Category: Music

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The Black Keys’ Brothers: A Review

By Jim Spiegel

My latest musical obsession is the Black Keys.  Consisting of just two remarkably talented guys, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, they have pumped out six albums over the last eight years which have earned them increasing critical acclaim.  Their style is usually categorized as blues rock, but I would call it classic rock with an R&B soul.  Actually, Carney’s drumming often creates a groove that has a distinct hip hop feel, such as on “Tighten Up,” the first single from their latest album, Brothers.  The album is an addictive collection of tunes that showcase Auerbach’s soulful guitar hooks, reminiscent of some of Jimmy Page’s best work with Led Zeppelin.  Though Auerbach’s renown as guitarist is well-deserved, it unfortunately overshadows his brilliance as a singer.  I find it difficult to think of another male vocalist today who has a voice with so much emotional color and depth.  So the guy is a rare double-threat, perhaps the best since Jimi Hendrix.

The lyrical themes on Brothers are consistent with the band’s blues core.  The songs are mainly lovesick meditations and like the best of the blues they tend to transcend the sorrows of relationships and touch on deeper issues regarding the human condition.  But the transitions are always seamless and authentic.  On the one hand (demonstrating he’s as natural a blues writer as he is a blues guitarist and singer), Auerbach effortlessly tosses off lines like these:

“There’s nothing worse in this world than payback from a jealous girl.  The laws of man, they don’t apply when blood gets in a woman’s eye.” (“Ten Cent Pistol”)

Or these lines from “The Go Getter”:

“Palm trees, the flat broke disease and L.A. has got me on my knees.  I am the bluest of blues.  Every day a different way to lose.”

But then the bigger spiritual struggle emerges in several songs on Brothers, perhaps prompted by all of the sorrow and loneliness.  This comes through powerfully on “Sinister Kid”:

“A sinister kid is a kid who runs to meet his maker, a drop dead sprint from the day he’s born straight into his maker’s arms.  And that’s me, the boy with the broken halo.  That’s me…  The devil won’t let me be.”

And on the album’s pleading closer, “These Days”:

“Watch what you say.  The devil is listening.  He’s got ears that you wouldn’t believe.  And brother once you go to him, it’s your soul you can never, never retrieve.”

Indeed.  On Brothers the blues themes of the Black Keys seem to be traveling a similar path as that traveled by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, among others.  The pain brings world-weariness, to be sure, but not bitterness.  Rather, a certain humility that is willing to consider how all of our striving on earth amounts to much more than merely earthly striving.  It is also a humility that is willing to entertain heavenly hope, as is evident on “Unknown Brother,” a poignant message to Auerbach’s brother-in-law who died young:

“For you, unknown brother, my baby’s mother is pained.  ‘Cause your soul is in heaven, but your memory remains.  Unknown, unknown brother, I’ll meet you some day.  We’ll walk through fields where children play.”

Amen.

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The Best and Worst of 2010

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been another exciting year, and we want to thank you all for reading and, if applicable, posting comments on our blog.  Once again, we would like to close out the year with some summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, politics, and family.

Best Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  Shutter Island and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Though these are films in different genres, they are both superbly directed, well-acted, and have compelling stories.  And both films successfully transport the viewer into an alternate reality (or two).  But while Shutter Island leaves you questioning your perception of the world, Dawn Treader inspires you with the hope of transcending it.  Oh, and Toy Story 3 was brilliant, too—transporting the viewer in still another way.
  • Amy:  No Man of Her Own, Emma, and Tangled. In reviewing my viewing choices this year, I must acknowledge that my standards have lowered a bit this year.  These films are a bit more movie than film but great nonetheless.  No Man is a fab film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck.  While there are enough adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma to sink the Titanic, this one is excellently done and it’s two discs long!  I just took our two youngsters to Tangled a few days ago as an act of love and ended up laughing (and crying) along with them.

Worst Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  This is an easy call: Greenberg.  What a colossal waste of time.  Yet, this reviewer at A.V. Club recommended it, while admitting that this film, like all of director Noah Baumbach’s comedies, is “plotless, self-consciously literary, and populated by characters who flat-out suck from the time they roll out of the bed until they angrily switch out the lights at night.”  He’s right about that much.  But he also finds the film to be “hilarious” and “a pleasure to look at.”  I wonder if we watched the same film.
  • Amy:  Inception.  Maybe this film doesn’t deserve to be called the worst I watched, but it was such a disappointment that I am placing it in the worst experience category.  I anticipated a smart and mind-bending experience.  What I got was an action movie with a side-serving of love story.  I actually fast-forwarded several sections of shoot-me-up.  A close second is The Last Air Bender.  I only make it second because I couldn’t actually make myself watch this much anticipated live action version of our most beloved Nickelodeon show.  I had heard it was awful and made the kids watch it.  Even they hated it.  M. Knight Shyamalan, you’re killing me!

Best and Worst Musical Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  Josh Ritter’s So Runs the World Away and Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs.  I actually purchased both of these CDs on the same day, so I spent the next month in musical bliss, bathing in the musical beauty.  For the most part, I avoided stinkers, due mainly to my careful research before purchasing new music.  But what I could not avoid was hearing the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” everywhere I went.  Blecch!
  • Amy:  I am starting to sense a pattern of shallowness in my aesthetic sense this year.  I am sensing a New Year’s resolution coming on. Anyhoo, my musical selections were mostly limited to good workout music (“Stuck to You” by Nikka Costa, “Strip Me” by Natasha Bedingfield and “The Way I Are” by Timbaland).  I have just purchased albums by Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, which I hope to enjoy in the New Year.

Jim’s Favorite Sports Moment of the Year: Two of my three favorite NFL teams playing in the Super Bowl.  Well, the run-up to the Super Bowl was actually more satisfying than the game itself, which at times felt like watching my kids fight.  I was sad for my Colts but thrilled for my Saints, with whom I have suffered as a fan since the early 1980s.  Who Dat!!!

Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moment of the Year: All of the LeBron James summer free agency hype, culminating in an hour-long ESPN James announcement TV special.  LeTacky and LeShameless.  My interest in the NBA and respect for ESPN have declined faster than the U.S. economy.

Amy’s Best Eating Experience of the Year: While attending a conference with Jim in Atlanta, we “attempted” to visit the Atlanta Art Museum.  We sighed with regret as we took an afternoon siesta and mumbled something about going to the Art Museum.  We didn’t make it to the museum, but we did make it to the restaurant adjacent to the Museum.  I had rabbit with pumpkin ravioli.  That’s right—rabbit and let me tell you, Bugs Bunny was tasty!

Amy’s Worst Eating Experience of the Year: If we are talking overall experience, it would have to be an ill-fated family trip to Cracker Barrel.  The bad side was the service, which was horrible and slow; also, the food was cold and the manager snapped at me when I pointed this out.  The up side was that, in the end, our dinner was on the house.  I also hosted a dinner party at which I unfortunately served grey soup; not a shining moment in my culinary career.

Satisfying Reads of the Year:

  • Jim:  Howard Storm’s My Descent into Death was the most engrossing and inspiring book I’ve read in years (see my May 30 post).  Keaton, the classic Buster Keaton biography by Rudi Blesh, was also excellent (see my August 8 post).  I also enjoyed numerous short stories by Flannery O’Connor.
  • Amy:  The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley were both great book club selections this year.  I spent a good part of the year reading books with Bailey and Maggie so for tween boys I recommend the Gregor the Overlander series or Mr. Popper’s Penguins and The Moffats.

Political High Point of the Year: Kicking (a lot of) the bums out of Congress in November.  We’ll see how many of these newly elected folks turn out to be bums as well.

Political Low Points of the Year: Amy’s low point was the day after the November elections when she had the sinking feeling that all the newly elected Senators and Representatives would prove to be just as disappointing as the bums that we threw out.  Jim’s low point was the passing of Obamacare in March.  Already two U.S. District Court judges have struck down part of the health care law as unconstitutional (portending much bigger legal wrangling to come).  What a mess.

Good 2010 Memories of Our Kids:

  • Bailey learning to play guitar and his ability to imitate us with frightening accuracy.
  • Watching Sam finish first in the Fairmount James Dean race for his age group
  • Maggie having her first spend-the-night at a friend’s house.  Coincidentally, this was also the quietest night of the year at the Spiegels.
  • Andrew declaring himself the “King of Potato Wedges,” among other things.  He also is now fully potty trained—a major family milestone, to be sure.

Favorite Backyard Adventures of the Year:

  • Jim:  Installing a zip-line and watching the kids’ creative uses of it (not including Sam’s inadvertent back flip and landing on his shoulders)
  • Amy:  The raised bed in which we planted cucumbers, carrots, and onions.  The cucumbers dominated impressively.

Most Satisfying Shared Experiences of the Year:

  • Jim:  Eating at the 1280 Restaurant in Atlanta—the $18 scallops were worth every bite (which is saying a lot, as they averaged out to over $3.00 per bite).
  • Amy:  Any of our several family bike rides—the back of my bike is finally toddler free!  A close second was the camping trip the kids and I took to Indiana Dunes State Park.  I was so proud of myself for going, proud of the kids for being such troupers and amazed at the beauty of Lake Michigan.

New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Jim:  To read ten books in New Testament and historical Jesus studies; also to stop biting my nails (without having to forego following sports).
  • Amy:  To run a 10K race and read at least six books by C.S. Lewis (and not just his fiction).

Happy 2011 everyone!

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The Dangerous Beauty of Kanye West’s Twisted Fantasy

By Jim Spiegel

I don’t listen to much rap or hip-hop music and over the years have only observed from afar the popular and critical acclaim for such artists as Jay-Z, 2Pac, Nas, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, and Kanye West.  My musical preferences are unapologetically guitar-centered, from acoustic Americana to punk and everything in between.  So even the most intense adulation over hip-hop and rap stars hasn’t sufficiently stirred my curiosity to prompt me to purchase one of their records . . . until now.

Kanye West’s latest album, entitled My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has been making every 2010 top ten list I’ve seen, including those at Pitchfork, Amazon.com, and EW.com.  It was chosen as album of the year on other lists such as Rolling Stone.  And despite its often vulgar lyrical content, even Christianity Today reviewed MBDTF.  So why all the excitement?  I decided to check it out for myself and bought the album last week.  It only took one trip through (at almost 70 minutes in length) to see what the fuss was about.  In short, this is beautiful music—richly orchestrated, melodically multi-layered, and full of compelling vocal and instrumental performances by West and his many guests, who include Jay-Z, Bon Iver, and Elton John.  The album is just as bold and creative lyrically, featuring sharp social commentary and witty cultural observations.  In fact, some of the songs had me laughing out loud.

But there’s just one problem.  MBDTF is morally repugnant.  Aside from the scores of F-bombs, N-bombs, and profane phrases, West’s well-known arrogance is on full display, as are endorsements of self-indulgence, violence, misogyny, and drug and alcohol abuse (at one point West exultantly proclaims “I’ve been drinking, and now I’m driving!”).  On top of this, the album is theologically confused, alternately praising Allah and Jesus, and declaring, “if we die in each others’ arms, we’ll still get laid in the afterlife” (“Lost in the World”).  Elsewhere, West confesses, “We love Jesus but you done learned a lot from Satan…  We ain’t married but tonight I need some consummation…  May the Lord forgive us.  May the gods be with us” (a line eerily repeated over a sensual 1970s R&B looped sample in “Devil in a New Dress”).

So what do you call a work of art that is aesthetically excellent but morally and spiritually subversive?  Amy and I use the phrase “dangerous beauty” to describe such works, and I would say that MBDTF is a paradigm case of this.  Judging by the album title, I wonder if Mr. West himself wouldn’t agree.

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Greatest Drummers in Rock History

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a “best of” list, so I thought I’d tackle one on a subject that I’ve been pondering lately—drummers.  So here is my list of the greatest drummers in rock history.  For a long time I’ve been firmly resolved regarding the top three on my list.  Deciding on the other two was tricky, and my mind could change about them.

As for my criteria, I believe a good drummer, like any member of a band, should serve the songs.  For my money, the drummers listed below did/do this better than anyone else.  Of course, this is a vague criterion and perhaps it is best understood as a limiting condition for other criteria, such as technical excellence, versatility, and innovation.  A drummer’s success in terms of these other criteria will always be relative to the degree to which he avoids drawing too much attention to his part in the song.  Some drummers, such as Neil Peart and Keith Moon, are extremely creative or technically excellent, but they often distract this listener, upstaging the song itself.  That’s one reason why these guys don’t make my list.

Before I present the list, here are some honorable mentions:  Pete Thomas (The Attractions), Dave Grohl (Nirvana), Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon), Max Weinberg (The E Street Band), Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones).

Okay, here we go, counting down backwards:

5. Larry Mullen, Jr. (U2) — Everybody loves Larry Mullen, Jr., the loveable, soft-spoken foundation of Ireland’s greatest band.  He founded U2 and has always been their most talented musician.  While Bono’s voice is the band’s sonic signature, their sound is crucially defined by Mullen’s drumming style.  He’s able to match Bono and the Edge in terms of emotional intensity, and that’s saying a lot.  Notable performances:  “Bad,” “Exit,” “I Threw a Brick Through a Window.”

4. Roger Taylor (Queen) — Here is a terribly underrated drummer in a terribly underrated band.  Taylor was a stylistic chameleon, capable of playing any style and playing it well—from heavy metal to delicate piano-based chamber music, he always sounds like he’s in his musical element.  Notable performances:   “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Its Late,” “Somebody to Love.”

3. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) — Many rock historians regard Bonham as the greatest rock drummer ever, and this is echoed by some superb drummers (including Charlie Watts, Dave Grohl, and Chad Smith).  So Bonham is far from underrated and was so good it would be hard to overrate him.  Surely he has no equal in terms of sheer power.  But he could be deceivingly and entrancingly unorthodox with his drum patterns.  And like everyone else in this list, his versatility was immense, though it is perhaps not as noticeable as it would have been if his band explored more musical genres.  Notable performances:  “Black Dog,” “When the Levee Breaks,” “Fool in the Rain.”

2. Levon Helm (The Band) — Journalist Jon Carroll once said Helm was the only drummer that can make you cry.  Helm had (and, at over 70, still has) an incredible knack for creating a skip and hop groove that adds tremendous energy to songs.  In many of the Band’s classics the real magic comes from Helm’s drumming, but he still somehow manages to be invisible.  If you own any of The Band’s CDs, listen to one of them focusing on Helm’s drum tracks throughout, and you’ll see what I mean.  The irony is that Helm was not the Band’s only drummer.  He shared drumming duties with Richard Manuel, but only when Helm’s musical services as a guitarist or mandolin player were called for.  Notable performances: “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek.”

1. Topper Headon (The Clash) — Every member of the Clash acknowledged that Headon was the band’s best musician.  And every producer who worked with them was amazed at the guy’s talent.  Listen to any song by the Clash on which he played (Headon didn’t join the band until after their first UK album, and the creative lift he provided was immense), and you’ll see how every choice he made was the right one.  He provided the firm spine their songs so badly needed and also adapted readily to the constant stylistic changes that the musical expeditions of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones required (punk, classic rock, progressive rock, reggae, ska, funk, and world music).  Headon not only adapted but made their explorations in every genre sound natural and authentic.  Notable performances:  “I Fought the Law,” “Julie’s in the Drug Squad,” and “Lost In the Supermarket.”

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Bill Mallonee in Concert

By Jim Spiegel

If you live anywhere near central Indiana and want to hear some great live music tonight (at a ridiculously low price–just $5), check out Bill Mallonee who’ll be playing at New Life Presbyterian Church in Yorktown, Indiana at 7:00 p.m.  Rolling Stone magazine has hailed Mallonee, and Paste Magazine lists him at #65 among the greatest living songwriters.  Mallonee is incredibly prolific, having recorded more than two dozen albums over the last two decades.  And he’s still churning them out…

After the concert, Mallonee will stick around for a Q&A session about faith, art, and cultural relevancy.  This will be a unique opportunity to interact with a superb singer-songwriter.

Here are directions and map to the church.  Come for some great music (and some excellent coffee, to be provided by Vecinos.

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Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

By Jim Spiegel

Ever since their 2004 debut, Funeral, Arcade Fire has distinguished themselves as a uniquely creative band.  They make music that is both emotionally rich and lyrically incisive—a truly rare combination, putting them on a very short list of rock artists.  So it is no surprise that their newly released third effort, The Suburbs, is being hailed by critics as a singular achievement.  Those familiar with the band knew that once they hit their stride, given the right inspiration, they could make a masterpiece.  Well, with The Suburbs they’ve done just that.

This is a concept album in the best sense of the term.   The themes of the songs all pertain in one way or another to life in modern suburbia and the besetting struggles of our time, particularly those related to technology and our frenetic pace of life.  Arcade Fire reflects on the stark contrasts between childhood innocence (the “wilderness”) and life in our technology-laden urban sprawl.  Their nostalgia for reasonably paced life is palpable in many of the songs, but never more so than in “We Used to Wait,” where Win Butler sings:  “I used to write letters.  I used to sign my name.  I used to sleep at night before the flashing light settled deep in my brain…   We used to wait for letters to arrive.  We used to wait.  Now our lives are changing fast.  I hope something pure can last.”

I never thought I’d see the day when a renowned rock band would make an anthemic song endorsing the virtue of patience.  Perhaps just as unlikely is this wise lyric:  “Never trust a millionaire quoting the sermon on the mount.  I used to think I was not like them, but I’m beginning to have my doubts” (from “City With No Children”).  Elsewhere, Regine Chassagne sings, “Living in the sprawl the dead shopping malls rise like mountain beyond mountains.  And there’s no end in sight.  I need the darkness.  Someone please cut the lights!” (“Sprawl II”)  This is straightforward cultural criticism, but made especially potent because Arcade Fire is sincere enough to be self-indicting and insightful enough to allow their critique to amount to an endorsement of traditional (or perhaps I should say “transcendent”) values.  That’s always risky territory for artists of any kind, but couched in the musical beauty surrounding these lyrics, Arcade Fire can get away with it.

In the vast sea of artists in contemporary music, there are relatively few that really have something to say.  And among these, much rarer still are those who have something important to say.  Arcade Fire is one of those rare bands, and The Suburbs is as important a statement as it is an enjoyable album.  And that is saying a lot.

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Three Inspiring Videos

By Jim Spiegel

Want to see some really inspiring LIVE music videos?

Here is a performance by Nathan “Flutebox” Lee and Beardyman. I can’t decide if this is more remarkable as a music performance or as a circus act. Either way, it’s amazing.

Check out The Tallest Man on Earth performing for the NPR Tiny Desk music series. His name is Kristian Matsson, and he hails from Sweden. He’s a strong guitarist, singer and songwriter who is now promoting his debut album in the States. It’ll be interesting to see what becomes of him.

And this is OK Go playing their song “This Too Shall Pass” with a little help from, uh, their friends. These are the guys who made a You Tube splash a few years back with their treadmill video for “Here it Goes Again.” All of their videos are innovative, but “This Too Shall Pass” is my favorite.

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The Best and Worst of 2009

By Jim Spiegel

It’s been another exciting year, and we want to thank you all for reading and, if applicable, posting comments on our blog.  Once again, we would like to close out the year with summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, politics, and family. 

Best Film Experiences:

  • Jim:  Slumdog Millionaire, Inglourious Basterds, and The Blind Side. Three very different films with one thing in common: a compelling story.  See my March 2 post for extended comments on Slumdog, and our joint review of Inglourious Basterds in our October 29 post.  As for The Blind Side, I confess that I went to see it begrudgingly, figuring it would subject me to two hours of eye-rolling melodrama.  On the contrary, this simple but powerful film had me in tears the entire evening.  And I’m no sentimentalist…
  • Amy:  Jim chose the ones you’ve heard of, so here are a few older ones you might not have seen: 1927 Academy Award winning Sunrise.  I am not a big fan of silent films but this one is amazing, a perfect movie. Another oldie but goodie is The Red Shoes.  Finally, Murder!  I am slowly working my way through all the works of Hitchcock and this was one I marked off the list this year.  It’s classic Hitchcock, which is to say, suspense with heart and soul.  Finally, this one isn’t an oldie, but since I spend a great deal of time watching children’s films I will give a shout out to my friends Charlie and Lola.

Worst Film Experiences: 

  • Jim:  Little Children—Three of my pet peeves in contemporary Hollywood films are:  1) stilted dialogue, 2) gratuitous sex scenes, and 3) plotlines that encourage viewers to root for a character to commit adultery.  Well, this movie features all three of these vices.  Some thematic originality or insight into truth might have helped to redeem the film despite these flaws.  But, alas, this one was disappointing down to the last, contrived and implausible, scene.
  • Amy:  The Reader, Japanese Story, and Summertime are three that standout in their badness.  There are bad movies which are flawed in one way or another (poor writing, bad acting, etc.) and then there are movies that are faulty on a deeper level; like people who are really smart that you enjoy being with as long as you don’t think about what they are actually saying.  These films would fall into the latter category.

Best Musical Experiences of the Year: 

  • Jim:  Wilco (The Album).  Jeff Tweedy & Co. have been making great music since the mid-90s, and their latest effort is more of the same.  2009 is also the year that I discovered the Kings of Leon.  Thanks to Jason Fortner for his insistent introduction to the beauty of the Followill brothers’ musical world.
  • Amy:  It isn’t a specific album but I loved my Christmas music this year. One of my faves included Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas, “What Child is This” by Andrea Bocelli, and Mary J. Blige and Emmylou Harris’ Light of the Stable.  They all strike the chords of awe, sadness, and rejoicing that I love about the season.

Favorite Songs of the Year:

  • Jim:  “Breathe” by U2.  This song slaps you in the face, spins you in circles, then sits you down and caresses you into ecstasy.  What begins as an almost tuneless rapid-fire narrative resolves into one of the most melodically satisfying songs in the U2 repertoire.  Check out that entrancing combo of cello and guitar as well as the memorable lyrical images—e.g., “people born of sound” wearing songs “like a crown” and “the roar that lies on the other side of silence.”  Oh yeah.
  • Amy:  See my comments above about Christmas songs.

Jim’s Favorite Sports Moment of the Year:  The season-long dominance of the Saints and Colts (two of my favorite teams), both of whom earned home field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs.  I’m not naïve enough to think both will make it to the Super Bowl (#1 seeds almost never meet in the championship).  But I’m hopeful that one of them will play on Super Sunday.

Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moment of the Year:  The Detroit Tigers’ squandering their division lead on the last day of regular season.  It wasn’t so much a moment as a week-long, fated collapse.  Ugh.

Amy’s Best Eating Experience of the Year:  New Orleans’ restaurant Mona Lisa’s eggplant parmesan.  Spicy marinara sauce, crispy eggplant in a creative setting with friendly folks.  And the service is great—at the Mona Lisa everyone is treated like a regular.

Amy’s Worst Eating Experience of the Year:  “Zucchini and Basil Soup.”  In an attempt to cleanse our bodies of toxins, Jim and I did a cleanse diet which excluded all cheese, eggs, wheat, soda, and basically anything you might enjoy eating.  The diet was actually not that bad, but this cold “soup” was definitely the low point.

Most and Least Satisfying Reads of the Year:

  • Jim:  Antony Flew’s There is a God, in which the former atheist chronicles his journey to belief in God and masterfully summarizes the three main considerations which prompted him to embrace theism.  I’ve also greatly enjoyed the Arts and Letters Daily blog.  My least satisfying read was Kwame Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism—an attempt to salvage shared moral values while affirming cultural relativism.  I kept waiting for an argument, but it never came.  And until the very end I hoped Appiah would rescue his project from incoherence.  My hopes were never realized.
  • Amy:  Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth, Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit and Same Kind of Different as Me were all inspiring.  They just don’t write them like that anymore.  I didn’t like The Girls from Ames.  Also, on three separate occasions, I began reading The Shack, but I couldn’t complete it.  Bad theology and even worse writing.

Political High Point of the Year:  Our hopeful sides want to celebrate the seemingly grass roots movement afoot in our country against government expansion and irresponsibility.  But our cynical sides tell us that it’s all just more talk that will, in the end, be undermined by profiteering.

Political Low Point of the Year:  The revelation that (now former) Green Czar Van Jones was a Marxist…or perhaps the revelation that (now former) White House communications director Anita Dunn was a Marxist sympathizer.  Or (speaking of Marxism?) perhaps the real low point was the health care bill.

Most Outrageous News Events of the Year:  The balloon boy hoax (what can you expect from a couple who would name their kid “Falcon”?) and Bernie Madoff (an appropriate surname, until the Ponzi schemer artist got busted) and climategate (when scientists feel they have to fudge numbers, this should give pause to even the most dogmatic believers in their theory).  Ah, the hits just keep on coming, don’t they?

Our Kids’ Most Memorable Statements of the Year:

Bailey:  “I think cussing is just adults’ way of whining.” 

Sam:  “Dad, just try to name a breakfast cereal I don’t like.”

Maggie:  “I think the wind is God whispering ‘I love you.’”

Andrew:  “I never want to get married, ‘cuz you have to kiss someone every day.”

Most Satisfying Shared Experiences of the Year: 

  • Jim:  Walking around the French Quarter together at the ETS conference in November.  Also, our August vacation in Houston with the incomparable Newcomb family. 
  • Amy:  Our various bike rides together as a family; also, seeing two of our kids become communicant members of our church and sharing the communion experience with them.

New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Jim:  To get to bed before midnight more than half of the time
  • Amy: To put Ranch Pringles behind me once and for all

Happy 2010 everyone!  And happy new decade as well!!

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Top Ten Albums of the Decade

By Jim Spiegel

It’s the end of the ‘00s, which means it’s time for top ten lists.  Below are my picks for the best albums of the last ten years.  Honorable mentions: Bob Dylan’s Modern Times, The Killers’ Day and Age, Neko Case’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, The Strokes, Is This It?, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ By the Way, The Shins’ Chutes Too Narrow, Arcade Fire, Funeral, and Modest Mouse’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

AHA SHAKE10. Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004) – The Kings of Leon Just when it appeared that no one would make a great rootsy, blues-based rock again, the Followill boys arrived on the scene to prove it can still be done…and how.  Aha Shake Heartbreak was the sophomore effort from the Kings of Leon, a marked improvement on their debut which earned critical acclaim in its own right.  These guys are the full package, soulful at every instrument with the chemistry of kin to boot.  This album soars from the start and never lets up.  Highlights:  “King of the Rodeo” and “The Bucket”

RINGLEADER9. Ringleader of the Tormentors (2006) – Morrissey For his second album since his return from a seven-year hiatus, the Moz put legendary ‘70s producer Tony Visconti at the helm.  The results lived up to the hype, as Visconti built innovative orchestral elements into most of the song arrangements.  Combined with the fact that the songs were among Morrissey’s strongest compositions ever—both technically and emotionally—it’s no surprise that some critics hailed it as the best ever from the Pope of Mope.  Highlights:  “The Youngest Was the Most Loved” and “In the Future When All’s Well”

NO LINE8. No Line on the Horizon (2009) – U2 Following two strong but less than groundbreaking efforts, the legends from Dublin looked to find some fresh musical inspiration in the unlikely country of Morocco.  Setting up camp in a studio in Fez, some of the songs on the album bear the marks of Arabic musical influence.  During the long recording process the band invited producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois to make songwriting changes as well in hopes to make the material still stronger.  The results on No Line speak for themselves, as it is the most fresh and inspired U2 album since Achtung Baby.  It is also less commercial than anything they’ve done since Zooropa, which explains the cool reception of the album in some quarters.  But let’s hope this doesn’t discourage the band from further musical exploration.

THIEF7. Hail to the Thief (2003) – Radiohead On the heels of their landmark Kid A and Amnesiac albums, what could the Oxford quintet do next?  How about create another masterful album which is even more unified than its predecessors, if only because it’s creative explorations are not as multifarious.  The album also has a discernible theme, which is evident in its title.  And the interpretive Rosetta Stone for the 16-song cycle is “A  Punchup at a Wedding,” where the most sacred of events is marred by a drunken brawl.  For Radiohead the wedding is nature, and human beings are the intoxicated fighters.  A powerful image, even if it does seal Yorke & Co. as misanthropes.  Such a dark theme, however, does not diminish the sheer beauty of this album.  Highlights:  “Go to Sleep” and “Scatterbrain”

RETRIEVER6. Retriever (2004) – Ron Sexsmith This unsung Canadian songwriter’s songwriter has yet to make an album that isn’t at least very good.  Retriever features a dozen artful tunes which demonstrate why everyone from Elvis Costello to Paul McCartney count themselves among Sexsmith’s biggest fans.  Producer Martin Terefe effectively created an organic warmth which perfectly reinforces the wistful melancholy of most of the tracks.  Several songs are achingly beautiful.  Some still move me to tears.  Highlights:  “Imaginary Friends,” “For the Driver,” and “Wishing Wells”

YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT5. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) – Wilco Recorded in 2001, Wilco’s record company, Reprise Records, refused to release the album because of its perceived lack of commercial viability.  Eventually the band was released from their Reprise contract and signed with Nonesuch Records, who released the album the next year.  Naturally, the album sold like hotcakes.  It’s a brooding, sometimes dark record with plenty of atmospherics and interesting turnarounds.  Probably the very things that turned off the Reprise execs are what turned on listeners.  So much for the convergence of market sense and aesthetic sensibility.  If you haven’t discovered the raw rock paradise of Jeff Tweedy and friends, this album is a good place to start.  Highlights:  “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” and “Pot Kettle Black”

NEON BIBLE4. Neon Bible (2007) – Arcade Fire After the critical exultation over their first album, Funeral, most fans of the indie band Arcade Fire braced themselves for a let down with their follow-up.  But Neon Bible proved to be even stronger than their debut.  Both albums are melodically and emotionally rich, but Neon Bible is more mature in terms of lyrical vision.  The album’s abiding theme of spiritual angst is especially compelling, with several songs wrestling with the realities of sin, death, and redemption.  Highlights: “Intervention” and “The Well and the Lighthouse”

COOKIE3. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) – TV on the Radio This unique outfit from Brooklyn, New York blends progressive rock, jazz, hip-hop, and electronica.  The song’s lush textures, thanks to the production wizardry of band guitarist Dave Sitek, reward repeated listening.  Layers of melodies, rhythms, and vocalisms create a unique and hypnotizing soundscape for stream of consciousness lyrical explorations.  One of the album’s standouts, “Wolf Like Me,” is quite possibly the song of the decade.  Other highlights: “Hours,” “A Method,” and “Dirthywhirl”

LOVE AND THEFT2. Love and Theft (2001) – Bob Dylan Just prior to the album’s release, the Bobster was quoted as saying Love and Theft felt like a greatest hits album.  This seemed like pre-release hype at the time, but he turned out to be correct.  Each song feels like a classic, whether the style is rockabilly, swing, bluegrass, parlor jazz, or blues.  Dylan and his band—featuring the incomparable tandem of Charlie Sexton and Larry Campbell—move effortlessly from genre to genre, humbly serving each tune.  Lyrically, Dylan is at the top of his game—which is no small boast—spinning captivating yarns, tossing off wise proverbs, telling jokes, and creating an abiding feeling of riverboat adventure and Old South nostalgia.  All in all, a flawless album.  And to think he did it as a man in his sixties.

KID A1. Kid A / Amnesiac (2000-01) – Radiohead Okay, so these are two albums rather than one, but I’m combining them because all of the music was recorded during the same sessions.  The band didn’t want to release it all on one double-length CD, so they divided the songs into two separate albums.  In actuality, it’s more like a time-released double album, with half of the songs appearing about six months after the others.  AMNESIACThe novelty of the release format only hints at the originality of the music itself, which felt at the time—and in many ways still does feel—as if it had been recorded in the year 2050 and sent back to our time to blow our minds.  Amazingly, the albums have “aged” well.  The truth is, as with all great music, it doesn’t seem to age at all.  Kid A highlights:  “Optimistic” and “Idioteque”; Amnesiac highlights:  “I Might Be Wrong” and “Knives Out”

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Hodgepodge #2

By Jim Spiegel

Reflections by Jim of different sorts—on music, nature, books, and sports

In the last few weeks I have attended two excellent concerts.  On September 12 I saw U2 in Chicago, as they commenced their 360° tour—a predictably fine show by the beloved Irish foursome. This was my fifth time to see them live, and while falling short of the magic of the Joshua Tree tour (what could live up to that?), they remain the greatest live band on the planet.  Also, last week I attended my first Kings of Leon show—at the Verizon Center in Noblesville, Indiana.  Lead singer Caleb Followill said it was the biggest crowd they’d ever played for.  Indeed, it was a sprawling sea of humanity, half of us slip-sliding in the muddy lawn area.  K.O.L. played a strong 20-song set, living up to their reputation as the heir-apparent to U2’s throne.  We’ll see about that.

250px-Orb_weaver_black_bckgrnd03_cropLast week Amy and I were back in Chicago, this time for her best friend’s wedding.  We stayed high atop the downtown Holiday Inn overlooking the Chicago River.  Just outside our 17th story window an Orb Weaver spider (Araneidae family) was perched in the middle of a giant web, which we measured at 3 x 2.5 feet.  Judging by the spider’s bulky appearance, s/he had managed to catch plenty of bugs way up there.  Early the next morning I marveled at the massive buildings in downtown Chicago.  In doing so, I looked through that Orb Weaver’s giant web, and then it struck me.  Both were magnificent feats of engineering, and they shared some of the same structural features: footings, girders, and symmetrical design.  And both ultimately testify to the genius of our common Creator.

I recently posted a review on David Kinnaman’s book unChristian, which has generated a lot of conversation in the last year or so.  Among the authors responding to this book is Russell Rathbun, who has recently authored unChristian: Finding Faith in a New Generation.  (Judson Press).  I have been invited to participate in Rathbun’s blog tour, so I will comment on the book and interact with him the week of October 12.  Rathbun is an emergent church pastor and author, so I’m very curious to see his response to unChristian.  Stay tuned.

Finally, the major league baseball season is drawing to a close, and as I write this my Detroit Tigers’ lead in the American League central division has dwindled to one game, with two games left in the season for both the Tigers and the Minnesota Twins, who have been hotly pursuing them the last three weeks.  Having had my baseball heart twice broken by the Twins—in ’87 when they drubbed Detroit in the ALCS and in ’91 when they squeaked by the Braves (also a rooting interest of mine)—I am quite keen on seeing the Tigers return the favor, if just for this season.  Will they do it?  Time, as they say, will tell.