Joy Makers

Happy New Years Day to you! Here are the top five musical releases that brought me joy in 2007:

1. TRAVIS--"The Boy With No Name"
2. CROWDED HOUSE--"Time On Earth"
3. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN--"Magic"
4. WILCO--"Sky Blue Sky"
5. MARIA McKEE--"Late December"

I know many will be surprised that Travis made it ahead of Springsteen for me. I just cannot escape the fact that the band's fifth studio album, THE BOY WITH NO NAME, seeped into my soul this year. I love "Battleships" about the ups and downs of relationships, presumably marriage. I can really relate to the song "My Eyes" about lead singer Fran Healy's baby son. But, most of all, it's track #9, a song so powerfully uplifting that it can take me out of any dark cloud moment. It's called "Under The Moonlight" and I just cannot express the joy I feel when listening to it. Ironically, "Under The Moonlight" wasn't written by anybody in Travis, but they execute the song so amazingly! The Travis boys' songwriting abilities have ample opportunity to shine on the album though.  I really do love the entire album.