Now, this may be a very controversial choice, I have a friend who laughed when we were discussing this topic a few years ago and I told him this was my favourite. He didn't even think this was the best album by this band in the last 10 years! I had some sympathy but only because I think they have made two of the greatest albums ever made and anyway his argument wouldn't stand up anymore as the other record came out in 1999 and so is ineligible for this chart.
My choice is from 2002, The Roots "Phrenology". Although I love every track on this album, I particularly can't get enough of the middle section - the flow from the Ursula Rucker "WAOK Rollcall" of honours for the 'architects' of hip hop including Vanilla Ice, the Apache break lead "Thoughts @ Work", the party rocking "The Seed (2.0)", then in starts slowing down with "Break You Off" and wrapping up the section with the epic 11 minute "Water". And that doesn't even include the beautiful "Complexity" with Jill Scott.
A few years later I lent my cd to a friend and when I was picking it up, I was on the bus and could hear someone behind me listening to "The Seed" pumping out of his headphones. After a quick reassuring check in my bag to make sure I hadn't been robbed, I turned and gave a little appreciative smile. She probably though I was insane.
Download The Roots - Water
Read the whole NME list here
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