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Chaos A.D. (Album of the Day)
Founded in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, Sepultura soon became an influential force in heavy metal music thanks to its dynamic studio recordings and intense live performances; the Brazilian band has sold nearly 20 million albums worldwide. The group was in the midst of a creative and commercial peak in 1993 when it released CHAOS A.D. The collection ushered in a more groove-based sound on songs like the singles “Refuse/Resist,” “Territory” and “Slave New World.” The new double-disc CHAOS A.D.: EXPANDED EDITION features a newly remastered version of the original along with 17 bonus tracks, including a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Symptom Of The Universe,” scorching live versions of album songs and several unreleased instrumental tracks that the band used during writing sessions.
My Ghetto Report Card (U.S. Explicit Version) (Album of the Day)
Born Earl Stevens on this day in 1967, E-40 is among the most prolific and inventive artists to emerge from the San Francisco Bay hip-hop scene in the 1990s. Following a string of releases for Jive and his own Sick Wid It label, the rapper signed with Warner Bros. for 2006's MY GHETTO REPORT CARD. With Lil Jon and Rick Rock handling the lion's share of production, the collection is an ideal showcase for the “hyphy” sound championed by E-40, and these 20 bass-heavy, slang-happy tracks include the hit singles “Tell Me When To Go” and “U And Dat.” With guest appearances from the likes of Too $hort, T-Pain and Keak Da Sneak, MY GHETTO REPORT CARD is one of E-40's most accessible albums and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard chart; we'll give it another spin to wish the rapper a happy birthday.
Bob Gibson & Bob Camp at the Gate of Horn (Album of the Day)
Bob Gibson was one of the great unsung heroes of the folk revival. A 1953 encounter with Pete Seeger inspired Gibson to become a musician, and his travels eventually brought him to Chicago and an extended engagement at Albert Grossman's seminal folk club the Gate of Horn. Recorded with fellow performer Bob Camp (later known as Hamilton Camp), AT THE GATE OF HORN captures the pair's stirring harmonies and inventive 12-string guitar playing on 11 songs including such standards as “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Betty And Dupree.” Gibson & Camp's exuberant approach underlined the rich possibilities of folk music, and the 1961 Elektra collection helped pave the way for such hitmakers as Peter, Paul & Mary and Gordon Lightfoot. Bob Gibson was born on this day in 1931, and we'll salute the singer with BOB GIBSON & BOB CAMP AT THE GATE OF HORN.
Young, Loud And Snotty (Album of the Day)
New York and London weren't the only places with punk scenes in 1977 - Cleveland had one too, and Dead Boys were the new music's leading exponent there. Nonetheless, the quintet felt the pull of Manhattan and cut almost all of their Sire Records debut, YOUNG, LOUD AND SNOTTY, in the city's Electric Lady Studios with producer Genya Ravan (a live cover of “Hey Little Girl” was recorded at CBGB). From the opening classic “Sonic Reducer” to the closing complaint “Ain't Nothin' To Do,” frontman Stiv Bators and guitarists Cheetah Chrome and Jimmy Zero provide attitude to burn and pulverizing riffs that would be the envy of The Stooges or Ramones. If you like your music YOUNG, LOUD AND SNOTTY, then this landmark U.S. punk album is for you.
But Seriously, Folks... (Album of the Day)
Joe Walsh started releasing solo albums following his stint in The James Gang and just because he joined one of the world's most successful groups – Eagles – that didn't mean he would stop. His fourth studio set, BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS... arrived in stores between HOTEL CALIFORNIA and THE LONG RUN, and his Eagles bandmates and producer Bill Szymczyk all make guest appearances. Spirit keyboardist Jay Ferguson also lends his talents, but the 1978 Asylum collection is still Joe's all the way, his wry sense of humor and ace guitar licks energizing every song. If “At the Station,” “Over and Over” and #12 hit “Life's Been Good” got the most airplay, this is nonetheless an album designed as a cohesive whole, and every track has something worthwhile to offer. Today we wish Joe Walsh a happy 70th birthday with the platinum-certified BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS...
The Ultimate Bobby Darin (Album of the Day)
Bobby Darin was the ultimate entertainer: a singer-songwriter who could cut hits in an amazing variety of styles and later an award-winning film and TV actor. Bobby got his big break in 1958 with the teen rocker “Splish Splash,” the first of several Top Ten singles for Atco Records. The 17-track THE ULTIMATE BOBBY DARIN collection paints a comprehensive picture of the performer's output for the label, including “Beyond The Sea,” Darin-penned hits like “Early In The Morning” and “Dream Lover,” and signature song “Mack The Knife” (which topped the U.K. singles chart on this day in 1959). A solid survey of the classic recordings that put Bobby Darin in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Summer Breeze (Album of the Day)
Jim Seals and Dash Crofts each had decade-long music careers before teaming to become one of the most successful soft-rock duos of the 1970s. With the title track of their fourth album, SUMMER BREEZE, the pair had their first Top 10 single, and the song remains among their best known. But there's a lot more to love about the 1972 Warner Bros. set, which boasts another radio hit (“Hummingbird”), the lovely “East Of Ginger Trees” and the country-influenced “Fiddle In The Sky” among its ten originals. It's an ambitious collection, with philosophical lyrics reflecting the performers' Baha'i faith and orchestral arrangements by Marty Paich complementing the duo's bright harmony vocals. SUMMER BREEZE just might be Seals & Crofts' best studio album, and we'll give it another spin now to celebrate Jim Seals' birthday.
Rock It (Album of the Day)
Chuck Berry was part of the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thanks to a string of classic singles for Chess in the 1950s, but his '70s output was pretty “goode” as well. Case in point: ROCK IT, cut for Atco in 1979. As you'd guess from the cover art, there's plenty of great guitar work here (along with some fine piano playing by Johnnie Johnson), but even more importantly, the man who practically invented rock 'n' roll songwriting has come up with several terrific originals. Highlights of the self-produced set include “California,” “Move It” and “Oh What A Thrill,” which was memorably covered by Rockpile a few years later. Until this year's posthumous CHUCK, ROCK IT was Berry's final studio album, and we'll give it another spin in honor of what would've been his 91st birthday.
Thunder In The East (Album of the Day)
Formed in Osaka, Loudness became the first Japanese heavy metal band to issue an album on a U.S. major label with 1985's THUNDER IN THE EAST. The Atco release was the quartet's fifth studio set, but their first in English and their first produced by Max Norman, who would helm two later releases by the group. Cut in Los Angeles' Sound City Studios, the ten originals are among the band's most accessible, with such highlights as “Heavy Chains,” power ballad “Never Change Your Mind” and MTV favorite “Crazy Nights” mixing strong melodies and epic riffs from guitar hero Akira Takasaki. THUNDER IN THE EAST was the first album by a Japanese group to reach the Top 100 in the U.S., and it remains a great one for headbangers whatever their national origin.
Go! (Album of the Day)
Named after a childhood pen pal of frontwoman Kay Hanley, Letters To Cleo was among the most appealing bands to emerge from Boston in the 1990s. Blending alternative rock and power pop hooks, the group cut three albums for Warner Bros. subsidiary Giant Records, the last of which was 1997's GO! With new drummer Tom Polce behind the kit (and The Cars' Greg Hawkes playing keyboards on a few tracks), the Peter Collins-produced collection has the feisty energy of the quintet's acclaimed debut, and such Hanley originals as “I Got Time,” “Veda Very Shining” and “Find You Dead” sound upbeat even when the lyrics aren't. As GO! celebrates its 20th anniversary, it's the perfect time to reopen Letters To Cleo.