| The
Great Eight of 2003
December
1, 2003
by Craig Curtice
Since
"top ten" lists are so overrated, I present
to you the "great eight." Here are my personal
picks for the top CD releases of 2003.
Marvin Gaye
I Want You (Deluxe Edition) (2003)
The
third Gaye album to receive the stellar Deluxe Edition
treatment, I Want You is an underrated Soul/R&B
masterpiece that grooves on the deepest of emotional levels.
The haunting sensual rhythms, Marvin’s steamy vocals,
and the amazing instrumentation and percussion of “Come
Live With Me Angel,” “You Are The Way You Are,”
and “Since I Had You” are truly epic. And oh
yeah, the painting of Ernie Barnes’ “Sugar Shack”
is perhaps the greatest African-American image that ever
did grace an album cover. And no, JJ didn’t actually
paint it on an episode of Good Times.
Daniel Lanois
Shine (2003)
Producer
extraordinaire of many landmark albums like U2’s The
Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel’s So,
Lanois has quietly developed into a master musician as well.
A triumph in the less-is-more approach, these achingly melancholy
songs are barely there; brittle guitars and sparse arrangements
hover in a folky-blues dreamlike state. From the simply
gorgeous duet with Emmylou Harris, “I Love You”
to the country tinged “ JJ Leaves LA,” this
is the perfect accompaniment to a fat Sunday paper and a
hot cup of coffee.
Links:
Daniel
Lanois website
Donnie
The Colored Section (2003)
Arguably
the best complete soul album in years. Rich with layered
vocal harmonies and beautifully textured percussion, The
Colored Section pays close musical homage to Donny
Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, while proudly teaching an honest
to goodness racial unity message not seen since circa-1974
Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids. A most welcome and thankful
alternative to insipid boy bands, slutty hip-hop whores,
and accused child molesters all ooh baby, baby-ing
themselves to death.
Links:
Donnie's
website
Fu Manchu
Go For It…Live! (2003)
Even
though Fu Manchu has been delighting live audiences around
the world for thirteen years, they’ve mysteriously
cruised below the mainstream radar. Playing a special strain
of So-Cal surfer punk and good-time 70’s rock perfectly
suited for driving fast and skating pools, these 22 songs
sparkle with sunshine cowbells and funky bass breaks. Somewhere
between Black Flag and ZZ Top, or the Bionic Man vs. Bigfoot,
the blue tile fever of “Tilt,” “Strato-Streak,”
and “Regal Begal,” alone are guar-an-teed
to sa-tis-a-fy.
Links:
Fu
Manchu website
James Brown
In The Jungle Groove (2003)
A
long-overdue collection of rare, unreleased, and remixed
gems from the great muscle years of 1969 through 1972. The
rump shaker of the year, “Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose”
is fueled by a classic Bobby Byrd organ riff and a monster
bassline from some cat named Bootsy, plus two excellent
versions of “Funky Drummer” make this the funkiest
damn thing to show up in a record store rack in a long time.
Revel in the most sampled hip-hop drumbeat as it was supposed
to be heard, and let the debate begin: Is Clyde Stubblefield
the funkiest drummer of all time?
The Cyrcle
The Minx Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003)
Before
this exceptional CD reissue, The Minx was an expensive
vinyl rarity owned only by fans of the Cyrcle, a semi-obscure
psychedelic band, or by those intrigued with the X-rated
erotic cover artwork. Either way, the neatly staid, but
freewheeling 60’s sounds are pure cocktail heaven.
A crisp sounding recording with eight bonus tracks and great
liner notes, even the film’s racy promotional trailer
is hidden at the end as a ghost track.
Links:
The
Cyrcle website
 Happy
Chichester
Live at the Aladdin Theatre (2003)
A
bootleg only available through PopFly Music (Howlinmaggie.net)
Columbus, Ohio’s favorite minstrel, Harold “Happy”
Chichester is captured pouring his guts out playing acoustic
guitar for an intimate crowd at Portland’s Aladdin
Theatre. As indie as indie gets, Chichester has shunned
big labels in favor of recording and touring solo, collaborating
with like-minded artists, and doing cool stuff like playing
jazz drums for the Columbus Met. Wildly infectious and raggedly
spiritual, this recording is a must for those searching
for genuinely talented artists trapped in a commercial conundrum.
Links:
Howlin'
Maggie/Happy Chichester website
MC Honky
I am The Messiah (2003)
A
refreshing cut & paste mixing experiment that combines
killer breakbeats, grandiose film music, and kitschy 50’s
styled narration. From pure badass (“3 Turntables
& 2 Microphones”) to the bizarre (“Soft
Velvety ‘Fer”) to bitchin’ (“The
Object”) I Am The Messiah is highly creative
and marvelously intoxicating. Bust this baby out at the
next party and girls will get sterile just looking at you.
Links:
MC
Honky website, 2walls.com
review
(Craig
Curtice is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine)
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