We had a tight race between the top three musical artists of 2007. Here they are, in reverse order. (For suspense!)
Number Three!
Steve Winwood! Yes, for some reason the Back In The High Life CD called to me from the racks and I put it on while taking care of my kids. The song "The Finer Things" begins with the line "While there is time let's go out and do everything". I think this line had been calling to my subconscious because when I heard it, I felt really, really good. About what? About everything I am doing with my life.
I brought out the tapes (!) of Chronicles and Roll With It then bought Arc of a Diver and Traffic's 2 disc best-of collection Smiling Phases. I love Arc of a Diver and the catchy title track ran through my mind constantly for weeks, even though I can't really understand (still) the words. I was very pleased with Traffic's sound, songwriting, and virtuosity. I knew I would love classic rock radio staples "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" but who knew there was so much other great music to that very soulful group? Not me. Well done, Steve Winwood.
Number Two!
George Harrison! For Christmas 2006 I got the Dark Horse Years box set containing all of Harrison's six albums for that label with one or two bonus tracks on each disc. (Given the wealth of known available material, this was honestly rather stingy, but the spirit of the music easily overcame my initial disappointment.) Each month I listened to a different album regularly. My favorite was the first album I chose, January's album, simply titled George Harrison. This album features keyboards and backing vocals from Steve Winwood, perhaps contibuting to my renewed interst in him and his signature seventies synth solo sound. George was a constant presence in the house all year, especially when I got the remastered, deluxe edition of Living in the Material World.
It's such mellow, positive, spiritual music. I can listen to it intently on my own when I have time. I can have it on in the background while I'm caring for my children. Harrison's Brainwashed album is also excellent, and of course my comparatively ancient tape (!) of my parents' 3 record (!!) set All Things Must Pass is a treasured part of my musical identity and has been for years. Wherever you are, Mr. Harrison, (nirvana, heaven, reincarnated?) pray enjoy it.
Number One!
Paul McCartney! Yes, "Pau" as my older daughter refers to him, provided us with the soundtrack to bedtime. I always sing something by him, be it well known classics like "Blackbird" and "Golden Slumbers" or one of the two underappreciated gems off 1980's McCartney II:"Waterfalls" and "One of These Days". Why did Paul edge out Steve and George? Three reasons.
One, he has more overall material. From 1970's McCartney through this year's Memory Almost Full there is just so much and so much variety. This was the year I bought it all. (Except I'm holding out on Standing Stone, Choba B CCCP, and Ecce Cor Meum for whatever reason.) We listened to it constantly.
Two, he made all his bonus tracks available at iTunes available for stand alone download after initially requiring a fan to buy a whole album they already had (say Wings Wild Life) just to get an iTunes exclusive (say "Give Ireland Back to the Irish (instrumental version)). See what I mean? Now if Steve Winwood would remaster his back catalog and George Harrison's estate would properly reissue all the various rare, unreleased, EP, and b-side material, this would have been a much tighter race.
Finally, Paul actually is still actively releasing new material - building on his lead, you might say. While this year's MAF hasn't really entered my consciousness the way 2005's brilliant Chaos and Creation in the Backyard has, I do like it at least as well as anything else that came out this year. I look forward to the possibility of seeing him in concert next year with his current, excellent band. Oh, speaking of which, the six track live set available at iTunes is quite enjoyable too. And the videos for "Dance Tonight" and "Ever Present Past" were cool.
Yes, the number one musical artist of 2007 was Paul McCartney. Well done, Paul. Congratulations!
List of past winners
Memphis Evans earned well over one THOUSAND dollars as a hard-working, own-equipment-carting, fast-note-playing musician in 2007, all of which was donated to charity. His attempts at writing a novel were as yet unsuccessful.
