Critics select their best of the best/ IN THE MUSIC SCENE

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 29, 2002 by BILL REED

Here's depressing news for obsessive types: About 30,000 albums fought for our ears in 2002, with only 8,760 hours to listen to them all.

Among this avalanche of CDs was more good music than should be allowed in one turn around the sun - endlessly inventive hip-hop, a return to rock, old guys who still have it, the discovery of Sweden, somber Sept. 11 reactions, and fresh-faced jazz. My faves ...

1. Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" - Alt-country meets electronica? Nothing else compares. Jeff Tweedy's crew tears apart sound and then puts it back together again. The journey is breathtaking, without a single skipper along the way. Not only is this the album of the year, it's one of the best ever.

2. N.E.R.D., "In Search Of ..." - After producing hits for everyone from Jay-Z to Britney Spears, the Neptunes' dynamic duo drop a disc of their own. Funny, funky and freakalicious, the search ends with irresistible beats over a rock 'n' roll soul. Besides, some kid at Media Play told me N.E.R.D. is his Nirvana.

3. Coldplay, "A Rush of Blood to the Head" - Luscious, ethereal pop. For my money, the effortless and melodic experimentation of Coldplay is the 21st century's closest approximation to the Beatles' sonic adventures. Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head.

4. Hem, "Rabbit Songs" - This little gem is sparse, gorgeous and heartbreaking (listen to "When I Was Drinking" once and you'll agree). Imagine a rootsier Cowboy Junkies, and you have Hem.

5. Elvis Costello, "When I Was Cruel" - The greatest sneer in rock 'n' roll made a passionate return to form this year. "Alibi" is one helluva song.

6. Sleater-Kinney, "One Beat" - The tilt-a-whirl ferocity of Sleater-Kinney is more focused on every album. Operatic vocal flourishes, furious guitars and guts make this the most rocking album of 2002.

7. Norah Jones, "Come Away With Me" - She makes it sound so easy. Sweet, sultry and elegant, Norah Jones' originals convincingly marry jazz and pop, inviting favorable comparisons to Ella and Billie. Her smoky voice was one of the best things on the radio this year.

8. The Roots, "Phrenology" - Already the smartest rap group on the planet, The Roots make this shindig almost as entertaining as it is cerebral. The social commentary of "Pussy Galore" is dead-on. The combo of sampled beats and drum set provide a stunning foundation. And Amiri Baraka provides the perfect benediction to this tuneful sermon.

9. The Streets, "Original Pirate Material" - Oy oy oy oy! Quit trying to shag the birds and fight the geezers, then grab a pint and a plate of full English and sit down with The Streets. Britain's first decent rapper - with basement production, wicked wordplay and bare wit - put out a most pleasant surprise. Believe.

10. The Breeders, "Title TK" - The Deal sisters aren't well. "Title TK" is the aural equivalent of dirty bathroom floors and infected heroin holes. The most striking aspect of these songs is all the empty space, leaving room to wander around inside The Breeders' dark world.

Best of the rest - Here are 25 more albums from 2002 that you shouldn't miss (in alphabetical order): Ryan Adams, "Demolition"; Badly Drawn Boy, "Have You Fed the Fish?" and "About a Boy"; Blackalicious, "Blazing Arrow"; Greg Brown, "Going Driftless: Tribute to Greg Brown"; Solomon Burke, "Don't Give Up On Me"; Dixie Chicks, "Home"; Steve Earle, "Jerusalem"; Missy Elliott, "Under Construction"; Eminem, "The Eminem Show"; The Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"; Foo Fighters, "One by One"; Peter Gabriel, "Up"; David Gray, "A New Day at Midnight"; George Harrison, "Brainwashed"; "High Lonesome Cowboy" (featuring Peter Rowan, Don Edwards, Norman Blake and Tony Rice); The Hives, "Veni, Vidi Vicious"; Hot Club of Cowtown, "Ghost Train"; Jurassic 5, "Power in Numbers"; Los Lobos, "Good Morning Aztlan"; The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III"; Sonic Youth, "Murray Street"; Bruce Springsteen, "The Rising"; The Vines, "Highly Evolved"; Tom Waits, "Alice"; Peter Wolf, "Sleepless."