Mike’s 1994 (revised)

Okay, I’ll be the one to break the silence here, and see if I can help keep this train rolling. Apologies for missing out on the Bowie month. I’ve got my long list of favorites, of course, and really wanted to share them vis a vis a sincere and elegiac essay. May still try do so sometime down the line. I got a huge kick listening to all of the other site contributor’s picks.

So, in 1994 I was beginning to enter my age of maturity. Began working in the occupation in which I still find myself employed. Was engaged to my wife. I began to accept that I would no longer be able to keep track of all the great stuff that was coming out, and so I largely ignored a lot of it, especially all the “indie” stuff that will surely fill some other’s lists for 1994.

In addition to many of the artists listed below, I was particularly enamored at the time with XTC, King Crimson (their double-trio comeback!), Smashing Pumpkins, Adrian Belew, the NYC downtown music scene (Zorn, Laswell, compatriots, and the things they liked), and, correspondingly and ever increasingly, jazz in its more avant-garde forms.

LPs

1. Tim Berne’s Caos Totale–Nice View. Some online discographies claim this is a 1993 release. It isn’t, but feel free to replace Nice View with either of the incredible live “Paris Concert” Bloodcount albums those same discographies claim were released in 1994 but were actually released in 1995: Poisoned Minds or Lowlife.  Berne is so prolific around this time, and in general, but this is for me probably his high point.
2. Sonic Youth–Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Might be my favorite SY record.
3. Frank Black–Teenager of the Year. “Freedom Rock” should really be our site’s theme song. A true 5 star album in my eyes. So rare for every single song on an album (that contains 22 of ’em!) to reach such heights.
4. Richard Buckner–Bloomed. A great production and even sounds good on youtube! Love the clarity of his acoustic guitar. Such great songs.
5. Kyuss–[Welcome to Sky Valley]. Oh, fuck, yes.
6. Helmet–Betty. See above.
7. Red Red Meat–Jimmywine Majestic. Their live show opening for the pumpkins at the Unicorn around this time (maybe a year or so earlier?) remains one of the great shows I’ve ever witnessed. Almost 20 years passed before I heard this record in full, and I swear I remember several of these songs performed live that night, that show made such a lasting impression on me.
8. Melvins–Stoner Witch. Can’t figure why I never became a full-on metal head.
9. Joni Mitchell–Turbulent Indigo. May be every bit as good as her Hejira, Don Juan 70’s prime. This record comes close.
10. They Might Be Giants–John Henry.

Some other great songs that don’t appear on those albums:

1. Jawbox–“Savory.” A go-to song for achieving a manic, head hit the ceiling, high.
2. Boredoms–“Acid Police.” I really dig the wholly strange Beefheartiness of this entire record. Still haven’t acquired and fully digested the Super Roots stuff. If I had, the “3” EP would have to appear somewhere here. Hah! 
3. Jon Spencer’s Blue Explosion–“Bellbottoms“
4. Henry Threadgill–“Come, Carry the Day.” When he is on, nothing really compares.
5. Luna–“Tiger Lily” and “California All the Way.” Seemingly effortless beauty.
6. Material–“Words of Advice” (with William Burroughs)
7. Craig Harris–The first several tracks on the F-Stops album, including “1st Flow,” “2nd Flow,” and so on, are sublime. The last couple tracks do bring it down to earth.
8. Adrian Belew–“Dream Life“
9. Jeff Buckley–“Hallelujah“

Mike’s 1981

What a glorious year in music. I’ve heard it said that the music we listen to in high school is the music we listen to the rest of our lives. At the very least, the music that shapes our lives in our formative years isn’t easily shaken. How lucky to have been introduced to many of these gems then that are now part of my DNA.

Songs

Laurie Anderson–“Born, Never Asked”

The Police–“Invisible Sun”

REM–“Radio Free Europe”

The Specials–“Friday Night and Saturday Morning”

Rickie Lee Jones–“We Belong Together” (I’ll say it. Maybe my favorite song of all-time.)

Penguin Cafe Orchestra–“Air a Danser”

Meredith Monk–“Dolmen Music” (Cheating…)

This Heat–“A New Kind of Water” (Deceit probably makes my album list as I become more familiar with it.)

X–“White Girl”

Brian Eno and David Byrne–“Regiment”

Albums

Rickie Lee Jones–Pirates (“Skeletons“, “Living It Up“)

Penguin Cafe Orchestra–Penguin Cafe Orchestra (“Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter“, “Telephone and Rubber Band“)

King Crimson–Discipline. It’s one thing to develop a truly unique sound for your individual instrument, and rare. Each member of this band accomplished that. Combined they devised an entirely new music that might be as shocking in its originality today as it was in 1981.  (“Sheltering Sky“, “Elephant Talk“)

Siouxsie and the Banshees–Juju. (“Monitor“, “Night Shift“)

David Thomas and the Pedestrians—The Sound of the Sand. Richard Thompson doesn’t dominate the proceedings here as much as he would on the followup. Completely zany, and, like the King Crimson, completely original. As experimental as the contemporary Pere Ubu albums (Art of Walking, Song of the Bailing Man), but infinitely more listenable and pleasurable. (“The Birds Are a Good Idea“–the only song on youtube)

Bill Evans–You Must Believe in Spring. Feel a little guilty about listing this as it was recorded in ’77, released in ’81. I always liked this a lot, but it has grown on me over the years. I now think it is as lovely as anything he ever did. (“The Peacocks“, “We Will Meet Again“)

Martha and the Muffins–This Is the Ice Age. This group seems to be pretty obscure in spite of their having a couple minor hits. Those aren’t on this album which mixes early Roxy Music Eno atmospherics with Fripp-influenced lead guitar work, but sounds very much of its era. There are enough progressive undercurrents and dynamics throughout to keep this from sounding too much like other typical early 80s electronic stuff….but that is too negative a take. This is consistently amazing! (“Swimming“, “Three Hundred Years/Chemistry“, “Jets Seem Slower in London’s Skies”)

Material–Memory Serves. A lot of people were interested in extending the range of what consituted dance music in the early 80s. I wish I could have been on a dance floor when this came on. (“Upriver“, “Memory Serves“)

Genesis–Abacab. I don’t know what to say about this. I just think it’s great! Every song!

Mike’s Bs

Songs (in no particular order)

1. Carla Bley—”3/4“
2. Brothers Johnson—”Strawberry Letter #23“
3. Tony Bennett—”I Left My Heart in San Francisco“
4. Bon Iver—”Flume“
5. The Bee Gees—”Nights on Broadway“
6. Bonnie Prince Billy—”I See a Darkness“
7. Johnny Burnette—”Train Kept a Rollin’“
8. Beck—”Lonesome Tears“
9. Anne Briggs—”Go Your Way“
10. Kate Bush—“Mother Stands for Comfort”
11. David Bowie—“Heroes”
12. Toni Braxton—“Un-Break My Heart”
13. Lindsay Buckingham—“Surrender the Rain”
14. Buffalo Springfield—“Mr. Soul”
15. Buzzcocks—“Everybody’s Happy Nowadays”
16. The Byrds–“What’s Happening?“

Albums (in no particular order)

1. The Beatles—White Album
2. Kenny Baker—Plays Bill Monroe (“Lonesome Moonlight Waltz“, “Brown County Breakdown“,  “Jerusalem Ridge“). Totally transcends genre, but “progressive rock” works as well as “bluegrass” as a genre descriptor.
3. Richard Buckner—Bloomed (“Desire“, “Blue and Wonder“). One of the great guitar records of all-time, no percussion on the album, just a whole bunch of acoustic strings that makes you wonder why anyone country bothers with drums, a voice that resonates in your bones, and lyrics as true as anything this side of Dylan.
4. Anthony Braxton—Willisau Quartet (not online)
5. Tim Berne—Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill) (not online)
6. Harry Belafonte—Swing Dat Hammer (“Bald Headed Woman“). As far from the light calypso/pop confectionary that dominated his career as you can get. Here are classic and incredibly obscure chain-gang and work songs. Tender, delicate and sensitive (Diamond Joe, Another Man Done Gone) to impassioned and powerful (Rocks and Gravel), Belafonte sings with incredible sensitivity or strength throughout, a perfect setting for his remarkable voice. Soul shattering.
7. Black Sabbath—Paranoid (“Fairies Wear Boots“)
8. Jack Bruce—Harmony Row (“Can You Follow?“, “Escape to the Royal Wood (on Ice)“, “Folk Song“)
9. Beach Boys—Smile (“Surf’s Up“)
10. David Byrne—Music for The Knee Plays (“Tree“, “In the Future“)