Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Best Music From 2006


Thirteen Best CDs From 2006Number #9


In keeping with my trying to list some of the best from the past year I decided to make my Thursday Thirteen a part of it and herein find what I consider the 13 best cds from this past year (in no particular order):

1. North American Ghost Music: Shannon McNally - Anyone reading this blog knows how I feel about Shannon McNally. I feel like she is one of the best singers/songwriters out there today. She calls her music North American Ghost Music so when she released a live cd of her stuff that's what she called it.
2. The Animal Years: Josh Ritter - I really was not that familar with his work until I read Stephen King's column in a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. King calls it one of the best cds from the last five years. Now I might not go that far, but it is one of the best of this year. I've found myself listening to it over and over.
3. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood: Neko Case - What the title means I have no idea, but this is music from one of the best singers out there right now. Case's voice has been compared to Patsy Cline.
4. Eye to the Telescope: KT Tunstall - I admit I bought this cd on the basis of Black Horse and Cherry Tree and was very pleasantly surprised. The entire cd is very good and if you get the chance to see her live take it. She puts on a great show.
5. The Man Who Killed Love: Will Hoge - Along with Shannon McNally I think one of the best undiscovered talents out there today. I just wrote about Will recently so I won't repeat it all here, but this man is good. Pocketful of Change is a great rock and roll song about rock and roll. Woman Be Strong is a classic waiting to be called one.
6. Highway Companion: Tom Petty - This man has been putting out excellent, and sometimes great, music for more years than I care to admit. This cd has some great songs.
7. Reprieve: Ani Difranco - On first listen I thought this cd was ok. I have to admit that I haven't enjoyed some of her later music as I did her earlier work, but she still puts out enough good stuff for me to pick anything she does up. But after a few listens this cd has grown on me. It may take a few spins for you to realize how good this really is.
8. Behing the Levee: Subdues - The title of this cd was made before Katrina, but it came out after the storm. As always anything by the Subdues is good. Papa Dukie & the Mud People is a classic song.
9. Seeger Sessions: Bruce Springsteen - Easily one of the best cds of the year. If I was to name the best cd of the year, this one would have to be a contender for the title. It's surprising that a cd of songs not written by Springsteen would be so good, but Springsteen makes these songs his. Just wonderful songs that mean a lot.
10. A Blessing and A Curse: Drive by Truckers - Not as good as last year's Dirty South, but still good enough to be included in a best of the year. A southern band that is reaching beyond it's roots and making great music.
11. Taking The Long Way: Dixie Chicks - the first cd that they write their own material and their strongest music to date. Not Ready To Make Nice is a great song and a great answer to all those that wanted them to apologize for praticing their right of free speech.
12. A Hundred Highways: Johnny Cash - This man made great music for a long time and was still making it to the day he died. God's Gonna Cut You Down is as good as anything out there.
13. Wreck of the Day: Anna Nalick - I'm cheating here cause this cd was really released in 2005, but they did a re-release of it this year with a few new songs on it. I actually didn't but it till this year. This cd would make it just for the song Just Breathe, but the whole cd is actually good.



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



42 comments:

Unknown said...

Great list. I am really interested in getting a Johnny Cash Cd since Walk the Line came out!

Chickadee said...

I have that Dixie Chicks CD and that song "Not ready to make nice" gives me chills. That whole thing was so stupid. Who cares what she said onstage. Get a grip. Geesh. But that's just my humble opinion.

My 13 are up.

Le laquet said...

I love the KT Tunstall album and saw her live in Edinburgh a while back ~ she was superb.

Laura said...

#s 11, 12 and 13 i have and i wholeheartedly agree with you...now i must check out the others.
thanks!
my tt is up.

The Cosmic Kid said...

GREAT list. A lot of the albums you listed would be on mine too.

I'm a HUGE springsteen fan, so I was really excited when you had the amazing live version of Thunder Road off of Live 75-85 streaming on your blog. And I must say the Seeger Session Band album & tour were pretty amazing!

Susan said...

Tks for stopping by my TT, John! This is a great list - I have to admit there was a lot I'm not familiar with but I got to add lots to my "go check this out" list... I just bought the Dixie Chicks' latest album (really just out of solidarity after stumbling on the "Shut up and sing" website/trailer) and you are SO RIGHT. I had Wide Open Spaces (my only other DC album) and tho it's good, I really love this last one. Take care and happy TT!

Susan said...

hi again John, I tried to email you back from your comment on my TT re: Buffy season 7 but it wouldn't go thru for some reason. Anyway, actually I read something about this last night - there will be a Buffy comic coming out apparently? if I understood correctly it will do just what you spoke of - pick up where season 7 left off and elucidate some of the ramifications
of the multi-slayer world, among other things :) Take it easy!

Lisa @ The Plain-Spoken Pen said...

Good list! I'll have to check some (or all) of those out. I always love to find new music.

And Susan, what is this Buffy comic of which you speak? I never saw Buffy when it was on the air, but my boyfriend has taken it upon himself to educate me in the way of Buffy, and I'm almost through with season 6 and very sad that I only have one season left to watch.

John Holland said...

Lisa, the Buffy comic will be out later this year. It is going to be published by Dark Horse comics and is being overseen by Joss Whedon. He is actually writing at least the first four issues and than handing it over to others to write. He says it is what the eighth season would have been. I can't wait.

Raggedy said...

Great list!
I have some of them and have been a Johnny Cash fan forever.
Have a wonderful Thursday!
My TT is up

Unknown said...

Great list! I love TTs about music =)

Happy New Year from Germany,

San

P.S.: Please visit my TT - Thanks a lot =)

JHS said...

LOVE KT Tunstall's album. Check out my site and you'll see! :-)

Heather said...

Great list! I'll have to check a couple of them out. I love Anna and Bruce and Johnny, too!

Anonymous said...

I wholehearted agree with you on KT Tunstall!

Anonymous said...

Hey great list i love number 11. happy tt.

Debby said...

Great list! Some of those I have not heard of...I will need to check them out. Happy Thursday and thanks for visiting!

Lee Ann aka Dixie said...

Thanks for stopping by. Great list and I do like some of them also.

Happy TT!

K said...

A great list! I like Johnny Cash!

Carey said...

Great list. Thanks for stopping by my TT earlier.

Darla said...

Interesting list--lots I'm not familiar with. Which is a good thing--I always like checking out something new.

Nice to meet you!

Lindsey said...

I must get my hands on the Johnny Cash CD! I loved "American IV: The Man Comes Around"

Thanks for visiting my TT!

Anonymous said...

I'm a huge ani fan, but like you haven't liked her later stuff half as much as her earlier music. I'll check out reprieve. Thanks for the tip and for stopping by my TT!

Anonymous said...

Great list, thanks for stopping by my blog!

I haven't heard all of these, but I plan to check some of them out.

masgblog said...

It's probably a good list, although, have to admit, in my naivety, that I am only familiar with 6, 9, 11, and 12.

Maybe I should discover the others, eh?

Happy Thursday 13.

oh - some gyms give you a free gym bag when you join....

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Quite a few artists that are unknown to me, but that's not surprising. I love Tom Petty. The man is a music genious. Creepy. But a music genious.

Thanks for stopping by my TT.

Anonymous said...

Add my cudos to the bunch. There's some great music in that list. I'm a little partial to the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, KT Tunstall, Anna Nalick and Tom Petty CDs. A few of the others I haven't heard yet, but I'll check them out.

Thanks for stopping by our blog. You've been added to the TT list in the post.

Ash said...

Good List.

Nature Girl said...

I'll have to check some of these out...you have some good ones listed here and some I hadn't heard of. Great TT, thanks for visiting mine as well. Stacie

Blog said...

Oh, I like the Dixie Chicks CD! :)

Mike said...

A pretty good list. I might look into a few of them to put on my ipod.

Christine said...

Thanks for your comment!! :) I, too love the KT Tunstall album.... was prepared to not like it, thinking "1 hit wonder" but, also, was pleasantly surprised.

Off to check iTunes for some music!! :)
~Christine

Jill said...

Since the only disk I've really listened is the dixie chicks one, I'll have to agree on "Not ready to make nice". I was so surprise of all the big fuzz the media did about what they had say about Bush. But I totaly agree with the point of view(I'm really not a Bush Fan!!)

Mimi said...

#7! I never thought I'd ever *know* anyone who even knew who Ani was. I feel whole, thank you, lol!

TopChamp said...

Only a couple I know here so it's all fair... work to do expanding musical knowledge base methinks.

Happy TT!

Mimi said...

I don't have ANY cd's from Ani, I just listen to her stuff on subscription sites like musicnow/urge. I heard Heartbreak Even, I think it is, and I was hooked. Fabulous stuff!

Kris said...

Wreck of the Day is one of my all time faves-I can listen to the songs over and over again and not get tired of them. And we've already talked about KT Tunstall when she made my TT the other week-gotta love her. I'll have to check out a few of the others. Have a great weekend! :)

Brought to you by Her Majesty Magenta said...

Great TT! I have never heard any of them but if I do I will think about your TT. Thank you for stopping by mine!

Gina said...

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blogsite. Read your T13 & you might think I lived under a rock or something & just came out- I don't know anybody on the list. I've always liked old classics & artists. =)

alisonwonderland said...

i have a feeling that you've forgotten more about music than i'll ever know! :o)

happy TT! thanks for visiting my list!

Ute said...

John, thanks for your visit. I love the Dixie Chicks. Thanks for a nice list. :)

Trish Ess said...

LOL - I have to admit, I *never* listen to any of those. And some I've never even heard of.

Thanks for visiting my TT!

Penny said...

I love that KT Tunstall CD as well. Thank you for visiting my TT.


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