360 records from the year 2000: 205 - 200

205. Delgados: The great eastern

I’d put this album next to dEUS’s ‘The Ideal crash’ (1999) as the ‘modern’ indie rock record of the times. These records sounded really impressive at the time. Those typical indie songs, and those typical faltering indiesingers, but with a sleek, stylized, detailed sound, maximum engineered for impact. That’s definitely the case for this Dave Fridmann-production. But it’s sadly not Fridmann’s best work (perhaps because he more accurately performed post-production work), and it’s not their fault that the ‘modern’ sound dated fast. At least to me, it’s not time yet to get nostalgic. Some of the songs are excellent, but it’s more of a triumph of puzzling than of songwriting.

At its best: The past that suits you best, American trilogy, Make your move

204. Patricia Barber: Nightclub

Does the notion of a vocal jazz / small band / standards repertoire in 2000 strike you as a little old hat? Me too. ‘Nightclub’ does nothing to radically uproot expectations, nothing to drag the format into the present. And thank God. It’s just really well done, and even though you know these songs (Bye bye blackbird, Yesterdays, Just for the thrill, You don’t know me, Alfie, Autumn leaves, I fall in love too easily…), it’s very pleasant to hear them again in these versions. If that sounds like faint praise, then you’re reading me wrong. It loses my interest slightly at the end – I’m a big fan of Brazilian songs, and sad to say, the 2 examples here reveal that Barber isn’t best at those -, so this falls outside of the top 100 but it’s awfully close.

Edit: When I came back to it, I found I didn't have enough interest left.

At its best: Bye bye blackbird, Yesterdays, You don’t know me

203. Dr John: Duke elegant

Do yourself a favour and look up the first track on this album, ‘On the wrong side of the tracks’, one of my favourite performances of the year without doubt. The Ellington song is of course wonderful, and Mac does it justice with a reading that effortlessly strikes a balance between sentiment and groove. On the rest of the record, he sometimes gets in the same neighbourhood (see high points), but not consistently enough for my liking. Too often it gets into some cosy cocktail jazz. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with cocktail jazz, but it’s no wrong side of the tracks.

At its best: On the wrong side of the railroad tracks, Don’t get around much anymore, Mood indigo, Do nothin’ till you hear from me

202. Gas: Pop

The the music the music goes on the music goes on goes on and on the music goes on and on ever and on ever repeating music goes on and on ever repeating and repeating and slowly slowly and slowly changing, the music goes on and on goes on and on ever on ever repeating and and slowly changing, and it and it and it sounds good.

At its best: The idea of high points doesn’t really match this music. It just goes on and on. I like the ones without a pulse (everything except 4 and 7) better than with a pulse.

201. Moreno Veloso + 2: Music typewriter

Solid debut effort from Caetano’s son. But it’s way too long, and he’s far more convincing on the ballads than on the up-tempo tracks. It’s good stuff though.

At its best: Sertao, Deusa do amor, Eu sou melhor que voce, I’m wishing

200. Brad Mehldau: Places

One of the most gifted of recent jazz pianists, Mehldau’s playing sounds so inevitable and simple and right, you wonder why everyone doesn’t play like that. It’s probably more difficult than it sounds.
This record is too long (70 minutes). Despite mixing solo piano with trio tracks, it’s too much of the same thing. And well, some of the compositions aren’t as memorable as they should be, beautifully played or not.
But there’s a 45 minute album in there that is very good, just play the highlights below for a tour of Mehldau’s wonderful technique and feel. It’s mostly slow and sad, sometimes slow and pensive, occasionally a little less slow and pensive, that’s what I like about Brad.

At its best: Los Angeles, 29 palms, Airport sadness, Perugia, Paris, Schloss elmau, Am Zauberberg, Los Angeles (reprise)