My Top Ten Albums of 2020

Time to do my top ten list of purchased records for 2020. Couldn't get out to any shows this year, so that left a lot of time to listen to music. Thank god for music!!!! And with no shows to go to, left a few extra dollars to buy records as well. It's always hard to make this list, but here we go. This is in no particular order.

* Mike Plume - Lonesome Stretch Of Highway Edmonton based roots rocker put out a great album this year. Nice to see Mike with some label support from Royalty Records. If only he could have got out and toured for this album. That time will eventually come. This album deserves a spin. One of my favourites of the whole year.

* Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - Reunions Another roots rocker. Jason keeps putting out stellar albums.

* Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo Holy shit this album rocks. It's been a while since something heavy actually keeps my attention. Old school thrash this is. Mike Pattons vocals are top notch on this one.

* Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Kingfish (2019) This album actually came out in 2019 but I didn't pick it up until early this year. And because I got it this year it is making my top ten for 2020. An amazing blues album all around. If you are a blues fan this is a must have!

* Real Sickies - Quarantines (digital only release) Edmonton punkers the Real Sickies released this album early in the pandemic (April 2020). An album that was wrote, recorded, mixed and released in seven days without the band leaving their homes. A very impressive release. Would love to see this get a vinyl release eventually. Click here to get the album.

* Neil Young - Homegrown An album that was recorded in 1975 but didn't see the light of day until this year. This album got a lot of spins this year.

* Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You On first spin of this record I thought it was ok, but a couple more listens and it's made my top ten of the year. Really like this album.

* Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass, Vol.1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions I love how Sturgill is all over the map when it comes to style of music he records. This time around it is a bluegrass album. All songs are written by Sturgill and some songs appear on his ealier albums, but now done bluegrass style. Just listening to this record you can feel the fun that he and his band members had in recording this. And I see he has aleady released Vol.2 on streaming services. Can't wait to get that one on vinyl too.

* Tom Petty - Wildflowers & All The Rest Nice to see this reissue finally get released. I got the three LP edition. Two LP's of the remastered original album, and the third disc has All The Rest, 10 songs from the Wildflowers session that were left off the album. This album sounds amazing, one of the best sounding recording ever in my opinion. There are a few other editions of this release, like the 9 LP set which has live recording and so much more. Maybe one day I'll get that one. Love this album.

* Bob Dylan - Rough And Rowdy Ways Now this would be my favourite of the whole year. Another master piece by Bob. The man is still at the top of his game. Who else could put these lyrics in a song "Black Rider Black Rider hold it right there,The size of your cock will get you nowhere,I’ll suffer in silence I’ll not make a sound,Maybe I’ll take the - high moral ground" from Black Rider. Then of course there is the epic song "Murder Most Foul" at almost 17 minutes long that closes out the album. My most played album of the year. So there it is, my top ten of 2020. There were lots of other albums that should or maybe could have been in my top ten, but these are the one's that make it this year. Runners up Motorhead - Ace Of Spades reissue, Steve Earle's album, lots came out by Drive-By Truckers, Pearl Jam, Blitzen Trapper, Pretenders and so on and so on. The one's I listed for top ten are the one's that got the most spins. Don't forget to get out and support your local record shop if possible. And of course support your local musicians and venues. here's hoping for a better 2021. Happy New Year to all!!!!

Bob Dylan Whiskey

While doing some Xmas shopping at a liquor store here in Edmonton I finally found the Heaven's Door Whiskey which is an American Tennessee whiskey co-created by Bob Dylan. I had been keeping my eyes open for this whiskey for a few years now. I was excited about finally finding it, but then I looked at the price of it. The liquor store I was at had two of the three different kinds in the series. They had the Double Barrel Whiskey and the Tennessee Bourbon. I hemmed and hawwed for about ten minutes while shopping in the store whether I should by a bottle or not. Being such a huge Dylan fan and because I have always wanted to try this, I thought fuck it, a guy needs to treat himself to a bottle once in a while. So I took the hit and bought myself a bottle of the Double Barrel Whiskey, an Xmas present to myself. So on Christmas Eve I poured myself a drink and put o the Dylan Christmas album and enjoyed a drink. It's damn good!!! To read more about this click this link here Heaven's Door.

My Favourite Shows of 2020

Time to do my top ten lists for the year of 2020. Going to start with my top ten shows of the year, and as we all know what a shit show of a year for live music. The year got off to a great start and was looking to be a stellar year for concerts. But then the pandemic hit in mid March and shut down everything for live music for the year. Ya there were a few outdoor curbside shows which was good. Musicians had to find a way to get out play their music but it just wasn't the same as being in a club, stadium, arena or an outdoor festival. By the first week of February I had been to six shows already and had a fist full of tickets for upcoming shows, this was going to be a great year but to no avail. I ended up only going to seven shows all year, so needless to say my top ten list is only going to be seven. And ya all seven shows were great. So here is my list in chronological order. All shows were in Edmonton.

* January 23rd - The Denim Daddies, The Nico Tobias Band and The Bobby Tenderloin Universe at the Buckingham. A great triple bill of local bands. Denim Daddies and Bobby Tenderloin were incredible and am looking forward to seeing these two bands again in the near future I hope.

* January 31st - Amy Helm and Leo Martinez Project at St. Basil's Cultural Centre. Amy Helm playing an acoustic show to a sold out crowd. Great show, opener Leo Martinez was a pleasant surprise too.

* February 1st - Tommy & The Commies, No Problem and the Real Sickies at 9910. A high energy triple bill of punk rock, the two opening bands No Problem and Real Sickies are local bands that kick serious ass, headlined by Tommy & The Commies out of Ontario. What an amazing show this was.

* February 6th - Dan Bern and Orit Shimoni at Station On Jasper. Dan Bern always puts on an entertaining show and this again was a good one.

* February 8th - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram at Blues On Whyte. Nice to see this venue starting to book some different acts instead of the usual circuit blues bands. This show with Kingfish was for sure my favourite show of the year. An absolute rocking blues show, Kingfish knows how to put on a show. An amazing guitar player, great stage presence, great back up band and a whole lot of fun. This show was the second of two sold out shows. I can't wait to see Kingfish in concert again. Then it was a long haul before I got to see another show, six months to the day to be exact. * August 8th - Mike Plume a curbside concert held in the neighbourhood I grew up in (Hazeldean). A friend of Mike's put this show on. After six months it sure felt good to see and hear some live music again, and especially from one of my favourite artists. It was a chilly August night but still so much fun. A decent crowd of neighbours sitting around on lawn chairs and the curb drinking beers and catching a great show by Mike Plume.

* Sept.19th - Mike Plume at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. An actual concert at an actual venue, though it was outside and socially distanced as to keep within the rules, it was still nice to be at a show where you are supporting a venue and an artist. This was Mike Plume's first real concert in support of his newest album "Lonesome Stretch Of Highway" that came out in May. Had so much fun at this show swilling beers and listening to great music. What a fucked up year this has been. This is the least amount of shows I have been to in a calendar year since 1986. What a shame, I really missed getting out and seeing live music, supporting local and touring bands and musicians, miss supporting live music venues, miss the comradarie of being in a club with friends and strangers all there for the same reason. Lets hope 2021 is better, though it seems it may be late in the year before anything gets anywhere near back to normal. In the meantime if you can support your local artists and venues, do so. We will need these places and bands when things are up and running again. Here is a list of shows that I had tickets for that either got cancelled or postponed. Black Keys, Roger Waters, Joel Plaskett, Chris Holmes (ex WASP guitarist), Misery Signals, James Taylor/Bonnie Raitt, The Darkness and the Blues Fest. So ya, it was shaping up to be a great year of live music. To say it was a disappointing year would be an understatement.

Black Friday Record Store Day Nov.27th 2020

Well it's been a month since the Black Friday Record Store Day, I guess it's about time to wrote about what I managed to get. I was impressed with the list for BFRSD, so I booked the day off from work and lined up at my local record shop Blackbyrd Myoozik here in Edmonton. I was surprised to see how few were lined up a half hour before opening. I was fourth in line, so I was pretty sure I was going to get what I was looking for, and I did well. Here is what I got.

* Drive-By Truckers - Plan 9 Records July 13th 2006. A triple live set from 2006 recorded at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, Virginia. I great set list, recorded well and I like how the album cover is an old school take on the classic bootleg album. A limited numbered release of 3800. Mine is number 2107.

* James McMurtry - Childish Things This is an artist I just recently got in to thanks to my friends Mike and Chris Plume. Originaly released in 2005, rereleased for the first time on vinyl this year. If you're a fan of singer/songwriter Amricana this is a good one. A limited release of 3000 on transparent blue.

* Lou Reed - Live At Alice Tully Hall - January 27, 1973 - 2nd Show This recording is from Lou Reed's live debut of being a solo artist. This was a must have for me. A limited release of 5000 on burgundy coloured vinyl.

* Lou Reed - Magic And Loss A re-issue of Lou's 1992 album. I have this on CD but had to have it on vinyl for my collection. Have always liked this album, so it was another must have. Limited pressing of 3300.

* Motorhead - Ace Of Spades 12 inch single. I wasn't necessarily going to pick this up, but being caught up in the moment of buying records, I bought it. And with Xmas around the corner, you have to have an album cover of Motorhead in Santa outfits. The single which is on red vinyl and a pressing of 2500 has three songs. Ace Of Spades of course, and a instrumental version of said song and the song Dirty Love which is a song from their rehearsals from the Ace Of Spades album. The single also came with a Xmas ornament which is just a cheap Warpig Santa Christmas ornament. Still cool nonetheless.

* Motorhead - On Parole (Expanded and Remastered) I've never owned a copy of this album that originally came out in 1979, so I was happy to get the reissue. On Parole was supposed to be their debut album as it was recorded in 1976-76, but never saw the light of day until 1979. It is the only Motorhead album to feature the band's original line-up of Lemmy on vocals and bass, Larry Wallis on guitar and vocals, and Lucas Fox on drums. A limited release of 3000 pressings.

* Uncle Tupelo - Live at Lounge Ax - March 24, 1994 A double live album recoded in Chicago originally broadcast live on WXRT. This album was a must have for me as well. Limited pressing of 2500.

* Willie Nelson - Live at Austin City Limits 1976 This album wasn't on my radar when I went to the record shop, but ended up picking it up. Willie and his band perform his classic album Red Headed Stranger front to back. An excellent recording released on audio for the first time. Limited pressing of 4000. And the last record from Black Friday Record Store Day is an album that no shops here in Edmonton got. I had my brother look for it for me in Vancouver. And lucky me, he found a copy for me. Thanks Citrus!!!

* Masters Of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus Masters Of Reality was a band I have always been a big fan of, so when I saw this was going to be released on vinyl for the first time, I had to have it. And like I say, no luck here but thanks to my Bro. I now own a copy. The hype sticker on it says debut album, but it actually there second album. Limited release of 1500 copies and pressed on clear vinyl. So I did very well on Black Friday Record Store Day. The only album that I didn't get and really wanted was the Beat Farmers - Live at Spring Valley Inn 1983 album. Oh well, I guess you can't everything, unless of course someone can help me out here. If so please get in touch with me.

Record Store Day Drop #3 2020

The third drop for Record Store Day of 2020 was on October 24th. I didn't see much that interested me for this drop other then the Blitzen Trapper album Unreleased Recordings Vol. 2: Too Kool. I didn't line up at my local record shop on this day, but when I did make my way to the shop, lucky for me they still had a copy of this. This title was limited to 1000 copies. There were a few other titles I wanted, like the Allman Brothers Band - First and Second set live albums, but no record shops in Edmonton got these, so I was shit out of luck on that one, bummer!!! Now to see what I can pick up on Black friday Record Store Day releases on November 27th. There are a handful of titles I want, so I'll be lining up for this one. Get out there and support your local record shop.

Record Store Day Drop #2 Pick Ups 2020

Well with another Record Store Day coming up on Saturday October 24th, which will be drop number 3 for 2020. I figured it was time to write about what I got on RSD drop #2. There wasn't a whole lot that I HAD to have on this drop other then the Roger Waters - The Wall Live In Berlin. The record store I frequent here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada sadly didn't get any copies. But lucky for me, i have a great buddy Nazz Nomad who went to a different record shop managed to find a copy for me, which really made my day. So without further a due, here is what I did pick up. * Roger Waters - The Wall Live In Berlin Nice to finally have this on vinyl. I remember watching this on Much Music back in 1990. An incredible line up of musicians playing The Wall in Berlin to commemorate the fall of the wall. Pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 8000 copies. This helps with my The Wall vinyl collection.

My The Wall vinyl collection.

* The Allman Brothers Band - Fillmore West 1-31-71 This was another record I was looking for and really didn't think I would get a copy considering I didn't get into the record shop until a half hour after it opened. But lucky for me I managed to get the last copy. And what a great live album this is. Not to be confused with the Live at the Fillmore East that came out many years ago. This is a live recording from the Fillmore West in San Francisco. First time on vinyl and limited to 6000 pressings. The sound is amazing and there is a wicked version of "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed". Very surprised this wasn't already put out. The album came with a glow in the dark insert which is numbered and looks awesome. Mine is number 2451/6000. Looks great in the dark!

* Wilcovered - Various Artists Being a big fan of Wilco I figured this would be an intersing listen, and it is. Originaly this came as a free CD with an issue of Uncut Magazine out of the UK, now pressed to vinyl for the first time. Limited to 2500 pressings. A lot of interesting artists all covering Wilco songs, artists such as Courtney Barnett, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Kacy & Clayton and a lot of other bands and artists I had never heard before. A pretty decent record.

* The Replacements - The Complete Inconcerated Live A triple album of a live recording from 1989 at the University of Wisconsin. Holy fuckin' shit is this ever good. Such a great live band when they wanted to be. Loving this album. Limited to 8500 copies.

* Corb Lund - Cover Your Tracks This album sees Corb Lund whom used to make Edmonton home covering a bunch of artists such as AC/DC "Ride On" which features Ian Tyson, a really cool version I have to say as well as covers of Dr. Hook "Cover Of The Rolling Stone", Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock N' Roll To Me", and Bob Dylan "I Shall Be Released" plus a few others. This was limited to 1000 copies.

A good haul of records considering I didn't think there was much that I wanted. Now for next Saturday's Record Store Day dop #3. get out and support your local record shop. Good times!!!

Mike Plume Live in Sherwood Park Sept.19th 2020

Last weekend Cuz, Janis, Erin and I went to see Mike Plume perform at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. This was an outdoor show as indoor shows still aren't happening, hell not much is happening period for concerts. But there has been shows here and there and this was one of them. This was the first show at Festival Place since mid March and who better to play then Mike Plume. It was nice to get out and support an actual venue and a local artist. It was an outdoor show with all Covid cautions taken. All the tables were for four seats only, seperated by at least 8-10 feet and you had to wear a mask anytime you left your table. Thankfully the weather was perfect for an outdoor show. As for Mike Plume's performance, fucking excellent as usual. I won't really review his show as it was damn good just like the previous 21 times I have seen him play. Maybe read one of my other reviews if you like. All and all this was a very fun night out. Good times!!! Mike Plume at Festival Place in Sherwood Park.

Also finally got to pick up Mike's new album "Lonesome Stretch Of Highway" on Royalty Records on vinyl at the show.

And a cool coffee mug.