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The Best of Ray Charles - The Atlantic Years (Album of the Day)
Among America's greatest musical icons, Ray Charles' career stretched far beyond his late-1950s/early-1960s stint on Atlantic Records, but those breakthrough early sides have a magic to them that can't be denied. THE BEST OF RAY CHARLES: THE ATLANTIC YEARS captures the birth of soul on 20 tracks including such R&B chart-toppers as “What'd I Say,” “I've Got a Woman” and “Drown in My Own Tears” along with outstanding deeper cuts like “Swanee River Rock” and “Tell the Truth.” A terrific introduction to Brother Ray's work that longtime fans will also enjoy, THE ATLANTIC YEARS is now available in a special 2-LP edition on white vinyl.
Van Halen II (Album of the Day)
We'll kick off March Metal Madness with VAN HALEN II; released in March 1979, the Warner Bros. collection treads similar ground as the band's debut but with even greater confidence. Producer Ted Templeman is back behind the boards as the SoCal quartet serves up 10 hard rock anthems with deceptive ease, including “Beautiful Girls,” “Somebody Get Me a Doctor” and the irresistible “Dance the Night Away.” Eddie Van Halen's fretwork is dazzling throughout (in particular on acoustic instrumental “Spanish Fly”), and frontman David Lee Roth's humor and energy give the collection appeal far beyond headbangers. A Top 10 hit that eventually went 5x platinum, VAN HALEN II remains a near-perfect party record.
Songs For Drella (Album of the Day)
Lou Reed and John Cale had rarely crossed paths after their Velvet Underground days but teamed up again to make SONGS FOR DRELLA in memory of their mentor, Andy Warhol. A contraction of Dracula and Cinderella, “Drella” was a nickname for the pop art icon, and the 1990 Sire collection paints pictures of his life and milieu from multiple perspectives and in roughly chronological order. With Reed's guitar and Cale's keyboards and viola accompanying their unmistakable voices, songs like “Style It Takes,” “Trouble with Classicists” and “Nobody But You” have an insight and empathy that will resonate with listeners even if they know little of Warhol. Reed was born on this day in 1942, and SONGS FOR DRELLA stands with the very best of his post-VU recordings.
... In the Glamourous Life (Album of the Day)
As a backing/session percussionist for the likes of George Duke and Marvin Gaye, Sheila Escovedo had paid her dues when Prince shortened her name and took her under his wing for THE GLAMOROUS LIFE. The Purple One co-produced the 1984 Warner Bros. collection and contributes songs including opener “The Belle of St. Mark” and the Top 10 title hit, but such tracks as “Oliver's House” and “Next Time Wipe the Lipstick Off Your Collar” show Sheila to be a talented writer as well. With her vocals and propulsive rhythms joined by Jesse Johnson's guitars, this is a remarkably assured debut, and THE GLAMOROUS LIFE is now available in a special light blue vinyl edition.
Automatic (Album of the Day)
Arriving in the wake of a B-sides collection, the Jesus and Mary Chain's AUTOMATIC might have been easy to overlook in 1989 but its strengths are crystal clear today. Brothers William and Jim Reid produced the set and provide all the songs, vocals and instrumental work, leaning on synthesizers and drum machines as their rhythm section (with the exception of one cut featuring their tour percussionist). They get an able assist from engineer Alan Moulder; the future shoegaze great gives an industrial veneer to such indelible tracks as “Blues from a Gun,” “UV Ray” and “Head On,” which would later be covered by the Pixies. A fan favorite that just missed the U.K. Top 10, AUTOMATIC still “makes you wanna blow the stars from the sky.”
Heaven and Hell Deluxe (Album of the Day)
When singer Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath in 1979, his soaring tenor and gothic songwriting were the perfect foil for the band’s bone-crushing mix of razor-sharp riffs, intense grooves and dark imagery. Released in April 1980, HEAVEN AND HELL was met with effusive reviews for the group’s return to form on metal masterpieces like “Neon Knights” and the title track; the album reached #9 in the U.K. and #28 in the U.S., where it was also certified platinum. A new 2-CD version adds several bonus tracks that have never been released in North America, including 1980 concert performances of “Children Of The Sea” and “Die Young.” HEAVEN AND HELL: DELUXE EDITION concludes with live rarities like “E5150” and “Neon Knights” that originally appeared on the Rhino Handmade limited edition collection BLACK SABBATH: LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH ODEON.
Glenn Frey (Album of the Day)
Following up on the massive success of the Eagles was a tall order, but with NO FUN ALOUD, Glenn Frey proved equal to the task. For the most part, the 1982 Asylum album eschews the California mystique of his previous band for laid-back good times, and Frey's confident vocals and well-crafted songs make it nearly irresistible. “All Those Lies,” “I Found Somebody” and “The One You Love” all reached the pop singles chart, but there are gems sprinkled throughout the track list, such as a dynamic cover of New Orleans rocker “Sea Cruise.” A legion of top instrumentalists joined the star in studios from L.A. to Muscle Shoals to Miami for this set, and the seamless result became a gold-certified hit. Glenn Frey passed away on this day in 2016 and we'll remember the singer-songwriter with another spin of NO FUN ALOUD.
Circles (Album of the Day)
Born Malcolm James McCormick on this day in 1992, Mac Miller was poised for great things before his untimely death in 2018. The Pittsburgh rapper was gearing up for a tour in support of his acclaimed SWIMMING album and was in the middle of sessions for a follow-up, which was released posthumously just over a year ago. Mac had intended CIRCLES as a companion piece to the preceding set and producer Jon Brion brought the project to remarkable fruition. Singing as well as rapping, Miller brings a broad musical vision to the collection (which includes an Arthur Lee cover, of all things), and if his lyrics are frank about his substance abuse struggles, they are also touched with hard-won wisdom. Singles “Good News” and “Blue World” were both Top 40 hits and the album itself reached #3 on the Billboard 200, the performer's highest chart debut. CIRCLES stands as an inspiring tribute to a talent gone far too soon.
Sweet Soul Music (Album of the Day)
Arthur Conley is best known for the classic “Sweet Soul Music,” which was adapted from a Sam Cooke song and recorded on this day in 1967. But the Georgia-born singer had a lot more to offer R&B fans, as can be heard on the digital compilation titled after that million-selling single. These 34 tracks include his version of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (produced by Otis Redding, who discovered Conley), Top 20 single “Funky Street,” minor hit “People Sure Act Funny” and a cover of The Beatles' then-new “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (one of a couple of recordings here featuring Duane Allman on guitar). This collection draws heavily on the performer's 1960s glory days on Atco Records and really delivers on its name - Arthur Conley is the man for SWEET SOUL MUSIC.
Perfect From Now On (Album of the Day)
Built To Spill had a couple of indie albums under their belts when they released PERFECT FROM NOW ON for Warner Bros., and the 1997 collection captures the group at a creative peak. Perhaps it was practice that made it perfect: frontman Doug Martsch had originally worked up these eight originals on his own, then re-recorded them with bassist Brett Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf, and then cut the album a third time after the trio's original tapes suffered heatstroke. With their adventurous arrangements and philosophical lyrics, these stretched-out songs border on the psychedelic like some of the best work of The Flaming Lips, and repeated exposure to such tracks as college radio favorite “I Would Hurt A Fly” will no doubt prove habit-forming. Cited by Pitchfork as one of the 1990s' best albums, PERFECT FROM NOW ON remains essential listening for alternative rock fans.