Best of 1995

Jim Westrich (westrich@uic.edu)
Tue, 05 Dec 1995 16:02:04 -0600


Sorry this is late. I am missing some details but I'll never get this out
if I have to do it at home where my recordes are.

====================================================

Top 5 Albums of 1995
--------------------
- Caroline Lavelle "Spirit"
- Skunkhour "Skunkhour"
- DJ Food "Recipe For Disaster"
- Ballistic Brothers "London Hooligan Soul"
-

[I thought it was a down year but maybe its me]

Top 5 Singles/Songs of 1995
---------------------------
- "Case of You" (Psovi Psovi Mix)--Caroline Lavelle with William Orbit
- [OK its Greek and phonetically its something like 'nish
gadarnuk'](TransGlobal Underground Mix)-- Natascha Atlas
- "The Real Shit"-- Fried Funk Food
- "Brass Neck"--DJ Food
- "Karmacoma" (The Napoli Experience)--Massive Attack

Top 5 Artists/Groups of 1995
----------------------------
- DJ Food/Coldcut/Hedfunk/Floormaster Squeeze
- Massive Attack
- Norman Cook/Colonel Kurtz/Pizzaman/FreakPower/Fried Funk Food
- Ballistic Brothers/Ashley Beedle
- Kruder & Dorfmeister

Best Vocal Song of 1995
-----------------------
- "Free Man" Skunkhour
[I am may be not be voting right here but these are the best "vocals" for
the year in my opinion but is not my favorite song with vocals in them]

Best Instrumental Song of 1995
------------------------------
- "Brass Neck" DJ Food

"Easy Like Sunday Morning" Song of 1995
---------------------------------------
- "Jungle Klaus" -- Drome

[How about Negativland's "Full Stero Rototiller"?]

"Four On The Floor" Song of 1995
--------------------------------
- "Peckings" -- Ballistic Brothers
[I could think of a lot of other "4/Floor" songs that I liked better but I
would not consider them acid jazz--although others voted for some]

"Thick Morass of Hazy Chronic Smoke" Song of 1995
-------------------------------------------------
- "Revenge of the Mekon" (Acid Mekon Mix) -- Mekon
[I realize that I am interpretting this category a bit differently
than others but this one hits hard and heavy and around 80 BPM (I
think)]
Best Compilation of 1995
------------------------
- The Rebirth of Cool (UK Phive or US 3)

Best Label of 1995
------------------
- I'm liking Wall of Sound more, Mo' Wax less, Clean Up still misses me but
I only heard a few releases, many other labels I hear very little, but
I'll vote:
Ninjatune

Best Magazine of 1995
---------------------
- Never read them (sorry)

Best Album Cover of 1995
------------------------
- I can't remember the single (I'm at work) but the most recent Up, Bustle
and Out with the Mexican woodcuts--"The Revolutionary Woman at the
Well" or
something

Best Club of 1995
-----------------
- Not enough info to make fair rating

Best DJ of 1995
---------------
- Matt Black/Jonathan More

Overrated Project of 1995
-------------------------
- [Does this mean on this list? -- Wagon Christ]
I really don't know what "The World" is hyping but I would guess --
Guru/Jazzmatazz

Underrated Project of 1995
--------------------------
- I'm not sure but certainly the Massive Attack tour was much better than the
common griping on this list. I always think Norman Cook is underrated but he
did a lot of housey/jungly stuff this year.

Jim Westrich
University of Illinois--Chicago
Institute on Disability and Human Development (M/C 626)
Applied Research Unit
1640 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: (312) 413-7862 Fax: (312) 413-1326