That sure was a lot of writing I did in November and December. So much so that I’m taking a break for the month of January. Purchase Log entries will continue in the interim, but new entries begin again in February.
The site will take its usual January break starting next week, so this entry is my last chance to point out some upcoming releases.
Jeremy Denk, c.1300-c.2000, Feb. 8
I’ll be seeing Jeremy Denk in concert in a few weeks, but he won’t be performing the sprawling program of this two-disc set spanning seven centuries of music.
Vinyl
Mindy Smith, One Moment More, Jan. 29
Mindy Smith is so far the only country music singer whose voice reminds me of Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays.
Prince, Musicology, Feb. 8 Prince, 3121, Feb. 8
Musicology was heralded as a return to form, but I found it less interesting than 3121. But even 3121 was less interesting than The Gold Experience, which I would consider getting on vinyl. But really, when is the Love Symbol album getting reissued?
In the past, I would try to write about every album I encountered. These days, I listen to a lot of stuff, but I’ll only post an entry if something sparks a memory.
As these statistics demonstrate, I’m leaving a lot out of this blog.
First and last purchases of the year
The first and last purchases of the year are determined by the date of order. Pre-ordered items not yet shipped have already been taken into account.
First purchase: Trio Bulgarka, The Forest Is Crying on vinyl.
First purchase of a 2018 release: Igor Stravinsky, Chant Funèbre / La Sacre Du Printemps on CD.
Last purchase of a 2018 release: Jame Ehnes, Howard, Kernis: Violin Concertos / Tovey: Stream of Limelight on CD
Last purchase: Yaz, You and Me Bothon vinyl.
Purchases by format
Format
New release
Reissue
Catalog
Total
7-inch
0
0
0
0
10-inch
1
0
1
2
12-inch
2
1
0
3
CD Single
0
0
0
0
CD
36
13
485
534
CD-R
0
0
0
0
Downloads
5
0
5
10
Vinyl
16
28
131
175
Total items bought
60
42
622
724
Definitions
New release
Initial release within the calendar year.
Reissue
Originally released prior to the calendar year but reissued within the calendar year.
Catalog
Initial release prior to the calendar year.
Top catalog release years
Year
Number of items purchased
Year-over-year change
1993
24
New!
1989
24
+5
1988
24
+1
1992
23
+1
2002
22
New!
1986
22
+3
1984
21
0
1987
20
-7
1990
19
+3
1985
19
New!
1982
19
New!
1998
18
+2
1991
18
New!
2001
17
New!
2004
17
New!
1994
16
New!
1996
16
-14
2003
15
New!
Top artists
Single titles purchased in multiple formats are counted individually.
Artist
Number of items purchased
Soundtracks
17
David Bowie
11
John Coltrane
10
Joni Mitchell
10
Soundtracks
9
Fugazi
7
Miles Davis
6
Fishbone
6
Brian Eno
6
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
6
The Pogues
6
Wilco
6
Kate Bush
6
Bruce Springsteen
6
Notes
We’re reaching a point where the collector CD market is going to get more ridiculous as brick-and-mortar stores rid their CD inventory in favor of vinyl.
Twice weekly visits to thrift stores account for the increase in my physical collection. It’s tough to beat a price point if $1 if you’re not too picky about condition, which I no longer am.
I picked up a lot of Joni Mitchell this year, but I can’t say I’ve grown attached to most of those acquisitions.
I’m starting to explore classic rock, more out of academic curiosity than actual appeal. I treat the Beatles like I treat Berlioz — as something I should know but not necessarily need to like.
I don’t know if or when I’ll listen to the Miles Davis albums I picked up this year. Something about Miles eludes me.
Last year, new releases made up 7 percent of my music purchases. This year, that number ticks up to … 8 percent. For a while there, I didn’t know if I would find enough titles to make a Favorite 10, but I did.
Parquet Courts, Wide Awake!: When you visit multiple record stores and ask what is playing, you probably ought to buy that album if the answer is the same at each store.
Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer: I also liked the Emotion Picture that accompanied the release of this album.
Christine and the Queens, Chris: Those dance moves!
Various Artists, Adam to Eve no Ringo: I didn’t realize the cover of “Sid to Hakuchuumu” was by MIKA, the singer “discovered” by Perez Hilton. MIKA’s circumspection about his sexuality drew a lot of attention and some controversy. I checked out his music as a result of the brouhaha and found little that was remarkable. That said, he nails the French interpretation of this very Ringo track.
Steve Grand, Not the End of Me: I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I hear a bit of Matt Alber’s swoon on some of the quieter moments on this album.
Kronos Quartet and Laurie Anderson, Landfall: Take all the swagger and posturing out of hip-hop, and it would probably sound a lot like Laurie Anderson.
Seattle Symphony with Roomful of Teeth, Berio: Sinfonia: This piece was awesome to hear live.
Nico Muhly & Thomas Bartlett, Peter Pears: Ceremonial Balinese Music: Oddly enough, I found a recording of Colin McPhee performing his gamelan transcriptions with Benjamin Britten, and I kind of wish Muhly and Bartlett had also done the unpublished scores.
Yore, EP1: Recent press seems to obscure the fact Yore released music under his own name, so we’ll stick with that preference and just mention this EP finds him moving in a direction more akin to Cocteau Twins or even Utada Hikaru.
Utada Hikaru, Hatsukoi:Her sound has gotten darker since her comeback.
Other favorites from the year:
John Coltrane, Both Directions at Once
Leo Imai, VLP
Mikami Chisako, I AM Ready!
Craig Armstrong, Sun on You
Tracey Thorn, Record
Renee Fleming, Broadway
Igor Stravisnky, Chant Funebre / Le Sacre du Printemps
Eponymous 4, Travis
OK, I’m being a bit cheeky including my own album, Travis, on this list. I finished recording it in 2016, so I’d been sitting on it for more than a year. In all that time, I’ve not gotten sick of hearing it day in and day out, and when I compare it with other albums I’ve recorded, it sounds like a proper, professional work.
So yeah, I think my album is one of the best to be released in 2018. You can check it out at the Eponymous 4 Bandcamp store.
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