Top 20 of 2005 -- Rave Recs

[Snowbunny]

Yeah right, not until some smart-ass birdie comes along uninvited and tells you how much better life is with a view. Besides, ponies are only for kids, silly skibunny

Or how about Quadrophenia? Parts of that Who rock opera have a similar feel to that Rachmaninoff tone poem when he's out on the water. "Love, Reign o'er Me" is one of the mightiest songs ever. Great, great stuff. Don't even need to listen to it anymore because it's so ingrained in my mind from countless spins in my younger days.

Hehehehe... me too! But then I think I already told you that. My buddy Keith brought me the original Quadraphenia album with the booklet inside. One of my biggest regrets is leaving that album at my mom's house when I moved away and my jerk-off brother took it. He also brought me an import only Who release which I should look for again, but I've never seen the cover, even in discographies.

That is a great suggestion though, Davey. I really should get the CD of Quadraphenia! So many angst-ridden choruses in that rock-opera. I love when Daltry screams LOOOOVE... REIGN O'ER ME!!!. Gives me chills even thinking about it.

This was one of my teenage anthems:

I went back to the doctor
I went back to the doctor
To get another shrink.
To get another shrink.
I sit and tell him about my weekend,
I sit and tell him about my weekend,
But he never betrays what he thinks.
But he never betrays what he thinks.

Can you see the real me, doctor?
Can you see the real me, doctor?

I went back to my mother
I went back to my mother
I said, ’I’m crazy ma, help me.’
I said, I’m crazy ma, help me.
She said, ’i know how it feels son,
She said, I know how it feels son,
’cause it runs in the family.’
’cause it runs in the family.

Can you see the real me, mother?
Can you see the real me, mother?

The cracks between the paving stones
The cracks between the paving stones
Look like rivers of flowing veins.
Look like rivers of flowing veins.
Strange people who know me
Strange people who know me
Peeping from behind every window pane.
Peeping from behind every window pane.
The girl I used to love
The girl I used to love
Lives in this yellow house.
Lives in this yellow house.
Yesterday she passed me by,
Yesterday she passed me by,
She doesn’t want to know me now.
She doesn’t want to know me now.

Can you see the real me, can you?
Can you see the real me, can you?

I ended up with the preacher,
I ended up with the preacher,
Full of lies and hate,
Full of lies and hate,
I seemed to scare him a little
I seemed to scare him a little
So he showed me to the golden gate.
So he showed me to the golden gate.

Can you see the real me preacher?
Can you see the real me preacher?
Can you see the real me doctor?
Can you see the real me doctor?
Can you see the real me mother?
Can you see the real me mother?
Can you see the real me?
Can you see the real me?

Of course that was many years ago and this morning I am watching Antiques Roadshow, knitting, and making chicken soup.

How did this happen?

Snowflake

[tentoze]

Of course that was many years ago and this morning I am watching Antiques Roadshow, knitting, and making chicken soup.

How did this happen?

Snowflake

Well, the chikken soop thing sounds good, anyway.

NP: Bunny Wailer~ Blackheart Man

[Snowbunny]

Well, the chikken soop thing sounds good, anyway.

NP: Bunny Wailer~ Blackheart Man

It smells good too! Of course, now my house smells like a soup kitchen.

What's the temperature down there in the desert, Red-tozed Reindeer?

Snowie

NP: The Snowy Glow

[tentoze]

It smells good too! Of course, now my house smells like a soup kitchen.

What's the temperature down there in the desert, Red-tozed Reindeer?

Snowie

NP: The Snowy Glow

In Fahrenheit, it's in the low to mid-30's at night and around 50 during the day. In Metric, I think thats about 6 or 90 furlongs.

[audiobill]

I thought I'd try to resuscitate this year-end thread.

Certainly, some who haven't posted their year-end lists, may want to do so now.

I know that I'm always interested in what other RaveRecers deem "favourites".

From what you've heard in 2005, what are some of your favourite albums??


Cheers,

audiobill


(Davey and Snowbuns please feel free to post your lists, but please don't hijack it. Having said this, I've probably already baited you to hijack.... refrain, freinds, refrain.)

[MasterCylinder]

To the OP............There were not 20 discs worth buying in 2005 -- having stated my critical & cynical opinion, I will suggest that OCTAVARIUM belongs in the mix somewhere.

[Jim Clark]

Well, I'll start this and see where it takes me. Time constraints may force and abrupt wrap up.

10. Editors - Back Room. At first I wasn't even sure if this would make the top ten. Sure I loved it but due to the sameness to Interpol I felt a bit uneasy considering it for a top spot. The fact of the matter is that I love this sound and this band does a great job of pulling it off. If Interpol had released it last year it would have been hailed from all corners. Granted it's rehash but it's top shelf hash and utterly enjoyable for those always needing some post punk whoring.

9. Nightbird - Erasure. I like Andy Bell's vocals. There, I admitted it and it's out of the closet, so to speak. Darker than your Erasure of years gone by it's balanced by an honesty and universally accepted themes of love, regret and pain that are seldom done much better. Vince Clarke continues his synth wizardry which perfectly accompanies the cathartic lyrics. We all know what the album is about but it's so well written and emotionally honest that there's something in there for most lovers of quality pop toons.

8. The American Analog Set - Set Free. Taken in bits there doesn't seem to be anything on this disc as compelling as the track Davey used to introduce me to the band. For those that didn't get that disc the track was "Come Home Baby Julie, Come Home". So why is it that this album has remained so high on my list? For starters it seems so well recorded that it makes my system spring to life. I haven't done any analysis on the content so it may be full of all the uglies of modern CD mixing but it still sounds darn good to me. Whatever the magical quality is that pulls a listener in even though it's not their usual bill of fare, this album seems to have in spades.

7. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary. High on the stuff that makes listening to music fun for me. Tons of energy, a little bit quirky, and unique enough to still stand out in a crowd (so long as Franz isn't standing there too!) Don't know if I'd need a second disc from them though. I'd really need to see some serious growth much as the aforementioned Franz Ferdinand. Still, all things considered I'd think this was as close to an essential album of 2005 as you're going to find.

6. Sigur Ros - Tak. A Sigur Ros album for the rest of the world. Equally ambitious and anthemic but more accesible perhaps. Some of these tracks might make for decent demo material listening for all the subtle cues and numerous things going on all at the same time. I'd have to go all the way back to REM's Murmur to find a disc that I liked so much without understanding a lick of what was being said.

5. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm. If one were to take all of the various year end lists and compile the stats, this album may very well end up being the most prized album of the year. Deserving too I might add. Everyone knows it, everyone should have it if they at all enjoy well written and executed modern rock/pop that offers at least one view of the world in a catchy-hook ladden way. Excellent debut.

4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T. Vocals can easily be seen as a major stumbling block here. Elmer Fudd with his testes being squeezed? Not really all that bad and I made the adjustment easily enough when similar styles annoy me to no end. What I really enjoy is big shiney quitars with sounds that can get your blood pumping and your toes tapping and this one does exactly that. Sure it's a bit rough and raw around the edges, that's part of the appeal of this cult classic that simply exploded on the indie world this year. I saw one reviewer rip the "big top circus" intro. Yeah it's corny and campy, again, part of it's appeal. Lot's of people look to create unusual and unique intro's. I've done it with comps and admit it, so have you. I still say that's part of the charm of the whole deal. Green rockers trying their level best to have fun and do it their way. The circus intro really does fit after all. During the course of the disc you meet all sorts of side show attractions anyway, may as well have a barker announcing it. If more people pulled off something similar the music world would be a much better place.

3. Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. Pure, Simple, Unadulterated, Wall Of Sound, Rock. Got caught up in a wave of bands with goofy names and they didn't help their cause a single bit with the album title. In the mixed year that was 2005 I will maintain until my dying days that this album is the most criminally under rated of the year. This sucker has it all and the quality shines through every single time. A true gem. If you didn't hear it, you should have. Unless overblown, over produced, over thought out, over used rock is your only music outlet, you owe it to yourselves to at least listen to some samples before you say nothing good was released this year. Or, you could ask for a copy of my comp!

2. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire. I've reviewed this album on site and much to my suprise, a little interest was piqued. I do regret that after leading a couple folks to check it out that it didn't really catch on the way I was sure it would. I've been trying to figure out why. I've listened over and over and can't really see why it fizzled out. Surely this is ranked highly on someone's list other than my own? I still say there's something for everyone, except the classic rockers and Bon Jovi set. I dunno. Unique, varied, well written, charming. Well, at least to me.

1. The National - Alligator. These guys speak to me and it's not a weird, inaccesible thing that they're doing here. Why this band isn't huge is both puzzling and alarming. Doesn't bode well for the future of music when something this good doesn't get more attention. I guess I'll have to continue to hope that dedicated musicians will continue to make music for the pure love and enjoyment of it. If not, we're all screwed.

To round out the top 20 I offer the following coulda, woulda, shoulda's.

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel
British Sea Power - Open Season
Ladytron - Witching Hour
MIA - Arular
Broken Social Scene - S/T
LCD Sound System
Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
The Kills - No Wow
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
John Vanderslice

Should have picked up:

Lucksmiths
The Hold Steady
And maybe Andrew Bird?

Should have left on the shelf

Abandoned Pools
Calla
Andy Bell
and some electro clash thing that I can't even remeber the Bands name.

jc

[Stone]

I thought I'd try to resuscitate this year-end thread.

Certainly, some who haven't posted their year-end lists, may want to do so now.

I know that I'm always interested in what other RaveRecers deem "favourites".

From what you've heard in 2005, what are some of your favourite albums??

Man, I still have a lot of listening to do over the next few weeks before I have a even a decent idea of a top ten, let alone a top 20. Here are a few that'll surely make the list, though:

Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
The Juan Maclean - Less than Human
Animal Collective - Feels
High On Fire - Blessed Black Wings
Smog - A River Ain't Too Much To Love

________________

[Davey]

Of course that was many years ago and this morning I am watching Antiques Roadshow, knitting, and making chicken soup.

How did this happen?

Snowflake

Yeah, you're right. Some rock and roll might be a little too much for an old lady like you, eh? Wouldn't want you to accidently poke yourself with a knitting needle if the rocking chair was to get-a-rockin too much. Hehehe, better put the nix on the Pixies too. Let me call my mom and see what she's got. I'll get back to you. Don't nod off ...

[Snowbunny]

Yeah, you're right. Some rock and roll might be a little too much for an old lady like you, eh? Wouldn't want you to accidently poke yourself with a knitting needle if the rocking chair was to get-a-rockin too much. Hehehe, better put the nix on the Pixies too. Let me call my mom and see what she's got. I'll get back to you. Don't nod off ...

Oh, you're so mean! If I wasn't afraid you might break a hip, I'd kick yr ass, Sugarbear!

[Davey]

Oh, you're so mean! If I wasn't afraid you might break a hip, I'd kick yr ass, Sugarbear!

And if I thought you could still shake yr hip, I'd recommend this one that's turning me into a herky jerky man right about now ...



They tell us that
We lost our tails
Evolving up
From little snails
I say it’s all
Just wind in sails
Are we not men?
We are DEVO!

"Jocko Homo" from the outstanding Hot Potatoes UK collection. Then some "Mongoloid" action with "Satisfaction" to follow .... "baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby .... baby baby baby better come back later next week, cause you see I'm on a losing streak".

she sings from somewhere you can't see
she sits in the top of the greenest tree
she sends out an aroma of undefined lust
it drips on down in a mist from above
she's just the girl u want