A few weeks back I decided to count down the best albums of my birth year, 1972.
When I dove into my collection to start the process, I was surprised to discover that I own only seven albums from that year, which certainly reduces the drama of the proposed countdown.
I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t own a large number of records from one specific year more than 40 years back. But a little research revealed a couple of dozen albums that struck a nerve back when I was a mewling babe.
Ryan Adams has averaged an album per year since his 2000 solo debut, Heartbreaker (before that, he released a trio of albums with Whiskeytown).
I’m only familiar with a handful of those records, and I definitely have a preference for his alt-country work, including Heartbreaker and the albums he recorded with The Cardinals.
I’m also a big fan of the more rock-focused Gold, probably his best album.
Keane is like an NFL running back who has three and a half great seasons, then gets a knee injury, tries to come back the following year and just doesn’t have the same speed or ability to cut anymore.
He bounces around a couple of teams, clinging to a roster spot as a backup, then ends up out of the league selling mattresses or something. You just hope he was smart with his money during his heyday.
Closing out my latest dip into the mucky waters of Billboard’s Hot 100, I arrive at a song that features Jeremih singing that he wants to “take shots with somebody” to the tune of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody.’
I don’t know if the performers grasp the irony of glorifying hard partying using a song whose famous singer died after prolonged substance abuse.
Sadly, the song at #14 on Billboard’ Hot 100 is yet another rap track objectifying women.
When will it get old for rappers to wax eloquent about how much money and how many women they have? Or — better questions — when will people stop buying this crap and force the performers to try something else for a change?
Meet Me In Montauk 