Uncut Magazine: Best Of 2006 CD

Bob Dylan, crowned Uncut's Man of the Year, glowers from the cover of their December issue, possibly distressed at missing out on another title, like Sexiest Man Alive or Man of Peace.

Maybe he covets the Uncut Hero of the Year title, which went to Neil Young. Still, neither Young nor Uncut Woman of the Year Cat Power snagged the cover. That's strictly a Man of the Year benefit, baby!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's the one Uncut accompanied on tour for five nights last October, giving them an On the Road with Dylan feature. Their coverage includes copies of the setlists, a list of the ten most-played songs of his 1988-Oct 2006 Never Ending Tour (#1 is "All Along The Watchtower"), an interview with Dave Grohl about opening for Dylan, and a brief look at the former and current members of his band. (There are also online gig blogs)

2006's Hero and Woman of the Year are also interviewed in this issue, and Young even merits a mention on the cover. No room for a mention of Cat Power, though there was room to plug this issue's content featuring Arctic Monkeys, Jack White, Bruce Springsteen, Russell Brand, Jack Black, Flaming Lips, Julian Cope, The Kooks, Mark E. Smith, The Who, and Rod Stewart (His "true confessions" include this nugget: "Yeah... I'm partial to a blonde". My true confessions include this nugget: "Yeah... I don't care who Rod Stewart is partial to, but I don't want to hear or read about it.")

More on this issue's contents, such as their Top 50 Albums Of 2006 list, later. For now, a heavily annotated look at their Best Of 2006 CD.

Uncut: Best Of 2006 Track Listing:

1. Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood (yes, this is actually on yet another compilation. I think we deserve a different song too)
3. Joan As Police Woman - The Ride (available on Real Life) Mellow, jazzy pop.
4. Drive-By Truckers - Wednesday
5. Sufjan Stevens - Adlai Stevenson (available on The Avalanche) A really good song, but for now every time I see Stevens' name I think "Get Behind Me, Santa!". I love that title, and it's a terrific song too.
6. Midlake - Head Home (available on The Tales Of Van Occupanther) It's a Midlake song, and therefore it's "epic", "emotional", "heavy on the piano", and "goes on too long for my tastes". I do quite like this song, though.
7. Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins - Rise Up With Fists! (looking forward to her leaving The Watson Twins, and hopefully country music behind, and returning to Rilo Kiley)
8. Scritti Politti - The Boom Boom Bap (their album disappointed me)
9. Band Of Horses - The Great Salt Lake (available on Everything All The Time) Lovely song though it feels slightly underwritten... the lyrics could be a bit stronger.
10. Hot Chip - No Fit State
11. Ali Farka Touré - Ledi Coumbe
12. Cat Power - Lived in Bars (Liked her album, which I figure people have heard by now...)
13. Espers - Moon Occults The Sun (available on Espers II). Forget what I said about the Midlake song being too long. It's all groovy, man.
14. The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
15. Joanna Newsom - Cosmia (People seem to react strongly to her voice, either positively or negatively. I'm not a fan)