Best of 2004 (post your lists)

[jarmo]

This thread is for your personal music related lists of the best albums, songs, videos, music DVDs, concerts etc of 2004.

I know the year isn't over yet, but maybe some of you already know what album/concert/etc. is your favorite one of 2004.

It'd also be nice if you put some kind of comments on why you picked the album/concert/etc on your list.?


My lists:

Best albums:

1 - Mark Lanegan "Bubblegum" (He made the kind of album that I wasn't expecting. A great mix of everything.)

2- Tommy Stinson "Village Gorilla Head" (An album that came out of nowhere. After having been disappointed by some GN'R members' solo albums in the past, this one was a real surprise. No big hype, just a great record.)

3 - Velvet Revolver "Contraband" (After all the hype, I had no expectations for the VR album. I didn't know what to expect other than it wasn't going to be GN'R. I still consider the album kind of uneven and have trouble enjoying certain tracks.)

Best concerts:

1 - Mark Lanegan @ Islington Academy, London UK (800 people watching as Mark sings. No dancing or moshing, just a great voice and great songs.)

2 - Velvet Revolver @ Hammersmith Apollo, London UK (VR's first London show was better than the one I saw three weeks earlier in Stockholm.)

3 - Tommy Stinson @ Pusterviksbaren, Gothenburg, Sweden (Great to see Tommy play an acoustic show in a bar! Small crowd who had no idea who Tommy was, too bad the set was so short.)

4 - Velvet Revolver @ Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden (Crowd made up of a lot of young GN'R fans. Great show, but they were better in London.)



/jarmo

[Skeletor]

1. Pain of Salvation - 12:5
An acoustic live album that kicks all sorts of tremendous ass. Not only is Daniel Gildenl?w the most gifted vocalist ever to grace planet earth, but with two other great singers in the band, this album features some mind-blowing vocal harmonies. With interesting new arrangements of old songs and awesome musicianship, this is the best live album I've heard in my life.

2. Winds - The Imaginary Direction of Time
An avantgarde masterpiece by the Norwegian proggers. This is Art. This is Beauty.

3. Pain of Salvation - BE
An epic concept album of life, and everything there is. This is a very ambitious project by Daniel, and people have had mixed feelings about it. Most have praised it like nothing before, but I'm still kind of undecided. There are two amazing tracks in the album, but as a whole it's not a typical PoS album, this one really has to be listened to all the way through, kinda like a book.
Check out the source material Daniel used for writing the record: http://www.painofsalvation.com/be/sources.htm ...now that's a lot of books?

[Wheres Izzy]

best albums-

Bad Religion: The Empire Strikes First
Just an amazing album. On this and their previous release, "The Process of belief", I honestly believe they are peaking late in their career. You have your kick ass songs like "sinister rouge", your anthems like the title track and "let them eat war". "LA is burning", "Athiest peace", "Gods love" all also great songs. Anyone looking to get into them it wouldn't be a bad idea to get this and start working your way back through their catelogue.

Green Day: American Idiot
Theres a new thread I was reading about not knowing a band could make an album so good or bad. This is the definitive answer to that question for me. I have always thought green day were good, not great. For them to make an album this good really knocked my fucking socks off. Forget all the shit you hear about them being a "pop punk band". This is a rock album and a great one at that.

Velvet Revolver: Contraband
Not a record thats going to change your life, or the world like most of GnRs music, but none the less a kick ass rock record. Weiland doesn't have as strong a voice as he used to but is still a great vocalist surrounded by great musicians who made an album full of riffs to kick your ass in the best way.

Aerosmith: Honkin on Bobo
Not an album that garnered alot of attention from even aerosmith fans but a fun listen none the less. Mostly covers, some odd choices, but a real cool bluesy sound. They are really a well oiled machine. Everything comes off seemlessly with them and it's nice to hear them get back to playing some kick ass guitar music-even if it's not their own-after the sad state of affairs that was just push play. Hopefully it will inspire a great album the next time they go in to record original material.

I only got a chance to see one show this year which is quite lame. So I would have to say by far the best fucking show I saw this year was Bad Religion at Starland Ballroom.

[metallex78]

Velvet Revolver - Contraband
After a disappointing first couple of listens, the album's infectious melodies and Slash's understated guitar work slowly found their way into my head. A great debut which shows promise for the future. Take a tip form these guys to learn how rock n' roll should look and sound in 2004.

Anthrax - The Greater Of Two Evils
I haven't bought this yet, but I listened to the entire album via the stream I linked to in the other post I made, and even though it's a collection of old Anthrax songs, it's one of the best "old school style" new metal albums I've heard in a while. Highly recommended.

Heart Of The Matter EP - The Screaming Jets
Still Australia's hardest working and best live rock band out there today, it's sad that these guys haven't had more success than they've gotten. This EP is as solid as all of their previous releases and promises great things for their new album to come.

Damageplan - New Found Power
Allot of people wrote this album off comparing it to Pantera, but there's some great melodic stuff on there along with the usual full-on metal attack that we've come to know from Pantera.

[D]

Prince Musicology: came back with an unprecedented marketing campaign that manipulated soundscan and the charts and allowed himi to have one of his highest selling cds since the 80's, great cd with all 12 songs being very good

Velvet Revolver Contraband: what can i say this album never gets old, it still doesnt leave my cd player and i never thought id say that when i first got it but its truly classic

Bon Jovi  100,000,000 bon jovi fans cant be wrong, great boxset 40 unheard songs plus10 rarities and a nice dvd

Usher Confessions  some awesome dance tracks and some nice love ballads "confessions part 2 and let it burn"

alicia keyes the diary of alicia keyes
Maroon 5 "songs about Jane" actually a new band thats pretty good!
alanis morrissette so called chaos

eminem encore
concerts

1.Prince musicology tour, its the only concert i was able to go to this year but it was unbelievable!


best videos

1. fall to pieces  this video made a good song great and is one of the most entertaining videos i have ever seen

2. Usher "yeah"  i dont dance but this song makes me try and the video is cool

3. gwen stefani "what you waiting for" video and song are awesome

[Drew]

Velvet Revolver - Live in Birmingham, Alabama at the Boutwell Auditorium.
An incredible show. We had a wonderful time. It was great to see Slash, Duff, and Matt again, they all still have it. And Scott for the very first time. He's an damn good frontman. One of the best concerts I've been to in a while. A real Rock N' Roll concert.

Velvet Revolver - Contraband
Finally bought the album in August after some hesitation. "Fall to Pieces" and "Sucker Train Blues" were instant favorites of mine. Rock N' Roll
just seemed to be disappearing more and more over the past years. Velvet Revolver brought it back with this album.

Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits
Although Axl didn't want this album to be released I couldn't resist running to the store and buying it. May seem silly,
but the thrill of going to a music store and picking up a new GN'R album was priceless. I can't imagine the rush I'll have
when Chinese Democracy is released. Look out.......  

[kj_jive]

ALBUMS of '04

Wilco- A Ghost is Born- Their first album that relies heavily on electric guitar.  Excellent.

Rush- Feedback- Even though its technically an EP and is a collection of covers, they're classic songs and is a great album.  They still sound as fresh as Moving Pictures.

VR- Contraband- Despite the fact that i occasionally tear this album apart, i still have a soft spot for it and think its pretty good.

Beastie Boys- To the Five Boroughs- Seems like a return to form from their lisence to ill days.

Franz Ferdinand- I love this cd, i don't care if they're not cool, i like em.

Now that i think about it, it seems like it was a pretty quiet year...

[Is he struggling?]

Gigs:

Velvet Revolver @ Hammersmith Only show I've been to this year, but I was pleasantly surprised none the less. An excellent, tight, solid rock show, by a band that has defied a lot of expectations by being more than the sum of its parts. Everything, from the interraction between the band, to the solo's to the light shows to the setlist (apart from playing 'Negative Creep' at the end) gelled together perfectly.

Singles:

Franz Ferdinand - Take me Out Not a great year for new releases. This, howver I liked. It's relentless dance-y rhythm is what does it for me.

Outkast - 'Roses' What a fantastic backing track! The vocals have a great feel to them too, and I like the P-Funk esque imagery of 'Golden Claculators and 'coming back down to mars' too.

Albums:

Prince - Musicology Only a few outstanding tracks on here, really. But with this tight disc of  Funk, R&B & Rock and as D metioned, a shrewd marketing campaign, The former purple one reminded us all why he is just soooo flippin' ace.

Aerosmith - Honkin' on Bobo A great collecton of old Blues and R&B covers, and the bads reverence for the greats clearly shows in thier performance. Aerosmith reminded us all that, beneath all the slick imagery and gloopy ballads of their later years beats the heart of of red hot, gritty rock band (or at least those of us who paid any attention to it were reminded, anyway).

Brian Wilson - SMiLE The recordings here are all new, so it counts as 2004, ok? Although it does meander a bit in the middle, this is a masterclass in vocal arrangements, sonic experimetation and most importantly, great songwriting. And any album with that closes with 'Good Vibrations' can't be bad, can it?

[Izzy]

Best albums

Hollywood Rose - Roots of Guns N' Roses -  the best album by some distance, whether thats because the songs are so damn good or this year has been so damn bad, i'll let u decide.

Slipknot - Vol 3 - Some great stuff here and i really need to give it a few more listens

Korn/Van Halen - Best of's - They get an inclusion for the new songs, 'It's about time' and 'Word Up' probably the best songs released this year for me

Silvertide - Show and Tell, grow less impressed with each listen, this is a remarkably inhibited debut, but it's still good fun

Monster Magnet - Monolithic Baby - nonsensical lyrics and scorching riffs, rock n' roll.

Velvet Revolver - Contraband - its biggest problem is what it really should have been, this is a mere shadow of what we know the members can do, but it'll have to do.

[jimmythegent]

Green Day - American Idiot:
Absolutley the album of the year - couldnt agree more with the guys who said he'd always considered them a good band but not a great one. Billie Joe Armstrong has come of age as both a songwriter and singer and he has made a rock album for the ages. There's humour, tradgedy, rage, meloncholy and defiance, but most importantly there is real passion.
Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum
I took a real chance on this and brought it on the strength of reviews Id read - I wasnt disappointed. Favorite track, Strange Religon feat. Izzy and Duff
Brian Wilson - Smile
Was all the years of hype worth it? Absolutley and I cant wait to see his concert next month in Wellington!
VR - Contraband
A strong album, patchy in parts but an impressive debut from a band with seemingly limitless potential/talent. Id say if they stick around long enough to complete a second CD, we'll all be in for a real treat.
Jeff Buckley -Grace (Legacy Edition)
IMO possibly the best album ever made and definitley the finest album of the 90's is finally re-released as a 10 year anniversary edition, remastered with bonus disc or rarities. What can one say about such a monumentally incredible artwork? Just listen...

[Wheres Izzy]

I am surprised how few posts this thread is getting since I thought it was such a cool topic. I am thinking maybe some people are waiting to hear the new U2 album before posting.

[Izzy]

I am surprised how few posts this thread is getting since I thought it was such a cool topic. I am thinking maybe some people are waiting to hear the new U2 album before posting.

Or music this year has sunk to a new low and ther is nothing good to speak of......? Not my view but i'd imagine many have thought as much.

[Skeletor]

Or music this year has sunk to a new low and ther is nothing good to speak of......

That only applies to mainstream music, there's lots of great stuff being released all the time. You just have to look beneath the surface.

[Eazy E]

That only applies to mainstream music, there's lots of great stuff being released all the time. You just have to look beneath the surface.

Yeah, but who wants to read a list of "The best albums of 2004 that you've never heard of!"

[Aava]

Best Albums:

01. Green Day - American Idiot
02. Monster Magnet - Monolithic Baby
03. Velvet Revolver - Contraband
04. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives


Best Concerts:

01. Backyard Babies at Tavastia, Helsinki
02. Backyard Babies at Nosturi, Helsinki
03. Velvet Revolver at J??halli, Helsinki
04. Metallica at Olympic Stadium, Helsinki

[Skeletor]

Yeah, but who wants to read a list of "The best albums of 2004 that you've never heard of!"

I'm not talking about totally obscure acts here, it's not such a long step from the uninspired mainstream to the 'less-known but actually talented' artists. I could ask you what's the point of everyone naming Contraband as their favorite album of the year. Fuck, we've all heard it, it's a fine record. So what?

Anyway, I wasn't originally talking about this thread in particular, I just replied to Izzy's comment.

[Wheres Izzy]

That only applies to mainstream music, there's lots of great stuff being released all the time. You just have to look beneath the surface.

Yeah, but who wants to read a list of "The best albums of 2004 that you've never heard of!"

well if you put a desription like most who posted their favorites have done you may inspire someone to check something out they havn't heard of before and may like.

[kupirock]

Damageplan - New Found Power
Nine Inch Nails - TDS SACD "Deluxe Edition" / Dualdisc

[Ignatius]

I'm going to cheat a little by picking two albums that were released in late 2003.


Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism -

I've already commented on one of the tracks in the " Songs you recommend to people" thread. Labeled as an emo band, this album is full of surprises. Rockers and mellow tunes, very armonious vocals make up one of the best albums I've hear in a while. " Expo 86",? " Tiny Vessels" & " The New Year" are just a few highlights. Highly recommended!

The Postal Service - Give up -

Also released in 2003. This band is a side project from one of the members from Death Cab...and techno freak Jimmy Tamborello. Download " Such Great Hights" that's the best song I've heard in a while.


From 2004.

The already acclaimed " American Id?ot" .This is the best Green Day album period. "Homecoming", " Give me Novacaine" " Are we the waiting" it's very hard to pick a personal best.

U2 " How to dismantle an atomic bomb". Gave it a few listens already,?not very impressed yet, but check outsong #10 "Original of the Species".

[Aava]

I'm not talking about totally obscure acts here, it's not such a long step from the uninspired mainstream to the 'less-known but actually talented' artists. I could ask you what's the point of everyone naming Contraband as their favorite album of the year. Fuck, we've all heard it, it's a fine record. So what?

Stop moaning and send your list!