Best Albums of 2007

[Salty Swift]

yeah, that's all reasonable, I just have trouble fully shaking my image of the Wire as the magazine where I learned about so much interesting music back in the day.

of course, none of that addresses why Annea Lockwood, two Terry Rileys, and Eliane Radigue make the reissue list over the Tudor. full list:

======================================

Neil Campbell - SOL POWR (Mundane Music)
Miles Davis - The Complete On The Corner Sessions (Sony)
Vladislav Delay - Multila (Huume)
Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief (Island)
Noah Howard - The Black Ark (Bo'weavil)
Keith Hudson - Brand (Pressure Sounds)
Annea Lockwood - Early Works 1967-82 (EM)
Ju Suk Reet Meate - Solo 78/79 (De Stijl)
Nico - The Frozen Borderline: 1968-1970 (Rhino)
Daphne Oram - Oramics (Paradigm)
Pentangle - The Time Has Come (Castle)
Eliane Radigue - Jetsun Mila (Lovely Music)
Terry Riley - Music For The Gift (Elision Fields)
Terry Riley - Poppy Nogood And The Phantom Band All Night Flight (Elision Fields)
Seefeel - Quique Redux Edition (Too Pure)
Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On (Epic)
Sun Ra - Strange Strings (Atavistic Unheard Music Series)
Sun Ra - The Complete Disco 3000 Concert (Art Yard)
Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (Domino)

From the list above, I'm in complete agreement with both Sun Ra issues .
Annea Lockwood is essential in the fact that many of that stuff has been long forgotten - the package itself is quite complete in good liners and photos from her early audio works not included on the CD.
Radigue issue was long overdue as well...

[jon abbey]

yeah, those are nice records, I own the Sun Ras and the Radigue myself, but the Tudor is a crucial historical document IMO, it's just on a different level from most of the rest of that list.

[user_548]

but they did manage to include such timeless classics as Seefeel - Quique Redux Edition (Too Pure) and Vladislav Delay - Multila (Huume).

I can't deny the impact of Seefeel but that record's pretty boring to me. Then again I can't see the universal appeal of Selected Ambient Works Volume II either.

[fearandpanic]

the Tudor is a crucial historical document IMO, it's just on a different level from most of the rest of that list.

I definitely can't agree that Cage's music exists on a higher plane, since that's the implication, than (for example) Sun Ra, Sly Stone or Noah Howard. The very notion of "levels" itself is suspect; that is, if something is being implied more than a value judgement. If you're just saying that you really like it, fine, I can't argue with that; but the terms used imply more than that. The same kind of value judgement (a non-compartmentalised one) that distinguishes one piece of Sun Ra's from another, Atlantis from Strange Strings, is brought to bear in valuing Sun Ra's music in relation Cage's and Tudor's, and personally I think coming down on one side or another is sheer folly: both are incredibly valuable musicians. (Personally I think Sun Ra's music is far better, more enjoyable, ambitious and wide-ranging than Cage's and Tudor's, but that's beside the point--I'd still never say he's on another "level").

There is always the sneaking suspicion behind this term that classical music as a whole is on a higher level (namely: emotionally, spiritually, technically, morally) than jazz or funk or whatever else. I get that from Rowe too, including where improv is considered compartiavely "low" music (in relation to French Baroque music, the New York School or Mahler, I suppose). I hope we can agree that assigning levels to music in the abstract is bullshit, and I know that this would be untypical of you (Jon), but it just happens to coincide with a dominant idea, in certain circles, that classical music, including its experimental brand, as a whole is somehow more elevated than "lower" kinds of music (all others: folk, rock, jazz, electronica). This strikes me as an desperate attempt to hold onto old social privileges by hoisting certain music onto higher (ungraspable to the plebs) "levels." I like the Tudor CD, but I also think Strange Strings and There's a Riot.. (both crucial "historical documents") are fucking great as well. (Other classical compositions, Nono's Prometeo for one, were also rereleased this year with little Wire-fanfare).

If it had been the other way round, I'd never have bothered posting again about it; but Rowe's comment just irked me, continues to irk me, and so have all the comments here in its wake.

[jon abbey]

first of all, this isn't about artists as a whole, it's about specific records, that's a major aspect you seem to miss in my criticism.

I'm not exalting Tudor in general over anyone (I even tend to think that judging solely from his recorded work, he's a bit overrated), and I certainly never mentioned Sly Stone specifically (I know he's on that list). so much of what makes Tudor important is contained on this one single record, his piano work and his pioneering live electronics work, both at their best. Sun Ra is great because of a 40 or 50 year body of work, not because of an individual record here or there, but because of what they all add up to. Strange Strings is one of his best, but at least partly because of its outlier status in his catalog.

FWIW, I also tend to think There's A Riot Goin' On is overrated, I'd choose its successor Fresh to listen to pretty much every time, but that's something of a different discussion. but I never questioned the Sly inclusion, my only point is that to leave the Tudor off that list is a major major oversight IMO.

I also never questioned that Noah Howard record's inclusion. I could pretty much live without hearing any more free jazz for the rest of my life, but that one is about as good as it gets within that thoroughly stale area.

[jon abbey]

There is always the sneaking suspicion behind this term that classical music as a whole is on a higher level (namely: emotionally, spiritually, technically, morally) than jazz or funk or whatever else.

also, you know very well I don't think this, so why the need to trot it out yet again? I'll take the first three Funkadelic records over pretty much all classical music with a handful of exceptions, if that makes you feel better. if they'd been reissued this year and left off this list, I'd be just as peeved.

[user_4602]

a few favorites this year off the cuff:

new:

Fovea Hex - Neither Speak nor Remain Silent
Grand State University New Music Ensemble - Music for 18 Musicians
Fennesz/Sakamoto - Cendre
Paul Zukofsky - Krauze/Ichiniyagi/Cage
Carl Stone - Al Noor

reissues/archival:

Terry Riley - Les Yeux Fermes & Lifespan
Soft Machine - Third remaster
Richard Crandell - In the Flower of Our Youth
John Phillips - Jack of Diamonds
Raul Lovisoni/Francesco Messina - Prati bagnati del monte Analogo
Christina Kubisch - Night Flights
Pauline Oliveros - Accordion and Voice
and the Unseen Worlds titles

still a ton I haven't had the opportunity to buy or spend time with, like the Daphne Oram or Ju Suk Reet Meate. a proper list for me would probably follow a few months after 2007

[jon abbey]

what I mean by the Tudor being "on a different level" isn't purely musical, it's also about importance and influence. a best of the last 12 months doesn't need to factor in historical importance much, it's usually pretty tough to do so that quickly. but a reissue list should certainly do this, and you can trace a path very directly as follows:

Variations II
The Crypt
noise

Variations II
The Crypt
Tilbury-era AMM
eai

does this mean that Variations II is the sole antecedent for noise or eai? obviously not, we all know the world is more complex than that, but I do think it's a crucial predecessor in both cases. that makes it one of the most important pieces of the last 50 years in my book, and certainly deserving of a spot on any discerning reissues of 2007 list.

[user_949]

i don't post too often, but i can never resist a year-end top 10. here goes...

top 3:
twinsistermoon - levels and crossings cdr
isengrind - golestan cdr
natural snow buildings - night coercion into the company of witches 3xcdr

the rest, in alphabetical order:
aluk todolo - descension
der blutharsch - the philosopher's stone
eat skull/the wrecks split cs
make a change...kill yourself - II lp
mus - la vida
psychedelic horseshit - magic flowers droned lp
wolves in the throne room - two hunters

[fearandpanic]

also, you know very well I don't think this, so why the need to trot it out yet again?.

I do know that, and said as much explictly. Yet the terms you used above gave a different (opposite) impression, and that's what I was responding to.

As for Rowe (and the disparity between his assessment and the magazine's), I have no reason to imagine that he doesn't think this; in fact, quite the opposite, there's every indiciation that he does. Your decision to frame your objection around Rowe's comment also served to draw your positions closer together (for anyone reading) than they actually are.

[user_4602]

does this mean that Variations II is the sole antecedent for noise or eai? obviously not, we all know the world is more complex than that, but I do think it's a crucial predecessor in both cases. that makes it one of the most important pieces of the last 50 years in my book, and certainly deserving of a spot on any discerning reissues of 2007 list.

I think that's an even handed assessment. Was that version technically a reissued or an archival recording?

Did modern comp not get a list?

[jon abbey]

it was a reissue:

http://www.johncage.info/cdlabels/columbia7051.html" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

here's their Modern Composition list:

Modern Composition

Earle Brown - Tracer (Mode)
Philip Corner - Extreme Positions (New World)
Morton Feldman - String Quartet No 1 (Hat Art)
Morton Feldman - Three Voices (Col Legno)
Jonathan Harvey - Angels (Soupir Editions)
Jonathan Harvey - Choral Music (Soupir Editions)
Tim Hodgkinson - Sketch Of Now (Mode)
Mauricio Kagel - Quirinus' Liebeeskuss (Winter & Winter)
Karlheinz Stockhausen - Stimmung (Harmonia Mundi)
Charles Wuorinen - Cyclops 2000/A Reliquary For Igor Stravinsky (London Sinfonietta)

all of the Wire lists are here:

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelected ... adid=60670" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

[grisha]

Your decision to frame your objection around Rowe's comment also served to draw your positions closer together (for anyone reading) than they actually are.

it would be really nice if you didn't speak for me.

thank you.

[fearandpanic]

What are you talking about? Just needlessly antagonistic bullshit I suppose.

[user_4602]

it was a reissue:

http://www.johncage.info/cdlabels/columbia7051.html" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

all of the Wire lists are here:

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelected ... adid=60670" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

Ah thanks, I didn't realize it was that version. It is very good. One of the first Cage pieces I heard.

[grisha]

What are you talking about? I didn't mention you in any capacity.

you wrote "(for anyone reading)". which does include me. and probably several others who disagree with your interpretation of that post.

[grisha]

it was a reissue:

http://www.johncage.info/cdlabels/columbia7051.html" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

all of the Wire lists are here:

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelected ... adid=60670" onclick= "window.open(this.href);return false;

Ah thanks, I didn't realize it was that version. It is very good. One of the first Cage pieces I heard.

hahahah they put High On Fire - Death Is This Communion in the 'avantrock' list. could put Motorhead on there just as well.

Echospace definitely deserve their place on the electronica list though.

[jon abbey]

As for Rowe (and the disparity between his assessment and the magazine's), I have no reason to imagine that he doesn't think this; in fact, quite the opposite, there's every indication that he does.

kind of, except in your rush to condemn anyone you think may possibly be placing European traditions above all others, you're missing the point of why Keith singled out these two pieces. Tudor's take on Variations II points towards improvised music at least as much as it does classical music, from the link that Joda added earlier in this thread:

"it would not be out of the question to call Variations II Tudor's first composition. The things that define its character are really Tudor's own compositional choices, his own musical vision. Tudor's notes, quoted earlier, suggest that the amplified piano setup came first: "My realization ... evolved from a decision to employ the amplified piano ...." Thus, the motivating force of the realization was Tudor's conception of his own exploration of a complex amplification system using a piano -- looked at from this perspective, it is really David Tudor's music, not just a realization of Cage's."

Tilbury similarly straddles the worlds of composed and improvised music, as we all know. I think it's this ever-present dichotomy that so deeply attracts Keith to the music of both Tudor and Tilbury, and so one could argue that rather than championing the largely static world of classical music, his intentions are more towards subverting and extending it, "punk classical" as I mentioned earlier.

are there major areas of music that are largely or entirely absent from Keith's world view? sure, but his intense focus on the areas he is interested in is a big part of what's made him the artist that he is. also, he was grooving to Papa Was a Rolling Stone ('is this the long version?') while driving back from Philly a few months back, so even that isn't entirely cut and dry.

[Richard Pinnell]

In my experience Keith has always spoken of a piece of music's presence, energy and emotive power. Whilst he will tell anyone that wants to listen that the string quartet is his idea of the perfect vehicle for portraying this, I don't think genres matter to him as such, just the expression in the music.

Earlier this year I sat in on a workshop he gave to a group of improvisers and he played Shostakovich's 15th quartet and the aforementioned Tudor piece to the group as examples of the passion and energy he wanted from their improvisation.

When I stayed with him for a few days in the summer he played me a good few CDs trying to get that internal feeling he feels in music across to me. As well as Shostakovich he played Brahms and Ives, but also Astor Piazolla, some country and western and even a British jazz guitarist from the 50's I can't remember the name of.

[fearandpanic]

and even a British jazz guitarist from the 50's I can't remember the name of.

Keith Rowe?