This is my first post here on the Rural Minority. I liken it to the release of Guns ‘n’ Roses’s Chinese Democracy. Like Chinese Democracy, the anticipation for this post stretches into the past decade. Also, there’s a fear that the hype leading up to this event will outshine the event itself. And finally, just like Chinese Democracy…I’m about to rock your fuckin’ socks off. (Other similarities between myself and Axl Rose: addictive personality, uncanny ability to annoy while singing, seemingly popular but rarely seen in public with more than a few “friends”, kind of think Slash is a douche-bag, misogynist.)
Before we get to the meat and potatoes, for the sake of full disclosure, let me outline my goals with the Rural Minority. I fully intend to start posting steadily and to quickly outpost Rural Patrick. Once upon a time, Rural Patrick stole my guitarist. Well, now I’m stealing his blog. Given Johnny Masters considerable skill, I normally wouldn’t consider this a fair swap. However, we all know Johnny Master’s value is depreciating about as quickly as a Chevy Malibu; you won’t find a blog dead in a Manhattan rain gutter. Game on, Pop-Rock Jesus, game on.
Top 10 Albums of the Decade lists are all the rage these days. You certainly don’t need to read another but a voice of reason is needed in this discussion. I am that voice. Head over to Pitchfork, Paste, or even Rolling Stone, and it sure as shit looks like all the guitars and drum kits on the globe were destroyed when the year 2000 rolled around. Not so. What follows is a Top 10 list of my favorite albums of the decade. I will not defend them as the best of the decade but, coincidentally, the list does show that rock ‘n’ roll was alive and well the past 10 years.
(One more thing: yes, Kid A belongs on this list. I just don’t have anything interesting to say about it that hasn’t been repeated ad nauseum ever since it was released. Also, Kid A spawned a bunch of bullshit so I’m a bit jaded towards the record. In much the same way that Korn paved the way for the Limp Bizkits and Linken Parks of the world, Radiohead laid the groundwork for every tool with a keyboard to start a rock band and bore me to tears. Henceforth, this is a Kid A free zone. You can all breathe easy.)
Without further adieu:
10. Jamey Johnson – That Lonesome Song
In Tropic Thunder Robert Downey, Jr.’s character politely reminds Ben Stiller that “you don’t go full retard” in a role if you hope to earn recognition from The Academy. The same thing seems to apply with country music. If you can pull off a record that has a hint of country (Ryan Adams, Drive By Truckers, Avett Brothers) everyone will applaud your efforts and interpret your twang as enlightened irony. But you never, NEVER go full country.
Well, fuck that. There’s no good reason for it. Just like every other genre, country can be done well and it can be done poorly. And, just like every other genre, country is usually done poorly. When it is done well, however, it deserves credit. Johnson’s That Lonesome Song is a wonderfully cohesive record that wrestles with addiction, redemption, and grace. This album may have been the secret reason for me moving to Nashville, so you know its powerful.
I won’t waste space on this choice further because none of you have listened to it anyway. Don’t worry, my defense of this genre that has been irrationally rejected by most music listeners ends at #10. Just know that a categorical rejection country music without just cause is tantamount to musical bigotry. But by all means, bigot away. Assholes.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhPqerGUKVk[/youtube]
9. Tool – Lateralus
When a Honda “redesigns” a perfectly attractive Civic most people recognize it not as improvement but simply as change motivated by profit. The upcoming Spring fashion lines will be different from last years’ lines not because there was an inadequacy but because, well, that’s how fashion works. Modern art has been so shackled by the need to break new ground with every exhibit that it has devolved into idiocy. Change only for the sake of change is not necessarily good.
With that settled, why is it so difficult for music critics to fully appreciate material that is the perfection of an established sound? I have yet to see this album on any decade list and some of them go 200 deep. Inexcusable. Lateralus has no misfires. Did Tool reinvent themselves with this record? No. All they did was buckle down and deliver punching, complex hard rock songs better than anyone else on the planet. What a shame! From the complex fibonacci of “Lateralus” (see below) to the best crescendo of the decade found in the nano-seconds between Parabol and Parabola, this album is concentrated, contemplative, and deliberate rock and roll. And that, my friends, deserves credit. Remember, being perfect is more difficult than being different.
Besides, Parabol/Parabola found their way on to a Fillmore Eagles Boys Soccer warm-up mix thanks to yours truly so you know its good. Orgy also made it on to that mix. Sadly, Orgy just missed the cut on this list.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS7CZIJVxFY[/youtube]
8. Coldplay – Parachutes
I won’t argue that Coldplay, on an objective list, deserves a spot in the top 10. On extended lists, however, it would be a glaring omission to not give their body of work for the decade some representation. The consensus seems to be, however, that A Rush of Blood to the Head is the appropriate candidate. Two problematic issues jump out to me here. Mainly, Parachutes is awesome and A Rush of Blood to the Head is terrible. Rarely do I appreciate silence more than when I’m subjected to another listening of “Clocks”. If we’re talking lasting influence, this shouldn’t even be a debate. Parachutes opened the doors for the likes of Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, and James Blunt to appeal to a wide audience (a suspect list, I know but that stuff moved millions of records for the remainder of the decade). I’m not sure what A Rush of Blood influenced other than my decision to ignore Coldplay from that point forward.
Anyway, Parachutes makes its way on to this list because I still listen to it from time to time and I was once in a shitty band that covered “Yellow” quite shittily on multiple occasions. So, there ya go.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpei22c3SDM[/youtube]
7. Outkast – Stankonia
I went through a brief but passionate love affair with rap music from 10th grade to my freshmen year of college. As with most love affairs, years later there’s usually one defining sexual memory that lives on in the deep recesses of your mind. Stankonia is that defining sexual memory. Sure, I remember making out with Jurassic 5. And how could I forget that threesome with The Marshall Mathers LP and Phrenology? But those experiences don’t warrant inclusion on this list. But bustin’ my rap cherry all over Stankonia’s lap? You betcha.
Also, if I was black I’d want to be Andre 3000. Him or Arsenio Hall circa 1993.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp2hvM2LL_4[/youtube]
6. The Strokes – Is This It
What can I say that hasn’t been said already? Addition by subtraction. In retrospect, a perfect snapshot of America in 2001. Right place, right time, just right. The influence was felt throughout the decade from mainstays like The Vines and The White Stripes to the short lived like The Hives and Franz Ferdinand. As undeniably important as it was undeniably good. Also, another excellent example of submission to form producing the best creativity. The Strokes are often characterized by their stripped down simplicity. And that’s appropriate. But work your way through some of insert name’s guitar parts. This isn’t amateur hour, dude can play. He’s also a perfect example of a guitarist who strictly adheres to a “meaningful notes” philosophy. No wasted space or time in his playing. Every note is full of purpose. Nothing is there just because.
In addition to the above mentioned, I still listen to this album and know exactly where I was when I first listened to it which is worth something. I was in the back seat of a Mercury Sable outside of Findlay, Ohio. That promises to be one of the more meaningful experiences ever had by anyone in or around the Findlay, Ohio area. Actually, I bet it was one of the more meaningful experiences ever had in the entire state of Ohio. Its probably right up there with that time the Cleveland Indians rebuilt their team around a bunch of scabs and criminals to rally back to win the pennant. Go Tribe!
And, in case you missed it, Julian Casablanca recently appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s god-awful late night show (see below) to cover the SNL classic “I Wish It Was Christmas Today”. Well worth your time. Especially if you live in Ohio.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0CPdyP6GWA[/youtube]
5. The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium
I’m a strong believer in the idea that real, useful creativity can only come after total submission to form. Music has rules. This thorny little fact always seems to catch on the hipster’s flannel but it is undeniable. Even more sobering, music has a lot of rules and a serious musician will spend a lifetime internalizing those rules. Creativity is the natural progression of submission to form. Psuedo-intellectual hippies on college campuses across the nation just dropped their djembe’s in disbelief. But, preytell, how is a musician supposed to add to a body of work that he hasn’t even bothered to comprehend?
Enter The Mars Volta. These guys get it. Listen through any of their efforts this decade and it cannot be denied that each member of the band has mastered his craft. To put it simply, these dudes have run their scales and then some. They have submitted themselves to the musical form. And after all of that boring submission to form bullshit they dropped some acid and wrote De-Loused in the Comatorium. No, seriously, that’s pretty much how these guys do business. De-Loused is loosely a concept album based on their friend Julio Venegas who was in a coma for several years. Mr. Venegas woke up from said coma and promptly jumped off an overpass into on-coming traffic. Strangely enough, if you were to write a soundtrack to that fucked up story it would sound exactly like De-Loused.
Personally, these guys land on my list for two reasons. First, I’m not a panty-waisted lady man who listens to Fleet Foxes and eats hummus. I like to rock. Hard. Second, the instrumental mastery on their records just blows my mind. Especially their percussion (see below). Granted, the drum kit is like a black box of mystery to me. Anytime I try to keep a beat with more than two appendages I lose control of my facial muscles, go slack-jawed, and inevitably quit out of fear that I’ll lose control of my bowels. Nonetheless, I know world class drumming when I hear it. I picked De-Loused over their other outings because it was first, it really came out of left field, and I prefer it over the other albums. It would be higher on the list except for their penchant for prog-rock noise which I imagine sounds really sweet when you’re zonked on psychotropic drugs but just sounds really awful otherwise.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72yH6HPhidM[/youtube]
4. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams has a couple of releases this decade that could be considered for this list (Jacksonville City Nights and Gold among them). Interestingly enough, Rock n Roll was my first Ryan Adams album and I still hold it near and dear to my heart. But I recognize that it pales in comparison to Heartbreaker. Also, look at that album cover! Iconic.
Unfortunately, Mandy Moore didn’t actually die and Adams ended up marrying her. I fully expect to never hear anything interesting from him ever again.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSX-8zQ2xOQ[/youtube]
3. A Perfect Circle – Mer de Noms
Maynard makes his second appearance on the list (did you know he owns his own winery?). There is nothing to dislike about this album. THERE IS NOTHING TO DISLIKE ABOUT THIS ALBUM. I own two APC t-shirts. Even better: I still wear them. Anyway, I first heard “Judith” on the Nerve’s (95.1/95.5) New Music at Nine segment. My older brother came home after sucking face with his then-girlfriend that I had already dated and asked what the song was. I told him the name of the band and he responded with “sounds like Tool.” And, for the most part, all three reasons this album is this high is contained in that short story. First, I remember that exact moment (again, these things matter). Second, I came to know Tool through A Perfect Circle. And finally, “Judith” is one of the best rock songs I’ve ever heard. I won’t bore you with the details, but see below and pay attention to Josh Freese’s drumming. Always, always pay attention to Josh Freese.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23eZMdixAuk[/youtube]
2. Beck – Sea Change
I’m convinced that Beck is one of those artists that will get lost amid the shuffle and then experience a huge renaissance years from now that will rival the popularity he experienced with Odelay. His body of work is too eclectic for everyone to appreciate as it is happening. But in the 2030’s, college kids across the nation will be going bonkers over Beck. He will come to be a defining figure of his generation, mark my words.
For me, this album really expanded the breadth of Beck’s reach. He was really superb before this but he was also quirky. A kook. Aloof. Then he released Sea Change, a devastating break-up album, that showed he could be saddened with something as silly and mundane as a girl. He had hinted at this possibility at times on Mutations but there was always the chance that he was just being ironic or proving that he could write such a song. Not so with Sea Change.
I recently listened to this album flying from Baltimore to Nashville. I think they should just play it over plane’s sound systems on all flights as an anti-terrorism measure. The only person you want to kill after listening to Sea Change is yourself. Everything else just seems futile. Then again, if you’ve already got a bomb huggin’ your grundle I suppose the easiest way to off yourself would still be to just detonate the bomb and take the plane down with you…I love this album!
Incidentally, Beck quietly has one of the best websites going right now where he takes on cover projects with other artists. Some of it really is the bee’s knees, cat’s pajama’s, etc.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6zAT15vaFk[/youtube]
1. Nine Inch Nails – And All That Could Have Been
I know, I know. It’s a live album. Most of the material found on it was written before the year 2000. But it is the best live album I’ve ever heard. The material is some of the best material I’ve ever heard. It cannot be overlooked. It probably changed my life in ways I can’t even recognize and, although I don’t listen to it every week, I wouldn’t be surprised if I did listened to it 52 times in the year 2009.
I bought the live DVD of this album and was immediately hooked. Johnny Masters and I were playing a “show” at a church-hosted coffee house and, to get psyched up, I showed him the first three tracks. He was immediately hooked. And All That Could Have Been is powerful, powerful stuff. “Terrible Lie” has to be considered among the great album openers of all time. Again, I know this is a live album. I just don’t care.
These lists always insist on accounting for the measurable influence a record had on other artists. Let’s take that one step further and talk about meta-influence. Trent Reznor, who came to prominence in 1989, led the way in redefining the music industry in the past decade. Radiohead attracted a bunch of hullabaloo for giving way In Rainbows. Trent did it with The Slip but wasn’t as tacky as to allow for donations (also, you can still download The Slip for free. Not so with In Rainbows.). Before The Slip he told fans to steal his music, much to chagrin of the label he was still tied to. He allowed and encouraged fans to record his live shows which has spawned hours and hours of HD concert footage, all free and legal, on the internet. His tours throughout the decade were cutting edge and innovative. This guy mattered in the past decade. And All That Could Have Been led the way and easily finds itself at the top of this list.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x67TYcYOg8Y[/youtube]
Those are my 10. Whadya think? Let’s hear it.
Next up: Rusty Belmonte has a chance encounter with Lil Sassee Cassee.
