New York Times can get too Mr. Loaf-y for my tastes. But even even so, I prefer their arts and entertainment pages to their hard news, and there are few rock critics I admire more than Jon Pareles. Here are his best of 2011, which I guess is fair enough. Seven of them made my best of 2011, only one made my top ten.
Jon Pareles
1. Metals – Feist
2. So Beautiful Or So What – Paul Simon
3. Watch The Throne – Kanye West And Jay-Z
4. Ashes And Fire – Ryan Adams
5. Bad As Me – Tom Waits
6. Take care – Drake
7. Whokill – Tune Yards
8. Wounded Rhythms – Lykke Li
9. Cotonou Club – Le Tout Puissant Orchestre
10.Aesthethica – Liturgy
Ben Ratliff is a little weirder with lotsa world in his mix, but, ahem, Hell on Heels at # 1? Well, it was absolutely better than Lambert's solo effort. Jon Caramanica is closer to my taste, with Drake taking top honors and Beyonce and at #10. Jazzman Nate Chin has Drake on his list as well, and Tune-Yards near the top. The consensus appears to Watch the Throne, an album I have no time for. And my fave, Tyler The Creator, doesn't get a mention.