PixlBit

Who cares what was popular or what historic events happened in music in 1998. This is what I listened to. It ain't much or even all that interesting, but I really didn't have any strong feelings about the music in '98. About the most interesting thing to me looking back is this was the year Queens of the Stone Age debuted. I liked them then, but didn't follow them. Now I'd like to take a closer listen. Anyway, this is the stuff I listened to and remember well.

Carlos, Wendy	Tales of Heaven and Hell
Dio	Inferno - Last in Live
Fleck, Bela Flecktones	Left of Cool
Madonna	Ray of Light
Rush	Different Stages
Setzer, Brian Orchestra	Dirty Boogie
Stabbing Westward	Darkest Days
Various	Chef Aid: The South Park Album

 

Walter Carlos is most famous for his first album, Switched On Bach, which raised the hackles of classical pundits everywhere. How dare someone use electronic instruments to play time honored classics from such a genius as Johann Sebastian Bach. How dare he! Very soon after his debut, he debuted as a woman and changed his name to Wendy, raising the hackles of classicists even more. To me she's like future-person. She played Bach on the most primitive of Moog synthesizers and changed her sex like she was a character from a Samuel Delany scifi novel; and all this in the late 60s to early 70s. So fast forward past her movie soundtrack years in the 70s and 80s and to 1998 when she put out this Tales of Heaven and Hell album. This is a spooky album of electronic music that would be perfect in a video game or movie. It moves from a light hearted spookiness, that I think would do great in a Luigi's Mansion game, to a really scary sound that would do nicely in some psychological horror film. You can put this on at Halloween for really great background to trick-or-treating. Try it. 

I picked up this Ronnie James Dio live album at some flea market or pawn shop I believe. It was a good heavy rock album with Dio's new guitarist and they ran over all the old Dio tunes and did a great job at it. I don't have this album anymore, but maybe I'll find it again. 

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Bela Fleck was a jazz-fusion banjo player. I'll say that again. A jazz-fusion banjo player. My bandmate Peter at the time was a big fan. I listened to it a bunch and was impressed. Bela and Co. is an incredibly talented group. Almost too talented for me. They seemed just a little too perfect and I found their sound lacking a touch of grimy soul that I look for in music; but, I thought I'd give it another listen to see how I think about it now. I picked up this Left of Cool album today. 

I always liked the Madonna song "Ray of Light". I probably had the single back then. Now I have the whole album to listen to. It had a good music video for the song too. 

Rush does a live album every four albums without fail. A Show of Hands was the previous one and four albums later, Different Stages. Rush plays live pretty much like the album tracks which makes them a bit boring live, but this live album had a third disc with a concert from 1979. I had to listen to that! Geddy Lee's voice back in the 70s was a shrill banshee shriek that probably could've broken glass. I think, almost twenty years later, his voice has mellowed nicely and I think he sounds better today, even if the quality of the songs aren't quite as great as the 70s ones. 

I probably stumbled across The Brian Setzer Orchestra while searching for games at the flea market. I used to pick up just anything sometimes and give it a listen. Heck! The Stay Cats, Brian Setzer's first band, were ok back in the 80s. Well his Orchestra is really good and Brian's guitar playing is stellar. I really love the sound of the hollow body electric guitar and Brian can burn a house down with his playing. The Dirty Boogie is really hot and belongs in that strange Swing revival genre that appeared in the mid to late 90s. Bands like Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy crept into mainstream appeal for a while. 

Stabbing Westward was a rock band who got my interest because they were used for the opening cinematic in Duke Nukem Time to Kill. Their song "The Thing I Hate" was on many of my tape mixes at the time. 

Finally, Chef Aid by the South Parkers. Many really funny songs on this album plus the theme song to the show played by Primus. Seveal guest stars appear too like Rick James. 

I picked up some good 1998 stuff today. I got Sheryl Crow's The Globe Sessions, They Might Be Giants Severe Tire Damage (their first live album), Monster Magnet's Powertrip, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Americana Deluxe, and the soundtrack to the Wes Anderson film Rushmore. It's gonna be a good mix this week, oh yes!