As promised, here is the list of the albums I will listen to somehow someway. The emboldened albums are albums I either own or can get at the library. If anyone has access to the ones that are not emboldened, could you help me?
Top 200 Scores: The Best-Reviewed Albums
Album by Artist Year Avg Rating
1 SMiLE by Brian Wilson 2004 97
2 Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn 2004 97
3 How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin 2003 97
4 Stankonia by OutKast 2000 95
5 Savane by Ali Farka Toure 2006 94
6 Madvillainy by Madvillain 2004 93
7 Live At Reading by Nirvana 2009 93
8 The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads 2004 93
9 Love And Theft by Bob Dylan 2001 93
10 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits 2006 92
11 Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal 2004 92
12 Elephant by The White Stripes 2003 92
13 Live In London by Leonard Cohen 2009 91
14 A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets 2004 91
15 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast 2003 91
16 Canto by Los Super Seven 2001 91
17 From Here We Go Sublime by The Field 2007 90
18 Illinois by Sufjan Stevens 2005 90
19 Original Pirate Material by The Streets 2002 90
20 The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae 2010 90
21 Alice by Tom Waits 2002 90
22 Is This It? by The Strokes 2001 90
23 Funeral by The Arcade Fire 2004 90
24 London Zoo by The Bug 2008 90
25 Untrue by Burial 2007 90
26 XTRMNTR by Primal Scream 2000 90
27 Z by My Morning Jacket 2005 90
28 Since I Left You by The Avalanches 2001 89
29 Neon Golden by The Notwist 2003 89
30 Rounds by Four Tet 2003 89
31 Modern Times by Bob Dylan 2006 89
32 Miss E... So Addictive by Missy Elliott 2001 89
33 HoboSapiens by John Cale 2004 89
34 Bachelor No. 2 (or, the last remains of the dodo) by Aimee Mann 2000 89
35 Fed by Plush 2008 89
36 Last Exit by Junior Boys 2004 89
37 Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective 2009 89
38 Treats by Sleigh Bells 2010 89
39 Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age 2002 89
40 Wearemonster by Isolée 2005 89
41 Ali & Toumani by Ali Farka Toure And Toumani Diabate 2010 89
42 Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse 2006 89
43 Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins 2003 88
44 Yours, Mine & Ours by Pernice Brothers 2003 88
45 Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt 2005 88
46 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II by Raekwon 2009 88
47 69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields 1999 88
48 Ta Det Lugnt by Dungen 2004 88
49 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio 2008 88
50 Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio 2006 88
51 Wicked Grin by John Hammond 2001 88
52 Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey 2000 88
53 Up In Flames by Manitoba 2003 88
54 College Dropout by Kanye West 2004 88
55 Where Shall You Take Me by Damien Jurado 2003 88
56 Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart 2004 88
57 Vespertine by Bjork 2001 88
58 From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith 2004 88
59 The Blueprint by Jay-Z 2001 88
60 In Rainbows by Radiohead 2007 88
61 The Woods by Sleater-Kinney 2005 88
62 Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer 2006 88
63 Kill The Moonlight by Spoon 2002 88
64 Monoliths & Dimensions by Sunn O))) 2009 88
65 Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2004 88
66 I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons 2005 88
67 Fishscale by Ghostface Killah 2006 88
68 Arular by M.I.A. 2005 88
69 Remedy by Basement Jaxx 1999 88
70 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru 2008 88
71 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver 2008 88
72 Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound 2001 87
73 Blue Record by Baroness 2009 87
74 Person Pitch by Panda Bear 2007 87
75 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes 2008 87
76 Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus 2010 87
77 The Argument by Fugazi 2001 87
78 Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers 2003 87
79 Showtime by Dizzee Rascal 2004 87
80 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2008 87
81 The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers 2004 87
82 Historicity by Vijay Iyer Trio 2009 87
83 The Town And The City by Los Lobos 2006 87
84 World Without Tears by Lucinda Williams 2003 87
85 Things We Lost In The Fire by Low 2001 87
86 Cold House by Hood 2001 87
87 Now, More Than Ever by Jim Guthrie 2004 87
88 Raising Sand by Robert Plant And Alison Krauss 2007 87
89 Let's Stay Friends by Les Savy Fav 2007 87
90 Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand 2004 87
91 �gætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós 2001 87
92 Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire 2007 87
93 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco 2002 87
94 Congotronics by Konono No. 1 2005 87
95 Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris 2003 87
96 Phrenology by The Roots 2002 87
97 Favourite Colours by The Sadies 2004 87
98 The Creek Drank The Cradle by Iron & Wine 2002 87
99 Children Running Through by Patty Griffin 2007 87
100 Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens 2004 87
101 Kala by M.I.A. 2007 87
102 Phantom Power by Super Furry Animals 2003 87
103 Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers 2000 87
104 Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
105 American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley 2009 86
106 One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73 2003 86
107 Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch 2001 86
108 Comicopera by Robert Wyatt 2007 86
109 Welcome To Mali by Amadou & Mariam 2009 86
110 Mirrored by Battles 2007 86
111 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83 2004 86
112 Fixed::Context [EP] by Labradford 2001 86
113 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair 2008 86
114 Estudando o Pagode by Tom Zé 2006 86
115 Robyn by Robyn 2008 86
116 Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady 2005 86
117 The Decline Of British Sea Power by British Sea Power 2003 86
118 Quicksand / Cradlesnakes by Califone 2003 86
119 Blues Dream by Bill Frisell 2001 86
120 Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals 2002 86
121 You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene 2003 86
122 Minimum-Maximum [Live] by Kraftwerk 2005 86
123 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005 86
124 Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott 2004 86
125 'Sno Angel Like You by Howe Gelb 2006 86
126 Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains Of Wayne 2003 86
127 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem 2007 86
128 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005 86
129 Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River 2005 86
130 Seek Magic by Memory Tapes 2009 86
131 xx by The xx 2009 86
132 Wake Up The Nation by Paul Weller 2010 86
133 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski 2008 86
134 Feast of Wire by Calexico 2003 86
135 The Futureheads by The Futureheads 2004 86
136 Chavez Ravine by Ry Cooder 2005 86
137 Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle 2000 86
138 Harps And Angels by Randy Newman 2008 86
139 Fortress by Protest The Hero 2008 86
140 Boxer by The National 2007 86
141 White Blood Cells by The White Stripes 2001 86
142 The Wind by Warren Zevon 2003 86
143 All Hands On The Bad One by Sleater-Kinney 2000 86
144 Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton 2001 86
145 Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine by Cee-Lo 2004 86
146 The Lemon Of Pink by The Books 2003 86
147 Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 by Bob Dylan 2008 86
148 Ocean's Eleven OST by David Holmes 2001 86
149 The Intercontinentals by Bill Frisell 2003 86
150 OST by 24 Hour Party People 2002 86
151 The Convincer by Nick Lowe 2001 86
152 The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird 2005 85
153 Rook by Shearwater 2008 85
154 Party Music by The Coup 2001 85
155 Life...The Best Game In Town by Harvey Milk 2008 85
156 I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes 2005 85
157 Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom 2010 85
158 Third by Portishead 2008 85
159 Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke 2002 85
160 Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia 2002 85
161 Holopaw by Holopaw 2003 85
162 Girls Can Tell by Spoon 2001 85
163 Stay Positive by The Hold Steady 2008 85
164 Pause by Four Tet 2001 85
165 Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia 2003 85
166 Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition by Murs 2004 85
167 Hail To The Thief by Radiohead 2003 85
168 Laulu Laakson Kukista by Paavoharju 2008 85
169 Mezmerize by System Of A Down 2005 85
170 Beauty And The Beat by Edan 2005 85
171 Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers 2005 85
172 For Hero: For Fool by Subtle 2006 85
173 New Moon by Elliott Smith 2007 85
174 The Drift by Scott Walker 2006 85
175 Streetcore by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 2003 85
176 The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky 2003 85
177 Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2002 85
178 Happy Songs For Happy People by Mogwai 2003 85
179 Psychic Chasms by Neon Indian 2009 85
180 Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens 2005 85
181 Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear 2009 85
182 Kicking Television: Live In Chicago by Wilco 2005 85
183 The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country On The Click) by The Fall 2004 85
184 Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band 2004 85
185 Tenacious D by Tenacious D 2001 85
186 The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips 1999 85
187 Journal For Plague Lovers by Manic Street Preachers 2009 85
188 I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo 2006 85
189 Chemistry Of Common Life by Fucked Up 2008 85
190 Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors 2009 85
191 Crimes by The Blood Brothers 2004 85
192 Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels 2005 85
193 Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie 2003 85
194 Run To Ruin by Nina Nastasia 2003 85
195 Dongs of Sevotion by Smog 2000 85
196 The Meadowlands by The Wrens 2003 85
197 Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady 2006 85
198 Ys by Joanna Newsom 2006 85
199 Late Registration by Kanye West 2005 85
200 Supermodified by Amon Tobin 2000 85
#131 – The xx, The xx (Metascore = 86)
A little background on The xx…they were a four-piece that lost their second guitarist and keyboardist during the sessions (methinks) for this album. They’re from London, and the album was recorded in a garage (hence some of the ambience of the album). They formed back in 2005.
“Intro” – “Intro” is exactly that—an intro. It’s an instrumental track, pretty laid back. Pretty much there’s drums, a bass guitar, some “ahh’ing”, a guitar, and some hand claps.
“VCR” – The mellow vibe (quiet vocals, sinewy guitar line) reflects the ambience of the garage. This track is very minimalist.
“Crystalised” – This is the first song I knew from them. I heard it on XM’s Alt Nation channel (channel 47, very cool). The mellowness carries on. I have always thought this song was chill. “Crystalised” has a cool groove.
“Islands” – Minimalism ongoing. (Why is it I never totally understand what the writer is trying to say? Who does she belong to? Did the two people in the song meet on an island? I guess that what I think it means.) How did this album get a lower grading than The Streets’ A Grand Don’t Come for Free (Metascore 91)? Is it the lack of a unified story? This album rocks!
“Heart Skipped a Beat” – This song is a little denser musically. Several guitars roam in the background and some handclaps. The pair appears to be wishing things had not turned out the way they did. Or maybe did happen and it made their heart skip a beat. No, it does seem like they broke up or something. How is the band going to continue? They didn’t even get the chance to become Fleetwood Mac!
“Fantasy” – Opens very quietly. I cannot understand exactly what the singer is saying. No instruments (yet)…ok, maybe some quiet organs. Towards the end, some guitar (slide?) dominates. Moving on.
“Shelter” – The xx is very minimalist in their sound. If there’s only one guitar playing, that’s all you get. No rockers. No rollers. Just a really basic sound to accompany the vocalists, who are lovelorn and longing.
“Basic Space” – Hmm…maybe there is a “little” rocker in there. I guess things change when you have a drummer playing more than one beat. I stopped paying attention to what they were saying, but I get the feeling we’re hearing the same story told with a different beat…not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“Infinity” – “Infinity” is denser musically than some of the others. Despite loves lost, this is an interesting record. It shows you don’t need to put everything into it to have a great record. Sometimes less is more. This song is an example of that.
“Night Time” – See “Basic Space” (another cool song…and yes, I am getting a little lazy, but how can you say the same thing twice). Is there a song I don’t like on this set? I’m starting to wonder.
“Stars” – Last song to a good record. I like the interplay between the two singers. The last song epitomizes the entire feel of the record. I could relisten to it again and not be tired of it.
So overall, I would definitely recommend this record. I’m not sure that I agree with the Metacritic score, but I guess some critics have other things to say. Is their sound for everyone? No. Maybe by being too minimal the songs start to sound the same. All in the same, it’s a cool record to listen to.
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