Top 20 Rock Songs of 2011
I said that the collection or the LP is the basic unit of measure in rock music. Still, I appreciate a good song as much as the next guy. And a great collection of songs is made up of a great song and another great song and another great song....
1. Towers
2. Calgary--Bon Iver
A buddy of mine isn't sold on Bon Iver. Are there any uptempo songs? Any drums? Well, I don't have a particular problem with the character of Bon Iver's music, obviously, I picked him/them as record of the year. But I understand his position. But, yes, there are a couple of uptempo songs, with drums. And that would be these two, "Towers" and "Calgary." And their slightly higher tempo makes them the 2 most appealing songs on Bon Iver, Bon Iver.
"Towers" is driven by a bouncy rhythm guitar, and eventually bass and finally drums join in on the chorus. I mean, it pretty much sounds like rock & roll. The vocal melody is perfectly accessible. Of course, the brightness of the overall tone and of the falsetto vocals that characterize the entire record and set it apart from the mainstream are here, too, and that's a good thing.
"Calgary" starts out with falsetto voice over kargM1 keyboards. After 2 verses, tasteful drums by Matt McCaughan drop in, as do guitars and basses with several different tonalities. But, again, the focus is a perfectly lovely vocal melody. Nice.
A buddy of mine isn't sold on Bon Iver. Are there any uptempo songs? Any drums? Well, I don't have a particular problem with the character of Bon Iver's music, obviously, I picked him/them as record of the year. But I understand his position. But, yes, there are a couple of uptempo songs, with drums. And that would be these two, "Towers" and "Calgary." And their slightly higher tempo makes them the 2 most appealing songs on Bon Iver, Bon Iver.
"Towers" is driven by a bouncy rhythm guitar, and eventually bass and finally drums join in on the chorus. I mean, it pretty much sounds like rock & roll. The vocal melody is perfectly accessible. Of course, the brightness of the overall tone and of the falsetto vocals that characterize the entire record and set it apart from the mainstream are here, too, and that's a good thing.
"Calgary" starts out with falsetto voice over kargM1 keyboards. After 2 verses, tasteful drums by Matt McCaughan drop in, as do guitars and basses with several different tonalities. But, again, the focus is a perfectly lovely vocal melody. Nice.
3. Give Peace a Chance
8. Revolution
14. Across the Universe
18. Imagine--Bill Frisell
Frisell hits a home run with "Give Peace a Chance," with a free-form, free-flowing rumination on the song's chorus, "All we are saying is give peace a chance." The verses are missing in action here. It's one of the great Beatles covers ever. He hits a triple with a rockin' if somewhat more conventional version of "Revolution." "Across the Universe" and "Imagine" are also pretty conventionally rendered, but he puts the melodies out front where they belong and, basically, hits a solid double into the gap. "Beautiful Boy" is a surprise--I had forgotten what a pretty melody that is. Another double. And there's a bunch of "singles," if you receive my meaning, and only a few "outs." Great tunes.
4. Billy Paul--Vince Gill
Billy Paul" is kind of a strange song and kind of a guilty pleasure in that it combines a wry, flippant perspective and a rollicking rhythm with a truly horrifying lyric about a friend who ended up in a murder-suicide. "They found a woman dead up in your room," Gill sings, then the flippant chorus ponders the mystery of it, "What made you go crazy Billy Paul?/Was it true love or too much alcohol?"
5. Blue Is My Heart--Holly Williams
Holly is the daughter of Hank, Jr., and she's released a couple of CDs, so why hadn't I heard of her before? The good news is she seems to have none of the characteristics of her father's music. Here is a heart-breakingly beautiful, breathy performance that immediately says, hey, this is a singer of unusual emotion and nuance. I will be absolutely amazed if she is not the hottest thing in country music within the next year.
6. Holocene
9. Beth/Rest
12. Michicant--Bon Iver
"Holocene" seems to be the fave tune among Bon Iver's new collection, judging by its Record of the Year Grammy nomination. I prefer the 2 tunes listed above, that rock out just a tiny bit harder and offer melodies and sonic environments that are just as pleasing. But this is more typical of the entire collection and is probably the most pleasing of those "typical" tunes.
"Beth/Rest" is an anomaly in this collection in that its piano-driven sound is less intimate than the rest--indeed, it brings to mind '80s arena-rock a la Foreigner or more even a Toto or somebody like that.
"Michicant" is among the most understated tunes on the album but, again, has the same appealing melodic hooks and sonic environment that makes Bon Iver, Bon Iver the great collection that it is.
"Holocene" seems to be the fave tune among Bon Iver's new collection, judging by its Record of the Year Grammy nomination. I prefer the 2 tunes listed above, that rock out just a tiny bit harder and offer melodies and sonic environments that are just as pleasing. But this is more typical of the entire collection and is probably the most pleasing of those "typical" tunes.
"Beth/Rest" is an anomaly in this collection in that its piano-driven sound is less intimate than the rest--indeed, it brings to mind '80s arena-rock a la Foreigner or more even a Toto or somebody like that.
"Michicant" is among the most understated tunes on the album but, again, has the same appealing melodic hooks and sonic environment that makes Bon Iver, Bon Iver the great collection that it is.
7. Lonesome Midtown Blues--Pat Donohue
The centerpiece of a collection of wry, laid-back tunes that show off a vastly underrated guitarist. You either know him as a member of the Shoe Band on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, or you don't know him at all. If you're a fan of acoustic guitar, you should.
10. One Sunday Morning (song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)--Wilco
This 12 minute opus is among Jeff Tweedy's greatest creations. 12 minutes on a single, simple guitar figure sounds like a recipe for tedium but instead Tweedy and company spin perhaps their greatest performance ever out of it.
11. Freight Train
13. Meds--Buddy Miller's Majestic Silver Strings
Miller's Majestic Strings--basically Miller, Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz and Marc Ribot with a series of guest vocalists--is a new/old concoction, putting a decidedly 21st century spin on some old country tunes from the turn of the 20th century up through the '50s and '60s, plus a few newer tunes. Their best efforts come from the two extremes. "Freight Train" is a 100-year-old instrumental tune that Miller and company make new, while "(Back on the) Meds" is a rumination on mental illness written by Ribot and sung by guest LeeAnn Womack. Not for the faint of heart.
Miller's Majestic Strings--basically Miller, Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz and Marc Ribot with a series of guest vocalists--is a new/old concoction, putting a decidedly 21st century spin on some old country tunes from the turn of the 20th century up through the '50s and '60s, plus a few newer tunes. Their best efforts come from the two extremes. "Freight Train" is a 100-year-old instrumental tune that Miller and company make new, while "(Back on the) Meds" is a rumination on mental illness written by Ribot and sung by guest LeeAnn Womack. Not for the faint of heart.
15. My Opening Farewell--Alison Krauss
Krauss doesn't merely join the ever-longer list of singers who've covered one of Jackson Browne's greatest creations. She tops 'em all.
Krauss doesn't merely join the ever-longer list of singers who've covered one of Jackson Browne's greatest creations. She tops 'em all.
16. Come and Get Me--Folk Family Revival
A rollicking tune from the promising debut record of the unfortunately-named band of brothers and cousins from Houston.
A rollicking tune from the promising debut record of the unfortunately-named band of brothers and cousins from Houston.
17. No Banker Left Behind--Ry Cooder
Perhaps Cooder's angriest social commentary ever.
Perhaps Cooder's angriest social commentary ever.
19. Walking Down the Line--Robin and Linda Williams
The best tune on a generally disappointing A Nod to Bob, Vol. 2, featuring Red House Records artists performing covers of songs associated with Bob Dylan. Unlike many of the entries, this one just presents the song rather than trying to make it into a grand statement of some kind. And there ain't nothin' wrong with this song, or the Williams' performance thereof.
The best tune on a generally disappointing A Nod to Bob, Vol. 2, featuring Red House Records artists performing covers of songs associated with Bob Dylan. Unlike many of the entries, this one just presents the song rather than trying to make it into a grand statement of some kind. And there ain't nothin' wrong with this song, or the Williams' performance thereof.
20. The Ladder Song--Bright Eyes
The best tune on a generally disappointing collection of tunes by Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes.
The best tune on a generally disappointing collection of tunes by Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes.
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