Top Ten Albums of 2007

I'll always remember the day I officially became old.

I was sitting at a pub with The Wife and my buddy Mark on Thursday December 13 when it happened. With not a trace of irony, it slipped out. I confessed that I would pay $500 to see Led Zeppelin at Skydome.

Yep. I'm old.

So don't expect all this year's picks to be "pitchfork - approved."

In my defense - I've submitted video evidence to back up all my picks. And if you're just going to watch two videos, I highly recommend the New Pornographers and Crowded House tracks.

Enjoy



Bedouin Soundclash
Street Gospels
One of those bands you hear about from time to time, but never actually listen to. I first heard the song "St. Andrew" on the CBC one afternoon and couldn't get it out of my head. The rest of the album is just as good.

Stand out track - St. Andrew


Black Francis
Bluefinger
Frank Black. Black Francis. That guy from the Pixies. However you refer to the child born as Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, it's hard to make a case for consistant greatness. I've found most of his solo stuff to be pretty spotty. Until now. This is the album the Pixies would have made if their long awaited reunion evolved into something other than an extended fundraiser for the godfathers of grunge.

Stand out track - Tight Black Rubber


Bruce Springsteen
Magic
If there's a human being alive who doesn't feel a chill whenever they hear "Born to Run," then I submit that person is not really alive. Despite his early greatness, just about everything he's released since Born in the USA has been pretty bland. That's what happens when the boss becomes just another executive. But Magic casts a spell. It's a great listen from beginning to end and an awful lot more than you'd expect from an old man born in New Jersey.

Stand out track - Girls in their Summer Cloths


Dinosaur Jr.
Beyond
It may be nostagia brought on from my attendence at the Sebadoh reunion show earlier this year, but I had to hear this album. I needed to hear it. I expected it to suck. But it doens't. I've never been a fan of Dinosaur Jr., but I'm a huge fan of this.

Stand out track - Almost Ready



Fratellis
Costello Music
This is a bit of a cheat. I heard this album when it was first released in the UK - in 2006. But it only washed up on these shores in 2007, so I don't mind giving it a plug. If only pop punk bands from the states had balls like this - or at least the hooks - the playlist on my Ipod would be much more current.

Stand out track - Chelsea Dagger


Robert Pollard
Coast to Coast Carpet of Love/Standard Gargoyle Decisions
He's a hero to anyone who's ever dreamt of quitting their day job to become a rock star...because he did it. Guided By Voices WERE the 1990s for me. And while Pollard releases far too many albums for anyone to stay current, these two are a happy edition from a prolific songsmith, who really needs an editor.

Stand out track - Shadow Port


New Pornographers
Challengers
I didn't always love the New Pornographers. I used to find them grating. But over the years I've grown to love them. The hooks are geniune and creative and they are in complete control of my circulatory system whenever I hit play.

Stand out track - Myriad Harbour



Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Living with the Living
It's very tempting to say "if you like Springsteen, You'll enjoy Ted Leo." In fact let's just say that. It's a rock and roll album with none of the fixins'. But d'you know what? Sometimes I enjoy a Wendy's burger with JUST the fries.

Stand out track - Colleen


Paul McCartney
Memory Almost Full
Probably the uncoolest pick on my list. In the past I've defended some pretty attrocious output from the former Mr. Heather Mills. I still remember writing a positive review for Off the Ground. Thankfully, nobody bought the record and so I never had to print a retraction. Memory Almost Full is not Abbey Road or any Beatles album. But it does fit well with some of McCartney's best mid-seventies output. And that's actually pretty fuckin' good.

Stand out track - Vintage Clothes


Crowded House
Time on Earth
Crowded House's Woodface has been a desert island pick since it came out in 1990. They are a classic pop band following in all the finest traditions. When Neil Finn and the boys split in the mid-90s, I was sad to see them go. Usually reunion albums aren't that good - but as Dino Jr. proved a little further up the list, they don't always suck either.

Stand out track - She Called Up