Robert Christgau's Music Criticism Blog - Expert Witness - MSN Music

Odds and Ends 018

World lounge faces the world

By Xgau Nov 30, 2012 6:40AM

Andra Kouyaté & Sèkè Chi: Saro (Studio Mali)

Intricate and improvisatory, griot scion reaches out to the world and back into history ("Yele With Seke Chi Intro," "N'Goke") ***

 

Ramzi Aburedwan: Reflections of Palestine (Riverboat)

Imagining, and almost creating, a civilized peace ("Bahar," "Bordeaux") ***

 

The Rough Guide to Bellydance (World Music Network)

The politer dabke, raqs sharki, khaleeji, baladi, etc.‑-complete with instructional DVD! (Satrak Sarkissian, "Boos Shoof"; Said Al Artist, "Sadaf Iskandarani") ***

 

The Rough Guide to the Music of Afghanistan (World Music Network)

Brave in exile, even braver not, and a lot less solemn than they have every right to be (Setara Husseinzada, "Zim Zim Zim"; Rafi Naabzada & Hameed Sakhizada, "Sabza Ba Naaz Mea Ayad"; Mehri Maftun, "Dar Khyal-e Ishq-e Khuban") **

 

The Lost Cuban Trios of Casa Marina (Ahi-Nama)

Two of them, to be precise, making sweet harmony if not love in a Batista whorehouse (Trio Zamora, "Vacilon"; Trio Melodicos, "El Negrito Del Batey") **

 

The Rough Guide to Arabic Lounge (World Music Network)

Don't worry, it'll be air-conditioned (Azzddine With Bill Laswell, "Droub Al Lit"; Ghazzi Abdel Baki, "Al Guineyna"; Amir ElSaffar, "Khosh Reng") **

 

Gustavo Casenave: Tango Casenave (Watchcraft Music)

Uruguayan piano ace and former Bette Midler music director executes arresting but not quite uplifting de facto Piazzolla tribute ("Noviembre," "Humo") **

 

Egyptian Project: Ya Amar (Six Degrees)

French svengali arrays traditional vocals and instruments from the title nation over "tasteful electronic rhythms," breaching cultural barriers more readily when they're, sacré bleu, a little quicker ("Ya Sahbi," "Soufi") *



 

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194Comments
Dan Weiss
Dec 4, 2012 7:20AM
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my anti-xgau ballot:

1. sunny day real estate - how it feels to be something on
2. the raveonettes - in and out of control
3. radiohead - ok computer
4. primal scream - xtrmntr
5. aphex twin - richard d. james album

6. aerosmith - pump
7. built to spill - keep it like a secret
8. alice in chains - dirt
9. against me! - white crosses
10. pearl jam - no code

11. old 97's - too far to care
12. stereolab - dots and loops
13. boards of canada - music has the right to children
14. the flaming lips - the soft bulletin
15. jaill - that's how we burn

16. tyler, the creator - goblin
17. travis morrison hellfighters - all y'all
18. queens of the stone age - rated r
19. portishead - third
20. the offspring - ixnay on the hombre

spoonknife
Dec 4, 2012 4:25AM
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De La Soul-Is Dead-20
Blood Brothers-Burn, Piano Island, Burn-19
Neutral Milk Hotel-In the Aeroplane Over the Sea-18
Avalanches-Since I Left You-17
Belle and Sebastian-Lazy Line Painter Jane-14
Bjork-Homogenic-13
Blur-Parklife-12
Massive Attack-Blue Lines-11
Elliott Smith-Either/Or-10
Beat Happening-Black Candy-9
DJ Rupture-Minesweeper Suite-8
Tom Waits-Rain Dogs-7
Radiohead-OK Computer-6
Pixies-Surfer Rosa-6
Ride-Nowhere-5
Fugazi- 13 Songs- 5
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes-5
Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher - 5
Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me - 5
Smiths - The Queen is Dead - 5 

5 HM's, 4 unrated's, 4 B+'s, 2 Choice-Cutted albums, 2 Duds, 1 B, 1 B-, 1 Neither, most of which have popped up in other ballots I've done previously.  Six of my picks placed in the final tally.  Of the others, the only one I'm surprised didn't place is the Neutral Milk Hotel record, which I remember seeing in some of the other polls.
Greg Morton (GMort)
Dec 4, 2012 3:02AM
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I want to go to bed but "Driftin' Back" just refuses to end.
kevin john
Dec 3, 2012 11:52PM
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Patrick, my computer rejects CDs (an RIAA plot?) so alas, I cannot share LMP. Maybe a fellow traveler can host me and my box set one day soon. But please do not die before hearing "Hits of '69" which goes "Polkas on 45" nine better.
Not. Milo. Miles.
Dec 3, 2012 11:39PM
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Spain Rodriguez underground comix legend

http://goo.gl/EHLi2



Alexander Nevermind (The Rough Guide To)
Dec 3, 2012 10:32PM
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It would be neat to see if the Dean can post a list of albums that he would reappraise a higher grade. I assume Tha Carter III is an A PLUS album based off it's number 3 ranking in his 00s list, but what B+ albums or others got moved up into the A grade territory? I've never seen Xgau overrate a record but tends to underrate them.

 

Maybe a list of his underrated records would be pretty neat to see.

Alexander Nevermind (The Rough Guide To)
Dec 3, 2012 10:29PM
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"Amon Duul II - Yeti " OMG I am in love with you.
Not. Milo. Miles.
Dec 3, 2012 9:56PM
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Ham 340 --

Okay. What does it do that his Byrds contributions don't do, with much less pretention?

Joe Lunday
Dec 3, 2012 9:50PM
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I realize now that I snuck at least one pre-1970 release in my ballot, but it was in error, I swear: 

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory 18 points
GZA - Liquid Swords 17 points
Wre - 154 16 points
New Order - 1981-1983 EP 15 points
Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation 14 points
Funkadelic - Cosmic Slop 13 points
Roxy Music - Roxy Music 12 points
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecoloyst 11 points
David Bowie - Low 10 points
Sloan - Never Hear the End of It 10 points
Amon Duul II - Yeti 9 points
Steve Malkmus & the Jicks - Pig Lib 8 points
Can - Future Days 7 points
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 7 points
The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace 7 points
The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight 6 points
The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour 5 points
Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me 5 points
Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy 5 points
Patton Oswalt - 222 5 points

Sorry that I didn't help consolidate the Tago Mago vote, but I can't deny I like Future Days just a little bit more.  
Jeff Hamilton (Ham340)
Dec 3, 2012 9:43PM
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Oh I disagree.  I bet I hear a song from it just about every week.  I find the thing has staying power.  What a strange and uncanny space music that is.  Now, you may be right, that there's something too rich in it to listen to it seven days a week.  For one thing, it's very . . . spacey.  But the sound is inimitable, and you can't throw a shoe into R.E.M.'s late work without hitting a Stipe performance that has Gene Clark all over it.  I think it's terrific.  
Not. Milo. Miles.
Dec 3, 2012 9:23PM
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Gene Clark, No Other

You play that pecker every day for a week and you won't like it much any more.

Or -- you should never have any communication with me again.
Jeff Hamilton (Ham340)
Dec 3, 2012 9:16PM
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A list:

Big Star, #1 Record (1972) (30)
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Genuine Negro Jig (2010) (10)
Gene Clark, No Other (1974)  (10 )
Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom (5)
Dream Syndicate, Days of Wine and Roses (1982)  (10)
Bob Dylan, Good As I Been To You (1992)  (20 )
John Fahey, Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You (2011 [1958-1968]) (20)
Fairport Convention, Leige and Lief  (1970)  (10)
The Funk Brothers, The Motown Story (1970) (10)
Julius Hemphill, Dogon A.D. (1972) (10)
Betty LaVette, Child Of the Seventies (2007) (10)
Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble: A Private Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke (2003) (5)
Van Morrison, Veedon Fleece (1974) (10)
David Murray, Conducted by Lawrence "Butch" Morris (1991) (10)
Rock House Ramblers, Bar Time (2000) (5)
Richard Thompson, Rumor and Sigh (1991) (5)
Dave Van Ronk, And the tin pan bended  . . . and the story ended (2004) (5)
Various Artists, Birth of Surf (2007) (5) 
Various Artists, Stomp and Swerve (2003) (5)  
Lucinda Williams, Ramblin (1978) (15)
Rodney Taylor (rstay)
Dec 3, 2012 9:12PM
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Thinking about Patrick's post, the album I might pump most from my list (which is not to say it's my favorite, but rather that it's one I suspect I many people here would like a lot) is Novos Baianos' "Acabou Chorare".  It placed first in a Brazilian Rolling Stone album poll (which is where I learned of it).  I think there are better Brazilian albums, but it is a doozy.  Folksy, yet rocking, in the best '70s sense.  The other albums I've sampled haven't been in the same league, but it's well worth owning and can be had for about $22 physical copy or $9 download from Amazon (and others, I'm sure).  Also streams on Spotify.

same thing backwards - patrick
Dec 3, 2012 9:12PM
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My own list would have looked something like this:

Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
Les Rita Mitsouko - Presentent the no comprendo
Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues
The Pogues - If I Should Fall from Grace with God
Fishbone - Truth and Soul
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
Primal Scream - Vanishing Point
White Stripes - De Stijl
Daft Punk - Discovery
Bruce Springsteen - Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...
Jorge Ben - Africa Brasil
The Damned - The Black Album
Giorgio - Son of my Father
Roxy Music - Country Life
David Bowie - Low

2 of these albums include "War Pigs", hurrah!
Not. Milo. Miles.
Dec 3, 2012 9:02PM
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See, even less Thorazine coverage in Jamaica.
Cam Patterson
Dec 3, 2012 8:42PM
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Wait, I thought the cover of "Total Destruction to your Mind" was "Two Steps" on thorazine.
Not. Milo. Miles.
Dec 3, 2012 8:06PM
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Dr Alimantado - *Best Dressed Chicken in Town*

A superb record. No doubt. But one of the Top 10 cover illustrations of all time. Keeps reminding me of *Two Steps to the Blues* but raunched out.
same thing backwards - patrick
Dec 3, 2012 7:52PM
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Dude! This is the best EW poll by miles. I love these lists. I meant to vote but I procrastinated. Anyway, I decided to add to my want list one album from each of the individual lists posted so far (except the jazz-dominated ones - sorry, can't like everything). Here goes:

Mighty Sparrow - Hot and Sweet (JY48NY)
The Gladiators - Trenchtown Mix Up*** (Iago Lopez)
Lorraine Ellison - Stay With Me (Cam Patterson)
Elizabeth Cook - Balls (JeffC77)
Jorge Ben - Negro e lindo (rstay)
Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns (jcsmall63)
Rachel Sweet - Fool Around (ShadyShack)
Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading (GMort)
Electric Light Orchestra - El Dorado (Paul H.)
Amon Duul - Para Dieswarts Duul (Jason Gubbels)
Valley Girl soundtrack (MuercoR)
Fastbacks - Very Very Powerful Motor (Edgar Sargent)
Robbie Fulks - 50 Vc Doberman (sharpsm)
Doris Duke - I'm a Loser (jmel64)
Radio Birdman - Radios Appear (FM Lo)
Operation Ivy - Operation Ivy (Kenny Mostern)
Blur - Think Tank (Nick M)
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss (Bradley Sroka)
Afghan Whigs - 1965* (Alexander Nevermind)
Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones (Richard Cobeen)
LMP - A Century of Song** (kevin john)
The Miracles - City of Angels (Allen B.)
Steve Reich - Different Trains/Electric Counterpoint (Guthrie.M)
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show (anirudh73)
Paul Kelly - So Much Water, So Close to Home (Melbourne Paul)
various artists - The Birth of Surf (Ham340)
Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (Joe Lunday)

*this may be cheating, since I used to own it
** yeah, I know, good luck
*** turns out I already had Dr. Alimantado in my wants, so I replaced him with The Gladiators

Graham Ashmore née gdash
Dec 3, 2012 7:46PM
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I know several people who think Veedon Fleece is better than Astral Weeks. Even know a few who think it's his best album.
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about the blogger

Robert Christgau

Starting in 1967, Robert Christgau has covered popular music for The Village Voice, Esquire, Blender, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He teaches in New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, maintains a comprehensive website at robertchristgau.com, and has published five books based on his journalism. He has written for MSN Music since 2006.

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