I thought we could use an update of Anx's June thread for albums of the year, with a few additions. So orgers, I ask you:

• What are your top 10 albums of the year so far?
  
• Which album has disappointed you the most this year?
  
• What has been your favorite reissue/compilation of the year?
  
• Which albums do you think can still threaten to crack your top 10 albums of year?
  

Here are my choices so far...

Top 10 albums of 2007:

1. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
2. !!!- Myth Takes
3. Chromeo- Fancy Footwork
4. Björk- Volta
5. Prince- Planet Earth
6. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible
7. PJ Harvey- White Chalk
8. Justice- †
9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Is Is (EP)
10. Modest Mouse- We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Biggest disappointment:

Interpol- Our Love to Admire

Favorite reissue/compilation:

Kylie Minogue- Showgirl Homecoming Live

Albums I'm anticipating greatly:

Annie Lennox- Songs of Mass Destruction (not out here until the 13th!)
Robyn- Robyn (not out here until November!)
Kylie Minogue- X
[Edited 10/4/07 3:50am]

Top 10
1. Young Modern - Silverchair
2. Dream Days at the Hotel Existence - Powderfinger
3. Eat Me, Drink Me - Marilyn Manson
4. Songs About Girls - will.i.am
5. Planet Earth - Prince
6. Grand National - John Butler Trio
7. Sneaky Sound System - Sneaky Sound System
8. Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace - Foo Fighters
9. So Many Nights - The Cat Empire
10. Alibies and Other Lies - Grinspoon

Most dissapointing
Even though it made my top 10, I was a little disspointed by Planet Earth. Still good by today's standards, but not by Prince standards.

Favourite reissue/compilation
I have a feeling it's going to be Thriller 25.

Anticipating
Kylie Minogue - X
Michael Jackson (still holding out for a 2007 release, lol)

Top 10
1. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
2. Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55
3. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
4. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
5. M.I.A. - Kala
6. The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home
7. Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
8. Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers
9. The Pierces - Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge
10. The Horrors - Strange House

Bubbling Under
11. The Go! Team - Proof Of Youth
12. Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold
13. The Noisettes - What's The Time Mr Wolf?
14. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
15. Feist - The Reminder

Biggest Disappointment
Tegan & Sara - The Con

Favorite Reissue/Compilation
Betty Davis - Betty Davis

Most Anticipated
Alicia Keys - As I Am (Nov. 13th)

Women dominate as usual.

title edit
[Edited 10/4/07 7:49am]

Here's mine


1. Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
2. Lucinda Williams - West
3. Fu Manchu - We Must Obey
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. The Cult - Born Into This
6. Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
7. Ben Harper - Lifelines
8. Prince - Planet Earth
9. The Wildhearts - The Wildhearts
10. Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque

Im listening the new Robert Plant/Alison Krauss album and its wonderful i think it could well be in the top 3. The top 2 albums though in my list are significantly above the others.

1. Paul McCartney - memory almost full
2. interpol - out love to admire
3. bloc party - a weekend in the city
4. Sum 41 - underclass hero
5. Arctic monkeys - favorite worst nightmare
6. Bob Dylan - Dylan
7. Brad Paisley - 5th Gear
8. Joni Mitchel - Shine
9. linkin park - minutes to midnight
10. manowar - gods of war

sextonseven said:

I'm tempted to get this because of the Björk comparisons. Do you think they're valid?

Aside from Planet Earth, only one other album has impressed me this year...

1.The World Has Made Me the Man I Am Today Me'shell
2.Dignity Hilary Duff
3.Songs of Mass Destruction Annie Lennox
4.Volta Bjork
5.90 Millas Gloria Estefan
6.Planet Earth Prince
7.Year Zero NIN

I haven't been too insipired to buy much else this year.
[Edited 10/5/07 10:48am]

Moonbeam said:

The vocal arrangements are Björk-ish, yes. The music reminds me more of Kate Bush.

Moonbeam said:

Didn't know you even had it. It's not that bad. I'd say it's half great, half weird to so-so.

Not in any particular order...and a few honorable mentions too for the hell of it.



Dignity-Hilary Duff
Freedoms Road-John Mellencamp
Memory almost full- Paul McCartney
Easy Tiger-Ryan Adams
Magic-Bruce Springsteen
Because I love it-Amerie
Hope and Glory-Ann Wilson
Songs- Annie Lennox
Sky blue Sky-Wilco
Into the Wild - Eddie Vedder
Not too Late-Norah Jones

Honorable mentions:Prince "Planet Earth", Katharine Mcphee "self titled", Bon Jovi "lost highway", "Find your own way home" REO.

Anticipating: Duran duran 11/13 Mya 10/23? Nicole Scherzinger 11/6, Mariah Carey 12/4, Girls Aloud 11/19uk.

Single Mention : "Who Killed Rock n Roll" - Rick Springfield (released only digital single) from upcoming 2008 cd.


[Edited 10/4/07 16:11pm]
[Edited 10/4/07 17:40pm]

Not been a great year in my eyes. There were a lot of disappointments (Rilo Kiley, Bloc Party, PJ Harvey, Bjork). 10 that I fully loved is hard:

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible A
Bruce Springsteen - Magic A
Brother Ali - Undisputed Truth A-
Joan Armatrading - Into the Blues A-
Common - Finding Forever A-
Modest Mouse - The Ship Sank... A-
Mekons - Natural B+
Lucinda Williams - West B+
Nellie McKay - Obligatory Villagers B+
Prince - Planet Earth B+

GangstaFam said:

First time I tried listening, I couldn't get past track 3. The next time I listened the whole way through and was underwhelmed by all but a few songs. It was a chore to get through it for me.

1) Kanye West - Graduation
2) Common - Finding Forever
3) Talib Kweli - Ear Drum
4) Amerie - Because I Love It
5) Jill Scott - The Real Thing
6) Will.I.Am - Songs about Girls
7) Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long


And That's it for me....

The Most Disappointing Album that I bought was:

Prince - Planet Earth

The only songs I can stand to listen to are "Chelsea Rogers" and "Future Baby Mama" the rest sucked. Very watered down album. Prince just needs six months of isolation and then return to the studio. Maybe then he will come out with something that he doesn't give a fuck how the rest of the world will think about it (i.e. Lovesexy, Graffiti Bridge, The Symbol Album, Gold, Emancipation, Sign O'The Times, Around the World in a Day, Rainbow Children...)

MendesCity said:

I'm gonna be picking that up soon. I've been red-hot on that band for the past week or so. I just revisited Journey to the End of the Night, an album I didn't care for it at all when I first bought it, but I've found that I actually love it plenty.

1) Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
2) Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions
3) Bill Callahan - Woke on a Whaleheart
4) High Llamas - Can Cladders
5) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
6) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
7) Lucinda Williams - West
....



Ah, I think I'm out of ammo at this point. I just haven't found time to focus on new music much, I guess. I've just picked up the National and Battle albums, both of which are meant to be quite good, so I wouldn't be surprised if they end up on my list, and I'm quite looking forward to the Mekons album as I mentioned above. Joni Mitchell's record will end up on my radar as well, I'm sure. The only real disappointment for me this year was the Fall's release, but I had pretty low expectations for that one anyway.



Everybody keeps raving about it, but I think this year is something of a comedown from the last, which featured two masterpieces (i think) from Dylan and Scott Walker and great albums from Will Oldham, The Handsome Family and The Hold Steady. I haven't really heard anything I've enjoyed 1/2 as much this year except for the Robert Wyatt record. That said, I'm sure it's true that I've missed out on a lot - more so than usual certainly.

'How could I forget Lucinda Williams' edit...
[Edited 10/4/07 18:40pm]

MendesCity said:

I agree. I like it more than last year's Pretty Little Head which was mildly disappointing after her wonderfully zany debut Get Away From Me.

Moonbeam said:

yikes

My Picks for Top Albums of 2007:
1. Jill Scott :: The Real Thing Words & Sounds Vol.3
2. Joss Stone :: Introducing Joss Stone
3. Prince :: Planet Earth
4. Common :: Finding Forever
5. Maroon 5 :: It Won't Be Soon Before Long
6. Chaka Khan :: Funk This
7. KanYe West :: Graduation
....That's all folks!

The Most Disappointing Album I brought was:
Macy Gray's Big- Some good cuts, but average to me!

My Favorite reissue/compilation was:

I can't determine whether Marvin Gaye's In Our Lifetime: The Expanded Love Man Edition or Sly's & The Family Stone's highly anticipated box set, simply titled, Collection, was my favorite. So I'll have to cheat and say both were my favorite reissues of 2007.

hmmm...

Bjork - volta
Emerson Hart - Cigarettes and Gasoline
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
P McCartney - Memory Almost Full
Air - Pocket Symphony
Aqualung - Memory Man
Iron and Wine - Shepherds Dog
Josh Rouse - City Mouse, Country House
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero


Thats nine.. i'm saving a slot for Radioheads In Rainbows.. hopefully

damosuzuki said:

I'm just the opposite. There are 3 definite classics for me, and 6 really great albums from this year. Last year I don't know if there was one album I would deem a "classic".

GangstaFam said:

Yeah- I was bummed. I enjoy the first 2 albums, but this one doesn't seem to have the melodies, the progression, or the tightness of the first two. At least I like the cover art!

Moonbeam said:

I can agree with that. But I don't think it's utter shit either.

Moonbeam said:

This year has been much more rewarding than last for me.

GangstaFam said:

I don't think it's utter shit. I'd give it maybe a 4 out of 10. It's just hard to get through for me.

Moonbeam said:

Difficult 3rd album syndrome.

Top 10
1. Blonde Redhead - 23
2. Mark Ronson - Version
3. !!! - Myth Takes
4. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
5. Dungen - Tio Bitar
6. M.I.A. - Kala
7. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
8. Bjork - Volta
9. Prince - Planet Arf
10.Sinead O'Connor - Theology

Most dissapointing
Beastie Boys, Patti Smith (though she gets a pass for earning the right to record a completely wanktastic, self-indulgent covers album if she chooses)

Favourite reissue/compilation
Betty Davis - S/T and They Say I'm Different

Honorable Mentions:
Sly & the Family Stone box set
ELO "Out of the Blue" Limited Anniversary Edition


Anticipating
Kenna
Laurie Anderson, "Homeland"
Courtney Love, "Nobody's Daughter" (or whatever she's re-titling it this week)

Anxiety said:

I keep forgetting to pick this up. I haven't heard a note of music from it, but with all the acclaim it's received I have pretty high expectations.




Ah, there's another one I managed to completely overlook when making my list - I like this quite a lot.

Maybe I like this year more than I thought.

damosuzuki said:

Their albums are weird like that. They can seem so abrasive at first and then you find you can't them get out of your head.
[Edited 10/5/07 5:01am]

sextonseven said:

Definitely. Although, I keep scaring people every time I put on that first track.