In honour of the ongoing debate about the validity of such polls and in keeping with the sentiment of laughing at them and taking them apart, I thought I'd post the results of a poll of the 40 best Irish albums ever made conducted by the usually excellent Irish Times and published in its entertainment supplement last Friday. It was - laughably I might add - collated from a list of selected by each of the four (!) main music journalists from the newspaper. Anyway, at least the selections are contrary enough to warrant a look and provide an interesting counterpoint to Q's list of 50 British albums. Where else would Microdisney be in the top ten and streets ahead of the Joshua Tree?

The full list (from http://www.ireland.com/theticket/articles/2008/0229/1204194975369.html):

1 MY BLOODY VALENTINE: LOVELESS
2 U2: ACHTUNG BABY (1991)
3a A HOUSE: I AM THE GREATEST (1991)
3b THE RADIATORS: GHOSTOWN (1979)
5 VAN MORRISON: ASTRAL WEEKS (1968)
6 MICRODISNEY: THE CLOCK COMES DOWN THE STAIRS (1985)
7 ROLLERSKATE SKINNY: HORSEDRAWN WISHES (1996)
8 THE POGUES: RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH (1986)
9 THE UNDERTONES: THE UNDERTONES (1979)
10 WHIPPING BOY: HEARTWORM (1995)
11 ASH: 1977 (1996)
12 THE BLADES: RAYTOWN REVISITED (1985)
13 THIN LIZZY: LIVE AND DANGEROUS (1978)
14 U2: THE JOSHUA TREE (1987)
15 THERAPY? TROUBLEGUM (1994)
16 PLANXTY: PLANXTY (1973)
17 DAVID HOLMES: LETS GET KILLED (1997)
18 THE STARS OF HEAVEN: SPEAK SLOWLY (1988)
19 STIFF LITTLE FINGERS: INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL (1979)
20a THE REVENANTS: HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOUR
20b THE STARS OF HEAVEN: SACRED HEART HOTEL
22 U2: BOY (1980)
23 THE BLADES: LAST MAN IN EUROPE (1984)
24 MY BLOODY VALENTINE: ISN'T ANYTHING (1988)
25 SINÉAD O'CONNOR: I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT (1990)
26 VAN MORRISON: MOONDANCE
27 SNOW PATROL: EYES OPEN (2006)
28a THE DIVINE COMEDY: PROMENADE (1994)
28b RORY GALLAGHER: LIVE IN EUROPE (1972)
30 VAN MORRISON: IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW (1974) Recorded at 1973
31a BELL X1: MUSIC IN MOUTH (2003)
31b THE CRANBERRIES: EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT, SO WHY CAN'T WE (1993)
33a THE FRAMES: FOR THE BIRDS (2001)
33b SOMETHING HAPPENS: STUCK TOGETHER WITH GOD'S GLUE (1990)
35a MARTIN HAYES & DENIS CAHILL: LIVE IN SEATTLE (1999)
35b THE HIGH LLAMAS: HAWAII (1996) Long before The Thrills were doing their
35c THE UNDERTONES: HYPNOTISED (1980)
38 DAMIEN RICE: O (2002)
39 THE POGUES: IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD (1988)
40 MICRODISNEY: CROOKED MILE (1987)

I think I've had enough. 40 downloads a month is great and all that, but there's a limit to what one can listen to and the amount that can be backed up on a 'listen to later' playlist. (Why did I ever download Jens Lekman?) While I love the site, and it's gotten me into some great bands over the past while, I think I'm going to ditch it and spend the money on buying vinyl (a new hobby, though I know my emusic subscription won't get me too far) and going back to browsing through the CD racks. There's just something about picking up something, bringing it home, reading the liner notes, etc (you've heard it all before). Any final arguments before I pack it in and cancel the subscription?

It's quite simple - brevity is the way to go in the art of music-making. How many great albums stretch over anything more than 10-11 songs? And how many recent albums can sustain their quality over anything more than 6-7 tracks - if they even get past the opening three-track salvo and declining quality thereafter that plagues most modern albums? Very few indeed. With the rise of downloading leading to a receptiveness to new thinking in the way music is released, and with many proclaiming the album as we know it dead, I would suggest a return to reasonably priced EPs, with quality (hopefully) kept higher over a few tracks, and (hopefully again) a reduction in filler. Artists could also theoretically release them at more regular intervals and in more innovative fashions, whether by download or in interesting new sleeves. Worth thinking about at least, I think. Any thoughts?