TheAgitator.com
My Favorite Albums of 2002.
Wednesday, December 11th, 2002I started to call this “the top albums of 2002,” but then realized that there are lots CDs on the year-end critics’ lists that I haven’t yet listened to. So consider this the “best of list” only in the sense that it’s the “best of” albums I happened to have bought and/or listened to this year. I imagine I’ll find many CDs in the next year or so released in 2002 that should be on this list (and yes, I definitely want your suggestions). But please don’t tell me Beck’s “Sea Change” should be on here. I have it. I’ve given it several chances. It does nothing for me.
OK. Let’s go.
Walking With Thee
Clinic
Not quite the powerhouse their first release, Internal Wrangler, was, but still chock full of ordered chaos, quirky percussion, and stylish sampling. Pop-electronica at its finest. What Moby was before he started writing for commercials (not that thereâ??s anything wrong with that).
I Am Sam
Soundtrack
Actually, this is a Beatles tribute album disguised as a movie soundtrack. Like most tributes, there are some stinkers here. But there are enough quality cuts to make it recommendable. Specifically, Rufus Wainwrightâ??s take on â??Across the Universe,â? Eddie Vedderâ??s â??Youâ??ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,â? The Vinesâ?? â??Iâ??m Only Sleeping,â? the Black Crowesâ?? (appropriately chosen) â??Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,â? and Nick Caveâ??s dark and melancholy treatment of â??Let It Be.â?
Demolition
Ryan Adams
This really probably shouldnâ??t be here. Itâ??s mostly B-sides, and stuff that didnâ??t make Heartbreaker or Gold. But Iâ??m a big Ryan Adams fan, and â?? dammit â?? itâ??s my list. If you liked Gold, youâ??ll find plenty on here thatâ??s worth the $15. My favorite cuts: â??Desire,â? â??Hallelujah,â? â??Cry on Demand,â? and â??Dear Chicago.â?
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
Imagine what an above-average country/rock radio station might sound like on another planet, as youâ??re cruising by in a spaceship, fiddling with the knobs to better the reception — certainly a little odd â?? not what youâ??re used to, probably thereâ??s some static and cuts and pops, but in the end, thereâ??s melody and order and the warm twang of no-depression country — itâ??s strangely and comfortingly familiar. OK, Iâ??m nuts. But thatâ??s the feeling I get when I spin this CD. Iâ??m sure it will one day get all the acclaim that die-hard Wilcoids say it deserves â?? the next â??Revolver, â??Pet Sounds,â? what have you. I respect that itâ??s different. And Iâ??ve always loved Jeff Tweedyâ??s sleepy, nonchalant vocals. This is a fine album. But Wilco will to me always be A.M., followed by Summer Teeth. And I still think Tweedyâ??s best work to date is Mermaid Avenue.
Last Night We Were the Delicious Wolves
Hawksley Workman
A little bit of Paul Westerberg, a little bit of Jeff Buckley, a little bit of Julian Coryel. Maybe Cat Stevens, too. Workmanâ??s a showman with lots of range, a singer/songwriter with a penchant for unconventional singing and songwriting, and a pretty clever lyricist. â??Iâ??m jealous of your cigarette,â? he sings, â??and all the joy you get from it.â?
He can also croon, as he does on â??Old Bloody Orange,â? and ring with optimism, as on â??Lifeâ??s Little Tragedies.â? Not many people know about this guy. Buy the CD. Play it for your friends. Impress them.
Sha Sha
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller reminds me very much of another famous pop-star singer/songwriter Ben â?? Ben Folds. Only Ben Kweller is missing Ben Foldsâ?? flare for the flamboyant. And thatâ??s a good thing. Kweller is most comfortable writing pop songs. Folds I sometimes think would be more comfortable writing operas. Sha-Sha is pretty much a bunch of catchy songs written and sung in a charismatic voice by a charismatic guy. Happy-go-lucky, no-cares funstuff, with a ballad or two tossed in for posterity.
This Is Where I Belong
The Songs of Ray Davies and The Kinks
Another tribute album. Another collections of hits, near-hits, and nowhere-near-hit-misses. The hits: Fountains of Wayneâ??s â??Better Things,â? Steven Forbertâ??s â??Starstruck,â? Jonathan Richmanâ??s â??Stop Your Sobbing,â? Crackerâ??s â??Victoria,â? Matthew Sweetâ??s â??Big Sky,â? Ron Sexsmithâ??s â??This Is Where I Belong,â? and the CDâ??s closer, a moving duet between Davies himself and Blurâ??s Damon Albern of the beautiful song â??Waterloo Sunset.â?
The Last Broadcast
Doves
Stunning, lush, and soothing â?? 2002â??s tribute to art rock (the song â??M62 Songâ? is a reworking of the old King Crimson tune â??Moonchildâ?). The songs move slow, with arcing vocals and heavy instrumentation. In college, my history of rock n’ roll professor (yes, I had one. Aren’t you jealous?) said, â??All great art rock band understand that big things move slowly. You want a big sound? You move slow.â? That was the Pink Floyd lesson. Doves have largely learned it, though theyâ??re not afraid to turn down the art here and there, and move to a sound and pace more approaching conventional rock. Still, I think Doves are at their best when theyâ??re big and grand and methodical.
Kill the Moonlight
Spoon
Probably at the complete other end of the spectrum as Doves. Spoon plays sparse. Just the basics. You might call them minimalist. Wry, low-fi and armed with a sense of humor. A little like Pavement, or the Silver Jews â?? only not quite as Jewish. Try â??Everything Hits at Once,â? and â??The Way We Get By.â?
Electric Sweat
The Mooney Suzuki
Garage rock with a hot funk injection. Refreshingly unprofound lyrics like, â??Oh, sweet Suzannaâ?¦..Do you remembah?â? These guys take the Strokes/Hives/Vines swagger and toss in a little Motown soul. Legend has it, in fact, that two members of the Strokes auditioned for the Mooney Suzuki, and were shown the door. Thereâ??s some funky Hammond in here, some long-jam instrumentals, and lots of straight-on, no-airs rock. Leadman Sammy James, Jr. has a retro, Eddie-and-the-Cruisers wail. And, yes, I consider that a good thing.
Drunken Lullabies
Flogging Molly
Here’s what I wrote about this band a few months ago. It still applies. They also made my list of libertarian rock songs. I love the raucous, Irish punk stuff, but I’m starting to dig the ballads, too. “Death Valley Queen” and “If I Ever Leave This World Alive,” in particular.
A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay
My album of the year.
I tend to get a little worked up about music. Youâ??ve probably figured that out by now. Though Iâ??m generally pretty laid back, I tend to use music (and writing) as an emotional outlet. I like songs that can quickly evoke and intensify whatever it is Iâ??m feeling at the moment. So I like songs that let me lose myself in contemplation, or lament lost paramours, or lavish on the current inamorata I might be â??sharingâ? a song with. I like music that makes me push little harder on the treadmill, or drive a little faster, or that kicks my brain into gear before I sit to write.
This album is absolutely exquisite. It took me about half dozen listens to fully appreciate it, though it was clear from listen one that it would be in my regular rotation. And you could probably find a track thatâ??s a suitable soundtrack for all the moods Iâ??ve listed above.
This album strains and aches and teems with emotion. The first track, â??Politikâ? would be a single on most any other album this year. Iâ??d say itâ??s the worst track on this one. But itâ??s still a great song, and A Rush of Blood sprints marvelously uphill from there. Every cut is singable, evocative, and emotional. They burrow under your skin.
Chris Martinâ??s range is magnificent. He can sweep two and three octaves, but still keep a tight grip on all the appropriate despair and sorrow.
Back to my â??History of Rock nâ?? Rollâ? professor. He once described Simon and Garfunkelâ??s â??Bridge Over Troubled Waterâ? as, â??a song you could write, then drop dead.â? I thought that was bulls-eye. A few other songs Iâ??d describe that way: Guns nâ?? Rosesâ?? â??Estranged,â? Blues Travelerâ??s â??Sweet Pain,â? and, now, â??Amsterdam,â? the last cut on this album. The perfect album-ender. A candidate for â??repeatâ? plays.
A few other favorites from the CD: â??Green Eyes,â? â??In My Place,â? and â??Whisper.â?
Coldplayâ??s first release, Parachutes, was a breakthrough. It earned them the lofty and loaded-with-expectations title â??Radiohead Liteâ? (completely unjustified in my opinion â?? theyâ??re better than Radiohead). A Rush of Blood to the Head is leaps and bounds ahead of Parachutes.
Maybe itâ??s time to tag Radiohead with the label: â??Pretentious Coldplay.â?
Whatever. You should own this album.
yeah, Radiohead sucks. I’m going with the Flaming Lips for “Best”. But I haven’t head the new Beck or Godspeed You Black Emperor yet…
Queens of the Stone Age was another fun one. And Songs:Ohia, American Analog Set, The Fucking Champs … hmmm. It was a good year.
Music…Since I moved away from Athens GA last year, I’ve fallen out of the loop a little. But I agree with your selections, although I would have to add Death Cab For Cutie in there. Also, the greatest country band you’ve never heard of, The Star Room Boys and their sophomore CD ‘The World Just Won’t Leave You Alone’. My personal favorite although not too many outside of Athens would have heard them.
New additions to the list:
Zero7 “simple things” – I am not sure where this came from, or why I decided to pick it up and give it a listen, but oh am I glad I did. I can’t tell if it is a band that utilizes some electronica staples, or if its electronica that uses a band, but either way, it blends the two about as seamlessly as I have heard. It reminds me of a more relaxed, more soulful, less folky version of Beth Orton “Trailor Park.” Put it in and chill out, or put it in and work. The time will fly by.
Orchestra Baobab “Pirates Choice” (and to a lesser extent “Specialist in All Styles”) – Pirates Choice is a reissue so it counts for this year. As the liner notes says “Orchestra Baobab was consistently one of the top three bands in Senagal in the late 70s.” (Reminds me of a poster I once saw for Uncle Tupelo that said they were the 6th best country band in St. Louis.) Afro-pop mixed with a strong cuban influence makes for easily one of the best albums I have ever bought. Its jazzy, its funky, its the exact album you always wanted but never knew it. Plus, because of the foreign language and Senagalise dialect, my guess is you will have no idea what he is saying – leading to great fun in making up your own words.
The Donnas “Spend the Night” – This album doesn’t rock for a girl group, it just rocks. Hard. I now know what it is like for a girl listening to the Rolling Stones. I have never felt so objectified and loved at the same time.
Sigur Rós “()” – Like Low, but lusher. The songs have no titles, the singer sings a language he made up, but it may very well be the soundtrack of your life. One of the songs was used in Vanilla Sky. It is relaxing “mood” music, but it is not always clear what mood and you definitely don’t have to be relaxing to enjoy it.
The Breeders “Title Tk” – Picks up where the Breeders left off and is still contemporary. Maybe a little bit of a let down, but still outstanding and often overlooked.
Strongly agree:
Clinic – Great album, makes me feel a little scared inside.
Wilco – There is a reason that Reprise dropped them, it is not a easily accessable album. There are a few tracks that are catchy from the get go, but for the most part, the beauty of the songs is hearing what you can imagine was there before they broke them down and rebuilt them. I can definitely see where someone would question taking gorgous songs and destroying them, requiring the listener to imagine how they used to sound before all open space (silence) and noise was added. Personally, I love it because you are forced to listen, use your imagination, and depending on how you feel and what you want to hear at the time, you can fill in and flush out the songs to fit your mood.
Ben Kweller – I’ve heard some of the melodies compared to Paul Simon and I would tend to agree. I have not met anyone who has not liked this album. Of course that is probably asking for someone to step forward now, but from my experience it has been appriciated by friends with exteremly ranging tastes.
Ryan Adams – I think Demolition is even better than Gold. It is at least more consistent (with Gold rising and falling with rockers that rock and ballads which sometimes drag.) This is a great album. Very easy to listen to and very catchy.
Disappointments (good but I had higher hopes):
The Roots “Phrenology” – I have read a lot of reviews that think this is better than “Things Fall Apart.” I disagree. More rock oriented. Still good, and “The Seed 2.0″ may just be the single of the year, but I was expecting more.
Bob Dylan “Rolling Thunder Reveiw – Live 1975″ – This may be the most difficult addition to any list I have ever had to make. I love Dylan more than any musician alive or dead, but the selections on this album do not stand out. It’s not a bad album, and maybe I am spoiled by the Royal Albert Hall bootleg, but they should have just released a concert in its entirity, rather than a collection of various songs performed thoughout the tour. Especially when I don’t see anything that special about some of the selections that where made. Still, its Dylan so they are more special than 90% of what is out there anyway.
sorry for the typos. Please don’t blame the bands.
Damn, Radley, there is nothing more enlightening than hearing the words, “King Crimson” outside of a music school. My high school years were devoted to an obsession with that band. Adrian Belew’s “Damage” blew much away. Good call on Ben Kweller, though Songs Ohia, Pedro the Lion, new stuff by Gordon Gano, and Marianne Faithfull should have made the cut. Add to that Tom Waits’ latest, Okervill River, the Soft Boys, The Rapture, Joseph Arthur,and Steve Earle and you’ve got my list.
Damn, Radley, there is nothing more enlightening than hearing the words, “King Crimson” outside of a music school. My high school years were devoted to an obsession with that band. Adrian Belew’s “Damage” blew much away. Good call on Ben Kweller, though Songs Ohia, Pedro the Lion, new stuff by Gordon Gano, and Marianne Faithfull should have made the cut. Add to that Tom Waits’ latest, Okervill River, the Soft Boys, The Rapture, Joseph Arthur,and Steve Earle and you’ve got my list.
Someone please point me in the direction of some good music blogs.
As for this list, there is precious little punk rock and no hip-hop that I could see.
Everyone should do themselves a favor (if you like beautifully realized art punk with strong melodies and the appropriate touches of noise and pretentious interludes) and buy
..And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Source Tags and Codes.
That is the best album of the year. Besides YHF of course which is the best post 9/11 album recorded despite the fact that it was recorded before 9/11.
Also, people reading this would probably enjoy Josh Rouse – Under Cold Blue Stars.
Anyway, I chastised Ryan Adams earlier on this blog and after some consideration and the fact that I’m currently listening to all the albums in my collection twice I gave Gold another spin. I stand corrected. There are 9 good songs on it. Pseudo soulful rockers like ‘Tina Toledo’s Streetwalking Blues’ make me physically ill, however. There are moments of real emotion and authenticity and there are moments of self-impressed this-song-sounds-like-me-trying-to-sound-like-a-good-band-from-the-70s-but-failing-miserably-because-its-a-lie vomit inducing crap.
Cheers to all.
Everyone should be checking out The Streets now that it is out here in the States. hard to draw a comparison to anything I have heard. It is like Fat Boy Slim and M&M
Flogging Molly is the shit. Please tell me you also have “Swagger.”
YHF is on my Christmas list. I have played it through in mp3 format about a thousand times.
Hmm. I can’t say I’ve been interested in any of the bands you’ve recommended on your blog (except for Jeff Buckley), and especially not on this list.
I bought quite a few cds this year, but very few of them were actually released this year. And even fewer of those would I actually recommend to many people.
A few standouts were System of a Down’s “Steal This Album”, the Dropkick Murphy’s “Live on St. Patrick’s Day”, and Audioslave for those who miss Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine. Weezer’s 2002 effort was better than the Green Album, but not great. “Busted Stuff” was much better than “Everyday”, but it still wasn’t the best Dave Matthews that you can buy.
I ended up rediscovering how great music used to be. I bought Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, the Violent Femmes, The Pixies and old They Might Be Giants this year, and overall am much happier listing to that than another effort from Coldplay.
But tastes are subjective, so to each his/her own.
I agree with most of your picks (particularly Wilco and Coldplay). At least, of those albums I’ve heard. I’ve got lots of catching up to do.
Funny you should mention that Folds would be more comfortable writing operas. From what I’ve read, Folds’ new project is a musical.
I would have to recommend that you listen to N.E.R.D.’S CD-In Search Of… It is an amazing album and will become for you, like it has for me, the soundtrack to your life. Easily, one of the best albums of the year. The version with live instruments was released in America this year, it’s great, but I would also recommend the version released in Europe with drum machines and such. Also very delectable.
re: coldplay review. I think you are quite the positive thinker when discussing todays music. You’ve convinced yourself that a bunch of poster boys who probably started the band the day after they all bought the o.k. computer album in ’97, are now respected and admired more than thier teachers. Deep down you and every single other so called fan, know how patheticly low and unconcious coldplay are for even thinking of writing and releasing such plageristic crap. They truly have no concious, suprisingly, since thier a brit band. I expect it from Creed and all the other trash-americana crap. Anyway, you keep on convincing yourself on the quality of today’s music.