Contrary to what you might have heard but consistent with the theory of probability, there were a ton of excellent recordings released this year. Metro Times asked its music contributors, columnists and cohorts to dip their ladle into the listening stew and tell us what they tasted this year.
Chris Handyside, Metro Times Music Editor
White Stripes – “Lafayette Blues” – Italy
Godzuki – Your Future – March
Gomez – Bring It On – Virgin-Hut
Pulp – This Is Hardcore – Island
Cat Power – Moon Pix – Matador
Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue – Elektra
Dub Narcotic Sound System – Out Of Your Mind – K
Sarge – The Glass Intact – Mud Records
Various Artists – From Beyond Compilation – Interdimensional Transmissions
Tribe Called Quest – The Love Movement – Jive
Five Biggest Letdowns/Overhyped Aural Flotsam
Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty – Capitol
PJ Harvey – Is This Desire? –
Island
Hole – Celebrity Skin – Geffen
KISS – Psycho Circus – Mercury (OK, so we weren’t expecting much, but it’s still KISS, so certain standards were not reached.)
Various Artists – Have A Nice Decade – Rhino Records – (The folks behind this ’70s box set put so much emphasis on kitschy packaging and marketing that they forgot to include both “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “Brandy.” ‘Nuff said?)
Ralph Valdez, Host of the “Ralph Valdez Show” (WDET, 101.9 FM)
Top Dozen Local Recordings of 1998
Soul Clique – Only One Division – Small Stone
Perplexa – This Glorious Forward – Small Stone
Detroit Cobras – Mink, Rat or Rabbit – Sympathy For The Record Industry
Spyradio – Spyradio – Flunk Co.
Ebeling Hughes – Transfigured Night – Zero Hour
Kiln – Holo – Thalassa
Volcanos – Finish Line Fever – Estrus
Jazzhead – Jazzhead – Complex
Larval – Larval 2 – Knitting Factory
Various Artists – Pop O.D. (Iggy Tribute), Static
Medusa Cyclone – Mr. Devil – Third Gear
Jazodity – In the Mix – Jazodity
Hobey Echlin, Pitch’D columnist
Top Ten Musical Moments of 1998
Massive Attack – Mezzanine – Virgin
Air – Moon Safari – Astralwerks
Various Artists – From Beyond Compilation – Interdimensional Transmissions
Paperclip People – “4 My Peepz” 12″ – Planet E
Ectomorph & DJ Rotator Live At Disco D’s Record Release party at Solar, Ann Arbor
“Packard” – Packard Plant, PB ’98. (Forget the wrecking ball, Titonton and DJ Godfather’s sets left the place in rubble.)
Groove Rider and MC Flux, live at Motor, Hamtramck
Kraftwerk, State Theatre, Detroit
Deep Dish featuring Everything But The Girl – “The Future (Stay Gold)” 12″ – label
“Freaks Believe In Beats,” Under the Bridge, Analogue Systems
St. Etienne– Good Humor – Sub Pop
Consumed Party, Plastikman
Khary Kimani Turner, poet and MT music critic
Outkast –Aquemini – LaFace
Buju Banton – Inna Heights –
V.P. Records
Public Enemy– He Got Game – Def Jam
Red Rat – Oh No! It’s Red Rat – V.P. Records
Lauryn Hill– The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Columbia-Ruffhouse
Beenie Man– Many Moods of Moses – V.P. Records
A Tribe Called Quest– The Love Movement – Jive
Black Star– Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star – Rawkus
Brand Nubian– Foundation – Arista
Gang Starr– Moment of Truth – Cooltempo/Chrysalis Records/Noo Trybe Records
Norene Cashen, Chief of MT’s 810-Music Bureau
Top ten records of 1998 made mostly by folks over 30:
Robyn Hitchcock –Storefront Hitchcock – Warner Bros.
Jeff Tarlton –Astral Years –
Delerium
Willie Neslon –Teatro – Island
Lucinda Williams –Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Mercury
Larval – Larval 2 – Knitting Factory
Babe the Blue Ox –The Way We Were – RCA
Diamanda Galas – Malediction and Prayer – Asphodel
Julie Ruin – Julie Ruin – Kill Rock Stars
Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band –Wild Man Blues – RCA
Dirtbombs – Horn Dog Fest –
In the Red
Greg Baise, Conoisseur of Sound/Minister of Musical Mischief
A.N.B. –September Sky –
Executive
Various Artists –Labyrinths and Jokes – Hanson
The No-Neck Blues Band –A Tabu 2 – New World of Sound
The Tower Recordings –Furniture Music For Evening Shuttles – Siltbreeze
Frank Pahl – Remove The Cork – Demosaurus
Edith Frost –Telescopic – Drag City
Alaistar Galbraith –Mirrorwork – Emperor Jones
Pinetop Seven –Rigging the Toplights – Truckstop/Atavistic
Medusa Cyclone – Mr. Devil – Third Gear
Richard Young & Simon
Wickham-Smith – Pulse of the Rooster – VHF
Dan Rosenberg, MT World Music critic, Host of “Cafe International,” (WCBN Ann Arbor, 88.3 FM)
Best International Music of 1998
Mammas – Mammas Par Philippe Eidel (Italy, Spain, Greece, Algeria, France) – RCA Victor-BMG
Lhasa – La Llorona (Mexico-Canada) – Atlantic Records
Anna Vissi – Antidoto (Greece) – Sony Globetrotter
Africando – Baloba! (Senegalese Salsa) – Sterns
Philippe Eidel – Imuhar Soundtrack – (France-North Africa)
Rasha – Sudaniyat (Sudan) –
Intuition-Nubenegra
Los Super Seven – Los Super Seven (Mexico-USA) – BMG
Various Artists –Beleza Tropical 2 (Brazil) – Luaka Bop
Rachid Taha – Diwan (Algeria) – Island Records
El Lebrijano Con La Orquesta Arabigo Andaluza – Casablanca (Spain-Morocco) – EMI Hemishpere/Metro Blue
Thom Jurek, MTA2 Captain
Top Ten of 1998 + Two That Shouldn’t Fall Through The Cracks
Richard Buckner – Since – MCA
Emmylou Harris – Spyboy –
Eminent
Black Star– Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star – Rawkus
Ghazal – As Night Falls On The Silk Road – Shanachie
Mark Hollis – Mark Hollis –
Polydor
Andy Statman Quartet – The Hidden Light – Rounder
Rollie Tussing III – Blow Whistle Blow
Art Ensemble of Chicago – Coming Home Jamaica –
Birdology/Atlantic
Jeff Buckley – Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk – Columbia
Gomez – Bring It On – Virgin
Reissues
Doc Boggs – Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings – Rounder
Jimmy Giuffre – Free Fall – Columbia
George Bulanda, MT Classical Writer & Managing Editor HOUR Detroit
Top Ten Records of 1998
Robert Casadesus, piano – Complete Piano Music of Maurice Ravel – Sony Classical
Andrew Manze, violin – Tartini: “The Devil’s Sonata” and other solo violin works — Harmonia Mundi
Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano – A Window in Time – Telarc
Martha Argerich, piano – Prokofiev: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 and 3; Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3 – ; Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Charles Dutoit – EMI Classics
Paul Robeson, bass-baritone – Songs of Free Men – Sony
Classical
Mitsuko Uchida, piano – Schubert Piano Sonata No. 21 and “Three Piano Pieces” – Philips
Roberto Alagna, tenor – Angela Gheorghiu, soprano – Gounod: Romeo et Juliette (complete opera) – Orchestre du Capitol de Toulouse conducted by Michel Plasson – EMI Classics
Schönberg Ensemble conducted by Oliver Knusse – Portrait , Ruth Crawford Seeger: – Deutsche Grammophon
Renee Fleming, soprano –The Beautiful Voice – ; English Chamber Orchestra conducted by
Jeffrey Tate – London
Heidi Skok, soprano – Women’s Voices: songs by Ned Rorem and Martin Hennessy – Newport Classic
This article appears in Dec 30, 1998 – Jan 5, 1999.
