Morse on 2009
After reading our lists of the year's best albums, Steve Morse -- the former Globe music critic who's now a frequent contributor and overall good friend of Sound Effects -- sent us his own picks, including "No Line on the Horizon" by U2 (above). "Glad that we all agreed on the Neko Case album," Morse says.
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King" This is literally a rebirth of the band after the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore. The group had started recording this disc with Moore, then added new tracks with former Bela Fleck saxophonist Jeff Coffin. The playing is brilliant almost throughout. The band's signature jazz-rock is here, but so are energizing forays into banjo-spiced country and even Middle Eastern and Led Zeppelin flavors.
NEKO CASE, "Middle Cyclone" The Virginia native laid these tracks down in a Vermont barn. Her dark but inspiring country noir, mixed with enthralling pop and rock elements, has never sounded better. She excels in original material but also does a transcendent version of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me,'' which has been covered by everyone from Marianne Faithfull to Captain & Tennille.
VAN MORRISSON, "Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl" Van's folk-jazzy "Astral Weeks'' (released in 1968) is considered by many to be his best album. He treats it that way in this breathtaking revisit, enhanced by longer arrangements and orchestral embellishments that launch this music into the mystic. Improvisation, passion, it's all here.
PEARL JAM, "Backspacer" The Seattle post-grungemeisters are back with producer Brendan O'Brien for the first time in more than a decade. The chemistry creates the perfect hard-rock climate for Pearl Jam. This album sounds great on the open highway, though the standout track is Eddie Vedder's acoustic "Just Breathe,'' a spiritual love song that seeps into the soul.
DEREK TRUCKS BAND, "Already Free" Trucks has cemented his role in the Allman Brothers Band, but his solo career received a boost with this mature new effort. A guitar hero who honed his craft on tour with Eric Clapton a few years ago, Trucks has jettisoned some of his jazz and world-music influences in favor of more gut-busting rock 'n' R&B. He's a virtuoso who continues to explore new paths.
LADY GAGA, "The Fame Monster" So what if half her songs sound the same? She's still the freshest, most exciting face from an often drab pop scene this year. By turns sweet, raunchy, and spacy, she's a quintessential dance-pop queen. She's also an incredible talent -- she writes, produces, and arranges much of the music. Note: Get the two-disc version because it includes her debut album with her runaway hit, "Poker Face.''
WOLFMOTHER, "Cosmic Egg" The young Aussie act reappeared in a new context -- singer-guitarist Andrew Stockdale lost two members but added three new ones. They still did justice to Wolfmother's first disc, which won a Grammy for best hard-rock performance in 2007. This follow-up furthers the group's retro-rock fascinations, incorporating and expanding upon licks by everyone from Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin to the Beatles.
U2, "No Line on the Horizon" The album lacked major radio singles (no "Vertigo'' here) but compensated with a boldly adventurous sound as the band reunited with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. The result is a cohesive gem that grows upon repeated listenings. Back-to-back songs "Moment of Surrender'' and "Unknown Caller'' are as good as it gets from this ever-changing, never-complacent band.
GOV'T MULE, "By a Thread" Mule's first studio album in three years is a pulsating tour de force. Singer-guitarist Warren Haynes remains the guide to this odyssey, which roams everywhere from the deep bass grooves of Primus to the rollicking blues-rock of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Haynes can be edgy, but he adds a psychedelic depth that demands respect.
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Daptone Gold" Brooklyn's beloved Daptone Records -- dedicated to soul, funk and R&B traditions presented in a modern context -- released this generous 23-track set of rarities, classics, and previously unreleased tunes by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (the band that backed Amy Winehouse on tour), Antibalas, the Budos Band, Binky Griptite, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, and others. Styles are evoked from Motown to world music. Exquisite.
