| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 250 Registered: 05-2005 |
The new issue of Mojo has a feature on what they are calling "Modern Classics - the 100 greatest albums of Mojos lifetime" Basically to celibrate Mojos 150th issue they asked their writers, readers and online users to pick their 10 best albums released since October 1993 (their 1st issue) till now. These votes were compiled and they came up with this list. To whet your appetite I will post the top 10. I am a subscriber so get my issue a week before it hits the streets next Wednesday. If you are curious, post asking if your favourite band or album is included and I will try my best to reply. 1 Grace - Jeff Buckley 2.Johnny Cash - American Recordings 3.Radiohead - OK Computer 4.Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind 5.Oasis - Definetely Maybe 6.Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin 7.Radiohead - Kid A 8.White Stripes - Elephant 9.Nirvana - Unplugged 10.Beck - Odelay | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 21 Registered: 03-2006 |
any Suede? or Belle & Sebastian? Much as I enjoy the writing in Mojo they're just so damn WORTHY. I mean, of course "OK Computer" and Oasis and The White Stripes and Beck and Jeff Buckley are going to be in there. I find that Uncut is going in the same direction ... when they started out they broke a few moulds, but now they're just sticking The Stones, or The Beatles or The Who on every other month. I wish one mainstream mag would have the balls to put someone like My Bloody Valentine, or The Go-Betweens, or someone interesting on the cover for a change. | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 22 Registered: 03-2006 |
... or Dexys for that matter? Jeeze ... Dexys were MASSIVE and, depsite the fact they still have a huge cult following, there's never any good copy written about them. OK, rant over ... | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 226 Registered: 04-2005 |
In the UK music mags, don't the most recent hot bands tend to monopolize reader's polls for "best all-time"? I've seen polls where Franz Ferdinand, Coldplay, the Strokes, etc., ended up way, way too on all-time lists. I guess the writers' picks balance that out a bit with the Mojo list in question. Still, that's a pretty questionable list. I'm guessing the writers' influence is why Cash and Dylan are there; the readers' influence is why Oasis is there. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but "Grace" wouldn't be #1 if Buckley had lived. | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 64 Registered: 05-2005 |
Such a predictable list. Almost puts me to sleep. I agree with Lawrence about Uncut. Started off as a great magazine that championed things that no-one else really did at the time (Ryan Adams, Lambchop, Flaming Lips etc) but now its just like Mojo and all the others - '25 years of Dark Side of the Moon', 'When Dylan Went Electric!' and so on. Such a shame. There is a good US mag right now called 'Paste' that has some good things - reminds me of 'Uncut' when it was fresh. | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 23 Registered: 03-2006 |
the UK magazine Word is still a good read. A bit broader in its coverage ... mostly music, but a lot more film than Uncut, and articles on writers, digital music, some genuinely funny features etc. Uncut was awesome when it started. It was one of the few magazines which gave the 80s ful credit ... great early articles on New Order, the Bunnymen etc. before they'd been redemmed as being cool again. (You know what I mean.) T | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 248 Registered: 05-2005 |
If it were not for the CDs with every issue I think I would rarely, if ever, buy Uncut, Mojo or Word. I was a subscriber to Uncut for a couple of years but have not renewed it. I'll still get it if the CD looks interesting though. I think the writing in Mojo is stronger and the CDs are often better than Uncut's. The Southern Soul collection Mojo did last year was a cracker. I like the writing in Word. It's less reverent than the other two, except when it is discussing very English eccentrics such as Alan Bennett. But you're not likely to ever get anything bigger than a two par book review on him in Uncut or Mojo. I miss the Melody Maker; even though it had gone absolutely shit before it folded. It reminds me of my indie youth and C90 cassettes. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 219 Registered: 08-2004 |
In that 15 year timeframe, personal favourites would be : R.E.M. - Up Doves - The Last Broadcast Bob Dylan - Time On My Mind (I've decided now, I want the whole album played at my funeral) Pulp -This Is Hardcore Stephen Jones - Almost Cured Of Sadness Arcade Fire - Funeral (improves with every listen, 1 of those you look forward to hearing again) Public Enemy - There's A Poison Going On Babybird - There's Something Going On Nick Cave & TBS - The Boatman's Call The White Stripes - The White Stripes 10 will do, looking at that list I appear to be stuck in a rut. Maybe the last 15 years hasn't been a great decade & a half for albums. | ||
| Erhard Grundl Member Username: Erhardgrundl Post Number: 11 Registered: 09-2005 |
my picks: Dylan - Time out of mind White Stripes - White blood cells Mercury Rev - Deserter`s Songs Franz Ferdinand - 1st Album Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad Coco Rosie - La Maison De Mon Reve Oh Susanna - 1st EP Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock`n Roll Belle & Sebastian - The boy with the arab strap White Stripes - Elephant | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 40 Registered: 01-2006 |
Mine very quickly are: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Beck - Sea Change Neil Young - Greendale Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out Spectrum - Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows Leonard Cohen - The Future Patti Smith - Gone Again Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Luna - Bewitched Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 253 Registered: 05-2005 |
Lawrence,If youre feeling sinister is no 38 - no Suede in the list. And Mojo have put an unknown on this months cover - Elvis somebody or other  next 10 are: 20:Bonnie Prince Billy - I see a darkness 19:DJ Shadow - Entroducing 18:Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix 17:Johnny Cash - American III 16:Radiohead - The Bends 15:Bob Dylan - Love and theft 14:Massive Attack - Mezzanine 13:Nirvana - In Utero 12:Spiritualized - Ladies and gentlemen.... 11:Nick Cave - Boatmans call Think you guys are being a bit harsh with your criticisms above about these mags. Sure they could have more cutting edge artists on the cover, but they do cover these artists comprehensively within the magazine.Gareth was right when he states that Uncut and Mojo "broke" Lambchop, Flaming lips etc for which I am truly grateful. Mojo have done some cracking CDs, their Studio One release was a belter. It may be sad, but the happiest day of the month for me is when Mojo or Uncut pops through my letter box, its straight to the album reviews to see what shedloads of cash is going to be spent in the weeks to come! And anyway, tell me 2 better monthlies and I will buy them, but I wont hold my breath. | ||
| jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 98 Registered: 07-2005 |
No you're right Kevin, Mojo and Uncut are the best monthlies, I don't subscribe but look forward to each month for these 2 to come out.Some of the CDs are borderline for me the best one was the Mojo soul one and Uncut had a series of Americana one which I still play.I'm getting a bit old for all these lists.I remember when NME did 100 best LPs in the 80s and studiously bought a shed load then. Kid A come on number 7!! | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 133 Registered: 02-2005 |
Polls-schmolls! Lists-schmists! | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 261 Registered: 03-2005 |
I don't think I've ever seen Uncut. The only time I get Mojo is when I'm stuck in an airport. The articles are short and superficial and usually about snoozers like Pete Townsend. I remember getting a CD in one of them focused on 60s garage bands but it sounded like shit and I quickly realized that I could have personally put together a much better selection from my own collection. It's just too lowest common denominator. "Word" and "Paste" sound interesting. I think I'll look for them. The short-lived (or at least I couldn't find it for very long) publication that helped me find the most interesting of my 80s releases was a publication called "Forced Exposure." Except for maybe one article and/or interview, it was all record reviews; loads of them in relatively small print on cheap paper. One issue could keep me going forever and the writing was often quite funny. The example that comes to mind is one reviewer's comparison of Chris Bailey to Elton John in bad voice. And, in general, the reviews could be trusted. It disappeared probably about 19 years ago and I still regard it as the gold standard. | ||
| abigail law Member Username: Abigail Post Number: 60 Registered: 06-2005 |
the trouble with such mags as mojo and uncut is that, once you've read one or two issues, they begin to repeat themselves endlessly. there are only so many beatles/stones/who/beach boys/smiths/etc hagiographies that i can read. these bands were good but i'm just not interested any more. melody maker (and occasionally nme) 83-93 were my bibles | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 134 Registered: 02-2005 |
FORCED EXPOSURE is still around, but publishes very infrequently. I've been a nodding acquaintance with publisher Jack Rabid for years, but probably had a longer conversation with him than I ever have at a recent Mission of Burma show where we happened to be standing next to him. I buy MOJO every month. It was a lot of fun to read for the first few years and has gone up and down in quality with a series of editors since. I think they realize that their demographic of 60's-70's-80's music fans (who were approaching middle age when they started publishing in the early 90's) are now squarely in middle age and working their way towards codgerdom. As a result they've been trying to cover some slightly newer music, with mixed results. Some of MOJO's articles have been well-researched and in-depth, although the recent Townes Van Zandt piece was frustratingly general and there's no shortage of vanity promo items. But I still buy it. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 256 Registered: 05-2005 |
abigail and guy make good points. i dont buy these mags for beatles/who/stones etc hagiographies(because i cant stand the beatles and the who for a start), but for the new music features. not knowing anything much about how much control editors have over mag content, i am guessing when i say that the current mojo editor, phil alexander, is maybe good at his job but his music taste is questionable. he was (maybe still is) editor of kerrang, which if you couldnt guess, is a heavy metal mag - so say no more there . nme was the gold standard from 76-90 | ||
| gareth w Member Username: Gareth Post Number: 65 Registered: 05-2005 |
Here is a link to the Paste website - i reccomend it a lot. http://www.pastemagazine.com/ Josh Rouse is also a big fan. If you bought his new album direct from his website he threw in a free subscription to Paste too (his album is very good btw, very much a quiet grower but refeshingly short - 33 mins). | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 284 Registered: 05-2005 |
Kev I agree, where would we be without the MOJO and UNCUT, Word et al, putting it plain and simple, we can all get irate with the content, they can't please everyone, but without these, publications wise there's simply fu*k all else... PS The thing at the moment is online mags but I find it hard to digest, trying to read from a computer or indeed print it out then read a boring sheet of black and white copier paper with words (mostly typeset in courier!) on it! | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 86 Registered: 05-2005 |
Mojos the best at the moment by far IMHO. What else are you gonna buy? Rolling Stone??? I've got to admit though, even I'M starting to wince when I see yet another Beatles dissection! I gave up on the N.M.E. decades ago when I realised that all they loved to do was to build up and knock down. That and the Biba Kopft(?) "search for the lost chord" review of "Ocean rain"! | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 87 Registered: 05-2005 |
...oh and I agree with a lot of the best albums in the last 15 years but you have all missed "Carnival of Light"(Ride) and "Anthology 2"(Beatles) | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 262 Registered: 05-2005 |
speaking of lists of geatest albums, this site might be of interest to some, although probably just the Brits seeing as lists appear to be a pecularly British trait http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/ |