 |
nansoncaseen
Website:
-
Find Me On:
|
Comments
Your wish has already been granted:
2013′s been weird. A lot of the albums I’ve heard have been really surprising– favourite artists like Low, Nick Cave, Strokes, YYYs, MBV, Atoms for Peace have all turned in solid-but-not-stellar records, while others I wasn’t expecting to be so great, actually have been.
Suede– Bloodsports
Youth Lagoon– Wondrous Bughouse
The Veils– Time Stays, We Go
The National– Trouble
Jon Hopkins– Immunity
Tricky– False Idols
Vampire Weekend– Modern Vamps
QotSA– Like Clockwork
I’m kinda intrigued to know why some bands who are more album-oriented (Blur, Suede, The National) only get a Top 10 songs list while The Faces, who only made a handful of LPs, get a best albums list. You can’t really collapse a career like Blur, Suede or The National’s into 10 songs– these bands are way too multifaceted for reductive retrospectives. And it sort of reinforces the impression these lists might be quite well considered but are essentially just click bait.
That, and also– The Drowners. And Stay Together, Heroine, Still Life, Everything Must Flow…
I’m totally with Raptor and a little ambivalent about this list. Its heart is in the right place but its rationale pretty wonky. I can’t agree that Laser Guided Melodies is a transitional or in some way unrealised album– to me it’s the absolute epitome of the fully formed debut and markedly different from Spacemen 3 (in sound if not in spirit). Have a listen to the brilliant compilation The Complete Works and songs there that predate LGM (Anyway That You Want Me), while great, still sound like a hangover from Spacemen 3.
No real argument with Ladies and Gentlemen at number 1, but LGM is a thing of beauty, a classic record and my favourite of theirs by a long stretch– it’s the one that best captures both Pierce’s great songwriting AND the suite-led, mood-piece approach. And yes it has Shine a Light, I Want You, If I Were With Her Now…
Fully agree that A&E is underrated, and brilliant obvs, but is a little front-loaded & uneven, and song-for-song just not as consistent as LGM or Let It Come Down.
One day perhaps Stereogum could do a list of the best live acts. The Ladies & Gentlemen tour at the Royal Albert Hall, London in ’98 is still the greatest, most exhilarating gig I’ve ever seen.
Modern Guilt less than inspiring? I didn’t see the memo on that one…
Not music snobs, no– just lovers of wonderful music that is entirely the opposite of “hipster” because it has transcended time and fashion, and is rightly regarded as classic.
Fuck it, sorry for the double post guys.
Totally forgot what an incredible song Metal Heart is. It’s really such a rich and soulful album, so much more rewarding than her latterday records which strive for soul but often end up merely sounding polished. Thanks for this evocative reminder.
Totally forgot what an incredible song Metal Heart is. It’s really such a rich and soulful album, so much more rewarding than her latterday records which strive for soul but often end up merely sounding polished. Thanks for this evocative reminder.
You areola I need.
No issues with the top 3. But Karen, About Today, Gospel & Terrible Love should all be there. And to leave out Mistaken for Strangers and Think You Can Wait in favour of the meandering, meaningless LEMONWORLD ferchrissakes– ouch, that’s sacrilege
One of the last great singles bands, and the album that made me fanatical about “a band” again for the first time since REM probably. It’s not quite true to say Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson stayed apart forever though– they reformed as The Tears ten years after Dog Man Star and released an album with bad lyrics but some killer tunes.
Welch totally fucks this up. The only woman who should do Merry Clayton’s vocal on this song is this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctrC9FtkmYA
Glad to see Australian bands (well, one anyway) getting kudos as well as British & US bands. I haven’t seen Prisoner by The Jezabels on any lists so far, and that’s a real shame, because it’s fantastic.
Precious has to be top 5, Blasphemous Rumours was a huge turning point in their music and swap the pretty turgid Stripped for Walking in My Shoes, an incredibly dramatic and powerful song. This year’s Soulsavers album is the best DM record without their name on it, btw.
Good call Pepe, forgot about this. The Veils’ take on Drive is super-creepy.
Another album turned 20 this week. It was called Automatic for the People, it sold 18 million copies and is generally considered one of the best records ever made. Can we commemorate that instead please?
Surprised that Christmas hasn’t been mentioned– it might not be a full-length album, but it’s not an EP either. It’s probably the Low record I’ve listened to most over the years apart from Things We Lost…, Secret Name and A Lifetime of Temporary Relief. Take the Long Way Around the Sea kills me, as does If You Were Born Today.
I’d agree Trust deserves to be higher, it’s at least half a great album. Drums & Guns always left me really cold though, and the Invisible Way might have its moments, but I’d struggle to make the case that it’s better overall than C’mon.