Skip to main content

Albums of 2007 - the halfway runners and riders

As usual I thought it was time to pick the 10 albums that have tickled my fancy most thus far in 2007. How many have the staying power to still be there come the end of the year? - Who knows. The following are in no order, but I must confess that The Grinderman and NIN albums are probably the two that have most impressed me thus far.

1. Grinderman - Grinderman: This really shouldn't be this good, and this enjoyable
2. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero: Bit flat for me live, but this may just be Trent's best outing.
3. Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Calling: I had believed that MCC's best days were well and truly behind her, but this album has pleasingly proved me wrong.
4. Ryan Adams -  Lost Highway: Not his best, but his second best is better than most people's best.
5. Queens of the Stoneage - Era Vulgaris: I Just like it.
6. Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter
7. Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full: Obviously drinking Starbuck's Coffee has done the trick.
8. McQueen - Break the Silence: 4 young ladies making a, pleasingly, British rock sound.
9. Funeral for a Friend - Tales Don't Tell Themselves:
10. Manic Street Preachers - Send Away the Tigers: No new ground, but more fun then recent offerings
(The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls in America : Yes, this could be considered cheating if I include it, but it's not my fault this wasn't officially released in the UK until this year. So it's unofficially officially in the top 10 in place of one of the above. And did I mention I am going to see them for the third time in 6 months on 30th Aug)

Blogged with Flock

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Substack: the new blogging and a new music newsletter

  Hello again my old blogger blog. Just checking in to plug the new substack newsletter I'm doing. It is also home to the CTTB Music podcast and its archive too. Why not pay me a visit and sign up for future editions of the newsletter (free) 

Todd Rundgren @ The Forum 23/11/2008

I think this was Todd's first appearance at the Forum since he recorded a live album there back in 1994 on the No World Order tour. He was all alone for that one. Tonight, things could not have been more different as Todd brought the Arena tour to London. What can I say. It rocked. Playing the same set that he has been doing for the whole tour - opening with Love in Action, Open my Eyes, Black Maria, I Saw the Light etc, before playing Arena in its entirety - this was guitar rock heaven (and let's face it, probably the last time you'll see Todd doing this kind of tour in the UK). The band were tight, the backing vocals near perfection, and a few ropey moments aside, Todd's vocals strong and good. It was a real joy to see him playing so much lead guitar, after recent years of being more of the 'singer in the band'. There were a few technically issues near the start, when Todd couldn't get the clean guitar sound he wanted, and one amusing moment when he manag...

The Decemberists - 'The Hazards of Love'

Whilst the Decemberists have been around for a number of years, and a friend of mine is a big fan, I have to confess - a few tunes aside - they have never really made much of a splash with me. With their fifth album - 'The Hazards of Love' - a 17-track concept album that sort of tells a story about a fair maiden ravished by a shape-shifting demon (no, really) - however, I am suddenly find myself surprisingly won over. On some levels - like most concept albums - it is utter tosh, but with its repeating musical motifs and reprises, making you quickly think that actually there are only about five actual songs on the album - a clever trick. Like with all good concept albums this makes listening on shuffle not the ideal way to digest this album - especially as their are short 'interlude' pieces joining all the songs too. Added to all this the fact that the band seem to have a love for early 70's British folk/prog/heavy metal and this walks right up my street - and will ...