List are not always everybody's 'cup of tea', but I must admit I do like a good 'un. Compiling an end of year list is an opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months and remember all the good stuff. So here we go...over to...
Top 5 Favourite Albums Listened To
Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt
Ice on Fire by Elton John
Rock n Roll by John Lennon
Talking back to the Night by Steve Winwood
The Captain + Me by The Doobie Brothers
Top 5 CDs bought this year
Slang Spirituals by Lady Blackbird
What do you believe in? by Rag n Bone Man
Greatest Hits by Crosby, Stills + Nash
Everybody's Talkin by Tedeschi Trucks Band
Live at the Hollywood Bowl by Joe Bonamassa
Five favourite new albums released this year:
1. The Other Side, by T-Bone Burnett.
2. Oh Brother, by Dawes.
3. Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free, by Bonny Light Horseman.
4. Woodland, by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.
5. Borned In Ya, by Melissa Carper.
"Honourable mentions could be given to MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee (Katie Crutchfield), Hurray For The Riff Raff (Alynda Segarra), among several others. It's enough to say that while the music of our youth might always resonate most strongly with us, there's plenty of good stuff out there to interest ageing rock'n'roll fans if they are prepared to look for it."
Top five books read this year (top 3 published this year, the others in the last couple of years but bought and read this year).
1. James, by Percival Everett - "If you've not read it yet, it's likely you've read about it. It's Huckleberry Finn retold from the point of view of Jim, who by the end has reclaimed his proper name. It is every bit as good as all the reviewers have been saying."
2. Guide Me Home, by Attica Locke - "The third book in her Highway 59 trilogy- I recommend reading them in the correct sequence. They tell the story of someone who is a rarity even in the 21st century- a black Texas Ranger."
3. The Heart In Winter, by Kevin Barry - "An intensely poetic Irish doomed romance set in Montana in the 1890s."
4. Ridgeline, by Michael Punke - "The author of The Revenant has here written a novel about an event of 1866 that has gone down in history as The Fetterman Massacre. Dee Brown (author of Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee) wrote a history book about it in the 1970s, yet Mr. Punke's novelisation seems more convincing to me as he has been more inclined to take self-serving witness accounts with a pinch of salt."
5. Chenneville, by Paulette Jiles - "She is a poet and historical novelist of Texas and the mid-West during and just after the Civil War, who has had three books optioned for movies of which only one (News of the World) has been made. Perhaps this could be another- it's excellent."
"Honourable mention to the non-fiction Love and Let Die by John Higgs, about the two world-wide pop-cultural phenomena launched in Britain in 1962, namely The Beatles and James Bond, examining how they represent opposite sides of the British psyche.
I could here mention my most disappointing book of the year, David Hepworth's Hope I Get Old Before I Die, which contains the expected quota of Hepworth witticisms, but which seems to me to be largely a series of statements of the obvious without his usual level of insight and distinctive point of view. This brings me to the solution to my quiz poser for Week 52. "Do The Strand" speaks of "A Fabulous Creation," which is the title of Mr. Hepworth's book about the hey-day of the rock album. "You Wear It Well" was included on Rod's "Never A Dull Moment" album released in 1972 but presumably recorded in 1971, and the album title was the sub-title of "1971," which Mr. Hepworth posited as the annus mirabilis of the rock album (no argument from me). "Hope I Die Before I Get Old" is clearly a reference to the lyrics of "My Generation," so the connection is books by David Hepworth.
Finally, a selection of..."
Five "Weird Westerns:"
1. Cowboys and Aliens - "Daft title, daft picture... but surprisingly entertaining, helped greatly by the star power of Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig."
2. Back To The Future III - "Okay, the idea of time travel is pretty daft to begin with, but Marty and Doc don't go back to the real old West, they go back to the Hollywood old West... now that's peculiar."
3. High Plains Drifter - "I once worked with a non-too-bright fellow known as Tony (I don't know why- his name was John). I remember discussing this film with him, and he could see no supernatural implications. Like I said, not very bright."
4. Westworld - "A cross-genre special combining the Western with Sci-Fi, much like Numbers 1 and 2. Spawned a 21st century TV series."
5. Bone Tomahawk - "This came out about twenty years ago and was acclaimed by some as the best western since Unforgiven. It wasn't. It concerns the kidnap of a young wife by an isolated tribe of cannibal troglodytes, and is almost enough to turn a viewer vegetarian. Almost."
"Here are my 'End of Year' lists; there are ten in the LP list as I found it hard to whittle it down to five. Also, I now use Spotify as my car doesn't have a CD player but, with the wonders of Bluetooth, music is available almost anywhere. It's also ideal for tracking down rare, elusive or prohibitively expensive albums that are difficult to find in their physical format. I'll start with the fabulous creations... (Check out the first title in my 'Books Read' list; read it and you will meet lots of people you have known... and also yourself!)"
Top 10 LPs purchased in 2024
Gnidrolog - In Spite Of Harry's Toenail
Brown Horse - Reservoir
Capital Letters - Reality
First Aid Kit - Palamino
Gentle Giant - Ohio Runaway (live)
Dexys - The Feminine Divine
The Stranglers - Feline (40th. Anniversary Double LP)
War - Greatest Hits
Liverpool Scene - St.Adrian Co.
Smoove & Turrell - Solid Brass
Top 5 CDs purchased in 2024
Yes - Keys To Ascension (4CD + DVD set)
Ozric Tentacles - Curious Corn
The Meters - Original Album Series (5CD set)
Green Day - American Idiot
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Top 5 Albums from my Spotify Library
Gnidrolog - Lady Lake
Hugh Cornwell - All The Fun Of The Fair
Premiata Forneria Marconi - Chocolate Kings
The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World
Screen 3 - Live 1982
Top 5 Music Related Books read in 2024
A Fabulous Creation by David Hepworth
Echoes by Will Sergent
1972: When Progressive Rock Ruled The World by Kevan Furbank
Medical Grade Music by Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi
Let The Good Times Roll by Kenney Jones
Top 5 Live Acts
Brown Horse (Deepdale Festival and Norwich Arts Centre)
Feathered Thorns (Norwich Arts Centre)
Andrew Brammer - We Followed The Stranglers 1977 - 1982 (Anteros Arts, Norwich)
Legend - The Music of Bob Marley (Princess Theatre, Hunstanton)
Smoove & Turrell (Norwich Arts Centre)
Also, too numerous to mention, the wonderful variety of acts at two amazing local festivals, i.e. Folk In A Field and Deepdale Festival.
"Hi RPMers. Here's my contribution to the traditional year end lists.
I can't really make up a traditional top 5 as I haven't really bought/listened to or otherwise acquired much music/film/book related stuff over the course of the year - nor have I attended much in the way of live music.
I thought I'd review a sampling of what today's young pop pickers are listening to and putting into orbit within the 'charts' that I've not involved myself with (thank goodness) since I was a lad listening to Fluff Freeman on BBC radio in the early 60's or as announced on TV's 'Top Of The Pops'.
I still listen to the radio quite a bit (mainly Boom Rock via smart speaker) but I haven't been near Radio 1 for many years and stopped listening to Radio2 after Ken Bruce left having been treated so badly contract-wise. I'm guessing that youtube is a primary source of exposure (sometimes quite literally) for modern pop music - indeed we now use it quite a bit ourselves for our RPM submissions each week
I've compiled a list of 5 2024 chart acts/releases that I've tracked down (using Wikipedia)and listened to/watched on Youtube most of which are egregiously sexualised with some bordering on the obscene but they seem to be representative of much of what's made it to 'the charts'.. Most of the acts are female. I'm a long way from being a prude but am a bit surprised at how far we've come (or more correctly dropped) since guys like me were being mesmerised by Pan's People/Legs and Co..
I've included illustrative links to youtube."
Fancy by Artemas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtCIEbira8Y
Austin by Dasha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyjnbSsZ2tc
Guess by Charlie XCX feat Billie Eilish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huGd4efgdPA
Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVli-tstM5E
Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce
(Did she really once make a duets album with Tony Bennet)?
Top 5 Album Releases of 2024
Natural Majick by Kula Shaker - "The first album for literally years that I kept on repeat play for weeks after it's release. Excellent song writing, excellently played and hitting all the essential Kula Shaker reference points."
Ilion by Slift - "In years to come this will be looked upon as a classic space rock album. Total awesomeness from the Toulouse power trio."
No Name by Jack White - "A huge slab of bluesy riffage which got better on each subsequent listen."
Howl by Daisy Rickman - "Debut follow-up album from the Cornish based psych-folker."
Here Comes The Rain by Magnum - "A solid and enjoyable sign-off album released the day after the death of Tony Clarkin, guitarist and main song writer. Thanks for over 40 years of great music.""
Top 5 Albums I Caught Up With in 2024
I've Got A Bulldog by Bigfoot String Band (2012)- "New old time recording from a power house band. So glad I came across this by happy accident."
Pulsing Signals Live by Gong (2022) - "Top live recording of the current Gong live experience."
The Shores of Lough Graney by P J Hayes and Martin Hayes (2011) - "Recordings of Irish traditional music fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes playing tunes with his dad. A cassette release in 1989, P J died in 2001. Original album with a few extra tracks put onto a CD many years later, thank goodness."
What Are We Trying To Say by Megson (2023) - Their most recent release of new self penned songs. No 'Long Shot' classics from Debs and Stu here, but a very good collection of self penned songs, never the less."
Inventions by Leveret (2017) - "I've only just got around to listening to Leveret via the playing of their fiddler Sam Sweeney....their brilliant first recording got repeated plays."
Top 5 Live Gigs of 2024
Slift at Leeds Brudenell - "Jaw droppingly good."
Kula Shaker at Leeds O2 - "....as were Kula Shaker....so that's how good Slift were!"
Alabama 3 at York Crescent - "So good to see A3 again at York's best community venue."
Richard Durrant at York Centre For Early Music - "Breathtaking totally acoustic performance of his South American repertoire."
Skinny Lister at York Crescent - "A memorable energetic gig of very catchy songs."
Top 5 most enjoyable books read 2024
Killing Floor by Lee Child
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carre
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Death At The Sigh Of The Rook by Kate Atkinson