Here we are once again - the dawn of a new year, and the leaving-in-the-dust of the old one.  2011 had some pretty big moments in the music world.  We lost many great artists and discovered many new ones.  There were some big comebacks and bigger breakups.  There were some albums that were simply not great (Radiohead, we’re talking to you) while others were utterly fantastic.  It’s those records that we are turning our attention to now because….that’s right kids, it’s time for the annual Best-Of list.  

 

And this year, we’re taking it to 11.

 

 

1)  REM: Collapse Into Now

In 1996, college rock icons REM lost their drummer and spent several years releasing album after dismal album, until 2004’s Around The Sun, their unequivocal nadir.  They considered breaking up but decided to stick it out and try to go out on top.  In 2008 they released Accelerate which was the Comeback Of The Decade.  Few thought they could top that but then they released Collapse Into Now, an album that took all of the fire and energy of Accelerate and combined that with the diversity of their classic, Automatic For The People, and ended up with one of the finest albums of their career.  And then, in true fashion, they called it a day.  Bands often tend to either implode too early or stick around long past their relevancy.  There was a point when REM fell into the latter.  But they redeemed themselves and then walked away at precisely the right moment.  Perfectly titled, this is their Abbey Road, the exclamation point on their career.  For that, and a million other reasons, it is the Best Album Of 2011.

 

 

2)  The Decemberists: The King Is Dead 

After exploring the deepest realms of Prog with records like The Tain, The Crane Wife, and The Hazards Of Love, Portland’s Finest decided to move to a farm, chill out, and write some normal songs for once.  And, with the aid of Gillian Welch’s brilliant harmony vocals, they created a rustic masterpiece that is among their best work.  

 

 

3)  Gomez:  Whatever's On Your Mind

For their seventh album, the geographically-varied Gomez co-wrote all their songs via email and wound up delivering the most mature album of their career.  

 

 

4)  Bruce Cockburn: Small Source Of Comfort

Bruce has been around so long that genius must come as second nature to him.  24 albums into his career and he has still never made a bad album.  His writing just gets better with age and his songs never fail to make you think, while his guitar chops still make him one of the under-appreciated masters of his art.  

 

 

5)  Noel Gallagher: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

So when Oasis famously busted up in 2009, we ended up with two camps – Noel Gallagher in one corner, and the rest of the band in the other.  The latter changed their name to Beady Eye and released one of the best albums of 2010, while Noel laid out his solo debut this year.  His writing here is just as solid as his Oasis work and it’s always a treat to hear him sing his own songs.  With the band’s factions providing such quality work, who cares if Oasis ever gets back together?

 

 

6)  Opeth: Heritage

I already discussed this in my Prog Roundup a couple months ago but it still deserves a place on this list.  One of the most unique and inventive albums to come out this year.  

 

 

7)  Steven Wilson: Grace For Drowning

With so many projects, it would seem impossible for Steven Wilson to find the time to release an album under his own name, but here ya go.  And if one album is not enough, well, this one’s a double.  And it features some very different textures than anyone’s heard from him.  A complex, thought-provoking, atmospheric masterpiece.

 

 

8)  Feist: Metals

Perhaps Leslie Feist is trying to shake the success of the quirky “1234”, and the Sesame Street appearances that came with it.  Whatever the case, she came back with an album that is dark, mysterious, and most excellent.

 

 

9)  Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit: Here We Rest

Gritty alt.country maestro Jason Isbell delivers his fourth post-Truckers album and further proves the intense level of his talent.  Seriously, one of the greatest American singer/songwriters alive today. 

 

 

10) Umphrey's McGee: Death By Stereo

This is another album that I discussed earlier but it deserves mention here as well.  An important band in the world of both prog and jam-bands, Umphrey’s delivers an album that is both, neither, and something else altogether.  

 

 

11) Drive-By Truckers: Go-Go Boots

The ninth album by The Saviors Of Southern Rock might not be their best album but it’s pretty damn good, and better than most albums to come out this year.  Their songs are as stark, desolate, and desperate as ever.  And they kick ass.  So that’s that.

 

As with almost every year, this list was hard to compile, hard to whittle down, and there are many albums that deserve spots on lists, including excellent offerings from Kate Bush, Tom Waits, Yes, Wilco, Sloan, Bright Eyes, Fleet Foxes, Paul Simon, Adele, My Morning Jacket, Portugal The Man, Ryan Adams, The Black Keys, and many others.  

 

We also must stop and pay homage to all the greats who left us this year, including Clarence Clemons, Amy Winehouse, Charlie Louvin, Gil Scott-Heron, George Shearing, Pinetop Perkins, Jim Dickson, Phoebe Snow, Jani Lane, Jerry Leiber, Bert Jansch, Heavy D, Dobie Gray, and so many others who went before their time.  Thanks.

 

So that’s it for 2011.  The new year should prove to be another high-water year for the music scene, with hotly-anticipated new releases from the likes of Rush, Bruce Springsteen, moe., Ani Difranco, Guided By Voices, Marillion, Anathema, The Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen, Black Sabbath, Mumford & Sons, Dr. Dog, Beady Eye, U2, a reunited Stone Roses, and oh so many more.  Until then, keep listening.

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