Table of Contents:
Audioslave – Audioslave
Soundgarden x Rage Against the Machine.
Following the dissolution of both Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, Chris Cornell was without a band and Rage Against the Machine was without a vocalist; based on a suggestion from producer Rick Rubin, Chris Cornell auditioned for the band and the chemistry between the four musicians was instantaneous, with the band’s name coming from Cornell, who said it had came to him in a vision. Chris Cornell adds melodic dimension to the rhythm section that Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk provide, something that Zach de la Rocha simply couldn’t do as a rapper within the musical context of R.A.T.M.
The opening track/debut single, Cochise, storms out of the gate with guitar that sounds like a helicopter propeller, followed by an almost tribal-like drum beat, before Tom Morello’s guitar riff gives way to Cornell’s wails and unforgettable chorus. Show Me How to Live has more killer riffs, another stellar hook and an outro where Chris Cornell does this vocal inflection, which is achieved by karate-chopping his throat while he sings. Like a Stone is an emotionally-charged ballad with an impassioned Chris Cornell vocal and a memorable guitar solo. I Am the Highway is another powerful ballad. The aforementioned songs were all the singles, though album tracks like What You Are, Shadow on the Sun and Gasoline also shine.
Audioslave is a little long at 14 tracks and feels a bit repetitive by the end, but there’s still plenty to enjoy on the supergroup’s debut album. It might not be as great as Soundgarden or Rage Against the Machine’s best albums, but it provides some of the better hard rock you’ll find on mainstream radio in the early 2000s.
7.5/10
Beck – Sea Change
Beck’s breakup masterpiece.
Reuniting with Radiohead’s producer Nigel Godrich, who had previously produced Beck’s 1998 album Mutations, Sea Change is a mournful breakup album full of songs that are reminiscent to the template setup on a track like Nobody’s Fault But My Own, where Beck is at his most reflective and introspective, eschewing the samples and goofiness that has permeated much of his work, for something poignant and cathartic.
Where previous albums began with upbeat singles like Loser, Devil’s Haircut and Sexx Laws, The Golden Age finds Beck in a more meditative and lethargic state, like waking up still tired, struggling to get out of bed. On songs like Paper Tiger and Guess I’m Doing Fine, Beck is in denial about his breakup, downplaying the significance that its holding over him, though his hurt vocals say otherwise. The hopeless strings of Lonesome Tears make for one of the most devastatingly tragic songs here. Beck begins to acknowledge the truth on the self-aware Already Dead.
Having recently produced acclaimed Radiohead albums like KID A and Amnesiac, Nigel Godrich’s production is equally immaculate on Sea Change, taking what are already strong acoustic songs and turning them into something greater and more impactful — the chemistry between Beck and Godrich has definitely strengthened since Mutation. As for the performances themselves, the musicianship here is sublime, with Beck giving his most honest and pained vocal performances of his career.
Beck’s Sea Change is one of the greatest singer-songwriter heartbreak albums ever recorded, much like Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks — this is Beck’s greatest work yet and a clear sign of maturity and growth. While it might be lacking the humour that was foundational on Beck’s 90s albums, Sea Change proves that even clowns have tears to cry.
9/10
Clipse – Lord Willin’
Clipse releases their official debut.
After having met Pharrell Williams in Virginia Beach in the early 1990s, brothers Gene & Terrence Thornton, known professionally as Malice & Pusha T, began to work with Williams and Chad Hugo (known as The Neptunes) throughout the decade, with the production duo going on to produce their intended 1999 debut album, Exclusive Audio Footage. Due to their first single failing to chart, their debut album was indefinitely shelved by Elektra records, who subsequently dropped the duo. Enter Lord Willin’, Clipse’s official debut album (now with Star Trak/Arista), which was released three years later in 2002.
With Malice previously being a cocaine dealer, much of the subject matter on Lord Willin’ revolves around the illicit substance, but the beats and the rhymes are so much fun that it doesn’t ever feel stale or contrived. Compared to the gangsta rap of the previous decade, Lord Willin’ plays more like a cartoon than a gangster flick.
An almost tropical-sounding intro introduces the Virginia duo to the world, followed byYoung Boy, where Pharrell Williams proves himself to be a fantastic singer in addition to being one of the most interesting producers in hip-hop. Virginia paints some moodier vibes with its instrumental. Grindin’ is perhaps the most quintessential song on Lord Willin’, with it’s simple but effective drum beat that drives the song. The duo gets Faith Evans for a feature on Ma, I Don’t Love Her. Rapper FamLay appears on the bangin’ FamLay Freestyle. When the Last Time has some synthesizers that sound straight out of a video game. Tracks like Ego and Comedy Central sound like updates of late 90s rap. Cot Damn and it’s punny title is another highlight.
The rapping and interplay between Malice and Pusha T is fantastic and while the two brothers do sound quite similar, there’s a slightly different intonation in their voices to differentiate from each other. Regardless, for my money, they have two of the best voices and most unique flows in rap.
Lord Willin’ is one of the best rap debuts of the 2000s and shows plenty of potential between Clipse and The Neptunes.
8/10
David Bowie – Heathen
David Bowie reunites with Tony Visconti for his best album in years.
Following two decades that saw some of David Bowie’s worst albums (Tonight, Never Let Me Down, Black Tie White Noise), as well as some of his most experimental ones (Outside, Earthling), Heathen feels like Bowie returning to a more down-to-earth sound, while also reuniting with longtime producer, Tony Visconti.
In 2001, Bowie originally planned to surprise release Toy, an album of remakes of various songs that Bowie had originally released in the 1960s and early 70s. However, his label rejected the idea and the album was scrapped, which lead to the creation of Heathen, one of Bowie’s darkest albums yet. This is evident in the mysterious electronic opener, Sunday, in which Bowie states that “everything has changed, nothing has changed” — it’s one of his most impactful lyrics. There’s a cover of Pixies’ delightfully demented classic, Cactus, where Bowie cheekily swaps out the spelt out P-I-X-I-E-S bit for D-A-V-I-D and while it doesn’t surpass the original, it’s good to know that Bowie also appreciated the somewhat underrated track (at least when compared to other songs on Surfer Rosa). The entrancing Slip Away (which originally started life as the Toy track, Uncle Floyd) is another highlight, with its climactic sound and synthesizer passages.
Slow Burn sees a return of The Who’s Pete Townsend, who had previously guested on Bowie’s Scary Monsters era track, Because You’re Young — the guitar, sax and chorus make for one of the album’s standout tracks. Afraid (another track meant for Toy) is an anxious guitar-based cut. I’ve Been Waiting for You is a cover of a Neil Young song from his debut album and compared to Bowie’s cover of Cactus, it does give the track a nice update with its modern production. I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship is the album’s third cover, this time of a little-known artist named The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, whom had inspired the name of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona; the song sounds a bit like an Earthling track with it’s drum n bass sound and definitely feels otherwordly. Everyone Says ‘Hi’ is quite pleasant, sounding like an ‘hours…’ track.
Heathen doesn’t quite top anything from Bowie’s classic run of albums from 1970-1980, but it’s one of the albums that comes closest (along with the Brian Eno-reunion, Outside). Heathen is strong start to the new millennium, showing that Bowie isn’t willing to relinquish his artistry, even in old age.
7.5/10
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips follow up their masterpiece with another one.
After releasing their magnum opus, The Soft Bulletin, The Flaming Lips were finally a force to be reckoned with within the alternative rock sphere. Where they were previously known for novelty tracks like She Don’t Like Jelly and less commercial psychedelic experiments (and the occasional great album, like Clouds Taste Metallic), everything finally lined up on The Soft Bulletin, an album that was simultaneously both their most pop-oriented and artistically successful album to date. And that’s what makes Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots all the more impressive.
The Flaming Lips managed to catch lightning in a bottle twice, but without imitating the formula of its predecessor. Compared to The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi has a more electronic and hip-hop influenced sound and as per usual, neo-psychedelia guru Dave Fridmann is back as producer.
Fight Test is an uplifting opener that Cat Stevens sued the band over, for its similar chord progression to his song Father and Son, with Stevens now receiving most of the royalties to the song. Are they similar? Perhaps. Did they deserve to be sued over it? Not really, but Cat Stevens — I mean, Yusuf Islam’s bank account was probably drying up (much like his cultural relevance). One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 has a moodier atmosphere and is carried along by its bass guitar, like wings on the wind. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 returns to the heavenly optimism of Fight Test, with Pt. 2 of the song being a more hip-hop influenced instrumental track. Do You Realize?? was the lead single to the album and juxtaposes the reality of death and the joy of life.
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is a gorgeous psychedelic experience that has The Flaming Lips once again at the peak of their powers — it’s just as great of an album as its predecessor was and is a classic in the neo-psychedelia genre.
10/10
Foo Fighters – One By One
Dave Grohl returns to Foo Fighters after a brief stint in Queens of the Stone Age.
Following drummer Taylor Hawkin’s overdose and his subsequent recovery, Dave Grohl had put Foo Fighters on a short hiatus and joined Queens of the Stone Age as their drummer. After playing on their seminal record, Songs for the Deaf (released two months prior), Dave Grohl had returned to Foo Fighters, with Chris Shiflett being added to the line-up on lead guitar.
After scrapping the original album, the One By One that we know was recorded in just two weeks. The first four tracks of the album were all the singles, making for a really top heavy album. The raging All My Life (an ode to cunnilingus, as confirmed by Dave Grohl) and its simple but effective riff make for a classic opener. Times Like These and its optimistic sound are reminiscent of Learn to Fly. Have It All and Low, while not as memorable as the other two singles, are still competent bangers and some of the band’s heaviest songs to date.
As for the rest of the album, there’s Disenchanted Lullaby and its arpeggio verses, which makes for one of the more interesting album tracks. Tired of You has an appearance from Queen’s Brian May, though his talents seem wasted on the rather sleepy track. The stretch from Halo to Burn Away is quite boring, with the production doing the songs no favours. Fortunately, the ~8 minute Come Back is indeed a comeback, so at least the album doesn’t end on a low.
From the dull, over-compressed production and the generally uninspired songwriting to the lame artwork from Black Flag’s artist, Raymond Pettibon (seriously, what a waste of potential), One By One really does feel like it was made in two weeks, though it at least boasts two of the band’s best singles and and a heavy sound that makes it stand out from its predecessors.
7/10
Trivia: the album cover was created by Ray Pettibone, known for designing Black Flag’s artwork.
Mastodon – Remission
Mammothine metal.
Mastodon is a progressive metal/sludge metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of Brent Hinds (vocals, lead guitar), Bill Kelliher (rhythm guitar), Troy Sanders (bass, vocals) and Brann Dailor (drums). Though not a concept album, their debut album Remission is based around a theme of the element fire, and was also influenced by the suicide of drummer Brann Dailor’s sister, with the music becoming a cathartic experience to channel the grief that had resided inside of him for many years leading up to the making of the album.
Crusher Destroyer opens up the album with a two minute assault of sheer heaviness. March of the Fire Ants was the only single and showcases the band’s remarkable chemistry and progressive sensibilities. Workhorse, Trainwreck, and Trampled Under Hoof contain some of the best riffs on the album. Ol’e Nessie tones back the distortion for cleaner guitars, to showcase the technical proficiency of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s instrumental interplay. The album closes with The Elephant Man, a gentle instrumental, named after the gentle Englishman, Joseph Merrick, who was also the focus of the classic 1980 David Lynch historical drama of the same name.
The music on Remission is brutal and full of dynamic musicianship, blending together progressive elements with Black Sabbath-like sludge — a fantastic album and one of the strongest metal debuts of the 2000s.
8/10
Nirvana – Nirvana
A snapshot of Kurt Cobain.
Released 8 years after Kurt Cobain’s death, Nirvana is a concise selection of the songs that made Nirvana arguably the biggest band of the 1990s and that made Kurt Cobain one of the most celebrated songwriters of all time.
The compilation begins with one previously unreleased track, You Know You’re Right, which was recorded shortly before Kurt Cobain’s death and only performed live once in 1993. Unsurprisingly, it’s an excellent song and a final parting gift from the band. The rest of the album is in chronological order, with one track from Bleach (About a Girl), two from Incesticide (Been a Son, Sliver), four from Nevermind (Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come as You Are, In Bloom, Lithium), four from In Utero (Heart-Shaped Box, Pennyroyal Tea, Rape Me, Dumb) and two from MTV Unplugged in New York (All Apologies, their cover of David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World) — all these songs are essential listening for any rock music fan.
Nirvana is pretty much a perfect distillation of Kurt Cobain’s songwriting and the band’s greatest moments, though I’d have included a few extra songs, like Blew, Drain You and Something in the Way (though the MTV Unplugged version of the latter is on the Japanese CD). If you need one convenient package to convince somebody that Kurt Cobain was the voice of his generation, then they’re bound to find enlightenment with Nirvana.
9/10
Pearl Jam – Riot Act
Pearl Jam’s bleakest album yet.
Following the politics of post-911 America, and their Roskilde Festival performance in Denmark, where nine fans were killed and several others were injured, Riot Act finds Pearl Jam at their bleakest yet, as evident by the grim album artwork and frustrated lyrics.
Can’t Keep opens up the album in an understated way, with hints of Led Zeppelin III style folk rock (Friends in particular). With all the other Seattle grunge bands having long been disbanded by now, the vulgar Save You may be one of the last tastes of moody grunge rock that we ever get. Love Boat Captain and I Am Mine were singles and are two of the album’s most musically-upbeat songs, with subtle undertones of the Hammond organ beneath them. You Are makes use of some Tom Morello-like guitar effects. Bu$hleaguer references President George W. Bush, though Eddie Vedder wouldn’t be the first person to criticize the Texan politician.
As Pearl Jam’s seventh album in a little over a decade, it may seem like the band would be burnt-out and in need of a break, but Riot Act still ends up containing a fairly decent tracklist with a handful of great songs at worst. While it doesn’t compare to their run of albums in the 1990s, Riot Act is still ends up being a good Pearl Jam record.
7/10
Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
Porcupine Tree goes alt metal on their best album yet.
After working with Opeth as a producer on their seminal album Blackwater Park, that band’s heavy and metallic sound began to influence Steven Wilson. This brings us to In Absentia, Porcupine Tree’s boldest leap in evolution yet. The addition of drummer Gavin Harrison was also crucial in the hard-hitting sound of this record, with him replacing Chris Maitland.
Where previous albums like The Sky Moves Sideways and Signify were indebted to space rock and psychedelia, or an alt rock and britpop sound like what inhabited Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun, In Absentia dives head-first into alternative metal territory, making for Porcupine Tree’s most intense album yet and something that can rival a band like TOOL, but despite these new influences, In Absentia is still very much a Porcupine Tree album.
Opener Blackest Eyes introduces the listener to this new iteration of Porcupine Tree, with a crunchy riff and disturbing lyrics sung from the perspective of a serial killer. Trains is a moving ballad, evoking imagery from Wilson’s fascination with the titular locomotives. The Sound of Muzak is a criticism of the brainless, formulaic pop music that fills shopping malls and radio stations, doubling as an expression of disillusion, as Porcupine Tree had released a string of several critically-acclaimed albums, which were followed by little commercial success. Richard Barbieri’s atmospheric synthesizers elevate the first half of Gravity Eyelids, before giving way to a crushingly-heavy second half. New drummer Gavin Harrison gets to show off throughout the chaotic track, The Creator Has a Mastertape. Heartattack in a Lay By is a devastating ballad filled with Wilson’s ghostly vocal harmonies. Strip the Soul is guided by Colin Edwin’s bass riff.
While Porcupine Tree were nearing greatness with their past few albums, In Absentia was the album where all the pieces came perfectly together and is without a doubt their first true masterpiece.
10/10
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
Josh Homme returns to the desert with help from Dave Grohl and previous collaborators, Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan.
Touching on the desert rock sounds of Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri’s previous band Kyuss, Songs for the Deaf is a concept album that’s supposed to sound like a drive through the California desert, while flipping through radio stations and commercials.
You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire starts as if you’re just entering your car and inserting the key into the ignition, when you’re inevitably confronted by Nick Oliveri’s screaming vocals over fuzzed-out guitars. Lead single No One Knows is one of Queens of the Stone Age’s most recognizable songs, with a guitar rhythm based on polka of all things (a major influence on Josh Homme’s guitar style). The driving and dramatic Go With the Flow was another single and one of their most iconic songs. First It Giveth was the final single and incorporates some mariachi-style acoustic guitars. Do It Again probably could have been another single, though three was plenty. Dave Grohl pays homage to Black Flag by lifting the drum intro from their 1984 song Slip It In for the intro to A Song for the Dead, which features a Mark Lanegan vocal. Mark Lanegan also sings on the bangin’ Hangin’ Tree and the mesmerizing God Is in the Radio.
Josh Homme’s heavenly baritone paints the skies throughout the dreamy The Sky is Falling. The madness of Nick Oliveri returns on the deranged hardcore punk of Six Shooter, though he swaps out the chaos with something more restrained on Gonna Leave You and the carnivalesque Another Love Song. The doom-laden A Song for the Deaf acts as a climax for the album with a reprise of Feel Good Hit of the Summer playing after some silence, though the vocals are swapped out for laughs. Mosquito Song is a “hidden track” and provides an epilogue with acoustic guitars, accordion and piano — it’s one of the best songs QOTSA has ever recorded.
Songs for the Deaf is a watershed moment in 2000s rock music and one of the greatest albums of the decade, with a cohesive sound, a consistent and well-executed concept and enough variety in its tracklist to never lose your attention. If only the radio was actually this good.
10/10
Red hot Chili Peppers – By the Way
RHCP follow-up their blockbuster with a more laidback affair.
Following the gigantic blockbuster that was 1999’s Californication, the album that saw the band reunite with guitarist John Frusciante and brought Red Hot Chili Peppers back from the dead, placing them into the heart of the mainstream, By the Way finds the band at their most sublime, with John Frusciante’s influence within the band growing, making for the band’s most melodic and experimental album yet.
The title track is one of the band’s best openers/singles, with its delicate chorus and adrenalized verses. Universally Speaking is one of the band’s gentlest songs, making for something quite pretty, something that would never have been possible without Frusciante’s presence in the band — Dosed, The Zephyr Song and I Could Die for You are other such songs. Can’t Stop is another RHCP classic, with an intro that builds up and explodes into hard-hitting verses and memorable melody in its chorus. Throw Away Your Television is a spectacle for Flea’s bass playing and has some really cool guitar effects from Frusciante towards the end. Cabron (a Spanish colloquialism common for “ass hole”) should have probably been relegated to b-side status. Tear has electric piano and trumpet. On Mercury has a ska rhythm to it. The lyrics to Minor Thing may initially appear to be about musical keys, but the knowledge of Anthony Kiedis’ love of underage girls makes lyrics like “It’s just a minor thing and I’m a minor king” sound rather perverted and depraved.
Anthony Kiedis’ vocals have improved significantly since the 1980s (his sustained notes on Don’t Forget Me are quite impressive), and are nicely balanced-out by John Frusciante’s backing vocals (which are all over this album). Flea’s bass is incredible as always, pairing nicely with Chad Smith’s drumming for their iconic rhythm section. Rick Rubin’s production here is an improvement over the infamously brickwalled Californication, though it still lacks in some dynamic range and feels overly-compressed, especially when compared to some other albums released in 2002; another complaint with the album, is that it’s just too long at 16 tracks and 70 minutes, even if most of these songs are quite good.
By the Way is very much John Frusciante’s album (so much so, that it caused tensions between him and Flea during the album’s sessions), but then again, the band is at their most critically and commercially-successful when the virtuoso guitarist is in the band, so I suppose he’s afforded himself some leverage over his bandmates. It may not have all the hits that Blood Sugar Sex Magik or Californication had, but By the Way is still one of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best and most accomplished albums in their career.
8/10
Rush – Vapor Trails
Rush returns after an 8 year hiatus.
After the tragic loss of both his wife and daughter, Neil Peart took an extended break from Rush and the limelight, to deal with his grief, which lead to a cathartic motorcycle voyage across the Americas. On Vapor Trails, the Canadian prog rock trio is back together like no time had passed, with one of their heaviest albums yet.
The opening track, One Little Victory, has the band sounding triumphant as ever. Ghost Rider recounts Peart’s journey of solitude, where he hit the road with nothing but himself and the ghosts that haunted him. Freeze (Part IV of “Fear”) continues the “Fear” series that was last heard on 1984’s Grace Under Pressure. Earthshine is another highlight.
The production on Vapor Trails suffers from an over-compressed and brickwalled sound, which really hampers the quality of an otherwise solid album, though the chemistry between Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart is as strong as ever.
6.5/10
U2 – The Best of 1990-2000
U2 releases their second greatest hits package, focusing on their second decade as a band.
Following 1998’s The Best of 1980-1990, U2’s second greatest hits album chronicles most of the singles from their reinvented 90s era, as well as some soundtrack songs and one new track.
1991’s Achtung Baby, which saw U2 ditch the earnest Americana of their late 80s work for self-ironic alternative dance rock, is represented by Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, One, Until the End of the World and The Fly (UK and Japanese releases only); all of these tracks are essential, with One being one of the most emotionally-gripping singles of the entire decade. Zooropa features its three singles, Stay (Faraway, So Close!), The Edge-sung Numb and The First Time, and while they aren’t quite on par with the songs from Achtung Baby, they are still excellent songs from a fairly underrated album. The three tracks from the more polarizing Pop are in remixed form, and while I don’t really care for Gone or Starting at the Sun, Discothèque is admittedly quite groovy.
The Batman Forever soundtrack song Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is here and was one of the few good things to come out of that film. The Hands That Built America is another soundtrack song, this time from Martin Scorsese’s period piece, Gangs of New York. There’s also Miss Sarajevo from a Brian Eno/U2 collaboration project, a new track called Electrical Storm and two songs from their most recent album and reunion with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, All That You Can’t Leave Behind (the mega-hit Beautiful Day and Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of).
While I would recommend anyone with good taste to listen to Achtung Baby in full (one of the best albums of the 1990s), The Best of 1990-2000 still has all the necessary hits to convince somebody that U2 didn’t fall off in their second decade
8/10
Weezer – Maladroit
Weezer gets heavy.
Despite massive singles like Island in the Sun and Hash Pipe, Weezer (Green Album) was seen as quite the disappointment, especially considering that it took five years and was following-up classics like Weezer (Blue Album) and the recently-reappraised Pinkerton — the fact that it was under 30 minutes also didn’t help, nor did Rivers Cuomo’s abandonment of personal lyrics for something more simple, safe and accessible.
Compared to Weezer (Green Album), Maladroit has the band playing around with heavy metal riffs (see the opening track, American Gigolo), though they still haven’t left their power pop/pop punk roots behind either — then again, heavy metal has always been imprinted into Weezer’s sound from the start (spot the poster of Judas Priest’s British Steel in the gatefold of their debut). Maladroit is also the band’s first album to feature bassist Scott Shriner, who replaced one-time bassist, Mikey Welsh.
Lead single Dope Nose is fine, but is easily one of the band’s weakest singles yet. Keep Fishin’ is notable for its music video, which features The Muppets. The main riff to Take Control is pretty cool, but it sounds a little too similar to T. Rex’s 1972 song, Buick McKane. Burndt Jamb is a standout track, setting itself apart from the sound of the rest of the album with it’s somewhat funky sound.
Maladroit is unlikely to win back Weezer fans who were let down by Weezer (Green Album) (it doesn’t even contain a single on par with Island in the Sun or Hash Pipe), and it has the band feeling a bit lost, but it’s an interesting enough album with a handful of gems.
7/10
FIN
Brett Nippard
