That Wonderful Year in Music... 1977

My 3 1/2-year exploration into popular music has been, for lack of a better word, adventurous.  My monthly dissection of a particular year in music has reaped benefits I never expected: it has given me new perspective on recordings I know like the back of my hand,  introduced me to new artists and subgenres I otherwise wouldn't touch, and put the evolution of music into a more cohesive perspective.  Some years (1967, 1970, 1980) were an embarassment of riches; others (1981, 1989, 1999) not so much.  What I've uncovered now is a whole different animal.

This month's feature, 1977, was probably the strongest year in music of the last half-century as well as the most bipolar.  It was a merciless year for both mainstream and underground music, and the albums and songs mentioned below --as disparate as these two groups may be-- have a canonical, indispensible feel.  To oversimplify the matter, it was disco versus punk, but there were fine rock and R&B cuts to be found as well.  The popular kids emulated Studio 54, the freaks and burnouts paid heed to CBGB's, and right up the middle of the bell curve were the kids buying the latest K-Tel compilation record set.

Where most best-of lists clump the two factions together, following suit just didn't feel right. Even though punk dominates most critics' polls now (and rightfully so), their work wasn't discovered by the general populace until several years later.  With a handful of exceptions, most of the songs that merited radio play are unjustly ignored, and nowadays serve as filler on oldies formats. With that said, for this month only I bucked my usual format and fleshed out two top ten lists. To quote AllMusic critic/blogger Tim Sendra:

"If you lived in small town Middle America in 1977, you weren’t listening to Television, you were watching it; Iggy Pop was the off-brand soda your mom bought at A&P; Lee Perry was the kid who sat behind you in biology; and the Ramones were that family down the street who never mowed their lawn. No, you were glued to the radio and Casey Kasem was God as he ran down the AT40 each week..."

In short, what was "hip" and happening 35 years ago was opposite sides of the same coin.  To complicate matters, 1977 was a year so top-heavy in great songs and albums that whittling this down to a clean, even 20 proved too daunting.  There are at least two albums and two songs in each category that could've made the cut, but I didn't want this to be too inclusive. Without further ado...


BEST ALBUMS (Non-Mainstream)

1. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's..., The Sex Pistols. Can we call this quitting while you're ahead? The Pistols epitomized every archetype (and stereotype) of punk rock music, aggravated the British establishment and American Deep South alike, than broke up after only one studio album. Bollocks is nihilistic, confrontational, rude, immature, ragged... and for a brief shining moment, the next logical step in rock's evolution.
2. Exodus, Bob Marley & The Wailers. I'm surprised more people aren't giving me flack for putting more Marley (or reggae in general) on my annual lists. If you know nothing about the Jamaican musician/activist, however this is an excellent place to start. The catchy "Jamming" and "Three Little Birds" were minor hits in the US, and the old Curtis Mayfield tune "People Get Ready" proves quite supple for rocksteady.
3. Marquee Moon, Television. Over in New York, the best American punk album of the year was essentially a guitar rock album. Wearing their Velvet Underground influence like a medal of honor, TV trades in anarchy for introspection and angry shredding for instrumental virtuosity, hinting towards the post-punk movement at the tail end of the '70s. Where most of their peers lived in the "now," TV was wondering if they had any future.
4. The Clash, The Clash
5. My Aim is True, Elvis Costello
6. Rocket to Russia, The Ramones
7. Pink Flag, Wire
8. Talking Heads '77, Talking Heads
9. Leave Home, The Ramones
10. Damned, Damned, Damned, The Damned. Released several months before The Clash and Sex Pistols' debuts, DDD was the warning shot of British punk. Giving themselves outrageous stage names like Rat Scabies and Captain Sensible, the Damned are credited with doing everything first.  The thrash of "Neat Neat Neat" launches the mayhem, while the smoking "New Rose" redefines romantic angst.

Honorable Mentions: Young, Loud and Snotty, The Dead Boys; 1, The Motors; Lust for Life, Iggy Pop.

BEST ALBUMS (Rock/Pop)
1. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac. This #1 pick says more about my personal tastes than anything else here; I'll crank up the radio anytime "Go Your Own Way" or "The Chain" plays. Biased or not, there's little denying Rumours' masterpiece status.  The internal strife that fueled the album's recording bleeds into the work, and the result is two parts mouth-gapping and beautiful.  Like a car accident on the highway, you can't help but watch the wreckage.
2. Aja, Steely Dan. Jazz-rock without the rock, The Dan's sixth album (and fourth as a studio-only entity) brings the Becker-Fagen combo to unparalled levels of composition and sonic detail. The lyrics aren't as collegiate and cynical as their earlier work, and the licks by guest stars Larry Carlton and Victor Feldman are too tasty to resist.
3. Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf. I won't pretend that this is a guilty pleasure pick. The combination of producer Todd Rundgren, composer Jim Steinman, and operatic frontman Marvin Lee Aday makes for both a Wagnerian juggernaut and a grandly silly magnum opus. For all it's worth, this album is just... irresistable.
4. Low, David Bowie
5. The Stranger, Billy Joel
6. Out of the Blue, Electric Light Orchestra
7. Slowhand, Eric Clapton
8. "Heroes", David Bowie
9. Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel
10. In Color, Cheap Trick. Where their self-titled debut feels a tad raw and borrows heavily from their influences (Todd Rundgren, The Beatles, The Who), CT's second album depicts a great band fully formed. Paired with producer Tom Werman, the rough edges are smoothed to radio-friendly perfection.  Sure, it's not as visceral as their previous album, but the songs themselves are top-to-bottom resplendent.

Honorable Mentions: Let There Be Rock, AC/DC; Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick; CSN, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Running on Empty, Jackson Browne; Low Budget, The Kinks.

Outstanding Achievement by a Film Soundtrack: Saturday Night Fever, The Bee Gees/Various Artists. More cultural phenomenon than artistic achievement, the movie and its accompanying soundtrack defines 1977 as a year as well as the music trend it created. It was also a culmination of the direction the Brothers Gibb were taking at the time, turning them from stalwart pop act to international megastars.


BEST SINGLES (Punk)
"I'm Stranded," The Saints
"Blank Generation," Richard Hell & The Voidoids
"Do the Boob," The Real Kids
"Loretta," The Nervous Eaters
"Do Anything You Wanna Do," Eddie & The Hot Rods
"I Hate the Rich," Dils
"Don't Push Me Around," The Zeros
"A Life of Crime," The Weirdos
"2-4-6-8 Motorway," Tom Robinson Band
"Whole Wide World," Wreckless Eric

BEST SINGLES (Rock)
"We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions," Queen
"Barracuda," Heart
"Closer to the Heart," Rush
"Come Sail Away," Styx
"Cold as Ice," Foreigner
"Godzilla," Blue Oyster Cult
"Cat Scratch Fever," Ted Nugent
"Too Hot to Handle," UFO
"Estimated Prophet," The Grateful Dead
"Birdland," Weather Report

BEST SINGLES (Pop/R&B)
"Dancing Queen," ABBA
"Don't Leave Me This Way," Thelma Houston
"Higher and Higher," Rita Coolidge
"You Don't Have To Be a Star," Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
"Flashlight," Parliament
"Right Time of the Night," Jennifer Warnes
"Nobody Does It Better," Carly Simon
"Couldn't Get It Right," Climax Blues Band
"Jungle Love," The Steve Miller Band
"Love is the Answer," Utopia

Your thoughts?

Random Notes, April 2012

+ Lately I've been strugging to meet my self-imposed Tuesday night deadline, sometimes because of other projects, in other cases I struggle to write something relevant and meaningful. In this instance, my procrastination was both somewhat beneficial and tragic.  I was too young to watch --much less remember first-hand-- the cultural phenomenon that was "American Bandstand." However, I've been watching Dick Clark on New Year's Eve since grade school, one-hour time difference be damned.  Watching the ball drop in Times Square won't be the same.  Thanks for the music, Mr. Clark.

+ I'm going to a chiropractor!  After having a free exam at the gym about two weeks ago, I learned that my mild lower back pain was the result of a stage 1 subluxation.  In spite of my ongoing (read: neverending) job search and lack of money, I was able to work out a payment plan that will result in me getting "the works" three days a week until mid-July.

+ Dog Update: Nearly 3 1/2 months after my sister adopted Henry, the puppy and the maltipoo still aren't getting along.  The only thing they've learned to share is a water bowl; otherwise, the two dogs get into a fight almost on a daily basis.  In spite of my sister's best intentions, my parents and I have concluded that this isn't working out.  Alas, all the local no-kill shelters are swamped and we don't know anyone looking to adopt, so we're stuck with both dogs.

+ Fantasy Update: For the fifth straight year, I'm dipping my toe (and then some) into roto baseball. In the past I've gone into detail about my various transactions, but ultimately I feel like I jinx my teams in the process. All I can say for now is, we're two weeks into the 2012 season, and both of my teams are in a healthy position . Also, "congratulations" to Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the only player I've drafted all five years.

Next week: the year in music, 1977.  It's gonna be a humdinger.

Off, Wisconsin!

As a native Illinoisan, it's difficult for me to give my neighbors in Wisconsin any credit or respect. It's a regional rivalry, plain and simple. From a political perspective, the "Cheddar Curtain" has historically been an incubator for nonpartistanship, competence, and honesty; Wisconsin stayed out of the limelight while bordering states were embarassed by the likes of Jesse Ventura, George Ryan, and Rod Blagojevich. It is neither a red state nor a blue state, but a gooey shade of purple. With mild trepidation, I'll admit that Wisconsin has a legislative method that I ardently envied... until now.

In 2010, Scott Walker was elected governor during the big Tea Party bum rush. A fiscal and social conservative, nearly every move Walker has made in 18 months in office has been under scrutiny. His eradication of collective bargaining rights for unions (exempting only police officers and firefighters) made national headlines. The labor guys felt blindsided, but Walker justified the move as a budget cut in the face of a deficit. Unions aside, some argue that the cuts were also a cynical manuever to emasculate a deep-pocketed Democratic constituency. This would be mere partisan chess if not for a) Walker threatening to sic the National Guard upon his critics and b) all of the union scuffling happened in his first six weeks in office. So much for a strong first impression.

Of course, that's not the only nitpick against the Walker administration. His promise to add 250,000 jobs to the Badger State hasn't panned out, and the nonpartisan Tax Foundation determined that Wisconsin has a less business-friendly tax climate than before Walker took office. This past weekend, Walker nonchalantly signed three bills that impede a woman's right to choose, denied hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples, and repealed the state Equal Pay Enforcement Act. Walker quietly signed off on Good Friday, thinking his critics wouldn't pay attention on a religious holiday. He guessed wrong.

With their agenda all but transparent, Walker and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch are now subject to the first recall election in state history; the primary is next month, the election in early June. The state that begat Joseph McCarthy more than six decades ago is afraid of another bullying activist, and for good reason. Some will judge the state capital of Madison as a liberal enclave and Milwaukee's history of electing Socialist mayors (three total, none since 1960) but any left-leaning activism is limited to those two cities only. Wisconsin is centrist at its core, one of the last sectors of the country where the government actually gets work done, and democracy in its purist form is at stake.

Other notes:

+ Down goes Rick Santorum. As polarizing as he and his campaign might have been, and the cards stacked ever higher for Mitt Romney, he didn't want to fight futilely for his own home state. Ultimately, I suppose it came down to the well-being of his young daughter, too. At least Santorum left the race with his dignity intact.

+ Improv Update: over the weekend, my independent team The War Room made our unofficial debut. Even though we'd performed before on the Chicago "barprov" circuit, this was the first time we had demonstrated our form to an audience. This was several months in the making; my friend Brandon had formed the group, and I had never done genre-specific improv before. We play again on the 14th, so wish us luck!

+ Over on Facebook, I created an internet meme-cum-unofficial holiday. Follow this link to spread the word about "Mothra Day."

The Money Mitt

Imagine, if you will, that you're in high school and there's a big dance coming up. There's this really pretty girl that you want to ask out, but you're not experienced with the opposite sex and quite nervous about making your move. Than, once you've worked up the courage, a taller, more handsome guy swoops in, asks her to the dance, and she says yes.

Mitt Romney is the girl you end up taking to the dance.

It's staggering that we're in the first week of April and there are still four legitmate candidates vying for the Republican nomination for president. Most signs indicate that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has the nomination in the bag, but he's neither asserting himself nor running away from the pack. Decisive primary victories in the north have been negated somewhat by close losses in the south and Rockies. It's one thing to compare the gridlock to the Obama vs. Hillary struggle from four years ago, but this time there's four candidates and their supporters couldn't be more polarized or disparate. Clinton supporters eventually came around to their decidedly more liberal opponent for party unity, but the split in '08 is nothing like it is now. Nobody's conceding, everyone's fighting.

So why won't Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul quit? Are they stubborn, or waiting for some epic collapse? Maybe its because the final four represent seperate factions of the GOP: Romney appeals to mainstream and moderate conservatives, Rick Santorum to social conservatives, Newt Gingrich to neo-cons, and Ron Paul a mix of libertarians, bored college kids, and people that think the other three candidates are either corporate stooges or alien robots. (I'm only half-joking about that last one.) On top of that, some have argued that the Christian conservatives have been passed aside for much of the primaries, though whether they had an active or passive role in the pushover is up for debate. I suppose I don't have the best pulse on how the religious right thinks, but are they reluctant to support Romney because he's Mormon? Is an overly quirky, yet not totally dissimilar belief system at the crux of the situation? It doesn't seem like the rift is purely based on Romney's political platform, but maybe it's me.

Members of the conservative establishment are slowly but surely throwing their weight towards Romney, though Santorum is pretending that the party core is panicking. Romney has an overwhelming edge in money and delegates, but voters are slightly more begrudging. Blowout wins in Wisconsin, Maryland, and DC tonight do not seem to be fazing the competition. White flag or not, Santorum and Gingrich are ignoring their platforms and playing offense 24/7, trying to cut down the frontrunner with a stench of desperation. Ron Paul, on the other hand, continues to march to the beat of his own drum.

That Wonderful Year in Music... 2002

If 2001 as a year in music felt schizophrenic and unfocused, than 2002 was just as splintered and eclectic. The synthetic "boy band" sound that dominated most of my teens was finally dying out; it felt cool to play an instrument again. In an irony-free post-9/11 soceity, the goofy punk-pop stylings of Green Day, Blink-182, and The Offspring --nothing against any of them, of course-- was giving way to raw, typically serious acts like The White Stripes, The Vines, and The Hives. (Having a "The" in your band name was also in vogue.) After a prolonged battle between Courtney Love and the surviving members of Nirvana, their final single hit the airwaves eight years after it was recorded (see below). 2002 was a transitional year for other heroes of '90s grunge, an awkward 12-month span that included: the death of Layne Staley; former members of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine joining forces as Audioslave; the failure of Krist Novoselic's new project, Eyes Adrift; Dave Grohl's return to the drum set, courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age; Billy Corgan forming Zwan; and Pearl Jam quietly releasing a new studio album --on top of a gazillion "official bootleg" live discs-- as they fought to stay relevant.

My discovering The Strokes and The White Stripes in late '01 kindled my heretofore delayed interest in alternative rock; I was still a classic rock DJ at heart, but the indie/garage/DIY renaissance was enough to stop me from completely writing off "new" music. A tiny, now-defunct UHF channel in Chicago would similcast MTV2 --back when they still aired videos, of course-- half the day, so I would tape two-hour blocks of programming when I was at school. Quaint, eh? On a more personal level 2002 was a very eventful year, one that culminated with my braces being removed in early January, than my first (and so far only) cruise, my first alcoholic beverage (a banana daiquiri, don't judge), first kiss, the deaths of four relatives in a three-month span, the craziest baseball game I've ever seen*, being nominated for Homecoming court, and the long-delayed, long-awaited installation of internet in the Allard household. In short, 2002 was just as crazy and exciting for me as it was for music.

*Sorry to keep you hanging, but I'll give you all the details about that game on or about the 10-year anniversary in September.

BEST ALBUMS

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco. Seeking a change of pace following the power-pop of 1999's Summerteeth, Wilco's fourth album now stands as an example of brilliance under duress. Lambasted by their former label as "not commercial enough" and devoid of a single, Foxtrot takes the sonic experimentation of Summerteeth several steps further, like a Midwestern answer to Radiohead's Kid A. The brains of the outfit, Jeff Tweedy writes lyrics both cruel and compelling, homespun yet articulate. One of the first albums to be extensively bootlegged online, the Foxtrot legend was already in place when it was finally released in April 2002.

2. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips. Both a concept album and a collection of songs with recurring themes, the often intergalactic Yoshimi does the undesirable task of following up The Soft Bulletin while holding its own and setting its own rules. Balancing spacey with somber, Fortune magazine (of all people) dubbed Yoshimi "a lush and haunting electric symphony." I can't argue with that.

3. A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay. At what point Chris Martin go from charismatic, workman-like rock pianist to electrical tape-wearing, Gwyneth Paltrow-impregnating rock god? Probably around the time Chris and the boys cut Rush of Blood, their staggering sophomore effort. Soft-rock at its least cloying, tracks like "In My Place," "Clocks," and "The Scientist" are straight-up earcandy.

4. Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol

5. [ ] (a/k/a Parentheses), Sigur Ros

6. Songs for the Deaf, Queens of the Stone Age

7. Power in Numbers, Jurassic 5

8. O, Damien Rice

9. Up the Bracket, The Libertines

10. Sea Change, Beck. One of the very few alternative acts I paid attention to before my "awakening," I was one of many that initially couldn't make heads or tails out of Mr. Hansen's eighth album. Trading in his wacky, recondite sound for something more organic and melancholy Sea Change was, depending upon your first listen, either another wild, left-field turn by an artist you couldn't quite pin down or one dramatic reinvention too many. A decade later the former party has the edge; the lush songcraft overwhelmingly trumps any fan's expectations.

Honorable Mentions: Geogaddi, Boards of Canada; The Coral, The Coral; When I Was Cruel, Elvis Costello; Whip It On (EP), The Raveonettes; The Execution of All Things, Rilo Kiley; Kill the Moonlight, Spoon; Original Pirate Material, The Streets; Highly Evolved, The Vines.

BEST SINGLES

"Losing My Edge," LCD Soundsystem

"One By One," Foo Fighters

"Don't Know Why," Norah Jones

"California," Phantom Planet

"You Were Right," Badly Drawn Boy

"Cochise," Audioslave

"Diamonds and Guns," The Transplants

"Hands on the Bible," Local H

"City of Angels," The Distillers

"Son of Three," The Breeders

Best 1994 Single of 2002: "You Know You're Right," Nirvana. The first song recorded for what would've been their fourth studio album ended up being their last song as a band. After years of legal entanglements "Right" was finally released as a single that September, giving Nirvana fans some type of closure, yet leaving them wonder what might've been.

BEST VIDEOS

1. "Fell in Love with a Girl," The White Stripes. Director Michel Gondry's lengthy association with Jack White began with this all-time great clip, a stop-motion tour de force involving thousands upon thousands of Legos.

2. "Star Guitar," The Chemical Brothers. Another Gondry gem, "Star" is a continuous shot filmed from the window of a train, where somehow all the buildings and objects passing by are exactly in the time with The Brothers' 126 BPM dance track. Nothing short of a marvel.

3. "This Train Doesn't Stop There Anymore," Elton John. Justin Timberlake's first great performance --actor, singer, or otherwise-- was in this video, another continuous shot. One of Sir Elton's better late-period songs, JT plays his hero circa 1973, struggling to survive the rigors of fame. Also, look out for Paul Reubens as the Rocket Man's former manager, John Reid.

4. "The Middle," Jimmy Eat World.

5. "No One Knows," Queens of the Stone Age.

6. "We Are All Made of Stars," Moby.

7. "Rush Hour Soul," Supergrass.

8. "Someday," The Strokes.

9. "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," Good Charlotte.

10. "Do You Realize?" The Flaming Lips.

Honorable Mentions: "The 15th," Fischerspooner; "Aerials," System of a Down; "Still Waiting," Sum 41.

Your thoughts?

30 Teams, 30 More Haiku: A 2012 Baseball Preview

Last year, I wrote my annual baseball preview in the style of a haiku. I considered writing a sonnet or possibly a sestina for all 30 teams this year, but ultimately that felt like overkill. I mulled explaining why your team wouldn't win the World Series again (see 2009), posed some pressing questions (see 2010), or something entirely new, but for some reason the haiku concept kept bouncing around in my head. With that said, I present my 2012 baseball preview: 30 teams, 17 moras, no boundaries.

PS: my kudos to the Royals blog ahairoffsquare.com for the Moose mock-up seen above.

*denotes Wild Card

NL EAST

1. Phillies No real changes here/Howard's gone for awhile/but wins come easy.

2. Marlins* Behold! A circus/hey Ozzie, new stadium/and loud uniforms.

3. Braves A burning question/who's Tyler Pastornicky?/a prospect, I guess.

4. Nationals Harper is coming/and Strasburg is okay now/potential sleeper?

5. Mets This, that, or Duda/the song they sing in Queens is/a funeral dirge.

NL CENTRAL

1. Cardinals Farewell, Prince Albert/your power will be missed, but/we'll win without you.

2. Brewers Braun dodged a bullet/no suspension, despite shame/can we move on now?

3. Reds "Win now!" is the cry/if Stubbs cuts down on the whiffs/expect fireworks.

4. Pirates Huh? These Bucs have bite?/no longer dormant, Pittsburgh/may play the spoiler.

5. Cubs Poor Theo Epstein/doesn't he know rebuilding/won't go anywhere?

6. Astros Woe is Carlos Lee/a veteran among rooks/expect much struggle.

NL WEST

1. Giants Buster Posey is/not the next Ray Fosse, fools/health is on his side.

2. D-Backs* Chomping at the bit/hungry snakes want a dogfight/you hear that, San Fran?

3. Rockies More injury woes/the Tulo and Cargo show/need to watch themselves.

4. Dodgers Strangely average/Kemp and Kershaw need some help/if they want to win.

5. Padres Further rebuilding/not awful, but somebody/has to finish fifth.

AL EAST

1. Yankees Heavy favorites/for the umpteenth year, but age/might be a concern.

2. Rays* Young and confident/Maddon's boys want the whole thing/LCS won't do.

3. Red Sox Winners in decline/last year's collapse still lingers/new mindset needed.

4. Blue Jays North of the border/these Canucks think they'll contend/delusions, indeed.

5. Orioles The burning question/Duquette: genius or moron?/we'll learn the hard way.

AL CENTRAL

1. Tigers O Prince, man of girth/you and Miguel are lethal/plus Verlander, eek!

2. Royals Ready to breakout/this fan won't whine much longer/but playoffs? Next year.

3. Indians Fantastic bullpen/but where is the Tribe offense?/.500 at best.

4. White Sox Almost a youth movement/AJ and Paulie still stand/but don't expect much.

5. Twins Joe Mauer aside/the small market rebuilding/cycle continues.

AL WEST

1. Angels Arte's deep pockets/bought Prince Albert and C.J./this division: sold!

2. Rangers* This is an arms race/big bats and smokin' hurlers/don't mess with Texas.

3. Mariners No contenders here/in two words, "nothing special"/but Felix still rakes.

4. Athletics Nothing makes sense here/sign Manny and Cespedes/but trade all the youth?

NL MVP: Matt Kemp, Dodgers

AL MVP: Evan Longoria, Rays

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Phillies

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers

NL Rookie of the Year: Yonder Alonso, Padres

AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Angels

First Manager Fired: Buck Showalter, Orioles

Comeback Player of the Year: Buster Posey, Giants

2012 World Series: Rangers over the Phillies in 6

Next Week: the year in music, 2002.