[acidtripwow]

My vote goes to Golden Ear Award winner System of a Down - "Toxicity." Every song on this album Rocks!

 

[huy_ha]

That's a hard one. Bjork's Vespertine or Rival Schools - United By Fate.

 

[wasifazim]

There's an 88 msg. thread already devoted to this

 

[Braver]

Marillion - Anoraknophobia.

maybe Pendragon - Not Of This world is better, but this one really is the best album Marillion made since Brave and it's like "we're still the best". which they ofcourse are

although the youngest member celebrated his 40th birthday this year, you wouldn't say they're getting old

 

[Tuberoller]

Mcoy Tyner-Plays John Coltrane live at the Village Vanguard or
Kurt Elling-Flirting with Twilight

 

[WJK]

In the last thread I went with 'Muse - Origin of Symmetry' but I've listened to Toxicity a lot more since then, and I feel that overall it's a better album, and certainly a better recording. SoaD it is.

Honourable mentions to White Stripes & Turin Brakes.

 

[TerriblySorry]

Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Gray.

 

[Nezer]

Simple... None.

Since the record companies are testing copy protection that prevents me from making MP3s out of them and they aren't marking these disks nor will the stores allow returns if they don't work for me, I'm simply not buying any! Man shame too becasue I'm sure I've missed out on some great music this year!

 

[Pat]

R.E.M. - Reveal

...Best album since Automatic For The People

 

[Xevion]

I can make mp3s nice and easily now. Output from CD player to SB Live, record. Done

.

Nezer - just buy the damn CDs and keep them. If you don't have a standalone CD player, it is time you get one. The sound quality difference is quite large between a CD player and a computer.

 

[Zanth]

Xevion: I can relate to Nezer's argument. I have plenty stand-alone players, but the point of not buying copy protected disks is freedom of choice. I buy the disk, I should be able to do any legal thing with it that I want. Making a legal backup of it, either duplicate cd, wave files to a dat backup or hd, or converting to mp3 is all legal as long as it is not distributed. They inhibit my legal use of my own property that I paid good money for, hence I protest by boycotting of these disks. Simple. I am not about to contribute to the already approaching world of 1984.

 

[Beagle]

Quote:

Since the record companies are testing copy protection that prevents me from making MP3s out of them and they aren't marking these disks nor will the stores allow returns if they don't work for me, I'm simply not buying any! Man shame too becasue I'm sure I've missed out on some great music this year!

Now there's a real music lover

 

[Nezer]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xevion I can make mp3s nice and easily now. Output from CD player to SB Live, record. Done . Nezer - just buy the damn CDs and keep them. If you don't have a standalone CD player, it is time you get one. The sound quality difference is quite large between a CD player and a computer.

To your first point, yeah, I *could* do that but then I lose the CUE file generation and I have to manually seperate the tracks. Too much work.

I do buy CDs and I keep all of them. I was lucky before all this started to escape a CD store without dropping at least $100.

As for a stand-alone CD player, I gave away my ancient crappy Sony a while back in leui of the DVD player but I find I just don't listen to CDs. They are just too bulky to provide me with the choice I want when I want it. The advent of MP3s has brought me back into music listening.

Besides, the copy protection is reported to prevent playback on DVD players.

This does not mean that I only listen on a computer. Actually, since I got my PJB100 in August I have *REALLY* got back into listening to and enjoying music. Now I can finally carry my *WHOLE* collection around in my pocket! This is audio nirvana to me!! I don't listen from the computer anymore at all.

The point is I don't agree with this copy protection scheme and how it's being done and what it prevents. *I* listen to MP3s and if I buy a product that doesn't work as it should I should be allowed to return it. I can't do this now so I've stopped buying CDs because I just can't be sure they will work for me. This is a matter of personal choice.

So that ends my rant.

BTW, I will likely be purchasing an SACD player here soon followed by a decent DVD-A player. Even then I imagine that the *vast* majority of my listening will be to my ripped MP3s.

 

[deaby]

wow this is tough.. the REM is very good.. the turin brakes is good.. great debut.. the white stripes.. hmm i liked the strokes better than the white stripes but thas jus cos something bout the strokes album tha catches my attention.. but im not too crazy bout the strokes either.. vespertine is brilliant.. i saw bjork live on october 5th.. shes amazing.. most personal album to date great lyrics and its definitely the best electronic vocal album ive heard.. ive only heard like 4 ;x so tha doesnt carry much merit.. but its very good.. working with matmos was a great choice.. uhm.. the sigur ros is amazing.. its very beautiful.. i like the mercury rev.. amnesiac.. cannot deny the radioheadness ;x starsailor is another good debut.. buuuuuuuuut.. my favorite album this year is bjork's vespertine.. but if it wasnt bjork (since im a huge fan and its prob biased) is spiritualized.. let it come down..

my "I HOPE I HOPE" best albums of next yr..
the new massive attack - if they ever release it we all know how they get with time.. they TAKE as long as they want but never let anyone down.. but mushroom is gone now :/ so dunno wha to expect

the new beth orton.. trailer park <3 central reservation was eh..

the new richard ashcroft.. the verve are my favorite band ever and lets be honest his solo debut could've been better..

ima get yelled at for this long post arent i :/

 

[deaby]

correction sigur ros was actually released like 99/00 but i discovered it this yr sorry