So, with 2008's music covered, it's time to move on to that mightiest of media: the gogglebox. As with music, I tended to spend more time discovering the old than tuning into the new, and as I still refuse to watch any scripted show as it's broadcast (instead holding out for the DVD, so it can be consumed in three-hour-sized chunks), it's hard to compile any kind of "best episodes of 2008" list, because I spent more time watching old Moonlightings from 1987. Still, I'll have a go.
Top 5 Shows I Actually Watched On TV In 2008
As mentioned above, a list like this is restricted to shows that don't get released on TV - mostly unscripted shows. But, as my list will prove, unscripted doesn't mean un-good! Heavens, no.
5. Have I Got News For You
At times this year it felt like the show was treading water - and pretty average water at that, none of your upmarket Evian stuff - and Ian Hislop occasionally descended into the marginally-too-smarmy, but the occasional episode still managed to knock "it" right out of the park, whatever "it" is. The recent Christmas special, with all on fine form, was non-stop hilarity.
4. Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe
Charlie Brooker is the thinking man's thinking man, and the latest run of Screenwipe was among the best yet - particularly when Charlie was either a) organising a public piss or b) taking the piss (especially the classic Britannia High scene). More please.
3. The Apprentice
Another series, another pile of undeserving dolts that don't have a brain cell between them. I'm more deserving of a job with Sir Sugar. But that's all part of the fun; this year's fourth run was as viciously compelling as ever.
2. Mock the Week
Nowadays more consistently hilarious than HIGNFY, Frankie Boyle and Russell Howard - the real highlights of the show - were on fine form. Plus without Mock the Week, we'd never have had the classic Newsnight moment wherein Emily Maitlis (quoting Frankie Boyle joking about the Queen - one hopes) tells some head BBC honcho "I'm so old, my pussy is haunted".
1. Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Simon Amstell is probably the funniest man Britain's got right now. He, and arguably he alone, makes Buzzcocks brilliant.
Top 5 Shows Of 2008 That I Didn't Watch On TV, But I've Seen Up To The Latest Season Released On DVD, And They're Still Continuing Anyway, So I Won't Look Too Out Of Date
5. Dexter
Michael C. Hall is absolute perfection with a capital perfect as Dexter. Season 2 somehow even managed to heighten the tension even further than the superb season 1. My only concern is that with season 3, I might just tense up so much that I'm temporarily incapacitated and unable to change the disc.
4. Monk
Still one of the most fun, enjoyable and downright likeable shows on DVD, the sixth season of Monk - that's the one released on DVD in 2008 - was among its best yet. "Mr. Monk Stays Up All Night" is an al-time televisual highlight, blending comedy, drama and emotion masterfully. Also, I heart Traylor Howard.
3. Friday Night Lights
Gah. This shouldn't be so fall-down good. It's about a small-town football team in rural Texas, for crying out loud. But it just is. The characters are fully-drawn; the stories make you laugh and cry like few other TV shows can. This deserves a bigger, better audience. If its third season is its last, that's about as strong a condemnation of the US' public failure to tune in to quality TV as there ever has been.
2. Californication
Doesn't take itself too seriously, it's just hilarious, self-indulgent good fun. David Duchovny fits the role of Hank Moody almost suspiciously well.
1. ER
Grr, I'm now up to season 13 and I still can't wait for the next season to come round. It's fallen since its S1-8 heyday but it can still wrench the heart and churn the stomach like precious few other shows. Here's hoping it goes out with a bang in spring.
Top 5 Shows Of 2008 That I Didn't Watch On TV 'Cos They Finished Approximately Fifteen Years Ago, But Somehow I Only Discovered Them On DVD This Year
5. Moonlighting
It got a little crazy in the last couple of seasons, but early Moonlighting is classic TV, no doubt about it. The chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd is mind-bogglingly spot-on; the dialogue is witty and just the right amount of self-aware.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
More depth than any "teenage" show has a right to. Alyson "now in How I Met Your Mother" Hannigan is the unlikely highlight among a remarkable cast. Equal parts dark and light, Buffy never fails to engage.
3. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
Another show destroyed by premature cancellation (jeez, if that doesn't sound like an innuendo I don't know what does), Sorkin's third masterpiece in a row - set behind-the-scenes at an SNL-type sketch show - offered a remarkable cast and storylines that compelled, both when on-set and off-set.
2. Sports Night
Yeah, two Aaron Sorkin shows in a row. With good reason, though - the man's a genius. I swear, he could even make According to Jim good. His rat-a-tat-tat dialogue was already well-developed and on display in this, his first network show, which happens to be set behind-the-scenes of a cable sports show. Hm.. to anyone who hasn't seen The West Wing, he's beginning to sound like a one-trick-pony. But then again, anyone who hasn't seen that show doesn't deserve an opinion on television, right?
1. Titus
The best sitcom you've never heard of, Titus is a post-Seinfeld torrent of Very Special Episodes that lack emotion, dysfunctional families that make the Simpsons look like a model of respect and order, and piss-takes of the most horrendous events (terrorism, rape, homophobia.. you name it, it's here). If it weren't for the restrained language, you'd swear it had been on HBO, not Fox.
Top 10 Shows Of 2008 That Didn't Fit In Above
10. House
For the sublime two-part S4 season finale, "House's Head"/"Wilson's Heart".
9. Without A Trace
For Anthony Lapaglia kicking ass in "Malone vs. Malone".
8. Psych
For not being the Monk rip-off it so easily could've been.
7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
For proving Danny Devito's still got it.
6. 30 Rock
For keeping the effortlessly brilliant Tina Fey on screens outsie of Sarah Palin impressions.
5. The Shield
For that powerhouse of a season five finale. OMG LEM!!!1
4. Frasier
For making me laugh, even on the fifteenth viewing.
3. The West Wing
For "In Excelsis Deo" and "Two Cathedrals".
2. How I Met Your Mother
For keeping Alyson "once on Buffy" Hannigan on our screens. Also, Barney Stinson.
1. South Park
For the denouement of "Scott Tenorman Must Die". The crew at Tales of the Unexpected would be proud. Maybe.
--Later this week: "Part 3 - The Websites, And Other Stuff". Possibly.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
2008: An Unnecessary Retrospective - Part 1: The Music
So, 2008 is over, and 2009 is beginning. What better time than this arbitrary demarcation to look back at 52-and-a-bit weeks worth of television and music?
Like Tesco's almond coke, this blog post is an entry into a saturated market, an unwanted and unnecessary addition to an already heaving catalogue; but also like Tesco's almond coke, lurking beneath a rather mediocre wrapper is a unique taste just begging to be tried.
Okay, contrived metaphor falls apart there. On with the lists.
Top 5 Albums Released in 2008
I'm rubbish at listening to music as it comes out. Instead, I discover an artist somewhere between five and fifty years into their career and catch up with their back catalogue as time and money allows. Thankfully, despite this idiosyncrasy, I still found time to hear at least five albums released this year that I actually liked. (Even if four were by artists I was already familiar with..)
5. The Killers - Day and Age
I liked Sam's Town, but it seems no-one else did, so it was back to synth-pop-rock for album the third. I won't complain, as the songs here are consistently good. Even if that godforsaken "Are we human or are we dancer?" will crop up in "worst lyrics ever" polls from now until infinitydom. Opener "Losing Touch" is probably the best song here.
4. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Indiepop kids of the moment, Los Campesinos!' first full-length album was a delightful affair (though they'd probably be mighty pissed that I'm describing their material as "delightful", a word usually reserved for post-menopausal women discussing Daniel O'Donnell). The highlight would be "My Year In Lists", because I like lists. Heh. A song called "My Year In Lists" is featuring on a list of my favourite albums of the year. How's that for meta.
3. Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Stephin Merritt's latest 12-track travail into indiepop was united by the running theme - er, sound - of distortion. It works well, making already-awesome songs at least 1.4 times as awesome as they would otherwise be. Highlight is "California Girls". Most definitely not a cover of the Beach Boys song. Oh, my, no.
2. Keane - Perfect Symmetry
The most varied Keane album yet. Ok, that's not really saying much, but there's a surprising amount of ground covered here. In parts there are even hints of reggae and trip-hop beats! I'm as shocked as you are. The absurd catchiness of the opening tracks, "Spiralling" and "The Lovers Are Losing", makes them the top contenders for my favourite track from the album, but the epic-by-Keane's-standards title track is no slouch.
1. R.E.M. - Accelerate
In which the guys' rock roots hadn't died, they were just hibernating. R.E.M. kick ass for the first time in more than a decade, and sound great doing it. Even the slower numbers - "Houston", "Until The Day Is Done" - engage; while the album's very best - "Man-Sized Wreath", "Supernatural Superserious", "Mr. Richards" - rate among R.E.M.'s all-time finest.
Honourable mention: Barenaked Ladies' Snacktime. Some quality stuff for a kids' album, especially "Pollywog In A Bog" and "Louis Loon".
Top 5 Albums Not Released in 2008
A far more hotly-contested category than the former. But I'm not just rating any old album that wasn't released this year: these are the best five albums I've discovered this year, that just happened to be released in years gone by.
5. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Best Of
Okay, so we're only on the first album and I'm already cheating. A best of?! I'm everything that's wrong with the record-buying public. But whatever. At least I buy records. Sometimes. Anyhoo, this compilation of Southside's best bits is surprisingly well-picked - including, as it does, nine-tenths of the seminal Hearts of Stone, alongside some of the very best mid-tempo ballads to ever emerge from the Asbury Park scene - "Love on the Wrong Side of Town", "This Time Baby's Gone For Good", "I Don't Want To Go Home".
4. Die Ärzte - Jazz ist Anders
Mellowing in their later years somewhat, Die Ärzte deliver an R.E.M.-like mix of rock songs that range from the crazy-catchy ("Vorbei ist vorbei") to synthpop ("Lasse redn") to their traditional hard, punk-influenced work ("Allein").
3. Various Artists - Indoor Picnic Music
iTunes-only compilation of the best bands on the Nettwerk record label. Every song is a winner. Barenaked Ladies are the main event, but cuts from Josh Rouse ("Looks Like Love"), Adrienne Pierce ("Arizona"), Hem (the heart-stoppingly beautiful "Not California"), Conjure One ("Extraordinary Way") and The Format ("She Doesn't Get It") are just as worthy. I haven't yet tried listening to it while partaking in an indoor picnic, but it's only a matter of time.
2. Joe Grushecky - American Babylon
Pal of Springsteen, Grushecky's American Babylon is arguably his best LP. Full of rockers ranging from the restrained frustration of "Chain Smoking" to the harsh, aggressive "Dark and Bloody Ground" to the, er, waltz of "Billy's Waltz"
1. Bruce Springsteen - Tracks
Ok, so I've screwed you all. My number one isn't even a proper album. Instead, it's a 70-odd track collection of Springsteen (yep, him again, I'm obsessed) miscellany: B-sides, outtakes, demos, songs his next-door neighbour heard him singing in the shower, etc. With any other artist this collection would suck, but tis Brucie baby, so a good 2/3 of the material here is on a par with tracks that made his "proper" albums. Especially the power-pop of disc two ("Roulette", "Where the Bands Are", "Loose Ends" and "Dollhouse" are simply perfection).
Honourable mention: Vonda Shepard's entire back catalogue. Best. Pop. Ever.
Top 5 Songs Of The Year That Didn't Come From The Above Albums
My full top 100 songs of 2008 list is filled with tracks from the aforementioned albums, so to make this article marginally more palatable (and if you've made it to this stage, you'll take what you can get), let's look only at songs that don't feature on the LPs above. And, to make it even more difficult, they can't be by any of the artists mentioned above at all. So, what you're really left with is "5 Random Songs I Kinda Liked This Year". But it's not boring!
5. Julee Cruise - "Falling"
Eerily haunting. No surprise, as it was composed by the eerily haunting Angelo Badalamenti, and was featured in the eerily haunting Twin Peaks, which was directed by the eerily haunting David Lynch.
4. Hybrid - "Finished Symphony"
Classical-come-trance classic. Hauntingly eerie. I would go as far as to call it eerily haunting, but you might think I was repeating myself.
3. Marah - "Christmas With The Snow"
One of the best Christmas songs ever, the insane jollity of the chorus ("It's Christmas with the snow, with the snow, with the snow, snow") able to provoke memories of the wintertime even in boiling-hot June. Well, this is England, so moderately-hot June, but you take my point.
2. Johnny Cash - "I Hung My Head"
Approximately 49 trillion times better than the original, Cash imbues this song with a disconcerting fragility. Liable to make me cry if I hear it at the wrong time. But keep that quiet.
1. Tommy Tutone - "867-5309 (Jenny)"
"Eight-six-seven-five-thre-oh-ni-e-ine!"
-- A look back on my favourite TV of 2008 coming later this week.
Like Tesco's almond coke, this blog post is an entry into a saturated market, an unwanted and unnecessary addition to an already heaving catalogue; but also like Tesco's almond coke, lurking beneath a rather mediocre wrapper is a unique taste just begging to be tried.
Okay, contrived metaphor falls apart there. On with the lists.
Top 5 Albums Released in 2008
I'm rubbish at listening to music as it comes out. Instead, I discover an artist somewhere between five and fifty years into their career and catch up with their back catalogue as time and money allows. Thankfully, despite this idiosyncrasy, I still found time to hear at least five albums released this year that I actually liked. (Even if four were by artists I was already familiar with..)
5. The Killers - Day and Age
I liked Sam's Town, but it seems no-one else did, so it was back to synth-pop-rock for album the third. I won't complain, as the songs here are consistently good. Even if that godforsaken "Are we human or are we dancer?" will crop up in "worst lyrics ever" polls from now until infinitydom. Opener "Losing Touch" is probably the best song here.
4. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Indiepop kids of the moment, Los Campesinos!' first full-length album was a delightful affair (though they'd probably be mighty pissed that I'm describing their material as "delightful", a word usually reserved for post-menopausal women discussing Daniel O'Donnell). The highlight would be "My Year In Lists", because I like lists. Heh. A song called "My Year In Lists" is featuring on a list of my favourite albums of the year. How's that for meta.
3. Magnetic Fields - Distortion
Stephin Merritt's latest 12-track travail into indiepop was united by the running theme - er, sound - of distortion. It works well, making already-awesome songs at least 1.4 times as awesome as they would otherwise be. Highlight is "California Girls". Most definitely not a cover of the Beach Boys song. Oh, my, no.
2. Keane - Perfect Symmetry
The most varied Keane album yet. Ok, that's not really saying much, but there's a surprising amount of ground covered here. In parts there are even hints of reggae and trip-hop beats! I'm as shocked as you are. The absurd catchiness of the opening tracks, "Spiralling" and "The Lovers Are Losing", makes them the top contenders for my favourite track from the album, but the epic-by-Keane's-standards title track is no slouch.
1. R.E.M. - Accelerate
In which the guys' rock roots hadn't died, they were just hibernating. R.E.M. kick ass for the first time in more than a decade, and sound great doing it. Even the slower numbers - "Houston", "Until The Day Is Done" - engage; while the album's very best - "Man-Sized Wreath", "Supernatural Superserious", "Mr. Richards" - rate among R.E.M.'s all-time finest.
Honourable mention: Barenaked Ladies' Snacktime. Some quality stuff for a kids' album, especially "Pollywog In A Bog" and "Louis Loon".
Top 5 Albums Not Released in 2008
A far more hotly-contested category than the former. But I'm not just rating any old album that wasn't released this year: these are the best five albums I've discovered this year, that just happened to be released in years gone by.
5. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Best Of
Okay, so we're only on the first album and I'm already cheating. A best of?! I'm everything that's wrong with the record-buying public. But whatever. At least I buy records. Sometimes. Anyhoo, this compilation of Southside's best bits is surprisingly well-picked - including, as it does, nine-tenths of the seminal Hearts of Stone, alongside some of the very best mid-tempo ballads to ever emerge from the Asbury Park scene - "Love on the Wrong Side of Town", "This Time Baby's Gone For Good", "I Don't Want To Go Home".
4. Die Ärzte - Jazz ist Anders
Mellowing in their later years somewhat, Die Ärzte deliver an R.E.M.-like mix of rock songs that range from the crazy-catchy ("Vorbei ist vorbei") to synthpop ("Lasse redn") to their traditional hard, punk-influenced work ("Allein").
3. Various Artists - Indoor Picnic Music
iTunes-only compilation of the best bands on the Nettwerk record label. Every song is a winner. Barenaked Ladies are the main event, but cuts from Josh Rouse ("Looks Like Love"), Adrienne Pierce ("Arizona"), Hem (the heart-stoppingly beautiful "Not California"), Conjure One ("Extraordinary Way") and The Format ("She Doesn't Get It") are just as worthy. I haven't yet tried listening to it while partaking in an indoor picnic, but it's only a matter of time.
2. Joe Grushecky - American Babylon
Pal of Springsteen, Grushecky's American Babylon is arguably his best LP. Full of rockers ranging from the restrained frustration of "Chain Smoking" to the harsh, aggressive "Dark and Bloody Ground" to the, er, waltz of "Billy's Waltz"
1. Bruce Springsteen - Tracks
Ok, so I've screwed you all. My number one isn't even a proper album. Instead, it's a 70-odd track collection of Springsteen (yep, him again, I'm obsessed) miscellany: B-sides, outtakes, demos, songs his next-door neighbour heard him singing in the shower, etc. With any other artist this collection would suck, but tis Brucie baby, so a good 2/3 of the material here is on a par with tracks that made his "proper" albums. Especially the power-pop of disc two ("Roulette", "Where the Bands Are", "Loose Ends" and "Dollhouse" are simply perfection).
Honourable mention: Vonda Shepard's entire back catalogue. Best. Pop. Ever.
Top 5 Songs Of The Year That Didn't Come From The Above Albums
My full top 100 songs of 2008 list is filled with tracks from the aforementioned albums, so to make this article marginally more palatable (and if you've made it to this stage, you'll take what you can get), let's look only at songs that don't feature on the LPs above. And, to make it even more difficult, they can't be by any of the artists mentioned above at all. So, what you're really left with is "5 Random Songs I Kinda Liked This Year". But it's not boring!
5. Julee Cruise - "Falling"
Eerily haunting. No surprise, as it was composed by the eerily haunting Angelo Badalamenti, and was featured in the eerily haunting Twin Peaks, which was directed by the eerily haunting David Lynch.
4. Hybrid - "Finished Symphony"
Classical-come-trance classic. Hauntingly eerie. I would go as far as to call it eerily haunting, but you might think I was repeating myself.
3. Marah - "Christmas With The Snow"
One of the best Christmas songs ever, the insane jollity of the chorus ("It's Christmas with the snow, with the snow, with the snow, snow") able to provoke memories of the wintertime even in boiling-hot June. Well, this is England, so moderately-hot June, but you take my point.
2. Johnny Cash - "I Hung My Head"
Approximately 49 trillion times better than the original, Cash imbues this song with a disconcerting fragility. Liable to make me cry if I hear it at the wrong time. But keep that quiet.
1. Tommy Tutone - "867-5309 (Jenny)"
"Eight-six-seven-five-thre-oh-ni-e-ine!"
-- A look back on my favourite TV of 2008 coming later this week.
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