1 – Die Young – Chinx – Sure, it gains depth from Chinx’s murder (at the age of 31) earlier this year, and the hook is beyond prescient, but the last words to his children are so real and heartbreaking it takes the track to levels most people don’t ever reach if they live to be 91: “I pray I be OK when I grow up a little bigger, if I don’t tell my babies daddy was a real nigga” – A
2 – September Grass – James Taylor – So now it’s a perennial – A+
3 – Jesus Is Just Alright With Me – The Doobie Brothers – Funkier than I remembered – B+
4 – Everyday Situations – The King’s Heartbeat – Soca meets rock and soul, like pub rock gets Caribbean rhythms, this is a real beauty with a chick back up singer, toasting on the breaks, and Walker Hornung’s excellent rocker vocals,. By the time you get to a short and sweet guitar solo, its bounty is overflowing – A-
5 – Irish Heartbeat – Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler – Better than his original on ’83s Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart, and just about the equal of his version with the Chieftains, say thanks to Mark’s expressive guitar – A
6 – This Mess We’ve Made – PJ Harvey – Not only quite possibly PJ’s greatest moment and a sexual and strange vocal performance Thom Yorke has never even approached since, but also a seriously brilliant ode to New York City that wipes Taylor Swift’s on its welcome mat – A+
7 – Some Ol’ Dolls – Tomas Doncker – Doncker’s ode to never getting beaten – A
8 – Ain’t Nothing You Can Do – Bobby “Blue” Bland – Only saw him once, he played this but I’d have demanded a refund if he hadn’t – A+
9 – I Believe In My Soul (Live) – Van Morrison – Van channels Ray, but then he would – A
10 – Night Time Is The Right Time – Ray Charles – Night and day – A
