From: owner-ecto-digest To: ecto-digest@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto-digest V2 #328 Reply-To: ecto@nsmx.rutgers.edu Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Wednesday, 3 January 1996 Volume 02 : Number 328 The Ecto digest is now being generated automatically. Please send problems and questions to: ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: THE OLIVE-LOAF VIGILANTE Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 22:41:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: The Return Of The Replies Hi! Before I get to the replies I promised (or threatened ;) in my last post, a question (mainly directed at Nick Hill, though if anyone else can help me out, feel free): In the current (Jan/Feb) issue of the Utne Reader, there's a picture on page 92 of David Byrne, Natalie Merchant, and two other people with a member of the Gyuto Tantric Choir backstage at a Tibet House New York fund-raiser last spring. The woman on the far right in the picture looks like Katell Keineg to me -- is it??? woj doesn't think so, but I think it can't be anyone but. The caption just lists "David Byrne, Natalie Merchant and others", so that's no help. This just got me wondering... And also, a note -- did anyone else see the piece on D'Cuckoo on last week's edition of C/Net Central on USA last weekend? I was channel-surfing and stumbled upon the last half of it. They focused mainly on the MIDI and other technology involved, including the MIDI Ball, and didn't mention the actual music all that much. Still, there's a big thing on the group on the C/Net Web Site this week: I think it's something like http://www.cnet.com, but don't quote me. A quick Yahoo or Lycos search should get you there. Haven't had a chance to check it out for myself yet. Anyway. :) Jens posted: >It was great visting many of you this Summer; see you all in the new >year, on the Net or in RL... It was wonderful to meet you too! Come back soon... :) woj reminisced: >i remember the closing theme. it went something like > >see ya! see ya! >hope you had a good good time >la la >hope you had a good good morning >to you >hope we get to see you again This boggles the mind. And you said you weren't a lyrics man. ;> Damon called: >i'm doing a bit of work on the ectophiles' guide web pages, and want to >expand, and expand on, neile's categorisation system. so far we have the >following categories: Why have categories at all? Just do it alphabetically and leave it at that. "Good Music" is all the categorization we need here. One of these millenia, woj and I are going to have a (really cool ;) record store. All of the albums will be filed alphabetically by artist, and there will be no subcategorization whatsoever. Looking for B.B. King? Check "K". King Crimson? "K" again. All these artificial categories are ridiculous, insho... as evidenced by the occasionally bizarre places Happy's albums have been filed so far. If you're looking for something, you should be able to find it, dammit. And if you're just browsing around, you might as well have the opportunity to discover something you never may have thought of otherwise. Michael Pearce opined: >Thanks, Robert, but I find that this track on The Keep, and the 2nd track >on Enya's "The Memory of Trees" are motivating me to go buy a programmable >CD player (instead of waiting for the new high-density players) just so I >can enjoy the rest of the disks. I can't imagine what got into her, >thinking that something like "Oh, Holy Night" belonged on a non-Xmas album >(yes, I know, it was released as sort of a gift to her fans), or on any >album at all. It seemed so out of character! Sure, she sounds great, but I >can't be the only one who studiously avoids "reverent" music regardless of >the artist. At least Loreena McKennett chooses obscure and ancient songs >for her Xmas works. If Happy had just sung it in Russian or something--it's >the awful lyrics that bug me. > >But then I might feel differently if I believed that all that stuff was true. Well, you like songs that tell other fictional stories, right? What's so different about "O Holy Night"? If you believe that it's all fiction, maybe listening to it as another story song might make it a little bit more palat- able. Ariel rated: >6. Jonatha Brooke And The Story - Plumb > My first exposure to Jonatha Brooke came through this album, which was >so good, I had to buy The Story's earlier album, "Angel In The House". >Jonatha's got a strong voice, but more importantly, some great lyrics. :) >Favorite Track: Nothing Sacred Hmmm. I think it's a nice album, but doesn't hold a candle to _Grace In Gravity_, the debut album that blows everything else either Jonatha or Jennifer have done since completely out of the water. The title track gives me the chills every time I hear it... >3. Melissa Ferrick - "Willing To Wait > Take Ani Difranco's guitar, cross it with Alanis Morissette's voice, and >Dar Williams' accent, and you get a guitaring playing, great voiced sack of >nothing. Take out the unfortunate comparision to Alanis Morrisette, and you get something sort of accurate. :) I think Melissa Ferrick sounds most like Amy Ray at points, myself... >Aural Gratification Vol 1 and 2 > TOWER had this! Woo hoo! Well, it's interesting, to say the least. I >can't say I'll be listening to it all that much, but it's good background >music at least. Where did they have them filed? We've been trying to find #2 (that categorization thing again...). >XTC A Testimonial Dinner > After hearing all the raves about Sarah M's version of "Dear God", I >had to listen to this at Tower on the station. Excellent tribute album! >That good tribute album thing going around needs this thrown on it. I could >actually listen to this tribute album relatively often. Sarah's Dear God is >the best of the bunch, but I also love They Might Be Giants' 25 O'clock. >I'm unfamiliar with XTC themselves, but this tribute made me want to buy >their stuff. ;> Please do. With the exception of "Dear God", the originals are much, much better. :) Valerie included: >Janet Jackson, janet. >Great dance music. Okay, so it came out a year ago. But it wasn't until this >year that it spent significant amounts of time in my CD player Valerie, Valerie, Valerie... you really should see someone about this unfortunate condition. ;> >Valerie's favorite place she lived in in 1995: Chicago (hey, if you know me, >this is a valid category!) :) >Valerie's least favorite place she lived in in 1995: Washington, DC Oh, but you were close enough to visit us while you were there! >Best sporting event of 1996: When NU wins the Rose Bowl irvin mentioned: > does everyone realize that the average american owes $4000 dollars >to credit cards. someone told me that the other day. Wow. I guess this means I'm average. :} Scary thought. > anyway enough about me, and my sordid life, i mean you don't want >to hear about the lovely christmas retail hell i underwent working both >at my bookstore and poverty barn (whoops meant pottery barn, my how the >mind works) and how i had to spend a zillion dollars on my boyfriend >whose birthday is conveniently december 26. Well, you didn't *have* to spend tons of money on him. Your love should be enough, right? ;> (Says the woman who went a wee bit overboard on her honey this year) And now for some friendly nit-picking (sorry, Neal :): >Heh, I think you should run out and buy Plague Mass or Vena Cava or what's >that one - Housewives with Steak Knives, or something like that. _Wild Women With Steak Knives_. I seem to recall a funny story somebody here told (was it Angelos?) a long time ago about using that album to keep away Jehovah's Witnesses, or something... :) >The Ugly One With The Jewels In Her Eyes Stop at "Jewels", hon, and you'll be fine. :) >Personally, I think her speeking voice is more evocative than her singing >voice, but the bulk of the first 4 discs are spoken word over (that is, on >top of) music. But Laurie's speeking has always seemed incredibly musical "Speeking"? ;> Kerry inquired: > Hello, With all the posts lately, this got lost in the crowd: I have >Rare Gems: Jewel Rarities and find it merely ok. I have Jewel live on >Conan doing a song from Pieces(?) and like it alot. The question is: is >Pieces more like that song on Conan, or is it more folkie? Definitely more folkie. I don't know where the band on Conan came from. Mark Salamon wrote: >8) Jayhawks / Tomorrow The Green Grass - simple, but great and intellectual >country rock. I only hope that the guys in this great band can go on and >make music anywhere near this enjoyable Sorry, but they broke up last month. :( >Vance Gilbert / Fugitives - never heard of this guy before, but i read the >back of the disc for some reason and there was a quite enthusiastic quote >from Lydia Hutchinson from _The Performing Songwriter Magazine_ which >mentioned his having opened for Shawn Colvin and receiving a great response >and being quite amazing or some such fluff.....well, the disc was cheap so >i plunked down the $2 without a listen and i am quite thrilled.....it is >very beautiful and funny in parts. Only just got it today so only listened >to it once, but it is great so far and Jane Siberry makes a guest >appearance so you know it is cool! Whoa, Jane is on it?!? Where??? I'd been thinking of picking it up if I find it *really* cheap somewhere, since I like the title track and the other songs I've heard on the radio haven't been too bad either. But if Jane's on it, then I might have to institute an active search. Sage elucidated: >4. Dar Williams - "This Is Not The House That Pain Built" >I admit to not being very fond of most of the songs on The Honesty >Room (I almost never like 'fast' songs and most of these are pretty >boppy) Yeah, I'm agraid I have to join in the "huh?" chorus on this one. "Boppy"?!? Laurel introduced: >THE LION AND THE COBRA is a gorgeous album from start to finish. An >emotionally charged thing, that almost always still brings at least one tear >to my eyes. At times it's just plain beautiful, in other places it rocks >hard. It all fits together. Amen. Again, I'm going to join in the chorus: run, don't walk to your nearest record emporium and get this album. It's one of the best ever, period. Such a shame that everything Sinead's done since then has really sucked. :( And "Troy" is really a killer, even after all these years... Kerry sideswiped: >Meth is sending a tape of Siberry >to show me what I'm missing, should get it when KaTe's next album comes out, >or the new millenium [same thing] 8-) 8-). Oh, shush. Patience, my friend, patience... these things take time, which I am notoriously short on at the moment... :} (Never fear, woj is in the process of shaming me into action as we type.) Aaron crawled out of the woodwork: >I'm fairly certain there was a video for "i want your (hands on me)" >from THE LION AND THE COBRA. 'course, I'm also convinced said video >featured a rap by MC Lyte, and I've never seen confirmation of the >existence of such a remix, so YMMV. Well, there was a video for "I Want Your (Hands On Me)", and one for "Mandinka", as well. As far as I know those were the only two videos made for that album. As for the MC Lyte connection, methinks you were hallucinating again, sir... :) Ariane wondered: >ALT - 'Altitude' (has anyone else heard these guys? Yep. The song I've been hearing on the radio does nothing for me, sorry. Emmy asked: >>'Til Tuesday - Everything's Different Now > The first Til Tuesday album I ever heard, and I love it! Especially >"RIP in heaven" and "At the >other end"... In parts, it kind of reminded me of the Primitives. I love >their stuff. Does anyone >here know if their lead-singer is still involved in making music? Aimee Mann put out an incredible solo album in 1993 called _Whatever_. It did pretty well, she toured, life was good. Then her record label, Imago underwent a rather serious restructuring, and she lost her deal. Her follow-up album _I'm With Stupid_ was supposed to come out earlier this year, but just recently saw the light of day in Europe and is scheduled to come out in the US on January 30. I can't remember which record label she finally landed on, but you should be able to find it, since I see you're in Belgium. I don't think it's nearly as good as _Whatever_, but that's just me. Oh -- also in between albums, Aimee toured with Squeeze, not sure why. She's also got a song on the Harry Nilsson tribute album, _I'm With Harry_. Happy hunting! Phew. That'll teach me to go on vacation. :) +===========================================================================+ |Meredith Tarr meth@delphi.com| |Boonton, NJ USA http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/methpg.html| +===========================================================================+ | "Life is a sleazy stranger and this is his favorite bar" - Ani DiFranco | +===========================================================================+ ------------------------------ From: smarks@westdat.com (Mark Salamon) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 20:53:55 -0800 Subject: Thanks A Lot!!! Hello People, I just thought I'd send a quick note to all of you who have been posting your top discs lists...... Among my acquaintances and friends i am known for having the most diverse music tastes (and largest cd collection) and i am always looking for new music to try..... So, I was surprised that I haven't even heard of meny of the bands on many of the top disc lists.....I am saving them all and will definitely be doing some purchasing thanks to the recomendations...... thanks to you all for further expanding my musical field of vision.... mark **************************************************************************** * Even now, God's mistake * * Sets us up for one more heartbreak * * -Tears For Fears * **************************************************************************** * Mark Salamon smarks@wdc.net * * Orange, CA * **************************************************************************** ------------------------------ From: Nicholas Hill Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 23:43:16 -0500 Subject: Re: Dorothy Scott disc / JONI on tv wed. morn. On Tue, Jan 2, 1996 10:39:15 PM METH@delphi.com wrote: >Dorothy Scott, _Into The Natural_ EP >- -- Another great musical discovery (thanks, Nick :). Everyone who is wailing >and gnashing their teeth over Mary Margaret O'Hara's continued absence from >the scene needs to check this woman out. (Neile, I haven't forgotten your >request, but I haven't been anywhere where the disc has been for sale... :}) It seems to be for sale quite readily at Rebel Rebel on Bleeker St. in NYC.. I had heard that Joni Mitchell's CBS this Morning segment was scheduled for Jan 9th, but it is listed for Wednesday Jan. 3rd in the paper.. yikes, that tommorrow. I hope this gets out.. Nicholas Hill faucet@pipeline.com http://kochint.com/kochrecr.html http://wfmu.org *********************************************** "There are virtually no 'public airwaves' and the new communications bill... will seek to eliminate by money, power and control, local programming and allow the vertical and horizontal joint ventures and conglomerates to rule all airwaves, programming, production and distribution of information.... This is censorship by controlling all the avenues from creation to distribution." Chris Lunn, Victory Review, October, 1995 ************************************************ ------------------------------ From: Nicholas Hill Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 23:48:10 -0500 Subject: Jane Siberry Jane was one of the hundreds of performers and poets to do a 2-5 minute piece at St. Marks Church in NYC as part of the 22nd annual New Years Day Marathon reading yesterday.. Syd Straw, Alan Ginsberg, Penny Arcade, Lenny Kaye, and oh too many to mention were also on the bill. Nicholas Hill faucet@pipeline.com ------------------------------ From: erik@falcon.kla.com (Erik Johnson) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 20:47:01 -0800 Subject: Re: The Return Of The Replies Meth asks: |> >Aural Gratification Vol 1 and 2 |> > TOWER had this! Woo hoo! Well, it's interesting, to say the least. I |> >can't say I'll be listening to it all that much, but it's good background |> >music at least. |> |> Where did they have them filed? We've been trying to find #2 (that |> categorization thing again...). Well, in my Tower they filed it in the Techo/Ambient section (which actually makes sense). Look for the Aural Gratification tab. Of course, Your Tower May Vary. Erik _______________________________________________________________________________ Erik N. Johnson KLA Instruments Corp. San Jose, CA e_johnso@kla.com merlin@surf.com erik@falcon.kla.com In your head, no car is fast enough / In your heart, no love is true Would it ruin all your solitary fancies / If I told you that it isn't only you? -- Emma Bull, Cats Laughing, "For It All" ------------------------------ From: 32 flavors and then some Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 00:11:16 -0500 Subject: ectopics pink sez: > and finally i bought a 2 CD set called ANON. it is a compilation >put out by castle von buhler. castle von buhler is a studio in boston run by one adam buhler. i guess it's a label now too. > it features a new song by lisa germano called angels turn to >devils which is only okay. a typical lisa song. pretty, haunting, >violins, ho hum. jaded, are we? speaking of new lisa germano songs, my secret agent in indiana recently sent me a compilation put together by wtts progressive rock radio (i guess it's a station in bloomington) called _overeasy christmas_ which features lisa covering "rudloph the red-nosed reindeer". her rendition is all violins and is called "rudolph had a bad day". i had thought that this was a 1995 christmas album, but closer inspection indicates that it is from 1994. >also a band called sirensong (pretty, ethereal kinda stuff), sirensong is the adam buhler's band. i know they have at least one ep out (eponymous, incredible) and that last i heard from adam (at least a year and a half ago) they were planning on putting an album out. if there is an album, damn, it's another one for the to-buy list. Sue Trowbridge sez: >LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, NBC > We 1/3 Meat Loaf, The Corrs [hopefully not performing together -st] which reminds me that i haven't reviewed some recent purchases. we'll start with the corrs. their debut (i guess) is called _forgiven, not forgotten_ and is billed as "traditional irish music meets contemporary pop" on the sticker. i bought a promo copy because of that quip. augh. $5 wasted. i had hoped for something like in tua nua and got total trash. there are a couple, short interesting traditional pieces, but that is the extent of the meeting going on between genres. i guess the violin makes it "traditional". avoid. two thumbs down. other new stuff: burgess/altana - paradyning: mark burgess ex of the chameleons (one of the best bands to ever grace this planet) and the sun and the moon teams up with chameleon-fan-turned-collborator yves altana to produce a nifty, tuneful collection of guitar pop. i just got this today and am on my fourth listen. groove-a-licious. oddly, this reminds me of echo and the bunnymen. hmmm. nonetheless, thumbs up! magnetic fields - get lost: stephin merritt continues to churn out albums of weird, irresistable indiediscopop. like the 6ths? you'll like this. maybe even more since his musical madness isn't filtered by guest vocalizers. i do. another today-acquisition (from a mail order delayed by music sellers on vacation) but only listened to once so far. none- theless, thumbs up! enough for now, the be-kilted woj ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 23:14:35 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Okay okay, here's mine Hello, On Tue, 2 Jan 1996, THE OLIVE-LOAF VIGILANTE wrote: > > Happy Rhodes, The Middle East, Philadelphia, PA > Happy Rhodes, The Bottom Line, New York City > -- Hey, it was Happy, it was live, some of it even made it to video, and she > actually got to play in New York!!! Incredible. "...some...made it to video,.." umm, just how much and whose slave do I have to become to glom onto a copy? That crack about the millenium in your mail is a forgery by persons unknown trying to mess this deal up. I'm really the soul of Patience incarnate[except maybe where this video is concerned]. scrape! grovel! whimper inconsolably! [also have no pride] KrW "Are you all sitty comftubole to squirm your botty? Then I'll begin.........." ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 23:31:09 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: The Return Of The Replies Hello, On Tue, 2 Jan 1996, THE OLIVE-LOAF VIGILANTE wrote: > > >XTC A Testimonial Dinner > > After hearing all the raves about Sarah M's version of "Dear God", I > >had to listen to this at Tower on the station. Excellent tribute album! > > Please do. With the exception of "Dear God", the originals are much, much > better. :) > Any way we can get someone to put _Dear God_ on a tape at the project? Or accept my 1st born whatever in trade, or...? > Kerry sideswiped: > > >Meth is sending a tape of Siberry > >to show me what I'm missing, should get it when KaTe's next album comes out, > >or the new millenium [same thing] 8-) 8-). > > Oh, shush. Patience, my friend, patience... these things take time, which > I am notoriously short on at the moment... :} (Never fear, woj is in the > process of shaming me into action as we type.) As I wrote in a previous post, that guy just *looked* like me, I was out of the country at the time in.....Terra del Fle..Fel Fer.. South America! And don't even know -how- to spell melenimum[see!]. KrW "TV or not TV, that is the question. Whether it is nobler to suffer the lies of outrageous pitch-men, or to slit your throat with an electrocoated stainless steel blade"? WOI ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 23:49:59 -0600 (CST) Subject: violin hook Hello, Ok, ok, w/ *all* the warm bodies attracted to this [place], *Somebody* must have access to some oldies files. My flypaper memory swears to me that Andy Williams' _Can't Get Used to Losing You_, from the early 60s, has the exact same violin plucked hook-line as Enya's _Oronco Flow_!! This does not devalue Flow in my eyes[ears] but the resonance of recognition is driving me crazier than I have ever demonstrated myself to be. Huah, hah, huh [as Animal from the Muppet band would say]!!! KrW "I'll never replace Elvis, man, he's the king,boys!!" :Clyde Ankle ------------------------------ From: Kerry White Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 00:16:55 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: ectopics Hello, On Wed, 3 Jan 1996, 32 flavors and then some wrote: > > burgess/altana - paradyning: mark burgess ex of the chameleons (one of Did they say what "paradyning" is? I've heard of paradigm [as in New], but paradyn sounds like a new way to heterodyne. At last, I'm off work! Will respond to responses on the morrow. KrW It was the least I could do! And never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do. ------------------------------ From: abehrend@direct.ca (ariane behrend) Date: Tue, 02 Jan 1996 22:38:33 -0800 Subject: The Nields Heeeeeeeeeelp! I've looked everywhere for The Nields' 'Bob on the Ceiling'. Well, not exactly everywhere, but still... I looked here (pretty much pointless, but I had to try), in Columbus, and in Seattle. No luck. So... is anyone out there willing to get me a copy and trade it for something? ... perhaps something 'Vancouveresque', like Spirit of the West or Veda Hille, or some rare Sarah/ Nettwerk thing (a mug perhaps!? ;)). Pleeeeease!? Ariane ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ariane Behrend ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Vancouver, Canada ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The waves are perfect and the sun will always shine, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ But there's got to be more to death than surfing all the time ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Dar Williams ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ------------------------------ From: damon harper Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 00:23:18 -0800 Subject: a rather wonky top N list well, i've been inspired to produce a "top ten" style list, but it's pretty difficult. certainly not going to be a top ten, but more of a list of the albums that have affected me the most, and in varying ways, this (well, last) year. so call it a "most important music" list. i've tried to focus mainly on albums that were actually *released* in 1995, but there are a few from 1994 that i only discovered this year and that *had* to be mentioned. it's probably more of a "top someodd mainly from the last half or so of 1995", really, since my memory doesn't work very well. and there are probably quite a few albums i haven't heard that i'd adore if i had the chance... *and* there are at least two albums, _the keep_ and _willing to wait_ that i've not been able to find yet, but which i am sure would be on my list if i'd had the chance to hear them. ah well, i'll save them until the end of 1996 :) (_willing to wait_ i'm basing solely on my reaction to one single song i heard from melissa ferrick's *first* album, but nonetheless, i'm pretty certain :). keep in mind also that i've only *bought* less than 20 things that were released in 1995... and i'm including happy's promo cd in that :P but i've heard several other things and not bought them because i didn't like them enough. so. anyway, here are a few notes (notice how my stance keeps retreating :) for the past year in music: ********** top song of the year: "when i was a boy" from _the honesty room_, by dar williams. this album is not really an official 1995 release, just a re-release, but this song *has* to be here. nothing has ever affected me quite the way it does, aside from quite a bit of kate bush's material. listening to "when i was a boy" always evokes a sniffle and a lump in the throat, and only kate's material has ever done that before, as far as i can remember. the funny thing is, this *album* won't even make my list; although i enjoy it, only the one song has had such a profound effect, and the rest of the songs, though very good, don't quite have that special quality that elevates the album into the top bracket. ********** top few albums (in a generally decreasing order of importance, but that's not terribly fixed): veda hille, _path of a body_ ok, so i'm starting with a '94 release. i was first exposed to this cd about a month ago now (well, more than that really, since some friends played "precious heart" at a coffee house thingy at the beginning of the school year, but that hardly counts, it's not veda herself ;). every time i listen to it, it grows on me more and more, and i honestly think it's becoming one of my favourite albums of all time. my favourites are the first three songs, "driven", "precious heart" and "three", but the whole album moves me incredibly. wonderful blend of music and lyrics, with the music sometimes soft and beautiful, sometimes lound and jarring... the perfect blend for me. and heck, she's canadian too. hector zazou, _chansons des mers froides_ technically another 1994 release, though i think it only came out here in '95 (?). anyway, although this album doesn't affect me emotionally all that much, it definitely needs to be included because i think it's the one album i listened to most often throughout the year. i never get sick of it. lovely music and arrangements, and wonderful voices. i just wish anneli marian drecker had sung on *this* one instead of on _sahara blue_, and then everything'd be perfect :) alanis morissette, _jagged little pill_ a lot of people accuse this album of being mature, while a lot of other people laud it as an extremely mature piece of work. this confuses me. anyway, i love the lyrics on this album - they're pretty direct, but they fit my "angry" persona very well - it's another of those good blends of music and lyrics. i find the music incredibly catchy and energetic... driving... and the overall effect of alanis' voice, lyrics and music i would describe as psychotic... well, it's hard to be more specific, but this album really works for me. Jill Sobule (eponymous) wow. and i thought i liked _things here are different_. it took me a while to really get into this album, but it's a gem. this is one album that definitely works mainly on a lyrical level for me, even though i've described myself as a "music person" :) not to say that the music isn't good, in fact it's excellent, but i doubt this album would've wormed its way so far into my heart based on the music alone. lovely mix of witty, funny and insightful. songs like "resistance song" and "trains" are my favourites. definitely also "i kissed a girl" :) bjo:rk, _post_ bjo:rk is strange. somehow, she takes material i feel i would not normally like and makes it not only acceptable, but wonderful. strange quality. i wasn't all that thrilled with _debut_; actually i loved most of the first half of the album and couldn't stand most of the second. i still haven't bought it, but i'm planning to. _post_, on the other hand, is delightful all the way through. every song on here works for me. with her, it's mainly music and style that draws me... particularily since i can't understand what the hell she's singing most of the time. when i do figure out the lyrics, though, or read them, it still stands up well - i adore the very strange quality of what she's saying. garbage (eponymous) oh yes... here's the other one. like bjo:rk, these people manage to get away with things i'd normally hate, and make them great. their very grungy sound is a style i don't normally like, but the songs are infused with such irresistable melody and energy that i just keep listening to them over and over. lyrics, again, stand up under scrutiny but are not what drew me to them. mae moore, _dragonfly_ it took me a long time to fully appreciate this album, but by now i've probably listened to it almost as often as to _chansons des mers froides_. even so, i'm a bit iffy about putting it on this list; the music is not the most inspiring and the lyrics don't stand out except for a few moments (and all of the song "all i can't explain"); the overall effect is a bit background-ey, but even so it's one of the albums i've enjoyed most this year. very smooth and soft, and easy to immerse oneself in. deep forest, _boheme_ again, an album i love based solely on the music (well, obviously... i don't understand the languages being sung in :). it's almost too well produced, too slick, but again it's an album i've listened to a lot and really enjoy, so it's made it to this list. my favourite track has got to be "freedom cry", which is interesting, since i generally like female vocals and the person singing on this is male; although the women's voices are lovely, this one somehow has the most expression, and some quality that i find impossible to define, but which i love. maybe i find it a friendly voice. or something. anyway. ********** albums that didn't *quite* make it: heather nova, _oyster_ i remember seeing heather compared to two artists i like very much, but her overall effect on me isn't quite worthy of a "top stuff" list. i love the album, but it doesn't have the staying power of those listed above. the music is a bit too direct; once you've listened you've heard it all, there are no nuances that keep teasing my ears. as sage pointed out once: no harmonising. laurie anderson, _the ugly one with the jewels_ anything by laurie is a gem, but i don't really feel i can list this above. it's a great album, but given the "stories" format, it's not something i'll listen to very often - though i absolutely love it. typically brilliant, but little staying power :) suddenly, tammy!, _(we get there when we do)_ i love the music... i'm a sucker for piano music, and i find their "piano pop" style quite original. on the other hand, it is a bit *too* pop-like for me, and once i've gotten through the music itself i find there's nowhere for me to go; the lyrics are decent, but certainly not captivating. the reason _chansons des mers froides_ and _boheme_ make it to the list without lyric substance, and this album doesn't, is, i think, also in the music; whereas the other two albums are quite varied, and with that variation form a sort of aural carpet of shifting colours, _we get there_ doesn't have that variation, and the whole album seems to be in a non-changing style. i like that style a lot, but it doesn't hold up as well after repeated listening. sam philips, _martinis and bikinis_ this one would have made it actually, but i feel a bit guilty putting it in the list since i'm pretty sure i'd heard it before 1995 started. (it is a 1994 release after all). i only just bought the cd this year. i will comment on it now though, since i haven't before. think of it more as an excellent album from a very short time before it could be included on this list, rather than an album that "didn't quite make it", since it certainly does "make it" :) (did that make sense?) ...a very driving, strong album, and one from which i have big problems picking any one, two, three, etc songs for sampler tapes, since the whole thing is simply excellent. one of the albums i listened to most at the beginning of this year, though i only pull it out every so often now. ********** most entertaining albums: jill sobule (eponymous) witty, funny, cute... see the above comments :) arrogant worms, _c'est cheese_ this group has a talent for folksy music and smile-inducing humour, particularily that very canadian brand of humour. songs like "the mountie song" i wanted to beat up crooks and make arrests because that's part of the profession but now i sit on my horse and tell american tourists the parliament's in session i really don't look good in red and my stupid hat flies off my head in every parade i'm young and strong and have no fear but now i'm spending my career in motorcades kind of bitter, eh? ;) not to mention the very timely song about gun control (those of you not clear on canadian politics this last year may not understand ;), "let there be guns". based on "a real letter from a real yahoo" in florida, no less. "we'd all feel safe! 'cause everybody'd have a gun!" ********** biggest disappointments (sorry, sherlyn and sage... both of you) ani difranco, _not a pretty girl_ this album just doesn't work for me all that well. a lot of the lyrics are very very good, but it's perhaps *too* folk-oriented for me, and i don't really enjoy listening to it. there's some other quality about her lyrics or her style i don't like very much as well, though i can't put a finger on it (no, neil, it's not just that she's so "angry"... i love a lot of angry music :) hmmm... i guess it's more or less been relegated to the "tori section" of my collection: music i quite like in many ways, but never listen to and overall don't like very much (it includes tori amos and jewel, and a few others). indigo girls, _1200 curfews_ i like the indigo girls a lot, but i'm afraid this album has to be here, since i'm a teensy bit sorry i bought it. i think there are certain ways people *lean* in music, certain styles that are appreciated more than others, and i tend to lean away from folk-ey music. i love a lot of it, but a lot doesn't work for me. anyway, what i'm trying to say wrt the indigo girls is that while i love their music, i fail to note any important differences between a studio recording and a live one. while there is a lot of energy apparent on the album, it doesn't work for me in that context, so i'm left thinking i should've just stuck with the studio albums. and there seem to be instruments people lean towards, too - for a lot of people it's guitars, but for me it's piano and synth-ey stuff, so the live guitar sound doesn't move me particularily either. a good album, but a disappointment nonetheless, for those reasons. i quite like their rendition of "bury my heart at wounded knee", though, which i wouldn't have had otherwise :) natalie merchant, _tigerlily_ well, again, i quite like the album (actually i *like* every album i bought this year in some way or another)... but i expected more from natalie merchant. simple as that. hmmm... well, that's kind of a bad note to end this post on, but nonetheless, end it i will. may 1996 bring lots more excellent music!!! (well, it certainly will for me... i'll get _the keep_ this year, definitely, and bel canto's new album should be coming out, and, and, and... :) *hugs* damon (back at school already.. *sigh*) _/\_ Damon_Harper@mindlink.bc.ca __\ /__ "I'm proud to be a banker... Vancouver, BC, CANADA \ / Because I get to play with |/||\| other people's money!" http://www.dfw.net/~soulmate/damon/paukarut.html - Arrogant Worms ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V2 #328 ************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu