James "Skyy Dobro" Walker’s
Top 20 CDs & Top 50 Songs for 2008:
Notes:
-
This list comes from
ONLY 2008 CDs that crossed my desk.
There were many good ones I did not hear. For example, of the 10 Grammy
nominees, only 4 came to my attention.
-
I encountered over 125
CDs in 2008, and most of those were 2008 releases.
-
I get CDs by: 1)
purchasing 2) given to me 3) sent for review by Blues Blast Magazine
Skyy
Dobro’s Top 20 CDs For 2008 Go to Top Songs
-
1.
Reba Russell Band Bleeding Heart
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2. Albert Castiglia
These Are the Days
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3. Wanda Johnson
Hold What You Got
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4. Lil’ Ed & Blues
Imperials Full Tilt
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5. Miss Blues
Bad Prospects
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6. Back Door Slam
Roll Away
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7. Flattop Tom
Don’t Cheat the Feet
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8. Eddy “The Chief”
Clearwater West Side Strut
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9. Eden Brent
Mississippi Number One
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10. Sean Costello
We Can Get Together
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11. Charles “Big Daddy” Stallings Blues Evolution
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12. Chris James & Patrick
Rynn Stop and Think About It
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13. Homemade Jamz Blues
Band Pay Me No Mind
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14. Elvin Bishop
The Blues Rolls On
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15. Magic Slim
Midnight Blues
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16. Smokin’ Joe Kubek and
Bnois King Blood Brothers
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17. Teeny Tucker
Two Big M’s
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18. Stan “The Man” Hedges
Two Mule Parade
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19. Mac Arnold
Plate Full of Blues
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20. Larry Garner
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Skyy Dobro’s Top 50 Songs
For 2008 Go to Top CDs
-
1. Albert Castiglia “Bad
Year Blues”
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2. Reba Russell Band “12
Bar Blues”
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3. Flattop Tom “Doin’ The
Do”
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4. Carolyn Wonderland
“Misunderstood
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5. Wanda Johnson
“GirlFriend”
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6. Lil’ Ed & Blues
Imperials “Hold That Train”
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7. Eddy “The Chief”
Clearwater “A Good Leavin’ Alone
-
8. Miss Blues “Blood
Running Cold”
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9. Charles “Big Daddy”
Stallings “Strange Things”
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10. Back Door Slam “Gotta
Leave”
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11. Albert Castiglia “Catfish”
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12. Mud Angels “Derailed”
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13. Sean Costello “Told Me
A Lie”
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14. Eden Brent “Fried
Chicken”
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15. Maddy Moneypenny
“Zebra”
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16. Albert Cummings “Party
right Here”
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17. Homemade Jamz Blues
Band “Blues Concerto”
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18. Smokin’ Joe Kubek and
Bnois King “Midlife Crisis, Midnight Flight”
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19. Nick Galik “Breakfast
in the Key of A”
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20. Larry Garner “For You
Mr. King”
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21. Mississippi Heat “Tiger Man”
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22. Lil’ Ed & Blues
Imperials “Check My Baby’s Oil”
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23. Elvin Bishop “Keep A
Dollar In Your Pocket”
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24. Webb Wilder “Sputnik”
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25. Laurie Morvan “Way
Down/One Little Thing”
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26. Chris James & Patrick
Rynn “Hawaiian Boogie”
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27. Nick Galik Band “Drop
Your Bottoms”
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28. Larry Garner “Bull
Rider”
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29. Eden Brent “Mississippi
Number One”
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30. Clarence Spady “E-mail”
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31. Savoy Brown “Long As I’ve Got You”
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32. Scott Ellison “Steamin’”
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33. Flattop Tom “Bump
Bounce Boogie”
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34. Monica Dupont “The Man
From New Orleans”
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35. Flattop Tom (Bobby
Robles – guitar) “Blue Ice”
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36. Charles “Big Daddy”
Stallings “Blues Train Express”
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37. EG Kight “Then There’s
The Truth”
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38. Mac Arnold “The Garden
Song”
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39. Dr. Feelgood Potts
“Pistol Packin’ Mama”
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40. Magic Slim “Give Me
Back My Wig”
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41. Paul Rishell & Annie Raines “Moving To The Country”
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42. Samuel James “Runnin’
From My Baby’s Gun Whilst Previously Watchin’ Butterflies From My Front
Porch”
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43. Jeff Healey “I’m Torn
Down (Live)”
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44. Tab Benoit “Solid
Simple Things”
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45. Willie “Big Eyes” Smith
“Old Woman Sweetheart”
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46. Gas House Gorillas “All
She Wants To Do Is Rock”
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47. Teeny Tucker “Whole
Lotta Shakin’”
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48. Gary Moore “Trouble
Ain’t Far Behind”
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49. Kenny Neal “Blues,
Leave Me Alone”
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50. Buddy Guy “Too Many
Tears”
Reviewer James “Skyy Dobro” Walker is
a noted Blues writer, DJ and Blues Blast contributor. His weekly
radio show “Friends of the Blues” can be heard each Thursday from
4:30 – 6:00pm on WKCC 91.1 FM in Kankakee, IL
James "Skyy Dobro"
Walker’s Blues CD Rating System
James "Skyy Dobro" Walker’s Blues CD Rating System is
based on this concept: There is no such thing as a bad Blues CD –
some are just better than others. Albums unworthy of one of these
ratings will not be reviewed. From highest rating to lowest:
1. Reference Quality - It’s simply
great music! Time magazine is a periodical; National Geographic is a
reference. Most music today is a periodical – something that marked
a certain time - a month, sometimes a week. Examples of References
can be found in the music of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy
Williamson II, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Compare them to Miles Davis
in Jazz and Jimi Hendrix in Rock; they are references.
2. Library Quality – Here is a
recording that should not be missed. It is worthy of inclusion in
your home library of CDs.
3. Suggested – A CD that truly can
teach amateurs about production and performance.
4. Splendid – An album with
outstanding qualities in lyrics, music, and production.
5. Meritable – A recording with enough
valid moments to overcome weaknesses. Possibly low on blues content
or misplaced in the “blues” category.
6. Fine – An album that can be
recognized as blues although with noticeable faults. Possibly an
amateurish recording.
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