Best of 2004 – Part 1

This idea is stolen partly from Oprah, partly from my desire to have a theme running through these somewhat random entires, and partly in an effort to include some positiveness in an otherwise angry and annoyed blog. A few ground rules about my list: the items in question do not have to originate in 2004. For instance, the best book I’ve read in the past few months has been Mystic River which was actually published in 2002. So, we’ll start today with my 2004 best of : MUSIC. Best Music to Clean To: Moby’s Play. Its just great music all around. Moby sure is talented. Its not an album I’d ever just want to sit down and LISTEN to, but as background music, especially background cleaning music, its phenomenal. Best Driving Music: Macy Gray’s The Trouble With Being Myself. It’s a funky, mellow, and ambitious musical journey. The songs are catchy, well-written, and are of a varied nature. My favorites? Probably “She Don’t Write Songs About You”, not because I can understand the thoughts in the song, but cause the line “She’ll give you good head, and she’ll make up the bed, but she don’t write songs about you.” Just makes me smile. Best DMB Album Okay, everyone knows that I’m a ridiculous Dave Matthews Band fan. I despise the frat-tastic following the band has attained, but I can tolerate it cause the band is just that good. Anyone who screams “We love you Dave” at a concert, and doesn’t follow it up with a “We love you Boyd, Stefan, Leroi, Carter, and Butch” should really be shot. The band, while sharing Dave’s name, is truly an ensemble. In fact, Dave is the member I enjoy and like the least. Sure, he’s the frontman, but its Leroi and Boyd who are my all-time favorites (saxophone and violin for those who aren’t on a first name basis with my boys.) All that said, what DMB have I listened to more lately then any other? Without a doubt, it’s the Central Park Concert from last year. While not their best live performance as a group, each member really shines on a couple of songs. The 15 minute Jimi Thing is probably the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever heard the band do (maybe following Lie In Our Graves from their Live in Chicago CD). If all you’ve ever thought of is DMB a white male schlong fest – I’ll probably never convince you otherwise. Are there more talented bands out there? Sure. Are there songs with better written lyrics and tighter melodies? Sure. Bands more talented at jamming? Most definitely. But a band that has fun, shows true musical talent, and that just brings something new every time they perform? This is it. Next up in the best of series: Best Television.