Ghost of Harry Smith wrote:Not sure why people are frikkin out about how "white" these results are, there are more black artists here than would appear in the poll results of many websites and mags. Sure, there are lots of worthy contenders missing like Al Green, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, The Congos, The Abysinnians, Keith Huson, Augustus Pablo etc but I'm sure you'll find them bubbling around on individual lists.
Yeah, that and the fact you had "only" 20 picks- most of us would've had a shortlist of at least 50 or so albums making up the 20, and even then there would've been ones we may have forgotten for whatever reason.
As for Marquee Moon, I really like the record (even if I didn't vote for it), but it's not surprising it topped the poll. Unlike many of the artists featured, it's generally agreed Television had one defining record, so unlike, say, Bowie, or Stevie Wonder or Can (or whoever), the vote wasn't "split". Regardless, great effort moleskin, whatever the results, these lists are always fun to talk about. Like others have suggested, would it be possible to put up a summary of all the records voted for?
Anyway, here was my hastily put-together top 20.
1-4:10 points
DAVID BOWIE- Low
CAN- Ege Bamyasi
BRIAN ENO- Another Green World
AL GREEN- Call Me
5-8:5 points
LEE PERRY & The UPSETTERS- Super Ape
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE- There's A Riot Goin' On...
THE CLASH- London Calling
ROXY MUSIC- Stranded
9-12:4 points
ROD STEWART- Gasoline Alley
KRAFTWERK- Trans-Europe Express
THE STOOGES- Fun House
WIRE- Pink Flag
13-20: 3 points
NEU!- NEU 75
CURTIS MAYFIELD- Curtis
THE MODERN LOVERS- S/T
PERE UBU- The Modern Dance
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS- Live!
AUGUSTUS PABLO/KING TUBBY- Meets Rockers Uptown
THE RAMONES- Rocket to Russia
NEIL YOUNG- After the Goldrush
I will say that for someone like me who was born in 1984 (!), as much as I love all of these records above, there's a sense that I'm coming to these records after the fact. There's not the feeling of "immediacy" that I got with some of my choices for the 90s/00s list, where I actually
remember where I was when they were released. Personal attachment can really skew one's perception of a record, and there's nothing wrong with that at all.
Also: if I were allowed to vote for compilations/best-ofs, that above list would've looked a
lot different.
It's before my time but I've been told, he never came back from Karangahape Road.