Top 15 albums of 2007

Here’s my semi-mainstream top 15 for 2007. The best few were fairly easy to order, the rest less so. Apart from the few special cases, I think it was a fairly disappointing year for albums.

15 Katie Melua Pictures		My wife likes Katie’s music, so I’ve heard this one quite a bit in the background. Neither really like it, nor hate it – it’s okay as background music.
14 Norah Jones Not Too Late		Same feelings for this one as the Katie Melua album.
13 Athlete Beyond The Neighbourhood		I was disappointed with this one, having enjoyed their previous album. A change in direction; they now sound like all the other indie bands – a bit dull and uninventive. No risks taken. Haven’t played it too much.
12 The Arcade Fire Neon Bible		Not as good as their previous album.
11 José Gonzaléz In Our Nature		Includes a laid-back cover version of Massive Attacks’ Teardrop.
10 The White Stripes Icky Thump		Better than their previous album. There’s more guitar on this one, but it’s still not up to par with their earlier albums.
9 Klaus Schulze Kontinuum		Recommend this to anyone who liked Schulze’s work from the 70’s, especially Mirage. Dark, mournful, reflective music.
8 Redshift Last		Retro electronic album, in the style of 70’s Tangerine Dream. This is a recording of their performance at Hampshire Jam 5. Deep, thick, powerful rumbling and moody sequences.
7 Cooper Temple Clause Make This Your Own		This is their best album. The group finally seemed to be going somewhere, and then decided to call it a day. Doh!
6 Newton Faulkner Hand Built By Robots		Includes a laid-back cover version of Massive Attacks’ Teardrop.
5 Tori Amos American Doll Posse		Quite a good mix of songs on this album. It is long, featuring 22 songs! I like Big Wheel, Code Red and Dark Side of the Sun.
4 Porcupine Tree Nil Recurring		This mini-album comprises four tracks totaling another 30 mins of material that were written during the Fear Of A Blank Planet (see later) recording sessions.
3 Blackfield Blackfield II		Featuring Steven Wilson (from Porcupine Tree), and Israeli rock singer Aviv Geffen. This is more of a pop/rock oriented album. Catchy stuff.
2 Radiohead In Rainbows		More weirdness from Radiohead, but more approachable than their previous few albums. After a few listens I found myself loving the flow of this album.
1 Porcupine Tree Fear Of A Blank Planet		It’s about time this band got some more publicity? This album won album of the year award from Classic Rock magazine. This album is fantastic, and features guest appearances from Alex Lifeson (Rush) and Robert Fripp (King Crimson). The album is a direct reference to Public Enemy Ltd’s 1990 album that was titled “Fear Of a Black Planet”. It is Porcupine Tree’s heaviest sounding album. There is also a surround-sound DVD version of the album (which also includes “Nil Recurring”). Worth every penny.