The 12 CDs of Christmas:
Best of 2004 Year in Music Review
By Scott Marlowe
scottmarlowe@undependentmedia.com
Introduction
December 3, 2004
It has long been said that "beauty is in the eye
of the beholder,” and nowhere is that more apparent
than in the world of music. One man’s Mozart is
another man’s Britney Spears. One woman’s
Snoop Dogg is another woman’s Dido. Music is so
influential that for generations it has served not only
as a barometer of the culture of the times, but more importantly,
as an instrument that directly influences the many trends
in fashion, lifestyle, and thought that pervade society.
Before there was television, and movies, and the Internet,
there was music. The Romans, the Egyptians, the Africans,
everywhere on this planet where there was a voice, there
was music.
As
time advanced, and with it, science and technology, more
and more instruments were added to the voice and we were
treated to the evolution of classical, jazz, the blues,
rock and roll, hip hop, and electronica. Today, there
are sub genres of genres, and sub genres of sub genres,
and music is everywhere, from our automobiles to our portable
head phones, our bedside clock radios to home satellite
receivers, and everywhere in between. Our world is filled
with so much music, in fact, that it is impossible to
hear even 1% of 1% of 1% of all the music that has merely
been released commercially over the past year. But even
under such daunting conditions, I’ve done my best
to follow my heart to as much music as I could get my
hands on. Along the way, I have discovered quite a number
of wonderful albums and tunes, making that journey well
worth the effort.
This project of mine, The
12 CDs of Christmas, is my way of looking back on the
life I led in 2004 through the music. It is a chance to
piece some things together, to see where I started, where
I have arrived, and perhaps, even where I might go in
the future. It is my way of telling you about me through
some of the best albums of the year. “All of this
through music?” you might ask. I say, unequivocally,
“yes!”
Once upon a time, Ozzy Osbourne
was accused of encouraging suicide through his lyrics,
and even had to defend himself in court. He was finally
absolved of any responsibility and went on to even more
fame and infamy as a reality television star and pop icon.
What I am trying to get at by bringing up this story,
is that I hope my opinions will be treated as just that,
my opinions, by you who have been so bold as to give my
writings a chance. I am no expert in music, like Ozzy
was no master of suicide, but sometimes I do like to pretend,
just like the old Oz Meister. I have preferences, for
sure, and those will be made quite apparent, quite quickly
in my reviews. But as a reader, all I can ask of you is
that you please give me a chance to tell my story, the
story of the music that has most affected me over the
past year.
Sure, this may be just one
man’s perspective on the music that reached him
in 2004, but in undertaking this project I have discovered
more about myself than I ever could have surmised. I have
learned in many ways why I like what I like, and why certain
things rub me the wrong way. I have unearthed the reasons
for my sappy side, my serious side, and my party side.
I have discovered that it is innovation and energy, boldness
and bravado, cynicism and seriousness that are at the
heart of the music I hold most dear. And most of all,
I have come to terms with my own inability to stop time,
and my newfound desire to fully embrace the future.
Hopefully, somewhere in
these reviews, there will be something for you, too. If
I only reach one person, in one tiny way, perhaps by suggesting
a new band to check out, or giving a different perspective
on an overlooked album, with my stories, than it will
have been well worth all the effort I’ve put in.
But if not, I can still smile and shrug it off, knowing
that at the very least, through the music, I learned a
little more about myself and the world around me.
Each weekday, for the next two and a half weeks, I will
reveal the music of Marlowe 2004 for all to see. I will
reveal the contenders and the pretenders, and at the end
of it all, on the first day of winter, will tell you all
about what I think is the best album of the year. For
anyone who knows me, there will certainly be a few surprises
here and there, while many choices will undoubtedly be
as expected. For now, I will leave you with a quote by
one of my longtime heroes, Mr. Lou Reed, who grew up decades
before me, but not too far away in spirit and location
(Freeport, Long Island), and went on to become one of
the most revered cult artists of all-time:
I met myself in a dream,
and I just want to tell you
Everything was alright.
Hey, now, baby, I’m beginning to see the light.
Yours in Good Music,
Marlowe |
