The 9 Best Albums I Listened to in 2020

9.            Days of the Bagnold Summer, by Belle & Sebastian (2019)

A minor effort from a favorite group. The band is always a pleasure, mixing light, pop music sound; fabulously well-written songs; with witty social lyrics, and often matters of faith. As a soundtrack album, Days of the Bagnold Summer is still good, but more subdued, as one would expect. Choice track: “Safety Valve”.

 

8.            Perdida, by Stone Temple Pilots (2019)

Big STP fan here. My favorite band of the 1990s. All their albums are on my permanent playlist, including the Talk Show side project, which is wonderful. Perdida is quite good, with the regular musical lyrical hints that make STP wonderful songwriters. It’s their second effort with Jeff Gutt who has a voice close to the later works of their now deceased classic singer, Scot Weiland. Gutt is very good and smoothly works with the DeLeo Brothers music. Perdida is superior to 2018’s eponymous album, aside from the latter’s “"Thought She'd Be Mine" which is one of the best Stone Temple Pilot songs. However, this album comes off as more of a minor effort on their part, but still good. Choice tracks: “Fare Thee Well”, “Three Wishes”, and “She’s My Queen”.

 

7.            Venus and Mars, by Paul McCartney and Wings (1975)

               I was familiar with a few of the songs on the album from various McCartney/Wings greatest hits albums, but never listened to the whole album. I found the vinyl LP several weeks ago and gave it a listen. Even if it’s the next to the least greatest Wings album (Back to the Egg), it’s still quite good in the way most Paul McCartney albums are. Choice tracks: “Venus and Mars” and “Listen to What the Man Said”.

 

6.            Song Reader, by Beck (2014) 

The time between Beck’s Modern Guilt (2008) and his Morning Phase (2014) was his oddest period. He was released from his record label and went independent. He moonlighted as producer, working with artists such as Charlotte Gainsbourg (see IRM), Thurston Moore and Stephen Malkmus. He held an online Record Club where he and an assortment of his friends recorded a classic album (Oar, Kick, Songs of Leonard Cohen, Yanni Live at the Acropolis, Velvet Underground & Nico), released a couple of stand-alone singles, and worked on an abandoned country “Nashville” album that would eventually become Morning Phase. At the same time, Beck worked on a long-incubated project from his Odelay period. Song Reader was a set of 20 songs Beck wrote only on sheet music for other artists to record. In 2012 he released a book of the sheet music along with 100 pages of art (I own it). Beck played a few of the songs live, but in 2014 an album of various artists was given limited release, which included Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Jack White, Jarvis Cocker, Jack Black, with one song recorded by Beck. The album is good, particularly the songs recorded by Beck and by Black. A lesser effort and side project but still far better than anything most other artists accomplish. Choice tracks: “Heaven’s Ladder”, “Rough on Rats”, and "We All Wear Cloaks".

 

5.            Lost and Gone Forever, by Guster (1999)

I had been completely unaware of Guster prior to this album. Even now, I know little else. Catchy songs. Almost too catchy, if that is a thing. Choice tracks: “What You Wish For”, “Barrel of a Gun”, and “All the Way Up to Heaven”.

 

4.            Different Class, by Pulp (1995)

Another seminal group from the 90s Britpop music scene. This album is considered Pulp’s best and its best song, “Common People”, has frequently been referred to as the anthem of Britpop. After Oasis, Blur, and Suede (Radiohead and The Beta Band don’t qualify), Pulp is the fourth best Britpop group. Different Class is good, with many consistently good songs, though none (I think) rise to the level of greatness. In this specific way, it reminds me of Exile on Main Street: there were amazing songs on the Rolling Stone’s previous albums but also much mediocre filler; Exile may not have any amazing songs, but it’s consistently good and grows with repeated listenings. The title Different Class is apt; the album is mostly focused on issues of British class differences. Choice tracks: “Common People”, “I Spy”, “Sorted for E’s & Wizz”, and “Monday Morning”.

 

3.            Night Thoughts, by Suede (2016)

My appreciation of Suede continues to grow. They are a Britpop band, lesser well-known in the USA. They were one of the seminal bands of the 90s pop music movement in Britain that included Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, and Elastica. I discovered them two years ago and immediately fell in love with their Coming Up (1996) which became a favorite. The following year I fell in love with both Dog Man Star (1994) and Head Music (1999). Night Thoughts is the fifth of their current eight albums I’ve listened to (I’m spreading them out). Like the other three mentioned, this album is great with fantastic pop songs. While this album may not be my favorite of the year, it includes my favorite song of the year, the phenomenal and exquisitely constructed “I Don’t Know How to Reach You.” Just fantastic rock star swagger, wailing vocals, ethereal playing, and attempts to push pop past the edges. Choice tracks: “No Tomorrow”, “I Don’t Know How to Reach You”, “What I’m Trying to Tell You”, and “Like Kids”.

 

2.            Power Up, by AC/DC (2020)

 AC/DC has one of the best working formulas in rock music history. They are fantastic showmen, fan pleasers, very hardworking, and with tremendous energy. Look up the video of 54 yr old Angus Young playing “Let There Be Rock” Live at the River Plate, December 2009. The man’s a one-man Who band (circa 1970). AC/DC is also one of the most highly successful businesses in rock music history, resulting from all the above and good acumen to make it all work. As one recent reviewer wrote, "If deja vu is a familiar sensation with AC/DC, few outfits have managed to eke so much variety out of so few constituent parts as these stalwarts of reductio ad absurdum.” Because it works, God bless them! And Power Up works even better than most. It’s definitely their best since The Razors Edge (1990). Choice tracks: “Realize”, “Shot in the Dark”, "Through the Mists of Time", "Kick You When You're Down", and “Code Red”.

 

1.            Your Husband, My Wife, by Bobby Bare and Skeeter Davis (1970)

My favorite album of the year was also the first “new” album I listened to in January 2020. I immediately knew it would be the best. I’ve spent much of the past 18 months working slowly thru the LPs I’ve inherited. Everyone. Even if it looks dreadful. Your Husband, My Wife was one of the dreadful looking ones. The cover fooled me. It was album of mostly covers. And it was country music. It was all duets. And from 1970. I don’t like country music (except for the occasional Beck song). And the album title is … questionable. But I listened to the first song (the title track) … and it was really good – especially with the steel guitar. The second song, “Before the Sunrise”, was a jaunty tune, also very good. Third song, “I Got You” … a tremendous song. I was sold by now, but the songs kept coming: “Dream Baby”, “A Truer Love You’ll Never Find”, “There Never Was a Time” … Yes, this a fantastic album, and I’m just as shocked as you. I ended up getting the digital version so I can listen to it on the go. And I did. Before 2020 “officially” hit, I was traveling 40 minutes up to Shelby, NC and back most nights for play practice and performance (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, by Tom Stoppard); so, I listened to the album repeatedly for weeks during those drives, which just enhanced the enjoyment of those times. I think the album is fantastic, it’s on my permanent playlist, and now a top 50 favorite. I had been completely unaware of Bobby Bare, and I only recognized Skeeter Davis from her song, "The End of the World" (which I probably should’ve taken as a 2020 warning hint). Davis wrote the only original song on the album (“Let’s Make Love Not War”). People occasionally question my love of Bigger Better Fast More by 4 Non Blondes, or of Ringo by Ringo Starr (and the Beatles), but Your Husband, My Wife is truly the most unlikely of favorite albums, especially for me. Yet here it is. Choice tracks: “Your Husband, My Wife”, “Before the Sunrise”, “I Got You”, “Dream Baby”, and “A Truer Love You’ll Never Find”.