Touch of Grey: Jon's Top 10 Albums of 2007...and then some

I have always been somewhat of a hesitant rebel. Almost all of this can be attributed to my dad. We are about the same build, same height, and same mindset when it comes to the workings of the world. Physically and philosophically, we have pretty much seen eye to eye since I was in high school. When the fine line of tolerance was crossed on either part, we have never come to blows; it's not that we didn't want to, it is just that Pops made it very apparent from an early age that it was a fight I would lose. Neither of us have much brute force of our own bodies to rely on, but I have seen the fear and pain my dad can inflict with a folding chair. That's another story for another time, but to sum up his thinking on brawling, he may not be able to knock you out with a punch, but he will damn sure knock you out with nearest heavy object he can throw. The line he repeated whenever I was feeling stonger than usual was one I will pass down to my kid: "Age and treachery will always win over youth and skill." To a degree, that age [with varying definitions of treachery] dominated my picks for Top 10 albums of the year.

1. Bruce Springsteen - Magic: Springsteen and his legendary E-Street Band came back together for the first time in five years and crafted their best rock record since 'The River'. Sprawling arena anthems serve as a soundtrack to a no-holds-barred lyrical assault on the current White House administration. Years from now, I firmly believe this will join the ranks of 'Born To Run' and 'Born in the USA' as an essential Springsteen album.

2. Bright Eyes - Cassadega: Conor Oberst and pals build on the chemistry that made 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' so great. It may be the best Americana album not recorded by Ryan Adams or Lucinda Williams.

3. Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell: At a point where punk can pass as pop on top 40 radio [that means you, Fall Out Boy], one of the last lingering groups from the early-80's California punk scene release a quick, loud, angry modern punk record. Now in their 40's, they continue to run laps around the newer generation of punk bands nearly half their age. Thank God somebody still does it right.

4. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II: Possibly my favorite album he has done without Crazy Horse, this is a strong rock revival for Neil. It has all the elements of his best work over the last 30 years.

5. Radiohead - In Rainbows: Forget the hype over its release, this album was great even without the hullabaloo. No bells and whistles, just their best album in years, at a convenient price of your choosing.

6. Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade: The last of the hardcore troubadours moved up to New York, and he wrote about it. Sincere, honest, and different, just the way I like it.

7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky: FINALLY! They dumped all the excess noise and focused on songs. This stands up there with some of The Band's best work. Jeff Tweedy may have finally nailed it.

8. Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime: Great for two seperate reasons. First, it introduced to a soulful voice I had never heard. Second, the Drive-By Truckers stepping in as a new Muscle Shoals rhythm section proved that beyond the ferocious amplification of their legendary rock shows, they can be one of the tightest studio bands in the country.

9. Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back: Instead of flaunting the sound of her family's legacy, producer Ry Cooder, used her voice on old songs of struggle to represent the new struggles of our generation's America. The outcome proved to be timeless; it is a must-have.

10. Iggy and the Stooges - The Weirdness: Iggy Pop and the Ashtons, along with the great Mike Watt, released THE garage album of the year [sorry Jack White]. Kids today want to know where punk came from; this is the band to start with. Good to see they still have some of that rebellion in their system.

Also, for those who are interested, below are the top 10 live performances I caught this year.

1. Jason and the Scorchers' Weekend Benefit for Perry Baggs - Exit/In; Nashville, Tennessee

2. Mavis Staples - Bonnaroo; Manchester, Tennesee

3. The Hot Rods CD Release Party - Smith's Olde Bar; Atlanta, Georgia

4. Henry Rollins - Roxy Theater; Atlanta, Georgia

5. Tool - Bonnaroo; Manchester, Tennessee

6. The Police - Philips Arena; Atlanta, Georgia

7. Coheed and Cambria - Tabernacle; Atlanta, Georgia

8. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Fox Theatre; Atlanta, Georgia

9. Drive-By Truckers - Variety Playhouse; Atlanta, Georgia

10. Metalsome, Inc. Christmas Benefit - Variety Playhouse; Atlanta, Georgia

No Distance That Could Hold Us Back: On the Brink of 2008

Slowly but surely, the excitement and insanity of another Christmas is beginning to calm back down to a point of some regularity. Our Christmas tree is still up, but the multi-colored lights are unplugged. The inflatable characters of the Grinch and Snoopy lay flat in our front yeard, waiting to be boxed up until next December. Last night, I bagged up the last of our Christmas trash and left it at the street. Just an hour or so ago, we tore away the last remnants of meat from a pile of shrapnel that was our Christmas turkey. It is only a few days away from the new year, and in spite of myself, I have something new to look forward to.

I am now contributing album reviews to INsite, a local Atlanta entertainment publication. I just submitted my first review which will hopefully make deadline for the January issue. As much as I write about music on this blog, it should come to no shock that this is a dream come true for me. I grew up reading David Fricke's reviews in Rolling Stone, and in recent years, I have been keen on the writings of other pop culture critics and pundits, the likes of which include Lester Bangs, Anthony DeCurtis, Rob Sheffield, Leggs Mcneil, and Chuck Klosterman. The transition from being a reader to a writer has been quite embarrassingly nerdy. Within the span of three weeks, I was given the link to stream the new Drive-By Truckers album, and I recieved my first free CD in the mail from Barsuk records. "Giddy" doesn't even begin to cover my ridiculous giggling reaction. I look forward to the future opportunities to come from this; hell, people may just happen to care about my music snobbery afterall.

It was a terrific 2007, regardless of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and the rest of our paparazzi faithful that continue to make American celebrity status less and less synonymous with talent or contribution to society. It was a terrific 2007, regardless of the troubling hole we have dug ourselves into with this continuing war in the Middle East. There were dreams to remember, and nightmares to forget. We loved and lost; we lived and died. There is still hope for us all.

"To everything, turn, turn, turn...."

Coming In 2008: Finding God in Orlando...then finding Bad Religion in Zach Baldwin's room