So, a few weeks back, I had some down time at work, and thought I might make a list of the top albums of 2006, in order to kill an hour or two. But what started as a lark, has consumed far more time than it should have (though the time in question was time sitting around listening to music, so why am I complaining?), and is still rather in the unfinished category. But I'm sitting around, a bit under the weather this evening, and so I'm putting this baby to bed tonight.

I don't generally make top ten lists for music, as I feel like I miss far too many of the new releases, and I'm not always aware of whether an album even came out that year, or if it's just new to me. But this year, it seemed like there were a lot of new releases I rather enjoyed, so that I should be able to pick out a few that deserve special kudos. Also, thanks to my eMusic subscription, I've had an incentive to download new albums at a steady clip throughout the year. So overall, I think I stayed reasonably on top of the music world this year. At least those segments of the music industry I have an interest in.

I'm sure there are releases I missed that would have qualified for my list had I heard them. But reviewing various best-of lists online, I found few albums mentioned that really appealed to me, which I haven't gotten around to. Overall, I think the list I present is a good reflection of my tastes, and what was released in 2006.

I was going to build the suspense, and work my way up to #1, but I think I'll just start at the top and work my way down, until I get bored, or until I start getting to albums that, whatever their merits, don't really rise to the level of "Best-of" (I'm thinking the Racounteurs is a good place to draw the line). Anyways, let's begin:

#1: Johnny Cash, American V: A Hundred Highways	I'm sure this comes as a surprise to no one who knows me. As I said at the time, it's an absolutely amazing album, a goodbye that's unflinching, but never dispairing. Standout tracks: "Like the 309," "If You Could Read My Mind," "On the Evening Train," "I'm Free From the Chain Gang Now"
#2: The Pipettes, We Are the Pipettes	Probably the most unexpected discovery of 2006, this is a really fun album. A manufactured girl group, but in the best possible sense, they conjure up the best of 60s Phil Spector productions with a decidedly modernist mindset. Standout tracks: "Pull Shapes," "Because It's Not Love (But It's Still a Feeling)"
#3: Lady Sovereign, Public Warning	Another surprise, a bit removed from what I normally listen to. But I got hooked big-time on "Love Me or Hate Me" last summer, and when the album came out, found more of the same, only meatier. Walks a fine line, being crowd-pleasing and fiercely independent, accessible and distinctly British. Standout tracks: "Love Me or Hate Me," "My England," "Tango"
#4: Willie Nelson, You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker	Willie put together an amazing western swing band for this album, but he still manages to keep the spotlight on the songs. Great honky-tonk balladry by Cindy Walker, who passed away a week after this album was released, with simple lyrics that cut to the quick. Standout tracks: "You Don't Know Me," "Dusty Skies," "It's All Your Fault"
#5: The Meat Purveyors, Someday Soon Things Will Be Much Worse	Somewhat disappointing, in comparison to their previous work, especially considering this is to be their last album. But still quite good punk bluegrass, and they continue their tradition of odd covers, although their rendition of "Don't You Want Me Baby" does come off a bit gimmicky. Standout tracks: "Liquor Store," "Don't Be Sorry," "666 Pack"
#6: Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions	I would have thought a Bruce Springsteen tribute to Pete Seeger would be about as strident as you could get. But this album's a lot of fun, and if anything could use more political content. Standout tracks: "Pay Me My Money Down," "Jacob's Ladder"
#7: Solomon Burke, Nashville	Great soulful renditions of country standards. Solomon Burke is one of those living legends I feel guilty for not knowing more about, and this album serves as an accelerated education, and a charge to seek out more of his stuff. Standout tracks: "That's How I Got to Memphis," "Ain't Got You," "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger"
#8: Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat	The Rilo Kiley singer's solo debut showcases the country/soul influences detectable in that band's output, in a beautifully produced package. Standout tracks: "The Big Guns," "You Are What You Love," "It Wasn't Me"
#9: Various Artists, Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman	This tribute album is somewhat hit or miss, but it hits a lot more often than I would have expected (with only Steve Earle's "Rednecks" as a truly spectacular miss). Having Americana artists turning out covers of Newman's more Southern-centered work turns out to be a pretty good idea. I just hope Newman himself is on this list at the end of 2007. Standout tracks: Sam Bush's "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)," Kim Richey's "Texas Girl at the Funeral of her Father"
#10: Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, The River in Reverse	A wonderful collaboration that emerged from post-Katrina benefit concerts. Standout tracks: "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further," "Tears, Tears and More Tears"
#11: Neko Case, Fox Confessors Bring the Flood	I've tended to think Neko Case is a bit overrated, but here her gothic alt-country ballads come pretty close to living up to the enormous praise heaped upon her. Standout tracks: "Dirty Knife," "Lion's Jaws"
#12: Various Artists, Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys	There's a lot of stuff here, and it's not all gonna be great, but the best here is quite remarkable, and anything that brings more attention to sea chanteys is a good thing in my book. Standout tracks: Loudon Wainwright III's "Turkish Revelry" and "Good Ship Venus," Baby Gramps' "Cape Cod Girls," John C. Reilly's "My Son John"
#13: The God Damn Doo Wop Band, Broken Hearts	They probably suffered a bit from the inevitable comparison with the Pipettes, but if Broken Hearts isn't as hefty as We Are the Pipettes, it's still a lot of fun. Standout tracks: "Talk Too Much," "One More Night"
#14: Dave Alvin, West of the West	Alvin's tribute to his fellow Californian songwriters is, if not his best album, at least his most consistent. Standout tracks: "Kern River," "Here in California"
#15: Kris Delmhorst, Strange Conversation	I've tried to judge the albums on this list in their entirety, but I must admit that, while this album (a collection of songs based on classic poems) is pretty good, it is the opening track, "Galuppi Baldessare," that's largely responsible for its rank on this list. Standout track: "Galuppi Baldessare"

This is probably a good time to break with the rankings, and just conclude with some honorable mentions. These are listed in a vaguely descending order:

Los Straitjackets, Twist Party	Partnering with vocalist Kaiser George (and at their live shows, the World Famous Pontani Sisters), this album isn't quite as exciting as seeing them live, and does get a bit repetitive. But the whole project has such a joie de vivre, it's easy to overlook its flaws. Standout tracks: "Twist and Grind," "Domino Twist"
Belle and Sebastian, The Life Pursuit	Standout tracks: "Another Sunny Day," "The Blues are Still Blue," "Sukie in the Graveyard"
Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way	You gotta be rooting for them now, but this is not their best work. Standout tracks: "Not Ready to Make Nice," "Lubbock or Leave It"
Josh Ritter, The Animal Years	Standout tracks: "Lillian, Egypt," "Wolves," "Thin Blue Flame"
Chatham County Line, Speed of the Whippoorwill	Standout tracks: "Rock Pile," "Savoy Special"
I See Hawks in L.A., California Country	Better seen live, but this album's a reasonable approximation. Standout tracks: "Raised By Hippies," "Golden Girl"
Dan Zanes and Friends, Catch that Train!	Apparently some sort of children's album, but you'd never guess if you weren't told. Standout tracks: "Loch Lomond," "Welcome Table"
The Little Willies, The Little Willies	Standout tracks: "For the Good Times," "I Gotta Get Drunk"
Wailin' Jennys, Firecracker	Standout track: "Glory Bound"
"Weird Al" Yankovic, Straight Outta Lynwood	Very hit or miss, but a few moments of brilliance, especially on the Beach Boys style parody. Standout tracks: "Pancreas," "White and Nerdy"
The Be Good Tanyas, Hello, Love	More of the same, but in this case, is that so bad? Though the Prince cover caught me off-guard (picking up where the Meat Purveyors left off, I suppose). Standout track: "When Doves Cry"
Old Crow Medicine Show, Big Iron World	Standout tracks: "Down Home Girl," "Cocaine Habit," "New Virginia Creeper"
Crooked Still, Shaken By a Low Sound	Standout tracks: "Oxford Town/Cumberland Gap," "Ain't No Grave"
Casey Dienel, Wind-Up Canary	Standout track: "Doctor Monroe"
Paul Burch, East to West	Standout tracks: "Montreal," "Last Dream of Will Keane," "Daddy Rhythm Guitar"
Natalie MacMaster, Yours Truly	Another case of turning out another perfectly good album that just doesn't stand out amongst the rest of her wonderful work. Though the bagpipes certainly help it stand out a bit. Standout track: "NPG"
Johnny Cash, Personal File	A bit of a disappointment, but considering these are outtakes, one's expectations need to be checked a bit. The intimacy of the recordings helps, and the introductions can be interesting. Standout tracks: "Life's Railway to Heaven," "Jim, I Wore a Tie Today," "Saginaw, Michigan"
Hank Williams III, Straight to Hell	Standout tracks: "Country Heroes," "My Drinkin' Problem"
The Racounteurs, Broken Boy Soldiers	Standout tracks: "Steady, As She Goes," "Intimate Secretary"

So there you have it. My opinion of the best albums of 2006. And I even managed to get it out to you before the end of January 2007 (barely). By my standards, that's pretty timely. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the list. I like to make lists, with "like" here being a word which means "voices in my head often implore me to make lists," so maybe I'll share more lists with you, the internet community, in the future.