Day 10 – album
Posted in Uncategorized, songs, surprise me! on 12/10/2009 08:05 pm by verbalYou would think that this would be an easy topic to start with, but this actually gave me a bit of trouble. I love music, and I’ve had my socks rocked by some serious tunes this year. After agonizing over the decision for ten minutes, I’ve decided that I can’t really choose. So, here are my top five!
The Best Parallel Album
This isn’t a new album, but I just found my connection with it this year. Take some diva, some funk, and some old-school soul, and mix it up with some fat beats – and Erykah Badu serves it up with flair. But the words are what get me – the lyrical genius of this album moves me. And it just so happens that there was a single song on this album for every phase of my life this year – including the heartwrenching-saga-of-my-break-up song. I listened to it a hundred thousand times, and it never got old. I <3 Erykah Badu.
The Best Head Trip/Chillout Album
A masterpiece of melodic electronic engineering, I stand by the exclamation that this is one of the best theme albums of all time. If you’re the type of person who likes to relax with a head full of illicit substances and listen to an album that will explode your brain, while pushing you to new heights of consciousness – then this is your album. And if you aren’t that type of person, no worries. This is the perfect chill album to throw on in the background, while you do all the important everyday things all of us normal law-abiding folks do…
The Orb – The Dream
The Best Pick Me Up and Get Me Groovin’ Album
I don’t even know how to categorize this – it just rocks. A friend’s daughter played me one song, and I was hooked. It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’ll make you smile – and when you wake up tomorrow still singing it, you won’t even mind.
The Best One Man Example of Local Awesomeness
I pretty much created this category just for Dylan Charles, because he’s that cool. He’s a twenty-something musical genius who performs and hides out in Bisbee, AZ. The best amateur folk artist I’ve heard in quite some time – he plays a plethora of instruments, and can own a guitar like nobody’s business.
Dylan Charles – Time For Breakfast
The Best Remix/Cover Album, of ALL TIME…EVER.
What is better than Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington all on one album? Nothing, you say? WRONG. The only thing better than a greatest hits album of all of the old Verve artists, is that same greatest hits album sampled, reworked, and remixed by the likes of such artists as Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, Tricky… etc etc etc. Grandma Betty loves this album. My son loves this album. All of my obscure-music-snob friends love this album. I heard it played at Burning Man, during a raging party. I heard it wafting out of the rolled-down car window of a middle-aged couple on their way to church. EVERYONE loves this album… and though I generally don’t like to give advice- if you don’t enjoy this outstanding aural experience, you may want to consider seeking professional help. Take my word for it – don’t even download the first album – just go straight for the 4 disk boxed set. You won’t be disappointed.
*muchlove*
Verbal
