The Wire's Albums Of The Year

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the list has been posted in the Wire yahoo group today.

1 sonic youth 'murray street' geffen
2 derek bailey 'ballads' tzadik
3 boards of canada 'geogaddi' warp
4 asa-chang & junray 'jun ray song chang' leaf
5 various 'improvised music from japan' improvised
music from japan
6 jim o'rourke 'insignificance' domino
7 gy!be 'yanqui uxo' constellation
8 cecil taylor feel trio '2 ts for a lovely t' codanza
9 dj /rupture 'minesweeper suite' tigerbeat6
10 philip jeck 'stoke' touch
11 barbara ess & peggy ahwesh 'radio guitar' ecstatic
peace
12 eliane radigue 'adnos I-III' table of the elements
13 el-p 'fantastic damage' def jux
14 suicide 'american supreme' blast first
15 vajra 'mandala cat last' psf
16 antipop consortium 'arrhythmia' warp
17 radian 'rec.extern' thrill jockey
18 low 'trust' rough trade
19 henri chopin/various 'revue ou' alga marghen
20 raoul björkenheim/ingebrigt håker flaten/paal
nilsen-love 'the scorch trio' rune grammofon
21 lol coxhill 'spectral soprano' emanem
22 recloose 'cardiology' planet e
23 akufen 'my way' force inc
24 david s ware 'freedom suite' aum fidelity
25 super_collider 'raw digits' rise robots rise
26 tom waits 'alice' anti
27 the liars 'they threw us all in a trench and stuck
a monument on top' blast first
28 murcof 'martes' leaf
29 sigur rós '()' fat cat
30 missy elliott 'under construction' elektra
31 soul center 'III' novamute
32 polwechsel & fennesz 'wrapped islands' erstwhile
33 cinematic orchestra 'everyday' ninja tune
34 various 'the fire this time' hidden art
35 ekkehard ehlers 'plays' staubgold
36 heiner goebbels 'eislermaterial' ecm
37 terry riley 'atlantis nath' sri moonshine music
38 blevin blectum 'talon slalom' deluxe
39 tin hat trio 'the rodeo eroded' rope a dope
40 burnt friedman & jaki liebezeit 'secret rhythms'
nonplace
41 jackie-o-motherfucker 'change' textile
42 vincent gallo 'recording of music for films' warp
43 mr lif 'I phantom' def jux
44 farben 'texstar' klang elektronik
45 patti smith 'land 1975-2002' arista
46 the notwist 'neon golden' city slang
47 rocket from the tombs 'the day the earth met...'
glitterhouse
48 otomo yoshihide 'ensemble cathode' improvised music
from japan
49 cheb-i-sabbah 'krishna lila' six degrees
50 kid 606 'the action packed mentalist brings you
fucking jams' violent turd

Good to see el-p, recloose, and supercollider there, but the list would be nicer without () and that endless godspeed album .

Better than the rest of British magazines' lists, anyway.

― roberto, Monday, 23 December 2002 20:01 (twenty-three years ago)

as good as Geogaddi is, it's a definite rehash and therefore it's surprising that it figures so high on a WIRE list. also, Vincent Gallo (as a musician) must be put to slow painful death now.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 23 December 2002 20:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I have two of them.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 23 December 2002 21:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Did ANYONE else hear that damned Out Hud album, or am I just overrating the hell out of it?!

― Clarke B., Monday, 23 December 2002 21:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Come to Chicago and you can celebrate the new year with Out Hud and !!! Personally I like both bands but I'll be giving that event a wide berth. Kranky ?‚ New Year's Eve.

― Oodles of Ohs (amateurist), Monday, 23 December 2002 21:55 (twenty-three years ago)

That should have read

Kranky does not equal New Year's Eve.

For me, at least.

― Oodles of Ohs (amateurist), Monday, 23 December 2002 21:56 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't believe Derek Bailey placed below Sonic Youth. (Hey, I have two too.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 23 December 2002 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

...me mind boggled by Sonic placed ABOVE EVERYTHING....
(hm, i've four - two of 'em being Gallo, and B of Can; plus Coxhill, Ehlers)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 23 December 2002 22:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Out Hud is on my top 10, for what it's worth...

― Aaron W, Monday, 23 December 2002 22:20 (twenty-three years ago)

me mind boggled by Sonic placed ABOVE EVERYTHING

yeah, it's like they're 'keepin' it real' or 'representing tha old skool' or something.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 23 December 2002 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

maybe they genuinely liked the album better?

― Josh (Josh), Monday, 23 December 2002 22:31 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah maybe, but it smacks of ulterior disingenuousness

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 23 December 2002 22:48 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't see how so. It's not my favorite SY album by a longshot, and the fact that it's the fourth SY disc in a row to place in the top ten is a bit boring, but it also seems very genuine.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 23 December 2002 23:45 (twenty-three years ago)

but to put it at number one seems more like lending support, rather than a critical opinion (there is no way that's the best album of the year - nb: I think it's their best work in ages)

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 23 December 2002 23:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't know Wire dug Low. Also, roberto, shut your stupid face. Please.

― Callum (Callum), Tuesday, 24 December 2002 00:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Was Derek Bailey the old guy who tuned his guitar for three hours at ATP 2000?

― phil-two, Tuesday, 24 December 2002 09:25 (twenty-three years ago)

so they'vve been taken over by pitchfork. hmm

― Queen G (Queeng), Tuesday, 24 December 2002 10:52 (twenty-three years ago)

good to see blevin in there

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Tuesday, 24 December 2002 21:42 (twenty-three years ago)

i do like to see the wire struggle with justifying blechtum to themselves

such an old man's list. this month i got more for music out of the face. except for that grimes interview, that was heartbreaking and funny and brilliant

― bob zemko (bob), Wednesday, 25 December 2002 03:03 (twenty-three years ago)

what is there to justify about Blevin's album? Though not the best, it's definitely good.

― jack cole (jackcole), Wednesday, 25 December 2002 04:47 (twenty-three years ago)

The Wire's lost no respect from this man.

― David Allen, Wednesday, 25 December 2002 07:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I only have three of them, to be honest!

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 26 December 2002 01:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm also surprised that Fred Frith didn't even chart. Freedom In Fragments is beautiful. I've grown to appreciate Murray Street but it's still my least favourite of all the 2002 albums I've listened to. Why not put Robert Plant at #2?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 26 December 2002 08:50 (twenty-three years ago)

The list should be alphabetical so it's not such a chore finding Interpol.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Thursday, 26 December 2002 09:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Joyless crap.

― DavidM (DavidM), Thursday, 26 December 2002 13:17 (twenty-three years ago)

DavidM, what's joyless about, say, Philip Jeck, DJ/Rupture, O'Rourke, Anti-Pop, Recloose, Missy Elliott, Burnt Friedman, Super_Collider, Soul Center, Akufen, Kid606 - for starters?

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 26 December 2002 20:03 (twenty-three years ago)

t'is not exactly about the Alb's O' Yer, more 'bout one of the peculiarly amazing items amidst the contributors' Pros&Cons --
namely, Chris Blackford's Pros/Sonic enchantment ends with "...Deep Purple Mk III and IV."
(?!)
...this, to paraphrase Elvis C, could well be called unexpected.
or is there really somethin' i should know, sth 'positive', as per DP mk 3 & 4 ????????????????

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Saturday, 28 December 2002 23:52 (twenty-three years ago)

''I can't believe Derek Bailey placed below Sonic Youth. (Hey, I have two too.)''

well, so do I. its not something you want to see when you just have come back from holiday.

''such an old man's list.''

yes, music is for the young. KILL OLD PPL.

''Was Derek Bailey the old guy who tuned his guitar for three hours at ATP 2000?''

oi! don't you know he's got tyhe patent on punk rock maan!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 29 December 2002 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)

no there are loads of young virile things in there but something about the wire these dayz just drains the blood out of it all.perhaps it is all that clinical ikea design

― bob zemko (bob), Sunday, 29 December 2002 23:00 (twenty-three years ago)

t'is not exactly about the Alb's O' Yer, more 'bout one of the peculiarly amazing items amidst the contributors' Pros&Cons --

I agree, particularly 'cos reading Dave Tompkins Pros made the issue, where in he recounts dreams to remember.

The WIRE sent Hua Hsu and I to interview Sheena Easton at her library of horror memorabilia which included a shrine to Rondo Hatton and Famous Monsters of Filmland Editor and 'punslinger' Forry Ackerman, who in real time, had taken seriously ill; Hsu looks at Sheena's air brushed Red Foxx tapestry and says 'F the Cons, manm this is all-pro!"

I'm starting a Pros and Cons 2002 thread in tribute.

Oh, and from the top 50: I have 6 and will probably buy 6 others.

― Nik (Nik), Monday, 30 December 2002 00:04 (twenty-three years ago)

no 'Original Pirate Material' means i cant take it seriously full stop. nobody has picked up on Cassette Boy's 'Parker Tapes' either - they're all out of touch maaan

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 30 December 2002 00:25 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah i forgot that a tiny dave tompkins paragraph leaves any magazine beyond classic!

did the wire even mention the streets during the year?

― bob zemko (bob), Monday, 30 December 2002 02:39 (twenty-three years ago)

i mean it doesn't have to like it unreservedly but to just ignore it... this is one of the main probs i think

― bob zemko (bob), Monday, 30 December 2002 02:41 (twenty-three years ago)

They reviewed both the album and one or two Streets' singles in um Critical Beats, I think.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 30 December 2002 04:04 (twenty-three years ago)

>5 various 'improvised music from japan' improvised music from japan

this is clearly marked in the accompanying book as a 2001 release.

not to mention that the IMJ box's contents are FAR too uneven to merit inclusion in a Top 50 list, let alone among the top 5, whatever the year. Otomo Yoshihide's fantastic "Ensemble Cathode" CD (also on IMJ) should claim this coveted spot, IMHO.

― summerslastsound, Monday, 30 December 2002 04:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Nice that Church Of Me gets a mention in SR's pros

― zebedee, Monday, 30 December 2002 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I have/had 10 of these -- The Wire really is converging with Pitchfork! Wire has indie-ish people on the cover more and more, Pitchfork keeps adding electronic & improvised music. Give it a year or two & it'll be a complete overlap.

If pressed, I would rank that Blevin Blechtum album as the worst I heard in 2002. CANNOT BELIEVE that would make someones Top 50.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 30 December 2002 14:17 (twenty-three years ago)

probably there (in The Wire 50) mainly thanks to Simon Reynolds. But it'll probably make my Top 20 also.

― Jeff W, Monday, 30 December 2002 14:24 (twenty-three years ago)

What does Talon Slalom do for you, Jeff? Like, when do you listen to it? I'm curious, b/c to me it was so grating (but not in the way I like).

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 30 December 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Like, when do you listen to it?
in the dark, mostly, usually on headphones. I dunno, the record sort of sits nicely in between some other stuff I like (sample-based pop, electroacoustic music, IDM), not one thing or another. Sure, it's a bit directionless at times: definitely a case of the whole being worth more than the sum of its parts.

I don't think Blevin's even in the same league as Kevin, however, just to put things in perspective.

― Jeff W, Monday, 30 December 2002 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

''no there are loads of young virile things in there but something about the wire these dayz just drains the blood out of it all.perhaps it is all that clinical ikea design''

yeah, I was only joking and i see yr point. I can't take any music publications seriously and that goes for the wire but it does have a couple of good writers (and they have taken marcello on board, hopefully we'll see some big pieces from him).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 30 December 2002 15:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I own 18 of these albums and yet every time I read The Wire I feel horribly excluded.

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 30 December 2002 15:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't the Wire more or less pan Geogaddi?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 30 December 2002 15:36 (twenty-three years ago)

and yet every time I read The Wire I feel horribly excluded.

The Wire = the Augusta National Golf Club of music?

― hstencil, Monday, 30 December 2002 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

''I own 18 of these albums and yet every time I read The Wire I feel horribly excluded.''

congratulations, you're an outsider!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 30 December 2002 16:05 (twenty-three years ago)

2002 was the year I stopped my subscription to The Wire. In all honesty I'd stopped reading it some time ago and could no longer justify the overseas rate but I will miss Peter Shapiro, Ian Penman, Simon R.'s occassional imput and Marcello now that he's writing for them (after a a very sharp piece criticising The Wire in TCOM).

― stevo (stevo), Monday, 30 December 2002 16:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't the Wire more or less pan Geogaddi?

It's getting its come-uppance!

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 30 December 2002 16:43 (twenty-three years ago)

blectums sort the wheat from the chaff

― bob zemko (bob), Monday, 30 December 2002 19:09 (twenty-three years ago)

mark p - hey - when you say blevin sinae in same league as kevin are you saying diff or better? i prefer kevin - like butthole surfers, residents, & aphex all in one perhaps. won't winge abt it not being in chart cos (a) OAP wire list (b) only came out like last week or something

― bob snoom, Tuesday, 31 December 2002 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Wasn't me Bob, it was Jeff. I hate the Blechs equally.

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 31 December 2002 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm saying blevin's LP is interesting, but kevin is a genius, bob s - yeah, I think The Residents too when I hear Your Butt

btw I own 7 of The Wire 50, want to hear/get about 5 others (Bailey, DJ/Rupture, Low, Farben, soul center)

― Jeff W, Saturday, 4 January 2003 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

as "boyish" as it might be - depressing that theere is no mention of meshuggah or orthrelm in the list. damn those pipe smoking squares, daddio!

― bob snoom, Sunday, 5 January 2003 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

or the fucking champs - did nobody listen to "V"???????
old people!

― bob snoom, Tuesday, 7 January 2003 21:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Wot no Vsnares? '2370894' is the most overlooked album of 2002.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 7 January 2003 21:59 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

Jeff I have to disagree- flip flop your 'interesting' and 'genius' blectum and blechdom - I think blevin's work is better by far.
but hten the Resident dont do much for me either
-opal

― O. Baer, Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it just me or are all these albums-of-the-year lists the same goddamn thing? If you're American you like Sea Change, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Turn On the Bright Lights, Murray Street, ( ), and The Rising, and if you're British you like Original Pirate Material, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and A Rush of Blood to the Head, and no matter who you are you like Under Construction and They Threw Us....

― Evan (Evan), Thursday, 27 February 2003 03:51 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, flaming lips must be a 'british thing', and god knows britcrits loves thems some coldplay!

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 27 February 2003 05:55 (twenty-three years ago)

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