THE BEAT
Readers' Best of '96
by Seth Rogovoy(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Jan. 2, 1997) This week we give voice to the readers of The Beat. The one trend to be discerned from the following responses is one of form rather than content: the vast majority of respondents -- both local and those across the nation who read The Beat over the Internet -- sent their entries via E- mail.
Over the years, Andy Finkelstein of North Adams has been the most conscientious participant in this annual rite, to the point where he probably deserves a column of his own. The best we can do is report that Finkelstein's well-considered Top 10 list has "Recovering the Satellites" by Counting Crows -- "probably the best-written album of the year" -- at number one, followed by new works by Social Distortion, Graham Parker, Pearl Jam, Bad Religion, D-Generation, Bush, R.E.M., Soundgarden and Afghan Whigs.
Pittsfield native Adam Rothberg, a musician and record producer who lives in Leeds, liked Deb Pasternak's "More," citing the "great production by Chris Rival," and Lara St. John's violin solos by Bach. Rothberg also liked Northampton singer-songwriter Ellen Cross's "Bait and Ammo" and albums by Semisonic and Fiona Apple.
Robert Fraker of Lanesboro, chief songwriter of the Bear Bridge Band, called Peter Rowan's "Bluegrass Boy" (Sugar Hill) a "triumphant return to his Bill Monroe-inspired roots." Fraker called fiddler Jimmy Campbell's "Pieces of Time" (Red Clay) -- an instrumental album featuring the final recorded work by the late, great Monroe -- "a fitting farewell and tribute for one of the giants of American music."
Members of the Boston-based Jim's Big Ego checked in with their favorites. Chapman stick player John Kiehne liked Soul Coughing's "Irresistible Bliss" as well as albums by D'Angelo, Ben Harper, Rage Against the Machine, The Pushstars and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Drummer Hillary Koogler also liked Soul Coughing and Pushstars, as well as "Come Find Yourself" by Fun Lovin' Criminals.
Blanche Johnson of Becket, the woman behind the Stone Chapel Concert Series in the town of Washington, liked Ellis Paul's "Carnival of Voices" and Chuck Brodsky's "Letters in the Dirt." Johnson calls Brodsky, whom she hopes to bring to the Stone Chapel this summer, "one of the most underrated artists on the contemporary singer/songwriter circuit."
Down the road from the Stone Chapel, Arlo Guthrie has been listening a lot to "Debussy -- Music for Oboe And Harp," featuring Bert Lucarelli on oboe and Susan Jolles on harp, a 1988 release on the Special Music Company and Pear Records label.
Suzanne Vega topped the list by Mark Anthony Miazga, of Michigan State University in East Lansing. He called Vega's "Nine Objects of Desire" the "performance of a career from a woman whose work has always been high-quality." Miazga also liked Ani DiFranco's "Dilate" -- "another career-best effort from a spirited young artist who seems to have found her niche using trip-hop effects to accentuate her folk" -- as well as albums by Tori Amos, Popa Chubby, Susanna Hoffs, Counting Crows, Weezer, Hayden and Fiona Apple.
Natasha Zebrowski, a student at Miss Hall's School who lives in Windsor, put Dar Williams' "Mortal City" at the top of her list, followed by "Gotta Get Over Greta" by the Nields, Ani DiFranco's "Dilate" and her Utah Phillips collaboration, Ellen Cross's "Bait and Ammo," Amy Fairchild's "She's Not Herself," June Rich's eponymously-titled debut, and Martin Sexton's "Black Sheep."
Jill Charvat of Portland, Ore., is also a fan of DiFranco's "Dilate" and the Nields's "Greta," as well as Sheryl Crow's eponymous sophomore effort. R.E.M.'s "New Adventures in Hi-Fi" was Jennifer Sahn's favorite album of 1996. Its "valid, heartfelt stories from life in the '90s," she wrote, "speak to me the loudest of those out in '96, and gets played the loudest, too." Sahn, of Great Barrington, also liked Beck's "Odelay."
Attorney Eric Cochran, of New York City, called Sparklehorse's "Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot" the year's best album, as well as the one with the longest, one-word title. Food-business consultant Karen Karp, also of New York, liked Suzanne Vega's "Nine Objects of Desire" and Elvis Costello's "All This Useless Beauty." Charles Joffe-Halpern of Williamstown liked "Santiago" by the Chieftains and "Matapedia" by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.
Brian Ransom, of Pittsfield, called Eric Johnson's "Venus Isle" the best "pop/rock instrumental" album of the year, and Metallica's "Load" the best hard rock/heavy metal entrant. His favorite concert was the G3 Tour, featuring guitarists Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani with Adrian Legg as the opener. "Complete guitar ecstasy," Ransom called it.
Wilco's "Being There" topped the list sent by Rabbi Alan Berg, formerly of Pittsfield, now of Belmont, Calif. Berg called it "the long-awaited, new sound of the midwest -- primitive purity once again." Berg also liked the Band's "High On the Hog," Johnny Cash's "Unchained," Prince's "Emancipation," Patti Smith's "Gone Again" and Arlo Guthrie's "Mystic Journey," which he called "perfect."
Michael Keleher of North Adams is a big fan of avant-garde jazz, reflected in his year-end choices, which included the Jemeel Moondog Trio's "Triplet" and albums by the David S. Ware Quartet, William Parker, Sweet and Honey, Max Factory, Fuzzhead, Dennis Warren's Full Metal Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble, the Nels Cline Trio, Blue Humans and John Coltrane.
Al Groves of North Adams liked new sounds from Kirsty MacColl, Eleanor McEvoy, Cowboy Junkies, Iris DeMent, Garbage, Fluffy, New Order and Chris Isaak. Shows by Ani DiFranco and Jim Infantino in North Adams topped his list of best concerts, along with McEvoy's performance at the Iron Horse in Northampton in September.
Derek Gentile, of Great Barrington, also caught some great shows in North Adams in 1996, including ones by Willie Nelson and Black 47 -- "one of the best live bands in the business" -- at the Night Shift Cafe. This great fan of the Who travelled to New York City, Worcester and Albany to see the legendary rockers stage their opera, "Quadrophenia," and he also enjoyed the menu at Lollapalooza in Pownal, particularly Metallica and Rancid.
On record, Gentile liked the six-volume, "Complete Columbia Studio Recordings" by Miles Davis and Gil Evans, saying "even people who don't know much about jazz will appreciate it." Black 47 got the nod for its "Green Suede Shoes," the Beatles for "Anthology 3," Los Lobos for "Colossal Head" and Metallica for "Load." "James Hetfield now writes better songs than Bruce Springsteen," writes Gentile. Why damn them with faint praise, Derek?
Thanks to all who participated in this year's readers poll. Now enough about 1996. Happy listening in 1997!
[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Jan. 2, 1997. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
Next Article
Copyright © 1996 Zenn New Media, LLC
