Music 2006: Around the Far Turn

With more than half the year gone, it's time to assess the music of 2006. It would be foolhardy to try and assign numerical rankings, but this is what has grabbed my interest so far.

- "Black Cadillac," Rosanne Cash. At first blush, I compared it to "Blonde on Blonde" and "Exile on Main Street." Only time will tell if it has the lasting impact of those two classics, but after six months I see no reason to think that it won't. The brilliance is evident early, from the use of the 'Ring of Fire'-style horns in the title track. The use of two producers can sometimes be a bad sign, but Bill Bottrell's work provides a depth to the music that sometimes has been lacking in the past, and longtime producer (and husband) John Leventhal matches it by not "prettying up" the songs for once. Simple, spare arrangements and heartfelt, moving lyrics coupled with Rosanne's strongest singing ever make this her best album, and the best album of the year to date.

- "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions," Bruce Springsteen. It will come as no shock to my friends that I'm picking a Springsteen album as one of the best of the year. While this work doesn't break any new ground, I defy anyone to resist the sheer joy in the singing and the musicianship. This is the sound of people having fun, and making good, if not great art in the process.

- "Living With War," Neil Young. Whether you agree or not with the politics, Young is to be saluted for his courage in taking a stand, regardless of what one thinks of the case that he's making. In the end, the music wins out: his place in the Hall of Fame may be secure, but that hasn't kept him from being our most inconsistent great artist. Here, the speed of the recording (the whole thing was made in one weekend) jump-starts his creative juices, and when Neil gets mad about something (see "Freedom," perhaps his best album ever), watch out. And yes, the guitars crackle.

- "3121," Prince. The man can obviously make great music in his sleep. He may never again match the consistency of "Dirty Mind," "Purple Rain," or "Sign 'O The Times," but the best parts of this album are as brilliant as anything he's ever accomplished. His magnificent cameo on the finale of "American Idol" proved that he's got more talent in his little finger than most of the finalists, combined. Extended grooves like "Lolita," "Love," "Fury," and "Get on the Boat" can easily stand alongside their historical peers from Sly, JB, and Jimi. And who would have thought, 25 long years ago, that he would seem relatively normal in comparison to Michael Jackson?

- "Taking the Long Way," Dixie Chicks. I'm not sure they're as brave as they make themselves out to be (see Neil Young for that), but the best parts of this album transcend their country-pop rock origins with ease. Falls into a bit of the “more is less” trap (artists, just because you can fit 16 tracks onto a CD doesn’t mean that you should), but at its best it really does justify the comparisons with “Rumours”-era Fleetwood Mac.

Subjects For Further Research

Paul Simon’s “Surprise.” Easily his best album since “Graceland,” but not the easiest album to get into. I’m not sure what Brian Eno brings to the project in terms of musicianship (he’s credited on most tracks with “electronics”), but based on interviews I’ve read, the most important thing he did was jolt Simon out of his comfort zone – which in recent years had resulted in some pretty dull, boring albums.

“Pearl Jam.” Another nice comeback. I’m not sure that Eddie Vedder is as important as he seems to think he is, but his voice has always been one of the great instruments in modern day rock. “World Wide Suicide” is among their best tracks ever, and the album is consistently good. I haven’t quite decided how good, but it’s far more listenable than recent efforts.

“All the Roadrunning,” Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. Very good, and it’s nice to hear Emmylou singing again after having resorted to breathing heavily (albeit prettily) on her last couple of records.

The Strokes’ “First Impressions of Earth.” This one doesn’t really break any new ground. After their first album I thought they had a chance to become the perfect meld of Talking Heads and The Ramones, but now I’m not so sure.

Donald Fagen’s “Morph the Cat.” Not quite as sharp as the two most recent Steely Dan albums, but if you’re a Dan fan, you’ll find this to be a fine addition to the collection. On his own, Fagen tends to stretch things out a bit and get jazzier, but a couple of the cuts on this album are just a bit too long.

“Rabbit Fur Coat,” Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins. Eccentric country-rock, with an extraordinary title track that sets new standards for strangeness. I think it’s about her mother who may have been a drug addict and then either stole a coat or had it stolen from her, and then lived with her daughter pretending that they were a couple…I’m probably wrong, but that’s what it sounds like.

Truth be told, the best music I’ve bought this year is the official release of Bruce Springsteen’s famous 1975 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Even for a diehard Bruce fan like myself, this recording is a revelation – to hear the E Street Band in its infancy, but after the addition of Steve Van Zandt, Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg, is to hear history being made. One of the best live albums ever made, along with Dylan’s 1966 “Royal Albert Hall” concert, "Live Bullet" by Bob Seger, and a handful of others.