a coherent collection of random statements regarding God, words and tunes

I Don't Care if You Love Me.... Just So You Like Me....

Well, that oughta provide a hint. It won't, but in a perfect world where quality matters, it would.

Anyway, it's that most stressful wonderful time of the year again. A year of huge changes. A year that's leaving me with a headache right now, but it'll pass (in, oh, four to six months.... but hopefully the fruits of that will be worth it...). There'll be more personal updates again soon, to be sure, but this one's about the music.

It's time for the end-of-year review, and when the "new" list is almost as good as the "discoveries" list, you know it was a pretty good year musically. Definitely the best since 2005, and probably since 2004. And as it features the best album since 2005, by.... Well, just wait for it and plow along with me, a'ight?

My Top 10 Discoveries of 2008:

10. Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 -- Ole! Tarantula (2006) -- Seriously, how bad could a pairing of Robyn Hitchcock and Peter Buck BE? Well, not bad at all. And as rockin' as he's been in ages.

9. John Cale -- Black Acetate (2005) -- John Cale: Forgotten but not gone. Especially on this one.

8. Ian Hunter -- Strings Attached (2005) -- The Original Shaded One, plus orchestra, showing off the ballads in a big way: "Boy," "I Wish I Was Yr Mother," "Irene Wilde," and much more. And "Michael Picasso," his elegy for Mick Ronson, will reduce you to a blubbering idiot. What a great, great song.

7. Robyn Hitchcock -- Moss Elixir (1996) -- WhereinMr. Barrett Byrds Hisself plays it straight. For him, anyway. Robyn will always be Robyn, of course, but these puppies are actually accessible. The companion alt-CD, Mossy Liquor, is almost as good.

6. Michael Knott -- Hearts of Care (2003) -- The "Christian Tim Byrnes" (and this didn't come from me if you'll recall, but it fits) returns. Hubris, hubris, and oh yeah, hubris. And on that note, "Detox Radio Station" is worth the price of admission. (Comatose Soul, the one before it, just missed this list, BTW.)

5. Andy Partridge -- The Fuzzy Warbles Collection (2002-2006) -- For sheer inventiveness, this belongs here. 8 CDs of outtakes, unreleased stuff, and everything else that'll help Andy pay the bills leftover from his XTC days (since Virgin wouldn't, causing that 8-year holdout before they finally ripped up the contract). And on that note....

4. XTC -- Nonsuch (1996) -- How the heck did I wait this long to finally hear XTC's last real CD? (Yeahyeah, I know, there's the post-strike Apple Venuses 1 & 2; I still stand by this statement.) And very arguably, they saved the best for last.

3. Vigilantes of Love -- Blister Soul (1995) -- Wherein Bill Mallonnee learns to stop whining without ceasing to rip yr heart out, and thus making this CD the warm-up act for one of my all-time Top 5, Slow Dark Train.  (After which, he starts whining again.)  Book 'im, larry.

2. The Scattered Pages -- Lazy Are the Skeletons (2006) -- After several months (and after several months of playing it nonstop), I busted this puppy back out to confirm its place on this list. And it sounded as wonderful as ever. These guys deserve a career. Make it happen.

1. Grandpaboy/Paul Westerberg -- Mono/Stereo (2002) -- As close as the man will likely even get to greatness again... and as close as he'd been since Tim. Although... but, as always, that's ahead of our story....

Disappointment of the Year: It really wasn't even a bad year in that category. But let's give it to  Elvis Costello's Momofuku , since it dared to actually get my hopes up for the first time in years, then dashed them fairly mercilessly.

And now, our Top 10 for 2008:

10. Sam Phillips -- Don't Say Anything -- All the way back? Well, no. Back enough? Sure.

9. The War on Drugs - Barrel of Batteries EP/Wagonwheel Blues -- Intriguing, Byrds-y and pithy, when it's not buried under a mass of reverb. Still, a very promising first album beneath the occasional murk.

8. The Verve -- Forth  -- And speaking of reverb... but at least they've mastered it. Solid and sometimes even inspiring. But you have to get about two-thirds of the way for the latter to kick in.

7. Matthew Loaicono -- Kentucky -- A breath of fresh air that I'll have to hold in 'til the next K-Hearts album. These guys need a career, too. Again, make it happen.

6. Paul Westerberg -- 49:00 (of your time life) -- Speak of the debbil (raised a good boy) again. Not so much an album as an experience. Which in a way, is unfortunate, 'cause there's more than enough good material that it could've been an album too. But it's nice to have the attitude back, even as it runs deliberately (and sometimes literally) roughshod over the music.

5. The Cure -- 4:13 Dream -- Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Smith is back. And, for that matter, so is....

4. David Byrne & Brian Eno -- Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.  Warm, languid, yet still challenging.

3. Frightened Rabbit -- The Midnight Organ Fight -- The Proclaimers pretending to be The Waterboys writing a trouble-on-the-farm album. (Or, if you will, a far less mopey Pedro the Lion, who obsess about their own relationships instead of everyone else's.) Bouncy, raw (perhaps to self-indulgent excess), but real and often poetic. Let's see where they go from here.

2. Alejandro Escovedo -- Real Animal -- A 30-year career ranging from punk to folk to pop-chamber music encapsulated, updated, and in-yo'-FACE.

And finally, our number-one album of 2008 (and you had been warned....)

1. Sparks -- Exotic Creatures of the Deep -- Six months later, this is still in my rotation. Snotty, heartbreakingly empty, beautifully symphonic, bitingly funny, and downright rocking all at turns. The album of the Mael brothers' 35+-year career. Seriously. Not only is it the best album of 2008, but the best album since (brace yrself, larry ) Sufjan Stevens' Come on Feel the ILLINOISe. Which is 2005, for crying out loud (and pretty much where I started this blog). About TIME someone else stepped up. But these guys? I'd've never guessed they had it in them. But with each of the last three albums outdoing the last and pushing the envelope further, I'm even not sure anymore that their creative arc has peaked. As always, we'll see. (And by the way, this is the first picture I've EVER seen of Ron laughing, let alone smiling. And I've been fans of these guys for 30 of those years. Usually he's just staring a hole through you. I've personally experienced this, in fact. )

 And so there we go again. See you next year, if not sooner.

Posted by: burninglight at 22:10 | link | comments (24)

Comments:

#1  19 December 2008 - 15:10

 

Yo Carl,

So it only took you 12 years to
discover Moss Elixir? If you hav'nt
heard them already I recommend
A Star For Bram and Jewels for
Sophia, not to mention Underwater
Moonlight (Soft Boys). Robyn at
his poppiest. The Dylan covers CD
(Robyn Sings) is surprisingly good.

Welcome back,

Rick

Anonymous

#2  19 December 2008 - 15:55

 

Yo Rick:

Yeah, mea culpa.... I kinda zoned out after the WONDERFUL Perspex Island.... well, after Respect, actually, which sounds quite a bit better these days. But yeah, have discovered a buttload of Recent Robyn in the last year. Of those not mentioned in the post: Really like Jewels for Sophia; Star for Bram, good but not as much. Underwater Moonlight was a discovery last year (and how'd I leave that one off last year's discoveries list?). I didn't like the Soft Boys reunion album, but I did like the EP. I thought I'd really like the Robyn Sings Dylan CD but I didn't. Avoid Shadow Cat at all costs; by far the most terrible thing Robyn's even put out.

But get the Sparks album. You and I first connected over them, after all, and I'm so right about this album I can hardly stand it. And it's once more on my headset as I type this. :)

burninglight

#3  22 December 2008 - 18:33

 

as usual... i haven't even heard most of your list, and never heard OF almost as much..... except for from you....

carry on....

larryl

#4  22 December 2008 - 19:22

 

Well, address that already, boyo. :P

burninglight

#5  22 December 2008 - 19:29

 

At the very least, try the Escovedo album.... from there, Mono/Stereo might be yr next move....

burninglight

#6  23 December 2008 - 16:41

 

Larry, If you are going to
check out Paul Westerberg
I strongly suggest "Let It Be"
by his old band The Replacements.
One of my all time faves as well
as the album that made his
reputation. Equal mix of garage
rock with some of his best ballads
and a Kiss cover to boot!

Rick

Anonymous

#7  25 December 2008 - 02:33

 

i have let it be....

o wait.... it's the one by some other guy who used to be in some band...

larryl

#8  26 December 2008 - 18:07

 

The Replacements' one is better. :P

burninglight

#9  26 December 2008 - 18:08

 

And I should hasten to add that while Rick is a certified Beatlemaniac, he likely agrees. :D

burninglight

#10  27 December 2008 - 01:37

 

Yes, yes I do.

Rick

Anonymous

#11  29 December 2008 - 14:32

 

i always remember a comment made by a member of carl's favorite lesbian duo.....

'when i first wrote this song, it was a love song, then i heard the replacements, and it wasn't anymore'

larryl

#12  29 December 2008 - 15:42

 

The Dylan Broads, er, Indigo Girls? And what song was that?

burninglight

#13  29 December 2008 - 15:56

 

oops.... i was a little off....

'when i first wrote this song it was a ballad, then i heard the replacements, and it wasn't anymore'....

intro to 'land of canaan' from '1200 curfews'

larryl

#14  29 December 2008 - 16:20

 

Well, it's not NOT a ballad. But a good song. And I assume Amy Ray was the one making the comment; she's always been more "Replacements" than Emily.... Love that album and especially Nomads Indians Saints; gets a lot more touch-and-go after that, but Rites of Passage and Shaming of the Sun are both pretty good....

And yeah, considering their respective religious backgrounds, was a little thrown when I saw them tour on the 2nd album and thought, "Wow, there's an awful lot of lesbians here...." That wouldn't be common knowledge for another couple albums. :D

And something tells me that just making this post will finally bring tim back out of hiding. :P

burninglight

#15  29 December 2008 - 22:28

 

their harmonies are about as good as two part female harmony gets, anywhere...... the writing is generally top notch, too..... the earlier stuff is my favorite, too.... i haven't gotten into the later stuff.

larryl

#16  02 January 2009 - 18:43

 

Two more primarily Rick thangs to go with this thread:

1) If the idea of a Smiths/T-Bone Burnett (songwriter version) coupling at all intrigues you, find Lazy Are the Skeletons. Tim liked it so much when I visited him last year that I gave him my copy and downloaded a new one (and yes, thus paid twice for it).

2) New Hitchcock album in February, Goodnight Oslo. Woo-hoo! Already heard a sample track, and it's good.....

burninglight

#17  02 January 2009 - 19:43

 

heard some escovado (sp?) on the XM yesterday.... tasty stuff.....

i will be checking more out.

larryl

#18  02 January 2009 - 19:57

 

As well you should. Every album's got a different flavor. You might well like his earlier stuff more. Again, get Por Vida, just to hear how a whoooole lot of other people you like (or at least should) have handled his songs. :D

burninglight

#19  02 January 2009 - 20:05

 

Yo Carl,

Sounds interesting, love those
early T-Bone albums. As for the
Smiths; love Johnny Marr but
can only take Morrisey in very
small doses. Kinda like Jim Morrison.
Well, OK, he's not THAT bad.
Personally I think the Doors are
easily the most overrated band in
history. Lame music, awful lyrics,
nice trousers though. I will confess
to liking "Riders on the Storm" but
that's pretty much it.

Tried to pick up the new Sparks
but (surprise) B+K didn't carry it.
Ordered it from Amazon and they won't ship it for 2 weeks.
I sense an anti-Mael conspiracy
at work.

Have you ever listened to Jane
Siberry? Nick Cave?

And lastly: Happy 2009!

Rick

Anonymous

#20  02 January 2009 - 20:13

 

I feel about Nick Cave kinda the way you feel about Morrissey -- OK, but not in extended stretches. Jane Siberry has been one of those people I've heard about but never actually tried.

And I feel largely the same way about Jim Morrison, besides half of the first album and pretty much all of The Soft Parade.

Solo Morrissey is admittedly harder to take on a regualr basis. FWIW, the Pages are more just playfully self-deprecating than "Ohhhh, I'm so horrrrrrribly looooooonely and I want to diiiiiiie...."

And B+K just wanted to be able to say, "Your Maels are in the mail. Check." :P

burninglight

#21  02 January 2009 - 23:23

 

Carl,

A few years back I heard a version
of "Moon River" by Morrisey that
was amazing. Very long, with slowly
building noisy guitars. Do you know
anything about this? As I said, I'm
not a fan, but this was really good.

Rick

Anonymous

#22  03 January 2009 - 02:14

 

Not I. But I do remember the a capella version we saw R.E.M. do at the Capitol. THAT was amazing. :)

burninglight

#23  06 January 2009 - 22:50

 

This just in:

Andy Partridge says XTC will
NEVER reform. However, most
of their catalog will be re-issued
this year with bonus tracks. I'm
sad and happy.

XTC: One of the few long lasting
bands that never made a BAD
record. Who else? Hmmm.

Rick

Anonymous

#24  07 January 2009 - 00:01

 

Had you heard that Robyn and Andy have been writing together? THAT could be interesting.

burninglight

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