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      The Wire Magazine focuses upon new directions music is taking, paths that
      remain relatively ignored in media covering popular currents. This includes
      the leading edge of pop, but also jazz, classical, world and electronica.

Included:

  • End of year lists

1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999
2000 On....


Thanks to Darryl Stephen Roy & Uncle Fester for Supplying these lists.
 
The Wire - 100 Most Important Records Ever Made

(from 1992, roughly chronological)

  • Anton Webern - Complete Works Conducted By Pierre Boulez
  • Various - On The Halls
  • Bessie Smith - The World's Greatest Blues Singer / Any Woman's Blues / Empty Red Blues / The Empress / Nobody's Blues But Mine
  • Blind Willie Johnson - Praise God I'm Satisfied
  • Charley Patton - Founder Of The Delta Blues
  • Dinwiddie Colored Quartet - Early Negro Vocal Quartets Volume One
  • Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird / Petrushka / The Rite Of Spring
  • Jelly Roll Morton - Centennial: His Complete Victor Recordings
  • Louis Armstrong - Hot Five And Hot Seven
  • Various - Really! The Country Blues
  • Billie Holiday With The Teddy Wilson Orchestra - The Complete
  • Coleman Hawkins - Body And Soul
  • Count Basie - The Original American Decca Recordings
  • Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Years
  • Dziga Vertov - Enthusiasm: Symphony Of The Donbas
  • Muggsy Spanier - The Great 16
  • Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
  • Charlie Parker - The Savoy Sessions
  • Lennie Tristano - Intuition
  • Thelonious Monk - Genius Of Modern Music Volumes One And Two
  • Woody Herman - Four Brothers
  • Art Tatum - The Tatum Solo Masterpieces
  • Elvis Presley - That's All Right (Mama) / Blue Moon Of Kentucky
  • Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swinging Lovers
  • Julie London - Julie Is Her Name
  • Olivier Messiaen - Turangalia Symphony
  • Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Collosus
  • Various - Folk Music Of The Mediterranean
  • Bill Evans - The Village Vanguard Sessions / Move From The Vanguard
  • Bo Diddley - Go Bo Diddley
  • Chuck Berry - Sweet Little Sixteen
  • Gil Evans - Out Of The Cool
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen - Gesang Der Junglinge / Kontakt
  • Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
  • Oliver Nelson - Blues And The Abstract Truth
  • Ornette Coleman - Change Of The Century
  • The Five Royales - Dedicated To The One I Love
  • Bela Bartok - Bartok At The Piano 1920-45
  • Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity
  • Booker T And The MGs - Green Onions
  • Charles Mingus - The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
  • Ezz Reco And The Launchers - King Of Kings
  • Lamonte Young - Sunday Morning Blues
  • The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
  • Alegre All-Stars - They Don't Make 'Em Like Us Anymore
  • Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
  • Eric Dolphy - Out To Lunch
  • James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
  • The Kinks - See My Friend
  • Various - A Collection Of 16 Tamla Motown Hits
  • Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money
  • John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
  • Morton Subotnick - Silver Apples Of The Moon
  • The Beatles - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
  • Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
  • Jimi Hendrix - Axis Bold As Love
  • Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
  • Scott Walker - Scott 3
  • Sly And The Family Stone - Dance To The Music
  • The Melodians - Pre-meditation
  • The Meters - Look A Py Py
  • The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat
  • Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
  • Soft Machine - Third
  • The Stooges - Funhouse
  • Various Whales - Songs Of The Humpback Whale
  • Bob Marley - Catch A Fire
  • Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon
  • Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On
  • Philip Glass - Music In Twelve Parts
  • Ravi Shankar And Ali Akbar Khan - In Concert 1972
  • Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
  • Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
  • Various - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-68
  • Brian Eno - Another Green World
  • Can - Soon Over Babaluma
  • Fela Ransome Kuti And The Africa 70 - Kalakuta Show
  • Grupo Folklorio Y Experimental Nuevayorquino - Concepts In Unity
  • Patti Smith - Horses
  • Evan Parker - Monoceros
  • Hans Jurgen Syberberg - Hitler, A Film From Germany
  • Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
  • Pere Ubu - Dub Housing
  • Public Image Ltd - Metal Box
  • The Clash - The Clash
  • Alban Berg - Lulu
  • Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel
  • The Fall - Slates, Slags Etc
  • The Pop Group - Y
  • Christian Marclay - Record Without A Cover
  • Husker Du - Zen Arcade
  • King Sunny Ade - Juju Music
  • Madonna - Into The Groove
  • Michael Jackson - Thriller
  • Minor Threat - Minor Threat
  • Various - The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto
  • Ami Koita - Tata Sira
  • Cecil Taylor - In Berlin '88
  • Mr Fingers - Washing Machine
  • Public Enemy - Bring The Noise

Top of page

 

The Wire 1992 Albums of the year

  1. Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of
  2. Don Byron - Tuskegee Experiment
  3. Ornette Coleman/Howard Shore - Naked Lunch: Original Soundtrack
  4. Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
  5. Kronos Quartet - Pieces Of Africa
  6. Madonna - Erotica
  7. Sonic Youth - Dirty
  8. Pavement - Slanted And Echanted
  9. James Macmillan - The Confessions Of Isobel Gowdie
  10. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
  11. Neil Young - Harvest Moon
  12. Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies
  13. Tom Waits - Bone Machine
  14. Bahia Black - Ritual Beating System
  15. L7 - Bricks Are Heavy
  16. Brian Eno - Nerve Net
  17. Courtney Pine - To The Eyes Of Creation
  18. Godflesh - Pure
  19. Joe Henderson - Lush Life
  20. Henryk Gorecki - Symphony No 3
  21. Nicholas Collins - It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
  22. Ultramarine - Every Man And Woman Is A Star
  23. Gnawa Music Of Marrakesh - Night Spirit Masters
  24. Basehead - Play With Toys
  25. Future Sound Of London - Accelerator
  26. New York Composers Orchestra - First Programme In Standard Time
  27. Miles Davis - Doo-Bop
  28. John Tavener - The Protecting Veil
  29. Main - Hydra-Calm
  30. Praxis - Transmutation

 

The Wire - 1993 Records of the Year

 

  1. Bjork - Debut
  2. Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II
  3. Joe Henderson - So Near So Far
  4. Bill Frisell - Have a Little Faith
  5. Brodsky Quartet - Crumb/Schubert
  6. Trans-Global Underground - Dream of 100 Nations
  7. Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
  8. PJ Harvey - 4-Track Demos
  9. American Music Club - Mercury
  10. Various - Chess Blues Box
  11. PM Dawn - The Bliss Album
  12. PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
  13. Butterfly Child - Onomatopoeia
  14. TS Monk - Take One
  15. Ice - Under the Skin
  16. Orbital - Orbital
  17. Last Exit - Head First Into the Flames
  18. Charles Gayle - Touchin' On Trane
  19. Insides - Euphoria
  20. Einstuzende Neubauten - Tabula Rosa
  21. Pet Shop Boys - Very
  22. Pram - The Star Are So Big...
  23. Various - Beyond the Machines
  24. Stock, Housen & Walkman - Giving Up With
  25. Goats - Tricks of the Shade
  26. Breeders - The Last Splash
  27. De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
  28. Thomas Koner - Permafrost
  29. Caspar Brotzmann Massaker - Koksofen
  30. Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
  31. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
  32. Mori/Jauniaux - Vibraslaps
  33. Diamanda Galas - Vena Cava
  34. Paul Weller - Wild Wood
  35. Blue Humans - Clear to Higher Time
  36. King Crimson - The Great Deceiver
  37. Sylvia Hallett - Skimming
  38. Sublette/Weiner/Persuasions - Ships at Sea...
  39. Michael Nyman - The Piano: Original Sound Track
  40. Giuffre/Bley/Swallow - Fly Away Little Bird
  41. (c) - Witch
  42. Beloved - Conscience
  43. Karlheinz Stockhousen - Stimming
  44. Stina Nordenstam - Memories of a Color
  45. Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots
  46. Haniwa - Happy People
  47. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
  48. Don Grolnick - Night Town
  49. Alexander Goehr - Sing, Ariel
  50. Reload - Short Stories

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The Wire - 1994 Records of the Year

 

  1. Portishead - Dummy
  2. Massive Attack - Protection
  3. David Toop & Max Eastley - Buried Dreams
  4. Peter Brotzmann - Die Like a Dog
  5. Laika - Silver Apples of the Moon
  6. Charles Gayle - Live at Disobey
  7. Jeru the Damaaja - The Sun Rises in the East
  8. John Oswald - Grayfolded
  9. Orang - Herd of Instinct
  10. Jan Garbarek/The Hilliard Ensemble - Officium
  11. AMM - Newfoundland
  12. Bill Frisell - Music for the Films of Buster Keaton
  13. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
  14. Earthling - Nothing/Nothingness
  15. FM Einheit/Caspar Brotzmann - Merry Christmas
  16. Nick Cave - Let Love In
  17. Orbital - Snivilization
  18. Paul Schutze - The Surgery of Touch
  19. 4 Hero - Parallel Universe
  20. Craig Mack - Flava in Ya Ear
  21. Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet
  22. Warren G - Regulate...G-Funk Era
  23. Plastikman - Musik
  24. Mu-ziq - Tango N'Vectif
  25. Cheb Khaled - N'ssi N'ssi
  26. Kristin Hersh - Hips and Makers
  27. Robin Holloway - Concerto for Orchestra No.2
  28. Trans-Global Underground - Internationsal Times
  29. MC Solaar - Prose Combat
  30. Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer
  31. Tricky - Ponderosa
  32. Jeff Buckley - Grace
  33. God - The Anatomy of Addiction
  34. Roni Size - Music Box
  35. Fun-Da-Mental - Seize the Time
  36. Suns of Arqa - Govinda's Dream (A Guy Called Gerald Remixes)
  37. Blur - Parklife
  38. Mouse ON Mars - Vulvaland
  39. Scorn - Evanescence
  40. Nirvana - Unpugged in New York
  41. Ascension - Five Titles
  42. Ken Ishii - Innerelements
  43. Moody Boyz - Product of the Environment
  44. Frnk Zappa - The Yellow Shark
  45. Baaba Maal - Firin' In Fouta
  46. Roger Sessions - Chamber Music
  47. Metalheads - Inner City Life
  48. Joshua Redman - Mood Swing
  49. Bary Guy/London Jazz ComposersŐ Orchestra - Portraits
  50. Jon Hassel & Bluescreen - Dressing for Pleasure

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The Wire - 1995 Records of the Year

 

  1. Tricky - Maxinquaye
  2. A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
  3. Scott Walker - Tilt
  4. Ornette Coleman & Prime Time - Tone Dialing
  5. Oval - 94 Diskont
  6. Techno Animal - Re-Entry
  7. Ra12 DŐAngelo - Brown Sugar
  8. Autechre - Tri Repetae
  9. John Wall - Alterstill
  10. Panasonic - Vakio
  11. Giya Kanchelli - Abii Ne Viderem
  12. Bjork - Post
  13. Paul Schutze - Apart
  14. Arthur Russell - Another Thought
  15. David Toop - Screen Ceremonies
  16. Musica Transonic - Musica Transonic
  17. Tortoise - Rhythms, Resolutions & Clusters
  18. John Coltrane - Stellar Regions
  19. Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Barre Phillips - Time Will Tell
  20. Derek & the Ruins - Saisoro
  21. Natacha Atlas - Diaspora
  22. Massive Attack Versus Mad Professor - No Protection
  23. David S Ware - Cryptology
  24. Vanessa Daou - Zipless
  25. Mansour Seck - NŐDer Fouta Tooro Vols 1 & 2
  26. Evan Parker - 50th Anniversary Concert
  27. John Oswald - Grayfolded 2: Mirror Ashes
  28. Wagon Christ - Throbbing puch
  29. Laurie Anderson - The Ugly One with the Jewels
  30. Toumani Diabate - Djelika
  31. Frances-Marie Uitti - 2 Bows
  32. Tindersticks - Bloomsbury Theatr 12.3.95
  33. Iannis Xenakis - La Legende D'Eer
  34. Eleni Karaindrou - Ullysses's Gaze
  35. Money Mark - Money Mark's Keyboard Repair Shop
  36. Hector Zazou - Songs of the Cold Seas
  37. Mark Anthony Turnage - On All Fours
  38. Spring Heel Jack - There Are Strings
  39. Pram - Sargasso Sea
  40. Stereolab - Music for the Amorphous Body Study Centre
  41. Ntshuks Bonga's Tshisha! - Urban Ritual
  42. Mu-ziq - In Pine Effect
  43. Federico Mompou - Musica Callada
  44. Pablo's Eye - You Love Chinese Food
  45. Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic

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The Wire - 1996 Records of the Year

  1. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
  2. Nearly God - Nearly God
  3. Einsturzende NEubauten - Ende Neu
  4. Derek Bailey - Guitar, Drums 'N' Bass
  5. Plug - Drum 'N' Bass For Papa
  6. Arcana - The Last Wave
  7. Squarepusher - Feed Me Weird Things
  8. Ornette Coleman - Sound Museum
  9. David Toop - Pink Noir
  10. Cristian Vogel - Specific Momentific
  11. Photek - The Hidden Camera EP
  12. Paul Schutze & Phantom City - Site Anubis
  13. Ui - Unlike: Remixes
  14. Lamb - Lamb
  15. Patti Smith - Gone Again
  16. DJ Spooky - Songs Of A Dead Dreamer
  17. Steve Reich - City Life
  18. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
  19. Sheila Chandra - ABoneCroneDrone
  20. David Shea - The Tower Of Mirrors
  21. Ground Zero - Revolutionary Pekinese Opera
  22. Joe Maneri Quartet - Let The Horse Go
  23. AMM - Live In Allentown
  24. Orbital - In Sides
  25. Undark - Undark
  26. Aphex Twin - Richard D James Album
  27. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
  28. Erkki-Sven Tuur - Crystallisatio
  29. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
  30. David S Ware - Godspelized
  31. Caspar Brotzmann & Page Hamilton - Zulutime
  32. Jeremy Peyton Jones - North South East West
  33. Lewis Taylor - Lewis Taylor
  34. Nonplace URban Field - Raum Fur Notizen
  35. Ghostface Killa - Ironman
  36. Herbie Hancock - The New Standard
  37. 0 - Olento
  38. Fushitsusha - Purple Trap
  39. Godflesh - Songs Of Love And Hate
  40. Barry Adamson - Oedipus Schmoedipus
  41. King Crimson - Thratattak
  42. Ikue Mori/Kato Hideki/Fred Frith - Death Ambient
  43. Oumou Sangare - Worotan
  44. Gastr Del Sol - Upgrade And Afterlife
  45. Rhys Chatham & Martin Wheeler - Neon 12"
  46. New Kingdom - Paradise Don't Come Cheap
  47. Microstoria - _snd
  48. The Fall - Teh Light User Syndrome
  49. John Butcher - London & Cologne
  50. DJ Vadim - USSR Repertoire (The Theory Of Verticality)


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The Wire - 1997 Records of the year

1.Robert Wyatt - Shleep
2.Jim O'rourke - Bad Timing
3.Wabi Sabi - Wabi Sabi
4.Arto Lindsay - Mundo Civilizado
5.Mouse On Mars - Autoditacker
6.Tomasz Stanko Septet - Litania: Music Of Krzysztof Komeda
7.Gyorgy Ligeti - Ligeti Edition Vols. 1-6
8.Roni Size And Reprazent - New Forms
9.John Wall - Fractuur
10.Porter Ricks - Biokinetics
11.Henry Threadgill & Make A Move - Where's Your Cup?
12.Autechre - Chiastic Slide
13.Gravediggaz - The Pick, The Sickle And The Shovel
14.Bjork -Homogenic
15.Farmers Manual - Fsck
16.Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy
17.Vinicius Cantuaria - Sol Na Cara
18.Toru Takemitsu - Film Music
19.Various Artists - Driftworks
20.Fushitsusha - A Death Never To Be Complete
21.Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
22.Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call
23.Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
24.The Fall - Levitate
25.Fushitsusha - The Time Is Nigh
26.Tom Recchion - Chaotica
27.Stereolab - Dots And Loops
28.Iannis Xenakis - Kraanerg
29.Joe Maneri Quartet - In Full Cry
30.Ground Zero -Consume Red
31.Paul Schutze - Second Site
32.Evan Parker Electroacoustic Ensemble - Towards The Margins
33.General Magic - Frantz!
34.Porter Ricks- Porter Ricks
35.John Zorn - Duras: Duchamp
36.Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
37.Bisk - Strange Or Funny Ha Ha?
38.Portishead- Portishead
39.Kaffe Matthews - Cdann
40.George Crumb - Quest
41.Metheny/Bailey/Bendian/Wertico - The Sign Of 4
42.Guschwachs - Guschwachs
43.Jeff Mills - The Other Day
44.Maurizio - M
45.Giya Kancheli- Caris Mere
46.Patti Smith - Peace And Noise
47.Ornette Coleman & Joachim Kuhn - Colors
48.Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club
49.Arcana - Arc Of The Testimony
50.Hariprasad Chaurasia - Four Drums

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The Wire '98 Rewind


1. Sonic Youth * A Thousand Leaves (Geffen)
2. Pole * CD 1 (Kiff SM)   
3. Gastr Del Sol * Camoufleur (Domino)
4. Godspeed You Black Emperor! * f#a# (Kranky)
5. Tortoise * TNT (City Slang)
6. Arto Lindsay * Noon Chill (Rykodisc)
7. Cornelius * Fantasma (Matador)
8. PhonosycographDISK * Ancient Termites (Bomp Hip-Hop)
9. Plastikman * Consumed (NovaMute)
10. Mark Hollis (Polydor)
11. PJ Harvey * Is This Desire? (Island)
12. Royal Trux * Accelerator (Domino)
13. Mercury Rev * Deserter's Songs (V2)
14. Pluramon * Render Bandits (Mille Plateaux)   
15. Tony Conrad * Early Minimalism Vol. 1 (Table of the Elements)
16. Davis S. Ware * Go See The World (Columbia)
17. Chris Watson * Outside The Circle (Touch)
18. Third Eye Foundation * You Guys Kill Me (Domino)
19. Diamanda Galas * Malediction And Prayer (Mute)   
20. Rhythm & Sound with Tikiman * Showcaase (Burial Mix)
21. Derek Bailey & Min Xiao-Fen * Viper (Avant)
22. Massive Attack * Mezzanine (Virgin)
23. Boredoms * Super ae (WEA Japan)
24. Fushitsusha * Withdrawe, This SableDisclosure Ere Devot'd (Victo)
25. Gas * Zauberberg (Mille Plateaux)
26. Two Dollar Guitar * Train Songs (Smells Like Records)
27. Black Star * Mos Def Talib Kweli Are Black Star (Rawkus)
28. Add N To X * On The Wires Of Our Nerves (Satellite)
29. Bang On A Can * Music For Airports (Point)
30. David Tudor * Rainforest (Mode)
31. Alan Licht & Loren MazzaCane Connors * Hoffman Estates (Drag City)
32. Ryuichi Sakamoto * Love Is The Devil OST (Asphodel)
33. Kreidler * Appearance And The Park (Kiff SM)
34. Pere Ubu * Pennsylvania (Cooking Vinyl)
35. Pulp * This Is Hardcore (Island)
36. Coil * Time Machiens (Eskaton)
37. Various Artists * Decay Product (Chain Reaction)
38. Chicago Underground Duo * 12" Of Freedom (Thrill Jockey)
39. Mix Master Mike * Anti-Theft Device (Asphodel)
40. Die Like A Dog Quartet * Little Birds Have Fast Hearts (FMP)
41. Terre Thaemlitz * Means From An End (Mille Plateaux)
42. Req * Frequency Jams (Skint)
43. Acid Mothers Temple And The Melting Paraiso UFO (PSF)
44. Money Mark * Push The Button (Mo' Wax)
45. David Grubbs * The Thicket (Drag City)
46. Arnold Dreyblatt * The Sound Of One String (Table Of The Elements)
47. Vega Vainio Vaisanen * Endless (Blast First)
48. Slapp Happy * Ca Va (V2)
49. Ester Brinkmann * 8+1 (Suppose)
50. Martin Klapper & Roger Turner * Recent Croaks (Acta)

100 (130) Records That Set The World On Fire (while no one was listening)

Tired of being reminded by other magazines that the best albums in the world were made by The Beatles, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones? So is The Wire magazine. They polled their writers to come up with a guide to 100 records that should have ignited the world's imagination, except that everyone else was fiddling...

See also The Guardian which also compiled a list with similar criteria.

Many of these are hard to find or even out of print. However, the ones in BLUE are available at CD NOW.

  • Charles Ives * Symphony No. 4 (1910-16) (Grammophon) 88
  • Blind Willie Johnson * "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" (Columbia) 29
  • Bob Graettinger * City Of Glass/This Modern World (Capitol) 53
  • Louis & Bebe Barron * Forbidden Planet OST (Small Planet) 56
  • Esquivel And His Orchestra * Other Worlds Other Sounds (RCA) 58
  • The Blue Men * I Hear A New World (RGM White Label/RPM) 60
  • Joe Harriott * Abstract (Columbia/Capitol) 61
  • Son House * The Original Delta Blues (Columbua/Legacy) 64
  • William S. Burroughs * Call Me Burroughs (ESP) 65
  • Steve Reich * Early Works: Come Out/It's Gonna Rain (Elektra) 65
  • Albert Ayler * In Greenwich Village (Impulse!) 67
  • Bill Dixon Orchestra * Intents And Purposes (RCA) 67
  • Gottfried Michael Koenig * Terminus II/Funktion Grun (Deutsche Grammophon) 67
  • Sun Ra * Strange Strings (Saturn) 67
  • Blue Cheer * Vincebus Eruptum (Philips) 68
  • Dr. John the Night Tripper * Gris-Gris (Atco) 68
  • Pearls Before Swine * Balaklava (ESP) 68
  • Spontaneious Music Ensemble * Karyobin (Chronoscope) 68
  • The United States Of America (CBS) 68
  • El Camaron De La Isla & Paco De Lucia * Al Verte Las Floras Lloran (Philips) 69
  • Ram John Holder * Black London Blues (Beacon) 69
  • Phil Ochs * Rehearsals For Retirement (A&M) 69
  • Buffy Sainte-Marie * Illuminations (Vanguard) 69
  • Sonny Sharrock * Black Woman (Vortex) 69
  • Silver Apples * Contact (Kapp Records) 69
  • Alexander 'Skip' Spence * Oar (Columbia) 69
  • Kevin Ayers & The Whole World * Shooting At The Moon (Harvest) 70
  • Comus * First Utterance (BGO) 70
  • Michael Gibbs (Deram) 70
  • Alvin Lucier * I Am Sitting In A Room (Lovely Music) 70
  • Cluster * Cluster 71 (Philips/Sky) 71
  • The Last Poets (Douglas Music) 71
  • The Master Musicians Of Jajouka * Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Jajouka (Rolling Stones) 71
  • John Cale * Paris 1919 (Reprise) 72
  • Alice Coltrane * Universal Consciousness (Impulse!) 72
  • Miles Davis * On The Corner (Columbia) 72
  • Hugh Hopper * 1984 (CBS/Cuneiform) 72
  • Modern Lovers * The Original Modern Lovers (Mohawk) 72
  • Annette Peacock * I'm The One (RCA) 72
  • Pierre Akendengue * Nandipo (Saravah) 73
  • Faust * The Faust Tapes (Virgin) 73
  • Herbie Hancock * Sextant (Columbia) 73
  • Larry Young * Lawrence Of Newark (Perception) 73
  • Betty Davis * They Say I'm Different (Vinyl Experience) 74
  • Lewis Furey (A&M) 75
  • Pere Ubu * "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" (Hearthan) 75
  • Lee Perry * Revolution Dub (Cactus) 75
  • Lou Reed * Metal Machine Music (RCA) 75
  • The Electric Eels * "Cyclotraon/Agitated" 7" (Rough Trade) 77
  • Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band * Bat Chain Puller (Unreleased) 76
  • Henry Cow * Concerts (Recommended) 76
  • The Residents * Satisfaction (Ralph) 76
  • Johnny 'Guitar' Watson * Ain't That A Bitch (DJM) 76
  • Ornette Coleman * Dancing In Your Head (A&M) 77
  • Glenn Gould * The Solitude Trilogy (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 67-77
  • Al Green * The Belle Album (Motown) 77
  • Ron 'Pate's Debonairs featuring Rev Fred Lane * Raudeluna's 'Pataphysical Revue (Say Day Bew) 77
  • Iggy Pop & James Williamson * Kill City (Bomp) 77
  • Tim Souster * Swit Drimz (Transatlantic) 77
  • The Human League * Being Boiled (Fast Product) 78
  • The Walker Brothers * Nite Flights (GTO Records) 78
  • Chrome * Half Machine Lip Moves (Siren/Beggars Banquet) 79
  • Lol Coxhill * Digswell Duets (Random Radar) 79
  • Robert Fripp * Exposure (EG/Polydor) 79
  • Nurse With Wound * Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table Of A Sewing Machine And An Umbrella (United Dairies) 79
  • Family Fodder * Monkey Banana Kitchen (Fresh) 80
  • Fire Engines * Get Up And Use Me (Pop: Aural) 80
  • La Nimba De N'Zerekore * Gon Bia Bia (Syliphone) 80
  • Nancy Sesay & The Melodaires * C'est Fab 7" (It's War Boys) 80
  • Monoton * Monotonprodukt 07 (Monotonprodukt) 81
  • Derek Bailey * Aida (Incus/Dexter's Cigar) 82
  • Bad Brains (ROIR) 82
  • Kip Hanrahan * Desire Develops An Edge (American Clave) 83
  • Youssou N'Dour * Djamil (Senegalese Cassette) 83
  • Mark Stewart & The Maffia * Learning To Cope With Cowardice (On-U Sound) 83
  • Jonathan Harvey * Bhakti (NMC) 84
  • The Homosexuals (Recommended) 84
  • Chaba Fadella & Cheb Sahraoui * N'Sel Fik (Factory/Mango) 85
  • Christian Marclay * Record Without A Cover (Recycled) 85
  • Arthur Russell * World of Echo (Upside/Rough Trade) 86
  • Fingers Inc * Another Side (Trax) 88
  • Conlon Nancarrow * Studies For Player Piano (Wergo) 88
  • Dead C * Trapdoor Fucking Exit (Siltbreeze) 90
  • Royal Trux * Twin Infinitives (Drag City) 90
  • Fushitsusha * DBL Live (PSF) 91
  • Public Enemy * Apocalypse 91 ... The Enemy Strikes Black (Def Jam) 91
  • Galina Ustvolskaya * No. 1 (Hat Art) 91
  • Steven Jesse Bernstein * Prison (Sub Pop) 92
  • Bally Sagoo * Wham Bam 2: The Second Massacre (Oriental Star Agencies) 92
  • Luke Skywalker * "I Wanna Rock" 12" (Luke Records) 92
  • Bernhard Gunter * Un Peu De Neige Salie (Selektion/Table of the Elements) 93
  • Ken Ishii * Garden On The Palm (R&S) 93
  • Jean C Roche * A Nocturne Of Nightingales (Sittele) 93
  • Jeff Mills * X-103 Atlantis (Axis/Tresor) 93
  • Paul Dolden * L'Ivresse De La Vitesse (Empreintes Digitales) 94
  • 4 Hero * Parallele Universe (Reinforced) 94
  • Joey Beltram * Places (Tresor) 95
  • Oval * 94 Diskont (Mille Plateaux) 95
  • Tony Conrad * Four Violins (Table Of The Elements) 97
  • Cathy Lane * Nesting Stones (Unknown Public) 98

 

In The Wire 175, we polled our writers to nominate records that should have ignited the world's imagination - but somehow got forgotten along the way. What follows is not that list, but 30 runners-up that we had to leave out of the original article

 

  • King Sunny Ade ~ Ju-Ju Music (Island 1982)
  • Arcane Device ~ Engine Of Myth
  • The Art Ensemble Of Chicago ~ Fanfare For The Warriors (Atlantic 1974)
  • Baby Ford ~ Ford Trax (Rhythm King 1988)
  • Ray Charles ~ The Spirit Of Christmas (CBS 1985)
  • Vinicius Cantuaria ~ Sol Na Cara (Gramavision 1997)
  • Charles Brown ~ Superstar Days Of Our Drive/Sweet Piece Of Ass (Win 1995)
  • Lowell Davidson ~ Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP Disk 1965)
  • Dead Can Dance ~ The Serpent's Egg (4AD CD 1988)
  • Eric Dolphy ~ Out To Lunch (Blue Note 1964)
  • Bob Dylan ~ Live At The Manchester Free Trade Hall (Bootleg/Columbia 1966)
  • The 49 Americans ~ We Know Nonsense (Quartz LP 1982)
  • Jimmy Giuffre ~ Free Fall (Columbia 1962)
  • Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet ~ Golden Gate Gospel Train (Bluebird 1937)
  • Hot Gossip ~ The Hollywood Jungle (DinDisc unreleased 1981)
  • Howlin Wolf ~ The Howlin' Wolf Album aka This is Howlin' Wolf's New Album And He Doesn't Like It (Chess/Cadet 1968)
  • Lee Konitz ~ Motion (Verve 1961)
  • Labradford ~ A Stable Reference (Kranky/Flying Nun 1995)
  • Last Exit ~ Last Exit (Enemy 1986)
  • JB Lenoir ~ Alabama Blues (Bellaphon CD 1965)
  • Derrick May ~ Debut LP (Transmat unreleased)
  • Rachel's Music ~ For Egon Schiele (Quarterstick CD 1996)
  • The Soul Stirrers (featuring Sam Cooke) ~ Jesus Gave Me Water (1951)
  • The Staple Singers ~ Uncloudy Day (Vee Jay Records 1959)
  • Cecil Taylor ~ Looking Ahead! (Original Jazz Classics 1958)
  • Willie Mae Thornton ~ Hound Dog (Vogue 1953)
  • Lennie Tristano ~ "I Can't Get Started With You" (Keystone 1946, now available on The Complete Lennie Tristano on Mercury)
  • Various Artists ~ Ice Cream And Suckers (Mercury 1963)
  • David S Ware ~ Third Ear Recitation (DIW 1993)
  • Marva Whitney ~ It's My Thing (King 1969)

 

 

Wire Recordings of 1999

  • Mouse on Mars - Niun Niggung (Domino)
  • Sonic Youth - Goodbye 20th Century (Smells Like/SYR)
  • Coil - Musick to Play in the Dark, Vol 1 (Chalice)
  • Matmos - The West (Deluxe/Vague Terrain)
  • John Butcher & Phil Durrant - Secret Measures (Wobbly Rail)
  • Arto Lindsay - Prize (Rykodisc)
  • Jim O'Rourke - Eureka (Domino)
  • Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensembe - Drawn Inward (ECM)
  • Supersilent - Supersilent 4 (Rune Grammafon)
  • David Sylvian - Dead Bees on a Cake (Virgin)
  • Mos Def - Black on Both Sides (Rawkus)
  • Pan Sonic - [A] (Blast First)
  • Die Like a Dog Quartet - Little Birds Have Fast Hearts (FMP)
  • Stereolab - Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltange in the Milky Night
  • (Duophonic)
  • Tom Waits - Mule Variations (Epitaph)
  • Pita - Get Out (Mego)
  • Basement Jaxx - Remedy (XL)
  • Capt. Beefheart & the Magic Band - Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-82 (Revenant)
  • The Fall - The Marshall Suite (Artfull)
  • DJ Vadim - USSR Life from the Other Side (Ninja Tune)
  • Isotope 217 - Utonian Automatic (Thrill Jockey)
  • Philip Jeck - Surf (Touch)
  • Company Flow - Little Johnny from the Hospital (Rawkus)
  • Powerfield - Electronic Electric Electronic (Paratactile)
  • Vinicius Cantuaria - Tacuma (Rykodisc)
  • Charlemagne Palestine - Schlingen-Blangen (New World)
  • Tom Ze - Postmodern Platos (Luaka Bop)
  • Crank - Wanton Phenomena (Mille Plateaux)
  • Paul Panhuysen - Lost for Words (Table of the Elements)
  • Lamb - Fear of Fours (Fontana)
  • Jon Hassell - Facinoma (Water Lily Acoustics)
  • Ali Farka Toure - Niafunke (World Circuit)
  • Paul Panhuysen - Partitas for Long Strings (XI)
  • The Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol 14: Boston Music Hall 11/30/73 &
  • 12/2/73 (Grateful Dead)
  • Alog - Red Shift Swing (Rune Grammafon)
  • Angus MacLise - The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda (Siltbreeze/Quakebasket)
  • Argan - South Moroccan Moter Berber (Barraka Al-Farnatshi)
  • Luciano Berio - Sequenzas (Deutche Grammaphon)
  • Femi Kuti - Shoki Shoki (Talkin' Loud)
  • Alan Silva & William Parker - A Hero's Welcome: Pieces for Rare Occasions
  • (Eremite)
  • Innerzone Orchestra - Programmed (Talkin' Loud)
  • Caspar Brotzmann - Mute massaker (Mute)
  • Aphrodite - Aphrodite (V2)
  • Pole - Pole 2 (Kiff SM)
  • To Rococo Rot - The Amateur View (City Slang)
  • Jonathan Harvey - Le Tombeau De Messiaen (Sargasso)
  • Flanger - Templates (N'Tone)
  • Chicago Underground Trio - Possible Cube (Delmark)
  • Pelt - Empty Bell Ringking in the Sky (VHF)
  • Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma - Sampradaya (Realworld)

 

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