From: "C. Spencer Yeh" <wyvern AT cinci.infi.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 04:03:04 +0000

Doug --

So sorry this is late.  Here it is, off top of head, with some spotty comments.  
I most cases I tried to check the dates as best as I could...

--

GOOD RECORDS OF/AROUND 1997:

Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy (Warp UK)
	Probably the best rock album of the year.  Rather, an album to be approached as 
such (the sequence of tracks, for example, seems more informed by the gatefold 
arena-rock LP than a "here's some tracks" approach of some other electro).  The 
drum programming is superb; a visceral experience I willingly unquestioned.

U.S Maple - Sang Phat Editor (Skin Graft US)
	The little rock album that couldn't.

Mainliner - Mainliner Sonic (Charnel House US)
	And this little rock album went "FRRRRGNRNRNRGRGRGZZZZZZZPTPTPTPTTPTPT!!!"

Jim O'Rourke - Happy Days (Revenant US) & Bad Timing (Drag City US)
	Companion albums of the finest sort.  More cinematic than Sting sampling Pulp 
Fiction hoke to bookend his sonic proceedings.  Happy Days is pure drama.

Photek - Modus Operandi (Astralwerks US)
	All that Eastern imagery, the "exquisite" and "razor-sharp" crud. tossed around 
in such an all-too-empty artform actually finds a home with this disc.  
Unapologetically dry, the attention to detail does reward the close listen.  I 
admit I'm not the biggest "electronica" buff nor "head," but...  the whole 
"jazz" thing?  Come on...

u-Ziq - Lunatic Harness (Astralwerks US)
Often "out-Aphexes" Aphex Twin, in terms of the obnoxious bit of funny, and that 
lovely twig-in-the-fan drum-and-bass "splatter."  Eww, I feel dirty for writing 
this way...

Royal Trux - Singles, Live, Unreleased (Drag City US)
	That "Nice Price" sticker is a pants-shitter.  Big handclaps for using the 
large double-disc jewelbox for the CD edition as well.  It's all so unnecessary 
and good.

Smog - Red Apple Falls (Drag City US)
	"Focus" and "refinement" bring new yet familiar Smog atmosphere and Smog 
lyrical conceits.  A different breed of the "harrowing/desolate/whatever" 
thematic, compared to the bombast of Doctor Came At Dawn, though no less 
effective.  "To Be Of Use" is such a poignant song that when I saw it performed 
live, I almost passed out.

Fushitsusha - The Time Is Nigh & A Death Never To Be Complete (Tokuma JPN)
	Time is Nigh is slightly superior to A Death... if not only for "My Precious 
Thing," serving as a "November Rain" amongst "November Rain"'s.  A drug-free 
frisson.

Kevin Drumm - s/t (Perdition Plastics US)
	Having bore witness to a Michael Anthony bass solo...

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (Matador US)
	The finest specimen of this sort.  Doesn't have the sort of "unity" that makes 
Painful special, but it sure beats Electr-o-Pura.

Shoo-ins on the "to buy" list:

AMM - Laminal (Matchless UK)

Tony Conrad - Early Minimalism Box (Table of the Elements US)

Muller/Voice Crack/O'Rourke - Table Chair and Hatstand (For4Ears SWITZ[?])

To round things out:

David Grubbs - Banana Cabbage, Potato Lettuce, Onion Orange (Table of the 
Elements US)

Incapacitants - Asset Without Liability (Bulb US/JAP)

The Flying Luttenbachers - Godz of Chaos (Skin Graft US)

A sentimental vote:

Portishead - Portishead (Go! Beat/London US)


RE-ISSUES OF GREAT "NOTE" (get it?  Ha!):

Merzbow - Age of 369/Chant 2 (Extreme AUS)
	The alluring smell on the street outside a bakery; with your nose to the glass, 
you can see the Merzbox in a display case.

Magical Power Mako - Music From Heaven (Atavistic US)

Folke Rabe - What?? (Dexter's Cigar US)
	It must be nice to be able to go through your music collection, pull out 
something, ask "hey, have you heard *this*?" and have a couple hundred people 
respond openly positively.  Almost every time.

Juke/19 - 1978-1982 Box (Time Bomb JPN)
	Quite nice and quite necessary, if you're into the Japanese avant-rock sort of 
thing.  Those sleeves are a bit of a bear, though, and the liners make me wish I 
knew how to read Japanese (along w/ Maruo Suehiro manga).

Ghost - [first three albums] (Drag City US)
	When listening to Lamarabirabi, a friend made a comment, "hey, this sounds like 
Rusted Root."

Scott Walker - Tilt (Drag City US)
	The "genius" hits the domestic shores, in a midnight sneak attack.  As with two 
years ago, no one really declares war.  As with all good history, I wasn't there 
the first time.

Yoko Ono - Plastic Ono Band & others (Rykodisc US)
	Great-looking reissues that creatively remind us that Rykodisc is the "master" 
behind this stuff (both of the series itself, as well as in large-scale reissue 
programs).

Christian Marclay - Records '81 - '89 (Atavistic US)

Palace Music - Lost Blues And Other Songs (Drag City US)

The Red Crayola - Three Songs On Trip To United States/etc. (Drag City US)

Raymond Scott - Soothing Sounds For Baby series (damn, I forgot; a Dutch label, 
maybe)

Whitehouse - Great White Death & Thank Your Lucky Stars Special Editions (Susan 
Lawly UK)


NIFTY PROMO ITEMS OF 1997:

Coffee Mug for K. Stockhausen Kontakte (tape, piano, perc. version), w/ James 
Tenney and William Winant, 1978 (Ecstatic Peace!/Forced Exposure)

Poster for U.S. Maple's Sang Phat Editor.

Gastr Del Sol on 7Up Listen Up!

SAVING '98 PENNIES FOR:

Gastr Del Sol - Camoufleur (Drag City US)

Neil Hamburger - Raw Hamburger (?) (Drag City US)

Rafael Toral - ? (Dexter's Cigar)

Runzelstirn and Gurgelstock - ? (Selektion GER)

RLW - Tulpas box (Selektion GER)

Fushitsusha - First Double Live reissue (PSF JAP)

--

I feel like I'm forgetting a lot of stuff...  Anyways, sorry it's so long.  I 
felt "yabby."

Thanks,

Spencer