response 6 of 33:

Jan 2 18:14 UTC 2001

You probably hate James Brown, too, eh?

response 8 of 33:

Jan 2 20:50 UTC 2001

The only CD that impressed me this year was PJ Harvey's Songs of the city,
songs of the sea.  PJ went back to playing her electric guitar after a
couple of albums of affected moody pseudo electronica and it works.  These
songs are heartfel and hard drving in the best tradation of Patty Smith,
who PJ acknowlodges as an influnce on "Horses in my dreams."

response 10 of 33:

Jan 3 04:26 UTC 2001

Count me as another liberal who doesn't see Howard as a standard bearer for
American Libralism.  Pah.  Who is Denis Leary?

response 12 of 33:

Jan 3 15:01 UTC 2001

Sturn isn't political; and if he was he'd probably be a wishy-washy
conservative.  Limbaugh is very politica.  Whether or not you view him as
entertainment, many people listen to his show and take his political
statements as gospel.

response 14 of 33:

Jan 3 19:09 UTC 2001

For me the best album of 2000 was and is Leftfield's Dusted. You may not know
this band from England, but they are becomming really big in Europe. They
bring a combination of Dub, Ambiant, Techno, HipHop in a mysterious way, and
I think they are really grown up in the scene. 

response 16 of 33:

Jan 4 00:16 UTC 2001

Okay. Drift off, please? :-)

Um. On my list are:
The Full Monty Live Cast Album (from the Broadway musical) -- surprisingly
good, very listenable, and has some lovely songs... including a love duet
which is tender and adorable.

Excalibur: The Mythic Concert (French import) -- live recording of the concept
folk album -- featuring Gabriel Yacoub, Fairport Convention, and several
others. I really like this. 

Ilgi, Ilgi -- from Latvia. This one's a ringer, since my boss brought it back
from her summer in Lithuania, and I haven't yet scored my own copy, but I
adore it, and am trying really hard to get one. Very crunchy and enjoyable,
almost like early Hedningarna.

I'll continue later (I knew those three off the top of my head, but am not
sure about details of the others in my thoughts.)

response 18 of 33:

Jan 4 22:03 UTC 2001

Okay, this is always hard for me to do, and this year is especially
difficult to pick from, because of the way my musical horizons
seem to be expanding. I spent a goodly portion of my listening
time getting acquainted with an amazing number of artists' back
catalogues, and all the while remaining aware of, and entertained
by current artists.

My favourites include (in NO particular order):

Christy Moore, "Traveller" - This was a very unexpected change of style for
one of my oldest folk favourites. I heard the updated version of "Raggle
Taggle Gypsies" on the folking.com radio show and knew I had to have it.
Earlier in the year, I had finally procured a CD copy of "Prosperous," the
1973 effort by Christy in his proto-Planxty days. Comparing the two versions
of Raggle Taggle Gypsies became my favourite obsession for many weeks. I
love all the songs on this CD, and I really enjoy the way the mostly
traditional tunes are interpreted. This is not the typical 'zook & fiddle
instrumentation through which I had become so used to hearing these
types of songs interpreted. Stands outs for me include the
eerie "Tell it Unto Me," "Rocky Road (to Dublin)" & "The Well Below the
Valley"
--------------------------
Emmylou Harris, "Red Dirt Girl" - This was another unexpected discovery for
me (incidentally from the very same folking.com show). I can't play this
CD enough, even still. It's rare for me to find any single album on which I
adore every single song, and yet this CD comes close. "J'ai Fait Tout" is
the only song I tend to skip over. Fine musicianship, too, with Buddy
Miller contributing guitar on a few tracks, Bruce Springsteen & Patty
Scialfa helping on another, Kate McGarrigle, Dave Matthews (duet
vocals on "My Antonia"), and let's not forget the wonderful vocals
of Julie Miller.
--------------------------
Nick Harper, "Harperspace" - This was released early in 2000,
and I picked it up at the same time I ordered the remainder
of Nick's back catalogue (Seed, & Smithereens --- I already had
his first, Light at the End of the Kennel). I am consistently
amazed at Nick's guitar playing (must be in his genes --- his
father is the great Roy Harper) and song writing abilities.
Stand-out tracks include: "The Verse Time Forgot,"
"Karmageddon," & "Kettledrum Heart." This CD also gets
my vote for nicest cover art (Nick's mug shining through
a view of a HST view of some galaxy).
--------------------------
Kornog, "Korong" - No, that's not a typo. ;) The title, which aside
from being a clever anagram, is also the Breton name for a river
beside which the band recorded most of this music. I am almost
embarrassed to admit that I wasn't familiar with any of Kornog's
music before this, but when I learned that the band was coming
to Texas to play a benefit show, I picked this CD up to get better
acquainted before the gig.

I am so glad that I did. This is truly interesting music: complex
while remaining graceful and thrilling, and sounding at once
ancient and contemporary. I remain in awe of the amount
of sound these four acoustic musicians produce, and the
energy level they can maintain throughout.

I must admit that the songs, with the Scot, Jamie McMenemy
on vocals, are my favourite tracks --- especially "Child Noryce,"
with it's complex, lilting rhythm in two different time signatures.
--------------------------
June Tabor, "A Quiet Eye" - I have a June Tabor obsession,
and last year I managed to fill in many gaps in my collection.
This new release took me by surprise, about midyear. What
a pleasant surprise! From the first notes from Huw Warren's
piano, I knew I would be pleased, but when the rest of 
The Creative Jazz Orchestra joined June's earthy voice on
the second song, "A Place Called England," I was instantly
hooked. As on most of her solo albums, there are a few
traditional arrangements, pop standards, and Richard
Thompson covers ("Pharoah," in a dramatic brass-laden
version, and "Waltzing's For Dreamers"). There is also
the wonderful story-song, "The Writing of Tipperary/
It's a Long Way to Tipperary" that paints such a
brilliant picture of Edwardian England, and my all-time
favourite cover of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,"
the wonderful song penned by Ewan MacColl. 
--------------------------

I'll probably think of more as soon as I post this, so
I'd like to reserve the right to make additions. ;)

I haven't even begun to think about the mp3s
that I've collected.

response 20 of 33:

Jan 6 15:55 UTC 2001

EMI released a boxed set of Vaughan Williams last year.  For "about 
$60" (I got it for Xmas) you get eight CDs with all nine symphonies, 
plus Job, the Concerto for Two Pianos, the Tallis Fantasia, The Lark 
Ascending, etc., etc.  Very nice, if you like music in some category 
other than "Shit That No One Will Remember Two Years From Now."

response 22 of 33:

Jan 9 07:00 UTC 2001

One CD springs to mind even in my current sleep-deprived state.  My
father, whose musical taste is questionable and whose musical knowledge
is minimal, struck it rich this year in his Christmas shopping:
"Perceval:  La Que^te du Graal, Vol. 1" by La Nef.  It seems to be
modern imitation of medieval music, doubtless influenced by modern
tastes.  Whatever it is, it's damn good.  Some brief but good mp3's can
be downloaded from www.la-nef.com

response 24 of 33:

Jan 9 15:27 UTC 2001

So what were some of the older albums, Ashke?  And what about particularly
interesting downloads?

response 26 of 33:

Jan 9 19:31 UTC 2001

I think the only albums that came out this year that've managed to
percolate their way into my consciousness and creep down my to-buy list
and actually make their way into my CD player have been Shelby Lynne's _I
Am Shelby Lynne_ and Paul Simon's _You're The One._ (Oddly enough, both of
these are up for Grammys.  Will someone please tell me when I started
having mainstream taste in music?  This is getting frightening :)

The Paul Simon was a real disappointment to me.  It's sort of a
worst-of-both-worlds album: it combines his recent interest in world-music
with some of his thoughtful songwriting from the 70s and early 80s, but
there's not much energy, no outstanding melodies, and few good lyrics.
There are a few good tunes, and it's a New Album <gasp> By Paul Simon <oh
wow>, but without the famous name on the cover I doubt that anyone would
care, much less nominate it for a Grammy.

The Shelby Lynne is pretty fantastic, though.  As I understand the story,
she was an aspiring country singer who gave up on Nashville and decided to
make a soul album instead.  However it happened, it really _works._ I find
myself wishing for a little more country on some of the songs, but even
the ordinary soul tracks on the album are _good_ ordinary soul tracks,
classy and tastefully done.  It surprised me how well some country cliches
translate into soul or vice versa: she uses high synth lines where a pure
country singer might use a fiddle, and slide guitar where a soul song
might have an organ glissando, and it ends up making sense.  

response 28 of 33:

Jan 11 01:42 UTC 2001

  Also, there are entire musical movements that get skipped by the 
  fossilization process that produces "golden oldies."  Instead, the
  neglected songs just rot away..

  When was the last time you hear "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" or any other
  classic of the early 1970's bubblegum pop craze played in a non-ironic
  sense?   (if ever..)