Rolling Stone Top 100 Albums of the 00s listening thread

The White Stripes have six albums?! I only heard, what, two? Ok then.

 

Ok fine screw all you!!!

I am keeping my 00's Dylan albums in high regard despite what you all think!!!


yeah.....take that.

lol

 

And they are all good to great! Have fun listening.

And, like the others, I'll take this opportunity to thank you for starting another of these threads. The last one was immensely rewarding!

 

I just played one of their albums in my car, and I do think it's a really good listen. HOWEVER, I still couldn't think of a Libertines song to save my life.

In fact I have a difficult time thinking of nearly any song recorded in the last decade. I simply have too much music and too little time. I still buy new music, but I rarely get to know albums like I did when I was young.

 

Can someone post a list of all 100? The R/S web cite is slow and cumbersome, so I can't scan through it.

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=6790105&postcount=72

 

See post #72. Doh! That that link above was just a link to another site or something.

 

#93: Unearthed- Johnny Cash

Boy, a lot of mixed feelings about this one. Will try to keep it short…

Ok well first of all I'm a huge huge huge Johnny Cash fan. And the American Recordings series helped create a new generation of Cash fans, which is great. Myself partially included- like many, I liked Cash as a personality before I even took country music seriously (Willie Nelson has that same affect on people). His recording and video of Hurt stunned and impressed everyone, including my teenage self.

However, when I think of Cash's music now I think of the old stuff, because I'm into classic country now.

As of this writing, we have 11 CDs culled from this American Recordings series. I says "as of this writing" because the continual releases, including and especially this box set, is the 3rd biggest continuing postpartum cash grab I've ever seen, with only Hendrix and 2Pac being worse, and don't be surprised if we get American Recordings VII which contains audio clips of Cash snacking and going to the bathroom in between takes.

This box set is especially egregious as it includes a "best of' disc that repeats music from the albums that anyone even remotely interested in this set would already own.

On the other hand, I just can't get enough of this stuff. Re-listening to this set has been an absolute joy. Sure it's a mixed bag but that's the point.

Best track: Bob Marley's Redemption Song with Joe Strummer, combining the presences of three of music's great anti-authoritarian iconoclasts. Just fantastic.

Best disc: surprisingly, the 4th one, with all religious songs. Just that it's such an obvious passion project for Cash, singing songs that mean a lot to him, with no guests and partners and having to figure out how to transpose Soundgarden or Sting or whatever to an acoustic guitar.

Least favorite disc: the 2nd one, with the Heartbreakers. Nothing against the Heartbreakers (in fact I'm a big Petty fan) but there are actually a couple of clunkers, nothing beats Cash alone anyway.

 

I can't imagine listening to all of that in one go. It's cool, but depressing at the same time. Sad that he was in his final years .. I'd rather listen to him with the Highwaymen myself. Was everything on that set recorded in the 00's even?

 

Thanks. OK, I've got around 58 of them, but would only include about half of those on a "best of" list. The others I haven't heard.

 

I listened to one disc each day for a week (skipped the last one, since like I said it's a comp of earlier releases).

It's not "depressing" at all, though, most of the music is actually quite joyous. In fact I'm guessing they deliberately left some of these off the original albums in favor of "darker" material, to play into the whole "(old) man in black" sings about death and whatever schtick.

I'm pretty sure most of the material was not recorded during the 00s. The tracks with Petty, for example, must be from the Unchained sessions and that album came out in 1996. But the list isn't music "recorded" in the 00s, it's music that was released in the 00s.


The Hold Steady update: just came back from a run and my musical accompaniment was my 2nd listen of their 2nd album. Maybe I just got acclimated to their rant 'n' riff style now, but I like this one a lot more than the debut.

 

#92: For Emma, Forever Ago- Bon Iver

The first time I encountered Mr. Iver* was while watching some festival on Palladia and this dude starts singing in a whiny annoying falsetto with like 4 drummers and him playing guitar. *yawn* I wanted to the show to get to Arcade Fire or Pearl Jam or some cool band.

But anyway this album is impressive after like the 4th listen and I understand what he's doing. It's like mood music, because only 2 of the songs have some kind of flow to them. Mostly it's like, "here's what I'm FEELING" and also I have a guitar.

Emphasis on FEELING because I can't make out what he's saying half the time due to, again, that falsetto. But I guess it doesn't matter. Let's assume he's very sad and/or lonely.

I don't know if I actually like this, though. There should be a poll here about it and you all can decide for me!

I'll check out his 2nd record out of curiosity at least.


*yeah I know that ain't the dude's name, stop typing

 

#91: Veni Vidi Vicious- The Hives

…ctrl-v

… but faster!

It's alright. Short and to the point, unlike my message board posts. No bullsh** ballads and I love you kinda silliness.

I like the song Outsmarted the most. It's the same as all the other songs, but the bass is louder I think, so there's that.

 

Same here, I think I have 11. Might be less, I could have sold a couple of those.

 

I like the Bon Iver on vinyl. It has a nice ambiance. His second album is better- better songs at least.

The Hives have NOT aged well. Really shouldn't be on this list IMO.

 

#90 Amadou & Miriam- Dimanche a Bamako

I think I first heard these guys during the same televised concert I first heard Bon Iver. Took to it immediately- what's not to like about bouncy soul-lite grooves with folk-like songs in French/African/whatever-language-I-don't-know.

I have since also heard their earlier work and it's more folk, less groove, and while it sounds lovely it's also hard for me to swallow that type of music in non-English because I don't know what they're saying. Maybe adding the band and afro-beat sound under it helped them cross-over a bit.

 

So here's another one of my goofy lists if anyone cares to rip it apart. Not in order or anything...just about 100 albums that are my favorite from that same time period.

My Favorite Albums Of The 2000s

 

I used to have 18 of the albums on the list, but I sold most of them. The only one I still own is Franz Ferdinand although I don't think I've listened to it since whatever year it was released.

I kind of regret selling Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it's unlikely I would ever listen to it again.

While I wouldn't want to own most of the rest of the list I don't necessarily consider the albums or artists to be absolutely awful (with a few exceptions) - rather I find most of them to be incredibly mediocre, and with so much good music available why waste my time with mediocrities?

Sorry if that seems too negative. It's just my own opinion. Carry on... Nothing to see here...

 

#89: Hail To the Thief- Radiohead

boring boring boring.
Well, most of it anyway.

Yeah, I'm one of those folks that keeps trying to get invested in post-Ok Computer Radiohead and can't. This record is mostly very sparse which draws more attention to Yorke's whining and without smashing guitars and cool noises, the whining is just whiney, not affective.

I like that some of the song names are instructive for listening to the album. Like when "Go To Sleep" came on, I did, and "There There" soothed me by being an actual song.

A Punchup At A Wedding and Myxomatosis are actual songs with cool sounds and some semblance of melody, so dear Radiohead, more of that, please.

 

First album in this list I can comment on.

While #89 is too low, I can agree in part with Mike B's criticisms, but while like him I really enjoy Punchup and Myxomatosis, I also think Sail to the Moon is a lovely ballad in their ethereal gentle vein characteristic of their post-OK Computer style (needless to say I strongly disagree with his opinion about 00s Radiohead - Kid A is easily my favourite album of the decade).

It's their least approachable, most industrial sounding album (which could be said to be both a strength and weakness) - some of the low-sounding synths are a bit resemblance of Massive Attack or even Nine Inch Nails - and a lot of the songs are very slow and dirge-like, sometimes to a fault (We Suck Young Blood and I Will are the worst offenders, which are marred by whiny Yorke vocals and a overwrought sense of self-pity). The album as a whole is overlong but while it's probably amongst the last albums you'd recommend for your average manic depressive, there's still enough beauty, memorable hooks and moments that come close to capturing the Kid A magic to make this a worthwhile listen. My rating would be 7/10, but their next album In Rainbows would be a marked improvement in every way.

 

I was a fan way back with "Creep", when everybody else thought they would be a one-album wonder. I still like "Pablo Honey".
"Hail To The Thief" is the victim of bad sequencing and being too long (see also: R.E.M. "Up", Manic Street Preachers "Know Your Enemy").
It really hurts it that the best songs are at the end. Listening to it on vinyl helps.

 

Cool. I almost posted after your review of Almost Killed Me that you should check out Separation Sunday and Boys and Girls in America. Both are much better than Almost Killed Me (though I like every record by this band).

Craig Finn's ranting does seem to be an acquired taste. I'd seen them live two or three times (with a friend who is a huge fan) without liking them much at all. I actually really clicked with their fourth record, Stay Positive, but now Separation Sunday is my favorite and they are one of my favorite bands. Finn writes such great lyrics! (The other thing that finally hit me and made me like them more is that his lyrics aren't usually from his own point of view, but that of various characters.)

 

Yeah, the characters- the name "Charlemagne" pops up in different songs. Is there some Zappa-like "conceptual continuity" going on here?

Listened to their 3rd album in the car the other day and loved it. Will probably listen to it in the gym later today.

Best part about doing these listening threads is discovering new (to me) music. Last one I came away with the MC5, John Prine and Peter Wolf. Now so far I got The Hold Steady.

I've read that Stay Positive is their worst record. I'll probably spin it tomorrow @ work. 'Till then... well, I guess I'll stay positive (yeah I know y'all saw that one coming a mile away).

 

#88 SMiLE- Brian Wilson

Hey remember how in the last listening thread I got yelled at because I don't worship the Beach Boys enough? Well, go ahead, give it to me again, because this record sounds so lame to me.

Yes yes, pretty harmony vocals, I know. They are pretty. But what are they singing about? A cow? vegetables? You Are My Sushine- for real?

Look, context is everything, so I think if this was just some one-off side project Wilson and friends did for fun and released for $5 through their fan site, hey, cool, whatever, pretty vocals about nonsense for the fans. But no, this is the Great Lost Beach Boys Album, and my goodness, the expectations!

And really all I get out of it is a better-arranged version of the quirky Heroes And Villians than the last time this song was released.

Quirky. Quirky quirky quirky. Psychedelic nonsense, as much of the album reminds of the deep cuts on Love's Forever Changes and the non-catchy songs by The Byrds and the Zombies (i.e., the ones I don't care for).

What's frustrating for me about Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys is the wasted potential. I know, must look arrogant to say about one of the biggest most influential pop acts ever ever, but the appearance of Good Vibrations at the end really drives that point home for me. It's a bit quirky but actually a song about something (sorta) and is ambitious and is just so lovely. Why couldn't he/they just do that all the time?

This is a record for the hardcore fans only.

 

I'll defintely listen to the actual Beach Boys version, but this "re-make" just seemed sorta forced and it's like a homework assignment to listen to.