Best of 2007: A Preemptive Retrospective

I woke up this morning to a new dawn: 2007 had arrived! Seems like just a week and a half ago I had downed my New Year's Eve keg of Ambien, Lunesta, and Jagermeister cocktail before going to bed. But here it is: 2007 and a full bladder.

I feel bad about going straight from Christmas musings to a week and a half into the new year; I didn't give 2006 a proper looking back. Well, that's not going to happen in 2007. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go ahead and do my Best of 2007 Lists now so I don't forget them once late December (and its tempting sedatives!) comes around.


Best Album of the Year

Britney Spears, The Grant Sessions

In an effort to undo 2006's Shavenvagina-gate and return to her jail-bait innocence days, Spears did the unthinkable (easy for her) by doing an entire album of Amy Grant covers. Spears not only took on the early '90s mainstream radio Grant (in a stroke of fortune, Peter Cetera was available for another duet!) but also the late '80s Christian pop Grant. With L'il Jon on the mixing boards, "El Shaddai" never sounded so tight. (Download this: "Baby, Baby (Hit Me One More Time...Again)")

Best Film of the Year

Oceans 1

Steven Soderburgh reclaims his reputation as avant garde film-maker with this look back at the origin of his Oceans series (hey, it worked with Dumb and Dumberer, right?). In this first installment, young Danny Ocean (Topher Grace) does a one-man stage show, ranting on the joys and frustrations of small-time robbery. Hip music, stylized tinted lenses, shaky hand-held camera work, and a Wonder-Years-esque voice-over by George Clooney made this film a shoe-in for Oscar buzz.

Best Song of the Year

"Do They Know it's Christmas? (2007)"

Only Phil Collins and Bananarama returned for this remake of the 1984 politically and socially charged original. Instead of taking on apartheid in Africa, the new version focuses its attention (and proceeds) on a more contemporary issue: Mexican immigration. But because most Mexican immigrants are Catholic, most actually do know it's Christmas. To counter this, the chorus was changed to "Do they know it's Christmas time at all?...Yes." Still: in a year of tired emo-hip-pop, this was the best song of the year.



Best TV Show of the Year

As all network and cable stations shut down early in 2007, the best "TV show" was found--surprise, surprise--on the internet. No description can do this show justice. You have to see it (again!) for yourself: Best TV Show of the Year