The Albums That I Listened to in 2006

 

2006 brought me two icon music artists and a re-introduction to someone I didn't expect to hear from. Scott Walker's "The Drift" is one of the great aural masterpieces of this century. Its intensity and insane humor are so jarring yet focused. I think of this album as songs, but they are also sound pieces with words. More like a mixture of sound poetry and reads like a great poem. What he did was so remarkable and original. I still get goosebumps listening to this album.

Sparks's "Hello Young Lovers" is just another example of perfection, as Ron and Russell Mael practiced. Songs like "Perfume" and "Metaphor" make me think that even as a writer, how do they come up with such incredible lyrics? Or the beauty of "As I Sit To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral." Their mixture of humor and pathos is an amazing tightrope in a song or in art. Yet, Sparks does this.

Being a mega-Serge Gainsbourg fan, it's heartening to find both Jane Birkin and daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg make superb music. With the assistance of the band Air and Jarvis Cocker, she came up with something magical, "5.55." These three albums alone made 2006 OK.

Tosh's (TamTam Books) Favorite Music January, 2010

I can't even figure out new music in the 21st Century. Music is so great, why does one have to deal with new stuff, when there is so much old stuff out there that's amazing. The only new releases that I have gone ga-ga are:



"The Seduction of Imgar Bergman" by Sparks

Is this even an album? It is something more out there than an album. Actually it is a radio play or more like a radio musical for Swedish radio. What we have here is somtehing unique and for sure probably the only original piece of work in the world of pop from this last year. The story of the great Swedish director Bergman being lured by the sinister Hollywood set is somewhere between Bertolt Brecht and Orson Welles. Totally original, totally insane and totally beautiful. Ron and Russell Mael are by far one of the great composers of the era. They stand there with Cole Porter, Brian Wilson, Serge Gainsbourg and such company. I don't understand anyone who doesn't buy this package now.



"God Help The Girl"

Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch's side project, and in my opinion I think he should quit his day job and focus on this project. This album is a stunner. Perfect British pop with incredible charm. I hear this may be a film or a musical - nevertheless this is a wonderful album with clever lyrics and beautiful singing by three singers: Catherine Ireton, Brittany Stallings, and Asya. All of them are really good, but the songs for Ireton are superb studies of life via the images of early 60's kitchen sink dramas. Osbourne fans unite. And yeah I never got into Belle & Sebastian for some odd reason - but this album does it for me in a big way.



"IRM" by Charlotte Gainsbourg

You know what's wrong with this album? Nothing. Charlotte Gainsbourg has never did a bad move. And this album continues her sense of genius in exploring new areas. Here she works with Beck, and yeah it sounds like Beck - but Gainsbourg brings incredible textures to the package. Like the last album she did with Jarvis Cocker and Air, she brings out the best with those who work with her. Remarkable album.

Also I have been totally obsessed with music I have been hearing from the Internet. I will get to those shortly....