The Century So Far in Music Part I
The Best Albums of 2000 through 2004
The idea for this series was stolen (or given by) from Dave Brown of Oklahoma Lefty. Quite frankly, his list (and writing in general) is more interesting than mine.
The idea is to come up with a list of the best albums released in the 21st century so far. His list is an actual ranking from #100 down to #1. I’m doing my list a little different. Mostly because trying to rank 100 albums from the past 25 years is too tall an order for me. Instead, I am breaking the list of 100 albums into 5 parts. As the subtitle states, this is a list of my favorite albums that were released between 2000 and 2004. I am ranking them in these sections by the way.
There are 11 albums on this list. So here they are, in descending order of preference…
11. Brave New World - Iron Maiden
This one was released in May of 2000. It was their 12th studio album and the first one to feature singer Bruce Dickinson since his departure after 1992’s Fear of the Dark. It was also the first album to feature a 3rd guitar player, Janick Gers. It peaked at #39 on the US Billboard and reached #1 on the UK Albums chart. Iron Maiden is one of my favorite heavy metal bands. I feel a sense of nostalgia about this band. I was happy to see Bruce come back to this band. Quite frankly, the albums without him sucked in my humble opinion.
10. The Donnas Turn 21 - The Donnas
Released in January 2001, this one was the last album that the band released with Lookout! Records. It featured their awesome cover of the Judas Priest song “Living After Midnight.” If I’m remembering correctly, I think this might be the album that they were touring for when I saw them at VZDs in Oklahoma City. That was a great show. Such a small venue for a band who I thought at the time was a pretty big band. It features some great songs such as “Gimme a Ride,” “Hot Pants,” “You’ve Got a Crush On Me,” “Do You Wanna Hit It?” “Are You Gonna Move It For Me?” and another cover, Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.”
9. Audioslave - Audioslave
The 2002 debut album from the rock supergroup comprised of the members of Rage Against the Machine (minus Zach de la Rocha) and the iconic Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell (R.I.P.). I am a big fan of Tom Morello’s guitar style and Tim Commerford’s bass style. The songs on this album are phenomenal. What this writing team puts together is great and this album has a great batch of songs such as “Cochise,” “Like a Stone,” “Set It Off,” and “Show Me How to Live.” The album peaked at #7 on the US Billboard 200 and achieved triple platinum status in the United States.
8. Blackout - Dropkick Murphys
The album that got me into the band. This was a band that I had heard of prior to hearing this album but wasn’t a band that I was into. What I had heard from them was fine but nothing that really blew my hair back. And then I heard the song “Walk Away” from this album and realized that I was really missing something. I listened to the rest of the album and from then on became a fan. It features some great songs such as “The Dirty Glass,” Irish folk song “Fields of Athenry,” “Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced,” and “Worker’s Song.” This album was released in June 2003 on Hellcat Records.
7. Weezer (The Green Album) - Weezer
While guilty of not being the blue album, this is a really good album in its own right. Released in May 2001 and produced by Ric Ocasek, it is the only Weezer album to feature bass player Mikey Welsh. It peaked at #4 on the US Billboard and achieved platinum status in the United States. Some of my favorite songs from the album are “Photograph,” “Simple Pages,” “Knock-Down Drag-Out,” and “O Girlfriend.” Honestly, all of the rest of the songs on it are good.
6. Take a Break - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
This album by “the” cover band was released in July 2003 on Fat Wreck Chords. It was their album that covered classic R&B songs. Some of the songs on the album include the Lionel Richie song “Hello,” the Prince written (and made famous by Sinead O’Connor) “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and “End of the Road,” originally recorded by Boyz II Men.
5. All That You Can’t Leave Behind - U2
After 1987’s The Joshua Tree, this October 2000 release by the Irish rock band is probably my favorite of theirs. While it only reached #3 on the US Billboard chart, it hit #1 on the UK Albums chart and #1 on a bunch of other charts across the globe. Rightly so. It has achieved quadruple platinum status in the United States. Some of my favorite songs on this album were “Walk On,” “Grace,” “In a Little While,” “Elevation,” and “Beautiful Day.”
4. The Empire Strikes First - Bad Religion
The band’s 13th studio album was released in June 2004 on Epitaph Records. The album was heavily influenced by the then-current war in Iraq and the presidency of George W. Bush. It reached #40 on the US Billboard chart and had a minor radio hit in the single “Los Angeles is Burning.” It is the 2nd studio album of theirs to feature drummer Brooks Wackerman. Other than the aforementioned single, some other songs on it that I really like are “God’s Love,” the title track, “Let Them Eat War,” and “Atheist Peace.” If you didn’t already know this, Bad Religion is one of my favorite bands of all time.
3. Ill At Ease - The Methadones
Released in September 2001, this album is my favorite “proper” Methadones album. I specify proper because my actual favorite album of theirs is technically a compilation album. You will see that on another post when I get to that year. It was recorded at Sonic Iguana in Lafayette, Indiana and featured such great tunes as “Solitude,” the title track (such a good song), “Whole Lot of Nothing,” “Take a Look,” and “Past Mistakes.”
2. Sex, Love, and Rock n Roll - Social Distortion
The first album of theirs released since the 1996 album White Light, White Heat, White Trash (which was also a really great album), this one was released in September 2004 by Time Bomb Records. It was their first album recorded with guitarist Jonny Wickersham who replaced Dennis Danell (R.I.P.). It reached #31 on the US Billboard chart. Favorite songs on this album include the opening track “Reach for the Sky,” “Don’t Take Me For Granted,” “Angel’s Wings,” and “Live Before You Die.”
1. Cool To Be You - Descendents
Released in March 2004 by Fat Wreck Chords, it was released a month after the EP ‘Merican. It was their first album released since 1996’s Everything Sucks. It was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado and Planet of Sound in Wilmington, Delaware. The song “One More Day” was about the death of the father of Bill Stevenson and is one of the most depressing songs in the band’s catalog. The song “‘Merican” is one of my favorite songs from the band and addresses the positive and negative aspects of being a U.S. citizen. Those are two really good songs from the album. Some more include “Talking,” “Nothing With You,” “Dreams,” the title track, “Mass Nerder,” and “Anchor Grill.”
That’s it for these years. Check out the next ones when I decide to throw them together.