Comments on: my top 20: 10 – 1 http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/ notes from the digital underground Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:55:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: wndrswy http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-48223 wndrswy Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:40:44 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-48223 Headlights deserves to be in everyone's top 10 (or so) albums of this year. So glad to see someone else brought them up as a standout in the last year. Here on an island in Canada, we don't get so much of these live bands as a treat, so my admiration is based on a full-sounding album and the desire to get up and dance around in circles everytime Headlights come up in my playlists. The only other bands to do this in the last year are Tut Tut and Sunny Day Sets Fire...ah, good times, these... Headlights deserves to be in everyone’s top 10 (or so) albums of this year. So glad to see someone else brought them up as a standout in the last year. Here on an island in Canada, we don’t get so much of these live bands as a treat, so my admiration is based on a full-sounding album and the desire to get up and dance around in circles everytime Headlights come up in my playlists. The only other bands to do this in the last year are Tut Tut and Sunny Day Sets Fire…ah, good times, these…

]]> By: Adamm http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-45153 Adamm Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:46:51 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-45153 Happy to see Erykah Badu at the top of a critic's list. I really love this album and couldn't understand why it wasn't more hyped than it was. I think this album sounds *important,* and is the most likely thing from this year to still be around 20-30 years from now. Happy to see Erykah Badu at the top of a critic’s list. I really love this album and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t more hyped than it was. I think this album sounds *important,* and is the most likely thing from this year to still be around 20-30 years from now.

]]> By: jonder http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-45152 jonder Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:43:51 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-45152 Hey, is this where the old guys are hanging out? I'm 42 and first saw REM with the dB's on a university football field in Gainesville FL. Count me as a fan of the "Early/Southern Gothic" period who gave up on them after Automatic for the People. I don't think the loss of Bill Berry affected them that much musically -- he was never a great drummer. I remember trying to convince a friend to listen to REM (and he was trying to convince me to listen to Yo! Bum Rush the Show). He dropped the needle in the middle of each track on one side of an REM LP (that's how old I am), and he said, "See? Every song has the same beat." The thing that made me give up on REM was the embarrassingly bad songs that got on the radio. It wasn't just "Shiny Happy People". Songs like "Orange Crush" and ESPECIALLY "Everybody Hurts" were just awful. On the topic of the Roots (and drummers), I think Questlove deserves a Grammy for his work on that new Al Green album. Nice choice, Joe. Hey, is this where the old guys are hanging out? I’m 42 and first saw REM with the dB’s on a university football field in Gainesville FL. Count me as a fan of the “Early/Southern Gothic” period who gave up on them after Automatic for the People.

I don’t think the loss of Bill Berry affected them that much musically — he was never a great drummer. I remember trying to convince a friend to listen to REM (and he was trying to convince me to listen to Yo! Bum Rush the Show). He dropped the needle in the middle of each track on one side of an REM LP (that’s how old I am), and he said, “See? Every song has the same beat.”

The thing that made me give up on REM was the embarrassingly bad songs that got on the radio. It wasn’t just “Shiny Happy People”. Songs like “Orange Crush” and ESPECIALLY “Everybody Hurts” were just awful.

On the topic of the Roots (and drummers), I think Questlove deserves a Grammy for his work on that new Al Green album. Nice choice, Joe.

]]> By: Matos W.K. http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44996 Matos W.K. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:34:19 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44996 All this "I think they're trying to bury Black Thought on their own records" dovetails nicely with their new jobs as Jimmy Fallon's late-night band, don't you think? All this “I think they’re trying to bury Black Thought on their own records” dovetails nicely with their new jobs as Jimmy Fallon’s late-night band, don’t you think?

]]> By: Daniel, Esq. http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44981 Daniel, Esq. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:48:40 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44981 (I know 40 isn't old, BTW. I'm just feeling more fatigued these days.) (I know 40 isn’t old, BTW. I’m just feeling more fatigued these days.)

]]> By: Daniel, Esq. http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44980 Daniel, Esq. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:47:06 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44980 Ha! I'm 40. And feeling very o-l-d. I think of REM's career in three highly-subjective phases. Phase One covers Chronic Town -- Fables of the Reconstruction (the "Early/Southern Gothic" period). Phase Two covers Document -- New Adventures in Hi-Fi (the "Mid/Weird Rock" period). Phase Three covers Up -- Accelerate (the "Late/Creatively Spent" period). I know some pretty savvy music fans who love Up or Reveal, but I can't see it. Up through the midpoint of the Mid/Weird Rock period, REM was maybe my favorite band ever (to date myself even further, my other contenders for "Favorite Band Ever" include The Smiths, Husker Du and The Replacements. But I think today's indie/experimental rock is, basically, just as good and compelling as the best underground bands from the 80s). At one point, REM said they planned to do a final show on New Year's Eve 2000, and break-up the band. Out of respect for their (amazing) legacy, I wish they had. Ha! I’m 40. And feeling very o-l-d.

I think of REM’s career in three highly-subjective phases. Phase One covers Chronic Town — Fables of the Reconstruction (the “Early/Southern Gothic” period). Phase Two covers Document — New Adventures in Hi-Fi (the “Mid/Weird Rock” period). Phase Three covers Up — Accelerate (the “Late/Creatively Spent” period). I know some pretty savvy music fans who love Up or Reveal, but I can’t see it. Up through the midpoint of the Mid/Weird Rock period, REM was maybe my favorite band ever (to date myself even further, my other contenders for “Favorite Band Ever” include The Smiths, Husker Du and The Replacements. But I think today’s indie/experimental rock is, basically, just as good and compelling as the best underground bands from the 80s).

At one point, REM said they planned to do a final show on New Year’s Eve 2000, and break-up the band. Out of respect for their (amazing) legacy, I wish they had.

]]> By: Tim http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44977 Tim Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:37:23 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44977 You must be nearly as old as I am, D., Esquire. Document isn't mid-period -- it was released 21 years ago! Certainly agreed on the Big Beat in the IRS years tho. Drums are really the only instrument on LRP...just as Mike Mills was the only one singing on Out of Time. :-) You must be nearly as old as I am, D., Esquire. Document isn’t mid-period — it was released 21 years ago!

Certainly agreed on the Big Beat in the IRS years tho. Drums are really the only instrument on LRP…just as Mike Mills was the only one singing on Out of Time. :-)

]]> By: Daniel, Esq. http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44973 Daniel, Esq. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:09:48 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44973 "Why should you have to defend REM, they are a solid band." They're a solid band, but they are a shell of their former selves. I couldn't get into Accelerate, despite the band pulling out every mid-career signifier possible (e.g., the Life's Rich Pagent -- Document period). The hooks are not memorable, the rhythms are limp (and, strange as it may seem, early-to-mid period R.E.M. was all about the Big Beat), and the melodies are formless. Mills is my favorite member, BTW (by a mile). "everyone seems to have forgotten [Third] came out." Nah. Third is going to be in a lot of publications' Top Five. You're right: It's a dark, pulsating masterpiece. And I'm not sure I've ever heard Portishead before, so I had no expectations for it, whatsoever. “Why should you have to defend REM, they are a solid band.”

They’re a solid band, but they are a shell of their former selves. I couldn’t get into Accelerate, despite the band pulling out every mid-career signifier possible (e.g., the Life’s Rich Pagent — Document period). The hooks are not memorable, the rhythms are limp (and, strange as it may seem, early-to-mid period R.E.M. was all about the Big Beat), and the melodies are formless. Mills is my favorite member, BTW (by a mile).

“everyone seems to have forgotten [Third] came out.”

Nah. Third is going to be in a lot of publications’ Top Five. You’re right: It’s a dark, pulsating masterpiece. And I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Portishead before, so I had no expectations for it, whatsoever.

]]> By: Tim http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44970 Tim Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:55:23 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44970 I've been into REM since 1982, so no apologies required from me. Another day, I'll tell you about the time I saw REM touring Murmur on top of a bill with Husker Du opening, playing in *an indoor tennis court* at Harvard. The problem with Buck Mills & Stipe is that Berry is missing. They'd said from the beginning that as soon as one of them left, the group would be over. They should have kept their word...because it WAS over after Bill left. I'm not sure I've ever heard any Frightened Rabbit lyrics. I love Midnight Organ Fight -- a lot, actually -- for the way that the sound and shape of the voice fit with the music, rather than any specific words. Kinda like REM back in the day. I’ve been into REM since 1982, so no apologies required from me. Another day, I’ll tell you about the time I saw REM touring Murmur on top of a bill with Husker Du opening, playing in *an indoor tennis court* at Harvard.

The problem with Buck Mills & Stipe is that Berry is missing. They’d said from the beginning that as soon as one of them left, the group would be over. They should have kept their word…because it WAS over after Bill left.

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard any Frightened Rabbit lyrics. I love Midnight Organ Fight — a lot, actually — for the way that the sound and shape of the voice fit with the music, rather than any specific words. Kinda like REM back in the day.

]]> By: SB050675 http://17dots.com/2008/12/18/my-top-20-10-1/comment-page-1/#comment-44969 SB050675 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:43:13 +0000 http://17dots.com/?p=1334#comment-44969 Why should you have to defend REM, they are a solid band. Why should you have to defend REM, they are a solid band.

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