2004 was one of those years that make you look back and say: "What was that all about?" Certainly it seemed like that to me when I tuned into mainstream media coverage of the music industry. But just off the main track, there were many shining beacons by which we could maintain a steady course through the fog. Following is a short list of recordings, in no particular order, which I think made 2004 worth listening.
Loretta Lynn, "Van Lear Rose." At 70 years young, the Queen of Country Music is back in a big way. On this recording, Loretta wrote all the songs. Jack White of the White Stripes was producer and led the band. The collaborative result is astonishing, with Loretta never sounding better while Jack provides her legendary voice with honest and edgy arrangements in styles ranging from traditional country to blues to flat out rock and roll. Note to would-be country divas: This is all you need to know. Here endeth the lesson.
Dave Alvin, "Ashgrove." Since leaving behind his days of fronting the best rockabilly band on the planet the Blasters, or providing flameworthy electric guitar for the seminal 80s punk band, X, Alvin has provided us with a rich array of solo Americana recordings. This one stands with his best work and gives us an equal mix of beautiful southwest-flavored ballads, alongside muscular electric blues workouts. As always, the guitar master blends instrumental virtuosity with intelligent lyrics delivered in his haunting whiskey-soaked baritone vocal style.
Wilco, "A Ghost is Born." I have followed Wilco and the creative genius behind the curtain, Jeff Tweedy, for their entire career and have anxiously awaited every new release. See, when you take a guy like Tweedy who has musical influences from Motorhead to The Carter Family and give him lots of instruments, equipment, talented collaborators and a loft in Chicago where he can release the hounds, what you end up with is masterpiece after masterpiece. This is yet another atmospheric display of instrumental flair, studio wizardry and exceptional songwriting. I will even forgive them the indulgence of tacking on eleven minutes of unlistenable noise onto one of the songs, because the rest of the album more than makes up for it.
Elvis Costello, "The Delivery Man." By now we know that Elvis Costello can do it all, from the urgent, angry punk of his youth and pure country, to classical collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet to lounge music with Burt Bacharach, Elvis is all over the map and travels in style wherever he goes. On this outing his special delivery is simple, basic, stripped-down rock 'n' roll and ballads. At one time Elvis may have left the building, but on this return trip he picked up Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris and drove slowly along the back roads in a beat up old truck, stopping at every juke joint along the way.
Robyn Hitchcock, "Spooked." Another artist who has made a career of blurring the lines that divide genres of music is the frequently spooky and always original Robyn Hitchcock. Sometime last year a chance encounter happened between Hitchcock and American traditionalist torchbearers Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Turns out there was much mutual admiration between the three and eventually they gathered for a jam session. The upshot of that Nashville weekend is this record of originals and one Dylan cover. Hitchcock describes this as "being inside a Gillian Welch record with me singing." I think it's pure acoustic Hitchcock though, with all the quirky lyrics, lilting pop melodies, and musical surprises that have come to define his best efforts.
Ben Harper with the Blind Boys of Alabama, "There Will Be a Light." Harper's angelic, soulful voice is more powerful than a locomotive. He and his band went into the studio with the renowned gospel vocal group, The Blind Boys of Alabama to produce a stunning record of gospel gems that lift the spirit toward the heavens while also making you want to shake your tail feathers right here on earth.
Brian Wilson's "Smile" is the most famous shelved project in rock history. It finally saw the light of day this year. Wilson wrote and recorded the majority of "Smile" with some input from the Beach Boys in 1967, but the project never quite came together and it was set aside. Rather than finishing off the original tracks, Wilson re-recorded the whole thing with his current band, The Wondermints. The result is more fun, fun, fun, than being In My Room wishing they all could be California Girls. It's not quite "Pet Sounds," but it's very close and a real grower that gets better with every listen. It doesn't rock so much as roll and if Brian's voice isn't what it was 37 years ago, it doesn't matter, the vocal harmonies are just right and he can still make you Smile.
Neil Young, "Greatest Hits." OK, so none of this stuff is new, but it still rightfully belongs on the best of 2004 list. Every song on this collection is a time tested classic for those of us who grew up with Neil it provides the soundtrack to our coming of age. More importantly, the younger generation needs to hear this, they need a mature role model, and I can't think of any better. Neil's career is characterized by artistry, originality, integrity, and long-term relevance. I want those things for my kids, and they can find them on every one of these tracks.
Thank you Neil, and to you and to all the readers of this column who have tuned in over the year, "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World!"
KEITH WALLER
