Music is important to me. I have been told that I am eclectic - not dyslexic - in my musical tastes and I suspect my choices below may reflect this. Not all of these albums were released in the year 2002 but they were some of the ones that were played most often during the year. [Some were absolutely thrashed - but in a good way.]
Some of My Favourite CDs of the year 2002
Click on the images
below to see a larger version of the CD covers. [The images will open in a new
window.]
Click on the artists' names to read my thoughts on these particular albums.
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Happy Rhodes - Many Worlds Are
Born Tonight
I have had this Happy Rhodes album for a long time and the number of occasions it has been removed briefly from the CD player can be counted on one hand. When I first received the album, it was played almost continually and now, though it is true it must share air time with a number of other albums, it still is played regularly. I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to Happy's music a number of years ago and enjoy listening to the albums of hers that I own.
Happy's voice has to be heard to be believed. Her vocal range is extremely broad. I'm not certain how many octaves it spans, but she is able to traverse this range with ease.
'Many Worlds' is her first 'commercial' album but such a term may be misleading - it is original, fresh and can not easily be allocated one of those generic labels that are used so readily to describe much of today's music. Someone commented that 'Many Worlds' reminded her of the television show 'Xena' - ironically I had been thinking the same thing. It's not that Happy's music sounds similar to the music of Xena - it's just that there is an indefinable atmosphere created within many of the songs that seems to provoke images and moods from the show within the mind.
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I first heard Augie March when I happened to pick up their 'Waltz' EP. I still don't know why I purchased it, as I hadn't heard the song before, but I'm glad I was overwhelmed by the impulse. I loved the EP and so was anxious for their debut LP to be released. I found that it took longer to grow on me than the EP but it still managed to wend its way into my favourites list within a relatively short space of time.
The vocalist, Glenn Richards, has a melancholy quality to his voice which threads its way through all the tracks. The music itself reminds me of the style of music played at old dance halls - an unusual trait for modern music but one which I consider effective. Both vocals and music combine to create a haunting sound.
Augie March is an Australian band that incorporates Australian elements within the lyrics but doesn't resort to 'in your face' Australianisms. It has taken them a couple of years to release their debut, but it has been well worth the wait.
An aside - if you were to see a photo of the band, you would find it difficult to reconcile it with their sound.
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Dead Can Dance - a passage in time
When I first heard Dead Can Dance, many years ago, I found them interesting but was not burnt with a desire to rush out and purchase their back catalogue. In retrospect I'm uncertain as to why I felt that way, but it may have been that I had heard them at the wrong time. [An affliction I sometimes suffer from. Yes, timing is everything.]
Time went by and, though I heard their music here and there, I never got around to picking up any of their albums. Maybe living the back of beyond contributed to this, but I may be just looking for excuses. Now that I live back within the seething mass of humanity, I can still only boast ownership of two Dead Can Dance CDs. However, I listen to this one enough to compensate for the lack.
I'll not go into a lengthy description of the musical style - suffice to say, if you want to listen to something that has depth and develops mood, then give this album a spin.
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Of course, there has to be a Cure album in a list of my favourites. This is supposedly their last and, while it is not my all-time favourite, it is a solid finish to a career that lasted for over twenty years.
The Cure had many albums out when a cousin of mine first introduced me to their wonderful warped world. I find that many of their tracks have a surrealistic edge and 'Bloodflowers' is no different. Perhaps that is why I have collected so many of their albums.
Oh, and the fact that I consider Robert Smith to be really cute helps too.
Over the years The Cure has developed a distinctive sound, despite numerous line-up changes. 'Bloodflowers' doesn't deviate from this. Considered by many as being a Gothic band, the band's roots are in the punk movement.
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And now for a complete change in musical style. b[if]tek are a female duo who create low-fi analogue dance music. Because of this, their work sometimes has a retro feel to it which may, or may not, be deliberate.
Their biggest hit off this album was a cover of Cliff Richard's 'Wired For Sound' - a cover that was a credit to them. However, this also drew some flak from the critics with b[if]tek being accused of a lack of originality in their own lyrics. After listening to the album a number of times, I thought that lyrics may not be their primary consideration. I think that they may be more concerned with the creation of sound. Of course, this is only my opinion and I may have misread the intent of their work.
I like the 'warmth' of the analogue sound on this album. There is also a touch of offbeat humour to their work which appeals to me personally.
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Luba - From the Bitter to the Sweet
I must confess that I didn't get this album by Luba until 2001 but it had been intended that I should receive it in the year 2002. That, and the fact that this has been an album I have thrashed since it arrived in the post, is why I have included it in this list.
I know very little about Luba herself, other than she is Canadian, but I have found this album very listenable. By this I don't mean that the album fades into the background - it's just that the sound is appealing to the ears. This is enhanced by the quality of Luba's voice and the lyrical strength of the songs.
I don't know if it is my current state of mind or not, but I think this would be a good album to have playing while one is dying.
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Described as sounding like Radiohead with attitude, Muse have produced a very powerful album with angry undertones. If you like music with a bit of push, then this is an album for you.
The album could possibly be classified as being a hard rock album musically but I am not sure that the lyrics could also be said to fit this genre. Lots of drums, which I like, and an overall bassy sound add to the effect of the tortured lyrics. I would agree that there is some resemblance to Radiohead but I would not consider Muse to be a clone - not even close.
Not recommended for romantic evenings.
This is another album of which I have no idea as to why I bought it, but I'm glad that I did.
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Another album with an angry edge to its sound even though it's very different to Muse. A female vocalist, Connie Mitchell, fronts Primary and she has a very powerful voice that cuts to the bone. At times, she sings in a more sedate manner, showing that she is versitile in the use of her voice.
Released in 1999, I didn't encounter this debut album until last year. I bought it on the strength of my passion for the single 'Vicious Precious' which is possibly the most aggressive song on the whole album. Despite this, the rest of the album was not disappointing. An illustration of this is that the last song, 'As Others Do' is very laidback - almost wistful - and is my second favourite track.
Trivia Time - Midnight Oil loaned Primary their equipment so that they could record this album.
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The
Album
It doesn't matter whether you love or hate the TV show, this album still has some great tracks on it. Okay, so if you're not a Buffy fan, you'll proabably be unhappy that the first track is the title theme from the show, but after that it's plain sailing.
A wide range of artists appear on the album with, perhaps, Garbage and The Sundays being the two best known groups involved. The tracks vary, in style, from loud and percussion-ridden to quiet and vocally driven. This couldn't really be called a Gothic album although I think it's trying to pass itself off as one.
My favourite track is 'Lucky' by Bif Naked - it's one of the calmer tracks, which may not be typical of the band. I haven't been able to track down any of their other music in order to be able to tell. Whatever the case, I still enjoy this song.
I find this album to be a good choice for playing when driving.
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David Bridie - Act of free Choice
David Bridie was once a member of the band 'My Friend, The Chocolate Cake'. While I enjoyed some of their music, I was never a big fan of theirs. It was not because their music was uninspiring or lacking in any way - it just didn't appeal to me greatly.
Bridie's solo effort is an entirely different kettle of fish. No doubt, if one was to analyse the music of the band with 'Act of free Choice', there would be parallels. [It's been so long, I've forgotten what Chocolate Cake sounded like.] However, Bridie has followed a different path in relation to lyrical content.
I find this album exudes a truly melancholy air - an air that is woven through all the tracks. It is definitely not an album that could be considered upbeat. It's better suited to those quiet, reflective moments than to dance parties. Some of the tracks remind me of the style of Alex Lloyd - one of my favourites of 1999 - but that is not a bad thing.
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![b[if]tek - cover](images/bt.jpg)
