Albums of the Aughts: The Top 10

Over the course of the past year or so, I've been going through my CD collection to highlight my favorite albums from each year of the decade. Here, then, are the best of the best, for the first time ranked in order of preference (which was very difficult). There probably aren't many surprises if you've read this blog much at all, especially in the past couple years. The one thing that stood out most to me in compiling the list is there are three covers albums on the list, starting with …

10. “Renegades,” Rage Against the Machine (2000)

There’s something to be said for going out on top, and RATM certainly did just that with this hammerfist of a record. Tom Morello’s guitar squalls on opener “Microphone Fiend” still sound as incendiary today as they did when I first blasted this album at maximum volume in college. And that’s just the first track; Morello continues to bring the heavy all the way through, on standout cuts like “Pistol Grip Pump,” “I’m Housin’,” “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” “Maggie’s Farm,” and, of course, the spectacular Springsteen cover “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” One of the seminal bands of the ’90s, Rage kicked off the aughts by saving their best for last.

9. “Pearl Jam,” Pearl Jam (2006)

Though my love for Pearl Jam in the aughts was more about the concert experience than the studio albums, this release remains one of my favorites of the decade. After two subpar albums, the band found its footing again with a back-to-basics approach. “Pearl Jam” highlights all the things I love about Pearl Jam and propelled the band into one of the best periods of its career. The album’s heavily partisan lyrics forced it down in my rankings over time, but nevertheless this record is a monster, without a single weak track (yes, I’ve even come around on “Army Reserve”). Even after hundreds of listens, it still gets my blood pumping.

8. “American V: A Hundred Highways,” Johnny Cash (2006)

Cash’s posthumous final American Recordings release is also my favorite. It’s an intimate look at the Man in Black in his last days—at his most fragile (opener “Help Me,” “If You Could Read My Mind”) and defiant (“God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” “Like the 309,” “Further On (Up the Road)”). The most striking track for me, though, remains “I Came to Believe,” in which Cash poignantly summarizes his Christian faith in just 3 minutes, 45 seconds. In that one song you hear the peace that passes all understanding, and you understand how Cash found the strength to record one of his greatest albums in the face of imminent death.

7. “Elephant,” The White Stripes (2003)

There are at least four albums Jack White produced this decade I considered for this list. “Elephant” isn’t perfect, but nothing White does ever is. It’s part of his slapdash charm, actually. More than any other White record in the aughts, though, “Elephant” is the one I always come back to. It has everything I want in a White Stripes CD: Sprawling guitar epics like “Seven Nation Army,” “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself,” and “Ball and Biscuit”; smoking rockers like “Black Math” and “Hypnotize”; and childish playful tracks like “In the Cold, Cold Night” and “It’s True That We Love One Another.” I was shocked by its breadth and depth on the very first listen, and “Elephant” only got better with age.

6. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” Wilco (2002)

This is the album that keeps on giving. More than seven years after its release, different songs continue to speak to me in new ways. A few years back it was “Ashes of American Flags”; this year it was “Poor Places”; in 2012 it’ll probably be “Radio Cure,” my least favorite track. “Foxtrot” is the album Jeff Tweedy had been building up to for his entire career, and it cost him dearly—his health, bandmates, a record deal. But the result is a dense, difficult, rewarding experience of seemingly bottomless potential and modern classics at just about every turn.

5. “Boxer,” The National (2007)

I keep looking for a song I don’t like on The National’s most recent and best album, and I just can’t find one. When I’m forced to call wonderful tracks like “Ada,” “Gospel,” and “Guest Room” some of my “least” favorite entries on the album, well, then it must be a pretty special CD. “Boxer” is so powerful, in fact, I can’t just listen to it any old time; it’s reserved for when I really need it—either to focus on a difficult task, or to just relax and do nothing but disappear inside some of my favorite music of this or any decade.

4. “Raising Sand,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2007)

The biggest surprise of the decade, “Raising Sand” combined two of my favorite voices into one of the most beautiful albums I’ve ever heard. Plant and Krauss don’t so much complement one another as intertwine in some otherworldly realm that could’ve been dreamed up in a Led Zeppelin song. Neither one outshines the other, yet both have spectacular moments to call their own (specifically, “Nothin’” for Plant and “Trampled Rose” for Krauss). “Raising Sand” is risk and reward, personified.

3. “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea,” PJ Harvey (2000)

PJ Harvey’s turn-of-the-century masterpiece was a constant companion this decade. This monumental album adapted itself perfectly to any situation, whether I was on a long drive or an all-night study bender. From the clarion call of opener “Big Exit” to the ethereal mist of closer “We Float,” Harvey tapped every facet of her talent and sound over the course of 12 supple, spectacular tracks. She’s never been better—before or since.

2. “Sink or Swim,” The Gaslight Anthem (2007)

To paraphrase “High Fidelity’s” Rob Gordon, so much of rock and roll is about pain, suffering, heartbreak, depression. The Gaslight Anthem acknowledge that pain, they absorb it, and they move on. In a decade that saw so much fear and suffering, TGA was a beacon of joy at the end of the long tunnel of these past 10 years—genuine hope emanating from deep empathy and a determination that, no matter what, these dark times won’t beat us down and suck all the pleasure out of life.

Frontman Brian Fallon’s lyrics on his band’s debut album are essentially several different meditations on this central theme. Though “we always love the sad, sad songs” most of Fallon’s own on this record boil down to the last line of the first verse of the first song: “I thought about how fortunate I feel to be alive.” As a fellow Christian, these are words to live by.

1. “The ’59 Sound,” The Gaslight Anthem (2008)

Gaslight’s first album brought all sorts of comparisons to other bands, both peers and predecessors. “The ’59 Sound,” to these ears, ended those comparisons. It’s aptly christened, as this stripped-down, reverb-drenched album of the decade saw the band manifest the soul-music-as-punk-rock vibe they carry around in their hearts.

I don’t know what else I can say at this point other than I simply love, love, love this record. It fits any mood, any occasion, any requirement of circumstance. I return to it for energy, for joy, for peace, for renewal. It is my favorite album of this decade, and the next 10 years will be hard pressed to better it.

Albums of the Aughts: 2008

My 2008 was without question dominated by The Gaslight Anthem, who released one of my favorite albums of all time. That doesn’t mean there weren’t other outstanding CDs that managed to horn in on TGA’s spotlight, though. They are:

“Attack and Release,” The Black Keys

I was initially disappointed with the duo’s latest effort, because with Danger Mouse at the helm I expected … more. Instead, “Attack and Release” basically sounds like any other Keys album, with a few subtle twists (like flute! and banjo!). After it sinks in, the album settles just fine, with standout tracks like “I Got Mine,” “Psychotic Girl,” “Remember When (Side B),” “Oceans and Streams,” and my …

Favorite Track: “Strange Times”

[original review]

“The ’59 Sound,” The Gaslight Anthem

For their second album, The Gaslight Anthem fully manifest their mission to turn classic R&B and soul music into punk rock with an ear for pop accessibility. With its lo-fi, reverb-drenched feel, this is an album that matches its writers’ old souls. Every song is good and more than half are great, making repeated listens not just a must, but a joy. With this record, the band shed all comparisons and fully crystallized their own sound. More than a year later, it continues to reward.

Favorite Track: “The ’59 Sound”

[first review]

[second review]

“Senor and the Queen” EP, The Gaslight Anthem

Stunningly, “The ’59 Sound” was the other great record this New Jersey quartet released in 2008. This EP offers up four of the band’s best songs, and provides a good transition from the more straightforward punk of their 2007 debut to the soul/punk of the next album—“Senor and the Queen” sounds like “The ’59 Sound” minus the reverb. And have they ever delivered a better mission statement than the title track? “We’ll bury these old ghosts here …” indeed.

Favorite Track: “Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?”

“The Odd Couple,” Gnarls Barkley

Wow, possibly the most underrated album of the decade. Though it didn’t have a breakout smash like the duet’s stunning 2006 debut, “The Odd Couple” also eschews “St. Elsewhere’s” spacey detours. Gnarls’ second effort is a more cohesive album, focusing on Cee Lo’s evocative depth in soul singing. It may not be quite as frenetic an affair as the previous record (“Run,” aside), but that’s fine by me. Never understood why this second great album from Gnarls Barkley didn’t get more attention.

Favorite Track: “A Little Better”

“Stay Positive,” The Hold Steady

“Constructive Summer” opens this album with an explosive guitar riff, and The Hold Steady never look back over the course of 14 sprawling, brawling tracks of good ol’ rock and roll. Frontman Craig Finn’s lyrics put up a barrier between me and his music, but that doesn’t mean these songs don’t speak to me as pure grooves. Though 2006’s “Boys and Girls in America” is considered the band’s best work, I slightly prefer this record for its broader sound and changes in direction. There are still big rockers like the aforementioned “Summer” and “Sequestered in Memphis,” but there are also tender numbers like “Lord, I’m Discouraged” and my …

Favorite Track: “Both Crosses”

[original review]

“Only by the Night,” Kings of Leon

Ironic that Kings of Leon’s weakest album of their past three was the one that finally made them superstars in the U.S. “Weakest” is a relative term, though. The first half of “Only by the Night” is outstanding and as good as the Kings have ever been; it’s the second half that falters, with one too many slow songs bogging things down. Still, these are nitpicks. “Only by the Night” was a breakthrough because it delivers a handful of outstanding tracks, namely “Closer,” “Manhattan,” “Use Somebody,” “Sex on Fire” (though, yes, it’s silly) and my …

Favorite Track: “Crawl” (also the first KOL song I heard—live and in person)

[original review]

“Konk,” Kooks

No slippage here for these spry Brits, who followed up an outstanding 2006 debut with something even better. “Konk” is almost painful it’s such a perfect pop/rock record. It’ll put a smile on your face, get your head bobbing, and your toe tapping. Start to finish, this CD is just fun, with hooks, melodies, and harmonies to spare. The Kooks are one of the more underrated bands of the decade (at least in the U.S.).

Favorite Track: “Love It All”

“Red of Tooth and Claw,” Murder by Death

I covered everything I love about this album a few weeks ago. To sum up: The dark vocals of Adam Turla and the haunting electric cello of Sarah Balliet combine to make modern cowboy songs unlike anything else I’ve heard this decade.

Favorite Track: “Fuego!” (but this changes all the time)

“Consolers of the Lonely,” The Raconteurs

The Raconteurs’ second album fulfills all the promises made in my head the first time I heard Jack White and Brendan Benson were teaming for an it’s-not-a-side-project. 2006’s “Broken Boy Soldier” was … nice, but was more a tease than a fulfillment of their potential. “Consolers of the Lonely,” on the other hand, is massive, with White and Benson channeling all their considerable power into 14 of my favorite tracks of the year. This is what Jack White sounds like with a full band at his disposal. Be afraid.

Favorite Track: “Carolina Drama” (but this changes all the time)

[original review]

“Mission Control,” The Whigs

For their second album, it’s like the Whigs went through my CD collection and decided to make a best-of compilation in their own words. The Athens, Ga., trio takes a whirlwind trip through the past three decades of rock and roll, delivering one of 2008’s best records. If you don’t like a particular song, just wait about three minutes because the next one won’t sound anything like it. “Mission Control” is an astounding feat for one band to take so many sharp turns in so short a span (the album clocks in at less than 40 minutes). I don’t pretend to know what the Whigs’ actual influences are, but here’s what these ears hear: Pearl Jam, The Clash, Snow Patrol, Foo Fighters, the La’s, Social Distortion, and more.

Favorite Track: “Right Hand on My Heart”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

“The Airborne Toxic Event,” The Airborne Toxic Event

“Sea Sew,” Lisa Hannigan

“The Virginia EP,” The National

“Break Up the Concrete,” The Pretenders

“Slumdog Millionaire,” soundtrack

“Dear Science,” TV on the Radio

“Twilight,” soundtrack

Albums of the Aughts: 10 for 10

Here is a compilation of my 10 favorite songs from 10 of my favorite artists of the decade. Each of these musicians/bands mark a significant period of explosive fandom in my life at some point during the past 10 years.

The criteria:

• All songs have to be from this decade (which is why PJ Harvey isn’t on here, for example).

• I had to see them in concert at least once (except for Johnny Cash, for obvious reasons).

• I had to obtain all of the albums they released this decade (which is why Murder by Death isn’t on here, for example).

• I had to follow them fervently for at least one year (which is why Kings of Leon, The Hold Steady, and Snow Patrol aren’t on here, for examples).

• They don’t necessarily have to still be one of my favorite artists/bands (which is why Chris Carrabba is on here, for example).

So, here we go …

Ryan Adams

1. I See Monsters (from 2003’s “Love Is Hell, Pt. 2”)

2. Come Pick Me Up (from 2000’s “Heartbreaker”)

3. Let It Ride (from 2005’s “Cold Roses”)

4. Rosalie Come and Go (from 2001’s “Gold” bonus disc)

5. My Love for You Is Real (from 2007’s “Follow the Lights” EP)

6. Goodnight Rose/Two/Everybody Knows (from 2007’s “Easy Tiger”)

9. Gonna Make You Love Me (from 2001’s “Gold”)

10. La Cienega Just Smiled (from 2001’s “Gold”)

Chris Carrabba

1. Vindicated (from 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” soundtrack)

2. Ender Will Save Us All (from 2000’s “The Swiss Army Romance”)

3. So Impossible (from 2001’s “So Impossible” EP)

4. Hands Down (from 2003’s “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar”)

5. The Moon Is Down (from Further Seems Forever’s “The Moon Is Down,” 2001)

6. Don’t Wait (from 2006’s “Dusk & Summer”)

7. So Beautiful (from 2003’s “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar”)

8. The Good Fight (from 2001’s “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most”)

9. In A Big Country (from 2006’s “Don’t Wait” single)

10. The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (from 2001’s “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most”)

Johnny Cash

1. God’s Gonna Cut You Down (from 2006’s “American V: A Hundred Highways”)

2. I Came to Believe (from 2006’s “American V: A Hundred Highways”)

3. I See A Darkness (from 2000’s “American III: Solitary Man”)

4. Further On (Up the Road) (from 2006’s “American V: A Hundred Highways”)

5. One (from 2000’s “American III: Solitary Man”)

6. Personal Jesus (from 2002’s “American IV: The Man Comes Around”)

7. Hurt (from 2002’s “American IV: The Man Comes Around”)

8. The Man Comes Around (from 2002’s “American IV: The Man Comes Around”)

9. On the Evening Train (from 2006’s “American V: A Hundred Highways”)

10. I Won’t Back Down (from 2000’s “American III: Solitary Man”)

The Gaslight Anthem

1. The ’59 Sound (from 2008’s “The ’59 Sound”)

2. Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis? (from 2008’s “Senor and the Queen” EP)

3. We Came to Dance (from 2007’s “Sink or Swim”)

4. Great Expectations (from 2008’s “The ’59 Sound”)

5. 1930 (from 2007’s “Sink or Swim”)

6. I’da Called You Woody, Joe (from 2007’s “Sink or Swim”)

7. I Coulda Been a Contender (from 2007’s “Sink or Swim”)

8. Miles Davis & the Cool (from 2008’s “The ’59 Sound”)

9. Film Noir (from 2008’s “The ’59 Sound”)

10. Angry Johnny and the Radio (from 2007’s “Sink or Swim”)

The National

1. Slow Show (from 2007’s “Boxer”)

2. Daughters of the Soho Riots (from 2005’s “Alligator”)

3. Fake Empire (from 2007’s “Boxer”)

4. Mansion on the Hill (from 2008’s “The Virginia EP”)

5. Lucky You (from 2003’s “Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers”)

6. Secret Meeting (from 2005’s “Alligator”)

7. Start A War (from 2007’s “Boxer”)

8. Mistaken for Strangers (from 2007’s “Boxer”)

9. About Today (from 2005’s “Cherry Tree” EP)

10. Green Gloves (from 2007’s “Boxer”)

Pearl Jam

1. Life Wasted (from 2006’s “Pearl Jam”)

2. Sad (from 2003’s “Lost Dogs”)

3. Love Reign O’er Me (2006 Christmas Single)

4. I Am Mine (from 2002’s “Riot Act”)

5. Insignificance (from 2000’s “Binaural”)

6. Unemployable (from 2006’s “Pearl Jam”)

7. Come Back (from 2006’s “Pearl Jam”)

8. Grievance (from 2000’s “Binaural”)

9. Severed Hand (from 2006’s “Pearl Jam”)

10. Arc (from 2002’s “Riot Act”)

Bruce Springsteen

1. Long Time Comin’ (from 2005’s “Devils & Dust”)

2. Nothing Man (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

3. My City of Ruins (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

4. The Rising (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

5. You’re Missing (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

6. Radio Nowhere (from 2007’s “Magic”)

7. Further On (Up the Road) (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

8. The Wrestler (from 2009’s “Working on a Dream”)

9. Lonesome Day (from 2002’s “The Rising”)

10. Mrs. McGrath (from 2006’s “We Shall Overcome”)

U2

1. Beautiful Day (from 2000’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)

2. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own (from 2004’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”)

3. Walk On (UK Single Version) (from 2001’s “Walk On” single)

4. Breathe (from 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon”)

5. Vertigo (from 2004’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”)

6. Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix) (from 2002’s “The Best of: 1990-2000”)

7. The Ground Beneath Her Feet (from 2000’s “Million Dollar Hotel” soundtrack)

8. Magnificent (from 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon”)

9. FEZ—Being Born (from 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon”)

10. City of Blinding Lights (from 2004’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”)

Jack White

1. Seven Nation Army (from The White Stripes’ “Elephant,” 2003)

2. Hello Operator (from The White Stripes’ “De Stijl,” 2000)

3. I’m Bound to Pack It Up (from The White Stripes’ “De Stijl,” 2000)

4. Icky Thump (from The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump,” 2007)

5. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (from The White Stripes’ “Elephant,” 2003)

6. Carolina Drama (from The Raconteurs’ “Consolers of the Lonely,” 2008)

7. These Stones Will Shout (from The Raconteurs’ “Consolers of the Lonely,” 2008)

8. Portland, Oregon (from Loretta Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose,” 2004)

9. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (from The White Stripes’ “White Blood Cells,” 2001)

10. Black Jack Davey (from The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” single, 2003)

Wilco

1. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

2. Company in My Back (from 2004’s “A Ghost Is Born”)

3. You Are My Face (from 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky”)

4. Impossible Germany (from 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky”)

5. I’m the Man Who Loves You (from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

6. Jesus, etc. (from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

7. Poor Places (from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

8. Ashes of American Flags (from 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

9. Kamera/War on War/Heavy Metal Drummer/Pot Kettle Black (from 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”)

Albums of the Aughts: U2

As I’ve been thinking about my 10 favorite albums of the decade, something surprised me: Despite being one of my biggest musical obsessions over the past nine years, there might not be a U2 record on that list.

I’ve already taken a look back at 2004’s exciting but flawed “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” and figured I’d do the same for 2000’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” My overall feelings toward the two records are much the same: Both have moments of utter brilliance, but also moments of missed opportunities and, in a few spots, downright filler. Here’s a track-by-track look:

“Beautiful Day”
If “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” was U2’s attempt to reclaim their “biggest band in the world” title, then they accomplished their goal in the first 4 minutes, 9 seconds of this album. “Beautiful Day” is the band’s best track of this decade, an instant classic that deservedly takes its place alongside such monsters as “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “New Year’s Day,” “One,” “Bad,” and all the rest. It set the template for the entire post-“Pop” period, reinvigorating the “old” sound but with a new, modern twist (Edge often returned to this version of his signature chiming guitar riff). It also contains one of my favorite moments in U2’s catalog, where music and lyrics mesh just perfectly; it happens at the end of the bridge, when Bono sings, “After the flood all the colors came out” and then the song reloads and explodes all over again. Nearly a decade after I first heard it, “Beautiful Day” still sounds as, well, beautiful as ever.
5 STARS

“Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”
This song is frustrating right from the get-go, starting with the unwieldy title and working all the way through the too-slick, bordering on cheesy over-production that buries one of Bono’s best lyrical efforts from this period of his career. It wasn’t until I heard the acoustic version released on the Target exclusive “7” EP in 2002 that I really fell in love with the song. Stripping away all the schmaltz allows the heart-wrenching narrative of this gem to shine through—and, actually, helped me get into the original album version, too. Put those two things together and they add up to …
4.5 STARS

“Elevation”
For some reason, U2’s frolicking uptempo hard rockers, like this song (or “Vertigo” or “Get On Your Boots,” etc.) are frowned upon by a segment of the fan community. I don’t understand it—what, U2 always has to write momentous, emotional songs? Isn’t that the same reason they’re accused of being pretentious and ponderous? They’re not allowed to have any fun? This song is a barnburner, fed by a ferocious Edge riff (it's also an instant crowd-amp). Though I wish they had used the more aggressive “Tomb Raider Mix” on the album, “Elevation” remains a latter-day rave-up classic.
5 STARS

“Walk On”
If “Beautiful Day” is 1A, then “Walk On” is 1B on the list of this album’s classic tracks. It complements the former perfectly, cementing “All That You Can’t Leave Behind’s” theme of bittersweet hope and endurance. I remember being disappointed when I first heard they were using this as their closing song on the Elevation Tour, thinking a new song couldn't possibly have the gravitas to hold such an important spot. Wow, was I wrong. Back in the old days of this decade before instant file sharing and YouTube, I actually didn’t hear the “Hallelujah” chorus they tagged onto the end of this song until I was actually in the building, and it absolutely floored me. Now, thankfully, you can hear that tag on the “single version” of “Walk On,” and it is one of my favorite minutes of any U2 song, from any decade. Though I prefer the single edit and wish it was on the album, instead, that doesn’t diminish the original cut.
5 STARS

“Kite”
A slow-burn gem, this is perhaps Bono’s best lyrical work on the album, and continues his string of tremendous vocal performances in this five-song opening stretch. Whether you interpret it about Bono’s kids, his father, or something else entirely, the song is sure to speak to you. Typically I’m not a fan of Bono’s more wordy efforts, but this is certainly the exception to the rule. Bolstered by yet another massive Edge output, “Kite” is a great track, even though I still think the little coda tarnishes it just a touch.
4.5 STARS

“In A Little While”
OK, so from here on out the “great” songs are over. “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” is terribly frontloaded, and its second half just doesn’t hold up under the weight. But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t good songs to be had, and “In A Little While” is one of them. Wonderful melody and a lighthearted change of pace make this track a winner. Every song on a U2 album doesn’t have to reach for the stars. This song is pleasantly grounded.
4 STARS

“Wild Honey”
Uh, ditto. Another infectious track that goes down easy and sits just fine. Not necessarily memorable, but, hey, it was good enough to make a Cameron Crowe soundtrack. For lesser bands, this would be a crowning achievement in pop/rock mastery; for U2, it’s just … nice.
4 STARS

“Peace on Earth”
Houston, we have a problem. After seven outstanding songs, here “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” starts to head off course. Bono lost me on the very first listen with the very first verse, surely one of the worst pieces of writing to ever make a U2 album. What’s worse, “Peace on Earth” is nothing more than a retread of the far superior “Wake Up Dead Man,” which closed “Pop” three years earlier—only here Bono’s talking all nicey-nice to God, rather than cursing at him and making demands. Match that to an utterly uninspired backing track, and you have one of the band’s worst songs. I detest this track.
1 STAR

“When I Look at the World”
One of the best U2 songs never to be played in concert (it’s only been tagged once).
4 STARS

“New York”
Of all the great songs written about the City That Never Sleeps, this is not one of them. I know U2 love NYC, but I get sick of hearing about how great it is from all corners of the entertainment community. This song kicked some serious butt on the Elevation Tour, what with those big curtain things they dropped from the ceiling and the strobe lights and all, but it’s rather forgettable on record. Certainly doesn’t do much to prop up the back half of this album.
2.5 STARS

“Grace”
If “Peace on Earth” is 1A of “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” dreck, then “Grace” is 1B. Good gracious, this is one of the worst lines Bono’s ever written: “Grace, it’s the name for a girl/It’s also a thought that changed the world.” That’s more than enough to kill this entire song, even if it wasn’t terribly dull and obvious. Another glaring hole in this record’s resume.
1 STAR

“The Ground Beneath Her Feet”
Americans got screwed with this release, because the UK version doesn’t end with “Grace,” but instead finishes with this tremendous bonus track. It first appeared earlier in the year on the soundtrack to Bono’s ill-fated movie project, “The Million Dollar Hotel” (don’t waste your time, by the way). It actually doesn’t go very well with this record; its sinewy sensuality seems more fitting to the darker soundscape of “Pop.” Either way, I absolutely love this song, especially the final minute and a half where it shifts into overdrive.
5 STARS

Much like “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” is an album of dramatic peaks and valleys; its high points are some of U2’s best work, its low points some of their worst. Thankfully, there’s much more to love about this album than despise.
Grade: A-

***

So, to get back to my original point about the whole “Albums of the Aughts” situation: Both of these records have too many flaws to make that list, but that doesn’t mean U2 didn’t do some amazing work this decade. This week I put together a U2 “Aughts” mix on my iPod and was rather stunned with the depth of quality tracks to choose from. Here’s what my playlist looks like, with five tracks from each of the band’s three albums from this decade, plus a handful of b-sides:

1. Vertigo
2. Get On Your Boots
3. Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day
6. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of (acoustic version)
7. Kite
8. The Hands That Built America
9. City of Blinding Lights
10. Walk On (single edit)
11. Electrical Storm (William Orbit mix)
12. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
13. FEZ-Being Born
14. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
15. Mercy
16. Breathe
17. Xanax and Wine
18. All Because of You
19. Original of the Species
20. I Believe in Father Christmas
21. White As Snow

Quibble about various points in various albums all you want, but that is an outstanding list of songs that stands up to either of U2’s previous two decades. You give me those 21 tracks on tour this fall, and I leave the stadium a happy man.

Albums of the Aughts: 2007

In case you couldn’t tell from this whole “Albums of the Aughts” thing, I’m an album guy. Always have been, even when albums turned into cassettes, and cassettes turned into CDs. I don’t cherry pick. If I hear a song I like, I don’t buy that song, I buy the album it’s on. If a song goes on my iPod, its surrounded by the songs the artist intended it to be surrounded by. A completist (which means I’m concerned about the death of the album, but that’s another story for another post on another day).

So that made things a little difficult looking back at 2007, which turned out for me to be a year marked more by individual songs than entire records. For some reason, there’s a whole batch of CDs here that have some incredible tracks—some of my favorites of the decade—but have some holes on their resumes, as well.

Consider Feist’s “The Reminder,” for example: It has several catchy numbers as good as you’ll find from this year, but the album’s last four songs blend into a big mush. Same thing happens with Ryan Adams’ “Easy Tiger” or the “Once” soundtrack: Amazing high points, but too many skippable tracks to be considered favorite albums on the whole. The Arcade Fire produced two of my all-time favorite songs in 2007, “Keep the Car Running” and “No Cars Go,” but I don’t feel the need to listen to the rest of “Neon Bible” all that much anymore the way I do their 2004 debut, “Funeral.”

So, the list of honorable mentions this time around is especially potent; I can’t believe some of the artists relegated to such status from this year, but I just can’t justify picking one over the others when they all suffer from the same problem. Knocking those potential slot-fillers out of the running leaves me with just eight favorite albums from 2007 …

“Sink or Swim,” The Gaslight Anthem
Labeling “Sink or Swim” a “great debut” is probably the understatement of the decade. It’s a punk classic for this millennium, as the New Jersey quartet channels Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, and R&B and soul legends of the ’60s through the filter of modern-day punk rock. Though the band would refine their sound to great effect the following year, “Sink or Swim” still stands as one of my favorite albums of the decade, an effort of near perfection from a band who made it readily apparent they were destined for greatness.
Favorite Track: “We Came to Dance”
[original review]

“Because of the Times,” Kings of Leon
“Knocked Up,” the first track on this, the Tennessee misfits’ third album, is seven minutes long. That right there is all the signal anyone ever needed that the Kings had turned a corner and weren’t looking back. Whether you like the new direction or not I guess depends on whether you like your bands to stay in the same frame for their entire careers or not; I prefer the latter, and “Because of the Times” is my favorite KOL album to date. The term “arena rock” has been turned into a pejorative over the years, due I guess to way too many imitators to the crown bands like U2 and Pearl Jam carry with ease. But the Kings effectively made the transition with this album, especially great shootin’-for-the-upper-deck tracks like “McFearless,” “Black Thumbnail,” and my …
Favorite Track: “Fans.”

“Boxer,” The National
It seems to me The National spent the aughts building to this dark masterpiece. Each of the band’s previous three albums took steps in “Boxer’s” direction, stretching their sound in new directions before unveiling in 2007 this sweeping, majestic, orchestral stunner. Frontman Matt Berninger has a rich, canyon-deep voice you can drown in, and his measured tones mix with Bryan Devendorf's melodic drumming to carry the album to melancholy perfection. This is an arresting effort you listen to with purpose (preferably on long drives through a dark night), and after pushing play on opening track “Fake Empire,” it’s basically impossible to find a place to stop. “Boxer” marked back-to-back albums produced by The National with nary a weak track; it flows perfectly from up- to down-tempo, electric to acoustic, as devastating with a whisper as it is with a bellow—all in a decidedly minor key.
Favorite Track: “Slow Show”

“Raising Sand,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
The biggest surprise of the decade? Gotta be. Seriously, whoulda thought the hedonistic former frontman of Led Zeppelin and bluegrass belle with the voice of an angel could find any common ground whatsoever, much less meld their voices together like they were born for one another? The results are simply, purely magnificent, however. Led by T. Bone Burnett, Plant and Krauss glide in and around one another over the course of these 13 tracks with a generosity that never pushes too hard or forces the issue—they just let the songs unfold naturally, easily, wonderfully. Listening to “Killing the Blues,” for example, it’s not hard to imagine the two of them looking across the studio at each other, saying as much with their eyes and ears as with their voices. When it’s all sung and done, “Raising Sand” just feels … right. It brought Krauss more attention than she’s ever had outside her home genre, and for Plant the album was a return to relevance he hasn’t had since John Bonham died nearly three decades ago. An instant classic—and, hopefully, the start of a long, long journey.
Favorite Track: “Please Read the Letter”
[original review]

“Into the Wild,” Eddie Vedder
This one took a long time to grow on me, requiring I just get over the fact it wasn’t the true solo album I was hoping for but, first and foremost, a movie soundtrack. I still wish several of the songs were given full-track treatment, but I’ve come to love the first four entries—“Setting Forth,” “No Ceiling,” “Far Behind,” and particularly “Rise”—kinda as one long song in four parts, like the rock operas Vedder loves so much. “Guaranteed,” meanwhile, took on new meaning for me seeing it performed live during EV’s two solo shows in D.C. in August. And the entire venture is worth it if nothing else than for my …
Favorite Track: the beautiful and stirring “Hard Sun,” one of Vedder’s best vocal performances.
[original review]

“Icky Thump,” The White Stripes
Jack White abandoned his unfortunate detour into marimbaland from two years earlier and returned to what he does best—melting faces—with this blood-boiling guitar manifesto. Opener “Icky Thump” is a call to arms on the six-string, and it’s followed by some of the heaviest rock-and-blues tracks the band’s recorded to date (“Bone Broke,” “Little Cream Soda,” “Catch Hell Blues”). But “Icky Thump” is more than just a return to the band’s original template. Elsewhere White taps his considerable influences to great effect on songs such as country-tinged stomper “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told),” the Irish folk tale “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn,” and the Flamenco-hammer of “Conquest.” This all culminates literally and figuratively with “Rag & Bone,” a call-and-response blues extravaganza recalling Jack and Meg’s more playful days that has the dynamic duo flaunting their ability to meld all these various pieces of musical history into a new tapestry for this millennium.
Favorite Track: “A Martyr for My Love for You”
[original review]

“Sky Blue Sky,” Wilco
With more than a year to reflect on Wilco’s most recent album, I’d best describe it as … solid. And, perhaps, a missed opportunity. That doesn’t sound like all that good a reason to be listed as a favorite album of the year, but such is the standard set by obviously one of my all-time favorite bands. There are plenty of songs to love on “Sky Blue Sky,” most notably the double shot of “You Are My Face” and “Impossible Germany.” What holds this record back, to my ears, is the confining production, which seems to dampen the sound and spirit of these tracks. It’s all a bit close for my taste, especially coming off the sonic palettes of the band’s previous two albums. Still, all that said, “Sky Blue Sky” is a good listen from start to finish, and that’s enough to push it above some of the other more scattershot albums of 2007. There’s something to be said for consistency.
Favorite Track: “You Are My Face”
[original review]

“Is Is,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Rolling off the success of 2006’s tour de force “Show Your Bones,” this five-song EP may be even better than its predecessor. The YYYs followed the same template of complicated, menacingly ethereal songwriting, blistering their way through 17.5 minutes of some of the best angular rock and roll of the decade. And this release didn’t even include the trio’s tremendous contribution to the “Spider-Man 3” soundtrack, “Sealings,” which may have just been their best song of the year! The EP made a strong showing during the aughts; “Is Is” is a testament to the format’s ability to punch you in the gut and leave you desperately wanting more.
Favorite Track: “Down Boy”
[original review]

HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Easy Tiger,” Ryan Adams
“Follow the Lights” [EP], Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
“Neon Bible,” Arcade Fire
“Favourite Worst Nightmare,” Arctic Monkeys
“The Meanest of Times,” Dropkick Murphys
“The Reminder,” Feist
“Once” [soundtrack], Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
“Kala,” M.I.A.
“Magic,” Bruce Springsteen

Albums of the Aughts: 2006

By far and away, this was my favorite year of the decade for music—at least half the records on this list are all-time favorites. I could write a whole other post just from my honorable mentions! There were so many great CDs, in fact, I’ve broken my own rule and made this a top 11, instead of a top 10. I just can’t leave any of these treasures to the side …

“Decemberunderground,” AFI
This was the album A Fire Inside had been building to for 15 years: A pure masterpiece from start to finish. Though maintaining the band’s hardcore roots, “Decemberunderground” is an expansive, genre-bending work with mainstream appeal and punk cred that flows seamlessly from one essential track to the next. Two years later, it still seems as fresh and exciting as it did on the first spin.
Favorite Track: “Prelude 12/21”
[original review]

“The Gold Record,” The Bouncing Souls
Another instant and career-culminating classic, “The Gold Record” is the Souls’ most accomplished, mature, and well-crafted album of their career (which hits 20 years in 2009). It’s a unifying, uplifting celebration of the best that music has to offer to anyone—artist and audience alike. The album plays like a humble acknowledgment of how lucky they are to be doing what they’ve been doing for so long, and how grateful they are for the opportunity. They speak for me and so many others when they holler, “We wanna say thanks to the music in our lives.”
Favorite Tracks: “So Jersey,” “For All the Unheard”
[original review]

“The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me,” Brand New
What a journey Brand New took over this decade, going from the pop/punk frivolity of their 2001 debut “Your Favorite Weapon” to this churning barnburner of an album. With its ebbs and flows and segues, “Devil and God” is meant to be heard all in one piece, punctuated by multiple highlights including “Sowing Season,” “Millstone,” “The Archers Bows Have Broken,” and …
Favorite Track: “Jesus”
[original review]

“American V: A Hundred Highways,” Johnny Cash
Cash and producer Rick Rubin saved the best for last with this posthumous American Recordings release. Though the Man in Black’s voice quavers more than it thunders, his utter defiance in the face of imminent death bleeds all over this record. It’s downright heartbreaking in several spots (“On the Evening Train,” “Help Me”), absolutely thrilling in others. Essential tracks abound, such as the foreboding Springsteen cover “Further On Up the Road” and life-defining spiritual “I Came to Believe.” But the shining moment is the thundering …
Favorite Track: “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
[original review]

“St. Elsewhere,” Gnarls Barkley
Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo blew everyone’s minds with this, one of the landmark discs of the decade. It had twists and turns, moments of grandeur and little idiosyncrasies doled out in equal parts as it broke boundaries amongst genres and listeners alike. Sure everyone remembers smash crossover hit “Crazy,” but there was much more to this album than just one awesome track, like Violent Femmes cover “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Smiley Faces,” “Go-Go Gadget Gospel,” and my …
Favorite Track: “Just A Thought.”

“Ben Kweller,” Ben Kweller
The wunderkind once again sounds mature beyond his few years on this self-titled effort in which he embraces his inner Springsteen and, amazingly, plays every single instrument. Pop, rock, country, blues—it’s all here on the singer/songwriters best work yet. Everything comes together perfectly on his open-road masterwork, one of the best songs of the decade and my …
Favorite Track: “Penny on the Train Track”
[original review]

“Pearl Jam,” Pearl Jam
I’ve written so much about this album over the past couple years (here and here, especially), I don’t know what else can be said. “Pearl Jam” remains as vibrant for me today as the first time I heard it (though I’m backing off calling it my all-time favorite PJ album, I think). It remains their most cohesive work from end to end since “Ten,” and, much like U2’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind,” stands as an assimilation of some of the best pure rock and roll produced over the past two decades. This was a make-or-break album for the band; its success will hopefully propel them into further greatness in the years to come.
Favorite Track: “Life Wasted”
[original review]

“Carnavas,” Silversun Pickups
This L.A. quartet exploded onto the scene in 2006 with a blast of fuzzy guitars and swirling riffs. With not a single track clocking in under four minutes, “Carnavas” unspools in measured, patient waves, from grinding “Well Thought Out Twinkies” to lead single “Lazy Eye” to the massive “Little Lovers So Polite” to my …
Favorite Track: the sprawling “Rusted Wheel.”

“Eyes Open,” Snow Patrol
Here Snow Patrol finished the arena rock transition they started three years earlier, delivering one of the most enjoyable records of the decade. “Eyes Open” finds a perfect balance between straightahead rock and roll (“You’re All I Have,” “It’s Beginning to Get to Me”) and tender ballads (“Chasing Cars,” “You Could Be Happy”). So I guess it’s fitting I find I can’t possibly pick between the two categories when determining my …
Favorite Tracks: “Hands Open” and “Set the Fire to the Third Bar.”
[original review]

“We Shall Overcome,” Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s career has taken some wild turns over the past 35 years, but perhaps none was more unforeseen than this inspired set of folk songs for the new millennium. Springsteen filtered the classic yarns through his own rock and roll prism and arrived at one of my favorite records he’s ever produced. By directing his huge Seeger Sessions Band on the fly during rambunctious recording sessions, “We Shall Overcome” has a freewheeling, adventurous spirit Springsteen hadn’t managed to capture on a record in more than 20 years. The amazing results are alternately infectiously fun and deadly serious, from “Old Dan Tucker” and “John Henry” to “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep” and my …
Favorite Track: “Mrs. McGrath.”
[original review—sorta]

“Show Your Bones,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
In just one record, the New York trio transitioned from its thrashy, trashy garage rock roots into a full-fledged sonic extravaganza. The upgrade in songcraft is clear right from the outset with powerhouse lead track “Gold Lion.” Lead singer Karen O rightfully receives much of the attention for her dynamic, charismatic vocal power and prowess, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are equally fueled by the guitar wizardry of Nick Zinner; it was the latter’s shredding on tracks like “Phenomena,” “Fancy,” “Cheated Hearts,” and “Mysteries” that put the band on a new plane and turned “Show Your Bones” into an album of the decade.
Favorite Track: “Gold Lion”
[original review]


HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” Arctic Monkeys
“B’Day,” Beyonce
“Modern Times,” Bob Dylan
“Whiskey on a Sunday,” Flogging Molly
"Another Fine Day," Golden Smog
“Boys and Girls in America,” The Hold Steady
“Inside In/Inside Out,” Kooks
“Idlewild,” Outkast
“Highway Companion,” Tom Petty
“Broken Boy Soldiers,” The Raconteurs
“Return to Cookie Mountain,” TV on the Radio