Month: December 2007

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Best of 2007: Disappointments

This year there were several albums which I thought would be sure-fire hits for me. Although that’s not unusual, it was unusual that so many failed to deliver.

    Most Disappointing Albums for 2007   

  • The Outsider by DJ Shadow: The Private Press was a revelation for me in 2003 and I named it my favorite album for that year. Unsurprisingly, I was anxiously anticipating Shadow’s follow-up, The Outsider. Unfortunately, it bore little resemblance to his previous masterpiece both in style and quality. I don’t begrudge artists the right to re-invent themselves, but the new direction has to be interesting and compelling. This album was neither.
  • The Information by Beck: There is an old saying that I heard about Neil Young long ago that goes something like “If you don’t like his new album, just wait for the next one because it will be completely different.” I have concluded that the same can be said for Beck. After the maudlin and seldom-heard Sea Change, he delivered my second favorite album for 2005. If the trend continues, his next album will be fabulous because The Information was not.
  • Pure Rock Fury by Clutch: After giving Blast Tyrant a strong Honorable Mention in 2005, I put several Clutch albums on my wishlists. Pure Rock Fury was the first to arrive in my mailbox. Several months and many listens later, I traded it away for something better on LaLa.
  • Ampechture by The Mars Volta: Last year my friend, Jonathan, recommended De-loused In The Comatorium and it landed in my list of Top 10 Albums for 2006. I also enjoyed Frances The Mute and was anxious to hear what The Mars Volta would do next. Sadly, they went off the rails with Amputechture, an album that suffers from a seeming lack of focus and would be better served with less jamming and more melody.
  • 17 Songs by The Wallets: I waited over 20 years to purchase this album after taping two of the standout songs from a friend. Long out of print and available only for exorbitant prices on eBay, it finally became available for a reasonable price this year on Half.com. While I’m glad to finally have “There Was An Old Lady” and “Jimbo” in digital form, the rest of the album is pure 80’s New Wave trash.
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Best of 2007: Introduction

As I explained last year, to be eligible, an album only had to be added to my music collection in 2007, but not necessarily released in 2007. Some long-time favorites with which I had familiarity but had not previously owned were only eligible for “Honorable Mention” along with a few others that didn’t quite make the Top 10.

In order to make it into the Top 10, a CD had to saturate my listening time for an appreciable length of time. Although I have ranked them, distinguishing between any two of these CDs is very difficult indeed. When I obtained each it probably remained in heavy rotation at home, on my iPod and at work for several weeks, often receiving two or three plays per day. This is the quality level required to make the Top 10.

In the coming days, I’ll have articles delineating my picks for Best of 2007. In addition to the Best Albums, I’ll list my favorite songs for the year as well as some musical disappointments for 2007.

If you are interested in my past picks, I have articles for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

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I want to wish you a Merry Christmas

We’re safe and sound in Scottsdale, AZ, after two and a half wonderful days of visiting family. We left Friday afternoon to get a jump on the trip and drove to Medford, OR, where we stayed at Motel 6 for the night. The next day we drove to Lafayette, CA, to visit Uncle Ralph, Aunt Carol and cousins Danielle and David. Yesterday we drove from the East Bay through the California Central Valley to my sister’s house in Moreno Valley, CA. After a very restful night in their RV, we had a shorter drive to Scottsdale where Tina’s sister and her family live. The smell of Mexican food is pervading the house and Thomas and Graham are excited to play with their cousins, Xander and Wil. We are glad to be at the end of the long drive but we really enjoyed seeing everyone along the way. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful food and company along the way. Feliz navidad!

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 2352
Weight lost (in pounds): 35
Hours of sleep last night: 7
Hours billed last week: 37
Aches & pains: sciatic (when I stand too long), right shoulder (when I extend my arm away from my body), left achilles tendon, joints in my right hand (likely RSI from Guitar Hero)
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, Space Cadet by Robert A. Heinlein
Recent listening: In Rainbows by Radiohead, The Shepherd’s Dog by Iron & Wine
Recent viewing: Countdown, The 300 Spartans, Rank, Numb3rs, Eagles vs. Cowboys
Recent playing: foosball, Guitar Hero III (Wii)
Recently accomplished: cleaned cat boxes, recycling, old email, Christmas shopping
Imperative To Do: Sift through inbox, post office (Sunleafs, Seagate, Kent, Sue), sunglasses, InstantCake, phone calls, vacation planning, packing list