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Tapestry does not get much love here because its most beloved outside this forum's demographic. Carole King is considered "uncool" compared to Joni. It led to the 70s singer-songwriter schlock. I appreciate the songwriting she does, but I feel the most famous songs on the album were done better by other artists.
I don't like "Tapestry" not because it is soft rock (I love Harvest) but because like Vanilla said, she's not a great performer. To sing on these kind of mellow melodies and arrangements, you've got to have a voice. Carole King was a fantastic songwriter as soon as the early eighties but her solo records lack personality IMO.
It's not necessarily a question of demographics, as the AMer's birthdates spread from the 60's to the 90's : four decades !! Something Henrik should be very proud of.
Let me join in on the "I don't get the Age of Adz" parade... I didn't realize how much this forum liked the album. To me, it doesn't come close to Sufjan's other materials. In this case, being experimental didn't play to his strengths.
Good point Harold, these are some of the best albums ever released that we are discussing (though I am sure some of the recent albums will drop in future polls, it takes a couple of years for really great albums to establish themselves).
Not only do I not like Age of Adz, I think it is unequivocally the worst album I've ever listened to. Front to back, I have never actually heard a worse album.
A few surprises in that last section, I certainly didn't expect Tapestry and Harvest so high. And I really didn't expect Slanted and Enchanted out of the T100. Then again, the lion's share of the Pavement love on this board is directed to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, so I guess it's not a shock. For the record, I have CRCR above S&E.
Well, I 'm not sure i want to hear Age of adz anymore
I already had to take paracetamol after listening to Merriweather Post Pavillion !!
I think it's cool that we have Crooked Rain, Age of ADz AND Tapestry or Harvest. It reflects the diversity of this poll -and of the musical spectrum.
So "Different Class" is making it to the 100 I suppose?
Age of Adz needs a little support, so let me attempt to provide it.
1) It sounds great. Overlayered? Nah. To me all the weird little bits merge seamlessly into one, but every time you listen to it, there's another little bit to gaze upon. It's very warm and squidgy.
2) Heart and Balls. Even more so than Illinois, which to me is one of the most heartfelt and ballsiest albums of the last ten years (only The College Dropout and one Age of Adz comes to mind). It's not arrogance, it's Sufjan using the instruments that he has to tell us what he wishes to say in as beautiful a way as possible.
3) Impossible Soul. An extravaganza like few extravaganzas. Masturbatory? Only on my side.
I can't remember where I put it on my list, but I really think that over time as the 2010 albums fade away, this one will rise to the top.
So far we have albums in the Top 200 from 1963 (Bob Dylan) to 2011 (P J Harvey). The peak year is 1969 with7 albums. The next biggest are 1970, 1971 and 1977 all with 5 albums each.
This forum just ripped my heart out with all of that Adz hate and the fact that The Dullards has yet to appear.
As for The Age of Adz, all of those wacky embellishments have a purpose. That album is a war, with every fiery synth, volcanic beat and shrieking horn wielded as a weapon against his personal demons as well as mental illness. The dedication to Royal Robertson makes the mental illness angle clear, and the crazy instrumentation constantly demands the attention of the listener so that his main message don't fall on deaf ears - don't be distracted by the sundry everyday pitfalls and get well mentally, physically and spiritually. It was a powerful, powerful wakeup call for me - one that I desperately needed and one that I cherish greatly. I can concede that it is a challenging album to listen to because of its titanic production, but it makes Illinois (another album that I love) sound like absolute child's play in comparison.
I'm not surprised in the least that Adz is divisive. That's kind of the point.
And to everyone surprised that Adz is so beloved by this forum, remember that only nine people voted for it.
Just because I was bored I decided to go along and list all of the 2000-2009 albums that have appeared so far. I think that it should be pretty interesting to compare this list with the ongoing decade poll's results.
74. [498] Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | 2006
73. [494] The Shins | Wincing the Night Away | 2007
72. [493] Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | 2007
71. [486] Camera Obscura | Let's Get Out Of This Country | 2006
70. [480] The Streets | A Grand Don't Come for Free | 2004
69. [477] Bloc Party | Silent Alarm | 2005
68. [464] Animal Collective | Feels | 2005
67. [458] The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | 2009
66. [449] Joanna Newsom | The Milk-Eyed Mender | 2004
65. [443] The Tallest Man on Earth | Shallow Grave | 2008
64. [441] Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | 2002
63. [436] PJ Harvey | White Chalk | 2007
62. [428] The Shins | Oh, Inverted World | 2001
61. [427] Madvillain | Madvillainy | 2004
60. [426] Godspeed You Black Emperor! | Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | 2000
59. [419] Johnny Cash | American III: Solitary Man | 2000
58. [418] Deerhunter | Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. | 2008
57. [412] Boards of Canada | Geogaddi | 2002
56. [405] Coldplay | Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends | 2008
55. [399] Wilco | Sky Blue Sky | 2007
54. [398] Burial | Untrue | 2007
53. [395] Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000
52. [391] Animal Collective | Sung Tongs | 2004
51. [386] Brian Wilson | SMiLE | 2004
50. [385] Morrissey | You Are the Quarry | 2004
49. [384] Cannibal Ox | The Cold Vein | 2001
48. [358] Sigur Rós | ( ) | 2002
47. [353] Sleater-Kinney | One Beat | 2002
46. [351] Animal Collective | Strawberry Jam | 2007
45. [348] Belle and Sebastian | The Life Pursuit | 2006
44. [347] Sigur Rós | Takk... | 2005
43. [338] Sufjan Stevens | Michigan | 2003
42. [334] Sleater-Kinney | The Woods | 2005
41. [332] The Antlers | Hospice | 2009
40. [330] Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 2006
39. [326] Gorillaz | Demon Days | 2005
38. [325] Damien Rice | O | 2002
37. [320] Primal Scream | XTRMNTR | 2000
36. [315] Radiohead | Hail to the Thief | 2003
35. [314] Modest Mouse | The Moon & Antarctica | 2000
34. [307] Coldplay | Parachutes | 2000
33. [306] Super Furry Animals | Rings Around the World | 2001
32. [300] Elliott Smith | From a Basement on the Hill | 2004
31. [293] Kanye West | Late Registration | 2005
30. [279] The Wrens | The Meadowlands | 2003
29. [267] The Streets | Original Pirate Material | 2002
28. [264] Jay-Z | The Blueprint | 2001
27. [263] Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf | 2002
26. [261] OutKast | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | 2003
25. [260] LCD Soundsystem | LCD Soundsystem | 2005
24. [248] Fever Ray | Fever Ray | 2009
23. [242] Björk | Vespertine | 2001
22. [240] Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago | 2007
21. [236] The XX | XX | 2009
20. [232] M.I.A. | Kala | 2007
19. [220] The Shins | Chutes Too Narrow | 2003
18. [219] Radiohead | Amnesiac | 2001
17. [218] Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
16. [215] Joanna Newsom | Ys | 2006
15. [214] Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | 2004
14. [200] The National | Alligator | 2005
13. [181] The Avalanches | Since I Left You | 2000
12. [178] Portishead | Third | 2008
11. [171] Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001
10. [168] TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain | 2006
9. [166] PJ Harvey | Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea | 2000
8. [160] Interpol | Turn On the Bright Lights | 2002
7. [154] The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002
6. [153] Antony and The Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | 2005
5. [137] Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend | 2008
4. [130] The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
3. [128] Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007
2. [118] OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
1. [115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001
By my estimation, these are the 2000's albums left to appear in the top 110.
"Sound of Silver"
"Is This It"
"Funeral"
"The College Dropout"
"Illinois"
"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
"Elephant"
"Kid A"
"Boxer"
"In Rainbows"
"Merriweather Post Pavilion"
"Fleet Foxes"
"Person Pitch"
"Dear Science"
I'm pretty surprised that "Oracular Spectacular" hasn't shown up yet, but I highly doubt it will be in the top 110. Same goes for "Arular".
"I rock a house party at the drop of a hat"
[110] Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique | 1989
Points: 1325 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 119 | 2009 Poll Rank: 133 (+23)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (2)
"This could be such a beautiful world"
[109] Curtis Mayfield | Superfly | 1972
Points: 1342 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 145 | 2009 Poll Rank: 104 (-5)
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam (8)
"I don't mean to seem like I care about material things"
[108] Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion | 2009
Points: 1344 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 128 | 2009 Poll Rank: 106 (-2)
Biggest Fan:: Chris K (24)
"You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends"
[107] The National | Boxer | 2007
Points: 1352 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 346 | 2009 Poll Rank: 197 (+90)
Biggest Fan:: Penguin (2)
"This town is crazy
Nobody cares"
[106] Beck | Sea Change | 2002
Points: 1353 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 405 | 2009 Poll Rank: 85 (-21)
Biggest Fan:: Harold Wexler (10)
"I was swimming in the Caribbean"
[105] Pixies | Surfer Rosa | 1988
Points: 1357 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 96 | 2009 Poll Rank: 58 (-47)
Biggest Fan:: Toni (24)
"Let this take away from my spins"
[104] Kanye West | The College Dropout | 2004
Points: 1372 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 217
Biggest Fan:: Nassim (5)
"Thirteen month old baby broke the looking glass"
[103] Stevie Wonder | Talking Book | 1972
Points: 1403 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 111 | 2009 Poll Rank: 115 (+12)
Biggest Fan:: Henry (5)
"And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do"
[102] The White Stripes | Elephant | 2003
Points: 1406 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 101 | 2009 Poll Rank: 80 (-22)
Biggest Fan:: Billadama (5)
[101] Charles Mingus | The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | 1963
Points: 1412 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 418 | 2009 Poll Rank: 135 (+34)
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam (3)
And there we are. We now know what the top 100 albums are going to be, we just don't know the order. One artist has three albums in the top 100, three have four, one has six. Looking forward to seeing it unfold.
I may complain about many of these rankings, but there's one thing I support: the number 101 album is better than every album below it. Awesome improvement for an album that just missed the top 100 by 0.7 points.
Wow, I never realized that "Dear Science" was so beloved in this forum. It looks like it just made the top 100.
So many incredible albums in that stretch. Absolutely loaded. Surfer Rosa outside the T100 is a surprise indeed. Seeing Paul's Boutique and Supafly out is painful though.
Also, Suburbs in the T100 :(
Edit: Is seems morel ikely to me that Dear Science missed the T500 rather than it being in the T100.
How did Surfer Rosa and Elephant fall so far? Great run, 101-110.
I think I can stomach MBDTF being in the top 100, so long as It Takes A Nation Of Millions does better. If it doesn't, you guys are seriously insane.
I don't have anything against The Suburbs, it's just kind of 'unspecial'.
Love the placement of "Boxer" this time -- it really is a subtle masterpiece. I also like that its stature is rising each year; it's great that more and more people are starting to appreciate it.
Rap is one of the few genres that I can't seem to enjoy, and I've really tried with it. Seriously, I wouldn't even be able to suggest even a single rap album which I've enjoyed, and that concerns me for some reason.
I've noticed that it's not uncommon to meet people who find the Rap genre distasteful in the UK. I think critics are usually more positive with Rap records in the US than they are over here (not that Rap records never get positive reviews in the UK), so I was wondering whether that it's just a coincidence or whether it's just a culture thing? Perhaps could you can suggest a Rap record which you think I'll find accessible?
You could check out some A Tribe Called Quest or maybe The Roots.
110-101
First impressions : many records from the 00's ! Too much ? Maybe. May I call that a lack of perspective ?
I agree with Harold : what the fuck if one album is 110th and not 90th. Better discuss albums that numbers.
Now Negative Nancy, go home to your garden gnomes !
I'm happy to see Super Fly and Talking Book (respectively my #76 and 66): still some great soul classics left to come (2 Stevie, 1 Marvin, and I got no hope for On Nation Under A Groove anymore). I have a special love for Talking Book. Heart factor places it slightly above Innervision;
I should try Merriweather once again, but I'm afraid (I should rename this album "Fear Of Music"). "My girls" irritates me because of the high pitched synths. I remember some good melodic moments though, but kind of wasted by that production. Genetically modified music is not my cup of tea;
Boxer was a good discovery of the 00s poll : great , deep album indeed, but to soon to make my top 200. As I said before, I don't know "Se"Lost Cause" is a fantastic songa Change" well enough, but it sounds great too. Beck obviously listened to some Gainsbourg, the British Gainsbourg of the seventies.
Happy to see a jazz album like "The Black Saint" so high, even if I prefer the rootsier "Ah Hum". I should give Black Saint a couple more listens. That is the big problem of the Internet era : so many records are available that you don't spend enough time listening to one album, and sometimes you miss the most challenging ones.
And Stephen, I support Stephan's rap recommendations. Try these groups if you haven't heard them yet. About rap in the UK there's a British rap scene, right ? I didn't know that rap didn't get good critics there. Here in France we have a lively -if not always talented- rap scene and rap records get good critics sometimes.
Just to keep the Age of Adz debate alive, one of the interesting things about its high score is how few voters listed the album, just 9 voters and it made 124. The other Top 200 albums with 9 votes all sit in the 180 to 200 zone. So it has a few fans that like it a lot. Will it fall from grace in the next poll or rise to sit alongside Illinoise as a second masterwork?
I saw Sufjan perform the album live earlier this year and still can't decide what I think of it. An amazing live concert, though that's different from an amazing album.
That's it; seems our agony is coming to an end . I like White Stripes but not to a great extent- in a way, it's better they are off the Top 100. However I think " Talking Book" should be in as Wonder's greatest achievement- seriously, is "Songs In The Key Of Life" that better? I still wonder though about "Different Class" and if, along with the traditional and righteous inclusion of the usual suspects called Dylan and Beatles in the top 10 will be also Radiohead. I also think that " Funeral" will be in the Top 20 though not deserving it if you ask me ( not that I do not like it at all of course).
l've never thought of Steely Dan's 70s music as laid back. I say its their balanced style that turns off the kind of music listeners that are mostly staying in their corner expecting for everything to be like what they're used to. I frequently see others mention Prince & Steely Dan as their favorite artists. I grew up with a lot of Prince and I like a lot of his songs. I had his debut as the only Prince LP in my top 500, but he would peak later on inconsistent albums (1979-1984).
Henry, how can you say that David Palmer does the singing on Reeling In The Years? He only sings 2 songs on that album and clearly that's not one of them. I also disagree about the rhythm. They don't rely on it, but there's still a lot of it. I still don't understand why some describe them as complex/difficult and others say stiff/predictable. An example of the balance that I'm talking about.
Steely Dan's first single was Dallas/Sail the Waterway in '72. Dlrty Work was never a single or b-side.