Best of 2005, Part I
I'm going to do a sort of year in review for 2005. Yes, I'm sort of stealing this idea from when Jake used to keep a LiveJournal. Except instead of just reviewing the greatest moments from 2005, I'm going to split it into parts I and II (and maybe III, IV, etc.). The first few parts will be the greatest new things to come out of 2005--CDs, movies, concerts, etc. And this has nothing to do with when the new things were released--since this is MY blog, it will be completely egocentric. If it came out in 1967 but I heard it for the first time in 2005, it could be on this list. Anything's up for grabs, as long as it had something to do with me. The second parts will be like Jake's old LiveJournals--the best (and maybe the worst) moments of 2005. I'll also include short reviews for the first part and short anecdotes for the second part.
And of course, I'll need a spiffy name for my awards. "Kevys" looks like a typo of "keys," so that's out. Fattys? Nah, too self-deprecating. And if I somehow lose a ton of weight (snicker), the name will be obsolete. My initials are KAD. I'm thinking "The Kaddys." It's got a ring to it. Nice play on words, too. Right, now that that's settled...
PRESENTING THE INAUGURAL KADDY AWARDS
We'll start off with a somewhat major award, sort of like how the Oscars start with Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
The Kaddy Awards for Best Comedies of 2005:
Honorable Mention: Sideways
Solid, smart, sophisticated buddy comedy. I can't believe Paul Giamatti didn't even get an Oscar nomination for this. How to explain...it's sort of like if Dumb and Dumber was an indie flick.
Second Runner-Up: Shaun of the Dead
I rented this movie a few weeks ago. It came out late last year, so it's not too far off from 2005. It wasn't just great as a comedy, but it also had a great plotline, lovable characters, and a solid soundtrack (I can't listen to "You're My Best Friend" anymore without thinking of it). If you haven't seen it, do it ASAP. Everyone I've talked to about it has also loved it, so I know I'm not alone here.
First Runner-Up: Blazing Saddles
"Hey, where the white women at?" "Nobody moves, or the nigger gets it!" "All right, we'll give some land to the niggers and the chinks, but we don't want the Irish."
I suggested we (Jake, DJ, Jamie, and I) rent this because I'd never seen it, and I was high. Instead, DJ and I watched Starsky and Hutch, which was much funnier the second time around. Then, the next day, we watched it at DJ's house. Very good decision. It's a classic by one of the great comedy filmmakers of all time, Mel Brooks. If you like any racial humor at all, it's hilarious.
And The Kaddy for Best Comedy of 2005 goes to: The 40 Year Old Virgin
Steve Carell puts in perhaps the funniest comedic performance since, jeez, maybe Tom Hanks in Big. It's essentially one joke stretched out for 90 minutes, but it's a good joke, and it stays fresh throughout. Judd Apatow, who directed the cancelled-far-too-soon Freaks and Geeks, does a great job making the movie seem somehow believeable. This one will be remembered for a long time.
Onto the second movie category, Best Non-Comedies of 2005:
Honorable Mention: The Incredibles
I could have put this in either movie category, but I'd consider it more of an action or family movie over a comedy. Awesome movie. It's sad to see Pixar and Disney part, but if this is their last film together, I'd say they went out on their highest note. That's no knock on Toy Story, Toy Story 2, or Finding Nemo, but The Incredibles was, well...you know--incredible.
Second Runner-Up: Batman Begins
Stunning, in pretty much every way you can imagine. The visuals were amazing. The storyline was a great introduction to the Batman series. And for the first time (apologies to Tim Burton), a director captured how dark a character Bruce Wayne really is. This is why I love Christopher Nolan so much. With Katie Holmes missing from the sequel, it should be even better.
First Runner-Up: Cinderella Man
I'm a sucker for sports movies. This one rivaled the best with its chill moments. And it wasn't just a great boxing movie, but a tremendous Depression movie as well. It had depth to it. The only other sports movie I can think of with depth like this was Field of Dreams. Again, Paul Giamatti. He should get nominated for this. If he doesn't, I'm burning and old rich white Jewish man in effigy. Also, Russel Crowe--he's an incredibly asshole, but he might be the best actor on the planet.
And the Kaddy for Best Non-Comedy of 2005 goes to: Say Anything
This was easy. I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. My favorite actor (John Cusack) and my favorite actor (Cameron Crowe) in what I'd consider their defining moments. There's no scene more memorable in Cusack's career than the immortal Lloyd Dobler standing outside Diane Court's window, holding up the stereo playing "In Your Eyes." So many epic scenes, so many great lines, so intense. Maybe I'm an emo bitch, but Lloyd Dobler is my fucking hero and this movie damn near brought me to tears.
Now, for the music category. I've expanded my musical horizons more this year than almost any other year of my life. I'm going to do four categories here: Best Song, Best Album, Best Artist, and Best Concert. Now, it may not necessarily be what I consider to be the "best" song/artist/etc., but the one that had the biggest impact on me.
First things first--the Best Concert of 2005:
Honorable Mention: U2
I love them. Well, I loved them. I'm a little disappointed with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and it's even more disappointing that it seems Bono is very happy with it. What's worse, I've become increasingly disappointed with All That You Can't Leave Behind. At it's core, Pop is a better album than both of those, although the band will admit that they weren't able to give 100% to that album. The band is moving in a direction away from the likes of Achtung Baby, which I consider their best and most interesting album. They're nothing more than an arena rock band anymore, which isn't necessarily a bad thing--it's just not why I love U2.
That said, the concert was the perfect arena rock concert. Damian Marley was a great opener--he even covered a couple of his dad's songs ("Exodus," "Could You Be Loved"), so I knew more than "Welcome to Jamrock." U2 was simultaneously exciting and incredibly frustrating, due to the insistence of their fans to sing every word at the top of their lungs, as well as dance embarassingly to songs that shouldn't be danced along with. The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly "One," as well as a cover of "People Get Ready," which included a cameo appearance from none other than Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. That's some memory to take away, huh?
Second Runner-Up: Ben Folds
Wow. Never have I seen anyone rock so hard while banging away on a piano. There were almost no lowlights to the show. The Fray was a pretty good opener, and Folds and his band were as entertaining as it gets. The highlights were a makeshift cover of "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit," and the crowd sing-a-long on "Army." He definitely did not disappoint.
First Runner-Up: Foozer
This would probably be the winner of the Kaddy if it weren't for the Foo Fighters. Don't get me wrong--I actually like the Foo Fighters a good amount. But Dave Grohl...well, if he were as good a vocalist as he is a frontman, he'd be a great performer. As it is, he just kind of screams bloody murder on the majority of his songs. He's a very entertaining rockstar. And when he actually sings, it turns out well. He did a solo performance of "Everlong" that was pretty cool. Another highlight was "Up in Arms," which features both sides of the vocal coin--a slower, vocal-centered part, followed by a blistering, thrashing, visceral rock part. Besides those, the stage effects on "Best of You" were very cool.
As a Weezer fan, this might have been the highlight of their career for me. I knew all the little gimmicks they were going to throw in, as I read the concert reports for pretty much every show on the tour. The sing-a-long on "Perfect Situation," each band member featured on lead vocal for a song, the solo acoustic version of "Island in the Sun," the crowd member chosen to play on "Undone," and the covers of "Big Me" and "Song 2." It was a great show. When the confetti went out at the end of "Buddy Holly," I was euphoric. It took away the bitter taste I still had in my mouth from a lackluster show at the Electric Factory back in May.
Oh, and I forgot Hot Hot Heat. They were great openers. A really fun band that I'd almost definitely throw down 20 bucks to see on a headlining show next time they come around.
And the Kaddy for Best Concert of 2005 goes to: Beck
Beck is the single greatest stage performer I've ever seen. There's really not much more to say. His set was pretty much flawless, featuring all his different musical incarnations over the past dozen years. His opener was the most mind-boggling thing I'd ever seen: a one-man Canadian band who looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger and played drum pads, two keyboards, and vocals all at once. It was, all in all, maybe the best show I've ever seen.
Now, onto the next category, the Best Song of 2005:
This category is obviously going to be an incredibly tough one. Lots of songs I've gotten obsessed with over the course of this year had reached my ears long before 2005. However, due to my dive into all things Beatles, some albums I may have heard when I was growing up didn't really connect with me until this year.
On the other hand, until this year I'd never listened to Rubber Soul, Revolver, or A Hard Day's Night. I'd heard some of the songs before, of course, but not the entire albums. For this category, I'm going to only include songs I'd never heard before 2005. These are the 5 I fell in love with. And since I'm on the subject of the Beatles, I might as well start with them.
The Beatles, "Here, There and Everywhere"
This is the representative Paul McCartney song. Sure, he wrote "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude," which are stronger songs, but "Here, There and Everywhere" is pure Macca. The melody couldn't have been written by anyone else. The "ooo"s in the harmony are a trademark of the Revolver album. The lyrics are gorgeous. This song will be played at my wedding.
Of Montreal, "Tim I Wish You Were Born a Girl"
This might be the cutest song ever written. I don't like using the word "cute," but this song is fucking cute as hell. There's a catch, though. It's...kinda weird, in a way. The title is the first line of the song. The song is a straight man's lament, damning that his best friend is a boy. "But it's just not the same / 'Cause you're a man / And so am I." It's like...gay...but not gay. It's a hypothetical love song. If you were a girl, I'd be in love with you. But you're not a girl, and I'm not attracted to you for that reason; therefore, we can never be together. It's tragic, in a way, but it's beautiful.
Pixies, "Gigantic"
This is one sexy song. My name isn't Paul, and Kim Deal isn't exactly a supermodel (she's not terrible looking, but she's not "hot," per se--unless you have a thing for bass players), but when she sings, "Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul, let's have a ball," well...I want in.
Stars, "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
Never have I heard a song that sums up the post-breakup run-in better. The lyrics are perfect. The dual vocals are absolutely gorgeous. The orchestration is perfect--strings, harmonica, a subtle guitar, piano, sweeping cymbals...the song is a masterpiece. And bonus points for having the best opening to an album I've ever heard--"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire."
The White Stripes, "The Denial Twist"
This is why rock and roll was invented. If you can get through this one without dancing, you have no soul.
And of course, I'll need a spiffy name for my awards. "Kevys" looks like a typo of "keys," so that's out. Fattys? Nah, too self-deprecating. And if I somehow lose a ton of weight (snicker), the name will be obsolete. My initials are KAD. I'm thinking "The Kaddys." It's got a ring to it. Nice play on words, too. Right, now that that's settled...
PRESENTING THE INAUGURAL KADDY AWARDS
We'll start off with a somewhat major award, sort of like how the Oscars start with Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
The Kaddy Awards for Best Comedies of 2005:
Honorable Mention: Sideways
Solid, smart, sophisticated buddy comedy. I can't believe Paul Giamatti didn't even get an Oscar nomination for this. How to explain...it's sort of like if Dumb and Dumber was an indie flick.
Second Runner-Up: Shaun of the Dead
I rented this movie a few weeks ago. It came out late last year, so it's not too far off from 2005. It wasn't just great as a comedy, but it also had a great plotline, lovable characters, and a solid soundtrack (I can't listen to "You're My Best Friend" anymore without thinking of it). If you haven't seen it, do it ASAP. Everyone I've talked to about it has also loved it, so I know I'm not alone here.
First Runner-Up: Blazing Saddles
"Hey, where the white women at?" "Nobody moves, or the nigger gets it!" "All right, we'll give some land to the niggers and the chinks, but we don't want the Irish."
I suggested we (Jake, DJ, Jamie, and I) rent this because I'd never seen it, and I was high. Instead, DJ and I watched Starsky and Hutch, which was much funnier the second time around. Then, the next day, we watched it at DJ's house. Very good decision. It's a classic by one of the great comedy filmmakers of all time, Mel Brooks. If you like any racial humor at all, it's hilarious.
And The Kaddy for Best Comedy of 2005 goes to: The 40 Year Old Virgin
Steve Carell puts in perhaps the funniest comedic performance since, jeez, maybe Tom Hanks in Big. It's essentially one joke stretched out for 90 minutes, but it's a good joke, and it stays fresh throughout. Judd Apatow, who directed the cancelled-far-too-soon Freaks and Geeks, does a great job making the movie seem somehow believeable. This one will be remembered for a long time.
Onto the second movie category, Best Non-Comedies of 2005:
Honorable Mention: The Incredibles
I could have put this in either movie category, but I'd consider it more of an action or family movie over a comedy. Awesome movie. It's sad to see Pixar and Disney part, but if this is their last film together, I'd say they went out on their highest note. That's no knock on Toy Story, Toy Story 2, or Finding Nemo, but The Incredibles was, well...you know--incredible.
Second Runner-Up: Batman Begins
Stunning, in pretty much every way you can imagine. The visuals were amazing. The storyline was a great introduction to the Batman series. And for the first time (apologies to Tim Burton), a director captured how dark a character Bruce Wayne really is. This is why I love Christopher Nolan so much. With Katie Holmes missing from the sequel, it should be even better.
First Runner-Up: Cinderella Man
I'm a sucker for sports movies. This one rivaled the best with its chill moments. And it wasn't just a great boxing movie, but a tremendous Depression movie as well. It had depth to it. The only other sports movie I can think of with depth like this was Field of Dreams. Again, Paul Giamatti. He should get nominated for this. If he doesn't, I'm burning and old rich white Jewish man in effigy. Also, Russel Crowe--he's an incredibly asshole, but he might be the best actor on the planet.
And the Kaddy for Best Non-Comedy of 2005 goes to: Say Anything
This was easy. I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. My favorite actor (John Cusack) and my favorite actor (Cameron Crowe) in what I'd consider their defining moments. There's no scene more memorable in Cusack's career than the immortal Lloyd Dobler standing outside Diane Court's window, holding up the stereo playing "In Your Eyes." So many epic scenes, so many great lines, so intense. Maybe I'm an emo bitch, but Lloyd Dobler is my fucking hero and this movie damn near brought me to tears.
Now, for the music category. I've expanded my musical horizons more this year than almost any other year of my life. I'm going to do four categories here: Best Song, Best Album, Best Artist, and Best Concert. Now, it may not necessarily be what I consider to be the "best" song/artist/etc., but the one that had the biggest impact on me.
First things first--the Best Concert of 2005:
Honorable Mention: U2
I love them. Well, I loved them. I'm a little disappointed with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and it's even more disappointing that it seems Bono is very happy with it. What's worse, I've become increasingly disappointed with All That You Can't Leave Behind. At it's core, Pop is a better album than both of those, although the band will admit that they weren't able to give 100% to that album. The band is moving in a direction away from the likes of Achtung Baby, which I consider their best and most interesting album. They're nothing more than an arena rock band anymore, which isn't necessarily a bad thing--it's just not why I love U2.
That said, the concert was the perfect arena rock concert. Damian Marley was a great opener--he even covered a couple of his dad's songs ("Exodus," "Could You Be Loved"), so I knew more than "Welcome to Jamrock." U2 was simultaneously exciting and incredibly frustrating, due to the insistence of their fans to sing every word at the top of their lungs, as well as dance embarassingly to songs that shouldn't be danced along with. The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly "One," as well as a cover of "People Get Ready," which included a cameo appearance from none other than Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. That's some memory to take away, huh?
Second Runner-Up: Ben Folds
Wow. Never have I seen anyone rock so hard while banging away on a piano. There were almost no lowlights to the show. The Fray was a pretty good opener, and Folds and his band were as entertaining as it gets. The highlights were a makeshift cover of "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit," and the crowd sing-a-long on "Army." He definitely did not disappoint.
First Runner-Up: Foozer
This would probably be the winner of the Kaddy if it weren't for the Foo Fighters. Don't get me wrong--I actually like the Foo Fighters a good amount. But Dave Grohl...well, if he were as good a vocalist as he is a frontman, he'd be a great performer. As it is, he just kind of screams bloody murder on the majority of his songs. He's a very entertaining rockstar. And when he actually sings, it turns out well. He did a solo performance of "Everlong" that was pretty cool. Another highlight was "Up in Arms," which features both sides of the vocal coin--a slower, vocal-centered part, followed by a blistering, thrashing, visceral rock part. Besides those, the stage effects on "Best of You" were very cool.
As a Weezer fan, this might have been the highlight of their career for me. I knew all the little gimmicks they were going to throw in, as I read the concert reports for pretty much every show on the tour. The sing-a-long on "Perfect Situation," each band member featured on lead vocal for a song, the solo acoustic version of "Island in the Sun," the crowd member chosen to play on "Undone," and the covers of "Big Me" and "Song 2." It was a great show. When the confetti went out at the end of "Buddy Holly," I was euphoric. It took away the bitter taste I still had in my mouth from a lackluster show at the Electric Factory back in May.
Oh, and I forgot Hot Hot Heat. They were great openers. A really fun band that I'd almost definitely throw down 20 bucks to see on a headlining show next time they come around.
And the Kaddy for Best Concert of 2005 goes to: Beck
Beck is the single greatest stage performer I've ever seen. There's really not much more to say. His set was pretty much flawless, featuring all his different musical incarnations over the past dozen years. His opener was the most mind-boggling thing I'd ever seen: a one-man Canadian band who looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger and played drum pads, two keyboards, and vocals all at once. It was, all in all, maybe the best show I've ever seen.
Now, onto the next category, the Best Song of 2005:
This category is obviously going to be an incredibly tough one. Lots of songs I've gotten obsessed with over the course of this year had reached my ears long before 2005. However, due to my dive into all things Beatles, some albums I may have heard when I was growing up didn't really connect with me until this year.
On the other hand, until this year I'd never listened to Rubber Soul, Revolver, or A Hard Day's Night. I'd heard some of the songs before, of course, but not the entire albums. For this category, I'm going to only include songs I'd never heard before 2005. These are the 5 I fell in love with. And since I'm on the subject of the Beatles, I might as well start with them.
The Beatles, "Here, There and Everywhere"
This is the representative Paul McCartney song. Sure, he wrote "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude," which are stronger songs, but "Here, There and Everywhere" is pure Macca. The melody couldn't have been written by anyone else. The "ooo"s in the harmony are a trademark of the Revolver album. The lyrics are gorgeous. This song will be played at my wedding.
Of Montreal, "Tim I Wish You Were Born a Girl"
This might be the cutest song ever written. I don't like using the word "cute," but this song is fucking cute as hell. There's a catch, though. It's...kinda weird, in a way. The title is the first line of the song. The song is a straight man's lament, damning that his best friend is a boy. "But it's just not the same / 'Cause you're a man / And so am I." It's like...gay...but not gay. It's a hypothetical love song. If you were a girl, I'd be in love with you. But you're not a girl, and I'm not attracted to you for that reason; therefore, we can never be together. It's tragic, in a way, but it's beautiful.
Pixies, "Gigantic"
This is one sexy song. My name isn't Paul, and Kim Deal isn't exactly a supermodel (she's not terrible looking, but she's not "hot," per se--unless you have a thing for bass players), but when she sings, "Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul, let's have a ball," well...I want in.
Stars, "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"
Never have I heard a song that sums up the post-breakup run-in better. The lyrics are perfect. The dual vocals are absolutely gorgeous. The orchestration is perfect--strings, harmonica, a subtle guitar, piano, sweeping cymbals...the song is a masterpiece. And bonus points for having the best opening to an album I've ever heard--"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire."
The White Stripes, "The Denial Twist"
This is why rock and roll was invented. If you can get through this one without dancing, you have no soul.
posted by Kevin A. Doran at 1:58 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home