The Best Of 2024 (Part 3)

Y'know, I dream of the things I'll do, with a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe... 

More thoughts on the musical year that's ending, interspersed with lyrics from popular song to make them more palatable. 

Wasn't it great to see perpetually despondent clown Bob Smith get out of bed for the first time in 16 years and think about making a new record? Of course, Songs Of A Lost World is wonderful, and given more time to wallow in it, I've no doubt it would have edged its way into my Top 24. Because of his "advanced" years - come on, he's 65, a spring bloody chicken! - Sideshow Bob does find it harder to get going, which is why many of the songs start with a 3 minute intro before he mumbles some lyrics about the end of the world and the price of make-up in Superdrug these days. If there's a smile on his face, it's only there trying to fool the public. But it's all good. Just don't wait so long before the next one, eh?

Someone else doing the resurrection shuffle this year is one J.R. Cash. Often erroneously referred to as John R. Cash, though his actual name is just J.R. Apparently his mum wanted to call him John and his dad wanted to call him Ray... so they settled on the initials. Johnny is just a stage name.

But anyway, he's back, making light of this dull, dull day. And fortunately it's not some nightmarish AI version (although, give it a couple of years... I bet Colonel Tom Parker's Estate is seriously investigating the Elvis-shaped possibilities), just some songs J.R. left lying around in the early 90s when Rick Rubin came along and gave him a better offer. They've been dusted off and given a respectful reworking by his son, and it makes for a nice enough collection. Though clearly not in the same ballpark as the American Recordings stuff, it's good to hear his voice again... for a few moments, I'm able to kid myself that not everyone I know goes away in the end...

Now's as good a time as any to mention the new Nick Cave album, Wild God, which I fully expected to be part of my year end countdown... but it isn't. Yet. I guess it's a life of surprises - it's no help growing older or wiser. After my initial excitement died down, I couldn't get into it... so I put it back on the shelf to revisit later. I feel this is my failure, and I can only apologise for that. After all that we've been through, Nick, I will make it up to you - I promise to!

We close today with the Avett Brothers, another band I can't keep up with, since the last time I paid them any attention was back in 2009, and they've released another four albums since then... five if you count this year's eponymous offering, which I do, because it's very good indeed. Too good to be forgotten! Now what more can I say...?