NME Top 50 Albulms of 2001

No. 31 New Order Get Ready (London)

With the Haçienda and Factory Records long gone, no-one thought that New Order would ever be seen again, but with the bailiffs meetings and solo projects all grinding to a halt, they somehow managed the improbable feat of making a great comeback album. Featuring Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and former Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan, 'Get Ready' sounds more like New Order than any other New Order record. Still unique. Still brilliant.

They got in the top 50Q albums as well. Unfortunately it claimed Slow Jam was the standout track. In a good way that is.

I'm fast losing even more respect for NME after I read an old review of the Chems 'Out of control' where it suggested that one of the brothers were doing the singing. No mention of Barney. Honestly.

The music mags I respect are Mojo, Q, Alternative Press, Circus, and Tiger Beat (just kidding about those last two...or am I?)

I've noticed it's that time of the year again...best-of lists. My list would consist of GR, Bains Douches, Amensiac and a few more albums I picked up. When I get a proper list together, I'll let ya know

what else was in the top 50? I don't read NME any more.

The strokes was number one.

tabsy, im surprised youre a Q fan, what with it being such an appallingly conservative, boring and sycophantic magazine. as far as im concerned the nme for all its crapness is still a more entertaining read than u2/rem/travis/streophonics/oasis/manics r` us.

Ha ha! Who gives a stuff about the NME anymore? It ceased to be "cutting edge" ever since Kurt Cobain shot himself. I've never bothered reading the rag since, and even the promise of a best albums of 2001 isn't going to entice me to part with my cash. No way. NME - RIP (Roll In Piss, that is)

NME? Oh please..... don't get me started.... At least they've stuck to their word - I mean, if they DIDN'T put the fucking Strokes at number one they would look pretty silly wouldn't they -? Nothing worse than letting slip their oh-so-consciously-self-aware veneer of "cool" is there? They hyped the fuckers up enough, so it was totally expected that they'd be there on the top. But why wasn't New Order any higher? Easy - they had to include them as a sort of last resort really didn't they - grudgingly - I'll fucking bet. And where's Stereolab? Since that twat Johnny Cigarrettes slagged their last LP off two years ago the Lab haven't seen fit to even let NME lick their turds, so I guess that's why there was no review of their DIVINE "SoundDust" LP when it appeared in September NOR any acknowledgement of their existence in the farcical slapfest they call their end of year charts. Fuck em! Spiritualized at number two is more than deserved somehow - but Starsailor? No thanks! Slipknot are only in the top ten because the NME are afraid to be seen to be cowering from the beast that is Nu-Metal if only to appear hip and trendy to the young fucking flappy-panted skater twats who now buy so much shit these days. They've just jumped on the bandwagon to show the "kids" that yep they do like this monotnous tiresome splenetic racket just because a) it's fashionable and b) so the kids don't laugh at them when they skulk off back to their fucking Nick Cave records, which is what they're dying to do all along. Pathetic! Face it, They secretly hate Slipknot, they don't "get" them - they've only given them the honour of a tokenistic appearance in their pathetic charts as a false front to tell their readers what eclectic tastes they have though they are obviously lying - in their unique oh-so-fucking-ironic-and-holier-than-thou-patronising way they seem to excel at doing for so long. Fuck 'em - I won't even buy the latest issue - CD or no CD. Might nick it just for the hell of it though. That's how much respect I have for the NME now..... If people swear by what they read in the NME nowadays then they obviously live rather pathetic and inconsequential lives. There's music all over the fucking place - go out and look for it your fucking selves!! Don't wait for these tossers to tell you what IS and what ISN'T in! Wankers!

actually there was a review of sound-dust in the nme; they gave it 8 out of 10.

Originally posted by velocity girl actually there was a review of sound-dust in the nme; they gave it 8 out of 10.

Crikey - when was that VG??!! I never noticed - I mean the LP came out in September and I checked the bastard rag in the newsagents every week for a review to show up. I repeated this for the next five or six weeks and saw absolutely sod all so I just gave up bothering to check anymore, thinking the fuckers did the predictable and shunned them this time. So tell me, which issue was this - if you have it , that is? Maybe I need to backtrack. The UTTER nerve of the elitist fuckers - slipping it in like that just as I had given up bothering to check anymore. Thanks for that bit of info V.G. - 8 out of 10 - well at least that's a good review then, by the sounds of it.

Cheers! :) :) :)

martin, i came across the review only a little while ago. my sister left a few of her nmes lying around and i had a wee flick. i cant remember the date of the issue, but as im skivving off work tomorrow ill have a rifle through her stash (i`m actually forbidden from entering her room but what the hell) and post the review for u.

martin ive tracked down the review. it was in the september the 1st issue, with eminem looking like a twit in a white bandana on the cover. I was wrong about the rating though, it received 7 rather than 8 out of 10, and incidentally i think jim wirth also reviewed "get ready". **Stereolabs last LP, "Cobra and And Phases…", received a rather unfortunate 0 out of 10 drubbing in the NME. More nervous souls might have seen this crushing assault on their twitchy space-age pop idealism as a major crisis. Stereolab however are made of sterner stuff.If Laetitia Sadier and Tim Gane ever toyed with the idea of defying their critics with a record of viscera and vision, they didnt allow that thought to impinge on the creation of "Sound-dust". Like every other Stereolab album, its lovingly arranged and has a heart like an ice lolly. "I need somebody", thrills Sadier on "The Black Arts", "I feel so lonely". A more passionate or cynical singer might have imbued that line with every available ounce of emotion – Sadier sings it like it is a slightly esoteric item on her shopping list.The confirmed Lab aficionado will have good reason to marvel at the friction-free surfaces of "Captain Easychord" and "Gus the Mynah Bird", while devotees of Chicago post-rock will salivate freely over the presence of Tortoises John McEntire and Jim ORourke, but those seeking the soul of Stereolab will be left with the same "no-one home" answering machine message.Which leads us to the conclusion that either Stereolab are utterly immune to criticism or are incapable of doing anything other than producing attractive, beautifully prepared but ultimately stingingly cold records . "Sound-dust" makes no concessions. Its lovely but you wouldn`t kill for it. (7)Jim Wirth.**

I just loved Martin's little rant against the NME, especially the part about Slipknot being picked so they could show how "hip" they are...

I like Q to an extent because over here there's almost no mention of the artists that typically show up in the pages of Q and Mojo. If Rolling Stone were to do a "Top 50 of Punk" like Mojo did a few months ago, how many Mojo picks would reappear in RS? Sex Pistols and the Clash, obviously, but no RS-er would bother with English punk beyond that. No room for JD, the Buzzcocks, etc etc, let's plug The Ramones and other obvious acts! I guess Rolling Stone is the equalivant of NME over here. The American music media is too focused on hip-hop. When something that was underground becomes predominant, it loses something important in the translation. I remember growing up listening to rap secretly because it was "dirty" and talked about violence, which is nonexistant where I grew up. To me, I lost interest in hip-hop when I got older because the records being put out were just trading on the same themes of many years back, and now rap is too materialistic for my tastes. When everyone suddenly likes a form of music you liked before, back when it was underground, you lose interest fast (at least I did). That's why i became enamored of punk and post-punk, because they have the same appeal to me at 22 that rap had when I was 12, and the bonus is it's not played on the radio 24-7. So I turn to the British mags to escape the crap that has become American culture. But there are some things that puzzle me about British culture as well (can someone explain the career of Tom Jones to me, please?)

tom jones eh? what a leathery skinned, goat-eyed old fart he is. well tabsy ive occasionally had a flick through that rag "rolling stone", and youre absolutly right, its a crock of shit, so i can understand why you would seek refuge in british music mags. i suppose Q for all its failings is full of esoteric delights compared to RS. but its as guilty of favouritism as the nme, only it champions the more established acts, who frankly aren`t in great need of the support. and you have to admit its best albums ever type lists are absolutely shameful. an ex of mine thought that basing all his cd purchases on the list was the passport to a perfect, awe inspiring and amazingly cool music collection. he was so middle-of the-road, bless him.

Well, for all its conservatism, Q actually has interesting features, and I feel better about myself. The captions are pretty good (though Mojo's are better. case in point: In their "Greatest producers" issue they had a pic of Martin Hannett and Barney circa 1979. They were standing over a control panel, the caption read "Push this button for post-punk". I thought it was funny). My favorite Q was the one about two years ago, it had Travis on the cover and a "25 best rock pictures" feature that included the famous subway shot with Ian looking over his shoulder. No way in hell Rolling Stone would include that, JD aren't trendy enough

even though i criticise Q i do actually read it quite often, itll always have one feature thatll lure me. tabsy do u get Uncut in the US? its definitely my favourite publication as far as music (and movies for that matter) goes. but now that ive moved back to northern ireland im finding it really hard to come by...i hate living in the backwaters..

I'v seen it around...didn't they have a JD cover years ago (like 97 or 98; They had a feature on LA Confidential as well) I've seen that on eBay, looks interesting

Originally posted by velocity girl tom jones eh? what a leathery skinned, goat-eyed old fart he is.

WOOOOAAAAHHH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAA!!!!! SO SPOT ON ABOUT TOM JONES!!!!

Here's something an old female friend of mine said about The Leather Crotched Greasebag:

"I'D GLADLY THROW MY KNICKERS AT HIM ANYDAY - SO LONG AS I SHAT IN THEM FIRST!!"

Hee hee hee hee.....

Oh and by the way - thanks again for quoting the NME (yuk) review of "Sound Dust" by Stereolab - Much appreciated, amigo. :)