Fall, Glimmer, Sparkle and Fade

:: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 ::

Here is, in my humble opinion, a list of the best albums put out last year. Along with the album and a very small description I've also included what I think is the best track. Take a few minutes for each artist, download that track and give it a listen. It's an easy way to discover some great music. Enjoy.


Top 20 of 2002

1. Bruce Springsteen ‘The Rising’
- Bruuuuuuuuuuce came back in a HUGE way this past year. Being from Jersey I was born a Springsteen fan, but his last few records really weren’t up to par. Ironically enough this was the best album he has made since the last time he recorded with the E-Street Band: Born in the USA. I can say with all certainty that ‘The Rising’ is his best record to date. Why don’t you own this album?
Standout Track: My City of Ruins


2. Audioslave ‘Audioslave’
- The supergroup to end all supergroups. Chris Cornell takes Morello and Co. places they would have never been able to go if they were still Rage Against the Machine.
Standout Track: I Am The Highway


3. Our Lady Peace ‘Gravity’
- How aboot them Canadian rockers, eh? Armed with a new guitarist (Steven Mazur) and a new producer (Bob Rock) these guys finally recorded an album that comes somewhat close to capturing their amazing live show.
Standout Track: Innocent


4. Phantom Planet ‘The Guest’
- This has to be the catchiest album on the list. If you listen to any of these songs and aren’t humming them the rest of the day then you’ve got major issues.
Standout Track: One Ray of Sunlight


5. Bleu ‘Redhead’
- Another ridiculously catchy album. This isn’t your typical singer/songwriter album, with virtually every song arranged with a full band.
Standout Track: Could Be Worse


6. Ryan Adams ‘Demolition’
- Get to know Ryan Adams as soon as you can, because he might not be making music for much longer. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t kill himself in the next couple years. He is the only songwriter, however, whose demos (thus the name of the record) can be better than his last full length album.
Standout Track: Nuclear


7. Joseph Arthur ‘Redemption’s Son’
- The most amazing musician you’ve never heard of. Arthur certainly isn’t a young chicken and has been doing what he’s doing long before the singer/songwriter genre came back into the spotlight. It’s a good 16 track record that could have been amazing at 12 tracks.
Standout Track: Honey and the Moon


8. Foo Fighters ‘One By One’
- Any record Dave Grohl writes will have a spot on my Top 20 list. This isn’t his best work, but an average album from him is better than some bands premier albums.
Standout Track: Times Like These


9. Counting Crows ‘Hard Candy’
- This list is full of bands who put out really good records this past year, but who have put out GREAT records in the past. Counting Crows are one of those bands. ‘Hard Candy’ is a solid record, but can’t match up with ‘August and Everything After’ or ‘Recovering the Satellites’. Oddly enough, the most popular song (“Big Yellow Taxi”) was nothing more than a hidden track before the label decided Duritz and Co. should re-record it with Vanessa Carlton.
Standout Track: Goodnight L.A.


10. The Juliana Theory ‘Love’
- 2.04.03. Mark down that date because that’s when this album is going to be in stores. I’ve had it for months, but it kept getting pushed back by their label. I’m sure there will be the typical backlash from some of their long time fans because money was actually put into the production of this record, but it’s one of the most eclectic albums on this list.
Standout Track: Jewel to Sparkle


11. Goo Goo Dolls ‘Gutterflower’
- This is the album they should have made after ‘A Boy Named Goo’.
Standout Track: Sympathy


12. Rhett Miller 'The Instigator’
- The voice of The Old 97’s, Rhett’s debut solo album is better than anything he ever did with his band.
Standout Track: Our Love


13. Something Corporate ‘Leaving Through the Window’
- They’re emo. No, they’re punk. No, they’re pop-punk. Today everyone’s in a rush to classify bands, but Something Corporate is the perfect example of why that’s a waste of time. It doesn’t matter what your ‘genre’ is. Good music is good music. And they’re pretty damn good.
Standout Track: Woke Up In a Car


14. Good Charlotte ‘The Young and the Hopeless’
- The first ‘punk’ record comes in at #14. Some would argue it isn’t quite punk, but TRL or no TRL this is a damn good album. It does what every good album should do: it’s catchy, upbeat and FUN.
Standout Track: Wondering


15. Matchbox Twenty ‘More Than You Think You Are’
- Did you ever listen to an album and be completely unimpressed and then listen to it a few more times and come away with a completely different outlook? That was the case with me and this album.
Standout Track: Unwell


16. Tori Amos ‘Scarlet’s Walk’
- Similar to Joseph Arthur’s album, this has a ton of tracks. Unlike Arthur’s, there isn’t one I’d take off. Tori is one of the most unique and talented artists in all of music and you are doing yourself an injustice if you don’t have one of her albums in your collection.
Standout Track: ‘Amber Waves’


17. Ben Folds ‘Ben Folds Live’
- This would be higher, but some people had objected to me even having a Live album on this list. Ben is an amazing writer and an even better performer, so I had to put this record on here. It also comes with a DVD that has video of a handful of the songs on the album along with extra tracks not included on the CD.
Standout Track: Fred Jones Pt. 2


18. Riddlin’ Kids ‘Hurry Up and Wait’
- This album is even more fun than Good Charlotte. Fun. Fun. Fun.
Standout Track: I Feel Fine


19. Chevelle ‘Wonder What’s Next’
- This is most certainly the loudest album on the list. Unlike a lot of the ‘loud’ bands, the Chevelle brothers are extremely talented. Despite the screaming, they show they can actually sing! God forbid.
Standout Track: Family System


20. Coldplay ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’
- I’m not in love with this band as much as most people, but it’s hard to deny the fact that their albums belong on everyone’s Top 20. Even if it is the last spot.
Standout Track: Green Eyes

For reference, here's my Top 20 for 2001:

1. Pete Yorn 'musicforthemorningafter'
2. Travis 'The Invisible Band'
3. Better Than Ezra 'Closer'
4. Ben Folds 'Rockin the Suburbs'
5. John Mayer 'Room for Squares'
6. Jude 'King of Yesterday'
7. Ryan Adams 'Gold'
8. Tenacious D 'Tenacious D'
9. Flickerstick 'Welcoming Home the Astronauts'
10. Starsailor 'Love is Here'
11. Our Lady Peace 'Spiritual Machines'
12. Star64 'You May Be Beautiful'
13. Cousin Kevin 'Coming Back From Yesterday'
14. Remy Zero 'The Golden Hum'
15. Train 'Drops of Jupiter'
16. Something Corporate 'Audio Boxer EP'
17. American Hi-Fi 'American Hi-Fi'
18. Matthew Jay 'Draw'
19. Dashboard Confessional 'Places You Have Come to Fear'
20. Jimmy Eat World 'Bleed American'

:: Ryan 12:12 AM [+] ::
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