Slowly Going Bald

In which I chronicle the albums that came into my life this year.

March 2007

The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Gilded Palace of Sin/Burrito Deluxe (1969/1970)
It's oddly appropriate that the only (affordable) versions of these albums I came across at Amoeba were combined onto one disc, since Gram Parsons' G.P. and Grievous Angel are also collated onto one CD in the States. The Gilded Palace of Sin/Burrito Deluxe is a great blend of country and rock, though it leans more toward the 1960s sound than the broader "Cosmic American" sound Parsons would unleash on his solo efforts. "Christine's Tune" and "Sin City" are classics, as is the cover of the Stones' "Wild Horses."

Lucinda Williams, West (2007)
I'm stuck on this one because I like Lucinda Williams but also know that it's hard for me to get involved with her music, though I usually don't regret it. Still, this is a good album, and one of her more listenable (for me) in a while. You really can't go wrong with Lost Highway.

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Live at the Ryman (2005)
Marty Stuart churned out his fair share of bad mainstream country hits a few years ago, but as a bluegrass artist, he's amazing. Live at the Ryman is an easygoing, fast-paced bluegrass album that features stunning instrumentation and old-time chats with the audience between numbers. The harmonies on "Homesick" will make you ache.

The Greencards, Weather and Water (2005)
I picked up this album after reading about it somewhere, probably in Paste. Solid, low-key newgrass for those who can't quite handle the rowdiness of Nickel Creek. It's a good background album.

The Mavericks, What a Crying Shame (1994)
This is just fantastic. Everything about the album is so howlingly 1994, from the ripped knees of the bandmembers' jeans in the photo to the strutting sound of mainstream country radio from the early part of the 1990s. But Raul Malo's phenomenal vocal range and the band's Latin influences keep the music fresh, and the album includes everything from a great deep-catalog Bruce Springsteen cover ("All That Heaven Will Allow") to the title track and some truly heartbroken ballads. I couldn't stop listening to this one for two weeks after I got it.

April 2007

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, No More Beautiful World (2007)
This is a genuinely terrible album, and I haven't even made it all the way through. I tried three times to listen to it and only made it to track 3, which maybe means I could have made it to track 9 if I'd really buckled down. Roger Clyne made some really good rock-pop with The Refreshments, and as the frontman of his new band, he's made some great alt-country and rock-tinged music. But this atrocious record is Clyne's full-throated and idiotic announcement of his intention to turn himself into some kind of latter-day Jimmy Buffett, with songs about nothing more than sombreros and margaritas and every other stupid beach-based cliche you could want. I bought this album out of loyalty to Clyne, and though something in me — the anal-retentive collector, I guess — can't quite be made to part with it, I know I'll probably never listen to the album again. I'd planned on catching Clyne when he came through L.A. earlier this year, but after buying this album, I skipped the concert.

The Fratellis, Costello Music (2006)
Really good, vaguely punkish pop-rock that's wormed its way into dozens of movie trailers and more than a few film appearances. It's impossible not to sing along with it; "Whistle for the Choir" will get stuck in your head in a great way.

Peter Bjorn and John, Writer's Block (2006)
I was told I would be evicted from L.A. if I didn't buy this album. (Kidding [kind of].) I heard the lead single, "Young Folks," on KROQ a couple times and checked out the album, and really dug it. Just great, simple, earnest indie pop.

The Duhks, Migrations (2006)
Decent background bluegrassish stuff. Not too bad, but nothing to write home about.

Lyle Lovett, Pontiac (1988)
This is a full-on classic, featuring Lovett's distinctive mix of country, blues, and jazz; it's two parts Texas to one part Lousiana, and it works every time. The album opener, "If I Had a Boat," sets the tone with its simple melody and lyrics that balance hope and heartache, and "L.A. County" is downright haunting.

The International Submarine Band, Safe at Home (1968)
The only full-length album the band would ever release is worth picking up for anyone interested in the early days of country-rock, and especially for anyone looking to fill out their Gram Parsons collection. The album features a couple of Parsons' originals, including "Luxury Liner," as well as some interesting Cash covers with "I Still Miss Someone" and a medley that uses "Folsom Prison Blues." Incidentally, it was ISB producer Lee Hazlewood who prevented Parsons' vocals from appearing on The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo the same year; Parsons vocal tracks on the Byrds classic have only recently seen release. When Hazlewood died earlier this year, I kept trying to insert this injustice into his obit, but it didn't happen.