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From a
year-in-review article by at Virginmega.com -- Mayfield Four part is at the end.
It would be the understatement of the decade to say the
current state of music is pitiful therefore it was immensely
difficult to come up with 10 albums that I loved in 2001. It
was individual songs that kept coming to the forefront,
unfortunately most were backed with mediocre albums. So here
is my list of tracks that were inspiring, infectious,
intriguing, intense or just plain broke my heart in 2001, the
year of the single.
In no particular order:
Jay-Z The Blueprint Song: "Izzo (H.O.V.A)"
Come on, you were ALL singing "H to the Izzo"
this summer. Jay-Z, the man who, let's be honest, reduced hip
hop to rhyming over music from Annie, made a genius
move this year in sampling the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"
on "Izzo (H.O.V.A)." Lots of old school bravado combined with
tight beats made for a killer song.
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory Song: "One Step
Closer"
Three words. Angst, angst, angst. Korn,
Godsmack and Limp Bizkit could only wish that they'd written
this song. It oozes frustration, confusion and hopelessness
with Metallica licks and Rage Against the Machine lyrics. Two
singers - one melodic rock, the other rapping rhymes - makes
this song loud, frenzied, real and more importantly relatable.
PJ Harvey Stories from the City, Stories from
the Sea Song: "This is Love"
Erotically
charged, this track struts from the songstress' mouth with a
sensuality and emotion that is both tense and troubled. She
may be one of rock's most originals but this is definitely her
most direct rock record yet. Sure she's pissed off in places,
aggressive in others, but there's more heartfelt emotion than
craziness on this song, more beautiful, agonized wails within
her take no prisoners approach; we need more of her ilk
around.
Gorillaz Gorillaz Song: "Clint Eastwood"
Infectious without being overdone, not simply a
song but a concept, Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood" swirled
colorfully into our brains this year and became the “feel
good” hit of the summer. Once the bouncy rhymes of Del Tha
Funky Homosapien combined with the laconic Britpop vocals of
Damon Albarn, the cartoon facade faded and the beats and
scratches flowed.
Nikka Costa Everyone Got Their Something
Song: "Everybody Got Their Something"
A silky
smooth vocal slipped into a bluesy envelope was Costa's single
"Everybody Got Their Something." Sexy and soulful, the song
had funk and a bass line that is reminiscent of the days where
Sly & the Family Stone ruled the airwaves. Enough said.
New Order Get Ready Song:
"Crystal"
Absolutely the best comeback of 2001 and
the first single "Crystal" with its intense guitars, heavy
bass lines and detached defiance was exactly the right mix of
passion and the punk that music needed. A welcome return!
Spiritualized Let it Come Down Song: "The
Straight and Narrow"
Obsession, damnation, and
salvation that pull at the heartstrings while being completely
strung out. "The trouble with the straight and the narrow is/
I keep sliding off to the side," sings lead Jason Pierce as he
steps with cruel fragility on the edge of sobriety and
intoxication. Some may say genius, others pure heartbreak. One
thing's for sure; you'll drown in its depth.
Missy Elliott Miss E... So Addictive Song:
"Get Ur Freak On"
Combining hip hop attitude with
pop panache, Missy Elliott hit paydirt with this track.
Strobe-like staccato beats, demented tabla and catchy bass
line made up an irresistible single that was masterfully
produced by Timbaland. "Y'all can't come close to me!" she
raps. Truer words have not been spoken.
Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor Song:
"Fallin'"
Twenty-year-old New Yorker Alicia Keys
wrote and produced much of this record and that alone makes
her a standout in today's cesspool of the unoriginal. It is a
basic song of love and loss; but when she opens the track a
cappella with the lyrics "I keep on fallin' in and out of love
with you,” in the tradition of true gospel, the emotion and
the simplicity of her artistry shine through. Plus she plays
Beethoven and Bach as well as Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone. A
classic for years to come.
Train Drops of Jupiter Song: "Drops of
Jupiter"
A friend described this song to me
perfectly; "It's as if Leonardo da Vinci had painted the Mona
Lisa with braces." "Drops of Jupiter" is just that, a southern
laced track with compelling orchestration and melancholy
melodies that is so close to perfect. Swelling
strings, powerful guitar play and angst-ridden vocals see
Train charging full steam ahead here. The dental impediments
come in the form of the lyrics, how can a person write the
intoxicatingly beautiful, "Did you finally get the chance to
dance along the light of day" and then swiftly follow with the
cringe-worthy, "Can you imagine ... /the best soy latte that
you ever had/ and me"? Plus references to "TaeBo" dates the
song back a decade. They say simply the process of sucking can
increase the need for braces, seems in part they were right.
And ok, because I can't finish the year without there being
at least ONE full-length album that makes it to the
end of my stereo. Through 12 tracks, this one never dropped
the ball:
Mayfield Four Second Skin (Sony/Epic)
I know ... I know, you're all thinking
Who? Do yourself a favor and listen to a record that was
shamefully overlooked this year. It's the old school rock 'n'
roll you've been craving. Get rid of Nickelback, hang up Creed
for two seconds and listen to this intelligent songwriting,
phenomenal musicianship (check out the dynamite drumming on
the dark track "Sick and Wrong" or the intricate guitar work
on "Loose Cannon"), and a rockstar lead with a vocal range
that swings from a soulful Marvin Gaye to a nuclear Axl Rose.
Listen to "Believe" and if you're not drenched in haunting
pain, then you are officially a heartless bastard.
- Dee Mc
Laughlin
December 21, 2001
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