The other day I bought the new, stripped down CD of The Beatles 1970 release, Let It Be. Subtitled “Naked,” the album was released the way The Beatles recorded it, without all of the post production over dubs, strings and background vocals which were added a few years after the Beatles recorded the music.
Last December I listed what I considered the best albums of 2002, but I definately missed one. I recently discovered a delicious CD that was released last year: The Last Broadcast by The Doves.
The album starts with guitars ringing like a carillon of bells and follows with the band’s beautiful harmonies. Song after song the music continues to sweep you off your feet with haunting melodies, soulful rhythms and musical textures that have almost an epic quality reminiscent of U2 or Radiohead. After listening to The Last Broadcast, the musical soundscapes will hang around in your head making you want to play it over immediately.
An excellent CD and one which will help you get your mind off of any nasty April snow storms you might be experiencing (like I did here in Wisconsin today).
I honestly don’t know how I could get through life without music. It really does a lot to feed my soul. Here are my favorite albums of 2002, which I know helped me get through the year. They’re in alphabetical order, because I’m a librarian and that’s how we do things.
Beck - Sea Change
One of the best breakup albums ever made, this CD’s bittersweet lyrics and lush sounds have almost a comforting quality. Beck puts all of his emotions into this one and the end result is beautiful.
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
This sophomore release by Coldplay really shows their maturity. The haunting melodies, introspective lyrics and riveting guitar sound get better every time I listen to it.
What is it about the music of your youth that makes it the best you’ve ever heard? Is it because when you hear the soundtrack of those years it floods your brain with memories (most people look back quite fondly on those times). For me it was my early twenties. I think that’s when I did the most “growing up” and considered myself an adult.
The other day in a used record store, I discovered a CD from my favorite local Milwaukee band from that time (the early 1980’s), Those X-Cleavers. When I got it home and popped it into the CD player, I couldn’t believe how good it sounded. If I close my eyes when it’s playing, I’m at those old hangouts with all of my friends from that time. It almost makes me wish I could time travel. The music of Those X-Cleavers has a new wave / punk feel to it. The compact disc I bought includes two albums: Those X-Cleavers, The Waiting Game and also a few bonus singles from that time. I don’t think it’s available new anymore (no, I won’t sell mine) but if you can find this CD, you too can hear such excellent songs as Silence The Critics, 18 (And Unprotected), Skip A Beat, Nice Legs (Shame About The Face) and Do The Confusion.
Yesterday I bought a new CD by one of the best singer / songwriters around, Neil Finn. He writes intelligent lyrics, beautiful pop melodies and he can also rock out a bit. The new CD, One All is his second solo album. Listening to music has always done a lot for my psyche and my sanity. Since Neil’s early days with Split Enz and later with Crowded House, his music has always been a big part of my “sanity maintenance collection.” It’s amazing to me that an artist of his caliper doesn’t seem to get the recognition he deserves, a least here in the United States. Hopefully he does better in his native country of New Zealand.
There’s a lot of good music that comes from the continent of Africa. The shame of it is, you never hear it on commercial radio stations here in the United States (thank heaven for public radio). Lately I’ve been listening to an excellent afro-pop album. Pirate’s Choice is a disc that came from a 1982 recording session when the group Orchestra Baobab was at their peak. It’s just been reissued with a second disc of bonus material from the recording session (which is every bit as good as the material on the first disc). The music itself has a very laid back tone to it — not what I first expect when I think of this type of music. You can also hear the heavy influence of Latin and Cuban music on the band. Just the thing to help you think of summer in the middle of February.
Now that the year is winding down, a lot of music publications are releasing their lists of best albums of the year. I thought it would be fun to mention a few favorite CDs that I listened to this year. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong by choosing any of these, so start listening and feed your soul.
Ryan Adams - Gold
Excellent rock & roll, and alternative country from the former front man of Whiskeytown.
Bjork - Vespertine
Put this CD on and revel in the icy, snow covered soundscapes that Bjork can paint.
