Yesterday, we asked YOU, to lay out your favourite listens from the year that’s been.
On the line was a €50 voucher (twice the usual} for Golden Discs, usable at any of its fourteen branches around the country.
We specified:
‘The best thing I’ve heard all year was___________________________’
It was a big year for music both major and independent, and we had some great suggestions. But there could only be one winner.
LiamZero takes the voucher with the The Dame’s surprise swansong from January.
“‘Blackstar’ by Bowie, because in just three days, it went from being the remarkable rebirth of one of popular music’s greatest careers to being the most astonishing, beautiful, witty, dignified, clever and heartbreaking farewell of them all, filled with lyrics that suddenly revealed their hidden truths. It’s a poorer world without him, but at least he gave us a fitting goodbye.”
In further finds from the running we have two categories:
The Best thing I heard this year from this year
Starina: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was Girl Band’s Holding Hands With Jamie. Slightly deranged, with clever lyrics and deadly melodies. We should hold them up as an example of how great Irish music really can be.”
Witty Name: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was Let Me Get There by Hope Sandoval and the Warm Invention, featuring Kurt Vile. Warm, fuzzy tune, with great guitar. American singers with a great Irish band (Dirt Blue Gene, Colm O Ciosóig). Lovely album, takes your mind off all the madness of 2016.”
Kolmo: “The best thing I’ve heard all year is Deantown by Vulfpeck. Nothing on Earth has come close to being this toe-tappingly groovy. Nothing. Nada. Nix.”
Garreth: “Nick Cave, Skeleton Tree. A hard, brutal listen, but hauntingly beautiful. Masterpiece.”
Marklar: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was (Girl We Got A) Good Thing by Weezer. Full of joy and back to their best.”
The best thing I heard this from from another year:
Ouch: “Only discovered this Bowie gem when it was re-released this year on the Who Can I Be Now box set that covered his phenomenal 1974 – 1976 period. Amazing tune and it didn’t even make the cut to be released at the time…”
Wilson-IRL: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was Farewell Sarajevo by Maybeshewill from the album I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone. The album is a couple of years old but i first heard it this year and it’s the first album that I’ve repeatedly listened to, in its entirety, in over a decade.” (Recommended – Mike)
Niallo: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was Superstition by Stevie Wonder… No, no, wait! Come back… on 10+ grand’s worth of hi-fi gear at the listening room on Wicklow Street, blew me bleedin’ socks off, you can hear the placement of each of the instruments as if you were in the studio, ’twas unreal.”
Zena: “The best thing I’ve heard all year was, Cherokee Morning Song by Walela. It was released before 2016 but it’s one hell of a song, it’s sang in Native American too, simply beautiful.”
Last week, we offered you the chance to win a fluttering €25 voucher for Golden Discs, usable at any of music giant’s 14 locations around the country.
We asked you to complete this sentence:
‘The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be_______________________especially during_____________________________’
It was another hard one to call…
But ‘Yer Man There’ has it.
The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be James Jamerson especially during the Motown era of Marvin Gaye. His playing is the stuff of legend, and not something that they teach in no fancy music schools. Listen to the way he carves out his own space by shifting ahead of the beat or behind it, or sitting on a note unexpectedly, while never sacrificing the groove or taking away from Marvin Gaye’s vocal (as if that was possible). An extremely influential musician who unfortunately never got the recognition he deserved and lived a poor, hard life.
Hard to argue, that.
Some more highlights from the going:
Yep: “The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be Victor Wooten, of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones especially during Amazing Grace. Showing mastery of technique while transforming the song from sonic bliss to infectious grove and everywhere between.”
Martin: “The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be Jaco Pastorius, especially during his life.”
Royal M: “The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be Geddy Lee of Rush especially during Digital Man from the Signals album.”
Birneybau2: “Stephen Morris, amazing. Bernard Sumner, terrible lyricist, amazing guitarist. Ian Curtis, one of the greatest. Peter Hook; ’nuff said.”
Serval: “The finest exponent of the bass guitar in contemporary music would have to be Andy Rourke, especially during This Charming Man.”
Thanks all
Bassists (above) clockwise from top left: James Jamerson; Andy Rourke; Victor Wooton; Jaco Pastorius; Geddy Lee; Peter Hook.
With a Golden Discs voucher up for grabs we asked you to complete this sentence:
‘The most outstanding example of traditional music from the island of Ireland would have to be______________________________’
The competition was particularly stiff.
but there could only be one winner.
Scottser takes top prize for this probing analysis of The King of the Fairies by The Dubliners (above):
“This tune features a lovely modal device of introducing the sharpened 7th in a minor key, which is ordinarily proper to the major key. This play between major and minor is a very ‘gypsy’ feel, so nice and topical, given the current debate around traveller ethnicity. Oh, and John Sheahan is an absolute gentleman and a total legend.”
Runners up:
Harry Molloy:
“Would have to be the Tabhair Dom do Lámh by Planxty, bolted on to the end of the Raggle Taggle Gypsy. The bouzouki never sounded better! I remember when the Planxty Live at Vicar Street CD came out and was being advertised on TV, I heard a few people saying they would buy it based on that piece of music alone. Had it played at my wedding too.”
Eimear:
“The most outstanding example of traditional music from the island of Ireland would have to be Arthur McBride sang by Paul Brady. Every listen is akin to a shillelagh right in the feels.”
TheQ47:
“The most outstanding example of traditional music from the island of Ireland would have to be Mise Éire by Seán Ó Riada, because it combines the best elements of traditional Irish music in the classical music style. It always reminds me of Sunday afternoons at home with my late Dad listening to this while I washed the dinner dishes, usually with me giving out because he was listening to “this rubbish” instead of RTÉ Radio 2, and him telling me I’d appreciate this good music some day. He was right. He was wrong about James Last though, he was rubbish.”
Real PolitHicks:
“For me, though, the most outstanding example of traditional music from the island of Ireland is this fine choon from the legendary Trad/Rock band Moving Hearts. I used to go see them play every week in The Baggot, back in the day. They were far better live than anything they ever recorded, they’d set your heart racing and your foot tapping.”
Penfold:
“The most outstanding example of traditional music from the island of Ireland would have to be Fester and Ailin’s Tropical Diseases. Voices like angels, and model good looks.”
Last Friday, with a 25 euro-packed Golden Discs voucher on offer, we asked YOU to complete this sentence:
‘To my mind the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be________________________by_________________’
You responded in your dozens.
But there could only be one guitar god.
‘Kevin’ wins the voucher with this inarguable choice and reasoning:
To my mind the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be Prince’s 3 minute masterclass on ‘While my Guitar Gently Weeps’ when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because it is the perfect example of just how disgustingly good the man was. It’s not like they couldn’t have asked Clapton. Seriously, watch it, from 3:15 on is pure filth. Not a note out of place.
Runners up
Liam – “To my mind, the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be Marquee Moon by Television – I’m talking about the second solo in the song by Tom Verlaine, rather than the earlier (still excellent) solo by Richard Lloyd. 3 minutes+ of meandering melodic soloing that is stunningly technical without being flashy or fast for the sake of showing off. Starts at 4:50.”
DominoDub – “To my mind, the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be Impossible Germany by Wilco – an experimental Nels Cline Solo into a Thin Lizzy style Duel Guitar Solo – listen to any live version for that extra pure life affirming joy.”
The Walsh – “To my mind, the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be In Bloom by Nirvana, it’s bleedin’ mental.”
Harry Molloy – “Tattoo’d Lady by Rory Gallagher, Irish tour recording.”
Every week we give away a voucher worth 25 large to spend at any of the many Golden Discs stores nationwide, including the new branch at Dundrum Town centre (above).
All we ask from you is a tune we can play TODAY.
This week’s theme: Guitar solo.
What is the greatest guitar break in popular music?
To enter, please complete this sentence:
‘To my mind the finest example of a guitar solo would have to be________________________by_________________’
