My Favorites Albums of the Decade, Pt. 1

I'm not going to make a list of what I consider the best of the decade but rather I'm listing my favorites. There's a difference there in that yeah maybe I could agree with the critics that Radiohead's Kid A may be the most important album of the decade and would be on the top of their list. I have it. I liked it. I played it a fair amount when it first came out but it never stayed in heavy rotation. I only went back again to it recently to what all the fuss was about. It holds up. It influenced lots of other music throughout the decade. It was a pretty great headphones listen. However, I didn't play it a lot. I didn't use very many songs on my mixes. It wasn't one of my favorite albums of the decade. These are some of my favorite albums of the decade. It took a while to come up with what I would consider to my favorite album of the decade. My number one. I played it a lot. I used lots of different songs on various mixes. It sounds like a greatest hit album to me now. Arcade Fire - Funeral, 2004 Great songs. Great production. A solid album from start to finish. The thing that put it over the top for me was seeing them on Austin City Limits recently. The songs really came alive watching them perform these songs and their Neon Bible album. I was amazed at their instrumentation. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) is the first song from this album and starts off the mix of my favorite albums of the decade. Here is the video of the song from their record company. It kind of sucks but the song is awesome. 

  Here is a live version of this song. They are really fun to watch.

Beck - Sea Change, 2002 This album almost took my number one position. I've always liked Beck and have most of his albums. He is wonderfully talented songwriter and producer. His albums have always been an adventure to hear. Sea Change was different for me. It was where he decided to put all that talent towards creating a classic rock album. Not in that generic cliche of an abused genre but in the sense of putting together a collection of classic love songs. A break up album. A great album. It stands up to repeated listens over and over again. His production genius comes through in subtle ways as he lets emotions drive these songs. I've used many of these songs on various mixes. It is a timeless masterpiece. The Golden Age is the first song on the album and has been selected for this mix. Strange video but great performance. Cat Power - The Greatest, 2006 This is the first album I really listened to from Cat Power. I had heard a few songs here and there and I had her categorized as one of the many indie diary-rockers. This album changed my perception. I read a review of this album and thought I should check it out. She really reinvents herself here. She recorded the album in Memphis with some of the great soul music session musicians. She wanted to recreate the sound of some of the music she grew up with and that influenced her. She created a masterpiece. I love every song on this album and it has been on heavy rotation since the first time I heard it. It is one of those comfortable records that I keep nearby. I went back to check out some of her earlier albums and came to like Moon Pix, You Are Free and especially The Covers Record. Loved her cover album Jukebox from 2008 too. I'm looking forward to hearing another album of original material from her. There are so many great songs on this album and I used many of them on mixes. Could We sounds real nice following the Beck pick. More songs from my list should follow shortly in subsequent postings.