Billboard critics pick, top 10 albums 2000-2010

[WannabeNewton]

Why does everyone have to sing about love and relationships in the pop world. Ugh. I mean there's more to life than that. This is why I like Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, and the likes.

 

[SW VandeCarr]

I think you have the "difference" in the wrong direction. We're talking about putting Alicia Keys in the same category as Adele, Amy, and Fiona as far as their distinctive singing and songwriting talent. Do you really think that Alicia doesn't "write (or wrote) her own very personal and distinctive music."? Alicia is a trained musician, if any of the above girls wrote her own tunes, it was Alicia. Typically, a true singer/songwriter plays some instrument and likes to play that instrument during their performances, even if it's more or less in a token fashion. The fact that Adele, Amy, and Fiona typically don't do so that leads me to think that their songwriting, while personal, is arranged by studio professionals hired by or in-house to the label. That's very different than crafting your own melodies and rhythms, which I'm sure Alicia has done on her songs. The other three girls probably just wrote the lyrics and were presented with various arrangements of music put to those lyrics to approve or disapprove.

I know AJW has written the music (worked out on a guitar) for most of her songs, but collaborated on some. She also was active in arranging (as per her producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi). However, I frankly don't know much about Alicia Keys. I'll have to find out more about her. Thanks for the information. BTW, Fiona plays a mean piano.

 

[DiracPool]

I know AJW has written the music (worked out on a guitar) for most of her songs, but collaborated on some. She also was active in arranging (as per her producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi). However, I frankly don't know much about Alicia Keys. I'll have to find out more about her. Thanks for the information. BTW, Fiona plays a mean piano.

It's often difficult to tease out where creativity ends and production/collaboration begins with many artists as it is understandably in the label's interest that the artists look as authentic as possible. Some artists you can just tell are musician's musicians, some you can't. Then you have those that are in-between. Madonna couldn't play a note on any instrument back in her heyday and had no concept of music theory. However, she is credited with writing her own music because what she used to do is write lyrics and hum a melody to them. Then she walked into her label's studio, hummed the melody, and the boys simply put a chord progression around it. The creative genius is in the melody, even more so that the arrangements. So, even though she couldn't play a note, I think its fair that she be credited with being the sole writer of many of her songs. With most contemporary artists, however, it's just difficult to ascertain sometimes where the music is really coming from.

 

[B. Elliott]

I think it comes down to melody. With the advent and proliferation of personal computers and then recording/mixing software, anyone with a lot of time on their hands can throw together a bunch of beats and sounds. In the 60's, 70's and prior it was all about a group interacting with each other; the sharing of ideas. For individuals, the only things they had were their acoustic (mostly) instruments and the melody. The mainstream stuff has now shifted to being beat-oriented.

I enjoy a fairly wide range of music, but nothing beats the creativity that arises from limitation. IMO, embracing limitation actually seems to drive creativity.

 

[Curious3141]

How about Tool's 10 000 days?

Disagree. But Lateralus (still within the timeframe) *definitely* deserves a placing in the top 10. A massive, massive achievement in prog metal.

EDIT: I still have the original HDCD with the now-infamous misspelling of the title track as "Lateralis". Wonder what it's worth on ebay?

 

[OmCheeto]

I think it comes down to melody. With the advent and proliferation of personal computers and then recording/mixing software, anyone with a lot of time on their hands can throw together a bunch of beats and sounds. In the 60's, 70's and prior it was all about a group interacting with each other; the sharing of ideas. For individuals, the only things they had were their acoustic (mostly) instruments and the melody. The mainstream stuff has now shifted to being beat-oriented.

I enjoy a fairly wide range of music, but nothing beats the creativity that arises from limitation. IMO, embracing limitation actually seems to drive creativity.

You were born in the 80's... What the hell do you know about the 60's and 70's?

I was born in the 50's. I LIVED that music...

........
JK, of course.
My bathynaut days were where I was first subjected to Supertramp: Breakfast in America.
Good to see you back. How many days left?

 

[B. Elliott]

You were born in the 80's... What the hell do you know about the 60's and 70's?

I was born in the 50's. I LIVED that music...

........
JK, of course.
My bathynaut days were where I was first subjected to Supertramp: Breakfast in America.
Good to see you back. How many days left?

lol. And for that, I envy you!

 

[OmCheeto]

lol. And for that, I envy you!

Now, now... We should try and stay on topic: Billboard critics pick...

I think it was the panning of Star Trek 1 that turned me off on critics. They sit around, and get paid for watching and listening and watching and listening to everything in the whole world, and they become movie/music nerds: "His button was undone, but then, in the next scene, it was fastened. Therefore, the movie sucked."

Screw them. I don't get paid to listen to music, I pay to listen to music. (Ok. I used to.)

Anyways, that's why I mentioned the Rolling Stones Magazine thing the other day. If something can stay in the top 100 chart for a decade or more, then it sure isn't the critics liking it.

Most weeks on the chart
Note that totals are for the main albums chart only, catalog chart totals are not factored in.
(835 weeks) The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
(490 weeks) Johnny's Greatest Hits – Johnny Mathis
(480 weeks) My Fair Lady – Original Cast
(331 weeks) Highlights from the Phantom of the Opera – Original Cast
(308 weeks) Tapestry – Carole King
(305 weeks) Oklahoma! – Soundtrack
(295 weeks) Heavenly - Johnny Mathis
(284 weeks) Metallica – Metallica
(282 weeks) MCMXC a.D. – Enigma
(277 weeks) The King and I – Soundtrack

835 weeks = 16 years

I would recommend staying away from anything from before I was born though. Geriat's have more time on their hand than the critics.

And who the hell is Johnny Mathis?

(google google google)

Ah ha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd3pDM2f6Y8

The musical version of "Chick Flick"...

 

[B. Elliott]

Thanks a lot OmCheeto. Maybe it's me feeling a bit guilty, but now I find myself being forced to listen to The Wall album in it's entirety. There goes a good 2-1/2 hours.

 

[micromass]

Thanks a lot OmCheeto. Maybe it's me feeling a bit guilty, but now I find myself being forced to listen to The Wall album in it's entirety. There goes a good 2-1/2 hours.

Forced?? You should feel priveleged to be able to listen to the album.

Anyway, instead of listening to the album, you can watch the movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcSmAlOkmv0

Warning: the movie is very disturbing!

 

[B. Elliott]

Forced?? You should feel priveleged to be able to listen to the album. Warning: the movie is very disturbing!

Oh, it's something that's been ingrained into my memory. The guilt comes from the good ten years it's been since the last time I sat down and listened to it!

 

[OmCheeto]

Thanks a lot OmCheeto. Maybe it's me feeling a bit guilty, but now I find myself being forced to listen to The Wall album in it's entirety. There goes a good 2-1/2 hours.

I blame most of my hearing loss on "The Wall". Not sure if you saw my comment in the Pink Floyd thread about how the Sony Walkman was introduced a year before I'd started sailing around on my submarine. They had a nice stereo set up in the galley, but going to bed without music? Blech.

...
Anyway, instead of listening to the album, you can watch the movie:
...

Someone once told me I wouldn't understand "The Wall" unless I watched the movie.
As a musician, I found that statement very bizarre. But he is very young, and I know lots about the war and the 60's, and 70's. I suppose someone born in the 80's might have to watch the movie to understand everything. It's a wonderfully complex album, on just about every plane.