What's On Adrian's Stereo!
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2004 : What Was On Adrian's Stereo?
A word of explanation at this stage. Firstly, hover your mouse over the pictures and text will appear informing you of thealbum title and end of year position. Secondly, to compile this list 10 points were awarded for a montly position of 1, 9 for
an album reaching number 2 - and so forth. Thank you.
 Ani Difranco |
 The Divine Comedy |
 Brian Wilson |
 The Libertines |
 PJ Harvey |
 The Concretes |
 Morrissey |
 George Harrison |
 Brian Wilson |
 The Streets |
 The Futureheads |
 Nick Cave |
 Tom Waits |
 The Ordinary Boys |
 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy |
 Leonard Cohen |
 The Hives |
 Clinic |
 The Bees |
 Franz Ferdinand |
2004 Listings
I do this thing, and have done, every year since 1989. It's not exactly a conventional 'best of' list, because I wanted to do something different. This site contains the lists for the past three years now, based upon a simple compiling idea. Each month, I list ten albums that i've listened to the most during the month, in order of both preferance, and how much i've been listening to them. The scores are then totted up at the end of the year and a 'best of' list produced. Now, if I were to think of my 20 favourite albums of the year, rather than base it on the method I do base it upon, more or less the same albums would be involved, only perhaps ordered slightly differently. For example, 'Smile' by comeback-king Brian Wilson was released fairly late in the year. Thus, it had less opportunity to rack up points than if it had been released earlier in the year. I suspect had it been released a few months earlier, it would have overtaken both The Divine Comedy and Ani Difranco, and taken first spot. Yet, the point of the list IS to base it upon my listening habits across the whole 12 months of 2004. This may strike some people as being unfair to Brian Wilson, yet as I stated, this isn't a conventional list. It's nice to look back over these lists and trace my listening habits across the years. All of which is of course an incredibly sad, 'High Fidelity' kind of thing to do, but hey, I love music.Onto specifics, I mentioned Brian Wilson? He can take some solace in the fact he acheives the rare feat of having two albums in this list. 'Gettin In Over My Head' makes number 9, 'Smile' number 3. The critical reception these two albums received couldn't have been further apart, yet 'Gettin In Over My Head' does contain the finest of the 'new' compositions Brian has been writing over the past ten years or so, more or less. So, an enjoyable album it is! Speaking of comebacks, Morrissey makes his first appearence in any of my end of year lists since 1995, with the storming success that is and has been 'You Are The Quarry'. For Morrissey to enjoy his greatest sales figures this late into his career is something to be marvelled at, really. Album of the year this year goes to Ani Difranco. I suspect you won't find any single other 'best of 2004' list with her even in it, let alone at number one, but 'Educated Guess' is indeed the album i've listened to more than any other these past 12 months. It's amongst her finest work as far as i'm concerned, and such an honest and affecting album, that well. It did it for me. A few new bands appear in the list, such as 'The Concretes' and 'The Futureheads'. Both have released great debut albums, will they be able to follow these up and appear in these lists in future years? Bands that do manage to do that generally end of becomming life-long favourites of mine, so we shall see. Best 'old' 'new' album I got in 2004? Well, 'All Things Must Pass' by George Harrison. It has everything. Well, it doesn't have dirty heavy metal guitars, or any grime techno work-outs, but you know what I mean!
An old favourite act of mine, The Divine Comedy, dominated the 'Whats On' listing during the early part of the year, thus reaches number two. A cracking return to pre-fame form, go buy it now! And, I'll leave you with just one thought. 2004 saw UK single sales at their lowest level ever, whilst at the same time, album sales are at their highest level ever. It's a shame radio doesn't reflect what people are actually buying, because few of the 20 artists in my list this year ever or rarely get played on any daytime radio show across the entire UK. People are being deprived of the good music that's out there, because they never get to hear it!! RIP John Peel.
The year in full
December 2004
Following in the footsteps of Franz Ferdinand. It's turned out a great year for UK guitar bands, hasn't it?
Rock, rock, roll, Plymouth rock, roll over.....
One of the greatest albums by a disintegrating band, ever.
One of the more emotional albums released in 04.
The new songs sound magnificent.
More akin to poetry than Rock 'n' Roll, but never have words sounded so enticing as painted by Cohen.
Tom just keeps on getting more wired in his old age, doesn't he?
Sing-a-long to 'Warm Night', such a moment!
Sucker for punishment?
Some nice moments here, you know?
November 2004
There is such breadth of melodic invention present here, that it beggars belief sometimes.
I haven't felt as attached to any new Cohen effort since 1988!!
Another mix-up of Wire and early XTC - but a damn good one. Their cover of Kate Bush 'Hounds Of Love' is worth the fee alone.
I'd never even DREAM of trying to sing along with any of this!
A hodgepotch of live tracks and demos. Yet, it's the mighty fall, so it's still quite good.
Babyshambles have a new single out. The spirit on The Libertines will live on.
I feel like a bit of an indie-geek, but yeah, dig those concretes!!
The original line-up reformed! Doing Beatles type stuff!!
Been listening to loads of other stuff, but this is still magnificent cave.
I dig 'Leaving New York' a lot.
October 2004
Artist of the year, without a question. Who would ever have thought it?!
His best album in seven years, one of his best works ever. Don't miss it!
An album that's stranger even than the new Tom Waits!!!
Unfairly slammed by just about everybody, this is a beautiful record.
Tom has a new vocal style. Listener BEWARE!
The man who would be king.... An Xmas reunion? Go to it.
'Swim' is a masterful song, everybody should hear this song.
A decent effort from those strange Clinic lads!
Seems fine to me!
Bjork is delightful!
September 2004
The magnificent sound of one last hurrah, whilst also falling apart.
Spooky and oooky and other words ending in 'ky'!
Ah, perfect pop to go.
This is the line.
Probably not the most amazing thing, but it's cool to listen to, you know?
Perhaps the good run this album has had will be stopped by 'Smile'? :)
Whoooahahuhuh. Indeed.
Don't write em off, yet!
Let me kiss yooohooo!
A decent follow-up, oh yeah!
August 2004
An addictive, fun, rip-roaring listen from your favourite new band.
There's nothing like those deep bass lines echoing through your heart and soul.
Astonishingly talented african guitar god - does it for me.
The title song is almost 'pet sounds' like in its beauty. That's how good it is.
People like catchy tunes, at the end of the day. The Ordinary Boys provide us with them.
An album that both does, and doesn't, have hidden depths. Make sense? Good.
Play 'The Letter' at top volume and just run around the room singing with glee. I do.
These are the ghosts I made myself.
You can't hurry love.
Two top ten singles for our mozza in the uk, perfect.
July 2004
Brian Wilson Presents Smile is just around the corner. Until then, this, his best solo album so far, will more than do.
A true artist, a wonderful album.
Stunningly authentic sixties production provides lift off for second Bees album.
Some kind of love child of Mazzy Starr, Phil Spector and Abba parentage!
Easily the best Cure album for twelve years. Beyond that, we shall see.
New indie white hopes. Not as good as The Libertines, but they'll do in the meantime
Mozza is still in the albums charts months later. Who would have thought it?
A new track!! A great, classy compilation and companion.
Still such a cool album, but i've been listening to so much new music lately.
She deserves to be heard on the radio.
June 2004
She's now just, wow.
Well, he's probably the best 'new' artist in the world today, not for achievment, but for invention. That matters.
Mozza has settled down, knuckled down, and wielded a tommy gun!
It's just nice, that's all.
Quirky and poppy and entertaining!
Her version of a big star song sends shivers all through me.
I keep coming back to this in my long search for honesty and musical integrity.
It's in the background now, but the legacy remains in the hearts of early fans.
Listened and listened, then realised the best songs were singles, not even ON the album.
Can't listen to it forever. Time to move on.
May 2004
Something very different and special, indeed.
Beaten by The Streets. In the real charts, beaten by Keane.
The strings, the voice. Oh, those melodies!
Easier listening from the strange one.
It sticks around, you know?
Lots of piano here. Absolutely no guitars at all!
Biting and meaningful.
The best album artwork in the world, ever.
A covers album, but very nicely done.
More Blondie 'antics'.
April 2004
Album of the year so far. Intelligent and beautiful.
It sinks in more than you realised. A lonely Ani album.
He gets ever stranger by getting more normal.
Back to the source!!
What is life? What a fantastic song!!
In a sense, far too serious. In another, far too good.
Oh, what a precious star YOU ARE!
Not as good as 'Eat To The Beat' though. Well, it's not, is it??
Bolan never lost it. He just went out of fashion.
Still just nice, that's all.
March 2004
The best solo Beatles album? Yes, no doubt whatsoever.
A huge return to a kind of level of form many thought lost forever.
Buy this album!! Support new talent.
Far better than I'd expected, very listenable.
Better than interpol, slightly. More depth.
The welsh wonders get better.
Already making a name for themselves over in the good old US of A!
Drops down because of new entries, mostly.
Funny, I keep coming back to this.
Just nice, that's all.
February 2004
Listen to the mighty Bill Bruford!!!!
I must admit, I do have a soft spot for her. She's special
They sound a bit like early XTC. Is that enough? YES!
New stereolab is ALWAYS welcome and heart-warming. It is.
Cool!! I'll say why exactly, later! It does deserve exclamation marks, tho!
Still decent, still promising. They'll get the balance right.
Charming, and it's stood the test of time!!!
The click and the fizz.
I'm sure i'd enjoy a drink with the guy. You know?
As diverse an album as they ever made
January 2004
Felt are a band as indie as indie ever gets. This might be their finest moment.
Do you know my name? Everybody should know hers!
I An unexpected delight and almost the best thing they've ever done!
Hugely underrated.
I can see you.
It's just so much fun!
Ah, whatever. Jeff Beck is god!
Chelsea, FC. Bah!
As uncompromising as I expected it to be.
Why this is so low, I don't know. I guess it doesn't require much pouring over, it's just good.
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