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Song of the Day #6,605a: ‘The Levee’s Gonna Break’ – Bob Dylan

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2006…

#3 – Modern Times – Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s 32nd studio album, released 44 years after his debut, was the most critically-acclaimed album of 2006. And it capped off an unofficial trilogy (following Time Out of Mind and “Love and Theft”) as celebrated as his great work in the 60s and 70s.

That’s pretty extraordinary, even taking into account that plenty of music critics are in the bag for Dylan no matter what he does. How many artists put out some of their best work past retirement age?

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Song of the Day #6,605: ‘His Majesty Rides’ – Josh Rouse

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2006…

#4 – Subtitulo – Josh Rouse

Singer-songwriter Josh Rouse is unique among the artists I admire in that he scores at the highest levels in terms of both my appreciation and his accessibility.

There are few performers I enjoy as much and none I’ve been able to see live in as intimate settings as Rouse. I’ve attended three of his shows now, and in each case was close enough to touch him in a venue the size of a large living room.

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Song of the Day #6,604a: ‘Stop This Train’ – John Mayer

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2006…

#5 – Continuum – John Mayer

John Mayer’s third album signaled a shift from the pop-rock of his first two efforts toward a blues and soul sound more consistent with his live shows. It also brought the oft-maligned wunderkind his first taste of widespread critical acclaim.

I was already a big Mayer fan but Continuum solidified him as one of my favorites. I loved the musical direction and more sophisticated songwriting, and the way the album fleshed out his already impressive catalog.

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Song of the Day #6,604: ‘Summer in the City’ – The Lovin’ Spoonful

The Lovin’ Spoonful held the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 the week of August 9, 1969, with ‘Summer in the City,’ the folk rock band’s first and only #1 hit. This was also the most overtly rocking song they had released to that point.

Dropping in the middle of a record heat wave in New York City, ‘Summer in the City’ was the right song at the right time. It spent three weeks in the top spot and earned critical acclaim for its shifting keys and use of sound effects.

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Song of the Day #6,603a: ‘My Prayer’ – The Platters

Throwing back to the week of August 8, 1956, we find the doo-wop group The Platters atop the Billboard singles chart with ‘My Prayer.’

The song was written in 1939 by Romanian violinist Georges Boulanger as an instrumental titled Avant de Mourir, with lyrics later added by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It found some success in the U.S. that year as ‘My Prayer,’ including in a recording by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.

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