Where My Veterans At?

Pitchfork published their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s last week, and the net has a bunch of opinions about the matter, but none as interesting as this one: the lack of veteran performers. As you can see, this link is to a website dedicated to musicians who have performed for 25 or more years. Pitchfork gives up only 4 out of 200 to veterans, and surprisingly does not include either of Bob Dylan's masterpieces of the decade, Modern Times or Love and Theft, or Brian Wilson's Smile. Weird.

Everyone has a list of omissions, and mine includes: the Go-Betweens' The Friends of Rachel Worth and Oceans Apart, Mekons' OOOH! and Jon Langford's All the Fame of Lofty Deeds, Orchestre Baobab's Made in Dakar and Specialist in All Styles, Lou Reed's Ecstasy, Steely Dan's Two Against Nature, Tom Waits's Orphans, Madonna's Music, Tom Ze's Jogos de Armar, Maria Muldaur's Heart of Mine: The Love Songs of Bob Dylan, New York Dolls' One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, Randy Newman's Harps and Angels, Orlando Cachaito Lopez's Cachaito, Marianne Faithfull's new Easy Come Easy Go, and Willie Nelson's new Willie and the Wheel.

Perhaps the most surprising offenses, beyond the above Dylan and Wilson omissions, are the absence of Youssou N'Dour, who released three near-perfect albums over the last 10 years (Nothing's in Vain, Egypt, and Rokku Mi Rokka), and the inclusion of Murray Street by Sonic Youth (their weakest in 25 years?) and the exclusion of two of their finest, NYC Ghosts and Flowers, and Rather Ripped. Of course, there's also the omission of Ornette Coleman's Pulitzer Prize winning Sound Grammar.

That said, Pitchfork's top 50 is pretty good, and though I'd replace most of them with my own favorites (like anyone), I enjoy contemplating their choices. Given their aesthetic, nothing in their top 20 seems ridiculous, which is kind of new for them. But really, people, you didn't hear a better album than Kid A this decade? I'm sorry to hear that. Let me recommend...