| Monday, December 17, 2001 |
 | The hallowed halls of inessentialdom are littered with the forgotten labors of daydreaming thespians eager to try their hands at rock 'n' roll. This past year was no exception, as noted eccentrics Vincent Gallo and Billy Bob Thornton each released albums that would try the patience of even their most obsessed fans. Gallo's wispy, twee When has its kooky moments, but it can't top Billy Bob Thornton's Private Radio, a raspy slice of Southern Gothic that finds the nation's premier hillbilly auteur indulging his love for Tom Waits-style American grotesquerie. From the nearly 10-minute spoken-word piece "Beauty At The Back Door" to the cringe-inducing love song "Angelina" ("They thought we'd never make it / Two crazy panthers on the prowl"), Private Radio embodies the misguided spirit of the inessential.
God bless the Onion AV Club's Least Essential Albums of the Year. Their recommendations, sadly, are rather ropier and depressingly insular. No Ladytron? No Bis? No White Stri-oh, actually, they do mention the White Stripes. Quite a lot.
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