As Crimbo approaches I think we can look back at 2003 and come to the conclusion that although there have been some decent moments it's not an outstanding vintage for music. So here are my picks.
Albums of the year:
1. Bardo Pond - On The Ellipse (by a mile)
2. Kinski - Airs Above Your Station (grossly underrated kings of sheet guitar)
3. 1929 - Last But Not Leased (loud, obnoxious punky instrumentals)
4. Spiritualized - Amazing Grace (well, with the lack of competition its got to be in there)
5. Spacemen 3 - Forged Prescriptions (this is actually the best album of the year but as the music is from a previous era it can't claim top spot)
Gigs of the year:
1. Oneida/The Heads, Underworld, May 31st (mind blowing psychedelic extremity combo)
2. Bardo Pond (supporting Mogwai), Manchester Academy, October 18th (taught the Moggers how it's done)
3. Warlocks, Leeds Cockpit, July 11th (with Pete Kember adding crucial noodles)
4. Kinski, Leeds Joseph's Well Pub, December 10th (the 27 lucky people in attendance witnessed something special)
5. Spiritualized, Sheffield Leadmill, September 12th (again with the lack of competition this stands out)
Singles aren't worth a mention. Never buy 'em.
Anyone else?
2003 - Our choices of the year
Moderators: sunny, BzaInSpace, runcible, spzretent
-
CinnamonBoy
- Known user
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: Oslo, Norway
- Contact:
-
BzaInSpace
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3864
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: HELL
My picks for this year would have to include
SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS - Dip Dappin With....
SPRING HEEL JACK - Amassed and Live (Blue Series)
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Go With The Flow
GENE CLARK - No Other (especially 'Life's Greatest Fool)
HENDRIX - Wild Blue Angel
PREFUSE 73 - Extinguished
DESERT SESSIONS - 9 & 10
PEACHES - Fatherfucker
PRIMAL SCREAM - Evil Heat
SPIRITUALIZED - Amazing Grace - given me a lot of joy this year
SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS - Dip Dappin With....
SPRING HEEL JACK - Amassed and Live (Blue Series)
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Go With The Flow
GENE CLARK - No Other (especially 'Life's Greatest Fool)
HENDRIX - Wild Blue Angel
PREFUSE 73 - Extinguished
DESERT SESSIONS - 9 & 10
PEACHES - Fatherfucker
PRIMAL SCREAM - Evil Heat
SPIRITUALIZED - Amazing Grace - given me a lot of joy this year
-
twentysixdollars
- Known user
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
I can't believe there's someone else out there who likes "No Other". Well, White Light is better, and was the more moving reissue this year, but it was nice to see No Other on a reasonable CD for once.
Hancock/Brecker/Hargrove - Directions in Music: Live. Maybe 2002 (I forget) but one of the finest albums of the last few years.
Ballboy - Guide For the Daylight Hours. Scotland's finest. Stevie was the one that brought them to my attention. Better than "Club Anthems" which was Way too long.
Boxhead Ensemble - Quartets. Wildly pretentious, but highly enjoyable.
Van Morrison - What's Wrong With This Picture. Not as entertaining or nostlagic as Down the Road, but from a songwriting perspective it's his best since Beautiful Vision (1982).
Amazing Grace goes in the top five for a pretty paltry year.
Hancock/Brecker/Hargrove - Directions in Music: Live. Maybe 2002 (I forget) but one of the finest albums of the last few years.
Ballboy - Guide For the Daylight Hours. Scotland's finest. Stevie was the one that brought them to my attention. Better than "Club Anthems" which was Way too long.
Boxhead Ensemble - Quartets. Wildly pretentious, but highly enjoyable.
Van Morrison - What's Wrong With This Picture. Not as entertaining or nostlagic as Down the Road, but from a songwriting perspective it's his best since Beautiful Vision (1982).
Amazing Grace goes in the top five for a pretty paltry year.
SFAok
SFA ~Phantom Power!!!!!???!!!! Man - give these guys some credit. Sorry, but this album blows Amazing Grace out of the water. Maybe if they changed their name to something like The Vicodin Brothers they'd get more recognition.
Concert has to be BJM at the town hall in Leeds. They were supporting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who got hauled off after 4 songs because the stage was about to collapse! Best of it was I only went to see BJM anyway and have since been offered my money back by wayahead for the inconvenience, you cant make it up ! Also had a top curry with some good friends prior to the concert and a quite surreal experience with one of the members of BJM (Runcible you know what I'm talking about!). Warlocks at the Cockpit was also a superb evening for all sorts of reasons!
Album wise Amazing Grace because I can't be arsed to think of anything else! Forged Prescriptions is far and away the best release of the year but I dont suppose you can count that for the reasons detailed earlier in the thread.
Single - Warlocks Baby Blue because I'm sure you can here me on the live tracks from the CD version!
Album wise Amazing Grace because I can't be arsed to think of anything else! Forged Prescriptions is far and away the best release of the year but I dont suppose you can count that for the reasons detailed earlier in the thread.
Single - Warlocks Baby Blue because I'm sure you can here me on the live tracks from the CD version!
-
BzaInSpace
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3864
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: HELL
also gotta mention
THE RZA - Birth Of A Prince
VARIOUS - I'm A Good Woman
SOLOMON BURKE - Don't Give Up On Me
VARIOUS - Kill Bill Vol 1 soundtrack
MILES DAVIS - Jack Johnson sessions
PRINCE - N.E.W.S
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - In Memphis (extended)
26$, regarding Gene Clark's 'No Other', I seem to recall previous posts about this, specifically the larger than life production. What was the story?
I really go for that mid-70's intricate yet bombastic production (shades of LET IT COME DOWN), as you mentioned 'BORN TO BE WITH YOU' and I would say 'PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE' also. The drum sounds are always excellent (just before synth drums started appearing everywhere!).
I would heartily reccomend 'NO OTHER', the title track has awesome bass and the last track ('The True One') is really beautiful.
What a record!
But whats the deal with 'WHITE LIGHT', does it have the same kind of sound?
I know very little other than Gene wrote some great Byrds songs
THE RZA - Birth Of A Prince
VARIOUS - I'm A Good Woman
SOLOMON BURKE - Don't Give Up On Me
VARIOUS - Kill Bill Vol 1 soundtrack
MILES DAVIS - Jack Johnson sessions
PRINCE - N.E.W.S
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - In Memphis (extended)
26$, regarding Gene Clark's 'No Other', I seem to recall previous posts about this, specifically the larger than life production. What was the story?
I really go for that mid-70's intricate yet bombastic production (shades of LET IT COME DOWN), as you mentioned 'BORN TO BE WITH YOU' and I would say 'PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE' also. The drum sounds are always excellent (just before synth drums started appearing everywhere!).
I would heartily reccomend 'NO OTHER', the title track has awesome bass and the last track ('The True One') is really beautiful.
What a record!
But whats the deal with 'WHITE LIGHT', does it have the same kind of sound?
I know very little other than Gene wrote some great Byrds songs
Re: SFAok
couldn't agree more thewarmth, phantom power is a fantastic album.TheWarmth wrote:SFA ~Phantom Power!!!!!???!!!! Man - give these guys some credit. Sorry, but this album blows Amazing Grace out of the water. Maybe if they changed their name to something like The Vicodin Brothers they'd get more recognition.
sounds even better live with their surround sound set up.
sfa ok!!!
-
twentysixdollars
- Known user
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
It's true that very little is generally known about Gene besides the two and a half years he spent with the Byrds and the fact that he drank himself to death, like half of the rest of the band (Clark, Clarke, Parsons, Crosby...well, almost). But he really was a brilliant songwriter, more talented, I'd say, in that department than Neil Young and also a better singer if not his equal as a guitarist. No Other is not among my favorite of his records though. The lyrics are often pretty gauche which is never a problem on his other material. Musically I think it's inferior to Pacific Ocean Blue (the 'neoclassical' stuff on that record is among the best of its kind I've ever heard, and it's surprisingly unpretentious) but it is folkier than, say Death of a Ladies Man, a record I think you'll like. The producer was a coked-up wunderkind called Thomas Jefferson Kaye that has since disappeared off the face of the earth. There's less to the record than meets the ear, although it does have a great cover and some very good songs (From a Silver Phial). Apparently it was originally intended to be a double LP but the label insisted it be shaved down to one, and that's why it's only got eight songs in seemingly random order despite all the concept-album trappings.BzaInSpace wrote:
26$, regarding Gene Clark's 'No Other', I seem to recall previous posts about this, specifically the larger than life production. What was the story?
I really go for that mid-70's intricate yet bombastic production (shades of LET IT COME DOWN), as you mentioned 'BORN TO BE WITH YOU' and I would say 'PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE' also. The drum sounds are always excellent (just before synth drums started appearing everywhere!).
I would heartily reccomend 'NO OTHER', the title track has awesome bass and the last track ('The True One') is really beautiful.
What a record!
But whats the deal with 'WHITE LIGHT', does it have the same kind of sound?
I know very little other than Gene wrote some great Byrds songs
White Light is a much simpler, softer, almost fragile, folk record. It's his best solo album and a really haunting piece of music, especially in the reissue which features a wrenching version of Stand By Me. It occurs to me that virtually all his solo career (besides his excellent Byrds-lite first album) must have come as a complete shock to Byrds fans, and that might be why it was so commercially unsuccessful.
of all the albums I've acquired this year, I could probably count on one hand the number that were actually released during the same time.
It's all been old stuff or reissues for me.
So that puts Amazing Grace in the top five, along with, by default:
GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR - Yanqui Uxo
TURBONEGRO - Scandanavian Leather (tho' not particularly brilliant)
DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Black City
MOGWAI - Happy Songs
A better year for gigs really. THE BELLRAYS in Birmingham were awesome (and they did a cover of Highway To Hell), while my RADIO BIRDMAN experience in Nottingham was almost spiritual.
Otherwise, personally, it's been a year when the likes of Tim Hardin and Townes Van Zandt were all I needed in times of trouble to make my life seem ok again.
It's all been old stuff or reissues for me.
So that puts Amazing Grace in the top five, along with, by default:
GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR - Yanqui Uxo
TURBONEGRO - Scandanavian Leather (tho' not particularly brilliant)
DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Black City
MOGWAI - Happy Songs
A better year for gigs really. THE BELLRAYS in Birmingham were awesome (and they did a cover of Highway To Hell), while my RADIO BIRDMAN experience in Nottingham was almost spiritual.
Otherwise, personally, it's been a year when the likes of Tim Hardin and Townes Van Zandt were all I needed in times of trouble to make my life seem ok again.
-
a beautiful noise
- Known user
- Posts: 1783
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: things are easier said than done
Lets see top albums of 2003
Primal Scream - Evil Heat
Spiritualized - A/G
The Kills - Keep On Your Mean Side
Lost in Translation Soundtrack (c'mon, its new kevin shields)
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
Arab Strap - E.p.
Unkle - neverland
As far as shows go, Primal Scream, Mogwai, Spiritualized and the Kills were all brilliant.
xxxshonnxxx
Primal Scream - Evil Heat
Spiritualized - A/G
The Kills - Keep On Your Mean Side
Lost in Translation Soundtrack (c'mon, its new kevin shields)
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
Arab Strap - E.p.
Unkle - neverland
As far as shows go, Primal Scream, Mogwai, Spiritualized and the Kills were all brilliant.
xxxshonnxxx
gigs- mogwai, spiritualized, 2 many djs, super furry animals... didn't go to enough gigs this year. oh, delgados in birmingham
albums...
the rapture, the hiss (after a lot of listens), amazing grace, soledad brothers. it's not been a great year for new albums
singles...
a million suns- misty blu (by an absolute mile)
albums...
the rapture, the hiss (after a lot of listens), amazing grace, soledad brothers. it's not been a great year for new albums
singles...
a million suns- misty blu (by an absolute mile)
Haven't bought a great deal of new music this year...
Amazing Grace, obviously (to me, anyway)
Psysex - Come in Peace
Godspeed - Yanqui UXO
Freelovebabies - Written in Sand (although it came out a while ago, not this year, didn't it)
Old stuff...
Finally got hold of 'Epitaph for a Legend' - fantastic stuff...
Been listening to Bessie Smith a bit recently, which has been doing the business...
and Live...
Bardo Pond at the Derby, Los Feliz, CA
Son Kite at a party in the hills around Lakeview Terrace, CA
And of course an honorary mention to 'Forged Prescriptions', as nobody can ever compete with Spacemen 3 as far as I'm concerned.
Amazing Grace, obviously (to me, anyway)
Psysex - Come in Peace
Godspeed - Yanqui UXO
Freelovebabies - Written in Sand (although it came out a while ago, not this year, didn't it)
Old stuff...
Finally got hold of 'Epitaph for a Legend' - fantastic stuff...
Been listening to Bessie Smith a bit recently, which has been doing the business...
and Live...
Bardo Pond at the Derby, Los Feliz, CA
Son Kite at a party in the hills around Lakeview Terrace, CA
And of course an honorary mention to 'Forged Prescriptions', as nobody can ever compete with Spacemen 3 as far as I'm concerned.
-
sydbarrettoverdrive
- Known user
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
1. spacemen 3 ~ forged prescriptions
its a spacemen 3 release, they sell soul, it wins by default.
2. the blood brothers ~ burn piano island, burn
i don't think it is possible to describe this band any better than an old village voice review of their 2nd album, so i won't bother, "If this is the sound of youth decaying, then stick a dead teenager in my ear." i'll take two. also responsible for my most overplayed song this year, pink tarantulas, b-side to ambulance vs. ambulance..
3. the warlocks ~ phoenix
so many killer songs it should probably be illegal and righteous enough to be guested on by pete 'sonic boom' kember, if it is possible to cram more drug references into a single album this year, then i really need to hear it..
4. dead meadow ~ shivering king & others
dead meadow always puts me in an indecissive daze where i cannot workout wether i want to roll around on broken glass fists in the air or start playing dungeons & dragons, so i just sit there and soak it up, oh wait i think thats called being stoned..
5. the rapture ~ echoes
this album sure took its sweet time, but it was definitely worth the wait. in most situations i'd sooner stab myself in the neck than dance, but if you cannot shake yo ass to the rapture, something is wrong with you..
6. m83 ~ dead cities, red seas & lost ghosts
something good comes out of france! lush electronica emulating shoegaze (keygaze™ ®sydbarrettoverdrive). "gimme booze and chemicals" couldn't have said it any better.
7. pleasure forever ~ alter
more songs about drugs, orgies and general excess, sweet! brilliantly dark, brooding & always melodic. this band and every previous band tied in (the vss, the slaves) will make you cry tears of pure honey..
8. spiritualized ~ amazing grace
a perfect mix of the peaceful symphonic hymns jason spaceman has become known for and the strained feedback drenched garage that remind of spacemen 3, the yin and yang are aligned in a perfect balance of space & rock.. spiritualized's blend 43..
9. black eyes ~ black eyes
a disjointed cacophony of post-hardcore wailing & squawking that leaves you wet in the pants for more every time. they said the sky would light-up and they didn't lie because it singed all the hair on my supple young body..
10. tied:-
the unicorns ~ who will cut our hair when we're gone
this is the cutest thing i have heard in a long long time, far too cool and humourous for its own good. puts a smile on my face just thinking about it and with lyrics that won't leave your head for days on end you'll be wondering why you're cheeks are so sore..
the silver mt. zion memorial orchestra & tra-la-la band ~ 'this is our punk-rock', thee rusted satelites gather + sing
hard to decide over this or do make say think's album to round it out, the ever increasingly pretentious band/album name nudges it over the line..
not so small chunk that come close enough to round out and because i obviously have too much spare time;
hrsta - l'éclat du ciel était insoutenable
adult. - anxiety always
soiled doves - soiled life
chromatics - chrome ratz vs basement rutz
the thermals - more parts per million
deerhoof - apple'o
lightning bolt - wonderful rainbow
xiu xiu - a promise
circle takes the square - as the roots undo
frog eyes - the golden river
animal collective - here comes the indian
manitoba - up in flames
menomena - i am the fun blame monster
hot cross - cryonics
cyann and ben - spring
sun kil moon - ghosts of the great highway
radiohead - hail to the thief
the shins - chutes too narrow
bardo pond - on the elipse
the strokes - room on fire
white stripes - elephant
giddy motors - make it pop
outkast - speakerboxxx/thelovebelow
explosions in the sky - the earth is not a cold dead place
do make say think - winter hymn, country hymn, secret hymn
broken social scene - you forgot it in people
larval - obedience
1929 - last but not leased
sufjan stevens - greetings from michigan, the great lakes estate
1 mile north - minor shadows
the books - lemon of pink
molasses - a slow messe
good fucking call on kinski! the split with acid mothers temple also rates an extremely worthy mention..
its a spacemen 3 release, they sell soul, it wins by default.
2. the blood brothers ~ burn piano island, burn
i don't think it is possible to describe this band any better than an old village voice review of their 2nd album, so i won't bother, "If this is the sound of youth decaying, then stick a dead teenager in my ear." i'll take two. also responsible for my most overplayed song this year, pink tarantulas, b-side to ambulance vs. ambulance..
3. the warlocks ~ phoenix
so many killer songs it should probably be illegal and righteous enough to be guested on by pete 'sonic boom' kember, if it is possible to cram more drug references into a single album this year, then i really need to hear it..
4. dead meadow ~ shivering king & others
dead meadow always puts me in an indecissive daze where i cannot workout wether i want to roll around on broken glass fists in the air or start playing dungeons & dragons, so i just sit there and soak it up, oh wait i think thats called being stoned..
5. the rapture ~ echoes
this album sure took its sweet time, but it was definitely worth the wait. in most situations i'd sooner stab myself in the neck than dance, but if you cannot shake yo ass to the rapture, something is wrong with you..
6. m83 ~ dead cities, red seas & lost ghosts
something good comes out of france! lush electronica emulating shoegaze (keygaze™ ®sydbarrettoverdrive). "gimme booze and chemicals" couldn't have said it any better.
7. pleasure forever ~ alter
more songs about drugs, orgies and general excess, sweet! brilliantly dark, brooding & always melodic. this band and every previous band tied in (the vss, the slaves) will make you cry tears of pure honey..
8. spiritualized ~ amazing grace
a perfect mix of the peaceful symphonic hymns jason spaceman has become known for and the strained feedback drenched garage that remind of spacemen 3, the yin and yang are aligned in a perfect balance of space & rock.. spiritualized's blend 43..
9. black eyes ~ black eyes
a disjointed cacophony of post-hardcore wailing & squawking that leaves you wet in the pants for more every time. they said the sky would light-up and they didn't lie because it singed all the hair on my supple young body..
10. tied:-
the unicorns ~ who will cut our hair when we're gone
this is the cutest thing i have heard in a long long time, far too cool and humourous for its own good. puts a smile on my face just thinking about it and with lyrics that won't leave your head for days on end you'll be wondering why you're cheeks are so sore..
the silver mt. zion memorial orchestra & tra-la-la band ~ 'this is our punk-rock', thee rusted satelites gather + sing
hard to decide over this or do make say think's album to round it out, the ever increasingly pretentious band/album name nudges it over the line..
not so small chunk that come close enough to round out and because i obviously have too much spare time;
hrsta - l'éclat du ciel était insoutenable
adult. - anxiety always
soiled doves - soiled life
chromatics - chrome ratz vs basement rutz
the thermals - more parts per million
deerhoof - apple'o
lightning bolt - wonderful rainbow
xiu xiu - a promise
circle takes the square - as the roots undo
frog eyes - the golden river
animal collective - here comes the indian
manitoba - up in flames
menomena - i am the fun blame monster
hot cross - cryonics
cyann and ben - spring
sun kil moon - ghosts of the great highway
radiohead - hail to the thief
the shins - chutes too narrow
bardo pond - on the elipse
the strokes - room on fire
white stripes - elephant
giddy motors - make it pop
outkast - speakerboxxx/thelovebelow
explosions in the sky - the earth is not a cold dead place
do make say think - winter hymn, country hymn, secret hymn
broken social scene - you forgot it in people
larval - obedience
1929 - last but not leased
sufjan stevens - greetings from michigan, the great lakes estate
1 mile north - minor shadows
the books - lemon of pink
molasses - a slow messe
good fucking call on kinski! the split with acid mothers temple also rates an extremely worthy mention..
-
twentysixdollars
- Known user
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
Heads At Last (Cheating since it came at last year on there own label but got an official release on Sweet Nothing this year amazing heavy psych that gets completely ignored)
Broadcast Ha Ha Sound (Best live band i saw this year some super wig outs that Hawkwind would be proud off!)
Dead Meadow Shivering Kings (Lashings of Wah Wah!)
Spiritualized Amazing Grace (Still think in Hold On & Lord Let It Rain On Me 2 off JPierces best songs for me beats anything on LICD)
Re Iss.
Spacemen 3 Forged Perscription Thank You Sonic
Television Blow Up (wow never liked Marque Moon but this live recording sounds more like it + any band that covers the elevators&stones cannot be too bad)
Broadcast Ha Ha Sound (Best live band i saw this year some super wig outs that Hawkwind would be proud off!)
Dead Meadow Shivering Kings (Lashings of Wah Wah!)
Spiritualized Amazing Grace (Still think in Hold On & Lord Let It Rain On Me 2 off JPierces best songs for me beats anything on LICD)
Re Iss.
Spacemen 3 Forged Perscription Thank You Sonic
Television Blow Up (wow never liked Marque Moon but this live recording sounds more like it + any band that covers the elevators&stones cannot be too bad)
i haven't heard that many albums released this year that i thought were great. spent more time buying older stuff. but i think plus/minus - 'you are here' deserves a mention. as does their first album. one of the best combinations of digital and analogue indie/rock/pop yet. they also put on a great live show for only $5.
also (even thought it wasn't released in 2003) SFA rings around the world dvd is fucking amazing. great surround mix. almost as good as bjork's royal opera house dvd. anyone with a 5.1 system should check out the live bjork dvd( if only to see matmos touch one another
). i really wish spz would do a dvd mixed in 5.1 with dts. although it would probally take j. 5 years to settle on a final mix.
oh and everyone look out for plaid's dvd next spring.
also (even thought it wasn't released in 2003) SFA rings around the world dvd is fucking amazing. great surround mix. almost as good as bjork's royal opera house dvd. anyone with a 5.1 system should check out the live bjork dvd( if only to see matmos touch one another
). i really wish spz would do a dvd mixed in 5.1 with dts. although it would probally take j. 5 years to settle on a final mix. oh and everyone look out for plaid's dvd next spring.
i don't want to be your lover i just want to be your victim
asd
asd