Tim’s 2002

Albums

1. Please Consider Our Time (Shy Child) – astonishing electro-krautrock debut by this dynamic live drums/keytar duo.
2. Title TK (The Breeders) – stunning comeback album from the awesome Deal sisters. every track is a winner from the rocking ‘Son Of Three’ to the heartbreaking ‘Off You’. And who knew Kim was an awesome drummer? Great sounding album despite Steve Albini.
3. Steal This Album! (System Of A Down) – the ethic is incredible – the metal is awesome. Tight, humourous, live studio performances – an amazing album by one of the best metal bands of all time.
4. No! (They Might Be Giants) – Even TMBG fans were surprised by ‘No!’, the band’s first children’s album. It’s undeniably brilliant.
5. Reveille (Deerhoof) – this is their best album – ‘Holy Night Fever‘ is amazing, but its ‘This Magnificent Bird Will Rise‘ that got me hooked on Deerhoof.
6. Space Metal (Star One) – ha ha ha! Amazing.
7. Plastic Fang (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) – solid Explosion album – highlight is ‘Over and Over‘.
8. I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (My Chemical Romance) – shame these guys were so ‘Hot Topic’ their debut album has an rare classic punk ethic, awesome 2-guitar riffing and soloing. I’m also a big fan of extremely long titles.
9. Finally We Are One (Múm) – I had the privilege to play a show with these Icelandic pixies during this period – it was an extraordinary experience. I wish Gyða and Kristín had continued to sing together – beautiful girls and beautiful vocals!
10. Drink Me (Queen Adreena) – damaged suicide-blonde noiseniks making appropriate noises.

Songs

1. Slip Away (David Bowie) – there’s a couple of tracks from Bowie’s later career that are worth listening to – this one is amazing. Visconti returns to produce and Bowie rises to the occasion – it could easily have been on Hunky Dory.
2. You Held The World In Your Arms (Idlewild) – Smiths-esque single by this awesome Scottish 5-piece.
3. Envy (Ash) – in 2002, I heard this track blasting in a club in Norway, its one of the best pieces of rock production I’ve ever heard and I use it constantly as a reference track. Ash were a Nirvana-influence Irish 3-piece, but added guitarist Charlotte Hatherley in 1998. Her backing vocals and guitar chops make this song, as well as the video (!)
4. There Goes The Fear (Doves) – beloved indie anthem by this British band.
5. Wake Up (Towa Tei) – insane Jap-electro-pop from Dee-Lite’s Towa Tei. The album ‘Sweet Robots Against the Machine is solid too.
6. Spelad glädje (Bob Hund) – B-side of the ‘Düsseldorf 3:53 + c:a 11 min från Koppom okt. -94’ EP. Proper Swedish madness. The other B-side ‘Hörlurar‘ is equally brilliant.
7. Outtatheway (The Vines) – This Australian 3-piece seemed to be a pretty standard Nirvana-influenced punk 3-piece, but lead singer/guitarist Craig Nicholls turns out to be one of the greatest rock n roll nutjobs of all time. He became increasingly disruptive and eventually the other original members left. Turns out Nicholls has Asperger’s syndrome and lives the life of a technophobic recluse. He gave some very disturbing interviews in these early years and trashed the stage on Letterman. Great song though!
8. Ahoy There (Mr. Scruff) – charming and addictive track from the excellent ‘Trouser Jazz’ album.
9. Losing My Edge (LCD Soundsystem) – the sort of meta post-modernism that I thought would usher in a new age of music. Boy was I wrong.
10. Do You Realize? (The Flaming Lips) – I find them hit-and-miss, but this is surely one of the most lovely and profound songs ever written.

Tim’s Covers/Tributes

Top Cover Versions

1. Say You Don’t Mind (Colin Blunstone – orig. Denny Laine) – beautiful cover, very much in the style of Nick Drake, who may or may not have been influenced by Blunstone’s singing style in the first place.
2. Carry Me Home (Primal Scream – orig Dennis Wilson) – sometimes credited as a Beach Boys effort – this is one of Dennis’ darker songs, swung down to a new low on this Primal Scream B-Sider.
3. Sunshine Of Your Love (Ella Fitzgerald – orig, Cream) – she kicks its ass.
4. Hey Joe (Sparklehorse – orig, Daniel Johnston) – If Daniel doesn’t break your heart, Mark Linkous will.
5. Son of a Gun (Nirvana – orig. The Vaselines)  – this track was the affirmation that the punk world needed to let them know they were right to like Nirvana.
6. Life’s A Gas (Teenage Fanclub – orig. T-Rex) – I think Marc would’ve dug it.
7. Let’s Spend The Night Together (David Bowie – orig. The Rolling Stones) – just amazing.
8. Beginnings (Astrud Gilberto – orig. Chicago) – not a huge departure from the original, but very funky and weird for Astrud!
9. Journey To The Center Of The Mind (Ramones – orig. The Amboy Dukes) – the Acid Eaters album is all cover versions, and all of them are great. Never realised how much Joey is influenced by Jagger until I heard their cover of ‘Out Of Time‘. This one’s sung by latterday bassist C.J. Ramone.
10. Southern Man (Merry Clayton – orig. Neil Young) – I’ve ranted about her before – if you haven’t heard her – don’t miss this!

Tribute Songs 

I don’t really like tribute albums, but the occasional track is awesome:

1. Getting Better (The Wedding Present with Amelia Fletcher – orig. The Beatles) –  this proto-grunge version appeared on tribute album ‘Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father’ (1988). After hearing this, the original became among my most hated Beatles songs.
2. Follow Me (The Innocence Mission – orig. John Denver) – ‘Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver’ is a brilliant album, far better than the one that came out in 2013. This track is my favourite, but check out Will Oldham’s amazing cover of The Eagle and The Hawk,
3. Going Underground (Buffalo Tom – orig. The Jam) –  punk anthem into emotive masterpiece. From a fairly obscure Jam tribute album.
4. Velouria (Weezer – orig, Pixies) – Again, not a stretch for Weezer, but they do the seemingly impossible and give this amazing song even more emotion and power. From the ‘Where Is My Mind’ Pixies tribute album.

Tim’s 1989 Lists

Albums:

1. Postcard C.V. (Senseless Things) – They were way ahead of their time and extremely young and naive, but I was a devoted fan. This is the perfect debut album – ten concise pop-punk treatments on teen angst.

2. Overdosed On (Chemical People) – Still the tightest, fastest band ever. Catchy tunes – perverted lyrics – singing drummer/3piece – what more do you want?

3. Earthquake Weather (Joe Strummer) – For years I considered this album a guilty pleasure; compared to The Clash, I was unsure that it was any good at all. It’s an eccentric mix of funk, dub and world music and some of it doesn’t work at all, but in my old age I’m determined that it’s Strummer’s best work. Get to know ‘Earthquake Weather’ and it’ll serve you well.

4. Doolittle (Pixies) – What can you say about the best album by the best band? Other than it should be #1 on my list.

5. Love Is A Battlefield of Wounded Hearts (Hard-Ons) – First studio album from the Australian singing-drummer/3piece (see a trend here?) Pop-punk perfection.

6. The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses) – Psychedelic Marvin Gaye and jangly anthemic pop from a bunch of Manchester hooligans seemed impossibly brilliant when this was released. Though ‘I Am The Resurrection’ is probably the weakest song on the album, the improvised jam at the end (3:37 onwards) is truly remarkable.

7. Automatic (The Jesus And Mary Chain) – A concentrated pop album from the Scottish doomlords – the only thing with a drum machine that I could tolerate at the time!

8. Paul’s Boutique (The Beastie Boys) – I was definitely not a fan of the Beastie Boys when this album came out, but I could not resist The Dust Brothers incredible beats. Between this album and Young MC’s debut they blew their load – but what a money shot! 

9. Bizarro (The Wedding Present) – Jokingly referred to as Smiths fans second favourite band, The Wedding Present are a strange bunch – if you can stand Gedge’s vocals and the frenetic barrage of shrill guitars you might understand why their songs are up there with Morrissey’s.

10. Energy (Operation Ivy) – One of those albums that just sounds like nothing else before it. A strange hybrid of The Specials, the Clash and Bad Brains – they had a weird funky style and solid message of interracial “UNITY!!!” The first time I’d heard of ‘Skatepunk’.

Notable misses:

Snuffsaidbutgorblimeyguvstonemeifhedidn’tthrowawobblerchachachachachachachachachachachayou’regoinghomeinacosmicambience (Snuff) 

Songs:

1. Fools Gold 9:53 (The Stone Roses) – To fans of their debut album, this 12” single seemed a mind-blowing left-turn. I love the restraint in the performances on this track. After this, every band had drum loops and wah-wah – welcome to Madchester!

2. Monkey Gone To Heaven (Pixies) – There’s not a bad song on this album – and ‘Silver’ is one of the most incredible tracks imaginable – but the riffs and lyrics on Monkey Gone To Heaven are irresistible.

3. Awkward Kid (Mega City Four) – This single is in the tradition of frail sensitive Buzzcocks songs or Mick Jones’ Clash B-Sides – fragile and emotive, heavy-on-the-heart.

4. Too Much Kissing (Senseless Things) – Last track on ‘Postcard C.V.’ and played at the end of every show – classic song.

5. Last Of The Famous International Playboys (Morrissey) – 1989 saw a bunch of good singles from Mozzer – this is the funniest one.

6. Pet Semetary (Ramones) – A surprise return to form for Ramones, thanks to Stephen King’s rubbish horror novel.

7. Dizzy’s Goatee (Joe Strummer) -The strung-out Strummer was only loosely involved in this album’s creation, but with lyrics this intense and vocals this bare we get him at his most authentic.

8. You Surround Me (Erasure) – It doesn’t get much gayer than this band and this song. Always had a huge admiration for Vince Clark’s production and Andy Bell’s vocal style.

9. Get Wet (Hard-Ons) – marrying sexual perversion with melancholy pop. There are 6 chords in this song, but they could’ve done it with two.

10. UV Ray (The Jesus And Mary Chain) – The dark track from a great pop album – Ministry and Nine Inch Nails were listening.

Notable misses:

Epic (Faith No More)

About A Girl (Nirvana)

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)

Tim’s Leaps

Sorry I’m late to the party – just got back in the country! I must admit that I found the ‘Leap’ concept pretty tricky – all the important leaps are the really obvious ones, but after reading all the posted lists I’m feeling inspired and excited to check out some of these seminal albums.

Leap Albums:

1. Screamadelica (Primal Scream) – With the chance intervention of newbie remix DJ Andy Wetherall, Primal Scream transformed themselves from  arch black-leather rockers to eclectic psychedelic house gurus. Anyone who took drugs in the UK in the 90s has a very special relationship with this album.
2. Fantasma (Cornelius) – This was the breakthrough album for Jap Pop in the UK. The production, humor, minimalism, choppy editing and sampling was unlike anything I’d ever heard. Keigo Oyomada made art-rock fun again – very very cool music. 
3. Ace Of Spades (Motorhead) – lumped in with the ‘New Wave Of British Heavy Metal’ Motorhead’s 4th album is unparalleled in rock music. While there are plenty of albums that influenced the later thrash scene, Motorhead were the first to play so unrelentingly fast! 
4. Kings Of The Wild Frontier (Adam & The Ants) – Early Adam Ant material is dark and edgy art-punk, inaccessible to most – but manager Malcolm McLaren’s bizarre additions of Burundi drumming, Vivienne Westwood pirate costumes and Native American yodelling transformed Adam into the biggest star of British pop in the 1980s. Yet for all its pop filliness, this is a brilliant and weird album with some of the most incredible vocals I’ve ever heard.
5. Debut (Björk) – the Sugarcubes were interesting, then this album came out and everyone realised that in fact it was just Björk that was interesting; actually she was fascinating, confusing and mesmerizing! 
6. Omslag: Martin Kamm (Bob Hund) – Bob Hund are the best-known and most beloved band in Sweden (after ABBA of course!) Their second album ‘Omlsag: Martin Kamm’ put them on the map with its quirky pop hooks amid the signature madness. The album actually has no title, ‘Omlsag: Martin Kamm’ translates as ‘Graphic Design: Martin Kamm’ and the inside-out white card CD sleeve features a black and white portrait of the eponymous designer. 
7. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (The Byrds) – an obvious choice, but I couldn’t omit it – I’m always stunned to think that Roger McGuinn was set on making an instrumental Moog album at this point in The Byrds career, but was open-minded enough to let Gram Parsons join the band and create the first country-rock album. Its a shame the record company insisted on McGuinn replacing many of Parsons’ vocals (his demo versions are my favourite), but its still an incredible album. A massive leap for one band, and an even bigger leap for country music.
8. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Pavement) –  in the wake of Nirvana, there were suddenly a lot of very contrived and over-produced bands in the charts. Steven Malkmus’ sardonic and effortless lyrics on the singles ‘Cut Your Hair’, ‘Gold Soundz’ and ‘Rangelife’ ushered in something new that became known as ‘Slacker’, though the likes of Beck and Eels never came close to Pavement’s irreverent and strung-out sound. 
9. Reveille (Deerhoof) –  When I first heard it, Deerhoof’s 4th album was the most modern and alien thing I’d ever heard. A decade later it still is.
10. Too Rye Aye (Dexy’s Midnight Runners) – considered a one-hit-wonder in the US, Dexy’s are actually a pretty well respected band in the UK. Their switch to violins and banjos was a huge shift from the band’s former incarnation as a working-man’s Northern Soul band (check out ‘Geno‘.) 

 

Leap Tracks

1. I Feel Love (Donna Summer) – after feeling rather disappointed with Daft Punk’s new album, I put on some Giorgio Moroder and felt much better. ‘I Feel Love’ was the track that took electronic music onto the dancefloor – it’s every bit as futuristic and exciting today as in 1977!
2. The Electrician (The Walker Brothers) – Scott Walker’s strange career has peaked and trough-ed between pop, easy listening and disquieting avant-garde. Perhaps the most unexpected point in his career was a contractual reunion with the other Walker Brothers for the 1978 album Nite Flights, the highlight of which is Scott Walker’s ‘The Electrician’. 
3. Fool’s Gold 9:53 (Stone Roses) – the Manchester indie scene in the late 80s rather clumsily merged funk, hip-hop and psychedelic guitar-pop – the Stone Roses’ Fools Gold took it one step further – 10 minutes of grooves and hooks done in inimitable style. The Roses never did any advertising or interviews during their early career which made this 12″ single extremely mysterious and compelling. 
4. Painbirds (Sparklehorse) – ‘Good Morning Spider’ should have been on my album list, but its represented here by its devastating second track. Mark Linkous’ writing and production style were revolutionary. 15 years later I’m still hearing the Sparklehorse sound on new indie releases. A massive leap for music production, and a brilliant song to boot.
5. Doctor Who (Delia Derbyshire) – the original theme from the BBC TV series is one of the most important pieces of early electronic music, and the masterwork of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. I won’t go into the incredible way in which this piece was composed and recorded, but I highly recommend that you watch this brilliant documentary about Delia and her counterparts at the BBC in the early 60s! 
6. Stone Cold Crazy (BBC Session version) (Queen) – often credited as the first ‘thrash’ song, Stone Cold Crazy established Queen as a very serious and heavy band.
7. Anarchy In The UK (Sex Pistols) – its hard to say that the song was a leap for the band, as they recorded so little, but this was a huge leap from the US punk scene that spawned it. “I only like the Pistols – everything else is boring”.
8. Blue Monday (New Order) – Until Blue Monday, New Order were still recognizable as Joy Division – the transition was slow and uneasy – but this song marked Bernard Sumner’s triumphant grasp of pop music, production and songcraft. 
9. Freakscene (Dinosaur Jr.) – it was very hard not to put Nirvana on this list – their innovations are countless and brilliant, but including them would mean including The Pixies, Husker Du, Mudhoney, Butthole Surfers et al. For me, Freakscene is the song that eclipses the proto-grunge scene – snarly and devil-may-care, dirty, funny, profane and just plain cool.
10. Somethin’ Else (Eddie Cochran) – Eddie was in danger of becoming a bit more of a pop star than a rocker but this song, and particularly its production cements his legend as one of the great rockers. The riff at the start of Somethin’ Else is among the heaviest in rock.