Musicwhore.org Music and memory

A decade ago, I wrote a series of entries ranking my favorite albums from 1985 to 2004. My collection has expanded greatly since then, particularly in the last five years. So I wanted to see what has changed in 10 years.

At the time, SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS edged Utada Hikaru for the top spot of 2006, but Ultra Blue has proven far more durable. This list has gone through quite a number of changes.

1. Utada Hikaru, Ultra Blue
2. SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS, Shikakui Vision
3. VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE, Waiting for My Food
4. Furukawa Miki, Mirrors
5. Tokyo Jihen, Otona (Adult)
6. Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere
7. Boris, Pink
8. The Roots, Game Theory
9. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, Neruda Songs
10. Nick Lachey, What’s Left of Me

Other favorites of the year:

• ACO, mask
• J Dilla, Donuts
• Hajime Chitose, Hanadairo
• Now It’s Overhead, Dark Light Days
• Envy, Insomniac Doze
• The Gossip, Standing in the Way of Control
• ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Fan Club

I’ve known about Boris for as long as I’ve been following Japanese music, but I never made time for them until I picked up Pink at Goodwill for $2. Well, hell …

I wouldn’t have listened to the Roots or J Dilla at the time. Hip-hop had diversified to have its own underground, and that was just so much history that I wasn’t willing to unpack. I’ve only started exploring hip-hop with any seriousness in the last year.

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson was quite the late discovery. I didn’t pick up Neruda Songs till 2008, but it quickly became a favorite, dislodging Ex-Boyfriends completely off the list.

When I was first introduced to ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, I dismissed them as “eastern youth lite”. The joke was on me — I don’t even own an eastern youth album anymore, and I’ve purchased ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION on vinyl.

Tags: aco, asian kung-fu generation, boris, envy, favorite edition, furukawa miki, gnarls barkley, gossip, hajime chitose, j dilla, lorraine hunt-lieberson, nick lachey, now it's overhead, rewind, sloth love chunks, the roots, tokyo jihen, utada hikaru, vola and the oriental machine