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| Talk,
Justin Harries,
15 January 1999 | |
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If you want to check out a full run down of the year in pop I suggest you go look in one of those shiny magazines on the shelf at your nearest WH Smiths – The Wire's usually good and I’m sure Q do an excellent job with the cross referencing. However, in no order whatsoever, are my rather vague remembrances of "The Year in Pop". Not enough room for the whole millennium, fortunately.
Hip hop, which this year assumed positively academic dimensions, took up the baton laid down by Missy Elliot and Timberland in the last, and lurched further toward the genuinely spasmodic. Check Destiny’s Child’s ‘On the bus’ and Eminem’s ‘My name is
’ for details. Fortunately Puff Daddy laid rather low this year, either that or I had somehow managed to block out his mega-bucks pomposity altogether. But this year even Whitney was sounding good, and some truly great Hip-Hop mutations were spawned.
Smash Hit Sensation Britney Spears certainly held the pop scene by its balls – just the right balance of cheesy teen porn and plaintive and adolescence balladering worked wonders. Of course Britney can never scale the dizzy heights of ‘Hit me
’, but could we be seeing the beginnings of a career to rival that of Debbie Gibson? The world holds its breath.
Another lady making waves was Shania Twain, whose cyber-country hits ‘Man
’ and ‘That don’t impress’ are perhaps some of the most harshly recorded songs of the year. Brutal. The Steps machine rolled on, destroying all in its path – terrifying what adoration a few Butlin redcoats can inspire.
The Boy band clone machine was in full effect this year. The only ones to surface from the mire this year for me were those lovely boys Five. I personally enjoyed Another Level from last, but this year did not seem to capitalise on such blinding success. Boyzone somehow survived.
Scummy Maria Carey was also back in action – no cause for joy. But this year did see the greater emergence of LATINO! What with a couple of serviceable singles from Jennifer Lopez and shop mannequin turned gyrating machine Ricky Martin, the world caught alight to the sexy sound of South America. A sound that also passed into the more left field scene. Beck, Arto Linsey and old wags Stereolab imported samba to varying degrees, Beck even teaming up with Bossanova king Caetono Veloso to mumble a few numbers.
OK, bits and pieces for me now. Kaiji Haino continued his exonrable ascent this year – His band Fushitsusha’s CD ‘Withdrawe, this sable Dislosure ere devot’d’ combined earth shattering carnage and spooked-out, wailing exorcisms to massive effect. Come to Britain next year Kaiji. Alchemist Jim O’Rourke travelled in another direction, creating pop with nods toward Van Parks, Bacharach and Fleetwood Mack. Mogwia and friends left me pinning for Slint. Personal discovery for me this year was John Coltrane (aren’t we a little late for the party?). ‘Transitions’, ‘Sun Ship’ and ‘Meditations’ still give an incredible blast, even compared with the high-octane squealers of today. Amazing energy and entirely invigorating. And not forgetting Derek Bailey of course, whose ‘Playbacks’ ruled.
And that’s about it for this year folks. I hope you enjoyed it.
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