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 Unaccompanied

Sorry to take so long with this. I’ve found it to be the most difficult topic we’ve treated so far, and have finally resolved to just put a choice but almost random selection of ten cuts from hundreds of possibilities. I like what Brent did, and restricted my list to what could be considered “folk” (Nina Simone is a self-described folk artist and I agree), adding a few favorite solo jazz albums as an appendix. I’ve already named unaccompanied tracks on a lot of prior lists, so you won’t be surprised by many of these or the artists named.

Soon after I selected this topic, I also came to realize that a lot of the songs that I thought were unaccompanied performances, aren’t. For example, I forgot about the haunting cello accompaniment on “Spencer the Rover (Spotify),” from the Sunday’s Child album. I went ahead and included it because he performed it solo live throughout his career, and hey, you all are cheating too! For the most part, I am sticking with unaccompanied studio cuts and albums. There’s something very intimate about these.

Songs

1. Nina Simone–Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair. (Spotify)

2. Martin Carthy–Davy Lowston

3. Dave Van Ronk–Dink’s Song

4. Joni Mitchell–The River

5. Bob Dylan–Moonshiner (Spotify). A lot of these songs are about the vocals. This is probably my favorite vocal performance of all time.

6. Michael Hedges–Aerial Boundaries

7. Anne Briggs–Lowlands

8. Richard Buckner–Settled Down (Spotify)

9. John Martyn–Spencer the Rover

10. Kevin Coyne–Marjory Razor Blade

Albums

Nick Drake–Pink Moon. I think I’ve said it before, but it is hard for me to imagine these tunes with any accompaniment beyond what’s there. It cannot be improved upon, each and every song from the album so personal.

Leo Kottke–Greenhouse. Especially “Spanish Entomologist” (in part because of the effortless quotes of Hank Williams’ Jambalaya and a couple of other songs I can’t place), “Song of the Swamp“, and one of his all-time great vocal songs, “Louise“.

Loudon Wainwright III–A Live One (“Motel Blues“)

Mike’s 1998

More words to come. Does my heart good to tag some new names this month, many of my favorite artists. Collaboration was in the air in 1998.

Songs

Olu Dara–“Rainshower“. The avant garde trumpeter/cornetist, best known as the father of Nas (who I’ve never heard), put out his first of two IDontKnowWhatYouCallThisMusicButItsCertainlyNotWhatHesBeenKnownFor albums. Poise yourself for takeoff when the background vocals arrive at 3:20.

The Handsome Family–“Weightless Again”

Don Walser–“In My Dear Old Southern Home“. If there is better yodeler I’ve not heard him. Rivals the Tuvan throat singers for what he does with his voice on this song.

Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach–“Toledo“. I would give up a lot to hear Dionne sing this in her youth. I can’t take the whole album in a sitting because of the vocals. I prefer to have the songs locked in my memory, with another imaginary vocalist.

Richard Buckner–“Goner W/ Souvenir“. He’s an acquired taste live, that’s for sure, but unfortunately his recordings are sparse on youtube.

Queens of the Stone Age–“Regular John“. Brent hit the nail on the head with this one.

Mercury Rev–“Goddess on a Hiway”

Sonic Youth–“Sunday”

Songs: Ohia–“An Ace Unable to Change“. Impala is not the album to start with if you haven’t heard Jason Molina yet–one of the great songwriters, think Neil Young, Ambulance Man. This early song gives you a pretty good idea of where he was at emotionally and where the poor guy was headed. Wait, who am I kidding, you who listen to, and enjoy, Palace Music. This whole record will be just your thing, and I oughta have put in under albums.

Aaly Trio & Ken Vandermark–“Stumble”

Albums

Neutral Milk Hotel–In the Aeroplane over the Sea

Tim Berne/Michael Formanek–Ornery People

Gillian Welch–Hell Among the Yearlings

Lucinda Williams–Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Alan Licht & Loren MazzaCane Connors–Hoffman Estates

Elliott Smith–XO (heir to Brian Wilson, “Waltz #1“)

Billy Bragg & Wilco–Mermaid Avenue (“Eisler on the Go“)

Art Ensemble of Chicago–Coming Home Jamaica (The best songs aren’t on youtube, but this is still pretty damn good, “Odwalla (Theme)“)

Kate and Anna McGarrigle–The McGarrigle Hour (“School Days“)

Pere Ubu–Pennsylvania (I know that road’s still there, “Woolie Boolie“)

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“)

2nd Albums

Like John, I find it impossible to restrict to 10. Getting dangerously close to favorite album territory here. Interesting that so far there are no duplicates, but can’t imagine that will last long.

1. Rickie Lee Jones–Pirates

2. Robert Wyatt–Rock Bottom

3. Richard Buckner–Devotion + Doubt

4. Talking Heads–More Songs about Buildings and Food

5. Dexys Midnight Runners–Too Rye Aye

6. Kyuss–Blues for the Red Sun

7. Black Sabbath–Paranoid

8. Neutral Milk Hotel–In the Aeroplane over the Sea (something from the last two decades!)

9. Van Morrison–Astral Weeks

10. Kevin Coyne–Marjory Razorblade

11. Fred Frith–Gravity

12. Neil Young–Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere