TIE FOR #11 - "THE LOST NOTEBOOKS OF HANK WILLIAMS"

I usually don't include compilation albums on my year-end best-ofs, but I'll make an exception for The Lost Notebooks Of Hank Williams. The album started out as a Bob Dylan project: he was given some "lost" notebooks with lyrics that Hank Williams never put to music.  Bob ended up doing one song, "The Love That Faded," which is excellent.

So, it went from being a Bob album to a tribute of sorts... with a number of big name artists creating new songs out of Williams lyrics.  The lineup features Alan Jackson, Norah Jones, Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Vince Gill with Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, Levon Helm, Holly Williams (with her father, Hank Williams Jr. on backing vocals), Jakob Dylan, Sheryl Crow and Merle Haggard.

I imagine that these days, people are more likely to download individual tracks rather than buy compilations.  In this case, it's worth it to pick up the whole thing.  First of all, the entire album is great.  Rock fans may not be hip to, say, Alan Jackson, but his song "You've Been Lonesome Too" is excellent. On the flipside, mainstream country fans may not be too interested in (Nashville resident) Jack White.  But his song "You Know That I Know" is also amazing. Hank's granddaughter Holly has a great voice... and hearing Hank Jr.'s backing vocals almost made me forget about his insane comments on Fox News about The President.

Besides all of that, the CD includes extensive liner notes about Hank, and gives the history of the notebooks that provided the source material for the record.

Hank Williams is surely one of the greatest songwriters of all time, in any genre. This album gives us some of his lost lyrics, which is a gift.  And if the inclusion of any of these artists turns their fanbases on to Hank's music, that's an even greater one.  So big props to producer Mary Martin: I'm sure this was a really long project, but I'm glad it's out.

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE DVD

This was released a few weeks ago, without too much hype, but you need to know about it: A Musicares Tribute To Neil Young.

Shot January 29, 2010 at the NARAS 2010 Musicares Person Of The Year event, the show featured some pretty incredible artists paying tribute to Neil.  Some of the highlights included Norah Jones' "Tell Me Why," Ben Harper's "Ohio," Wilco's "Broken Arrow," James Taylor's "Heart Of Gold" (I think he actually sang backing vocals on the original version) and John Mellencamp's "Down By The River." Also a sort of supergroup: Elton John, Leon Russell, Sheryl Crow and Neko Case doing "Helpless." I think it was the first time Elton and Leon performed together.

Also on the bill: John Fogerty, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Dave Matthews, Dierks Bentley, Booker T. Jones, Josh Groban (!), Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Crosby Stills & Nash. I think The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed for the first time with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer ("A Man Needs A Maid") but it's not on the DVD.   Neil was there also, he just sort of gave a thank you speech (if you've seen his speeches at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, you know what his speeches are like), he didn't perform at all.

The event, and the DVD, raises money for NARAS' MusiCares, which "offers a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need," including "financial medical and personal emergencies." Learn more about MusiCares here.  

10 UNDERRATED STEVIE NICKS SONGS - DON'T SLEEP ON THESE

Lots of people are really excited about Stevie Nicks' new album, In Your Dreams, and I'm glad for Stevie.  But when I hear people say that it's her best solo album since the '80s, I wonder if they were paying attention ten years ago to 2001's Trouble In Shangri- La.  My opinion: track for track, it's her best solo effort. It may not have a colossal hit like "Edge Of 17," but I don't think that there's any filler. I think she was really energized by the extremely successful Fleetwood Mac reunion, and the fact that the Mac had a huge hit with her song "Silver Springs" (a song which the Mac had declined when Stevie had presented it in the '70s). Also, Sheryl Crow was a huge fan, and helped to produce the album (probably the first time Stevie worked with a female producer). So, here's my list of Stevie songs (many from Trouble) that I think people sleep on. I chalk it up to ageism.

1. "Candlebright" from Trouble. She originally wrote it for Buckingham/Nicks, before she and Lindsey Buckingham joined the Mac.
2. "Sorcerer" from Trouble, which prominently features Sheryl Crow.
3. "Planets Of The Universe" from Trouble, another song that started in the Buckingham/Nicks era.
4. "Every Day" from Trouble. See, it's a great album.
5. "Blue Lamp" is one of my favorites - it is from the '80s animated midnight movie Heavy Metal. I told Stevie about that - she said it actually is about a blue lamp that she still owns.
6. "Reconsider Me" is her cover of the Warren Zevon classic.
7. "I Need To Know" is her cover of the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers classic.  I saw her perform this backed by Tom and the HBs, it was pretty great.
8. "If You Ever Did Believe" is a collab with Sheryl Crow from the Boys On The Side soundtrack.
9. "Somebody Stand By Me" written for her by Sheryl Crow for Boys On The Side.
10. "You May Be The One" from her new album In Your Dreams, my favorite song from the new album.

TIE FOR #11: BIG BOI, LAMONTAGNE, MUMFORD & SONS, SHERYL CROW, RECKLESS KELLY, GASLIGHT ANTHEM AND CASH

In late December, I posted my top ten albums of 2010; the list was topped by The Drive-By Truckers' The Big To-Do. Immediately afterwards, I started thinking about some other albums that I really enjoyed this year, so I started a brief series called "Tied for #11." I've done a bunch of posts, starting with one about Buddy Guy's Living Proof.  Here is another handful of albums that I enjoyed a lot.

Outkast's Big Boi finally released his debut this year: Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Chico Dusty.  It's too bad that it didn't get the attention that it deserved. Both by the press and even by Def Jam, who helped Boi to get the album from Jive (the label that OutKast record for).  "Shutterbug" is one of the hottest singles of the year. I think that, like Black Thought of The Roots, Big Boi is one of the best MCs in hip-hop, but doesn't get the attention of, say, Lil Wayne or T.I.

Ray LaMontagne's God Willing and The Creek Don't Rise is a really great album. It's a gorgeous album, but because Ray doesn't really do much promotion, you don't hear much about it. I think it will benefit from being nominated for a few Grammys (including "Beg Steal or Borrow" which is up for Song Of The Year). Hopefully he will perform at the ceremony.

Mumford & Sons was probably my favorite new discovery of 2010. Their Sigh No More album reminded me of Springsteens' Seeger Sessions Band, and I mean that as a high compliment. The fact that a band so removed from any recent trend, either in the mainstream pop world or the "indie rock" world has become so popular is, frankly, amazing to me and it gives me hope. I haven't seen them live, but I have filmed a studio performance by the band (see it here) and I really dug it.

I've often felt that Sheryl Crow doesn't get the credit she deserves, and that's never been more true than on her current album, 100 Miles From Memphis. I guess in a way, I can understand people paying a bit less attention to her - her last two albums weren't as strong as her first few. But this album is a great comeback, and should have done really well. But if you liked her earlier music, I urge you to check this one out.

Like The Drive-By Truckers, Reckless Kelly is a band who I discovered thanks to the SiriusXM channel Outlaw Country. (And this is where I offer the full disclosure that I work for SiriusXM, but I was a SIRIUS subscriber before I worked there.) Somewhere In Time is an album of songs by someone named Pinto Beckett. Without knowing much about him, or the band, I really dug it. I have to make it a point to get more music by both of them in the '11.

New Jersey's own Gaslight Anthem got a decent amount of press for their album American Slang, and deservedly so. They're a really good band, and they have the double edged approval of Bruce Springsteen (good because of the obvious extra exposure, bad because you can't do interviews without talking about him). They come from the punk rock underground, but they sound is really accessible. Hopefully people won't be scared of them because of their appearance. I'd love to see them get huge. In 2010 they headlined Radio City Music Hall, so maybe they're on their way.

One last album I'll mention is Johnny Cash's final recordings: American VI: Ain't No Grave. It sounds like he is aware that this is "it" for him, and it adds a poignancy to the songs . I have always been a big fan of the American Recordings series, I think Rick Rubin did a great job on all of them, this one included.

SHERYL CROW'S SUMMER BANGER

I have really been digging Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles From Memphis album. It is a great album for the front porch, or backyard, on a hot summer night. I've been a fan of Sheryl's since her first album came out Tuesday Night Music Club.  I remember going to Tower Records and listening to the albums on the listening kiosks, when I came across hers.  I thought I recognized her name (I may have - she sang backing vocals on a Don Henley album, and also at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Celebration concert - and as a liner notes reader, I'm sure I'd read her name) and I checked it out.  She never really seemed to fit in with anything - she would have made more sense as part of the pop or rock landscape in the '60s or (especially) '70s. She kept cranking out albums that had hit after hit.  She got to tour with, or collaborate with, so many great artists (not the least of whom were The Rolling Stones and Stevie Nicks both of whom were huge influences on her). I was glad to see her success, she seems like a good person, plays benefit concerts and supports causes that I believe in.

She kind of lost me in 2005 with Wildflower, which I just couldn't get into, and I didn't like the follow-up, 2008's Detours either (with the exception of "Gasoline," which featured Ben Harper). Which makes this new album so sweet. The title is a reference to where she grew up, but the sound on the album is very influenced by the soul music that she listened to as a kid. It's not gimmicky, and it's not a stretch for her to do this album at all. There's a few guests (Keith Richards, Justin Timberlake, Citizen Cope), but it's not an "all-star" album... in fact, Timberlake just does guest vocals... I'm sure a full on duet would have been more "marketable." There's a few covers (Terrence Trent D'Arby's "Sign Your Name," Cope's "Sideways," The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back") but it's not a "covers" album, and her original songs, including "Our Love Is Fading" and "Summer Day," hold up to them.  In the spirit of classic albums, she uses the musicians who make sense on the songs.  She does covers that she's inspired to do, without following a marketing department's guidelines (which may hurt her sales, but at least she's charting her own course - which she should be doing). The musicians on the album are really in the pocket - it's not an old-school "live on the floor" thing (or it doesn't seem to be, since her collaborators Doyle Bramhall II and Justin Stanley play multiple instruments on lots of songs).

I remember a few years ago, Sheryl got a short haircut.  I remember reading that she claimed that cutting her hair hurt her career.  I don't know if I buy that: uncommercial albums (Wildflower and Detours) are what I think really hurt her career. If those albums were what she had to do at the time, fine.  Neil Young has uncommerical albums too. But I would challenge Crow to compare the songs on those two album with her first four: they're just not as catchy.

But I think the cover of her new album kind of tells the tale: she has her long hair, she looks gorgeous, and she looks like she enjoys being gorgeous.  She's been through a lot in her personal life, and this album just feels kind of triumphant, and even on "Summer Day," happy (which is nice, given her struggles with depression). In ten and twenty years, you could play some of these songs alongside her classic rock influences (The Stones, Stevie, The Allmans, and lest I forget, Crowded House who should be considered classic rock) and they would sound not at all out of place next to them. Way to go Sheryl!

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: M.I.A., SHERYL CROW, KYLIE,

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning I am a guest on the SIRIUS XM Channel OutQ's show The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick at 9 am ET. Each week, I talk about new records, or new releases, or newly released archival material, or sometimes just a specific theme. This week I've changed my day to Thursday.  I'll be talking about new releases from some very talented ladies.

M.I.A. just released her latest album, Maya. She is one of those artists who the press love to write about. I think she is really exciting and interesting, even though I don't always agree with the things she says (she name dropped the P.L.O. in one of her early songs). In this now-infamous article from The New York Times Magazine, the writer kind of calls her out (not in the interviews though) for her oversimplifying of political issues, and also over some contradictions in her personality. Her very violent and shocking video for "Born Free" has been criticized too, but I found it interesting. (She did an unusual performance of the song on Letterman, catch it here). I've also read that the album is too abrasive ("Born Free" samples Suicide 's "Ghost Rider"). It actually reminds me of Nine Inch Nails, and I don't think Trent Renzor would mind that statement.

Kylie Minogue's new album Aphrodite is one of Larry Flick's top three albums of the year. It's not so much my thing, but I don't mind her either. I interviewed her a few years ago and she was very nice. Of the new songs, I don't like any as much as "Can't Get You Out Of My Head."

Say what you want about Christina Aguilera, girl can sing. Yes, she overdoes it sometimes, but not always. Exhibit A: her cover of James Brown's "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" from the 2007 Grammy Awards. She nailed it. Exhibit B, albiet a bit less heavy: when she joined The Rolling Stones onstage for "Live With Me," included in the Shine A Light film. People are saying her new album is ripping off Lady Gaga. I don't know, let's see what people say tomorrow on the show.

Morcheeba is a kind of trip-hop band from England, featuring brothers Paul Godfrey (a DJ) and multi-instrumentalist Ross Godfrey, they also had a very charismatic and beautiful singer named Skye Edwards. In 2003, they dismissed Skye from the band, but earlier this year, she rejoined. I was psyched to hear the record, but so far I'm not a huge fan of Blood Like Lemonade.

Like Morcheeba, Tracy Bonham was on the verge of getting big in the '90s and then it kind of didn't happen(I actually saw both groups at the Lilith Fair show in, I think, 1998). I liked a lot of her songs, especially "The One." Recently, my wife and I were at a karoke night (for real) and some girl there, who looked like she had a pretty buttoned up straight office job sang "Mother Mother" and nearly lost her mind. Anyway, I was glad to see that Ms. Bonham put out a new album, Masts Of Manhatta (that's how it is spelled), but I don't love it yet either! A great Tracy Bonham moment, believe it or not, is on Aerosmith's "Back Back Train" from their excellent Honkin' On Bobo album - Joe Perry sings lead on the song and she kind of accompanies him to great effect.

Jane Krakowski? What can I say? Her music isn't my particular cup of tea, but I love her on 30 Rock and she has a new album, The Laziest Gal In Town. It's very show-tuney, but it's true to who she is.

Even though Mavis Staples' new album, You Are Not Alone, produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, isn't out until September, the first single (the title track, written for her by Tweedy) is out now, and I wanted to share it. I have written about this album already, and I can't wait to hear it.

Finally, Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles To Memphis. We talked about the first single, "Summer Day," last week, but now I have the whole album. I don't know if I like anything as much as the lead single, but I haven't heard any of the other songs like 50 times! "Summer Day" is amazing. I like "Eye To Eye" which features Keith Richards on guitar, a cool cover of Terrence Trent D'arby's "Sign Your Name" with Justin Timberlake, and Citizen Cope's "Sideways" with Cope on vocals, plus a bunch of other good songs (originals, with no guests). Well done, Sheryl, and welcome back.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: THE LADIES OF LILITH FAIR

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning I am a guest on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ's show The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick at 9 am ET. Each week I talk about new records, or new releases or archival material, or sometimes just a specific theme.

Tomorrow I'm talking about some of the artists who are on the Lilith Fair tour.  The tour has gotten some bad publicity lately, as some of the shows have been cancelled due to (of course) poor ticket sales.  Lots of tours are having problems this summer though. Back in the '90s, critics always seemed to have it in for the tour, I remember hearing that it was "too white."  I went to the tour all three years, and I'd seen Missy Elliott, Mya, Tracy Chapman and Morcheeba on the tour - that's just off the top of my mind. I think that critics just don't like Sarah McLachlan, who headlines the tour.  She's a bit too earnest for a lot of people, I can understand that. Also, she has a huge following, which she did on her own without being too commercial - but without help from the music press, which I think may rankle some writers. Anyway, Sarah has a new album, Laws Of Illusion. I wrote about the new single, "Loving You Is Easy" a while back, I dig the song. I like the album, I don't love it.  I guess with Sarah, I compare everything to Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and I haven't liked anything she's done as much as that album.

Next week Sheryl Crow releases her next album, 100 Miles From Memphis. I've always liked Sheryl Crow, but I haven't been super-into her last two albums.  I've heard one song from the new album, "Summer Day," which I think is incredible. She's really showing off her soul influences, as opposed to a modern country-adult contemporary sound.  At least on this song.  I actually just heard her cover of Citizen Cope's "Sideways" (featuring Cope on backing vocals) which was really great. I'm definitely looking forward to this album.

Heart has a new album, Red Velvet Car, coming out next month, but for now they have a new EP, WTF, and I'll be playing the title track. Heart are badass ladies and don't really get their due. I don't totally love this new song, but their catalog speaks for itself. Ann Wilson is an incredible rock and roll singer, and Nancy Wilson is a very underrated guitarist. I'm curious to hear the album.


We're also going to talk about a bunch of other artists on this summer's Lilith Fair festival: Corinne Bailey Rae, The Bangles, Court Yard Hounds, Janelle Monae, The Indigo Girls and Mary J Blige, among others.

STONES IN EXILE DVD

I've got to say, I've really been digging listening to The Rolling Stones' classic Exile On Main Street over and over since the reissue came out. Tonight I watched Stones In Exile, the documentary about the album.

The doc was pretty cool, it was interesting to see footage of the era.  But you know Mick Jagger really isn't too into talking about it (in a recent interview he said he didn't know the point of it, other than getting paid, or something like that), and Charlie Watts really really isn't into talking about it. Keith Richards is cool with talking about whatever, but he didn't have any incredible insight, nor did former members Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman, although it was cool to see and hear them in the doc. My favorite parts were the interview segments with Bobby Keys, who played sax on the album (and still plays on their records and tours today). But I enjoyed the doc.

What I loved about the DVD though, was a bonus feature with extended interviews with "Exile fans": Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair, will.i.am and Caleb Followill from Kings Of Leon, as well as Martin Scorsese and Don Was.   I used to do interviews with rock stars, and I often was more interested in talking about things other than themselves - especially music that really, really meant a lot to them. Whoever did these interviews, I was definitely envious of, because these were the types of conversations I loved, back in the day. It was fascinating to see what Exile meant to these folks: to Jack White, it was an album that could confound rock critics, they could no longer box the Stones in. To Sheryl Crow, it was how they looked at the place where she was from, the south. will.i.am is one of the most proudly modern and commercial artists - but he likes the fact that it is an entire body of work, and part of a greater continuum of work, and one that isn't reliant on having hit singles.  It's the "cool" album to like, because it isn't as well known. Followill, the son of a preacher man, thought it sounded like the devil's music, and loved it. Don Was, an artist and producer (who has produced The Stones' records of the past 15 years) can't figure out what is on the essence of the album (which I'm sure some critics will have field day with).  And Liz Phair, as her fans know, has a pretty complex relationship with this particular record. Maybe the doc will get some Stones fans to pick up her debut, the classic Exile In Guyville. I know Mick, Keith and Charlie exec-produced the doc, but I would think that they might be weirded out by all of the things that everybody said about the album - not just Liz (but especially Liz!).

A cynic could say that they selected the artists they interviewed for marketing purposes, but I take a different point of view.  Through these interviews, you really see why the album, and the band is so relevant today. I give the main doc a B but this feature an A.

ME'SHELL, NORAH, SHERYL, MOS DEF RAISE HOPE FOR CONGO

Some charity compilations get a lot of attention, and some don't.  I actually keep up on this stuff, and still, I nearly missed Raise Hope For Congo. According to the organization's website, "Our insatiable demand for electronic products is fueling the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the deadliest conflict since World War II and the most dangerous place in the world for women and girls. There are few other conflicts in the world where the link between our consumer appetites and mass human suffering is so direct. The armed groups perpetuating the violence generate an estimated $183 million each year by trading in illicit minerals, which end up in our electronics, from cell phones to laptops.  Since women are the primary targets in this war, proceeds from this compilation will fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo." I knew about conflict diamonds, but not conflict electronics.  I hope to learn more about this, so it will inform my choices as a consumer, and I hope you look into it too.

As for the album, it comes out June 22.  I downloaded two songs: a Norah Jones called "World Of Trouble," that was originally on the soundtrack to a film I never heard of, 2007's The Hottest State. The other was MeShell NdegeOcello's cover of U2's "40," which is lovely. There are also tracks from Sheryl Crow and Mos Def on the album.

LILITH FAIR ADDS THE BANGLES, THE GO-GOS, LORETTA, NORAH, HEART, KELLY CLARKSON

I have always been a fan of Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair. I went all three years, and saw some great artists, including Sarah herself, Tracy Chapman, The Indigo Girls, Missy Elliot, Morcheeba, Sheryl Crow and The Pretenders, among others. As I've mentioned, this year's lineup includes Sarah, Sheryl and The Indigo Girls, as well as Emmylou Harris, Mary J. Blige and Miranda Lambert.  Now they've also announced The Bangles, The Go-Gos, Loretta Lynn, Norah Jones, Heart, Kelly Clarkson, The Courtyard Hounds (aka Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the The Dixie Chicks), Cat Power, Sia, The Gossip and Beth Orton, among others. Of course not every artist plays every city, but odds are that every show will have a great lineup.

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND BEACON BOX

The Allman Brothers Band is about to kick off their latest March Madness string of NYC shows.  It will be hard to beat last year's run: they were joined, over the multi-night stand, by Eric Clapton, Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and many others.  The box set costs $500.  You got that right.  But it's 49 CDs! Not bad for that price! Although you can get the concerts individually for $27 each.  Find out more here. I have a recording of the March 19 show which featured Clapton.  I've often said that he can be pretty lazy (my opinion). When he joined the Allmans onstage, that was not the case. You should check out some of these shows. 

LILITH FAIR NAMES SARAH, SHERYL, MARY J., EMMYLOU, MIRANDA AND MORE

I've written about how The Lilith Fair is going to return in the summer of 2010. Their official site announced some of the artists who will be participating in the tour (it has traditionally been Sarah McLachlan headlining, maybe one other act on the entire tour, and other artists on select dates but not the whole tour. Pretty diverse group: Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, The Indigo Girls, Jill Scott, Miranda Lambert and Tegan & Sara, to name a few.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: GREAT, OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE '00S

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning I go on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ on the show The Morning Jolt With Larry Flick. Tomorrow I will be talking about some albums from the past decade that I really like, and that I feel are a bit overlooked.

Possibly my favorite album of the decade is one of the first ones to come out: Aimee Mann's unbelievable Bachelor No. 2 or the last remains of the dodo. Truthfully, the album started coming out in 1999, on the Magnolia soundtrack, which was released on December 7 (the film hit theaters on December 25). Here's the great story: Aimee had a history of battling record labels. She had to fight Epic to get off of that label after her band 'til tuesday broke up. She signed to the indie label Imago, and released her solo debut, 1993's classic Whatever. Imago folded, and after legal wrangling, she got her second album, the also classic I'm With Stupid released on Geffen. But eventually that label was folded into Interscope, and by the time she was ready with album number three, the label had totally changed to a durst/dre/eminem obsessed label, with little room for someone like Aimee. They didn't hear a single. Apparently, Aimee bought the album back at great cost and released it on her own, and she has been an independent artist ever since (although you rarely hear her described as "indie," although you do hear The Strokes - signed to RCA - as "indie." George Orwell spins in his grave!). Anyway, the great director Paul Thomas Anderson, who had worked with Mr. Mann - Michael Penn - on his then-latest movie, Boogie Nights, heard Aimee's "Deathly," and started writing Mangolia, using the line "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again?" Aimee's songs sort of narrated the film, and the soundtrack featured mostly her songs, some of which were also on Bachelor. None of this would matter if the songs weren't so amazing, but, wow, they were. She is one of my favorite artists of all time, and this is her finest moment. This album never ceases to blow me away. She always gets critical props, but you never heard of her on "best of" lists. She is on my "VERY best of" list. And on a personal note, it was an interview with Aimee about her Smilers album that I met Larry Flick - I was interviewing her for the SIRIUS website, Larry for his show, and we became friends after that, leading to me being a weekly contributor to his show.

Conventional wisdom says that Elton John stopped making cool music long ago. And for the most part, that's true (I love some of his '80s and '90s stuff, like "Sad Songs (Say So Much)," "Empty Garden," "The One," "Sacrifice," "Believe" and "The Last Song" to name a few exceptions). I don't even feel bad saying it, Elton says it himself. His 2001 album Songs From The West Coast is one of his very best albums, and it came when people weren't even paying attention. It's too bad, it is an incredible album. What happened? My theory: lyricist Bernie Taupin went through a divorce (his third I think?)and wrote some very emotional lyrics. And Elton was rediscovering simply recorded music, notably that of Ryan Adams. In the liner notes, he writes, "Special thanks to Ryan Adams, who inspired me to do better." At the time he was really into Ryan's solo debut, Heartbreaker. If you like Elton, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Also in 2001, Stevie Nicks released Trouble In Shangri-La. I definitely do not think that anyone expected a decent album from her at that point. I know it took me by surprise. It may not have had a monster smash hit single like "Stand Back" or "Edge Of Seventeen," but I will say that it is her best solo album ever. Part of it is that the album was partly produced by Sheryl Crow, who I think was more motivated to make a great Stevie album, than (maybe) making her own album. Not that Sheryl didn't care about her own music, but she really wanted to do Stevie justice, and on the song "Sorcerer," she does. I think that helped the rest of the album, produced by John Shanks, to be really great. She was also coming off of the huge success of the Fleetwood Mac song "Silver Springs," which the band rejected from Rumours, and which became a humongous hit on their reunion album The Dance. I don't have a total theory for this one, Stevie just had "it" back.

Fiona Apple's 2005 Extraordinary Machine got tons of press at the time, but doesn't seem to be talked about much anymore. This one has a story also. She first worked on it with Jon Brion, with whom she had worked before (and who also produced Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2), but was delayed over and over by the label. The album leaked, there was a huge fan-driven campaign to get the album out, which the press picked up (and maybe blew out of proportion, but it made a good story) and then she re-recorded almost the entire album with Mike Elizondo, well known as a musician who worked for Dr. Dre. He didn't make it a hip-hop album, of course, but he did give it a snap that really worked.


Finally, Q-Tip's album from last year, The Renaissance. Tip never gets the props he deserves, and I guess that may be his lot in life because he is ambitious and never panders. That is sometimes the burden of an artist I guess, and Q-Tip is a true artist. Forget wayne and whoever else is getting all the press, listen to this album, it's great.

Of course, there are so many other unsung albums from the decade, I may get to some more in two or three weeks. If you have any suggestions, that's what the comments area is for!

NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE CONCERT LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Over the summer, I mentioned that NARAS had announced that the great Neil Young would be honored as their MusicCares Person Of The Year in 2010. The concert/event will take place January 29 at the L.A. Convention center, and will probably cost a ton of money (albeit, going to a good cause, MusicCares does some good stuff).

I've read online (but not at the NARAS site) a list of performers, so I don't know if it offiical, but if it is, this is a great lineup: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, k.d. lang, Dave Matthews, Ozomalti, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Crosby Stills & Nash, Wilco, Jackson Browne, Josh Groban(!) and some new band called Everest. Fans rarely get to see these shows (even on TV) which is too bad, especially this year.

LILITH FAIR TO RETURN IN 2010

Earlier this year, I wrote about how the long dormant Lilith Fair website posted a new message, "returning in 2010." Today, the site relaunched, with a list of cities that the tour will be hitting - no venues, dates, or artists, just cities. I went to all three Lilith Fairs and saw some great artists: Sarah McLachlan, of course, also Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, The Indigo Girls, The Pretenders, Morcheeba. I wonder who Sarah will get this time around?

BOB DYLAN: THE ROAD NEVER ENDS, NEITHER DOES THE VAULT

Since the late '80s, Bob Dylan's tour has been referred to as "The Never-Ending Tour," although Bob scoffed at that title in a recent interview (I think with Rolling Stone). But he does tour really frequently, regardless of whether or not he has an album out, which is cool.

As I've mentioned, guitarist Charlie Sexton has just rejoined Dylan's band, he left in 2002. According to Rolling Stone and fan accounts, Dylan's L.A. show last night lasted nearly two hours (which is longer than most Dylan shows that I've seen) and was incredible. The chemistry with Sexton was supposedly great, and the setlist was a cool one: he opened with his Christian-era rocker "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking," played "Shooting Star," one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums (Oh Mercy), My favorite song from the new album Together Through Life (probably my favorite album of the year), "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" as well as "I Feel A Change Comin' On" and "Jolene." The set list also included "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," "Cold Irons Bound," "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again," "High Water (For Charlie Patton)," "Highway 62 Revisited," "Nettie Moore," "Thunder On The Mountain," "Ballad Of A Thin Man," "Like A Rolling Stone" and "All Along The Watchtower." Perfect mix of old and recent, "hits" and "album tracks." Man, I wish I was at that show. But he's playing three nights at the United Palace: I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the money to go, but between this and the great time I had seeing Bob over the summer, I think I'm there!

In other Bob Dylan news, a song called "California," recorded during the Bringing It All Back Home sessions but never released, will see the light of day on the "Vol. 2" soundtrack to the TV show NCIS (apparently the most popular TV drama?). The soundtrack will also have exclusive tracks from John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and Joss Stone.

Finally, this week, Bob released his first Christmas album, Christmas In The Heart.

BRIDGE SCHOOL ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR'S LINEUP

The Bridge School has announced this year's lineup: Neil Young (of course), No Doubt, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Buffett, Adam Sandler, Wolfmother, Chris Martin of Coldplay and Mr. Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale of Bush. Decent lineup .

THE FAB TWO

Last weekend, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr shared the stage for the first time since the George Harrison tribute concert, and for the first time in America since The Beatles last performed here (actually, I seem to remember Ringo joining Paul onstage in the early '90s, but I could be wrong). Supposedly a mind-blowing show. Paul also performed a super-rare song that he's never even properly released.  Plus, Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow and the rest of the performers were great. Everyone from Howard Stern to Papa Bear Bill O'Reilly enjoyed it. A friend of mine was there and said that they shot everything, so here's hoping it will be out on DVD so it can raise more funds for David Lynch 's foundation. 

BRUCE, STEVIE, BONO AND OTHERS TO PLAY INAUGURAL CELEBRATION

I wonder if Washington D.C. has ever seen anything like the excitement for Barack Obama's inauguration. Certainly the concert that will take place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial this Sunday for the We Are One celebration is kind of unprecedented: Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, James Taylor and will.i.am are among the artists who will be performing at this historic event. The show will be open to the public: I think it is supposed to be freezing that day, but who cares? I wish I was going.

BOND... JAMES BOND

People always make a big deal about the theme songs to films in the James Bond franchise. I have the new compilation The Best Of Bond... James Bond, and I gotta say, there's a lot of pretty bad songs on it. But since I don't dwell on the negative, let me list my favorite few.

1. Paul McCartney & Wings - "Live and Let Die" from 1973's Live and Let Die. This is one of the few Bond songs that transcended the movie: I think that people don't even think of this as a Bond theme. It's one of Paul's greatest post-Beatles songs, and it even holds up to a lot of Fab Four stuff.

2. John Barry & Orchestra - "James Bond Theme" from 1962's Dr. No. The first, and one of the most distinct movie themes ever.

3. Duran Duran - "A View To A Kill" from 1985's A View To A Kill. In 1985, you couldn't pick a more appropriate band for a Bond theme than double D, and the band rose to the occasion with one of their greatest songs ever, and a great video to boot. "Bon... Simon LeBon."

4. Garbage - "The World Is Not Enough" from 1999's The World Is Not Enough. In the late '90s, Garbage was one of the few bands that made sense for a Bond theme. This featured an even better video than "A View To A Kill." Shirley Manson was perfect for this.

5. Jack White & Alicia Keys - "Another Way To Die" from 2008's Quantum Of Solace. I've written about this one already, you know I love it. I hope Jack and Alicia work together again .

6. Madonna - "Die Another Day" from 2002's Die Another Day. Supposedly Elton said this was the worst Bond theme ever, but I really like it. I guess Madge was inspired by spies: her Austin Powers theme "Beautiful Stranger" is one of my favorites by her, and I like this very electro songs as well. Also a great video.

7. Sheryl Crow - "Tomorrow Never Dies" from 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. Bond's evening gown vibe is outside of Sheryl's denim comfort zone, but she did a great job on this song.

8. Shirley Bassey - "Diamonds Are Forever" from 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. I'm not really into the old school schmaltzy thing, but this was a good song, sampled to great effect by Kanye West in "Diamonds From Sierra Leone."