Best of, 2008, musically
Time once again for the year-end best of list. 2008 was a difficult year (sure I say that often) & my list evolved and shuffled quite a bit. One phenomenon I noticed across many lists from media outlets was that there were no clear-cut winners across the board, only a few albums showed up on multiple lists (TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend), and in different spots. Not sure what that means - maybe a positive sign of diversity and strength across the musical scene? Or a watering-down and further fracturing of the industry, diminishing our common experiences? This informed my list somewhat, in that I mostly judged on how much I liked the album, and how well it held up after multiple listenings and after a bit of time away, not really considering the albums 'importance' in the 'grand scheme' of things...
At any rate, here are my are my rankings. :
1) "Viva la Vida" - Coldplay ::: Yes, this is perhaps the biggest pop band in the world. But, really, this album stood out clearly as the best. Coldplay always deliver superbly-honed, catchy songs but Viva rises above, in its ambition and sonic scope (releasing a hit single with no drums? unheard of). So rare and exciting in this day & age that it works as a true album, almost start-to-finish, complete with a sorta overture, instrumental interludes, and segues. The production genius of Brian Eno is in full effect - the album is sonically delicious, and, again, it's refreshing to see a band pay meticulous attention to their palette. Most of all, it's an album I returned to again and again and was rewarded each time.
2) "Consolers of the Lonely" - The Raconteurs ::: Another group of master songwriters. Also keep things very interesting. A close second, it was only knocked down by the fact that there were a few songs I often skipped over after the first minute, and it could've done by cutting a few tracks.
3) "Traced in Air" - Cynic ::: Long long awaited release by the great prog-death metal band. Keeps with the style of their incredible debut ('Focus', one of my top 5 all-time death metal albums) : complex arrangements; on-a-dime switches from brutal to luscious; growls & soto voce. Yet it's new. Very ear-bending, but very solid and palatable songs.
4) "Everything That Happens" - David Byrne & Brian Eno ::: More Eno! Pairing once again, after last year's re-release of 1983's "Bush of Ghosts", the duo create a set of mega prog-pop tunes, that brings the best of their production, hooks, and grooves.
5) "Fleet Foxes" ::: The year's best discovery. Riding the wave of 70's soft-folk-prog retro, this one stood out as a solid album, catchy tunes with a degree of diversity and a strong voice of its own.
6) "Chinese Democracy" - Guns'N'Roses ::: Here it is, the release of arguably the most-awaited album ever. The Judgement : while it was very spotty and mostly overproduced, some very solid rock songs. Hard to evaluate it in the pantheon of Guns'N'Roses, or even rock in general, and it could never fulfill its promise, but as an album on its own, I enjoyed listening to it & revisiting the handful of best songs.
7) "J2" - Jarboe & Justin Broadrick ::: The meeting of 2 giants of the industrial scene - JK of Godflesh fame, and the Living Jarboe of even further-reaching Swans fame. Difficult to delve into, but intensely rewarding when you get in-depth.
8) "Odd Couple" - Gnarls Barkley A toss-up, between the production efforts of Danger Mouse. This, or Beck's "Modern Guilt"? Gnarls won out, because it had more diversity, and was more 'fun'.
9) "Borrowed Arms" - 2 Foot Yard ::: The much-anticipated (see a trend here?) sophomore from eclectic indie darlings (& pals of mine). The scope and talent of Carla, Marika, and Shahzad is unbelievable, and this album keeps with what I think is a stellar balance of strangeness and songness. I was, admittedly, familiar with a lot of these songs from their live shows, and some of the production decisions seemed a bit at odds with what I knew these songs to be.
10) "Death Magnetic" - Metallica ::: Bouncing back from recent foibles to make their first actual metal album in over a decade. The first time I heard it, I was rather impressed by the fact that it really didn't suck. That initial impression never really progressed further, the songs drag on too long, and the ridiculous trend of 'over-amped dynamics' is annoying, but it makes me smile, ironically. Worthy of inclusion on this list above the runners-up, simply because it sparked so much discussion during the year.
Honorable mention ::: "Accelerate" - R.E.M. (one of their best in a while); "Do It!" - Clinic (technically, a 2007 release); "Modern Guilt" - Beck; "Supreme Balloon" - Matmos; "Electric Arguments" - The Fireman (Paul McCartney & Youth). And a shoutout to the metal veterans still going : AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Testament, Whitesnake, Extreme, Cavalera brothers.
Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions? Influence? Please share!
At any rate, here are my are my rankings. :
1) "Viva la Vida" - Coldplay ::: Yes, this is perhaps the biggest pop band in the world. But, really, this album stood out clearly as the best. Coldplay always deliver superbly-honed, catchy songs but Viva rises above, in its ambition and sonic scope (releasing a hit single with no drums? unheard of). So rare and exciting in this day & age that it works as a true album, almost start-to-finish, complete with a sorta overture, instrumental interludes, and segues. The production genius of Brian Eno is in full effect - the album is sonically delicious, and, again, it's refreshing to see a band pay meticulous attention to their palette. Most of all, it's an album I returned to again and again and was rewarded each time.
2) "Consolers of the Lonely" - The Raconteurs ::: Another group of master songwriters. Also keep things very interesting. A close second, it was only knocked down by the fact that there were a few songs I often skipped over after the first minute, and it could've done by cutting a few tracks.
3) "Traced in Air" - Cynic ::: Long long awaited release by the great prog-death metal band. Keeps with the style of their incredible debut ('Focus', one of my top 5 all-time death metal albums) : complex arrangements; on-a-dime switches from brutal to luscious; growls & soto voce. Yet it's new. Very ear-bending, but very solid and palatable songs.
4) "Everything That Happens" - David Byrne & Brian Eno ::: More Eno! Pairing once again, after last year's re-release of 1983's "Bush of Ghosts", the duo create a set of mega prog-pop tunes, that brings the best of their production, hooks, and grooves.
5) "Fleet Foxes" ::: The year's best discovery. Riding the wave of 70's soft-folk-prog retro, this one stood out as a solid album, catchy tunes with a degree of diversity and a strong voice of its own.
6) "Chinese Democracy" - Guns'N'Roses ::: Here it is, the release of arguably the most-awaited album ever. The Judgement : while it was very spotty and mostly overproduced, some very solid rock songs. Hard to evaluate it in the pantheon of Guns'N'Roses, or even rock in general, and it could never fulfill its promise, but as an album on its own, I enjoyed listening to it & revisiting the handful of best songs.
7) "J2" - Jarboe & Justin Broadrick ::: The meeting of 2 giants of the industrial scene - JK of Godflesh fame, and the Living Jarboe of even further-reaching Swans fame. Difficult to delve into, but intensely rewarding when you get in-depth.
8) "Odd Couple" - Gnarls Barkley A toss-up, between the production efforts of Danger Mouse. This, or Beck's "Modern Guilt"? Gnarls won out, because it had more diversity, and was more 'fun'.
9) "Borrowed Arms" - 2 Foot Yard ::: The much-anticipated (see a trend here?) sophomore from eclectic indie darlings (& pals of mine). The scope and talent of Carla, Marika, and Shahzad is unbelievable, and this album keeps with what I think is a stellar balance of strangeness and songness. I was, admittedly, familiar with a lot of these songs from their live shows, and some of the production decisions seemed a bit at odds with what I knew these songs to be.
10) "Death Magnetic" - Metallica ::: Bouncing back from recent foibles to make their first actual metal album in over a decade. The first time I heard it, I was rather impressed by the fact that it really didn't suck. That initial impression never really progressed further, the songs drag on too long, and the ridiculous trend of 'over-amped dynamics' is annoying, but it makes me smile, ironically. Worthy of inclusion on this list above the runners-up, simply because it sparked so much discussion during the year.
Honorable mention ::: "Accelerate" - R.E.M. (one of their best in a while); "Do It!" - Clinic (technically, a 2007 release); "Modern Guilt" - Beck; "Supreme Balloon" - Matmos; "Electric Arguments" - The Fireman (Paul McCartney & Youth). And a shoutout to the metal veterans still going : AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Testament, Whitesnake, Extreme, Cavalera brothers.
Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions? Influence? Please share!
posted by pegasusgiraffe at 4:55 AM
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