[batreleaser]

ive been listening to 'tamper' alot. anyways, my fave 5 o'rourke solo albums in order:

1. terminal pharmacy
2. im happy and im singing a 1,2,3,4
3. tamper
4. eureka
5. bad timing

but, gastr del sol's 'upgrade and afterlife' and 'the serpentine similar' are the best records hes been involved with.

i love all his collaborative work, especially the records he did with derek bailey, fennesz, nurse with wound, merzbow, thurston, and mats gustaffson.

the work he did with sonic youth was the best the band did since the 80s. in my opinion, 'murray street' was their best full length record since 'ddn'. syr3 is my fave syr as well.

his stuff as a band member is all worth checking out. especially the supreme indifference's 'a lick in time' and 'male communication', loose fur's s/t, diskaholics anonymous trio's live in japan albums, fenno'berg's 'the return' and 'the magis sounds of', all the brise glace (this is my favorite o'rourke band besides gastr) albums, and yona kit's s/t.

everyone knows hes one of the best underground producers around. i think his best production was on us maple's 'long hair in three stages', wilco's 'a ghost is born' (he turned an alt country band into an experimental psychedelic noise country band, total headsfuck of a record that was considering stuff like 'am'), stereolab's 'cobras and phases group play voltage in the milky night', and bobby conn's 'rise up'.

in short, jim o'rourke is one of the true geniuses of modern music. there is absolutley NO ONE who plays such a diverse number of styles, and has such a varied body of work in music, and has almost no misteps. o'rourke is the man.