Urban75 Album of the Year 2002

[Knotted]

9 - Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf

Note to the previous two albums. Middle of the road rock can actually be perfectly serviceable. Dads have got to rock. And that's fine. Dads are people too.

 

[Knotted]

I bought that from the charity shop for a pound as I'd heard it was some kind of psych pop masterpiece. It sounded like a shit 80s Pink Floyd album. I gave it back to the charity shop the next day.

As a Momentary Lapse of Reason survivor I can attest that 80's Pink Floyd is actually much worse.

 

[The39thStep]

I bought that from the charity shop for a pound as I'd heard it was some kind of psych pop masterpiece. It sounded like a shit 80s Pink Floyd album. I gave it back to the charity shop the next day.

Made the mistake of going to one of their gigs when offered a spare ticket. Dross .

 

[Knotted]

8 - Tom Waits - Alice

Tom Waits is someone who has passed me by and this is a great shame because he seems to be consistently brilliant. Smoky jazzy inventiveness. Hard to summerise, there's a lot going on here.

 

[Knotted]

7 - Horsepower Productions - In Fine Style

I never thought I'd say this but erm, dubstep is good actually ???! Amazing even.

 

[Knotted]

6 - Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

We're not through with the jangle rock nightmare, it's Interpol. As ready as I am to hate it, I've got to acknowledge its brilliance. Though nothing much seems to be happening but they're pulling some really interesting harmonic shapes that tug against the vocal line in an emotionally impactful way cf. Joy Division. Considered and dry but kinda genius. I'm conflicted, it's fantastic and I hate it.

 

[Knotted]

Actually coming round to Interpol on the second listen. Yeah alright.

 

[Knotted]

Into the top 5 and still no Coldplay. Any thoughts anybody?

 

[Knotted]

5 - 2 many djs - As Heard On Radio Soulwax (Part 2)

AverageJoe says

A mix album that shouldn't work but just does. The eclectic mix always keeps you wondering where it's going next and there are tracks that you've never heard before that fit - somehow- into the mix like they are natural bedmates. Even though they're not.

See I will include your comments if you send them to me.

I don't know anything about DJ mixes but I really admire the craftsmanship that has gone into this. Probably best witnessed on youtube as they've put a video together to go with it.

 

[hitmouse]

5 - 2 many djs - As Heard On Radio Soulwax (Part 2)

AverageJoe says



See I will include your comments if you send them to me.

I don't know anything about DJ mixes but I really admire the craftsmanship that has gone into this. Probably best witnessed on youtube as they've put a video together to go with it.

Given that I don't think any of my actual favourites are likely to rank higher than Didn't It Rain?, I'm now hoping the top 5 are just all going to be various DJ mixes and Now That's What I Call Music CDs, just to piss on Frank's chips.

 

[Knotted]

4 - The Streets - Original Pirate Material

Jazzy hip hop with garagey beats. It turns out that I love jazzy hip hop with garagey beats. It's so Brit, no fakery. Here's a cool comment I've nicked from Iai on RYM.

Remember a time when people treated The Streets like it was all a joke? Before grime, before dubstep, when UK garage was anathema to 99% of 'serious' music lovers, when the word 'chav' was at its vicious peak, when Britain didn't really have much of a voice of its own in the music industry, when Eminem was the biggest star on the planet, when a white rapper could be found on every channel (usually fronting a nu-metal band), here was a lad from deepest Birmingham talking over garage beats shorn of the American sheen that dominated the charts at the time.

 

[Knotted]

Given that I don't think any of my actual favourites are likely to rank higher than Didn't It Rain?, I'm now hoping the top 5 are just all going to be various DJ mixes and Now That's What I Call Music CDs, just to piss on Frank's chips.

Turns out your premise is wrong!

 

[hitmouse]

Turns out your premise is wrong!

I was going to say, I forgot I liked McClusky when I wrote that comment.

 

[Knotted]

3 - Mclusky - Do Dallas

If I was coordinating the anar punkid contingent I would have gone for something really interesting like Ikara Colt or something challengingly PUNK like Against Me! for the top 3 challenger. But I'm not and I didn't and you didn't and this is decently riotous.

 

[AverageJoe]

Still got Johnny Cash to come.

Maybe

 

[andysays]

Still got Johnny Cash to come.

Maybe

If he gets beaten to No1 by Coldplay, it's really going to Hurt...

 

[belboid]

5 - 2 many djs - As Heard On Radio Soulwax (Part 2)

AverageJoe says



See I will include your comments if you send them to me.

I don't know anything about DJ mixes but I really admire the craftsmanship that has gone into this. Probably best witnessed on youtube as they've put a video together to go with it.

Compilation of some very old stuff (ELfuckingP). Doesn’t count.

 

[Knotted]

2 - Boards of Canada - Geogaddi

Imagine if you put all of Urban75 on a bus and bus driver editor wanted a nice easy journey. This is the album he should put on. The anti-guitar consortium, the bumble grove farm collective, the glitch wizards, the anar punkids, the sisters of no mercy, the jangle kings, the elctro smashers 2000, the groove junkees, the octave doctors, the pot head pixies, the entire drugs forum and even the Fall Mafiah are all peacefully pacified. Conversations go like: "I like Geogaddi" "Yeah Boards of Canada really nice" "I see colours". Donald Sutherland and Patrick McGoohan are there trying to get everyone to snap out of it "remember who you are, remember your individuality". To no avail. The urban mono-thought collective. Oh the humanity!

 

[Knotted]

Compilation of some very old stuff (ELfuckingP). Doesn’t count.

Yep this year ELP beat EL-P. Honestly the mix is part of what makes the music. No different to an album of covers IMO.

 

[AverageJoe]

Still no Coldplay

 

[Knotted]

50876 - Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head

Special mention of Coldplay with negative votes* coming in last of everything. Like the militant atheist who can't stop thinking about God ending up in heaven, the Judases among you will end up spending an eternity with Clocks on the radio. Chris Martin died for your sins. Well alright he sang songs for your sins. You are all accursed.

*Yes this is possible, but involves certain dark arts and sacrifices.

 

[Knotted]

1 - Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Round

Had twice the number of votes on Friday as Geogaddi but due to a massive boc surge over the weekend only just hung on to the top spot. I thought it was maybe the U75 album of all time but maybe not. Is this sublime? What does sublime even mean? How is this as powerful as it is? You can't pinpoint a magic ingredient. Worth going back to see how underrated it was on the journo lists. Did they not have ears?

AverageJoe says

Recorded at the end of his career, this sees a more reflective Cash. His takes on songs that he literally has no right to have even heard of, let alone cover, make this a very intimate portrait of a man looking back on his life.

I was hoping to have a few more quotes to share the love for this but nobody else played ball. Whatevs.

 

[AverageJoe]

Here's my list.


1. 2ManyDjs – As Heard On Radio Soulwax Part 2

2. Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around

3. Nine Inch Nails – And All that Could Have Been

4. RJD2 – Deadringer

5. The Streets – Original Pirate Material

6. Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf

7. Audioslave - Audioslave

8. Isis - Oceanic

9. Dalek – From Filthy Tongues Of Gods And Griots

10. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights

11. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

12. Ladytron – Light and Magic

13. Nas – Gods Son

14. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head

15. Missy Elliott – Under Construction

16. The Distillers – Sing Sing Death House

17. Doves – The Last Broadcast

18. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi

19. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

20. The Libertines – Up The Bracket

 

[The39thStep]

Well done Knotted . I like the idea of using posters quotes .

My list for posterity

1. Interpol- Turn On the Bright Lights
2. White Birch-Star is Just A Sun
3. Do Make Say Think- &Yet &Yet
4. Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man- Out of Season
5. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Englabörn
6. Mum - Finally We Are No One
7. Mono- One Step More and You Die
8. Doves-Last Broadcast
9. Lambchop- Is A Woman
10. GusGus-Attention
11. Sigur Ros
12. Boards of Canada-Geogaddi
13. Ravonettes-Whip It On
14. Aim- Hinterland
15. The Streets-Original Pirate

 

[Knotted]

I went with

1) Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
2) Heiner Goebbels /Josef Bierbichler / Ensemble Modern [Hans Eisler] - Eislermaterial
3) FLUX Quartet [Morton Feldman] - Feldman Edition 6: Stromg Quartet No. 2
4) Rocket from the Tombs - The Day the Earth Met
5) Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Univers zen ou de zéro à zéro
6) Éliane Radigue - Adnos I-III
7) Auktyon - This is mama
8) Tom Waits - Alice
9) Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - Dap Dipping
10) Horsepower Productions Present - In Fine Style
11) Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings - The Adding Machine
12) Otomo Yoshihides New Jazz Ensemble - Dreams
13) Elza Soares - Do coccix até o pescoço
14) Antibalas - Talkatif
15) Philip Jeck - Stoke
16) Dälek - from filthy tongue of gods and griots
17) Missy Elliot - Under Construction
18) Groupe de Recherches Musicales de la RTF [Ianis Xenakis] - Persépolis + Remixes
19) King Tubby meets the Skalatites - The Legenday Skalatites in Dub
20) Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons

Would have included Ikara Colt, Jazzanova, Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man and The Streets if I'd listened to them first. Maybe Ohia:Songs and William Basinsinski as well. Maybe even Interpol - I'm getting there. A splendid year that I knew nothing about. I snoozed I losed.

 

[hitmouse]

I feel like Dalek should've scored higher if they managed to get votes from three different people, but then I don't know how the scoring system works.

 

[AverageJoe]

Great work knotted!

 

[braindancer]

My list:

• Songs:Ohia – Didn’t It Rain
• Boards of Canada – Geogaddi
• Keith Fullerton Whitman – Playthroughs
• William Basinski – Disintegration Loops
• Low – Trust
• El-P – Fantastic Damage
• Isis – Oceanic
• Boris – Heavy Rocks
• Sonic Youth – Murray Street
• Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
• And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Source Tags and Codes
• Mum – Finally We Are No One

 

[The39thStep]

I feel like Dalek should've scored higher if they managed to get votes from three different people, but then I don't know how the scoring system works.

You need to undertake training as a squire with a luminous knight to get to know how the scoring system works

 

[belboid]

11 - Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The first song sounds Cat Stevens Father and Son if you can imagine Cat Stevens being unable to write a decent tune. The rest sounds like Coldplay if you can imagine saint Chris not being able to write a decent tune.

Good production values and quite spacey though, you can definitely chill to it and it's got a great cover. Sorry but I'm struggling here. How is this a thing?

I re listened to this in preparation for the first time in years the other week. I had expected it to place around 10th in my list but then....fuck me, it's awful. Just horrible and twee mostly, overproduced whimsy. Do You Realise? just about holds up.