1 – Love 3 X – ZZ Ward – I saw Ward a coupla years ago at Beacon Theatre opening for Gary Clark t Beacon Theatre and wasn’t thrilled, indeed so unthrilled arrived late at another gig she was opening, but this is a major breakthrough. Bubblegum blues as catchy as you could hope for, saucy, sexy cool, crazy shit – A
2 We Belong – Pat Benatar – This is the height of big rock balladeering, a huge song – A
3 – Mysterious Ways – U2 – A really great song, that bass lick gets you every time. On your knees boy – A
4 – This Summers Gonna Hurt Like A Motherfucker – Maroon 5 – Hand it to these guys, this album keeps throwing up surprises. It is so clear that there is a lot of thought behind, even this great dance track hiding at the end – B+
5 – Don’t – Ed Sheeran – Ed takes down Ellie Goulding, hard, after being taken down, hard – A-
6 – But Not For Me – Ella Fitzgerald – There is so much backbone in Ella’s singing and so much resistance, she doesn’t do weak, you are never worried for her. This song of loss becomes a song of triumph – B+
7 – But Not For Me – Billie Holiday – Which is the very last thing it requires, Ella is so great she can make anything her own, but the pain belongs here – A
8 – Hard Workin’ Man – Brooks And Dunn – Ode to the blue collar man, “the only way to keep the fire burning is to out run the wind…” – A-
9 – New York City – John – Has more to do with the real nyc than “Empire State Of Mind” and “New York State Of Mind” combined – A
10 – Manhattan – Bobby Short – Another story of a New York institute you never thought would end , Lennon’s isn’t better than this – A+
