2002 Music Review
Top Ten Albums
1. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
Source Tags & Codes
It was one of the first new albums I heard in 2002 and I knew then that it would be #1. Trail Of Dead exhibit an excellent range of styles, from hard rock to almost classical, and not only is each song executed well, everything flows perfectly.
MP3: How Near, How Far
2. Paul Westerberg/Grandpaboy
Stereo & Mono
When a lot of albums in 2002 bordered on being over-produced (certainly a few in my top ten), it was nice to listen to some stripped down and basic love songs; songs that I listened to more than any other songs from 2002.
MP3: Don’t Want Never
MP3: Between Love & Like
3. Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
I really don’t have anything to say about this record that hasn’t been said before.
MP3: Kamera
4. From Monument To Masses.
From Monument To Masses.
Dramatic and energetic instrumentation plus political samples make this one of the best albums you’ve probably never heard. (Am I biased because I know the band? Probably. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a great record.)
5. DJ Shadow
The Private Press
This isn’t Endtroducing, and that’s okay. Davis’ style has evolved in the six years since his breakthrough debut, but it’s just as mesmerizing as his earlier work. It’s not better, obviously, but it’s good.
6. Ugly Casanova
Sharpen Your Teeth
MP3: Smoke Like Ribbons
7. Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
8. Spoon
Kill The Moonlight
MP3: Stay Don’t Go
9. Liars
They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top
10. Sparta
Wiretap Scars
MP3: Red Alibi
Twenty More Albums Worth Mentioning
Disappointments
Audioslave - Audioslave
The album begins with the quality guitar work expected of Tom Morello. Then the music on “Cochise” picks up and hits hard, and it sounds just like a Rage Against The Machine song (which isn’t a bad thing, yet). But when Cornell starts singing, that’s when the train wrecks. I have nothing against Cornell, but I don’t think his vocals go with semi-RATM’s music. I do like the music, but I bet I shouldn’t hold my breath for an instrumental version.
Get Up Kids - On A Wire
In a word, this release is flat. GUK’s previous album has both rockin' songs and ballads. On A Wire is stuck in between, in a gray area, where it never quite grabs me.
