Jeff Hubbard

Goddammit, Kyle, great call on the Stars record. Frankly, I should've given that the nod over the new Broken Social Scene, while I'm spreading the Canuk love. Also, so that you know, LCD Soundsystem would've been my number 26 - no fooling.

Not sure about the McCartney pick, though, much though I love all things Godrich (no, scratch that - I HATE Travis). If Macca wins the best album Grammy over Kanye, I will, for the first time ever (I promise) truly go postal.

tyson

kyle...buddy...what's up man.uh, yeah. great list here. i spent like an hour on mine and you went like 101 percent past the extra mile mark here. quite quenching for my brain.

bec

That was cool that you wrote blurbs for some of the albums - most of the one's that didn't have them i knew enough about, and the ones with the blurbs i didn't. that little bit of extra effort made yours and Adam's lists the best.

Jeff Hubbard

Okay, with Kyle's list, I'm officially perplexed; did someone here call for a boycott of the Wilco live set? It looks like I'm the only person who chose it, and I absolutely stand behind the choice. I think it's one of the better live records I've ever heard, quite honestly. What gives? Knowing that Kyle, particularly, is a big Wilco admirerer, I'm really surprised about the omission. Even if you didn't like "A Ghost is Born" (I did, and tunes from that album comprise a good portion of the live album), I would agree with those who've said that this album strengthens them with more muscular, and often just plain better, performances. I've said my peace.

Bone

Hubb, about the only explanation I can give you is that when we started doing this list thing lo these many years ago there have been a few unofficial rules that most of us play by, although there are always exceptions and they're obviously no big deal. Historically we've made it a general practice to omit greatest hits, live albums and albums not released in the calendar year. Obviously the calander year thing presents the biggest problem because of foreign vs. US release dates - which explains why albums like Dungen, Go Team, etc aren't on our lists. As for Kicking Television I was pretty conflicted over this one myself, I bought it about 2 weeks ago and it hasn't been out of my player since. It really sheds a whole new light on a handful of their songs. If you really want to say your peace write a review for it. I'd be interested in your opinion of it.

Jumpin Jack

There's really so little difference between your lists, that it's seems like you guys just put all the same records in a bag and drew them out and that's what order you put them in. Where's the new Stones record. RS had it at Number 3, they're just the greatest rock and roll band of all time, that's all -

Adam

Jumpin Jack,

It's true. Several of us here at Zboneman.com have similar tastes and quite often we turn each other on to personal favorites, but make no mistakes, we listen to a lot of stuff during the course of the year. As for your comment about The Rolling Stones, it didn't make any of our lists because it really isn't a very good record. Rolling Stone has it on their list, but who cares. I don't think they've ever knocked a Rolling Stones album. Hell, they even named their mag after them. I've listened to The Stones' new album several times, and quite frankly, I think it's pretty dull. Don't get me wrong--it isn't terrible, but there isn't anything particularly inspiring about it either. I wouldn't give it more than a B-. I respect that The Stones are a band of iconic status, but that's no reason to put "Bigger Bang" on the list. I'm a huge U2 fan. They too have earned a spot on the "iconic status" list, but How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is their weakest effort. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we call them like we see them, and it's just our insignificant little opinion. We're simply sharing with the reader some of our favorites. If you ask me though, there were plenty of other veterans who were more deserving of praise in 2005 including Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. I'm sure the Stones have other great records in them, but for me, Bigger Bang certainly isn't one of them.

aerocooper

Apart from the 80% number of artists that I don't reconize, I don't see a whole lot of good music here. let's see: Paul McCartney. That's it. Where's "Have a nice day"? "get behind me satan?" Who's ever heard of "The mountain goats"?

kyle

aerocooper,

so what your saying, is that if you've never heard of someone, or you don't "recognize" them, they aren't any good? That doesn't make any sense! Furthermore it's completely ignorant. Your gonna bash a great Mountain Goats album (that you haven't heard by the way) and your argument is Bon Jovi's latest opus? Puh-lease! And let's just get this out in the open shall we? Get Behind Me Satan is completely overrated. It's by far the weakest White Stripes album to date, and this is coming from a huge fan that back in the day when they were nobodys was trying to get someone, ANYONE to listen to their 2nd and best album De Stijl. But back then they weren't on the radio and no one had ever "heard" of that little garage band from Detroit,so they must not be good right?

aerocooper

kyle,

APART from the music I didn't reconize, most of it wasn't any good. That means that most of the music I DID reconize wasn't very good. Okay?

Andy Weaver

Ya Kyle, where's the Mariah Carrey. It was nominated for a bunch of grammys and you don't have it on your list..... Where did you get your list, the toilet store.

Jeff Hubbard

Brilliant "Anchorman" reference on that last post, though content wise, I'm gonna say that Kyle's got the edge. Sure, I don't agree with all his choices (I'm now offically going public with the fact that I just don't "get" the Decemberists, and I'd say the same of Antony and the Johnstons and Deerhoof (though I kinda respect them in a weird way); The Mars Volta can simply blow me - I'm now almost at the point of disgust, where they're concerned). Having said that, I agree with the vast majority of this list. Still, Dungen belongs on all of these things (and if its omission is because it came out last year overseas, I'm not buyin'; that would've negated Augie March last year).

Anyway, Kyle knows his shit, no doubt about it.

Boneman

Hubb, put a towel down on a chair so you can sit without falling on you crisco-coated ass. You're right not to buy into this foreign release rule - it's not like it was something we all voted upon. It just sort of evolved into a tacit guideline that some of us feel bound to and some don't. Obviously I don't, since I'm the guilty party where Augie March is concerned. (by the way I thought that was pretty cool of you to go out and buy it at the eleventh hour last year and include it as high as you did). In a situation like that, if the rules were strictly adhered to, then Augie March would have gone by the boards as far as this site is concerned and that would have been a shame. Particularly as their influence has been strongly in evidence on this years better albums. In my review of Wolf Parade I made much of their influence on that record - but the album that is literally steeped in Augie March-ness is Animal Collective's latest. To be honest my leaving Dungen off of my list was a simple oversight. Perhaps no other album this year matches Dungen's pure joy of unfettered creation.

As for your ambivalence toward the Decemberists, I will say this. I liked the album quite a bit, in fact more than Sufjan Stevens which I picked up at about the same time. And however apocryphal this fact renders my revised opinion of them - when I saw them live my appreciation waxed ten-fold. The difference in my perspective could be compared to going from watching them on a 5 inch black and white TV screen, to seeing them in IMAX on acid. To put it simply I got it. And to a much less dramatic degree the same thing happened with Spoon.

In any case, since we all just sort of follow our own conscience when it comes to these rules, do whatever you think is right. Just like the revelation that I still believe Augie March to be, I know that 's how you felt about Dungen and was happy to make the adjustment on your list. As far as I'm concerned I think the lists should be as malleable as possible, but changing them after the fact has historically brought about grave consternation - but just so everybody knows, should you wish to alter your list, think of me as the Wizard of OZ "after" Toto exposed him, or even a fuddled, shuffling Ozzy Ozbone at home with Sharon - scooping up after Toto has made it clear what he thinks of hypocricy. But for now that's all. The Great and Mighty Ozbone has Spoken and must now pick up his daughter from dance class.

Jeff Hubbard

Boy, do I loves me some Crisco! No, just kidding; that just seemed like some funny shit to say.

I've heard that the Decemberists can be a revelation live, so maybe next time they're through SLC I'll experience the magic. As for Spoon, I've loved them for years, but hell, yeah, they are terrific live. I've seen them twice, and I've been bowled over both times.

Actually, I'm not done yet. I've got to say, I love what you said about the Dungen record, and couldn't agree more with the sentiment. Plus, it makes me feel stoned, even when I'm not, so it's a money saver, as well - the gift that keeps on giving, so to speak.

hg8

Very intelligent and eclectic list - may not have seen better this year. In fact all of your lists show more signs of life than most sites i've seen

dev

It's nice to stumble across a lst that I can respect from top to bottom, there are a few things I might have added and left off, but compared to most this shit is preety tite