# Album of the Year 2003: Your Nominations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365 "2003-12-01T23:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/1 "2003-12-01T23:12:38Z")
So it’s that time again, when lists are compiled of what was best this year. I’d love to hear what Dopers thought was the best album of 2003. My nomination is **The Love Below** , by Andre 3000 from Outkast. Yeah, it was only one disk of a double album, and I liked Speakerboxxx a lot, but it wasn’t nearly as addictive as The Love Below. Andre outPrinces Prince in this album-long paean to the trials and tribulations of love. Personal highlights: “Happy Valentine’s Day”-- I love the idea of Cupid Valentino shooting people with his pistol when his arrows don’t penetrate, and who can resist that beat? “Hey Ya”–this song sounds all bouncy, but it’s really about the angst and suffering that occurs when you love someone but things aren’t going well; you don’t want to lose them but you know you’re in denial. “Good Day Sir”–just silly, and it cracks me up. “Dracula’s Wedding”–Oh, how true it is! The toughest mofo in the world is terrified of the girl he loves. “A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre”–catchy and autobiographical. This album is funky as hell, and all of the songs capture a true-life feeling, especially the ambivalent roller coaster ride of love. She may live in his lap, but this CD lives in my CD player. Your nominations? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/2 "2003-12-01T23:19:52Z")
The Wind by Warren Zevon ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/3 "2003-12-01T23:33:06Z")
[Her Majesty, The Decemberists](http://decemberists.com/) Please, please won’t someone else on the planet buy this album, and let me know if this band is really the most amazing band ever, or if I’m just hallucinating the whole thing? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/4 "2003-12-01T23:47:45Z")
Her Majesty, The Decemberists (The Decemberists) is awesome. So is The Love Below (Andre of Outkast). So is Hail To The Thief (Radiohead). So is The Lemon Of Pink (The Books). So is The Civil War (Mathmos). But topping my list so far is definately Up In Flames by Manitoba. Euphoric, gigantic, melodic, powerful, graceful, light as a feather. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/5 "2003-12-01T23:49:53Z")
My personal choice is **Yoshima Battles The Pink Robots** by The Flaming Lips. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/6 "2003-12-01T23:50:56Z")
Rancid’s **Indestructible**. ---
**Author:** ![Skydive101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Skydive101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skydive101)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/7 "2003-12-02T00:02:37Z")
Another vote for Radiohead’s **Hail to the Thief**. I’m also really enjoying **Go** by Vertical Horizon and **Fallen** by Evanescence ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/8 "2003-12-02T00:11:23Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Gangster Octopus_ > My personal choice is Yoshima Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips. It’s Yoshimi. And it was released last year. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/9 "2003-12-02T00:21:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > \*\*It’s Yoshimi. And it was released last year. \*\* Sure, but I bought it this year. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Berserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Berserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berserker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/10 "2003-12-02T00:58:44Z")
De-loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/11 "2003-12-02T03:00:59Z")
_Yours, Mine and Ours_ by the Pernice Brothers. A close second was _Welcome Interstate Managers_ by Fountains of Wayne, which I am sure someone will come along to nominate any minute now. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/12 "2003-12-02T03:48:23Z")
I’ll second _Up In Flames_ by Manitoba. Along the same genre, M83’s _Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts_ is a contender for Best of the Year. Also, I guess _Neon Golden_ by the Notwist was wide-released in the States this year, so it’s in the running. There are some others, but I’m already two over the limit, so I’ll stop there. ---
**Author:** ![eli\_the\_fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ccd318/32.png) [@eli\_the\_fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eli_the_fanatic)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/13 "2003-12-02T03:55:41Z")
My vote is for **The Transfiguration of Vincent** by **M Ward**. Heck, that’s not just my vote… that’s the right answer! [dumb smiley face] [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008BL5M/qid=1070337313/sr=8-10/ref=sr\_8\_10/104-6744120-4210344?v=glance&s=music&n=507846](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008BL5M/qid=1070337313/sr=8-10/ref=sr_8_10/104-6744120-4210344?v=glance&s=music&n=507846) ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/14 "2003-12-02T04:48:33Z")
It’s not just because I’m Canadian, but I do think we can lay claim to three of the best albums of this year: _Electric Version_ by **The New Pornographers** , _Reconstruction Site_ by **The Weakerthans** , and the most mind-blowing, eclectic, wistful, and heartbreaking album of the past year, _You Forgot It In People_ from the **Broken Social Scene**. And on the other side of the border, I’ll also mention **Death Cab for Cutie** ’s epic _Transatlanticism_ and the charming _Rainy Day Music_ from **The Jayhawks**. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/15 "2003-12-02T05:03:27Z")
I am deeply ashamed to admit how few of these albums I’ve heard, and in some cases, even heard OF. Sad for me, I realize. Hi Duke! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/16 "2003-12-02T07:14:03Z")
“Phantom Power” by Super Furry Animals. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/17 "2003-12-02T07:53:42Z")
**The Wind** by _Warren Zevon_ **Elephant** by _The White Stripes_ ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/18 "2003-12-02T08:03:53Z")
Yea, the Weakerthans and The New Pornographers albums were great. But the best so far is a late comer - the absolutely stunning UNEARTHED box set from Johnny Cash. 4 CD’s of all new material (although a few songs are new versions of older classics, but the majority are never before heard), along with a 5th CD of highlights from his years at American Records. Some of the songs are just about the best things he’s EVER done, with a few good appearances from the likes of Perkins, Nick Cave, and Fiona Apple. There’s also his cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”, a duet with none other than JOE fuckin STRUMMER (another tragic loss). As for the Outkast double CD - I tried, really tried, to understand what all the fuss was about. Everyone and their grandma was cheering for this as the second coming of Jesus or something, but aside from 3 or 4 songs, didn’t do much for me. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/19 "2003-12-02T08:13:07Z")
The Cramps-Fiends of Dope Island. Runner up: The Fleshtones-Do You Swing. Jon ---
**Author:** ![Shana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Shana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shana)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365/20 "2003-12-02T08:23:33Z")
Wow. Someone else listens to Broken Social Scene besides me??Yay! I also like the new Belle and Sebastian album! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/album-of-the-year-2003-your-nominations/216365.md?page=2)