2004 Music

I'm directly stealing this idea from Matthew's blog, but reading his top 5 list had me thinking about my top 5. I started to populate the list in my head, I have Green Day at #1, and then after that I have a blank. My traditional favourite bands haven't had a new album in 2004. I don't know if I can count the Nirvana box set or not, since Kurt Cobain has been resting in peace for over a decade now - the CD's are new, but the songs certainly are not. The Sum41 CD is catchy, I guess. Bad Religion has a new CD that sounds exactly the same as every other one they came out with - sounds really cool if you don't listen to how insanely stupid their lyrics are. Looking at the music I have accumulated on my computer this year (all by legal means, I swear it!), I notice a big trend.... as Tracy Byrd would say, "I'm from the country and I like it that way!" So here is a list of my favourite country albums of the year, but with Green Day taking the number 1 spot.

Green Day - American Idiot
Just an amazing CD from start to finish. You can tell it is a Green Day album still, but they really do go in a completely new direction than all their previous CD's. At first listen I thought it was ok, but the more I listen, the more I like it! This is creeping up the list to first place of my all time favourite CD's.
Favourite Song: The whole damn album - it can only be truly appreciated listening to it from start to finish.

Big and Rich – Horse of a Different Color (It annoys me to write colour without the u!)
Debut album which will hopefully be first of many. It does not have the feel of a traditional country album, with a lot of the songs being more of a cross with rock music. The opening song “Rollin' (The Ballad Of Big and Rich)” has some parts that would seem better suited for a Kid Rock album! This album was made famous for their hit “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”, which I even heard played at Philthy’s in Waterloo a couple months back (also wins award for best T&A in a country video). A less recognized part of their album is the opening rift from “Love Train” is used as the theme song for the new TV show “Blue Collar TV”. I can’t get enough of this CD!
Favourite Song: Kick My Ass

Paul Brandt – This Time Around
Put in for CRTC Canadian content laws. I respect this fine institution because without them, I would be losing my Canadian identity as the Liberal Party defines it (had to put politics in here somewhere!). This really is a great CD from a singer that should be bigger south of the border!
Favourite Song: Alberta Bound (Obviously!)

Alan Jackson - What I Do
Nice mellow CD that is great for relaxing or in the background for doing homework. Jackson seems to put out only great CD’s, as his first single says, “Too much of a good thing, is a good thing”.
Favourite Song: If Love Was a River

Kenny Chesney – When the Sun Goes Down
Title track of this CD is a duet with Uncle Cracker. I think this is his best CD yet without a bad song on it! I love the 3 live bonus song at the end of the album, especially “Please Come to Boston”.
Favourite Song: Being Drunk’s a Lot Like Loving You

Julie Roberts – Julie Roberts
If you can resist these pictures, you are a stronger man than I! This album does not sound very country’ish, and she has a great voice, I encourage all of you to at least try to listen to it!
Favourite Song: Break Down Here



Toby Keith – Greatest Hits 2
I wouldn’t usually put a greatest hits album in a list like this, but I needed to include the best country singer going in this list! There are 3 new songs on this album, including a duet with his daughter to the classic song “Mockingbird”. I’d love to marry her (when she becomes legal age) for no other reason than to get to sit down and have a beer with Toby Keith on a regular occasion!

[Aside]: All conservatives reading this will appreciate this anecdote if they haven’t heard it before. The Dixie Chicks made that statement about Bush in 2003 and got a ton of backlash. This should be expected since the highest concentration of country fans are in the red states. They were upset that Americans didn’t respect Natalie’s free speech… news flash, free speech goes two ways, and they have as much right to boycott your music as you do to make idiotic comments. So Toby Keith, being the patriotic American, took offense and took some shots at Natalie Maines. So the Country Music Awards rolled along, The Dixie Chicks got booed as expected, but the big news was Natalie’s shirt with the letters “FUTK” – she claims this stands for "Freedom, Understanding, Tolerance, Knowledge". She actually thought people were stupid enough to believe this. I will let you guess what FUTK could possibly stand for (hint for you slow readers: TK = Toby Keith). [/Aside]

The CD also contains the controversial song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”, a song dedicated to his late father. One of the best live songs ever recorded “Should've Been a Cowboy” is also included.
Favourite Song: Go With Her

Jimmy Buffett – License to Chill
Littered with duets from some of the biggest names in country music. This album has a few great songs, but the biggest is a cover of Hank Williams’ classic “Hey Good Lookin’” that features Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and George Strait!
Favourite Song: Hey Good Lookin’