Idolator
Ring the alarm, bang a gong, let the dogs out: Mojo's list of the 50 best albums of the year is the first (that we've seen) to be headed up by Radiohead's In Rainbows! Keeping it the realest! Mojo sure didn't forget all that Radiohead has done for us, unlike all those other ingrates topping LCD Soundsystem or the Arcade Fire, neither of whom could change a dirty diaper, let alone everything about music. The full list is after the jump, but first our thoughts on the only honest list of '07 so far.
THE GOOD: Yay Robert Wyatt, PJ Harvey, LCD, Grinderman, etc. etc. (Maura would like to put in a special "yay" for Edwyn Collins as well, all the way down at No. 47.)
THE BAD: Look, it's all our old friends from every other 2007 year-end list, but at least Mojo spices things up with some cops to their aged audience in the form of Nick Lowe, Joni Mitchell, Linda Thompson, Kevin Ayers, etc.
THE WHAAA?: Pissed Jeans kinda stick out like a thumb with a big ol' purple blood blister in this company. Also a special "really, them?" award goes to the Cinematic Orchestra for still doggedly slogging away on whatever's left of the trip-hop circuit.
1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
5. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
6. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
7. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
8. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
9. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
10. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
11. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
12. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
13. Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars
14. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
15. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
16. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
17. Field Music - Tones of Town
18. Grinderman - Grinderman
19. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
20. Nick Lowe - At My Age
21. Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II
22. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
23. Efterklang - Parades
24. Björk - Volta
25. Joni Mitchell - Shine
26. Pissed Jeans - Hope for Men
27. Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart
28. The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur
29. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
30. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
31. Gruff Rhys - Candylion
32. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
33. Seasick Steve - Dog House Music
34. Willy Mason - If the Ocean Gets Rough
35. Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime
36. Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life
37. Edgar Jones and The Joneses - Gettin' a Little Help
38. The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
39. Battles - Mirrored
40. Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm a Witch
41. Amiina - Kurr
42. Gravenhurst - The Western Lands
43. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
44. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
45. Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
46. Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground
47. Edwyn Collins - Home Again
48. Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation
49. Voice of the Seven Woods - Voice of the Seven Woods
50. Alasdair Roberts - The Amber Gatherers
Year End Critics' Polls '07 [I Love Music]
Comments
I guess they'll list The National on next year's "Best Of" list, like they did with The Hold Steady on this year's list. What, does UPS not deliver across the Atlantic anymore?
If Americans can think Amy Winehouse happened in 2007, the Brits can do the same with our acts that don't get released there at the same time they do here.
I guess i'm the only one who thought Rufus Wainwright's album was putrid in comparison to his other work, given the messy, over-the-top arrangements and horrid Neil Tennant co-production. Listened to it once, and that was enough.
Wow, pretty high position for Field Music. I think they've been all but ignored in the other lists.
EDWYN COLLINS HAD A NEW ALBUM AND NOBODY TOLD ME?!?!?! i knew he had that one single (that he didn't actually sing on much.) but i didn't think he was well enough to record a whole album yet.
Wow, the UK music press does thoroughly inessential lists better than anyone. The only way Rolling Stone can catch up is to place Arctic Monkeys at #1 when their list comes out.
Hey! Leave Cinematic Orchestra alone! (said softly with a brush kit and a stand up bass percolating beneath.) Seriously. Cinematic is so far removed from the lazy ole' trip hop trope, that that is a rather of-putting for you to lump them in that "circuit". They put out a very quiet, contemplative and haunting album this year, and I am glad someone pointed it out. Grant it, I don't find it as amazing as "Every Day", but it is still very lovely.
I think the real question is how bad does an Arctic Monkeys album have to be not to make the top 10 on a British year-end list? I liked FWN okay, but it's pretty much just their first album over again. No reason it should be that high.
P.S. Yay Gruff Rhys!
Nice to see Robert Wyatt so high.
@rogerniner: thank you.
dammit, jess (and the rest of the idolator staff to a lesser degree)...the 10% of the time i disagree with you, i am so vehemently in opposition that it makes me occasionally question the other 90%...
BABYSHAMBLES?
How about some love for the Wildhearts? Their self-titled album is the best straight-up rock'n'roll record I heard this year. (They even played a handful of headlining shows in America. At last.) And frontman Ginger stocked his solo album Yoni with another batch of epic songs.
@pchcowboy: Here Fucking Here. I found Wildhearts through this site actually!
@hypnotyza: @rogerniner: now, now...my tongue-in-cheek dismissal of cinematic orchestra is somewhat undercut by the fact that "channel one suite"/"ode to the big sea" is one of my favorite singles of the 90s.
too bad that new Cinematic Orchestra album blows so hard, I liked the others a lot
@Matos: it doesn't blow so much as... mist. somewhat slight, but it still chokes me up.
@jessdolator: you're spot on! i.. must... listen to... right... now! Funkungfusion for all!
Wilco?!? WILCO!?!?!?!?! WHAT?!?!
just kidding, don't yell at me.
@SomeSound-MostlyFury: Huh. Thanks for pointing that out. I was wondering why this particular list didn't BURN MY EYES.
No hip-hop, no dance music, cheers.
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