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This Girl's In Love (A Bacharach & David Songbook) (Album of the Day)
Platinum-selling British singer-songwriter Rumer has a voice tailor-made for pop classics, and she brings her singular talent to bear on a dozen of them on the new THIS GIRL'S IN LOVE (A BACHARACH & DAVID SONGBOOK). Recorded at the renowned Capitol Studios with arranger, composer and orchestrator Rob Shirakbari (longtime musical director for Dionne Warwick as well as Rumer's husband), the collection includes an appearance by Burt Bacharach himself on piano. “In some cases I said, 'Forget all the other versions - what is the song about?,'” notes Rumer, who gives such favorites as “The Look Of Love” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You” a melancholia that gets right to the emotive core of Bacharach's melodies and Hal David's lyrics. THIS GIRL'S IN LOVE also includes straighter interpretations (“Walk On By”) and more obscure gems (“Land of Make Believe”), and every performance adds a new gleam to this timeless music.
Groovy, Laidback And Nasty (Album of the Day)
When they emerged from Sheffield in the mid-1970s, Cabaret Voltaire's experimental sounds were far removed from the mainstream, but the group's rapprochement to dance music eventually earned them a place of honor in the evolving U.K. indie scene. The aptly titled GROOVY, LAID BACK & NASTY finds Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and their banks of keyboards right at home in acid house; the 1990 Parlophone collection was recorded in Chicago, with house specialist Marshall Jefferson behind the boards. The set's nine originals add propulsive rhythms and pop-oriented vocals to Cabaret Voltaire's skewed sensibilities, and GROOVY, LAID BACK & NASTY will find favor with any fan of '90s dance music.
Bella Donna (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
Legendary Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks joined producer Jimmy Iovine to begin recording her solo debut, BELLA DONNA, following the release of the Mac's TUSK and its subsequent tour. Nicks' 1981 collection was quickly certified platinum thanks to classics like “Edge Of Seventeen,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and “Leather And Lace” (with Don Henley). Rhino's new triple-disc deluxe edition of the album uncovers unreleased versions of “Edge Of Seventeen” and “Leather And Lace,” as well as rarities like “Blue Lamp” from the Heavy Metal Soundtrack and “Sleeping Angel” from the Fast Times At Ridgemont High Soundtrack. BELLA DONNA: DELUXE EDITION also includes a concert from 1981 that features performances of songs from the album along with several Fleetwood Mac favorites.
Winelight (Album of the Day)
The Rutles (Album of the Day)
Subhuman Race (Album of the Day)
Verities & Balderdash (Album of the Day)
On his fourth studio set, Harry Chapin serves up an appealing mix of VERITIES & BALDERDASH. The nine originals on the 1974 Elektra album range from the romantic (“I Wanna Learn A Love Song”) to the topical (“What Made America Famous”) to the comedic ("30,000 Pounds of Bananas"), with a No.1 hit - “Cat's In The Cradle” - included for good measure. With producer Paul Leka at the helm, the collection benefits from polished, ambitious arrangements and the work of top studio musicians; all of Chapin's other albums feature his touring band. The versatile singer-songwriter was born on this day in 1942, and we'll remember Harry Chapin with his most commercially successful release, VERITIES & BALDERDASH.
Boys For Pele (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
“This is the record where I fought for my life,” notes Tori Amos of BOYS FOR PELE; her debut as a producer was made as she was reeling from a painful break-up. The singer-songwriter delivered an ambitious and uncompromising batch of songs about mythology (Pele was a Hawaiian volcano goddess), suppression and self-discovery – as well as one of her biggest hits, reaching #2 on the album charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. Recorded in Ireland and Louisiana, the set features fan favorites “Caught A Lite Sneeze” and “Hey Jupiter” as well as “Professional Widow,” which topped he U.K. Singles and U.S. Dance charts in an Armand Van Helden remix. Rhino's new 20th-anniversary Deluxe Edition of this pivotal album includes a newly remastered version of the original BOYS FOR PELE, along with a selection of B-sides, rare recordings and four previously unreleased tracks.
Buffalo Springfield (Album of the Day)
Fifty years ago today, Buffalo Springfield released their self-titled debut for Atco Records. The quintet was a supergroup in hindsight, with Stephen Stills, Neil Young and Richie Furay among the line-up, and this landmark album brims with outstanding songs, stirring vocals and fiery guitar work. The set presents the sometimes-fractious band at its most cohesive on such soon-to-be classics as “For What It's Worth” (a Top Ten hit inspired by the Sunset Strip riots), “Sit Down I Think I Love You” and “Flying On The Ground Is Wrong.” Created as folk-rock was about to branch off into country-rock, BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD inspired scores of followers, but few others ever captured the excitement heard on this 1966 collection.
In Through The Out Door (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Released on this day in 1979, IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR would be Led Zeppelin's final studio album before disbanding in the wake of John Bonham's death. Its seven songs (which include such classic rock radio anthems as "In The Evening" and "Fool In The Rain") show the group adding Latin and country touches to their powerful blues-based rock, and John Paul Jones' synthesizers are as prominent here as Jimmy Page's riffing guitars. While the group members were exploring new directions, they never abandoned their core strengths - even the rough mixes included on the Deluxe Edition of the album crackle with characteristic assurance and riveting performances. If one can't help but to wonder where Led Zeppelin would have gone next, IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR is nonetheless a highly satisfying swan song for the legendary band.