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Under The Blade (1985 Remix) (Album of the Day)
Though comprised of street-toughened New Yorkers, Twisted Sister went to England in 1982 to record their debut album, UNDER THE BLADE. With UFO's Pete Way co-producing, the quintet fit perfectly into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, and the collection rocks ferociously from beginning to end. Drawing on material honed through years of club gigs, frontman Dee Snider delivers a bracing set of originals including “What You Don't Know (Sure Can Hurt You),” “Destroyer” and the title track, and the band tears into them with focused fury. On the heels of Twisted Sister's commercial breakthrough, Atlantic Records issued a remixed version of UNDER THE BLADE in 1985 with extra track “I'll Never Grow Up, Now,” and we'll give the set a spin to wish guitarist Jay Jay French a happy birthday.
Ladykiller (Album of the Day)
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, aka CeeLo Green, may have caught the public's ear as half of Gnarls Barkley, but the Atlanta-born singer-songwriter's own work is just as irresistible. THE LADY KILLER was CeeLo's first solo set following worldwide smash “Crazy,” and the scores of songs he worked through over a three-year period underline the care that went into the 2010 Elektra collection. Lead single “Fuck You” was another international phenomenon, just missing the top of the Billboard chart and earning a Best Urban/Alternative Performance Grammy; follow-ups included double Grammy winner “Fool for You,” “Bright Lights Bigger City” and “I Want You (Hold Onto Love)." Boasting a conceptual structure like a film score, THE LADY KILLER is much more than the sum of its parts, and remains one of the decade's most compulsively listenable albums.
Black Celebration (Album of the Day)
BLACK CELEBRATION drew mixed reviews on its initial 1986 release; only in hindsight is it clear that it marked a turning point for Depeche Mode. While the British quartet continues to serve up melodic synth-pop, the lyrical themes have grown darker - note the album's title - and the performances more intense. The public was quicker to embrace the collection than critics, and the set was a U.K. Top 10 hit that many fans still cite as their favorite Depeche disc. Martin L. Gore penned all the songs, including such favorites as “A Question of Time,” “Stripped” and “A Question of Lust,” one of several tracks for which he also provides lead vocals. As this is Gore's birthday, we'll stage a BLACK CELEBRATION with another spin of the gold-certified album.
Stone Jam (Album of the Day)
STONE JAM features a stone idol on its cover, and few bands were more worthy of worship by R&B fans than Slave. Emerging from the rich Dayton music scene that also birthed the Ohio Players, the group knew how to bring the funk, which by the time of this 1980 Cotillion release had acquired a sophisticated polish. “Sizzlin' Hot” is an apt description of the instrumental work here, as Steve Arrington and Starleana Young share lead vocal duties on such smooth-grooved originals as “Feel My Love” and “Watching You” (which made some noise on the pop chart). STONE JAM would be the final album to feature founder Steve Washington, and the gold-certified set is an ideal introduction to both the tough and tender sides of Slave.
Nightmare (Album of the Day)
“We wanted to have a dark concept record, sort of like THE WALL or OPERATION: MINDCRIME,” said bassist Johnny Christ of Avenged Sevenfold's NIGHTMARE. “Then lyrically it took a different turn when Jimmy passed.” The 2009 death of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan during the recording was a terrible blow to the Huntington Beach heavy metal band, but with Dream Theater percussionist Mike Portnoy filling in, the Warner Bros. set became a powerful and poignant tribute. “Welcome to the Family,” “Buried Alive,” “So Far Away” and the title track were instant hard rock classics, and the collection debuted at No.1 on the Billboard chart upon its release 10 years ago today. Vocally and instrumentally, A7X give NIGHTMARE everything they've got, and the gold-certified album is a must for any metal fan.
Yes, Indeed! (Album of the Day)
Like many early Atlantic albums, including his debut, Ray Charles' YES, INDEED! was a compilation of single sides. The 14 songs on the 1958 set span five years – from his second single for the label, “The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again,” to the then-recent title track – but have the consistent quality of Brother Ray in his prime. While the aforementioned songs are covers (as is a sensational version of “Lonely Avenue”), most of the material is original, and “Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'bout That River)” and “Talkin' 'bout You” are among the Charles-penned standouts. Though the arrangements give the iconic singer and his piano plenty of elbow room, there's also plenty of additional talent on these sessions, including saxophonist David Newman and vocal groups The Cookies and The Raelettes. Does this album capture the excitement of R&B as it was cross-pollinating rock 'n' roll? Why, YES, INDEED!
Ain't Love Grand (Album of the Day)
Released 35 years ago this month, AIN'T LOVE GRAND is as sarcastic a title as you're likely to find in the X discography - released just after singer-songwriters Exene and John Doe got divorced, the Elektra collection is filled with emotional turmoil. The set proved transitional in other ways, too, being the final album with original guitarist Billy Zoom until the group's 1998 reunion. And after four albums produced by Ray Manzarek, the quartet brought '80s metal specialist Michael Wagener behind the boards for these sessions. For all the changes, the songwriting remains as brilliant as ever, with highlights including “What's Wrong with Me,” “My Goodness” and minor hit “Burning House of Love” (which earned the group an appearance on TV's American Bandstand). Love may not conquer all, but AIN'T LOVE GRAND is another strong effort by one of L.A.'s greatest bands.
Seal (1994) (Album of the Day)
Born in England to Nigerian and Brazilian parents, Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel would find fame more simply as Seal. As his eponymous Sire debut was a hit, the soul singer risked a bit of confusion by titling his 1994 follow-up SEAL as well (it's sometimes called “SEAL II”), but that collection proved an even bigger smash. Benefiting from lush production by Trevor Horn, the album features 11 heartfelt songs written or co-written by Seal, including “Prayer For The Dying,” “Don't Cry” and “Kiss From A Rose,” a track released to modest success until its inclusion in the Batman Forever soundtrack, after which it topped the U.S. singles chart and won Grammy Awards for Record and Song of the Year. With guest artists like Joni Mitchell and Jeff Beck helping frame Seal's superb vocals, this 1994 album stands as the singer's finest hour.
The Kick Inside (2018 Remaster) (Album of the Day)
Among the most precocious talents in British musical history, Kate Bush started writing songs at age 11 and was all of 13 when one of her demos reached the hands of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, who recommended her to EMI. THE KICK INSIDE followed on the label in 1978, and it's a remarkably assured debut. All 13 songs were penned by Kate and cover a broad stylistic range from rockers (“James and the Cold Gun”) to sweeping ballads (“Wuthering Heights,” a U.K. No.1 hit) and the subject matter is just as diverse, encompassing literature, philosophy and sexuality among other topics. Bush's soprano vocals are both beautiful and eccentric, and producer Andrew Powell spotlights them with progressive rock-influenced arrangements that sound even sharper on the album's 2018 remaster. We'll give THE KICK INSIDE another spin now to wish Kate Bush a happy birthday.
Bump City (Album of the Day)
Following debut album EAST BAY GREASE, Oakland funk favorites Tower of Power signed with Warner Bros. to issue BUMP CITY in 1972. With the departure of former frontman Rufus Miller, singer Rick Stevens steps into the spotlight; he's the one listeners hear on the set’s “You’re Still a Young Man” and “Down to the Nightclub,” both co-written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen “Doc” Kupka (members of the band's justly famous horn section). Those singles reached #29 and #66 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, and the collection as a whole proved to be the band’s debut on the Billboard 200, hitting #85. Even greater success was down the road for Tower of Power, but the assured BUMP CITY is where the group really found its groove.