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Dave Alvin of Third Mind

12/30/2020

Terry Currier's Top 16 Albums of 2020

The owner of Music Millennium give us his top 2020 albums. Not the best-selling, just his favorites. An annual event.

 1. Third Mind -- Dave Alvin does this side project on mostly covers from the 60's inspired by John Coltrane, but feels like West Coast :Psych late 60's with a nod to the S.F. scene

2. Tom Petty - Wildflower - Amazing re-issue of this great album with tons of bonus material. The bonus material is a whole album of unreleased songs, home records, plus live versions. Sure miss Petty.

3. Ray Wylie Hubbard - Co-starring - He's 73 years old and made one of the best albums of is career. Brilliant songwriting, swampy sound with a host of guests...Joe Walsh, Ashley McBride, Chris Robinson

4. Sadler Vaden - Anybody Out There? - Jason Isbell's guitarist delivers a Power Pop album full of well-written songs/ You want to sing along. Great guitar.

5. Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip - This band is 53 years old. This is their 24th album and they sound as contemporary as ever. Quirky songs with their quirky delivery.

6. Loudon Wainwright III I'd Rather Lead a Band - Loudon and a band you would found in the '30s/40s. A fresh take on Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, etc.

7. Mavericks En Espanol - They sing all in Spanish. Paul Malo;s voice is like an instrument, simply amazing. You will recognize some of the songs.

8. Rory Gallagher  Check Shirt Wizard - Unreleased Rory Gallagher from 1977. One of the finest guitarists ever. Studio Gallagher is great, Live Gallagher even better.

9. Chuck Prophet Land that Time Forgot - He is a vivid storyteller and his songs are simply fun to listen to, with a nod to some of his musical heroes on a couple.

10. Paul Weller On Sunset - He's mellower in his 60s. There is some Jazz feel to it and it has a Soul feel to it. Turn the lights down and just listen.

11. X Alphabetland - The first album in 27 years captures the intensity they had when they began. Ten songs packed into a 30 minute album that you'll want to play again and again.

12, Neil Young Homegrown - Recorded in 1974/75 and never came out. It feels like a likely follow-up to Harvest but happened after On The Beach and before Zuma. Great stuff.

13. Lucinda Williams Good Souls Better Angels - She Does it again. Great songs and delivery with one of the best bands out there.

14. Jerry Joseph Beautiful Madness - Produced by Patterson Hood. Jerry takes on the world and does not hold back on it's state and those running it.

15. Mark Lanegan Straight Songs of Sorrow - A dark companion to his recent memoir and he's not all rosy. Tinged with Folk and Blues.

16. AC/DC Power Up - Rocking as well as they ever had and the long-time lineup is intact. 

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