I guess we have reached that time of the year when you place things in perspective. In this case, I am going to venture on my ‘Top 5’ albums of the year; most of them obvious, but also with a surprise thrown in. And, though, most would commence with their lists with their no.1 album, I will pursue my list as a countdown.
5. Sound & Colour
— Alabama Shakes If it was not for the internet, I probably would not have received an opportunity of listening to American rock band Alabama Shakes, formed in 2009. While their soul-based roots are obvious, it is the arrangements of the songs that provide their music a distinctive sound ranging from old-fashioned blues [“Gimme All Your Love”], soul [“Sound & Colour”], rock ‘n’ roll [“The Greatest”] well, you get the picture as the 12 selections take a wee bit to digest before the free-spirited sounds of their second album can be treated as acceptable with futuristic manic-driven originality but, paradoxically, with a foothold in the past.
4. Cass County
— Don Henley
Having seen the Eagles perform in Abu Dhabi last year, it would have been safe for singer-drummer Don Henley’s first solo album in 15 years to make an Eagles sound-alike album. However, he has not, with Henley moving way away from the atypical rock sound to one that can comfortably be described as “country”. Recorded with minimal instrumentation, the only heavy weights here are the supporting cast of vocalists: Trisha Yearwood [“Words Can Break Your Heart”], Mick Jagger [“Bramble Rose”], Dolly Parton [“When I Stop Dreaming”], and country legend Merle Haggard [“The Cost Of Living”]. But, in all this, can Don Henley really ignore his high flying Eagles days Check out “Take A Picture Of This” or “Waiting Tables” or “Praying For Rain”, and be sure to let me know.
3. Tracker
— Mark Knopfler Managed to catch up with Mark Knopfler in Dubai in 2005, who had aged gracefully wearing thick glasses but, fortunately, his expertise on the guitar remained untarnished. So, too, are his solo albums, which may not contain that many memorable songs as with his “original” band but, yet, they are certainly worthy of a listen. So too is ‘Tracker’ where he continues with his solo future with his very own distinctive sounds that he has always enjoyed. As notable examples, listen to “Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes”, a song that evokes Dave Brubeck's “Take Five”; while “Beryl” has just a bit of the “Sultans Of Swing” swagger to it; and “I do what I want/And I don’t give a damn about a thing” is what Knopfler sings on the shuffling country number “Skydiver”, which says it all about his moving away from one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Dire Straits.
2. Shadows In The Night
— Bob Dylan
When others cover Bob Dylan’s songs, the renditions become acceptable by the covering band’s fans, but what about when Dylan covers some other musician’s music for an entire album Having seen Dylan perform live in Singapore in 2011, even his own selections were so varied — with the lyrics barely distinguishable — it almost seemed that Dylan was playing someone else’s songs. Nevertheless, on ‘Shadows In The Night’ — a play on Frank Sinatra’s ‘Strangers In The Night’ — Dylan transforms every track popularised by Sinatra with his distinctive voice, which appears in fine shine here. ‘Shadows In The Night’ may appear as an intriguing amalgamation of two legends and, indeed, on first hearing, it does appear jarring. But, settle down to repeated listenings, and this album is a testament to a timeless tribute. 1. 25 — Adele The feverish four-year wait for the follow-up to Adele’s multi-platinum blockbuster ‘21’ was awaited by baited breath not only by her fans, but by the global music industry – and she does not disappoint. ‘25’ tells the story of a young woman making her uneasy peace with adulthood, having fallen in love and become a mother. The maturity shows throughout this album as Adele utilises multiple co-songwriters and producers to ensure that there is no repeat of her ‘21’ days but, on the contrary, an [r]evolution from her previous success. While keyboard-based ballads appear as an underlying theme, Adele still surprises with tracks such as the gospel feel of “When We Were Young”, the gorgeous “River Lea”, the full-band sound on “Sweetest Devotion”, and my personal favourite, the acoustic “Million Years Ago”. Talent like this arrives probably once a decade or, perhaps, even less often
The writer has been part of the media and entertainment business for over 23 years. He still continues to pursue his hobby, and earns an income out of it.
