Closing of 2018

Prince – Lovesexy gold record

Introduction

2018 was a fairly moderate year in music. Many beautiful experiences this year, in concert as well as on new releases.

Deaths

Of course 2018 had its share of musiscian deaths. The ones that stood out most (to me) were Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries), Edwin Hawkins, Hugh Masekela, Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Dennis Edwards, Avicii, XXXTentacion, Aretha Franklin, Conway Savage (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), Anneke Grönloh, Koos Alberts, Charles Aznavour, Montserrat Caballé, Tony Joe White and Roy Hargrove.

Highlights

The past year had many highlights:

• Op February 27th Kendrick Lamar gave an impressive show in Antwerp;
• On March 30th Altin Gün released their album On;
• On April 27th Janelle Monáe released Dirty Computer;
• Op June 1st Father John Misty released his God’s Favorite Customer and Kamasi Washington played a fabulous show at the Paradiso;
• On June 10th LCD Soundsystem performed a superior show at Best Kept Secret Festival;
• June 22nd saw the release of Kamasi Washington’s Heaven And Earth;
• On June 29th the beautiful Welcome To The Blackout by David Bowie was released;
• Op July 13th, 14th and 15th I went to the North Sea Jazz Festival. A great edition;
• On July 25th p 25 juli speelde Dweezil Zappa a great show in Amsterdam
• On September 7th Janelle Monáe swept Paradiso off its feet;
• September 22nd saw the posthumous release of Prince’s Prince – Piano & A Microphone 1983;
• On October 1st Kamasi Washington released his second album Heaven And Earth;
• On October 5th the moving Cat Power album Wanderer was released;
• On November 4th the great David Byrne came to Amsterdam and put on a stunning show;
• On November 5th Father John Misty did the same;
• December 1st saw the on-line release of Anderson .Paak’s Oxnard.

Jubilees

A lot of jubilees this year. A small selection:

• 60 years old:
  Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin
• 55 jaar oud:
  James Brown – Live At The Apollo, Vol. 1
• 50 jaar oud:
  The Band – Music From Big Pink, The Beatles – The Beatles, James Brown – A Soulful Christmas, Johnny Cash – At Folsum Prison, The Doors – Waiting For The Sun, Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland, The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet, Sly & The Family Stone – Dance To The Music, Sly & The Family Stone – Life, The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat

• 45 jaar oud:
  24-Carat Black – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth, Roy Ayers – Coffy, James Brown – The Payback, Can – Future Days, Billy Cobham – Spectrum, Roger Daltrey – Daltrey, Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On, Graham Central Staion – Graham Central Station, Herbie Hancock/Head Hunters – Head Hunters, Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Mandrill – Composite Truth, Bob Marley & The Wailers – Catch A Fire, The New York Dolls – The New York Dolls, O.S.T. – Jesus Christ Superstar, Gram Parsons – GP, Queen – Queen, Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure, Roxy Music – Stranded, Sly & The Family Stone – Fresh, Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power, Tower Of power – Tower Of Power

• 40 jaar oud:
  Herman Brood & His Wild Romance – Shpritsz, Herman Brood & His Wild Romance – Shpritsz, Cheap Trick – At Budokan, Chic – C’est Chic, Elvis Costello & The Attractions – This Year’s Model, Crass – The Feeding Of The 5000, Sheila E – Solo Two, Brian Eno – Music For Films, Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove, Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear, Raymond van het Groenewoud – Kamiel In België, Nina Hagen Band – Nina Hagen Band, Ivy Green – Ivy Green, The Jacksons – Destiny, Japan – Adolescent sex, Japan – Obscure alternatives, Kiss – Ace Frehley, Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine, Bob Marley & the Wailers – Babylon By Bus, Maze – Golden Time Of Day, O.S.T. – Grease – The Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture, Parliament – Motor Booty Affair, The Police – Outlandos D’Amour, Prince – For You, Public Image LTD – First Issue, Queen – Jazz, The Rolling Stones – Some Girls, Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution, Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings And Food, Thin Lizzy – Live And Dangerous, The Tubes – Do What You Want From Live, Van Halen – Van Halen, Betty Wright – Betty Wright Live, Neil Young – Comes A Time, Frank Zappa – In New York

• 35 jaar oud:
  Aswad – Live and direct, Blitzkrieg – Complete Disarmament, David Bowie – Let’s Dance, Conflict – It’s Time To See Who’s Who, Crass – Yes Sir, I Will, Miles Davis – Star people, Flux Of Pink Indians – Strive To Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible, Peter Gabriel – Plays Live, Genesis – Mama, Herbie Hancock – Future Shock, Japan – Oil On Canvas, Malcolm McLaren – Duck Rock, New Order – Blue Monday, The Rolling Stones – Under cover, S.O.S. Band – On the rise, Siouxsie & The Banshees – Nocturne, Space Cadets – Da Bomb, The System – Sweat, Talking Heads – Speaking In Tongues, Tears For Fears – The Hurting, Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones

• 30 jaar oud:
  The Cult – The Manor Sessions, Dale – Riot In English, Sheena Easton – The Lover In Me, EPMD – Strictly Business, Eric B & Rakim – Follow The Leader, The Fatal Flowers – Johnny D. Is Back, Ice-T – Power, Jesse Johnson – Every Shade Of Love, Morrissey – Viva Hate, N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton, Prince – Lovesexy, Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, R.E.M. – Green, Keith Richards – Talk Is Cheap, Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation, Stress – Stress, Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden, Timbuk 3 – Eden Alley, U2 – Rattle And Hum, The Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues, Womack & Womack – Conscience
• 25 jaar oud:
  Björk – Debut, Carmen – Carmen Electra, Counting Crows – August And Everything After, Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club, Guru – Jazzmatazz, vol. 1, Monie Love – In A Word Or 2, Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See, The New Power Generation – Goldnigga, Nirvana – In Utero, Prince en de naamsverandering, Prince – The Hits/The B-Sides, Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream, Snoop Doggy Dog – Doggy Style, Mavis Staples – The Voice, David Sylvian & Robert Fripp – The First Day, U2 – Zooropa, Us3 – Hand On The Torch, Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (32 Chambers), Neil Young – Unplugged

• 20 jaar oud:
  A1 People – Fresh Juice, James Brown – Say It Live And Loud: Live In Dallas 08.26.68, Eva Cassidy – Songbird, Cat Power – Moon pix, Cheap Trick – At Budokan: The Complete Concert, Chocolate Genius – Black Music, Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby, Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, Hole – Celebrity Skin, Chaka Khan – Come 2 My House, Kruder Dorfmeister – The K&D sessions, Madonna – Ray Of Light, Massive Attack – Mezzanine, Alanis Morissette – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, The New Power Generation – Newpower Soul, New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too, NPG Orchestra – Kamasutra, Outkast – Aquemini, Portishead – Roseland NYC Live, Elvis Presley – Memories: The ’68 Comeback Special, Prince – Crystal Ball, Prince – The Truth, Prince – The War, Public Enemy – He got game, Queens Of The Stone Age – Queens Of The Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins – Adore, South Park – Chef Aid: The South Park Album, Van Gogh – Van Gogh, Various Artists – Pulp Fusion – Return to the tough side, Various Artists – Coastal Breaks II, The Waterboys – The Live Adventures Of The Waterboys, Wendy & Lisa – Girl Bros.

• 15 jaar oud:
  Arcade Fire – Arcade Fire, Beyoncé – Dangerously In Love, Cat Power – You Are Free, Anthony Hamilton – Comin’ From Where I’m From, Kraftwerk – Tour De France, Metallica – St. Anger, Outkast – Speakerboxx/The Love Below, Prince – Xpectation, Prince – C-Note, Prince – N.E.W.S., Radiohead – Hail To The thief, Sufjan Stevens – Michigan, Zwan – Mary Star Of The Sea
• 10 jaar oud:
  Belle And Sebastian – The BBC Sessions, Nick Nick & The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid, Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes, Liquid Liquid – Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon, My Morning Jacket – Evil urges, Plant Life – Time Traveller, Prince – Indigo Nights, The Raconteurs – Consolers Of The Lonely, Santogold – Santogold, Ting Tings – We Started Nothing, TV On The Radio – Dear Science, Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

• 5 jaar oud:
  7 Days Of Funk – 7 Days Of Funk, Arcade Fire – Reflektor, Atoms For Peace – Amok, Beyoncé – Beyoncé, Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push The Sky Away, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Live From KCRW, The Child Of Lov – The Child Of Lov, Classixx – Hanging Gardens, Daft Punk – Random Access Memories, E, Sheila – Icon, Foxygen – We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic, Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady, Phoenix – Bankrupt!, Earl Sweatshirt – Doris, Thundercat – Apocalypse, Various Artists – Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound, Kanye West – Yeezus

Blog

The past year was the second full year of my blog. I am content with the articles I published this past year: 55 stories and 5 reviews.

Average number of articles

This year I published one article every 6.1 days. In 2017 that number was 4.5. In the Closing of 2017 article I wrote that the number of articles would be slightly diminished, because my blog is rather time consuming. I’m glad to see that I kept my promise. I suspect the average number will deflate even more next year.

Average number of readers

Up to October 20th the average number of readers was very high. After that date my view statistics dropped signicantly. Over 90%! I still don’t know what happened. It may be that my articles are less entertaining or that people have moved on, but the share and reach statistics in Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are identical. The number of comments on social media stayed the same as well. For now I think my measuring techniques may be inadequate.

Comments

The comments I recieve are largely very positive, from all over the world. Unfortunately I do receive replies by people who are abusive, unreasonable, insulting and sometimes contain threats (!). It is rather annoying to recieve these kinds of comments. At the same time bots start to find my blog and I’m sad to say the anti-apam software is insufficient now. My external mailing campaigns are delegated to an external provider. I am contemplating whether or not I should disable the contact and comment possibilites on my blog.

Just like in 2017, I also received comments by the persons I write about. The official New Power Generation account reacted very positively to my story on Prince and his name change. Remarkably, that was one of the articles that garnered the most negativity…

Favorites

My peronal favorite articles of this year are:

Most popular stories

The 10 most read stories of the last year (as measured on 12/26/2018):

Conclusion

2018 was a good musical year. Many good albums and two/three that will still be remembered a couple of years from now.

My top 10 albums and top 5 concerts are listed below.

Top 10 albums

• Anderson .Paak – Oxnard
• Altin Gün – On
• Blood Orange – Negro Swan
• The Carters – Oxnard
• Cat Power – Wanderer
• Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
• Janelle Monaé – Dirty Computer
• Bruce Springsteen – On Broadway
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex & Food
• Kamasi Washington – Heaven And Earth

Top 5 concerts

• Kendrick Lamar, 02/17, Antwerpen
• Kamasi Washington, 06/01, Amsterdam
• LCD Soundsystem, 06/10, Beekse Bergen
• Janelle Monáe, 09/07, Amsterdam
• David Byrne, 11/04, Amsterdam

In closing

What’s your opinion on 2018? A fine musical year of average? Let me know and leave a comment!