Vote

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: Street Core.

Steve Hackett : To Watch The Storms

I received Let It Be...Naked by The Beatles as a gift. A very happy birthday it was!

Why, the Dark Side of the Moon SACD, of course!

The White Stripes on vinyl. A seven nation army couldn't hold it back!

The new Joe Strummer disc.

Want One by Rufus Wainwright.

Shelby Lynne: Identity Crisis

I have made it a point to not buy much music this year in order to not support the RIAA's reign of terror and the enrichment of their law sharks. (exception: HE2003 in San Francisco, where there was lots to select from amongst the various small labels.) All-in-all, I have not heard much from the big labels that remotely interests me. From what I have heard, recording quality has gotten worse. I will say that my most enjoyable purchases for this past year (and longer) have been from the SF show—especially a blues CD of George Faber. I am looking forward to next year's SF show with great anticipation!

Yanni: Ethnicity

Without a doubt, it's the Norah Jones' Come Away with Me. I can't remember the last time I was so totally taken by a female vocalist.

I've purchased more CDs this year than have the past three combined, but nothing from 2003. Better luck in 2004.

Vivaldi: La Stravaganza on Channel Classics.

Shine by Daniel Lanois

It's easily Bob Dylan's SACD box set release. Two-thirds of the discs were like new music to me. The ones I had took on a new clarity and immediacy I hadn't heard on previous releases. A true treat to experience these anew 30+ yrs later! Pink Floyd's DSotM and The Who's Tommy SACD releases take a solid, but far second and third place mention. Each has been superbly reinvigorated with a breath of new life that make these warhorses vital again.

The Johnny Cash black box, Unearthed, was a complete revelation to me. Having dismissed him as "country" I managed to miss his entire career. Perhaps the great American voice.

There's a tie. Warren Zevon's The Wind and Johnny Cash's Unearthed. R.I.P. I would have marked vinyl if I could have found it on that medium! 2003: The Year The Music Died.

Dave Holland Quintet's Extended Play. Great playing—especially from Mr. Bass himself, who is always swinging, and keeping music in motion. Kudos to Robin Eubanks and Chris Potter for some imaginative solos, especially Potter, who revises the history of those who had played the instrument and invested it with glory. All around, however, what stands up is an incredible amount of group play, something sorely missing in the jazz scene nowadays.

Gov't Mule's The Deepest End. Two CDs of great R'n'R and a DVD of some live footage. Runner up would have to go to Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around—on vinyl, of course.

CATALOGUE NR: CHAN10122 RECORD LABEL: Chandos FORMAT: 5CD Set RELEASE DATE: 17-Oct-2003 COMPOSER: Sir Arnold Bax TITLE: The Symphonies TRACKS: Symphony No.1 in E flat. Symphony No.2 in E minor/C. Symphony No.3. Symphony No.4. Symphony No.5 in C sharp minor. Symphony No.6. Rogue's Comedy Overture. Tintagel. Symphony No.7. Vernon Handley interviewed by Andrew McGregor. ORCHESTRA: BBC Philharmonic CONDUCTOR: Vernon Handley

The Movie soundtrack from 2 Fast, 2 Furious.

Elephant by the White Stripes. Followed closely by Eleni Mandell's Country for True Lovers—both of which are available on vinyl, by the way.

Iggy Pop's Skull Ring. Okay, the choice is driven by what I can't get off the system right now, but it's some real cool stuff from a great guy!

Dark Side of the Moon

In Session by Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan. This disc absolutely smokes. They are supposedly "deferring" to one other, but if the playing were any hotter, my speakers would probably catch on fire. I had to go with the SACD, since the 45 rpm LP won't play on my Linn.

It is a re-release of David and David's Boomtown on Classic 180G. I have loved this CD for years but the vinyl release was like getting a totally new recording from these artists. Also the re-release of Pink Floyds DSotM. In short, I guess there is no good "new" music out there ,is there?

The Wind, by Warren Zevon is beyond compare. I don't like CDs as a rule; however, the music on this disc makes one forget about the medium itself.

Neil Young's Greendale

Elephant by The White Stripes..

I hate picking favorites, but the Zehetmair Quartet's Schumann string quartets on ECM comes pretty close. Grammophone has a point.