Yeah, 2020 sucked but lockdown didn't keep artists from releasing new music and stuff from the vault.

Still working on my list. Low Cut Connie's new album will probably top my new release list. Wish I had the Porcupine Tree box set!

New releases, reissues, compilations (single and various artists), box sets, songs, EPs, cover song albums- what are your favorites that were released this year?

Since I didn’t enter a record store at all in 2020, everything was at Amazon or directly from artists so give me some time and I will make a list.

I know I did get the Porcupine Tree box though!

I barely bought anything new, so I guess by default it's the two albums I did enjoy -- The Killers 'Imploding the Mirage' and the Strokes' 'The New Abnormal' --






I was pretty disappointed by the only other new album I bought this year, Green Days' 'Father of All'... the first time they ever let me down! They were a band where I bought on pure faith without even listening to single tracks... I guess they just lost that status. I'll still check out their stuff, but I will definitely listen before buying. I don't think I liked a single song on this one and if it wasn't for Billy Joe's distinct voice, I wouldn't even know it was Green Day.




Wolfmother's 'Rock'n'roll Baby' technically came out on December 29, 2019, but since I enjoyed it more in 2020, I guess I'll add it in here with an asterisk... no physical release, which is annoying.

OK

steve perry - acoustic traces - i really like it.

shelby lynne - s/t - she just keeps getting better and better

springsteen - letter to you - not great, but not bad either. a keeper.

jackson browne - CD single downhill form everywhere - can't wait for the album in 21

neil young - homegrown - not bad for the couple of new songs, definitely not near to being what the 40 year hype made it out to be, and i'll get another copy with the box. still the best thing he has released in a long long time

the pretenders - hate for sale - very good, best one in quite a while, and nobody heard it

jason isbell - reunions - maybe the best of the year for me, this guy is going to be around for a long long time.

lucinda williams - good souls better angels - another solid effort from her, she has NEVER made a bad album.

graham gouldman - modesty forbids - another good one form gouldman. please call eric and do something together before its too late.

cowboy junkies - ghosts - i'd love to get a CD of this

shelby lynne - the healing - i'd love to get a CD of this too

fleetwood mac - box set - very very well done.

disappointments

jimi hendrix - live in maui - stop

neil young - return to greendale - why, and its live to boot, and with crazy horse, not the terribly horrific promise of the real ........do a live greatest hits with crazy horse, it will sell a ton.:

neil young -- the times - more crap from neil - daryl hannah did the recording of it...enough said.

neil young - archives 2 - i am very torn on this one. it is the peak years of neil young, and there is plenty on it to be excited about. i have pre-ordered the march 5 edition and am very much looking forward to it. that said, the inclusion of 23 albums that have already been released and that surely most true fans have already bought taints this for me. it just doesn't make any sense to do it the way he did it with 2 releases, one with a $100 book and the other priced $50 higher than the last 'archives' and waiting 4 months to release it when the original 23000 are gone, its not like he is trying sell out the first edition before he releases the second. but, as i have stated before, the entire neil young "corporation" (for lack of a better word) is in a really bad flux right now, feelings for him aside, eliot roberts did seem to keep things on an even and somewhat steady keel.

Might be my favorite new album of the year. I find riffs and phrases popping into my head pretty regularly, a rarity for a new album in my advanced age and with all the trivial stuff I have packed into my brain over the decades.

My favorite album of the year was Chuck Prophet's The Land That Time Forgot. My favorite reissue was Wilco's Summerteeth box set

Not many new albums, but these were damn good:

Strokes-The New Abnormal
X-Alphabetland
Kansas-Abscence of Presence
Deep Purple-Whoosh
Alcatrazz-Born Innocent
Blue Oyster Cult-The Symbol Remains
Psychedelic Furs-Made of Rain
Bruce Springsteen-A Letter to You
Paradise Lost-Obsidian
AC/DC-Power Up
Box sets:

Thin Lizzy-Rock Legends
Dire Straits-The Studio Albums 1978-1991
Elton John-Jewel Box
Fleetwood Mac-Fleetwood Mac 1969-1974

forgot about that fleetwood mac box set, adding that to my list

thanks IP.

Kym's Favorite New Releases of 2020



1. Jessie Ware, What's Your Pleasure?
2. Fiona Apple, Fetch The Bolt Cutters
3. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
4. Róisín Murphy, Róisín Machine
5. Khruangbin, Mordechai
6. Stone Temple Pilots, Perdida
7. NZCA Lines, Pure Luxury
8. Albert Bouchard, Re Imaginos
9. Orville Peck, Show Pony
10. Bob Dylan, Rough And Rowdy Ways
11. Mandy Moore, Silver Landings
12. Taylor Swift, folklore

Kym's Favorite Box Sets and Reissues of 2020



1. Prince, Sign "O" The Times (CD super deluxe box set)
2. Joni Mitchell, Archives - Volume I (CD box set)
3. Roxy Music, debut album (2015 Steven Wilson stereo remix, RSD vinyl and hi-res download)
4. Milla, The Divine Comedy (RSD vinyl)
5. Neil Young, Homegrown (CD and vinyl)
6. Richard & Linda Thompson, Hard Luck Stories (CD box set)
7. Thin Lizzy, Rock Legends (CD/DVD box set)
8. Tears For Fears, The Seeds of Love (CD/Blu-ray super deluxe box set)
9. Fleetwood Mac, 1969 - 1974 (CD box set)
10. Mellow Candle, Swaddling Songs (RSD vinyl)
11. J & K, Stonebone (RSD vinyl)
12. Man Jumping, Jumpcut (vinyl and download)

No problem.

That was a real surprise highlight as I never thought that era of Mac would get acknowledged.

Such a shame Bob Welch wasn't inducted with the band in the dumb-ass Hall of Fame and that he never saw this release.

I only got two brand new 2020 CDs this year so far but I do still have Christmas coming up so something could change in the way of presents or gift cards. Anyway, my current favorite CD of the year is Derek Webb's Targets, a truly rocking thought-provoking piece of work that's easily the best thing he's done in at least ten years. I've been a fan of his since I first bought caedmon's call's Long line of leavers CD back in 2000, but really he just keeps on getting better and better with age.

The other CD I loved this year was Stone Temple Pilots Perdida, definitely a change in sound for them but still quite good and very lovely sounding too.

2020 turned out to be a good year for releases of all kinds:



Rick Wakeman - The Red Planet
Neil Young - Homegrown
Immediate Family - Slippin and Slidin’
Neal Morse - Cover To Cover 3
Kansas - The Absence Of Presence
Stick Men - Dwari
Big Big Train - Reflectors Of Light
Sons Of Apollo - MMXX
Nick Mason - Saucerful Of Secrets
Ayreon- Electric Castle live
Pink Floyd - The Later Years 1987-2019
Jethro Tull - Stormwatch (rerelease)
Graham Gouldman- Modesty Forbids
Allan Holdsworth- Frankfurt 86
Ric Ocasek - Beatitude (new remaster)
Roger Waters - US + THEM
Flying Colors - Third Stage live
King Crimson - The Elements Tour box 2020
Steve Hackett - Selling England live
Porcupine Tree - In Abstentia deluxe set
Porcupine Tree - The Delerium Years 1991-1997 box
Doobie Bros - Quadio
Devin Townsend - Empath deluxe set
Ana Popovic- live
Tears For Fears - The Seeds Of Love deluxe set
AC/DC - Power Up
Fish - Weltschmerz
Dire Straits: The Studio Albums

*most new music I just stream from Apple Music these days*

The Fiona Apple, Khruangbin, Dylan, and Mandy Moore from this list.
I have more for later.

For various reasons most of my listening in the last couple of years has been via (a) Spotify at my office, (b) old concert footage on YouTube while walking my cat, and (c) revisiting my LP & CD collection on my stereo system at home. I still buy a decent number of releases but not like the old days. These are some of my favorites of 2020, in no particular order:

Huey Lewis And The News - Weather
Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea
Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter
Bob Dylan - Rough And Rowdy Ways
Pretenders - Hate For Sale
Neal Morse - Sola Gratia
AC/DC - Power Up
Nick D'Virgilio - Invisible
Fish - Weltschmerz
Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets - Live At The Roundhouse
Fleetwood Mac - 1969-1974 box set
Pendragon - Love Over Fear

Me too. Though I still buy physical product especially prog rock and my favorite artists, when it comes to new music outside of prog, I find using Apple Music fills that need (especially the portability). Plus my daughter works for Pandora which is part of the XM Universe. So we get free Pandora and free XM radio.

It saves me a ton of money and keeps my very large collection more manageable. Storage is always a problem with physical product (and time, time to listen, physical product demands time to sit and listen in one place).

To me, the last Taylor Swift release (not the December one but the one earlier this year) was the stand out release of the year. As far as reissues, I thought the Prince Sign of the Times, Beatles Abbey Road, and Tears for Fears Sowing the Seeds of Love box sets were all outstanding. Apparently I'm getting old because I buy a lot but am less impressed by new releases than I used to be...

Vinyl:
Barney Wilen and Tete Montoliu: Grenoble 1988
George Coleman Quintet: Baltimore 1971
Paul Desmond and Ed Bickert: Toronto 1975 Mosaic box
Cathedral: Return to the Forest, live
Cathedral: Freak Winter, live
Dexter Gordon: Chateauvallon Jazz Festival 1978
Iron Maiden: Nights of the Dead, Legacy of the Beast: Live in Mexico City
ZZ Top: Live in Germany 1980

CD:
King Crimson: 1969 box
Bill Evans Trio: at Ronnie Scott's 1968

2020 New Releases
Smashing Pumpkins: CYR
Springsteen: Letter To You
Nick Cave: Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone at Alexander Palace
Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways
Drive-By Truckers: The Unraveling AND The New OK (Taylor Swift not the only one to put the pedal to the metal on releases)
Lucinda Williams: Good Souls Better Angels
Kansas: The Absence of Presence
Steve Earle: Ghosts of West Virginia
Toots and the Maytals: Got To Be Tough
Neil Young: Homegrown (may be old, but as it was never released and Studio, I'll give it to him)
Nick Mason: Saucerful of Secrets
King Crimson: The Elements Tour Box 2020

2020 Vault Releases
Allman Brother's Band: The Warner Theatre, Erie, PA 7-19-05
John Lennon: Gimme Some Truth
Grateful Dead: June 1976 and the Dick's Picks (and squeezing in the Garcia Live Releases)
Grateful Dead: American Beauty and Workingman's Dead deluxe
Prince: SOTT box
Cream: Goodbye Tour - Live 1968
Bowie's Brilliant Adventure Releases
New Riders of the Purple Sage: Bear's Sonic Journals: New Riders of the Purple Sage
Zappa's Halloween 81: Live at the Palladium, NYC
Wilco: Summerteeth (Deluxe Edition)
The continued excellence of the Cherry Red releases - particularly Grapefruit and Doctor Bird. Nonstop.
Hendrix: Live in Maui
Richard and Linda Thompson: Hard Luck Stories (1972 - 1982)
Rory Gallagher: Check Shirt Wizard - Live In '77
Charlatans UK: The Between 10th And 11th (Expanded Edition)

Album Collections (just nice bundles)
Dire Straits: The Studio Albums
Bob Marley: The Complete Island Recordings
Doobie Brothers: Quadio Box Set

UFO: Strangers In The Night box set. Hands down.

In no particular order...

AC;DC “PWR/UP” - a welcome album that sounds a lot like their vintage years.
Berlin “Berlin” - a reissue of a great EP/album.
Joe Bonamassa “Royal Tea”
Johnny Cash “A Night To Remember” - a Third Man Vault release.
Dire Straits “The Studio Albums”
Flaming Lips “American Head” - nice return to a more accessible sound.
Ace Frehley “Origins Vol. 2”
John 5 “Live Invasion”
Rory Gallagher “Check Shirt Wizard: Live In ‘77”
David Grissom “Trio Live 2020” - this guy should be much better known.
Iron Maiden “Nights Of The Dead”
Elton John “Jewel Box”
Kansas “The Absence Of Presence”
Prince “Sign Of The Times” box
Queen + Adam Lambert “Live Around The World”
Rush “Permanent Waves 40th Anniversary”
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band “Straight To You Live”
UFO “Strangers In The Night” box
Who “A Quick One Live” - from the Monterey Pop festival
Hannah Wicklund “Psychobabble/Ohio” - 7” single
Frank Zappa “Mothers 1970”
Frank Zappa “Halloween 81”
Frank Zappa “You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler” - RSD vinyl release

But my release of the year has to be Tim Minchin’s “Apart Together”. His first studio release, and his first non-comedy release. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this because I got to know him from his comedy stuff, although a decidedly non-comedic song (“White Wine In The Sun” is my favorite of his), but he delivered in spades. I watched his live stream even around the release of this - essentially a live performance of every song on the album (but not an album performance), and I was blown away. I must have watched it four times during the viewing window. The album came out a day or two later, and it absolutely delivered. Packed full of pop hooks and powerful choruses, and it still delivers some of those trademark Minchin characteristics (see “Spoke Too Much, Stayed Too Long” - he’s aware). It’s almost unfair to see someone that talented. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

I’m not caught up on my listening, and in fairness, I haven’t listened to all of these in their entirety (but enough to feel comfortable including them), but it was a pretty good year. Even though I get a good amount of catalog releases, I’m definitely not in the “there’s no good music being made these days” camp. It’s not as easy to find, and I’m sure I’m missing a lot of it. But it’s out there.

Now that I've heard my Christmas CDs I can say with all honesty that Neil Young's return to greendale has now replaced Derek Webb's targets as my favorite album of the year. Derek's is still excellent, the best he's done in a decade, but Neil has him beat ever so slightly. Mileys plastic hearts is right behind them though since it's another home run release from her. Part 80s rocker chick part emotionally vulnerable songwriter she's clearly having fun here while also pouring her little heart out. Plus midnight sky is easily the best song she's done since wrecking ball. STP perdida is now in fourth place so that leaves fun by Garth Brooks at number five. Way more ballad heavy than I was expecting based on the title but since his best songs tend to be ballads anyway can't really complain. All in all it's no in pieces or scarecrow but his voice still has it even at almost sixty years of age and the songs are pretty good for what they are. Not a masterpiece by any means but a nice new late career album anyway.

My top 40 new releases

1 . Low Cut Connie … Private Lives
2 . The Lemon Clocks … Time To Wake Up
3 . Jeremy … Living The Dream
4 . Yum Yums … For Those About to Pop
6 . Wild Billy Childish and The Chatham Singers … Kings of the Medway Delta
6 . Samoa Wilson & Jim Kweskin … I Just Want to be Horizontal
7 . Gordon Lightfoot … Solo
8 . Darren Hayman … Home Time
9 . Lucinda Williams … Good Souls Better Angels
10 . Larkin Poe … Self Made Man
11 . Laura Marling … Songs for Our Daughter
12 . Pokey LaFarge … Rock Bottom Rhapsody
13 . Leyla McCalla … Vari​-​Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes
14 . The James Hunter Six … Nick of Time
15 . Larkin Poe … Kindred Spirits
16 . The Devonns … The Devonns
17 . Heather Anne Lomax … All This Time
18 . The Szuters … Sugar
19 . Bruce Springsteen … Letter To You
20 . Bob Dylan … Rough and Rowdy Ways
21 . Jimmy Buffett … Life on the Flip Side
22 . Louisiana's LeRoux … One of These Days
23 . Possessed by Paul James … As We Go Wandering
24 . Logan Ledger … Logan Ledger
25 . Dodson and Fogg … Chance Meeting
26 . Norah Jones … Pick Me Up Off the Floor
27 . Ryan Adams … Wednesdays
28 . Shemekia Copeland … Uncivil War
29 . Paul McCartney … McCartney III
30 . The Krying … So Many Girls Vol. 2
31 . Old 97's … Twelfth
32 . Fernando Perdomo … The Leo August Album
33 . The Reflectors … First Impression
34 . Shelby Lynne … Shelby Lynne
35 . Whitney Rose … We Still Go to Rodeos
36 . Datura4 … West Coast Highway Cosmic
37 . Matt Berry … Phantom Birds
38 . The Allman Betts Band … Bless Your Heart
39 . Cordovas … Destiny Hotel
40 . Darren Hayman … I Can Travel Through Time

Favorite surf instrumental albums

1 . Shoot the Pier … Lost Souls on Lost Beach
2 . V/A … Continental No. 27
3 . The Evanstones … 1961
4 . V/A … Chicago Surf Rally
6 . Baja Bug … The Surf Will Rise Again
6 . Tikiyaki 5-0 … Tone Control
7 . The Earthlings … United
8 . Messer Chups … Lost Tracks
9 . The Apaches … Rancho Deluxe
10 . Genki Genki Panic … Kahuna Mutato

Favorite artist comps/reissue/etc

Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real … Naked Garden
Makin' Time … Rhythm and Soul
Neil Young … Homegrown
Margo Price … Perfectly Imperfect at the Ryman
GospelbeacH … Once Upon A Time in London
Melanie … Live at Drury Lane 1974
The Pretenders … Live! At the Paradise, Boston, 1980
John Prine … Crooked Piece of Time: The Atlantic & Asylum Albums (1971-1980)
Elton John … Jewel Box
Richard & Linda Thompson … Hard Luck Stories (1972 To 1982)
The White Stripes … Greatest Hits
Dropkicks … Turning Circles
Bob Dylan … 50th Anniversary Collection: 1970
Sharhabil Ahmed … The King Of Sudanese Jazz
Neil Young … Archives Volume II (1972 - 1976
Frank Zappa … Zappa Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Thin Lizzy … Rock Legends
Creepy John Thomas … Trippin’ Like a Dog And Rockin’ Like A Bitch – The Complete Recordings

Favorite V/A Comps

APALA: Apala Groups In Nigeria 1967-70
Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs International Vol. 2
A Band For All Seasons - Songs From The Four Seasons Of Love 1966-1969
Boppin' the Bayou Feel So Good
Living On The Hill – A Danish Underground Trip 1967-1974
The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection
Stranger I May Be – Savoy Gospel 1954 to 1986
Big Stir Singles: The Fourth Wave
Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983 - 1987
Teil 3 - KRAUT! - Die innovativen Jahre des Krautrock 1968-1979
The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story, Vol. 1
The Spooky, Swingin' Sounds of Kreepsville Manor
Hit the Hay Vol. 11
Hillbillies In Hell – Revelations – Country Music's Tormented Testament 1952 to 1974
Gunsmoke Vols 5 & 6 – Dark Tales Of Western Noir From A Ghost Town Jukebox
Surrender To The Rhythm – The London Pub Rock Scene Of The 70s
Down Home Blues: Miami Atlanta & The South Eastern States: Blues In The Alley
Girls Go Power Pop
Terror From The Universe – Soundtrack From Beyond The Stars From The Attic Of Lux & Ivy

Favorite songs

Blackbird & Crow … Mo Chuisie
Bob Dylan … Murder Most Foul
Bruce Springsteen … The Power of Prayer
Classic Ruins … My Little OCD
Darren Hayman … Wrap Yourself Around Me
Dodson and Fogg … Come Outside and See It All
Greg Pope … Blue Skies Above
Groovy Uncle & Miss Modus … Magic Happens
Herman Düne … Say You Love Me Too
Jeremy … Living The Dream
Kurt Baker … I Like Her A Lot
Larkin Poe … Crocodile Rock
Low Cut Connie … Private Lives
Low Cut Connie … Help Me
Malin Pettersen … California
Matt Berry … Hail to the King
Paul McCartney … Winter Bird/When Winter Comes
Ryan Adams … When You Cross Over
Sam Amidon … Maggie
Scott The Hoople … Light A Candle
Shemekia Copeland … Give God the Blues
Steve Earle & Eleanor Whitmore … If I Could See Your Face Again
The Devonns … Come Back
The Lemon Clocks … You Are the Cosmos
The Ribeye Brothers … Spaceage Caveman