Toronto Sun, January 30, 2002, by John Sakamoto
"The Anti-Hit List"
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  10. PEARL JAM I Just Want Something To Do
On which the profound alienation lurking beneath the surface 
of this Ramones wail is deftly uncovered, with not much more 
than an acoustic guitar to carry it. A worthy homage to 
punk's melancholy heart. (Fan club single)

   9. ANTHONY STEWART HEAD Last Time
Written by Buffy mastermind Joss Whedon and sung by the 
show's Giles (Head) and Tara (Amber Benson), this is 
actually a perfectly credible atmospheric ballad, with nary 
a whiff of good-actor-turned-bad-singer syndrome. 
(www.musicforelevators.com)

   8. JAY BENNETT & EDWARD BURCH Whispers Or Screams
Given Bennett's melodic contributions to the Woody 
Guthrie/Mermaid Avenue project, it's no surprise that he and 
his longtime collaborator have come up with a Big Pop Song. 
What's surprising is the dense Costello/Attractions-like 
arrangement. (From http://www.undertowmusic.com/audio.html)

   7. JOHN MAYER City Love
Finally getting a belated release in Canada, this 
sophisticated big-label debut by an accomplished singer-
songwriter will do just fine for anyone impatiently awaiting 
the next David Gray album. (From Room For Squares, Sony)

   6. THE CHURCH Chromium
It's not quite Under The Milky Way, but the minor-key, 
jangly guitar sound is potent enough to at least evoke that 
glorious song without insulting its memory. (From After 
Everything Now This, Cooking Vinyl/True North)

   5. KEN HENSLEY Prelude: A Minor Life/Out Of My Control
This week's prog-rock quota is filled by the latest solo 
album from the Uriah Heep singer, who remains in remarkably 
strong voice 30 years after the genre classic, The 
Magician's Birthday. (Thanks to Lor D'Alimonte). (From 
Running Blind, www.ken-hensley.com)

   4. JACK NITZSCHE Lower California
Salvaged from a never released 1974 album, this perfect two-
minute suite manages to sound like Stephen Malkmus covering 
a long lost Brian Wilson song. (From Three Piece Suite: The 
Reprise Recordings, Rhino Handmade)

   3. NANCI GRIFFITH Can't Love Wrong
Written in 1980, recorded in 1982, and completed in 1997, 
this lost song finally surfaces on a pristine reissue of 
Griffith's second album, Poet In My Window. Well worth the 
wait. (From Poet In My Window, Rounder/Universal)

   2. IDA Shhh...
Now here's a concept album: Songs whose titles all begin 
with "sh." This soothing, warm-milk-at-bedtime of a lullaby 
is the highlight. (From Shhh..., www.timestereo.com)

   1. CLINIC Walking With Thee
The lead single and title track from what's shaping up as 
the first "if you haven't heard it, you're not cool" act of 
2002 sounds like a wise-ass homage to a Nuggets-era psych-
pop classic, say 96 Tears -- as filtered through Can and 
Suicide. A twisted classic in waiting. (From U.K. promo 
single and the Walking With Thee album, Domino/FAB, out Feb. 
26)



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