ILM Top 100 2000-2004: TRACKS

i wonder who was the other ilm'er that picked "Anticipating" for #1...

overall, nice'n'varied selection so far - hope it stays that way right til the end.

Points: 145
No. of votes: 8
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: THE WU-TANG CLAN (FT ISAAC HAYES)
Title: I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP
Label: Sony
Year: 2001

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/icantgotosleep.jpg

From the pictured album The W, a vivacious thundering epic of a song - in a fit of desperation the Clan turning to the paternal, even Godlike composure of Hayes and his version of the glorious 'Walk On By'. In the video Hayes acts as a benevolent Sandman re-assuring the RZA (practically bawling his eyes out brilliantly here) and co. as they toss and turn throughout the night, at their wits end from recollecting lifetimes of oppression. Despite it's earnest, even pompous bluster it's potential to draw lumps in the most cynical purists' throats should not be underestimated.

Points: 148
No. of votes: 5
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: QUANNUM (FEATURING LATYRX & LYRICS BORN)
Title: I CHANGED MY MIND
Label: Quannum Projects
Year: 1999/2000

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/ichangedmymind.jpg

That opening guitar lick and the bar that forms the bones of this instant classic (I'm addressing the Stereo MCs Rattlesnake mix in particular)...it almost sums it all up in the opening seconds. But then the beat drops, with the taut resilient but gentle bass...get walking son. When Lyrics Born breezes in it's as if everyone who already started dancing to this out of sheer compulsion has turned to face the intruder, but they don't stop nodding and strutting for a second. You almost expect LB to croak "I've been thinking bout what you have done to me" such is the similarity to Stretch's moody funk classic of the same name, but we get essentially an update on that with a more upbeat, defiant message. Like whatever dude, just keep nodding. And walking. And full marks to the Shadow once again.

Points: 148
No. of votes: 7
No. of #1 votes: 1

Artist: ARCHIGRAM
Title: CARNAVAL
Label: Crydamoure
Year: 2002

http://www.base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/archigram.gif

The way this track shuffles in so understated - you have no idea what's it going to go and where it's going to take you. I'm not sure I've ever heard a house/disco track build in such subtle fashion, just like the carousel grinding into motion, lights glowering into life and then throbbing in perfect time to the persistent beat. When the bassline drops you feel it here (points to gut), soft but satisfying. And what then? A blast from a blaring diva? No. An electric guitar solo ala 'Aerodynamic'? No. A fanfare. A cavalry, charging from the horizon straight into your bombarded mind, and your helpless feet. And it gets clearer and clearer, until one final minute where your brain, your feet, your entire being becomes completely spaghettified. One more time...

MY ROCKIST SHAME!!! So I'm tidying up and "Carnival" by Archigram comes on and as you do I find myself bopping around the room, and then it suddenly dawns on me that I'm not just dancing, oh no, in fact I am playing air guitar to the track. You can take the boy out of the indie, etc etc. Tom Ewing

Points: 150
No. of votes: 8
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: AALIYAH
Title: MORE THAN A WOMAN
Label: Virgin America
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/morethanawoman.jpg

Released after her tragic young death and subsequently topping the UK charts, doing a lot better than several previous singles all just as worthy of the same success if not more so (inc. Try Again, noticeably absent from the nominees list). Timbaland takes SWV's chilled 'Can We' and adds tuffer beats, boisterous brass and bold strings to pleasant effect. Aaliyah does her usual thing, a sweet if unremarkable performance (maybe she'd weep if she wasn't just too damn cool) but the trick with this partnership was they always managed to make a product greater than the sum of it's parts.

It annoys me that I can't tell if I've been influenced by the images of her on a motorbike in making this analogy.

Points: 153
No. of votes: 10
No. of #1 votes: 1

Artist: TOGETHER
Title: SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVE
Label: Roule/EMI
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/somuchlovetogive.jpg

I want to post some comments Ronan made on this track ages ago here but ILX won't let me just yet. But basically they helped convince me this track was more than just a monotonous joke stretched too far. What's exciting is picking up on the subtle changes unconsciously while lost in this groove - the synth like a running engine sweeping and swirling in and out and in again. Do Bangalter and Falcon view photographs like static memories they want to climb into and explore? They seem to treat music this way too. SMLTG is like an audio snapshot of a revolving roller-disco - mirrors on every wall projecting infinity like a TV picture within itself, fruit machines jammed and paying out in abundance, sucking you into the memory like a vacuum, to a place so gleaming with joy and life you want to preserve and playback the moment forever.

It's beautiful

Points: 157
No. of votes: 5
No. of #1 votes: 1

Artist: GRANDADDY
Title: THE WARMING SUN
Label: V2
Year: 2003

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/thewarmingsun.jpg

From the pictured album Sumday, a glittering, sprawling recollection of a lost dream - the sadness doesn't seem to come right through (maybe he doesn't know how to let it) but the sentiment is there.

haha, i felt so dirty after i clicked the submit button!

No, we weren't.

No, no, I realize this. I understand it being nominated if it was one person's favorite track on Sumday. What I don't get is five whole people agreeing with such an unconventional choice. I mean, I like that album, but I can't even think of how that song goes: I'd have been more tempted to vote if "Now It's On" or "El Caminos in the West" was nominated.

Points: 158
No. of votes: 9
No. of #1 votes: 0

Artist: KYLIE MINOGUE
Title: COME INTO MY WORLD (FISCHERSPOONER REMIX)
Label: EMI
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/comeintomyworld.jpg

If the intention was to mash-up 'Emerge' with 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' - two of the best dance tracks of the decade - here then respect is due. It doesn't quite come off as good as either of the aforementioned songs though - caught between the two stools of club cred (the stark zero-resonant synths and thudding 909 beats are retained) and pop sensibilities (Kylie's rinsed vox still scattered throughout) as it is - but seeing as they're not around right now...

Jay - surely people will often vote for whatever tracks by a favourite band are available to vote for, even it it wouldn't be their personal choice. I was like that with Superpitcher.

x-post

I had Kylie as my number 18 or whatever, so glad to see she made it without me.

If I really didn't like a nominated track or album by an otherwise favoured artist then I didn't vote for it. (like with B&S's last, which has a handful of great tracks and some guff that prevents me from really wanting to listen to the whole thing).

Points: 162
No. of votes: 7
No. of #1 votes: 1

Artist: OUTKAST (FEATURING KILLER MIKE)
Title: THE WHOLE WORLD
Label: LaFace
Year: 2002

http://base58.com/ilx/ilm/top100/20002004/tracks/thewholeworld.jpg

I remember this being one of the first hits I heard with an obvious (if not literal) reference to the political situation at the time. Andre's heavy sigh at the beginning the perfect 'well, on with the show" statement before confessing he's afraid as well. There's a back-to-basics feel about the whole thing yet at the time it felt quite different to everything else out there in mainstreamland, rhythmically, vocally and lyrically...the point at which Killer Mike is introduced halfway through seems to act as a little 'sit up' point for anyone slumping from the effortless plod of the track up to that point, but it's lively stuff throughout - even Big Boi's monotone tongue-twisting rhymes at the end.

yeah, but I would personally ditch the 2 originals. This is the one mash-up which IMO improves on both its sources.

OMG LOL

Poor Girls Aloud. First they get beaten by three Radiohead songs and now this...

as for Soulwax, well, diff'rent strokes... ("Dreadlock Child" is grebt too, tho', I'll happily substitute that for #87)

POLL IS OVER

ha ha - on my way back from lunch I was thinking about the possibility of a rolling poll, powered by web forms and some kind of database backend.

However, Mirah's "Cold Cold Water" was actually released as a single and thus has its own album cover:

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/images/m/mirah/cold-cold-water.gif

nice job senor embargo.

^otm