Best Of 2007 - Top Ten Albums

Well we've arrived at the end of another year and I must admit it had a lot of great music to offer. Below is a list of albums that I purchased and kept on heavy rotation throughout the year. Some of these artists are familiar and others are up and comers that are sure to have successful careers contributing their music to the masses. This list isn't all inclusive of everything that's been released, just a sample of things that I've been hip to personally. Agree or disagree...here ya' go!



10. Emily King - Eastside Story
I saw this young lady open for one of my favorite duos, Floetry. She's the product of an Italian songstress mother and a Black jazz musician father. Her roots flow here on her debut release. The album is an earnest offering from a young lady with worldly ideals and a personal story that contributed to the impressive set. Standouts are "Colorblind" the lead single, "Walk In My Shoes" and the positive "You Can Get By."


9. Chrisette Michele - I Am
Think of soul singing icons Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Natalie Cole and you'll get an idea about Chrisette Michelle. She made her debut singing hooks for Jay-Z and Nas. Her own album is an extension of the groovy scatting, and phrasing that honors her idols mentioned above. Treats from this album are "Like A Dream," the lead single "If I Had My Way," and the wedding song of the year "Golden."



8. James Morrison - Undiscovered
British Pop has made a comeback of sorts across the pond with the likes of artists like Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse and of course, James Morrison. His raspy, soulful vocals put you in the mind of John Waite, Simply Red and most recently, American Idol alum Elliot Yamin. He makes an impressive debut here with tunes like "You Give Me Something," The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore," and the title cut which I'm glad is no longer true.


7. India.Arie - Testimony Vol. 1: Life and Relationship
I almost forgot to add this album to the list because it came out at the top of the year and I damn near scratched it from playing it so much. That's just a compliment to the deliciousness of this album, India's third release. Her pain is what makes this so good. But even when she's happy it still resonates. Top cuts are "I Am Not My Hair," "There's Hope," "Good Morning," and the Don Henley cover "Heart Of The Matter."



6. Jill Scott - The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3
Jill Scott is a throwback to the good feelings that the old school songbirds inspired. She had a great year with the release of this album and movie role in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married. She doesn't disappoint delivering sass, humor, sensuality and sexuality enough to satisfy your musical palate. Songs of note are "My Love", "Crown Royal," "Hate On Me," and "Whenever You're Around."

5. Ledisi - Lost And Found
I wrote a lengthy review of this young lady's second album in an earlier post. To sum it up - GO GET THIS DISC!! Ledisi weaves her vocals around a very well produced gem. The lyrics are touching, especially the title cut. I slept on this disc but soon woke up. Standouts are "Alright," "Think Of You," "Best Friend," and "Lost And Found." Don't sleep like I did.




4. Alicia Keys - As I Am
Once again this young lady proves that you don't have to sex it up to the point of nausea to get your point across. She returns with the mature, vocally polished As I Am. We all know she can work those keys but here she shows how much she's grown as a vocalist, producer and writer. You should take an extra listen to the cuts "No One," "Like You'll Never See Me Again," and "Lesson Learned."



3. Kanye West - Graduation
Say what you want about Hip Hop but Kanye West does his thing. Graduation is one of the top selling discs of the year. It could be because of the excellent production, Ye's growing skills as an MC or a fake beef with Fiddy. Regardless, this is probably Ye's best disc of the trilogy. "Good Life," "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Stronger," "Flashing Lights," and "Homecoming" put him at the top of the class.



2. Jay-Z - American Gangster
Arguably the best MC of his time, Jigga makes it rain on these "so called" rappers with one of the best concept discs of all time. American Gangster is based on a fictitious gangster loosely inspired by the recent Denzel Washington character/movie of the same name. He annihilates guest star Weezy on "Hello Brooklyn" and rides effortlessly over the Marvin Gaye sample and Diddy produced "American Dreamin.'" THE cut has to be "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)" which features protege' Kanye West.



1. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Ah, the perils of celebrity. Amy Winehouse has been all over the media this year, mostly due to her ongoing problems with drug/alcohol abuse. That's what makes the stellar track "Rehab" so ironic. This album is the best album of the year because of Amy's soulful throwback vocals. With tight, relevant production to the lyrics (which Amy penned beautifully) this album soars. You can't deny songs like "You Know I'm No Good," "Back To Black," "Some Unholy War," and "Me And Mr. Jones." All the hype is rightfully justified.

Photos credits:
Amy Winehouse - www.radiopardise.com
Jay-Z - www.beboptalk.net
Kanye West - www.blacktopguerillas.com
Alicia Keys - www.alicia-zone.net
Ledisi - www.wdkx.com
Jill Scott - www.rap-up.com
India.Arie - www.mackie.com
James Morrison - www.singeruniverse.com
Chrisette Michele - www.wdkx.com
Emily King - www.wdkx.com