Collab High Five!

A Foreword

It’s that time of year again.

It’s colder. It’s rainy (maybe snowing?). You look around you and the streets are decorated with festive Christmas lights. You just feel different — is it that Christmas spirit? The time of year where you enjoy the company of friends and family while sipping a deliciously steaming hot chocolate. The holiday music is everywhere in sight.

But no, it’s that time of year again to look back, at least for a music junkie.

To look back at the best albums released in the year of 2010. Albums that put a smile on your face. Albums that challenged you to think. Or albums that were just plain fun to listen to — or rather, ones you couldn’t stop listening to.

For the next 3 weeks I will be posting my personal top 10 albums of 2010. Some most will agree with, but some are just personal favorites that don’t have quite the same critical acclaim. Before we dive into the top 10, I wanted to feature 5 great albums that didn’t quite make the cut of my top 10 list.

Wake Up!

I’ve always been a fan of both The Roots and John Legend, so when they came together to create a cover album I was certain it would be great. However cover albums are risky – risky because there is a natural comparison between originals and other covers done of the same song. But I think John Legend and The Roots made a great effort to dig past obvious cover choices and still have a relevant message to the music he was trying to present.

“I wanted to choose cover songs that were so under the radar, so uniquely interpreted, that it would take you a second to realise that these are cover songs.” – John Legend

I think he succeeds. You couldn’t tell that this album is a cover album unless you were told that it was. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear a group release something that sounds like it was actually recorded live. No electronic tricks. No auto-tuned cover-ups. Just the raw elements of instruments, the natural voice, and great musical talent. Even more refreshing is the lyrical content. Today’s “rhythm and blues” is filled with sex and love issues. John Legend is right in saying there is a gap in today’s music that talks about something important other than issues revolving around the topic of love and relationships.

Not all of the songs suit John Legend’s voice, but this cover album is such a great effort and is refreshing in the midst of today’s music. It is definitely an album to listen to in 2010.

My favorite tracks off the album

Wake Up Everybody (Feat. Common & Melanie Fiona) by billboard

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free by billboard

Shine by billboard

John Legend Interview about the album