Music Roundup: My Top Reissues of 2010

2010 and the latter-part of 2009 have been banner years for reissues. The canonical recordings of Bob Dylan and the Beatles were re-released in mono (yes, mono), the Rolling Stones' 1972 masterpiece Exile on Main St. was released in two variations of deluxe-ness, and the bonanza continued with a high-profile exhumation of the Apple vaults. What follows is a brief list of the reissues that stand out - for me - as definite musical highlights of the past year.

Music Roundup: My Top 10 Albums of 2010

Interestingly, almost none of the artists from my 2009 Music Roundup appear on this year's list. In fact, few of them released albums this year at all. MF Doom's out-of-nowhere live album is a notable exception, but it's Dan Auerbach who makes the list for the second consecutive year. Auerbach's 2009 solo album, Keep it Hid, was a definite favorite of mine, and this year he's back with an outstanding Black Keys album. As is always the case with my subjective "best of" lists, these titles are not ranked. This is just an opportunity for me to share some of my favorite musical experiences, in the hope that you might enjoy them as much as I have.

Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 program that invites guests to list the eight pieces of music they'd take with them to the proverbial uninhabited island. One of the longest-running radio shows in history, Desert Island Discs has been on the air since 1942. The guests - or "castaways" - are a diverse group: from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, to EGOT Whoopi Goldberg, to singer Morrissey. The concept itself is hardly specific to the radio-show. You've likely had similar discussions with friends. Something along the lines of, "If you were stuck on a desert island, and you could only listen to one song," etc. Setting aside the practical concerns of how you'd be listening to this music (Is there an MP3 player and power outlet on this island?) and how you'd be feeding and sheltering yourself for the duration, it's a fun exercise. It raises the question of how many times you can bear to listen to your favorite songs, as well the relevance and durability of the selections themselves. Here are eight pieces of music that I think I'd be pretty fortunate to have along, should I be foolish enough to hitch a ride on Oceanic Airlines.

John Coltrane: "My Favorite Things"
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Rev. Gary Davis: "Candy Man"
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Red House Painters: "Instrumental [demo]"
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Otis Redding: "A Change is Gonna Come"
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Nina Simone: "I Loves You, Porgy"
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Patti Smith: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo/Gloria"
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Trio Wanderer: "Piano Trio No. 2" composed by Franz Schubert
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Tom Waits: "Anywhere I Lay My Head"
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I should add that this isn't exactly a list of my favorite songs of all time, though some of these songs would surely be included on such a list. Rather, this is a track-list tailored to my indefinite residence on the desert island.

What we're listening to...

Right Place, Wrong Time - Otis Rush

Chicago blues-man Otis Rush has influenced everyone from John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers to Led Zeppelin, but he's always been true to the blues. The south-paw guitarist's first hit came in 1956 with "I Can't Quit You Baby," the first of a string of legendary singles for the fledgling Cobra Records. His masterpiece Right Place, Wrong Time was originally recorded in 1971, but was inexplicably shelved for five years due to hesitance on the part of Capitol Records, his new label. Eventually released by the small label Bullfrog Records, Right Place, Wrong Time has survived to become a central part of Otis Rush's blues legacy. Give this record a listen, and the last thing on your mind will be its tumultuous history. You'll be caught up in a swaggering masterpiece of Chicago blues.

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