Your Albums Of The Year - 2017

[Slim]

British Sea Power's Let The Dancers Inherit The Party and QOTSA's Villains. I think those are the only new albums of 2017 that I've particularly liked. Possibly the only two I've listened to. But I'll have a listen to the Neil Finn one.

[Jonners]

Enslaved -E
Really getting on with this album a lot now

[Neillwith2Ls]

Like Bez I went to my Amazon order history, as well as the "Bought a CD Recently" thread on here, to inform this:

1. Neil Young - Hitchhiker (wonderful, NY at his solo acoustic best. My favourite album of 2017... recorded in 1976)
2. Tom McRae - Ah, The World! Oh, The World! (wonderfully bleak musings from Tom, a great deluxe book edition)
3. Paul Draper - Spooky Action (great solo debut, features prog, SW, Mansun-esque hooks. Seeing him live soon)

Lee Martin - Worry No More (one of my mates album's, very good singer/songwriter-esque stuff, with added weirdness)
Thea Gilmore - The Counterweight (have to confess I've not listened to it yet!)
The Amazons - The Amazons (saw them live on the Glasto BBC coverage, but the album was disappointing)
Foo Fighters - Concrete & Gold (thought it was boring at first, but really grew on me. Quite adventurous for FF)
Neil Young - The Visitor (needs another listen, but not too bad. His 2nd with Willie Nelson's kids)
Weezer - Pacific Daydream (a bit too pop, and not enough 'heavy metal beach boys' for me, but still catchy as hell)
Pearl Jam - Lets Play Two (nice live set, but too many tracks cut. I'd like another 'Live At The Gorge' set)
Lift To Experience - The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads (reissue, so doesn't really count)
Aimee Mann - Mental Illness (back on form after too long away, collaborating. Love Aimee)
TiLT - Hinterland (great stuff from Fish's solo band, bought off a recommendation from here)
Neil Young - Peace Trail (largely forgettable stuff, think this was released tale end of 2016?)

[Thailand Express]

Public Service Broadcasting - Every Valley
The Replacements - Live At Maxwell's 1986
Neil Young - Hitchhiker (as Neill mentioned above, recorded in 1976)

As you can see I've not got into much new stuff recently

[Slim]

But I'll have a listen to the Neil Finn one.

And I did - sounds really fresh and creative. A few filler tunes on there though I think.

[andyhaines]

Like Bez I went to my Amazon order history, as well as the "Bought a CD Recently" thread on here, to inform this:

1. Neil Young - Hitchhiker (wonderful, NY at his solo acoustic best. My favourite album of 2017... recorded in 1976)
2. Tom McRae - Ah, The World! Oh, The World! (wonderfully bleak musings from Tom, a great deluxe book edition)
3. Paul Draper - Spooky Action (great solo debut, features prog, SW, Mansun-esque hooks. Seeing him live soon)

Lee Martin - Worry No More (one of my mates album's, very good singer/songwriter-esque stuff, with added weirdness)
Thea Gilmore - The Counterweight (have to confess I've not listened to it yet!)
The Amazons - The Amazons (saw them live on the Glasto BBC coverage, but the album was disappointing)
Foo Fighters - Concrete & Gold (thought it was boring at first, but really grew on me. Quite adventurous for FF)
Neil Young - The Visitor (needs another listen, but not too bad. His 2nd with Willie Nelson's kids)
Weezer - Pacific Daydream (a bit too pop, and not enough 'heavy metal beach boys' for me, but still catchy as hell)
Pearl Jam - Lets Play Two (nice live set, but too many tracks cut. I'd like another 'Live At The Gorge' set)
Lift To Experience - The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads (reissue, so doesn't really count)
Aimee Mann - Mental Illness (back on form after too long away, collaborating. Love Aimee)
TiLT - Hinterland (great stuff from Fish's solo band, bought off a recommendation from here)
Neil Young - Peace Trail (largely forgettable stuff, think this was released tale end of 2016?)

Hi Neill.

I've kinda lost track with Mr Young after Chrome Dreams II (which I liked). Could you give me your best to worst releases since then?

[andyhaines]

Walter Trout's "We're All In This Together" was probably my favourite album of last year....maybe tied with Jason Isbell's "The Nashville Sound," which rightly won a Grammy for best Americana album.

[Neillwith2Ls]

Hi Neill.

I've kinda lost track with Mr Young after Chrome Dreams II (which I liked). Could you give me your best to worst releases since then?

Hey mate, OK here goes (best to worst):

Hitchhiker (2017) - an absolute gem, solo & acoustic in the studio, NY at the peak of his powers
Live At The Cellar Door (2013) - 1970 solo gigs comp, fantastic as you can imagine (features Cinnamon Girl on piano!)
Sugar Mountain, Live at Canterbury House 1968 (2008) - 23 y/o solo NY killing it, with some early classics and some Buffalo Springfield stuff too.
Le Noise (2010) - really liked this, NY solo & electric, and Daniel Lanois producing. Recorded only during full moons(!)
Bluenote Café (2015) - 80's live album from the This Note's For You tour. Really good; zero classics, great band, amazing playing
The Visitor (2017) - second PotR studio collaboration, a bit better than the first too.
The Monsanto Years (2015) - decent effort, first collaboration with Promise of the Real (PotR)
Storytone (2014) - get the deluxe edition, with the solo acoustic version of the album; better than the big band arrangements
Road Rock Vol.1 (2010) - live at Red Rocks, lots of classics; not bad but the DVD is miles better.
Dreaming Man Live '92 (2011) - basically the Harvest Moon album, live. Good, but Unplugged does it better
Earth (2016) - live album (with animal & nature overdubs?!), with PotR. OK-ish, but worth it for a live 'Vampire Blues'
Psychedelic Pill (2012) - bloated Crazy Horse double album (track 1: half an hour!), a few brilliant tracks though if I remember
A Treasure (2011) - mid 80's live album with The International Harvesters, very country!
Peace Trail (2016) - political, acoustic effort; largely lifeless & overpowered a little by Jim Keltner's percussion in places
Americana (2012) - pretty poor Crazy Horse collaboration, playing and re-arranging old standards - dull!
A Letter Home (2014) - barely listenable set of covers recorded in Jack White's vintage 'Voice-O-Graph' booth, a real oddity *
Fork in the Road (2009) - awful, throwaway stuff *

* I've listened to these maybe once or twice - probably need to re-listen (if only to re-affirm my original damning review!)

16 releases in 10 years is a hell of a lot of material to digest, mostly live or archive stuff though. The new studio material is patchy at best, but like most NY albums; each contain some wonderful moments. His strongest recent material is probably the PotR stuff to be honest, and that comes across better live. Seeing him in 2013 with Crazy Horse, then again in 2015 with PotR; he was way more engaged with Willie's kids! Interesting to see however, that it's the archive stuff which floats to the top...

My tuppence worth

[andyhaines]

Hey mate, OK here goes (best to worst):

Hitchhiker (2017) - an absolute gem, solo & acoustic in the studio, NY at the peak of his powers
Live At The Cellar Door (2013) - 1970 solo gigs comp, fantastic as you can imagine (features Cinnamon Girl on piano!)
Sugar Mountain, Live at Canterbury House 1968 (2008) - 23 y/o solo NY killing it, with some early classics and some Buffalo Springfield stuff too.
Le Noise (2010) - really liked this, NY solo & electric, and Daniel Lanois producing. Recorded only during full moons(!)
Bluenote Café (2015) - 80's live album from the This Note's For You tour. Really good; zero classics, great band, amazing playing
The Visitor (2017) - second PotR studio collaboration, a bit better than the first too.
The Monsanto Years (2015) - decent effort, first collaboration with Promise of the Real (PotR)
Storytone (2014) - get the deluxe edition, with the solo acoustic version of the album; better than the big band arrangements
Road Rock Vol.1 (2010) - live at Red Rocks, lots of classics; not bad but the DVD is miles better.
Dreaming Man Live '92 (2011) - basically the Harvest Moon album, live. Good, but Unplugged does it better
Earth (2016) - live album (with animal & nature overdubs?!), with PotR. OK-ish, but worth it for a live 'Vampire Blues'
Psychedelic Pill (2012) - bloated Crazy Horse double album (track 1: half an hour!), a few brilliant tracks though if I remember
A Treasure (2011) - mid 80's live album with The International Harvesters, very country!
Peace Trail (2016) - political, acoustic effort; largely lifeless & overpowered a little by Jim Keltner's percussion in places
Americana (2012) - pretty poor Crazy Horse collaboration, playing and re-arranging old standards - dull!
A Letter Home (2014) - barely listenable set of covers recorded in Jack White's vintage 'Voice-O-Graph' booth, a real oddity *
Fork in the Road (2009) - awful, throwaway stuff *

* I've listened to these maybe once or twice - probably need to re-listen (if only to re-affirm my original damning review!)

16 releases in 10 years is a hell of a lot of material to digest, mostly live or archive stuff though. The new studio material is patchy at best, but like most NY albums; each contain some wonderful moments. His strongest recent material is probably the PotR stuff to be honest, and that comes across better live. Seeing him in 2013 with Crazy Horse, then again in 2015 with PotR; he was way more engaged with Willie's kids! Interesting to see however, that it's the archive stuff which floats to the top...

My tuppence worth

Thanks Neill. I clearly have some catching up to do!

I think I heard a bit of "Fork in the Road" when it came out....probably why I didn't bother again for a bit!

[Slim]

Andy's contribution to the thread reminded me that I quite liked the last Dylan covers album, but I was surprised to find that it was not only not released in 2017 (2016 apparently), but it's not actually the last one, either. Not sure I can commit to listening to a 3CD covers extravaganza but I've just downloaded it anyway.

[captainkurtz]

Slim - try the new Field Music record - 'Open Here'.  I think you'll like it a lot.

[Slim]

Funny you should say that mate, I heard a tune from it on 6 Music on Friday and I did rather like it. Downloaded it.

[captainkurtz]

Great stuff.  Do let us know what you think when you've had a chance to listen.