Tag Archives: Top 50 albums of 2012

Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball

On March 6, 2012, “Columbia” label released “Wrecking Ball”, the seventeenth Bruce Springsteen studio album. It was recorded 2011 – 2012, at Stone Hill at Bruce’s House, New Jersey, and was produced by Ron Aniello and Bruce Springsteen. In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Wrecking Ball” at number-one on its “Top 50 albums of 2012” list.

Personnel:

  • Bruce Springsteen– vocals,  guitars,  banjo,  piano,  organ,  drums,  percussion, loops
  • Ron Aniello– guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, drums, loops
  • Rob Lebret – electric guitar
  • Tom Morello– electric guitar
  • Greg Leisz– banjo, mandocello, lap steel guitar
  • Marc Muller – pedal steel
  • Steve Van Zandt– mandolin
  • Steve Jordan – tambourine
  • Charlie Giordano– accordion, piano, organ, synth, celeste
  • Max Weinberg– drums
  • Matt Chamberlain– drums
  • Kevin Buell – marching drum
  • Clarence Clemons– saxophone
  • Curt Ramm, Darrel Leonard – trumpet solo
  • Curt Ramm, Clark Gayton, Stan Harrison, Ed Manion, Dan Levine, Art Baron – horns
  • Clif Norrell– tuba
  • Soozie Tyrell– violin
  • Patti Scialfa– vocal arrangements
  • Lisa Lowell
  • Soozie Tyrell
  • Michelle Moore
  • Cindy Mizelle – outro vocal
  • Ron Aniello
  • Kevin Buell
  • Ross Petersen, Ron Aniello, Clif Norrell, Rob Lebret – group vocals
  • Victorious Gospel Choir
  • Lilly “Crawford” Brown – director
  • New York Chamber Consort
  • Rob Mathes – strings arrangements, conductor
  • Mark “Spike” Stent, Rich Costey, Bob Clearmountain, Chris Lord-Alge, Ron Aniello, Ross Petersen – mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Bruce Springsteen.

  1. We Take Care of Our Own
  2. Easy Money
  3. Shackled and Drawn
  4. Jack of All Trades
  5. Death to My Hometown
  6. This Depression
  7. Wrecking Ball
  8. You’ve Got It
  9. Rocky Ground
  10. Land of Hope and Dreams
  11. We Are Alive

Donald Fagen: Sunken Condos

donald_fagen_-_sunken_condos

On October 16, 2012, “Reprise” label released “Sunken Condos” , the fourth Donald Fagen solo album. It was recorded 2010 – 2012, and was produced by Michael Leonhart and Donald Fagen. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 25 on its list of the the top 50 albums of 2012.

Personnel:

  • Donald Fagen – lead vocal, piano, Prophet 5, Wurlitzer, B3 organ, clavinet, melodica, backing vocals
  • Harlan Post (alias Donald Fagen) – synth bass
  • Kurt Rosenwinkel– solo guitar
  • Jon Herington– acoustic bass, guitar, twelve-string guitar, rhythm guitar
  • Gary Sieger – guitar
  • Larry Campbell– rhythm guitar
  • William Galison– harmonicas
  • Michael Leonhart– trumpet, flugelhorn, mellophone, Fender Rhodes, minimoog, clavinet, L100 organ, M100 organ, Prophet 5, Wurlitzer, mellotron, Juno 6, accordion, vibraphone, percussion, glockenspiel, backing vocals
  • Joe Martin – acoustic bass
  • Jay Leonhart– acoustic bass
  • Freddie Washington– bass
  • Lincoln Schleifer – bass
  • Earl Cooke Jr (alias Michael Leonhart) – drums
  • Walt Weiskopf– alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Charlie Pillow – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, bass flute
  • Roger Rosenberg –baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Jim Pugh– trombone
  • Aaron Heicke – bass flute
  • Antoine Silverman– violin
  • Carolyn Leonhart– backing vocals, ad lib
  • Jamie Leonhart – backing vocals
  • Catherine Russell – backing vocals
  • Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Donald Fagen, except where noted.

  1. Slinky Thing
  2. I’’m Not the Same Without You
  3. Memorabilia
  4. Weather in My Head
  5. The New Breed
  6. Out of the Ghetto – Isaac Hayes
  7. Miss Marlene
  8. Good Stuff
  9. Planet D’Rhonda