Thursday, May 15, 2008
Call it the year of the dogs: Woof-woof. Still, there were 25 records worth listening to again and again.
Dec 21, 2000 | There was something creepy about seeing new releases by Madonna, Sade and U2 in 2000. It was like traveling back to the late '80s. On their newest effort, "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2 include a song titled "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," which would be a great joke if you believe that Bono and his mates have a sense of humor.
And yet anyone not predisposed to despise U2 will agree that the band's latest is an elegant reawakening. It's shimmering and mystical, as if they have found a reason to believe in music as a healing force unlike any other.
But three recordings by the '80s icons, despite their considerable merits, don't reflect the year in music. Of the tens of thousands of songs released to the buying public or their (circle one) thieving/borrowing Napster-using counterparts, the only song that crossed divides of culture, generation, income and ethnicity was "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Bahama's Baha Men. Groan if you must, but that was the extent of America's shared musical experience.
There was of course "The Thong Song" and "Oops ... I Did It Again," but grandparents didn't chant those two at Mets games. Of course, all the "woof-woofing" eventually became annoying, but the absence of any other such wildly popular song is just one more piece of evidence that America's common musical culture has continued to evaporate. There is no longer a vast cross section of the population sharing musical tastes and residing in the same musical spectrum.
And that's probably not a bad thing. The country may be split down the middle politically, but musically we are as fractured as the Italian Legislature.
Of course, the music industry produced more than barking-dog songs in 2000. A great deal of trash was served up on those shiny little platters, but there was an awful lot of beauty and brilliance as well.
The depressing news -- if you let this sort of thing get you down -- is that so much of what was bad sold in such amazing quantities. In the first week in stores alone, combined sales of new offerings by Britney Spears, 'N Sync and Limp Bizkit topped 4.5 million units. At $16 a pop, that's a quick and very cool $72 million.
Those numbers shouldn't be troubling. Romance novels consistently outsell literature and no one worries that Danielle Steel will undermine an entire civilization. In fact, the outlook for music fans seeking a respite from the boy bands, bubblegum divettes and rap/metal blowhards is not in the least bit bleak. It's just that with rare exceptions, most of the music worth hearing is being played below the charts.
Most noteworthy among artists who achieved both critical acclaim and top sales was Eminem, whose "The Marshall Mathers LP" has sold millions and, though they struggled with the implications, most critics admitted they loved. Also sneaking through was the English group Radiohead, whose mostly lauded (though not by this writer) album "Kid A" charted at No. 1 on its first week on the charts with almost zero radio airplay and the fiercest nonpublicity campaign ever waged. Atlanta rap duo Outkast and neo-soul crooner D'Angelo also managed the rare double of succeeding with both critics and the record-buying public.
But for the most part the top of the charts wasn't where you wanted to look for great tunes. You had to be open to music of all styles and be willing to experiment. Miles Davis, a famous objector to separating music by category, said in his autobiography, "Good music is good no matter what kind of music it is."
With that in mind, it helps to be reminded that plenty of good music of all kinds was released in 2000. Here are just 25 examples.
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