Best Of 2002

It's  funny  how looking back at all my original 'Best of 2002', I don't agree with it all. But I guess in 2002 I was just waking up again, so it took me a while to realise what music I really liked. Obviously, over 2 years on, I can't be arsed re-ordering all this. So I have kept the alphabetical order, but I've added/removed albums (yes it is a shameless revision, though I only made few changes and tried to round the list to 20 CDs) and I've added the top track off each LP.

 

Angelica : The 7-year itch. I haven't seen that one reviewed anywhere, but it's a more than decent follow-up to their debut (curiously titled 'The end of a beautiful career'), sparkling with relentless guitar riffs and a contagious sense of fun. Unfortunately, it seems to have been a rather low-key release. You might be struggling to find it, but once you have, you'll be rocking off.
Standout track : Reynard the Fox, sly animal, wicked tune !

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club : B.R.M.C. Dark and brooding. Jesus and Mary Chain for the new century ? Maybe more than that. A more than welcome update to the template anyway.
Standout Track : Red Eyes and Tears, never sounded so cool before.

Bright Eyes : Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. Overlong title, extremely long and ambitious album. Also one of the best this year. Respect. I cannot describe the music (folk-americana maybe ?), but the guy is a genius.
Standout track : Waste of Paint, not of many or talent or music in any case, what a tale to tell !

Coldplay : A Rush of Blood to the Head. The album that turned them into superstars, I still don't like half the albumn but there's no resisting the handful of cracking tunes here.
Standout track : In My Place. The point this year where I started looking up again, and music suddenly meant something to me.

The Coral. Confused, confusing debut from spaced-out scouse band, it's a delight to treat your ears to.
Standout track : Simon Diamond, did you know he started as Simon Russell, then 'changed from human to plant form' ? As I said, confusing...

The Delgados : Hate. But a lovely album all the same from the Glaswegian indie-(anti-)heroes. Just what the doctor ordered.
Standout track : Coming in From the Cold, presumably to warm your heart though.

Doves: The Last Broadcast. Epic, fantastic. thrilling at times. Despite my initial opinion, this is actually far superior to their first album. Skip the couple of weaker track and you've got a near-perfect album.
Standout track : Pounding, does exactly what it says on the tin.

The Electric Soft Parade : Holes in the Wall. Was it really released this year ? This album seems to have been with me forever. Certainly one of the blueprints for my start to the year. This is 'indie' music at its best. One of this rare albums where you don't feel obliged to skip a track at all. Great.
Standout track : it's very hard to choose just one track here, they do nice fast ones, and nice slow ones, but It's Wasting Me Away is just a lovely quiet one.

The Flaming Lips : Yoshimi battle the Pink Robots. And that's a great fight. Building on from their preceding album. Even better. Quite an achievement. Mind-altering drugs may have been involved somewhere, mind-altering music has been achieved.
Standout track : Ego Tripping At the Gates Of Hell, sort of gives you the extent and intensity of this psychedelic battle.

Idlewild : The Remote Part. Brilliant. Exhilarating. Put The Smiths, R.E.M. and Nirvana together. It will make you feel happy. This album's just absolutely smashing, a real rush.
Standout track : You Held the World In Your Arms, what a way to kick-start this album. They never lose their way afterwards, most tracks are indeed just as good as this one.

Interpol : Turn on The Bright Lights. Or Joy Division revisited. From New York. Quite a few haunting tracks on this one. Not that dark or pessimistic, but certainly atmospheric.
Standout track : well, this is near homogeneously good, the fast and the slow, but Say Hello to the Angels is sure to start a riot. In the moshpit if not in heaven.

The Libertines : Up the Bracket. How this relatively passed me by then ? I don't know. This has got some of the most defining music of the era, every song in here is a gem of sorts, and on this sort of showing, you can't but love them. Truly essential.
Standout track : The Good Old Days, 'If you've lost your faith and love in music then the end won't be long'. 'nuff said.

The Music. The new Led Zep ? I think it'd be very restrictive. Cool grooves, hypnotic music, and even the B-sides are great. Live yesterday they were a fantastic band. It had been a long time since I'd been to a gig that I really enjoyed that much. Put it on, just bounce and nod your head to the rhythm.
Standout track : Float, not sure you will, but you certainly won't stand still.

The Notwist : Neon Golden. Germans do pop-rock tinged with just a slice of electronica. Result !
Standout track : Pilot, you won't be misled with them at the helm.

Queens of the Stone Age : Songs for the deaf. Their previous album got number one to many best of lists a couple of years ago. But IMHO this surpasses that effort by a country mile. Fantastic Rock'n'Roll. With Dave Grohl on drums. Music doesn't get much better than this.
Standout track : well, again I will be hard pushed to find just one here, maybe Another Love Song, simple repetitive lyrics and music, utterly addictive result.

Radio 4 : Gotham ! Funny how this nearly escaped me first time. Punk-funk, Gang of Four inspired underground music from NYC. Something to dance to without looking pretentious.
Standout track : Certain Tragedy, certainly not a musical one !

Red Hot Chili Peppers : By The Way. Return to form ? This album's a successful and happy exercise in funk and harmonising, it's varied and it's quite beautiful.
Standout track : By The Way, the single with the perfect vocal harmonies, that made everyone take notice and love them again.

Sigur Ros : ( ). Lush atmospheric piece with no intelligible lyrics. Unique.
Standout track : the final one brings the whole thing to an amazing climax.

The Streets : Original Pirate Material. Street or hip-hop or garage music ? I don't know. This sounds like something completely new and fantastic. Great accent. Songs about kebabs and booze, but also about 'staying positive'. It starts well and ends in splendid fashion. All the bits in the middle are not bad either.
Standout track : Turn The Page, the start of a new and successful story.

The Vines : Highly Evolved. Debut album from Oz band lead by manic burger-loving frontman Craig Nicholls. Suitably deranged album, from the lovely and hushed to the frantic and loud, this covers a wide palette and never fails to excite.
Standout track : Get Free, a  compelling yearning.