What do you think were the best albums in 2003?

[blazer]

Well here's my list  
 
Nitro Shifting Funny Daddy by Brian Setzer  
This is one of his more diverse albums, it isn't as good as Ignition but the diversity and the really dark songs make it an album that grows on you, it has banjo work (The eccelent bluegrass hillbilly track When the bells don't chime) and even a weeping Hammond (That someone just ain't you)  
 
Elephant by The white stripes  
Certainly the album that made me go Oh Yeah when putting it on. So simple but it sounds so much better than their last and songs like The Hardest button to button are just so damn cool.  
 
Dance of death by Iron Maiden  
Bruce Dickingson and Adrian Smith are back in the line up and this follow up to the debut album which has their current six person lineup (X-factor) shows a more mature and even heavier Maiden than ever before, heck it even has a song without distorted guitars (Journeyman)  
 
Poodle Hat by Weird Al Yancovic  
Frankly there's not enough fun in today's pop music but Weird Al and the band I'm gonna mention next are delivering the goods. Known for his cover songs with hillarious lyrics, Weird Al delivers by dropping anvils on the toes of Avril Lavigne (A very complicated song), Nelly (Trashday), Billy Joel (Ode to a super hero) and the Backstreet boys (Ebay) while also bringing his Frank Zappa style humor in even funnier originals such as the opus genius in france a must have for those who hate the hitparade but love it enough to listen to parodies being made on it.  
 
Permission to land by The Darkness  
Like I said before, there's not enough fun in the current music scene and this is the band that's likely to wipe it all clean again. The Darkness brings back twin lead guitars, high pitched vocals, Freddy Mercury approved stage antics and spandex. It's a brilliant move and a total contrast from that boring Nu-metal and the singers that currently dominate the charts, I'm glad that I kept my hair long during the nineties, I knew that someday it would be cool again

[David Houck]

I didn't buy many CD's in 2003; and of those that I did buy, few were released in 2003.  But one was, and I thought it was very, very good.
 
Marcus Miller; The Ozell Tapes

[811952]

Weird Al's bass player used to play an Alembic Series I.  It's the same bass I used as a loaner for about 9 months in '82-83, and I think that bass is in the '84 or '85 brochure as well...
 
Mink Car by They Might Be Giants has some nice grooves.  I'm still listening a lot to Magnification by Yes (2001?).  Chris Squire builds a rock bass line like nobody else.  He is just too good.  Vapor Trails by Rush has excellent bass, even if the songs tend to sound the same.  Geddy Lee's solo album (see, I'm old so I stills calls 'em albums!) My Favorite Headache has some really nice bass playing as well.  Chris and Geddy are probably my favorite bassists.  Chris for his very carefully-crafted orchestrations, and Geddy for playing the Hell out of it in what I would consider more of a jam style..  I still listen quite a bit to both of the Animal Logic CDs with Stan Clarke, Stewart Copeland and Debra Holland (I think that's her name).  
John

[rogertvr]

I have to agree with Blazer here - The Darkness do it for me too!

[senmen]

Yes,  
the Darkness is great.
Fresh old news!!!!
 
Oliver (Spyderman)

[David Houck]

I just listened to, for the first time, Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Word of Mouth Revisited, which was released this year.  The bass players on this album are Victor Bailey, Richard Bona, Jeff Carswell, Jimmy Haslip, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, David Pastorius, Jaco Pastorius, Gerald Veasley, & Victor Wooten.  Some great performances by some great bass players of some great compositions.  And the recording is great too; the bass is right where it should be.  As the title makes evident, this is a big band setting; and the arrangements really show off Jaco's compositional skills.  The album opens up with Jimmy Haslip playing Havona, which is really nice, and then it just never lets up.  So if you like listening to bass ... .

[bigredbass]

This is easy . . . . there AREN'T any.  I've never heard so much modeled, quantized, digitized crap in my life.
 
Now I feel better.
 
J o e y

[basstard]

Absolution by Muse.
 
It has the beauty and emotional intensity today's music lacks. I'd waited for this album very impatiently (I've been a Muse fan since I first heard them - it was Plug In Baby from their 2nd album Origin Of Symmetry and it simply knocked me down)... And my impatience was very justified. A stunning album.

[jseitang]

2 albums
the mars volta
 death cab for cutie
 that is all

[dnburgess]

I've been meaning to get hold of the albums by White Stripes, Darkness, Muse and Radiohead...
 
..but of all the stuff I did get the only stand out was Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears.
 
Oh, and from 2002 Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up On Me
 
The rest were reissues: Neil Young - On the Beach (on CD at last!); Love - Forever Changes; Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus (Rhino 2 CD reissue); Isley Bros - 3+3 (SACD); 3 Degrees - Best of..(SACD)

[daveski1]

Its not really an album but i did see who i consider to be the master of slap,a certain Mark King a couple of months ago and having not seen him live for 9 years i was very pleased that he's lost non of his showmanship and although unfortunately he no longer uses his Alembics it was great to see that he still indulges us in his epic solo spot where his full ability (even if you think its a bit ott)technique and speed on the bass never ceases to amaze.

[tylere]

Gov't Mule - The Deepest End
 
3 disc - *4 1/2 hour* live set from 2002 with about 15 guest bassists.

[cdf]

Good call on this Gov't Mule. Just got this disk set and have not heard all the tracks, but so far it is really excellent!