360. Roni Size / Reprazent: In the mode
Why is Roni so angry?
359. Recoil : Liquid
Women recite their grimy, urban poetry over equally grimy and urban soundscapes. In ‘Want’ they keep asking ‘I want to know how much you hate me’. They make it so easy. Also contains a clumsy gospel meets beats exercise called ‘Jezebel’, you know like that record from Moby nobody wants to be reminded of.
I don’t want to withhold the thrilling setup for the record (at least that’s what AllMusic –who give this 4 stars – tell me): ‘‘Liquid’ is a concept album that serves as a look into the mind of a warped and jaded man whose life is flashing in front of his eyes’.
Wake me up when it’s over.
At its worst: ‘Breath control’ – I haven’t heard such fascinating innuendo since ‘9 ½ weeks’. ‘I’ve heard you’re looking for something that’s hard to find.’
Actually the last couple of songs on this record are even worse, but they’re so vaporous and empty there’s hardly anything there to count as a low point.
358. Gallon drunk: Black milk
Like Primal Scream with a less convincing frontman?
If you aspire to make a disturbing, sexy, sleazy, sophisticated, dangerous noise, that’s fine by me. If you want to name your songs ‘Prostitute’, ‘Hypnotized’, ‘Theme from Black Milk’ and ‘Blood is red’, go right ahead with your safe, romanticized stereotype of danger. But if you succeed in making an anemic, jammed, bloodless record that makes Nick Cave sound convincing, well, I’m out.
At its worst: ‘Hypnotised’ – most unconvincing sighting of a ‘dangerous frontman’ of the year.
357. Anastacia: Not that kind
Hollow gestures fill arenas. She knows it. Why else is the chorus of ‘Yo trippin’’ (has there ever been a worse song title?): ‘There ain’t nothing wrong with the way I sing my song / Yo trippin’’. At least she knows her double negatives.
356. Offspring: Conspiracy of one
God knows why I wanted to give this a fair chance. It’s really as bad as you think it is. Avoid.
At its worst: ‘Special delivery’, or maybe ‘One fine day’ – both just that little bit more annoying.
355. Einsturzende Neubauten: 9-15-2000, Brussels
Goddamn, they do it live too. (see 334)
354. Johnny Dowd: Temporary shelter
I suppose the mongrel genre of depressed alternative country and miserable post-punk had to happen one of these days, but *sigh*, can’t these people stop being so damn miserable. Thanks.
Still, the drummer’s called Brian Wilson. It must be fun to say that every night: ‘On drums, Brian Wilson!’
At its worst: Angel eyes – that’s how long eternity can last
353. David Thomas: Bay city
I’m all for experiments, as long as the artist realises every experiment has the potential to backfire. This deathly dull experiment shouldn’t have been released. The lame melodies and threadbare chord progressions never spark any interest – AllMusic call it ‘a certain melodic dryness’ while giving it 3 stars, because ‘the lyrics are worth focussing on’. Only because they get so comically overblown. And really, the record feels long enough as is, it doesn’t need hidden bonus tracks.
At its worst: ‘Nobody lives on the moon’.
352. Dave Douglas: A thousand evenings
I hate to break it, but sophisticated things can be very boring.
Let’s dissect AllMusic’s review of this record.
By 2000 trumpeter Dave Douglas had etched himself as one of the most versatile, intriguing, and important players and composers on the scene. Right. ’Etched’? Sounds painful.
By leading several groups that successfully focus on particular styles, Douglas had been able to be not only one of the best but also one of the most recorded. Got it.
A Thousand Evenings was his second album for BMG and his third release of that year. Damn.
A Thousand Evenings features his Charms of the Night Sky group (also the name of the quartet's 1998 Winter & Winter label debut) with Mark Feldman on violin, Greg Cohen on bass, and the marvelous Guy Klucevsek playing accordion. Ye…wait, violin, accordion?
As with the initial Charms of the Night Sky release, the set list is comprised of flowing chamber jazz pieces that lend themselves to a strange mix of tango, Eastern European folk, and klezmer, all in the framework of the New York downtown jazz scene. Say what?
The title song is a beautiful engaging opening number that floats along with Douglas blowing right on top. It’s a beautiful performance.
Highlighting one of the most important factors of this group is Klucevsek's accordion playing: He adds a great deal to the density and also to the rhythm of this music. He sure plays a lot on that accordion.
"Variety," a solo accordion piece, clearly demonstrates that fact. But I don’t want a solo accordion piece.
There's also an entertaining reworking of the James Bond theme "Goldfinger." There’s only word here I don’t agree with.
A Thousand Evenings is an example of great musicians keeping their ideals straight in the oft-murky landscape of major-label contemporary jazz, and is highly recommended. But I don’t want a solo accordion piece.
At its best: A thousand evenings
At its worst: Variety
351. Echoboy: : Vol 2
In 2000 some reviewers bent over backwards to hand out some compliments to just about anyone picking up a computer and managing to turn it on. This guy shouldn’t have bothered. Embarrassing sub-Depeche Mode stuff.
At its best: Sudwestfunk No. 5 has a certain groove.
At its worst: ‘Kelly’s truck’, for my money just about the worst track from the year I’ve heard. And it was the single.
By leading several groups that successfully focus on particular styles, Douglas had been able to be not only one of the best but also one of the most recorded. Got it.
A Thousand Evenings was his second album for BMG and his third release of that year. Damn.
A Thousand Evenings features his Charms of the Night Sky group (also the name of the quartet's 1998 Winter & Winter label debut) with Mark Feldman on violin, Greg Cohen on bass, and the marvelous Guy Klucevsek playing accordion. Ye…wait, violin, accordion?
As with the initial Charms of the Night Sky release, the set list is comprised of flowing chamber jazz pieces that lend themselves to a strange mix of tango, Eastern European folk, and klezmer, all in the framework of the New York downtown jazz scene. Say what?
The title song is a beautiful engaging opening number that floats along with Douglas blowing right on top. It’s a beautiful performance.
Highlighting one of the most important factors of this group is Klucevsek's accordion playing: He adds a great deal to the density and also to the rhythm of this music. He sure plays a lot on that accordion.
"Variety," a solo accordion piece, clearly demonstrates that fact. But I don’t want a solo accordion piece.
There's also an entertaining reworking of the James Bond theme "Goldfinger." There’s only word here I don’t agree with.
A Thousand Evenings is an example of great musicians keeping their ideals straight in the oft-murky landscape of major-label contemporary jazz, and is highly recommended. But I don’t want a solo accordion piece.
At its best: A thousand evenings
At its worst: Variety
351. Echoboy: : Vol 2
In 2000 some reviewers bent over backwards to hand out some compliments to just about anyone picking up a computer and managing to turn it on. This guy shouldn’t have bothered. Embarrassing sub-Depeche Mode stuff.
At its best: Sudwestfunk No. 5 has a certain groove.
At its worst: ‘Kelly’s truck’, for my money just about the worst track from the year I’ve heard. And it was the single.
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