Brent’s 1998

Sorry to be AWOL last month…hectic time and something had to give.

Albums

1)  Aeroplane Over The Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel

2)  Mark Hollis – Mark Hollis

3)  Peter Brotzmann Chicago Octet/Tentet (Aziz)

4)  Pennsylvania – Pere Ubu (Woolie Bullie)

5)  The Circle Maker – John Zorn/Masada Chamber Ensembles (Yatzah)

6)  Little Birds Have Fast Hearts – Die Like A Dog Quartet (Little Birds Have Fast Hearts)

7)  Amplifier Worship – Boris (Huge, Hama) 

8)   Georgia Stomps, Atlanta Struts – John Fahey (Full Show – awesome)

9)  A Scientific Dream And A French Kiss – Dagmar Krause/Marie Goyette (A Scientific Dream And A French Kiss, Among His Books)

10)  Macha – Macha (Light The Chinese Flower, The Budda Nature)

– Perhaps a historical nod here as this was easily my favorite lp back in ‘98…still like…in ’98…loved.

 

Songs

1)  Crystal Ball – Prince (Crystal Ball- Official)

– If you know Prince you know there is no video link…so a brief description as I don’t envision anyone searching out this 3 disc gem (4+The Truth). First few minutes are minimal drum loops and ambience which tweaked a bit wouldn’t be out of place on the below Boards Of Canada or Clint Mansell tracks (These were cut after I wrote this :()…then  3 minutes or so of some of the most naked funk of his career…lyrics conflating sexuality, mysticism, and god…finishing off with 4 min of studio funk wizardry…just to prove some sort of point…that he is indeed a bad motherfucker alone in the studio.

2)  Super Roots 7 – Boredoms

3)  Floating Boy – Fugazi (End Hits)

4)  Regular John – Queens Of The Stone Age (Q.O.T.S.A.)

– A bit more Kyuss tone…less QOTSA…

5)  Stevie – Royal Trux (Accelerator)

6)  Sister Sleep  – The Loud Family (Days For Days)

6)  The Boy With The Arab Strap – Belle & Sebatian (The Boy With The Arab Strap)

7)  Dog Gone – Frank Black (Frank Black & The Catholics)

8)  The Season Reverse – Gastr Del Sol (Camoufluer)

9)  Wild Flower Soul – Sonic Youth (A Thousand Leaves)

10)  Mysterious Tunnel – Vic Chestnutt (The Salesman & Bernadetee)

– Lp version is vastly superior to this live version…my opinion…this or the next track Arthur Murray.

 

PS… Came across this from The Vandermark 5 in ’98 on you tube…not familiar with it enough to put on this list but wow.

Sophomore Albums by a band.

While collecting these titles I was trying to narrow down what criteria qualified an album to make the sophomore list… best album by a band? personal meaning? notable mention? In the end I found that while any of the reason could be valid for some, they were not for all. In conclusion, there is NO SPECIFIC REASON for any of the ten albums I listed, other than, well they are all worth picking up and listening to. I will talk briefly about each, but that doesn’t really mean anything.

Joanna Newsom – Ys – First exposure when immpressionable means a lot. Ys was my first encounter with Joanna Newsom. This album in timeless and brilliant and all of the above. Monkey and Bear

Die Kreuzen – October File. I purchased October File the day it was released on my lunch break at the grocery store I worked at. I was yearning and just way too eager for another release by Die Kreuzen. After the first and second listen and third listen, I was completely disappointed. What happened to these guys? One week later I sold the vinyl to a friend at work for a few dollars cheaper than I paid for it. That’s how bad I wanted to get rid of it. Much to my surprise, about three years later I heard the opening track Man In The Trees at a part and found myself interested. I heard this before – but what is it and why? I discovered it was the album I gave away. I had to get it again. It wasn’t until the revisit of this album that I realized how flawless and imperfect (yes I meant to write that) it actually was. Thus…. Man in the Trees

Superchunk – No Pocky For Kitty. I’ve referred to this band a lot, solid second album, probably their best. Throwing Things

Fugazi – Steady Diet of Nothing. – This was the first Fugazi album I got close to before going backward and then forward for the rest of their career. Stacks

Queens of the Stone Age – Rated R. Amazing release by an unpredictable band. The only place to start is at the beginning! Track one: Feel Good Hit of the Summer

Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention – Absolutely Free. Everything Zappa and the Mothers did for the first 5 albums was groundbreaking, serving as a catalyst for musical composers for life. Absolutely Free holds no weak spots – pure genius. Duke of Prunes

Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure. It was their first album that progressed me to the second album, rather recently. Three words; Do the Strand. Do The Strand

Praxis – Sacrifist. – I was full swing into free jazz and experimental when this album came out, the draw was the John Zorn. It was through this album (1993) that I discovered Yamatsuka Eye, Buckethead, Bill Laswell, as well as the expanded careers of Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell. (And the film Tetsuo: The Iron Man which I do own a copy if anyone is interested). Each track on this album is an entity of it’s own hitting all spectrums and carving at each emotion. It’s best played loud. Cold Rolled/Iron Dub

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – Global a Go-Go. Bhindi Bhagee

Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade. I have probably listened to this album 500X and will probably listen to it again 500X Something I Learned Today, Never Talking to You Again and Standing by the Sea

Brent’s Favorites From 1989

Albums

1) Hal On Earth – Hal Russell NRG Ensemble (Raining Violets  – Hal The Weenie)

2) Rag, Bush, and All – Henry Threadgill Sextett (The Devil is on the Loose and Dancing Witha Monkey )

3) Paradise of Replica – After Dinner (Kitchen Life I – Motorcycle – Kitchen Life II)

4) Bleach – Nirvana (School – About a Girl)

5) Margin Walker – Fugazi (Lockdown – Margin Walker)

6) Flying Cowboys – Rickie Lee Jones (The Horses – Flying Cowboys)

7) Doolittle – Pixies (Hey – Debaser)

8) Tim Berne – Fractured Fairy Tales (Hong Kong Sad Song/More Coffee – Now Then)

9) Soul Discharge – Boredoms (TV Scorpion – Pow Wow Now)

10) Spy Vs. Spy – John Zorn

 

Songs

 

1) Do It Right – Maureen Tucker (w/Daniel Johnson & Jad Fair) (Life After Abdictation)

2) Wishing Well – Bob Mould (Workbook)

3) Have You Ever Been Away – The Beautiful South (Welcome to the Beautiful South)

4) German Sheperds – Wire (It’s Beginning To And Back Again)

5) Let God Be Your Gardener – Melvins (Ozma)

6) Ghost Ride – Couch Flambeau (Ghost Ride)

7) You Got It – Mudhoney (Mudhoney)

8) Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun – Beastie Boys (Paul’s Boutique)

9) Feurio!  – Einsturzende Neubauten (Haus Der Luge)

10) Rags & Bones – NoMeansNo (Wrong)

moonra’s leaps and bounds

lp’s

1.  Sonic Youth – Murray Street It can be easily observed that SY had multiple leaps within their career, but I find Murray Street the most significant.  It could be argued that the addition of Jim O’Rourke in the band pushed them beyond their original limits, but I’m not going to take a stand on that.  I feel the cohesiveness between the production quality and the extended instrumental pieces helped the band find a significant leap that carried through to Sonic Nurse as well as Rather Ripped.  Empty Page and Rain On Tin

2.  Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique.  At the time I was all about the fun and games of License To Ill, however, when I purchased the cassette tape (I got the orange one) titled Paul’s Boutique I journeyed into the oblivion of amazement and wonder; wondering…  how f’n long did it take these guys to synthesize all these damn samples, it was completely brilliant.

3.  Eric Dolphy – Ironman.  I own a lot of Eric Dolphy and I have found his music appealing from his Prestige recordings and beyond.  However, it was the release of Ironman where I noticed he began to let himself completely go. The sounds and movements he ripped out in front of the vibes on this album completely changed his sound and direction; which lead to his stellar release Out To Lunch. Iron Man

4.  Silver Jews – American Water.  Not my personal favorite by the band (that would easily be Bright Flight), but probably the only album by the Silver Jews I would recommend to someone who never heard them before.  Overall, AW could be considered their perfect release.  It’s the kind of album that surprises me they didn’t completely blow up after it come out, but then again, they are the Silver Jews. Random Rules, We Are Real, Buckingham Rabbit.

5. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.  Probably the first album I thought of when hit with this month’s theme.  Despite breaking out musically, I would like to point out that Tweedy’s writing essentially leaped as well, with deeper thoughts and connotations:  “I want to hold you in the Bible-black predawn. You’re quite a quiet, domino, bury me now. Take off your band-aid cause I don’t believe in touchdowns.”

6.  Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Inflated Tear.  This is the album where I feel Rahsaan opened himself up and exposed his inner secrets, musically, not lyrically.  True genius, and a leap reflecting outlook and direction.  The Inflated Tear, The Black and Crazy Blues.

7.  PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.  I always admired PJ Harvey, but this album made me fall in love.  It captured my interest through storytelling and just a raw glimpse of NYC, told and sung through the throaty voice of this beautiful storyteller.  This lp opened the way to a series of her best work, in my opinion.  This Mess we’re In (w/ Thom York),   The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore

8.  Fugazi – Steady Diet Of Nothing.  I honestly went back and forth with Kill Taker and Steady Diet, but concluded that this was the album where Fugazi showed they were no longer pegged as a post punk/hardcore band, but rather much more diverse than what they represented earlier in their career.  Stacks, Long Division.

9.  Love – Forever Changes.  This album was a unique turn of events for Love and their attempt at taking things in a completely new direction, things were slowed…down… and touching! Alone Again Or

10.  The Rolling Stones – Exile On Mainstreet  John P-Rock may state that I am cursed by what I believe this album is and represents, therefore I am. All I will comment at this point is Exile = welcome to what music will never be again.

*11 Honorable Mention:  The Clash – Sandinista!  Goodbye 1979?  They touch upon just about every main style of music and do it all correctly.  Charlie Don’t Surf  Police On My Back  Rebel Waltz

Songs

1.  Beastie Boys – Finger Lickin’ Good.   I struggled not listing Check Your Head as an album, as once again it was a past obsession of mine.  I chose this song mainly of the genius sample of Dylan’s Just Like Tom thumb’s Blues, I will still occasionally play the song just to hear out the ending.

2.  David Bowie – Station to Station.  The career of Bowie for me was one surprise after another, especially for the first two decades.  Station To Station was a throw over the top.  I cannot express how much this song has influenced my life and how I listen to music.

3.  Bob Dylan – Idiot Wind.  About as badass as it gets for good ole bd, the never ending leaper.

4.  Joni Mitchell – River.  raw and smooth.

5. Radiohead – Let Down.  We all have our favorites, this song seemed to wrap everything together, and show the world that Radiohead is pretty much creatively capable of anything.

6.  Defiance, Ohio – You Are Loved.  New levels can be reached for any talented band, this is a perfect example of one.

7. Ghostigital – Sense Of Reason.  Maybe a bigger leap for me personally, but that’s sort of what this is all about, right??

8.  Joe Lally – Billiards.  I believe Joe Lally incorporated everything right within this track.  This song alone was a musical leap that should have changed his complete course, however, it stood out as more of a rare star, but incredible nonetheless.

9. Melvins – Shevil.  A leap to….. everything.

10.  Ornette Coleman – What Reason Could I Give / Civilization Day.  Ok, so I cheated a little by choosing two songs, but to me they go together, as I would never listen to the first without the second.  Like many of the “greats,” there are multiple periods of Ornette’s career I could have focused on regarding leaps, as he had many.  The Science Fiction Sessions always stood out for me a complete leap into the unknown for Ornette, and what I have always viewed as some of his best material.

*11.  ZU and Spaceways Inc. – Theme De Yoyo.  The true artist is always leaping, Ken Vandermark is a constant leaper as a band leader and musician.