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Postmodern Blues by Jim Winders
1994: AN EARFUL YEAR
285 W. Washington St. *
Athens, GA :.. ~
magnapop
1994 was
not one of my
| favorite years,
„ v politically or
otherwise. Still, it was a year full of music, even
if a lot of the music was full of it. Categorizing
music was even more futile than in previous
years. The term “alternative" became more
ludicrous than ever, and we were treated to a
summerlong procession of geriatric rockers
filling stadia with surprisingly young fans
clutching obscenely expensive ticket stubs.
But, here goes. I'll comment on the top
25, then list the rest of my top 50 without com
ments. The best album of the year to my taste
(the one I’ve played most incessantly) was
1. Pavement, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
(Matador). Don’t be fooled by their slacker
pose: These guys play music that can sear
the mind with its dark passion and anger (e.g.
“Stop Breathin’"). “Fillmore Jive” is a world-
weary minor epic that looks back ambivalently
to the music of a bygone era.
2. Jack Logan, Bulk (Medium
Cool/Twin Tone). Never mind
the fact that it was years in the
making. Has there ever been a
more stunning debut? Logan
draws on early rock *n’ roll,
country, folk and blues to de
scribe a world of disappoint
ments and snafus both major
and minor, where music remains
the one sure release.
3. Various Artists, Beat the Retreat: Songs
by Richard Thompson (Capitol). Best thing of
its kind since the I'm Your Fan Leonard Cohen
tribute, this album almost single-handedly re
deems the tribute album concept. The musi
cianship is superb, and all involved wisely
showcase the songs with good taste and re
straint. Consider the lineup on the title track:
June Tabor sings, accompanied by Martin
Carthy, David Lindley, Danny Thompson and
D. J. Bonebrake. Other highlights include
R.E.M.’s rendition of “Wall of Death,’ and “Dim
ming of the Day’ by The Five Blind Boys of
Alabama, backed by David Hidalgo of Los
Lobos.
4. All Farka Toure and Ry Coodsr, Talk
ing Timbuktu (Rykodisc): What a stroke of
genius to pair these two guitar giants. The joy
they felt in playing together shines through
on songs like “Amindrai,“ and Clarence
“Gatemouth“ Brown contributes viola as well
as electric guitar.
5. Tha Silos, Susan Across the Ocean/Hasta
La Victoria (Watermelon): Either one of these
would have constituted an impressive enough
effort, but Walter Salas-Humara & Co. served
up double portions of bright, upbeat, rockin’
tunes. Salas-Humara is a fine lyricist, and he
shares with Chuck Berry the belief that “car
songs“ are close to the essence of rock ’n’
roll.
6. Cindy Loo Borryhlll, Ga
rage Orchestra (Cargo): Cindy
Lee Berryhill writes off-center,
touching musical narratives de
livered against a very effective
somewhat funky electric guitar
accompaniment, augmented on
this exceptionally impressive al
bum by “garage orchestra," in
cluding strings as wei! as Randy
Hoffman’s superb percussion
(e.g. tympani and xylophone). Berryhill’s
songs are like dream notebooks full of half-
believable characters, as in “Gary
Handeman," my favorite song of the year.
7. Msddor Rosa, Panic On (Atlantic): Yet
another New York indie band whose jump to
the majors did them no harm. Guitarist Billy
L-i L t
rat Drag
Cot6 writes most of the material for this simple
straight-ahead quartet featuring Mary Lorson
on vocals. Whether or not you like a band like
Madder Rose is like deciding that you like an
abstract painting by Robert Motherwell but
not one by Barnett Newman.
8. Sonic Youth, Experimental Jet Set, Trash
and No Star (DGC): Even the founding fathers
of postmodern guitar noise have benefitted
from picking up a few acoustic guitars. It’s
not that this album is mellow, but on numbers
like ‘Winner’s Blues’ and “Skink," Moore,
Renaldo, Gordon and Shelley map new sonic
territory, showing once again why they remain
one of the most imaginative and important
creative forces around.
9. Sleepy La Beef Strange Things Happen
ing (Rounder): No one who loves great good
time music should pass up the opportunity to
hear a master with 40 years of roots rockabilly
and R & B under his belt, not to mention the
wide brim of his monstrous cowboy hat. This
also happens to be one of the
greatest releases ever on
Rounder, one of the best labels
dedicated to traditional Ameri
can music. •*
10. R.E.M., Monster flamer
Brothers): I get so sick of the
ultra-super-cool music buffs
who think R.E.M. was interest
ing only until 1985 or so. I don’t
know if Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe
thought they had something extra to prove this
time around, but Monster should silence the
trendoids who believe they are no longer a vi
tal band.
11. Dinosaur Jr., Without a Sound (Sire):
but with every note in place, especially on
“Feel the Pam.“ J. Mascis does it almost all
himself, making it seem at once effortless and
exquisitely crafted.
12. Dan Penn, Do Right <v?ow <j T c
Man (Sire/Reprise): power- ' J
fully understated versions of
classic Memphis/Muscle
Shoals tunes like “Dark End
of the Street" and ‘Do Right
Woman/Do Right Man“ by
the man who wrote them.
13. Magnapop, Hot Boxing
(Priority): What a good idea :
to turn Bob Mould loose with
a great pop band whose grittier side he helps
bring out.
14. Walter Becker, Eleven Tracks of Whack
(Giant): shows that Becker was the relatively
more twisted member of Steely Dan, while
crafting a sound that builds on, rather than
duplicates, that great band’s sound.
15. Elvis Costello, Brutal Youth (Warner
Brothers). One phrase sums it up: the return
of the Attractions.
16. John Cale/Bob Neuwlrth, Last Day
on Earth (MCA): Whatever
this work is (novel? play?
movie?), the venerable Velvet
and Bob Dylan's mid-1960s
sidekick make for a reward
ing collaboration.
17. Nell Young and Crazy
Horse, Sleeps with Angels
(Reprise): Of interest for far
more than the Kurt Cobain
eulogy, this is one of the most
interesting efforts of this aggregation in years
(though it gets off to a slow start).
18. Kristin Hersh, Hips and Makers (Sire/
Reprise). Eclipses all other celebrated angry
young women, Liz Phair included. Great duo
with Michael Stipe on ‘Your Ghost.’
19. Qlant Sand, Glum (Imago): Surprisingly
mellow, but their best in years (with help from
Victoria Williams)
20. Victoria Williams (what a coinci
dence), Loo j (Mammoth/Atlantic): A lovable
nut delivers a long-anticipated batch of new
songs, and, assisted by Soul Asylum’s Dave
Pirner, resurrects “Nature’s Way“ by Spirit.
21. Mokons, Retreat Prom Memphis
(Q'jarterstick): The legends from Leeds are
still on a roll; hardly in retreat. “Ice Rink in Ber
lin’ is the proof. Sally Timms sounds better
than ever.
22. Luna, Bewitched (Elektra): Some wag
called them ‘Velvet Underground on Prozac,“
but that’s not a really bad description of mu
sic that weds intensity to an almost somno
lent pace.
23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Let
Love In (Mute/Elektra): desperate, spiritual,
horny music. An Elmer Gantry from Australia
by way of Europe.
24. The Miss Alans, Blusher (Zoo): Why
are Counting Crows mega-stars and not this
band? Similar music, and a lead singer with
a brooding, but more interesting voice than
the Crows’ vocalist.
25. The Jesus A Mary Chain, Stoned &
Dethroned (Blanco y Negro/American): And,
finishing out the top 25. yet another band di
verting itself with acoustic axes, but without
losing their rough edges. Hope Sandoval of
Mazzy Star gives them a boost.
26. Frank Black, Teenager of the Year (4
AD/Elektra)
27. Adrian Belew, Here (Caroline)
28. Q Love & Special Sauce, G Love &
Special Sauce (Okeh/Epic)
29. Bad Livers, Horses in the Mines
(Quarterstick)
30. Meat Pig>pots, Too High To Die (London)
Qnr 31. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins,
Somethin'Funny Goin'On {Bi
zarre/Planet)
32. Richard Thompson, Mir
ror Blue (Capitol)
33. Blood Oranges, The Cry
ing Tree (ESD)
34. The Fall, Middle Class Re
volt, aka The Vapourisation of
Reality (Matador)
35. Jonl Mitchell, Turbulent Indigo /Re
prise)
36. The Wedding Present, Watusi(Island)
37. American Music Club, San Francisco
(Reprise)
38. Laurie Anderson, Bright Red (Warner
Brothers)
39. MC 900 FT J* jus, One Step Ahead of
the Spider {American)
40. Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the
Heart, Take Me To God (Island)
41. Daniel Johnston, Fun (Atlantic)
42. Selector, The Happy Album (Triple X)
43. Johnny Cash, American Songs (Mierican)
44. Sugar, File Under Easy Listening
(Rykodisc)
45. Cranes, Loved (Dedicated/Arista)
46. Fatima Mansions, Life in the Former
West (Radioactive)
47. Levellers, Levellers (Chameleon/
Elektra)
48. Blue Aeroplanes, Life Model {Beggars
Banquet/Atlantic)
49. Tbnl Childs, The Woman's Boat {DGC)
50. Soup Dragons, Hydrophonic (Raw TV/
Mercury)
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