2000 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge
Since 2020, I’ve been ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.
And so we enter another decade, the ‘noughties’ as people like to call them. I was entering year 8 in the year 2000, and so we’re starting to get into the years where I can actually remember albums coming out. Most of these though, I was totally unaware of at the time - being more interested in catching all the Pokemon, and other such year 8 things.
More widely, 2000 was the year that mad cow disease panicked Europe, Yugoslavians overthrew Milosevic, and the abortion pill won approval in the US.
We’re here for the music though - and here’s rateyourmusic.com users’ top 5 of the year:
#1 Radiohead - Kid A
#2 Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
#3 The Avalanches - Since I left You
#4 Boris - Flood
#5 Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
And as always, some others from further down the list - including some to make sure we have at least some female artists.
#6 Deftones - White Pony
#7 D’Angelo - Voodoo
#8 At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
#9 Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
#10 Sheena Ringo - Shouso Strip
#11 Erykah Badu - Mama’s Gun
#20 Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
#21 PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
#38 Advantage Lucy - Station
That’s 14, when I was supposed to be cutting down the amount of albums per year. This is quite probably the highest scoring year of the challenge yet, so the glut of albums was entirely worth it.
14. Flood
Boris
“Flood is the third studio album by Japanese experimental band Boris. It consists of a single 70-minute title-track that is broken into four movements.
While Flood did not receive many reviews upon release, it has become a cult classic among fans, prompting the band to play it in its entirety every night of their 2013 US-based Residency Tour.” - Wikipedia
An ambitious sprawling 70 minute album that is essentially one 30 minute instrumental piece padded out by 40 minutes of noise. Some say the noise adds to it, which I get to some extent, but I think it milks it just a bit too much, and an edit of this album down to 40 minutes would have made it genuinely amazing. Flood II (particularly Wata's transcendent solo) and Flood III are a genuinely spectacular heart to a bloated album.
SP: Flood II, Flood III
7/10
13. White Pony
Deftones
“White Pony is the third studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones. The album marked a significant growth in the band's sound, incorporating influences from post-hardcore, trip hop, shoegaze, progressive rock, and post-rock into the alternative metal sound which they had become known for. Upon its release and retrospectively, the album was met with critical acclaim, and is regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the band's most mature outings at that point” - Wikipedia
The quintessential Nu metal sound. Dense riffs, metallic whispers, and that vocal style. The riffs on this one could shake mountains. Strange that I didn't listen to this growing up, as this would have been my jam.
8/10
12. Shoso Strip
Ringo Sheena
“Shōso Strip is the second studio album by Japanese singer and songwriter Ringo Sheena, The album debuted at #1 and has sold over 2,332,000 copies. It was certified two million copies by the RIAJ. In September 2007, Rolling Stone Japan rated the album at number 89 on its list of the "100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time." - Wikipedia
It sounds like an album crushed within an inch of it's life onto one of those 128mb mp3 players back in the day, coming at you at 12kb/s or some other ghastly quality. It fizzes like a broken bottle of coke in a tin can. I kind of wish there was a version that sounded a bit less raw, but I guess it adds to the charm somewhat. The songwriting and vocals are superb. I mean I've no idea what she's singing about, it's Japanese, but she does it with passion and some crescendos that are surely the most magnificent of the year - e.g Gips. A Jackson Pollock painting of musical ideas crushed through an alt-rock filter.
Song Pick: Gips
8/10
11. Station
Advantage Lucy
Station, Advantage Lucy’s second album, is another irresistibly joyful record from the Japanese band. It’s a little more eclectic than Fanfare, but it’s equally well composed and just as infectious. I’ve no idea what is being sung, but I feel the need to go running through a field of sunflowers while looking at the sky. I feel happy.
Song Picks: How Do You Feel?, Memai, Kaze ni Azukete, Shumatsu
9/10
10. Dopethrone
Electric Wizard
“Dopethrone is the third studio album by English band Electric Wizard. Vocalist and guitarist Jus Oborn has stated that drug issues and other personal problems led to the production of Dopethrone being a "difficult process". The album was recorded in three days. The music on the album has been described as both doom metal and stoner rock, with influences of British groups like Black Sabbath and Motörhead.” - Wikipedia
I had no idea what to expect going into this - but I certainly didn’t expect it to immediately become one of my favourite metal albums. Dopethrone sounds polished in terms of the performances, but there’s a raw edge to the rumbling guitars and bass, which are dropped so low they often sound like the roar of some primordial beast. The riffs are clearly Black Sabbath inspired, but these are gnarlier. Osborn’s vocals are distorted - often beyond intelligibility - and this, along with his gritty style, makes for a perfect spice on top of the mass of noise, adding to the tapestry of the sound, rather than doing anything front and centre. After 76 minutes of being pulverised by this, I immediately wanted to put it on again, which is high praise.
9/10
9. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
PJ Harvey
“Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is the fifth studio album by the English singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. It contains themes of love that are tied into Harvey's affection for New York City. The album became the second major commercial success of her recording career, following her successful breakthrough To Bring You My Love (1995). Upon its release, the album received acclaim from most music critics and earned Harvey several accolades, including the 2001 Mercury Prize.” - Wikipedia
Stories from… is PJ Harvey’s The Bends in that it’s her most poppy and accessible album. Gone are the serrated edges of her previous records - replaced with sumptuous reverb and floating melodies. It’s also her The Bends because it’s packed front to back with great songs, a real display of Harvey’s songwriting talent.
Song Picks: Big Exit, A Place Called Home, This Mess We're In, You Said Something, This Is Love, We Float
9/10
8. Voodoo
D’Angelo
“Voodoo is the second studio album by the American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, Produced primarily by the singer, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). Its lyrics explore themes of spirituality, love, sexuality, maturation, and fatherhood. Voodoo has since been regarded by music writers as a creative milestone of the neo soul genre during its apex.” - Wikipedia
Silky falsettos and soft beats, whole grain soul food. Infinitely relistenable - this is music.
Song Picks: Playa Playa, The Line, Send it On, Feel Like Makin' Love
9.5/10
7. Relationship of Command
At the Drive-In
“Relationship of Command is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. Initially received positively by critics, the album is now seen not only as one of the most influential post-hardcore albums of the 2000s, but also as one of the most accomplished recent works in the wider rock spectrum. It was the band's final album to feature founding guitarist Jim Ward.” - Wikipedia
I’m not quite as obsessed with this album as I once was, but I still think it’s an absolutely superb mix of anger, insatiable energy, melodies, and chaos. Their famous Later With Jools Holland performance sums up what they must be like to see live (brilliantly mad), but what’s more impressive is how that live, messy energy comes across on the recorded album. I think I can count on one hand the albums that have managed that, and I think this is probably the best of them.
Song Picks: One Armed Scissor, Sleepwalk Capsule, Invalid Litter Dept
9.5/10
6. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
Yo La Tengo
“And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo. The album received acclaim from critics and is generally considered one of their best.” - Wikipedia
On And Then Nothing… Yo La Tengo drop down a gear in terms of urgency, but turn up the depth and atmosphere. This is a gorgeous, contemplative record of melodic mumbles over lush, spacious backing. It makes a perfect 'walking through the city at night' double-header with the Clientelle album on this list. Its instruments twinkle like far away windows in a tower block - hundreds of lives illuminated but mysterious. The whole album is a masterpiece of gentleness and empathy, and on that note, Tears are In Your Eyes is surely one of the prettiest songs ever written.
Song Picks: Last Days of Disco, Tears are In Your Eyes, The Crying of Lot G, You Can Have it All
9.5/10
5. Mama’s Gun
Erykah Badu
“Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.” - Wikipedia
Voodoo and Mama’s Gun are so closely linked - having been recorded in the same studio at thesame time - and they’re both masterpieces, but Mama’s Gun just takes the crown for me. The luxurious grooves and melodies are aided by Badu’s silky smooth vocals, and a touch more variety than D’Angelo’s effort. It also has a punkier, more in your face sensibility that I like.
Song Picks: Penitentiary Philosophy, Didn't Chat Know, Green Eyes
9.5/10
4. Since I Left You
The Avalanches
“Since I Left You is the debut studio album by Australian electronic music group the Avalanches. The album was recorded and produced at two separate, near-identical studios by Chater and Seltmann, exchanging audio mixes of records they sampled. After the album's positive reception in Australia, the duo considered an international release. Since I Left You was acclaimed by critics. It became one of the best-reviewed albums of the 2000s, and was listed at number ten in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.” - Wikipedia
Their self titled follow up to this has always been one of my favourites, so it's no surprise I love this one too. Sampling at its most pure and brilliant, Since I Left You combines a plethora of samples to create something completely joyful, cohesive, and full of soul. It's like a front row ticket to one of the best DJ sets of all time, where everyone, including you, is on happy drugs. Its deliberate tilt to more of a 60/70s sound than most sampled music helped it stick out, but it's the musical execution and brilliance of the Australian duo that makes it what it. Since I Left You is a miracle.
Song Picks: Since I left you, Stay another season, A Different Feeling, Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist, Summer Crane
9.5/10
3. The Moon & Antarctica
Modest Mouse
“The Moon & Antarctica is the third studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse. The Moon & Antarctica received acclaim from critics, who praised its subject matter and change in sound from earlier albums and frontman Isaac Brock's introspective lyrics. It was also hailed for being an expansion of the band's sound, much due to their new major label budget as well as the production of Brian Deck.” - Wikipedia
The Moon and Antarctica is such a perfect amorphous gem of an album, to spend too much time describing it is almost impossible for me. As weird as its cover, it strips back some of the trance inducing riffs of The Lonesome Crowded West, making it a little more immediate. Brock has one of those voices that sticks out in a good way, and his melodies and lyrics are on absolute peak form here, worming their way into my subconscious and making my soul smile. The guitar work is absolutely superb too - with winding riffs and spacey progressions befitting the album’s title and theme. It’s more than the sum of its parts, and its parts are superb.
I think The Moon and Antarctica will forever remain mysterious to me, much like the bodies it's named after, and it’s that sense of mystery that makes me feel like I’m discovering an absolute favourite for the first time every time I put it on. I can’t think of any other album that so reliably gives me that feeling.
Song Picks: I think the opening three songs is one of my favourite trios to open an album ever.
10/10
2. Suburban Light
The Clientele
“Suburban Light is the debut studio album by English indie pop band the Clientele. Suburban Light contains several tracks originally released on singles and compilations from 1997 through 2000, causing some websites such as Pitchfork to label it a compilation album.” - Wikipedia
As Wikipedia says, technically, it’s a compilation album, but I don’t care. Like that lovely cover (the less common of its two covers), Suburban Light is a blurry, colourful, rain soaked drive through the night on a bus. McKeen’s vocals are hushed and melodic, the guitar twinkles are undefined, the drums are brushed - everything is done with a kind of relaxed uncertainty. It’s one of the most comforting albums you’ll ever hear and I’ve yet to find, in probably hundreds of listens, a time when I haven’t been completely charmed by it. If I was asked to recommend one album that most people hadn’t heard of, it would be this. But, I’d add to go listen to it sat in the back of a city bus at night. I’m pretty sure everyone would end that journey in love with it. It also contains, what I think, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written: (I Want You) More Than Ever.
Song Picks: I Had to Say This, (I Want You) More Than Ever, Bicycles
10/10
1. Kid A
Radiohead
“Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. Departing from their earlier sound, Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic music, krautrock, jazz and 20th-century classical music, with a wider range of instruments and effects. The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random.
In a departure from industry practice, Radiohead released no singles and conducted few interviews and photoshoots. Instead, they released short animations and became one of the first major acts to use the internet for promotion. Bootlegs of early performances were shared on filesharing services, and Kid A was leaked before release. In 2000, Radiohead toured Europe in a custom-built tent without corporate logos.
Kid was certified platinum in the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, France and Japan. Its new sound divided listeners, and some dismissed it as pretentious or derivative. However, at the end of the decade, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and the Times ranked it the greatest album of the 2000s, and in 2020 Rolling Stone ranked it number 20 on its updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” - Wikipedia
Kid A is an album I’ve loved since I first got into it. It took a few listens, but the first time I listened to it at night, I got it and it blew me away. Somewhere on a night-bus in Central America I was whisked away to a world of melancholy electronic music that lit the lonely, beaten road ahead in a gorgeous hue. The bumps, the stars, the dark behind the trees, everything somehow became even more beautiful under Kid A’s gaze. Thom Yorke’s vocals don’t get enough praise, but he sounds like a beautiful, tormented angel as always, and they tie together this album’s many influences brilliantly, as does the crystal clean electronic sound of the record. Kid A is an album that has soundtracked so many phases of my life - I’ve turned to it in sadness in the past, and in contentment more recently - and it never fails to light a swaying candle somewhere inside me. It’s also another album that has great tracks but is so much more than the sum of its parts - perfectly paced, cohesive and bewitching from start to finish.
The album feels to me like a musical expression of a city’s quieter streets at night-time. A sprinkling of humans struggling with the daily task of being human - while looking left and right and finding solace in those they don’t know doing the same.
Song Picks: Everything In Its Right Place, The National Anthem, How to Disappear Completely, Optimistic, Idioteque, Motion Picture Soundtrack
10/10