I Want My Music Television vol. XVI

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Girls In Their Summer Clothes (Winter Mix) - Bruce Springsteen

Don’t ask me why Bruce Springsteen would release a song about summer in the dead of winter, but it is a great song. I think this version of the song is technically called the Winter Mix, but don’t ask me the difference between it and the original. But the video is beautifully shot and if MTV bothered to nominate actual best videos instead of the best from artists who appeal to fourteen year old girls like they have in recent years, this would be a lock for a moonman. All-American Girl - Carrie Underwood Speaking of girls in their summer clothes, Carrie Underwood wears plenty in her new video and I am definitely happier for it. Yeah the song is lame in a cheesy country music kind of way but I’m not sure which Carrie I like the most, the cheerleader, the doctor, the cop, the teacher, or the chemist. Although I wonder if she is subliminally endorsing a candidate in the video. On one hand there is the female president, which could be she is backing Hilary. But the dude grooms and the bride may be a subtle hint she is pro-Mitt Romney. Amen - Kid Rock Another person whom I really do not want a political statement from, but it is still hard to not agree with many of points Kid Rock makes in the song, well not that I have ever felt guilty for being white. The song is easily the best of his career. I Feel It All - Feist 1, 2, 3, 4 was such an infectiously silly video you can’t hate on Apple for co-opting it for there iPod campaign. Even though the latest from Feist isn’t as colorful, it is still odd and hard to take your eyes off of.

100 Best Songs of 2007

This being the Most Mediocre Year Ever, there is no band that sums that up better than Paramore. The bad got a big push from MTV and their record label thanks to being one of the first bands to sign a 360 degree deal. Yet with all the marketing muscle behind their three singles this year, the band wasn’t good enough to show up on this list nor were bad enough to land of the Worst Songs of 2007 list. So congratulations Paramore, with all the mediocre music put out by bland artists such as OneRepublic, Lifehouse, and Sean Kingston, you managed to be the most mediocre of them all. Although the problem with the most mediocre of them all, even though this is the Most Mediocre Year Ever, you will most likely be forgotten by 2009. Sorry.

Onto the songs that did make the list, the reason this is the Most Mediocre Year Ever is the great songs were really thin at the top this year. Most of these songs wouldn’t have cracked the top ten in other years. With that said, even though there was a lacking of great songs, there was an overabundance of good songs this year to the point that there were ten to twenty songs this year that deserved to make the top one hundred when most years ninety through one hundred are an afterthought most years. But here are the ones that made the cut for this, the last post of 2007. Hopefully I will see you all back here in 2008.


1. Drivin' Me Wild - Common featuring Lily Allen

2. Dreaming With a Broken Heart - John Mayer

3. Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West

4. Rehab - Amy Winehouse

5. Two - Ryan Adams

6. Stronger - Kanye West

7. Tennessee - The Wreckers

8. Oh My God - Mark Ronson featuring Lily Allen

9. Read My Mind - The Killers

10. No One - Alicia Keys

11. Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen

12. Alfie - Lily Allen

13. Our Song - Taylor Swift

14. The Underdog - Spoon

15. The Game - Common

16. Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys

17. Look After You - The Fray

18. LDN - Lily Allen

19. Love Song - Sara Bareilles

20. Dumb It Down - Lupe Fiasco featuring GemStones & Graham Burris

21. Everybody Knows - Ryan Adams

22. Rockstar - Nickelback

23. Trouble Sleeping - Corinne Bailey Rae

24. Like You'll Never See Me Again - Alicia Keys

25. 1234 - Feist

26. Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

27. Extraordinary - Mandy Moore

28. Sober - Kelly Clarkson

29. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse

30. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John featuring Victoria Bergsman

31. Bleed It Out - Linkin Park

32. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

33. Say - John Mayer

34. Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna

35. Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol

36. Believe - The Bravery

37. Ah Mary - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

38. Smiley Faces - Gnarls Barkley

39. Umbrella - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

40. Big Casino - Jimmy Eat World

41. Tranquilize - The Killers featuring Lou Reed

42. Halloweenhead - Ryan Adams

43. Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids

44. Can You Believe - Robin Thicke

45. Hate That I Love You - Rihanna and NeYo

46. If You're Gonna Leave - Emerson Hart

47. Harder Than You Think - Public Enemy

48. Roc Boys - Jay-Z

49. Other Side of the World - KT Tunstall

50. Tears Dry On Their Own - Amy Winehouse

51. All Good Things (Come to an End) - Nelly Furtado

52. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5

53. Throw Some D’s (Remix) - Kanye West

54. Listen!!! - Talib Kweli

55. 100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

56. The Pretender - Foo Fighters

57. Conquest - The White Stripes

58. What Goes Around.../...Comes Around Interlude - Justin Timberlake

59. Won't Go Home Without You - Maroon 5

60. Window In the Skies - U2

61. What I've Done - Linkin Park

62. Ever Ever After - Carrie Underwood

63. Nolita Fairytale - Vanessa Carlton

64. The People - Common

65. Never Again - Kelly Clarkson

66. Littlest Things - Lily Allen

67. Wasted - Carrie Underwood

68. Wake Up Call - Maroon 5

69. Icky Thump - The White Stripes

70. Her Eyes - Pat Monahan

71. Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney

72. Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been) - KRS-One, Kanye West, Nas & Rakim

73. Hot In Herre - Jenny Owen Youngs

74. Ain't Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph and the Family Band

75. New Shoes - Paolo Nutini

76. Stop Me - Mark Ronson featuring Daniel Merriweather

77. Tarantula - Smashing Pumpkins

78. Shut Your Eyes - Snow Patrol

79. The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

80. Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift

81. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T’s

82. B.U.D.D.Y. - Musiq Soulchild

83. Australia - The Shins

84. You're All I Have - Snow Patrol

85. Guitar - Prince

86. Gravity - John Mayer

87. Good Life - Kanye West featuring T-Pain

88. Say Ok - Vanessa Hudgens

89. Gotta Work - Amerie

90. Follow the Lights - Ryan Adams

91. You Give Me Something - James Morrison

92. Valerie - Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse

93. Saving My Face - KT Tunstall

94. So Small - Carrie Underwood

95. Do It - Nelly Furtado

96. Candyman - Christina Aguilera

97. Thinking About You - Norah Jones

98. Undeniable - Mat Kearney

99. Tick Tick Boom - The Hives

100. This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

To listen to snipits of most of the songs above or to buy them DRM-free, check out the widget below:

30 Best Albums of 2007

In a story I broke last week, 2007 is the most mediocre year ever. Case in point, last year’s Best Albums of the Year list had fifty albums on it, this year it was hard to scrape thirty this year. Yeah there were a couple albums that could have gotten on this list but I never got around to listening to the whole thing and thus never reviewed (Linkin Park, Jay-Z), but for the most part I got hold of most everything I wanted to review, it was just not that much music this year and of those that I did review there really wasn’t anything great.

Two albums you definitely won’t be seeing on this list are Konvicted by Akon and T.I. vs. T.I.P. even though I got both for Christmas. Should I be offended that someone thought about me, “Now there is someone who would like listening to Akon”? But anyways. If you are interested in reading my original review of these albums, check out the link below the album and if you are interested in buying them on iTunes, click on the album link. If you want to buy the physical CD, head over to Scooter McGavin’s Amazon Store where you can order them there:


1. As I Am - Alicia Keys
It’s My Time, Said it’s My Time to Shine

2. Magic - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
I Just Want to Feel Some Rhythm

3. Alright, Still - Lily Allen
Sun Is in the Sky, oh Why, oh Why Would I Wanna Be Anywhere Else

4. Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams
I’m Open All Night and the Customers Come to Stay

5. Graduation - Kanye West
They Say I Talk with So Much Emphasis

6. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
I Told Ya I Was Trouble

7. Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys
Remember When He Used to be a Rascal

8. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
I Wanna Forget How Convention Fits

9. Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
But I Sphinx Like Leon

10. Little Voice - Sara Bareilles
There’ll Be Girls Across the Country that’ll Eat this Up

11. Chase This Light - Jimmy Eat World
Because Tonight the World Turned in Me

12. Luvanmusiq - Musiq Soulchild
I Ain’t No Hood, No Crook, No Robber

13. Finding Forever - Common
Can’t Leave Rap Alone the Streets Need Me

14. Wild Hope - Mandy Moore
I Was a Starling, Nobody’s Darling

15. Echo, Silence, Patience and Grace - Foo Fighters
I’m Finished Making Sense, Done Pleading Ignorance

16. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
The Hills Are Pretty and Rollin’

17. 100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
He May Be Mellow, He May Be Kind

18. Coco - Colbie Caillat
You Make Me Smile Please Stay for a While

19. This Is Ryan Shaw - Ryan Shaw
If I Got You We Have More than Money

20. Lifeline - Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Dance with Me to the Colors of the Dusk

21. The Reminder - Feist
Musings From the Back 9: Music Edition V

22. Freedom’s Road - John Mellencamp
I Like My Heroes to Be Honest and Strong

23. It Won’t Be Soon Before Long - Maroon 5
We Must Free Up These Tired Souls

24. Eardrum - Talib Kweli
It Ain’t Old School, New School, it’s True School Rap

25. Carnival Ride - Carrie Underwood
Here’s to You Hairbrush Singers and Dashboard Drummers

26. Not Too Late - Norah Jones
Love in the Time of War Is not Fair

27. Dramatic Fantastic - KT Tunstall
The World Will Turn if You’re Ready or Not

28. The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant - Wyclef Jean
Break Is Over Man, I’m Back with My Ink Pen

29. Combinations - Eisley
Listen to Me, You Pull Me Apart

30. Planet Earth - Prince
I Know U Hear Me Like a Whisper in Ur Ear

The 9th Green’s Readers Favorite Songs of 2007

Before I get to your favorite songs of the year I first want to mention that just before Christmas I had ordered a gift for someone through Amazon and among the usual spam advertising slips that they stuff into their boxes there was an envelope where you can place old cell phones to send to the troops. So if you got a new cell phone for Christmas or are just like me and is a pack rat who keeps everything for no reason and had three just lying around collecting dust, please check out this website: Cell Phones for Soldiers to see where you can send any of your unused cell phones. They say the phone can be in any condition and don’t even need to still have a battery.

Last year was the first time I ever let you my readers influences the 9th Green (aside from the occasional pandering for comments) and this year I got four times more responses than last. Thanks to each and everyone who took time to compile your favorite songs of the year to make this list possible. With the more responses I think this ended up being a better list for the most part than last year. This year Rihanna was as close to consensus as it got this year being the only artist appearing on more than half of the lists I received. Keep in mind this list is solely your opinions and I in no way influenced it as I will be unveiling my favorite 100 songs of the year coming this Sunday. But here are your favorites:


1. Umbrella - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

2. Stronger - Kanye West

3. Rehab - Amy Winehouse

4. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John

5. The Way I Are - Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.

6. Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen

7. 1234 - Feist

8. What Goes Around.../...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake

9. Again & Again - The Bird and the Bee

10. U + Ur Hand - P!nk

11. Love Song - Sarah Bareilles

12. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... - Jay-Z

13. Bonafied Lovin - Chromeo

14. It's Not Over - Daughtry

15. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

16. Lost - Michael Bublé

17. Must Be the Moon - !!!

18. Icky Thump - The White Stripes

19. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5

20. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

21. The Ain't a Scene, it's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

22. Where I Stood - Missy Higgins

23. Stranger - Hilary Duff

24. Apologize - OneRepublic and Timbaland

25. The Man - Pete Yorn

I Just Want to Feel Some Rhythm

After releasing two widely forgotten albums on the same day, yet not as a double album, Bruce Springsteen disbanded the E Street Band and released only the sober Ghost of Tom Joad over the next decade. Then September 11th happened and America needed their leading voice and The Boss was happy to oblige getting the E Street Band back together for the uplifting The Rising and subsequence tour with concerts reaching the three hour mark. Bruce went back to the folk rock of Joad on Devils and Dust, and then went full on old time folk when rounding of a new band for The Seeger Sessions.

Luckily for those of us that love when Bruce goes full on rock and roll with the E Street Band, we didn’t have to wait another decade for the next rock opus, just half a decade this time. Foe the album Magic, Brendan O’Brien (fun fact: before producing for the likes of Pearl Jam, O’Brien was a member of The Georgia Satellites) is back as producer as he was on The Rising, again giving the songs a blend of classic rock that still sounds up to date.

Magic starts off with Radio Nowhere, granted not as great as Born to Run of Born in the U.S.A., but what could be, is still up there with the groups best in the terms of bombast rock where The Boss takes aim at the state of radio today, “I want a thousand guitars, I want pounding drums.” You may not find them on your radio dial these days, but Bruce and the boys happy to bring them to you on the song and throughout the album.

The rest of the album doesn’t rock as hard as the opener, but there is plenty to listen to. Livin’ in the Future, a song that could have easily fit on the Born in the U.S.A. album, should become a concert staple on the proceeding tour complete with a great sing-a-long ending. Girls in their Summer Clothes will be the song that will get people dancing in the aisles. Then at the end of the album, Devil’s Arcade is a slow building gem that is a great way to cap the album (well before you get to the bonus track which sounds like something left over from The Seeger Sessions).

Where Bruce decidedly didn’t take sides when assessing the damage of 9/11 on The Rising, there are shades of political overtones directed at the subsequent policy that came from that day and towards those who came up with it on the new album. You can’t help but wonder if the line, “Woke up election day, sky’s gunpowder and shades of grey” (Livin’ in the Future) is directed at our election back in 2004 or any Iraqi one since the war began. And you don’t have to read between the lines to figure out what the line, “Who'll be the last to die for a mistake?” (Last to Die) is about.

But for the most part Springsteen sticks to the tried and true lyrical content of love (I’ll Work for Your Love) and loss (the bonus track Terry’s Song, about the Bruce’s long time assistant). And anyways, it is the sound of the music that really counts, and the E Street Band was firing on all cylinders for the album, especially Clarence Clemmons sax solo which sound to be getting better with age. Hopefully it isn’t another five years until the next time Bruce rounds up the boys for another album.

Song to Download - Livin’ in the Future

Magic gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television vol. III

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Eh Hee - Dave Matthews



Yesterday I mentioned you could download this video for free on iTunes but I didn’t actually watch it because I was too loopy on drugs to do so (currently I’m just down to Day and NyQuil, or as I like to call it: my Elvis regiment). Wow was this creepy, in a bad way. It is like U2’s Numb but without the unintentional comedy. The video was directed by Dave Matthews himself, who also played all the instruments too. Let’s hope he keeps the rest of his band around so he doesn’t do something like this again.


Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band




Your token Bruce Springsteen video, the song rocks but the video is pretty standard. Can’t they call Courtney Cox to make another cameo? Hopefully you picked up this song on iTunes last week when it was free, if not you can still pre-order the album.


Into the Night - Santana with Chad Kroeger



This is a new track from Santana’s upcoming greatest hits package. The dude from Nickelback had already show up on one of Santana’s previous all-star albums (a song much better than this one) but for some reason the song was released to the radio with the dude from The Calling singing. And like most new songs added to a greatest hits album, the song doesn’t live up to the being part of the greatest hits. And if any of you out their actually know the dude from Nickelback, please tell him never to straighten his hair ever again. He’s scaring the children.


In a story I broke this weekend, starting yesterday you could rent through Blockbuster a DVD that featured the first episodes of NBC’s Chuck, Journeyman, and Life. For those without a Blockbuster card, starting September 10 (next Monday) you can download all three of those shows, as well as Bionic Woman, from Amazon Unbox for free. And for you pretentious types that have Tivo’s, you can transfer any Unbox download to your Tivo so you can watch it on your televisions. In other television news, The CW sent me more exclusive videos of Reaper except I have been too lazy to watch them. But they also mentioned that they started up an Official Reaper YouTube Channel although I’m not sure if the “exclusive” videos they send me are the same anyone can regularly get in the YouTube channel. And they even started up special toll free number (1-877-IN 4 HELL) to call for further information about the show from Lucifer himself. Or at least the dude who plays the devil on the show.

2007 Fall Music Preview part 1

To get you to read this whole post, somewhere I tell how to get a free song from a major artist with an album coming out.

September starts up this weekend which means record companies are stacking their release schedule in hopes for your Christmas dollars. Well the first Tuesday is pretty bleak with nothing but a reissue of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn headlining the week, but after that it is nothing but big names until Thanksgiving. Much like every Fall Music Preview past I have to give my obligatory the three quarters of the year sucked massively with only a few bright spots, most notably from English chicks with problems (i.e. Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse). But the few bright spots were overshadowed by some monumental disappointment (i.e. Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Smashing Pumpkins, Trapped in the Closet, rap music in general).

Here is a look at some artists who hope to turn the record company’s success around, many of which will have their albums reviewed here. If you are interrested in preordering the albums from Amazon, the link on the album name will take you their, the links on artists names will take you to their iTunes page. If I left one of your favorite artists off the list with an upcoming album feel free to drop me a comment or feel free to wax poetic in the comment section on which albums you are looking forward to. (Note: release dates subject to change)


September 11

Graduation - Kanye West: As mentioned earlier, rap music in general hasn’t been very good this year, but if there is someone who can change that it will be the guy who released the two best rap albums this decade. Although I am a little worried about the T-Pain and Lil’ Wayne cameos. See the side bar to preorder Graduation on iTunes.

Curtis - 50 Cent: Nothing says I completely sold out more that a Justin Timberlake appearance. 50 said he would retire if Kanye out sold him which should be enough reason to pick up Graduation this week. Preorder Curtis on iTunes.


September 18

Drastic Fantastic - KT Tunstall: Tunstall is one o four artists that can boast they receive a Severe rating on my Terror Alert so my expectations are high for her sophomore outing. Granted after hearing the first single my expectations dropped just a little. Preorder Drastic Fantastic on iTunes.

Last of Seven - Pat Monahan: The dude from Train with a solo album? Well the dude from Matchbox Twenty had a few hit so I guess why not.

Playlist - Babyface: Remember when Babyface was the biggest R&B songwriter. I won’t a correlation that the genre has pretty much sucked since he went out of demand. Now ‘Face is trying out other’s material with a cover album including the James Taylor classic Fire and Rain.


September 25

Echo, Silence, Patience and Grace - Foo Fighters: I can’t say I have bought a Foo Fighters album since the first one, but that is not to say they don’t have plenty of songs I love. And the first single, The Pretender definitely rocks hard. Preorder Echo, Silence, Patience and Grace on iTunes.

Songs About Girls - Will.i.am: I was a big Black Eyed Peas guy back in the day. Then the Fergie era was ushered in and they have sucked ever since. So this should be interesting to see if Fergie is like good music kryptonite and take her out of the equation and Will be entertaining again or has she tainted him forever.


October 2

Magic - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Remember at the top of the post you could get a free song from a major artist, well that is from none other than Bruce and company. Click on Radio Nowhere and download the first single off the album for free on iTunes. Yeah this is cool but it is a safe assumption I am going to buy the whole album anyway, but will be able to jam to the song for a month before the album comes out but you can always pre-order the album while you are picking up the single now. Get song now because it stops being free at the end of this week

As an added bonus, you can also get the new Paul McCartney single, Nod Your Head as well as the video (which is prett cheesy) for the song for free too.

Revival - John Fogerty: October 2nd is like September 11th for old white dudes with the Boss taking on the Creedence Clearwater Revival front man. Well accept it is obvious who will take the top spot this week.

Live Earth: Interesting that the track listing hasn’t been released yet so I bet there are some licensing issues which may leave some great performances off the disk (are the Rolling Stones trying to get too much money for the Gimme Shelter performance?). The only confirmed song is John Mayer’s Waiting on the World to Change. Preorder Live Earth on iTunes.


October 9

Rock and Roll Jesus - Kid Rock: My sources tell me this album, his first in four years, six since anyone cared, will be more rock than rap. The first single, So Hot is pretty forgettable. Maybe he should hook back up with Sheryl Crow and target the soccer mom again.

Heroes and Thieves - Vanessa Carlton: I’m a little torn on her comeback. On one hand I love her first album (indifferent to the second) but they she went and signed with The Inc (formerly Murder Inc) and Irv Gotti is helping produce the album.

The Black and White Album - The Hives: The group may have recorded one of the best one hit wonders of the decade but it looks like this is their attempt to wipe that title from their résumé.


Click the link to see part 2 of my 2007 Fall Music Preview. And again if I missed anything let me know or just comment on what you are looking forward to.

You Can't Start a Fire Without a Spark

With the Fourth of July in just three days, if you live inside the United States, you will undoubtedly be hearing Born in the U.S.A. a couple times from now until then maybe even scored to exploding firecrackers. Yeah, for anyone who has actually studied the lyrics knows that the song isn’t as patriotic as people like Ronald Reagan would believe. But whatever the shard your state is, it is hard not to have your blood start pumping as the bombast of the song starts up. That, in part, is why the Bruce Springsteen album is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

The title track is in no way the main reason why the album is getting inducted as the was able to spawn seven top ten singles, a record that is shard only with people that have the last name Jackson (Michael’s Thriller and Janet’s Rhythm Nation 1814) and could have conceivable had more if any other singles were released because there are no skipable tracks here. Hey, Working on the Highway could have conceivable extended the Stray Cats rockabilly phase a couple more years if it were released.. My personable favorite being I’m on Fire, a short dark driving song that features Springsteen mumbling sweet nothings. The song also has the dubious honor of having one of the greatest cheesy accompanying video of all time with Bruce playing a mechanic who in the end decides to walk home after delivering a car instead of getting an invite inside.

The album also features one of the greatest drunken karaoke songs to be performed by a group of guys of all time, Glory Days. Not to mention if you were to play this song in the presence of any dude born in the seventies, I guarantee he will stop whatever he is doing to start singing along. The only other song I have witness that can cause such an effect is NWA’s Automobile. Then once the song ends, he will probably start discussing with the closest other dude who was also singing along which verse he most relates to and why. Personally I once saw a baseball player from high school, yes he could throw that speedball by ya, at a bar recently.

We also have Dancing in the Dark to thank for giving us Courtney Cox. And even though it wasn’t as cheesy as I’m on Fire, Bruce dancing in that video was pretty cheesy too. And yes I tend to break it out whenever I here that song. Then on the other part of the spectrum you had the album closer My Hometown and even though it took until my teenage years to understand the true meaning of Born in the U.S.A., it was hard not to read into the racial themes in the song even as a kid.

So on this Fourth, maybe throw on this album at your cookout and reminisce about the Glory Days over some burger. And if you get drunk enough, you may be able to find someone to do the Dancing in the Dark swing with.

50 Best Albums of 2006

This year I was able to give a listen and review almost all the albums thanks to the record companies doing something right for the first time in years by letting fans listen to albums even before they are released. So here are the best albums I heard this year. And where most other music blogs unroll their best albums of the list full with artist you have never heard of, here is my list of pretentious free albums (okay the list is actually only 82% pretentious free, just had to put the Artic Monkeys on my list). Click on the album to buy the album in iTunes. If you like feeling the CD in your hands check out this list at My Amazon Store (including last year's list). Also if you want to read my orginal review, click the link below the album's name. Agree with my list? Disagree? Feel free to list your favorite albums of the in the comment section:


1. Continuum - John Mayer
It's Not a Silly Little Moment, it's Not the Storm Before the Calm

2. Eye to the Telescope - KT Tunstall
Her Face Is the Map of the World

3. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - Bruce Springsteen
Oh Mary Don't You Weep

4. Eyes Open - Snow Patrol
The Final Word in the Final Sentence

5. Taking the Long Way - Dixie Chicks
It's Been Two Long Years Now Since the Top of the World Came Crashing Down

6. Stand Still, Look Pretty - The Wreckers
The Radio's Playing Old Country Songs

7. American V: The Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash
He Said "John Go Do My Will"

8. The Believer - Rhett Miller
Sex in Wartime Is Sweeter Than Peace

9. Modern Times - Bob Dylan
Sing a Little Bit of These Workingman Blues

10. Blue Collar - Rhymefest
Who Rapper You Know Before His Album Drop Is a Grammy Winner

11. 9 - Damien Rice
She May Rise if I Lay You Down

12. Once Again - John Legend
Tonight I Wanna Groove and Let the Music Make You Move

13. Nothing Left to Lose - Mat Kearney
All I Had Was Just a Vision, All I Had Was My Ambition

8. Whatever They Say I Am I'm Not - Artic Monkeys
(Never Goot Around to Reviewing, Sorry)

15. Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
If You Asking Why IS Hip Hop Dead There's a Pretty Good Chance You're the Reason it Died

16. Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae
Girl Go Ahead Let Your Hair Down

17. Broken Boy Soldier - The Raconteurs
You've Found a Friend That Knows You Well

18. The Road to Escondido - J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton
If You Can't Hear the Music, Turn it up Loud

19. Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
California Show Your Teeth

20. Game Theory - The Roots
I'll Make it Hotter Than Shaft in Africa

21. Bleeding Heart Graffiti - Nina Gordon
I Will Sing This Song and All My Friends Will Sing Along

22. The Greatest - Cat Power
No Wind or Waterfall Could Stop Me

23. Ten - Brian McKnight
When Was the Last Time You Were Truely Satisfied

24. Living with War - Neil Young
Let's Impeach the President for Lying

25. Like Blood for Honey - Holly Brook
Though I'm Young and Cynical it's Not My Only Crime

26. Love Their Country - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Yippee-I-Yay Yippee-I-Yo

27. Who I Am - Alice Peacock
Trust the Power in My Voice

28. Acoustic Extravaganza - KT Tunstall
I Don't Have to Raise My Voice

29. High & Mighty - Gov't Mule
Musings From the Back 9: Music Edition II

30. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
If I Keep Holding Out Will the Light Shine Through

31. Food & Liqour - Lupe Fiasco
Come in Hip-Hop We've Come to Resurrect You

32. Both Sides of the Gun - Ben Harper
The Only Songs to Sing Are Those Sung Again

33. Highway Companion - Tom Petty
If You Don't Run You Rust

34. Nightcrawler - Pete Yorn
Walk Me Out in the Morning Sun

35. Revelations - Audioslave
The Orginal Fire Has Died and Gone but the Riot Inside Moves On

36. Bird on a Wire - Toby Lightman
You're a Flower Blooming in the Desert Sunshine

37. Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George - Jack Johnson and Friends
There's No Stopping Curiosity

38. Year of the Dog… Again - DMX
We Gon' Get it, Get it Started Again

39. Move by Yourself - Donavon Frankenreiter
Don't Stop Doing What You Believe In

40. Coming Home - Lionel Richie
You Feel it, I Feel it, Let's Not Pretend

41. On the Outside - Starsailor
I Hear Them Screaming on the Radio

42. Feedback - Jurassic 5
We Would Say Our Rhymes to the Beat Right

43. Till the Sun Turns Black - Ray LaMontagne
Musings From the Back 9: Music Edition II

44. When Your Heart Stops Beating - (+44)
The Past Is Only the Past with the Lights On

45. Kingdom Come - Jay-Z
When I Come Back Like Jordon Wearing the 4-5

46. Show Your Bones - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Sometimes I Think I'm Bigger Than the Sound

47. The Evolution of… - Robin Thicke
Don't See the World Through Someone Else's Eyes

48. Sam's Town - The Killers
Nobody Ever Had a Dream Round Here

49. Under the Iron Sea - Keane
Love Is Just a Lyric in a Children's Rhyme

50. Loose - Nelly Furtado
I've Been Hurt by My Past but I Feel the Future