One Year Down ...

Man, time flies when you're talking about music. I was getting my post ready last week and I realized it had been a year since I officially took Larry up on his offer to come aboard and talk music once a week. I went back to my first post, in which I introduced myself via an A-to-Z list of tunes I like. I feel like we know each other a little better now, but there's always a little more to learn. So I decided to revisit the alphabetical format, although this time I'll talk about albums that I enjoy and would like to recommend. (I'll assume the members of the iCult out there still remember the album.) It's been my great pleasure to post for you every Thursday, and getting feedback from you and my partners in crime � Larry, Stacy, Amanda and James. And now, back to the music:

A � "Ashgrove," Dave Alvin: After making a huge mark as the guitarist for The Blasters, Alvin went out on his own and has made album after album of great roots rock and Americana. His great guitar skills and rich baritone are a potent combination whether he's rocking out in a muscular blues tune or singing a tender ballad. This 2004 release has both, and "The Man in the Bed," about a man reaching the end of his life, will rip your heart out every time.
B � "Blues Before Sunrise," Stevie Ray Vaughan: OK, I'll grant you that this posthumous release is a little fishy because it repackages material that was previously released. But the end result of this repackaging is an album of what SRV did better than almost anybody else: Slow, burning blues. Start with the opener, "Ain't Gone 'N' Give Up on Love," and crank it to 11. This disc also is notable for its Vaughan duets with two giants of electric blues: Johnny Copeland and Albert King.
C � "Crossing Muddy Waters," John Hiatt: I've always been pretty sure that "Bring the Family" and "Slow Turning" were Hiatt's best albums. If you catch me on a given day, though, I might tell you that this 2000 acoustic disc has cracked the top two. Catch me on the right day, and I might tell you it's his best. It gets better with age.
D � "The Delivery Man," Elvis Costello: This semi-concept album, on which the Elvi is joined by Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, is also destined to age well and likely will be remembered as one of the best efforts of his long, diverse career.
E � "Exit 0," Steve Earle: Most of the ink Earle gets these days is for his work as an activist/author/American artist. But it's worth reexamining Steve Earle, Country Singer. I have a soft spot for this disc, because it was the first one of his albums I heard. That day that I walked in for my shift at the record store was one of those days in which music literally changes your life. By the time I got to the end of the opener, "Nowhere Road," a whole new world had opened up for me, one in which country music could be cool. I immediately went back for "Guitar Town" (which is even better), and grabbed up every release since.
F � "Full Moon Fever," Tom Petty: My wife and I occasionally have a good-natured argument about which is Petty's best album, this one or "Wildflowers." She comes down on the side of "Full Moon Fever" every time; I'm a little more conflicted. I vacillate, and often take the side of "Wildflowers" just so we can spar. At least for today, I concede to Sharon. A handful of the songs � "Free Fallin'," "Runnin' Down a Dream," "I Won't Back Down" and "A Face in the Crowd" � are among Petty's best. Only the closer, "Zombie Zoo," is a throwaway, but it's a fun one at that.
G � "Guardian Angel," Haynes Boys: If you've been reading my posts at all in the past year, you likely know that I'm an unabashed Tim Easton fan. I think he deserves a much larger audience, and I'm unashamed of lobbying for it. The only album by the Haynes Boys, whom Easton fronted before going out on his own, deserves a second look, too. At least two of the tracks, "One Last Question" and "Bitters Past," are ripe for rediscovery/re-recording by another band or by Easton himself. I saw a used copy of this disc on Amazon yesterday for 49 cents � a bargain waiting to happen.
H � "Hittin' the Note," The Allman Brothers: This disc from the latter-day version of the band was recommended to me by my music buddy Dalton, who said that it rivaled the Allmans in their heyday. I was a little skeptical of any lineup that didn't contain at least Dickey Betts, despite the fact that Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes are amazing guitarists in their own right. I was glad I checked this one out. It's definitely an Allmans classic, and it's got a terrific cover of the Stones' "Heart of Stone."
I � "Ignition," Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special: I love rockabilly, and there's almost nobody (nobody still living, for sure) that I'd rather hear play it than Setzer. After experiencing huge success with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, he went back to the stripped-down trio sound from his Stray Cats days. And maybe it's just the eighth-grader in me, but I love the verse that goes "Well she hops in my car / She wants to drive the stick / Sittin' on my lap / Baby does the trick" in "Hot Rod Girl." Seek out the Japan import version, and you will be rewarded with "Mystery Train" among the three live bonus tracks.
J � "Jack's Crows," John Gorka: Gorka is one of those folkie types who flies just under the radar, attracting a smallish but loyal following while cranking out albums of well-crafted, insightful songs. Two of his best are on this disc. "Where the Bottles Break" deals with the gentrification of urban neighborhoods, while "Houses in the Fields" is about the plowing under of family farms in the name of progress. If you don't have this one, give it a try. Better yet, check out Gorka if he comes to your town. He's a endearing performer with a dry sense of humor.
K � "Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash," Various Artists: Truth be told, of the recent Cash tributes I prefer the less star-studded "Dressed in Black" to this disc, which boasts star wattage to spare including Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and Bob Dylan. But I'd recommend this one if only for Marty Stuart's cover of "Hey Porter."
L � "Love Is Hell, Pts. 1 and 2," Ryan Adams: An artist who is as much of a genre-hopper as Adams is going to alienate some segment of his audience every time out. These EPs are admittedly moody, but when you put them together, which Lost Highway did after releasing them separately (grrrrr), there's a good album in there. If you didn't like it at first, wait until you're home alone on a rainy day or awake at 3 a.m. and give it another try.
M � "March 16-20, 1992," Uncle Tupelo: Part of Uncle Tupelo's appeal was its fusing of rock guitars with traditional tunes. This Peter Buck-produced acoustic effort proved that they understood the Carter Family as well as they did Iggy and the Stooges. Sadly, it was the last outing for the original UT lineup.
N � "No Other Love," Chuck Prophet: An underrated singer and guitarist. He looks like Tom Petty's little brother and sounds a bit like Petty, too. If Petty recorded some of his songs, they'd be hits.
O � "Old Crow Medicine Show Live," Old Crow Medicine Show: I'm pretty partial to "O.C.M.S.," but this disc does an even better job of conveying the energy they exude when you are in the same room.
P � "Pirate's Choice," Orchestra Baobab: If you liked "Buena Vista Social Club," check out this Senegal band's 1982 Afro-Cuban album. Then get their 2002 disc, "Specialist in All Styles."
Q � "Quick," Eddie From Ohio: When I moved to Northern Virginia in 1999, I'd never heard of this local band. Now I wonder why they aren't better-known outside the area. I'd characterize much of their material as whimsical, but they can do serious songs just fine, such as this disc's "Number Six Driver." They also can do humor, such as this disc's "Tommy the Canexican," about a "Vancouver-dwelling Mexican." (Susan, I hope you're reading this.) What they do as well as any band, well-known or not, is sing in four-part harmony. That's a talent that's in too-short supply.
R � "Rainy Day Music," The Jayhawks: Speaking of harmony ... if it's really over for the Jayhawks, and Gary Louris' recent comments seem to back that up, then this was a fantastic swan song.
S � "Spanic Boys," Spanic Boys: I was fortunate enough to be watching "Saturday Night Live" the night they were called on to fill in for Sinead O'Connor. They're probably not well-known outside of Milwaukee, but Tom and Ian Spanic are the best father-son rock and roll duo you've never heard.
T � "Tangled in the Pines," BR549: HW's own Stacy Chandler has put me onto a number of great bands and discs, but she'll almost certainly never outdo turning me on to BR549. I know a lot of folks still pine for the original lineup, but this disc, the only one from the second version of the band with Chris Scruggs on guitar, is as good as anything they've done.
U � "Unit of Measure," The Tony Rice Unit: Rice has never made a bad album, but this one does an excellent job of showcasing his mastery of the acoustic guitar, from the beautiful version of "Shenandoah," to the Bill Monroe Classic "Jerusalem Ridge," to the flatpicking classic "Beaumont Rag" to the 8-plus-minute version of "Sally Goodin."
V � "Van Lear Rose," Loretta Lynn: She's a little bit country, he's a little bit rock and roll. OK, she's one of the greatest country singers ever and he's half of one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Who knew that a Jack White-Loretta Lynn pairing could be this good? It works because White worships Lynn and he put together a band that gave her lyrics a current sound while still paying respect to roots traditions. I'm hoping they work together again.
W � "Will T. Massey," Will T. Massey: I saw Massey open for Steve Earle at a club show about the time that this disc, his debut, came out in 1991. He didn't put out another album until last year's self-released effort. I don't know where he was in between, but I spent close to 15 years wondering why somebody made a debut this good didn't make another album. It's a little bit Springsteen, a little bit Mellencamp and a little bit Earle. And it's yours for about 90 cents plus shipping on Amazon Z Shops to see if I'm right.
X � "Exploration," Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion: C'mon, I'm not Superman. You're going to have to settle for a phonetic "X." I thought this was the best album I heard last year. Guthrie and Irion write smart lyrics and catchy melodies, sing in harmony and have left themselves a tough act to follow the next time out.
Y � "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," Wilco: From Elvis' swiveling hips to rap's swaggering, gangsta lyrics, artists and works that have seemed shocking at the time are often viewed as much more tame after time has passed. "YHF" seemed radical in 2002, but it's pretty accessible now. Partly because the band has ventured even further into noise-rock, but mostly because underneath the ambient is an album full of great pop songs.
Z � "ZZ Top's First Album," ZZ Top: Years before they started using sampling and synths, ZZ Top was famous for down-and-dirty blues-rock. And it all started right here on this 1970 debut, which set the stage for a great decade and a half.