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......