This has been a weak year for concerts, but a good one for recordings. Six out of ten are British.
All of theatre, and concerts are reviewed … see right hand sidebar. Not all film are reviewed, because I thought they were reviewed enough elsewhere.
ALBUM TOP 10
1 Old Ideas – Leonard Cohen
I play bits of this most days. It’s a consummate mature production.
2 Simone Felice – Simone Felice
Simone is like watching Bob Dylan or Neil Young early in their careers, and the songs are that good too.
3 Boys Don’t Cry – Rumer
Rumer revisits the influential albums of the early 70s (by boys … hence the title) and does stellar new versions, channeling a voice like Karen Carpenter, but with more taste.
4 The Sailor’s Revenge- Bap Kennedy
Great and under-rated songwriter
5 Songs From The Shipyards – The Unthanks
Wonderful material
6 Dead, Born & Grown – The Staves
A very late entry
7 Tempest – Bob Dylan
8 Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja – Madness
As good as last year’s effort.
9 Don’t Stop Singing – Thea Gilmore (based on lyrics by Sandy Denny)
10 Boys and Girls – The Alabama Shakes
What a debut!
BEST CONCERTS:
1 Simone Felice – Bath
2 Bap Kennedy – Petersfield
3 The Unthanks – Southampton
BEST SONGS
1 London – Thea Gilmore
2 Going Home – Leonard Cohen
3 New York Times – Simone Felice
4 P.F. Sloan – Rumer
5 Please Return To Jesus – Bap Kennedy
6 La Luna – Madness
7 Al Gatto Nero – Asia
8 That’s Why God Made The Radio- The Beach Boyys
9 Open The Door (To Your Heart) – Van Morrison
10 Hold On – The Alabama Shakes
iPod / iPad MOST PLAYED
This is severely skewed this year, because I have a playlist I listen to very often before I go to sleep, and the first four are the four on it. It does allow the only Band-related entry this year. 1-4 are exactly equal.
1 Adios – Weather Report
2 A Remark You Made – Weather Report
3 Blue Bolero- Abdullah Ibrahim
4 French Girls – Garth Hudson
5 P.F. Sloan – Rumer
6 Going Home – Leonard Cohen
7 Different Sides – Leonard Cohen
8 Amen – Leonard Cohen
9 New York Times – Simone Felice
10 Emmylou – First Aid Kit
BEST THEATRE
I’m dividing it into two this year:
BEST SHAKESPEARE
1 Comedy of Errors – National Theatre
2 The Taming Of The Shrew – Royal Shakespeare Company
3 Twelfth Night – Globe Theatre Company
4 Comedy of Errors – Royal Shakespeare Company
5 The Merry Wives of Windsor – Royal Shakespeare Company
BEST OTHER
1 One Man Two Guv’nors
2 Birthday
3 The Duchess of Malfi – Old Vic
4 The Way of The world – Chichester
5 Privates on Parade – Michael Gambage
BEST FILM
1 Hugo
2 Anna Karenina
3 The Artist
4 ParaNorman
5 Carnage
BEST TV SHOWS
1 Episodes Series 2
2 Him and Her
3 Downton Abbey (ouch! Yes, it’s awful, but watcheable)
4 Would I Lie To You (never miss it)
5 Have I Got News For You (ditto)
[…] in time for Christmas, my BEST OF 2012 lists. And the winner is … Old Ideas by Leonard Cohen in music, The Comedy of Errors (National […]
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Interesting List, I’ll have to check out some of the music…
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I’m always surprised at how you keep up and am grateful because I use your blogs to keep me informed. I’ll be getting, I think, the Leonard Cohen album for Xmas and am definitely going to buy a couple of Theo Gilmore albums, including the one on the list. Really enjoyed the televised concert after reading your review. I’m a little disappointed that the new Donald Fagen didn’t make your list. I bought it after your alerting and think it’s really good. Should I buy the new John Cale? I enjoy your reviews because of a lack of ageism – older and younger acts are both reviewed fairly, which I feel does not happen in the national press.
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P.S. I enjoy the quality of writing too, which is not always present on other blogs. I hope this does not read as patronising, as it is a genuine thought.
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Thanks, Dunc. Donald Fagen … “Slinky thing” did make the “Best 15” mix CDR I did for a couple of friends. I thought about it, but it was that or Van Morrison. I think the album’s great, but very similar to previous stuff. Actually, not only don’t I have the new John Cale, I’d forgotten about it. I bought the Extra Playful EP, but that was late 2011. i’ll look for the John Cale right away.
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I’ll get the Van Morrison with the Xmas tokens. Thanks for reviews.
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