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First Take (Album of the Day)
Soul music's heyday was near an end, jazz was creeping into the mainstream and singer-songwriters like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell had just launched their careers when Roberta Flack issued her debut. All of those influences can be heard on FIRST TAKE; opener “Compared To What” shows she can belt 'em out like Aretha, and though none of the eight selections are self-penned, choices like Leonard Cohen's “Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye” reflect her taste for intimate, confessional material. But the jazz influence may be the strongest, with noted producer Joel Dorn at the helm and master instrumentalists like bassist Ron Carter in the band. And it was jazz buff Clint Eastwood who turned the collection's “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” into a hit by putting it in his film Play Misty For Me. FIRST TAKE remains a potent reminder of Roberta Flack's singular talents as a vocalist and pianist.
Women and Children First (Album of the Day)
After two albums that put Van Halen at the head of the class for party-hearty hard rock, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST showed the quartet to be capable of much more. Their first collection of all-original songs, the 1980 Warner Bros. set moves confidently from classic anthems (“And the Cradle Will Rock...,” “Everybody Wants Some!!”) to rootsy goofs (“Take Your Whiskey Home”) to power balladry (“In a Simple Rhyme”). Producer Ted Templeman and the boys match the fine material with ambitious arrangements including greater use of overdubs and keyboards and a rare guest vocal (from Nicolette Larson). A triple-Platinum, Top 10 hit, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST has been named one of the greatest metal albums of all time by the likes of Kerrang! and Rolling Stone and we'll crank it up in honor of Eddie Van Halen, born on this day in 1955.
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School (Album of the Day)
On the heels of his biggest hit, Warren Zevon delivered BAD LUCK STREAK IN DANCING SCHOOL, an album whose ambition, freewheeling eccentricity and emotional power personify all that was great about the singer-songwriter. In its cover of “A Certain Girl,” the 1980 Elektra collection featured another successful single, but it's the originals here that really draw blood: the mournful “Empty-Handed Heart” (a duet with Linda Ronstadt), the hilarious “Gorilla, You're a Desperado” (with Don Henley and J.D. Souther lurking in the background) and “Jeannie Needs a Shooter” (co-written with Bruce Springsteen) among them. Warren Zevon was born on this day in 1947, and in his honor, we'll give the underrated BAD LUCK STREAK IN DANCING SCHOOL another spin.
Live at the Fillmore (Album of the Day)
“We all feel this might be the highpoint of our time together as a group,” exclaimed Tom Petty at the end of a 20-show run in San Francisco in 1997, and LIVE AT THE FILLMORE makes a convincing case for that. While such familiar originals as “American Girl” and “Free Fallin’” are here, the set lists changed every night and the new 4-CD collection also features an eclectic selection of covers, paying tribute to the artists and songs that shaped Petty’s love of music as he was growing up. With such guests as Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn and blues legend John Lee Hooker sitting in, the band is clearly having the time of their lives. Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench helped put this outstanding album together, and we'll fire up LIVE AT THE FILLMORE (1997) now to wish Campbell a happy birthday.
"Live" Full House (Album of the Day)
The J. Geils Band hailed from Boston but found Detroit particularly welcoming and cut their first concert album at the Motor City's Cinderella Ballroom in April, 1972. FULL HOUSE shows that the sextet's reputation as one of the greatest live bands of the era was well-deserved. Along with one top-notch original (“Hard Drivin' Man”), the group make blues and R&B favorites like “Serves You Right to Suffer” and “First I Look at the Purse” their own with remarkably energetic workouts. While vocalist Peter Wolf and harp player Magic Dick merit special mention, the entire band is on fire throughout this set. Keyboardist Seth Justman was born on this day in 1951, and we'll kick off the birthday party with the full-tilt rock 'n' roll that is “LIVE” FULL HOUSE.
Chicago at Carnegie Hall (Album of the Day)
Chicago's first three studio sets were all double albums; to up the ante, their first live collection was the 4-LP boxed set AT CARNEGIE HALL. “We were the first rock 'n' roll group to sell out a week at Carnegie Hall, and that was worth rolling up the trucks for, putting the mikes up there, and really chronicling what happened in 1971,” noted the band's Walter Parazaider. The septet is in terrific form on this near-three-hour distillation of that epic engagement, which includes multi-song suites from each of their preceding albums as well as such classic singles as “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” Given its length, CHICAGO AT CARNEGIE HALL was remarkably successful, reaching #3 on the Billboard Album chart and eventually going Platinum.
Three Sides Live (Album of the Day)
Though Genesis had already issued a concert double album in 1977, THREE SIDES LIVE was their first since the group had begun to conquer the pop charts. The bulk of the recordings were made in late 1981 in New York and Birmingham during the band's ABACAB tour, and include such favorites as “Turn It On Again,” “Follow You Follow Me” and “Misunderstanding.” With the core trio of Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford augmented by bassist Daryl Stuermer and percussionist Chester Thompson, the musicianship is superb throughout, and the audiences respond accordingly. THREE SIDES LIVE was a Gold-certified, Top 10 hit, and we'll turn it on again to wish Collins a happy birthday.
Actually: Further Listening 1987-1988 (2018 Remaster) (Album of the Day)
After “West End Girls” had put the Pet Shop Boys on the pop map, ACTUALLY confirmed vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe's preeminence on club and radio playlists. The U.K. duo's second album includes ten catchy and clever originals including “Rent” and U.S. hits “It’s A Sin” and “What Have I Done To Deserve This?,” the latter a collaboration with Dusty Springfield that brought the legendary singer back to the Top 10 for the first time in nearly 20 years. Featuring sophisticated arrangements, strong melodies and wry takes on consumerism and loneliness, the collection is packed with great songs – even more so on the ACTUALLY: FURTHER LISTENING 1987-1988 remaster from 2018, which adds a bonus disc of B-sides, remixes and previously unreleased material to the classic original.
Faith (Album of the Day)
From the fog-shrouded photo of Bolton Priory on its cover, The Cure's third album oozes with gloomy atmosphere. Still years away from the pop-flavored hits that would make the band world famous, FAITH shows frontman Robert Smith, bassist Simon Gallup, and drummer Lol Tolhurst squarely – and very effectively - in goth mode. Titles like “The Funeral Party,” “The Drowning Man” and “All Cats Are Grey” reflect a mood of despair that dominates the 1981 Elektra collection. Upon release, Melody Maker hailed FAITH's “richness and deceptive power” and its spectral majesty continues to cast a spell over listeners; we'll give it another spin now to wish Tolhurst a happy birthday.
Songs for Beginners (Album of the Day)
SONGS FOR BEGINNERS may have been the title of Graham Nash's solo debut, but he was hardly a novice; the singer-songwriter had a long string of hits for The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash under his belt. The 1971 Atlantic collection features plenty of high-profile guests (David Crosby, Jerry Garcia, Dave Mason, and Rita Coolidge among them) lending support on 11 fine originals, including topical material like "Military Madness" and hit single “Chicago” as well as several songs inspired by his recently ended romance with Joni Mitchell. The Gold-certified SONGS FOR BEGINNERS remains one of Graham Nash's best albums, and to celebrate his birthday we'll give it another spin today.