Albums of the year: 2006

[Milky Tears]

Most of the year's major releases are already out there and the music press have started to publish their "Best of 2006" lists. Is it time for the annual PS "Album of the year" thread?

Who do we think will make most of these lists? Will it be the usual suspects?


I've narrowed the usual suspects down to the following Big W*nky Top Hundred list:*

Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys, Flaming Lips, Beck, Outkast, Thom Yorke, Muse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Razorlight, The Killers, Keane, Gnarls Barkley, Primal Scream, McFly, Kasabian, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Comets On Fire, Kooks, a-ha, Ghostface Killah, Scott Walker, Nelly Furtado, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paulo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, Jarvis, Belle & Sebastian, Evanescence, Tony Bennett, Fratellis, Los Lobos, Il Divo, Lionel RichTea, Frank, Shayne Ward, The Long Blondes, Neil Young, Westlife, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Thingy, Paul Simon, Simon Webbe, The Raconteurs, Hot Chip, Magic Numbers, Journey South, Shakira, Iron Maiden, Elton John, The Automatic, Madeleine Peyroux, My Chemical Toilet, The Zutons, Emma Bunton, Sonic Youth, Lemar, Orson, The Divine Comedy, Christina Aguilera, Sir Clifferton of Richard, Katherine Jenkins, Johnny Cash, Meat Loaf, Jamelia, Andy Abraham, The Strokes, Jay-Z, Grandaddy, James Morrison, Prince, Sparkelhorse, Fergie, The Streets, Lostprophets, Duncan James, That Good One I Forgot About, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Rod Stewart, Guillemots, Richard Ashcroft, Dave Gilmour, Angelis, Dirty Pretty Things, All Saints, John Legend, G4, Scritti Politti, Tom Waits, Joanna Newsome, Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters, Tom Petty, The Feeling, Michael Balls, The Other Good One I Forgot About, Be Your Own Pet, Lily Allen, Lambchop, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Sandi Thom, Beyonce, Lady Sovereign??


That should cover me.



Who did I miss out? What albums would make your list?









* threw in a few dodgy ones as well...

[SiHart]

It's been a great year for music which appeals to me. I'm considering all the options and will present a top 5 in due course...

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

*cough*

Lorraine Bowen's Vital Organs?

How could you miss it! What kind of amateur show is this? It's my most listened to album of the year. Somehow!

Also:

Murray Gold's CD of Too Loud Music For Doctor Who.

[Milky Tears]

*cough*

Lorraine Bowen's Vital Organs?

How could you miss it! What kind of amateur show is this? It's my most listened to album of the year. Somehow!

Also:

Murray Gold's CD of Too Loud Music For Doctor Who.

Bowen almost made it, but I stuck Lady Sovereign on the end instead.

I shall correct my mistake.

[Perry Vale]

1. Frank
2. Thingy
3. That Good One I Forgot About
4. The Other Good One I Forgot About
5. Scritti Politti
6. The Automatic
7. Sparklehorse
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. The Beth Orton one James forgot about
10. Thom Yorke
11. The Tenacious D one James forgot about
12. Lloyd Cole
13. Bert Jansch
14. Zero 7
15. Joan As Policewoman
16. Regina Spektor

The following were quite good too....Morrissey, Snow Patrol, Flaming Lips, Beck, Primal Scream, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jarvis, Hot Chip, The Streets, Guillemots, Tom Petty, Cut Chemist, Radio Department, Happy Feet (OST), Aim, Darkel, Juliette & The Licks.

My favourite re-issue/remaster list will be bigger though.

[Carol Baynes]

The Long Blondes' "Someone to drive me home" is a late contender, and Jarvis Cocker's solo debut.

I'd concoct a list but it's late and I'm new around here. I haven't a clue what I'm doing... Do I have a profile thingy I can be playing with??

[Pip Madeley]

The Long Blondes' "Someone to drive me home" is a late contender, and Jarvis Cocker's solo debut.

I'd concoct a list but it's late and I'm new around here. I haven't a clue what I'm doing... Do I have a profile thingy I can be playing with??

User CP in the top left corner there, Carol.

And I've not got the Long Blondes album yet, despite everyone recommending it to me...

[Matthew T]

I dont do albums really....I've bought about 5 or 6 this year.

I think my favourite is Keane's new one...or Clubland 10

My top 50 favourite and top 10 worst singles will be coming fairly soon though.

Edited to add: The Feeling's album is probably better than Keane.

[Rob McCow]

I shall correct my mistake.

Oh superb! You have surpassed yourself, Mr.Milkface.

[Milky Tears]

Mr. Milkface sounds like a seedy gangster type.

[Dave Lewis]

Almost as bad - in a good way - as Benny the Flake.

I ought to have a list of 2006's best albums, but I haven't... yet. I know the Guillemots, the Fratellis, the Killers, and quite possibly Larrikin Love will be in there, but beyond that, I can't give a definitive list.

[Milky Tears]

I think we need a What's Your Planet Skaro Gangster Name? thread.

Nice bit of editing, Dave.

[Dave Lewis]

My editing is better than my posting.

[SiHart]

It occured to me yesterday that this year i have bought and heard enough new albums to present a...

Top Ten Albums of 2006

Jim Noir: Tower of Love
Ok, it was released at the tail end of last year, but it is my album of this year cos I bought it in February. It's wonderful. Psychedelic in all the right ways, with catchy tunes and a wonderful atmosphere- there's nothing to quite compare to it. By turns lovely, silly and fun, this is a warm album that makes me smile and one I'll come back to again and again.
Outstanding Track: Key of C.

Crowded House: Farewell to the World
Ten years on, they're not forgotten and this CD is a rather wodnerful reminder of what a superb live band they were. Their gigs were intimate no matter how large because of the banter and friendliness of the band. Their greatest hits are represented and there's more besides, in a release that put other bands archival releases to shame. Absolutely brilliant!
Outstanding Track: Distant Sun

Scissor Sisters: Ta-Dah!
More fun, dancey, poppy and crammed full of good tunes than many an album this year- this is an album that makes you smile. I Don't Feel Like Dancin' might just be my single of the year! Just great!
Outstanding Track: I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

The Feeling- Twelve Stops and Home
A new band, but one that are really likeable. Twelve Stops and Home might be labelled soft rock, but it's good soft rock, full of some damn fine tunes and catchy choruses. That's what you want from an album. It's probably been played more in this house than any other album this year.
Outstanding Track: Fill My Little World

Lorraine Bowen: Vital Organs
A birthday present from two very good friends, this was a surprise hit of the year for me. Very daft, but wonderful with it, it just goes to show there's no-one quite like Lorraine, and that's a good thing. The greta production really helps these songs shine.
Outstanding Track: Manhole

The Flaming Lips: At War With The Mystics
In a departure from their last couple of albums rather than tellign a story the Lips just concentrated on making a damn good album. It's dfifficult to describe because the songs are somewhat eclectic, but that's a good thing. You never quite know what's coming next!
Outstanding Track: Pompeii Am Gotterdammmerung

Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit
This is a beautiful album to listen to. Some B&S fans think their new found of big, shiney production means they've sold out, but I think it just makes them better than ever. The songs on this album retain their wry look at modern life, but the sounds are more varied than ever.
Outstanding Track: The Blues Are Still Blue

The Beatles: Love
awesome is the word for this album. How did they make it work and yet still keep the essence of all the songs? Just because the original songs are so good and at last they have the production they deserve.
Outstanding track: I Am The Walrus

Keane: Under The Iron Sea
Like their first album only a bit louder and slightly less fragile. They haven't really done anything new or exciting, but they did make a good album doing what they do and just making their trademark sound a bit beefier.
Outstanding Track: ATLANTIC

The Kooks: Inside In, Inside Out
A surprise favourite because I expected the singles to be good and the album weak, but I was wrong. An album full of great tunes, and the band prove they're adept at both the acoustic and the electric ones. Good to sing along to!
Outstanding Track: She Moves In Her Own Way.

Those are my favourites- but I haven't heard The Zutons, The Killers or Kasabian, which have the potential to reach the list!

Si xx

[Milky Tears]

Here's a link to the NME's Albums & Singles of 2006 list:

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

http://www.stereogum.com/archives/004103.html

[Perry Vale]

Oops, just remembered a really good one, firmly in my top 10 for the year, sounding like a cross between Deacon Blue & Prefab Sprout.....Captain "This Is Hazelville".

[Si Hunt]

My Top 10, in reverse order:

10. Beautiful South - Superbi



A poor Beautiful South album, but nevertheless an album by the Beautiful South, and one with a decent first single. A shame the rest of it is filled with forgettable tunes like "Rose of my Cologne" really.

9. Robbie Williams - Rudebox



His "Self Portrait", it's a bloated old affair filled with chav rapping and too many songs. And yet we have "Lovelight" and "She's Madonna" and "We're the Pet Shop Boys" and a passable "Louise". Like all Robbie's albums, it's all good, a few bits are great but none of it is brilliant.

8. Take That - It's A Beautiful World



I've only had this a few days, but you know what I'm going to hedge my bets. It's basically more Gary Barlow of the sort we decided wasn't up to scratch when Robbie released "Angels", but this is far superior to "Open Road" and wisely they've decided to grow up with their audience. Thanks to a set of canny potential singles - "Reaching Out", "Patience" and "Shine" - the album is benchmarked by highlights, but best of all is "Wooden Boat" at the end, a lovely acoustic twist on life and growing old, sung by Jason Orange.

7. Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental



A good album again after the oddly dissapointing "Release", yet a commercial flop. Thanks, perhaps to a few weird decisions - to leave highlights "The Soddham and Gamorah Show" and "Integral" as non-singles, and to miss the boat by about six months when releasing World Cup Knockout-scoring track "Numb". A botched job all round, but 70% of this is brilliant.

6. Lorraine Bowen - Vital Organs



One half-expected this to be a dissapointment, but amazingly it turned out to be brilliant, hitting the mark with the genius "Manhole", "Fun To Be A Fish" and the loopy "Pizza Song". In the cold light of a few months on, it does peter out about during the lengthy 'proper music' section, finishes in a disagreeable cluster of spoken word and karaoke tracks, and somehow ends up not quite managing to trump "Bossy Nova"... but there's a great album here.

5. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormenters



Initially you can't help but notice that this is "You Are The Quarry" only not as good. However, a not-quite-as-good "Quarry" is still a great album, and this has endurance. There were again four singles (and counting) though they wern't quite as memorable this time, but "I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now", the catchy "You Have Killed Me" and the epic "Life Is A Pigsty" make this endlessly returnable-to.

4. Rod Stewart - Still The Same



Another recent addition, but a worthy one. Yes, it's more covers but this time it's a trawl through Bonnie Tyler classic "It's A Heartache", "Father to Son" and "Missing You". No boundaries are being broken, but the Rod voice is still there and the choice of material is impeccable, with not a duff selection on it.

3. Dolly Parton - Those Were The Days



The campest record sleeve released this year, there are dissapointingly no Dolly originals this time. However, after 40 odd albums you can't begrudge her a bit of fun with Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan and the like, and she manages to splash the cash and get most of the original singers back to help out (except Bob, obviously). She only ruins "Both Sides Now" by Jonie Mitchell, and what she does with Lennon's "Imagine" is inspired - check it out!

2. Bob Dylan - Modern Times



Against all hope! The sleeve is crap, there were rumours of covers galore and, well, we've been due a rubbish Dylan album for ages. But no - here are ten Earthy, lengthy originals (average song length must be about seven minutes) that actually improve on 2001's "Love & Theft". It's an album you can listen to again and again, like an apocalyptic vision brought to you by a wandering riverboat prophet. "Workingman's Blues #9" is another to add to the All Time Dylan Classic list as well.

1. Jesse McCartney - Right Where You Want Me



No idea why this tops the list, the only reason is that I played it for about two months continuously (until I'd learned all the words). He has a great voice, the tunes are all a bit samey but take on identities as they ingrain themselves and it manages to be not up, not down but emotionally resonant all at the same time. Above all else, it's just a great album to sing to! Let's hope he can knock out another one next year.

So there we are - not a huge year for music, 2006, but the above are the clutch of albums that have loved my player over the last twelve months. Next year we hope for new Dolly, Hanson, Jackson, REM and Stereophonics...

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

The year has been a bit unimpressive for me.

I've enjoyed the new Trivium album, The Crusade, which showcases more of their thrash metal style. There are some thoroughly enjoyable tracks on it, that work well live.
Stand-out tracks: Detonation, Entrance of the Conflagation, Anthem (We Are The Fire), To The Rats

I've absolutely loved the new Iron Maiden album, A Matter of Life and Death, which to me is the best album of the year. Epic, sprawling, and relatively dark, this album examines the horrors of war in traditional Maiden style. Works bloody brilliantly live.
Stand-out tracks: Different World, These Colours Don't Run, Out of the Shadows, The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg, For The Greater Good of God, Lord of Light

I really enjoyed the live effort from Marillion, entitled Smoke. This is a superb live album filled with some of their more upbeat tracks, taken from their 2005 convention. It has some fantastic live versions of tracks - the special faster version of Memory of Water is a joy to behold!
Stand-out tracks: Under the Sun, Deserve, The Answering Machine, Memory of Water, Slainte Mhath, Garden Party

Finally, Love by The Beatles was just superb. It couldn't have topped Maiden's latest effort, but it was thoroughly enjoyable, and the tracks just seemed so fresh! Absolutely fantastic.
Stand-out tracks: I Am The Walrus, Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite/I Want You/Helter Skelter, Lady Madonna, Revolution, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2007 will hopefully be a better year for me, albums wise!

Ant x

[Pip Madeley]

I'm predictable.

[Carol Baynes]

The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs- "Show your bones"

It rocks in a way most bands don't. Women rock in a far scarier way than blokes too, so this has added thrill factor from Karen O in full effect. An inspired band.

The Long Blondes- "Someone to drive you home"
Putting the glamour and choruses back into guitar pop. They're a bit like Pulp meets the Au pairs. Great lyrics, killer choruses and gutsy vocals from Karen Jackson.

Jarvis Cocker- "Jarvis"

Only just heard it, but I'm impressed enough to include it.

The Knife- "Silent shout"

Odd-ball Swedes who make some inspired techno dance pop. Some of this isn't very commercial, but they do have some great tunes and if you're not dancing, you're still listening.

Emma Bunton- "Life in mono"

Utterly charming and as engaging as any of the '60s luminaries she is paying homage to. Some welcome cover versions too (which isn't always the case). "Downtown" is one of my favourite songs of all time, so if she'd ****ed that up i'd telll you about it.

The Arctic monkeys- "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not"

They're about five years old yet have still managed to make one of th ekey albums of the year. Didn't expect to like it that much, thinking they were too much in (self confessed) debt to Oasis, but they do have a sound of their own and some very good tunes and witty lyrics.

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanagan- "Ballad of the broken seas"

The ex- Belle and Sebastian girl came up with an album better than anything B&S have managed recently. Nancy Siantra and Lee Hazlewood-alike country-folk with astounding depth, sexuality and piognancy, with help from Screming tree's Lanagan. A surprisingly enduring favourite of 2006.

The Beatles- "Love"

Is it a real studio album, or a type of 'greatest hits' (so not to be counted)?
Either way, it's the Fabs, so normal rules don't apply. Let's listen again, and realise why...our debt to them will never be paid.

Kasabian- "Empire"

It was that T-rex meets Dr. Who theme, glam rock-ahoy stomper that swung it for me. The rest isn't half bad too!

Morrissey- "Ringleader of the tormentors"

No, it's not as good as "I am the quarry". But "I am the quarry" was marvellous, and snapping at it's heels does not make this a bad album. At all.




I was about to apologise for not being able to name 10, but I have! Hooray!

I still don't know how to put images in here. I think Pip told me, but I've forgotten.

[Wayne]

I still don't know how to put images in here. I think Pip told me, but I've forgotten.

It was me.
It's the second button on the right on the bottom row above where you're typing. The one that looks like an envelope.

[Pip Madeley]

Wayne mean this:

Click it, and a window will pop up in which you put in the URL of the image.

[Raston]

I agree with Ant in regards to Trivium and Maiden, however he neglected the two best albums of 2006!

Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime 2 the stunning follow up to one of the most important albums of all time. It didn't disapoint, with hooks that echoed the origional masterpiece and a continuation of the story pushing into even darker territory. Queensryche at their best, and Progressive music played as it should be.

Thunder: Robert Johnstons Tombstone. Thunder show just why the are the masters of rock and roll, with catch hooks bluesy riffs and superb lyrics. Witty comedy of 'The Devil Made me Do it' or the tragedy of 'A Million Faces go by' Thunder proved they are still top of their game. the 70's never died.