A conversation between two UK music mag writers

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1: I seem to recall we gave a good review to McCartney earlier this autumn. His album is his best in years, isn't it?

2: Yes it is. No doubt about that

1: But shouldn't we include it in our year-end list then?

2: Are you out of your mind!?? He's OLD!!!

1: Yes he is, but the album is excellent.

2: Yes it is, but, I mean: Look at his fans. A lot of 60 somethings like him for Christ's sake! We cannot put a guy like that on our year-end list!!

1: Why not? The album is great

2: Our readership would never forgive us! Remember, our list of the best albums of 2005 is not the best albums of 2005, it is what we expect our readers to pick as their best albums of 2005.

1: Oh well, OK. I guess you're right. No McCartney in the list then...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

Earth to Geir, you are not funny and no one likes talking with you.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

since when do music writers get to make these lists?

any fule knos it's the marketing department and the advertis [contd page94.com]

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

what is it about scandinavia?

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

The magazine in question is Terrorizer, of course.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

Only joking, it's Touch.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

i can actually imagine the complete opposite convo taking place

and the magazine isnt terrorizer or touch, its blues & soul

― okoko, Monday, 5 December 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

Bob Dylan made the 'cool' list, last week.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

'McCartney's best album in years' just isn't saying enough is it, even if it is absolutely correct.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

"Geir's best post in years"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:33 (twenty years ago)

Well, I am still getting sick of the ageism in the music press.

Along with McCartney (although his is the most obvious case), Kate Bush, Depeche Mode and Madonna are also victims of the same kind of ageism, as all should have been way higher in those year-end lists in general.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

James Blunt is 93 years old and he's done ok.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

yeah madonna's had a real tought time of it.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

Um, they are all actually on the list, right?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:36 (twenty years ago)

They have all released albums that are way better than the albums by Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens or My Morning Jacket, but the latter three seem more "interesting" because they are new and upcoming acts.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

Yes and Depeche Mode, Madonna et al. have made good music?

xpost, no Bright Eyes > Madonna now.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Top ten = People who are in some way friends with the writers
Top Twenty = People who have some cool cache
Top Fifty = Albums that have been considered good.

And then there are the rest of the albums released that year. Some good, some bad, some overlooked, some oversold.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

Lourdes doing karaoke at her own birthday party > Bright Eyes

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

Geir, your MOR hero macca is number 8 on:

Top 1000 Albums of 2005 @ rateyourmusic.com
http://rateyourmusic.com/top_albums/year_is_2005_and_stop_is_1000

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

Rateyourmusic is an audience list, but at least the audiences have got some taste.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

Yes and Depeche Mode, Madonna et al. have made good music?

Depeche did at least. But I am sweetly biased.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

Depeche Mode currently ranked 59 on rym, Madonna at 136...also Ulver at 47

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

RYM is not a critics list.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

geir, do you listen to your fellow Norwegians, Ulver ?

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

Geir, most music publications in the 21st century are useless.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:52 (twenty years ago)

geir, do you listen to your fellow Norwegians, Ulver ?

I don't listen to black metal, regardless of Nationality.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

at least the audiences have got some taste.

Lewis Carrol, the election of 1876, and how aggregate sets of rational preferences can yield irrational results

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

Well, I am still getting sick of the ageism in the music press.
Along with McCartney (although his is the most obvious case), Kate Bush, Depeche Mode and Madonna are also victims of the same kind of ageism

Well, Kate Bush, Bruce Springsteen and Ry Cooder all made the Mojo top 10, and you dont have to look too hard to see some other old timers. Problem is that there isn't enough young, new acts in most music lists.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

you donut, in 2005 ulver play electronic-rock that has some similar qualities to depeche mode

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:57 (twenty years ago)

Are we talking about the NME here in your little scenario? I didn't think the NME gave the album such a great review.

Putting aside the fact that the McCartney album is pretty overrated ("Flaming Pie" was much better), is it really such a shock that the NME, which finds itself under intense pressure from falling circ and heavy duty advertiser drift, would choose to calculate a top 10 that is more demo friendly?

Besides, McCartney has never had the kind of perceived cool Dylan, Neil Young or Bowie do that allow their "comeback" records to score high on "alternative" lists. Putting McCartney in the NME top 50 of 2005 is the equivalent of putting Elvis's "Moody Blue" in the top 10 in 1977.

― Swamp Thing (Swamp Thing), Monday, 5 December 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

Are we talking about the NME here in your little scenario? I didn't think the NME gave the album such a great review.

I am most of all disappointed with Mojo and Uncut, since they are usually less ageist than other mags, but I guess they still rembember him as a Beatle, and judge everything he makes up against his Beatles heyday.

Besides, McCartney has never had the kind of perceived cool Dylan, Neil Young or Bowie do that allow their "comeback" records to score high on "alternative" lists.

His new album has received excellent reviews in the press though. And when it was possible for Brian Wilson (who doesn't have much "cool" among "alternative" fans either) to end up high in year-end lists last year, it normally should have for him too.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 December 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Yes Geir, the levels of perceived coolness amongst the alternative of stay-at-home junkie inspiration to a thousand shitty indie bands Brian Wilson and Paul "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time" McCartney are totally equal.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

Geir, you are insane.

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

Ha, Jon, I love this idea that Geir is trying to be "funny!"

― nabiscothingyu, Monday, 5 December 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

McCartney didn't make the Mojo list or the Uncut list? That is indeed odd. Geir is correct.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

you're ruining it for everyone

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

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