Bruce Springsteen

"Two faces have I
One that laughs one that cries
One says hello one says goodbye
One does things I don't understand
Makes me feel like half a man"

         - Bruce Springsteen, "Two Faces"

Regardless of what Barack Obama may have said four years ago in that famous speech of his at the 2004 Democratic Convention, there definitely are two Americas - two diametrically opposed Americas. And I'm not just talking about Republicans and Democrats here, though that division largely mirrors the real divide.

I just got back a little earlier tonight from seeing "Into The Wild" at the theater and man was it ever good!! I mean, what a fantastic piece of filmmaking, what an incredible performance and what an amazing film in every sense. I absolutely loved it!

Here they are, finally, My Picks For The Best 15 Albums and 40 Songs of 2007. I'm not necessarily claiming these are "The Best" albums and songs of the past year since there were thousands of albums and tens of thousands of songs released over the year and I simply haven't heard them all. What I am claiming, however, is that the selections you'll find below are my favorite tunes and discs from the past 12 months - damn good music, all of it. Enjoy! And let me know anything I've missed.

Yesterday, I went out and bought the new Bruce Springsteen album, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions", and now, after 4 or 5 listens all the way through, I have to report - though I could have reported the same thing after just one listen - that this is a fantastic album!! If, for you, it's all about Britney, Ashlee Simpson, N Sync and their like then you might as well stop reading right here, but if you're into real music then it's time to pay attention. You've already read the rave review from Rolling Stone magazine that I sent out yesterday, but here's a quick little rave of my own: