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ForeverAutumn
12-21-2007, 12:20 PM
Unless I get something that really wows me for Christmas, here are my best-of-the-year picks for 2007.

Top spots for best album in the category of Prog/Metal goes to:

6. Three – The End Is Begun – This band opened for Porcupine Tree on their North American tour. Only the lead singer made it over the border to Canada and had the moxie to perform their heavy metal catalogue as a solo act with nothing but an acoustic guitar and damn if he didn’t rock the house! Hubby was so impressed he bought their newest CD and it’s damn good. They played here as a full band a couple of weeks ago but unfortunately we had to miss it.

5. Rush – Snakes and Arrows – The best material that Rush has released in many, many years. Now if they would only improve the sound quality of their CDs!

4. Ritual – The Hemulic Voluntary Band – After hearing only two CDs by this band I’ve put them on my auto-buy list. Prog at it’s finest (if you like that sort of thing).

3. Dream Theater- Systematic Chaos – I expected this disk to land at the top of my list this year. It only goes to show how great Riverside and Threshold are to knock DT out of top spot.

2. Riverside – Rapid Eye Movement – Killer, killer, killer. Say no more.

1. Threshold – Dead Reckoning – Musically, I think that the Riverside disk is probably a better disk, but there is something about Dead Reckoning that just draws me in. Great sounds, nice harmonies and lots of hooks. This stuff could easily end up on the radio if radio didn’t suck so much. This album deserves to be heard.


Top spots for best album in the category of Non-Prog/Metal goes to:

6. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha – while a great album, this one just didn’t impress me as much as it impressed some of you. I’d listen to Mysterious Production of Eggs over this one anyday.

5. Bright Eyes – Cassadega – Call me crazy but I hear a Roger Waters influence in some of these songs. I can see why some people find his voice grating, but I really like this disk full of laid back ditties. I’m a little surprised that this CD hasn’t been discussed more around here.

4. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare – I wasn’t going to buy this disk based on how I felt about their first CD, but I’m glad that I took the plunge as it’s turned into one of my favourite disks to work out to. This band has come a long way musically from their first CD and I can’t wait to hear how their next release progresses.

3. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky – I think that this is my favourite Wilco CD. Beautiful melodies fill this CD from beginning to end. A disk full of songs that make me think, “I wish I wrote this”.

2. The Shins – Wincing the Night Away – Not quite as charming as Chutes Too Narrow but still a solid disk from a band that has become among my favourites. This CD contains one of my favourite lines from 2007, “we’ve pissed on far too many sprites and they’re all standing up for their rights”. I don’t know why but this line makes me laugh. Besides, it was the only CD that I bought this year that came with a sticker!

1. Spoon – Ga ga ga ga ga – Funny how the song that, at first listen, I liked the least on this CD has now turned into my favourite…The Ghost Of You Lingers. It was a really tough call between this and The Shins for top spot, but after listening to them both, Spoon just nudged The Shins out of top spot. Ask me again tomorrow and I could change my mind...it was that close.

My biggest disappointment of the year was Crowded House – Out of Time. It was, IMO, their worst album ever. The only good thing that came out of it was that it gave them a reason to tour. And seeing them live again was probably the musical highlight of my year.

audiobill
12-21-2007, 02:27 PM
Okay FA. I'll be venturing out into the Prog wilderness to try something new:

"1. Threshold – Dead Reckoning – Musically, I think that the Riverside disk is probably a better disk, but there is something about Dead Reckoning that just draws me in. Great sounds, nice harmonies and lots of hooks. This stuff could easily end up on the radio if radio didn’t suck so much. This album deserves to be heard."

I'm taking your rec to the music shop with me. Looking for something different than what I usually listen to.

Cheers,

Bill

ForeverAutumn
12-21-2007, 03:04 PM
Okay FA. I'll be venturing out into the Prog wilderness to try something new:
....
I'm taking your rec to the music shop with me. Looking for something different than what I usually listen to.

Cheers,

Bill

Hey Bill,
Save your money and watch the mail for a gift from Santa. :)

kexodusc
12-21-2007, 03:04 PM
You could swap Three with Symphony X and my best of 2007 list would have the exact same titles in a slightly different order.
Dead Reckoning was my first Threshold album. After sampling some other offerings, I'd say it's their best, IMO.
That was probably the best recommendation I got here all year. Thanks!

The only other album of 2007 that really impressed me were:
Gov't Mule - High and Mighty
Megadeth - United Abominations
Coheed & Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow
Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
and
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
All in all, not one of my favorite years.

3-LockBox
12-21-2007, 03:12 PM
6. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha – while a great album, this one just didn’t impress me as much as it impressed some of you. I’d listen to Mysterious Production of Eggs over this one anyday.

I wasn't too bowled over by this one either. In fact, my fave of his is still The Swimming Hour.

And I really like that Shin CD as well.

I'm actually surprised you liked the Ritual as much as you did. Now, just incase you find out later, the lead singer for Ritual is also the singer for Kaipa (along with another member of Ritual), and while there are some similarities, Kaipa is more in the mold of Tangent or even, The Flower Kings (Roine Stolt was a former member of Kaipa). I like the new Kaipa better than the new FK album, but I've listened to Ritual three times as much as the Kaipa. This is the second time a Kaipa CD was released on the heels of a Ritual CD and I think its a marketing mistake. The new Kaipa, Angling Feelings, would be a nice listen in betwix Ritual CDs, but as it is, I keep reaching for Hemulic Voluntary Band. Maybe I'll get a new appreciation for Angling Feelings once I tire of the new Ritual. You might like the Ritual/Kaipa offerings from a few years ago. I like Kaipa's Keyholder a lot, but Ritual's Think Like A Mountain (2004) lacks the folky charm of HVB or their debut. Its more of a precursor to Kaipa's Mindrevolutions(2004) album, which was ok. Either way, both Kaipa and Ritual are two of the better acts in the European prog scene. However, another Swedish prog band will close in on them I believe...Beardfish - I love Sleeping In Traffic.

ForeverAutumn
12-21-2007, 03:22 PM
I wasn't too bowled over by this one either. In fact, my fave of his is still The Swimming Hour.

And I really like that Shin CD as well.

I'm actually surprised you liked the Ritual as much as you did. Now, just incase you find out later, the lead singer for Ritual is also the singer for Kaipa (along with another member of Ritual), and while there are some similarities, Kaipa is more in the mold of Tangent or even, The Flower Kings (Roine Stolt was a former member of Kaipa). I like the new Kaipa better than the new FK album, but I've listened to Ritual three times as much as the Kaipa. This is the second time a Kaipa CD was released on the heels of a Ritual CD and I think its a marketing mistake. The new Kaipa, Angling Feelings, would be a nice listen in betwix Ritual CDs, but as it is, I keep reaching for Hemulic Voluntary Band. Maybe I'll get a new appreciation for Angling Feelings once I tire of the new Ritual. You might like the Ritual/Kaipa offerings from a few years ago. I like Kaipa's Keyholder a lot, but Ritual's Think Like A Mountain (2004) lacks the folky charm of HVB or their debut. Its more of a precursor to Kaipa's Mindrevolutions(2004) album, which was ok. Either way, both Kaipa and Ritual are two of the better acts in the European prog scene. However, another Swedish prog band will close in on them I believe...Beardfish - I love Sleeping In Traffic.

So far I prefer Ritual's s/t disk over HVB. I would have liked to put that on my list since I only heard it in 2007, but it's a 2004 disk. I should do two lists. One for 2007 releases and one for disks released in previous years but discovered in 2007.

I'll definately have to check out some Kaipa as I just love the vocals on both Ritual disks. ...and I'll look into Beardfish.

Kex, I totally forgot about the Symphony X CD. I'll have to give that one another spin to see whether it changes my list.

kexodusc
12-22-2007, 03:47 PM
I think I might also give honorable mention to Fear of a Blank Planet. Though this was the first time PT sounded repetitive to me, it's still pretty solid music.

audiobill
01-10-2008, 05:18 PM
Hey, FA.

Just finished listening to your #1 pick of 2007 from the mystery package that arrived here yesterday. I've got to hand it to ya that Threshold is awesome-fine. I'm just in the groove and giving it a second spin, as I flip through some magazines and it's getting the better of me.

Haven't given the others a spin, yet; since they just arrived two days ago.

Thanks-a-ton for the new year's gift and for introducing me to a new band!!!

All the best in 2008,

audiobill

ForeverAutumn
01-11-2008, 06:17 AM
I'm glad that you liked it Bill. That CD just hangs onto me, there are so many great riffs and hooks built in. Your post has prompted me to call it up from my magical musical box (my iPod) and its playing right now.

I think that you'll like the Riverside disk too. Let me know.

Mr MidFi
01-11-2008, 06:29 AM
I was out of town and relatively incommunicado when this year-end list first appeared, so I neglected to say nice things about it at the time. So allow me to do so now. Nice list(s), FA. Nice, indeed. Glad you agree with me on the #1 pick...even if I felt a little more emphatic about it than you.

I will have to listen to some Threshold and Riverside samples today to see what all the hubbub is about.

NP: Green Day, "Jesus of Suburbia"

ForeverAutumn
01-11-2008, 07:07 AM
I Nice list(s), FA. Nice, indeed.

Thank you, kind sir. :)

Stone
01-11-2008, 07:21 AM
I haven't heard any of these, save for the Andrew Bird, which I do really like, and some of Wilco (although my wife likes it).

Thanks for the list.