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America (Album of the Day)
Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek met as teenagers in London, where their fathers were stationed with the military. Though one of them was English, the trio christened themselves America, and their sound owes much to the soft rock then becoming popular on the U.S west coast. The band's self-titled debut for Warner Bros., produced by Ian Samwell and Jeff Dexter, features rich harmonies and inventive acoustic guitar work on a fine set of originals including “Sandman” “Three Roses” and “I Need You.” The collection was originally released this month in 1971, but after the group's “Horse With No Name” topped the U.S. singles chart, that track was added to AMERICA, which itself rose to No. 1 and went Platinum.
The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield (Album of the Day)
Curtis Mayfield recorded a string of hits with The Impressions before leaving the influential R&B group at the end of the 1960s for a solo career that produced some of his greatest work. Known as the "Gentle Genius," the singer-songwriter-producer has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice and THE VERY BEST OF CURTIS MAYFIELD focuses on the solo recordings that helped put him there. Allmusic called the collection “the best bet for anyone wanting a concise sampler of Mayfield's groundbreaking funk-soul,” and rightly so – its 16 tracks include such classics as “(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go,” “Future Shock” and seminal sides from his SUPERFLY soundtrack.
Christmas Party (Album of the Day)
On CHRISTMAS PARTY, The Monkees put their unmistakable vocal stamp on a wide array of classic Christmas tracks, from the R&B holiday standard “Merry Christmas, Baby,” to Paul McCartney's “Wonderful Christmastime” and Wizzard's yuletide classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.” The group's first holiday album was produced by Grammy- and Emmy-winning songwriter Adam Schlesinger, who paired sessions featuring Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork with archival recordings of Davy Jones. A group of talented songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Andy Partridge of XTC, penned new songs for CHRISTMAS PARTY, and guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M. appears on two songs.
Manassas (Album of the Day)
It would be an understatement to call MANASSAS a passion project for Stephen Stills; the marathon recording sessions he led at Miami's Criteria Sound Studios stretched for days. Yet the 1972 collection has a cohesive, band feel thanks to some outstanding musicians – ex-Byrd Chris Hillman, drummer Dallas Taylor and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman to name a few. Originally a double album, the four sides of the Atlantic set have distinctive sounds even as the rock, country, blues and Latin influences blend seamlessly. Critically hailed, the release was also commercially successful, reaching #4 on the Billboard chart and eventually going Gold. MANASSAS remains one of the highlights of Stephen Stills' storied career, and we'll give it another spin to wish the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer a happy birthday.
Love Chronicles (Album of the Day)
U.S. listeners who saw Al Stewart as an overnight sensation when “Year of the Cat” hit can be forgiven; three of the U.K. singer-songwriter's first four albums had never been released in America. The one that was, LOVE CHRONICLES, features an 18-minute title track distinguished by a then-controversial expletive and some fine guitar work by Jimmy Page. While several members of Fairport Convention also lend instrumental support, what's most noteworthy about the collection is the strength of Stewart's originals. “The Ballad of Mary Foster,” “Life and Life Only” and “In Brooklyn” sketch characters and places with masterful economy and memorable hooks. Melody Maker named LOVE CHRONICLES “folk album of the year” for 1969, and it still sounds wonderful this year.
Under the Boardwalk (Album of the Day)
If The Drifters' UNDER THE BOARDWALK plays like a best-of, there's good reason – the 1964 album had been issued several months earlier as OUR BIGGEST HITS when the success of “Under The Boardwalk” prompted Atlantic to re-release it with that single included and a new title. Rudy Lewis and Johnny Moore (who passed away on this day in 1998) handle the vocal duties on these dozen tracks, which also include such favorites as “On Broadway,” “Up on the Roof” and “If You Don't Come Back.” With New York's top songwriters and producer Bert Burns behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, UNDER THE BOARDWALK shows The Drifters remained masters of pop-soul well into the 1960s.
Then Play On (Album of the Day)
Originally part of the British blues boom, Fleetwood Mac was among the most popular groups in that style by the time THEN PLAY ON was released in 1969. The quintet's stellar third studio album was the first with guitarist-songwriter Danny Kirwan and would be the last with founding member Peter Green. The group's inaugural collection for Warner/Reprise includes such highlights as “Rattlesnake Shake,” “Searching For Madge” and “Coming Your Way.” Drawing on influences that go well beyond the blues and making extensive use of editing and overdubbing for the first time, THEN PLAY ON hints at the Mac's future glories while standing confidently on its own.
We are Family (Album of the Day)
Sister Sledge already had a couple of studio sets under their belts when they released WE ARE FAMILY, but it was on that Cotillion collection that the quartet truly hit it out of the park. Thanks partially to its use as the theme song to the Pittsburgh Pirates' successful World Series run, the title track became a No.2 hit; and opener “He's the Greatest Dancer” also reached the Top Ten; the album itself went Platinum. Sledge siblings Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy (who celebrates a birthday today) harmonize like angels and each gets a chance to sing lead. The sisters get a huge assist from Chic's Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, who wrote and produced these 8 tracks. Rogers once declared that “pound for pound, I think WE ARE FAMILY is our best album hands down,” and it stands as not just Sister Sledge's finest, but one of the greatest long players of the disco era.
Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (Album of the Day)
After more than 40 years at the forefront of popular music, Madonna recently made history again by topping the Dance Club chart for the 50th time, becoming the first and only recording artist to have 50 #1 hits on any single Billboard chart. To celebrate this milestone, Madonna curated the 3-CD collection FINALLY ENOUGH LOVE: 50 NUMBER ONES compiling her favorite remixes of those chart-toppers. The set spans her entire dance club chart reign with remixes by some of the world’s top producers as well as recordings being officially released for the first time or making their commercial/digital debut. Among the iconic Number Ones on FINALLY ENOUGH LOVE are “Like A Prayer,” “Vogue” and “Justify My Love,” which topped the chart on this day in 1991.
Toy (Album of the Day)
It was the months of July through October 2000 when David Bowie worked on a passion project that came to be known as TOY. The plan was to hit a recording studio with his touring band at the time (which included guitarist Earl Slick, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, pianist Mike Garson and drummer Sterling Campbell) and knock out an entire album as fast as possible for a “surprise” release. Hoping to get the LP out by March 2001, the entire project was shelved by the label, leading Bowie to jump ship to a new label and craft what became his 23rd studio album, HEATHEN. As for TOY, various tracks from the record surfaced over the years, but it wasn’t until 2021 when TOY was officially released; first as part of the Brilliant Adventure (1999-2001) box set, then later as a deluxe edition in January 2022. The urgency and spontaneous energy of tunes like “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving” permeates the inspired and truly brilliant posthumous release. Give it a spin to recognize Bowie’s heavenly birthdate of January 8.