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Meta-recommendations
I've spent lots of time scouring this year's "Best of" lists, and I thought I should pass along what I have learned. These are not my recommendations (though I often approve), these are what I have gleaned from the recommendations of media critics. They are my judgment of the most common selections on the "Best of" lists, noting that I did not check the lists from publications I do not enjoy and thus there is an implicit filter being applied.
So here is my aggregation:
1. Non-fiction book: Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise.
2. Fiction book: Tree of Smoke, or The Savage Detectives.
2. Miscellaneous book: Letters of Ted Hughes. Everyone loves this, I haven't read it yet.
3. Movie: No Country for Old Men. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly gets lots of picks, given that it is playing in only two cities.
4. Classical CD: Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson, "Neruda Songs." Read the excellent Ed Uyeshima review on Amazon, it is first.
5. Popular music: LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver, or possibly Neon Bible, by Arcade Fire.
I still can't figure out the consensus jazz CD of the year. Any help?
I might add that the non-meta me basically approves of this list, with two caveats. First, the Lieberson CD, while quite good, in part received so many mentions because the singer, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, met a young and tragic death this last year. It was her husband who composed these songs for her. Second, I don't myself have clear picks for popular music. I do a lot of my popular music buying in December, when the "Best of" lists come out. I did put on LCD Soundsystem this morning but was bored by it on first listening.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on December 11, 2007 at 05:56 AM in The Arts | Permalink
Comments
Man, I somehow missed the news that LHL died this year. That's so horrible. Her Handel recording from about 2004 (selections from Theodora and Serse, plus an Italian cantata) is simply the best thing ever.
Posted by: Chris at Dec 11, 2007 8:16:52 AM
Tyler, did you read Tree of Smoke? Any thoughts if you did?
Posted by: v at Dec 11, 2007 10:29:10 AM
Any recommendation for best charity?
Posted by: Elie at Dec 11, 2007 10:48:08 AM
No Country for Old Men--I need to see it again to be sure, but I think I think it contrived and gimmicky. The villain is an alien, incomprehensible force. He is not human, or at least they have not shown his humanness. Thus you have an undefined situation, frustrating plot and catharsis. Ultimately, a cheap move.
Posted by: Daniel Klein at Dec 11, 2007 11:00:23 AM
No Country for Old Men--A further thought: If the villain is supposed to repreent pure evil, whatever that means, why doesn't he go into politics, where he could accomplish so much more? That he is confined to randomly shooting people and animals would show that the power of evil is very confined. But the film certainly didn't develop that theme.
Posted by: Daniel Klein at Dec 11, 2007 11:13:11 AM
For evil in politics, see Beowulf.
Posted by: Katie at Dec 11, 2007 1:11:14 PM
re: LCD Soundsystem -
i, too, was bored by LCD Soundsystem on first listen. and not just their most recent record, but pretty much all of their releases have taken time to grow on me. but grow they have! "All My Friends," esp., has a very nice build and a fair amount of hidden subtlety, although the radio edit available on a recent EP snips a bit of the excess off (on the same EP is a Franz Ferdinand "remix," which is really more of a cover. it is worth hearing). "North American Scum" is a nice rejoinder to all the Euro-electronic snobs out there. Also please check out "45:33." The titled refers to the length -- 45 minutes, 33 seconds -- of this track, which was commissioned by Nike as part of their Nike+iPod marketing campaign. It is intended as a workout soundtrack, so it ebbs and flows accordingly. i don't ever work out, so i get a little bit lost in the middle, but the first 10 minutes or so are bomb. it was available as a free download on itunes for awhile; not sure if it still is or not.
Posted by: wkw at Dec 11, 2007 1:28:50 PM
LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver is my favorite album of the year.
Posted by: Lemmy Caution at Dec 11, 2007 1:37:08 PM
Go see LCD Soundsystem live and then you'll realize why you didn't like them at first. Boooooring....
Posted by: Matt at Dec 11, 2007 2:14:42 PM
Jazz CD: Blue Sky by Maria Schneider
lots of runners-up, try Ruby Braff's last along with the Pizzarellis.
Posted by: Paul Miller at Dec 11, 2007 5:50:46 PM
My pick for album of the year would be Of Montreal's "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" which everyone seems to have forgotten about now because it came out so early in the year... Still, LCD Soundsystem makes my top 10. Listen to Someone Great and All My Friends over and over until you understand why they're perfect. Then you can branch out to the other tracks, if you want to (I usually don't). And I have to disagree about LCD Soundsystem live: They're pretty great, if erratic.
As I remember, Tyler likes My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth and such. My pick for him would be Blonde Redhead's "23". Kinda defines 'over-produced', but a really beautiful listen. Also, the best Deerhunter tracks are fantastic. Try their song "Cryptograms" and then accept that they're not always this good: http://hypem.com/search/cryptograms/1/
Posted by: nerdbound at Dec 11, 2007 7:24:02 PM
The Killers' 'Sawdust' is a wonderful addition to one's music library. Fans of this massively popular band are bound to remember their 'Hot Fuss' and 'Sam's Town' albums. And their powerful track, Glamorous Indie Rock&Roll, is also featured in their '07 project 'Sawdust.' Fans of alternative/glam rock are bound to react positively to it.
Also, Stereophonics' album 'Pull the Pin' is another strong album....
Posted by: bri at Dec 11, 2007 9:46:44 PM
You forgot "Crank dat Soulja Boy", which tells the economic truth that "haters get mad ' cause I got me some Baby Apes"
Posted by: mr econotarian at Dec 11, 2007 11:11:00 PM
That's a good point, mr econotarian. The importance of such apes are often overlooked, especially by haters.
I would recommend The National's "Boxer". Most other music this year has been boring. Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper was OK for a handful of spins...
Oh yeah, and "Ga ga ga ga ga" by Spoon and "In Rainbows" by Radiohead were both good though unspectacular.
Kanye's Graduation was also pretty good.
I think these qualify as "meta-recommendations" as well since they are all well-plugged by the relevant media outfits.
Me, though, I'm listening to rain dogs and charles mingus. Thank god for old music when the new stuff's uninspiring.
Posted by: mk at Dec 12, 2007 12:55:19 AM
Oh jeez, what did I love this year in music?!? Wow.
The new Radiohead is okay, but no better than their third best. Quite a few annoying tracks. Killers? Throwback melodic music works for me, but lyrics really don't. In a different genre, Patty Griffin was nice but sure didn't blow me away. Nothing I've heard is nearly as good as Neko Case's "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood", or Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine", or Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois", so either this has been an off-year, or I've been too distracted.
At least Aimee Mann has a new one coming soon. That's the pop genius and rock's excellent alliteratrix who will have me hooked 'til Tuesday, 2047.
Posted by: J. Goard at Dec 12, 2007 10:07:41 AM
Although I did like No Country for Old Men, I think the entire production was designed and geared with an Oscar aspiration in mind, up to and including the release date.
Posted by: atanas entchev at Dec 12, 2007 5:52:16 PM
Best jazz CD of the year - The Bad Plus - Prog.
To clarify: Soulja Boy has some BATHING apes. They are shoes. From Japan.
Posted by: Katrina at Dec 12, 2007 9:52:01 PM
Answering earlier request for best charity (heifer international) but 2nd choice - it's not a charity but best not-for-profit: www.thesca.org. Student Conservation Association.
Posted by: susan at Dec 13, 2007 12:14:49 AM
Good list, Tyler.
Bighow has more than 150 links in its best 0f 2007 tag.
bighow.com/news/tags/Best%20of%202007
Posted by: Pramit at Dec 13, 2007 3:04:38 AM
Pop CD of Year?
One of these three, with the last one on the cusp of Jazz CD.
Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha"
Sea & Cake "Everybody"
Galactic "From the Corner to the Block"
I'd say Lafayette Gilchrist's "3" makes a strong case for Jazz Album of Year.
Posted by: DarkoV at Dec 13, 2007 8:22:45 AM
best charity?
http://www.firstgiving.com:80/menuforhope4
Posted by: Marco at Dec 13, 2007 8:46:52 AM
It is easy to see No Country's murderer as pure evil, but I think he is even less human than that. He simply represents the inevitability of the harsh, cruel world. It's a tough pill to swallow.
Posted by: andrew at Dec 13, 2007 11:25:55 AM
can't believe you left out madlibs #83!
Posted by: button at Dec 13, 2007 4:39:09 PM
Film? There Will Be Blood. I caught an advance screening and it's phenomenal. And of note: Paris, Je T'aime.
Pop music? Radiohead's "In Rainbows" was strong. I really enjoyed Feist's "The Reminder." But for my money, the best was Iron & Wine's "The Shepherd's Dog" which was on another level from his previous releases which were already great.
Posted by: Isaac Berlin at Dec 14, 2007 7:27:27 PM
To the people recommending best charity - any particular source or reasoning for these picks, like along the lines of a www.givewell.net ?
Posted by: Elie at Dec 15, 2007 9:13:16 PM
