Rewind '98
It has been a funny old rock'n'roll year, most notable for its marked lack of funny old rock'n'roll. Oh, there's been plenty of pop, dollops of dance, extra helpings of easy listening, and a wide choice of weirdcore, but what happened to yer basic, honest-to-badness rock'n'roll in 1998? Answer: it has been hijacked by Robbie Williams.
Which is no bad thing; rock'n'roll had become bloated and unwieldy by 1997, weighed down on one end by the lumpen prole-rock of Oasis and on the other by the over-reverent reception of Radiohead's OK Computer. Something had to give, and when the bough broke beneath rock'n'roll's cosy, complacent cradle, a space was cleared for some more eclectic sounds to filter through.
The first band to rush in and fill the vacuum was the French duo Air, who released the superb Moon Safari album at the beginning of 1998. A cool, enchanting mix of easy listening, jazzy grooves and cheesy synths, the record beguiled the listener with its classy, atmospheric style, and the single, Sexy Boy, conjured up strange visions of Planet Paris in the Swinging 1960s. Moon Safari's success helped kickstart the new French dance revolution, and though the Air pair distanced themselves from the Parisian club scene, they certainly aroused interest in such movers and shakers as Kid Loco, Bob Sinclar, Laurent Garnier and Etienne De Crecy. ca change. Meanwhile, back in the land of Britpop, the Welsh band Catatonia began the year by grabbing plaudits with their debut album, International Velvet, while The Verve stormed the Brits Awards and NME Brats Awards, reaching the top of the rockpile and revelling in their bittersweet victory. But Richard Ashcroft's brand of high-flying healing was already beginning to lose its optimistic appeal, as tastes began to move towards darker, more disturbing flavours. Massive Attack's Mezzanine captured the creeping, sombre mood, with compelling, chemically-imbalanced songs such as Teardrop (featuring The Cocteau Twins' Liz Frazier), Risingson and Inertia Creeps.
It wasn't all gloom 'n' doom and drum 'n' bass this year, however; a coterie of countrified young Brits brought a wayward spirit into rock'n'roll, striking out west in search of inspiration, and joining a growing posse of y'alternative rock bands. Across the Atlantic, The Pernice Brothers and Wilco headed the cavalry, while in the UK, Scott 4 and Gomez were the ringleaders.
The y'alternative genre also whipped up what may well be the album of the year, Mercury Rev's Deserters' Songs. If any album this year could prove the pioneering power of music, then this one did it in spades. A truly eclectic mix of symphonic country, orchestral psychedelia, and electronic easy listening, Deserters' Songs delivered an evocative and emotional punch which few rock albums could ever aspire to deliver.
And what about plain old pop music? Well, it just cultivated a distinctly Irish brogue, added a dash of diddley-aye, and completely colonized the UK charts. While Ireland's male rock brigade swaggered arrogantly into oblivion, The Corrs and B*Witched captured hearts with their commercial Celtic style, heading a Paddypop revolution which started in the steerage compartment of Titanic earlier this year and ended with B*Witched bidding for the UK Christmas Number One and The Corrs' album, Talk On Corners, going four times platinum in Britain.
As the needle spins its way towards the final grooves of 1998, the lasting impression will be of a year in which rock, pop and dance music fragmented into many different strands, only to fuse back together into strange, sometimes delightful shapes. It was also the year in which the balance of power shifted from the thrones of traditional rock monarchs and fell into the hands of a motley crew of creative mavericks. Spinners, not singers, are now the new pop icons; pop bunnies, not rock monsters, are the new mythmakers.
Fast Forward '99
Pop music gets the end of the millennium psychosis blues next year, as everybody tries to out-angst, out-moan and outdespair everybody else. In 1999, the charts will be awash with existential new singles like Aqua's I'm A Shallow, Plastic, Useless Object (And I Want To Die), B*Witched's Pas De Fromage (Quelle Dommage!) and Boyzone's cover of Joy Division's Atrocity Exhibition. Meanwhile, traditionally tortured stars such as Thom Yorke and Alanis Morissette will suddenly cheer up, realising that life isn't half as depressing as their songs. Buoyed by the knowledge that everything is, indeed, OK Computer, Radiohead will release a party album, Drop In, Spliff Up, Tune Out, remixed by Fatboy Slim. Alanis Morissette, fed up with listening to her own whining voice on the radio, will rediscover the innocent charms of her fluffy teenage pop efforts.
Blur will change their image and musical direction yet again. Having tried British bulldog and American grunge, Damon & Co. will chase the Celtic Tiger in another bid to outwit their nearest rivals, The Corrs. Blur's new album, Phoenix Park Life, will feature fiddles, bodhrans and tin whistles, plus a guest appearance by Ronnie Drew. Meanwhile, The Verve, still without guitarist Nick McCabe, will go the whole hog and become a country cowpoke band. Oasis will do a deal with Michael Jackson to acquire The Beatles' songs, The Beatles' name, and even The Beatles' Liverpudlian accent, allowing them to finally become the band they've always wanted to be. However, Noel and Liam will continue to fight over who gets to be John and who gets to be Paul.
Back in the real world, however, 1999 should bring a myriad new sounds and styles into play, as control of the music industry continues to fall away from the major record companies and into the hands of the music-makers themselves. Independent artists and labels will increasingly sell their music directly through the Internet, creating a new online underground scene. The best records of 1999 will - just as they did this year - come out of leftfield, and weirdos, geeks and misfits will become the new pop icons.
Look out for new albums by Kula Shaker, Neil Young, Reef, Finley Quaye, Blondie, Beth Orton, Natalie Imbruglia, All Saints, Orbital, Echo & The Bunnymen, New Order, Embrace, Ocean Colour Scene, Gomez, Van Morrison, The Spice Girls and Blur. New Irish singer-songwriter Paddy Casey and Downpatrick band Relish are tipped for great things in 1999, as are new Irish boy bands Westside, managed by Ronan Keating and Louis Walsh, and Mytown. Martine McCutcheon (Tiffany in Eastenders) will be the next soap star to hit the pop charts, Cassius will carry the French dance torch with their album, 1999, and both Underworld and U2 are due to release new albums.
Highlight: 1998 was the year of the French, as the dance floor was invaded by a posse of Parisian DJs and dance acts. Air soundtracked the year with Moon Safari, Stardust kept it moving with Music Sounds Better With You, and Kid Loco added an aromatic flavour with She's My Lover. And France even won the World Cup - magnifique!
Lowlight: Juniper.
