My rule on these lists: if you bought it in 1999, you can count it. Try to write a line or three describing the albums you pick.42 responses total.
I've been picking favorite albums and publishing my lists in a variety of forums since about 1980, and this is the first time I couldn't come close to getting ten albums for the list. I was in a sulk over the state of pop/rock/folk music for most of the year. I remember a period like this in the early 1980s. Maybe it will pass, or maybe I'm just getting too old for this. Maybe I'll think of some more discs later, but for now my only selections are: Afro Celt Sound System, VOLUME 2: RELEASE A fun romp through a contemporary re-interpretation of Irish sounds, with one magnificent vocal from Sinead O'Connor. Richard Thompson, MOCK TUDOR Most years this wouldn't have made my cut, but half of it is pretty darn tuneful, only the second Thompson album of the decade I like.
((( Music #222 <---> Winter Agora #55 )))
"albums"? hee hee! :)
Despite the media, a collection of tunes is an album. The last true albums where five or six 78s in their sleeves bound into a book like thing, or like a photo album.
Maxinquaye - Tricky (not from 1999, but bought it this year). This is what people refer to as trip Hop, which means samples in connection with slow beats, seedy/moody soundscapes, jazzy influences too. The singer on this album has a great voice. The atmosphere of the entire album breathes like the underbelly of a big city like in the Dog days of August. Anything, good or bad, but often sexual, can happen any moment. The only 1999 album I have got is Katie Geddes, live at greenwood, and she gave it to me herself (thanx again, katie).
If you like "Maxinquaye", try Massive Attack's "Protection"..
AH? I got Mezzanine and Blue Lines, though.
Placebo's "Without You I'm Nothing" Liz Phair's "Whitechocolatespaceegg"
This was a really good music year for me. My four biggest favorites: Olivia Tremor Control - "Black Foliage" A terrific blend of harmony-laden pop and wacko experimentalism. It's a tough listen at first, but infinitely rewarding. The Flaming Lips - "The Soft Bulletin" Big, epic, widescreen music from these masters of re-invention, filled with oddball philosophizing and gorgeous melodies. XTC - "Apple Venus Vol. 1" Slightly patchy, but still an impressive comeback. The five orchestrated songs outshine just about anything else released this year. The Magnetic Fields, "69 Love Songs" Is Stephin Merritt the Cole Porter of the '90's? Nah. But he's still a terrific (and consistent, and prolific) songwriter.
Two albums that got lots of play time on my CD player.. Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" Soundtrack to the movie thing..includes 'Burning down the house'; 'once in a life time' etc. George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars "The Bomb" A psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop (That's all I can think of to say)
Caedmon's Call "40 Acres". Nice relaxing stuff to fall asleep by. I've taken a year and really started to like more acoustic guitar type stuff, rambling lyrics and not so much drumset. Getting older and mellower, I guess. I listened to this album a lot when I got pneumonia in the fall. It served as kind of a pacifier.
Hmmm the only 1999 album I have that sticks in my mind is Kristen Hersh's Sky Motel. This is her first post muses electric effort. The quieter songs are nice in a sort of experimental folk way, but the noiser songs sound a bit derrivative of her Red Heaven era Muses stuff. It's solid but not her best effort IMO.
Our favorite CD from 1999 was Katie Geddes and the Usual Suspects "Live at Green Wood". We bought a lot of CDs last year. Many of them were country music, and some of those were pretty good too, but I don't know country music very well. Toby Keith, Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina and Alabama come to mind. My least favorite purchase was the Garth Brooks alter-ego album, "In the Life of Chris Gaines". It's pretty awful.
Metallica's "S&M", recorded at a show with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. An incredible blend of powerful heavy metal and traditional orchestral sounds. Michael Kamen is nothing short of a genius in his scoring and conducting of this music. I think you have to be somewhat of a Metallica fan in order to truly appreciate the reworking of their songs, but anyone with an ear for music will be amazed at how well these two distinctly different groups of musicians come together.
Um. Excaliber, a concept album in French, with performances by Gabriel Yacoub, Fairport Convention, and other way cool groups. the new Julie Miller... James Keelaghan, "Road". Bought in January, long-awaited, and still great. Keelaghan is one of my absolute favourite artists, and this one is just as good as any of his others.
Agh! I forgot! Sparrow's Wing, Garnet Rogers. Some amazingly great love songs, a protest song that rocked the Ark's walls when he sang it live a year ago, and just about the most-played album of the year for me.
(I can't find the Julie Miller album *anywhere*! Where did you get it??)
Um. At Border's. Downtown. I called ahead.
<slaps self> Who woulda thunk it?
I bought a lot of music this year, my 3 favorites are: Jaci Velasquez - Llegar a Ti, a real nice spanish language album from last years GMA female vocalist of the year. Varies from ballads to upbeat latin rhythms.. just nominated for a grammy too. Plumb - Candycoatedwaterdrops, lush alternative/pop, great songwriting and vocals. Caedmon's Call - 40 Acres, was surprised to see someone else mention this one.. one of my favorite bands, some of the best lyrics I've heard, all around incredibly talented group. And bandmembers Cliff and Danielle just had a baby I made a whole webpage of my favorites of the year with sound and pictures and stuff, if anyone's interested in seeing it drop me a line, or can I just post the URL here? cya's, and have a happy 1980..... doh! stupid y2k!
Dave, you can put the URL right here.
Kind of an ambient year for me. Mostly old stuff, tho new to me. ORB Live93 - With a song titled 'a huge ever growing pulsating brain that rules from the centre of the ultraworld (loving u)', how can you go wrong? William Orbit StrangeCargos TheBestOf Real spacy, floating, watery, etc. A copy of Brian Eno's video Thursday Afternoon. Yep, turn your tv sideways, watch a naked woman brush her hair, roll around in a bathtub, all the while listening to(or ignoring) the original. Real cool!
Re 20: And you don't think _I_ rubbed my eyes and took a second look at my computer when I saw someone else put that album down? I ordered the Plumb album once, but I got back a note saying they didn't have any in stock. I'm out of CD money for a little while.
I only bought two CDs last year. Both were recordings of chamber music I'm playing and I wanted to play along, for practice. Gawd, how boring.
Brian Eno made a video for Thursday Afternoon?? Weird.
I get higher boring marks than you, Mary. In 1999 I finally caught up with Shania Twain's "Come On Over" CD, which has to be two or threes years old. I also, bought a Billy Joel's Greatest Hits double CD, and a few classical music ones. Many of my 1999 classical CDs are from BBC Music mag, who send me a new one every few weeks. The "must open it and listen to it some day" stack is now about ten deep. There are also the CDs I bought for my kids, most which I've forgotten. Christina somebody, etc.
One Christmas I bought my parents the Pink Floyd Live CD, "Pulse". They loved it. :) Later on I got them the concert video. They even saw the laser light show.
Thanx Ken, here's the URL for my best of 99 list http://www.magpage.com/~sspan/ and for eskarina, try http://www.magpage.com/~sspan/quiwebb.html if you can, I think you'll get a kick out of it, Derek did..
I guess all I can really say to that is... wow.
re #26: Shania Twain's "Come On Over" was the #1 selling country album of 1999, and the #2 or #3 overall album. It was new in 1999.
Oh, yea. I almost forgot, (thanks Mary), I bought Classical Zoo this year also. It's got Rossini's The Thieving Magpie(overture), Respighi's The Birds, Sibelius' The Swan of Tuonela, and, of course, Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals. Pat heard the fossils section in music class in school, and Had to have it! Pretty cool.
Re #22: Another album titled "Strange Cargo" was released the same year as Orbit's first, but it was by David Van Tieghem. Much better, IMHO. The guy does some amazing things with percussion; he could make music just about anywhere with almost anything. I can't remember what I got during 1999. It's been a lean year for music. I've given away at least one CD I didn't care for (Counting Crows). Re #27: A little while ago, I heard a bit of an Elvis Costello 3-CD set on WDET. Figuring that my brother might not have it yet, I snagged a copy for him for Xmas. When he opened it he just about fell over; not only did he not have it, he (living in the boonies) *didn't know it existed*. I counted coup on him that day!
Was that the "2 1/2 Years" box set? Yummy.
A total aside, but, now it's on record that David Crosby is the father of Melissa Etheridge & Julie Cypher's children. Gawd. David Crosby, in some clinic, with pornos and a cup. ::shudder::
You can't fool me, bees, you're reading this in the general conference. Come visit the music conference some time, ok? :) Costello's "2 1/2 Years" set was four CDs: the first three studio albums, plus the promotional LP "Live at the El Mocambo." I occasionally think about getting this -- it's all the Elvis C. I would ever want -- but there's always something else higher on the shopping list.
How could "all the Elvis C. [you'd] ever want" not include "Imperial Bedroom", "Armed Forces", "Blood and Chocolate", and ""King of America"??
caught!
Re the David Crosby thing: Now we have a perfect way to settle the nature v nurture debate. If the kids turns out gay, its nurture, if the kid becomes a drug addict, its nature . . . .
And if both?
Didn't David Crosby also find out he has his own grown son, got to know him, and put out a (?) 1999 album with him?
Yep. The son hadn't planned on contacting him, as he didn't want to come across as "Hi, I'm your son, I know you're famous, gimme!". He came forward when David needed a new liver and was at death's doorstep.
I believe David Crosby and sonhave put out several albums ander the name CPR on Samsom Records (same lable as Happy Rhodes) www.samsonmusic.com for more info
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