12/31/2020
If you are reading this, then you made it to New Year’s Eve 2020. What started out as a year that was destined to blast off with greatness took a rather nasty turn and became a very negative factor that impacted every one and everything. The music and events industry came to an abrupt halt with everyone that worked in the field sidelined and left straggling with no immediate future work.
We saw it coming in January with tales from overseas then we felt it in February here in the states. When March showed up on the calendar, we got hit upside the head. Between the Rona, event and resort business cratering, injustice being called out, hijacked protests from bad seeds that turned them into riots and destruction, fu***ng American n***s (what the f**k?), wildfires, and absolute disfunction in Washington DC to include clueless leaders of our country. Believe it or not, I found some worthy things to highlight!
With all the time off the road, some musicians took to creating. In those creations are some serious musical gems. Some chose to put effort into covering others work, very well I might add. Quite a few revisited their own catalogues and put a new and refreshing twist on their songs, this happened a more than once. Some learned entirely new instruments and wrote a record to speak of the times from a different eye and did it very well. Bottom line is that we had music that was created and as a connoisseur, below you will find my top releases of 2020.
It was tough to land on a number one effort so this year I have a shared overall favorite that couldn’t be farther distanced from a genre perspective.
10. Greg Loiacono – Mystic Traces
This is an outstanding effort from a musician I have spent ¾ of my life dissecting the music he makes. This record flows front to back, production is on point, and Greg’s songwriting is amazing. Greg put together a great band for the recording and my understanding is that some of the last recorded music from Neal Casal is archived on this album. Excellent effort Greg!
9. Tim Bluhm – Hag Heaven
Tim has been busy making music lately, he actually released two studio albums in 2020 with Gone with the Windshield hitting the street in March and Hag Heaven coming out in November. Tim Bluhm dove deep into the work of Merle Haggard and put out one of the most remarkable cover albums I have heard. This is a collection of somewhat off the beaten path and obscure Haggard songs. Tim’s voice is really in tune with the body of work and he matches Merle’s music seamlessly. Nice job Tim, you should be proud of this effort. We love this record!
8. Billy Shaddox– We Were Dreamers
It would be really easy for this record to slip you by. Don’t let it! This is one of those records where a song comes on randomly and stops you from what you are doing and you have to take it in. That is master songwriting right there. I’ve been a Billy Shaddox fan for a very long time so of course this is in my rotation. I can’t overstate enough how many times I get caught off guard with the greatness of this record and the songs hiding under the cover art. Get this record, put it in your playlist, and be prepared to stop occasionally to ponder the music. Excellent work Billy!
7. John Anderson – Years
The Florida musician did a great job of creating retrospective art. John had serious health issues and not knowing what the future held, he collaborated with a few top-notch folks in Nashville and made a fine record. His video for the title track is solid as well. Session musicians, songwriting, production, and the voice of a legend we have come to love are all on point here. Strong work Mr. Anderson!
6. AC/DC -Powerup
If I had to point to a band that put the hooks of rock in me at a young age, there is no question that band is AC/DC. Things were not looking good for the band, Malcom had passed away, Brian lost his hearing and could not preform, Cliff had formally retired, and Phil had serious law troubles. Reuniting at Malcom’s funeral a spark was found between the long time mates. With a lot of medical and legal assistance, the boys were back in a studio. This record is everything you expect AC/DC to put out, straight rock and roll. They sound great and the songs are well formed. This is a great comeback and comebacks were far and few in between in 2020. This record makes me happy!
5.Tyler Childers – Long Violent History
This record captures 2020 and should be listened by everyone. It really is the story of 2020 and what built up to the boiling point that we saw when injustice got pushed back against. All told by a guy deep in a Kentucky holler. Tyler used his time off the road to learn a new instrument, the fiddle. This album is all instrumental fiddle tunes with the exception of the title track. The title track really lays it out for the world to ponder and is art in its greatest form. It should be noted that this record was a surprise drop. Outstanding work Tyler, I can’t get enough of this effort!
4. Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass Volume 2 (The Cowboy Arms Sessions)
Sturgill was riding on the top in early 2020. He was headlining arenas supporting his Grammy nominated album Sound and Fury. In March he got the Rona and the tour grinded to a halt not long after it got started. Sturgill headed back to Kentucky to heal from the virus and started a fundraising effort called Dick Daddy’s Survival School. He challenged his fans to raise $250,000 and if the threshold was met, he would put out a new record. The mark was blown past and Sturgill held to his word. Secretly he compiled to best of the best of bluegrass musicians and revisited his own body of work bluegrass style. Volume Two is impeccable bluegrass and an effort to be proud of. This Volume was entirely unexpected as he had already put out Volume One earlier in the year and was like a Christmas present to his fans. To note: The last song on the album, Hobo Cartoon, is a co-write with Merle Haggard.
Thanks Sturgill!
3. Clutch – Weathermaker Vault Series Volume 1
Clutch is one of the hardest working bands on the road. When they found themselves shut out of touring, they revisited their back catalogue and rerecorded a few pointed songs along with a couple of covers. This is a refreshing take on familiar songs but with added maturity and arraignments worked out while on tour. One song to note is their take on ZZ Top’s number Precious and Grace. This is through and through a great record. Here’s to hoping a Volume 2 is in the works!
THINGS GET WEIRD HERE
I could not decide which one of the next records deserved the number 1 position, so I combined 1 and 2. We have a dead even tie for the 1 slot! Both bands are considered super groups and the genres could not be farther from each other. Or are they?
1/2.
Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass Volume 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions)
As mentioned and detailed earlier, Sturgill put out this surprise album. It caught everyone off guard when it dropped, industry included. This is a collection of Sturgill’s own work revisited bluegrass style. The band is of the finest makeup. These songs are like they were meant for bluegrass and I can imagine that when festivals get back up and running, they will be played late night in the parking lot. I can’t wait to see what Sturgill does next!
Mr. Bungle – Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny
If we ever needed a record to help us get the angst out it was now! This record does not disappoint in that arena. The power and musicianship of the record is amazing. It starts a little melancholy and then gets sped up to warp speed. Technically speaking these musicians crush it. This is not easy music to play. I must mention that it is great to hear Dave Lombardo (one of my favorite drummer) squash the skins. This is old school hard core thrash music and the world needed it right now!
