The Duke Presents The Best Records Of 2004
Published December 03, 2004
Instead, what arrives is an unearthly, ethereal creation, a record that sounds like pretty much nothing else this year, certainly nothing else in Lynn's back catalogue, and filled with the finest songs she's written since back when some motherfucker tried to put her wings upon his horn.
Stand out moments include the opening title track, the stunning debut with White, Portland Oregon and the densely atmospheric Women's Prison.
Jesse Malin - The Heat
Malin's debut, The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction, was a ragged, torn affair, with the ex-D-Generation frontman's wailing Neil Young-esque vocals high in the mix. Taking over from Ryan Adams, who produced the first record, the self-produced follow-up was a much more cinematic affair.
On first listen, it appeared somewhat of a disappointment. Couple spins later, however, I was in love with this to such an extent that even the hole in the CD started to look attractive.
I'm not proud of this shit, man. I just hope others can learn, is what.
So what we get here are amazing, soaring ballads and hard-luck narratives swamped in reverb-laden, otherworldly arrangements and balls-out, pounding rock n' roll.
Also, Mona Lisa name-checks Shane MacGowan, so obviously it rules.
Check Out The Full Review From Back In The Day
Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
Comeback Of The Year #1
To be all the honest in Kansas, I didn't for a second imagine that Stephen Patrick would release a record this year. All that fucking around with record companies and hiding in LA and doing not much of a damn thing seemed to suggest that, flawed as Maladjusted may have been, we may as well start assuming it'd be the last we'd hear of Morrissey for a long, long time.
Imagine the motherfucking shock, then, when not only does this record arrive, but it ends up being one of the finest things the man has ever crafted. Not only this, but it sparks a full-blown renaissance, with even the NME (who famously fell out with our bequiffed hero back when he was busy flailing Union Jacks about without having the decency to wait until Oasis were doing it) getting down for to lick his boots and so on in a celibate, plutonic manner.
The tunes contained in this thing are enough to have a fella buzzing like a telly too close to a mobile. Certainly the lyrics are occasionally clumsy, but even the senseless nostalgia of, say, Come Back To Camden is granted a sweeping majesty by the jaw-dropping arrangements, the life-affirming melodies.
Too many gorgeous moments to even begin singling any out, so best just to announce something along the lines of how I Have Forgiven Jesus and Let Me Kiss You are two of the finest songs of the past five years.
The Duke (Aaron McMullan to his parents and the clergy) is a Northern Irish writer, performer and insomniac currently residing in London. He is the creator of Mondo Irlando, wherein his scribblings and hollerings can be found. He is currently working towards the completion of his first novel, and his debut "punk / country / folk / whatever" album has recently been released by Ex Libris Records . You can also pop by His MySpace Page and maybe have a coffee and a biscuit.
- The Duke Presents The Best Records Of 2004
- Published: December 03, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Rap, Music: Punk Rock, Music: Pop, Music: Indie Rock, Music: Country and Americana
- Writer: Duke De Mondo
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Good list Duke!
I'll be wrapping up the year from And We Danced soon and making lists within our dance music contribution. Most likely Prince will be the only which appears on our lists and yours.
But...that's not to ignore that there was a lot of great music this year outside of the dance realm.
I'm still blown away by the Loretta Lynn album. It's hard to get people to listen to it, but once you hear it, you will understand why critics salivate all over it.
And I wasn't shocked by the Green Day set either - they have been a very good, nearly great, band for a long time now.
Then...the Brian Wilson album and the unearthed Clash tapes appeared on the same day this past fall!! Yeah, it was a good year.
Thanks folks.
Aaman, Eminem ALMOST made the grade. Certainly it's a stunning record, and a hell of a lot better than The Eminem Show. And thanks for the kind words :)
Bill, i'll look forward to your list, although, as you may have gathered, i'm pretty shamefully lacking in knowledge concerning the old dancin' and so on. The best dance record i heard recently was the second 2 Many DJ's album, although i think that's 2003.
As to The Clash, i should really have done a bit about re-issues and so on (although those Vanilla Tapes are hardly re-issues)
London Calling, the Nirvana set and the expanded Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks, for example, would all have been there.
And gifts, obviously you too know the wonders of this prodigiously talented troubadour.
Most of the records you highlighted are on my list too! Except Dizzee Rascal (I just don't get it, not yet anyway) and Green Day (although it's the best album I have heard by them I'm still underwhelmed)
Most critics agree with you however. I am glad to see you included the William Shatner / Ben Folds album which really took me by suprise. Kinda like a brick to the head.
Some of my others include:
Killers - Hot Fuss
Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams
Autolux - Future Perfect
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Muse - Absolution(#1?)
Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
The Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy
Ray Lamontagne - Trouble (#1?)
Trouble
Bill Lamb,
Do not forget the new Duran Duran - surely a candidate for dance album of the year
Duke D'Mondo,Your inclusion of Dizzee is
highly laudable. I really dig "B.I.D.C",
but haven't gotten into "Showtime" yet.
I've given it a few listens but it just
seems to lack the punch of the first CD.
Maybe it'll grow on me with time.
Unfortunately, I don't think he'll ever
break really BIG stateside.He's just too
British. Most US hiphop fans like their
funk homegrown, plus he's unintelligible
to my ears on a lot of cuts(UK slang and
all)which definitely won't help him on
this side of the pond. Nevertheless he's
talented as all great give a fuck. Ditto
for Mike Skinner.
Anyway, Here's my Top Ten for 2004 not
that anyone besides me gives a fat fuck:
1)Nathaniel Mayer- I Found Out
2)J-Zone - A Job Ain't Nuthin' But Work
3)Tom Waits - Real Gone
4)Black Keys - Rubber Factory
5)Dirty Dozen Brass Band -
Funeral For A Friend
6)Capleton - Reign Of Fire
7)Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind
8)Nancy Sinatra - S/T
9)V/A - Not The Same Old Blues Crap V.3
10)Quintron - The Frog Tape
Peace,Love & Soggy Chips.
HW, i imigine the slang thing might be hard to get ones head around, but its not exclusive to folks outside the UK - Half times i dunno what the hell he's yelpin on about either. Fuckin sounds great tho, whatever the hell it is.
Also, i was intrigued by the mention of these Modest Mouse folks, so i went and got hold of a copy. For some reason i assumed they were a dance band (maybe cause of all the danger mice and felix tha housecats and so on). Good god almighty... How fucking sweeeettttt!!!! is that record?
It's like the flaming lips but a bit more approachable...
"my thoughts were so loud i couldn't hear my mouth" Great great stuff
arggghhhhh i hate these fuckers!!! how good is that "float on"???? Wht can't folks be shit for ten damn minutes any more? God almighty. I hate them. Noone should be this good in a year when everyone else is so good!! who the hell might give whining sons a bitches like The Duke two seconds of ear-space in an era of stunning shit like this!!! Fucking hell bastards
Great list! LL, Shatner, Prince and the Streets will all probably make my year end list. So many other good albums that picking 10 will be difficult. I am pretty sure my list will include Saul Williams-Fader Label and Jello Biafra and the Melvins-Never Breathe What You Can't See. I am picking up the Kaada/Patton-Romances album today and I have high expectations for that disc. I will also be considering Tom Waits-Real Gone, Handsome Boy Modeling School-White People, Bjork-Medulla, Madvillain-Madvillainy, Ramm Ell Zee-The Bi-Conicals of the Ramm Ell Zee, Franz Ferdinand-S/T, Scissor Sisters-S/T, and K-OS-Joyful Rebellion. All in all, it was a great year for my music collection!
Duke - Did you happen to catch the Honeydogs' 10,000 Years? Best album of 2004, in my opinion.
I'm trying to think really hard if I actually went to a record store looking with anti-ci-(say it!)pation to buy an album. Is there anything more boring than a record store?
So, instead, I'll look at what I've enjoyed. Extra to the Nick Cave and William Shatner (you really need to see "Free Enterprise" for his rap version of "Julius Ceasar").
The Pixies - live tour recordings from their reunion.
Tom Waits - Real Gone
The Kleptones - A Night At The Hip-Hopera.zip
David Thomas - 18 Monkeys on a Dead Mans Chest
Camper Van Beethoven - New Roman Times
Mostly this year, it's been hearing a couple of international corporations telling me how much they hate me. And the best advice in an abusive relationship is just to walk away.
Smenkharon, i loved the franz ferdinand record, but thought it was a tad repetitive. Scissor Sisters also was fantastic in an early Elton John sorta way. great stuff.
Alex, i didn't get around to that one - therein lies the problem with these things, you dont get to hear EVERYTHING so it's a bit pointless, other than as an excuse to swear entertainingly of course. heh
Jim, surely browsing the aisles of the record emporium is a joy bettered only by browsing through a video store. If said emproiums are combined in some manner, then it's all very close to sinful, i'm guessing. Best to wait a fortnight between expeditions, though, is what i would suggest, so as they get time to put in new stuff. It becomes strangely soul destroying lifting and setting back down the same stuff every day. "oh, a record i've picked up every day for the last four years. Best have another look at the tracklist, and then just set it back down." again and again.
The Tom Waits record sounded interesting to me, but not neccesarily something i loved, if you get the drift and such. A bit like Bjork's record. Inventive and admirable, but not really to my liking as a whole.
"Has Been" is a wonderful album, Duke - thanks for the reference - it's now near constant listening - possibly will be appreciated even more in my own twilight years.
glad to be of service, Aaman. Spreading the word of Shatner is a joy unto itself, if only to see the suprised looks when Has Been reveals itself to be a touching, humane masterpiece rather than the kitsch (if highly enjoyable in a bizarre kinda way) psychadelia of Transformed Man.
also, although i don't agree with this in the slightest, i found this to be rather amusing. Selfish Cunt have just released My Prerogative as a single, and i found the NME review highly amusing. "Further proof that Selfish Cunt are the best band in britain, untill you actually hear them, at which point they become the worst."
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My list:
Encore - Eminem
Feedback - Rush
Shangri-La - Mark Knopfler
Around The Sun - REM - *****
The Kill Bill 1/2 soundtracks
Smile - Brian Wilson - *****
Good News For People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
The New Danger - Mos Def
Great reviews, Duke - you're one of the reasons that attracted me to blogcritics