My hits and shits of 2008

The year’s coming to an end, so it’s time to start summing it up, right? Let’s start with my favorite albums!

Good ones

4. The Roots – Rising Down

Overall a good CD, pleasant listing. Shows that new hip-hop doesn’t have to be sung using auto tune. 

 

Snoop Dogg's Ego Trippin' cover art

 

3. Snoop Dogg – Ego Trippin’

Let’s face it: Snoop is exactly what I try to stay away from – mainstream. And let’s face it: I still like this record a lot! Press Play is a great opener.

2. O.S.T.R. – Ja tu tylko sprzatąm

Contemporary, kinda ol’ school but still modern hip-hop, that’s still staying away from what’s trendy these days (auto tune, anyone?). Love it, especially Introgliceryna’s second part!

 

1. Coldplay – Viva la Vida

This one was difficult. Sure, Viva la Vida is a great post brit-pop record, but in my opinion not as good as the debut Parachutes a couple of years ago. Still, the track with the same title as the album is amazing and can for sure be compared to my all-time Coldplay favorite track, Don’t Panic.

Coldplay's Viva La Vida cover art

 

 

Not-so-good ones

 

Okay, that’s the good-stuff list. How about the other side? Here are my biggest disappointments of the year…

 

 

3. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak

Kanye's new record

 

Recently released and played in my iPod with huge anticipation. And what? Well… not much. Let’s hope this an artistic experiment, a side album, a spin-off from Kanye’s ideas, a test… Please Mr. West, turn off the auto tune and go back to rapping’, cause you do it well. More than well on 2006’s Graduation! I’m not saying the album is bad – if it’d have been anyone else, it would be good. But with Kanye’s rap talent… singing R’nB ballades is a waste of time. 

 

2. The Kooks – Konk

Gonk! Konk! It can be played, but you hardly notice the music. How could this happen after such an amazing debut with Inside In / Inside Out (2006)?

 

1. John Legend – Evolver

Finally, the biggest disappointment of the year. Seriously John, what happened? Get Lifted (2004) was amazing, Once Again (2006) was good, though I got tired of it sooner than with Get Lifted. This truly continues the backdown spiral of Legend’s. I’m afraid of the next record which statistically should arrive in 2010. Damn…

 

There’s one more album worth mentioning, namely Dig You Soul by Oasis. Recently released (November 2008), it is for sure the most Beatlesque record of the year. I haven’t been listing to it a lot, but I do like it for its sound and many references to the Fab Four. Still, Be Here Now (1997) is in my opinion the best Oasis record ever. 

 

So these are my biggest favorites and biggest disappointments of the year, in a retrospective opinion. But the statitics say something else. The most listined album during the whole year is… Veronica Maggio’s Och Vinnaren Är! Seriously, I have no idea how this could happen!

How about you?

Alright, that’s my opinion. Which are your favorites or most hated records of the year? Don’t hold back!