Year In Review 2017- Top 10 Albums Part 2

Another great year is finishing up for @RockBodElec and we wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE Presents the Best of 2017 Top Ten Albums numbers 10-6:

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album either on the site or somewhere else we will link to that review and just give a quick summation, just click on the name and title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but full releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us. You can view the first part of this feature, the just misses and let downs as well.

Today we start our top ten, in retrospect it was a year with a lot of good albums but few great ones, sorta like 2011 or last year. All three of these years contain OK albums as opposed to All-Time Greats. However, there is a wide range in the 2017 top ten; from Jazz to Hardcore Metal to Acoustic to Hip-Hop to Country. Click that Read More button to get started with #10-6 today. 

10. Willie Nelson- God's Problem Child

We start off with an old timer who made a surprisingly spry album in 2017, the legend himself, Willie Nelson. God's Problem Child contains original songs (not the case on recent releases from him), proving Nelson has a lot left to say. The easy tone and gorgeous vocals make this album cruise by and standout tracks like "A Woman's Love" and the title effort are gems. Nelson has made so many great albums he is a treasure and it is effortlessly cool ones like this that keep him relevant.


9. Run The Jewels- RTJ3

Some of the best currently doing it in hip-hop put out their third album in January, even if it digitally leaked on Christmas. We are considering it a 2017 release and thus it made our Top 10. While we were super high on it when it came out and we reviewed it for Glide, we haven't reached for it often throughout the year. It still makes our top ten though, a good album but a bit below RTJ 2 for pure enjoyment. 

8. Bloodclot- Up In Arms

Our favorite heavy album this year comes from NYHC legends (re?)starting a new band. This first Bloodclot release is a dose of punk hardcore that cooks in an old school Bad Brains style taking you right back to the heyday of the genre. (Thanks to Glenyu for pointing this one out to RtBE)

7. The War On Drugs- A Deeper Understanding

This is the album that finally broke through for RtBE with this band. While other releases from The War On Drugs have been OK, this one is deeper musically, lyrically and vocally. Retro looking to the mid 80's AOR easy listening pop rock produced tracks, A Deeper Understanding hits its mark over and over.


6. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- The Centennial Trilogy: Ruler Rebel, Diaspora, The Emancipation Procrastination

RtBE first found out about Christian Scott (his name at the time) back when we were doing our Jazzy Jan in 2016. We only recently downloaded this massive wide ranging three album set, (the full reviews are here, here and here) and instantly loved it. This is adventurous, modern, historical, examining the present while the looking forward. While three full length albums of experimental jazz will not be for everyone, we think it is a hell of an effort that should receive more attention and high acclaim on best of lists for 2017.


That is the back half of our top ten, numbers five to one are coming soon. Feel free to leave comments below.