Spinner

Todd Snider Gets Phishy With His Top 10 Albums of 2009

It's that time of year where people like to make lists and check them twice. While every music blogger and Facebook friend of yours prepares their Top 10 lists for 2009, singer-songwriter Todd Snider gave Spinner a look at his. He gives slots to Phish for their new album 'Joy' (No. 2), and to the Rolling Stones, for an upcoming reissue of their all-time classic album, 'Exile on Main Street' (No. 7). But Snider's top spot goes to -- drum roll, please -- Phish performing 'Exile on Main Street.' It's kind of like the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, if you're a fan of fast food joints -- irresistible from both sides. "My new favorite band tackles my favorite album from my all-time favorite band, and do they ever," Snider tells Spinner. "Bong-meltingly groovy times."

Snider admits that "he's going through a bit of a Phish phase," giving them the top two spots on his list, but from there he branches off to Robert Earl Keen's 'Rose Hotel' ("It's like Mark Twain meets Willie Nelson," he notes), Kings of Leon's 'Only By the Night' and Kris Kristofferson's 'Closer to the Bone.' Just making the cut in 10th place, Snider says that his copy of Robyn Hitchcock's 'Good Night Oslo' got worn out on the road this year. "I think he's a killer performer," he says. "And watching Peter Buck crawl out of a van to play rock 'n' roll with a friend for no real discernible reason but fun just makes me feel better about everything."

Yep, Snider sure does have an entertaining take on things; his own CD from this year, 'The Excitement Plan,' is sure to make its own share of Top 10 lists -- including but not limited to Phish's Trey Anastasio, who singled Snider out in an interview earlier this year as being one of his new favorites. The feeling is obviously mutual.

Here is Todd Snider's Top 10 for 2009:
1. Phish -- 'Exile on Main Street' (live)
2. Phish -- 'Joy'
3. Robert Earl Keen -- 'Rose Hotel'
4. Yonder Mountain String Band -- 'Show'
5. Les Claypool -- 'Of Fungi and Foe'
6. Kris Kristofferson -- 'Closer to the Bone'
7. The Rolling Stones -- 'Exile on Main Street' (reissue)
8. Kings of Leon -- 'Only by the Night'
9. Black Crowes -- 'The Rock Side' (live)
10. Robyn Hitchcock -- 'Good Night Oslo'

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Bones

Who cares what music someone else likes. As long as I don't have to listen to their i-pod for hours on end. Todd is (in my humble opinion) one of the best singer songwriters in our time. I'm 51 so that covers the last 37 years.

March 16 2010 at 10:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MuddyG

I believe it was only one inane idiot. Todd Snider rules!

February 24 2010 at 1:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tyler

The fact that people still get so upset about other people's musical tastes is sad but laughable. "Your Favorite Band Sucks! No, Your Favorite Band Sucks!". Who cares if Todd Snider likes a band that you don't you bunch of inane idiots.

January 25 2010 at 10:01 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
willin\'

Been a Todd fan for a couple years now - a fan of the lyrics the tunes and the especially the humor but after this top ten list I beleive I've developed a serious man-crush. Exile is the greatest album. Phish's Halloween show actually did it justice and shockingly added some worthwhile licks. Joy - phisheads haven't come around but live versions are smoking and it is accessible in a way some of their stuff isn't. Kings potent throwback rockers hope they don't get too polished.

Todd is the man -- keep on keeping on and make it down to Miami!

January 08 2010 at 2:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chowder

mrcrispy, don't be an ass.

December 14 2009 at 8:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Trey

Although you shouldn't take anything Todd says as serious as...say a heart attack, you can be damn sure he appreciates good vibes, spontaneity, musicianship, and guts.

If you can't appreciate one of the most successful, creatively original bands covering an entire album (one of the greatest albums ever)live for 40k+ people....how could anyone else take anything you say seriously? Thats right...we don't.

December 07 2009 at 12:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Trey's comment
vandaniel

i'm glad you guys said it all before i could respond to that guy

December 09 2009 at 4:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mistercrispy

Anyone who put Phish on a list of top ANYTHING makes it easy for me to immediately discard their opinion on music. Someone who thinks contrived, repetitive, over-indulgent 15 minute songs that sound like an angry cat being forced to play a guitar with his raw paws after being fed fifteen Cliff Bars and a pound of catnip is just begging to be ridiculed. To put TWO albums at the TOP of a "best of" list for 2009 is like proving your worth as a movie critic by declaring Norbit the Movie of the Decade. Get real.

How could I possibly take anything Todd Snider says seriously?

December 06 2009 at 10:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to mistercrispy's comment
Tim

I'm not a big fan of Phish but can certainly appreciate what they do musically. They covered one of the greatest records of all time and that moron "mistercrispy" couldn't figure out why Todd Snider liked it? WTF? Go see TS live and you may see why you should take what he says somewhat seriously. He is quite possibly one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our time.

December 08 2009 at 3:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mistercrispy

Phish is one of the most self-indulgent, overrated, horrible bands to develop a major following in the last 50 years. If you think plunking nonsense on a guitar for 20 minutes is "music" and a band that purveys such musical inanity is a "great" band, it makes it easy for me to discard your opinion as well. Sorry, but I don't consider a bunch of idiotic, pot-smoking tone-deaf dweebs to be worthy connoisseurs of enduring music. If I have to do drugs to appreciate it, it's not good music.

December 10 2009 at 2:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply