After looking at the tasteful and ecclectic Albums and Songs of the Year selection by Ben Ratcliff, I wanted to know a little more about him and found this interview which reinforced the affinity with my own view on music that his list suggested. Here's a not-so-tongue-in-cheek mouthful [*]: "[L]ook, there's no better way to get the residue of five not-so-good jazz gigs out of your system than going to a Pantera show."

For the obsessive-compulsive like me, more Best-of 2003 lists here.

[*] What is it with us Frenchmen, biting, munching and spitting the English language in your face like this?