And The Awards Go To....

THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME TO LIST THE WINNERS!


--Song of the Year: The Killers "When You Were Young"

The Killers came back this year with a new album which received its fair share of negative reviews by critics. I however feel that this album is right on par with their debut "Hot Fuss" if not better. One thing that I and all critics alike can agree on is the sheer greatness of the single "When You Were Young." The song has that ultimate catchy chorus which The Killers have nearly perfected and its powered by the emotionally moving voice of Brandon Flowers. The song while not particularly long is able to take the listener on a journey with its fast and loud moments and slow and melodic ones. The greatest moment of the song comes towards the end which caps the song off with a momentous crescendo driven by a simple solo which meticulously draws on one note for a period of time. The Killers have taken a different road showing that they have depth and no one can nor should argue the fact that they are evolving and this song is the height of their new evolution.
Runner Up: Wolfmother "White Unicorn"



--Worst Band of the Year: New Found Glory

For the second year in a row New Found Glory has taken this award and by a landslide. Unlike last year however, New Found Glory actually released an album giving more reason for them to take home this award. While I unfortunately had to listen to this album for a bit I noticed the same continuing pattern, and that obvious cookie cutter mold they have crafted for themselves. Their inability to actually move forward has them taking this award with ease. They are dumbing down the music industry with their tedious nagging and crying about relationships gone wrong. A whiny voice and whiny lyrics create the perfect scenario for me to whine about them. Congratulations New Found Glory for being the first band to win an Imagine Echoes award two years in a row!
Runner Up: Brand New



--Comeback Band/Artist of the Year: Bob Dylan

While Dylan never truly left it has been five years since his last release. Dylan continued to tour during this hiatus in recording, but with his new album being as fantastic as it is, I could not find it within myself to grant this award to anyone else. "Modern Times" was his highest charting album in some 30 odd years and it finally completed the trilogy which began in 1997 with "Time out of Mind." Dylan saved the best of this trilogy for last and "Modern Times" displays Dylan at his best, and with a discography as large as his, to say it is one of his best is quite a bold statement and one that I am willing to make. Dylan had a fantastic year on top of "Modern Times" going number one in the US, Dylan also had a huge tour featuring major opening acts to the likes of the Foo Fighters and The Raconteurs. Dylan is truly one of the most important figures in American history, and not just as an artist but as a person, he never fails to impress the world.
Runner Up: Tool



--Debut Album of the Year: Wolfmother: "Wolfmother"

What can I say about Wolfmother... They hit the stage with an album that was in your face and held nothing back. The album sounds like it took Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and The White Stripes and threw them into a melting pot and it led to the creation of Wolfmother. The album could easily be mistaken as a Classic Rock album, and while some may see that as just being uncreative and uninspired, they should probably take a break and listen to the fantastic music without putting into context bands before them. The album is packed with crunching riffs and heavy distortion which is enough to power the album on its own, but Wolfmother doesn't stop there, Andrew Stockdale's powerful falsetto voice propels the songs on a heavier level. Wolfmother's self titled album wins this category with ease.
Runner Up: The Raconteurs: "Broken Boy Soldier"



--Tour of the Year: David Gilmour

While there have been a fair share of great tours this year David Gilmour tops my list. The year 2006 saw the voice of Pink Floyd fans resonating in the air calling for their return for at least one last reunion tour. Unfortunately this moment never came but lucky for them came tours by both Roger Waters and David Gilmour. While both incredible shows David Gilmour was able to top Waters. His tour was very exclusive and was played in mostly intimate settings, he only played in just four cities across America and in some other countries world wide. What made Gilmour's tour so phenomenal was his unfaltering ability to maintain that amazing skill on guitar and to not lose a bit in his sooting lush voice. Gilmour's concerts were marked by their incredible set lists, while the first half was his new album "On an Island" played in entirety, the second half was a mix of the classic Floyd hits with some lesser known classics as well. What took Gilmour's tour over the top was the simple fact that he performed "Echoes" in it's entirety and never has the song sounded so sweet. On top of "Echoes" he would perform classics like "Comfortably Numb," "Wish You Were Here," and "Time" as well as some lesser known songs but none the less classics "Fat Old Sun" and "Wots...Uh the Deal." Joining Gilmour on his tour was Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright making it one step closer to having Floyd in full. For those who saw Gilmour, they witnessed a concert which cannot even be put into words. Easily the best concert I have ever heard.
Runner Up: The Who



--Album of the Year: Wolfmother: "Wolfmother"

While it's hard to win album of the year, it's much harder to win both album of the year and debut album of the year, especially when you have Dylan coming out with a fantastic release. Wolfmother's album which I already went over showed a band with a strong sense of direction and a vision which was clear cut from beginning to end. Nothing short of maturity is what can be said about this album. The album contains hit after hit with amazing songs like "White Unicorn," "Mother," "Dimension," Mind's Eye," and so many more. This is the must have album of the year!
Runner Up: Bob Dylan: "Modern Times"



--Band of the Year: Wolfmother

If you've been reading this list category by category it probably wasn't too difficult to see this one coming. If this band is not ridiculously huge by the release of their next album (barring on if it is anywhere near as good as their debut) than I will be shocked. We can see a push by the younger generation of teenagers for Classic Rock. Everywhere you look you can see teens sporting Zeppelin and Floyd shirts and if they are truly fans of this kind of music then Wolfmother is their savior and accordingly the savior of Classic Rock. They are reviving the sound which defined a generation and they are doing it with ease. The band is being noticed by critics and fans all around the world. Their success in Australia has been phenomenal winning three huge ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) awards which were Best Group, Best Album, and Best Breakthrough Album. Here in the US they even have a Grammy nomination which are never easy to come by. Currently the band is embarking on a world tour and their live shows are packed with nothing short of pure energy and adrenaline. The trio has a stage presence unlike any band currently out there, bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross has an animal like tenacity throwing around his keyboard jumping off the elevated drum stage to play his keyboard and moving around like a caged tiger. Andrew Stockdale has conducts the audience with poise and confidence as if he is an old veteran. This band has me clawing in anticipation for their next record and has me patiently waiting for them to break through as the biggest band on the market.
Runner Up: Bob Dylan

Imagine Echoes Awards for 2006 Nominees

Like last year I will have myself a little award ceremony (or award post.) This year opposed to last year I will list the nominees before listing the actual winners. I have basically decided who I feel wins in each category and I will probably post the winners the day after Christmas, if you would like to voice your input I would love to hear it. So here are the nominees.

For Band/Artist of the Year:

1) Bob Dylan
2) Wolfmother
3) The Raconteurs
4) The Red Hot Chili Peppers
5) Tool


Album of the Year:

1) Bob Dylan: "Modern Times"
2) Wolfmother: "Wolfmother"
3) The Mars Volta: "Amputechture"
4) The Raconteurs: "Broken Boy Soldier"
5) David Gilmour: "On an Island"


Tour of the Year:

1) Bob Dylan
2) The Who
3) David Gilmour
4) Roger Waters
5) The Red Hot Chili Peppers


Debut Album of the Year:

1) Wolfmother: "Wolfmother"
2) Gran Bel Fisher: "Full Moon Cigarette"
3) The Rosewood Thieves: "From the Decker House"
4) The Raconteurs: "Broken Boy Soldier"
5) Bojones: "Bojones"


Comeback Band/
Artist of the Year:

1) Bob Dylan
2) Bob Seeger
3) The Who
4) Pearl Jam
5) Tool


Worst Band of the Year:

1) New Found Glory
2) Fall Out Boy
3) The All American Rejects
4) AFI
5) Brand New


Song of the Year:

1) Wolfmother: "White Unicorn"
2) Bob Dylan: "Thunder on the Mountain"
3) The Killers: "When You Were Young"
4) The Raconteurs: "Steady as She Goes"
5) David Gilmour: "On an Island"
6) The Flaming Lips: "Free Radicals"


For a list of last year's winner here is a link: Imagine Echoes Awards for 2005

You Can Now Disregard the Last Post

I figured out why I couldn't leave comments, it was simple. I just needed to clear my cache.

Commenting Issues

For some reason I have been unable to comment on other people's blogs. I was wondering if anyone knows the reason? Is it because I haven't updated to the "betta blog" or whatever it is. I guess I will try updating it eventually, I'm just a little scared since I saw that once you do it there is no turning back. Do you think it's worth updating? Also by any chance do you know if that's why I can't comment on other peoples blogs?

"Chinese Democracy" A Guaranteed Failure

Remember sitting on the edge of your seats for months on end anticipating the release of that movie or game you are dying to see or play, and when you finally get your hands on it you can't help but feel disappointed because of all they hype you put into it. This in the end will be the fatal flaw for Guns N' Roses' (or should I say Axl Roses') new album "Chinese Democracy." For those who are not too familiar with the album, in 1994 work on it had begun and throughout these twelve years it has seen a number of recording studios, musicians, and producers. Not only has it seen all these people and places but "Chinese Democracy" has also had the the pleasure of costing an excess of $13 million. If all that sounds absurd, what makes it even crazier is the obvious fact that it still has not been released and that it has been delayed and set for release more times than one can fathom.

As I stated earlier the ultimate fate of this album has already been decided, the fact that it has received such a large amount of hype and the way Axl teases the fans with consistent and constant postponing of the album leads me to believe that it will be virtually impossible to overcome those obstacles. The only way I could see this album being a success besides in sales figures is by it being the next "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" or "Pet Sounds." The odds of that are pretty much 0.01% although it probably should be that solid after twelve years of work. Axl Rose is the man to hate in the music industry and for obvious reasons, in the end he automatically plagued this work with a cancer which has practically no hope of a cure.

John Lennon: 26 Years

Today marks 26 years since Lennon was brutally taken away from the world. Continuing with tradition I will make my way out to Strawberry Fields (pending the weather), for those who would like to read my last visit there, here is a link My Day With John Lennon. Now, I would love to repeat myself and tell why I love Lennon so much but I have already made a post like that which basically captured everything, if you would like to read that it's here: Thank You John! It is amazing how one mans words were able to resonate and positively affect an entire generation. It only speaks to the importance of this man. Long Live John Lennon!

In remembrance of this larger than life human being I would like to ask everyone where were they when they heard the news that Lennon died and what kind of reaction you had towards the news. Obliviously I am too young to actually tell a story in regards to this but considering I am too young it would be nice to hear how other people remember it.

The Top 1,043 Songs of All Time: A Long List for Long Songs

My local radio station counts down the top 1,043 (1,043 for Q 104.3) songs of all time each year around Thanksgiving time. The countdown is created based on the voting of the listeners. It is actually a very cool thing, for around four straight days this station will play all 1,043 songs on the list, so they start at number 1,043 and go straight through to number one. From year to year the top twenty or so songs are normally the same with the order switched around, however the number one song is ALWAYS the same. You might wonder what is always ranked number one and I'm sure most would guess the Zeppelin classic "Stairway to Heaven." If you guessed that, you are correct, this FM Classic Rock Staple has captured the number one spot year after year and I certainly can't argue that. It truly encompasses everything a great song should be, emotional, powerful, virtuous and so much more.

An interesting thing to note is that it appears that the public enjoys lengthy songs which is something which I love to reinforce. While people continuously say the best kind of song is a short one, I disagree whole heartedly. I think it's just the opposite, the best song is a long song. One that has the ability to capture everything because of the lack of time constraint.

For example on this list there is the epic "Stairway to Heaven" clocking in at over eight minutes. At number two, is "Layla" which extends past seven minutes. Number three is nine minute and eight second "Freebird." Number four is "Hey Jude" which eclipses the seven minute mark. And rounding out the top five is "Baba O'Riley" the short one on the list but not exactly a short song by most standards which passes five minutes. From 6-10 there are three out of five songs longer than six minutes. Clearly a trend is present, maybe this list just goes to show, the longer the better.

Here is a link to the list: Top 1,043

A List of the Top 20:

20: Billy Joel- Piano Man
19: Doors- Light My Fire
18: Beatles- Sgt. Peppers/A Day In The Life
17: Rolling Stones- Satisfaction
16: Bruce Springsteen- Thunder Road
15: John Lennon- Imagine
14: Queen- Bohemian Rhapsody
13: Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
12: Eagles- Hotel California
11: Led Zeppelin- Kashmir
10: Beatles- Let It Be
9: Rolling Stones- Sympathy For The Devil
8: Pink Floyd- Comfortably Numb
7: Bruce Springsteen- Born To Run
6: Who- Won't Get Fooled Again
5: Who- Baba O'Riley
4: Beatles- Hey Jude
3: Lynyrd Skynyrd- Freebird
2: Derek & The Dominos- Layla
1: Led Zeppelin- Stairway To Heaven