The 2018 Boneys-The Albums

[T_Bone0806]

Well, now that those minor awards shows like the Grammys and Oscars are through handing out their cute little trophies, it's time for the true highlight of the awards season. But until we find out just WHAT that highlight is, you'll have to be content with the Boneys.


My annual list of favorite music from the previous year starts with my 10 favorite albums of 2018.



10. LOVE IS FOR LOSERS-THE LONGSHOT

A side project of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. It really is not that different from the Green Day sound.
Maybe a little less punky and a bit more poppy. Perhaps he just wanted to play with some different musicians. At any rate, there
are some good simple, energetic Power Pop tunes to be found here.






9. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN REIMAGINED-VARIOUS ARTISTS

I didn't see the movie The Greatest Showman, released near the end of 2017, until a few months into 2018, so I had no idea
just how much I would like the music in it. Therefore the soundtrack wasn't included on my 2017 favorites list, which it surely
would've been, had I heard it in time. Well, lo and behold, amends can, in a sense, be made, with this album, which gathers a
number of artists to provide their takes on the movie's songs. The results are, as is often the case with various artists projects,
uneven, but enough of it works to land this on 2018's list. Highlights for me include entries by Panic! At The Disco, Zac Brown Band,
and Kelly Clarkson. The tracks on this link won't be in order, but it's the best I could find.





8. PETTY-CARPENTER, SMITH AND JONES

A wonderful tribute to the music of Tom Petty. Just the right amount of tracks that stay close to the original arrangements and ones that
offer different interpretations. Throughout the album, the voices of Michael Carpenter, Abbie Smith and Sophie Jones blend beautifully.

Audio link only:


https://bigradiorecords.bandcamp.com/album/petty


7. EGYPT STATION-PAUL McCARTNEY

Sir Paul sounds fully engaged with the material here...having a ball on the more upbeat material, and coming up with some very nice melodies
indeed on the ballads. OK, not everything works well...it's no Band On The Run...and his voice has seen better days, but in my opinion, it's his most appealing album since 1997's "Flaming Pie". And let's face it, after 56 years making records, it's remarkable that the man could come up with ONE good tune, let alone the amount contained here.





6. BON VOYAGE-DAISY HOUSE

A father-daughter duo from California. This album came to my attention through one of those music websites that I frequently go exploring on.
The music isn't restricted by boundaries. There's straight pop, folk, alternative..even some progressive overtones. Dad and daughter split the
lead vocal duties. It's all done very well, and the songs stay with you after only a couple of listens.


Audio link only:


https://daisyhouse.bandcamp.com


5. PASSWORDS-DAWES

This group had the #1 album on my 2015 year-end list. They didn't get quite so high with this one, but it's still a very good listen. Much
of their music employs a laid-back Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young style, although they occasionally bring a Neil Young in his harder rocking
persona vibe.





4. THE BEACH BOYS WITH THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA-THE BEACH BOYS WITH THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

My #1 album last year took vocal tracks by Roy Orbison and placed them over newly recorded instrumentation, which featured the above mentioned Philharmonic.
A year later, the same treatment is given to the songs of the Beach Boys. It doesn't always work (Fun, Fun, Fun and Kokomo in particular just sound WRONG "symphonized"), but when it does, it elevates the already excellent original material to a new level of appreciation for me. Overall, a very pleasant listen.





3. SUGAR-LISA MYCHOLS

Mychols placed a bunch of tunes on my 2017 list, but no album, as she released individual tracks throughout the year. In 2018, however, she gathered some
of those tunes and combined them with a batch of new songs, also very good, to get this album. So the overall result is an extremely enjoyable disc,
full of bright, cheerful 60's inspired goodness. She's been in the business for awhile now, but unlike most artists who begin to lose their spark
of creativity with the passing of time, Lisa Mychols just keeps getting better and better.





2. ASTRAL DRIVE-ASTRAL DRIVE

Phil Thornalley has been in the business for awhile. His resume includes work with Bryan Adams and The Cure, and was the co-writer of the Natalie Imbruglia
hit "Torn". He has released this album under the moniker Astral Drive, and although you will hear bits of influences from other artists here, this is
overwhelmingly more like the great 70's Todd Rundgren album that was never actually a Todd Rundgren album. There's no mistaking it, it's not subtle
at all. It even features a contribution from Rundgren's longtime Utopia bandmate Kasim Sutton. The songs are dripping with the combination of pop hooks and studio creativity that is/was Todd's calling card. Simply put..if you are a Todd fan, you need this album.

On the link below, at the end of each song, the next one should automatically load from the playlist on the right hand side.






1. GOLDEN HOUR-KACEY MUSGRAVES

Two HUGE surprises here..the first one being that my favorite album of the year should be from the field of "country" music, given the fact that I'm not a big country music fan, especially not of the stuff that passes for country on mainstream country radio. But hold on a minute there, pardner. This is not
your typical country album. Sure, some of the songs would fit the category, but they're not overly twangy nor do they fit the cliched formula of most
modern country. They have more in common with the "Alternative Country" or Americana genre. And there is just as much easy pop influence here. While her voice reminds me of a cross between Dolly Parton and Allison Krauss, it should be pointed out that both of those artists have at times recorded music that is more pop than anything else. I find Musgraves' voice extremely pleasant and soothing, much like, say, a James Taylor. And she's equally capable of bringing a smile
to your face or a tear to your eye with her performances on this album. One of our BB's recommended this record to me on Facebook a few months back in much the same "now hear me out" kind of manner I'm presenting it here, and I wish I could remember who it was in order to give proper credit.

Oh, I did mention TWO surprises, didn't I?
Well here's the REALLY big shocker....my favorite album of the year ALSO won the Grammy for Album of the Year! It has been a VERY long time since the Grammys and I have agreed on ANYTHING, let alone favorite album of the year.






My favorite SONGS of 2018 can be found in a separate thread...