Perfect 10 on Pitchfork

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What Albums have gotten a 10 on Pitchfork?
The only ones i've seen are "Kid A" & "OK Computer"

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:11 (twenty-two years ago)

They do like Radiohead over there.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

http://pitchforkmedia.com/cgi-bin/search2/search.cgi?terms=10.0

63%) Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
[Columbia; 1959; r: 1997] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain
[Columbia; 1959; r: 1997] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) James Brown: Live at the Apollo [Expanded Edition]
[King; 1963; r: Polygram; 2004] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Dominique Leone

(63%) Velvet Underground: Loaded
[Atlantic; 1970; r: Rhino; 1997] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) Iggy & The Stooges: Raw Power
[Columbia; 1973; r: 1996] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) Television: Marquee Moon / Adventure
[Elektra; 1977; 1978; r: Rhino; 2003] Rating: 10.0 / 7.7 - Review by: Chris Dahlen

(63%) Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year's Model
[Columbia; 1979; r: Rhino; 2002] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Matt LeMay

(63%) Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe
[Matador; 1992; r: 2002] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Chris Ott

(63%) 12 Rods: Gay?
[V2; 1996] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) Bonnie "Prince" Billy: I See a Darkness
[Palace; 1999] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Samir Khan

(63%) John Coltrane: The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording
[Impulse!; 2001] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Luke Buckman

(63%) Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
[Nonesuch; 2002] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Brent S. Sirota

(63%) And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Source Tags and Codes
[Interscope; 2002] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Matt LeMay

(63%) The Clash: The Essential Clash
[Epic; 2003] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Chris Ott

(63%) Glenn Branca: The Ascension
[Acute; 2003] Rating: 10.0-- Review by: Andy Beta

(63%) Various Artists: No Thanks!: The 70s Punk Rebellion
[Rhino; 2004] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Eric Carr

(63%) The Fall: This Nation's Saving Grace
[eggars Banquet; 1985; r: 1997] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Bruce Tiffee

(63%) The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
[Warner Bros; 1999] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) XTC: 'Go 2', 'Black Sea' and 'English Settlement'
[Virgin] Rating: 6.9 / 9.2 / 10.0 - Review by: Chris Dahlen

(63%) Walt Mink: El Producto
[Atlantic] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) Radiohead: Kid A
[Capitol] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Brent DiCrescenzo

(63%) Radiohead: OK Computer
[Capitol] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
[Columbia/Legacy] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Neil Lieberman

(63%) Pink Floyd: Animals
[Columbia Reissues] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: James P. Wisdom

(63%) The Who: Odds and Sods
[MCA Remasters] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) Kiss: Alive!
[Mercury Remasters Series] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) Amon Tobin: Bricolage
[Ninja Tune] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

― chris andrews (fraew), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

we used to refer to Ryan P*fork as a 'stunt reviewer' back in the PFMS mkI days

― chris andrews (fraew), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of these are really weird (Odds & Sods??!?!?.) Who the hell are Walt Mink and the 12 Rods anyway?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:20 (twenty-two years ago)

the only one that stands out as reeeely bizarre and probably untenable is the Trail of Dead record. It's pretty good but there's some really wince-inducing lyrics.

― Kevin Erickson, Friday, 16 April 2004 04:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I Agree with them on most of those

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

(x-post)Yeah, but it was definitely the LOOK AMERINDIE IS STILL GREAT AND WE WILL REP FOR IT RECORD OF THE MOMENT a couple of years ago.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

They aren't picking too many controversial picks there, bud.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Well at least for an indie website.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:29 (twenty-two years ago)

walt mink . . . ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . walt mink . . . ha ha ha ha ha ha . . . gasp.

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Walt Mink and 12 Rods are both Minneapolis bands, right? Which is where Schreiber lived when he started the website in college. If you'll notice, the only reviews on the site from 1995-97 or so are by Schreiber or that Jason Josephes fellow. And they're very short.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 16 April 2004 04:59 (twenty-two years ago)

ONE OF MINE! YEAH! WHOOOAH, BOO-YA! I LOVE PITCHFORK! not like I made the album or put it out to begin with, but still...Wish they'd review the Metal Urbain CD already...hope they like Branca Lesson No. 1 reissue half as much... love dan

but Pink Floyd Animals? and I'm a longtime old-school Pink Floyd fan, but Animals gets a ten?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 16 April 2004 06:32 (twenty-two years ago)

but Animals gets a ten?

yeah, because it's their best album. :) (mind you I always thought this was a personal preference)

― Omar (Omar), Friday, 16 April 2004 06:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The album that has the insufferably maudlin "Pigs on a Wing" gets a 10...oh MAN.

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Friday, 16 April 2004 06:58 (twenty-two years ago)

98% of these are remasters, rereleases, etc. Generally accpeted classic album = 10. Yawn.

― Mike Salmo (salmo), Friday, 16 April 2004 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait... if _El Producto_ gets a 10, does _Bareback Ride_ get a 15? Does _Miss Happiness_ get a 200?

(The Amon Tobin ranking is completely OTM, though.)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 April 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

(63%) Velvet Underground: Loaded
[Atlantic; 1970; r: Rhino; 1997] Rating: 10.0 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber
Oh come ON.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Friday, 16 April 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Pink Floyd: Animals? I mean, it's kind of OK but honestly...

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 16 April 2004 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

the albums that get ten are either boringly obvious or annoyingly bizarre (in other words, i want to have my pitchfork-bashing cake and eat it!)

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 16 April 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Loaded is one of only two albums that I'd give a 10 to on that list.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Friday, 16 April 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Seriously? Loaded? 9 at best.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Friday, 16 April 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

_Animals_ is far and away the best Pink Floyd album (and that is not damning with faint praise, I actually LIKE PINK FLOYD OH NO ILM MUST STONE THE INFIDEL).

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 April 2004 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I always knew you were a dork.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Friday, 16 April 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Adventure seems quite underrated compared to the 10 that Marquee Moon gets (and deserves). Adventure would be at least a 9.1 in my landscape.

― southern lights (southern lights), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Raw Power is good, but not a ten. Slanted and Enchanted was not a ten. This Nation's Saving Grace is only a ten if about ten other Fall albums are also ten. Loaded is not a ten.

Odds and Sods is not a ten!!!!!!!

― Tim Ellison, Friday, 16 April 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Neither was Kid A, OK Computer or The Soft Bulletin. Although Ascension was good, it still isn't a 10.0.

― Ds (ikue mori), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Way to go out on a limb and call the guy with "harvard.edu" in his email address a dork, Huck! ;-)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 April 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

You don't think it's 10? I guess that would make that the opinion of person who reviewed the album then, huh? Interesting, very interesting.

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 16 April 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

live at the apollo is definitely a ten

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 16 April 2004 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

PF should really leave alone the canonized reissues.

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 16 April 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

WHEREZ SKYNDRD ON THEIR LIST

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 16 April 2004 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

whom I really do like

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 16 April 2004 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

this is a fair list of good albums but pfork is seriously guilty (always been guilty) of grade inflation for good albums.

i think at a certain point pfork should adopt the richter scale or something: so that a 8.0 is ten times better than an 7.0, and a 9.0 is ten times better than an 8.0. that'll weed out those spurious 10.0 albums real fast.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

The 10.0 looks more discriminating if you consider that the rating has only gone to a couple dozen albums out of the nearly 5,000 reviews now in the Pitchfork archives.

But it is interesting that we haven't given out a 10.0 to a new album for a couple years. Maybe the rating is too inaccessible/canonical ... Trail of Dead doesn't hold up to my ears, but I like that Ryan took a chance on it.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Its not all that many 10s considering how many albums they reviewed. (xpost) Whatever the albums were that got 10s theyd be getting shit for it. The 0s and 10s are probably the only ones you can trust as actual opinions anyway because I assume a lot of the rest are based on whos advertising w/them or things of that nature.

So Chris Dahlen do you all have some kind of conference call when 10s are decided?

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahaha conference call.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Wilco, but who the fuck gives Wilco a ten for anything they've done?

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i remember a spin anniversary issue waaaay back when they chose the 100 best singles of all time. #1 was "it takes two". i think the point was that the best song of all time may just be the one you want to play over and over again *right at that moment*. Can you really knock a college kid for giving his favorite band of the moment a 10/10 (Walt Mink / 12 Rods)? Eh, it may make me feel better because time has proven otherwise, but fuck all, I would have given a ton of albums a 10/10 upon first two weeks worth of listens only to have time prove me wrong. Maybe I'll start my first thread on that same subject.

― jds, Friday, 16 April 2004 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

So Chris Dahlen do you all have some kind of conference call when 10s are decided?

Ha - no, it's not that sacred. It's all up to Ryan. I sent in my 10.0's and he went with them.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Well you should start now. This is serious business man.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I think people got a little gun shy after there were two 10.0s for new releases in one year (Trail of Dead & Wilco). I think a 10 is discussed a bit between Ryan and the writer (I wouldn't know -- never given one.) No conference call. (x-post)

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I assume a lot of the rest are based on whos advertising w/them or things of that nature.

This should be obvious, but I've never set a rating based on anything but what I thought it deserved, and Ryan has almost never disagreed with or tried to sway a rating, especially for financial reasons.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

That Walt Mink record deserves, at it's very best, a 10 out of a 100.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

(See above point re: _El Producto_ vs _Miss Happiness_)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I have two cousins in 12 Rods and I never understood who their audience was or why they were signed to V2 (second after Mercury Rev!)... then I saw the Pitchfork thing and it all made sense. Then their second album came out, big budget, produced by Rundgren, Pitchfork hated it, band unceremoniously dropped from V2, banished to the netherworld...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 April 2004 18:54 (twenty-two years ago)

That Walt Mink record deserves, at it's very best, a 10 out of a 100.

10 out 100? you mean a 1.0 out of 10.0, right? what's with the decimals, anyway? is there that much nuance between a 6 and a 7?

― jds, Friday, 16 April 2004 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Many years ago Pitchfork ratings were given percentage grades (i.e. 73%). They were converted to number ratings with a decimal around 1999.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I have two cousins in 12 Rods

You're cousin to the Olcotts? Small world! (I know Evan slightly through the MBV list he ran, which is actually how I heard about 12 Rods in the first place -- I still get random mailouts.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, we have an oddly musical family. Evan and Ryan are my 1st cousins, and we're also cousins with Jon "Quitty" Quittner (guitarist for Tight Bros from Way Back When and bassist in Behead the Prophet), and then my brother Jay runs ARTHUR.

We should put together some kind of multi-media world tour...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 April 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i find three 9.9's:

(63%) Miles Davis: Live/Evil
[Columbia; 1970; r: 1997] Rating: 9.9 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) Björk: Homogenic
[Elektra; 1997] Rating: 9.9 - Review by: Ryan Schreiber

(63%) John Lennon: Imagine: Digitally Remastered and Remixed
[Capitol] Rating: 9.9 - Review by: Brent DiCrescenzo

― jds, Friday, 16 April 2004 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno, I'd give the 10.0 to Live Evil and the 9.9 to Kind of Blue, myself. But I'm partial to Miles' electric period (that isn't even the best of his electric period albums either).

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 April 2004 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

There is one album on that list that was turned in with a review under 10. Let the guessing begin.

Hint: it is not the VU album

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry Shakey no way does Live Evil deserve a 10.0, the 9.9 is spot on. and also you're way off about Kind of Blue, it's a mere 9.8

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

my favorite ten-that-wasn't:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/e/eminem/eminem-show.shtml

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Ethan, I swear, if you wanna put out a 'zine of just your writing I will help bankroll that azz

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Live at the Apollo?

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

only you gotta let me edit the shit out of it, or at least pretend to, because half the fun is the tension between yourself and your enemy/editor

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

john OTM - they should've run his jay-z review by itself.

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd have admitted if it was me, Mark.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I've seen a 'zine Ethan did, but it was a comic & not about music. Pretty cool drawings & a v. weird story.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah I remember now.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

now that pitchfork has decided my best years are behind me I guess I can safely bitch about 'em like everybody else, ha ha

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

The Flaming Lips get a 0.0 (Zaireka) AND a 10.0 (Soft Bulletin)???

Fickle indie brats.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe it's called "smelling which way the wind is blowing"

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually the Flaming Lips thing can be summed in up two words: Jason Josephs

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

(That is, to him the ratings were tacked on to support whatever jokes he thought up while writing the review. Some of which I found quite funnny, I should add.)

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait... if _El Producto_ gets a 10, does _Bareback Ride_ get a 15? Does _Miss Happiness_ get a 200?

So OTM it hurtz!

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Friday, 16 April 2004 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

When I finally got to hear Walt Mink (my radio station was throwing away all the albums) I was sorely disappointed. I SO wanted collegiate Ryan to have been otm (nothin' like 10.0 albums for free!) but that stuff was complete shit (fuck if I can remember which album it was)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 16 April 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Walt Mink backlash!

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I was sort of gunshy about giving the Scott Walker box a 9.5 - I couldn't imagine giving any record a 10.0.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I'm like that too, scott. I still have to give an actual new record higher than an 8.6 or 8.7 or something. Looking back, I think may have underrated a few records.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i always wish pitchfork would just pare down their scoring to full and half-scores...like 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5...the decimals get out of hand for me sometimes...

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

They're all arguably very good, except for Kiss, I can't see how that slipped
in there.

And 12 Rods and Walt Mink are so very great, you should all check them out.
A lot of reviewers hand out perfect scores far too often, but even more are
afraid to give a record due credit. Has Rolling Stone EVER given a new album
5 stars?

I'm inclined to hold records innocent until proven guilty; that is, if I listen to it
a few times and don't have any complaints, perfect it is. It doesn't have to
"make a case" for itself or outshine all the other albums to get a 10.

_Homogenic_ is SO deserving of a 9.9 grade, too. It's so fun and listenable.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked that you did it for James Brown though. I have given pretty high scores to new albums (dizzee, basement jazz), and there is another album that I will give a 9.x to in the next month or so. I just can't see myself implying to the wide audience that PFM now enjoys that some record is 'perfect'. Even if a 10.0 isn't meant to indicate that, it still feels to me as if I give something a 10.0 I'd be unequivocably claiming that anyone who reads my review will love said album.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

kiss alive is alot more perfect than loaded.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"Walt Mink is easily one of the most impressive rock bands of the late 20th century and are so amazing that if anyone had ever heard of them, they'd realize the band has as much credibility as the Stones and as much integrity as the Beatles."

Daaaaamn, Ryan!

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Has Rolling Stone EVER given a new album 5 stars?

Mick Jagger's last solo joint.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People and Neil Young's Freedom and Sleeps With Angels all got five stars.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark +2 for referring to Mick's solo album as a "joint"

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

both the Neil Young five stars came from David Fricke. I BELIEVE the REM was from Rob Tannenbaum. Don't quote me on that.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

ha, re: walt mink, etc., I think it's commendable that Ryan hasn't exorcised all the reviews that date from PFM's embryonic days. I like that those early 'missteps' (the mink, that save ferris review) are still there.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

one of my first experiences with pitchfork was ryan's reviews of the early drag city jim o'rourke records which presented very simply why this person shouldn't be reviewing (or editing reviews of) music.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

There actually was a plan at one point to get rid of some of the older reviews. We were all supposed to go through the archive and pick our favorite bad ones, and do a feature. Never happened though, probably because it was ending up a greatest hits of one or two guys' writing.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I was just thinking about that Save Ferris review the other night. That's one of my favorite Internet things - it must live forever.

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

The only 9.5+ ratings I've given for new albums, I'm pretty sure, are Boredomes Super Ae, Mouse on Mars Idiology, and Keith Fullerton Whitman's Playthroughs. Mouse on Mars is more like a high 8 or low 9 (a couple tracks I usually skip, though the highs are very high), but I stand by the other two.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey, why is it so pleasant on this thread? Are all the haters out getting loaded?

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

it is 11 p.m. on a Friday night in the UK ;)

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh Christ they'll be stumbling in drunk any moment!

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 16 April 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't see what's so great about that Save Ferris review. It's only two paragraphs long and not all that revealing. Yes, I understand you came when you first heard the record, but what does it sound like, dammit!?!?!?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 16 April 2004 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

How do you search for albums that recieved 0.0 ?

― billstevejim, Saturday, 17 April 2004 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ignition (remix)" to thread

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Saturday, 17 April 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

How do you search for albums that recieved 0.0 ?

-- billstevejim (billsteveji...), April 17th, 2004.

Type in "Liz Phair."

― joseph cotten, Saturday, 17 April 2004 01:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Type in "music made by women" (haha just kidding)

― Sym (shmuel), Saturday, 17 April 2004 06:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Really, it was a cheap shot that should be ignored by all sensible people

― Sym (shmuel), Saturday, 17 April 2004 06:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The only way I could find the 0.0's was to search on 0.0 and remove the wrong results by hand. But here are the 0.0's that I could find:

(63%) Sonic Youth: NYC Ghosts & Flowers
[Geffen; 2000] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Brent DiCrescenzo

(63%) Liz Phair: Liz Phair
[Capitol; 2003] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Matt LeMay

(63%) The Flaming Lips: Zaireeka
[Warner Bros; 1997] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(63%) Francisco López: Untitled #104
[Alien8] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Spencer Owen

(63%) John Frusciante: Smile From The Streets You Hold
[Birdman] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: James P. Wisdom

(63%) Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Remastered Hits: The Best Of...
[Chronicles/Mercury] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Samir Khan

(63%) Kiss: Peter Criss
[Mercury Remasters Series] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

(36%) Kiss: Music From "The Elder"
[Mercury Remasters Series] Rating: 0.0 - Review by: Jason Josephes

BTO GOT A 0.0?!?!?? I QUIT!

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Notice how the Liz Phair was the ONLY recent record that got a 0.0. Even Audioslave got a 1.7.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:47 (twenty-two years ago)

That BTO review makes my blood boil, Randy Bachman is the only '70s guitar-dude's God worth revering except for maybe Larry Carlton

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris you gotta remedy that wrong, seriously, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" has one of the most beautiful dreamy solos EVAH

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 17 April 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

JOHN OTM x 1000; easily one of my top 10 singles of '74 (up with First Choice's "The Player" and Patti Smith's "Piss Factory" and what-have-you).

All this talk about decimal-point ratings systems reminds me that I devised one of my own (which Matos has dubbed sad, rightly so). It involves giving every song on the album a Pop Music Focus Group-style 0-10 rating (sans jokers), adding a 0-10 "reviewer's tilt" and averaging out all the numbers into a final score. It's a nearly 10.0-proof scale; the highest score I've devised for an album so far is 9.7 for Purple Rain, with Let It Bleed and Mingus Ah Um at 9.6.

Yep, I'm sad.

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

(It's obviously not a flawless system; somehow both Sgt. Pepper's and A.R.E. Weapons got an 8.1)

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)

the SGt Pepper's I can agree with but A.R.E. Weapons needs to have those numbers reversed.

― Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

ha! ha! Now say "A.R.E. [disparaging statement about band, such as "awful"]!

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh to be Chuck Eddy and not be considered batshit loony for likin' crap

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

(well, OK, be considered batshit loony slightly less frequently)

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

While I realize that the scale has to have a bottom, I find the idea of actually giving a record a 0.0 just totally ridiculous. You're saying this record that someone else made has NO VALUE whatsoever? I can think of plenty of albums that I really hate, but to say that they have NO VALUE seems like just a silly assessment.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I heard an album once that had literally no redeeming musical value once, but it was a home-recorded demo.

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 17 April 2004 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

A.R.E. Weapons A.R.E. misfiring completely

― Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

haha fun

― Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

my own ratings system is a two point scale: 0 means I haven't heard it, 1 means I have

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

We used to play "Guess how many stars?" with Rolling Stone. Without even having heard the album or necessarily knowing anything about it--It would be:

"Neil Young's Such and Such"

"Three and a half!"

That kind of thing.

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

(To go back to Walt Mink, _Miss Happiness_ really is a great album, particularly if you are from MN and in your early 30s/late 20s. I won't go to the mat for their other albums, though.)

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

eh that Walt Mink is a good band dere, doncha know

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn, Nate, you have a Top 10 singles for '74? I have to say, I like writing about music but I've never been that into lists (or ratings, for that matter.)

― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 17 April 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

notice the 2 kiss albums with a 0.0...

ryan's early reviews are pretty hit and miss..but then, he was just a young brat at the time..

― chris andrews (fraew), Saturday, 17 April 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

You can add boards of canada to the list:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/boards-of-canada/music-has-the-right-to-children-reissue.shtml

I like the record, although I have never quite gotten why it's considered SO great. Also, it didn't get a 10 the first time it was reviewed, interestingly.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

How is that interesting?

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

You can make all sorts of arguments about how it has to get a 10.0 now, because six years later we have a better idea of its influence, its significance, etc. -- but I also think it just comes down to the fact that a different person reviewd it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

x-post, uhhhh...I guess it's interesting because it's interesting to see an album get a reconsideration that results in a 10.0 rating? I didn't say it would blow your mind or anything.

― Scott CE (Scott CE), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

well I guess a "10" is interesting because it's a 10, but it seems like almost all albums that people say are classic don't usually get 10s when they first come out.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Boards of Canada's sound was not wholly original. Seeds of it can be found in Eno, Aphex Twin (in a big way), The Orb, and all over the home listening electronic scene that sprang up in the wake of Warp's Artificial Intelligence compilation.
What about Kraftwerk's "Radioactivity"? That's the most significant precursor to BoC, why does this never get mentioned by anyone?
I hear very little of the Orb in BoC.
10 my ass.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, in some ways, it's more interesting to note the albums that have gotten 10s from Pitchfork upon original release -- in the sense that they indicate the degree to which Pitchfork does or doesn't function as tastemakers or canon builders.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd guess the fact that BoC have, over the course of six years, become the token electronic act that indie rockers like can be seen both as a plus and a minus.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

(Plus, because they must be doing something very well to appeal to diverse audiences. Minus, because it means that a lot of their praise is perhaps myopic and thus misguided.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually I think Cluster are the most significant precursor to Boards, but plenty of people have mentioned that. This record is a 10 in my book. It's gorgeous and one of the great single artist techno records (along with Frequencies, Black Secret Technology and a few others I can't be bothered to think of right now.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Is there new vinyl packaging?

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

the artwork alone deserves a 10.

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

to answer my own question, the vinyl packaging remains the same.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't agree that Boards are the token electronic act for indie rockers. You could argue that IDM is the token electronic genre for indie rockers though, but I imagine most indie types have a lot more than one record.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

token electronic act for indie rockers surely = aphex?

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

(or timbaland, ha ha)

― mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Five years ago, it was Chems or Prodigy, but now, BoC is as good a choice as any.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

>Actually I think Cluster are the most significant precursor to Boards

true, to the extent that at first I couldn't even listen to BoC, it seemed redundant. I've stopped resisting though, it's a wonderful record.

There is no Cluster thread on ILM. Probably saving me hours of posting right there.

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 27 April 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

What, indie has a "token" electronic artist? I thought today's indie crowd was all about plonky electronic doodlies

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I always pegged OMD's 'Stanlow' as the genesis of Boards of Canada.

― minolta (minolta), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

as i've always said, BOC >>> BoC

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

As I always said BOC are boring as hell.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

well yeah, but at least blue oyster cult have at least _some_ worth..

― chris andrews (fraew), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 03:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Are the LPs valuable or something?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have an original pressing of the first album they handed out to friends and sold a few of (it was repressed last year) ---> yes, they are worth money.

Otherwise, they are worth less than you paid for them, I'd bet.

― ___ (___), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, I think the most obvious precursor to BoC is The Black Dog, especially on "Spanners". I admit I've re-evaluated my views towards "Music Has to Right to Children", and I don't hate it anymore. When it came out it was so much hype I expected too much of it, and was obviously disappointed. The album has interesting sound, but most of the tracks sound the same, and they lack any kind of development (I know this isn't necessarily a bad thing), which makes the LP a somewhat bland listening. I wish it would've had more tracks like "Telephasic Workshop", which is the one standout moment. Anyway, I think Two Lonely Swordsmen did the Mouse-on-Mars-plays-the-blues trick better with "Stay Down".

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Proof that Boards of Canada is the "token electronic act" for indie-rockers (from today's Pitchfork review of Erlend Oye's DJ Kicks):

"Dance music is pretty gay.

Let's not beat around bush, my stalwart indie-rocking comrades: In our world, lyrics can be heartfelt, songs can be ironic, albums can be post-grammatological, and occasionally, guitars can be acoustic. But unless there's some punk behind that disco, we aren't likely to indulge in dance music too often-- let alone dance to it. Because unlike indie rock, dance music's all the same, it's gay, and if it's in Massachusetts, its equal marriage rights are probably going to be denied.

Wait a second: Is it 1998 again? Because I remember more than a few of us thought the same thing about IDM, until we were all persuaded to pick up Boards of Canada's Music Has the Right to Children. It was electronica and it was taboo, but we purchased in good faith because it was on Matador, a label we trusted. Boy, did we love the shit out of it-- and there weren't even guitars!"

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 May 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

TIME TO STAB

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 7 May 2004 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

that irked me when i read it this morning.

boards of canada was NOT a gateway electronic act for EVERYONE.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

electronica, taboo, matador, trust??

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Burger/Ink's Las Vegas (also licensed by Matador in the USA) is much much more relevant to Erlend Oye's DJ Kicks than Music Has The Right To Children.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Reviewer apparently doesn't like soul music precedents in dance music. It's gotta be punk.

― Tim Ellison, Friday, 7 May 2004 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

rockist rockist rockist

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

what's wrong with not liking dance music? Pitchfork doesn't have to speak for you.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Dominique Leone likes dance music a lot, fwiw. It looks to me like he was addressing what he perceives re the attitude of the indie rock massive to dance music.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"post-grammatological"

this actually made laugh out loud. I'd like to thank whoever wrote that for my first good chuckle of the day.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I bet the chick who wrote that review is pretty hott. I wonder if she likes the boredoms?

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 7 May 2004 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

(fwiw, I like dance music, too - and so does Nick, the guy who wrote that review.) (and so do you, Mark!) (disco, for one)

Like Mark says, I think it's meant to be tongue in cheek.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I really didn't post this to make fun of rockists or anything. I just wanted to point out how BoC have become this touchstone electronic act for indie rockers.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

(My mistake, for some reason I thought Dom wrote it. But yes, the above applies to Nick too.)

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

but can you dance to boards of canada? maybe on whippets?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Re. oops' post: He doesn't have to like dance music! But is he REALLY saying that he doesn't like any dance music that has soul music precedents and no punk precedents or is he just making a non-funny, blanket statement "joke," thinking that he's really tellin' the truth and being provocative?

― Tim Ellison, Friday, 7 May 2004 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

this seems to completely not acknowledge that most of BOC's music is rooted in hip-hop beats.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean it's a semi-charming thesis that electronic dance music comes solely from disco (and maybe one cribbed from ILM?) but it's pretty patently stupid on its face.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

cutty, he doesn't say BoC is dance music!

anyway, if ppl want a PFM dance music-related abomination, it's elsewhere on the page...I'm off to stick my head into a hole in the ground.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

i know, i was just throwing that idea out there for a larf.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 May 2004 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

OTM re: Boreds of Canada / Black Dog dig esp. "Raxmus" formative Artifical Intelligence experience all Warp records aging poorly electronica failed etc.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Friday, 7 May 2004 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/ourfirstkiss/hippicks.jpg

THE LATEST PITCHFORK WRITERS!!!

― GET TO THA' (PRICE) CHOPPA!!!!!!!! ROFFLE!!!!!!!! (ex machina), Friday, 7 May 2004 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to write that review, but Ryan didn't like my "beatmatching is gay" lead off.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 7 May 2004 20:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris, you spelled "Boards" wrong

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 7 May 2004 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

So what do you guys think of the new Modest Mouse?!

― Nick Sylvester, Friday, 7 May 2004 21:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, who decided to call Bobbie Gentry "alt-country"?

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Friday, 7 May 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, that is regrettable (see also: the ex-assertion that is c. dodd was a 'dub pioneer') - I guess ya gotta ignore the facts and work to connect the old-timey stuff to contemporary things the indie kids like and understand in order to justify writing about them on the site. ;)

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 7 May 2004 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, isn't that your news story?!

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Friday, 7 May 2004 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, the former headline said 'dub pioneer' and then the squeaky wheel got some grease.

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Friday, 7 May 2004 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

situation downgraded from "stab" to "throw wadded-up paper"

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Friday, 7 May 2004 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

That p-fork review quoted above is so obviously poking fun at BoC's status as being safe for indie kids. I love MHTRTC, and I think it's 10.0 is definitely deserved. I also hope that Geogaddi will eventually be regarded as highly -- I feel like it's been shortchanged in a way, although I know of a lot of people who like it a great deal. It just doesn't feel like there's as much of a consensus about it.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Saturday, 8 May 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone please rate the following:

www.marykateandashley.com/music/audio/pinata_party.mp3

Thanks in advance.

― scottontharox (scottkundla), Saturday, 8 May 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

due to their um storied past, pfork's never been entirely successful in coming across with their recent attempts to pinata ye olde rockist cliches via irony.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 8 May 2004 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

My gateway from indie into dance music was Underworld. Does this mean I am a latent homosexual?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Saturday, 8 May 2004 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

well let me ask you this: what are your feelings on the microphones?

― Nick Sylvester, Saturday, 8 May 2004 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Microphones the band or microphones the phallic object?

― scottontharox (scottkundla), Saturday, 8 May 2004 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

interesting first response their herr doktor

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 8 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

sylvester in a they're the same thing shockah

― Nick Sylvester, Saturday, 8 May 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I honestly had no idea that article was supposed to be ironic. I took the "gay" thing at face value. I guess that's pitchfork's cross to bear.

― Broheems (diamond), Saturday, 8 May 2004 19:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Irony + print = danger. Irony + Americans = cliché. Irony + Pitchfork = dangerous cliché.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 8 May 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

more british wit!

― Nick Sylvester, Saturday, 8 May 2004 20:24 (twenty-two years ago)

southall, when you rock out to the coral, do you read old issues of punch?

― Nick Sylvester, Saturday, 8 May 2004 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

haha

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 8 May 2004 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

(i'm ashamed to "get" that.)

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 8 May 2004 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The utterly bizarre thing is that yesterday I was reading an old issue of Punch. Which doesn't happen everyday.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 8 May 2004 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it was 200 years old. We've got quite a collection at the university library.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 8 May 2004 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

126 years old.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 8 May 2004 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

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