List Mania Redux

Well I finally sat down and got though my list good stuff that happened in 2004. I have to admit, this was a lot harder than the Crap list that I previously did. As usual, it’s the bad stuff that sticks with you. Well, without further ado…

The More Better Stuff of 2004

10. Nirvana Achieved : Finally. The Nirvana Box set was released. Courtney finally got off her crazy ass and gave her permission to release it and it was well worth the wait. It also did my heart good to hear that Courtney’s solo album was ranked as one of the worst of the year. Did anybody else hear that crap? The music wasn’t bad but it was like she was singing a completely different song than the band was playing. Weirdness. Speaking of box sets, the Cure also released their long awaited B Sides collection, “Join The Dots”. It is truly a thing of beauty.

9. Sorry Mod : I had to apologize in advance because I’m actually going to say something positive about wrestling. I know I said in my other list that wrestling was crappier than usual but there were some bright spots. Specifically, Chris Benoit finally got the title after years of being thought of too small to main event. Also, the WWE released a definitive ECW DVD and also started the 24 hour wrestling channel. I’m so excited I could pee… and I may.

8. The TiVo Zone : Now I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s good because TiVo has totally changed the way I watch TV for the better. The downfall is that now I’m watching WAY too much TV. What is even worse is that I have no idea how I am ever going to live without it. I think the folks at Adult Swim said it best, “I wish I could TiVo life, then I could skip past everything but television and sex”. Wise words.

7. Video Games Killed the Radio Star : I was in geek heaven this year when it came to video games. The new Grand Theft Auto outdid itself in its storyline and the size of the universe. I know Anne has especially enjoyed watching Vito play, HA!

6. But What About Good Old Family Values : Although Family Guy doesn’t re-premier until 2005, this was the year that Fox decided to bring back one of the greatest shows ever. The random humor of this show is the best. Not to take anything away from the Simpsons, they are still the OG’s of prime time animation, but I can’t tell you how excited I am for new Family Guy episodes. Speaking of the Simpsons, this was the first time that they released TWO seasons on DVD in the same year. Now at this rate I may get all of the seasons before DVD becomes obsolete… but probably not.

5. The Force is Strong With This One : This fall, George Lucas FINALLY released the “holy trilogy” on DVD. Now say what you will about his constant meddling with the films, but I was ecstatic about the release. Yes Greedo still shoots first and they updated Anakin Skywalker at the end of Jedi, but now I can finally watch Empire in all of its digital glory. I could go on, but then even more people would wonder how I could possibly have a girlfriend.

4. TV Doesn’t Always Suck : I know it’s hard to imagine, but there are shows out there that aren’t offshoots of CSI or Law & Order. This will forever be the year where I re-discovered Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Living in California, Adult Swim starts three hours earlier so I was always doing something else when it was on. But once I moved back to Michigan I was able to watch all the mind numbing toons at the appropriate time. I don’t know what life was like anymore without Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Sea Lab 2021.

3. Stop, Movie Time : This wasn’t the greatest year in the theaters, but the few movies that were good, were REALLY good. Hands down my fav movie of the year was Garden State. I’m a huge Zach Braff fan from Scrubs so I went into the movie with high expectations and it exceeded every one. Just a wonderful film. I love a movie that sticks with me for days, even weeks after I’ve seen it and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind was great for that. I’m still trying to get my mind around it. Recently I saw Ray, which was just incredible, and the Incredables which was ray-a-full (?) HA!

2. What’s Old is New : Some of my fav bands released some really good music this year. The Cure’s new album was amazing, Green Day became relevant again, hell even Duran Duran released a good album. All in all, this was the first year in a long time where I didn’t think new music sucked. I discovered the music of Jem (think of her as a mix of Dido and Poe) and Franz Ferdinand. Public Enemy collaborated with Moby for “Make Love, F**K War” which was my fav single of the year.. Mos Def released a great album, Kanye West proved to be the new most influential producer in Hip Hop, and the Dilated Peoples album “Neighborhood Watch” is probably the best album nobody heard.

1. The Pistons Win : Remember, this is a personal list and I am sure that this wouldn’t top the list of most people but this was a really friggin big deal for me. As somebody who was around for the Bad Boy era, this was a long time coming. The plight of a Pistons fan isn’t quite as grim as the plight of the Lions fan, but it did have its moments. I stuck with this team when our best player was Orlando Woolridge. I rushed out and got the Draft Cards for Lindsay Hunter and Allen Houston when they were both picked in the first round. I got excited when Terry Mills took to the floor as I knew he was killer from beyond the arc, even if he was useless back on D. Hell, I was even a Grant Hill supporter back in the day. In fact I still don’t have anything against Hill (sorry Vito) I just don’t see him as a leader and he played way too soft. So this past June was thing of beauty. That week of the finals, the Pistons were the best team in the NBA no question. Forget about how they are playing now and the Artest incident. This championship will live forever for me and in the end “I love this team”.