Top 20 Albums Of The Noughties

[Lawrie]

Shamelessly stolen from a conversation with BA on Facebook, but thought it would make good thread material. Ronseal-like concept: simply pick your best 20 albums from 2000-2009 inclusive. Not sure if there's any particular rules, but I went with a few artificial rules for selection as detailed below. Because I'm too lazy to type it all out again, the following is just a copy of what I posted on BA's note:

"Ok, here's my go. Strictly one album per artist and original release albums only - not sure if them's the rules, but that's how I played it. This took more than an hour and it required a combined effort on Excel and Winamp to create it. And it has a set of notes. Geeky enough for you?

1) "A Grand Don't Come For Free" by The Streets, 2004
2) "The Music" by The Music, 2002
3) "Frances The Mute" by The Mars Volta, 2005
4) "Origin Of Symmetry" by Muse, 2001
5) "Myths Of The Near Future" by Klaxons, 2007
6) "Amor Vincit Omnia" by Pure Reason Revolution, 2009
7) "Light & Magic" by Ladytron, 2002
8) "Hail To The Thief" by Radiohead, 2003
9) "The Lost Riots" by Hope Of The States, 2004
10) "One Time For All Time" by 65daysofstatic, 2005
11) "Lullabies To Paralyze" by Queens Of The Stone Age, 2005
12) "This Gift" by Sons And Daughters, 2008
13) "Gang Of Losers" by The Dears, 2006
14) "Demon Days" by Gorillaz, 2005
15) "Red" by Guillemots, 2008
16) "Attack Decay Sustain Release" by Golden Section, 2007
17) "Xtrmntr" by Primal Scream, 2000
18) "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" by Arctic Monkeys, 2006
19) "Ego War" by Audio Bullys, 2003
20) "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" by P J Harvey, 2000

NOTES
- There was nothing in it between OPM and AGDCFF with for The Streets, and nothing in it between The Music and those 2 The Streets albums. Would be a joint top 3 if it was more than one album per artist.
- PRR and Radiohead both suffered due to double albums. The 2-disc versions of The Dark Third and In Rainbows are both better than the 1-disc AVO and HTTT, but it felt like cheating letting a band have a bazillion songs to boost their ranking.
- Hope Of The States' The Lost Riots suffered badly for not including B-sides. Take out some of the indie guff on the album and replace with B-sides of the same era, and there would be a contender to The Music and The Streets for the top spot."

So, there you have it. Haven't copied BA's own selection in as it's obviously not my place to do so, but fire away, ladies and gentlemen. Will be interesting to see how PRR fare in people's lists, and maybe if we have enough people chipping in then we might be able to work out some kind of weighted voting score system to make an overall forum list of the 20 best albums of the 2000's...?

[the dark fourth]

Could we have an overall forum's top 20 without AVO and TDT being 1 and 2??

My top ten albums of all time as compiled about a year ago is roughly unchanged, and 8 out of ten are albums of this decade, and one of the remaining two is from 1999 so it's basically this decade:


=1. The Dark Third - Pure Reason Revolution
=1. Amor Vincit Omnia - Pure Reason Revolution
2. Worlds Apart - ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
3. Kick Up The Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose - The Cooper Temple Clause
4. The Great Destroyer - Low
5. Everyone into Position - Oceansize
6. Abbey Road - The Beatles
7. One time for all time - 65daysofstatic
8. Waited Up Til It Was Late - Johnny Foreigner
9. De Stijl - The White Stripes
10. Finelines - My Vitriol

I can't be bothered to think up another 10.

[AlExMachina]

Might compile a list soon, but all I can say is that while I agree there are some stunning Lost Riots era B-sides, the only track I'd vaguely consider deleting from that album would be Don't Go To Pieces. Every other song is an absolute stunner. A Heart Can Stop A Bullet might have been a good way to end the album actually. What a closer that would have been.

A more relevant issue tho is that I can't agree with AVO beating TDT. AVO is of course stunning but TDT is just something else. IMO obvs!

[blondeambassador]

I think that the reason I went for TDT over AVO, was simply Disconnect. TDT is a flawless album, unfortunately, that silly little intro to Disconnect means AVO is not. Though Deus is my favourite PRR song, so the peak of AVO tops the peak of TDT.

Anyway...my list. Like Lawrie, I limited myself to one per artist, otherwise both PRR, 'No More Stories' by Mew, 'Ellipse' by Imogen Heap and several Radiohead would be in there.

1.My Vitriol – Finelines (2001)
2.Lamb – What Sound (2001)
3.Pure Reason Revolution – The Dark Third/Amor Vincit Omnia (2006/2009)
4.Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
5.Mew – And The Glass Handed Kites (2005)
6.Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What I'm Not (2005)
7.Imogen Heap – Speak For Yourself (2005)
8.Muse – Absolution (2003)
9.Feeder – Echo Park (2001)
10.Arcade Fire – Funeral (2005)
11.Coldplay – A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)
12.Justice – Cross (2007)
13.Foo Fighters – One By One (2002)
14.The Cinematic Orchestra – Ma Fleur (2007)
15.Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night (2008)
16.Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger (2005)
17.Paramore – Riot! (2007)
18.The Mars Volta – De-Loused In The Comatorium (2003)
19.Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City (2007)
20.Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)

[ryan]

Hmm. I'll have a think.

[musecubed]

Two Isis albums because I couldn't not include Oceanic.


1) Isis - Panopticon
As much as I dislike pretentious music reviews etc. all I can say is that album is an experience, both sonically and emotionally. Every song is absolutely stunning, and yet the album as a whole is much greater than the sum of its parts...turn the lights down, turn this up, get comfy, close your eyes and be absorbed by it.

2) Tool - Lateralus
It's a rhythmic behemoth with a ton of atmosphere, power and emotion. A brilliant album from start to finish with a strange beauty and awesome progressions.

3) Isis - Oceanic
Such a powerful album and deeply moving - pure moments of beauty surrounded by crashing waves of sound. Once again, Isis produce an album of brilliant individual tracks which shine even more brightly when put together.

4) Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Sentimental favourite, I still get the chills from the atmosphere that the album produces. Unfortunately, the last two albums are a pile of wank next to it which makes me sad.

5) Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
Three-part harmonies, progressive, spacey rock with some brilliant riffs (and er, meandering and tongue twisting lyrics). The UK version of this album is especially good...the atmosphere reminds me a lot of favourite album #4 with all the spacey-ness and synthy sounds.

6) Oceansize - Everyone into Position
Had to choose between this, Effloresce and the Music for Nurses EP. This wins by a hair...a rather heavy album which brilliantly mixes moments of beauty (Music for a Nurse and Ornament/The Last Wrongs) with moments of pure chaos (A Homage to a Shame, No Tomorrow).

7) Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
Another hard choice between this, In Absentia and Deadwing, but I just love this album as an album a little more than the other two. Reasonably poppy in the vain of its predecessor (Stupid Dream) but mixes in some brilliant prog-bent tracks (Hatesong and Russia on Ice).

8) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
After a debut like this it's pretty difficult to live up to...this album just has it (and, lyrically, is incredibly dark), the music complements the lyrical content brilliantly.

9) The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium
Another proggy album but retaining a lot of the edge from At the Drive-In. From start to finish it's a masterpiece.

10) Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
This album builds on Mogwai's earlier stuff, trademark loud-soft dynamics and progressions. It's got some really beautiful passages in it but doesn't lose its edge.

11) 65daysofstatic - One Time For All Time
12) Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
13) Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
14) dredg - El Cielo
15) Radiohead - In Rainbows
16) Blonde Redhead - Misery is a Butterfly
17) Death from Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
18) At the Drive In - Relationship of Command
19) Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennae to Heaven
20) A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms

[Lawrie]

Had tried typing this earlier on, but my internet gayed up on me and so I lost it. So, second bite of the cherry time... and finds a point where I completely disagree with musecubed:

The reason I chose AVO over TDT in my list was that The Dark Third was originally released as the UK version (in 2006), and I thought it was only fair to include albums as they were originally released to the public, not after the artist has had a chance to re-think their original vision and modify it a bit. (Sort of similar to In Rainbows by Radiohead: the 2-disc version doesn't count for me because it was a special edition that at the time you had to pay £40 to get hold of... which I did, by the way!) My actual order of preference of PRR albums in their various versions would be:

TDT (2-disc European version, released 2007, has everything) >> AVO > TDT (1-disc USA version, released 2006, contains Nimos and Intention Craft, loses Exact Colour and Tywncyn ) >>>> TDT (1-disc UK version, released 2006, contains Exact Colour and Tywncyn, loses Nimos and Intention Craft)

For me, the original UK version of The Dark Third is the weakest of all three versions of the album. Comparing it with the USA version (or disc 1 of the European version, which is effectively the same thing as the USA version), I think there is a significant loss in quality by replacing Nimos and Intention Craft with Exact Colour and Twyncyn/Willows. To be fair, I like The Exact Colour, and I frickin' LOVE Twyncyn, but Nimos and The Intention Craft (not forgetting the awesome Arrival) are two of PRR's *very* best songs IMO, and leaving them off the UK version of the album weakens it very noticeably IMO. I could probably live [just! ] with no Intention Craft for Twyncyn (even though they'd both ideally be on there, and if pushed I'd say I like Intention Craft better), but Nimos for The Exact Colour? It's like swapping Lionel Messi for Kevin Davies in my book. Genuinely at a loss how Rob (musecubed) thinks the UK version of TDT is "especially good", but I guess it would be boring if we all liked the same thing...

[Lawrie]

Nov 23, 2009 15:08:33 GMT AlExMachina said:

Might compile a list soon, but all I can say is that while I agree there are some stunning Lost Riots era B-sides, the only track I'd vaguely consider deleting from that album would be Don't Go To Pieces. Every other song is an absolute stunner. A Heart Can Stop A Bullet might have been a good way to end the album actually. What a closer that would have been.

Don't Go To Pieces? The one you'd most likely get rid of? Wow! Another person I'm seeing very different things to in this thread!

I'd get rid of 1776 and Sadness On My Back without a second thought if we were substituting in Lost Riots-era B-sides (with Static In The Cities and A Heart Can Stop A Bullet at the front of the queue). The rest I'd be fine with leaving, but if I was being really choosy I'd also swap George Washington for Thee Seventies Song and I'd tack on Sts'ikel somewhere as well (would be between 66 Sleepers To Summer and Don't Go To Pieces if I absolutely HAD to get rid of something to make way for Sts'ikel, but that would be a close thing). And that's leaving off the brilliant Last Picture Show and half-brilliant Angels Over Kilburn (albeit AOK is like a less-good version of AHCSAB).

But yeah, my point remains: I think 1776 and Sadness On My Back are two proper "how on EARTH did you make the final tracklisting cut?!" jobbys, and if they'd replaced these with the legendary SITC and AHCSAB then The Lost Riots would be pushing very hard for my #1 slot.

[ryan]

Am I right in saying the version of TDT as released in the US/Europe (minus Asleep Under Eiderdown) is how the album SHOULD have been? I thought (/was told) it got rejigged on the UK release because of the mini-album, which came up quite late in game.

Disc Two of In Rainbows shouldn't count because it's not part of the album, it's just extras (although very good).

I'm no closer to thinking about this, I find it very hard narrowing stuff down and I over think it. There's been some great/awful choices so far though...!

[Lawrie]

Oooh, which are the awful choices, Ryan? I'd bet that at least one or two of mine are!

Anyway, spill because if [read: "when"] you pick some of mine I'd like the opportunity to defend their honour! ;D

[the dark fourth]

The US version was the intended version, so ryan's right in saying that if you're deciding between that and AVO then you should be comparing AVO with the US version.

Having said that I completely disagree with Laurie that the US version is better than the UK one, because, a) I think that, although they are very different tracks, Nimos and TIC are overall about the same quality as Exact Colour and Willows, and if one of those pairs is better than the other it's only by a hair's breadth and b) Exact Colour and Willows just fit the mood of the album a lot better. It might be because I got (extremely) used to the British version before I even heard Nimos, but after Ambassadors fades out, exact colour picks up the mood just perfectly. Willows works a lot better as a dark stormer right before the last track (it also follows from Bullitts really well imo) than TIC which is great but just doesn't fit as the penultimate song.

Man it's been too long since I was last a PRR geek.

[AlExMachina]

Too tired to really go in to detail, suffice to say I agree with most of the last few posts. I would say that I can't decide whether UK/USA is actually better - I myself just got used to the US one and especially Intention Craft is so integral for my enjoyment of that album as a whole I can hardly imagine another, as much as I adore Willows. I would have got rid of VOIW personally and got Willows in there. It's a tricky q really as I think Intention>Willows but Exact Colour>Nimos.
I still don't think that AVO is quite up there with TDT. It's probably just another example that I'll never enjoy an album by a band more than the one that got me into them. I still don't know why, but I really can't think of any examples to disprove this. AVO is certainly closer to my music taste but TDT is just magical. Perhaps there's a certain whimsy to TDT that doesn't quite come across so well in AVO. Who knows...
Other than that, I think 1776 is still a better song than Don't Go To Pieces. And George Washington goes NOWHERE. What a song. Sts'ikel wouldn't work on Lost Riots IMO. I think I'll probably compile my list in a couple of weeks' time. Anyway, still about 1% of the decade to go, we might find another... I hear Susan Boyle's debut is just wonderful hahaha.... *pukes in despair at humainty's taste/sentimentality*

[ryan]

Awful = Mars Volta (either mentioned), Ladytron & that Muse record (love muse but they don't make wholey good albums, gets dull halfway through).
Just opinion and that though, you're free to argue against it of course but it seems silly.

[obi]

First btw so hi. If you post on the Muse, Oceansize, Biffy, PT or a 100 other boards you might recognise me. Haha.

1. Muse - Origin of Symmetry

I will probably always love this album. It probably won't be remembered as a classic but among Muse fans this is the holy grail. It contains their best riffs and that glorious track Citizen Erased.

2. Biffy Clyro - The Vertigo of Bliss
3. Oceansize - Frames
4. Sigur Rós - ( )
5. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
6. PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
7. Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
8. Radiohead - Kid A
9. Karnivool - Themata
10. Iona - The Circling Hour

Can't think of another 10 just now. My taste is pretty limited as well but there you go.

[soundscapemn]

source under-construction at 120 titles currently

20. Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice (2001)


19. Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third (European Edition, 2007)


18. The Stiletto Formal - Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta, Fiesta! (2008)


17. King's X - Manic Moonlight (2001)


16. Kevin Gilbert - Nuts/Bolts (2009)


15. Menomena - I Am the Fun Blame Monster! (2003)


14. maudlin of the Well - Bath/Leaving Your Body Map (2001)


13. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)


12. The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning of and All Things Regarding Ms.Leading (2007)


11. Kaddisfly - Set Sail the Prairie (2007)


10. Apes and Androids - Blood Moon (2008)


9. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)


8. The Receiving End of Sirens - Between the Heart and the Synapse (2005)


7. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever (2001)


6. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane (2002)


5. dredg - El Cielo (2002)


4. Marillion - Marbles (Campaign Edition) (2004)


3. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I (2000)


2. Ours - Distorted Lullabies (2001)


1. Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)