Best of 2005 - The Superlatives

March and I are complete music geeks. Every year, we do a "best-of" list, as if anyone other than us would care! Anyway, look for my top 20 of 2005 to appear here soon. And I promise to make the write-ups more brief than in past years. In the meantime, cut your teeth on these superlatives for 2005...those releases that don't qualify for the "main" list, but deserve their props nonetheless.

Top 3 Live Discs of 2005:

3. R30-Rush
Previous list appearances: VAPOR TRAILS (#9 in 2002), FEEDBACK (#2 E.P. in 2004)

Bundled with a DVD of a Germany show on their 30th anniversary tour, this is a great representation of how tight and how heavy this Canadian trio still are. A must for fans of the band and maybe anyone else who wants to hear if they ever did anything after "Tom Sawyer".


2. OVER THE YEARS AND THROUGH THE WOODS-Queens of the Stone Age (Interscope)

Also bundled with a DVD, this showcase of the best band in the world right now falls a tad short in that the CD version of the recorded London show isn't complete. But Josh Homme and company delivery psychadelic stoner rock riffs that undoubtedly melt March's face.


1. KICKING TELEVISION-Wilco (Nonesuch)
Previous list appearances: SUMMERTEETH (Honorable mention in 1998), YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT (#6 IN 2002), A GHOST IS BORN (#1 in 2004)

OK, maybe Wilco is tied with QOTSA for the title of best band in the world right now. All future live discs by all bands should use KICKING TELEVISION as a measuring stick. Pristine, glossy, yet real, Jeff Tweedy may have just found the best live incarnation of his band yet.


Best Boxed Set

B-SIDES & RARITIES-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Mute)
Previous list appearances: NO MORE SHALL WE PART (#16 in 2001), NOCTURAMA (#12 in 2003), ABATTOIR BLUES AND THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS (#11 in 2004)

A comprehensive 3-disc collection surprisingly void of throw-aways. Here, Cave shows how he is the master of goth/folk/rock. Acoustic versions of such heavy tunes like "The Mercy Seat" show the bands diversity while also giving the listener a peek at some songs that never found their way onto an official release. For a 3-disc set, this is amazingly all meat, no fat.


Best E.P.

EAST GRAND BLUES-the Greenhornes (V2)

Wow. These midwesterners manage to sound very retro and still sound very fresh. If you close your eyes, you hear 60s Brit-pop sprinked with 21st century songwriting. An offering so excellent, it made me get their older stuff and really look forward to a new release.