This year (or I guess it is last year now) I spent far less on music than I have in past years only picking up about 29 albums and about 200 or singles but I still have an opinion based on that so let’s get to it.

2008 seemed to be a renaissance for a great many older artists, some hit and some didn’t but the weakest one of the year goes to Def Leppard’s “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge”. I truly think Def Leppard may have died because this isn’t even a shadow of their former works.

And now onto the best.


10. Journey “Revelation” 2 Disc set – “Revelation” is not something new, its more a continuation of the direction the band began to take with Steve Perry’s last album with the band, “Trial By Fire”. Now on their second singer since Perry left, “Revelation” is once again a showcase of both Neal Schon’s guitar playing and Jonathan Cain’s piano skills. The vocals sound fine on the new songs but most of them are rather forgettable, which is probably why you are wondering why this album made the list. Well the reason is simply because of the second disc. That disc includes re-recorded hits with new lead vocalist Arnel Pineda singing them. The disc is great with new guitar work by Schon, lending a fresh take on some classic songs, plus if you heard the new cuts you would swear that Perry was on vocals instead of Pineda.

9. AC/DC “Black Ice” – It’s taken eight years but AC/DC has released a new album and guess what it sounds great. “Black Ice” is probably their best album since “The Razor’s Edge” which came out 17 years ago. Angus still rocks, Brian Johnson stil screams and AC/DC is still one of the best hard rock bands around.

8. 3 Doors Down “3 Doors Down” – I bet you didn’t realize that 3 Doors Down is one of the most successful rock acts in the past decade. That’s because they aren’t headline grabbers. The band just release good southern tinged hard rock and not much else. This self titled album is quite possibly their best yet but yet again they will probably be forgotten about.

7. Ken Block “Drift” – The first official solo release from Sister Hazel front man Ken Block is a more songwriter friendly album than his work on Sister Hazel but he never strays too far away from his comfort zone and that is why “Drift” works. Fans of Jack Johnson should give “Drift” a try, I think you will find it quite too your liking.

6. Metallica “Death Magnetic” – Once upon a time there was this little metal band and they released some great material. Then that band hit it mainstream big with an album and a lot of early fans have been clamoring for them to get back to their origins. They tried once and released such a turd of an album that almost everyone wrote them off. Then they released this and it was good but it proves that you just can’t return home again. Metallica has aged and it shows in their music. It’s not as raw and angry as it once was but that’s not a bad thing because “Death Magnetic” is filled with epic metal songs that fit right along with their early catalog and their more mainstream stuff as well, making for a great listening experience.

5. Buckcherry “Black Butterfly” – “Black Butterfly” is actually a more consistent album than “15″ was but it lacks the super hits that will drive it to the top. However if you are looking for some great songs, look no further than “Rose” which is quite possibly the best song they have done to date.

4. Whitesnake “Good to be Bad” – You probably didn’t see this one coming did you? This was actually just an impulse buy but it ended up being one of my best purchases of the year. From the bluesy, metal guitars to David Coverdale’s constant imitation of Robert Plant “Good to be Bad” could very well have come out in 1989 and it would have topped the charts alongside Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood” but its come out in 2008 so the best I can do is tell you that it is a great album.

3. Darius Rucker “Learn to Live” – Yes that’s right the man that the uninformed have called Hootie for the past 20 years has released his second solo album but unlike the first, which was a soul album, “Learn to Live” is a straight up country record, and a great one at that. Outside of the vocals, which are fantastic, “Learn to Live” does what every country album should do and it tugs at your emotions and it does it well, leaving you feeling happy with your life. What is great about “Learn to Live” though is that while it is distinctly country it also has that Hootie and the Blowfish tinge to it that keeps it just enough rock and roll.

2. Guns N’ Roses “Chinese Democracy” – Anybody who knows anything about me saw this one coming, although they probably thought it was going to be in at #1. I’ve seen a lot of disappointment disguised as hate for this album and that’s a shame because the number one complaint I have heard about it is that it isn’t like “Appetite”. I’ve got news for you people, the “Use Your Illusion” albums, weren’t like “Appetite” either. “Chinese Democracy” is a direct evolution from the “Illusion” albums so if you are complaining about it not being “Appetite” you probably weren’t much of a GNR fan to begin with. I’m not going to even get into the “Its not really GNR” shit because its a horse crap argument and I don’t particularly want to play with feces. I’ve spent too much time on this and I didn’t even get in depth into the music, regardless its existence speaks for itself.

1. Sister Hazel “Before the Amplifiers” – This was actually a tough decision for me because I didn’t know if I should go with a live and acoustic album. My wife even looked at me a little funny when I told her what I had decided on but it just speaks to the strength of the album as a whole. Honestly “Before the Amplifiers” features 18 tracks, almost an hour and a half of music and it is all a different take from what I am used too. It’s a fun-filled joy ride and the album I had the most fun with this year.

Well that’s it, check back tomorrow as I tackle my favorite films of 2008.