Best Albums Of 2016 Lists

[bob_32_116]

I used to be a charts tragic, but I find it hard to get worked up about any of these charts. I am unfamiliar with half the names, though I suspect I may have heard some of the stuff on PA systems in various places. Most of those charts contain one or two, perhaps three, albums that I would find even worth my time if they were lent to me.

I don't say this to sound smugly superior, just stating my personal views. Whenever I chance to actually hear any list like this played, the list is invariably dominated by rap and hip hop, and I'm sorry, to me both of those are musical jokes that ceased to be funny about thirty years ago.

I know some people will react with "Oh but there is some good rap and hip hop", but I feel I have given it a chance, more than a chance, and I look at it this way: every minute I spend listening to some genre I don't like in the hope that it will "click", is a minute I cannot spend listening to music that I love.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

I used to read NME and Melody Maker on a weekly basis back in the 1980s/early 1990s but they became too commercialised in their choices
of music coverage so I gave up on them....
I discovered what I now consider to be the the ultimate music magazines, Uncut and Mojo , both English publications.
Mojo has just released its Best Of list for 2016, as usual, I don't agree with these lists but I have respect for both magazines overall

from Mojo:

1. David Bowie - Blackstar
2. Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
4. Lambchop - FLOTUS
5. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
6. Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression
7. Frank Ocean - Blonde
8. Paul Simon - Stranger to Stranger
9. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
10. Heron Oblivion - Heron Oblivion
11. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
12. Beyoncé - Lemonade
13. Teenage Fanclub - Here
14. Charles Bradley - Changes
15. The Cult - Hidden City
16. Bon Iver - 22, A Million
17. Dinosaur Jr. - Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
18. Syd Arthur - Apricity
19. Modern Studies - Swell To Great
20. Bob Dylan - Fallen Angels

[bob_32_116]

I'm not familiar with Mojo but I have a lot of respect for Uncut. I was impressed by their feature articles. When you do a special edition on, say, David Bowie, it's easy to just reel off a list of successes and achievements, what I call the low-hanging fruit, but their journalists seem prepared to put in a bit of effort to dig a bit deeper.

I don't fully agree with that Mojo list but it has a lot more credibility than most of the lists in this thread. How does somebody get a name like "Frank Ocean" I wonder? Is he any relation to billy Ocean?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

Mojo and Uncut are both very good when they do their "feature articles" sections on artists.
I guess both magazines are aimed more at the mature music lover as opposed to some of the other ones out there...
another good music magazine is "record collector", which incidently is another UK magazine, their special features are usually
artists from the 50s thru mid 70s,
Record Collector is of interest mainly for vinyl collectors, when they do a featured artist their articles mention hard to get hold of
releases(official releases, not bootlegs, but on occasion they do mention bootlegs if theyre up to par with official releases),
Record Collector is pretty hard to find though for some reason and I cant remember if its a monthly or quarterly release...
Mojo is worth a look through, so next time youre at your local newsagent have a look for it bob_32...

on the Uncut/Mojo,
yes their journo's dig deeper for information, I often find out little bits of information I was unaware of about artists especially the ones
I thought I knew a lot about (Weller, Neil Young, McCartney etc)

as for Frank Ocean, and I had to Wiki him about his name BTW....

born Christopher Edwin Breaux, in California...
it appears he changed his name to Christopher Francis Ocean at some point, thus the Frank Ocean.
he sings in the r+b mold, but is known better as a rapper/producer...

[CRAZY-HORSE]

Uncut top 50 albums of 2016 (in reverse order)

The January 2017 issue of Uncut features the best albums of the year, compiled by the Uncut team, along with our reissues and compilations of the year, and the best films and books.
Below is the full list of Uncut’s albums of the year. Click on the links to read the original Uncut reviews… and as always let us know in the comments or on Facebook what would make your Top 50.
You can also hear our Albums Of The Year on a handy Spotify stream – which you can find by clicking here.
Uncut’s Top 50 Albums Of 2016 are:

50. Kevin Morby – Singing Saw
49. Christine And The Queens – Chaleur Humaine
48. Skepta – Konnichiwa
47. Handsome Family – Unseen
46. Swans – The Glowing Man
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
45. King – We Are King
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
44. Okkervil River – Away
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
43. Róisín Murphy – Take Her Up To Monto
42. Brigid Mae Power – Brigid Mae Power
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
41. Anna Meredith – Varmints
40. Let’s Eat Grandma – I, Gemini
39. Shovels & Rope – Little Seeds
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
38. Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band – The Rarity Of Experience
Read Uncut’s review by clicking here
37. Tim Hecker – Love Streams
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
36. Jenny Hval – Blood Bitch
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
35. Eleanor Friedberger – New View
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
34. Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts Of Highway 20
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
33. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
32. 75 Dollar Bill – Wood/Metal/Plastic/Pattern/Rhythm/Rock
31. Cass McCombs – Mangy Love
30. Frank Ocean – Blonde
29. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
28. Case/Lang/Veirs – Case/Lang/Veirs
27. Shirley Collins – Lodestar


26. Cate Le Bon – Crab Day
25. Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
24. Paul Simon – Stranger To Stranger
23. Margo Price – Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
22. The Avalanches – Wildflower
21. William Tyler – Modern Country
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
20. Angel Olsen – My Woman
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
19. Lambchop – Flotus
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
18. Solange – A Seat At The Table
17. Cavern Of Anti-Matter – Void Beats/Invocation Trex
16. Hiss Golden Messenger – Heart Like A Levee
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
15. Wilco – Schmilco
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
14. Bon Iver – 22, A Million
13. Drive-By Truckers – American Band
12. Brian Eno – The Ship
11. Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exits
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
10. Beyoncé – Lemonade
9. Teenage Fanclub – Here
8. Anohni – Hopelessness
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
7. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
6. PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project
5. Ryley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
4. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
2. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here
1. David Bowie – Blackstar
You can read Uncut’s review by clicking here

[flinty]

Gotta be Bowie

[CRAZY-HORSE]

from Rolling Stone - Australia.

1. Beyoncé, 'Lemonade'
2. David Bowie, 'Blackstar'
3. D.D Dumbo, 'Utopia Defeated'
4. Car Seat Headrest, 'Teens of Denial'
5. Frank Ocean, 'Blonde'
6. Radiohead, 'A Moon Shaped Pool'
7. The Rolling Stones, 'Blue & Lonesome'
8. Kanye West, 'The Life of Pablo'
9. Leonard Cohen, 'You Want It Darker'
10. A.B. Original, 'Reclaim Australia'
11. Solange, 'A Seat at the Table'
12. Paul Simon, 'Stranger to Stranger'
13. Olympia, 'Self Talk'
14. Green Day, 'Revolution Radio'
15. LVL UP, 'Return to Love'
16. Julia Jacklin, 'Don't Let the Kids Win'
17. Parquet Courts, 'Human Performance'
18. REMI, 'Divas & Demons'
19. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, 'Nonagon Infinity'
20. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 'Skeleton Tree'