The 28th P&J Albums Poll!

Lots of good albums, none a stand-out seven years later. I love the Go-Betweens, PJ Harvey, and Eminem albums, but not enough to top the poll. Stankonia is so overrated.

Voted for Peej since I heard it most recently.

Voted LeTigre, with Go-Betweens and Ghostface right behind.

Marshall Mathers is pretty overrated too. Good album but a lot of filler and emo dross once hidden by zeitgeist.

Was really disappointed when the VH1 hour-long special on MM didn't spend a minute on the ICP bj skit.

as with all of these turn of the century P&J's, most of the overlap with my CD collection is backpacker rap. I do still really like that Reflection Eternal album, though.

lol alt-rap and neo-soul

I vote for Ghostface, followed by Dre & Sade.

Eminem.

But I probably would have voted for The Glands if they had made the cut. It's still completely retarded that nobody knows that record.

I need to hear that Badu album, I really do.

I think it's been on my to-buy list for seven years running.

It's pretty good!

I almost voted for Le Tigre, but decided to go with Eminem instead. The other main contenders for my vote: Outkast, Peej and Ghostface, I suppose. (Also, even though Anthony is mainly OTM about The Marshall Mathers LP, I think it has better standout individual tracks than any of the others. The others probably do cohere a good deal better as complete album experiences, though. So what.)

Some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge
and had his girlfriend in the trunk, and she was pregnant with his kid
and in the car they found a tape, but they didn't say who it was to
Come to think about, his name was.. it was you
Damn!

lol at no one citing Kid A yet.

Sometimes, I wanna get on TV and just let loose, but can't
but it's cool for Tom Green to hump a dead moose
"My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips"
And if I'm lucky, you might just give it a little kiss
And that's the message that we deliver to little kids
And expect them not to know what a woman's clitoris is
Of course they gonna know what intercourse is
By the time they hit fourth grade
They got the Discovery Channel don't they?
"We ain't nothing but mammals.." Well, some of us cannibals
who cut other people open like cantaloupes <SLURP>
But if we can hump dead animals and antelopes
then there's no reason that a man and another man can't elope
<*EWWW!*>

Kid A's still my fave Radiohead album!

Rev, Mama's Gun is damn near great! Also, you seriously need to hear Voodoo if you haven't yet.

If that's the one with "Bag Lady," then I need to hear the whole thing.

Kid A and Rated R probably wrap up my top 5 from this list (Mama's Gun right after). Still never heard Voodoo! Would buy it on the cheap.

most of these albums are overrated, or WERE, nobody talks about All Hands On The Bad One anymore

Anthony: quit making me laugh, dammit.

xxp

Yeah, it is, Alfred.

No laughing matter: who voted for The Man Who?

Voodoo might seem a bit diffuse at first (to say the least), but it seriously grows on you with every new listen. It also kinda puts me in mind to what an american Tricky might sound like.

Good question. Here's a list of the scoundrels, Alfred:

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/pazznjop/00/voted_for.php3?titleid=86026

Still haven't heard Shelby Lynne or Jill Scott.

The Steely Dan is dull dull dull.

Rob Sheffield?

xp

I like the Dan album; it's deceptively unsettling and quite creepy(yeah, just like all the rest--I know).

Voodoo I've never quite been able to get into. It takes too damn long to make its points. I can't think of another album I own with so many seven-minute songs with four minutes worth of ideas. I was a Ritalin kid, dammit!

"Devil's Pie" and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" (don't call a song "Untitled" and give it a subtitle, you pretentious bast!) are quite the jams, though.

If I Could Only Fly, really good.

Better question: How the hell did Magnolia make it on here?

The answer can be found here:

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/pazznjop/00/voted_for.php3?titleid=86600

41 - 80:

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/pazznjop/00/albums2.php3

Haha--note how many critics voted for Ecstasy, guys.

Damn! Joe Levy gave it the full 30 points!!?? That's just going too far, I think. And I really like the record!

Ego Trip's the Big Playback

¿que?

these are all good-great. I think i'm voting Dre

OutKast: Stankonia (LaFace/Arista)
D'Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin)
Jill Scott: Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (Hidden Beach)
Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele (Epic/Razor Sharp)
Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun (Motown)
Madonna: Music (Maverick/Warner Bros.)
Common: Like Water for Chocolate (MCA)
Queens of the Stone Age: R (Interscope)
Sade: Lovers Rock (Epic)
Dr. Dre: Dr. Dre--2001 (Aftermath/Interscope)
Coldplay: Parachutes (Nettwerk America)
Dead Prez: Lets Get Free (Loud)
Primal Scream: XTRMNTR (Astralwerks)
Talib Kweli & Hi Tek: Reflection Eternal (Rawkus)

jill scott maybe going to be the most underrated

great year for dilla beats

deej once again proving he is more hip hop than anyone else here by repping Coldplay

must be all the hip hop critics voting in pnj that got it on the list

I ri-l-l-l-y overrated Music at the time.

all real headz vote for madonna

First place: Eminem.

Second place: Outkast
Third place: Queens of the Stone Age
Great opening song; the rest sadly never really clicked with me: Merle Haggard
People may or may not be surprised to know that I didn't disklike these last time I heard them: Kid A (better than OK Computer, I thought); Jurassic Five

Mama's Gun, without even looking at the rest of the list.

After looking at the rest of the list, only Magnolia, Common and maybe Badly Drawn Boy would've contended. Also Radiohead for the only album of theirs I still listen to.

I voted for Primal Scream. Even the dopey rap on "Pills" can't stop this one from making my ears bleed (in a good way).

What I actually voted for that year, apparently:

1 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP Aftermath/Interscope 18 listen
2 Everclear Songs From an American Movie: Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile Capitol 16 own it!
3 Bring It On Playtone/Epic/Sony Soundtrax 12
4 I-F Mixed Up in the Hague Vol. 1 Panama import 10
5 Angel in Heavy Syrup Angel in Heavy Syrup IV Monotremata 10
6 DJ P & DJ Z-Trip Uneasy Listening (Against the Grain Vol. 1) djpmix.com 8
7 Daphne and Celeste We Didn't Say That! Universal import 8
8 Queens of the Stone Age R Interscope 7
9 OutKast Stankonia LaFace / Arista 6 listen
10 Chicks on Speed Chicks on Speed Will Save Us All! Chicks on Speed

Ps) I just noticed this morning that 50 Cent is on that *Bring It On* soundtrack. When it came out and I voted for it, I don't think I had any idea who he was.

Supreme Clientele.

Does anybody have a real/non-kneejerk opinion about that Nick Hornby/Stephen King-beloved Marah album? I've always assumed they'd be pretty dull, but maybe I'm wrong. Scott Seward called them pub-rock in a Voice piece once, which makes me a little bit intrigued. Just got an advance of their new album in the mail, and was actually considering listening to it. Either way, it's still weird they did that well in Pazz & Jop I think.

Hmm, it's too bad Kandia Crazy Horse doesn't post here anymore; she put it at second place on her list.

er, on her ballot, rather.

Stuck between Radiohead and D'Angelo, a dilemma I never thought I'd face.

Still love that PJ album. As usual, the Voice makes it seem like a weak, bland year, when it was nothing of the sort.

Amon Tobin * Supermodified (Ninja Tune)
Asian Dub Foundation * Community Music (London)
Sussan Deyhim * Madman Of God: Divine Love Songs of the Persian Sufi Masters (CramWorld)
Nação Zumbí * Radio S.AMB.A. (Stern's Brasil)
Ampop * Nature Is Not A Virgin (R&R Iceland)
16 Horsepower * Secret South (Razor & Tie)
Nina Nastasia * Dogs (Socialist)
Eleni Mandell * Thrill (Space Baby)
The Delgados * The Great Eastern (Chemikal Underground)
Eels * Daisies of the Galaxy (Dreamworks)
Mum * Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is Okay (Tugboat)
Soul Center II (W.v.B.)
The White Stripes * De Stijl (Sympathy For the Record Industry)
Calexico * Hot Rail (Quarterstick)
The Black Heart Procession * Three (Touch & Go)
Grandaddy * The Sophtware Slump (V2)
Mundo Livre S.A. * Por Pouco (Abril)
The Kingsbury Manx (Overcoat)
Various * Caipirissima: Batucada Eletronica (Caipirinha)
Hawksley Workman * For Him And The Girls (Isadora/Ba Da Bing)
John Vanderslice * Mass Suicide Occult Figurines (Barsuk)
The Concretes * Boyoubetterunow (Up)
Poem Rocket * Psychogeography (Atavistic)
The Czars * Before But Longer (Bella Union)
Leila * Courtesy Of Choice (XL)
The Russian Futurists * The Method Of Modern Love (Upper Class)

Chuck Prophet - The Hurting Business
Matthew Ryan - Concussion
The Innocence Mission - Birds of My Neighborhood

Favorite at the time = Yo La Tengo.

Current favorite = PJ Harvey.

Also like (in order) = Radiohead, Badly Drawn Boy, OutKast, Sleater-Kinney, Grandaddy, Sigur Ros. (Have heard Elliott Smith a bunch of times, but I don't think I own it.)

My #1 record of 2000, not mentioned in Pazz and Jop = Tara Jane O'Neil, Peregrine.

Others missing = Modest Mouse, The Moon and Antarctica; Blonde Redhead, Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons; Phoenix, United; Belle and Sebastian, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant; David Grubbs, The Spectrum Between; Dirty Three, Whatever You Love, You Are.

See, I love Gaucho! I'm a dedicated student in the Steely-Dan-are-more-subversive-as-Chuck-Mangione-manques school. Most of the TAN stuff seemed inert; I blame Fagen's singing.

But TAN is quite Chuck Mangione-(thank god)manqué.

I worship the man but doesn't it seem like Xgau's singles list started to get lazy with this decade, top tenning too many cuts from his fave albums? Who's going to tell us about things like Cheryl "Pepsii" Riley: "Child (The Confrontation Mix)?"

D'Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin) - Where are the...well, not songs but (how about) Tricky-like details? And p.s. what is this man doing for $?

i know im arguing w/ kevin bozo here but dude ... have you listened to R&B? what does tricky have to do with it?

i also dont hear all these 'details' in tricky

I was referring to:

It also kinda puts me in mind to what an american Tricky might sound like.

-- JN$OT, Monday, October 22, 2007 2:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

And what R&B does Voodoo sound like? Apart from "Untitled," (LOVE your comment re: this above, Rev!), it's closer to the tangential musics grouped under the heading "electronica" than even the weirdest Marvin Gaye record.

It's true name is Doodoo, by the way. (It's true! Even look at the CD cover. It starts with the same letter the Detroit Tigers use on their hats.)

I remember that I-F album being fairly seamless, but I can't claim I've played it for a few years. More likely you're right, and I just thought the instrumentals were lovely (as Italo-disco ones tend to be). Had no idea it was worth lots of money. I'm usually clueless about that sort of thing anyway.

That M2M album is indeed really really good, though.

50 or so more I still haven't mangaged to get rid of yet (give or take a couple; I keep losing count):

(Various) – Blessed By The Night: The Dark Metal Compilation (SPV)
Kandi – Hey Kandi… (Columbia)
Electric Wizard – Dopethrone (The Music Cartel)
D.A.D. – Everything Glows (EMI)
Fat Boy Slim – On The Floor Of The Boutique (Skint/Astralwerks mix album)
Lifter Puller – Fiestas + Fiascos (The Self-Starter Foundation)
Mammoth Volume – Noara Dance (The Music Cartel)
(Various) – Brassic Beats (Skint)
(Various) – Bhangra Beatz (Naxos World)
Dropkick Murphys – Sing Loud Sing Proud! (Hellcat)
Nelly – Country Grammar (Universal)
Bleed – Motor Psycho (Musick)
Atmosphere – Lucy Ford (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Ashes To Ashes – Big Moving Parts (Ata Boy!)
Joe Dee Messina – Burn (Curb)
Fermin Muguruza – FM 99.00 Dub Manifest (Piranha)
(Various) – Coyote Ugly (Curb)
Sandy Knox – Pushin’ 40, Never Married, No Kids (American Originals)
The Almighty – The Almighty (Sanctuary)
Field Mob – 613: Ashy To Classy (MCA)
James Carter - Layin’ In The Cut (Atlantic)
Leatherface – Horsebox (BYO)
Hoku – Hoku (Geffen)
Ludacris – Back For The First Time (Def Jam South)
Ghoultown – Tales From The Dead West (Angry Planet)
FSK – International (Catamount)
Gilberto Gil & Milton Nascimento – Gil & Milton (Atlantic)
Rebecca Lynn Howard – Rebecca Lynn Howard (MCA Nashville)
Evolotto – 1776 (Sin Klub)
The Modernist – Explosion (Matador)
Eminem – Fucking Yzarc (unlabeled bootleg)
Bosco Fr – Paramour (Dmaft)
Sara Evans – Born To Fly (RCA)
Earthlings? – Earthlings? (Man’s Ruin)
The Distillers – The Distillers (Hellcat)
Boulder – Ravage And Savage (Tee Pee)
Marumari – The Wolves Hollow (Carpark)
Earthlings? – Human Beans (Man’s Ruin)
(Various) – The Drastic Jungle Project (Insomniac)
The Damage Manual – The Damage Manual (Invisible/Caroline EP)
Lungfish – Necrophones (Dischord)
Lil’ Wayne – Lights Out (Cash Money/Universal)
Danni Leigh – A Shot Of Whiskey & A Prayer (Monument)
Green Day – Warning (Reprise)
Nelly Furtado – Whoa, Nelly! (Dreamworks)
Donna The Buffalo – Positive Friction (Sugar Hill)
(Various) – Clicks + Cuts (Mille Plateaux)
Dead Meadow – Dead Meadow (Tolotta)
Amorphis – Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Relapse)
Appolyon Sun – Sub (Mayan)

StankoniaOutkast is so overrated.

20 reissues:

Dion – King Of The New York Streets (The Right Stuff reissue)
Louis Armstrong – West End Blues: The Very Best of The Hot Fives and Hot Sevens (Music Club reissue)
(Various) – Machine Soul: An Odyssey Into Electronic Dance Music (Rhino reissue)
Deep Purple – The Very Best Of (Warner Archives/Rhino reissue)
MC5 – The Big Bang!: The Best Of (Rhino reissue)
Isley Brothers – The Original (Epic/Legacy reissue)
The English Beat – The Best Of: Beat This! (Go Feet/London)
(Various) – Gimme Indie Rock (K-Tel reissue)
(Various) – Ohm: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music: 1948-1980 (Ellipsis Arts reissue)
Devo – Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology (Warner Archives/Rhino reissue)
Sam Cooke – The Man Who Invented Soul (one-disc version (Atlantic promo reissue)
Ornette Coleman – The Complete Science Fiction Sessions (Columbia/Legacy reissue)
Ian Hunter – Once Bitten Twice Sky (Columbia reissue)
Motorhead – The Chase Is Better Than The Catch: The Singles A & B’s (Castle reissue)
(Various) – Harry Smith’s Anthology Of American Folk Music: Volume Four (Revenant reissue)
Fela Kuti – The Best Best Of (MCA/Barclay reissue)
(Various) – Homework No. 4: U.S. DIY-Punk/Grind LPs R-Z (Hyped To Death reissue)
(Various) – Cool Jazz For Hot Nights (Candid reissue)
ESG – A South Bronx Story (Universal Sound reissue)
Confederate Railroad – Rockin’ Country Party Pack (Atlantic reissue)

Dude, Voodoo sounds like an innumerable amount of vaguely proggy 70's R&B records.

The only point I can think of where it even veers toward "electronica" is "Devil's Pie" which is basically the starting-point for the Jaxon-beloved trip-hop-influenced "micro-soul" sub-genre, but even that is still quite clearly r&b.

Where's Whoa, Nelly?

Voodoo sounds like an innumerable amount of vaguely proggy 70's R&B records.

Such as...

But really, I was just responding to John's Tricky comment which I don't think is so outlandish. I don't HATE the record. Just don't wear it in my heart. Or anywhere else, really (ass most definitely included).

Everything from Stevie Wonder to Mandrill to Return to Forever.

Fela Kuti – The Best Best Of (MCA/Barclay reissue)

Oh yeah, and this. Yep, it was this and Lazy Dog's deep house for me this year.

Bottles goin off in the church, we broke the wine
slapped the pastor, didn't know Pop had asthma
He pulled out his blue bible, change fell out his coat
Three condoms, two dice, one bag of dope
Oooh! Rev. ain't right, his church ain't right
Deacon is a pimp, tell by his eyes
Mrs. Parks said, "Brother Starks, meet you at the numbers spot
Heard you got red tops out, and I want a lot"
Shirley fainted dead on the spot
Two ushers slipped eighty dollars right out the pot

Dociousaliexpifragilisticalisuper

yeah, since Chuck mentioned it, Lifter Puller's Fiestas + Fiascos was my No. 1 for the year then and now. One of my Top 5 of the decade, easy.

i know im arguing w/ kevin bozo here but dude ... have you listened to R&B? what does tricky have to do with it?

Hai Dom, how ya doin’?

Dude, Voodoo sounds like an innumerable amount of vaguely proggy 70's R&B records.

The only point I can think of where it even veers toward "electronica" is "Devil's Pie" which is basically the starting-point for the Jaxon-beloved trip-hop-influenced "micro-soul" sub-genre, but even that is still quite clearly r&b.

Actually, I think the good Rev is right: i.e., much of Doodoo is kinda reminiscent of late '70s Marvin, for one.

BTW, just to clarify: I don't think D'angelo sounds much like Tricky at all. However, his album does display a somewhat similarly spacey, paranoid, fucked-up kinda mood, ya know--then again, so does Marvin’s Here My Dear, duh; R&B vs. dub: FITE!

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/641/electronicaop6.jpg

FYI: There was originally a tabulation error for this poll. It was subsequently corrected. American III: Solitary Man by Johnny Cash actually finished 37th, moving everything below it down a notch and ousting Reflection Eternal from the top 40. Also as a heads up, there was a similar error for the 2001 albums poll. Mary J Blige's No More Drama finished 40th rather than Tool's Lateralus.

I was wondering why Kweli was 40 on one page and 41 on another, thanks for the clarification.

lol @ smokey quiet stormtronica

smokey robinsonica

Interesting. But when you actually click to see who voted for the Cash record, there are only 25 voters listed; as opposed to the 27 listed on the top 40 page. Where's Chuck? We demand a recount, dammit!

xxxp

More points per ballot.

Oops, misread that. Ignore.

From what I recall, the extra votes came from people who voted simply for Solitary Man rather than American III: Solitary Man. When the mistake was discovered, the main list was updated but perhaps it was too much trouble to change the critics voted for page.

Sussan Deyhim * Madman Of God: Divine Love Songs of the Persian Sufi Masters (CramWorld)

Nice pick! I also like Myra Melford's Dance Beyond the Color from that year, which features some great harmonium playing.

I knew that Tricky comparison sounded familiar. Xgau:

Voodoo [Virgin, 2000]
Forget the Prince and Marvin stuff--this deeply brave and pretentious record signifies like a cross between lesser Tricky and Sly's Riot Goin' On.

But what does he know? Right?

For more on Smokey Robinson, check out:

David Toop - Sugar and Poison Soul Ballads CD

Jesus Saves

I was at Radio City for Q-Tip, who didn't show. R&B Jesus I was just checking out. D'Angelo isn't a songwriter, not really; the Marvin comparisons are the exaggerations of r&b faithful yearning to be led out of the wilderness, and the ridiculously long-aborning Voodoo is self-indulgent and riddled with blank spots. This boded poorly for his stage ethos. Well, I joshed, at least he'll take off his shirt.

D'Angelo did take off his shirt, but I doubt even the girls who went crazy truly needed it on top of two-and-a-half unfailingly generous hours. Blank spots were nonexistent--songs averaged well over 10 minutes, and when they ended the audience had a harder time catching its breath than a band that included superbassist Pino Palladino, Roots drummer ?uestlove, three backup singers with their own lives, and appropriately breathtaking brass: trumpet luminaries Roy Hargrove and Russell Gunn, widely traveled trombonist Frank Lacy, and a sax man from Martinique who spieled in French and looked like Chris of 'N Sync.

I name these sidepeople because the best funk band in the universe deserves some props. On Voodoo, "Devil's Pie" is a touch hokey; with Pallodino vibrating the chandeliers, it instantly established that this was going to be some night. Slow ones started warm and turned torrid; "Chicken Grease" and "Spanish Joint" and "Shit Damn Motherf*cker" were seismic from jump street. D'Angelo sang and danced and preached and flexed and crooned and humped the floor and covered Roberta Flack and snapped a mike stand in two and danced and sang and sang some more. Everything meshed; all stops were pulled out. It was already the greatest concert I'd seen in years when Redman and Method Man propelled the climactic "Left and Right" through the vaulted ceiling. I flashed on P-Funk's "Sadie," Apollo 1981. What a privilege to experience such a thing again.

I saw Marvin Gaye at this venue shortly before he was murdered, and it was no contest. Gaye was fine, but self-indulgent and riddled with blank spots. Totally committed, D'Angelo betrayed neither weakness nor ego--and gave so much Thursday that Friday he canceled with a sore throat I absolutely believe was the truth. He was r&b Jesus, and I'm a believer. Travel to another city to see him now.

Village Voice, Mar. 28, 2000

I recall talking to two rabid R&B fans at the time who had recently seen D'Angelo live. They told me that the only song that was faithful to the album version was (shock!) "Untitled." The rest he "mixed up" and "it was waaaay better than the album."

I never got to see him live (any boots floating around?). But I posted that Xgau comment SOLELY to show that a Tricky comparison is not beyond the pale not to "prove" that D'Angelo is awful or whatever. Sheesh.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Weird, I had totally forgotten about that Xgau review when I made the Tricky comparison. I guess der Dean's opinions have been encoded into my DNA after all these years. The horror! The horror!

I caught D'Angelo outdoors at Pier 62/63 in Seattle that summer and it was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Dude ended the first set by trashing the drum kit along w/?uestlove, meaning it was both the best R&B and the best punk show I saw that year.

I guess der Dean's opinions have been encoded into my DNA after all these years.

I hear ya!

Matos, penny for your thoughts on the album?

Love the album, though it took a while. Haven't played it in ages, though.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Who voted for Shelby Lynne? You win one of those big Hershey Kisses.

And apparently my pal Deej forgot about Dre.

all the Kid A voters stayed mum for a reason, eh ?

they can stray from the In Rainbows thread just long enough to click and vote but not long enough to type anything.

jurassic 5 lol

all the Kid A voters stayed mum for a reason, eh ?

All the voters for ALL the poll winners stay mum.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That is all.

Sigur Ros: Agaetis Bryjun (Fatcat/Bubblecore) 0

^ LOLLERCOASTER

i didnt forget about dre, wtf

deej said he was voting for Dre and voted for Jurassic 5, roffle

haha! but seriously who tf voted for that

i had a 5 cd'er friend with one of those trunk disc changers he was too lazy to change and all i heard hopping in his car(before i changed to the radio) was 'quality control' and some david bowie comp for like two years. he now has some fancy sirius hookup, it's just not fair.

Good lord! I demand that the Travis, Magnolia and Marah voters out themselves! Who's with me?