Best of 2005 : Honorable Mention Ian Brown

Manchester in the area! In 2005, Ian Brown released his 4th solo album, the fantastic Solarized, featuring the rocking collaboration with Noel Gallagher, "Keep What Ya Got" - and a truly awesome greatest hits compilation, The Greatest, which included a superb new track, "All Ablaze" - proving that there is indeed life after the Stone Roses. But wait, there's more. The Manc messiah toured the world, including an earth-shaking stop in NYC, which I was privileged enough to witness. He whipped the crowd into a frenzy with not only a great collection of his best solo tracks, but also a handful of superbly performed Stone Roses anthems. Was 2005 Ian Brown's best year since the Stone Roses nearly conquered western civilization in 1989? Definitely.