Adele - '19'
(it was either that or Duffy - they wouldn't put both in)
British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?'
(yes, but not yours, you owl-bothering scout types, you)
Burial - 'Untrue'
(Hmm, yes, mmm, like, totally amazin')
Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
(Should win)
Estelle - 'Shine'
(she was just born to be bunged into these sort of things. I'm thrilled she avoided the dumper, but hey - perspective everyone!)
The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age Of The Understatement'
(ace, but no winner)
Laura Marling - 'Alas I Cannot Swim'
(a dark horse)
Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style'
(amazing. won't win though)
Portico Quartet - 'Knee-Deep In The North Sea'
(not heard, but won't win)
Robert Plant And Alison Krauss – 'Raising Sand'
(Terrific, but unsure it'll snap up the statuette)
Radiohead - 'In Rainbows'
(It was free, it revolutionised the industry, dismantled music, opened up the doorzzzz etc. I think it'll win)
Rachel Unthank And The Winterset – 'The Bairns'
(Great, but an Ice cream/ Hell situation)

Where?
Portishead
Goldfrapp
PJ Harvey

...is "Burial".

I was listening to that the other day and thinking, the interesting thing about this is that, unlike most modern records, it couldn't have been made 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Nearly everything else on that list could have been done before.

This is deeply disturbing. I own 5 already. Does this mean I am cutting edge.........?
For the record:
Adele: claptrap. Anyone want it? (Present for Mrs Path, honest)
Burial: no doubt worthy but a little, um, challenging, for me, except the 2nd track, with the vocal, which is simply godawful.
Elbow: fabulous! My intro to them, having resisted until it became inevitable.
Plant/Krauss: great great stuff but less of the reverence as it isn't quite as good as the critics might say, being dull in parts.
Unthank: hard work, frankly, possibly worth the effort for some of the songs, but generally a bit too austere for me.

should get it; great songwriting, irresistible melodies, little or no financial backing and won't give a toss if she does or doesn't, which is exactly as it should be. Agree with someone above that she's a dark horse, but definitely in the Red Rum category.

Radiohead? Oh purleaze...

so not as cutting edge as Retro.
Elbow is already my album of the year and I dont think that is likely to change unless something astounding comes along because it is probably my album of the last 2 or 3 years it really is that good.
Agree with Retro that Krauss and Plant is okay but a little overrated.
Bought Unthank on strength of some comments posted here.I would describe it as an acquired taste - some nice tunes but my wifes comments were 'if i have to listen to this much longer i will end up slashing my wrists' - for devilment i toyed with pressing the repeat button.

I've now realised that it was luck rather than judgement that led to me put 'Mercury' rather than the full title that I believed the award to have until a few minutes ago, the 'Mercury Music Prize'.

Apparently, it's actually the 'Nationwide Mercury Prize' and has been since 2004, not that I'd noticed.

Frankly, I think this says something hugely important (or possibly quite remarkably trivial; who can tell?) about sponsorship. I understand that The Word and other meeja organisations are probably obliged to give the full, silly names of things for reasons of diplomacy and future access, but for the man and woman in the street, would you ever call it the 'Nationwide Mercury Prize'?

It would be like referring to the Labatt's Apollo, when what you really mean is the Hammy O...

I too have 5 and I'm definitely not cutting edge.

Adele - '19' - not great. Got it out of curiousity on eMusic. A couple of half decent songs.

British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?' - good but still able to resist the BSP. Not sure why (but the singer isn't great which may be the main reason).

Burial - 'Untrue' - interesting and impressive. Love the feel of it. But not a regular thing to play - just a little too dark.

Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid' - Wonderous. Suggest BSP have a listen and fire their singer. And write lyrics like this. And arrange their songs rather than play all the instruments at the same time.

Radiohead - 'In Rainbows' - its ok. Good value (I paid £2.49). Don't ask but I though that was a reasonable return to them.

So in short I'd plump for Elbow but can see why Burial could be the other choice.

Elobow - for me a bit dull. A few good tracks. A bit like The Doves on mogadon or something.

Radiohead 'In Rainbows'- fantastic. Album of the noughties surely to goodness.

Uber: brilliant stuff, knew it would win
Uber duber do; unlistenable claptrap.
(Absolutely no correlation should be drawn towards views given here already by others, I am merely offering myself a shortened re-appraisal should they win the Roni Size (rhyming slang))
Alternatively, David and Leeds, I could give it another listen....

if there is any justice or it is not fixed,although I always think these things are on some level (back scratching going on behind corporate scenes).
Percy & Alison could get the sentimental vote though. I obviously just do not get Burial at all, to me it makes Portishead sound like The Carpenters...but hey what do i know.

How the hell do the record company mutual back scratchers come up with these lists?

Adele but not Duffy?

You can sniff the "tokenism" a mile away.

Radiohead out of those should win but won't. "Mainstream" acts have won too many recently.

A victory this time for the Roni Size/Talvin Singh template this year.

...it should be Elbow or Krauss/Plant, but I'd put money on Radiohead winning (despite me not yet being sold on that album, to be honest!).

Don't know Burial, I have to say.

I appear to have ten of these albums. Cripes

...I don't think Roni Size is in the same league as Burial.

Radiohead will win in a `Scorsese wins for The Departed' scenario, i.e. they've done better stuff before and not won, so we better give it to them now just in case the next one is crap.

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with that as In Rainbows is one of the three or four most deserving on that list, alongside Elbow and Burial.

I would say Plant/Kraus got the most listened to. Radiohead a close second and Elbow a close third. I like the Burial album but haven't listened to it enough to rave about it onw way or another. Last Shadow Puppets I haven't listened to much but I do like it. I think I'd give it to Plant/Kraus but I think these five are all deserving. BSP - listened to it a few times and can't remember a thing off it making it 'forgettable' I guess.

will win it, not out of sentimentality as suggested above, but because it passed the true test of listening in our shack. I bought it because all my mates had it and raved, I played it a few times and put it on i-pod and gave it 'yeah it's ok oh-hum" sort of reaction. Since then everytime a different tune from it pops up, Maggie (my far superior better half) says "Who's this?? This is not bad." This is always the sign of a top tune and true winner. It works everytime and has never failed. Burial on the other hand got a rolling eyes "depressing and boring" look over the top of her book. That Elbow noisy bit on "Starlings" drew a withering "that just ruined a decent tune" look. I'm telling you this is a tried and true, never fails method!!

not to give a toss?

Their album is astonishing, really, genuinely great, I can't stop listening to it. But if they did win it then every Nathan Barley in Hockney will be banging on about them.

Grumble, grumble, I was listening to Pulp before they were famous, etc,

so you can try it for less than £3 if you already subscribe.

just an observation, but I'm sure in previous years there has been something that's got the old toe tapping.....

Adele wins it I will eat my hat.
Oh, it looks as though she's beaten me to it.

(Sorry, larger lady quip, hangs head in shame, leaves room, plays Radiohead as penance).

there's a Gomez, Ms Dynamite and M People

...whether it's this year we're due a winner that we've all heard of or a winner who's really obscure. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who'd never heard of Antony & the Johnsons the year that he won.

...I've got 8 of those already. I'm either surfing the zeitgeist, or slavishly following the recommendations of opinion-formers. Or maybe the shortlist was drawn up by people of near-immaculate taste (we'll draw a discreet veil over the taste-lapse of Adele and Estelle). Yes, I think I'll go with that last option. If it's a "people you've heard of" year, then I reckon Elbow. If they're playing the obscurity card, then Burial. Both equally wonderful, in their different ways.

Surely we have just downloaded choice tracks and not bought the whole CD (filler included)off all artists...

I thought it was just me. They all sound a tad tuneless to the occupants of G Towers. Like 12 collections of b-sides. Has pop died and nobody bothered to tell me?

The Last Shadow Puppets get my vote out of that list. It's a great old fashioned pop album.

... 3 of them and none of them were spectacular.

Probably won't bother with the other 7 either.

Yes, I'm in a grumpy mood to-day.

...that lot that sound like The Icicle Works?
2 out of 12 (sounds like one of the Borg) must do better...

on paper the Puppet boys are a perfect pop group what with their Merseybeat affectations and their 'Please Please Me' references. When I read about them I was moderately excited and went in search of their myspace. Alas, when I actually heard them I was shocked to discover that the singer couldn't carry a tune. ( Not even these lightweight ones ).

...ticking all the boxes and filling up all the usual Mercury slots...

Adele - '19' - The one who's been being plugged like crazy all over the media...

British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?' - the standard, "credible" tabloid indie option

Burial - 'Untrue' - one for those dancy, clubby types

Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid' - occupying the mainstrean, chart-friendly indie slot. This slot has a little brass plaque on it reading "This nomination kindly donated by Coldplay"

Estelle - 'Shine' - Token souly pop act who doesn't stand a chance of winning (this nomination sponsored by the Sugarbabes)

The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age Of The Understatement' - standard alternative to the BSP nomination but with a wee bit more edge and a built in "story" attached... "Ooh, a previous winner's solo project... that's good for at least two column inches..."

Laura Marling - 'Alas I Cannot Swim' - cookie cutter mainstream folkie/singer-songwriter nomination. Included as a foil to...

Rachel Unthank And The Winterset – 'The Bairns' - one for the REAL folkies to tug their beards along to. Clearly Ms Polwart and Ms Rusby were unavailable this year.

Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style' - another sop to the ones waving their glowsticks in the air

Portico Quartet - 'Knee-Deep In The North Sea' - token acceptable jazzers, don't stand a hope!

Robert Plant And Alison Krauss – 'Raising Sand' - Hello. Have. You. Had. Your. Tea? Yes? Yes. It's a prize! The Mercury Prize! Yes! Have you had your nap yet? Well just go sit over there next to that nice Mr Sumner, old Mrs Lennox and Mr Costello. Yes. That's right. Yes. Supper in a minute, dear. Yes...

Radiohead - 'In Rainbows' - Taking the established but still credible slot. File under "Pink Floyd"

Or am I just being too cynical about the way that these lists look every single year? Hmm... methinks not!

Most of these albums were generously praised upon release - in the pages of Word as much as anywhere else. What are they supposed to do? Nominate albums nobody (save a few loyal fans) liked? Let's face it, you could execute exactly the same sour-faced reductionist exercise on any other 12 moderately well-received albums from the past 12 months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Music_Prize

Previous nominees include Robbie Williams, The Spice Girls, Simply Red, Sting, Take That, The Darkness and Mark Morrison. Oh dear. Interesting to see some of the previous acts who are now disappearing into obscurity - 4 Hero, Propellerheads.

...I never really saw what the point of the Mercury Music Prize was anyway. This year's list is better than last year's though that's not hard- The View were on last year's final list, for goodness' sake!

if I pointed that the first Burial album was much better than the (admittedly still very good) second one?

On another pedantic point, what are the actual criteria for entry? I thought one had to be British, which makes me wonder about the Alison Krauss part of that duet album. Is Plant's West Midlandsness considered to trump Ms Krauss's nationality, and if so what does that say about the judges' view on the balance of the collaboration? If the prize is indeed open to colonials it's a shame not to see Nick Cave there on the strength of his best album in what? fifteen? years.

hate the Unthanks don't they? See them as the folk equivelant of Girls Aloud with their major distribution deal and shiny happy faces. Much bitterness and nashing of teeth when they won at the BBC Folk awards. Seen em a couple of times live and they were aces. Though this has meant I've agreed with Paul Morley on something, so its not all good.

But, yes, a tick all the genre boxes list as per. I likes the Unthank, Radiohead, Puppets n Elbow. So on past evidence none of them will win.

Must agree it helps bring some attention to the lesser known nominees which is how I discovered the rather wonderful kathryn Williams all those years ago. So i might give this Burial lot a try

Elbow to Coldplay is frankly beyond me. The standard of Elbows lyricism is stunning - poetic, beautiful and literate. It is too good for the masses quite frankly so I hope their next cd stiffs.

Can I just say that if the judges vote for Radiohead they dont know their arse from their Elbow???

Sorry - I think I will go for a lie down.

Does the qualification period run from July 1st 2007 - June 30th 2008 ?

Love Elbow but where is Paul Weller ? Easily his best solo album and up there as a candidate for album of the year.

What about Cherry Ghost , do they count for this year or last ? Released on 9 Jul 2007.

Would love Elbow to win, and not just because Guy Garvey is possibly the nicest man I've ever met; also because the album is heartfelt, beautiful, melodic, crafted, self-made and their first sine being dropped by their record label. Ticks a lot of boxes for me.

Mind, Alex Turner (or 'Tuner', as The Guardian would have it) was very pleasant at Glastonbury when he politely enquired if I had about my person "a big Rizla". Thing is, when I had rushed to check out yon album on the back of mildly hysterical reviews, I found a rather shallow bowl of disappointment. I'm glad Ver Kids like such classic sounds – but just because my six-year-old likes Vermeer doesn't mean she can paint like him.

Also heartened to see Neon Neon applauded for making what sounds like a frankly awful idea come to glorious technicolor life. Still think Radiohead will win it though, unless the judges are being deliberately contrary, which can never be ruled out.

Thought In Rainbows was good, with Weird Fishes/Arpeggi my favourite, until I saw the band at Victoria Park, Hackney. Then I realised it was great. It's not rock'n'roll, but it's rock music of incredible beauty, fragility... and power. The amazing lights just made it more extraordinary. There is no-one else like Radiohead - before or now. Of course they'll have had influences, but it's trite to say they sound like Pink Floyd or anyone else. They are one of the few bands who are utterly distinctive, and In Rainbows is like nothing anyone else has done.

If it was a single song though, I'd be tempted to go for "Through the Morning through the Night" by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Pure country heartbreak.

the cynicism and sceptism that comes with the announcement of the Mercury nominees every single year. Call me naiive, but I truly believe that the shortlist is just what it is claimed to be: A list that attempts to identify the best British albums of the last twelve months across a range of genres.

The fact is, just about everyone can look at the list of nominees this year and find albums they like, albums they don't like, and albums they've never heard of (or, at least, never heard). Every year, most people will say 'I'm glad they were nominated', 'Can't believe they were nominated', 'can't believe they WEREN'T nominated', and 'ooh, must check them out'. And that's exactly as it should be.

In September, some people will sit down and pick one of the albums from that list to be the winner. And that part is largely irrelevant, except in terms of record sales for that artist.

But to me, the shortlist represents a fine snapshot of British music over the last twelve months, and is, in genral, a list Britain can be proud of.

are made of thees (Mexican accent...)

http://www.epa.gov/osw/students/finalposter.pdf

I actually care even less now. As if that were possible.

it's Elbow, I love the album. Was introduced to it by the Word massive so thanks for that! Will give Burial another listen!

My heart would say Elbow and for me their album is all the better for having seen them at Glastonbury - it brought a lump to my throat and tears to my cheeks.

That said, Radiohead's album is a real tour de force - as well crafted in its way, but perhaps more of a technical than an emotional feat.

Depends whether the judges vote with their hearts or their 'Heads!

I surprised myself by loving both the Shadow Puppets and Neon Neon - they're both side projects from other acts looking to the past for inspiration, but both work really well through enthusiasm and a lack of guile. Neither has a chance though. I also unexpectedly love the Duffy album, so it was a shame to see it bumped by the charisma-free droner Adele. Estelle leaps out as complete tokenism to avoid an all-white line-up as it's a bloody awful record.

Common sense tells me it'll be Elbow on the night (because it's the best album), but the judges might not be able to resist Radiohead for all the other reasons. However, Plant & Krauss might be their best chance ever of giving it to a "country" album without it being seen as (that word again) tokenism. Mind you, if I can get good odds I'll be putting a sly bet on Burial (who won't care if he wins and invokes The Curse Of The Mercurys as no-one knows who he is anyway, and certainly won't turn up to the ceremony...)

And actually I think the awards are great, because at least it gets people talking about the quality of music rather than just sales - or do we think the Brits fulfills that function adequately...?

would seem like tokenism to me - it's not their best album; it'd be like scrabbling around for an excuse to give Scorsese an Oscar.

I'd like Laura Marling to win. It's a lovely record and she was tremendous at Glastonbury and still - what? - 18? Astounding.

Think it'll be Burial, mind you. Or Radiohead.

Or one of the others.

Get rid of the panel and let us the 'GREAT BRITISH PUBLIC' nominate. Nationwide would create added interest for its website and financial products.
Just remember that MERCURY was the alternative to BT created by Thatcherism and Cable & Wireless. Their only acheivement was to rip-up our roads with ineffective reinstatement of pavements and residential streets.They vanished when the business sector they hoped to attract realised they offered a crap product.
Something that the above list might indicate in time. Only the Plant/Krauss album is a worthy candidate - it's even better when performed 'LIVE'. However, should a Yank win a share in an award designed to recognise British product. Oh well it worked for Anthony and the Johnsons!

"Elbow: fabulous! My intro to them, having resisted until it became inevitable."

You don't know what you're missing Retro! Every album has raised the bar just a little higher - one of the few modern and relatively well known acts to do so.

Guy Garvey's voice + Guy Garvey's lyrics + Elbow's sonic mastery = best album this year.

Although also loving the distallate of The Bends, OK Computer and Hail to Thief that is In Rainbows.

The rest of the list, whilst worthy, come under the heading of "so so" in my book.

Long, long, long overdue. They are jaw-droppingly brilliant, and this album runs neck and neck with Cast of Thousands as their masterpiece, imho. Failing that, then BSP, I suppose. Radiohead would be nice, too. Laura Marling - overrated. Plant and Krauss? Pleasant enough. Rachel Unthank? Like nails down a blackboard; would rather stick needles in eyes, etc., etc.

Haven't heard the others.

Estelle? Adele? I thought this was the Mercury prize showcasing innovation, not the bleedin' Brit Awards!