This is my third year of rating the year's new music on the iPod and the first time there was no clear winner for the album of the year. Nothing really dominated the iPod play this year. To the extent that a theme emerged in this year's music, it is the influence of the Allman Brothers Band and the Allman Brothers. If a discussion that only marginally touches on running does not appeal to you, the last running blog is HERE. Remember, this is treadmill music. It needs to be loud with a beat, mostly classic rock and blues. It is intended to be distracting and to make the weeknight treadmill workouts more enjoyable. Admittedly, this year's new music probably had less of the loud. It was still dominated by blues and neo-classic rock, along with the classic rock reissues and discoveries. This year's review is dedicated to my recently married brother, Dan. A fine musician in his own right.
A Solid Ensemble and Album
Derek Trucks is the best guitarist of the new generation. He plays in the Allman Brothers Band. He has his own band. I am also a fan of Susan Tedeschi who reportedly met Trucks when she was playing warm-up for the Allman Brothers Band. The now married couple decided they were spending too much time apart. So, they put their separate bands on hiatus and formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Their first album is Revelator. This is intended to be an ensemble band and not a star vehicle. As a concept, the comparisons to Delaney & Bonnie are not off the mark. In this instance, the song writing and the band take a more structured and less jam-band approach. Those who are disappointed seem to be those who want a Derek-Trucks-and-back-up-band album. I started off wanting more of an edge, but the more I listen to this CD the more I enjoy it. As treadmill music, it would be better with a few more rockers, but that is not the concept. My support crew and I saw the band in a New Year's Eve show at the Warfield -- A great experience (the band, not the well-past-its-prime Warfield). The album has elements of blues, soul, retro rock and jazz. It won the Grammy for blues album of the year. Southern Soul
More soulful than rocker. Nonetheless, Man in Motion by Warren Haynes is a good album with nice guitar work that plays well on the treadmill. Haynes is a journeyman who has played with other musicians and bands, in addition to solo work. He is an accomplished song writer, guitarist and vocalist. He is also the other guitar in the current line-up of the Allman Brothers Band - trading licks with Derek Trucks. Keeping with his roots, this album probably has more improvisation and call-and-response than the normal soul or blues record. Those who are disappointed wanted Haynes and his other band, Government Mule. However, the better informed know better than to expect that from a Haynes solo album. This album also received a Grammy nomination for blues album of the year. Gregg Allman: Can't Get More Allman Than That
Low Country Blues opens much like B.B. King's One Kind Favor, both albums produced by the master producer of so-called "roots" music, T- Bone Burnett. This is Allman's first album in 14 years. It is made up of blues covers with one original tune co-written with Warren Haynes. The sound is more basic and stripped back than the Allman Brothers, but that does not mean it is simplistic. Allman's voice is surprisingly good for his age and hard living. It is also a good match for the material. This is old style blues, wrestling with demons, not the excess and ego that sometimes substitute for honest reflection in blues covers. Allman is ably assisted by a stellar group of musicians assembled by Burnett, including Doyle Bramhall II on guitar (who played in Eric Clapton's road band for a couple of tours, including the tour with Derek Trucks), Dr. John on piano, Dennis Crouch on acoustic base and Jay Bellerose on drums with calfskin heads. An interesting album and a good listen. Better for the days when getting lost in the music is the antidote for the treadmill, rather than for the days looking for volume and beat. Another album that received a Grammy nomination for blues record of the year. Forty Years Earlier
I still think that Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs may be the classic rock album that has best survived the test of time. This was Eric Clapton's next project emerging from his time with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. It had the Delaney & Bonnie rhythm section. They worked on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, pushing that album to three disks with their jam sessions. Duane Allman joined the recording session for this album in one of the best guitar pairings in rock. One story I read claimed that Allman was asked to join the band, but declined. Derek Trucks is supposedly named for the band. Clapton is at his best when pushed or challenged by others. Arguably, that is what the pairing of Clapton and Allman did. Layla celebrated its 40th anniversary with new deluxe and super-deluxe editions. The new editions include six recordings that were the start of a never completed second album. The re-worked or re-recorded songs appear on other Clapton albums. There are four songs from a live appearance on the Johnny Cash Show. There are two withdrawn Phil Spector produced songs and one outtake. I sprang for the deluxe edition even though the first disk is no different from the one I already have. It was worth it. The super deluxe includes surround sound mixes, vinyl, a book and some other goodies. It was way too expensive for my wallet. Another Bonus Disk That is Worth the Price
Another reissue I picked up and added to the iPod this year was Johnny Winter's second album, Second Winter. This is purported to be the only three sided album ever released - the fourth side of the original vinyl two disk set was blank. I turned on XM's Deep Tracks channel in the car to hear the end of a blazing guitar solo. After the set, the DJ said it had come from Second Winter. I decided I had to get it. This album has Winter's career-defining version of Highway 61 Revisited. The driving guitar work makes a solid treadmill offering. I got the Legacy Edition with a second disk of live performances recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. There is a guitar based version of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" that is very interesting. (I saw Edgar at Detroit's Cobo Arena in the mid-70's.) Second Winter is a great album and even if I had it, the bonus disk would be worth the price. It is my top new discovery (of classic rock material) for the year.
Johnny Winter also released a new album, Roots. This one is covers of up-tempo blues tunes from his early years. Winter started with the blues and pushed the blues/hard rock format in the 70's with great success. He has always been a stellar interpreter of other's music (ala Highway 61 Revisited). After his hard rock run, he went back to blues. This album has a solid band and guest artists including Warren Haynes, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Winter is still solid on the guitar, but the blazing energy of the 60's and 70's has given way to the maturity of today.More From the New Generation
Back to XM's Deep Tracks - I was listening to a program about B.B. King and they had an interview with Albert Cummings. Cummings has played warm-up for King and is a huge admirer. During the interview, XM played one of Cummings' recordings. It was great. I decided I had to get a Cummings album and ended up picking Feels So Good. Great live blues shading to rock and lots of sound from a three-piece. This disk is a fine example of the excitement the band reportedly generates in a live setting. It has original Cummings material, blues covers (for example, King's "Rock Me Baby" and Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man") and closes with a nice take on Led Zepplin's "Rock and Roll." From what I can gather, Cummings only performs part-time. His day job is building custom homes.The King of Tone: Raunchy, Overdriver and Loud
Loud and with beat does describe Leslie West's new album Unusual Suspects. This is the most straight forward hard rock album of this year's group. West is probably best know as one of the founders of Mountain, with his distinctive voice and guitar solos. I saw Mountain when they played warm-up for Bob Seger in 1975 at Flint's now long-gone IMA Auditorium. He may be one of the lesser known guitarists of the classic rock era, but that does not diminish the respect that other players have for him. This is not a recording for the ages; exhibit one: a tongue in cheek "Mud Flap Momma." It is a rollicking, fun album with an unusual set of guest artists. It is a solid album for fans of classic Leslie West.Living Long Could Also be the Best Revenge
Looking back over his 74 years, Buddy Guy has offered up the most traditional electric blues of the new CD's this year with Living Proof. The album was actually released in 2010 and won the 2010 Grammy for best contemporary blues album (there were two blues categories until 2011's consolidation of categories). It is energetic and satisfying with solid guitar work. I have sometimes thought that in recent years Buddy Guy could get a little lazy and sloppy, but not on this album. Guests include B.B. King and Carlos Santana. Like B.B. King, Guy is now one of the revered elder masters of Chicago blues. It helps to outlive your contemporaries. This album enhances the legacy. Good Time Music
Recorded during the 2010 "Legendary Blues Cruise," Elvin Bishop's Raisin' Hell Revue has solid, raucous live performances. Bishop's sense of fun and his energy translate better in a live setting than in the studio. So, this format shows him and his friends at their best. The format really was a revue, with various band members moving in and out of the spotlight for their numbers. The album samples various portions of Bishop's career and various styles. It is a fine example of the good time music Bishop is known for and it is a fun ride. Some of the material is silly, such as "Callin' all Cows" and Albert Collins' "Dyin' Flu." Other material is straight forward blues or soul. Bishop was a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and can still play blues guitar with the best.Misses the Mark
Just playing would have been an improvement on Ron Wood's I Feel Like Playing. This guy cannot sing. Some suggest that his raspy voice is a good match for blues based rock. That is a lesser part of the issue. He also can't hit the notes and has no expressiveness. For me, there was little compelling about the album. It was slow to get started, the cover versions were not interesting and it plays like an excuse for a bunch of friends to get together and hang out. Of course, some of that could apply to Elvin Bishop (questionable singing and hanging out with friends) but Elvin pulls it off while Wood does not. My recommendation is to skip this one.
One reviewer suggested that the Doobie Brothers' World Gone Crazy is as close to a greatest hits package as you can get without being one. This is the band's first studio album in ten years. Core members Tom Johnson and Pat Simmons are both on this recording. The songs and overall feel of the album harkens back to the Doobies of the early 70's. As I have said, the Doobie Brothers tend to be a little more to the pop, soft rock side than I like. The band's catalog is full of accessible songs and many of their hits are the musical equivalent of "comfort food." The band tours continuously. My support crew and I saw them at the Fillmore. So, I decided to get the album. It will not be a disappointment for Doobie Brothers fans. I can take it or leave, but decided to take it in this instance. Blues Collection
Alligator Records is probably the premier label for contemporary blues. They put out an anniversary album at every five year anniversary. 2011 saw the two-disk Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection. There is lots of good stuff here. Despite all the first rate material, one silly song has wedged itself in my brain. It is Lil' Ed's story of going to his girlfriend's home to celebrate their relationship with a hot, home cooked meal to find "Icicles in My Meatloaf." She tells him how she put together this fresh meal for him. He keeps telling himself there are icicles in the meatloaf, but never mentions it to her. He decides the girl is OK and the one failing is worth overlooking.Number 1 On the List
Rolling Stone magazine updated their list of the 100 Greatest [Rock] Guitarists of All Time. Jimi Hendrix deservedly remains number one. Everything before Hendrix was leading up to him and everything after is derivative. I know I wrote that before, but it remains true and is worth repeating. My reissue of the year is the live album Hendrix in the West. It was originally released in 1972, not long after Hendrix's death. Cry of Love and Rainbow Bridge, both released in 1971, comprised all of the more-or-less-finished studio recordings that Hendrix had intended for his next double album. With that inventory gone, no one knew what was left for Hendrix. Some of the best live recordings were selected in an effort to keep the commercial Hendrix moving forward. The definitive live version of "Little Wing" was on the original album. It was listed as a recording from a concert in San Diego. It was actually recorded at the Royal Albert Hall. Whoever held the rights to the Royal Albert performance had not authorized its use. Once the owners figured out what had happened the record company had to withdraw the album. It has not been available in the U.S. since 1974. This album has the original material except for the Royal Albert track. A good, but not the definitive, "Little Wing" is substituted. As with most reissues, there is bonus material. This is still a great album and I am happy to be reunited with this portion of my misspent youth. 
Also released during the year was the four disk Winterland, from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It has performances from six concerts played over three nights during October 1968 at The CITY's Winterland Ballroom. Winterland was originally built in 1928 as a skating rink that could be converted to an entertainment venue. Starting in the 60's, Bill Graham used it, in addition to the Fillmore (only a couple of blocks away), to stage larger rock concerts. By this time, the facility was showing its age. There are reports of parts of building falling and almost killing people. The final shows were in the late 70's. The building was eventually torn down to make room for condominiums. The CD includes all of the songs played at the six concerts, with the best versions selected and some duplicates. There were plenty of technical problems, which was not unusual for the equipment of the era, especially pushed to its limit by Hendrix. A fine, if sometimes flawed, example of the Experience live. This is a good addition for a Hendrix fan. There are better recordings for those not familiar with the basic catalog.
