I get the impression I don't buy much new music, because I just dug through my CD collection and I only found four Cd's that actually came out in 2007.
I like Michael Buble. He is not Barry Manilow. He is actually a very talented, wonderful singer (Buble, not Manilow) in the tradition of the great American crooners like Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. Buble has a great voice and great taste in music. On his new CD "Call Me Irresponsible," Buble does write some original work, like the hits "Lost" and "Everything," but he also covers songs by Leonard Cohen ("I'm Your Man") and Johnny Mercer ("Dream"). His version of "Always on My Mind" is hauntingly, movingly beautiful. This is an excellent CD and if you ever get a chance to see Buble live, it is worth every penny. He is a performer, an entertainer. He is an extraordinary talent. And he's quite a ham bone as well, with a goofy sense of humor.
"Revival" by John Fogerty is just that, a revival of sorts. His last CD, "Deja Vu All Over Again," wasn't bad, but didn't seem to have enough life to it. "Revival" has plenty of life, including a couple of songs that flip the bird at our current president, "Long Dark Night" and "I Can't Take It No More." The man who gave us "Fortunate Son" is still angry about politicians who are more than willing to send the children of others off to die in a war that shouldn't have been, while they and theirs stay safely at home. There's love songs, and Credence songs (he pokes a little fun at his history on "Creedence Song") and wistful ballads and upbeat rockers. This CD has a lot going for it.
For some reason, "Magic" is the first Bruce Springsteen album I've ever bought, and I bought this one mostly because I couldn't get the song "Radio Nowhere" out of my head. It's not that I've disliked Springsteen, it's just that I've never seen fit to spend money on him. His songs were always on the radio in the '70s and '80s, so I guess I didn't feel that overwhelming need to possess a Springsteen album.
Whatever, I've got this one and it's seems, happily, to be a throwback to his prime in those other decades. There's some trademark sounds, like the Clarence Clemons sax break on "Livin' In the Future" and overall, Springsteen sounds more inspired than he has in years. His songwriting is top-notch, as the band sounds in rare form as well; I actually felt like it was a hazy summer day when I heard "Girls In Their Summer Clothes."
The one CD I can't stop playing though, perhaps because it's a little outside my norm, is "Dwight Sings Buck, " a tribute to Buck Owens and his Bakersfield country sound by Dwight Yoakum. Owens was a big influence on Yoakum, a man with a traditional country sound you just don't hear anymore, and he was an influence on a lot of the rockers of the '60s, including the aforementioned John Fogerty and a group of lads you may have heard of called the Beatles. Ringo sang lead on their cover of the Owens hit "Act Naturally," which appears on this CD. Every last song here is a gem; the more I listen to them, the more I like them. "Close Up the Honky Tonks" is a masterpiece and "Think of Me" has a great guitar riff and a melody that won't leave you. For my money, this is the best CD of 2007.
I should also note that 2007 is the year I discovered iTunes and downloading. Me browsing on iTunes is like a kid in a candy store. It is a wonderful invention. Aside from buying a few songs by classic artists like Johnny Winter and Led Zeppelin, I have bought three songs new to the year 2007. "You're the World to Me" by David Gray is an upbeat, wonderful tune. "Waiting on the World to Change" is the first song I've ever liked by John Mayer. I look forward to hearing from him in the future. And last but least, I purchased "Open" by Sammy Hagar. Yes, Sammy Hagar. It really is a great song, other than the fact it makes me want to do bong hits when I hear it.
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