Listomania! - 1998

1998 was a pretty uneventful year. I took and completed an IT course, but couldn't find a job in Peterborough, so I found a good-paying warehouse job in London and commuted between there and home on weekends. Sometimes, Martina would come to London on the weekends, but she often worked then, so I did most of the driving back and forth. During the week, I stayed at her parent's house, which was very kind of them. It was a pretty good job, with a small crew of people who were easy to work and party with. My buddy Dave was a shift supervisor there and I befriended a young guy named Josh Sawyer, who was a lot of fun, but drank to excess on a regular basis. He, Dave and myself used to frequent a bar near work that was run by Lebanese guys, which we dubbed "Porn Stars" because they would often put pornographic movies on the big-screen TVs after closing time and allow us to stay and drink illegally after hours. Another friend I made was a guy named Peter Bourke who was fun and very intelligent. He and I would do crossword puzzles every night and poke fun at people and just generally laugh our asses off most of the time. We still keep in touch to this day and he is one of the most genuinely kind people I have ever known. Musically, 1998 might just be the weakest year that I have written about up to this point. Most of the songs on this list were painstakingly difficult to come up with and it was generally just a crappy year for music I guess.

10. Poets - The Tragically Hip

Taken from their 7th studio album, Phantom Power, this tune is just typical rocking Hip. There is nothing extraordinary about it really, but it is a good little tune. Gord Downie writes his usual great lyrics and the "worker Hips" do their accustomed yeoman work at laying down their groove. Basically, it seems to be a rant about artsy types and their feeling of self-importance, told through Downie's use of clever and self-important words. "Spring starts when a heartbeat's poundin', when the birds can be heard above the reckonin' carts doing some final accounting." I reckon I should stay off those carts for a few more years.....

9. Do The Evolution - Pearl Jam

This is again an angry Eddie Vedder, raging against technology and the way it is taking precedence over human problems. The voice is distorted, even more so than the guitars, which, while they are rocking, almost sound lo-fi. Jack Irons lays down a great backbeat and cements his place as one of my favourite drummers. This is taken from their 5th and weakest, in my opinion, album called Yield. The video was great - done with animation and very effectively presenting an apocalyptic vision of the modern world. "I'm at peace with my lust, I can kill 'cause in God I trust, yeah. It's evolution, baby!" Sarah Palin will completely miss the message and apply to use this as her campaign song in 2012......

8. This Is Hardcore - Pulp

Pulp were like the poor cousins in the Brit-Pop movement, at least here in North America. They had none of the sales of Oasis or the Cockney charm of Blur. What they had was a charismatic and engaged frontman named Jarvis Cocker. This is the title track from their 6th album, which was again virtually ignored here and a huge smash in the U.K. This song is dark, cynical, theatrical and sleazy. The orchestration brings to mind a film noir score, with its brassy horns and sweeping strings. Cocker oozes slimeball sleaze as he spits out the lurid lyrics with a greasy urgency and it is quite effective and by far my fave song by them. "It seems I saw you in some teenage wet dream. I like your get up if you know what I mean." Is your wife a goer, know wot I mean.....know wot I mean?

7. Money City Maniacs - Sloan

It starts off like Kiss' Firehouse, with the wailing sirens and all. But it soon morphs into a Big Star riff-fest, with the harmony vocals and huge guitar chords powered by a killer melody. These Haligonians were probably the best band in Canada in the '90s and this song is one of their calling cards. The lyrics are too clever, with the plays on words and the punchline of "his body was covered in Coke fizz." It is just a great Pop-Rock song and that is all that needs to be said. "If you admit that you were wrong, then we'll admit that we're right." Go on, just admit it.....

6. My Favourite Game - The Cardigans

Coming off their breakthrough hit Lovefool from a couple of years earlier, this is a bit of a new direction for these Swedes. Singer Nina Persson is still the focal point, but she doesn't coo and purr as in the days of yore. This song, from their 4th album Gran Turismo, is much harder-edged, with a driving bass line and quirky lead guitar. I love the metronomic quality of the hi-hat on the choruses too, sounding like a ticking bomb. This tale of cruel love and having one's face rubbed in said love was ably abetted by the haunting video, which, if you recall, started with Ms. Persson getting into a convertible with a huge rock and placing the rock on the gas pedal and proceeding to drive like a mad-woman until it ends with her crashing into a transport truck. "I should have seen it when my hope was new, my heart is black and my body is blue." Sort of like your typical Leaf fan......

5. Malibu - Hole

Ahh, dear Courtney! So reviled by virtually everyone, especially those conspiracy theorists who blame her for the suicide of Kurt Cobain. The girl was and is a mess, but I take no happiness from her sad state. This song is pretty much her best effort. Her singing is still flat and off-key, but it somehow fits this song from Hole's 3rd album, Celebrity Skin. Bassist and Canadian Melissa Auf Der Maur adds some tasty backing vocals on this song and that adds to its charm. Billy Corgan, the egomaniac who led the Smashing Pumpkins, co-wrote this tune with Courtney and I think his ability with a catchy melody put this over the top and made it a hit. "And I knew love would tear you apart, and I knew the darkest secret of your heart." Loving you ain't so easy Courtney.....

4. At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.

This song is from their 11th album, Up, and their first without drummer Bill Berry. It is a fairly crappy record, but there are 2 or 3 highlights and this is one of them. Joey Waronker, of Beck fame, sat in on the skins for this record. This sounds like an outtake from Pet Sounds, with its piano and backing harmonies and weird horn parts and cello and broken drum patterns, not to mention the echo / wall of sound production. It is truly a departure for R.E.M., but it may be the most beautiful love song that Michael Stipe ever wrote. "You always say your name, like I wouldn't know it's you, at your most beautiful." Gorgeous!

3. Medicine Hat - Son Volt

This is one of my sister Shannon's favourite songs. See Shan, not only was this post worth waiting for, but you get a mention too! Taken from their 3rd album, Wide Swing Tremolo, this is Jay Farrar at his most heartfelt and sincere. I see it as a sort of take on Dante's Inferno as it is similar in its tone and its predictions. Farrar is a brilliant songwriter and he proves it again with his great arrangement on this song. He gives his band room to play and slide guitarist Dave Boquist plays his part to perfection and comes out smelling like a rose with his superb slide parts. This is the best song on a very good album. "There will be layers of means to an end, drawn-out days before resolution. Dregs will rain down from all directions, there will be right, there will be wrong." Still waiting.....

2. Without You I'm Nothing - Placebo

This is the title cut from their 2nd album and ,for these Brits, it was their breakthrough to some radio play and sales on this side of the pond. Well, the single Pure Morning got lots of airplay anyway. This song is an epic, all dark, moody and druggy. The guitar is like a junkie's needle, buzzing all throughout the song, poking in and out of the melody. The star of this song is singer / guitarist Brian Molko, who, with his androgynous look and sound, peaked the public's interest in the band. Once one has heard a cut by Placebo, his distinctive voice means that anytime one of their songs comes on the radio, one knows who the band is right away. Apparently, David Bowie was a huge fan of this song, so much so that he added some vocals to the single version. "I'm unclean, a libertine and every time you vent your spleen, I seem to lose the power of speech." Cat got your tongue?

1. California Stars - Wilco

This is from the album Mermaid Avenue, which was a joint effort between Billy Bragg and Wilco. Woody Guthrie's daughter Nora asked them to pen new songs from finished lyrics left behind by her late, legendary father. Of the 15 cuts on the album, Bragg does 8 and Wilco the other 7. This ditty is the highlight for me. One could easily imagine Woody himself singing this on a boxcar heading west, or sitting around a campfire at night on the prairie. It has a great country-folk feel and the use of instruments like violin and accordian only enhance the effect. There is also some lovely slide guitar work from Bob Egan, who now plays with Blue Rodeo. I dare you to keep from singing along to this one! "I'd like to dream my troubles all away on a bed of California stars." Especially now when it's -20 here!

Listomania! - 1997

My parents had moved us to London in 1967 to get out of the frozen tundra of Capreol. I lived there for 30 years, until Martina landed her first job as a reporter at the Peterborough Examiner. In May of 1997, we packed up our belongings and set out for the Kawarthas. The kids were 19 and 16 and didn't want to leave their friends, so they stayed behind in London. Martina proved to be a smashing success and soon became the police reporter and covered several very interesting stories, including a couple of grisly murders. I never really took to Peterborough as I found it to be a strange and insular place. Everybody knew everybody and it was hard to make friends. Employment for me was nearly impossible as there were no jobs there, but I had some months of EI left, so there was not a real sense of urgency yet. We rented the upper floor of a house on a hill at the end of Kenneth Avenue, which was a dead-end street. It was a small but comfy house. The guy who lived downstairs, the only Jamaican in Peterborough, was rarely home, so it was quite quiet and private. There were woods at the end of the street where we could take the dogs for long walks. One day, on our way home from a walk, Aspen and I were already at the top of the hill going home. I turned to see what was taking Martina and Arden so long. Martina was motioning to something on the ground. It was a baby kitten that Arden had found in the woods, following them home. He was very small (we later were told by the vet that he was no more than 4 weeks old) and very vocal, meowing constantly. We went around the neighbourhood and asked if anyone owned him. After striking out on that front, Martina took him to the Humane Society to see if they would take him in. No luck there either, as they were full of unwanted cats already. So, we kept him and I named him Chi Chi Rodriguez, after the golfer, because it just sounded good. We called him Riguez The Chi most of the time, Riguez for short. Well, 13 years later, he is still with us and still meowing constantly. He is in great shape for such a senior cat and he and Howie keep each other occupied with their mutual fascination society. Here are some of the first songs Riguez ever heard:

Top 10 Of 1997

10. 16 Days - Whiskeytown

I came to this band late, having become a big Ryan Adams fan in 2003, then going back and checking out this Alt-Country band that he fronted. This song originally appeared on their debut album called Faithless Street in 1995, but they released it again on their 3rd album, Stranger's Almanac, in '97. It features stellar slide-guitar work from Phil Wandscher, who now plays in Jesse Sykes' band. The one female member, Caitlin Cary, provides some nice backing vocals and fiddle playing. Adams delivers the vocal in his now familiar half-rasp, with lyrics filled with regret for a lost love. This song really hints at the direction Adams' solo career would take and shows his love of authentic feeling and sounding Country music. "Old tin cups, and little paper dolls, all wrapped up, in the ribbons of your heart." Regrets, I've had a few.....

9. Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth - The Dandy Warhols

This was the first song I ever heard by these Portland, Oregon natives. Actually, I think I saw the video the first time I heard it. From their 2nd album, The Dandy Warhols Come Down, this slacker jangle-pop is very catchy. Singer/guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor (haha) looked cool and sounded cool too. They were known for their wild live shows, with some band members, including keyboardist Zia McCabe, baring it all on stage. When these guys are good, they are one of my favourite bands. The problem is that they are very inconsistent, but for 3 albums, they were amazing. This ditty was apparently written about a former friend of the band, Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe. "I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passe." The cool kids are into blow, don'cha know.....

8. Caryatid Easy - Son Volt

Taken from their 2nd album, Straightaways, this rocker is pushed forward by the chunky, punchy twin guitars of Jay Farrar and Dave Boquist, with Boquist adding a couple of searing solos as well. It treads much the same ground as their first album, but their sound is so good. Jay Farrar sings with his forlorn, homespun delivery and I am a big fan of his as few artists can write with his feeling and integrity. Turn it up loud and sing along! By the way, I didn't know what a caryatid was, so I looked it up. It is a sculptured female figure serving as an ornamental support in place of a column or pilaster. So there! "Educated with poison laughter, seems like high times every morning after." It's all fun until someone gets their eye poked out.....

7. Everlong - Foo Fighters

With the 2nd album, The Colour And The Shape, Dave Grohl put a proper band together after having recorded the first record virtually alone. He hired Pat Smear on guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, and drummer William Goldsmith. But, he had a falling out with Goldsmith and fired him and re-recorded most of the drum parts himself. To these eyes, Goldsmith was in a no-win situation - can you imagine being the drummer in a band where one of the world's best drummers is hanging over you? For the tour, Taylor Hawkins was recruited and he still sits behind the Foo's kit to this day, so I must give him kudos. This is one of Grohl's best songs, all roaring guitars and fast drums and heartfelt singing. I think the biggest surprise for me are the melodies that he writes. They are catchy and memorable as hell, even though this band rocks hard. "Breathe out so I can breathe you in, hold you in." Love that line!

6. 6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit) - Sneaker Pimps

I'm not a big fan of the Trip-Hop genre, but this song and its languid groove are too powerful to resist. The singer, Kelli Dayton, only lasted this 1 album with the band. Apparently, one of the guys in the band wanted to be the singer. What a maroon! They instantly were tossed in the where-are-they-now-bin for all eternity. Ms. Dayton has such a liquid quality to her voice that totally suits the tone and feel of this song. She has a sound that makes all males picture her in pigtails and a schoolgirl uniform. I also love the sample from James Bond's Goldfinger that runs through this tune, giving it a timeless and classic feel. "Don't think 'cos I understand, I care, don't think 'cos I'm talking we're friends." Ouch!

5. Sun Hits The Sky - Supergrass

This is pure joy, pure energy and just pure fun in song form. The guitars rock and roll and the band strikes such a feel that just carries this song off into the stratosphere. They should play this for astronauts while they're blasting off into space. This is taken from their 2nd album, In It For The Money, and Gaz Coombes and his clear, raucous vocals fit the mood perfectly, cutting through this swirl of sound. The icing on the cake is the cheesy synth solo that careens along with the beat in the middle of the song. "I am a doctor, I'll be your doctor, I'm on my way, and you won't come down today." Calling Dr. Feelgood.....

4. Mermaids - Paul Weller

With his 4th solo album, Heavy Soul, Weller seemed to have hit a wall. He was sitting pretty, accepting accolades as the leader of the Brit-Pop movement, but he felt stuck in a rut again. Personally, I quite like that album, but the lyrics are darker and more pessimistic for sure. This song boasts a neat little string section which accents this mostly acoustic song. The melody is a keeper, sticking in the listener's head afterward. I love the chord progressions and Steve White's solid, if unspectacular, drumming. "She's on my side, I often hide in her magic hair, and there I learn again - the joy of life." Abracadabra.....

3. Beetlebum - Blur

In this 1 song, Blur encapsulates the whole Beatles White Album. It is an unabashed homage to the Fab Four, with Damon Albarn sounding so detached, perhaps stoned. The song has a real slow groove to it and marks a change from the band's poppy, Kinks-like, English mischief- makers era of previous records. This is from their 5th album, which is self-titled, in kind of a poke at those who criticized them for not making it in America. Ironically, this was their biggest record in the U.S.A., mostly on the strength of the catchy Song 2, which can be heard forever more at sporting events throughout the world. "And when she lets me slip away, she turns me on and all my violence is gone. Nothing is wrong, I just slip away and I am gone." Way gone daddy-o.....

2. Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo

These veterans from New Jersey waited until their 8th album, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, to reveal that they had some dancefloor grooves in them. This album has many styles on it, but this song is the best thing they have ever done in my opinion. Ira Kaplan's voice sounds so fragile and fractured, conveying a deep sadness with the world. A simple organ riff dominates the song, augmented by a killer bass line and a tasty drum loop. This is one of Martina's top songs of all time. "We could slip away, wouldn't that be better? Me with nothing to say and you in your autumn sweater." If you want to destroy my sweater.....

1. Paranoid Android - Radiohead

From their 3rd and best album, OK Computer, this song is their masterpiece. This is a band at the height of their creative powers, full of confidence and not afraid to try anything. Thom Yorke and his fantastic voice really let it go this time, full of feeling and raw emotion. The song features numerous time changes, each time featuring a different sound to please the listener's ears. There are great acoustic guitars, roaring electrics, smashing drums, snaky bass lines and almost hymn-like backing vocals. This is the Bohemian Rhapsody of the '90s, a giant tour de force that cements Radiohead's place among the giants of the era. Bloody genius! "When I am king, you will be first against the wall, with your opinion which is of no consequence at all." Another "I wish I'd written that" moment......