Euan’s Top 10 of 2009
[Welcome back to Euan's monthly column on Song, by Toad. After (sort of, not really) telling me off for weaseling out of doing a Favourite Albums of the Decade list, here he presents his own.]
You know, I was planning to reveal my top 10 albums of 2009 on my own site, then I decided, where better a place to post my top 10 than on Matthew’s page. Given the indifference that my top 50 of the decade seemed to spark amongst his readers, I thought it would be worth doing my top 10 on Matthew’s page for one simple reason. I don’t think they will be 10 records that either Matthew or you as readers would choose. Maybe I’ll introduce you to something new. Maybe not. But I really do see a point to these lists. Just like I see a point to music journalism in general. As I said, to dismiss an exercise like this with comments like “I just don’t care” would seem foolish given the blog you are using in the first place. I care about Matthew’s top 10/20. And that applies to most lists. I even read, in its entirety, the NME top 50 of the decade.
Top 10 lists for a particular year perhaps have less significance? I don’t know. I was just thinking the other day that what’s so appealing about a top 50 or 100 of the past decade are the personal reasons for the choices. Why was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot my number 1? Why will it not be Matthew’s? It’s fascinating. And something I really do enjoy at this time of year.
Anyways, you can check out my top 50 of the past decade over at www.thesteinbergprinciple.wordpress.com if you can be bothered. In the meantime, my top 10 records of 2009 would be, in no particular order:
Withered Hand – Good News
J Tillman – A Year In The Kingdom
Fieldhead – They Shook Hands For Hours
The Antlers – Hospice
My Latest Novel – Deaths and Entrances
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
The Builders and The Butchers – Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well
Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
Wilco – The Album
Peter Broderick – Music For Falling From Trees
Aha! Good to see Sufjan Stevens on there. The BQE is one of my top five, I think.
That’s a really good list, but I have to say I was really disappointed by the Wilco album. I was looking forward to it, probably more than any album this year, but think it’s a pretty poor effort. Hopefully not the beginning of a sad slide into mediocrity!
Yeah, I haven’t been too keen on either of the last two Wilco albums.
You see, being a massive Wilco fan, it’s taken me the whole year to really appreciate the new Wilco album. I think if you compare it to YHF or Ghost Is Born, or if those are the albums that made you fall in love with Wilco then you’re probably not going to like it. But I didn’t fall in love with Wilco off the back of those albums. Sky Blue Sky and the new album both hark back to their early stuff, and if you listen to YHF and GIB then you could easily forget that Jeff Tweedy used to be in Uncle Tupelo.
Personally, I think the last 2 albums have been great for a whole new set of reasons. The madness of YHF and GIB may be gone, but the songwriting is just as good. The feel is just different. I really feel if you get past that you can’t help but see how good those 2 albums are.
And that’s not just me being a Wilco obsessive. I really have struggled with the new record.
I got into them via Mermaid Avenue and then Summerteeth, so I think that skewed my expectations of the band in a particular direction. Or maybe not my expectations exactly, just I got into particular aspects of their music first and foremost, without really knowing the other aspects which existed.
The BQE, really?
Was really indifferent to that record, felt a bit overblown for me.
Didn’t expect to see it on anyone’s list that’s for sure.
yes really. i think as a whole it’s a fantastic piece of music and film. but perhaps that’s just me.
And me.
Have you had a chance to listen to the last Vic Chesnutt album Matthew? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on that. I think it’s quite marvellous and I’m frankly stunned it hasn’t found more acclaim.
I love Vic Chesnutt.
Well! We share at least three and possibly four, for top ten. Though I’m doing my usual top 20 because I can’t limit myself in much of anything. I’m hardly surprised that we love the same albums this year, are you?
I’ve never liked Wilco much. Seems very ordinary to me, but I don’t care for a lot in that genre of American, male vocalists style so, there ya have it.
But now your list is forcing me to go and pay attention to that Miles Benjamin etc… guy, dangit! I thought I was finished listening for the year. xo
Nope, doesn’t surprise me one little bit that we have a few of the same artists on that list.
I guess maybe your reaction to Wilco is the reaction I have to band like the Libertines, Foals and all those bands with stupid affected accents when they sing. Even the Futureheads, who I like, bothered me with their annoying voices. So I do understand, but maybe it’s cause your American that you don’t like it? I love it. As you probably guessed!
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson’s album is great. It’s ramshackle and I love it. Plus I love his cover art as well. Oooo cover art post coming on TSP!