Best of the Aughts: Albums

MUSIC LIST

by Slant Staff on February 1, 2010 Jump to Comments (13) or Add Your Own

60. Belle & Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress. Arguably the decade's greatest comeback album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress saw the Scottish chamber-pop innovators escaping their late-'90s slump for an open pasture of upbeat, rollicking fun. It was if Stuart Murdoch and his colleagues finally realized they could never recapture the somber, fey magic of Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister and decided to start over from scratch, digging into glam guitars, bubblegum keyboards, and a committed devotion to AM gold and retaining only the band's most important characteristic: brilliant, character-based songwriting. WM

59. Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele. I guess if you put a gun to my head and demanded I give you my favorite line from Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele, I would probably choose "Lightning rod fever heaters, knock-kneeder Sheeba for hiva," off the album's incendiary opening track, "Nutmeg." But almost immediately I would be begging for a correction. No, no, "Scooby snack Jurassic plastic gas booby trap" instead, from "One." Or wait, what about "Milk on my mustache, drop to my chiny-chin" from "Stroke of Death"? Okay, okay, it has to be "Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious/Dociousaliexpifragalisticcalisuper" at the end of "Buck 50." Point being, the album offers up such an embarrassment of literary riches, supported by a dais of soul samples, that even thinking about it in the abstract sends the mind spiraling down Ghostface's unique poetic vortex. WM

58. Silver Jews, Tanglewood Numbers. Partly about his own struggles with substance abuse ("K-Hole") and suicide attempt, David Berman's always-brilliant lyrics reached a fever pitch with this shaky masterpiece. Populated with quirky characters ("My ex-wife's living in the suburbs with her guru and her mom"), haunting aphorisms ("Time is a game only children play well"), and mystic experiences ("I saw God's shadow on this world!"), Berman's words drill through his rawest, most rollicking songs since the Joos's first lo-fi experiments with a nerve that's as exciting as it is devastating. A uniquely powerful record. JN

57. Carina Round, The Disconnection. In his Consumer Guide, "Dean of Rock Critics" Robert Christgau described Carina Round's The Disconnection, on which the songs stutter and spit and entirely change direction with such abandon that it's nearly impossible to feel entirely comfortable listening to it unfold, with a single throwaway line: "The Kate Bush of PJ Harvey." But why let the full scope of Round's influences get in the way of a chance for some juvenile, verbless wordplay? JK

56. Kleerup, Kleerup. Andreas Kleerup, the man who produced wonders for Robyn and Cyndi Lauper in the last decade, crafted for himself a soaring space odyssey guided by compulsive electronic beats and lilting vocal performances by divas young (Lykke Li on "Until We Bleed" and Marit Bergman on the equally infectious "3AM") and old (have mercy for Neneh Cherry). Easily among the great collections of electro-pop balladry ever produced, Kleerup uses the beauty of a perfect harmony and a hypnotic synth to remind us of the horrible twinge of a broken heart. EG

55. The Streets, A Grand Don't Come for Free. If Original Pirate Material pushed things forward, A Grand Don't Come for Free pushed them over the edge. Birminghap rapper Mike Skinner applies his innovative mix of garage and hip-hop to the story of a bummed-out, heartbroken protagonist who sits on his couch all day "roaching a spliff." Like the blue-collar Brits he rhymes about, Skinner suggests that his music must be taken on its own terms: The stoner humor and thumping guitar hooks of "Fit But You Know It" serve as a counterpoint to "Dry Your Eyes," the most devastating breakup song of the decade, but it's the sum effect that makes Grand a masterpiece, that rare kind of concept album that works as sonic experiment and social commentary. PS

54. Missy Elliott, Under Construction. The backward-looped vocal hook on "Work It" may have gotten the bulk of the attention on Under Construction, but that wasn't the only thing Missy Elliott flipped over the course of the album. Making a case that she exerted more control over her sound and her persona than any other act in commercial hip-hop, Missy overturned the genre's sexual politics with a real sense of ferocity and vision. That she and partner-in-crime Timbaland did so with perhaps their oddest collection of hooks made Under Construction a record that neither has been able to top since. JK

53. TV on the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain. Following the fuzzy, off-kilter allure of Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, TV on the Radio did something slightly unexpected, getting bigger, faster, catchier, and maximizing both their sound, literally and figuratively, and their audience, fine-tuning all the elements that made that previous album a success and adding a persuasive sense of newfound energy. A song like "I Was a Lover" uses the same prototypical formula as those on their first album but is invariably richer and more tightly executed, resulting in a series of firm songs that's enviably short on filler. JC

52. Kanye West, The College Dropout. Who says rap can't be insecure and hopelessly neurotic? Kanye West proved the possibility of this kind of finicky introspection without losing a hint of swagger, hopping from big issues to self-involved bluster, always with one eye on the mirror, second-guessing himself all the way to the top. Before the ego-infused outbursts, before the anti-academic motifs became hopelessly stale, The College Dropout found West as a relatively blank slate, as well as the first rapper to score a hit single with his jaw wired shut. JC

51. Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun. Recorded at the same time as her fellow "Soulquarian" D'Angelo's Voodoo, Mama's Gun came out when the neo-soul movement was at its most innocent, when Aaliyah was still alive and the music was made between friends messing around. The arrangements are surprisingly spare for an artist known to flaunt her experimental side, but more surprising is the frankness with which Badu lays her emotional problems bare. "Guess I was born to make mistakes," she sings on "Didn't Cha Know," "but I ain't scared to take the weight"—proof that even when she's playing the sensitive sister, she's still got bite. PS

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Comments

JRHG1 on February 4, 2010, 01:56 PM

Nice to see Music also on the list. It received decent acclaim on year-end lists for 2000, but has not fared as well on decade-end features. Good on Slant for remembering it. Music took things a step forward from the sound of Ray of Light, but American Life was kinda samey to Music, which is why (in part) it suffered (the material, in general, also wasn't as strong). Confessions on a Dance Floor was a nice return to form, but then she didn't quite deliver as Madonna should with Hard Candy. Going by the trend of the last four albums (in terms of quality), the next one should be a doozy. :) (hopefully)

adamant_cocoon on February 5, 2010, 08:41 AM

It was wise of you guys to place Vespertine 3rd on the list (I largely prefer it to Kid A, in that Bjork chronicles saintly amour and quiet ecstasy so beauteously); you almost got me there. I still think valleys abound in your decade-in-retrospect, which are nonetheless redeemed by 30 truly fantastic albums. Haphazard choices fare worse (No Doubt? Higher than...well, most of the list and dozens of better prospects?!!) and I'd wish Kala trumped Arular even on your watch.

FattTony on February 5, 2010, 09:50 PM

Well, this is admittedly a decent list (I should stress that I only own 18 of these albums at present, and 5 others I listened to but did not feel the need to either buy or keep, though I may now buy Kala from my local second-hand dealer, and give a second listen to others I had ignored or dismissed); I'm grateful to the compilers/reviewers for alerting me to various artists whose talents I was unaware of or unfamiliar with—though I tend to agree with 'adamant' that Rock Steady has been slightly overrated, and I'm prepared to state under oath that I believe Since I Left You to be INSANELY overrated, and that In Ghost Colours would have been INFINITELY more deserving of a place on this list—but good job overall, gang; you do a fine service for us music fans who don't have time for everything but don't want to let the best slip through our radar!

P.S. Sorry Mr. Keefe, but regardless of opinion, you should at least get your facts straight; namely, that The Disconnection did NOT get Christgau's 'dud' rating; if you actually examine his Consumer Guide with a bit of care, you'll see that he listed it as an Honourable Mention, and that he wrote an informative three-star-out-of-five review for Rolling Stone; rather than 'dismissing' the album with a single throwaway line, he was summarising his feelings about the music in the manner in which he does with every other Honourable Mention...by all means disagree with him, and you make good points about his wordplay and choice of comparisons (I love and admire him but he can be an annoying son-of-a-gun!) but how about trying to avoid making outright mistakes in your writing? (because it's otherwise pretty good!)

Jonathan Keefe on February 6, 2010, 12:24 AM

Making a list of this sort is an exercise in collective memory. In this case, I was so certain that I remembered that "dud" rating from Xgau's Village Voice "Consumer Guide" column that it didn't even occur to me to review his archives. Though the blurb in question has been amended, now this comment thread and Google cache will preserve our memories of that error. Super.

Carrie on February 6, 2010, 08:14 AM

I really liked this list!! But i thought that it was missing two albums. The first is Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, what happened guys? After that mind blowing review, 4.5 stars and such a masterpiece, the best of her career, and that means something, since Blacklisted and Middle Cyclone are terrific too. The other one is Joanna Newsom's Ys. It was called a masterpiece, it received 5 stars and yet it was not in the list, while The Milk-Eyed Mender (a terrific album by the way and one of my favorites of all time), that wasn't even reviewed by Slant made it. I'm pretty sure that was enough space to both (you guys placed to M.I.A. & Madonna albums inside the top 40) and even if it wasn't i would totally pick Ys over Mender any day. Without Ys, Mender wouldn't make this list, maybe Pitchfork's and others's since they actually gave it some attention back in 2004. Glad to see Aimee Mann and so many other records that we can only find over here in Slant's list. And Bjork inside the top 3 was awesome, and Polly Jean Harvey inside the top 20, even better. After that 3 stars review that you guys gave to Stories, a top 20 placement is awesome. I though White Chalk would make the list too, it was rated a 5. Beach House's Devotion was rated a 4.5 and didn't make it either! Speaking of Beach House you guys need to review their new album Teen Dream! But anyway solid list, i love it, i love the new website, i love Slant!

alexbwolf on February 7, 2010, 05:09 AM

Cool to see Music and Rock Steady on the list. I was surprised Rolling Stone had forgotten them in the decade 100 since both were in their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Carrie on February 7, 2010, 03:45 PM

Slant, i'm so glad you guys released the top 101-250, the albums i was complaining about not being included and others i love too were there! I'm even happier now! Slant keep doing more lists more often. The favorites from the 90's, the 80's, the 70's, the 60's (don't forget about Laura Nyro on that one!). You guys are also REALLY GOOD, i mean REALLY REALLY REALLY good when it comes to singer/songwriters, especially female, a list containing the 100 essential records or the best female albums ever would be the most awesome thing ever! I love you Slant staff! I need to come down now, sorry!

Ang on February 10, 2010, 12:34 PM

Thank you for this list. I really appreciate Slant's diverse choices. I visit this site on a regular basis and commend them for being inclusive of different genres and musicians. I made my own top 10 album list of the Aughts (it wasn't easy) and seven of the ten are on this list! I would have liked to see Neko too, and Fever Ray's debut album (2009) floored me.

Gila on February 14, 2010, 03:42 AM

As per usual when these kinds of retrospective lists come out, I try to seek out a lot of the albums listed. Thanks to Slant for introducing me to Goldfrapp's debut which is shockingly good- I had no idea they made an album that sounds like this. A left-field pick, but a good one.

I just wish there could have been some room made for at least one of Neko Case's albums (a second Goldfrapp album, more than 1 Liars album, and Neon Bible, I could live without) or Joanna Newsom's Ys in the Top 100.

Some Guy on February 17, 2010, 01:46 PM

I'm just curious: why didn't the Pet Shop Boys' Fundamental make it into the top 100? It's a fantastic album that, if not outright placement in the upper section of this list, deserves at least to be ranked higher than the stillborn Release.

T-Money on February 18, 2010, 04:18 AM

Pretty awesome list! Damn, I have to say that several of my favorite albums made the cut, and I'm glad to have been introduced to some new ones.

Some albums I thought would be deserving of this list would have been...

Bloc Party—Silent Alarm

Despite the generally downward trajectory that Bloc Party have taken in recent years, this album remains a gem in British indie/post-punk. An absolutely stunning album.

Zero 7—Simple Things

While Thievery Corporation may be the most recognizable name in the low-fi electronic genre, this album is one of the most mellow and smoothest sets produced.

Kings of Convenience—Riot on an Empty Street

Now I may be alone on this one, but the track "Cayman Islands" is the closest we have gotten to Simon and Garfunkel in quite a while. This is beautiful album, perfect for that rainy day when you want to curl up with your hot chocolate in hand.

Mastodon—Leviathan

When you need to rage and get every motherfucker in the room's attention, this is the AK47 of your musical arsenal. The concept album, inspired by Moby Dick, is epic. The final track, "Hearts Alive," is nothing short of glorious.

fjraz on March 1, 2010, 01:53 PM

T-Money: I absolutely agree with Zero 7 and Kings of Convenience...truly standout albums.

Now, if I could recommend a little something, these two albums by (in my opinion) the finest Asian music exports would have made the list:

Anggun—Luminescence (2005)

This did not get a release outside of Europe, but it's a fantastic pop record nonetheless. Simply classy and demure...pop at its finest, much like her very underrated (hell everything about her always seems underrated) 1997/1998 international debut, "Snow on the Sahara". But "Luminescence" packs in more confidence, attitude and soul...had it been released in North America it would have been a massive hit record.

Key tracks: "In Your Mind", "Undress Me", "Breathe in Water", "Saviour" and the acoustic version of "Captivity".

2. Utada—Exodus (2004)

Released in the US in late 2004, it didn't do much outside of the club scene. Timbaland co-wrote 2 and produced 3 tracks here: the sweeping, ethereal-sounding (and standout) "Exodus '04" as well as "Wonder 'Bout" and "Let Me Give You My Love" (remember, this was pre-"Loose" and "FutureSex/LoveSounds"). Yes it comes off downright silly at times (especially on the album's lead single, "Easy Breezy"), but heck, there's some other gems to be found here. She released an English follow-up last year with "This is The One": a lot mainstream-sounding, but still great. Nevertheless, this *is* actually the one.

Key tracks: "Devil Inside", "Exodus '04", "Hotel Lobby", "Animato", "Kremlin Dusk"

Branching out a little further...

Sugababes—One Touch (2000)

The edgiest album ever to come out by any girlband, and by the most successful girlband of the 21st century not many in North America know about. Never mind about the line-up changes, how none of the original founding members are not even in the band right now or even their more mainstream-sounding follow-ups, this is a standout debut that never got quite the recognition it deserved. Moreover, this is actually the band's only album to feature all three original members.

Key tracks: "Overload", "New Year", "Soul Sound", "Lush Life", "Run for Cover"

Siobhan Donaghy—Revolution in Me (2003)

Exactly. The first member of the Sugababes to leave and perhaps the best one. Now we all know who was the mastermind of One Touch's left-field pop, offbeat moments. A very impressive solo debut that went very underrated (#117 in the UK). Well, she's anything but "overrated".

Key tracks: "Overrated", "Nothing But Song", "Revolution in Me", "Twist of Fate", "Iodine"

juniusmaltby on March 26, 2010, 12:48 AM

Jack White is a great guitar player, no doubt. But Tom Morello can play circles around him.

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