The 00s, or, Why I Aughtta...

Delayed Reactions:

At family gatherings, my dear old dad had the curious habit of reviving topics that we had finished discussing the hour before. At 4pm, let’s say, we would be discussing how the local football team sucked, but by five we’d have moved onto how the local baseball team sucked. Just as we’d be ripping into an overpaid leftfielder dad would bring up the overpaid quarterback again, and suddenly we’d all be back on football.

Well I’m getting more like my dad all the time. Young folks listen to music, decide what’s a hit, and move on to the next thing. With radio being the big waste of time it is, and me with my so-called adult life, I don’t even hear about that music until the next year when the annual-best-of polls come out. (But now, thanks to metacritic.com, I at least know what people think when it first comes out.)

It’s that time lag that kept me from getting a CD from this decade until late 2001. So there I am, pretending to be cool by advocating music that the target demographic has long since finished with, and that my demographic couldn’t care less about.

Now add to that the fact that I’m still catching up on other decades (not to mention centuries), and it means that a lot of my musical highlights came from other decades:

• The 90s: The Magnetic Fields’ “69 Love Songs”, Randy Newman’s “Faust”, Luna’s “Penthouse” and Belle and Sebastian’s “Tigermilk”
• The 80s: Nothing. Screw you, 80s.
• The 70s: Richard & Linda Thompson’s “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”, Nick Drake’s “Five Leaves Left” and “Pink Moon”
• The 60s: Brian Wilson’s “Smile”, The Zombies’ “Odyssey and Oracle”
• The 50s: John Coltrane/Thelonious Monk Quartet - Live at Carnegie Hall

Then there is my lifetime self improvement project, resulting in my getting some great compilations of Hank Williams, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Johnny Cash, Scott Joplin, Louis Armstrong, and Igor Stravinsky. And let’s not forget “Nuggets”.

My reactions to music outside of my favorite genres – rock/pop – can sound more appreciative than enthusiastic. Sorry, it just takes me more time to learn the new territory. Here are ten records - jazz/hip-hop/world/classical - that I’ve probably underrated out of sheer density.

• Jazz: Benny Goodman’s “Famous Carnegie Hall Concert”
• Hip Hop: Kanye West’s “The College Dropout”, Burial’s “Untrue”, De la Soul’s “Three Feet High and Rising”
• World: “The Music In My Head”, “Rough Guide to Youssou N’Dour and Etoile Dakar”
• Classical: Mozart’s and Brahm’s Requiems, Mahler’s Second Symphony,
• Country: James Tally’s “Got No Money, No Bread, But We Sure Got a Lot of Love”

If you care to know all the dirty details of my musical decade, check out these posts: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Quick Jaybee, Before It’s 2019:

If I winnow it all down to just those records I got this decade that actually came out this decade, and that I love without reservation, they are, no particular order:

Old 97s - Satellite Rides

Good old alt-country-ish rock and roll from start to finish. The voice and lyrics are a bonus.

Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers

Perfect pop songs, about real life.

Shins – Chutes Too Narrow

Tunes up the wazoo, with a couple of the decade’s greatest songs.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

Ditto with the tunes, but more orchestration. And at least three of the best songs of the decade.

Arcade Fire - Funeral

So full of passion, you don’t quite believe it. But they mean it, man.

Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

What a voice! And how beautiful is that spare sound.

The Go Betweens – Oceans Apart

Getting older, looking back, just in time.

Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast

A White Album for our decade.

PJ Harvey - Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea

“I feel immortal when I’m with you.”

Wussy - Funeral Dress

“And if they offered I would take it, a free ride out of this place…”

Honorable Mentions/Bronze Medals/Ms. Congenialities:

These records are great! but maybe not GREAT. That’s okay. We’d all like to meet Abe Lincoln, but we probably don’t want to spend the whole party with him:

The Wrens “The Meadowlands”, The Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”, Orlando Lopez’s “Cachaito”, The Red Hot Chili Peppers “By the Way”, Modest Mouse’s “Good News for People Who Like Bad News”, Orchestre Baobab’s “Specialists in all Styles”, The Streets “A Grand Don’t Come for Free”, Radiohead’s “Kid A” and “In Rainbows”.

And just to give this some context, here’s a sampling of what some major news outlets said:

Rolling Stone

Paste Magazine

Robert Christgau
Metacritic

NME (if you want to hear what's going on across the pond)

Going Forward:

There was a hell of a lot more to this decade than just music. Not all of it good, by any means. But music is my safe haven where magic happens - just a simulation of life’s real joys, which unfortunately can’t be burned onto a CD to be played at will. Music can, however, reminder me that those joys do exist. Sometimes I forget.

Sometimes music lets me down. It happens when I’ve asked more from it than it can possibly provide. I begin to think that I’m done with it, and that in the new decade I’ll be looking elsewhere (Books? Art? Other human beings, perhaps?) for magic. But then those decade-end polls just whet my appetite all over again.

It’s good to be alive, for any number of reasons. Music is definitely one of them.

Decade: 2002 - Waiting for the Ashes to Land

Winter:

To most people, comfort music is what you already know and love, and you use it to make yourself feel better. For me, ideally, it’s something new, but easy to get into - a new, safe place to be.

And why not? If it isn’t the world going to hell, it’s stuff immediately around you. It was a year for either finding peace or going numb. Some people use drugs, I use music. So, what what's my poison, you ask?

Not the Strokes “Is This It?”, as good as it is. It’s just a little too…professional for me. Too much calculation and not enough joy. It’s good party music, but I only party every once in a while.
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Now playing: The Strokes - Soma via FoxyTunes

And not quite the White Stripes “White Blood Cells”, either, though it’s a better record. Like the Strokes, the Stripes play loud rock and roll, but it’s in a more raw and crazed way. Maybe a bit too much so for me at that time.
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Now playing: The White Stripes - Now Mary via FoxyTunes

Neither record could help me through my post 9/11 winter blues.

Spring/Summer:

So I tried the dbs twofer “Stands for Decibels” and “Percussion”, which was very tuneful, but a little too light and cute.
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Now playing: The dB's - Neverland via FoxyTunes

Better was Sebadoh’s “Bake Sale”. Loud, lofi and rough – everything you should avoid during the summer. And yet, it was exactly what I needed. Pained, angry and finally resigned. Perfect.
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Now playing: Sebadoh - Together or Alone via FoxyTunes

Meanwhile, my wife tried out the “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, which I find hilarious since she runs out of the house screaming whenever I play stuff like this. But, hey, it’s a good record. I like putting it on when she’s not looking, so when she gives me that “please take this sh-t off” look, I tell her it’s her record. It’s a wonder I haven’t been killed in my sleep by now. If you don’t hear from me, you know what happened.

I also got her Morrisey’s “Bona Drag” – a collection of his singles - since who can keep up with him since he left the Smiths anyway? And it’s good, too, but in that limited, Morrisey kind of way. I recommend 1991’s “Your Arsenal”.

Fall:

I decide to hedge my bets this year, so instead of the typical birthday splurge, I pick up a couple of more or less known quantities from BMG. First, there’s Bob Dylan’s “Love and Theft” which I don’t love quite as much as “Time Out of Mind”. Only now do I actively enjoy it.

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Now playing: Bob Dylan - Mississippi via FoxyTunes

Luckily I hit paydirt with Old ‘97s “Satellite Rides”. This one restored my faith in music’s ability to bring post-9/11 joy. Granted, it was recorded before that blot on our memories, but it’s smart and tough enough to keep you from feeling guilty about loving it.
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Now playing: Old 97's - King of All the World via FoxyTunes

I also took the plunge into hip-hop with Run DMC’s “Raisin’ Hell”. This 1985 Rick Rubin produced record is Chuck D’s all time favorite, and is definitely old school. The following year, Rubin would produce the Beastie Boy’s very similar “Licensed to Ill”, which I prefer because of its many rock and roll samples. But Hell’s got “Walk This Way”.

And let’s not forget Lisa Simpson’s all time favorite: Miles Davis “Birth of the Cool”. Mine is an extended version, with additional live versions of several songs. Miles is taking it a little slower here - Charlie Parker damn near wore him out – but it still challenging to ears like mine. I find it preferable to some of his later records where he trots out the same four or five riffs every few minutes.

So off to the record store I go, and I get Black Supermarket Clash, which is a CD expanded version of their generous-enough-as-it-was EP ”Black Market Clash” from late 1980. You know, between double album “London Calling” and triple album “Sandinista!” that same year. I guess they had some extra time on their hands. BSMC now runs almost a full 80 minutes, and contains great early stuff like “Capital Radio Two”, “Jail Guitar Doors” “Gates of the West” and “Groovy Times”. It kind of drags a bit towards the end with the Sandanista out-takes, but it’s clear from this that they were titans.
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Now playing: The Clash - Groovy Times via FoxyTunes

I also finally broke down and got Nick Drake’s “Five Leaves Left”. When you get an early 70s folk record, you’re really taking your chances. You never know if the guy is going to be too whimsical, or too sensitive-in-order-to-get-laid. And this guy had all the usual buzz that I’d normally associate with lame actual music. Well it turns out that he’s every bit as good as I’d hoped.

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Now playing: Nick Drake - Time Has Told Me via FoxyTunes

Badly Drawn Boy’s “Hour of Bewilderbeast” is the next great record of the decade. Nuff said.
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Now playing: Badly Drawn Boy - Pissing in the Wind
via FoxyTunes

And of course, I can’t seem to leave the record store anymore without picking up jazz. This time it was Sonny Rollins’ “Saxophone Collosus”, the title of which might imply the muscular, almost physical playing of a John Coltrane. Not so. Sonny’s touch here is lighter - too light for me to even hear for a few years. For easy listening fans who want, for once, to be cool.

Thanksgiving:

Another trip to the used CD store, and this time I found Elliot Smith’s “XO” and Old 97s “Fight Songs”.

You remember Elliot from the Oscars, don’t you? He was up for Best Song for “Miss Misery” from Good Will Hunting. It was a real kick seeing him sharing the stage, and looking like a homeless person, with Celine Dion. I’m surprised they didn’t call security on him. A cursory listen to “XO” reveals some very pretty music, but you might want to take a look at those lyrics. Pretty poison, but with all those Beatle references, very pretty.

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Now playing: Elliott Smith - Tomorrow Tomorrow
via FoxyTunes

“Fight Songs” came out before “Satellite Rides”, and it’s almost as good. It’s may even be more tuneful. It’s just not as consistent or energetic. It’s pretty rare these days when I double dip on a band so quickly, but that’s how much I like “Satellite Rides”.
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Now playing: Old 97's - Busted Afternoon
via FoxyTunes

Not bad accompaniment for the holidays.

Christmas:

It was time for more exploration, and again the past seemed the best place to be.

The first disc of "The Essential Johnny Cash" set is easily the best – minimal instrumentation, deep voice. “I Still Miss Someone” is one of the most beautiful songs of lost love we’ll ever hear. “Where You There When They Crucified My Lord?” had me checking my Blackberry to make sure I wasn’t. Disc two is quite good, but more standard commercial country music. The third disc has some covers, like the Stones’ “No Expectations” and Springsteen’s “State Trooper”. All in all, a great compilation.

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Now playing: Johnny Cash - I Still Miss Someone
via FoxyTunes

Elvis Costello recommended the complete works of Duke Ellingtion because it’s a good thing to have around, just like the complete works of that Shakespeare guy. But who has the time or the money? Not me, so I settled for the "Highlights from the Duke Ellington Centennial Edition", which is only three discs. Like most great jazz artists, the Duke is a bit beyond me. And also like those greats, he keeps growing on me. And he’s great to drop into your random playlist, too.
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Now playing: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Mood Indigo
via FoxyTunes

The Best:

• Satellite Rides – Old ‘97s
• Hour of Bewilderbeast

The Almost Best:

• Five Leaves Left
• XO
• Sebadoh

Thank god, I’ve finally gotten a couple of great ones from this decade. Things were finally looking up (musically and otherwise). At the beginning of the year – and a few times during it - I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to hear anything again.

Hit by a Train: Old 97s "Satellite Rides"

Cover of Satellite Rides
Out on the road today,
An “Old 97s” sticker on a pickup truck,
A voice inside my van said “don’t look back! You know, you never could drive…”

Hey, what do you think? I actually did see an “Old 97s” sticker on a pickup truck. So that makes me the new Don Henley, right? OK, moving on…

It was August of 2002, and I had just received my order from BMG (my record club). I was feeling buyer’s remorse, punishing myself, as I always do, with the self loathing that will ensure that I do exactly the same thing in three months. I do this by putting myself through a litany of questions, like:

Why, or why, did I buy yet more music?
Shouldn’t I have enough CDs by now?
And with 9/11 last year, aren’t there more important things I should be thinking about?
Shouldn’t I be saving up for my children’s education?

And yet, there I was with yet another CD by yet another pop band. I mean, really, how good could it be? Etc. So you’re probably thinking, just return it, right? What, are you nuts?

When I got over myself and put it on, I proceeded to have that all too rare experience: knowing, on the first listen, that I was hearing a great album. How could this be? Haven’t all the great songs been written already? Isn’t rock and roll dead? Isn’t there really nothing left to say anymore? So why do I keep hearing all of these good songs when I just want to sit here and be miserable? Yeah, I’m a lot of fun to be around.

I’m talking about the Old ‘97s – named after a train, which is apt - and their fifth album, “Satellite Rides” (2001). I understand that they started out leaning towards the “country” end of “country-rock”. By the time I caught up with them here, they were leaning the other way. Their prior record, the slightly more country oriented “Fight Songs”, is very, very good. It has some high points that are even better than anything here, but this one is more consistently great.

Rhett Miller is the pretty-boy singer, who is also the pretty-brainy songwriter. He has the energy and the voice to put these songs over, and never seems to run out of hooks.

The first song - “King of the World” – is typical. It has just way too much energy. It starts with a crack of the drums and before you know it, the guitar player is right in your face. And why is Rhett so happy? Well, partly because they recorded it before 9/11, but mainly ‘cause his girl makes him feel like, you know, James Cameron, I guess. But where’s the irony? (I need irony in case the artist turns out to be just marginally talented.) But instead of that, they go for a key change, which revs it up even more. What, he wasn’t happy enough?

And these lyrics! He actually sings “Don’t count me out, ‘cause I’ve got your number” and gets away with it, because the band knocks you over before you had the chance to think about it. By the time you do, you are totally buying it.

On “Rollerskate Skinny”, they do it again. At the end of it, Rhett sings “I believe in love, but it don’t believe in me” over and over gain. And instead of laughing at the self pity, you’re singing along. Maybe that’s the irony I was looking for, thrown in as an added bonus.

So by the time “Bird in a Cage” comes around (“I may be a bird in a cage, but at least it’s your cage.”) sadness is just not an option.

“What I Wouldn’t Do” to be friends with you. Friends. Yeah sure. Great rock and roll, though. “Question” is a ballad about popping the big one, and it earns every bit of the emotion it gets out of you. And it won’t make the guys squirm, either. And if you like philosophy, there’s “Weightless”.

About the band: the guitar player isn’t a virtuoso, but he’s so single minded that his solos hit like a hammer on nails. And the drummer is always there to say, you will pay attention! I haven’t noticed the bass player yet, but I believe that’s his job.

And they really know how to deploy harmony, too. Unlike some artists who use it like ketchup on a hamburger, they only put it where it counts, like when it will make a simple chord change feel like you’re driving down a hill too fast. Yeah, that feeling down there!

All of these elements come together to turn perfectly good songs into great ones. This is not just stupid, good-time, party music, but if that’s your thing, just ignore the words. Rhett sneaks in stuff about break ups, infidelity and even death. But the music does what great music always does - it admits to how lousy life can be, but by its very existence says, isn’t it great, anyway?

And that’s exactly the message I needed at the time. “Satellite Rides” threw a bucket of cold water on my post 9/11 depression and reminded me that it was still possible to have a good time.

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Now playing: Old 97's - King of All the World
via FoxyTunes

The Geezer's Guide to Buying CDs

I'm probably unlike you in that I buy a lot of CDs that I’ve not heard before. I don't mean that I haven't heard the whole thing. I mean that I haven't heard it at all. Sometimes I have no clue, other than what I’ve gathered from a review, what I’m about to hear. This is occasionally dismaying when the music actually starts. But just as often it’s thrilling. I’ve already written about the problem with buying CDs that you’ve already heard. I figure my batting average is at least as good as yours.

As far as actually tracking down stuff, I recommend checking your usual haunts once or twice. But if you can’t find it, consider joining a music club (I’m in BMG, and they aren’t bad at all). This will put a greater selection at your finger tips. If you still can’t find it, just order the damned thing from Amazon or J&R and be done with it. Your time is too valuable. You’re not a teenager who can haunt record stores for days at a time. 

Vinyl albums were risky to buy used, because they could be full of scratches, but were arguably (the arguer being the guy who sold it to you) playable. CDs either work or don’t work. If you can find them used, buy them. I’ve gotten some great albums this way (Randy Newman’s “Faust”, Old 97s “Fight Songs”, Elliot Smith’s “XO”). I've saved some money, too, but it does takes a lot of time to go through the bins and, well, it’s kind of pathetic. So if you must do it, be discreet. If necessary, wear a disguise.

Now, all of the above is geared towards tracking something down that you’ve already decided you want. The other way of shopping is to browse. You can spend a lot of time doing this, too, but it's usually more fun. It depends what you find. I'll admit that it takes a keen eye to discern between the pathetic bargain shelf mole and the perfectly respectable browser. (I think it’s all in the posture, myself. I do recommend dressing up like you’re on your lunch break from your important job. Everyone will see right through this, but they’ll appreciate the effort you’re making.)

Another thing I love to do is window shop. CDs are expensive so I try to keep my instinct to overbuy in check. But around my birthday I like to treat myself. (The spouse long ago learned that I’m impossible to buy a gift for, so my trip to the record store saves everybody lots of trouble, although I’m not above asking for a box set. By the way, don’t buy a box set from a record store! Look it up in your record club. Even with shipping, it’s GOT to be cheaper).

I browse the aisles, picking up whatever strikes my fancy. The reason I do this is because there’s no telling if I’ll find a lot of stuff or nothing, so I cast my net wide. That way I don’t end up with nothing to show for the time spent. There have been times when I had 30 or 35 CDs, and I'd only gotten up to the letter J. I’ve somehow convinced myself that there is dignity in this.

Now begins the paring process. I look at those 35 CDs and ask myself a series of questions.

1. Does it a nice cover? (What? It helped me pick up a very good Charles Mingus album. Besides, you want your friends to say, “Hey, what a nice cover!”)  
2. Is the title on the edge of the jewel box vertically centered? Again, you may not see the relevance here, but remember, this will take up precious space on your shelf. You’re probably going to end up with a neck cramp while reading the titles. It'll only be worse if the titles are unreadable. (On LPs, this area used to be called the “slug line”. I don’t know if they still call it this. This has kept me from buying many an album, which is a good thing. After all, there are children to be fed.) 
3. How many CDs do you already have by this artist? If you have a few, is this one going to be worthwhile? Maybe there’s another artist who you haven’t tried yet who deserves some of that attention. When in doubt, skip it. 
4. How about the price? They can vary wildly. The only problem with some of the cheaper ones is that they may be older albums that will soon be re-mastered, with bonus tracks added. Ah, but now they’re expensive again. Your call. 
5. How much music is on the CD? This can be tricky, as a little of a great thing is better than a lot of crap, but it’s something to consider. A CD can hold almost 80 minutes of music. Typical vinyl albums held less, and averaged about thirty-five minute per. The typical CD has at least 50 minutes of music on it. I hate buying CDs with only about thirty minutes on them. However if I followed this rule slavishly, I wouldn’t own the Shins “Chutes Too Narrow”, one of the best of the decade. 
6. Bear in mind that you should try to balance enjoyment with that horizon broadening that’s intended to ruin a good time. Another good balance is old music vs. current. How about intimidating vs. accessible? Melodic vs. rhythmic? 
7. What are the chances, based on what you know, that you’ll enjoy the CD? This step is optional. (Just kidding.)
   

By now you should be down to less than ten. Put those other CDs back where they belong! This is a pretty sad sight, but it’s the right thing to do. Now pare it down again. (You can leave these rejects lying around. Enough is enough. You’re not a saint. Besides, the security guard is getting suspicious.)

You should end up with about four CDs. You’ll never absorb more than that in the short term.

I predict that you’ll like one CD immediately, two others will be okay to good. You will hate one. Keep an eye on this one. It may be the one that broadens those horizons I’ve been warning you about. While the first three may be infatuations, it’s the one you hate that you’ll form a relationship with. And like some relationships, you might find yourself coming around to if you give it half a chance. But we’ll talk about at another time.

Now get home. Everyone is wondering where the hell you’ve been.