Music Listening Habits (and Favorites) for 2011

It's the beginning of another year and there has been an outpouring of "Best of" lists that have come out. For the past couple of years, I really haven't had any favorite from that year. This year has been different. Thanks to the internet and social media outlets like Facebook. I have been able to keep up with the bands and artists that I like. Gone is the day of MTV and the radio keeping you updated on music(at least for me). So, for 2011, here is my favorite releases of the year. I don’t like numbering or single out one album or another as to which is better than the other or I liked one better than the other. I realize some of these bands have been around for years. But, this is my list and these were just MY favorites releases of 2011.
Mr. Big – What If?

One of my favorite bands of the late 80’s and early 90’s was the band Mr. Big featuring instrumental virtuosos Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, Eric Martin on vocals and Pat Torpey on drums.  Of course, many associate Mr. Big with the “hair” bands of the late 80’s and their hit acoustic single To Be With You. I always felt they were more than that. I saw them in concert a couple times in the 90’s and was blown away both times. I actually met singer Eric Martin in the Crossroads Mall in Omaha and he seemed very personable too. I continued to follow the band as their fame waned in the states while they reached Beatlemania sized fame in Japan.  They broke up in the early 2000’s but reunited with a Japanese tour in 2009.  The reunion went well. So, they returned in 2011 with a new studio album on Frontiers Records(where 80’s rock bands go to get record deals) called What if?  Many could say that these virtuosos can play practically anything on their respective instruments. But, can they write a catchy song with a good melody?  I believe they could and I still they do. This album was a fine return to form for these guys. They can chug out a locomotive groove on tracks like the album opener Undertow

…and They rock out on a Van Halen type double bass drum boogie on American Beauty.  Of course, there is a couple of ballads too. Since their original release, I’ve been a big fan of drummer Pat Torpey and the groove he establishes on all of the songs. This album is no exception.  I know this album made Radio and VH1 personality Eddie Trunk’s 2011 list and he claims it’s the band’s best album since their debut album back in 1989.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You

Speaking of drummers who know how to make a band groove, 2011 saw at least two high profile recordings of drummer Chad Smith. First was a new release from his day job and regular band – The Red Hot Chili Peppers and their newest release in 5 years called I’m With You.  I honestly believe what makes the Chili Peppers as good as they are is the solid rhythm section that Smith and bassist Flea have established since Smith joined for the 1989 album Mother’s Milk.  Chad Smith has the style of playing that I love in rock. To me, Chad Smith is the perfect cross between Hendrix’s Mitch Mitchell and Zeppelin’s John Bonham. After a 3-4 year band hiatus, the band came back together with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Of course, my ear is naturally tuned into the drums and bass.  So, I didn’t notice much difference in song structure with the new guitarist.  Chad keeps it funky throughout the album. I actually prefer listening to this album as opposed to watching videos and live footage from the album. I love the sound of this band. But, I find lead singer Anthony Keidis’s new “look” very disturbing.  He has a cheesy mustache that looks like something from a…uh…Oh well…you figure it out. His hair is long in front and is flopped over his eyes which downright bugs me. Here’s the video for the lead off single and video for The Adventures of Raindance Maggie. Obviously, if you know your Rock n’ Roll History, this is reminiscent of the Beatles in their movie/documentary Let it Be and also U2’s video for Where the Streets Have No Name.

Speaking of Rock&Roll History, 2012 marks the year where the Red Hot Chili Peppers are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  This band has been going since the early 80’s. They definitely deserve it. So, that’s something for them to mark in their history of accomplishments.
The other high profile recording gig that Chad Smith had this year was the release of the second album by rock supergroup Chickenfoot called Chickenfoot III.  Yes, you read that correctly. The band has made the statement in the press that they had matured so much as a band since their first release it was like they skipped right over the second album and went straight to the third. How’s that for an explanation?
This album is a very strong album that stretches out with better song structure, more mature lyrical content, and some exploratory bass playing from the often overlooked Michael Anthony. As I’ve stated before, my ear is naturally drawn towards the sound of Chad Smith’s drums. But, on this album, I was drawn to the stories that are told through Sammy’s lyrics. The band did some great pre-release “behind the album” press via podcasts and YouTube Videos. I actually reviewed this on another blog website. This album was just a more mature album. Sammy’s lyrics dealt with more than his usual partying/ tequila drinking/driving really fast subject matter. Although, the first single – Bigfoot is about “my big foot on the gas”. Other than that, Sammy touches on relationships. Whether it’s dealing with the death of his longtime manager(Up Next) or the relationship with his wife(and the intense complications that make up a marriage) to the plight of the unemployed in America(Three and a Half Letters), this album struck a chord in me more than just the funky rhythmic timekeeping of Chad Smith.

Another “Supergroup” album that had a giant leap forward in songwriting and band synergy was Black Country Communion and the album Black Country Communion 2. 

This band is made of vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes(Deep Purple), drummer Jason Bonham(son of Zep’s John Bonham, UFO, Foreigner, Paul Rodgers), Former Dream Theater keyboards Derek Sherinian and blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa.  I actually enjoyed the first album(which came out in late 2010). It was a nice taste to whet the appetite for the classic rock sound of the 70’s(a’la Zeppelin & Deep Purple) Joe Bonamassa had become a favorite guitarist in the blues genre(and guitarists worldwide). But, He also has a deep love for the era of 70’s Rock. The first album seemed to be more of a showcase for Glenn Hughes with his exceptional howling vocals and a welcome comeback it was. But, It felt like a lot of highs and locomotive driving rock with little to no time to (hypothetically) catch your breath. There was no valleys to the mountainous rock heaviness. Bonamassa is a decent vocalist and I think using his talents along with Glenn’s in harmony might have helped the first album too. That being said, they still represent what artist development was like in the 70’s when a band could grow with each album. This second outing has a great sense of continuity. The drumming is solid (as always) from Jason Bonham.  Jason is the son of Zeppelin’s John Bonham. But, he’s 45 years old now.  At times, he can be at a disadvantage because his father has become THE most iconic dead rock drummer of all time.  With that, he is inevitably being compared to his father.  Sometimes (as fans) we have a tendency to exalt dead musicians to something greater than they really were….and I’ve been guilty of it too.  But, this definitely showcases the entire band.  The first album seemed to keep Derek’s keyboards buried in the mix. One thing that excited me about this band when it was originally announced (with Sherinian on keyboards) is that I would get a taste of some Hammond organ (a la Jon Lord of Deep Purple). It’s definitely on this one. The first two songs chug along nicely with the Outsider and Man in the Middle.

Then, the band slows it down with The Battle for Hadrian’s Wall. I don’t know who Hadrian is or what his wall has anything to do with this rock band. But, it is probably one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s starts with acoustic guitar and precedes to rock much like a classic rock mythological tale.


…continuing on is a song called Save Me which according to Jason Bonham was a song he had presented to Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones when the plans for a full blown Led Zeppelin reunion was seriously talked about that ultimately didn’t happen. This song has the epic mid-tempo grind of an old Zeppelin with thundering bass drum holding everything together.  The rest of the album switches from absolute barn buster rockers to bluesy heartfelt ballads to acoustic folksy heavy rock. Obviously, the bedrock of this is the heavy drum sound because of Jason and his father’s influence on him and the band too. This was just one album of many that came out this year that I really liked. There was so much and I spent so much of the time listening to these late at night that I would then being lulled to sleep in the comfort of the great music only to be woken mid album by an absolute rocker.
When Glenn Hughes was recruited to replace bassist Roger Glover of Deep Purple in 1973, he was introduced to Ian Gillan’s replacement who was an unknown singer named David Coverdale.  After Deep Purple disbanded in 1976, Coverdale started his own heavy bluesy dual guitar band known as Whitesnake.  This band has seen many lineup changes with musicans ranging from classic bands of the 70’s and metal bands of the 80’s. Most people know Whitesnake from their heyday in the late 80’s where they were more hair and videos with Tawny Kitaen than anything bluesy and hard rock.  In the early 2000’s, Coverdale reformed the band with guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. The bassists and drummers have changed since then. In 2011, the band was solidified with the drumming of Brian Tichy and the album Forevermore. 

I had followed Brian Tichy’s career since he first appeared on singer Sass Jordan’s album Rats and Zakk Wylde’s band Pride & Glory.  Brian’s career has slowly been building to this point. In 2007, Brian replaced Jason Bonham in Foreigner and I was honored to see him play with Foreigner in October 2009. I was seriously impressed with his playing. His drum solo was very well executed and entertaining and I was lucky enough to catch his drumstick that night too.
Once again, this is an album that has the Zep-like guitar riffs and heavy rock drums that I love to hear.  The riffs are very meaty and the production is so full that the guitar parts just fill the mix. Coverdale’s voice has aged a bit. He never really could reach those high notes in the 80’s. He’s always had a more natural smoky baritone to his vocals in my opinion. So, let’s stop with the Robert Plant comparisons then. From the opening chords of Steal Your Heart Away to Love Will Set You Free, the first 3 tracks are solid rockers showcasing a tight band with a love for this music.

Track 4 is Easier Said Than Done and it’s really a sweet mid-tempo love song. But, I don’t feel like it’s a cheesy type power ballad like we heard in the 80’s.
It’s also filled with acoustic numbers reminiscent of 80’s MTV Unplugged with One of These Days. In fact, I can almost imagine the band sitting on soundstage on stools strumming along to this one.  There are some bluesy stuff too with Whipping Boy Blues.  But, the showcase for new drummer Brian Tichy is the title track Forevermore.  It’s even included at the end of the album with an extended drum solo. The lyrics on this one seem a little cliche’. But, it rocks with a revved up boogie feel. And when that’s done right, I have nothing to complain about. 
Another band from the 80’s that made a huge comeback in the world of Heavy Metal was New York Thrash icons – Anthrax! They hadn’t released an album in years and there had  been all kinds of shake-ups and questions concerning the lead vocalist duties these past 5-6 years. Then, it was announced that they had been recording with Joey Belladonna from the classic 80’s lineup.  The result was the release of Worship Music
 
Once again, radio and VH1’s That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk trumpeted this as one of the best Metal albums of the year. I would have to agree. I haven’t bought a thrash metal album in years. I haven’t had any real interest in this band since the early 90’s. I was elated with this album. This one is just phenomenal! It slams! It rocks! It melts the flesh from your face. There’s a reason these guys were on the forefront of the thrash movement in the 80’s. They’ve even played a few shows with the “Big 4” forefathers of thrash… Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax this past year. With the interest in the air about this band, I was excited to hear this one as well. In my circle of friends, I know guys that like the lineup with Joey Belladonna and some that don’t. I never had that strong of an opinion on the whole thing. For me, Belladonna gave this band a vocal identity different from the rest of the pack.
In the years between albums, the band (and the Heavy Metal community) lost a couple of iconic figures with the 2005 murder of Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie James Dio’s death in 2010. So, Anthrax has a song on this album called In the End that is dedicated to those two. But, once again, this band has true diversity in this album but still being very “METAL” in their delivery. In all honesty, I’m still giving this album a full listen. It’s so full of great heavy riffs and it’s so epic. I just haven’t had a chance to digest it all. But, I really really like it.

In the early 90’s, I was one of those music fans that didn’t really embrace the musical movement out of Seattle. When the “powers that be” tell me this is what’s popular and I have to like it, I usually resist.  I wasn’t a big fan of Nirvana. I’ve always said that I like (Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl more as a frontman for his band Foo Fighters than as a drummer. Even in recent years, the Foo Fighters has become the go-to band for TV broadcasts that are looking for a token “ROCK” band.  So, I feel like the Foo Fighters have been oversaturated in the media. But, when I started to hear the buzz on the new Foo Fighters’ album Wasting Light, my curiosity got the best of me.

I picked up a copy of the CD and listened to it. The amazing story about this album is that it was all recorded on analog tape…no computers involved in the production process. The band even released the CD with a little strip of tape within the CD. As simple as this sounds, recording in analog is a process that is practically foreign now in the 21st Century. The result is a very warm album with a great attetion to the sonic details when making this album.
Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins did a really cool interview with Modern Drummer magazine about the album. He talked about how he and Dave write music together from the drummer’s perspective. I love albums written from the perspective of the drummer. Some may just write this album off as some kind of “post-grunge” music. It’s so much more than any genre can categorize. It has the reckless abandon of Grohl’s punk influence. But, it incorporates so many different sounds and influences of the other band members. Taylor Hawkins has a love for music of the 70’s like Queen and prog-era Genesis along with 80’s icons the Police and Jane’s Addiction. There are many examples in his playing of the influence of Stewart Copeland’s hi-hat work. The band now incorporates 3 guitars along with bass and drums which makes them sound so huge.

I’m a big fan of the second track Rope. The song even includes a small drum solo showcase by Hawkins.  This video is from a series of live performances that the band did at the Ed Sullivan Theatre called “Live on Letterman”.  Obviously, they are going for the iconic Beatles look from the Fab Four’s debut on Ed Sullivan back in 1964. Bottom line is that I love this album, the production and the fact that I’m actually starting to look outside my regular listening “comfort” zone again.

Black Stone Cherry - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

I first came to know about these guys from a small write up in Modern Drummer magazine that highlighted drummer John Fred Young  who is the son of the Kentucky Headhunters rhythm guitarist Richard Young and nephew of drummer Fred Young.  I was a big fan of Kentucky Headhunters in the early 90’s. So, I was interested in what this band would sound like. At first, they seemed a little abrasive and didn’t really light me on fire.  I had downloaded a couple of songs. Then, this past spring, my friend Mark posted that he saw them open for Alter Bridge and was rather impressed. So, I decided to give them another chance. 
I found the first single White Trash Millionaire amusing. When you grow up in Central Nebraska, you tend to meet many guys who are quite the gear heads and absolutely love their souped up muscle cars etc.

I’ve got a Trans Am in primered paint
Nobody taught me I was born this way
No Silver Spoon to feed a 401K
On Bourbon Street the girls they scream
They’re calling out my name

Another song I really found memorable is In My Blood which is the third track. It seems to convey the loss of being in a band and being on the road and being away from friends and family for long periods of time. At least that’s the way I perceived it.

The album has such a diverse series of songs. From pounding rockers like Such a Shame to the heartfelt lyrics of Won’t Let Go.  Then there’s the innuendo laden lyrics of Blame it on the Boom Boom.  The band shows their southern rock influence by doing of heavy rocking cover of Marshall Tucker’s Can’t You See.  I’ve seen a lot of lists for 2011 and I’m surprised this one wasn’t on many.
John Fred Young is the nephew of the Kentucky Headhunters drummer Fred Young and the guitarist(and co-leader) of this next band is the nephew of Allman Brothers Band drummer – Butch Trucks. Of course, I’m talking about guitarist Derek Trucks. This past year, he decided to combine a band with his wife Susan Tedeschi and form the Tedeschi Trucks Band. I wasn’t sure what to think about this band until I heard the new album Revelator.

I loved Derek Trucks Band albums Songlines and Already Free.  The band dynamic is so incredible. I wanted to hear more. On the album Already Free, Derek had used guest vocalists including Doyle Bramhall II and his wife Susan. Of course, as a married musical couple, they had been touring together too. So, it was only natural that they would combine their musical talents in a band. They retained DTB vocalist Mike Mattison(for background vox) and on keyboards Kofi Burbridge. This new band includes Kofi’s brother Oteil on bass (who Derek plays with in the Allman Brothers Band) along with two drummers and a horn section.  Where the Derek Trucks Band had been very funky and bluesy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band is funky, soulful, and earthy.

They had issued a free download before the album’s release called Bound for Glory.  As I played it back on my MP3 player, it began to grow on me.  When I first started getting into Derek Trucks and his playing, I had likened his slide playing as a nice big comfortable recliner or a blanket. I felt soothed by his slide-guitar playing.  Thanks to the internet in today’s culture, you’re able to sample or even listen to an entire album before making a purchase. So, I believe I found a website that was streaming the album a couple days before release. As I listened to it, I was won over on this one too. His guitar truly sings. With the added horn section, it seemed more like a 70’s R&B band. Then, I got to the third track called Midnight in Harlem.

It wasn’t overly funky or instrumentally dazzling. It was the emotion that Susan Tedeschi was conveying through her bluesy vocals.  When I feel touched emotionally through a song, I will usually post that video via my Facebook page. So, I started started searching for a video of this song. What I found was this band performing songs at Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival.  I have the 2007 Festival on DVD and I really like the version Susan and Mike Mattison do of the Derek and the Dominoes song Anyway. So, I wasn’t surprised by the outstanding performances. But, I found a performance of the band playing and old Delaney and Bonnie song Comin’ Home.  That’s when it hit me. This band was what I liked about both the Derek and Dominoes album and Delaney & Bonnie. It was very earthy, swampy, feel-good music with a foot in the blues that just sets “my worried soul” at rest.  So often, after a day of work and stress, everyone needs a way to decompress. Listening to this album is what worked for me.
Since Derek Trucks is also a member of the Allman Brothers Band, I couldn’t go without mentioning an early favorite of mine in 2011. That would be the very bluesy solo album by Gregg Allman Low Country Blues.
 
Back in January, I posted my review for this album. I believed then it was one of the best albums of 2011 and since I’m including it in my favorites of 2011 blog, I still do. It has that unmistakable T-Bone Burnett production that he’s become known for over the past 10 years with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Raising Sand and the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou?.  I honestly think that a great project for Gregg Allman and T-Bone Burnett would be to include Eric Clapton. This album and the production has the “grit” that Clapton needs if he decides to do another straight “Blues” album.
Coincidentally, both Gregg’s album and the Tedeschi Trucks album were nominated for best blues album along with their fellow Allman Brother bandmate Warren Haynes and his solo album Man in Motion.  As I look through my picks for favorites of this past year, I see that both the Foo Fighters album and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are nominated for best Rock Album. So, it’ll be interesting to see how much air time these acts will get for the network broadcast in February.
Other albums that piqued my interest this past year were Dream Theater’s A Dramatic Turn of Events (with new drummer Mike Mangini), Warren Haynes’ Man in Motion, Megadeth’s Th1rt3en, and Leslie West’s Unusual Suspects. I heard bits and pieces of these albums. But, not enough to make a solid opinion of them or include them in my “Top 10” of this past year.
As I grow older, I tend to dip back into the well of music that’s come from the past. In that search, I find bands that I was A) too stubborn to admit I liked or B) had a passing fondness for a really great band. In that, I find great bands I’ve been depriving myself from.   This past year, I rediscovered how great Pearl Jam’s debut really was. I fell in love with the awesome riffs and songs that Leslie West and Mountain came up with. My favorite anniversary/remastered (besides Pink Floyd) was the 40th anniversary edition of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung…..and (as their opening announcement states) Cheap Trick really is “the best f**king rock band you’ve ever seen”.  At least they were for me in 2011.
Looking forward to 2012….that 17 year old mullet headed kid is hoping not to be disappointed by Van Halen’s new album A Different Kind of Truth.  I’m hoping Aerosmith can be bring back some of their classic rock glory to overshadow singer Steven Tyler’s stint as a judge on American Karaoke…er uh Idol!  As always, I can never get enough of those boys from the Great White North…Rush. So, I look forward to the 2012 release of Clockwork Angels.  2012 could be an exciting year for some new music from some of my favorite artists.  I look forward to writing more music memory blogs and (of course) listening to more music.