I’ve been hit by a barrage of social media posts on people’s
top 10 albums, so I thought I would take a look at what I have listened to the
most in the last 5 years or so. I’m not claiming these are my favorites or “the
best” albums recorded (in fact there are many better albums I enjoy). But I was
somewhat surprised to find that I do return to the the same albums over and
over, so here’s the top 10, in no particular order.
1)Alina, Arvo Part
If you were going to stereotype and box in Part’s work, this
would be a good album to use. It’s also amazing enough that it could run on a
continuous loop forever and I’d be pretty happy with that.
2)Benedicta: Marian Chants from Norcia, Monks of Norcia
Yes, the music hasn’t changed much from the middle ages. And
yes, these are actually monks singing, who somehow managed to top the Billboard
charts. The term to use is sublime – this music is quintessentially music of
peace and another album that bears repetition with ease.
3) Mi Sueno, Ibrahim Ferrer
I know the whole Bueno Vista Social Club thing was trendy,
but this music – Cuban bolero to be precise – is full of passion, charm, and
romance: it music for human beings (which is harder and harder to find these
days). This is at once a work of art and a testament to real life.
4) Dream River, Bill Callahan
I don’t even know what to categorize this music as: it’s not
popular music, rock, easy listening, country or folk. But it has elements of
most of those. Callahan’s baritone voice sounds like someone is speaking to you
rather than singing. This album just gets better with the years of listening
and it’s by far his best.
5) The Harrow and the Harvest, Gillian Welch
Appalachian roots, contemporary musical twists – I don’t
know what they call this: alt-blue grass? In any case, its Welch’s best album
and a solid, if somewhat dark, listen.
6) In the Spur of the Moment, Steve Turre
Turre does his jazz trombone (no conch shells on this album
– which I am happy about) along with Ray Charles on piano for the first third
or so, later trending toward more Afro-Cuban jazz style. I know the complaint
on this one is that it feels a bit passionless in parts, but it’s a hard mix
not to feel good about.
7) Treasury of Russian Gypsy Songs, Marusia
Georgevskaya and Sergei Krotkoff
I’ll admit that it sounds like Georgevskaya has smoked more
than a few cigarettes. But this is timeless music, a timeless voice, from a
timeless culture. Sophie Milman’s Ochi Chernye is sultry and seductive (she is
really fantastic), but somehow I like Marusia’s better.
9) Skeleton Tree, Nick Cave
Nick Cave is uneven at best and often mediocre but this
album is distilled pain in poetic form and a major work of art. For some reason I
listen to this end to end semi regularly on my morning commute.
10) OCMS, Old Crow Medicine Show
End to end, just hits the right notes over and over again.
From introspective to political to just plain fun, these guys made real music
for real people at their peak. Things fell apart after Willie Watson, but there
is an almost perfect collection of authentic songs.
