RAVE ON?

Thrills of the year: Romario and Brazil winning the World Cup. Portishead, Liz Phair, and Massive Attack making interesting and imaginative sounds. Sean Tyrrell live at Mother Redcaps. Jackson Browne at The Stadium. Edwyn Collins and Sarah McLachlan at Columbia Mills were a bit special, particularly when Edwyn Collins had his four year old son up to play drums for the encore. Townes Van Zandt at Whelan’s earlier in the year was also unforgettably amazing. Besides being such an immaculate songwriter he’s an extremely funny man. A true poet as well. Albums of the year were Sean Tyrrell’s Cry Of A Dreamer and Edwyn Collins’ Gorgeous George, followed closely by Iris Dement’s My Life, AMC’s San Francisco, The Fall’s Middle Class Revolt, Grant Lee Buffalo’s Mighty Joe Moon, Sarah McLachlan’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Loreena McKennitt’s The Mask and The Mirror, Thrum’s Rifferama and Victoria Williams’ Loose. Best Irish Album of the year Revelino from Revelino, of course. Irishwise again, Sack and Martin McCann’s live performances provided something for other bands to aspire to. Speaking of greatness I was mortally sorry for having missed The Harvest Ministers at Whelan’s.

Delusion of the Year: that Rave/Techno and its offshoots is something revolutionary. Granted, movement or dance can equal freedom. Unfortunately, though, Rave is too mindless to ever really threaten anything. And yeah, the drugs are great but as Jack Kerouac said of the possibility of founding a society on L.S.D., “Walking on water wasn’t built in a day.” Still if ‘E’ expands consciousness a little bit then fair enough. However, Portishead, for one, show how the techniques of Rave can be utilised more provocatively.

Most overrated groups of the year: Suede and The Auteurs. Bad Joke of the year: Harry Whelehan. Stupidest act of the year: Albert Reynold’s loyalty and support for the former AG and ex President of the High Court (heh! heh!).

Best TV programmes: RTE’s coverage of the World Cup, No Disco, Plastic Orange Crush and R.T.E’s The End. Finally, credit and praise to Gerry Adams for the courage he’s shown in the face of so much opposition and so many obstacles.

Thanks again to Seán Tyrrell for his Cry Of A Dreamer, one of the greatest album of all time.

Patrick Brennan