The 1999 David Music Poll results

(asterisks mark number of votes in that particular category)

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999

Macy Gray – …On How Life Is******
Beth Orton – Central Reservation*****
Moby – Play*****
Beastie Boys – The Sounds of Silence (compilation)***
Fiona Apple – When the Pawn…***
Blur – 13***
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I see a darkness***
Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs**
Tori Amos – To Venus and Back**
Ben Lee – Breathing Tornados**
Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
Santana – Supernatural
Portishead – NYC Live
Smog – Knock Knock
Beulah – When Your Heartstrings Break
Tortoise – TNT
Pavement – Terror Twilight
Cher -- Believe

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999

Beck – Midnight Vultures****
Aimee Mann – Magnolia soundtrack***
Belle and Sebastian – Tigermilk (reissue)**
Buckcherry -- Buckcherry
Wilco: Summerteeth**
Underworld: Beaucoup Fish**
Gomez: Liquid Skin**
Olivia Tremor Control- Black Foliage**
Sleater-Kinney – The Hot Rock**
Dixie Chicks, Fly**
Beatles – Yellow Submarine (reissue)
Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant - Swingin' on the Strings
Soundtrack - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Soundtrack -- Go Simpsonic with the Simpsons
Ricky Skaggs, Ancient Tones
Kim Richey – Glimmer
The Clash – From Here to Eternity (reissue)
Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile
Legion of Green Men, Floating in Shallow Water
u-ziq, Royal Astronomy
Tom Waits: The Mule Variations
Marcy Playground: Shapeshifter
Mark Lanegan: I'll Take Care of You
RL Burnside: Come On In
Gus Gus, This Is Normal
Sterolab, Cobra and Phases...
Underworld, Beaucoup Fish
John Williams, Star Wars: Episode I Soundtrack
Bernard Butler, Friends and Lovers
Suede, Headmusic
Robbie Williams, The Ego Has Landed
Wheat - Hope & Adams
Chemical Brothers – Surrender
The Beta Band – 3 Eps
Medal- Drop Your Weapon
Guns 'n Roses- Live Era '87-'93
Trashmonk- mona lisa overdrive
Verbena- Into the Pink
Bright Eyes, Letting off the happiness
American Analog Set, Golden Band
KleenexGirlWonder, Ponyoak
Essex Green, Everything is Green
Squarepusher : Feed Me Weird Things
Man...or Astro-Man? : Project Infinity
µ-ziq : Lunatic Harness
Nightmares on Wax : Carbootsoul
John Cage : Prelude for Meditation [i think is the one...]
Lyle Lovett: Live in Texas
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication
Get Up Kids: Red Letter Day (ep)
Various Artists: RETURN OF THE GRIEVOUS ANGEL: A Tribute To Gram Parsons
James, Millionaires
Old 97s, Fight Songs
Folk Implosion, One Part Lullaby

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1998 NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL 1999

Garbage – Version 2.0**
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill**
Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright**
Tori Amos – From the Choirgirl Hotel
Fatboy Slim - You've Come A Long Way Baby
Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On a Gravel Road
Paul Westerberg - Suicaine Gratifaction
Belle and Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister (1997, but who’s counting?)
Boards of Canada, Music Has the Right to Children
Sheryl Crow – The Globe Sessions
Madonna – Ray of Light
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Perennial Favorites
Faithless – Sunday, 8pm
Baader Mienhoff
Gomez – Bring it On
Hole – Celebrity Skin


Here are My Picks, Revised From When You Last Saw Them

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
Beth Orton, Central Reservation

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Ben Lee, Breathing Tornados
Fiona Apple, When the Pawn....
Aimee Mann, Magnolia soundtrack
Blur, 13
James, Millionaires
Tori Amos, To Venus and Back Again
Old 97s, Fight Songs
Folk Implosion, One Part Lullaby
Macy Gray, ...On How Life Is

ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Rufus Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright
Hole, Celebrity Skin

ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs
Moby, Play


FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s
Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
Oasis, What's the Story Morning Glory
Jeff Buckley, Grace
Liz Phair, Exit to Guyville
Ani DiFranco, Out of Range




Jason Black, Whose List Made Me Want to Be His Friend
MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM(S) OF 1999:
Ben lee - breathing tornados
Fiona - when the pawn...
pavement - terror twilight

> (other) ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
MOBY: Play
BETH ORTON:Central Reservation
LYLE LOVETT: Live in Texas
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: Californication
GET UP KIDS: Red Letter Day (ep)
MACY GRAY:On How Life Is
WILCO: Summer Teeth
BECK: Midnight Vultures
VARIOUS ARTISTS: RETURN OF THE GRIEVOUS ANGEL: A Tribute To Gram Parsons

ESSENTIAL ALBUM(s) FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation...
Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright
Gomez - Bring It On

ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
cassandra wilson - traveling miles
flaming lips - the soft bulletin

FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s
(my favorites)
Jeff buckley - grace
freedy johnston - can you fly
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
REM - automatic for the people
liz phair - exile in guyville

(a more objective list, considering influence, etc, yadda-yadda)
nirvana - nevermind
notorious b.i.g. - life after death
liz phair - exile...
nin - the downward spiral
beck – odelay


Stieg Retlin, Artist, Animator, Student of High School, and Student of Life
>list for 1999:

>top essssential ALbum OF 1999:
Tortoise : Tnt

>
top number five "essential albums" for ninteen ninty nin:
Tricky : Maxinquaye
Squarepusher : Feed Me Weird Things
Man...or Astro-Man? : Project Infinity
µ-ziq : Lunatic Harness
Nightmares on Wax : Carbootsoul
John Cage : Prelude for Meditation [i think is the one...]
>
>ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT REALLY WASNT THAT ESSENTIAL BUT I
KINDOF HOPED IT WOULD BE , MAYBE WILL BE ESSENTIAL THIS YEAR :
µ-ziq : Royal Astronomy
In the Fishtank : Tortoise + The ex

>
>ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
seeing that its less than a week into '00, this list is prety limited . but
here goes :

>Magnetic Fields : 69 Love Songs

>
>FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 1900s :
well hell . this list is prety much any music i've listened to , thats easy
[i ddidnt realy have an advanced [er,any] musical taste in
kindergarten...which is where i was in 1989.]

Beck : Mellow Gold
Death in Vegas : Dirt
et cetera

Brian Masino: I Read Them, and Wept
Here's Mine-

Read them and weep! Live Era was a close second to Bonnie, but Bonnie is original recordings so that's what pulled me along...



MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
Bonnie Prince Billy- i see a darkness

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Medal- Drop Your Weapon
Blur, 13
Guns 'n Roses- Live Era '87-'93
Trashmonk- mona lisa overdrive
Verbena- Into the Pink
Olivia Tremor Control- Black Foliage
Beth Orton- Central Resveration
Belle & Sebastian- Tigermilk (reissue)

ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Placebo- Without You I Am Nothing


FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s :An impossible category, and I'd need months of research, but here's my gut feeling.
Nirvana- In Utero
Elliot Smith- XO
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Verve- Northen Soul
Spiritualized- Ladies and Gentleman you are now floating in Space

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF ANY DECADE:I'm Adding this because you are constricting me under the limits of time and space and I'm free as bird, you bastard.
Rolling Stones- Exile on Mainstreet


Brian’s Friend Dan, aka the DANimal

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
Beulah, When Your Heartstrings Break

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Bright Eyes, Letting off the happiness
Olivia Tremor Control, Black FoliageBonnie Prince Billy, i see a darkness
American Analog Set, Golden Band
KleenexGirlWonder, Ponyoak
Essex Green, Everything is Green

ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Baader Meinhoff

ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
Built to Spill, Keep It Like A Secret
Mogwai, Come On Die Young
Tom Waits, Mule Variations

FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s
Bob Dylan, Time Out of Mind
Neutral Milk Hotel, Aeroplane Over the Sea
Tom Waits, Bone Machine
Dirty Three, Ocean Songs
Massive Attack, blue lines


Iain Stansfield, Who’s Got High Fidelity, And Whose Opinions Do Not Reflect His Firm

Kirsty forwarded me your e-mail about essential albums. She has this riff
about how boys are always making lists of things and we are playing
into her hands with this.

My list is as follows. I might well think better of some of these, but I'll
spare you any follow-ups.

Most essential of 1999:

Smog - Knock Knock

Other essential albums of 1999:

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - I See a Darkness
Wheat - Hope & Adams
Beastie Boys - Greatest hits thing (does that count?)
Chemical Brothers – Surrender
The Beta Band – 3 EPs

Not much else last year, really

Five most essential of 90s:

The Fall - Code:Selfish
Palace Music - Viva Last Blues
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Tim Buckley - Dream Letter (old concert, but released 1990?)
Bob Dylan - World Gone Wrong

Most puzzling successes of 90s (bonus cynical category)

Mercury Rev - Deserters' Songs
Manic Street Preachers, Belle and Sebastian

90s' 20 greatest hits (bonus should-get-out-more category)

Tindersticks - City Sickness
PJ Harvey - Dress
Blur - Jubilee
Smog - River Guard
Nirvana - Frances Farmer...
Happy Mondays - God's Cop
Supergrass - Lose It
Beck - Lord Only Knows
Will Oldham - Bolden Boke Boy
Pavement - Gold Sounds
Stone Roses - Daybreak
The Fall - Calendar
Prince - Money Don't Matter 2night
Stereolab - Jenny Ondioline
Palace Music - Cat's Blues
Bob Dylan - Trying to Get to Heaven
New Order - Regret
Jonathan Richman - Rodeo Wind
Lucinda Williams - Can't Let Go
Oasis - It's Good to be Free

Worryingly comprehensive and prompt response. Either I am not busy
enough or I need professional help.

The comments and opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the
author. They are not made in the course of the author's employment with
Olswang and do not reflect the opinions of the firm.


Jenny MacBain, Who Has Since Recovered From the Flu

Ok, since i am weak and recovering from the flu, this e-mail just SHOUTed out to me to reply...i might change some of my answers by 1/31 but i wanted to brainstorm these out just in case:

Essential Albums of 1999 (i *think* most of these came out in 1999 :)
Garbage- version 2.0...this album just Moves.
Macy Gray- On How Life Is
Tori Amos- Songs from the Choirgirl Hotel (was this '98? i forget- i think it's sublime...)
Any song by Aimee Mann
Moby- Play

I'm not sure yet what the most Essential is...

Essential 90's Albums:
Everything But the Girl- Amplified Heart
Blur- Parklife
P.J. Harvey- Is This Desire?
The Soundtrack to the movie Amateur (can we pick soundtracks?)
Echobelly- On
Harvey Danger- Where Have all the Merrymakers Gone? (really! this is a cacaphony of rough sound with intelligent lyrics! just listen.)
Tori Amos- Little Earthquakes
Mary J. Blige- Mary
Beck- Mutations

Sarah Maria, Who is Swiss and Knows Her Music

Well, that's me. Although I have to say that I thought I bought tons of CDs
this year that were great, but they just misteriously dissappeared.

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
>Blur, 13
>
> ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Bernard Butler, Friends and Lovers
Gomez, Liquid Skin
Elliot Smith, XO (really 1998)
Suede, Headmusic
Robbie Williams, The Ego Has Landed

> ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM
1995
THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
McAlmont & Butler, The Sound of...
>
> ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
> Beck, Midnight Vultures

>
> FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s
> Blur, 13
Bernard Butler, People Move On
Beck, Mutations
Sean Lennon, Into the Sun
The Divine Comedy, Fin de Siecle
>
Scott Thomas, Who Proudly Wears His DJ’s Wanted T-shirt

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999
Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999
Moby, Play
Gus Gus, This Is Normal
Sterolab, Cobra and Phases...
Underworld, Beaucoup Fish
John Williams, Star Wars: Episode I Soundtrack

ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Faithless, Sunday 8pm

ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL OVER TIME:
none

10 MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s (I figure a decade has 10 years, it
should get 10 records)

cranberries, everyone else is is doing it, so why can't we?

given their maudlin and bombastic tendencies since, it's easy to forget how
perfect this first effort was.

electronic, electronic

the first pairing of marr and sumner was magic (and neil tennant, too!)

bjork, debut

a startling beginning to a tour de force solo career

stereolab, mars audiac quintet

the quintessential stereolab record. a wonderful vibe.

dead can dance, into the labyrinth

the duo even achieved commercial success with this album, mainly because it
captures the balance of their indivual styles.

pale saints, in ribbons

no one but me would have this on their list, but every once in awhile, a
certain group makes a certain album that hits your personal tastes right on
the noggin. such is this.

underworld, second toughest in the infants

"they have that song on trainspotting, right?" yes, and a mesmerizing full
album, too.

orbital, in sides

not as trancy as underworld or as ambient as the orb, orbital put it all
together here to make an electonic record worth "listening" to

future sound of london, lifeforms

the orb gets all the press, but this double album will take you to another
place without the hallucinogenic drugs. the ultimate ambient recording of
the 90s

the shamen, en-tact

the early 90s brought its own wave of "electonica finally catching on in the
states!" along with 808 state, the shamen was why people thought that, and
this album has one hook after another that stands the test of time

honourable mention:

enigma, MCMXC

caught between decades and doomed to a subsequent decline into new age bins,
enigma's debut was way cool - even if just for the track "sadeness" which
despite its novelty remains as fresh as ever today

Scott’s friend Wendell, who he will explain

my friend wendell works up in portland, maine at the alternative radio
station there. he is simply the greatest music connoisseur i know. in
breadth of taste, knowledge, live shows attended, and music collection he is
unsurpassed. knowing he'd probably already given 1999 some thought, i asked
for his picks. he'd, or course, already compiled the following:

Wendell Gee says:

The albums:

1. Moby: Play
2. Beastie Boys: Sounds of Science (both for compilation excellence,
putting
over ten new tracks on it, and packaging excellence)
3. Buckcherry: Buckcherry
4. Wilco: Summerteeth
5. Underworld: Beaucoup Fish
6. Tom Waits: The Mule Variations
7. Marcy Playground: Shapeshifter
8. Mark Lanegan: I'll Take Care of You
9. RL Burnside: Come On In
10. Gomez: Liquid Skin

(bubbling under: Eminem, Robyn Hitchcock, Rage Against the Machine, XTC, The
Donnas)

The Singles:

1. Len: Steal My Sunshine
2. Buckcherry: Lit Up
3. Freestylers: Here We Go
4. Gay Dad: Joy
5. Owsley: Coming Up Roses
6. Old 97's: Murder or a Heart Attack
7. XTC: I'd Like That
8. Wilco: Nothinsevergonnastandinmywayagain
9. Moby: Porcelain
10. Jamiroquai: Canned Heat

(bubbling under: It's Saturday, We Haven't Turned Around, Push Upstairs,
Natural
Blues, Guerilla Radio, My Baby Got Shot, My Name Is(edit), Stolen Car)

The big ten happenings:

1. The death of Mark Sandman
2. Meeting Sting
3. Seeing Tom Waits in NYC
4. Seeing Wilco three times and hanging with them twice
5. The WCYY Holiday Bizarre
6. WCLZ as Fuller-Jeffrey AAA and the free CD's that mellowed out my
collection
nicely.
7. watching Alanis perform in a candle-lit room, cross-legged on the
floor/meeting Liz Phair and staring at the uncovered small of her back
throughout her interview (on the same day)
8. Rustic Overtones after-party 'til 4 am at my house labor day weekend
9. seeing and meeting Gomez in Boston
10. meeting BB King


Ten CD's I got around to in 1999 that came before:

1. Rufus Wainwright-Rufus Wainwright
2. Tom Waits-Heartattack and Vine
3. Lincolnville-Black Box (local unsigned)
4. Portishead-live NYC
5. Underworld-Dubnobasswithmyheadman
6. Underworld-Second Toughest in the Infants
7. RL Burnside-A Ass Pocket of Whiskey
8. Rolling Stones-Beggar's Banquet
9. Jude-"Rick James"
10. A3-Exile on Coldharbour Lane

Big Disappointments/Things that sucked

1. Everything But the Girl's latest CD
2. Chemical Brothers latest CD
3. The Moody Blues live
4. Moby's singing
5. Natalie Merchant really wasn't very nice
6. Nor was Alanis
7. Richard Thompson does neither meet n greet nor interview
8. Love and Rockets break up
9. Son Volt's latest CD
10. Smashmouth live


The decade?
Jeff Buckley-Grace
Portishead-Dummy
Nirvana-Nevermind
Moby-Play
Morphine-Cure for Pain

plus!
Tom Waits-Bone Machine
Wilco-Being There
Posies-Frosting on the Beater
Jellyfish-Spilt Milk
Gomez-Bring It On


My best friend Cary and his housemate Erika explain it all to you

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF OF 1999
beastie boys, sounds of silence
santana, supernatural
squirrel nut zippers, perennial favorites (really 1998)
portishead, ...nyc live

ALBUM THAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HATE BUT WE NOW DEVOTE A SHRINE TO:
fiona apple, when the pawn...

SOME OF OUR MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90'S
beth orton, trailer park
ben harper, will to live
spearhead, home
kristin mueller trio, self titled
g love and special sauce, self titled
propellerheads, decksandrumsandrockandroll
beastie boys, Paul's boutique
ani difranco, out of range
bb king, blues in the bayou

David,
Erica and I compiled these lists in a half hour. Please vote us for 2
peoples worth. we scoped out the grammys and were thoroughly bummed.
For a bonus.

SOME OF THE SUCKYIST ASS SHIT OUR EARS ENDURED IN THE 90'S
(cultural disappointments)

rod stewart
yanni
ricky martin
jimmy buffet
hanson
tool/ministry

Brant Rumble, Who Knows His Swamp Song from His Swamp Song

No album of 1999 has proved itself essential to me...yet. Actually, Tigermilk has, but since it was recorded and released two years ago in the UK, I'm not counting it on principle. Anyway, here are the 1999 albums that I'm happy to have in my collection and which may someday prove "essential" (in alpha order):

Beck/Midnite Vultures
Blur/13
Echo & the Bunnymen/What Are You Going to Do with Your Life
The Flaming Lips/The Soft Bulletin
James/Millionaires
Magnetic Fields/69 Lovesongs
Mojave 3/Out of Tune
Beth Orton/Central Reservation
Pavement/Terror Twilight
The Roots/Things Fall Apart
The Gram Parsons Tribute

The album of last year that I discovered this year is Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs, and I find it very essential.

Here's my somewhat rough initial take on the 90s:
1) My Bloody Valentine/Loveless -- exhaustive production and lengthy studio time almost drove Creation into bankruptcy before Oasis was discovered. Had Oasis not been discovered, it might have been unforgivable, but as it stands, MBV turned out a piece of noisy sonic beauty.
2) Oasis/Definitely, Maybe -- in one of the more perfect album one, track ones of any rock band's career they told us they wanted to be rock stars, bringing truth back to rock 'n' roll.
3) Radiohead/The Bends -- I ignored this album initially because I thought they were a one hit wonder with Creep. Sometimes it's good to be wrong -- blame it on a black star.
4) Nirvana/Nevermind -- universally hailed 90s album. I won't argue.
5) Massive Attack/Blue Lines -- ushered in the hypnotic groove of the Bristol sound, the influence of which I think we'll be hearing for a long time in pop music.
6) Liz Phair/Exile in Guyville -- just some chick from the 'burbs of Chicago, but damn, Sam, thank you, mam.
7) Pavement/Crooked Rain Crooked Rain -- masterpiece of the indie low-fi slacker sound.
8) Beck/Mutations -- in the space of about two weeks, the kid genius of the 90s lays back and eases out his most cohesive and arresting work.
9) Mercury Rev/Deserter's Song -- my last discovery of the 90s, and it's a fairytale epic of a record.
10) Trainspotting/Soundtrack -- could have been to the 90s what Saturday Night Fever was to the 70s, except that it was Britpop-centric and didn't sell enough copies.

There were a lot more records that I wanted to include. Here are some of them: Moon Safari, If You're Feeling Sinister, Post, Parklife, Boatman's Call, Exit Planet Dust, One Day It'll All Make Sense, The Carnival, Trailer Park, Screamadelica, Different Class, Going Blank Again, Endtroducing, Dusk, and Maxinquaye.

Peter Koblish, Who Knows What He Likes

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM EVER!

CHER - BELIEVE!
there will never be another album that has touched me and made me feel truly whole. DO YOU HEAR ME?

Beth Dunfey, Who Loves Magnetic Fields

Most essential album of 1999:
Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs

Other essentials:
Sleater Kinney, the Hot Rock
Aimee Mann, Magnolia soundtrack

Of 98 that didn't hit me till 99:
Sheryl Crow, the Globe Sessions
Madonna, Ray of Light

Of 99 that might prove essential over time:
Beth Orton, Central Reservation

Essential albums of the 90s:
Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Elliott Smith, XO
Bjork, Post
Yo La Tengo, Fakebook
Magnetic Fields, Holiday
Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
Beck, Odelay

Most essential albums pre-90s:
the Pixies, Doolittle
the Sundays, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
the Beatles, the White Album
10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe
REM, Life's Rich Pageant


Sean Knowles, Who Convinced Me to Listen to NIN and Doesn’t Like Much of What 1999 Had to Offer

> MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile
>
> ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Legion of Green Men, Floating in Shallow Water
u-ziq, Royal Astronomy

> ESSENTIAL ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR THAT DIDN'T FULLY HIT
> ME UNTIL THIS YEAR:
Boards of Canada, Music Has the Right to Children

> ALBUMS FROM THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT PROVE ESSENTIAL
> OVER TIME:
none, i was scraping the bottom of the barrel to get
the ones i've already listed; 1999 was generally a
disappointing year for music in my opinion.

> FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90s
Aphex Twin, Richard D. James Album
Peter Gabriel, US
Bjork, Post
Autechre, Incunabula
Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral


My friend Marty’s friend Howard, Who Usually Makes a Long List But Could Only Come Up with This for 1999 (FYI – he’s also Hillary Clinton’s spokesperson)

>Essential albums of the year:

>Beth Orton -- Central Reservation
>Sleater-Kinney -- The Hot Rock
>Moby -- Play
>The Clash -- From Here to Eternity

Andrew Farmer, Who Stood His Ground and Liked Country Music Even at a University Where It Wasn’t Considered Cool

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999:
Macy Gray, ...On How Life Is

ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF 1999:
Fiona Apple, When the Pawn...
Dixie Chicks, Fly
Kim Richey, Glimmer

THE FIVE MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 90S:
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Come On, Come On
Guns'N'Roses, Use Your Illusion II
Aimee Mann, Whatever
Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend


Judy Blundell, Who’s a Fan of Jeff Buckley But Deferred Her List to a Cool Guy From Nashville

I have turned to my coolest friend, who is friends with all the
alternative music people in Nashville. Because they are all musicians, they
puzzled over this list for weeks, and finally responded by saying it was
impossible, because "nothing is essential." Not only that, they couldn't
limit themselves to 1999. Geez. That's what I get for asking a bunch of
slackers who work in a warehouse during the day and play music in clubs all
night.

However, they did compile the following as the most essential albums of the
90s. I include their notes:

Luna, "Penthouse." (Former members of Galaxie 500 and The Chills)
Air, "A Moon Safari."
Chris Knox/The Tall Dwarf, "Yes!" (godfather of Kiwi punk rock)
Thee Head Coatees, "The Sisters of Slav" (London pub drunks)
Cat Power, "Moon Pix"
Smog, "The Burning Kingdom"
Beck, "Midnight Vultures"
Stereo Lab, "Dots' and Loops"
Urge Overkill, "Saturation."
Lambchop, "What Another Man Spills" (I have a feeling this was only included
because one of the pollsters is in this band; I think it's cheating.)

Excuse me while I go listen to some Dinah Washington.


Alistair Newbern, Who Plays a Mean Fiddle

Most Essential Album of 1999
Alison Krauss, Forget About It

Essential Albums of 1999
Dixie Chicks, Fly
Ricky Skaggs, Ancient Tones
Macy Gray, On How Life Is
Belle and Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister
Beck, Midnight Vultures

Albums Recorded Before I Was Born That Became Essential in 1999
Richard and Linda Thompson, Pour Down Like Silver
Bob Dylan, Desire


Karen Hudson, The World’s Greatest Undiscovered Singer-Songwriter

OK. So I am a music lover, but not necessarily a big purchaser of cd's.
Record stores make me dizzy, either because its a sensory overloading
experience for me what with all the racks of music and things to choose from,
perhaps its the bad flourescent lighting, or the lousy music blaring in the
store chosen by a twentysomething salesclerk. (I know, I know, if its too
loud, I'm too old). BUT, when I DO buy a cd that I particularly like, I will
play it over and over, that if cd's had grooves, the poor things would be all
worn out by now. Thank goodness for modern technology. It enabled me to get
to know these albums, as I would a good friend. I would call them all
favorites.

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1998, THAT DIDNT HIT ME TILL 1999
Gillian Welch- Hell Among the Yearlings
Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels On a Gravel Road
Paul Westerberg-Suicaine Gratifaction

ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE POSSIBLY MAKING IT MOST ESSENTIAL TRIBUTE ALBUM OF THE CENTURY
Billy Bragg/Wilco-Mermaid Avenue This was a courageous undertaking taken by
Bragg, who always prided himself on having something to say, and the bad boys
of Alt/Country Rock, Wilco. Their musical interpretations of Guthrie’s
melody-free lyrics, sometimes political, and sometimes goofy, captured the
spirit of a legend who's music spoke to everyman.

SIX MOST FAVORITE (Essential to me) ALBUMS OF THE '90'S
Nirvana—Nevermind
Black Crowes— Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
Southern Culture on the Skids—Dirt Track Date
Johnny Cash-American Recordings
Sheryl Crow-Sheryl Crow
The Jayhawks – Tomorrow the Green Grass

MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM OF 1999-???? I'll get back to ya.


John Hudson, Karen’s Husband and an Okay Guy in His Own Right

Here's another opinion from the Hudson household...for what it's worth. '99
was actually a tough year to call...not too many new CDs/bands/artists stick
out in my mind...most of my fave new CDs this year were old reissues,
etc...anyway, here goes:

Most essential album of 1999: Moby - "Play"

Essential albums of 1999: Beatles "Yellow Submarine Songtrack", Beck -
"Midnight Vultures", Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant - "Swingin' on the Strings",
Soundtrack - "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Go Simpsonic with the
Simpsons".

Essential albums from '98 that didn't hit me until this year: Fatboy Slim -
"You've Come A Long Way Baby"

Albums that might prove essential: Moby - "Play"

Five most essential albums of the 90s: Cosmic Psychos - "Go The Hack",
Everclear - "Sparkle and Fade", Southern Culture on the Skids - "Dirt Track
Date", Hanson Brothers - "Gross Misconduct", Urge Overkill -
"Saturation"...and honorable mention to Mudhoney, Alice in Chains,
Supersuckers, Redd Kross, Kyuss, Foo Fighters, Offspring, Morcheeba, Luna,
Johnny Cash and The Cramps


Dawn Cerasi, My Closest Mix-making Relationship

Favorite albums of 1999
Beth Orton-- Central Reservation
Tori Amos-- To Venus and Back
Macy Gray-- On How Life Is

Favorite Albums of 1998 that I didn't discover until 1999:
Garbage-- Version 2.0
Lauryn Hill-- Miseducation of Lauryn Hill


Veronica Ambrose, Soundtrack Goddess

Okay, okay, here is my State of the Soundtrack Union for 1999 in no particular order with random thoughts thrown in at no extra charge . . .

End of the Affair--Michael Nyman
Could have come from MGM fifty years ago

Holy Smoke--Angelo Badalamenti
Not just for the beautiful music, but for the humorous use of two Neil Diamond songs (who knew?)

American Beauty--Thomas Newman
So what if he cribs from The Player? John Williams recycles themes all the time.

The Insider--Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke
Gripping music without the movie

The Cider House Rules--Rachel Portman
Shimmering themes reflecting the faith of the human condition (wha?)

The Limey--Cliff Martinez
"Hey Mom. Hey Dad. Still a loser."

Angela's Ashes--John Williams
Timeless music ruined by annoying film dialogue: ". . . My sister was sent away in a box. . . ." Yuk!

The Straight Story--Angelo Badalamenti
Twin Peaks Meets the Lonesome Prairie

Run Lola Run--Tom Tykwer/Johnny Klimek/Reinhold Heil
Music and images at a blistering pace

Girl, Interrupted--Mychael Danna
A dirge (if you like that sort if thing. I do.)

Being John Malkovich--Carter Burwell
Impishly channeling Bernard Herrmann; and for the cut on the album where he explains how he is going to score a scene

And a nod to the unreleased . . . Twin Falls Idaho, RKO 281

Thus Spake Veronastrutha Veronica Ambrose February 14, 2000