Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Oh wait

As it is nearly the last month of the year, I am compiling my album chart of the year and trying to listen to every notable disc released in 2008 before deciding if each is a flash in the pan or a monument to our times like Fairweather Johnson by Hootie and his Blowfish. In common with previous years I will try to work out what people see in Deerhunter (answers on a postcard) as it never sounds anything like the reviews say. I think I have spent more money trying to understand Deerhunter than I have on other bands that I actually like.

To warm up, here are my top ten records from this year that weren't released in 2008.

1 PETER GABRIEL 2 - Peter Gabriel (1978)
I only bought this because I liked the cover, having long laboured under the impression that it was full of prog nonsense and downbeat sentiments. Actually it is full of scissor-kicking synth pop and Robert Fripp and you can get it from Oxfam for £2.99.

2 DREAMS COME TRUE - Judee Sill (r. 2005)
Judee Sill was a nun, a prostitute, a heroin addict and at one point married to "Whispering" Bob Harris. This is not the record you might imagine it would be.

3 SWOON - Prefab Sprout (1983)
Their debut, produced by Field Music's dad (I think). Tricksy sounding!

4 THE BIG SHOT CHRONICLES - Game Theory (1986)
I downloaded this from a blog but if the band want royalties I will send them by all means.

5 NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT - Sloan (2007)
I bought this last year but it was 76 minutes long and impenetrable (judging by the 7 or 8 copies in Vinyl Exchange, I was not alone in feeling this). It turned out to be their best album by miles.

6 HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS - Cocteau Twins (1990)
7 TALLAHASSEE - Mountain Goats (2002)
8 OLA PODRIDA - Ola Podrida (2007)
9 EAGLE vs SHARK OST - Phoenix Foundation (2006)
10 DOWNTOWN COCALUCCIA - Julia Hummer (2005)

5 comments:

tobiwan said...

Yay PG

Unknown said...

That is somehow the only Sloan album I own! Now I am unsure as to whether or not I should pick up more. Somehow I always end up skipping tracks around the middle part.

andré said...

I did not know that Sloan was enjoyed outside the frozen north! This... changes things. In ways I am too ashamed to say.

Ken said...

I've always liked "Between the Bridges" way more than any other Sloan album. As in it's the only one I even like and I happen to love it. I guess I'll have to check out "Never Hear the End of it"

Rod McBan said...

Microcastles is two great songs nestled at the front of a whole lot of Georgian nonsense.

I think my favourite non-2008 album for 2008 is probably The Dreaming by Kate Bush.