Ok, so there may be light at the end of the tunnel and it may not be a train coming in the other direction! The Christmas rush is over and things may settle down a little. I tried to start a Best of 2010 list and listed around 100 albums that are still either on the iPod, ZenV or Sansa so it’s going to be hard to whittle down a list! Anyway I thought I’d break it down to artists I know and those that were new to me in 2010! I put them into some kind of order that could change at any time or after any listen!!
Top Ten Folk/Americana Albums (by a favorite artist)
The High Road Home – Jack Williams – I’ve loved Jack’s music ever since I first heard Across the Winterline a great guitarist and songwriter!
The Master Sessions – Eric Brace and Peter Cooper – two of my favorite singer songwriters teamed with two great instrumentalists playing two of my favorite instruments Mike Auldridge on dobro and Lloyd Green on steel guitar what’s not to love!
The Lloyd Green Album – Peter Cooper – one half of the above album in personnel but not great music as Peter let’s Lloyd do his thing with his music and the result is a great album!
Before & After – Carrie Newcomer – One listen to the title track of this album last reminded me how much I liked this album! Needs to go back on the player for a while!
Blood and Candle Smoke – Tom Russell – if there is a songwriter who puts more into each song I don’t know who he or she is! Russell to me is the best! This album with a bunch of great songs is a must listen!!
A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment Hint there is no C – Ray Wylie Hubbard – not an all time favorite Ray Wylie album but after many listens it grew on me and has to be included in the top ten!
The Day After Everything Changed – Ellis Paul – a fine singer songwriter with what I thought was probably his best album EVER!
Somewhere Down the Road – Ralph McTell – I listened to this album again the other day and realized what a fine album it was and it deserves some more listening that’s for sure
Ten Songs for the New Depression – Loudon Wainwright III I’ve never been a big Wainwright fan but this quirky album won me over. I really enjoyed the songs though the shelf life may be limited!
Reverie – David Wilcox – Live and on Stage – John Prine – since they’re on the same post these guys are tied for the 10th spot. Both favorite artists, fine songwriters and guitarists though Wilcox may have a slight edge in that department. Both albums were released late in the year and are still in my rotation.
Since I never did get around to writing about Tom Russell’s album, here’s Tom with “Santa Anna Wind” from the album!
