Jer's Top Ten CDs of 2002

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It is easy to decry the current state of music. The evidence of the celebration of plastic, soulless mediocrity is all around us. Albums seem to be judged more by the number of units they sell than by musical quality or innovation. In the era of “Music First”, the media and indeed the public, seem more preoccupied by the clothes or lack thereof that a performer is wearing rather than the music they are singing (or lip-synching). Who is engaged to who, who was arrested for what and who is in rehab again?

So without further long-windedness, please humor me and indulge in my 4th annual top 10 list. Enjoy this shit while you can before they take it away from us:

1. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots-The Flaming Lips

This album has been astounding me and moving me in unexpected ways since the very first time I heard it back in August. I have always respected the Flaming Lips, but for me this album brings their craft to a new level. Hailed by the press as a concept album (although I am not exactly sure what the concept is), the music is often simultaneously accessible and experimental. Even though the title might sound hokey, many of these songs are mature meditations on life, death and love. The music has a homemade quality that is full of odd beats and bizarre sounds as well as simple acoustic guitars, but they all serve the music and the overall concept.

Singer, Wayne Coyne seems to filter his vision through equal parts Bowie, Floyd, and especially Neil Young (Think "Transformer Man"), while somehow not being derivative. This album is at once playful yet introspective and always human. I have heard no better songs this year than “Fight Test” or “Do You Realize”.

2. Jerusalem-Steve Earle

When I heard about the overtly political nature of Steve Earle’s new album Jerusalem, I was a little skeptical. Very few artists have been able to pull off political music over the years. Billy Bragg and Bob Dylan have had some success, but they are the exceptions for me rather than the rule. On top of that I knew that this record was a response to Sept. 11. Not only was that event an incredible human tragedy, but an unfortunate side effect was a series of awful albums and songs about the event by a whole slew of artists, some of whom I really respect. So I was a bit worried about this album before it came out. As it turns out I shouldn’t been worried at all. This is fast becoming my favorite Steve Earle album ever and that is really saying something. Ever since he got out of jail he has produced a string of albums of remarkable depth and quality. 1995’s Train a Comin’ started a run of 5 straight great albums and this makes 6.

The album mostly deals with the changes in our country in the last year or so. Songs like “Amerika v. 6.0” attack the slippery morals of our government and our indifference towards them. “Ashes to Ashes” confronts the brutality that religions have caused through history.

The most controversial song on the album is “John Walker’s Blues” where Earle writes from the point of view of the so called “American Taliban” with a sympathy that angered many. Those who were offended by this song missed the mark in my opinion though. Earle is not condoning violence or what Walker Lindh did, but he does paint him as human which our government and news media have not done. I know that Earle has a son approximately Walker Lindh’s age and he has said that is what made the story hit home for him. In some ways Earle has been humanizing outlaws for years in his songs, but most were fictional.

My favorite of the political songs on the album is the title track, “Jerusalem”. It is a song of hope for peace which is what makes Earle so refreshing. He is not a pessimist. Some protest music is cynical and depressing. I find this music to be breath of fresh air. In a climate where many are afraid to dissent, Earle has produced a thoughtful yet hopeful collection that is insightful and moving. I should note that not all of the songs are political in nature either, “The Kind”, “Go Amanda” and "I Remember You" (with Emmylou Harris)are more straight forward fare, but still easily rank among Earle’s best.

3. Daybreaker-Beth Orton

On her third full-length album, Beth Orton seems to come into her own as a songwriter. She has always had the voice and it is once again in fine form here. Known initially for her vocals on several Chemical Brothers records, she soon developed big name fans like Ryan Adams and Beck.

The music on this disc sounds very cinematic and sweeping on some tracks and warm and intimate on others. Both styles work well for Orton. “Paris Train” is and example of the former and it features a really cool use of strings. In fact the music and Orton’s voice are so striking that you could miss the excellent lyrics which complete the picture perfectly.

The more folky tracks are epitomized by “This One’s Gonna Bruise” (written especially for Orton by Ryan Adams) and “God Song” (which features Adams and none other than Emmylou Harris on backup vocals). Orton also excels at this type of music and I hope she continues to explore the more orchestrated, electronic side of her music as well as her folk roots in the future.

4. Sea Change-Beck

This album couldn’t be more different than Beck’s last album, Midnight Vultures, but it is just as good. Beck has always something of a split musical personality. There is the electronic, party oriented prankster as well as the more rooted acoustic songwriter. This album falls squarely in the latter category. Beck has been mining this terrain for a long time, his two early albums, Stereopathetic Soul Manure and One Foot in the Grave often featured his folkier side, but 1998’s Mutations is the most obvious blueprint for this album.

Produced by Nigel Goodrich (who also produced) Mutations this is Beck’s most mature songwriting to date. The songs all seem to deal with the break up his long-term relationship. This is Beck at his most somber and introspective. The orchestration is mostly spare and acoustic with a few flourishes here and there. The music is in a similar vein as Dylan’s, Blood on the Tracks. The pain and heartbreak that Beck is expressing is somehow cathartic for both the listener and Beck himself it would seem. “Lost Cause” and “Guess I’m Doing Fine” are really sad songs, but you sense that the act of writing and performing them is a way out of the hurt for Beck and definitely a source of comfort through empathy for many listeners. Beautiful and sublime.

5. Don't Give Up On Me-Solomon Burke

Solomon Burke came out of relative obscurity this year to produce what is arguably the strongest music of his career. Burke’s voice is in incredibly fine form here and producer Joe Henry was able to commission some of the best songwriters in the world to provide top-notch material for Burke to sing. Remarkably Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Tom Waits (among others) donated songs to this project.

Dylan’s “Stepchild” is a Street Legal era outtake that, while not being Dylan’s strongest writing, does find Burke digging into the groove and giving a couple of lyrical call outs to Bob.

Tom Waits’ “Diamond in Your Mind” is one of my favorites. Waits actually included the phrase “Always Keep a Diamond in Your Mind” in the song “Get Behind the Mule” from his 1999 album of the same name, but here he expands the sentiment to full song length and Burke handles the song to great effect.

I also really enjoy the title track, “Don’t Give Up on Me” which was co written by the great Dan Penn. Also, check out the two Van Morrison written tracks, “Fast Train” and “Only a Dream” where Solomon out Van’s Van himself with his style.

Even though the presence of so many high profile songwriters on this release is the album’s gimmick, Burke remains firmly the star of the show. His voice is just so soulful and Joe Henry provides unobtrusive and warm production, which is a credit to him

6. Cooking With Lasers-The Baldwin Brothers

Besides sharing a last name with them, I know next to nothing about the Baldwin Brothers, but their debut album is one of my favorite party albums of the year. They play all sorts of styles including Funk, Electronica. Trip-Hop and Jazz. The only thing I can compare it to is Beck’s Odelay, but that isn’t really exactly right either. It is danceable while also being cerebral. “That’s Right” is a funky little number using some funny samples. “The Bionic Jam” is a funked up version of the Six Million Dollar Man TV theme. “Dream Girl” is an atmospheric slice of Electronica featuring Miho Hatori on vocals. Fun and very 2002 without being trendy or overplayed.

7. Hydraulic Groove-Rick Holmstrom

Again I know very little about Rick Holmstrom except that he is a very well respected guitarist and bluesman who plays mostly in L.A. I also know that he contributed some cool guitar on R.L. Burnside’s I Wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down. This release finds him trying to break some new ground with the Blues. A lot of Blues these days is just a rehash of older stuff or really rock or it just sucks. Luckily, Holmstrom succeeds on this album by not only adding odd beats, samples and turntables to the mix, but also with his strong songwriting. He co wrote or wrote all but one of the songs on this album. I especially dig “These Roads”, “Last to Know” and “Gravy”. His singing is also really soulful and his guitar playing has a clean, crisp sound not unlike some of Mike Bloomfield’s work. I should also note that two of my favorite musicians, John Medeski and DJ Logic, make appearances as well.

Holmstrom’s blues is thoroughly modern while still being rooted heavily in the traditions. This album was released by Tone-Cool Records who also signed the North Mississippi All Stars a few years back. The record is totally different, but equally as cool as All Stars debut.

8. Come Away With Me-Norah Jones

This is by far the album on my list that has sold the most albums this year, but this is one of those rare cases where the media and the public got it right. Back in January, I went to see Taj Mahal with my wife and a friend and the opening act was Norah Jones and her band. Her singing and the musicianship of her and her band floored us all. This was several weeks before her debut would even arrive in stores and it was one of those times when I could have left after the opening act and been happy because she was so good. Taj was also great, as usual too.

This album has been classified as Jazz, but that is really too narrow for the kind of music she plays. Although there are definitely hints of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone in Jones’ singing, I think the most similar artists might be Aretha Franklin or Etta James in their quieter moments. She also covers non-jazz songs like Hank William’s “Cold Cold Heart” on Come Away With Me as well as Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and Keith Richards’ “The Worst” live.

In addition to her singing, Jones is a tasteful and atmospheric piano player. Lee Alexander is a really fine bass player in addition to being Jones’ love interest and writing a bunch of cool tunes for the album, including “Lonestar”. Jesse Harris also plays some great acoustic guitar all over the record as well as writing a few tunes himself, including my favorite song on the album, the Tom Waitsish, “I’ve Got To See You Again”. Besides these two regular band members, some of my longtime favorite jazz players support Jones like Brian Blade (drums), Jenny Scheinman (violin) and Bill Frisell (guitar). Credit should also go to old hand, Arif Mardin whose production is simple and intimate.

The media always talks about Jones’ young age, her good looks or Ravi Shankar, who is her father, but for me it is the soulfulness and sensitivity of her voice that makes her most interesting.

9. Out in California-Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men

Dave Alvin had a big year in 2002. He not only released this great live document and toured with his own band, but he also toured with the reunited Blasters (who released their own excellent live CD as well). He was even rumored to be joining Bob Dylan’s band, which turned out be false, but he did sit in with them. Alvin sure is good enough to play with Dylan though. He has a mastery of American musical idioms including rock, blues, rockabilly and folk. Check out the hidden track on this CD to see how far his knowledge of music stretches.

I guess there is nothing ground breaking here, but it might be the most fun Rock & Roll album of the year. “Out in California” is a sleazy rocker with a neo-Bakersfield sound that reminds me of American Beauty era Grateful Dead. “Haley’s Comet” is a clever and heartbreaking tribute to Bill Haley. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” is a traditional cover from Alvin’s last album, Public Domain. “Fourth of July” is an Alvin classic that I was lucky enough to see him perform live in a sweaty bar on the Fourth of July this year. Things wind down with a Blaster’s era tune, “American Music” which is a tribute to our country’s music in all of it’s varied forms. That’s patriotism!

10. Clone-Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon

This is the quirkiest album on my list this year, but I fell in love with it right away. Mike Gordon is the bass player for Phish and Leo Kottke is an eccentric, virtuoso guitar player who has been releasing excellent music since 1971’s 6 and 12 String Guitar. The two seem at first to be an odd pair, but Kottke’s polyrhythmic playing and Gordon’s deep bass compliment each other perfectly. I would have thought this would be instrumental only affair, but there are quite a few vocals from Gordon and Kottke as well. Most feature the duo’s bizarre sense of humor like “Car Carrier Blues”, where Gordon sings about his fear that he will be crushed by a car falling off a car carrier on the highway. If you are familiar with Gordon’s self penned Phish songs like “Mound” or “Scent of a Mule” than you understand the odd and hilarious style that he writes in. One exception is the spooky, ‘Strange”, which is just scary, but also cool. Kottke’s songs are a bit straighter I guess, but also weird. He even pulls out a cover of “I Am a Lonesome Fugitive”.

I laugh when I picture what long time Leo Kottke fans must think of this album and songs like “The Collins Missile”, but still I find it to be strange and beautiful.

Honorable Mentions:

Demolition-Ryan Adams

Blacklisted-Neko Case

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco

Brainwashed-George Harrison

Round Room-Phish

Vida Blue-Vida Blue

Cinemathique-Tuatara

The Deep End Vol. II-Gov't Mule

Trouble Bound-The Blasters

Blue Country Heart-Jorma Kaukonen

Thanks to Ben, Bri, Little Dragon, C.J. and Mike for turning me on to so much music in 2002.

R.I.P. Joe Strummer

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