Not to say that there wasn't a lot of terrific music made this year, but I think I got a little burned out, both on acquiring new music and on my radio program. I think I've recovered from this malady, and I've resolved to make a greater effort to seek out and find new music in 2001.
I did manage to come up with a lot of excellent records for my 2000 list, although I have to say that not much completely blew me away, as did so many records in 1999. That's probably my fault, and not the fault of all the wonderful musicians out there who would normally send me into an ecstatic frenzy of appreciation.
I enjoyed coming up with the list, and given the fact that I am monstrously absentminded, I don't think I've forgotten anything major. As I've given up on numerical rankings since last year, I'll list them in alphabetical order, but I will split off my five or so "very favorite" favorite records of the year.
If you like, you can also check out last year's Best of 1999, the Best of 1998, Best of 1997, Best of 1996 and the Best of 1995 listings as well.
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Y'all know that I support independent
local record stores, so I recommend that you shop for them there.However ... if you can't find any of 'em there (or are too lazy to go), get 'em here. We've made it easy for you to buy all these CDs online, through CDnow.com. You get to buy 'em easily, online, right here, at a savings of up to 30%. Not too bad of a deal. And to make it even better, if you get 'em here the proceeds help keep this web site going.
To buy any of the CDs listed below, just click on the [Buy this record!] link at the end of each description. Many of the records listed on CDnow have audio samples on their respective pages, so that you can listen before you buy; you'll need to download the free RealAudio software to listen in, and now some of the samples are in MP3 format as well. Any record not available through CDnow.com will have ordering information and links (usually to either the artist or to the Louisiana Music Factory).
Now, if I may paraphrase Chairman Kaga of the Gourmet Academy... Allons musique!
| Best Reissues and Compilations | Keep remastering those 78s... |
- NICK DRAKE - Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon (Hannibal)
- It took me way too long to ge to Nick Drake. Quiet, introspective, very non-pop songs endeared him to fellow musicians and lovers of great music, but not to the general record-buying public, unfortunately. Now over 25 years after his too-young death, Hannibal has remastered and re-released all three of his albums, plus a fourth of miscellaneous material that was left over after he died. I'll get to the next one soon, but this one offered plenty to keep me busy.
[Buy this record!]
- JOHN DUFFEY - Always In Style: A Collection (Sugar Hill)
- Terrific compilation from the late vocalist/mandolinist of the bluegrass band Seldom Scene. I had missed out on this band, and only had one of their albums (and it was the first one made after Duffey's death). I liked this compilation very much, and not just because it was compiled and produced by my friend Fred Jasper, either.
[Buy this record!]
- LOS LOBOS - Just Another Band From East L.A... (Hollywood)
- The more historically significant of the two Los Lobos re-releases last year, I think. Luis Torres, who had produced this first Los Lobos album in 1977, had thought that the original master tapes were lost. Lo and behold, he found them in his garage, and now we have this record again. You may recognize some of the songs (they redid some of them on La Pistola y El Corazón), but there's plenty of "new" material to enjoy, and it's a fascinating look at how accomplished this band already was when they made their first record -- and there was nowhere to go from there but up.
[Buy this record!]
- LOS LOBOS - Mas, El Cancionero (Rhino)
- A huge, amazing compilation, spanning 4 CDs and 25 years, ranging from their traditional Mexican beginnings to their more experimental side projects. A must-get, along with the one above.
[Buy this box set!]
- THE METERS - Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation, Fiyo on the Bayou (Sundazed)
- In his review of these re-releases, New Orleanian cartoonist and music writer Bunny Matthews said, "I'm ambivalent about Jesus; the Meters are my saviors. Any collection of New Orleans music without these three albums has a serious, gaping hole in it -- sort of like the Bible without the New Testament. "Cabbage Alley" and "Rejuvenation", in particular, are two of the greatest albums ever recorded and I'm talking about all albums -- from Bach to the Beatles, from the Slits to the Rolling Stones to Lizzy Mercier Descloux." He doesn't exaggerate all that much.
These guys are the godfathers of funk, not only on their own but as the backing band for myriad New Orleans recordings, and this shows them at their peak. Listen to Bunny. Get these records, if you have any interest in New Orleans music.
[Buy "Cabbage Alley", "Rejuvenation", and "Fire on the Bayou"]
- GRAM PARSONS - Another Side of This Life (Sundazed)
- [Buy this record!]
- ZACHARY RICHARD - Silver Jubilee: The Best of Zachary Richard (Rhino)
- [Buy this record!]
| The Top Reissues of the Year |
A two-way tie between seven records, totaling 146 tracks. |
- HER BRIGHT SMILE HAUNTS ME STILL: THE WARNER COLLECTION, VOLUME I (Appleseed)
- [Buy this record!]
- NOTHING SEEMS BETTER TO ME: THE MUSIC OF FRANK PROFITT AND NORTH CAROLINA: THE WARNER COLLECTION, VOLUME II (Appleseed)
- [Buy this record!]
- LOUIS ARMSTRONG: THE HOT FIVES AND HOT SEVENS (JSP Records)
- [Buy this record!]
| Honorable Mentions | Basically a huge tie for 3rd- or 4th-favorite |
Also included on this list are some records that had some great songs, but not necessarily enough songs that impressed me enough to put it in the favorites list.Okay, and now ...
- RYAN ADAMS - Heartbreaker (Bloodshot)
- [Buy this record!]
- R. L. BURNSIDE - Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Fat Possum)
- [Buy this record!]
- DAVID GRAY
- [Buy this record!]
- EMMYLOU HARRIS - Red Dirt Girl
- [Buy this record!]
- JONES AND LEVA - Vertie's Dream (Copper Creek)
- [Buy this record!]
- LIL' BAND O' GOLD - Lil' Band O' Gold (Shanachie)
- [Buy this record!]
- NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALL-STARS - Shake Hands With Shorty (Tone-Cool)
- Unfortunately, the record seems to be out of print already. I guess sales weren't too good, which is too bad.
[Search for this record on Half.com]
- GOLDMAN THIBODEAUX & CALVIN CARRIÈRE - Les misères dans le coeur (LouisianaRadio.com Records)
- [Buy this record from LouisianaRadio.com!]
- [Buy this record!]
| Most of my favorites of the year | (Top Ten, Shmop Ten... I give up.) |
- ALTAN - Another Sky (Narada)
- [Buy this record!]
- BALFA TOUJOURS - Live at Whiskey River Landing (Rounder)
- [Buy this record!]
- JOHN BOUTTÉ - At the Foot of Canal Street
- [Buy this record from the Louisiana Music Factory!]
- PETER CASE - Flying Saucer Blues (Vanguard)
- [Buy this record!]
- CHARIVARI - I Want to Dance With You (Rounder)
- [Buy this record!]
- STEVE EARLE - Transcendental Blues (E Squared)
- [Buy this record!]
- JIMMIE DALE GILMORE - One Endless Night (Windcharger)
- [Buy this record!]
- THE GOURDS - Bolsa de Agua (Sugar Hill)
- [Buy this record!]
- COREY HARRIS AND HENRY BUTLER - vü-dü menz (Alligator)
- [Buy this record!]
- HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN - Dev'Lish Mary (Hightone)
- [Buy this record!]
- SONNY LANDRETH - Bayou Town (Vanguard)
- [Buy this record!]
- LLAN DE CUBEL - Un Tiempu Meyor (Fono Astur)
- [Buy this record direct from Asturies!]
- MAGNOLIA SISTERS - Chers Amis (Rounder)
- [Buy this record!]
- MEDICINE SHOW, VOLUME 2 (Acadiana Arts Council)
- [Buy this record from LouisianaRadio.com!]
- BRUCE MOLSKY - Poor Man's Troubles (Rounder)
- [Buy this record!]
- CHRIS SMITHER - Live as I'll Ever Be (Hightone)
- [Buy this record!]
- SOLAS - The Hour Before Dawn (Shanachie)
- [Buy this record!]
- DR. MICHAEL WHITE - A Song for George Lewis (Basin Street)
- [Buy this record from the Louisiana Music Factory!]
- XTC - Wasp Star: Apple Venus Volume 2 (TVT)
- [Buy this record!]
- DWIGHT YOAKAM - Tomorrow's Songs Today (Reprise)
- [Buy this record!]
| The Top Five | My five slightly-more-favorite-than-the-others favorites of the year, in no order and more or less a tie, as always |
The usual disclaimers apply ...
These aren't really ranked. They're all great. My "favorite of the year" was interchangeable depending on my mood and what day of the week it was.
All of these albums knocked my socks off this year, and at various points during the year I kept saying, "This is my favorite record of the year." Mix 'em up as you please, but do yourself a favor and get them. I list this batch in beta-alphical order.
- SAVOY-DOUCET CAJUN BAND - Sam's Big Rooster (Arhoolie)
- [Buy this record!]
- O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? - Original Soundtrack (Mercury)
- [Buy this record!]
- NICKEL CREEK - Nickel Creek (Sugar Hill)
- [Buy this record!]
- BILLY BRAGG AND WILCO - Mermaid Avenue, Volume 2 (Elektra)
- [Buy this record!]
- KÍLA - Lemonade and Buns (Green Linnet)
- [Buy this record!]
best of 99
best of 98 | best of 97 |
best of 96 | best of 95
the gumbo pages |
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