Heading down the home stretch...

My 1997 list is ready:

“Paranoid Android”- Radiohead
Complex and dynamic, just an incredible track. Incredible.

“16 Days”- Whiskeytown
I still remember the first time I heard this one-“Play that one again!” This is everything roots music is all about and remains on my all-time list.

“Strange Waters”- Bruce Cockburn
“I’ve seen alleys where they hide the truth of cities…” About man’s trying to come to grips with the world he’s created, done with a personal touch.

“Heaven and Earth”- Matthew Sweet
A nice touch of the old noisy/pop magic for Sweet.

“Brimful of Asha”- Cornershop
Indian/British band absolutely grooving on some VU riffs. Yeah!

“Pacing the Cage”- Bruce Cockburn
Cockburn makes full use of some dark imagery and metaphors on this one.

“Not Dark Yet”- Bob Dylan
“…but it’s getting there.” Dylan reunites with Daniel Lanois for one that’s epic and moody.

“Rough God Goes Riding”- Van Morrison
A tremendous track wherein Morrison reconciles his spiritual side with his blues roots.

“My Hero”- Foo Fighters
Driving and impeccably assembled metal/pop from the Foos and producer Gil Norton.

“Taneytown”- Steve Earle
In your face songwriting and playing from Earle, who finally got his act together.

“It Doesn’t Matter”- Allison Krauss and Union Station
A crossover track, more folk than bluegrass, but Krauss does have a lovely voice and perfectly suited to songs like this.

“Building a Mystery”- Sarah McLachlan
Muscular guitar work accompanies some strong songwriting from McLachlan.

“Exit Music (For a Film)”- Radiohead
Somber, majestic and haunting, probably my favorite track on OK Computer


“It’ Up to You”- Jayhawks
At this point there was a definite Jayhawks sound, and the departure of Mark Olsen did nothing to diminish that. A lovely track.

“Everlong”- Foo Fighters
Dynamics, baby, dynamics…still a great one.

“Brick”- Ben Folds Five
Ben’s probably recorded better, but this one just stays with you.

“Make Believe”- Matthew Sweet
Sweet channels Brian Wilson, only louder.

“Over the Waterfall”- Robert Earl Keen
One of Keen’s more intense, yet catchy, numbers.

“Timebomb”- Old 97’s
A good old raucous track.

“There She Goes”- Sixpence None the Richer
A bit of controversy, perhaps, because AMG lists this as being released in ’97 though I don’t think many people knew about it until’99. Still, it’s a wonderful take on the La’s classic.

Just wanted to pop in an see what's been going on in my absence. I've got a '97 list ready, but my home computer's not on speaking terms with the internet at the moment. I'll bring it to school with me tomorow and get it up.

Speaking of which, great picks, especially the Foo Fighters and Ben Folds entries.

OK, here we go, '97:


“All My Life” K-Ci & Jojo
Wow, I sure picked a hunk of mainstream fluff to start out this list, didn’t I? Well, you have to admit, or you ought to any way, that this is a very well made piece of pop balladry. I’ll always be a sucker for tight harmonies spread over a pretty melody, and that’s that.

“Battle Of Who Could Care Less” Ben Folds Five
I don’t think it’s quite legal for someone living in central North Carolina to make a song list like this that doesn’t mention that hometown hero Ben Folds somewhere. Disaffected suburban boredom has rarely sounded this catchy; Mr. Folds will always be one of the era’s best tunesmiths, even if his lyrics do tend to try WAY to hard to be cleverly ironic.

“Beetlebum” Blur
Meanwhile, over in England, David Bowie jumped onto the grunge bandwagon and recorded this… Oh, wait, this is Blur. Smart aleck name dropping aside, Damon Albarn and the boys really do a great job of blending the messy growl of the (already fading) Seattle sound with the glammish irony of Brit-rock. You know, it’d look really weird if you tried to do that with their respective fashion statements… but that’s got nothing to do with anything. Anyway, “Beetlebum” leans much closer to Blur’s previous, oh-so-English works than the new Sub Pop influence, though the situation will be reversed later in this list.

“Bittersweet Symphony” The Verve
Ah yes, a Behind The Music band if ever there was one. Chances are we’ve all heard at least some of the story about the band loosing all the royalties from this hit in a lawsuit over the use of a sample from the orchestral version of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time”. I would make a few brash remarks on the subject, but I’m not sure what they would be since I don’t know too many facts about the whole ordeal. Just who got the money over this, anyway, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, or the label? If it was the label, then the whole thing makes sense, since the recording was their property. But if the Glimmer Twins got the money, then the whole thing is absurd. That bit of violin sounds almost NOTHING like the riff to “The Last Time”. Plus, the Stones had nothing to do with that orchestral arrangement anyway, that was the brainchild of some producers and managers.
Oh wait, this is a list of songs, not “but backstage, things were falling apart” moments, so I probably should mention how beautifully hypnotic and deceptively simple it is. There.

“Boys Better” The Dandy Warhols
And now we go from deceptively simple to actually simple for this bit of indie rock. Three religiously respected chords, rinky dink organ, and very plainly shouted lyrics are the very VERY straightforward ingredients for this classic of the garage band revival variety.

“ESP” Shonen Knife
I really had trouble making up my mind over this song’s fate. Frankly, Shonen Knife was not the band they used to be by this point in the game. Somehow, they’d managed to find a way to make exuberant, naive, borderline trashy garage rock and make it sound about as assembly line as The Goo Goo Dolls (if you like The Goo Goo Dolls, please feel free to substitute another band you don’t like in their place). On the other hand, there’s still just enough traces of the classic early days of the band that I can’t seem to take “E.S.P.” off the list. The opening salvo, one of the best riffs of the decade, if I do say so myself, is the best part. (On an side note, this song is saddled to one of the creepiest music videos ever made. I guess they were trying to do something cute, but the dim lighting, ugly colors, bad costumes, AWFUL design and fatally low budget turn the whole thing into what Sesame Street would look like in an acid trip from Hell)

“Everlong” The Foo Fighters
Hey, we're starting to overlap! Is this an actual word, or did Grohl and Co. make it up? Let’s take a quick look at the ol’ American Heritage Dictionary… Nope, looks like they’ve added a new word to the English language, how many bands can boast that? Fitting, seeing that The Foo Fighters have to be one of the best Post-Famous-Band bands in rock history.

“Explosion” Shonen Knife
Now, I may have had trouble with “E.S.P”, but there was no question over this song’s inclusion in my list. “Explosion” still isn’t as good as “Riding On The Rocket” or any of their earlier hits, but it comes a lot closer to matching that sense of pure, undiluted fun than most of their recent efforts. Also, there’s a so-bad-it’s-good quality to hearing the lines “I’m getting angry; destroy everything!” sung by a girl who’s obviously feeling quite happy and enjoying herself thoroughly that’s hard to ignore.

“Falling In Love (is hard on the knees)” Aerosmith
Of course, everyone knows that the ‘90s were the decade of the Aerosmith power ballad. I say “the” Aerosmith power ballad because I still can’t tell most of them apart until they get around to singing the title. Anyway, this is one of their more hard rockin’ efforts of the era and I like it much more than most people seem to. Then again, I don’t like most of their “classic” tunes as much as most people, so I probably shouldn’t be surprised.

“Hush” Kula Shaker
Here we have my favorite bands of the ‘90s British scene, and, not coincidentally, the most psychedelic of them all. Sadly, I’m kind of fuzzy on this one, as it’s only available on the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” soundtrack (at least it’s one of those slasher flicks) and a greatest hits compilation that doesn’t seem to be available in the US right now. Too bad, ‘cause it’s a great wedding of the best parts of ‘60s acid rock with Oasis bombast (much better than most of Oasis’s attempts to do it).

“Invader Ace” Guitar Wolf
If you watch too much Cartoon network like I do, then you know what I mean when I say that Guitar Wolf is the Rowdy Ruff Boys to Shonen Knife’s Powerpuff Girls. In other words, Guitar Wolf is the stereotypical bunch of boys, whereas Shonen Knife is equally stereotypical girls. The two have a lot of similarities: both are power trios, both play Ramones-esque punk, both hail from the land of the rising sun, and both have a passion for the most disposable aspects of pop culture. However, they remain polar opposites: Shonen Knife is cute, cheerful, pop friendly, and just plain fun, whereas Guitar Wolf is snotty, obnoxious, messily atonal, and about as greasy and sleazy as the back of that store where they sell home made Led Zepplin T-shirts (you know the one I mean). Technically, this song is horrible: brutally crude production, two chords to chose from, and a vocal that only uses one note for the entire two and half minutes (give or take)! However, this is a list of personal faves not artistic triumphs, so here it is. Enjoy (on another side note, “Invader Ace” is a prime example of a video that sets the right mood for its song. Imagine Power Rangers, Easy Rider, Speed Racer, Quentin Tarantino, MST3k, and Death Race 3000 put in a blender and served with absolutely no coherence at all)

“Jesus Freak” DC Talk
DC Talk limped into existence as an embarrassingly bad (and two-thirds white) hip-hop trio around the turn of the decade, my how times change. The album Jesus Freak is not only one of the best albums to be released in the ‘90s, but it’s a virtual time capsule of the decade’s music. These guys somehow manage to take almost every musical style to make any impact in the ‘90s (grunge, Brit pop, R&B, punk, metal, folk, pop, rap, you name it), do it all with perfect credibility, and roll them together like it’s all one sound. The title track, and the best song on the album (though every one could have made this list) is perhaps the only example of rap/grunge ever recorded. That’s got to be history right there, right?

“Colored People” DC Talk
A perfect example of the genre hopping I was just talking about. This song is a lush, string laden ballad that sounds like what “All You Need Is Love” would have sounded like if lyrics about racism had been slipped under the arrangement.

“Little Wonder” David Bowie
Well lookie here! The man who feel to Earth returns to the limelight… sort of. As I recall, few people noticed this one in the US when it came out (though it was a pretty sizable hit in the UK). Too bad, this little dancible ditty from space is about as good as anything Mr. Bowie has ever done. I know I like it better than most of his “official comeback material” of recent years.

“Missing The War” Ben Folds Five
“Brick” was the big hit ballad off of The Battle Of Who Could Care Less, and that’s a very good song too. I almost put it on my list too, but it's a tad to repeditive. Instead, I have to give top honors to this one . I’m sure Paul McCartney occasionally hears this and wonders if he wrote it, it certainly sounds like it could have been slipped onto Abbey Road or some Wings album with no jarring effects whatsoever.

“Overjoyed” Jars of Clay
My habit of liking lesser known follow ups to bigger hits rears it’s head once again here. Jars of Clay hit the big time with “Flood” a year or two prior, but “Overjoyed” is the song that I like best. I’m pretty sure that it’s a reflection on new parenthood, though I can’t be sure since I’ve never had a lyric sheet for it (and this is one of those songs where enunciation seemed to be of no concern whatsoever). It really doesn’t matter what it’s about, since it’s so catchy and durn pretty.

“Pink” Aerosmith
“Pink: it’s like red, but not quite.” That’s something I think we all really need to think about. So it’s not Dylan, so what? This is the only example of the patented Aerosmith series power ballad (available at a store near you) that really stands out from the pack and deserves to be a hit. Good for it.

“Say Yes” Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith slowly crept closer to mainstream attention with Either/Or, from which this track hails. In my humble opinion, he hadn’t really figured out how to make the leap from solo, Nick Drake style arrangements to all out rock arrangements and the production makes it a little hard for me to get into the album. Still, it takes a lot more than that to get in the way of Elliott Smith’s songwriting skills, as this typically brilliant example shows.

“Sex And Candy” Marcy Playground
File under the “songs who’s lyrics/title get changes when you’re singing it to yourself around your kid nephew” section. As much as I would like to comment on the absurdly catchy melody, I’ve got something else on my mind. This song brings up a lot of questions that really need to have answered. Just what is Disco Lemonade? Some kind of intoxicating beverage? A controlled substance? A really tacky color? And how can one really be downtown and by one’s self at the same time/ And just who IS that sitting in his chair? All right that’s enough of that (clearly, I’ve had too much caffeine and I’ve been thinking about myself…), let’s just stick to the fact that this really is a textbook example of the catchy rock and roll melody.

“Sing This All Together” Cibo Matto
Speaking of catchy rock and roll melodies, let’s pay the girls of Cibo Matto a visit. When they popped up in my previous lists, it was for just plain silly hip hop concerning food. This time around, they’re in straight forward rock mode covering a track of The Rolling Stones’ much debated Their Satanic Majesties Request. Quite frankly, they demolish the Stones’ version. Where Mick Jagger sounds (to me) awkward and uncomfortable, Miho Hatori soars with a childlike yet elegant performance over sparse guitar backing. It’s a shame that this recording can only be tracked down on the hard to find Super Relax ep, seeing that it’s the best song they’ve ever done.

“Somewhere Outside” The Barracudas
Not a lot to tell about this one, just some good, old fashioned, surf styled retro rock.

“Song 2” Blur
If “Beetlebum” is Oasis with some Nirvana trappings, then this is the exact opposite. Other than that, there’s not really much to say since we’ve all heard this song in all sorts of commercials, sporting events, and whatnot. And, chances are, none of us could tell anyone the words to save our lives (I sure can’t, and I’ve got the lyrics in my room)

“Stars Of Track And Field” Belle and Sebastian
Socially awkward bookworms and maladjusted intellectuals rejoice, your heroes have arived. his is just a band that sounds smart. I’m not sure what it is, but I just feel smarter when I’m listening to Belle & Sebastian. But then, who wouldn’t feel smart knowing that you’re hip to gorgeously orchestrated indie-pop like this? It sure does me a world of good.

“The Freshmen” The Verve Pipe
One for the one hit wonder pile. These fellows sure knew it, the actually recorded this song THREE TIMES throughout their career (a new version for every move up the record label ladder). The shear simplicity doesn’t do the song many favors either. Still, the rook is rock solid, and the haunting arrangement really gets the job done.

“The Silvery Light Of A Dream (parts 1 & 2)” The Apples (in stereo)
Any song that runs around with more than one part dangling in parenthesis from the end of the title has a lot to prove, but “Silvery Light Of A Dream” passes with flying colors. Off of the excellent Tone Soul Evolution album (which, in retrospect, should have had more tracks on this list, but it's too long already), this is one of the best songs The Apples (in stereo) ever put to tape: a wonderful piece of Beatle-esque pop rock sandwiched between two haunting yet lovely melodies that give the piece its title. The perfect song? Probably not, but it’s very close.

“Walking On The Sun” Smash Mouth
I still maintain that this sounds like The Doors. Not so much for any lyrical excellence (just what exactly IS this song about, anyway?) but for the Manzarek-like keyboards. This song just has a very “Hello, I Love You” like vibe going for it.

“What If I Stumble” DC Talk
In case you couldn’t tell from the fact that they did an album called Jesus Freak, DC Talk is a Christian group, and contemporary Christian artists are usually expected to live up to excessive (sometimes hypocritical) moral standards of a pack of self appointed watchdogs, especially if they get any mainstream success. “What If I Stumble” takes an uncommonly honest look at the uncertainty and paranoia such a situation generates without ever giving way to angst or even self pity (an impressive feat these days). The wonderful folk rock, dulcimer heavy arrangement only serves to heighten the emotional power. Well done.

“Hush” Kula Shaker
Here we have my favorite bands of the ‘90s British scene, and, not coincidentally, the most psychedelic of them all. Sadly, I’m kind of fuzzy on this one, as it’s only available on the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” soundtrack (at least it’s one of those slasher flicks) and a greatest hits compilation that doesn’t seem to be available in the US right now. Too bad, ‘cause it’s a great wedding of the best parts of ‘60s acid rock with Oasis bombast (much better than most of Oasis’s attempts to do it).- Blitz

Actually- this is an ok cover version of a Joe South song (which Deep Purple did a much better version of when they covered it as the opening song on their debut album- they still do it at their shows today!) You're almost there Blitz! Yuo're doing Todd and Benn proud!

Really? I'll have to check up on that, thanks! (but why doesn't my partner in crime, MrPorter, get props too?)

>they covered it as the opening song on their debut album

Actually, it's the second track off Purple's debut Shades. A brief instrumental called "After The Address" is first. Of course, you can say that that isn't really a song . . .
Deep Purple also did a pretty cool physchedilic cover of the Beatles "Help!"

Five seconds after I steped away from the computer, I realized that I knew that (and love the song) D'OH!!! Well, it's been a while since I heard their version as well...

Todd- they sure did, and Paul rates it as one of the best Beatles covers around! (They tried again on the second album with "We Can Work It Out", but that wasn't as successful). It's funny, but Deep Purple's covers were much better than their originals in that period.

I dunno, the originals on their self titled '69 album are some of my favorite Deep Purple songs. Speaking of which, I wonder why it's not in the All Music Guide to Rock... (Hear that? That's the sound of teh conversation flying head first off topic. Sorry.)

(Hear that? That's the sound of teh conversation flying head first off topic. Sorry.) - Blitz

It's still music related, so that's allright by me. Now onto my list of the Most Humane Ways to Cook a Live Lobster...

OK- a little late to the party, apologies for that. Excellent list per usual, Blitz. I totally agree with you about The Verve track and have been wondering the same thing as to where the royalties went (not enough to actually look it up, mind you...).

Similarly (in name, at least) re:The Verve Pipe- I'm not sure if I can go along with the term 'one hit wonder' in a case like this. Well...in most cases, but that's probably just a personal bias. Anyway, "Photograph" was a minor hit before "The Freshman" hit it big if I recall correctly. But the larger point of how that song was incongruent with their output at the time, and how that did them no favors in the end is largely true. Anyway, I'm not that big a fan so I really don't know why I'm going on like this...must be about something else...I don't know...

Also- I did just have to take a look at AMG to find a chink in their armor and sorry to say I found the Deep Purple disc. Looks interesting.

Hey, they recovered! Anyway, I was referring to the second adition of the book (the only one I've got at the moment), which skips from Shades of Deep Purple to . Nice review, though I'm a bit dissapointed that they didn't include a warning against the Power Sound reissue, which I had the misfortune of buying. Not only does it lack the bonus tracks, but it's the worst job of a CD reissue I've ever seen: the tracks are actually out of sync with the music! (each song actually starts during the last second of the previous track) Oh well, it's worth it for the music, though.

About The Verve Pipe, I was using "One Hit Wonder" in the more general, un-technical, VH1 countdown sense of the term. A lot of so-called "one hit wonders" actually had two or three more hits. In fact, when I wrote my comments on Blind Mellon's "No Rain", I was going to mention that, dispite being the "one hit", the local rock station plays "Tones Of Home" far more often; but I forgot aout that untill five minutes ago. Oh well...

And we all know the most humane way to cook a live lobster is after soaking it in booze

The online version of the all-music guide (www.allmusic.com) does give a review of Deep Purple's self-titled '69 album. It is a highly favorable review.

Yeah, that's where MrPorter link goes.

Just to show that there's still SOME lists going on, I'm working on my '98 list at the moment. Should be presentable by Sunday *fingers crossed*

Blitz- one more thing about the 'one hit wonder' phrase:

I’ve been thinking about it, and like I implied, I don’t think my objection really had very much to do with The Verve Pipe. Something personal might’ve bubbled to the surface when I saw the phrase. I mean, it’s common enough so I have no right to complain or nitpick when it’s used properly.

For the Record- here’s what I don’t like about the expression:
(This happens quite a bit, but I’ll just use one example) Let’s take a band like Clannad. They’ve been around for decades, a lot of that time making noteworthy and innovative music, expanding the boundaries of their genre. Along comes the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans and they score a left-field hit in the states with “I Will Find You",- good for them, BTW. A couple of years later they’re a “one hit wonder” to these music magazine type shows and, to me, that comes off as really disrespectful.

Tell ya what, though- if American Idol reject William Hung actually gets a deal and scores a hit with “She Bangs” then I’ll have no problem whatsoever with the tag’s being applied to him.

Anyway, my 1998 list is finished except for the comments, and I've got a bunch picked out for 1999 as well. So I'm there with you till then.

Tell ya what, though- if American Idol reject William Hung actually gets a deal and scores a hit with “She Bangs” then I’ll have no problem whatsoever with the tag’s being applied to him. Mr. Porter

Are you serious????? Is he being offered a record deal?? Man- what HAS the industry come to... My personal favs from those auditions was that girl who tried to skat "Route 66" and the guy who sang "Wiiiiiiiiise maaaaan sing onry foooooooors lush in...but I caaaaaaaaaan't herp farring in ruv wiiith yooooooou"

See, this is why I don't even keep up with American Idol...

I kind of figured that was your motivation. Personally, I've never really taken that sort of thing to be any more disrespectful than the way they treat any other performer on the face of the Earth, so it rarely bothers me very much.

OK, I've got my list ready- here goes:

1998


“California Snow”- Dave Alvin
Just a phenomenal, albeit fairly bleak, bit of songwriting. I’m not sure if I want to give too much away here, but it’s powerful where it needs to be, reflective where it needs to be, and it brings it all together in the end.

“Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”- Angelique Kidjo
A tremendous cover in the ‘break it down and rebuild it’ sense. Kidjo finds the rhythmic and ancestral heart of the song and just runs with it.

“Mary”- Patty Griffin
A haunting and effective ballad from Griffin’s first proper record

“California Stars”- Billy Bragg and Wilco
The most popular track from the Woodie Guthrie collaborative disc Mermaid Avenue is also the best. It sounds like an old standard although Guthrie only wrote the words.

“Whippin Picadilly”- Gomez
Gomez really breathes some new life into the bluesy jam format on this one.

“Medicine Hat”- Son Volt
“Drop of the hat, and it’s already started”…Jay Farrar always sounds so ominous, but this time he means it.

“One Big Love”- Patty Griffin
Griffin hits just the right levels of abandon and flirtatiousness on this perfect showcase of her singing and songwriting skills.

“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”- Lucinda Williams
Williams seems to take a page from Bruce Cockburn’s book with her approach to the lyrics on this track- she offers up a list of images and dialogue which are meant to be taken as a whole and place you in the scene. She makes the approach her own, as she does with the blues, or anything else that she does.

“Aurora en Pekin”- Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos
Superb track from avant-garde guitarist Ribot’s take on Cuban music, celebrating the potential for experimentation within the music without sacrificing one bit of the spirit.

“New #1”- Bob Mould
A propulsive 12-string track complete with the requisite Mould anguish

“Dark Star”- Iodine
Jay Joyce’s ability to sculpt sound more than makes up for any other deficiencies he may have. The big wet guitar solo near the end of this track is just a cherry on top.

“To Call My Own”- Golden Smog
Top notch jangle-pop from members of Soul Asylum, Wilco and others.

“Nobody’s Fault But My Own”- Beck
An effective and introspective track, without a touch of irony…from Beck. How ‘bout that?

“Waltz #2 (XO)- Elliot Smith
A tremendously engaging 60’s style pop number from Smith.

“Straightface”- Son Volt
Perhaps their most powerful song.

“Along the Way”- Bob Mould
“It seems the stars have blurred your vision, I guess I lost you somewhere along the way” A career highlight for Mould, the subtext of which signals another change in his work- this is the last song on his last disc prior to the electronica of Modulate.

“Drunken Angel”- Lucinda Williams
By the time she got to this disc the words “textbook Lucinda” meant something; this song is textbook Lucinda. That’s a good thing.

“She Will Have Her Way”- Neil Finn
Another classic from Finn’s seemingly endless box of hooks.

“78 Stone Wobble”- Gomez
Gomez shows their soulful side on this one. Superb in every respect.

“Perfect World”- Liz Phair
In which Liz channels early Suzanne Vega, to great effect.

“American”- Martin Sexton
Sexton rarely plays it straight, but he pushes the showy tendencies to the side with this one and produces one of his best tracks to boot.

“Eventually Rock”- Marah
Ebullient roots rock complete with banjos and dobros…makes me real happy.

“Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key”- Billy Bragg and Wilco
More Guthrie magic, Woody’s spirit is all over this one.

Oops, fell a little behind. Ought to have mine up my THIS weekend. Great list as always.

“Waltz #2 (XO)- Elliot Smith
A tremendously engaging 60’s style pop number from Smith.

RIGHT ON!!! You'd better believe that our lists overlap on this one!

Um, this probobly isn't a very good idea, but I'm going to go ahead and put my list in here rather than start a new one just yet. I don't want to separate the '98 lists. Well, here goes:

1998

“Amity” Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith finally got the hang of this whole big production thing for the album XO, his second best. I say second because he seems to have learned how to write straight rock songs a little too well, as several of the tracks are a bit faceless in their attempt to be radio ready (and the lyrics are sometimes filler-prone). Ironically, though, one of those radio-ready-tracks is actually one of XO’s best. “Amity” tries really hard to be a droning, bombastic rocker in the “Champagne Supernova” vein. It doesn’t quite pull it off since the production is too crisp (and Elliott Smith’s voice simply isn’t built to shout, no matter what song it’s singing), but Elliott’s gift for beautiful melodies isn’t obscured for a second.


“Cancer For The Cure” eels
Off of Electro-Shock Blues considered by many critics to be one of the most depressing albums ever recorded. Is it? I dunno, my emotional reactions to things are a mystery even to myself, so I’m in no position to judge. Personally, I find “Cancer For The Cure” to be a pretty funny song, even if it is vaguely twisted. Besides, it’s hard not to get swept away in that very un-rock-like beat (E calls it “Voodoo rock”, I think).

“Come With Me” Puff Daddy f/Jimmy Page
I’m honestly afraid to list this one, knowing how seriously Zepplin fans take their music. But the fact is, this is still a great song even with ol’ P. Diddy rapping over it. I mean, come on; “Kashmir” is still “Kashmir” no matter what you do to it! Besides, the new bridge (where Mr. Combs actually SINGS!) is very nice, and you have to admit that the “guest vocalist” gives a very energetic performance.

“Daydream Believer” Shonen Knife
This is what a brilliant remake sounds like, everybody. The girls from Osaka turn The Monkees’ classic slice of orchestrated pop and turn it into an all-out rock song. The oh-so catchy melodie of the original is not only preserved, but I think that the faster arrangement actually makes the song even catchier! Maybe that’s a bad thing, since the original version had stayed lodged in people’s heads for decades. Well, in any case, the song proved to be a rather ominous sign for the group. It was be best song they’d done in almost a decade, and they didn’t even write it.

“Deeper Underground” Jamiroquai
Better known as the mind behind “Virtual Insanity” and its motion sickness inducing music video, this song is supposedly to be heard in the American version of Godzilla. Personally, I don’t ever remember hearing it, but then again, I’ve blocked most of the film out of my memory, so what do I know? Anyway, this is a surprisingly cool little tune with a great, almost heavy metal base line. Well, in spirit any way; the thin dance floor mix really hurts the track, but it’s still pretty good.

“Dirty Dream Number 2” Belle and Sebastian
Now THIS is an interesting title for a song (I wonder what happened to number one?), but it’s not as dirty as the title suggests. Just another bit of indie-folk-pop by those guys who are (or at least were, I don’t think they do this any more) so cool that they could send other people out to do photo shoots for them.

“Disappear” Out of the Gray
A very apt song, since I can’t find a single trace of information on this group anywhere. Apparently, they vanished off the face of the Earth after recording this. Nice of them to wait around long enough to get it finished, though, since this some really great, if overtly mainstream, pop-rock.

“Fly Away” Lenny Kravitz
Okay, I don’t really have to write anything about this one, do I? I mean, it’s not like we need to be reminded who Lenny is, and you’d have to have been living under a rock for… well, you’d still have to be there now avoid hearing this SOMEWHERE. Let me just say that it may rank alongside “Wild Thing” as one of the all time “Why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?” songs. (I mean, it’s hardly “Starship Trooper” or anything, why didn’t one of US come up with it first and get as rich as this guy?)

“Goddess On A Highway” Mercury Rev
Another band I wish that I knew better than I do. Mercury Rev is one of the definitive critical darling bands of the ‘90s, meaning that critics seem to be the only people who actually have all their stuff. Give me time (and money, please), though, because what little I have hear, I like a LOT. “Goddess On A Highway” for example, is one of the most elegant, or, more accurately, intelligent rock songs to come out in ’98.

“(I Met Her) At The Laundromat” The Prefab Messiahs
By contrast, there are The Prefab Messiahs, one of the most lo-fi lo-fi bands I’ve ever heard. I mean, these guys play and record so crudely (not to mention out of tune) that it is a serious threat to one’s ability to make it through a whole song. Fortunately for them, “(I Met Her) At The Laundromat” is a good enough song that it can survive the butchering. It’s got some of the most smartly •••••• lyrics I’ve ever heard, not to mention the only place I’ve ever seen washing machines and various whitening products used in a romantic context. That’s got to be some kind of history being made.

“I Think I’m Paranoid” Garbage
An obvious rewrite of “I’m Only Happy When It Rains”, but a very successful one as well. Shirley Manson’s trademark it’s-cool-to-be-cynical attitude is carried over very well.

“Independence Day” Elliott Smith
One of the more stripped down numbers on OX. This is a blues ditty at heart, but Elliott works his usual magic and turns it into a far more complex beast. Interestingly enough, I really want to refer to this song as “funky”, thanks to the healthy rhythm of the guitar, but I just don’t see how the words “funky” and “Elliott Smith” can be used in the same sentence without doing a very odd deed to both.


“Last Stop, This Town” eels
Many eels songs are very firmly plugged into pop traditions, and by that I mean really old fashioned, Sesame Street/Mary Poppins/Disney movie soundtrack pop. However, many more are rooted in more contemporary, ‘90s pop styles. Then there are the ones where he combines both of them into one thing. “Last Stop, This Town” belongs to the third type, sort of. Actually, “Last Stop, This Town” doesn’t really meld the two types of music, instead, they just sit next to each other, fighting for supremacy. The result is quite entertaining, if a tad simple. It uses the same keyboard riff for the ENTIER song, imprinting it on one’s memory for far longer than some tastes will prefer.

“Melochord Seventy-Five” Stereolab
If memory serves, this is the first Stereolab song I heard, so I’m going to list it if for no other reason than that. Other than that, I can’t really think of anything too terribly interesting to say about it at the moment.


“Miss Misery” Elliott Smith
From the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting, his not-quite-that-big break (and to think that those other two guys who got famous through the movie are rich today. Where’s the justice?) “Miss Misery” was actually nominated for an Academy Award, and for good reason, it’s one of his very best. Unfortunately, it had the misfortune of going up against the unstoppable juggernaut from planet sappiness that is “My Heart Will Go On”, and was crushed under it’s iron boot. A true tragedy.

“Monosynth” Joy Electric
Joy Electric are an interesting bunch, as they’re about the only purely electronic act I know of that dedicates it self to writing melodic, concise, hook-filled rock songs rather than drawn out dance beats. Much of their material is a little too sugar coated to be that memorable, but this is a stone classic. The minor key melody evokes a lot of the mood of Pink Floyd, yet the sparse arrangement recalls the moody garage psych of the ‘60s. This has popped up on several CDs over the years, so if you see it, pick it up.

“Real Folk Blues” Seatbelts
Closing theme to Cowboy Bebop, but the cool people out there already knew that, right? Simply put, this song is absolutely gorgeous. A jazzy arrangement slipped over an elegant, melancholy melody that teeters between Pink Floyd and David Bowie territory. One of the highlights of the decade, if you ask me. The original soundtracks are getting a little hard to find, but you can pick up “Real Folk Blues” with relative ease on the oddly-named Vitaminless compilation.

“Sacred Cow” The Prefab Messiahs
More lo-fi madness, this time with a slightly psychedelic twist. If you like muddled reverb… well, I think it’s reverb; it’s so fuzzy it a bit hard to tell just what’s going on with the guitars. But if you like that sort of thing then you’ll really like this.

“Sweet Adeline” Elliott Smith
The opening track of OX, and probably the best thing on the entire album. In fact, I’m having trouble coming up with anything that accurately sums up the understated majesty of this track, so I’ll not try. This list is taking too long anyway, so I won’t start throwing filler around (besides, it’d disrespect the song).

“Tank” Seatbelts
The opening theme to Cowboy Bebop, and one of the coolest instrumentals I’ve ever heard. This is an absolutely blisteringly fast jazz tune that reeks of ‘60s action cartoons and spy flicks, what better song to start off a show with? It also boasts one of the bests riffs of any song in the ‘90s, even if it’s not on a guitar. Strangely enough, “Tank” isn’t on the Vitaminless CD, but industrious souls sound be able to find it with only minor difficulty (and, if all else fails, just watch Adult Swim and hear it that way)

“The North Sea” Joy Electric
As far as I can tell, this is only available as the closing track of the Land of Misfits ep, hiding behind “Monosynth” and a few forgettable remixes of older songs. That’s a shame, because it’s an amazing, epic ballad of loss. Admittedly, the cheep synth sound sounds a bit unnatural on this song (it seems better suited for a piano and string quartet treatment), but it still produces a tremendously haunting atmosphere. Absolutely brilliant.

“Top of the World” Shonen Knife
Actually, I haven’t hear this one in a while. As far as I can tell, it’s only been released on the soundtrack of the Parent Trap remake, which isn’t very high on my list of CDs to buy right away. Maybe it ought to be, because this a perfect reminder of what made Shonen Knife such a great band in the first place.

“Waltz #1” Elliott Smith
This isn’t as well known as the more radio ready “Waltz #2 (XO)”, actually comes AFTER #2, and has pretty much nothing to do with it outside of the time signature. However, it’s the better song in my opinion. It may be his prettiest melody, it’s certainly the most delicate arrangement he ever did.

“Waltz #2 (XO)” Elliott Smith
Of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t like XO’s title track. This one really recalls the folk rock style of early Simon & Garfunkel. Plus, it’s the first Elliott Smith song I ever hear, and that counts for something.

Honorable mention: “Brain Stew – The Godzilla Remix” Green Day
Another song from the Godzilla soundtrack that I don’t remember hearing anywhere in the film. I don’t know if it’s better than the original, or just needlessly fussy, but it’s got two things that I really love: bombastic, doom-laden string sections and GODZILLA ROARS!!!


Also, I’ve gathered up a number of tunes that really should have been on previous lists, but didn’t make it on for one reason or another:

“She’s In Love With Time” Bevis Frond (‘87)
This is why you need to double check the information your sources. The “good” people at Launch list the album Miasma as being a ’98 release. Well, it was released in ’98… a second time. The actual release date is 1987! Thanks for the help boys. Of course, the song sounds like it was recorded in 1966 either way, so I guess fussing about it is a bit nitpicky (and we certainly can’t have that!). Since mastermind Nick Saloman is of the indie/home recording breed, Bevis frind stuff is hard to come by, but this garage/psych guitar rock well worth the effort.

“Divine Intervention” Mathew Sweet (’91)
Slowly but surely, I’m catching up with Sweet’s body of work, so I figured I’d better recognize this stellar piece of work.

“Summer Babe” Pavement (’92)
For the most part, I don’t really like Pavement’s particular breed of rock, a bit too… old fashioned college radio for me. However, I really like this more psychedelic cut (imagine that)

“Another Day” Shonen Knife (’93)
This was on an early draft of my ’93 list, but I left it off for some reason. Since my notoriously spotty memory is failing me here, all I can figure is that I dropped it as punishment for using an electronic keyboard rather than a real piano, but it’s not that bad. A very nice Paul McCartney/Badfinger-ish ballad (and, for the record, it’s NOT the “Another Day” that Paul did, unless they DRASTICALLY rewrote it)

“Quavers” Shonen Knife (’93)
A far more traditional Shonen Knife number, boasting some of the quirkiest lyrics I’ve heard them do. I’m not talking about their occasionally shaky English (which has never really been that bad), but there are some ideas going on that would earn an few funny looks in any language. What can you say about “I want to be his heroin?” (and where did this name Quavers come from, anyway?)

“Cyanide Breath Mint” Beck (’94)
Nothing to terribly clever to say about this one, just a cool Beck tune that slipped under my radar.

“Detroit Has A Skyline” Superchunk (’95)
Not much to say here either. The local college radio station just like it a bunch, so it’s had a chance to grow on me.

“Chop Chop Master Onion's Rap” Chop Chop Master Onion (’96)
“Kick. Punch. It’s all in the mind.” Okay, now I’m really abusing the whole concept of these lists, but come on! It’s Parappa The Rapper! That’s one of the best games in the history of the Playstation! Besides, this hip hop guide to the martial arts (sort of) is just so goofy that you can’t help but like it.


“I Don’t Love Anyone” Belle & Sebastian (’96)
One of their most straight forward rock songs, and one of their best. It actually sounds a LOT like what The Velvet Underground would have if they’d gone through the trouble of making recordings that didn’t sound like somebody’s demos. The winding lyrics are a perfect example of their overly intellectual approach.

“Touch Peel and Stand” Days of the New (’97)
GAH! How did I miss this? Shame on me!!! I’ve heard it referred to as a bit on the mainstream side of rock, but that’s got little to do with the actual sound. I think Black Sabbath unplugged sums it up best.

“Lo Batt” Man or Astro-Man? (’97)
At last, a band that’s as geeky as I am. I mean, these guys actually claim to be aliens on their promotional material! But enough about that, this is some of the best surf guitar rock to emerge since the mid ’60s, with a healthy (and geeky) sense of humor.

“Miracle of Genuine Pyrex” Man or Astro-Man? (’97)
Nothing much to add, other than the fact that it’s a little hard to track down their earlier stuff, thanks in so small part to their absurd productivity throughout their career. Too bad, I’d love to hear their version of the “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Love Theme”

“Top of the World” Shonen Knife
Actually, I haven’t hear this one in a while. As far as I can tell, it’s only been released on the soundtrack of the Parent Trap remake, which isn’t very high on my list of CDs to buy right away. - Blitz

Nope. It's also on the If I Was a Carpenter album tribute to Richard and Karen. I used to have that disc. The best thing on it was Sonic Youth ultra-creepy rendition of "Superstar". It gave the song a whole new meaning.

np - Modern Rock 1980-1981 - various artists.

"Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me."

Really? That's good to know, Thanks!

Now THIS is embarasing, I forgot some of the songs that I forgot before:

"Black Bass" Shonen Knife ('92)
A cool, minor key number that's far more closer to old fashioned garage rock than their usual punk-pop fare. Nice organ work.

"Natural One" The Folk Implosion
Sebadoh mastermind Lou Barlow's little side project had a rather respectible hit with this tune form the soundtack of Kids. It used to be a real favorite of the college stations around here. Maybe I should start buggin' them to bring it back, 'cause I miss it.

Man, I was just off of my game on that list. "Top Of The World" was originally released in '96 on the compilation The Birds & The B-Sides DRAT!

Um, this probobly isn't a very good idea, but I'm going to go ahead and put my list in here rather than start a new one just yet. I don't want to separate the '98 lists.- Blitz

My original intent was to finish the 90's on this board, though at this point that may be pushing it. Do you plan on going into the 2000's? Should we start a new board for 1999 only? I have a '99 list ready so I'm just looking for the best place to post it.

Now THIS is embarasing, I forgot some of the songs that I forgot before: - Blitz

That's why I've resisted the temptation to do such a revisiting myself. Better to set the record straight, though, I suppose.

Cool list, BTW- you really make me want to go out and get some of the ones I'm not familiar with.

“Divine Intervention” Mathew Sweet (’91)
Slowly but surely, I’m catching up with Sweet’s body of work, so I figured I’d better recognize this stellar piece of work. - Blitz

Agreed. I remember playing Girlfriend for a number of people back then to, you know,...spread the word, I guess. "Divine Intervention" ususlly sealed the deal in the first five minutes.

I've actually got rough drafts of lists all the way up to '03, so I can go as long as you guys will let me. So yeah, I was planing on starting a new one for '99 onward.