6 Foreign-Language Albums that You Don't Have to be a Linguist to Appreciate

Thanks to a global phenomenon known as "the internet," music in the past decade has become truly worldwide. Thanks to services such as YouTube and Spotify, it has become possible to access material that in the past would have been out of reach for an English-speaking youth living in the Home Counties countryside. But this comes at a price: surely music loses at least some of its value when the lyrics become unintelligible? How else can the listener fathom the true depth of what that Finnish black metal band is on about without first learning the language? These artists have proved it's not always necessary:

6. Rammstein: Reise, Reise (2005)

The Language: German

Rammstein emerged from the former East Germany in the mid-1990s, disillusioned by the lack of job prospects in their recently-reunified country and unleashing their Teutonic fury through the medium of song and a darkly industrial musical style. Reise, Reise appeared relatively late in their canon, but remains one of their most popular albums, having spawned a few mainstream hits and successful videos. It's not hard to see why: while earlier works were pretty minimalist in terms of songwriting, this album shows a broad spectrum of moods, from the vicious thrash of Mein Teil - based on the widely-publicised story of Armin Meiwes, the German who advertised himself as a cannibal on the internet before murdering the (consenting) young man who answered his call - to the operatic love song Ohne Dich.

Why You Don't Need to Learn German to Appreciate it:

Really, German is the only language appropriate to match the sheer brutality of Rammstein's music. Former Olympic swimmer Til Lindermann heads the group, morphing his voice between a guttural growl and a full-blown Wagnerian bass. Yet while the lyrics definitely add another dimension to the music for German speakers, the overall power of the album ensures that, for those who don't understand, the words become irrelevant. Musically speaking, it's as innovative as anything in modern rock, and this means that the casual listener shouldn't get bored or feel alienated by the admittedly pretty entertaining vocals. In any case, the video for Amerika presents an ingeniously sarcastic attack on capitalism that can be related to on a pretty universal level, made easier by the English chorus:

5. Pato Fu: Isopor (1999)

The Language: Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese

Relatively unknown outside their native Brazil, the art-rock group from Belo Horizonte was founded in 1992 and is headed by Japanese-Portuguese vocalist Fernanda Takai. Isopor was their 5th studio album in 7 years, and is probably their most accessible work to date: 12 tuneful, cleverly-harmonised cuts of a decidedly innocent nature, drawing on influences ranging from glam rock to early grunge, with an overriding atmosphere of futuristic experimentation. Takai's voice rests peacefully on top of the musical landscape, remaining the focal point of the album, but not becoming all-pervasive either. It's understated, entertaining and ultimately a pleasure to listen to.

Why You Don't Need to Learn Portuguese or Japanese to Appreciate it:

For a start, both languages are pretty hard to learn from an English perspective. Regardless of that, however, this album's musical strengths more than make up for the slightly bizarre sounds emanating from Takai's vocal chords. The whole aesthetic immerses the listener from the opening track, the futuristic Made in Japan, through the creeping title song and the trippy acoustic number Depois to the closing Olimpiada 2000, a cheerful tribute to the Brazilian team's journey to the forthcoming Sydney Olympics. The pure sonic joy on show here allows the listener to forget the lyrics completely; the vocals merely become another melody added to the mix. The video for Made in Japan is an intelligent, albeit unsubtle, metaphor for Japan's imminent domination of world industry and, like Amerika, benefits English-speaking listeners by having an English chorus:

4. Kaizers Orchestra: Violeta Violeta Volumes I and II (2011)

The Language: Norwegian

Kaizers Orchestra emerged from the south of Norway at the beginning of the past decade, and rapidly found success in their native land as one of the first Norwegian groups to sing in their own language outside of the decidedly unwholesome black metal scene. Their popularity has not relented, and their jilting jazz/folk/rock song Ompa til du dør was voted the Norwegian song of the decade in a nationwide radio poll. Their Violeta Violeta project is the group's contribution to music this decade, consisting of a trilogy of albums, of which two have so far been released. The works blend Scandinavian folk music with alternative rock and a Springsteen-style affection for stadium-filling anthems, with frontman Janove Ottesen providing heartfelt melodies superimposed over the often unpredictable music.

Why You Don't Need to Learn Norwegian to Appreciate it:

Quite simply, the first two Violeta Violeta albums are a musical delight. Beginning with a 60s-style ballad in Philomen Arthur & the Dung, the project kicks off with a delicious touch of melodrama before progressing through alt-rock heartache and Beatles-esque harmonizing, all backed up by accomplished orchestral arrangements and sweeping instrumentation. It's music to inspire true passion in the very soul of the listener, and Ottesen's lilting, poetic Jægen dialect seems wholly appropriate when taken in this context. The sound of Kaizers Orchestra is the sonic recreation of driving past the country's majestic fjords and valleys, of viewing snow-topped mountains covered in faded-blue pine forests. It is achingly beautiful stuff, and the best part is there's a whole album yet to come. Here's the video for Hjerteknuser, the second single from Volume I. Enjoy:

3. Fatal Bazooka: T'as Vu (2007)

The Language: French

The brainchild of Suresnes satirist Michaël Youn, Fatal Bazooka are, on the face of it, an urban French hip-hop group like any other. Yet the album cover of T'as vu suggests otherwise, lampooning the admittedly rather ludicrous cover of 50 Cent's The Massacre, with the usually skinny Youn given a cartoonish makeover, the traditional rapper's gun being replaced by a water pistol. What follows is a ruthless spoof on all  of the most ridiculous aspects of rap culture, from violent lyrics and aggressive sexuality to the repetitive beats that form the backdrop to such music. This is compounded in the video for J'aime trop ton boule in which Youn, parodying Sean Paul, enters a club purportedly on the lookout for a woman before descending into a homoerotic fantasy that ridicules the often homophobic content of hip-hop.

Why You Don't Need to Learn French to Appreciate it:

The French you learned in school won't help much. In fact, the French taught at university standard only goes part of the way to deciphering the multiple levels of slang, swearing and invented nonsense on show here. Partly drawing on the verlan vernacular currently popular among youths in France, the lyrics come at such a rate that even a native speaker would struggle to keep up with Youn's inherently complex diatribe. Yet perseverance is worthwhile for those with even a rudimentary understanding of the language, and for those who have forgotten all of their French, the impotent fury with which Youn spits out his raging lyrics in the language of Baudelaire and Proust is hilarious in itself. The Frenchness of it all is completely necessary in the parody element, as shown in the video for Fous ta cagoule (Put on your balaclava), a cautionary tale on  the dangers of improper attire in the cold weather of the Alps that has racked up an astonishing 11 million views on YouTube, a testament to the universal accessibility of Fatal Bazooka's work. Watch it and try not to laugh at the sheer overblown silliness of it all, and then realise just how similar it is to so much modern music:

2. Die Antwoord: $O$ (2010)

The Language: Afrikaans, Xhosa

Die Antwoord burst onto the global music scene in 2009 in true "internet sensation" fashion, the video for their debut single Enter The Ninja going viral on YouTube (today, it has over 8 million views). What was truly amazing, however, was that no one could seem to work out exactly what angle the group was taking. Depending on whether or not they were serious, they were either the best or worst rap group to appear in some time. And yet, in an age where 5 minutes on Wikipedia would reveal the true identities of Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er as a pair of art-school students from Johannesburg who had in fact released a number of albums together prior to this, they are still managing to keep listeners guessing. $O$ was no exception, as without their surreal, overblown videos, the duo managed to sound relatively straight-laced, and yet somehow, at the same time, completely ridiculous. Their recent release TEN$ION already looks set to be one of the best albums of 2012.

Why You Don't Need to Learn Afrikaans or Xhosa to Appreciate it:

This is cheating somewhat, as enough of the album is in English for it to be  largely intelligible to an English speaker. However, the way in which the pair switch between their native Afrikaans and the language of their country's colonial past is a perfect metaphor for the post-Apartheid confusion that South Africa has suffered, with Diplo's Xhosan verse on Evil Boy addressing the decidedly sophisticated theme of the ostracism of tribal youths who refuse forced circumcision. Meanwhile, the depth to which Ninja and Yo-Landi (real names Watkin Tudor Jones and Yolandi Visser) immerse themselves within their characters creates a truly disturbing ambiance. This is especially evident when taken in conjunction with Jones' past projects, the futuristic music/comic-book crossover The Contructus Corporation, the psychedelic hip-hop of Max Normal, and his surreal solo work. But regardless of all this, Die Antwoord's music remains the prevailing masterpiece of satire, simultaneously forward-thinking and advanced, and yet equally back-to-basics and derivative. Jones himself demonstrates some impressive vocal skills, shown here in the group's promotional video Zef Side (WARNING: this video contains strong language and weird humour. Watch at your own risk):

1. Sigur Rós: Takk... (2005)

The Language: Icelandic, Volenska

Arguably the most internationally famous group on this list, Sigur Rós' ethereal, orchestral music broke out of their native Iceland just before the turn of the Millennium, sounding as if it had bubbled out of a geyser or dripped as melting ice from a glacier in the group's homeland. The spirit of their music embraces the spirit of the entire world in its brilliantly epic, grandiose forms and feelings. This lead to the group being commissioned to write the score for the David Attenborough documentary Planet Earth, which, according to the internet, is officially the best TV series ever made. It's really not hard to see the appeal of their music: tuneful and peaceful for the most part, it occasionally breaks off into phases of dissonance and tension, like all of the masterpieces of classical and popular music fused into one. Keyboard player Kjartan Sveinsson is responsible for most of the writing and orchestral arrangements on display, and Takk... remains the band's most successful and popular album.

Why You Don't Need to Speak Icelandic or Volenska to Appreciate it:

If you haven't heard of Volenska before, that may be because it doesn't actually exist. Rather, it is the name given to the nonsensical vocal ramblings of singer Jón Thór Brigisson, who often switches between his native Icelandic and the invented language within the same song. Therein lies the appeal of the band's music: words become meaningless, as language becomes just another instrument to add to the already beautiful mix of harmonies. It transcends the very concept of lyrics, or what it means to be understood as a vocalist: Birgisson's fragile falsetto in itself conveys more emotion than the average vocalist can do with even the most complex words. The ultimate effect is cathartic, spectacular, wondrous... really, hyperbole cannot do even the slightest justice to the ineffable power of the music on display. The single Hoppípolla has been used on everything from Planet Earth to football adverts to the trailer for Slumdog Millionaire. And my cousin's wedding. Takk... really is the ultimate accessible foreign-language album, because the language itself is simultaneously irrelevant and ideal, the music becoming something anyone can appreciate, regardless of their background. Music, after all, is the world's universal language.

TJGreenwood

The 10 Greatest Guitar Albums... OF ALL TIME

Let's be honest here - ever since Bill Hailey brought rock 'n' roll to white people everywhere, the guitar has been the instrument everyone wants to be good at. For uncool, pale youths all over the world, it symbolises a free pass to fame, fortune, women and respect. And yet for for every talented individual to emerge from their bedroom brandishing a few promising tunes, there are dozens of no-hopers who will continues to bash away at the strings for all eternity. This is dedicated to those who, like me, will probably never reach the level of:

John Mayall and Eric Clapton: Bluesbreakers (1966)

There may have been pioneering guitarists before him - Chuck Berry and BB King spring to mind - but Eric Clapton deserves credit as the first true guitar hero. Throughout the 1960s, he garnered controversy as people painted walls with the phrase "Clapton is guitar god" in his honour (they were simpler times back then). To his credit, he played with a prowess and precision that hadn't really been heard before, and his acerbic yet creamy tone went on to grace many an album, to the extent that he's still going today. But Bluesbreakers was where it all started: 12 covers of blues standards, with Clapton blasting away over the top of it all. Many would argue his playing with Cream is superior, but the simple clarity shown here is evidence to the contrary:

Unfortunately for John Mayall, one of the few instrumental tracks on the album is seen today as one of the best.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis: Bold as Love (1968)

In 1967, there emerged a guitarist so incredible he made Eric Clapton give up and walk off stage during a jam session. A guitarist so unbelievably talented, he achieved more in four explosive years than most others achieve in an entire career. Hendrix, who grew up in poverty in Seattle, learned the guitar by pretending to play on a broomstick, and then a ukulele his father found in a garage. Never learning to read music, he relied instead on synaesthesia (seeing sounds as colours), freakishly long fingers, and drugs. Quite a lot of the latter, if the album cover of Axis: Bold as Love is anything to go by. Anyway, while his debut effort Are You Experienced? may have been responsible for his most successful songs and Electric Ladyland was no doubt his most ambitious work, Axis definitely shows the full spectrum of Hendrix's ability, from acid jazz to psychedelic rock to feedback-based noodling. The majestic closing track Bold as Love is also notable as one of the first uses of a synthesizer in a mainstream album. But all analysis aside, just watch the man play:

Technically not the best guitarist ever, but unquestionably the greatest. He may have burned out spectacularly at the age of 27, but his legacy remains in the fingers of every serious guitarist alive today.

Black Sabbath: Paranoid (1970)

Believe it or not, there was a time when Ozzy Osborne was actually a respected vocalist, rather than a just a lunatic arguing with his wife on reality TV. His band, Black Sabbath, were also pretty famous as the creators of the entire metal genre, with Paranoid regarded as their early magnum opus. While guitarists of the 60s had been writing songs about whatever they'd been seeing on LSD trips, Black Sabbath identified with the plight of the common man, channelling into their music the extensive fury and frustration that presumably comes after a lifetime spent in Birmingham. Guitarist Tony Iommi may have lost the use of two fingers in an industrial accident, but he adapted his playing style around this to create what musicians today will recognise as "a riff." The album's title track and Iron Man are seen today as staples of early metal, with Iommi the driving force behind both songs. Any self-respecting shredder should be able to bash out the guitar lines of both songs, conveniently packaged into one video here:

The same goes for War Pigs from the same album, the least eloquent attack on the Vietnam war ever written.

1971 - 1989

The 1970s and 80s were not positive decades for the guitar. Prog-rock artists seemed to think that a 30-minute solo was justifiable when in reality it was pure self-indulgence, and the glam-metal of Kiss or Motley Crüe barely deserves recognition in such a serious forum as this. Nevertheless, the 1980s occasionally threw up a positive indication of things to come:

Metallica: Kill 'em All (1983)

Metallica's debut may have been largely ignored on its release, but has since sold 3 million copies worldwide, a testament to the ability on show here. 10 brutal, breathless, thrash cuts that effectively rendered the punk aesthetic on which they were based irrelevant. Of course it's all as fast and frantic as the genre from which thrash emerged, but at the end of the day, there's just too much skill involved. While original guitarist Dave Mustaine may have contributed most of the creative influence for this album before his dismissal, Kirk Hammett entered the fray with more then enough talent to shred through the licks left for him with aplomb. The group may have made their name by making their sound slower and heavier on 1991's self-titled release, but Kill 'em All stands as a testament to Hammett's guitar-playing skill simply by being so... fast. Listen to the opening track here and then try to imagine the fingers of a human being moving at that speed, with that level of precision:

Thrash may be an object of ridicule nowadays, but when hearing the band in their primal form like this, it's easy to see why adolescent boys spent hours headbanging their brains into oblivion to music of this power and intensity.

Joe Satriani: Surfing With The Alien (1987)

The most cerebral entry on this list, as well as one of the more obscure, Surfing With The Alien has stood the test of time as a benchmark in guitar innovation. Instrumental from beginning to end, the album showed a generation of nerds that a great guitarist really could be created by hours of relentless practice. Satriani, a guitar teacher with the looks of Lord Voldemort and the stage presence of an office desk, proved that any aspiring guitarist could have a platinum record if they could commit the modal system to memory. He's also responsible for most of the techniques considered standard for the instrument today - two-finger tapping, pick tapping, serious use of a delay pedal? All his idea. But Surfing With The Alien isn't just an exercise in virtuosity: every track on the album is a carefully crafted piece of music - it's tuneful, enjoyable and at times almost catchy. It's an obvious choice as one of his better-known tracks, but have a listen to Satch Boogie and then go off with a guitar and the corresponding tablature and attempt to get your hands to comprehend what's going on here:

He's a good guitarist, is what I'm trying to say.

The 1990s: pretty much any rock album released


Thanks to some rather unkempt youths from the American Northwest and the aforementioned Metallica, the 90s saw an explosion of outstanding rock albums. I've managed to single out three that sum up the zeitgeist better than anything else, so with apologies to Nirvana, Peal Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, Primus, Ween, Steve Vai, and even Blur, Oasis and Nine Inch Nails, here are the big three:


Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

Prior to the 1990s, the Chili Peppers had been just another post-punk band grinding away in Los Angeles, only with slightly more funk influence than could be considered healthy. However, the death of original guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988 led to the introduction of John Frusciante and a new, more focused sound. Blood Sugar Sex Magik was recorded in an abandoned mansion in the California hills and stands as Frusciante's most creative work before his 6-year heroin bender shortly afterwards. Every guitar line jangles unnervingly against Michael "Flea" Balzary's twisting basslines, resulting in a dark, paranoid sound that is only occasionally relieved by more melodic work such as the now-classic Under the Bridge. The rest is intense, brooding postmodernist experimentation - no one else could have dreamed up a lick to fit over the crashing bass riff of Give It Away at all, let alone added such a bizarre tune as Frusciante eventually produced:

Effectively atonal, it rides on top of the drums and bass with ease, never intruding and yet at the same time complementing the Chili Peppers' exceptional rhythm section perfectly. This song was one of their first to gain mainstream success, and yet the actual sound of it is so challenging that it's hard to believe listeners preferred this to their previous feel-good tunes. But clearly something worked, as Blood Sugar Sex Magik propelled the group to a level of fame that is yet to die down.


Rage Against the Machine: Rage Against the Machine (1992)

Emerging from the same LA punk scene as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and with all of the anti-establishment anger displayed by the self-immolating Buddhist monk pictured on the cover of their self-titled debut, Rage Against the Machine were not a band to be taken lightly. Zack de la Rocha's provocative, political lyrics became the chief source of controversy surrounding the band, to the extent that it is often forgotten just how musically good they were. Guitarist Tom Morello produced a performance on this album that he has found hard to follow ever since, manipulating the sound of his guitar across the full sonic spectrum and establishing the DigiTech Whammy pedal as something other than a way of making tuneless noise. Every riff and solo contained within this work challenges expectations of the sounds an electric guitar is capable of making, from the squealing solo on Killing in the Name to the phaser-laden riff on Wake Up, a track so futuristic it was featured over the closing credits of The Matrix. This compilation of solos is all the evidence Morello needs in favour of his status as a guitar genius:

Notice how on Testify, he simply pulls out the lead and plays with that, because the conventional technique of playing the guitar with one's hands is just not good enough for Tom Morello.

Ugly Kid Joe: America's Least Wanted (1992)

Sounding a lot like fellow Californian rockers Guns 'n' Roses and looking a lot like fellow Californian rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ugly Kid Joe were never the most original band in the world. Nor were they the most astute: this was unintelligent music for musically unintelligent listeners. But at a time when most rock music was either about depression or the adverse effects of US capitalism, this largely-forgotten album came as a breath of fresh air - it was just good, old fashioned fun, music for music's sake, and the product of five friends playing whatever they wanted, not caring one bit whether it earned them success or how they were judged for it. Nonetheless, the twin guitar stylings of Klaus Eichstadt and Dave Fortman are actually very accomplished, and the end result is so big-hearted and cheerful, it's hard not to get carried away. Listen to the drum break and subsequent guitar solo about 3 minutes into Busy Bee:

Don't try and pretend you didn't smile after hearing it.

Bumblefoot: 9.11 (2001)

For those not familiar with the works of Ronald Jay Blumenthal (who sensibly goes by the stage name Bumblefoot), he is best known as the latest guitarist to throw his talent into the revolving door of Guns 'n' Roses musicians. Prior to that, however, he released a number of truly brilliant solo albums that went almost completely unnoticed by the public. Which is a shame because some of those albums contain standards of songwriting that are rarely seen in mainstream rock today. 9.11 is not one of those albums. Released as a non-profit charity CD following the events of the titular date, it strives instead to be as insane as is musically possible, including funk, psychedelia, metal, baroque, an orchestral arrangement, flamenco, jazz flute and beat poetry. Thal's playing style is beyond belief, chiefly because, despite the barrages of sound on display, he pronounces each lick with such precision and clarity that not a single note misses the listener's ears. Every single track on this album is worthy of a space on this page, but instead here's Thal as a member of Guns 'n' Roses, performing a highbrow, sophisticated version of the Pink Panther theme:

9.11 was the guitar album to end all guitar albums. Forever. The End.

John 5: Songs for Sanity (2005)

Except it wasn't, quite. After having found fame as Marilyn Manson's guitarist, John 5 released a number of solo albums, of which Songs for Sanity is the strongest. It has all the diversity of 9.11, only with more metal-based adaptations of bluegrass tunes - and that can only be a good thing. Real name John Lowery, John 5 is also, with the exception of Tom Morello, the only artist on this list not to be influenced by any kind of substances during his writing process, ensuring his boundless creativity is for the most part kept under control by rationality. Although he did once throw a guitar at Marilyn Manson onstage, so perhaps rationality isn't quite the right word here. Also, he sometimes plays with a TV on his head:

Ultimately, John 5 is a reminder that playing the guitar can be fun. And, after all, isn't that what it should be about?

Shorter posts on the way soon-
TJGreenwood

Top 10 Albums of 2011

So it may be a little late, but everyone has to start somewhere and this seemed like the way to go. Ignoring the fact we are now well into 2012, here are:

My Top 10 Albums of 2011

10. Lady GaGa: Born This Way

Pop's most bizarre performer returned in 2011 with her sophomore album attempting to build on the success of 2009's The Fame. While a repeat performance would have comfortably assured global success, Lady GaGa mercifully decided to take a creatively original route, releasing a sprawling, grandiose tribute to the glam-rock of yesteryear. The standard club beats and pumping basslines remain, but they are embellished with frankly spectacular arrangements of church organs, orchestral sections and decidedly metallic guitars. The titular lead single, with its message of acceptance and goodwill to all men, "no matter gay, straight or bi," proved a radio success, with Judas, Edge of Glory and Yoü and I not far behind. But behind the commercial popularity lies one of the most ambitious albums released by a solo artist of recent times. That's not to say that it's perfect - it's just too long, the singles stand out by a fair way, and at times it falls into self-repetition. In short, for such a great album, it's pretty flawed as an album. But GaGa's slightly concerning eccentricity comes through at the end of the day, and ensures a thoroughly enjoyable listen from beginning to end.

9. Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds: Noel Gallagher's High-Flying Birds

The former Oasis frontman took a couple of years to get round to releasing new material following the band's split in 2009. When he did, however, it gave rise to the question why he even bothered keeping his former group together after around 1997. Taking sole creative duties, and noticeably more relaxed without having his younger brother around to provide constant arguments, the 44-year-old Mancunian unleashed a work the likes of which have not been seen from him since Oasis were in their prime. The self-titled debut effectively makes a mockery of Liam's decidedly inferior Beady Eye project, with 10 triumphant cuts that remind the listener just what a good songwriter Gallagher can be when he puts his mind to it. From the soaring opener Everybody's On The Run, it is apparent he is out to please his staple audience: musically, there is nothing revolutionary on offer here, and there's nothing wrong with that. Gallagher's voice sounds as good as ever, the brass and strings arrangements augment the songs beautifully and while two tunes - (I Wanna Live In A Dream) In My Record Machine and Stop The Clocks - are recycled from his back catalogue, diversity is maintained more than long enough to keep the listener's attention. Free from the shackles of his former commitments, expect Noel to keep on making music for a long time yet.

8. Mike Patton: The Solitude of Prime Numbers

The former enfant terrible of alternative rock throws yet another curve ball with this concept album combining mathematical principles with contemporary classical music, with just a little experimental electronic madness to top it all off. The vocalist who once had crowds of metal fans yelling along to Faith No More's anthems for the disenfranchised masses turns here to orchestral composition, with commendable results. The Solitude of Prime Numbers uses (unsurprisingly) a prime number for the basis of each track, from 2 to 53, with subtitles expanding the theme with a mathematical term. While all of this may sound either pretentious or overcomplicated, even the humanities students among us can appreciate the sparse beauty of the overture track (02 - Twin Primes) or the the Chopin-esque piano and theremin arrangement 07 - Contrapositive. Overall, 16 tracks segue into one continuous symphony of sound art that never fails to move or stimulate. The effect is reminiscent of Trent Reznor's film scores, only more sonically dense, with full orchestral sections mingling with Patton's technological noodlings. The end result is a euphoric, yet at the same time jarring work that could hardly be more different to the music of Mr. Bungle or Tomahawk. Mike Patton fully deserves his reputation as one of rock's most versatile musicians.

7. Kanye West and Jay-Z: Watch the Throne

Hip-hop's most anticipated album of the year did not disappoint, with the two biggest names in the genre collaborating for what promised to be a work as original and forward-thinking as anything in the pair's past efforts. Lead single Otis was released some time prior to the album itself, providing a hint at what fans could expect, and the early indications were indeed promising - samples from 4 different Otis Redding songs all superimposed over each other providing the backing beat for the ever-intelligent wordplay of the two rappers, who throw the lyrics back and forth between each other as if performing together was an everyday occurrence. Then the album appeared, with artists including Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Mr. Hudson thrown into the mix. The result was, at 16 tracks of dense, dark music, a challenging but ultimately rewarding listen. Opening cut No Church in the Wild set the tone with a blues-influenced guitar lick and pounding bass drum giving way momentarily to strings, accompanied by Frank Ocean's ever-impressive vocals and then lapsing back into the initial beat for Kanye and Jay-Z to make the entrance. The theme continues as such throughout the album, with guest artists generally providing aesthetic relief from the almost overwhelming flow of words emanating from the minds of the two collaborators. Musically innovative, lyrically as good as ever, this album is the inevitably excellent result of two musicians refusing to conform to the mould.

6. Eddie Vedder: Ukulele Songs

While the ukulele may never be as cool as the guitar in the eyes of the general public, this album makes a very serious attempt to at least improve the image of Hawaii's biggest musical export. The second alternative rock vocalist on this list to try something different in 2011, the Pearl Jam frontman put out this charmingly lo-fi and understated album of 16 tracks, 14 of which are under 3 minutes long. It may only be one man and his ukulele performing here, but Vedder produces a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere, his legendarily rugged voice somewhat toned down and his grungy guitar style translated with almost disconcerting ease to the miniature instrument. Ultimately the album improves song by song, from the desolately pretty Can't Keep to the closing cover of the jazz standard Dream a Little Dream. In between - discounting two essentially throwaway tracks that come in at less than a minute between them - are ballads of love and loss, of isolation and dreams of the future. This is truly inspired songwriting, and what makes it all the more brilliant is that, despite Pearl Jam's success on the global music scene, one wouldn't expect Eddie Vedder to be able to pull off an album like this. It's cute without being kitsch, and soft without being saccharine. Bizarrely, Vedder seems almost too well suited to this style of performance.

5. Chase & Status: No More Idols

It may seem like a long time since this album was released, but in January 2011, the London duo cemented their place in the elite of the British dance scene. While their 2010 debut More Than a Lot was a decidedly underground affair, full of intense drum 'n' bass and spawning only one real hit (the Plan B collaboration Pieces), No More Idols appeared with a much clearer statement of intent, with guest artists including the very best of UK hip-hop (Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Plan B), a few less obvious choices (Cee-Lo Green, White Lies) and a selection of promising new talent from the London underground scene (Delilah, Tempa T). Every song feels more carefully crafted than their previous work, resulting in a complete set of exquisite dance tracks that have been shaking clubs ever since. Chase & Status even received significant air time with the exceptional Blind Faith (ft. Liam Bailey) and a heavily censored version of the Tinie Tempah collaboration Hitz. Most successful of all was End Credits, used as the closing music for the Michael Caine drama Harry Brown, and eventually reaching #9 on the UK singles chart. Various festival appearances over the course of the summer ensured the producers remained firmly within the conscience of music fans. If they continue at this rate, there is no telling what the future may hold.

4. Rizzle Kicks: Stereo Typical

The almost depressingly young (their combined age is 40) Essex duo began the year as relative unknowns and ended with a certified gold album, a selection of top 10 singles and an unlikely celebrity fan in Stephen Fry. It's not hard to see why, with their first official single, Down With the Trumpets providing the ideal soundtrack for the summer and ultimately spending 13 weeks in the top 40. Riding on that success, the boys haven't looked back, reaching #1 with Olly Murs in August and then #2 in December with Mama do the Hump. The latter came complete with a video featuring their mothers and James Corden dancing around their house in Brighton. And therein lies the group's appeal: they've brought back a sense of fun to the British music scene that has been sadly lacking in this era of talent show singers and music as big business. Each one of the tracks on their debut studio album succeeds in bringing a smile to the face of any listener, regardless of their musical preferences. Summery beats and instrumental arrangements blend perfectly with intelligent lyrics and at times hilarious wordplay, and for the hip-hop enthusiasts, the nods to old-school rap are a delight to behold. From the harmonica beat of Mama do the Hump to the complex rhythms of Demolition Man, the pair are not afraid to acknowledge their influences while taking it all to the next level. There's really no good reason why they won't be able to carry on in this way for another 20 or 30 years. It's quite intimidating, actually.

3. Tyler, the Creator: Goblin

While Kanye West and Jay-Z's collaborative album may have been the most anticipated hip-hop album of the year, this offering from alternative rapper Tyler, the Creator was undoubtedly the best. having made his debut in 2009 with the almost completely unnoticed Bastard, 20-year-old Tyler (real name Tyler Okonma) gained widespread recognition with his video for the single Yonkers, which went semi-viral on YouTube back in March. It was controversial to say the least, with the rapper eating a cockroach and vomiting it back up before hanging himself at the song's conclusion. But for those who were able to look past the visual hype, Yonkers provided something very, very different for the hip-hop world. A floor-shaking bass beat overlaid with a haunting piano line, Tyler's deep, abrasive vocals performing lyrical acrobatics over the top of the musical chaos. But this was nothing compared to the full album. Goblin was a sprawling, complex work, clocking in at over 70 minutes and yet never becoming repetitive or drawn out. The opening title track introduced the album's concept: the artist in a therapy session with the voice of "Dr. TC." From there onward, Okonma delves deeper than many would care to hear into the furthest reaches of his psyche. The lyrics are not for the faint-hearted: at times brutally misogynistic, aggressive and political. But at almost every turn, the rapper contradicts himself, becoming tender, vulnerable and decidedly world-weary. Shockingly, he doesn't actually mean all of what he says - he isn't actually a rapist or a murderer. Nonetheless, after an exhausting 16 tracks in this particular vein, the album finishes with a surprising twist: Dr. TC reveals his true identity as Tyler's conscience, signifying that disillusioned urban hoodlums must look to themselves to improve their desperate situation. This is not a game-changing hip-hop album. It's game-winning.

2. The Black Keys: El Camino

The gritty garage-rock stylings of the Midwestern indie duo have been featured on many a left-field advertisement since their widely publicised decision to put their music on sale to the highest bidder over 5 years ago, but despite this their albums have been stagnating. Self-production was entertaining enough for their first three efforts but resulted in mind-numbing tedium on 2006's Magic Potion, leading to the group hiring renowned hip-hop producer Danger Mouse for Attack and Release in 2008. Armed with a fuller, more focused sound, they went from strength to strength until their seventh studio album made a late challenge for album of the year in December. El Camino had everything that had been lacking in their previous works: tight, sharp songwriting, an eschewing of bluesy self-indulgence and, most significantly, infectious and pleasant melodies. This is not the murky, lo-fi sound of vintage Black Keys music - this is fun, cheerful songwriting, 11 tracks of unadulterated joy. Vocalist Dan Auerbach still sounds like a man three times his age, but his voice reverts to an altogether softer tone here, blending in with the creamy musical backdrop rather than fighting against it. Drummer Patrick Carney hammers away as skillfully as ever, providing a solid beat for Auerbach's ever-impressive strumming. Lead single Lonely Boy earned the group plenty of commercial airplay, and the band still have any number of options to follow up: the bouncing, catchy Gold on the Ceiling, the poppy Stop Stop or the truly exceptional Little Black Submarines, which starts out as an acoustic ballad before erupting into full-blown, Led Zep-style rock 'n' roll. From beginning to end, the album is relentlessly pleasurable, a wonderful set of tunes to blow away the new year blues. It's taken them a number of attempts to get there, but it looks like the boys from Akron, Ohio have finally hit on a winning formula.

1. Primus: Green Naugahyde

So here it is. The album that beat all of its rivals from the last 12 months to take my title of album of the year.
It's been 12 years since Primus last offered up a dose of their particular brand of insanity. Since then, drummer Bryan Mantia had a brief stint in Guns 'n Roses, guitarist Larry LaLonde toured with System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian and bassist Les Claypool retreated to the California hills to produce wine and release a couple of unsettlingly strange solo albums. But in 2011, Claypool and LaLonde reunited with original drummer Jay Lane to give it another try. Green Naugahyde was the result, and saw the band revert to their roots while still looking forward and developing their sound for the modern world. It's all as virtuoso as ever, of course: Claypool's basslines are capable of dropping the most cynical of jaws, while LaLonde's signature off-kilter guitar style has never complimented them so well. Lane does a good job of making up for lost time, and while his drumming doesn't quite match the clattering intricacy of Mantia or Tim Alexander, he does fantastically well just to make himself heard in the middle of all of this thrashing noise. Not that the use of the term "noise" is a criticism, of course - the band's sound is just so complex that it can almost be confusing at times. Nonetheless, the songwriting on Green Naugahyde is Primus' strongest since 1993's Pork Soda, ensuring their boundless instrumental talent never once gets ahead of itself. Indeed, the lyrical content is noticeably more mature than in the past, as evidenced when the band conclude their ongoing Fisherman's Chronicles thread early on in the album. Where previously these songs have been light-hearted tales of Claypool's own fishing experiences, now, with Last Salmon Man, the vocalist turns instead to the plight of California trawler captains in an age where river waters have been diverted to keep golf courses green. And this becomes a recurring theme for the rest of the album: whereas in the past the group mixed serious social commentary with amusing silliness, here the vast majority of their songs deal with a criticism on modern life, be it the decline of the US economy (Eternal Consumption Engine), government surveillance of innocent citizens (The Eyes of the Squirrel) or mindless celebrity worship (Moron TV). As Claypool cries out "everything nowadays is made in China!" on Eternal Consumption Engine, the group risk losing the sense of frivolity that made them so great in the 90s. And yet, in an age of recession and media scandals, of corrupt politicians and reality TV, it's not at all surprising that Primus would turn their satirical eye to such issues. Claypool does allow himself a moment of fun in his tribute to the Western star Lee van Cleef, and the trademark bile with which the group attack the world around them guarantees the album never once becomes preachy. This is confirmed in the video for Tragedy's a Comin' which features, among other things, an astronaut riding a horse along the beach. Ultimately, on the merit of their glorious muical exhibitionism alone, Primus' modern masterpiece is an obvious choice for album of the year.

My first try at this, so don't hate on me unless you want to -
TJGreenwood