Greatest Album of 2008

Yes, it's only September (and barely so). Yes, Ray LaMontagne still has yet to release his new album of songs about getting his feelings hurt. No matter; the greatest album of 2008 has already been released.

On March 17, 2008 Van the Man released his THIRTY THIRD studio album. And it is a masterpiece. It's a carefully crafted set of new originals that are both catchy and thoughtful. It's clear that Van was inspired to write, and the material is flawlessly executed. It's almost frightening when a guy who has:
1) the greatest voice of all time (distant second: Stevie Nix)
2) 40+ years of recording experience (1968's Astral Weeks is 40 this year)
decides that he has something fresh to say.

Stand out tracks are:

1. How Can A Poor Boy
2. School of Hard Knocks
3. That's Entrainment
4. Don't Go to Nightclubs Anymore
5. Lover Come Back
6. Keep It Simple
7. End of the Land
8. Song of Home
9. No Thing
10. Soul
11. Behind the Ritual

It's too bad for Jackie Greene (see: Giving Up The Ghost) that this album was released in 2008, because otherwise Mr. Greene might have had a good shot at greatest album, but it's really just not a fair fight when a juggernaut like Van puts his mind to it.

That's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment, that's entrainment....

Noun: entrainment (plural entrainments):

1. Any of several processes in which a solid or liquid is put into motion by a fluid.
2. The carrying away of droplets of liquid during violent boiling
3. The movement of sediment in a stream of water or in a glacier
4. The mixing of air currents
5. (biology) The alignment of an organism's circadian rhythm to that of an external rhythm in its environment

If you don't own this album you don't care about music or science.

- JtR