Best album of every year since....

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sorry about that link, it should have been black music .

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 11:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

So you refuse to accept reggae?

Reggae is a product of the union of West African rythms and European melody and harmony.

Jan

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 11:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is rhythm not as important as melody and harmony?

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 3 March 2003 11:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

Both melody and harmony arise naturally from rhythm, according to yer African music templates. What happened when the latter met European sensibilities in the late 19th century pretty well resulted in what we have today.

As for GH...oh dear oh dear oh dear. Matos, Blount, I take it all back - let him have it.

Marcello Carlin, Monday, 3 March 2003 12:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

it's subjective surely. i enjoy both, but it's understandable that some would prefer one or the other. there are certain sounds/traits in music that make me switch off, so it's understandable that a lack of melody could be a trait that would turn some people off.

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 3 March 2003 12:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Taking sides: Rhythm vs Melody

geir is mentioned...

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 3 March 2003 12:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

Geir Hongro - Classic or Dud?

More on Geir

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 12:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

i've already posted my own list twice on other threads, the Pick one album from the year X threads too

here all my second favourite albums from each year then:

1988: Pet Shop Boys 'Introspective'
1989: New Order 'Technique'
1990: Public Enemy 'Fear Of A Black Planet'
1991: U2 'Achtung Baby'
1992: Altern 8 'Full On Mask Hysteria'
1993: Senser 'Stacked Up'
1994: Massive Attack 'Protection'
1995: Tricky 'Maxinquaye'
1996: Underworld 'Second Toughest In The Infants'
1997: Chemical Brothers 'Dig Your Own Hole'
1998: Lo Fidelity All Stars 'How To Operate With A Blown Mind'
1999: Chemical Brothers 'Surrender'
2000: Doves 'Lost Souls'
2001: Zero 7 'Simple Things'
2002: Cassette Boy 'The Parker Tapes'

stevem (blueski), Monday, 3 March 2003 12:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

An astonishing list. Astonishing in its absense (as has already been pointed out) of black music in particular. (Genesis gets five mentions but not one by Otis, Aretha, James Brown, Al Green, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Prince, etc.)
Too many complaints to add here, other than Dylan was pretty big in the 60s too (Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61). Sgt. Pepper is a relic that hasn't stood the test of time (unlike Rubber Soul). It also appears that punk never happened.
I had no idea that one person could be so utterly sheltered.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

Punk should never have happened.
James Brown should never have happened.

The Beatles found the perfect formula and future musicans should stick to that one. No need for "innovation".

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yes, and Mozart was overrated.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

It might just be that Geir likes lots of black music, but that it never made number one in a yearlist?

OK, perhaps nog in Geirs case, but personally I enjoy lots of black music, but the love is mostly for singles rather than albums.

Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

Actually, Mozart couldn't be overrated because he was white.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:26 (twenty-one years ago) link

I wouldn't say I like _a lot_ of black music, but I like some. I love all of Stevie Wonder's 1972-76 albums, and I also quite respect Marvin Gaye's post 1970 output. As for _before_ 1970, there is a lot of black music that I like, but Motown was always very singles oriented, and no 60s Motown album is consistent enough throughout to be among my favourites.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

One of the great things about Geir's taste - probably the only great thing about Geir's taste - is the way he turns so many people into frothing defenders of the pop canon by focussing so resolutely on one small aspect of that canon. "BUT WHAT ABOUT DYLAN?" simply doesn't work as an argument because Marcello's initial impulse was entirely right - Geir is one person with a set of tastes which are rigorous if a bit inconsistent, and he's setting those tastes out for the world, without apology. In many ways he is the epitome of the ILM approach, or the ILM approach taken to absurd extremes, which is probably why he inspires such argument.

I think his views on 'black music' are completely wrongheaded, but I think that they also expose a little the problems with accepting the linkage of music and race in the first place. IIRC from my old clashes with Geir, tangling with him on his own terms led you to advocate either a kind of pop-taste quota system, or to defend a more flattering version of the idea of 'natural rhythm', or both.

Tom (Groke), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

Have you ever heard of soul music, Geir? (Obviously not, because Genesis is one of the most soulless bands ever). That genre certainly wasn't just "singles oriented," as the albums on Atlantic/Stax/Volt and other labels are solid: Otis, Aretha, James Carr, Howard Tate, William Bell, Joe Tex, Sam Cooke, etc.
I'm assuming you prefer the Righteous Brothers.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Soul music isn't melodic enough. Too repetitive and too few chords.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Besides, an album isn't consistent if the songs aren't all written by the artist himself or some permanent band member.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Besides, an album isn't consistent if the songs aren't all written by the artist himself or some permanent band member."

You mean like Please Please Me?

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Please Please Me" isn't a consistent album, no. But the idea of a consistent "rock" album wasn't _invented_ in 1963 anyway.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

We could turn this into an singles versus albums debate.

My theory:
Albums are needed because it is the only way to promote cult of personality. People buy records because they identify with the artists.

Singles: singles are better at capturing the mood of the moment. This is why I mainly buy compilations.

Albums I do like are by individuals rather than groups. I guess this has to do with my natural aversion towards groups.

In an MP3 world, the loser will be the album. Singles will thrive (just like ringtones).

Geir,
What was the first consistent rock album?

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

In an MP3 world, the loser will be compilations. Albums will still sell, while singles oriented artists will not mean much to the recording labels finacially, and thus will die.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 13:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Soul music isn't melodic enough. Too repetitive and too few chords."

You mean like these:
"Everybody Loves a Winner"
"You Don't Miss Your Water"
"Do Right Woman - Do Right Man"
"The Dark End of the Street"
"A Change is Gonna Come"
"These Arms of Mine"
"I've Been Loving You Too Long"
"Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)"
"The Happy Song"
"I've Got Dreams to Remember"
"Share Your Love With Me"
"When a Man Loves a Woman"

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

here all my second favourite albums from each year then:

I'll spare those for my Top 20s of each year coming up later on. :-)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:03 (twenty-one years ago) link

you're all rockist scum

stevem (blueski), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

There are several of those songs you listed that I've heard, Jazzbo, and I don't see them as particularly melodic. Usually ostinato based, sort of meant for the singer to improvise. I don't like that sort of songwriting. I prefer songs to be strictly precomposed, with a lot of chord and key changes throughout. And with a clear distinction between contrasting verses and choruses.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bacause the more structured and predetermined it is the less you have to engage, think, and be surprised and delighted by the unexpected.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

There is nothing quite like an unexpected key change anyway.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

"There are several of those songs you listed that I've heard, Jazzbo, and I don't see them as particularly melodic."

Wow, OK. To each his own. I'll just leave you with this: There's a big wide world of music out there, and I think it's sad that you're able to appreciate only this much of it (holds thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart).

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

Compilations will not loose because they will feature liner notes, pictures, background info ... all of this stuff that don't come with an MP3 download.


and Geir: first rock album (consistent)? Which was it?

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

Purposely or accidentally?

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

I prefer songs to be strictly precomposed, with a lot of chord and key changes throughout.

So why not jazz?

Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:21 (twenty-one years ago) link

Either ....

Jan Geerinck (jahsonic), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

The first ever consistent rock album was "A Hard Day's Night", which was the first one to containt exclusively brilliant self-composisions by band members.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

So why not jazz?

Some jazz (particularly the slower songs on several classic jazz albums) is OK, but generally, there is too much inprovisation in jazz.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

You couldn't make it up, could you?

Richard Litteljhon for legal reasons, Monday, 3 March 2003 14:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

I know.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 3 March 2003 14:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Geir is from Norway apparently:does he even like black metal?
(Hellhammer might be too rhythmic a drummer I suppose)

Scott Seward, Monday, 3 March 2003 15:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

black metal is probably not melodic enough for Geir.

DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 3 March 2003 15:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

Scott: All black metal fans in Norway are now in jail for the burning of their local stave church. You won't find them writing here. :-)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 3 March 2003 15:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

does he even like black metal?

He should - the stuff is as free from "black music" as it gets, and the Emperor/Dark Tranquillity school certainly crams more twin guitar melodic riffing, key and tempo changes into the songs than any 'conventional' rock band I can think of. But as the above list suggests, Geir likes his music aesthetically conventional, right?

Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 3 March 2003 15:25 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Beatles found the perfect formula and future musicans should stick to that one. No need for "innovation".


hahahahaha! You really believe there's a 'perfect' formula out there?
What if someone such as yourself said this in 1960, everyone followed it, and your 'perfect' Beatles were stuck doing Irving Berlin covers?
Now, I understand that you probaly mean this formula is perfect in your eyes, but how are you so sure there's nothing that can be produced that you'd like better?

oops (Oops), Monday, 3 March 2003 15:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

In many ways he is the epitome of the ILM approach, or the ILM approach taken to absurd extremes, which is probably why he inspires such argument.

Quite right. I of course sympathize with him on the whole 'find your own aesthetic' point, and at the same time I'm rather glad it isn't mine...

As for GH...oh dear oh dear oh dear. Matos, Blount, I take it all back - let him have it.

It won't work. I understand, though. Somewhere in groups.google.com is the massive 1995 or so argument I had with him that tired me out after about a month or something.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 3 March 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

I find the comment about the Beatles particularly ironic, since I think innovation was part of their formula. Listening to them from album to album, I hear a constant inventiveness. (I admit there were some things that remained consistent as well.)

A Music Consumer, Monday, 3 March 2003 15:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

fwiw, my one comment re: FG was more of a cocked eyebrow in his direction, he's got the right to his opinions even if I think they're fairly narrow [understatement of the decade]. and I was funning w/MC, mostly

M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 3 March 2003 16:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jan G--yes, Ocean is the Toop book s/t. utterly changed the way I hear music, absolutely essential

M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 3 March 2003 16:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

1966 Otis Redding, Complete and Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
1967 The Who, The Who Sell Out
1968 Love, Forever Changes
1969 Gilberto Gil, Gilberto Gil
1970 Curtis Mayfield, Curtis
1971 Sly and the Family Stone, There’s a Riot Goin’ On
1972 Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?
1973 Al Green, Call Me
1974 Ann Peebles, I Can’t Stand the Rain
1975 The Ohio Players, Honey
1976 Thin Lizzy, Jailbreak
1977 Parliament, Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
1978 Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food
1979 The B-52’s, The B-52’s
1980 The Clash, Sandinista!
1981 Prince, Controversy
1982 ABC, The Lexicon of Love
1983 Prince, 1999
1984 Kurtis Blow, Ego Trip
1985 The Minutemen, Double Nickels on the Dime
1986 XTC, Skylarking
1987 LL Cool J, Bigger and Deffer
1988 EPMD, Strictly Business
1989 Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation 1814
1990 Shonen Knife, Shonen Knife
1991 De La Soul, De La Soul Is Dead
1992 The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
1993 Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
1994 Common Sense, Resurrection
1995 Whale, We Care
1996 Henry Threadgill and Make a Move, Where’s Your Cup?
1997 Pizzicato Five, Happy End of the World
1998 Gomez, Bring It On
1999 Caetano Veloso, Livro
2000 Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun
2001 Bersuit Vergabarat, Hijos del Culo
2002 Blackalicious, Blazing Arrow

Neudonym, Monday, 3 March 2003 16:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

and, why not, singles for each year from, why not, 1950:

1950 Hank Snow: "I'm Movin' On"
1951 The Larks: "My Reverie"
1952 The "5" Royales: "Laundromat Blues"
1953 The Crows: "Gee"
1954 Elvis Presley: "That's All Right (Mama)"/"Blue Moon of Kentucky"
1955 Chuck Berry: "Maybellene"
1956 James Brown: "Please Please Please"
1957 Jerry Lee Lewis: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
1958 Link Wray & His Ray Men: "Rumble"
1959 The Flamingos: "I Only Have Eyes for You"
1960 Jerry Butler: "He Will Break Your Heart"
1961 Ben E. King: "Stand By Me"
1962 Little Eva: "The Loco-Motion"
1963 The Beatles: "Please Please Me"
1964 Dionne Warwick: "Walk on By"
1965 Bob Dylan: "Like a Rolling Stone"
1966 ? & the Mysterians: "96 Tears"
1967 Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage"
1968 Sly & the Family Stone: "Everyday People"
1969 The Rolling Stones: "Honky Tonk Women"/"You Can't Always Get What You Want"
1970 James Brown: "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine Pt. 1 & 2"
1971 Temptations: “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)”
1972 Stevie Wonder: “Superstition”
1973 Marvin Gaye: “Let’s Get It On”
1974 Gloria Gaynor: “Never Can Say Goodbye”
1975 Jacob Miller: “Baby I Love You So”/Augustus Pablo: “King Tubby’s Meets Rockers Uptown”
1976 The Sex Pistols: “Anarchy in the U.K.”
1977 The Sex Pistols: “God Save the Queen”
1978 The Clash: “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais”
1979 Chic: “Good Times”
1980 Joy Division: “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
1981 Funky 4 + 1: “That’s the Joint”
1982 New Order: “Temptation”
1983 George Clinton: “Atomic Dog”
1984 Prince: “When Doves Cry”/“17 Days”
1985 Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force: “I Wonder If I Take You Home”
1986 Prince & the Revolution: “Kiss”
1987 Public Enemy: “Rebel without a Pause”
1988 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock: “It Takes Two”
1989 Rythim is Rythim: “Strings Of Life”
1990 Beltram: “Energy Flash”
1991 Nirvana: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
1992 Acen: “Trip II the Moon”
1993 Bikini Kill: “New Radio”/“Rebel Girl”/“Demirep”
1994 M People: “Excited”
1995 Everything But the Girl: “Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix)”
1996 Blackstreet: “No Diggity”
1997 Sneaker Pimps: “Spin Spin Sugar (Armand’s Dark Garage Mix)”
1998 Fatboy Slim: “The Rockafeller Skank”
1999 Powerhouse featuring Duane Harden: “What You Need”
2000 OutKast: "B.O.B."
2001 Missy Elliott: "Get Ur Freak On"
2002 Nas: "Made You Look"
2003 (so far): Electric Six: "Danger! High Voltage," but don't hold me to it

M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 3 March 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

Actually, Matos' list is correct about 1990, so replace Shonen Knife on mine and replace with Mama Said Knock You Out. This leaves LL and Prince as only artists to repeat on my list, which shocks the hell out of me.

But I've had second thoughts about a few of these--Stevie Wonder has to have his no-seeing ass on the list. Replace Rundgren with Music of My Mind by Stevie Wonder, then, but although Songs in the Key of Life is probably a better record than Jailbreak, keep Lizzy on for fun.

Matos and I agree on four records, then; Hongro on one; JBR and I agree on none; Murphy on none; Blount on none.

Neudonym, Monday, 3 March 2003 17:04 (twenty-one years ago) link


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