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Physical Graffitti (Album of the Day)
Certified 16x Platinum in the U.S., the commercial success of Led Zeppelin's PHYSICAL GRAFFITI was equaled by its critical reception. Generally regarded as one of the greatest double albums of all time, the set has been hailed by the likes of Rolling Stone, Mojo and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band's first release on its Swan Song label, the collection represents a creative tour de force that explores the group’s dynamic musical range, from the driving rock of “Custard Pie” and acoustic arrangement of “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” to the Eastern raga of “Kashmir” and funky groove of “Trampled Under Foot.” Guitarist and producer Jimmy Page was born on this day in 1944 and we'll fire up PHYSICAL GRAFFITI now to wish him a happy birthday.
Break Every Rule (Album of the Day)
BREAK EVERY RULE was the title of Tina Turner's sixth solo album, but it might also have described her approach to music – there weren't a lot of R&B singers successfully submitting videos to MTV two decades into their career. This follow-up to her comeback smash PRIVATE DANCER will please fans of that earlier collection while throwing in a few new curves; trusty hitmakers Graham Lyle and Terry Britten produced half the set while luminaries including Rupert Hine, Bryan Adams and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler helmed the other (additional famous friends like Steve Winwood and Phil Collins lend instrumental support). The 1986 collection spun off a string of memorable singles - “Typical Male,” “What You Get Is What You See" and “Two People” among them – driving BREAK EVERY RULE to Platinum sales status.
The Sugar Hill Records Story (Album of the Day)
Hard as it is to imagine now, hip-hop wasn't always ubiquitous; when “Rapper’s Delight” peaked at #36 on this day in 1980, it was the first hip-hop single to reach Billboard's Top 40. It was also the first release from Sugar Hill Records, an Englewood, New Jersey label founded by record business vets Joe and Sylvia Robinson that specialized in rap. Rhino's THE SUGAR HILL RECORDS STORY boxed set includes seminal sides from The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Treacherous Three, The Sequence, West Street Mob and many other old-school pioneers. Rap's roots as urban party music ensure that these 56 tracks remain fun and inventive (as well as a treasure trove for samplers) - while a great history lesson, THE SUGAR HILL RECORDS STORY is so much more.
Electric Warrior (Expanded and Remastered) (Album of the Day)
As Tyrannosaurus Rex, Marc Bolan and company had released several collections of wispy hippie-folk before shortening their name and turning up their amps on ELECTRIC WARRIOR. The album's audacious mix of campy philosophizing, propulsive guitar riffs, lascivious teenybopper boogie - and all the punch that producer Tony Visconti could deliver – set the standard for glam rock. With distinctive singles “Get It On” and “Jeepster” among its 11 tracks, the 1971 album became T. Rex's first U.K. No.1. Outlets including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork have cited the set as one of the decade's greatest, and the Expanded & Remastered edition of ELECTRIC WARRIOR adds five more songs, an acoustic version of “Planet Queen” and an audio interview to the classic original.
No Secrets (Album of the Day)
Veteran producer Richard Perry brought Carly Simon to London's Trident Studios to record her third studio LP, and the third time proved a charm for the performer – NO SECRETS was her commercial breakthrough. The Elektra release was the #1 album in America this week in 1973, going Gold (and later Platinum) largely on the strength of “You're So Vain,” which topped the singles chart (and later earned two Grammy nominations). But there are several other outstanding originals here, including “The Right Thing To Do” and “We Have No Secrets,” as well as some famous guests like Mick Jagger, Lowell George, Nicky Hopkins and James Taylor, who was proposing marriage to Simon right around this time. One of Carly's best albums, NO SECRETS is truly one of the gems of the singer-songwriter era.
Who Loves You (Album of the Day)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons had so many iconic singles in the 1960s that it's easy to forget they made great records in the 1970s as well. Case in point: WHO LOVES YOU, a Warner Bros./Curb collection that shows the Seasons successfully incorporating disco rhythms (and even a bit of synthesizer) into their classic harmony pop sound. Frankie Valli, whose solo career was then taking off, plays a reduced role here, but the other singers more than compensate, and the band's longtime producer-songwriter Bob Gaudio supplies some winners here including “Silver Star,” the Top 10 title track and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” which would become the group's all-time best-selling single. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day in 1990, and WHO LOVES YOU was a key career milestone for the Jersey boys.
90125 (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
After an impressive run during the 1970s, most observers gave Yes up for dead when the British group splintered in 1981. But 90125 would prove a remarkable comeback for the progressive rock greats, as singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Tony Kaye returned to the fold after absences and Trevor Rabin joined on guitar. Recorded in London with producer Trevor Horn, the Atco collection reinvents Yes for the MTV era, adding synth pop and hard rock touches to their sound. The nine outstanding originals include a Best Rock Instrumental Performance Grammy winner in “Cinema” and a certified smash in “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” which was the #1 song in the U.S. this week in 1984. With more than 3 million copies sold, 90125 is Yes' most successful album in America – as well as one of their all-time best.
Desperado (Album of the Day)
With Eagles' second longplayer, DESPERADO, the band millions around the world would come to know and love begins to emerge more clearly. A concept album inspired by the exploits of the Doolin-Dalton gang, the set's most famous songs - “Tequila Sunrise” and the title track - were collaborations between drummer Don Henley and guitarist/keyboardist Glenn Frey (who passed away on this day in 2016), a partnership that would eventually define the band. Yet with Bernie Leadon's masterful picking prominent throughout, the 1973 collection will appeal to country and folk listeners as much as to fans of Eagles' later arena rock moves. Like the group's first album, DESPERADO was produced by Glyn Johns, and was another huge hit, selling more than 2 million copies.
Homework (Album of the Day)
Robotic duo Daft Punk released their debut, HOMEWORK, on this day in 1997 in the U.K., and electronic dance music hasn't been the same since. “We made the record at home, very cheaply, very quickly, and spontaneously, trying to do cool stuff,” noted Thomas Bangalter, who with bandmate Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo had been focused on making singles before realizing they had enough strong tracks to fill an album. Among the instant classics here are “Alive,” “Around The World” and “Da Funk” - the latter two both topped Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Play chart. Rolling Stone hailed the collection as the greatest EDM album of all time, and you too will give HOMEWORK an A+.
Rumours (Album of the Day)
Originally part of the mid-‘60s British blues boom, Fleetwood Mac decamped to California in the mid-‘70s to become one of the most successful AOR bands in history. With a hit self-titled album under their belts already, the “classic” lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John & Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks topped it with their second, RUMOURS. The 1977 collection was recorded while two romantic relationships within the band were disintegrating – a situation that would’ve produced disaster in most cases but produced a masterpiece in this one, as the raw emotions were channeled into songs like “Go Your Own Way,” “Don't Stop” and the band’s first number one smash, “Dreams.” RUMOURS garnered wide critical praise upon release, earning the Grammy for Album of the Year, and has now sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.