number of albums I really liked. But in thinking on it further, I began to realize that those that I do like, I love. I started trying to “rank” my three favorites in my head and realized that I loved two of the three almost equally.  The thing that makes 21 come in second place to Wasting Light is the fact that Wasting Light has more memorable moments on it. In reviewing both records heavily over the past few weeks, I found myself listening to Wasting Light straight through with ease while I was regularly skipping 2-3 tracks on 21. While Wasting Light came out on top for that reason, I found that I was torn between 21 and Through A Crooked Sun put in second place. In the end, I honestly couldn’t decide between the two. So while Wasting Light is my clear favorite, I see both Through A Crooked Sun and 21 on equal footing for second favorite of 2011.

Honorable Mentions From 2011:

Some albums that I listened to a great deal this year but not nearly as much as those listed above were Stone Rollin’ by Raphael Saadiq, Born This Way by Lady GaGa and Kicking & Screaming by Sebastian Bach. Released in April, May and October respectively, all 3 albums are good representations of their genres and the artists themselves but none contain enough songs I found myself going back to so as to refer to it as a “favorite” or “best” album of the year. Of the three, I enjoy Born This Way the most based mostly on the strength of one song; “You & I”.

I would refer to all three albums as “mood albums” when I’m in the mood for soul, Stone Rollin’ would be the first album I grab. While Kicking & Screaming doesn’t break any ground or necessarily bring anything new to the table, it gives me some fresh, catchy metal to bust out when needed.  As I mentioned, Born This Way gets the most play of the three but there’s more to the record than “You & I”. If anything, the album is a little too schizophrenic for my taste. It seems built more as a “singles machine” (which isn’t a surprise) than a record meant to be enjoyed as a whole piece. Tracks like “Government Hooker”, “Electric Chapel, “Marry The Night” and “The Edge of Glory” certainly show that once you put aside the Madonna comparisons and look further than her shock shtick, GaGa has some musical feeling to share.

Disappointments From 2011:

Unfortunately there were a number of albums released this year that just didn’t cut the mustard. I was let down several times this year after the release of several records I’d been looking forward to. The first and probably biggest disappointment for the year was the Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. After years of hype from the industry, the label and the Boys themselves, the record did absolutely nothing for me. Not one track on the album lives up to either the hype or the legacy of the group. Another big disappointment was Build A Rocket Boys! from Elbow as I was looking for them to build on the momentum they’d gained with 2008’s The Seldom Seen Kid. None of the feeling or memorable melodies found on their previous work make an appearance of Build A Rocket Boys!

The second half of the year provided two more let downs in Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration Watch The Throne and Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger.  I was looking at both of these albums in the same light that I had with Sebastian Bach’s latest album; I wasn’t expecting anything ground breaking or new, but I expected both to at least live up to their past or at least return to it. Watch The Throne gives you not one track that makes you want to give even a second listen. None of the substance (or effort for that matter) found on previous Jay-Z and Kanye albums is present in any of the tracks. I take Kelly Clarkson for what she is but I have a hard time believing that she and her team can’t come up with better songs for her to sing. I realize that the pool of manufactured acts is pretty diluted these days, but I’m shocked that they can’t even give this woman songs that she can at least pretend she enjoys singing. Kelly Clarkson has a fantastic voice which continues to get criminally mis-lent to crap songs with absolutely no feeling behind them whatsoever. Not one track on Stronger is sung with any amount of feeling and I really don’t hold Ms. Clarkson responsible for that. Both of these albums are perfect examples of why people don’t buy records en masse as they used to; big names and catchy hooks aren’t enough to bring fans back. All you have to do is at least put the effort in to give people something to feel and they’ll associate their feelings with a need to support the artist.

Music From 2011 I Still Need To Get To:

There were plenty of releases this year that I just haven’t given a proper listen to. As the early part of the year tends to me slow for new music releases, I’m looking forward to digging into them very soon. I cannot comment on the content of the follow albums as of yet, but I’m sure I’ll get to post something on them in early 2012. Here’s what I’ll be getting to very soon:

Florence + The Machine-Ceremonials

The Black Keys-El Camino

Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds-Self Titled

Mr. Big-What If…

Loaded-The Taking

Miranda Lambert-Four The Record

Robin Thicke-Love After War

Music Outlook For 2012:

There haven’t been a lot of big announcements yet for 2012 with only one solid release date I know of from Van Halen and even that was just announced on December 26^th. If the current forecasts are to be believed, on February 7^th we will see the first album of new material from Van Halen featuring David Lee Roth on lead vocals since 1983’s 1984. Hopefully a more solid schedule starts taking form soon but for now albums are promised in 2012 from Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Slash, Shinedown, Pearl Jam and Culture Club.

The Soundgarden and Black Sabbath albums are “reunion” projects but the first to be full length studio material from their classic, most respected lineups. Both acts have milked the “reunion bit” to a certain extent through live releases, tours and compilations so it may be exciting to get new material from each. Slash’s next solo album has potential as long as it avoids the genre-hoping, wanna-be-Santana pitfalls of his first release. Pearl Jam is looking to revitalize their career after having spent the past year celebrating their 20^th anniversary with a new studio album. Culture Club also has the potential to hit new heights when they release a reunion record later this year. Their last release, Don’t Mind If I Do from 1999 wasn’t even released in the US for a number of reasons so it will be interesting to see how things turn out this time.

Recap:

If nothing else, 2011 provided me with 3 albums that I’m certain I’ll be listening to on 2021, 2031 and so on. If I’m lucky, one or more of the albums I haven’t listened to yet from the year will have the potential to add themselves to that list.  While there were some disappointments from my perspective, none of those releases gave me reason to give up on any of the artists. I believe that all of them will be back with stronger releases in the future, or at least I’m hoping so.

I’m looking toward 2012 with a good optimism for music. Both for the albums I know are on their way and those I haven’t heard about yet. I’m certain that throughout the year, I’ll hear new artists and new sounds that will continue to give me hope for the future of recorded music as Wasting Light, Through A Crooked Sun and 21 did this year.