Go square go

A good friend of mine despairs at times at my choice of favourite album of all time. Almost to the point of violence. He was well aware that I believe the debut Tenacious D album to be the finest record ever recorded. He is far from happy about this. This weekend we discussed the top 10 and he gave his opinion on another album in the ten.

Glasvegas’s self titled is apparently too new to be a favourite, a favourite of all time in such a short space. September this year it was released, I heard the demos earlier this year, even so, less than a year to form an opinion that a new album was amongst the ten best albums I have ever heard? This angered my friend more than the Tenacious D issue.

It has to be said I couldn’t defend myself, Margaritas and Beer had got the better of me and he was like a Kalashnikov. So what are the rules for making an album the greatest ever made? What criteria must be followed? What are the timescales?



You see people believe the dirge that Radiohead put out to be classics, I am sure in some poll, probably put together by Q that In Rainbows will be amongst the best albums ever made, sharing I am sure company such as pony made by Coldplay, Oasis, U2 or Razorlight.



The Beatles, undoubtedly have made some extremely special albums, Let It Be for me is by far their best work, but pollsters don’t agree. With crushing inevitability Sgt Pepper and The White Album tend to be one that critics choose. But at the end of the 60’s did beard strokers think that its vintage hadn’t fully matured or were their albums instantly recognised as modern classics?



My theory regarding the beratement I received for choosing Glasvegas as part of the ten is that effectively Glasvegas are perceived as a throwaway indie band who may or may not be around in an albums time. Disposable heroes of indie poppery? Is Glasvegas’s album likely to be in my all time top ten in a years time, highly unlikely. You see the point of that 10th album is that it is ever changing, this week THAT album is the tenth greatest album ever made, next week it will be The King Blues album, a year ago it was some other indie act, next month it will be someone else. 1-9 they may not change for the next 5 years, they are albums I play regularly and adore beyond belief.



But for now, for today, for this week, Glasvegas are responsible for the tenth best album ever made.