Unfiltered Smoke

another reluctant list by John P. Rairdon

I do not envy Rolling Stone right now. A day after publishing their always controversial top 100 albums and songs of the decade there was, without a doubt, quite a ruckus from the rabble of objectors.

To make things worse Unfiltered Smoke asked me for just 10. A “top 10 of the decade”. I’m not doing that. What I am going to do is to tell you what albums I listened to most and from what year they came. Some years had several good pieces and some had none that made my list. When faced with a ‘tie’ I’ll pick the album I believe needs the props.

I did not compile this list for you to search through and match with your favs, that’s Rolling Stone’s job. I deliberately left off awesome albums by TOOL, AiC, Weezer, Blue Rodeo, Cake, Jack Johnson, Mars Volta, Muse, Queens and numerous others. Get every one of those guys’ albums too.

Nickelback: The State (2000)

I know there are haters. Fuck, I’m a hater too but this album started something. You’ll never learn to appreciate this record after the last decade’s worth of abuse from this band but this album had legs back in the day.

Days of the New: III (2001)

Marked a new, brilliant direction for Travis Meeks. It also marked the last time that fucker ever made some music. It was so good that nobody liked it which may have led to Travis becoming a TV star on TV’s Intervention and he never looked back.

Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By (2001)

This was made to fill the sexy void left wide open by the passing of Portishead. One track, a cover of Berlin’s big hit from the 80’s “Sex, I’m a” made me feel like I was a teenager all over again. The masturbation was good back then.

Jerry Cantrell: Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (2002)

Jerry teamed up with the original Puffy (drummer) and Trujillo (bassist) to make a masterpiece on 2 pieces of plastic. If Degradation Trip were a body of water it’d be dark, muddy and have sharp, sharp hooks once you sank in deep.

I Mother Earth: Quicksilver Meat Dream (2003)

A beautiful farewell album. Produced by David Bottrill, this album turned the band’s style on its side. Did Bottril make IME sound like TOOL or did TOOL ask to sound like David Bottril? Now, don’t think about it again because you need to focus on Quicksilver Meat Dream as there’s just too much there to process anyway.

Helmet: Size Matters (2004)

Page made a completely new band of some familiar faces and an old name. He changed his voice and sings more often than screams. Together they made some awesome, awesome songs. Not for every Helmet fan but ideal for anyone who wants to drive fast.

Gorillaz: Demon Days (2005)

I’m ashamed to admit that Danger Mouse has trumped Automator with this newer version of Gorillaz. The songs are smooth and sexy. Many styles mash up yet stay well separated. The performers are all top notch and wholly appealing.

Sean Lennon: Friendly Fire (2006)

Sometimes he uses simple words and simple rhymes and simple sounds like hand clapping. Other times it’s off the wall with strange harmonies and organs and more. I love every song on this record and I can’t say why more than this man is awesomeness.

Secret Chiefs 3 – Xaphan: The Book Of Angels, Vol. 9 (2008)

I’ve followed the Chiefs for a decade now and they can be hit or miss with their mostly instrumental recordings. This time around the compositions are written by another man, a John Zorn. Does one avant-garde band playing another man’s avant-garde music make it any better? I don’t know but I can say that it’s refreshing and enjoyable. Vol. 9 is only a small part of many other volumes Zorn wrote. All the other Volumes were performed by other avant-garde bands.

K-OS – YES! (2009)

Look, it’s 2009 right now, I have not had time to hear everything that has come out yet and be objective about it. What I can say right now is that this album works for me. Some tracks are not to my taste but the others taste so great that I endure the bad ones.