In a message dated 98-12-31 17:13:09 EST, you write: << Before we get to the actual list, I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to the third annual best of P2 poll. More folks contributed than ever before (153, compared to last year's 124 and 1996's 50), and it made for a remarkable list. It was twang-predominant (as expected), but it also featured a fair amount of musical diversity, with the key ingredient being as always an emphasis on quality songwriting. As with the last two years, I've listed all of the new releases that received more than 10 points. I felt it was necessary for at least two people to vote for a particular release for it to make the list, so that's why the minimum score to make the P2 list was 10.5 for new releases and 5.5 for reissues. Some releases received two or even three votes and still failed to get the minimum point number, so they also didn't make the list. Votes were cast for 388 albums this year, with just 137 of them making the list, demonstrating once again that diversity of opinion remains strong on P2. For those releases that did make it, they are listed in order of the total number of points they received. In case of a tie, the number of *votes* for each release was the first tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker was the number of *first-place votes* each release received. Each release that received at least 10.5 points is listed, followed by the total number of points, then the number of votes, and then the number of first-place votes (if any). Taking a look at the list, can anyone really be surprised by who's on top? A critics' darling whose oft-ridiculed perfectionist tendencies drove her to create a near-perfect record, Lucinda Williams cruised to #1 by getting votes from more than half of the contributors, including an impressive 19 first-place votes. As for the rest of the top 10, there aren't any real surprises, except perhaps the #2 slot being taken by countrypolitan advocate Mike Ireland. There may still be some folks on P2 with a kneejerk anti-strings bias, but there's also apparently a large number of others willing to judge instrumentation on a case-by-case basis (always a sensible attitude). Women returned to the top 10 this year after being shut out the year before. Last year, the highest-ranking woman was Neko Case at #22 (ironically, it's a number she equalled this year with the same album, thanks to it being released in the US by Bloodshot). This year, not only did Lucinda take #1, but Gillian Welch and Cheri Knight also made the top 10 (at #6 and #7 respectively). You won't exactly see the P2 chart being overrun by women this year though - the alt-country genre is still a predominantly male playground. Still, this year was the best showing for women in the P2 poll to date. You also won't see very many people of color on the list, although Los Super Seven clocked in at #27, and both Lauryn Hill (#42) and Massive Attack (#49) made encouragingly strong showings for a purportedly alt-country forum. Mainstream Nashville also made its best showing in the P2 poll, led by Vince Gill at #17, and followed by the Mavericks (#31), Allison Moorer (#36), Dolly Parton (#51), Danni Leigh (#53), Connie Smith (#60) and Lee Ann Womack (#111). It was nice to see P2 acknowledge most of the better albums to come out of Music Row this year, although I was hoping Gill would've charted even higher - it's not often a Nashville talent of his caliber makes such a thoroughly traditional country album of such high quality. Bluegrass continued to make inroads on P2, but the Bluegrass Borg is gonna have to wait awhile longer for total assimilation. Ralph Stanley's all-star double-CD charted at #19 this year, falling two slots short of '97's best bluegrass album (Ricky Skaggs' Bluegrass Rules). Still, Stanley was joined by a number of other 'grassers this year, including Blue Highway (#69), the Gibson Brothers (#100), Jim Mills (#108), Jerry Douglas and the Lonesome River Band (both #119), and Bobby Hicks (#129). The largest bluegrass contingent to make the P2 list were joined once again by our favorite alt-blugrass/old-timey iconoclasts the Bad Livers (#23), along with P2's sassiest alt-bluegrass band the Meat Purveyors (#38) and those youthful old-timey revivalists the Freight Hoppers (#48). As with the previous two years, not nearly as many folks chose to folk for reissues, but the reissue poll had its own landslide winner. Bob Dylan's Live 1966 had more than double the votes of second-place Hank Williams. Anyway, enough yakkin' from me -- here's the Postcard2 Best of 1998: New Recordings: Artist Title Label Points-Votes-First Place Votes (if any) 1. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (Mercury) 625.5-86-19 2. Mike Ireland and Holler - Learning How To Live (Sub Pop) 354-54-7 3. Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue (Elektra) 350-59-7 4. Richard Buckner - Since (MCA) 321-45-12 5. Son Volt - Wide Swing Tremolo (Warner Bros) 312.5-46-11 6. Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings (Almo) 257.5-46-4 7. Cheri Knight - The Northeast Kingdom (E Squared) 234.5-37-5 8. Dwight Yoakam - A Long Way Home (Reprise) 233-36-9 9. Dave Alvin - Blackjack David (Hightone) 202.5-34-3 10. Bap Kennedy - Domestic Blues (E-Squared) 161-29-1 11. Chris Knight - Chris Knight (Decca) 127-23 12. Alejandro Escovedo - More Miles Than Money (Bloodshot) 124-21-1 13. Lyle Lovett - Step Inside This House (MCA/Curb) 110-23-1 14. Robbie Fulks - Let's Kill Saturday Night (Geffen) 100.5-23-1 15. Gourds - Stadium Blitzer (Watermelon) 100-18-2 16. Heather Myles - Highways and Honky Tonks (Rounder) 91-20-1 17. Vince Gill - The Key (MCA) 90.5-16-1 18. Nick Lowe - Dig My Mood (Upstart) 82.5-14-1 19. Ralph Stanley & Friends - Clinch Mountain Country (Rebel) 80.5-17 20. Dale Watson - The Truckin' Sessions (Koch) 77.5-14 21. Emmylou Harris - Spyboy (Eminent) 72-13 22. Neko Case - The Virginian (Bloodshot) 71.5-12-1 23. Bad Livers - Industry and Thrift (Sugar Hill) 70-12-2 24. Paul Burch - Wire To Wire (Checkered Past) 68.5-12-2 25. Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Salute The Majesty Of Bob Wills (Bloodshot) 67-16-1 26. Golden Smog - Weird Tales (Rykodisc) 65-13-1 27. Los Super Seven - Los Super Seven (RCA) 63.5-11 28. Marah - Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later On Tonight (Black Dog) 63-9-3 29. Paul Burch - Pan American Flash (Checkered Past) 62.5-9-2 30. V-Roys - All About Town (E-Squared) 58-13 31. Mavericks - Trampoline (MCA) 54.5-9 32. Willie Nelson - Teatro (Island) 53-9-1 33. Elliott Smith - XO (Dreamworks) 52.5-9 34. Hot Club Of Cowtown - Swingin' Stampede (Hightone) 49.5-7 35. Pernice Brothers - Overcome By Happiness (Sub Pop) 48.5-8 36. Allison Moorer - Alabama Song (MCA) 47.5-11 37. Peter Case - Full Service, No Waiting (Vanguard) 46.5-8-1 38. Meat Purveyors - Sweet In The Pants (Bloodshot) 44-10 39. Jim Lauderdale - Whisper (BNA) 43.5-8 40. Gerald Collier - Gerald Collier (Revolution) 43-7-1 41. Chris Whitley - Dirt Floor (Messenger) 42.5-11 42. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse) 37.5-7 43. Vic Chesnutt - The Salesman and Bernadette (Capricorn) 37.5-6 44. Freakwater - Springtime (Thrill Jockey) 36.5-6-1 45. Varnaline - Sweet Life (Zero Hour) 36-6-1 46. Tommy Womack - Positively Na-Na (Checkered Past) 35-8 47. Shaver - Victory (New West) 34-5 48. Freight Hoppers - Waiting On The Gravy Train (Rounder) 32.5-7 49. Massive Attack - Mezzanine (Virgin) 30.5-6-1 50. Farmer Not So John - Receiver (Compass) 30-5 51. Flat Duo Jets - Lucky Eye (Outpost) 29-4-1 51. Dolly Parton - Hungry Again (Decca) 29-4-1 53. Danni Leigh - 29 Nights (Decca) 28.5-6 54. Bare Jr. - Boo-Tay (Immortal/Epic) 28-5-1 55. Greg Trooper - Popular Demons (Koch) 28-5 56. Beck - Mutations (Geffen) 27-6-1 57. Grant Lee Buffalo - Jubilee (Slash/Polygram) 26-4 58. Last Train Home - Last Train Home (Adult Swim) 26-3-1 59. (Various) - Horse Whisperer (MCA) 25.5-6 60. Connie Smith - Connie Smith (Warner Bros) 25-5 61. Calexico - The Black Light (Quarterstick) 24-4 62. Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright (UNI/Dreamworks) 23.5-5 63. Olu Dara - In The World: From Natchez To New York (Atlantic) 23-4 64. Cat Power - Moon Pix (Matador) 22.5-3 65. Wandering Eyes - Sing Songs Of Forbidden Love (Lazy SOB) 22-8 66. Nanci Griffith - Other Voices Too (Elektra) 22-4-1 67. Paul Kelly - Words and Music (Vanguard) 22-4 68. Don Walser - Down At The Sky-Vue Drive-In (Watermelon) 21.5-5 69. Blue Highway - Midnight Storm (Rebel) 21.5-4-1 70. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (V2) 21-3 71. (Various) - Real: The Tom T. Hall Project (Watermelon) 20.5-6 72. Charlie Robison - Life Of The Party (Lucky Dog) 20.5-4 73. Gastr Del Sol - Camofleur (Drag City) 19-4-1 74. Johnny Dowd - Wrong Side Of Memphis (Checkered Past) 18-4 75. Cisco - Wishing You Well From The Pink Motel (Propellant Transmissions) 18-3-1 76. (Various) - Pearls In The Snow: Kinky Friedman Tribute (Kinkajou) 18-3 76. Cake - Prolonging The Magic (Capricorn) 18-3 76. Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson - VH1 Storytellers (Sony) 18-3 76. Creeper Lagoon - I Become Small and Go (Nickelbag) 18-3 76. Silver Jews - American Water (Drag City) 18-3 81. Victor Mecyssne - Hush Money (Sweetfish) 18-2 82. Bottle Rockets - Leftovers (Doolittle) 17.5-5 83. Vern Gosdin - The Voice (BTM) 17.5-3-1 84. Sixteen Horsepower - Low Estate (A&M) 17-3 85. Handsome Family - Through The Trees (Carrot Top) 16.5-3 86. REM - Up (Warner Bros) 16-2-1 87. Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth (Noo Trybe/Virgin) 16-2 87. Outkast - Aquemini (LaFace) 16-2 89. Drive By Truckers - Gangstabilly (Soul Dump) 15.5-4 89. Sue Garner - To Run More Smoothly (Thrill Jockey) 15.5-4 91. Parlor James - Old Dreams (Sire) 15.5-2-1 92. Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Friends Of Mine (Hightone) 15-3 92. Mysteries Of Life - Come Clean (RCA) 15-3 92. Sparklehorse - Good Morning Spider (Imprint) 15-3 95. Richard Thompson - Celtschmerz (Flypaper) 15-2-1 96. Continental Drifters - Vermilion (Blue Rose) 15-2 96. Cotton Mather - Kon Tiki (Copper) 15-2 96. Lambchop - What Another Man Spills (Merge) 15-2 99. Chris Mills - Every Night Fight For Your Life (Sugar Free) 14.5-4 100. Angry Johnny & The Killbillies - What's So Funny (Tar Hut) 14.5-2 100. Gibson Brothers - Another Night Of Waiting (Hay Holler) 14.5-2 102. Cracker - Gentleman's Blues (Virgin) 14-3 102. Beaver Nelson - The Last Hurrah (Freedom) 14-3 104. Dada - Dada (MCA) 14-2-1 104. Randy Scruggs - Crown Of Jewels (Reprise) 14-2-1 106. Grievous Angels - Miles On The Rail (Bloodshot) 14-2 107. Bruce Robison - Wrapped (Lucky Dog) 13.5-5 108. (Various) - Edges From The Postcard2 (Postcard2) 13.5-2 108. Jim Mills - Bound To Ride (Sugar Hill) 13.5-2 110. Justin Trevino - Texas Honky Tonk (Neon Nightmare) 13-5 111. Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador) 13-4 111. Lee Ann Womack - Some Things I Know (Decca) 13-4 113. Liz Phair - Whitechocolatespaceegg (Capitol/Matador) 13-3-1 114. Cry, Cry, Cry - Cry, Cry, Cry (Razor & Tie) 13-3 114. Patty Griffin - Flaming Red (A&M) 13-3 116. Pinetop Seven - Rigging The Toplights (Atavistic) 13-2-1 117. Kevin Gordon - Cadillac Jack's #1 Son (Shanachie) 13-2 118. Bob Mould - Last Dog and Pony Show (Rykodisc) 12-2-1 119. Cowboy Junkies - Miles From Our Home (Geffen) 12-2 119. Jerry Douglas - Restless On The Farm (Sugar Hill) 12-2 119. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory (Mercury) 12-2 119. Garbage - Version 2.0 (Almo Sounds) 12-2 119. Robert Earl Keen -- Walking Distance (Arista) 12-2 119. Lonesome River Band - Finding The Way (Sugar Hill) 12-2 119. Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska (Slow River) 12-2 119. Tuatara - Trading With The Enemy (Epic) 12-2 119. Victoria Williams - Musings Of A Creekdipper (Atlantic) 12-2 128. Respatexans - Almost Famous (BMG) 11.5-3 129. Bobby Hicks - Fiddle Patch (Rounder) 11.5-2-1 130. Jon Langford - Skull Orchard (Sugar Free) 11-4 131. Ozomatli - Ozomatli (Almo Sounds) 11-3 132. Scott 4 - Recorded In State (Satellite/Folk Archive/V2) 11-2-1 133. Midnight Choir - Amsterdam Stranded (S2/MNW) 11-2 133. Geoff Muldaur - The Secret Handshake (Hightone) 11-2 133. Jeremy Wallace - My Lucky Day (Palmetto) 11-2 136. Morcheeba - Big Calm (Sire) 10.5-3 137. David Kincaid - The Irish Volunteer (Rykodisc) 10.5-2 Reissues & other old stuff: 1. Bob Dylan - Live 1966 (Columbia) 126-32-11 2. Hank Williams - The Complete Hank Williams (Mercury) 57-13-8 3. Whiskeytown - Faithless Street (Outpost) 51-14-5 4. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (Koch) 51-14-4 5. (Various) - Nuggets (Rhino) 42-13-3 6. Charlie Feathers - Get With It (Revenant) 35-11-3 7. Ray Charles - The Complete Country & Western Recordings (Rhino) 35-10-4 8. Bruce Springsteen - Tracks (Sony) 25-6-2 9. Miles Davis - Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (Columbia/Legacy) 17-4-2 10. Dock Boggs - Country Blues (Revenant) 16.5-6 11. (Various) - From Where I Stand (Warner Bros) 13-4 11. Dock Boggs - His Folkways Years 1963-1968 (Smithsonian/Folkways) 13-4 13. John Coltrane - Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse Studio Recordings (Impulse!) 12-4 14. Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard - Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard (Rounder) 12-3-1 14. Butch Hancock - FirewaterSeeks Its Own Level (Rainlight) 12-3-1 16. (Various) - My Rough and Rowdy Ways (Yazoo) 11.5-4 17. Ray Price - The Other Woman (Koch) 9-3 18. Tommy Keene - Songs From The Film (Geffen) 8-3-1 19. Flatt & Scruggs - At Carnegie Hall (Columbia) 8-3 19. Thelonius Monk - Monk Alone (Sony) 8-3 21. Burt Bacharach - The Look Of Love (Rhino) 8-2-1 22. Miles Davis - Complete Columbia Studio Recordings 1965-68 (Columbia/Legacy) 7-2-1 23. Stoney Edwards - Poor Folks Stick Together (Razor & Tie) 7-2-1 24. Van Morrison - The Philosopher's Stone (Polydor) 7-2 24. Tom Waits - Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years (Island) 7-2 26. Bob Neuwirth - Back To The Front (Gold Castle) 6-2 26. Townes Van Zandt - Abnormal (Normal) 6-2 28. Sandy Denny - Gold Dust: Live At The Royalty (Island) 5.5-2 >>
