LES INROCKS 100 Meilleurs Albums Anglais et U.S.

[o.m.]

http://boutique.lesinrocks.com/100-meil ... nglais-hs/
http://boutique.lesinrocks.com/100-meil ... mericains/

Today I've seen the second issue concerning the 100 american best albums, the first one dealing with english albums...I don't know if you are interested in including them Henrik, considering the fact that you've got already plenty of lists from this magazine already.

[Henrik]

Sure I'm interested!

[Pierre]

Just in case, the UK list was already posted here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4096

I saw the US one in library today, but I don't plan to buy it. I can only confirm that the VU & Nico is #1, and American Idiot is #100. From a rapid glance in it, I remember that Fugazi's 13 Songs and X's "Under a Big Black Sun" are included too.

[EmilienDelRey]

I'll transcribe it

[EmilienDelRey]

001 | The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico [1967]
002 | Bob Dylan | Blonde on Blonde
003 | Neil Young | After the Gold Rush
004 | The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds
005 | Lou Reed | Transformer
006 | Marvin Gaye | What's Going On
007 | Nivana | Nevermind
008 | Television | Marquee Moon
009 | Suicide | Suicide
010 | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall
011 | Love | Forever Changes
012 | R.E.M. | Murmur
013 | Stevie Wonder | Songs in the Key of Life
014 | Ramones | Ramones
015 | Sonic Youth | Daydream Nation
016 | The Stooges | Raw Power
017 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Creedence Clearwater Revival
018 | Gene Clark | No Other
019 | Elvis Presley | The Sun Sessions
020 | Leonard Cohen | Songs of Leonard Cohen
021 | Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska
022 | The Byrds | Fifth Dimension
023 | The Doors | L.A. Woman
024 | Pixies | Doolittle
025 | Blondie | Parallel Lines
026 | DJ Shadow | Endtroducing...
027 | Prince | Sign o' the Times
028 | Talking Heads | Remain in Light
029 | Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
030 | The Modern Lovers | The Modern Lovers
031 | Big Star | #1 Record
032 | The Jimi Endrix Experience | Electric Ladyland
033 | Aretha Franklin | Lady Soul
034 | Fleetwod Mac | Rumours
035 | The Strokes | Is This It
036 | New York Dolls | New York Dolls
037 | Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra | Nacy & Lee
038 | Otis Redding | Otis Blue
039 | Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique
040 | Weezer | Weezer [1994]
041 | Joni Mitchell | Blue
042 | The Feelies | Crazy Rhythms
043 | Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers | L.A.M.F.
044 | Wu-Tang-Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
045 | Pavement | Slanted & Enchanted
046 | The White Stripes | Elephant
047 | Richard Hell & the Voidoids | Blank Generation
048 | Beck | Odelay
049 | Elliott Smith | Either/Or
050 | Patti Smith | Horses
051 | LCD Soundsystems | LCD Soundsystems
052 | Kanye West | My Beautiful Darked Twisted Fantasy
053 | Johnny Cash | At Folsom Prison
054 | Tom Waits | Swordfishtrombones
055 | MGMT | Congratulations
056 | Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited
057 | The Cars | The Cars
058 | James Brown | Love Power Peace – Live at the Olympia, Paris, 1971
059 | Neil Young with Crazy Horse | Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
060 | Mercury Rev | Deserter's Song
061 | The Cramps | Songs the Lord Taught Us
062 | De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising
063 | The Velvet Underground | The Velvet Underground [1969]
064 | Hole | Live Through This
065 | Scott Walker | Scott 2
066 | Jay-Z | The Blueprint
067 | Sparklehorse | It's a Wonderful Life
068 | Arcade Fire | Funeral
069 | Frank Ocean | Channel Orange
070 | Sly & the Family Stone | There's a Riot Goin' On
071 | Cat Power | Moon Pix
072 | Hürsker Dü | Zen Arcade
073 | Jeff Buckley | Grace
074 | Curtis Mayfield | Curtis
075 | MC5 | Kick Out the Jams
076 | Al Green | I'm Still in Love with You
077 | The Gun Club | Fire of Love
078 | Dinosaur Jr. | Green Mind
079 | Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run
080 | X | Under the Big Black Sun
081 | Randy Newman | Sail Away
082 | Iggy Pop | Lust for Life
083 | Chris Isaak | Forever Blue
084 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Crosby, Stills & Nash [1969]
085 | Steely Dan | Pretzel Logic
086 | Jefferson Airplane | Surrealistic Pillow
087 | Fugazi | 13 Songs
088 | N.W.A. | Straight Outta Compton
089 | Sufjan Stevens | Come On Feel the Illinoise
090 | Slint | Spiderland
091 | Dr. Dre | The Chronic
092 | Fiona Apple | Tidal
093 | Kris Kristofferson | Kristofferson
094 | Carl Craig | More Songs About Food and Revolutionary Art
095 | Devo | Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
096 | Aimee Mann | Bachelor No. 2
097 | Bo Diddley | Bo Diddley
098 | Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago
099 | Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
100 | Green Day | American Idiot

[Nassim]

Surprised by the "low" ranking of Funeral, it topped their best of the 2000s list.
A bit surprised LCD Soundsystem self titled is their pick, though it's not as big of a surprise coming from Les Inrocks than it would from other outlets

[bootsy]

Good solid and somewhat predictable list. A little surprised to see Off The Wall make the top 10 and no Thriller.

[StevieFan13]

Is this specifically about the US or North America in general? Because if it's for the US, then I don't know how Neil Young and Arcade Fire made the cut.

[Pierre]

Is this specifically about the US or North America in general? Because if it's for the US, then I don't know how Neil Young and Arcade Fire made the cut.

On the cover of the magazine for the US list, there's actually an asterisk for a footnote which states "and their Canadian neighbors"

Same on the cover for the UK list which exact title is "The 100 best British albums", with the footnote stating "and their Welsh, Scottish and Irish neighbors".

Just like America tends to lump France together with Italia for reasons that are beyond me (when we do lists for ourselves, we phagocyte French-speaking singers from Monaco, Belgium and Switzerland and even the Maghreb, that's more logical to us ), we lump the US with Canada so we don't have to make complicated explanations about why Neil Young's not on the list.

[StevieFan13]

Is this specifically about the US or North America in general? Because if it's for the US, then I don't know how Neil Young and Arcade Fire made the cut.

On the cover of the magazine for the US list, there's actually an asterisk for a footnote which states "and their Canadian neighbors"

Same on the cover for the UK list which exact title is "The 100 best British albums", with the footnote stating "and their Welsh, Scottish and Irish neighbors".

Just like America tends to lump France together with Italia for reasons that are beyond me (when we do lists for ourselves, we phagocyte French-speaking singers from Monaco, Belgium and Switzerland and even the Maghreb, that's more logical to us ), we lump the US with Canada so we don't have to make complicated explanations about why Neil Young's not on the list.

Well, if you throw in Canada, then you might as well throw in Mexico while you're at it. Are there really not enough good albums from the US to fill an entire list? I guess I see the reasoning, though.

[Nassim]

They just released a list of the 100 best French (and their Belgian neighbors) albums ! It's only on the paper edition so I guess one of us can transcribe it soon.

The cover showcases :
Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson (obvious favorite for #1)
Alain Bashung - Fantaisie Militaire (fairly likely #2)
Noir Désir - Tostaky (likely top 10)
Katerine - Robots Après Tout
NTM - Paris sous les Bombes (probably the highest ranked rap album, likely top 10)
Les Rita Mitsouko - The No Comprendo (possible #3)
Jacques Brel - Les Marquises
Camille - Le Fil
Booba - Temps Mort (why they like him so much I'll never get)
La Femme - Mystère (hopefully the highest ranked album of the past 20 years... please don't pick Fauve instead)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Daft Punk - Homework (probable top 10)
Brigitte Fontaine - Comme à la Radio
Fauve - Blizzard (I guess, there is a color filter on the whole cover and Fauve albums all look very similar)
Air - Moon Safari
Justice - †
Etienne Daho - Pop Satori
Bérurier Noir - Concerto pour Détraqués
Jacques Dutronc - Jacques Dutronc
Stromae - Racine Carrée
Michel Polnareff - Michel Polnareff
And 3 others I don't recognize (well, 2 I don't recognize and one I draw a blank on)

I'd bet on Crève Coeur by Daniel Darc as the highest ranked album not shown on the cover, an I hope L'école du micro d'argent is at least top 50.

[StevieFan13]

AWESOME!

[Pierre]

Oh, so they're totally doing it. After Rolling Stone and Rock & Folk did their own, it seems natural I guess.

La Femme - Mystère (hopefully the highest ranked album of the past 20 years... please don't pick Fauve instead)

Actually Psycho Tropical Berlin

Jacques Dutronc - Jacques Dutronc

The 1966 one, as usual, but it's important to be precise with the 1960s French albums, due to all of them being eponymous.

And 3 others I don't recognize (well, 2 I don't recognize and one I draw a blank on)

The other two are the Dogs' Too Much Class for the Neighbourhood and Jean-Louis Murat's Cheyenne Autumn (the last third they plattered their barcode on, so I don't get it either, although that face is telling me something).

You can read some abstracts on the Inrocks' shop, and Fantaisie militaire is #3. Also showable are Ludwig von 88's Hou la la ! at #91, Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes' Paix at #92 and Woodkid's The Golden Age at #93.

If the cover and aforementioned releases are any indication, it's going to be female-light and rock-heavy. The same ole, you could say, unfortunately.

It's only on the paper edition

Actually, you can buy a digital copy on their website.

[Nassim]

1. Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson
2. Daft Punk - Homework
3. Alain Bashung - Fantaisir Militaire
4. Air - Moon Safari
5. Taxi Girl - Seppuku
6. Rita Mitsouko - The No Comprendo
7. Etienne Daho - Pop Satori
8. Noir Désir - Tostaky
9. (Suprême) NTM - Paris sous les bombes
10. Katerine - Robots Après Tout

Psycho Tropical Berlin is the highest recent album and IAM is 42 so most important things are covered.
Only gave a quick look, but I think only Gainsbourg is featured twice (which means no Discovery oddly)

[Pierre]

1. Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson
2. Daft Punk - Homework
3. Alain Bashung - Fantaisir Militaire
4. Air - Moon Safari
5. Taxi Girl - Seppuku
6. Rita Mitsouko - The No Comprendo
7. Etienne Daho - Pop Satori
8. Noir Désir - Tostaky
9. (Suprême) NTM - Paris sous les bombes
10. Katerine - Robots Après Tout

Psycho Tropical Berlin is the highest recent album and IAM is 42 so most important things are covered.
Only gave a quick look, but I think only Gainsbourg is featured twice (which means no Discovery oddly)

Thanks! Not a lot of surprise (not even Taxi Girl who are a staple of this kind of lists, just not that high) except for an oddball #10, although from Les Inrocks, it's only half a surprise, I suppose. Notably missing from the top while they crowded Rolling Stone's are Téléphone, Jacques Higelin and Johnny Hallyday... And girls more generally, except for the Rita Mitsouko. No acknowledgement of the golden age of French chanson either, at least not yet.

I hope we won't wait too much for the entire top 100!

[Nassim]

11. Dogs - Too Much Class for the Neighbourhood
12. Benjamin Biolay - La superbe
13. Brigitte Fontaine - Comme à la radio
14. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
15. La Femme - Psycho Tropical Berlin
16. Michel Polnareff - Michel Polnareff
17. Lizzy Mercier Descloups - Press Color
18. Justice - †
19. Jacques Brel - Les Marquises
20. Jean-Louis Murat - Cheyenne Autumn
21. Booba - Temps mort
22. Marquis de Sade - Rue de Siam
23. Jacques Dutronc - Jacques Dutronc (1966)
24. Dominique A. - Remué
25. Daniel Darc - Crève cœur
26. Christophe - Le Beau bizarre
27. Nino Ferrer - Métronomie
28. Léo Ferré - Amour Anarchie
29. Bérurier Noir - Concerto pour détraqués
30. Marie et les Garçons - Marie et les Garçons
31. Diabologum - #3
32. Mano Negra - Patchanka
33. Florent Marchet - Gargilesse
34. Elli & Jacno - Tout va sauter
35. Françoise Hardy - La Question
36. Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.
37. Kas Product - Try Out
38. Camille - Le Fil
39. Stupéflip - Stupéflip
40. Les Thugs - Still Hungry Still Angry
41. Danielle Hedayat - Obsolète
42. IAM - L'école du micro d'argent
43. Sébastien Tellier - Sexuality
44. Kid Pharaon & The Lonely Ones - Love Bikes
45. Boby Lapointe - Sacré Boby Lapointe
46. MC Solaar - Prose Combat
47. Miossec - Boire
48. Boris Vian - Chansons possibles et impossibles
49. Rachid Taha - Rachid Taha
50. Motorbass - Pansoul
51. Julien Baer - Julien Baer
52. Yann Tiersen - Les Retrouvailles
53. Gérard Manset - Lumières
54. Dick Annegarn - Dick Annegarn
55. Alain Bashung - Osez Joséphine
56. Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygène
57. Les Négresses Vertes - Mlah
58. Christine & the Queens - Chaleur Humaine
59. Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant assassin des mouches
60. Barbara - La Louve
61. Stromae - Racine carrée
62. Bertrand Belin - Hypernuit
63. Alain Péters - Parabolér
64. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
65. Vincent Delerm - Quinze Chansons
66. Alain Fleurent-Didier - La Reproduction
67. Les Calamités - A bride abattue
68. Fauve - Blizzard EP
69. Manu Chao - Clandestino
70. Doc Gynéco - Première consultation
71. Renaud - Marche à l'ombre
72. Véronique Sanson - Amoureuse
73. TTC - Bâtards sensibles
74. Emmanuelle Parrenin - Maison rose
75. Ilous & Decuyper - Ilous & Decuyper
76. Christophe J. - Sons of Waterloo
77. Jacques Higelin - BBJ 75
78. Silvain Vanot - Il fait soleil
79. Herman Düne - Giant
80. Rodolphe Burger - Cheval-Mouvement
81. Louise Attaque - Comme on a dit
82. William Sheller - Lux æterna
83. Les Innocents - Post-partum
84. Little Bob Story - Livin in the Fast Lane
85. Johan Asherton - Precious
86. Bijou - Danse avec moi
87. Métal Urbain - Les hommes morts sont dangereux
88. La Position du Tireur Couché - Acapulco
89. Keren Ann - La Disparition
90. L'Affaire Louis' Trio - Mobilis in mobile
91. Ludwig Von 88 - Houla la !
92. Catherine Ribeiros + Alpes - Paix
93. Woodkid - The Golden Age
94. Cerrone - Cerrone IV : The Golden Touch
95. Magma - Live/Hhaï
96. Lescop - Lescop
97. Jean-Jacques Perrey - Moog Indigo
98. Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story
99. Ulan Bator - Végétale
100. X-Ray Pop - Zouka Land

No Johnny, as was to be expected (and well, deserved honestly) but I'd still have expected some Téléphone at the bottom of the list (especially since they did not snob Renaud, Véronique Sanson or Jean-Michel Jarre).

[Pierre]

Added to the "lists to be decided" thread. Thanks Nassim! Slightly annoying snubs in Téléphone and Indochine (I know you hate them but I disagree with you about this band).

Bizarre choice for the Louise Attaque entry, in my opinion only their first album could deserve classic status. Same for Renaud, as aside from the first four songs, I've never felt that this album was that strong. Also strange to choose Rodolphe Burger solo over Kat Onoma.

Interesting list overall, although a bit too left-field and way too chanson-light (no Brassens, man!) to be considered the 100 greatest French albums ever, at least in my opinion.

3. Alain Bashung - Fantaisir Militaire

Actually Fantaisie Militaire.

41. Danielle Hedayat - Obsolète

Actually Dashiell Hedayat.

66. Alain Fleurent-Didier - La Reproduction

Actually Arnaud Fleurent-Didier.

92. Catherine Ribeiros + Alpes - Paix

Actually Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes.

16. Michel Polnareff - Michel Polnareff
54. Dick Annegarn - Dick Annegarn

You will have to be more specific.