Top 5 - Lang Whitaker
1) Bjork, Homogenic (Elektra). Bjork is one of the few artists that have grown up on her own in plain view to all of us. On Homogenic, Bjork matures to a higher plane than most people thought imaginable. She takes oddly synthesized and shockingly syncopated beats, wraps them in lush strings, stirs in sweet melodies, and then liberally sprinkles her Icelandic pixie dust all over it. The song "Jsga" splits my vote for song of the year...
2. Ben Folds Five, Whatever And Ever Amen (Sony/550). ...with "Song For The Dumped", the greatest break-up song ever recorded. Besides "Dumped", Ben Folds Five's sophomore album is a tight throwback to piano-driven rock and roll. It sounds like what would have happened if George Gershwin had grown up with an amp and distortion pedal lying around the house.
3. Rev. Al Green, Anthology (The Right Stuff). Four CD's of the coolest man ever to walk the earth. This comprehensive collection chronicles Green's rise from his Memphis roots to his current legendary status. Starts with "Pack Up Your Train" and even has the gospel music that his career has evolved into. There are also several wonderfully bizarre covers ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand"; "Light My Fire"; "We've Only Just Begun"). It's the bomb.
4. Radiohead, OK Computer (Capitol). I know it might seem like I'm trying to jump on the critical bandwagon, but I thought this record was an amazing leap for Radiohead. It's hard to believe these were the same guys who did "Creep" a few years ago. Thom Yorke's vocals and lyrics are brilliant, and I also find "Let Down" more beautiful every time I hear it.
5. Victor Wooten, What Did He Say? (Compass). As a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten had shocked musicians and fans worldwide with his numbing genius on the bass guitar. On What, his second solo album, Wooten again proves why he's the best player walking our planet, tapping out melodies and bass lines simultaneously, while remaining so deeply immersed within the groove that he could strike oil at any moment. If you are a musician that has never heard Victor Wooten play, enlightenment awaits.
