Albums of 2008

[Milky Tears]

It's that time of year again. What albums have you been spurting all over this year?

The "critics" have been foaming about Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Fleet Foxes, Duffy, MGMT, Elbow, Lil Wayne, Polar Bear, AC/DC, Portishead, TV On The Radio, Sigur R?s, I Am Kloot, Flying Lotus, The Killers, Goldfrapp, The Last Shadow Puppets, Metallica, British Sea Power, Hot Chip, Adele, Keane, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Raconteurs, Glasvegas and Vampire Bloody Weekend!

But what about you?



Wot, no Kaiser Chiefs?


Q Magazine's annual effort

Mojo list

Uncut

NME?


I think P-Bal or Matt should start the Singles of 2008 thread...



especially since Matt now seems to live in a house/flat/box (is he livin' in a cardboard box?) made out of CD singles!


My pick would be MGMT!

[Si Hunt]

"Departure" by Jesse McCartney is my album of the year!

Si.

[SiHart]

Seeventh Tree by Goldfrapp has been the soundtrack to my year. From round Lake Taupo to walking to work, I think it's been played most weeks this year!

Also much loved have been: Jim Noir, which was a fabulous effort, Flight of the Conchords which was very funny, MGMT (though Steve would tell me off for that), Elbow, Neon Neon, Luna by The Aliens (which was prgotastic! and great fun).

I'll have to check out the shelves at home to see what else I've bought.

Si xx

[Dino]

Only managed to hear two albums this year. British Sea Power's Do You Like Rock Music? which I love and will give my worthless vote to.
And the debut by Glasvegas which I couldn't get into or bring myself to like.
Gutted I haven't got hold of Super Furry Animal solo album Neon Neon.
Was it a poor year for albums, or is it all down to not looking hard enough for great ones?

[Simon R]

MADONNACYNDILAUPERSUGABABESGIRLSALOUDROBYNBRITNEY

It's been a fairly good year.

[Rob McCow]

Gutted I haven't got hold of Super Furry Animal solo album Neon Neon.

quite right too, it's a brilliant album!

My album of the year 2008 was Luna by The Aliens. Literally no-one else alive will agree with me.

I also really liked Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree.

[SiHart]

My album of the year 2008 was Luna by The Aliens. Literally no-one else alive will agree with me.

It was very good, but not as good as their previous album, Astronomy for Dogs, if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I'm telling you (again) anyway.

I suppose my actual big favourites this year also included the Radiophonic Workshop: A Retrospective and the first of the John Baker collection. They've been well played since I got them, but I wouldn't recommend them, as they're really not for everyone! But I love them.

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

Goldfrapp and Keane came out with belters this year.

[Anthony Williams]

Ok, here's the list from the Williams corner:

1. Metallica - Death Magnetic



Just brilliant. By far the best album that Metallica have put out in the last 21 years. A real return to form - every single track is an absolute corker. They seem to have taken many of the best elements of every album throughout their career, and put them together into one coherent album - it has virtuosity, complexity, groove and aggression. The most exciting piece of work that Metallica have produced in my lifetime, in my humble opinion! The fact that it's the one album this year where I've found myself having almost every track running through my head almost everyday means that it's got to come up on tops!

2. Marillion - Happiness is the Road



I really, really wanted this to be my favourite album of this year - especially since I'm (mostly) past the whole Metal thing these days. This double album really was extremely good - very soulful and well... happy! The first album being a concept album about living in the now - we only have one life, so we may as well be happy through it. The second album is a collection of unrelated new songs, many of which are about the traditional Marillion hallmarks - the perils of fame, broken relationships, death and water! Although Metallica produced my favourite album of 2008, this is probably the one with the widest appeal. Absolutely superb (and legally downloadable for free from Music Glue)

3. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Angles



Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip (two white guys from Essex) are on a mission - to prove that hip-hop is art. This album is absolutely fantastic - whilst most modern hip-hop may be about "guns, bitches 'n' bling", the lyrics are well thought out by Scroobius Pip, who has some wonderful, intelligent and profound comments about life and the society that we live in. More serious than The Streets, and if someone was looking for something different this year, this is what I would recommend.

4. Blaze Bayley - The Man Who Would Not Die



After four years since his last studio album, and having got through two different line-ups, Blaze Bayley finally released some new material. By god, it was good. Finally, there is some frantic riffage here, backing up Bayley's extremely powerful voice. The songs continue to be autobiographical, as well as some typical heavy metal cliches - songs about sci-fi (Robot), or other films (Smile Back at Death, being about Ridley Scott's Gladiator!). At the end of the day, this is a final album, and one that shows Bayley finally bettering any of the output of his former band (Iron Maiden).

5. Pendulum - In Silico



Well, did anyone expect that!?!? Pendulum's latest offering was just superb - a wonderful mix of drum 'n' bass, electronica and rock. The lead track Propane Nightmare sums up the whole album, and this is an odyssey into the aforementioned genres. At the end of the day, this makes it onto the list for one reason alone - I inexplicably really enjoyed it! Good fun



The Ant award for worst album of 2008 (and possibly EVER) goes to...

Judas Priest - Nostradamus



What a steaming load of crap that album was! I was really eagerly awaiting this, it being three years since Judas Priest's superb last effort. However, Nostradamus ended up being good only for two things - 1) comedy value and 2) a set of coffee coasters. Their attempt at a concept album failed for one reason - they took it far too serious. When it was released, and the guitarists were saying things in magazines about how it "transcended metal", I knew we were in trouble! I just didn't expect it to be that dire!