I’ve mostly stuck to themes on these Beatles weekends, picking two songs from the same album, two songs by George Harrison, two sides of the same single, etc. This week I’m eschewing a thematic connection and just highlighting two great songs.
‘Blackbird’ has always been one of my favorite Beatles songs. I remember first becoming aware of it during the summer after my junior year in high school.
Best Songs of 2009 – #6
I could have picked just about any song on Monster of Folk’s self-titled album for this year-end list… this album is solid from start to finish across a variety of styles and deliveries.
I’ve gone with ‘Baby Boomer’ because it makes excellent use of all three singers’ voices (those singers being Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward) and really plays up how well these individual artists have come together as a band.
Best Songs of 2009 – #7
Following 2004’s disappointing Encore, Eminem’s Relapse was a welcome return to form, sort of. Like most of his work, it is split about equally between the frivolous, the violently misogynistic and the powerfully personal. This time out, though, that formula felt a bit strained.
I found myself tempted to skip the “shocking” stuff (ok, ok, you cut off her head, next!) to get to the confessional material. Eminem is not going to grab headlines for being outrageous and controversial — not anymore — so he should settle down and craft an album that sounds, start to finish, like it was written by a grown-up.
Best Songs of 2009 – #8
John Mayer’s Continuum (2006) was a tough act to follow and he wasn’t quite up to the task with 2009’s Battle Studies. The album was solid and at times inspired but it didn’t break any ground.
Now, it’s probably not fair to expect artists to break new ground or constantly top themselves, and Battle Studies is certainly a solid effort, so don’t read this as a shot at Mayer. I just know what he’s capable of and I think on this album he was taking some plays off, so to speak.
Best Songs of 2009 – #9
Bruce Springsteen’s Working On a Dream was the first album I bought in 2009, way back in early February, but it’s held up pretty well. Springsteen is on a late-career run similar to that of Bob Dylan… it’s as if nobody told these old guys that they aren’t supposed to keep putting out classic albums.
Springsteen has become better and better as a lyricist over the years to the point where his songs work almost as well absent the music. But he sounds as good as ever, delivering the grand E-Street Band rock theatricality as well as softer acoustic folk touches.
Meet Me In Montauk 