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!!!!