Review of 2003 By Nick Quantrill

In the festive tradition of polls, surveys and what have you that all the best magazines and websites carry at this time of the year, you'll have to settle for some things I liked in 2003 and some things I didn't..

1 Gigolo Aunts - Pacific Ocean Blues Technically a 2002 release but criminally only available on import until this year. This is the masterpiece the band has been threatening.

It often takes a band a long time to find their sound and hone it into something worthwhile and the Gigolo Aunts have certainly taken their time! This album is packed full of quality song writing, melodies and hooks. Probably only known to UK audiences through the theme tune to BBC2's 'Game On', anybody who loves pop music should love this.

2 Jesse Malin - The Fine Art Of Self Destruction Forget the eNeMEy led 'emperors new clothes' approach of championing New York bands like The Strokes and their mediocre friends; Jesse Malin is so New York it hurts. Malin spent years playing in, quite frankly, woeful punk bands, before striking out on his own. Recorded in a week with a great band with shades of Springsteen and Young at their best, this oozes rock 'n' roll out of your speakers.

3 Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell Parts 1 & 2 Take your pick, both parts are fantastic, just ignore the album pushed his record company, 'Rock and Roll'. Rejected by his record company for being 'too dark' these records are destined to outlive the woeful officially sanctioned release. It's lazy to dismiss his records as 'country'; these are quality tunes that just happen to have the odd steel guitar on!

4 Joe Strummer - Streetcore Even without the rose tinted glasses on, this is a great album. Without doubt the best material Strummer had since when at his peak with 'London Calling'. Like all his best work this album has so many different styles and sounds. If a Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash duet doesn't move then frankly, you have no heart. continued below

Review of 2003 ccontinued By Nick Quantrill

Gigs

1 The Rolling Stones - Manchester Evening Arena Ticket - £35 Booking Fee - £5 Programme - £15 Speeding fine on the M62 - £60 Seeing the finest rock 'n' roll band ever. Period. - Priceless

Yes, yes, I've heard it all before, even from myself, it's sad. Paying top dollar to see a load of pensioners who have barely produced a worthwhile note of music in nigh on thirty years is questionable. I say see, in the cheap seats you could see some figures somewhere over the horizon. This was rock 'n' roll history all the way.

2 Jesse Malin - Leeds Cockpit Fantastic stuff. See review above. Loud, energetic and exciting to watch. What more could you ask for? A top bloke to boot, only too willing to mingle in the bar after the gig chatting to people.

3 Cosmic Rough Riders - Hull Adelphi It seems quite rare nowadays that Hull sees a band pull into the city as part of a toilet circuit tour of the country. Maybe record companies are signing less and less bands, I don't know, but it was better to see a band on their way up in the charts in the city, rather than a band on the way down.

Some things I didn't like..

1 The Darkness Do me a favour! This isn't cool, ironic or even any good. It's just woeful cock-rock played by a load of chancers with one eye on making a few quid before becoming a warm up act for the next Status Quo tour! Do not tolerate these bell-ends any longer!

2 George W. Bush Need I say anymore?

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