Best of 2006 (4)

Thanks to Mark Hall for his extensive “best of 2006”:

“Musically speaking, I think that '06 was a pretty decent year for us grown-ups. My personal Top Ten is a mish-mash of CDs, live shows, DVDs, radio, and the re-discovery of vinyl:

1) Bob Dylan. While I think "Love And Theft" is a stronger album overall, "Modern Times" has Ain't Talkin', which is the best single piece of writing from Dylan since Every Grain of Sand.

1, part II) Bob Dylan at the Sears Centre, October 27 & 28. Gerry, like you I had vowed that I would no longer shell out cash for arena shows; we all know what they were built for and it certainly isn't music.

That said, this new, smallish (9000 capacity) arena sprouted up in a Chicago suburb this past fall. Dylan took the inaugural weekend honors; opening night, Thursday, Oct 25th, went to Duran Duran (fine by me; let them work out the sound bugs on them). Anyway, Dylan's sound mix was fantastic. I was on the floor, but I took a walk around and was impressed by the clarity throughout the venue. I realize this venue is half the size of those you're looking at.

Also, the Sears Centre was only half full the first night and maybe three quarters the second; I'm sure he's more of a draw overseas. My advice is to damn the stupidity of those who handle these decisions for Bob (we know HE's notorious for not giving a damn about a lot of things) and go see him. My philosophy now is "just get me the cheapest seat in the house and I'll take if from there". The shows I saw each had moments of brilliance that I was able to reside in for weeks following.

2) New York Doll (2005, '06 DVD release). Even if you're not a fan of The New York Dolls (they hold only nominal interest for me), you should still see this. I showed it to several friends who had never even heard of the Dolls and they were all captivated. Not just a great music film, but a great documentary, period.

3) XM Satellite Radio. I signed on to get Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, but I got tons more in the bargain. There are solid jazz, classical, folk, and alt-country stations, as well as Deep Tracks, which replicates the great free-form FM stations that died off in the late 70's when the conglomerates started taking over.

4) Pitchfork Music Festival (July 29 & 30, Union Park, Chicago, IL). Fifteen thousand folks paid thirty dollars apiece to gather in sweltering heat and catch forty bands over two days; that averages to about seventy five cents a band, so a return on investment was fairly assured.

Art Brut gave off energy and humour, coming off a bit like The Stranglers, say c. 1980. Worth the thirty bucks alone was Mission of Burma, whose album "The Obliterati" is my second favorite LP of '06. Many of the acts on the two day bill were barely out of the womb back in 1982 when M.O.B. released their first album. No matter, these three forty-somethings showed the youngsters how it's done.

5) Howe Gelb. "Sno' Angel Like You" (Thrill Jockey, 2006) has the Giant Sand frontman joining with The Voices of Praise, a gospel choir from Canada, for what might be called the most upbeat Lou Reed album that Lou Reed never recorded.

5, part II). Howe Gelb and The Voices of Praise at The Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL, May 28. The encore included an abbreviated (i.e. 'cleaned up') version of Walk on the Wild Side.

6) Townes Van Zandt - Be Here To Love Me (2004, '06 DVD release). Shows why you should always trust the tale, and never the teller. Van Zandt was always more appreciated by his peers than by the general public, but there's no denying the sweet sadness that infused much of his work. A fitting tribute.

7) Neko Case. Forty years ago the big voice that Ms. Case brings to "Fox Confessor Brings The Flood" (anti-, 2006) would have probably made her a smash in Nashville and beyond; hell, she'd have probably shown up doing background vocals on "Blonde On Blonde". As it is, she'll have to settle for the satisfaction of cutting one of the best alt-country albums of the past five years.

7, part II). Neko Case at The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL, March 31. Great venue, great band, and fairly abundant cursing between songs (another reason why she'll never be invited to the Grand Ole Opry).

8) Etienne De Rocher (debut CD on Fog City, 2006). A California singer-songwriter I caught on XM. One song was all I heard, but it was enough to compel an immediate purchase. Mr. De Rocher was apparently dissed by Beck, took it sort of hard, then wrote a song about it that comes off sounding a lot like Beck.

9) Chris Hillman at the Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL, September 30. Just Hillman and one of his pals, Larry Park, doing an acoustic run-through of highlights from Hillman's long career. His stories between songs lent the evening a feel of sitting in on a back-porch session.

10) My Turntable. I've had this thing for five years, but rarely used it. Then I upgraded my system last year, which included the purchase of a phone pre-amp. Eureka! I'm fortunate to be in a city that has plenty of small record shops that carry both new and used vinyl. My most recent spins include a new copy of Coltrane's Giant Steps and a used, but almost mint, copy of The Best of Jim Reeves (in glorious Mono).

That's it for the 2006 highlights. There were some disappointments as well, but I'll save those for next week.

A side note: The Old Town School of Folk Music built new facilities several years ago that included an intimate 300-seat concert venue (with all-reserved seating). It's been voted Chicago's best concert venue a few years running, but its size obviously limits who you're likely to see there. Their inaugural act was Joni Mitchell, who did a fund-raiser at $5000 a ticket. Yes, for the rich only, but all the proceeds went to the school, so I wasn't upset that I was excluded. Now, if they'd only book Dylan there for a week of shows and charge a hundred bucks a ticket . . . well, I can dream.”