WRITERS' POLL

WRITERS, BEST OF

BRIAN WISE

TOP 25 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Precious Energy, Barney McCall Greetings From Lake St Clair, Sara Tindley Maybe,Then……, Dan Warner The Real World, Freya Josephine Hollick Cruel Country, Wilco Resist, Midnight Oil Bloodline Maintenance, Ben Harper The Blues Don’t Lie, Buddy Guy Searching For The Heart of It All, Rob Snarski & His So Called Friends The Greatest Show On Hurt, Tommy McLain Just Like That, Bonnie Raitt Get On Board, Ry Cooder & Taj Mahal Only The Strong Survive, Bruce Springsteen World Record, Neil Young & Crazy Horse The Man From Waco, Charley Crockett Come Morning, Bros Landreth The Boy Named If, Elvis Costello & The Attractions Second Nature, Lucius It’s A Long Road, The Meltdown Peculiar, Missouri, Willi Carlisle The Spur, Joan Shelley Take it Like A Man, Amanda Shires I'd Rather Be Listening To,Sweet Talk Things Happen That Way, Dr John Anais Mitchell, Anais Mitchell

TRIBUTE ALBUM

Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen Live Forever: The Songs of Billy Joe Shaver

BEST /BOX SET/RE-RELEASE

Revolver, The Beatles Sail On Sailor, Beach Boys Spirit of Place 40th Anniversary, Goanna Landlocked, Chris Wilson Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography In Seven Songs, Greil Marcus The Philosophy of Modern Song, Bob Dylan

BEST OTHER BOOKS

The Tilt, Chris Hammer Sea of Tranquility, Emily St John Mandel

BEST MUSIC FILM

Harvest Time, Neil Young JazzFest: A New Orleans Story

BEST TV SERIES

Shetland/Three Pines/ Fisk

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Goanna, Womadelaide Milk Carton Kids/Brennan Leigh/Asleep At The Wheel/Jerry Douglas, Americana Festival, Nashville Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Trans Pecos Festival, Marfa, Texas

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Rhythms 3oth Anniversary Edition, May/June 2022

MARTIN JONES

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Big Time, Angel Olsen Ali, Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Touré We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, Sharon Van Etten I Love You Jennifer B, Jockstrap Dragon Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Big Thief Skinty Fia, Fontaines DC My Boy, Marlon Williams Cruel Country, Wilco Endless Rooms, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Greetings From Lake St Clair, Sara Tindley

BEST COMPILATION

Words & Music, May 1965 - Lou Reed

BEST MUSIC BOOK

The Philosophy of Modern Song - Bob Dylan The Passenger/Stella Maris - Cormac McCarthy

BEST MUSIC FILM

Moonage Daydream

BEST FEATURE FILM

Licorice Pizza

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Midnight Oil, The Palais Theatre HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Midnight Oil, The Palais Theatre A set list heavy on the early albums and a run through 10… 1 from start to finish. Talk about going out with a bang!

MICHAEL GOLDBERG

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Dust, The Rubs Wetleg, Wetleg Saturday’s Sons—The Complete Recordings: 1964-1966, The Sons of Adam Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, Gustaf Growing Up, The Linda Lindas 1970 Demos, Flying Circus A Legacy of Rentals, Craig Finn Only the Strong Survive, Bruce Springsteen The Legendary Typewriter Tapes: 6/25/64 Jorma’s House, Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukomen, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Big Thief

BEST COMPILATIONS

Saturday’s Sons—The Complete Recordings: 19641966, The Sons of Adam Turn Around: the Complete Recordings 19641970, The Beau Brummels

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in Seven Songs, Greil Marcus Kill A Punk For Rock ‘n’ Roll, Marty Perez Memphis Rent Party, Robert Gordon Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records, Jim Ruland Freak Out!: My Life With Frank Zappa, Pauline Butcher

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS (One or two of each)

Oumou Sangare at Freight & Salvage wed., Oct. 26, 2022

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

The publication of two books I wrote: Wicked Game: The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey (HoZac Books) and Addicted To Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg (Backbeat Books)

ANNE MCCUE

TOP 2 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (that I heard, I’m still catching up):

Live At The 5 Spot, Jack Silverman, Cerulean, Nashville Ambient Music Ensemble, Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 2

BEST MUSIC FILM

Moonage Daydream (noisy, chaotic montages annoying but I was walking on air afterward, inspired)

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Seeing Jack Silverman Quartet at The Dive, Nashville (it was the guitar tone I’ve been yearning for)

STUART COUPE

Storm Queen, Grace Cummings Hysteria , Indigo Sparke Precious Energy, Barney McCall The Real World, Freya Josephine Hollick Midnight Rocker, Horace Andy The Man From Waco, Charley Crockett Life On Earth, Hurray For The Riff Raff Kingmaker, Tami Neilson Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar Thee Scared Souls, Thee Sacred Souls

BEST COMPILATION/REISSUES

Sail On Sailor, ’72, Beach Boys The Blue Note Tone Poet series Watertown, Frank Sinatra Habibbi Funk – anything I could find Awesome Tapes From Africa – anything I could find Stories, David Blue Car Tape, Lisa Miller

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

Sonic Boom: The Impossible Rise Of Warner Bros Records, Peter Ames Carlin Holy Ghost: The Life And Death Of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler, Richard Koloda Dangerous Rhythms: Jazz & The Underworld, T.J. English

BEST MUSIC FILMS

Fire Music Ennio Wanita!

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Grace Cummings & Band at Dashville Skyline Nick Cave/Warren Ellis – Palais Theatre, Melbourne FOOLS at Bluesfest

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Finishing my Shake Some Action memoir which is published by Penguin Random House in August 2023 – and knowing that I’m getting to do an audio book version

WRITERS, BEST OF

DES COWLEY

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Oaatchapai, Sam Anning Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam, The Comet is Coming Suite for Max, Angela Davis Bordeaux Concert, Keith Jarrett Trios: Chapel (Live), Charles Lloyd Shadow Phase, Peter Knight In These Times, Makaya McCraven Another Dance, Mike Nock Hamish Stuart Julian Wilson Jonathan Zwartz Disruption! The Voice of Drums, Jeremy Rose & the Earshift Orchestra Meditations, Julien Wilson Mutations

BEST COMPILATIONS

Collected Works, John Adams Albert Ayler Revelation: The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondations Maeght Recordings

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer, Philip Watson Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues: 30 Years, Adrian Jackson & Andra Jackson

BEST MUSIC FILMS

Ennio: The Maestro, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore Moonage Daydream, directed by Brett Morgen

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Julien Wilson, first-ever solo saxophone performance, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues, 20/10/22 Mike Nock, performing his classic 1982 ECM album Ondas, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, 17/10/22

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

The five-hour Sanctuary Suite, held at Melbourne’s Elizabeth Murdoch Hall, 9/7/22, lived up to its promise of delivering ‘a sonic exploration of reflective, thoughtful, and meditative music’, featuring towering performances by Paul Grabowsky, Peter Knight, Luke Howard, Nat Bartsch, Nick Tsiavos and others.

WRITERS, BEST OF

DENISE HYLANDS

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2022 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

The Man From Waco, Charley Crockett The Real World, Freya Josephine Hollick Ramblin’ Soul, Melissa Carper Big Time, Angel Olsen River Fools & Mountain Saints, Ian Noe Kingmaker, Tami Neilson On The Ranch, Emily Nenni Neon Blue, Joshua Hedley Self-Titled, Teddy & The Rough Riders Obsessed With The West, Brennen Leigh

BEST COMPILATION

Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute To John Anderson Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver

BEST FESTIVAL / GIGS

Out On The Weekend, October 2022 Sierra Ferrell Australian Tour 2022, Canberra Theatre, October 9

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

The return of international touring artists.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Koort, Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse The Light at the End of the Line, Janis Ian Sweet Tooth, Mali Obomsawin Dark Enough to See the Stars, Mary Gauthier My People, Karnage N Darknis The Source of Light, Eric Bogle Songs from the River Wind, Eliza Gilkyson Stones Mumma Kissed, Kym Pitman 1960, Martyn Joseph Endless Grace, Deirdre McCalla

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

This is What it Sounds Like, Susan Rogers & Ogi Ogas The Angry Women’s Choir, Meg Bignell

BEST OTHER BOOKS

Dark Winter, Raina MacIntyre Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka, Cynthia Shanmugalingam

BEST MUSIC FILM

Wash My Soul in the River’s Flow

BEST FEATURE FILM/BEST DOCUMENTARY

Full Time How to Tell a Secret

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

Hugs (real and virtual). Courage, integrity, resilience, kindness, humour. The wonders of nature. Finding joy in little things. Creative people. Bec Goddard and the Hawthorn AFLW team.

STEVE BELL

This Mess We’re In, All McKinley Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Big Thief I Walked With You A Ways, Plains River Saints And Mountain Fools, Ian Noe Welcome To Club XIII, Drive-By Truckers Cruel Country, Wilco King Stingray, King Stingray On The Ghostlines, With Hands Of Lightning, Halfway Paint This Town, Old Crow Medicine Show El Mirador, Calexico

BEST COMPILATIONS

Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal, Pavement Collected Versus, TISM

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

Needles And Plastic: Flying Nun Records 1981-1988, Matthew Goody Lovers Dreamers Fighters, Loene Carmen

BEST MUSIC FILMS

Moonage Daydream Travelling’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival At Royal Albert Hall

BEST FESTIVAL/GIG

Bluesfest Big Thief @ Princess Theatre (Brisbane)

HIGHLIGHT:

It’s got to be the return of live music after the horrors of the pandemic, I don’t think we’ll ever take the inherent joys of the communal live music experience for granted ever again. The well-overdue return of TISM to the national discourse has been fun, and joining forces with Mick Thomas to release his music on my label is like a surreal dream come to life, it would be difficult to be more excited by a turn of events without it including St Kilda winning premierships.

CHRIS FAMILTON

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

River Fools and Mountain Saints, Ian Noe Cruel Country, Wilco Welcome 2 Club XIII, Drive-By Truckers

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Big Thief Toast, Neil Young with Crazy Horse Romeo & Juliet, Ryan Adams The Sea Drift, The Delines Strength Of A Queen, Andy Golledge Welcome To Sin City, Sin City The Man From Waco, Charley Crockett

BEST COMPILATIONS

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco Revolver, The Beatles At The Royal Albert Hall, Creedence Clearwater Revival

BEST MUSIC BOOK

Faith, Hope and Carnage, Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan

BEST MUSIC FILM

Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS (One or two of each)

Bluebottle Kiss @ Crowbar Sydney Dashville Skyline

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Seeing Bluebottle Kiss play live again.

CHRISTOPHER HOLLOW

TOP 14 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

In Your Hands, Lewsberg Mono Retriever, Dummy Reset, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom Petunia, Tonstartssbandht Pompeii, Cate Le Bon Rotsler’s Rules, Black Cab Michael Rault, Michael Rault Everything Was Funny, Dave Graney & Clare Moore Love | Song, Starry Eyed & Laughing Wilds, The Soundcarriers Past Life Regression, Papercuts This is a Photograph, Kevin Morby Spencer Gets It Lit, Jon Spencer & The HITmakers Mirage, Molly Lewis

BEST COMPILATION

Choctaw Ridge: New Fables of The American South, Various Artists Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop, Bob Stanley

BEST OTHER BOOK

Homo Irrealis: Essays, André Aciman

BEST MUSIC FILM

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

BEST FEATURE FILMS/ DOCUMENTARY

Prey Cocaine Bear

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Dean Wareham and Ryder the Eagle, La Nau, Barcelona Out on the Weekend

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

The Sand Pebbles played one ripping show at a small festival in Bambra on the Surf Coast. The fellow, Gavin, built his own stage and put on a party for his friends on Easter Saturday. It was magic.

CHRIS LAMBIE

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

GOLD, Ashley Davies Waiting To Fly, Lisa Richards You Reap What You Sow, The Weeping Willows Dreamland, Tanya-Lee Davies Greetings From Newtown Geelong, Van Walker & The Ferriters Snowcap Menace, High Ace Same Boat, Hussy Hicks King Stingray, King Stingray My Boy, Marlon Williams Resist, Midnight Oil

BEST COMPILATION

My Songs: 1989–2021, Archie Roach

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

All The Rage, Paulie Stewart No Bull, Vika & Linda Bull

BEST MUSIC FILM

Moonage Daydream

WRITER,S BEST OFWRITERS, BEST OF

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

WOMADelaide TAMIKREST, The Night Cat, Fitzroy

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Birdsville Races and surviving COVID

BRETT LEIGH DICKS

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

El Mirador, Calexico ThornBird, Thornbird The Sea Drift, The Delines Loose Future, Courtney Marie Andrews Breaking the Thermometer, Leyla McCalla Lighten Up, Erin Rae Crooked Tree, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway Fables In A Foreign Land, John Doe Folk Trio Palomino, First Aid Kit I Walked With You A Ways, Plains

BEST COMPILATION

Fifteen, The Wailin’ Jennys BEST MUSIC BOOK

This Woman’s Work: Essays on Music, Kim Gordon and Sinead Gleeson

BEST OTHER BOOK

Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography, Stephen Shore

BEST MUSIC FILM

Tár

BEST FEATURE FILM

We Are Still Here

WRITERS, BEST OF

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BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

ThornBird (Album Launch) - Albany Town Hall Courtney Marie Andrews and Erin Rae - Fremantle Arts Centre

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Traveling interstate again to the Head On Photo Festival

JEFF JENKINS

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Resist, Midnight Oil Canvas, Helen Shanahan Maybe, Then…, Dan Warner & The Night Parrots ThornBird, ThornBird The Eternal Paradigm, Matt Whytcross Searching For The Heart Of It All, Rob Snarski and His So-Called Friends In A Mistly, Dave Graney/Clare Moore Resentments Central, Juan Alban Light It Up, Casey Barnes The Real World, Freya Josephine Hollick

BEST COMPILATIONS

Melbourne In 60 Seconds, Various Artists Ultimate Hits/Masterpieces, Little River Band

BEST BOOKS

Lovers Dreamers Fighters, Lo Carmen All the Rage, Paulie Stewart

BEST FILMS

The Angels: Kickin’ Down The Door Like A Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres

BEST GIGS

Midnight Oil, Palais Theatre, September Horsehead – Corner Hotel, December

HIGHLIGHTS

The federal election. The Victorian state election. Mississippi Son, Charlie Musselwhite Blues For Breakfast, The Phantom Blues Band Another Dance, Mike Nock; Hamish Stuart; Julien Wilson; Jonathan Zwartz Ace Of Blues, Angela Strehli Changing Times, Silent Partners Face To Face, Jeremy Rose Golden Girl, Trudy Lynn The Sun Is Shining Down, John Mayall The Blues Don’t Lie, Buddy Guy Everybody Let’s Roll, The Texas Horns

BEST COMPILATIONS

You Shocked Me, Bob Corritore & Friends Bluesman For Life, Roy Gaines

BEST MUSIC BOOK

Living On A Thin Line, Dave Davies

BEST MUSIC FILM

Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Keith Richards: Under The Influence

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Crystal Waters Blues Night, Conondale, Qld. 26 November

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Downsizing to a tree change after a 40-year sea change

TONY HILLIER

Gog Magog, The Trials Of Cato Good Evening Black Buddha, Black Jesus Experience Above The Bit, Luke Watt & Nigel Wearne Aun Creo En La Belleza, Nano Stern History Has A Heartbeat, Joseph Tawadros Forest Floor, Fergus McCreadie Queen Of Sheba, Angelique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf Carnival Of The Ghosts, Kobo Town Sequana, Souad Massi Thornbird, Thornbird

BEST COMPILATION

Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands - Linda Ronstadt’s Musical Odyssey

BEST BOX SET

The Fundamental Nature Of Being, Shaolin Afronauts

BEST MUSIC BOOK

Tell Me Why, Archie Roach

BEST NON-MUSIC BOOKS

Stolen Focus, Johann Hari The Escape Artist, Jonathan Freedland The Incredible Life of Hubert Wilkins, Peter FitzSimons

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

The Beatles: Get Back documentary series

BEST GIGs

Goanna, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns, June Ian Date & JC Stylles, Jazz Sanctuary, Cairns, October

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

WOMADelaide, March

TREVOR LEEDEN

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Thee Sacred Souls, Thee Sacred Souls Lil G.L. Presents Jukebox Charley, Charley Crockett The Boy Named If, Elvis Costello Lifted, Trombone Shorty

Change The Show, Miles Kane I Ran Down Every Dream, Tommy McLain The Blues Don’t Lie, Buddy Guy The Sea Drift, The Delines Brooklyn To Brooklin, Scone Cash Players Brother Johnny, Edgar Winter

BEST REISSUE

Revolver, The Beatles Bert At The BBC, Bert Jansch

BEST BOOK

Shooting Midnight Cowboy, Glenn Frankel Unsettled, Steven E. Koonin

BEST MUSIC FILMS

The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson. In The Court Of The Crimson King: King Crimson At 50.

BEST CONCERT/GIG

The Who, New Orleans Jazzfest, Saturday 30th April. Dale Watson, The Broken Spoke, Austin, Texas Saturday 23rd April.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Getting back to seeing and hearing live music is life affirming. The best concerts are my highlights. There’s nothing quite like standing and watching The Who, Buddy Guy, Elvis Costello, and dozens more whilst delighting in the exquisite taste of Crawfish Monica and Mango Freeze. And for sheer entertainment, Dale Watson and the Lone Star Band in flight at the oldest dancehall in Texas was something to behold – somebody please bring him back Downunder.

IAN MCFARLANE

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Storm Queen, Grace Cummings Neanderthal Jam, Datura 4 Chariot Of The Gods, Hoodoo Gurus Love Is Calling, Mick Medew and Ursula The Generator Of All Infinity, All India Radio We Mainline Dreamers, Garry Gray & Ed Clayton-Jones Always The Sea, Rosie Westbrook Snowcap Menace, High Ace In A Mistly, Dave Graney / Clare Moore Rapscallion, The Murlocs (Plus - The Million Things That Never Happened by Billy Bragg)

BEST COMPILATIONS/REISSUE

Summer’s On The Ground - Pretty Faces - The Passing Scene (Box set), Leah Senior Alice & Blood Money, Tom Waits The Rehearsal Tapes 1971-1973, Sun Legacy 1973-1981, Kevin Borich

BEST MUSIC BOOK

Sound As Ever 1990-1999, Jane Gazzo & Andrew P Street

BEST MUSIC FILMS

The Beatles: Get Back-The Rooftop Concert (Peter Jackson) Fanny: The Right To Rock (Bobbi Jo Hart)

BEST FEATURE FILMS

Everything Everywhere All At Once (Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert) Elvis (Baz Luhrmann)

BEST FESTIVAL/GIGS

Out On The Weekend Russell Morris Grace Cummings

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Music, Music, Music

BILLY PINNELL

TOP TEN ALBUMS

Learn To Live Again, Joshua Batten That’s What Happened 1982 - 1985:The Bootleg Series Vol.7, Miles Davis The Real World, Freya Josephine Hollick Bloodline And Maintenance, Ben Harper Out Of The Blue, Greg Lyon Get On Board : The Songs Of Sonny Terry And Brownie McGhee, Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder Patient Number 9, Ozzy Osbourne Only The Strong Survive, Bruce Springsteen Found Light, Laura Veirs Maybe,Then..., Dan Warner & The Night Parrots

WRITERS, BEST OF

BEST COMPILATIONS/REISSUES

Highlights & Remixes, Nina Simone Harvest, Neil Young Forever Changes, Love Revolver, The Beatles Car Tape, Lisa Miller

BEST MUSIC BOOKS

The Philosophy Of Modern Song, Bob Dylan The Art Of Jazz, Alyn Shipton Music, Robert Doisneau

BEST MUSIC FILM

Moonage Daydream

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES

The Beatles: Get Back Rewind And Play, Thelonious Monk Ennio, Ennio Morricone Creedence Clearwater Revival At The Royal Albert Hall

BEST GIGS

Marcelle, Dog’s Bar St .Kilda The Badloves, Corner Hotel Richmond

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR.

Being among music lovers at live performances.