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The Year's 10 Tunes That Made You Want to Turn Up the Volume
By Robert Hilburn, Times Staff Writer
Even in the iPod era, a car radio remains the best testing ground for pop music. Whether you're on the open road or stuck in traffic, there's a joy in hearing a song so exhilarating that you want to reach over to turn up the volume.
Several selections in our annual New Year's Day salute to the most compelling singles of the last 12 months fall into this category — including tunes by Kanye West, U2 and the teams of Loretta Lynn/Jack White and Ray Charles/Norah Jones.
But one record — a ballad by Bright Eyes singer-songwriter Conor Oberst — tops the list because it makes you want to do more than just turn up the volume. "Lua" is such an intimate and absorbing recording that you want to pull the car to the side of the road to concentrate on every nuance and word.
Writing with an insight and detail reminiscent of Bob Dylan's early love songs, Oberst, backed only by his acoustic guitar, reflects on a tempting but ultimately unhealthy relationship with a girl who is battling some familiar demons.
You're looking skinny like a model with your eyes all painted black
You just keep going to the bathroom, always saying you'll be right back.
Well, it takes one to know one, kid, I think you got it bad.
Later in the song, Oberst, acknowledging his own dangerous habits, adds:
And I'm not so sure what the trouble was that started all of this
The reasons all have run away, but the feeling never did.
It's not something I would recommend, but it is one way to live.
What is so simple in the moonlight, by the morning never is.
Of the records that make you just want to turn up the volume, West's "Jesus Walks" leads the pack.
The spiritually minded tune from his "The College Dropout" album went against the grain of contemporary hip-hop by celebrating the higher ground of Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield rather than thug-life imagery.
In "Jesus Walks," co-written by Indianapolis rapper Rhymefest, West says that people warned him radio stations wouldn't play a song about God. But he proved them wrong by mixing humor, message and great beats in frequently disarming ways: "The way Kathy Lee needed Regis / That's the way I need Jesus."
Reflecting the healthy diversity of modern pop, the music in these 10 singles is drawn from folk, soul, rock, hip-hop, traditional pop, country and other strains — sometimes rooted in a single genre but frequently blending styles in rich and liberating ways.
The most memorable singles of 2004:
10. Wilco's "The Late Greats" (Nonesuch). If you like pop with a sentimental country-rock streak, you can't help but turn this up if it comes on the radio. The problem is that Wilco's passionate brand of rock doesn't get much exposure even on rock stations, much less mainstream pop ones — a situation that reflects the song's underlying message. The record is a bittersweet salute to all the "late, great" artists — all the way back to Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zandt — who made marvelous music but didn't fit into the radio formats of their day.
9. Usher's "Yeah!" (LaFace/Zomba). If "The Late Greats" is a song straight from the heart, this one's right from the head, but it's done with such style and playfulness that it's easy to look past its obvious calculation. This mix of hip-hop and R&B is the 2004 equivalent of the high-energy zest of OutKast's "Hey Ya!" from 2003, right down to the exclamation points. Usher assumes the Michael Jackson role in the tale of dance-floor seduction and he handles it well, giving the vocal all the wonder and desire of Jackson's "Thriller" period. Lil Jon, the champion of the frantic crunk school of hip-hop, handled the production, and rapper Ludacris added a good-natured rap touch.
8. Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" (Domino/Epic). If you loved the dance-floor energy and sophistication of Roxy Music and the Pet Shop Boys, these Scottish lads are for you. Much of the music in the quartet's self-titled debut album speaks about romance so tortured that it would be ridiculous if it weren't for the winks between the lines. In "Take Me Out," a guy is so distraught when rejected by the love of his life that he begs her to put him out of his misery before she leaves.
7. Jay-Z's "99 Problems" (Roc-A-Fella). The verses in this wonderfully rowdy number are mostly routine, so there's no need to pull to the side of the road to study them. But the chorus is a killer. Producer Rick Rubin, who worked with rap artists before turning to such rockers as Tom Petty and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, gives us one of the great rock-rap mergers by backing Jay-Z's raps with power riffs from Mountain and Billy Squier records. Delicious fun.
6. Eminem's "Mosh" (Aftermath/Shady/Interscope). When an Eminem track starts off with school kids reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, chances are you're in for some tomfoolery. The surprise is that the song, as illustrated in the year's most imaginative pop video, casts Eminem in the role of responsible citizen who is decrying social injustice. Released during the presidential campaign, the song is a battle cry for young people to become more politically active.
5. U2's "Vertigo" (Interscope). The heart of U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" album rests in more thoughtful tracks such as "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" and "One Step Closer," but this is the song that first catches your ear. It's all about rock 'n' roll adrenaline — the power of music to lift your spirits on even the gloomiest day.
4. Loretta Lynn's "Portland Oregon" (Interscope). As he showed on "Seven Nation Army" in 2003, the White Stripes' White knows how to make great rock radio hits. As the producer of Lynn's record, he proves equally capable of touching us with a dynamic country-rock fusion. Lynn's vocal on this playful ode to a drunken one-night stand is one marvel, and duet partner White's guitar work is another. A gem.
3. Ray Charles and Norah Jones' "Here We Go Again" (Hear/Concord). As soon as Jones became a radio favorite with "Don't Know Why" in 2002, detractors began asking what all the fuss was about, mistaking the understatement of her vocal style for a lack of ambition and character. Her singing on this duet should go a long way toward erasing any lingering doubts. Jones injects such feeling into the old country ballad that you are hooked even before Charles' equally enchanting vocal arrives. An inspired pairing.
2. Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" (Roc-A-Fella). An epic single that ranks with Grandmaster Flash's "The Message," Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" and Tupac Shakur's "Dear Mama" as landmark examples of hip-hop's thoughtful, sensitive side.
1. Bright Eyes' "Lua" (Saddle Creek). It takes a remarkable record to top "Jesus Walks," but Bright Eyes (which is basically Oberst and whatever musicians he's working with when making a record) did it.
Available now as a single, "Lua" will be included in Bright Eyes' acoustic album, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning," which is due Jan. 23. Like many of the songs on the album, it is a statement of youthful awakening. Oberst, 24, is really talking about his own search for comfort and truth in a complex, contradictory world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Hilburn, pop music critic of The Times, can be reached at Robert.Hilburn@ latimes.com.
--Los Angeles Times
By Robert Hilburn, Times Staff Writer
Even in the iPod era, a car radio remains the best testing ground for pop music. Whether you're on the open road or stuck in traffic, there's a joy in hearing a song so exhilarating that you want to reach over to turn up the volume.
Several selections in our annual New Year's Day salute to the most compelling singles of the last 12 months fall into this category — including tunes by Kanye West, U2 and the teams of Loretta Lynn/Jack White and Ray Charles/Norah Jones.
But one record — a ballad by Bright Eyes singer-songwriter Conor Oberst — tops the list because it makes you want to do more than just turn up the volume. "Lua" is such an intimate and absorbing recording that you want to pull the car to the side of the road to concentrate on every nuance and word.
Writing with an insight and detail reminiscent of Bob Dylan's early love songs, Oberst, backed only by his acoustic guitar, reflects on a tempting but ultimately unhealthy relationship with a girl who is battling some familiar demons.
You're looking skinny like a model with your eyes all painted black
You just keep going to the bathroom, always saying you'll be right back.
Well, it takes one to know one, kid, I think you got it bad.
Later in the song, Oberst, acknowledging his own dangerous habits, adds:
And I'm not so sure what the trouble was that started all of this
The reasons all have run away, but the feeling never did.
It's not something I would recommend, but it is one way to live.
What is so simple in the moonlight, by the morning never is.
Of the records that make you just want to turn up the volume, West's "Jesus Walks" leads the pack.
The spiritually minded tune from his "The College Dropout" album went against the grain of contemporary hip-hop by celebrating the higher ground of Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield rather than thug-life imagery.
In "Jesus Walks," co-written by Indianapolis rapper Rhymefest, West says that people warned him radio stations wouldn't play a song about God. But he proved them wrong by mixing humor, message and great beats in frequently disarming ways: "The way Kathy Lee needed Regis / That's the way I need Jesus."
Reflecting the healthy diversity of modern pop, the music in these 10 singles is drawn from folk, soul, rock, hip-hop, traditional pop, country and other strains — sometimes rooted in a single genre but frequently blending styles in rich and liberating ways.
The most memorable singles of 2004:
10. Wilco's "The Late Greats" (Nonesuch). If you like pop with a sentimental country-rock streak, you can't help but turn this up if it comes on the radio. The problem is that Wilco's passionate brand of rock doesn't get much exposure even on rock stations, much less mainstream pop ones — a situation that reflects the song's underlying message. The record is a bittersweet salute to all the "late, great" artists — all the way back to Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zandt — who made marvelous music but didn't fit into the radio formats of their day.
9. Usher's "Yeah!" (LaFace/Zomba). If "The Late Greats" is a song straight from the heart, this one's right from the head, but it's done with such style and playfulness that it's easy to look past its obvious calculation. This mix of hip-hop and R&B is the 2004 equivalent of the high-energy zest of OutKast's "Hey Ya!" from 2003, right down to the exclamation points. Usher assumes the Michael Jackson role in the tale of dance-floor seduction and he handles it well, giving the vocal all the wonder and desire of Jackson's "Thriller" period. Lil Jon, the champion of the frantic crunk school of hip-hop, handled the production, and rapper Ludacris added a good-natured rap touch.
8. Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" (Domino/Epic). If you loved the dance-floor energy and sophistication of Roxy Music and the Pet Shop Boys, these Scottish lads are for you. Much of the music in the quartet's self-titled debut album speaks about romance so tortured that it would be ridiculous if it weren't for the winks between the lines. In "Take Me Out," a guy is so distraught when rejected by the love of his life that he begs her to put him out of his misery before she leaves.
7. Jay-Z's "99 Problems" (Roc-A-Fella). The verses in this wonderfully rowdy number are mostly routine, so there's no need to pull to the side of the road to study them. But the chorus is a killer. Producer Rick Rubin, who worked with rap artists before turning to such rockers as Tom Petty and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, gives us one of the great rock-rap mergers by backing Jay-Z's raps with power riffs from Mountain and Billy Squier records. Delicious fun.
6. Eminem's "Mosh" (Aftermath/Shady/Interscope). When an Eminem track starts off with school kids reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, chances are you're in for some tomfoolery. The surprise is that the song, as illustrated in the year's most imaginative pop video, casts Eminem in the role of responsible citizen who is decrying social injustice. Released during the presidential campaign, the song is a battle cry for young people to become more politically active.
5. U2's "Vertigo" (Interscope). The heart of U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" album rests in more thoughtful tracks such as "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" and "One Step Closer," but this is the song that first catches your ear. It's all about rock 'n' roll adrenaline — the power of music to lift your spirits on even the gloomiest day.
4. Loretta Lynn's "Portland Oregon" (Interscope). As he showed on "Seven Nation Army" in 2003, the White Stripes' White knows how to make great rock radio hits. As the producer of Lynn's record, he proves equally capable of touching us with a dynamic country-rock fusion. Lynn's vocal on this playful ode to a drunken one-night stand is one marvel, and duet partner White's guitar work is another. A gem.
3. Ray Charles and Norah Jones' "Here We Go Again" (Hear/Concord). As soon as Jones became a radio favorite with "Don't Know Why" in 2002, detractors began asking what all the fuss was about, mistaking the understatement of her vocal style for a lack of ambition and character. Her singing on this duet should go a long way toward erasing any lingering doubts. Jones injects such feeling into the old country ballad that you are hooked even before Charles' equally enchanting vocal arrives. An inspired pairing.
2. Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" (Roc-A-Fella). An epic single that ranks with Grandmaster Flash's "The Message," Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" and Tupac Shakur's "Dear Mama" as landmark examples of hip-hop's thoughtful, sensitive side.
1. Bright Eyes' "Lua" (Saddle Creek). It takes a remarkable record to top "Jesus Walks," but Bright Eyes (which is basically Oberst and whatever musicians he's working with when making a record) did it.
Available now as a single, "Lua" will be included in Bright Eyes' acoustic album, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning," which is due Jan. 23. Like many of the songs on the album, it is a statement of youthful awakening. Oberst, 24, is really talking about his own search for comfort and truth in a complex, contradictory world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Hilburn, pop music critic of The Times, can be reached at Robert.Hilburn@ latimes.com.
--Los Angeles Times
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