Saturday, April 01, 2006

ARTO WUZ ROBBED!



Arto wuz robbed! And XTC! And all those other people who got into my top 10 albums since MOJO began who were never going to get into MOJO's own top 100. Here's the top 20 (you'll have to buy the magazine for the rest - and no, I don't own shares):

1. Jeff Buckley, Grace
2. Johnny Cash, American Recordings
3. Radiohead, OK Computer
4. Bob Dylan, Time out of Mind
5. Oasis, Definitely Maybe
6. The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
7. Radiohead, Kid A
8. The White Stripes, Elephant
9. Nirvana, Unplugged in New York
10. Beck, Odelay

Jeff Buckley, the thinking man's Julian Lennon, once described his art thus: "Sensitivity isn't being wimpy. It's about being so painfully aware that a flea landing on a dog is like a sonic boom." What a prick. Still, he is at least better than his dad.

The only album in MOJO's top 10 which I can get excited about is the Nirvana one, and even then I prefer In Utero. Still, it could be worse - and it's fantastic to see Tinariwen's The Radio Tisdas Sessions in there at 79. (Guess which bunch of stockbrokers get in at number 82?)

And since we're doing music news, Scott Walker was interviewed by the very lovely Verity Sharp on the Culture Show the other night promoting his new album, only his third in thirty years. His last two, 1984's Climate of Hunter and 1995's Tilt have a reputation for being difficult and austere. Well, Climate of Hunter isn't that difficult at all (in spite of apparently being Virgin Records' lowest selling album ever), and you would do well to buy the newly remastered version pronto. Tilt is admittedly more demanding, but when I fancy a bit of avant-garde housework, it's often one of the first records I turn to. His new album is called The Drift, which coincidentally is the name of my first novel. Scott and I are obviously on the same wavelength. Check here for release details.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are people still voting for OK Computer in these list things ? In 1997 it was just about excusable to vote for it because it was new and exciting and the done thing but NOW ? Are you seriously trying to tell me that OK Computer is the 3rd best thing recorded by musicians anywhere in the world in the last however many years it is ? If that was you, roll up your special edition of Mojo and hit yourself over the head with it.

7:50 PM  
Blogger Snowball said...

I think OK Computer deserves to be no. 1 actually so perhaps I ought to go off for an extended period of self-flagellation with the latest MOJO.

Oh and Paddington, didn't you once tell me never ever to use '!'s in writing as they were vulgar or something? Or was that someone else?

8:26 PM  
Blogger paddington said...

That certainly sounds like the sort of pompous shite I would come out with. !s are ok if used sparingly, but (!)s and ?!s are never forgiveable. Actually Mr Burnett always used to say ()s were vulgar as well - he much preferred -s.

9:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do hope your copy of Mojo has some serious dents in it by now Snowball. You honestly think that OK Computer is the best thing recorded since Mojo started selling magazines ? Remarkable. I have no idea what IS the best album of that period but I'm fairly sure it isn't that. And to think I just profoundly agreed with you on your blog.

By the way Paddington, what's your view on using capitals to REINFORCE the point you are trying to make ? Did Mr Burnett have a rule about that ? Probably not a good idea.

12:37 AM  

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