"Top 10 of 2005"

As is readily apparent to anyone who's ever spoken with me, read anything I've written, or just heard about me through various other people, I'm obsessed with music. I have music playing constantly, or I'm writing it, or I'm playing it on the guitar, or I'm singing random snatches of songs throughout my day, or I'm talking about it. Writing about it. I'm caught up in music. As such, the folks down at Best Buy know me a little too well, and the cashiers at Tower Records are on something approaching a first-name basis.

But all that is immaterial, because the fact of the matter is that I like my music and I found some pretty damn good albums this year. It's hard to pare it down to just ten from this year that I feel are the absolute best, but I've done what I could. So, in no particular order:

1. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Cold Roses: a double album from the prolific to a fault Adams that kicked off a year that saw three full albums from the man (the third, 29, comes out tomorrow). While Cold Roses suffers from an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to song selection, the songs on here that are good are really good and more than make up for the filler that you tend to find on one of his albums. Best tracks include "Magnolia Mountain," "Easy Plateau," and especially "Let it Ride."

2. Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Volume 7 - No Direction Home: the latest in The Bootleg Series concentrates on the first few years of Dylan's career, from his early days as an acoustic folkie to his stormy electric breakouts. This collection of outtakes, live tracks, and even a few unreleased cuts proves why Dylan is such a cultural force in American music. Standouts include alternate takes of "Mr. Tambourine Man," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again."

3. Gorillaz, Demon Days: less hip-hop-oriented than the cartoon band's previous outing, it's still damn fun music. Damon Albarn manages to blend different genres and sounds into a cohesive, toe-tapping whole that you can't help but enjoy...even if you have no idea what the hell they're singing about. Favorites include "Dirty Harry," "Feel Good Inc.," and "Dare."

4. Van Morrison, Magic Time: every year or so, Van the Man releases another album that reminds you that he's still the best at what he does: fusing Celtic swing, blue-eyed soul, and jazz into a fun, warm sound that's irresistable. Best songs include "Stranded," "Celtic New Year," and the title track.

5. My Morning Jacket, Z: with vocals that feel like they're coming from the other end of existence and a dense, melodic sonic collage that would make Brian Wilson proud, My Morning Jacket have crafted one of the best damn albums I've heard in a long time. It's pure Americana, blending pop, country, psychadelia, and whatever else Jim James and the boys felt like throwing into the mix into a near-perfect album. Songs to listen to are "Wordless Chorus," "Lay Low," and "Off the Record."

6. Glen Phillips, Winter Pays for Summer: a solid album of strummy, folky pop-rock from the former Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman. The sound is cleaner and smoother than his previous solo effort, abulum, but this just makes it feel like more of an extension of latter-day Toad. Coupled with the fact that it includes long-time fan favorites such as "Easier," "Thankful," and "Falling," and you've got an album worth checking out.

7. Paul McCartney, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard: any McCartney solo album must be approached with caution lest one succomb to the sugary sweetness of his ballads and the inordinate number of throwaway and filler tracks that seem to populate his records. That's why Chaos is such a fantastic record: Nigel Godrich stripped away all of McCartney's pretensions, all of his tendencies to toss off half-baked songs and call it an album. What's left is a reminder of why so many of our favorite songs have McCartney's name on them somewhere. Best cuts include "Fine Line," "Jenny Wren," and "Riding to Vanity Faire."

8. Son Volt, Okemah and the Melody of Riot: I'm not sure what a "Melody of Riot" is, but I know that Okemah is a small town in Oklahoma where Woody Guthrie was born. With that knowledge in mind, Jay Farrar (formerly of Uncle Tupelo) crafts a batch of alt-country songs that use his work with Uncle Tupelo and the work of Guthrie as a starting point. It's a solid, well-made album in an era when too many records are just bashed out for quick cash. It may not be groundbreaking, but it's definitely damn fine music. Best songs include "Afterglow 61," "Jet Pilot," and "World Waits for You."

9. Wilco, Kicking Television: yes, it's a live album, but it's a live album that reminds us of why Wilco is such a great band: the fact that they can really cut loose and rock hard when they want to. And make no mistake, the boys cut loose on this record, pounding mercilessly on some of the finest songs from their catalog. What makes this live album essential rather than redundant is that they tweak songs just enough to make them fresh and new without changing the core of what the song is all about. Highlights include "Shot in the Arm," "Hummingbird," "Jesus, Etc.," and a relentless "Kicking Television."

10. Wallflowers, Rebel, Sweetheart: another album where the point isn't to break new ground but to consolidate strengths. The Wallflowers craft some of the finest traditionalist roots-rock out there, carving their own niche out of the territory Jakob Dylan's father Bob, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and John Mellencamp first explored. Jakob's songwriting talents grow with each record, and this particular album benefits from the presence of producer/guitarist Brendan O'Brien. Standouts include "Here he Comes (Confessions of a Drunken Marionette)," "From the Bottom of my Heart," and "Nearly Beloved."

Honorable Mentions: there were more than just ten great albums this year; as I said, I had a tough time narrowing it down to just these ten. Some of the other standouts this year were Ben Folds's Songs for Silverman, Mike Doughty's Haughty Melodic, Coldplay's X&Y, the Foo Fighters' In Your Honor, Bruce Springsteen's Devils + Dust, Charlie Sexton's Cruel and Gentle Things, and Jackson Browne's Solo Acoustic, Volume 1.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: Ryan Adams, "Magnolia Mountain"