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The Studio Album Collection 1994-1998 (Album of the Day)
Founded in New York City in 1992, Soul Coughing carved out a niche in that decade's alternative rock scene with a distinctive mix of hip-hop, experimental sounds and what frontman Mike Doughty once described as “deep slacker jazz.” Hard to label but even harder to resist (“Circles,” “Down To This” and “Super Bon Bon” all charmed Modern Rock listeners back in the day), the quartet released three long-players for Slash/Warner Bros. before breaking up in 2000. RUBY VROOM, IRRESISTIBLE BLISS, and EL OSO are all now available on THE STUDIO ALBUM COLLECTION 1994-1998, which shows Soul Coughing to have been masters of surreal lyrics, off-beat samples and cool instrumentation.
The Great Southern Trendkill (20th Anniversary Edition) (Album of the Day)
Two years after Pantera topped the chart with FAR BEYOND DRIVEN, Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Dimebag Darrell, and Vinnie Paul returned in 1996 with the dark, unrelenting and highly personal THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL. Featuring the singles “Drag The Waters,” “Suicide Note Pt. 1” and fan favorite “Floods” (a power ballad that includes one of Dimebag's best-ever guitar solos), the collection reached #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and went on to become Pantera's fourth consecutive platinum release. Rhino's new 2-CD 20th anniversary edition includes the original THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL remastered, plus a dozen previously unreleased mixes, instrumentals, and live recordings - every album track is represented with an unreleased version. It's the ultimate way to experience one of the most intense and hardest-hitting albums Pantera ever recorded.
Sail Away (Album of the Day)
Randy Newman's debut album featured orchestral arrangements, 12 SONGS a rock band setting, and a live follow-up was just the singer-songwriter and his piano. “Then came SAIL AWAY, in which I combined the three elements that made the earlier albums such failures,” joked Newman of his third studio collection. While not a commercial hit on release (it's been a consistent seller in years since), the 1972 Reprise release drew reams of critical praise, and justifiably so. From the opening title track to closing “God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind).” this is among the darkest, funniest and most insightful set of songs ever recorded. SAIL AWAY was named one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone, and we'll give the sardonic masterpiece another spin today in honor of Randy Newman's birthday.
Back To Back (Live In Paris) (Album of the Day)
If today one travels to festivals like Coachella or Glastonbury to see multi-act concerts, in decades past those shows came to the fans in the form of package tours. In 1967, preeminent Southern soul label Stax/Volt sent some of its top artists to Europe for a series of concerts, including the one immortalized on BACK TO BACK (LIVE IN PARIS). Cut at that city's Olympic Theatre, the album presents sets by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and the Mar-Keys, both crack instrumental outfits renowned as backing bands for R&B royalty as well as hitmakers in their own right (“Green Onions,” “Hip Hug-Her” - both heard here). The 10 songs on BACK TO BACK brim with fiery performances, starting with the insistent grooves of M.G.'s bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, who was born on this day in 1941.
Big Joe Is Here (Album of the Day)
Born in 1911 in Kansas City, Missouri, Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. started singing in his teens, and his booming voice helped shape blues, swing and rock 'n' roll across the decades. While performing in New York in 1951, Big Joe Turner was recruited by the then-new Atlantic Records label, for which he cut a string of R&B hits. The 1959 collection BIG JOE IS HERE gathers some of these popular singles (“The Chill Is On,” “Don't You Cry,” “Rock A While”), but the bulk of these 10 tracks emphasize the K.C. jazz of his youth. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer passed away 31 years ago; while his powerful presence is much missed behind the microphone, these passionate sides ensure BIG JOE IS HERE whenever you hit the play button.
KC and the Sunshine Band (Album of the Day)
Goin' Back To New Orleans (Album of the Day)
Dr. John's GOIN' BACK TO NEW ORLEANS delivers exactly what its title promises – a tour through the Crescent City's rich musical history. The 1992 Warner Bros. collection shows the good doctor working his magic on regional standards penned by such hometown heroes as Jellyroll Morton, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, along with a couple of fine Mac Rebennack originals. Mac and producer Stewart Levine also lured some big names into the studio for these sessions, including the Neville Brothers and Dixieland virtuosos Al Hirt and Pete Fountain. A Grammy winner for Best Traditional Blues Album, GOIN' BACK TO NEW ORLEANS captures all that's great about Dr. John, who was born on this day in 1940.
How Can You Live Like That? (Album of the Day)
Cut in a one-day session at L.A.'s Village Recorder studios 40 years ago this Sunday, HOW CAN YOU LIVE LIKE THAT? is a superb showcase for Eddie Harris' broad musical vision. Co-produced with Richard Evans, the Atlantic collection's nine originals run the gamut from big band sounds (“Ambidextrous”) to funk (“Get Down With It”), a touch of reggae (“Love Is Too Much To Touch”) and more, and the tenor saxophonist holds it all together with a tight groove. Harris has many top-flight instrumentalists behind him here, including pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Higgins, who'd backed the performer on some of his mid-'60s albums. If you're a fan of the more eclectic side of '70s jazz, give a listen to Eddie Harris' HOW CAN YOU LIVE LIKE THAT? and you'll wonder how you lived without it.
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... (Album of the Day)
When the third Faces album, A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK … TO A BLIND HORSE was released 45 years today, frontman Rod Stewart was basking in the glow of No.1 solo hit “Maggie May.” Some of his success must have rubbed off as “Stay With Me” reached the Top Ten in the quintet's native U.K. to become their biggest hit. While it's surely a highlight of the 1971 Warner Bros. collection, there's never a dull moment on the set, which features several other outstanding originals penned by the Stewart-Ron Wood team (“Miss Judy's Farm”) and Ronnie Lane (“Debris”), along with a raucous cover of “Memphis, Tennessee.” Just the kind of guys you'd want to share a pint with at the pub, Faces were one of rock's great party bands, and the high spirits of A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A WINK remain infectious.
This Way (Album of the Day)
If the coffeehouse folk of “Who Will Save Your Soul?” is all you know of Jewel Kilcher, THIS WAY will shine a new light on the singer-songwriter. The thoughtful lyrics and heartfelt performances of her two preceding albums remain, but the 2001 Atlantic collection finds Jewel in a looser, more confident mood. She's a co-producer here for the first time, and gives a raw immediacy to a dozen originals including the Adult Top 40 hits “Standing Still” and “Break Me” and the danceclub single “Serve The Ego.” “I'll always be curious musically and want to try new things, but above all, I want the music to sound honest and good in 20 years,” noted Jewel at the time of THIS WAY's release; the Platinum-certified album turns 15 this week and still meets that standard.