Friday 5: Best Comebacks and Grand Returns of 2008!!

December 26th 2008 by E..

Yazbek - “Terrible Thing” from Evil Monkey Man
Though it’s actually billed as David Yazbek And His Warm Regards, the music is the same infectious power-pop that last surfaced seven years ago on the stellar Damascus…since then, Yazbek has been making a fairly notable living as a composer for Broadway musicals, proclaiming himself to be a “Tony Award Loser”…his theatrical work might bring in more money, but his solo records are where his songwriting and musicianship really shine…

Big Blue Ball - “Burn You Up, Burn You Down” from Big Blue Ball
The long-delayed project from Peter Gabriel and company finally arrived this year, and I think it was worth the wait…an exotic blend of world music and Gabriel’s classic experimental pop, the Big Blue Ball album brings as many flavors as it does guest collaborators…I’m sure David Byrne is rather jealous that he wasn’t involved…

David Byrne & Brian Eno - “Everything That Happens” from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Speaking of the former Talking Head, he got back with his frequent collaborator (well, they worked together a lot back in the ‘80s) to create one of the year’s best albums…hardly a sequel to 1981’s My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, the new album is far more song-based, though Eno’s unmistakable quirks are still sprinkled here and there…

Joe Jackson - “King Pleasure Time” from Rain
Featuring almost all of the legendary Joe Jackson Band (which have actually only recorded four albums together), Rain is like a distilled version of Jackson’s entire eclectic career…this song brings to mind my favorite Joe Jackson album, the reggae-tinged Beat Crazy…most of the album is jazzier, with delightful pop and rock moments scattered about…

The B-52’s - “Love In The Year 3000” from Funplex
When I first listened to the new album from The B-52’s, I found myself groaning at a lot of the lyrical twists…then I remembered that this was the same band who got away with the nonsense of “Dance This Mess Around”…Funplex is a wonderful party disc (naturally), and makes for a great comeback…

Posted in Best Of 2008, Music, Friday 5 | 1 Comment »