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Dark Side Of The Spoon (Album of the Day)
On the eve of the new millennium, Ministry shifted gears a bit for DARK SIDE OF THE SPOON. More deliberate and less drug-infused than predecessors (the Pink Floyd-inspired title acknowledges band members' past heroin problems), the industrial rock band's final studio set for Warner Bros. features simple melodies, strong synthesizers and the odd jazz and world music touches. Through distorted vocals, frontman Al Jourgensen's dark, biting wit hits its target on nine originals including “Supermanic Soul,” “Kaif” and Best Metal Performance Grammy nominee “Bad Blood.” And don't turn it off when you hit a long silence as there's a hidden track; it was the 1990s, after all. As the collection celebrates its 20th anniversary, DARK SIDE OF THE SPOON remains a bright spot in the Ministry discography.
Chaka (Album of the Day)
Chaka Khan had already tasted stardom as a member of Rufus when she launched her solo career in 1978 with CHAKA. The Warner Bros. set was produced by Arif Mardin, who marshaled a small army of supporting performers behind the vocalist, including George Benson, David Sanborn and much of the Average White Band. Khan positively soars on these ten tracks, which include radio favorite “Roll Me Through the Rushes” and R&B hits “Life Is a Dance” and “I'm Every Woman,” an Ashford & Simpson-penned classic that has become an anthem of pride transcending gender. You fans of 1970s funk and soul need to give this a listen – CHAKA won't let you down.
His Band and the Street Choir (Expanded Edition) (Album of the Day)
On this day in 2003, Van Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, an honor the singer-songwriter's Warner Bros. years alone would justify. Following MOONDANCE's breakthrough success, HIS BAND AND THE STREET CHOIR arrived in November 1970. While its predecessors contemplated the cosmos and love's rich conundrums, the collection resonates with a purposefully loose ebullience on songs like the Top Ten hit “Domino,” “Blue Money” and “Call Me Up In Dreamland.” If the cover art suggests a dive into the mystic, the music here is simpler and earthier, informed by R&B of the American South (New Orleans, in particular), and Van's matchless vocals brim with Belfast soul. HIS BAND AND THE STREET CHOIR offers further proof that in the early 1970s, Morrison could do no wrong.
Love Man (Album of the Day)
Before his death in a 1967 plane crash, Otis Redding had recorded enough material for several posthumous releases, and LOVE MAN is the third of these. The material here might not have seen release before the 1969 Atco collection, but that doesn't mean it's sub-par; Redding's protean talent (and that of backing band Booker T. and the M.G.'s) beams from every one of these dozen songs. Originals make up the bulk of this set, with “Direct Me” “I'm A Changed Man” and the title track among the highlights, but even the covers (“A Lover's Question”) have an energy and commitment few singers of any era could equal. Released 50 years ago this month, Top Ten R&B album LOVE MAN is another jewel in the crown of the King of Soul.
Hearts (Album of the Day)
Anyone who takes the tuneful sounds of America for granted has probably never had to sweat over the creation of a hit single. One of several the band has cut, “Sister Golden Hair” went to No.1 on the U.S. chart on this day in 1975. It's the most famous song on the trio's 5th studio album for Warner Bros., but it's by no means the only thing worth a listen on HEARTS. The dozen America originals include additional singles “Daisy Jane” and the funky “Woman Tonight,” as well as three more tracks that got heavy FM airplay. With a strong set of songs to strike a variety of emotional chords and state-of-the-art pop craftsmanship (Beatles producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick helped in this regard), HEARTS reached #4 on the album chart and was RIAA-certified gold.
Americana (Album of the Day)
Born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma, on this day in 1942, Leon Russell mastered virtually every style of American popular music in his 60-year career, so it's fitting that his 1978 album bears the title AMERICANA. Released on Russell's own Paradise Records imprint, the self-produced set shows the singer-songwriter having plenty of fun with country and bluegrass, offering a non-traditional take on the genre in which Kim Fowley (who co-wrote most of these songs) and Chicago's horn section can peacefully coexist. “Elvis and Marilyn,” “Ladies Of The Night” and a fine cover of “When A Man Loves A Woman” are just a few of the highlights here, and AMERICANA presents the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in peak form.
Self Control (Album of the Day)
If Laura Branigan's “Gloria” announced the arrival of an exciting new talent, SELF CONTROL underlined the New York performer's versatility and passion. Released 35 years ago this week, the Atlantic collection serves as a showcase of her multi-octave voice; whether singing a ballad like “Ti Amo” or a pulsing dance song like “Satisfaction” (both co-written by Diane Warren), Laura is in complete control, and “The Lucky One” and the title track became Top 40 and Top 10 hits, respectively. The platinum-certified SELF CONTROL would prove to be Laura Branigan's most successful album, and it's one every '80s fan should hear.
Coward of the County (Album of the Day)
Ginger Baker had been a highly regarded blues and jazz drummer long before he became a star in Cream, so the progressive jazz of COWARD OF THE COUNTY should come as no surprise. Baker shares credit on the release with the Denver Jazz Quintet-to-Octet, a group featuring the percussionist, trumpeter Ron Miles and bassist Artie Moore at its core (sax great James Carter sits in on three tracks here). The playing is remarkably cohesive on the Atlantic set, with Ginger's explosive drum work mixed to the fore. Baker penned two of these songs (“Dangle the Carrot” and “Cyril Davies,” a tribute to the U.K. blues pioneer) but Miles contributes the bulk of the varied originals and proves to be as gifted a songwriter as he is an instrumentalist. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, COWARD OF THE COUNTY is one of Ginger Baker's very best.
The Black Parade (Album of the Day)
When asked to describe THE BLACK PARADE, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way called it “way more dramatic, way more theatrical, completely over the top, borderline psychotic." The 2006 Reprise collection was a wildly ambitious venture for the group – a rock opera about a cancer patient looking back on his life – yet it succeeds thanks to the band's intense performances and hook-filled songcraft. On such highlights as “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “Famous Last Words” and “Teenagers,” MCR's goth-shaded emo achieves the grandeur of such '70s heroes as Queen and Pink Floyd, and the album became a triple-platinum hit. This is Gerard Way's birthday, and to help celebrate it, we'll march with THE BLACK PARADE.
Jump On It! (Album of the Day)
Shortly after Rhino acquired the seminal Sugarhill Records catalog, it released a reunion album from the band that started it all – The Sugarhill Gang. The first new album from Big Bank Hank, Master G, and Wonder Mike in more than 15 years, JUMP ON IT! puts a new spin on the trio's genial old school rap with a set of songs aimed at kids. It's a remarkably natural fit - as the jump-rope cover art reminds, children's games and rhyming go hand-in-hand – and “The Vowels,” “Fireworks,” and “My Little Playmate” are as enjoyable as they are educational. The 10 tracks also include kid-friendly versions of hip-hop favorites like the group's classic “Rapper's Delight.” As JUMP ON IT! celebrates its 20th anniversary, its positive message and engaging performances still resonate with young and old.