Greetings faithful readers (assuming there are any of you)...As promised, today starts our climb toward The Ideological Cuddle's favorite albums of this decade. The list is varied, very personal, and unlikely to agree with anyone else's list (but hey, isn't that the advantage of having one's own blog?).
Today, we'll highlight some artists who deserve honorable mention, re-releases that were heads and shoulders above the rest, and albums 20 through 16 on our list of favorites. Albums 15 through 11 will be highlighted tomorrow, and albums 10 through 1 will each have their own blog post, as there's plenty to say about each of them. Be sure to click on the links after each album for MP3s of some of my favorite songs.
Without further adieu, here we go...
RE-RELEASES OF THE DECADE:
I guess it would be remiss not to mention the Beatles reissues here, and, I have to admit, I wasn't going to jump in with both feet to the frenzy, but then heard how crisp and fantastic that Abbey Road sounded. I was hearing things that I never noticed before. Paul's bass may have been brought a little too close to the front of the mix, but the sound is unparallelled.
Billy Bragg - Volume I and Volume II - These two boxed sets cover all of Sir Billy's recorded output from his first EP, Life's A Riot with Spy Vs. Spy, through England, Half English. Each of the discs is lovingly remastered with a bonus disc of demos, b-sides, and period-specific rarities. It's the Holy Grail for those of us who have been influenced by Bragg's music. Absolutely Essential.
Robyn Hitchcock - Reissues (including the Luminous Groove and I Wanna Go Backwards box sets) - Yep Roc has done an amazing job of bringing this wonderfully strange and beautiful artist's work to the masses. Covering most of Hitchcock's essential work (we're still waiting for someone to get the rights to his A&M albums so that Globe of Frogs and Queen Elvis can see the light of day again), these CDs shine a bright light on the wondrous art of this singular artist. Often described as a strange amalgam of John Lennon, Syd Barrett, and Bob Dylan, Hitchcock's imagination and craft are on display with these reissues. For the novice, start with I Often Dream of Trains or Eye. Those looking for a little bit more adventure can jump into Fegmania! or the live album Gotta Let This Hen Out! with both feet.
HONORABLE MENTION:
To The Band With the Best Collection of Records This Decade, None of Which Made the Top 20:
The Drive-By Truckers
This band is tremendously consistent. In fact, they are so consistent, it was almost impossible to pick a favorite amongst the 5 original albums, 1 live album, and 1 odds 'n ends collection they released this decade. Decoration Day and The Dirty South might be the front-runners, but Brighter Than Creation's Dark isn't far behind. As was outlined on their own blog post earlier this year, the Truckers focus on true southern life. Their music is raw, emotional, and is chock-full of kick-ass rock 'n roll. Word has it that they'll be releasing their first album of the next decade in March, 2010, having recently signed to ATO Records, so this crew will be getting a jump on the rest of the competition for the next decade.
Drum roll please... into the top 20 albums of this decade (according to The Ideological Cuddle):
NUMBER 20:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
A towering achievement in a career that is full of them, Cave's double album concept project never fails to amaze me. There are so many nuances to the songs and the lyrics, that repeated listens are always rewarded. Some feel that Abattoir Blues is the rock 'n roll disc, while The Lyre of Orpheus is the ballad record, but it's not fair to pigeon-hole each of these pieces of art like that. The songs on the set are dripping with menace and malice, lust and horror. "Get Ready For Love" starts the proceedings with fire and brimstone, "Hiding All Away" is just vicious, and "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" might be the most grandiose tune Cave's ever done. "Easy Money" and "O Children" are absolutely heartbreaking (can anyone other than Nick Cave make suicide and murder sound so beautiful?). The companion piece, The Abattoir Blues Tour 2004 is very worthwhile too, if nothing than for the sheer volume of music contained within - 2 CDs and 2 DVDs of Cave and the Bad Seeds doing what they do best.
Abattoir Blues - "There She Goes, My Beautiful World"
The Lyre of Orpheus - "Supernaturally"
NUMBER 19:
Beck - Sea Change
Easily Beck's most mature album, Sea Change is also his "break-up" album. Completely melancholy from top to bottom, but also completely amazing. The songs are beautifully crafted and show that Beck can do so much more than mix beats.
Sea Change - "The Golden Age"
NUMBER 18:
The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
Indie rock's first super group had quite the decade. It was very difficult choosing a favorite amongst the New Pornographers' 4 offerings over the past 10 years, as each is consistent and varied. When I really broke it down, Mass Romantic won out on the strength of it's Dan Bejar songs "Jackie" and "To Wild Homes". To those not familiar with the Pornographers, all you need to know is that Neko Case, Dan Bejar, and Carl "AC" Newman are three of the most talented indie pop songwriters and singers alive. Put them together, and, many times, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As others have said, in a fair alternate universe, this album would have charted catchy song after catchy song, making the New Pornographers household names and international superstars. Since this is reality, you'll have to judge for yourself:
Mass Romantic - "Jackie"
Mass Romantic - "The Slow Decent Into Alcoholism"
NUMBER 17:
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
OK, this might represent this list's first "great upset". Skimming some of the other "Best of the Decade" lists has clearly shown that most choose Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as Wilco's great contribution to this decade. While clearly a phenomenal album, YHF seems to profit from the mythology that surrounds it - you know, Wilco makes amazing record, record company dumps band and record, band leaks record, finds new label and rockets to critical acclaim and international fame. As I thought about the songs on each record, I found that I clearly reached for the songs on A Ghost Is Born more frequently than those on YHF. "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" is over 10 minutes of prog-rock/krautrock heaven, "The Late Greats" is as catchy as Wilco gets, "Hummingbird" is delicate and beautiful, and "At Least That's What You Said" has some of the crunchiest guitar licks ever found on a Wilco record. This album is varied, balanced, and genius. And all without a mythology surrounding it... it's just waiting to be re-discovered.
A Ghost Is Born - "At Least That's What You Said"
NUMBER 16:
Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Quiet and hushed in instrumentation, pastoral and aching in tone, Our Endless Numbered Days brought Sam Beam's unique musical view to the masses (since many didn't pay attention to The Creek Drank the Cradle or The Sea and The Rhythm EP). The album rocketed Iron and Wine to indie stardom and Sam Beam's songs to big movie soundtracks everywhere. Early pressings of the album included a bonus EP which included "Hickory", a gem of a tune that somehow missed the cut for the album proper (it can now be found on the b-sides compilation Around the Well). The details of Beam's lyrics in this tune are what set it apart from its contemporaries - "The money came and she died in her rocking chair/The window wide and the rain in her braided hair" is just one example. Beam would go on to expand the Iron and Wine sound throughout the rest of the decade, but has never quite been able to match the artistic achievement of this record.
Our Endless Numbered Days - "Each Coming Night"
Until tomorrow, with albums 15 through 11, be well, enjoy, and listen...
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