Christopher Severson's Favorite Records Of 2002

2002 seems to have been a rather tame year for me. I moved for the second time in two years in early February, and this time about as deep into the mountains of Colorado as one could get. And that may have had an influence on my on purchasing habits - I mean, I did't purchase much, but I think what I did, I happened to like quite a bit. I continued mostly in the Fahey-esque traditions, with new stuff and old, and it seems to me that I wasn't the only one. And, well, I'm not really saying anything of much importance, so without further adue (how the hell are you supposed to even spell "adue" ? - maybe that's it, but if not, we'll just leave it at that).

1. Jack Rose, Red Horse, White Mule (Eclipse)
   I think that this record will top, or at least be included in, roughly 300 year end list entries, as for some god foresaken reason, there were only 300 copies pressed. Why this was released in such small numbers and with so little push is beyond me. This could have been released on a number of labels and been one of "the bigger" records of the year, but maybe that's just me since this record is *SO* up my alley it's kind of funny. Given my age, I think it's appropriate that I have only been listening to John Fahey since the release of his Return of the Repressed introduction (an introduction that gave me a belly ache if I listened to in full, but a few years later led the introduction into his cataloque of greater, even more memorable moments), but I have been waiting a LONG time for someone to make another record like this. O'rouke came close with two awful nice attempts in his own warped sense of way, but this one is really what I was looking for. Fare Forward Voyagers Part II. This is as sweet as it gets. And I think I'm the last one to ever have guessed it would have ever come from one of the players of Pelt (or at least prior to 2000). I hope this sees the light of day in a larger release in 2003, or that Jack makes another that only puts this one to shame. Record on....
2. Matt Valentine, Tonight! One Night Only! MV & EE in Heaven (Time-Lag Records)
   Shit. Another record that will likely be featured in yet another 300 year end lists. What the hell's up with all the editions of 300 of late? And this one is even pressed in MONO? Regardless, one of the best releases of 2002 that now I am recalling was also released on CD (or the ever obvious CD-R), but I suspsect that release may have only been an even smaller private pressing. Again, expecting a record like this to come from a band member who in 1994 released a indie rock record like he did with the Tower Recordings debut, I would have never guessed an lp worth of tunes like this would turn up. And did I mention this record looks about as swell as one of Fahey's own fine gatefold's, America? Very, very nice. I hope to hear more from this fellow.
3. Neil Halstead, Sleeping on Roads (4AD)
   So a little change of pace here with this one, but considering how many times this got played, I have to list it sooner or later. I believe this was released in the UK in 2001, but definitely a 2002 stateside release, and I am definitely stateside, so how appropriate. With two Fahey tribute records above, this one now goes to Nick Drake. And very well done at that.
4. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch)
   Well, you either liked this record, or you downloaded it 2001 and tried to ignore the hype since you did. I am definitely of the former catagory, and can't say that I have heard anything else from Wilco, but when this came out I was surely impressed.
5. Wire, Read and Burn 01 (Pink Flag)
   Definitelty the mostly highly anticipated record of 2002 for me, and I was surely far from let down. In fact, I think I was pretty much thrown across the room that late June afternoon when I first heard this. Not a bum cut on here, and I think the worst on here still sounds as great as your least favorite track on Pink Flag.
6. Sun City Girls, High Asia * Lo-Pacific (Abduction)
   Number 9 and 10 of their seemingly never ending (but possibly this was the last one?) Carnival Folklore Resurrection series, this one definitely has to be my favorite. Platter one is a rather varied afair, and so good at that, while platter two is a 30-some minute sprawl into one of their stranger efforts if that is all possible. It took me about six months to actually get around to playing the second disc, but it was definitely worth the wait. Can't compare this to their more recent efforts released on tour this past fall, but if they surpass this, I would be awful surprised.
7. The Dead C, New Electric Music (Language Recordings)
   It's a year end list, and it's a Dead C record. The two have gone hand in hand, at least in this household, since what, 1993? I didn't see a lot of hype following this one, but I am positive it was "released" in 2002, and what a hummer it was. Killer, the opener, was far from that, and would have been a more appropriate title for what follows with track 2, Hush. An extended remix of Sky? Well, I think this about as close as one could get. And let me tell you, it fucking rocks. The mid-section of NEM is sometimes just there, but mention here is almost required for the for the final 30 minute track where about 26 minutes in literally blows my mind. Nice.
8. Spoon, Kill The Moonlight (Merge)
   Another surprising record for me in 2002. The band has been around since what, 1995? Maybe so, and I don't know how those prior records compare, but this was easly one of my more listened to records for the year. Short. Strange. And to the point.
9. Henry Flynt, C Tune (Locust)
   Ok, how did I forget this one? Definately worthy of something higher than a lowly number 9, this is easly my favorite of Flynt's amazing (and amazingly varied) catalog that has surfaced the past 24 months. I'm still missing the more recent "Back Porch Hillbilly Blues" (I believe that's what they are called), and I promise you I will get around to those soon, but for the time being, 9 or 10 months later, this one easily still has my attention. Tony Conrad made for easy listening.
10. The Mountain Goats, Tallahassee/All Hail West Texas (4AD/Emp. Jones)
    Surely not a joint release, but two fine, fine records released by John in 2002. And not to mention the Extra Glenns released their first last year as well, or even the third and final installment in the Ajax/3bos compilations. Big year for l'il John. Tallahassee was the "major label debut", nicely polished and even produced, while West Texas was total picture perfect form that we have all come to expect since the days of his crayon-ed cassettes. His best stories yet. The "god damn" line early on should reach classic status here soon.
11. No Neck Blues Band, Re: "Mr. A Fan..." (Trade Mark of Quality)
    I'm still not sure what to think of this record, but I am guessing the TMoQ thing is somewhat out of joke, or maybe not. What the hell does a band like No Neck need with a bootleg release? Regardless, this is a fine one with moments that equal and expand in a rougher sense all the great moments of last year's best record by noneother than themselves.
12. Doctor Ragtime, s/t (Tequila Sunrise)
    Ok, so this is getting a little ridiculous to mention, but Jack Rose apparantly played some dates in 2002 that explored the sort of thing we learned with last year's unbelieveable Charley Patton set, and here's a small document of just that. It says here that only 60 copies of this CD-R were made, and again, like his long-player on Eclipse, that's surely a shame. There has to be more than 60 people in the world that would agree that this is some of the finest playing either side of the Mississippi. I'm glad I stumbled upon this one.