How do you attempt a best of list during a year that ranks as the worst of modern times? I spent less time this year listening to new music than I can remember. I spent less time in record shops than I can remember. Like everyone else, much of my year was spent working from home (thankfully) and binge-watching comfort TV ("The Great British Baking Show", "Walking Through History" and "Repair Shop" were three of my favorites.)
But there were bright spots -- musically -- in this otherwise horrid year. So, with a nod to the frivolity of exercises like this, here are 13 of my favorite songs of a very unlucky 2020:
Gorillaz featuring Peter Hook & Georgia - "Aries"
Perhaps my favorite song of the year. I realize that I'm predictable -- and that a Damon Alban-Peter Hook project was always going to be a winner in my book. But it's not like ALL collaborations between Manchester legends are shoe-ins to make my list (Avalanches' recent effort with Johnny Marr was sub-par for both parties.) But "Aries" earns its place on my list this year and would be a great song even without that iconic bass-line from Hooky. Honorable mention goes to another Gorillaz collab with an 80s icon: "Strange Timez" with the Cure's Robert Smith.
Public Enemy - "Fight the Power (2020 Remix)"
The anthem -- and album -- this year needed. The anger and urgency of Chuck D, Flav and collaborators that include Nat and QuestLove on this reboot cut through loud and clear during a summer of racial injustice, a health crisis that disproportionately hurt Black and brown communities, and a presidency that took its cues from the worst elements of society. PE never sounded so right for the times.
Bob Mould - "Forecast of Rain"
Another voice we needed this year was Bob Mould's. In two-and-a-half minutes of bombast. Mould calls out the hypocrites of the American right, and reserves well-deserved scorn for one in particular: "Would this be blasphemy: When you're a star/You can do what you want." Thank you, Mr. Mould, and keep doing what you're doing.
Deep Sea Diver featuring Sharon Van Etten - "Impossible Weight"
Seattle's Deep Sea Diver team up with New Jersey-born Van Etten for a track that oozes cool. Van Etten's vocals manage to be full of swagger yet vulnerable at the same time -- a feat nearly as impossible as the weight she worries she's putting on those around her. But with an acting career to go with her music, Van Etten is used to pulling off the impossible.
Destroyer - "Crimson Tide"
When it comes to the individual members of Canadian collective New Pornographers, I've long been a fan of Carl Newman, and less so of Dan Bejar's work. I love the instrumentation that starts minimal and builds throughout the song, punctuated by that great keyboard line and Bejar's spoken word vocals.
Future Islands - "For Sure"
Baltimore's Future Islands do it again -- a perfect, shimmery, synth pop song reminiscent of the best of the 80s. The playbook is a lot like their 2014 hit "Seasons (Waiting on You)" -- lush instrumentation, moody keyboard pads, and a Samuel T. Herring chorus begging to be sung along to. But if it works...
Washed Out - "Time to Walk Away"
Ernest Greene Jr. has always known how to extract maximum emotion from the minimum amount of ingredients. From the early chill wave recordings he made in the bedroom of his parents' house in Georgia, to the uptempo and almost salsa feel of this track, he manages to hit all the right notes, and all the right chords, to take his listeners along for an ethereal ride.
Olafur Arnalds - "Zero"
With around 350,000 people, Iceland has a population smaller than Aurora, Colorado. But its musical output? On a per capita basis, it is unrivaled. Think Sigur Ros and Of Monsters and Men, to say nothing of Bjork and Sugarcubes. This year's discovery for me was multi-instrumentalist Olafur Arnalds, whose hauntingly beautiful album Some Kind of Peace was the rather appropriate soundtrack to our very chill Thanksgiving.
bdrmm - "Push / Pull"
After new releases by Ride, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine in recent years, shoegaze is having a moment. So it's no surprise new bands would form to keep the genre moving. Hull's bdrmm pays tribute to the shoegaze classics with music to get utterly lost in. And in 2020, that sounds like a good thing.
Guided by Voices - "Mr. Child"
Guided by Voices released - count 'em - three albums this year. We knew Robert Pollard was prolific, but that is kind of ridiculous. The band gave us a lot to choose from, but I was won over by the guitar riff that opens this song -- with the right effects it could have been on a Fall record.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - "Cars in Space"
The Melbourne five-piece is back at it with their second album for Sub-Pop. "Cars in Space" could have been an outtake from 2018's debut LP Hope Downs. The formula -- three guitarists trading riffs over a driving drumbeat -- is the same, and it's still a winner.
Perfume Genius - "Describe"
Rich and moody, with surprising nods to both classic rock and folk. It's a bit of a departure for Michael Hadreas, who records as Perfume Genius. And it's not difficult to hear why Hadreas cites Cocteau Twins, Enya and Townes Van Zandt as influences on his 2020 release Set My Heart on Fire Immediately.
Stephen Malkmus - "Xian Man"
Here's what happens when Pavement meets Tinariwen -- the laconic vocals we love about Malkmus blend so well with that strangely exotic guitar riff that repeats throughout the track.
The year -- and the decade -- are coming to a close. In the coming days I plan to compile a list of my favorite tracks from the 2010s, including some of the ones I flat-out missed in previous best-of-the-year lists -- nothing like ending the decade recapping your failures! But for now, I want to wrap up the year with a look at what I think are the top tracks of 2019. Here we go:
"Exits" - Foals
The band from Oxford by way of Peckham, London hits us with the perfect song for our time, and my runaway choice for song of the year. "Exits" is a dystopian portrait of a world gone horribly wrong. The distorted synths and jagged beats build to the song's climax, as a frustrated Yannis Philippakis sings "I wish I could figure it out/but the world's upside down." It's the sharpest, most urgent call to action against the imminent twin threats of authoritarianism and climate change -- and a perfect antidote to the dystopia we find ourselves living in.
Now here are ten more songs that deserve accolades this year:
"Viktor Borgia" - Stephen Malkmus
Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus was sitting on an electronica album for years. It was appropriately called Groove Denied, and in 2019 it finally saw the light of day. The leadoff single "Viktor Borgia" -- and its accompanying video -- feel like a flashback to the earliest days of electro pop, with Malkmus doing his best to sound like early Human League or Gary Numan.
"Harmony Hall" - Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend has made a career out of this sort of twee loveliness. Sure, "Harmony Hall" is a bit too precious, but it's also an incredibly catchy piece of songwriting that dares you not to sing along. Many critics have heard the Grateful Dead in this track, and I can't help but sing the chorus of "Friend of the Devil" over parts of this song.
"Jesus' Son" - Priests
Washington DC's Priests dwell at the epicenter of this country's moral corruption. So it's no surprise that they would take aim at the absurd views of a megalomaniac in this song. I wonder who singer Katie Alice Greer is referring to when she belts out lyrics like "God came to me in a dream and told me that I'm Jesus' son/ I know this world is mean, it's lucky I'm the chosen one." The political implications of the album's red state name-checking title - The Seduction of Kansas - should give you a hint.
"Turn to Hate" - Orville Peck
Orville Peck came out of nowhere this spring -- I mean, nowhere -- and his identity remains shrouded in mystery. We know this much about the alt-country singer/songwriter: He's Canadian and he identifies as queer. Beyond that, he hides his true persona behind a fringed Lone Ranger mask. But Peck speaks volumes with his deep, rich baritone. His singing and songwriting on this track evokes Matt Johnson's best work with The The. Except the twang of Peck's Telecaster gives this tune an unmistakably country vibe.
"Johannesburg" - Africa Express
Damon Albarn may well be the King Midas of modern music: His forays from pop to electronica to world music always seem to pan out, and this latest venture is no different. Much like 2002's under heralded Mali Music, Africa Express is an Albarn-led collective featuring European, American and African artists collaborating and breaking new musical ground, in an attempt to level the playing field between the developed world and everyone else. This track features gauzy lead vocals from Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys married to the otherworldly sing-song of Lesotho singer (and shepherd) Morena Leraba.
"Stars are the Light" - Moon Duo
The Portland psychedelics put their guitars away just long enough to turn up the synths and sequencers on this shimmering beauty, and the result is an intoxicating.
"All Mirrors" - Angel Olsen
Olsen's haunting vocals stand out on this dramatic track, which evokes Kate Bush or PJ Harvey in their finest hours. Over a sea of theatrical synthesizers, the Asheville, NC art-rocker employs a repetitive melody as the song builds, dies down, and eventually reaches its climax. Stunning. Listen to it on full volume and in the dark.
"Until the Fire" - Ladytron
Liverpool's Ladytron blend the best of shoegaze and electronica on this urgent, dystopian stomp. Like "Exits" (at the top of this list), "Until the Fire" is seething with anger and fury. And despite acknowledging that something horrific is going on in the world, Ladytron isn't trying to sugarcoat it.
"Feel the Sun" - Josefin Öhrn & the Liberation
Swedish-born and London-based Öhrn shines on this dreamy swirl of synths and fuzz. And despite the title, it's the haze and shadows in this track that make it so beautiful.
"Green Eyes" - THICK
The all-female pop-punk trio from New York borrows sonically from tongue-in-cheek mid-90s acts like Blink 182. Sure, THICK likes to have fun, but they have an authenticity -- and an inclusivity -- that comes through in their music and live performances. And the music world is starting to take notice: THICK signed with iconic punk label Epitaph this year. This track tones down the energy long enough to showcase great overlapping singing -- and the frustration of what the band says is the "strange frustration of a partner projecting their emotional baggage onto you."
It's a few days after the new year, and time now to compile my annual list of the best songs of the previous year. There's a lot to get to from 2018, but I'm starting big -- with my nominee for song of the year:
"Charity" - Courtney Barnett
An easy one for me. Straight ahead rock and roll with the guitar riff of the year. I saw her over summer in Prospect Park and her live set rocked even harder than the record. She plays left handed, and the parallels to Kurt Cobain didn't escape me. That said, this song leans more towards power pop than grunge -- at least on the studio version. But don't be fooled: This Aussie can flat out rock.
"Talking Straight" - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
We'll stay down under for this one. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have a name far more cumbersome than their sound, which again is guitar-forward rock and roll. Granted, they have three different lead vocalists depending on the song or the arrangement. Play this for a classic rock fan and I'll bet they'll like it, too. And they're hardly a one-off: There's a few other tracks off their album Hope Downs that could have easily made this list.
"Marble Skies" - Django Django
Kinetic synth-pop set to a Krautrock beat from this London via Edinburgh quartet. The frenzy of the verses and bridge give way to a triumphant chorus punctuated by an infectious keyboard riff. Fun fact: Django Django's drummer David Maclean is the younger brother of Beta Band keyboardist John Maclean. But that's where the comparisons end: Django Django sound like the more mellow Beta Band on hyperdrive.
"Semicircle Song" - The Go! Team
What do you get when you cross a drumline with Bollywood horns, handclaps and a double dutch chant? Pure joy. Sure, that combination sounds awful, but here, it works. This song from Brighton, England's The Go! Team makes me happy -- and I dare you not to share in my happiness! I first heard it aboard British Airways flying home from Paris and it added a huge injection of fun into what was otherwise the sad end to a wonderful trip. Thanks, Go! Team.
"Les Mirabelles" - MC Solaar
Speaking of Paris, here's the one-song soundtrack to my trip there aboard Air France. This moody and atmospheric affair by the master of French rap put me in the right mood for a week in Paris. MC Solaar's been at this game for three decades. He's a big star in France, and I've always thought the French language lent itself well to rap for some reason. This song works right up until the metal sounding guitar solo at the end.
"Tranz" - Gorillaz
I get that Gorillaz released a few other songs before this one, but this is the standout track on their latest LP The Now Now. It has the proper dose of moody menace that made Damon Albarn's post-Blur project so potent over the years.
"Middle America" - Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Have you ever heard such a catchy tune about middle age? Malkmus croons that he "won't be one of the watchers, I won't disappear." And on this track -- so far removed from his Pavement days -- he doesn't. He stamps his slacker mark all over us aging Generation Xers. A perfect song for the times.
"Sprorgnsm" - Superorganism
The London based collective Superorganism features Orono Noguchi -- a teenager from Maine -- on vocals. Strange. For me this song combines the best of Beck's slacker groove with the sound sampling The Avalanches.
"Loading Zones" - Kurt Vile
Philly's own Kurt Vile released his eighth studio album late this year and this self-assured track was the first single. It features the virtuosic guitar work Vile is known for, but it's a beautiful piece of song craft with quirky lyrics and a great video of Vile driving a Chrysler LeBaron convertible and a 70s Pontiac Grand Prix through the streets of Philadelphia.
"IDGAF" - Sam Evian
New York singer songwriter Sam Evian released his second LP on Omaha's Saddle Creek Records, and it's obvious why Saddle Creek founder Conor Oberst would endorse Evian's dreamy music.
"Comeback Kid" - Sharon Van Etten
Sharon Van Etten has a lot on her plate these days. She's got an acting career in LA, a toddler at home in Brooklyn, and she's returned to college to pursue a degree in psychology. Despite that -- or perhaps because of it -- she's managed to complete her forthcoming album, the aptly named Remind Me Tomorrow. On this track - the LP's first single - she trades in her singer songwriter vibe for synths and an uptempo beat to find the energy she no doubt needs to keep the pace in her busy life.
"On the Level" - Mac Demarco
Vancouver's Mac Demarco created the perfect lazy summer song. So easy, so atmospheric. And a keyboard riff that's nearly impossible to get out of your head.
"Darkness" - Pinegrove
Pinegrove is one of two indie bands from Montclair, NJ, who broke big this year (the other was Forth Wanderers). This introspective song was a staple of Sirius XMU, despite the band's self-imposed hiatus at the end of 2017 after lead singer Evan Stephens Hall was accused of sexual coercion by an unnamed woman.
"Mr Tillman" - Father John Misty
We'll keep the folk vibe going here with the latest from Father John Misty, who's real name really is Mr Tillman. Joshua Michael Tillman to be exact. The verses and chorus are repetitive, but the chord changes in each are beautiful and complex. Lovely.
"Lemon Glow" - Beach House
Baltimore's Beach House released their seventh studio LP -- appropriately named 7. The duo has mastered dreamy psychedelic pop -- trip-wave if you will -- and "Lemon Glow" was the #1 song on Sirius XMU for 2018. I can't disagree with the pick.
"Mourning Sound" - Grizzly Bear
A motorik beat grounds the latest from Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear. The verses build slowly, eventually lifting the veil on a gorgeous chorus that makes you feel like you're flying through clouds. Too bad it's from 2017. So why did it get so much airplay this year?
"Northern Lights" - Death Cab for Cutie
Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie have been responsible for a ton of great music over the years, but this newest single ranks among the best of it. The music is so good that I can forgive Ben Gibbard's oft-tortured lyrics: "I remember your silhouette/on Dyes Inlet". (He's the same guy who gave us the awkward analogy of a "goalie minding the net in the third quarter of a tight-game rivalry". Ugh!) That said, there was a lot of beautiful music made in 2018 -- almost as an antidote to the otherwise ugly times we're living in.
"Letting Go" - Wild Nothing
And to that last point, here's more gorgeousness from Blacksburg, Virginia's Jack Tatum, who records under the name Wild Nothing. Tatum released Indigo, his fourth Wild Nothing album, in 2018, and this synthy beauty was the album's first single.
"Messenger" - Pylon Reenactment Society
What can I say? After nearly three decades, there's new music from Pylon, or at least this Vanessa Briscoe Hay-fronted iteration of the iconic Athens, Georgia band. And it has the unmistakeable post-punk bite mixed with the groove that made the band famous the first time around It's not hard to hear Pylon's classics like "Stop It" when 63-year-old Briscoe Hay starts yelping and growling at the end of the song.
"Your Dog" - Soccer Mommy
Nashville's Sophie Allison, who records under the name Soccer Mommy, opens this song with the unforgettable line "I don't want to be your fucking dog/that you drag around", but it's the twisty sounding guitars that pull me into this song.
I hope you found music you loved this past year -- and I hope it continues in 2019!
Part 1 "Oh Manchester, So much to answer for" -Steven Patrick Morrissey
The journey begins on an Aer Lingus jet bound for Dublin. From there, it's a short hop to Manchester, home to so many of my favorite bands. I'm gearing up by watching -- for the I-don't-know-how-many'th- time "24 Hour Party People", the love letter to Anthony Wilson, Factory Records, Joy Division, the Happy Mondays and the city of Manchester itself.
Actually, the journey began in a suburban Pennsylvania bedroom some thirty years prior, with a stack of cassette tapes by the likes of The Smiths, New Order and later the Stone Roses and The Fall. Without knowing it, I've had a love affair with Manchester since I discovered the city's music. My expectations for my first visit were high, as were my fears it could never live up to the hype.
I didn't sleep on that flight to Dublin -- I don't sleep well on planes. And as I shuffled across the tarmac and up the stairs for the second leg of the trip, my anticipation only grew. I helped it along with a tailor-made soundtrack: Sitting on the plane before takeoff I played "Suffer Little Children" by the Smiths; when the engines fired up for takeoff it was "Crystal" by New Order.
The flight across the Irish Sea was a bumpy one, but as England came into view, I went for the obvious song: The Fall's "Hit the North". The green fields of Northwest England were accompanied by PJ Harvey's "Last Living Rose" and "England" (No, she's not from Manchester.) And as the skyline of Manchester against the backdrop of the Pennines unfolded below me, it was time to get serious: "The Reverend Black Grape" by Black Grape, the band I would be seeing the following night. But let's not get ahead of ourselves... I had only just arrived.
Part 2 "And on the Sixth Day, God created Manchester"
The sign greets you as you take your first steps out of Manchester Piccadilly station. It's clear this town thinks rather highly of itself. That Mancunian swagger likely contributed to the city being such a fertile breeding ground for rock and roll bands. After two plane rides, a train ride (for which I initially bought the wrong ticket) and no sleep, I had to dig deep for the energy to see for myself. My brother -- who arrived from the states two days prior -- met me and we were off. And for Neville and me -- in the musical equivalent of Disneyland -- our first thought was records.
We were staying near the Northern Quarter, a hip, artsy part of town that retains some grit and edge. One of our first stops was Vinyl Exchange, and things got weird really fast. As we pawed through used Fall records, we found a couple of things that caught our eyes. When we went to the counter, the guy told us - sotto voce - that most of the used Fall stuff actually came from Mark E Smith's personal collection. Smith died earlier this year, and his sister has been clearing out his house. The bloke behind the counter said that when she needs extra money, she sells them some of his old vinyl. Neville bought as much as he could, and I came away with a 45 of "C.R.E.E.P." and a great story to tell.
In the aftermath of that experience, I wondered whether the guy at the record shop was putting us on. Could those records really have once belonged to Mark E Smith? The record shop guy seemed earnest, and he wasn't crowing about the MES connection, so we took him at his word. And he wasn't the only person that day that would leave us slack jawed.
A few minutes later -- in the vintage shopping emporium Afflecks -- we met a shop owner who used to work the door in the early days of the Hacienda. She confirmed that the nightclub -- which later put Manchester on the map -- was largely empty back then. It was beginning to feel like everyone we met had a connection to the music we were there to celebrate.
Part 3 "This is Manchester. We do things differently here" -Tony Wilson
Mural of Tony Wilson in the Northern Quarter
Most cities honor their political leaders, maybe their titans of industry. Manchester does all of that, but it holds a special reverence for its creative thinkers. There is a mural of Tony Wilson, founder of Factory Records, on an electric substation in the Northern Quarter. A series of murals on the corner of Tib Street and Short Street commemorate Wilson and his Factory Records partners, as well as Mark E Smith. The words "I wanna be adored" hang from a building in the city centre. I have a lot of respect for a city that holds its musical heroes - my musical heroes - in such high esteem.
Affleck's -- the vintage emporium -- even had a Tony Wilson Wall. And it was painted to look like the Hacienda. Hashtag #WilsonWall.
We left the Northern Quarter and walked to the Central Library, in the heart of the city. In the library's music wing (yes, the library has a music wing, with instruments you can play. IN THE LIBRARY!) they were holding an exhibition called "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out: A Photographic Celebration of Manchester's Rock-music History." It features intimate photos of Joy Division, The Smiths, The Fall, The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, among others. The library also hosts an excellent collection of books about music, with a special emphasis -- of course -- on the music of Manchester.
Three bookcases at the Central Library filled with books about Manchester music.
The Manchester Free Trade Hall
Not far from the library is the Free Trade Hall. In 1976, in front of a few dozen people, the Sex Pistols played their first show in Manchester. It was a small gig -- in an upstairs room -- but it would redefine music as we know it today. That's because among those forty or so people in the crowd were future members of the Fall, The Smiths, Durutti Column and Joy Division. The Pistols pointed the way; the youth of Manchester did the rest. As for the Free Trade Hall, it's now a fancy hotel.
Part 4 Twenty-Four Hour Party People
Manchester is a compact, walkable city. So the fact that we hadn't yet visited the site of the Hacienda was easily remedied by a ten-minute walk to the south. The Hacienda was formerly a yacht showroom, a cavernous place that failed to draw crowds in its early years. But by the late 1980s, the Hacienda was the world's most famous nightclub, home to rave and acid music, the Madchester scene and the birthplace of DJ culture. By the 1990s, drugs and gangs took over and the club was shut down. It's since been demolished and an apartment block stands in its place. If you haven't already done so, please watch the movie.
Above and below left: The Hacienda Apartments, where the Hacienda nightclub once stood.
Just across Whitworth Street from the Hacienda is Tony Wilson Place, yet another example of this city paying homage to its creative class. And on Tony Wilson Place is HOME, an arts and events space featuring a cinema, two restaurants and a shop. After browsing the shop and admiring greeting cards featuring caricatures of Shaun Ryder and Mark E Smith, we sat down for pizza. When the bill came, we started talking to the waiter about Tony Wilson. Once again, things got weird. The waiter, a lovely guy named Paul, told us he was in a band in the 1980s that had three EPs on Factory Records. His band, the Jazz Defektors, wasn't one we'd heard of, but he said he was friends with more famous Manchester musicians including A Certain Ratio and New Order. He even said had he known ahead of time we were coming, he could have gotten us autographed merchandised or -- gasp -- arranged a night out with New Order's Peter Hook or Stephen Morris. Once again, our jaws dropped. This was becoming a pattern. We exchanged contact information and hope to make it happen one day.
We finished the night with a trip to the pedestrian bridge over the Princess Road, made famous by Kevin Cummins' iconic photographs of Joy Division.
We took our own photos on the bridge. It was night and there was no snow and we didn't have the right lens and my leg is bent for no good reason.
Part 5 "I couldn't figure out whether he was from Salford or uhh Manchester." -Mark E Smith
My second full day in Manchester began with a long walk to Salford, the traditionally working-class sister city across the River Irwell. I had the Fall's "Cheetham Hill" in my head as we crossed the river, but we weren't there for the Fall. We were there to find the Salford Lads Club, on Coronation Street, made famous by the Smiths on the inside photo of their 1986 album The Queen is Dead.
The Lads Club is an unassuming brick building at the end of a stretch of row houses, and -- as it was Friday -- it was closed. So we hung around for a bit until two other musical tourists showed up and helped us recreate the Smiths image. Here I am playing the role of Johnny Marr to Neville's Morrissey (and I'm conveniently wearing a Johnny Marr T-shirt.)
On the walk to Salford, we stopped by Fopp, a two-story shop selling books, CDs, DVDs and other fun stuff. They were having a sale on music books -- two for £10 -- so I got a book on Factory records and another on the Stone Roses. Score.
Part 6 "Oh Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and Triumphant Come Gather Round As I blow my own trumpet" -Shaun William Ryder
By 4pm it was dark and we were on a train to Liverpool. We were heading to the birthplace of the Beatles to see Shaun Ryder's Black Grape, the band he formed with Kermit of Ruthless Rap Assassins after the dissolution of Happy Mondays. We were taking the 40-minute train ride to Liverpool to see a proper Manchester band. Go figure.
Before we went to the O2 Academy, we tooled around Mathew Street, home of the Cavern Club (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) and countless Beatles cover bands. It felt like visiting a wax museum, and we didn't stay long.
Liverpool's Mathew Street, a Beatles theme park.
We did, however, find this plaque marking the site of Eric's, the nightclub where another Liverpool band -- Echo and the Bunnymen -- got their start:
And we found a shop called Resurrection that was selling pretty much every Stone Roses T-Shirt imaginable. As Nev put it, some people get matching tattoos on vacation... we got matching Stone Roses shirts.
We headed to the O2 Academy, but between a driving rain and an opening act that sounded like Limp Bizkit, I was feeling pretty dour. But out came Kermit and Shaun, and a wave of energy swept through the intimate venue. We had parked ourselves in the front, mere feet from Manchester royalty, with an unimpeded view of Ryder's every gesture, every utterance, and every wrinkle. The man has not aged well. Never mind, he sounded great.
And at the end of the show, I had a true rock and roll moment as the lead guitarist soloed right in front of me. I took a selfie that another fan later called "cheeky". Thanks to Sharon for the video!
After the show, I even got the guitar pick -- thrown into the crowd and scooped up by a bloke next to me who, upon hearing I had come from New York, gave it to me. What a nice gesture -- one of many random acts of kindness we witnessed in Northwest England. Well done, mates.
Part 7 "Don't walk away in silence, don't walk away" -Ian Curtis
Saturday was our last day together in Manchester, so naturally we rented a car and headed off for the Southern Cemetery. Who doesn't? We were there to see the graves of two important Mancunians: the aforementioned Anthony Wilson and record producer Martin Hannett, who contributed mightily to the sound of Joy Division and a host of other Factory bands. Hannett's grave was easy enough to find, despite its lower profile.
Wilson's grave took awhile because it wasn't where we thought it would be. It was in a very prominent position in the center of the cemetery. I wanted to see myself in the tombstone.
Wilson's tombstone was designed by Peter Saville, the graphic artist behind most of the iconic Factory Record covers (including the New Order catalog). On it, Wilson is described as a broadcaster and cultural catalyst. As we paid our respects, we played Durutti Column's haunting and disjointed "In Memory of Anthony".
Here's the Durutti Column song "In Memory of Anthony" in its entirety:
Then it was onward to Macclesfield, where Joy Division's Ian Curtis was born, lived much of his life, and ultimately committed suicide. The rowhouse where he died is on a bleak stretch of Barton Street, but notice the green foothills of the Pennines off in the distance.
Ian Curtis's home in Macclesfield, left foreground
At the town cemetery, we struggled to find Curtis's gravestone. That's because it had been stolen. All that remains is a low-slung stone marked with his name and the words Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Behind it, fans have created a makeshift shrine of flowers, notes and photos.
It only seemed fitting to end our visit to Curtis's grave listening to Joy Division's "Atmosphere".
Part 8
"I think I did the right thing by slipping away, yeah
And the ache that's making me ache has gone for the day."
-Shaun William Ryder
The gloom of the cemetery tour didn't weigh us down for long. We wanted a taste of the countryside, so we left Macclesfield on a road that climbed into the Peak District, with sweeping views of fields of sheep. We were headed for Buxton, the highest market town in England with no musical connection, or so we thought.
Buxton, about an hour outside of Manchester near the Peak District
Buxton is nestled among the hills, with a lively shopping district. We had a look around, bought some trinkets and took a chance on a road leading out of town. It took us right past Vinyl Coda, a small record store and cafe with terrific stock. The shopowner -- a slight man named Neil McDonald -- was playing Grant Lee Buffalo, which seemed odd to hear in England. We struck up a conversation and he told us HIS band once opened for Grant Lee Buffalo in Sheffield. He had been the guitarist in Puressence, a 1990s outfit that was produced by Mani of Stone Roses had three LPs on Island Records. He had left the band and now Buxton was home. I felt good purchasing a copy of "Blue Monday" in its floppy disk packaging, as well as a Happy Mondays "Lazyitis" single with Scottish singer Karl Denver. If you're not familiar, this live video for "Lazyitis" pretty much sums it up -- a young Shaun Ryder, an aging Karl Denver and the inimitable Bez, dancing and shaking his maracas.
Yes, Lennon and McCartney got songwriting credit for the snippet that's based on "Ticket to Ride".
By the way, I snapped this picture of Bez's maracas mounted on the wall at another Manchester record shop, the Northern Quarter's Vinyl Revival.
Back in Manchester that night, I walked aimlessly through crowds of holiday revelers in the city's extensive Christmas Markets. Among the items for sale: Happy Mondays and Stone Roses onesies.
And in a town that takes its music seriously, even the Christmas market buskers had talent.
Part 10
"Some of the crowd are on the pitch
They think it's all over and it is now"
-Kenneth Wolstenholme, BBC
Later used by New Order in "World in Motion"
I made a detour off the music path to visit the National Football Museum. It was Derby Day in Manchester -- City v. United -- so it felt like the right thing to do. And thanks to a great project called Bands FC, music followed me there, too.
Bands FC combines band logos with the logos of football (soccer) teams. My favorites were Stone Roses FC and The Fall FC.
Upstairs in the museum, I found an automated puppet, inviting me to "have a laugh with the jolly goalie." So I did.
Part 11
"There is a light that never goes out"
-The Smiths
My last full day in Manchester was Sunday, Remembrance Day, on the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. To say Britons took the occasion seriously is an understatement: Virtually everyone, young and old, were wearing poppy pins to commemorate the anniversary. The bells of Manchester Cathedral rang out to mark the armistice for what felt like an interminably long time. Here's just a bit of it:
Even the pub where I watched the Manchester Derby between City and United fell silent as "For the Fallen" was read over the TV screens. That really touched me, as it would never happen in the States.
And that was the biggest takeaway from this trip. Set aside the bands, the music, the swagger -- people were genuinely kind to us and to each other. The people we met were easy to talk to, they went out of their way to help us, and yes -- it seemed everyone of a certain age had a connection to Factory or the Hacienda or to the music that we had come so far to celebrate. Manchester is a proud city, and rightly so: Proud of its history, its heritage, and most importantly its music. I know one day I'll get back, but for now, I'm better off knowing that such a place exists in this world.
Day 10 of 10 – My all time favorite albums that are STILL in rotation, in no particular order. This was tough. Limiting my list to ten meant some great records would be left out, some feathers would be ruffled, and some feelings hurt. I grappled with a number of options for this slot, including the 1994 gem “Parklife” by Blur, Public Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions…”, “Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches” by the Happy Mondays, “Mali Music” by Damon Albarn, "Marquee Moon" by Television, the debut from Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner’s Electronic as well as albums by Wire, Super Furry Animals, Guided by Voices, Pavement and the New Pornographers, all of which have played major roles in my listening life. But ultimately, they all finished on the outside looking in. That’s because when I really thought about albums I love, albums that have stayed with me over the years, albums I still listen to, albums I still know all the words to, albums that inhabit strange corners of my brain, the choice was clear: It’s 1989’s Paul’s Boutique by Beastie Boys.
Much like yesterday’s choice, this is a repeat pick – John Cari included it earlier on his list. But in keeping with the spirit of this exercise, I figured that cannot and should not be grounds for excluding it from mine. But like a lot of people, I ignored Paul’s Boutique when it first came out, foolishly relegating the Beasties to one hit wonder status after the unprecedented commercial success of License to Ill. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Five years later, I picked up a used cassette of Paul’s Boutique at a record store (that’s no longer there) in Auburn, Alabama. (Why Auburn? I was driving around the South looking for my first job in television news.) And all it took was the opening drum roll of “Shake Your Rump” to hook me: Paul’s Boutique never left my cassette deck of my ’87 Honda Accord for the rest of my trip.
There are so many things that make Paul’s Boutique great. The wordplay and name-checking show Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA at their fun-loving best. (Where else can you find references to Sadaharu Oh, Chuck Woolery and Vincent Van Gogh? And that’s just on “Hey Ladies”). The stew of pop culture references presaged our post-modern culture – for better or worse. But what makes this record really stand out is that it can never be done again: The Beasties and their producers the Dust Brothers sampled more than a hundred songs, sounds and snippets to create this sonic masterpiece. Two years later, a landmark copyright case would change sampling rules forever. The rich sound collage that provides the backbone of Paul’s Boutique would become unattainable to future hip hop artists.
Day 9 of 10 in no particular order: My 10 all-time favorite albums that are STILL in my regular rotation. As I've gone through this process I realized my choices -- while in no particular order -- are in tiers. And there are about four records that I could rightfully include in the 9 or 10 slots, which means -- much to John Cari's chagrin -- I will be forced to exclude some great albums. I toyed with the idea of getting crazy with this pick, but I have approached this exercise honestly, and with that in mind, my choice today is Ocean Rain by Echo and the Bunnymen. Darius Gambino offered a nice write-up on the album in one of his earlier posts -- it certainly was a record that he and I bonded over back in the day. But it's stayed with me from the 80s and it still gets more play on my turntable than any other Bunnymen record. Maybe that's because it's just so warm and lush -- maybe it's because the songs are like old friends. Maybe it's because every time I've seen Echo and the Bunnymen in concert, the songs I looked forward to hearing are ones from this album: "Seven Seas", "The Killing Moon", "Silver", "Crystal Days" and, of course, perennial set closer "Ocean Rain". I was even lucky enough -- along with Kate Premo -- to see Echo and the Bunnymen play Ocean Rain in its entirety at Radio City Music Hall in 2008, complete with a 16-piece orchestra. We got our credit card scammed by our cab driver on the way home to Brooklyn, but that was a small price to pay for an album as good as Ocean Rain.
Day 8 of 10, and nearing the finish line of my 10 all-time favorite albums that are STILL in rotation, even if only now and again. John Cari and Darius Gambino have offered a couple of surprises along the way, but my offering today will come as no surprise. It's "London Calling" by The Clash. Predictable? Yes. Worthy? Absolutely. It's been a favorite of mine since my brother brought it home in the early 80s. Hearing the Clash for the first time was like lightning had struck the Harson household, which until then was dominated by 1970s progressive rock. London Calling veers from punk to reggae, ska and dub -- offering a suburban kid like me an early entree into those genres.
London Calling is a sprawling double-album, something of an oddity for the get-to-the-point ethos of punk rock. But right off the bat, the point is made -- sharply and loudly -- with a martial beat and searing guitars building into a full frontal assault against war, police brutality, nuclear power, even climate change on the title track before it peters out with a Morse code signal spelling "S.O.S." The album's second track, a cover of 1959's "Brand New Cadillac", introduces rockabilly and by the end of side one -- the classic "Rudie Can't Fail", we're full on into ska.
Side Two may be the most accessible -- kicking off with "Spanish Bombs", a pop-rocker about the lingering effects of the Spanish Civil War. The swinging "The Right Profile" is about the troubled life of Montgomery Clift, while the poppy "Lost in the Supermarket" is the first Mick Jones contribution to the album. The side finishes strong -- and darkly -- with "Clampdown", another song that sounds right at home in the almost authoritarian era of 2018. The side closes with the reggae-tinged "The Guns of Brixton", penned and sung by bassist Paul Simonon.
All that and we're only halfway through.
The headliner on Side Three is "Death or Glory", about rock stars who swore they would die before growing old. Ironically, Joe Strummer ended up with that lot -- dying suddenly in 2002 at the age of 50. And the final side features "I'm Not Down" and "Train in Vain", two more radio-friendly offerings from Mick Jones.
London Calling clearly needs no introduction: It is a bona fide classic that has topped many a reviewer's best of list. It has played a major role in my life -- from childhood to college and into adulthood. And -- perhaps most importantly and most sadly -- the themes it dealt with in 1979 are just as relevant today.
