The Top Ten Albums of 1996
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Norma Waterson, Norma Waterson (Hannibal). On her solo debut, this three-decade veteran of the British folk scene (she was a charter member of the Watersons) largely bypassed traditional material in favor of more rock-identified tunes by the likes of Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, and even Jerry Garcia. Backed by husband Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, and upright bassist Danny Thompson, she treats each tune with remarkable empathy, balancing the bitterness in Richard Thompson’s “God Loves a Drunk” with sad compassion and imbuing Oscar Brown Jr.’s “Rags and Old Iron” with subtle pathos. An effective reminder that interpretation is just as important as innovation.
Wilco, Being There (Reprise). With Wilco’s triumphant second album Jeff Tweedy managed to wriggle loose from rock’s usual stifling subject matter. The result, sprawled across two CDs, is a complex, realistically incoherent meditation on confronting adult life–which for Tweedy involves marriage, parenthood, and being an icon to thousands of obsessive, slightly creepy country-rock fans. Being There’s palette of musical styles is as broad as Tweedy’s range of emotion.
Plug, Drum ‘n’ Bass for Papa (Blue Angel). Along with albums by Squarepusher and Spring Heel Jack, this opus from Plug (aka Luke Vibert of Wagon Christ fame) transported drum ‘n’ bass from the dance floor into the realm of serious head music. While the emphasis stays on complex rhythms, the diverse samples flesh out a rich album that ranges seamlessly from noir atmospheres to jazzy, tripped-out funk.
John Zorn, Bar Kokhba (Tzadik)
Cibo Matto, Viva! La Woman (Warner Brothers)
