CL

Uncut Magazine produced its 150th edition this month and celebrated with a list (‘Not another one!’ I hear certain hepcats sob) of the finest, in its opinion, 150 long playing albums of the first decade of the twenty-first century. Perhaps it was the impending end of the ‘noughties’ that prompted this register of recordings. Anyhow, it’s interesting enough although, not unexpectedly, a few of the decisions are open to debate. The list, which can be viewed here, contains no less than seven albums associated with Jack White and proffers respectful nods (perhaps a few too many?) to several old stagers (Dylan, Bowie, Waits, Cohen, Young, Thompson, Cash, Wilson). I’m disappointed that Sufjan Stevens’ Michigan or Illinois albums weren’t placed higher and that no room was found for the young prince of popular music’s bewitching Seven Swans. The wrong Go-Betweens long player was selected; Oceans Apart is a far more enjoyable and essential listen than the (admittedly very lovely) The Friends of Rachel Worth. There is quite a Wilco love-in (no bad thing) but I was surprised that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot wasn’t that combo’s highest placed effort and that A Ghost is Born was placed as high as third in the roster. I’ll think of my Top Ten of the decade soon or at least before the end of the year.