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Ladies Of The Canyon (Album of the Day)
Joni Mitchell's third album, LADIES OF THE CANYON, shows her rapid musical growth; the self-produced set's sophisticated arrangements add piano, clarinet, saxophone and multi-tracked vocals to the singer-songwriter's sonic palette. The dozen originals include some of Mitchell's most popular compositions, among them “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Woodstock” and “The Circle Game” - songs that may be better known from covers (by Janet Jackson, CSNY and Tom Rush, respectively), but Joni's versions are just as memorable. Released on this day in 1970, LADIES OF THE CANYON was neither Mitchell's biggest seller or most famous album – but it may be the hidden gem in one of rock's most rewarding catalogs.
PAUL SHAFFER & THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BAND (Album of the Day)
Already renowned as the keyboardist in the “Saturday Night Live” house band, Paul Shaffer formed what soon became dubbed The World’s Most Dangerous Band back in 1982 and, for over three decades, they ruled the late night landscape as David Letterman's musical foils. After a 24-year gap since their Todd Rundgren-produced debut, the eponymous PAUL SHAFFER & THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BAND features appearances by an all-star lineup including guest vocalists Dion, Jenny Lewis, Bill Murray, Darius Rucker, Shaggy and Valerie Simpson. Executive produced by Seymour Stein, the new Sire Records collection was helmed by legendary hitmaker Richard Gottehrer, whose career stretches back to the 1960s Brill Building era (and whose song “Sorrow” is included here as a tribute to David Bowie).
What Cha' Gonna Do For Me (Album of the Day)
Chaka Khan's tenure in Rufus left little doubt among funk fans that she was a talent to watch, and such solo releases as the 1981 Warner Bros. collection WHAT CHA' GONNA DO FOR ME were further cause for celebration. Arif Mardin's production fits the performer like a glove as does the material, from a propulsive take on The Beatles' “We Can Work It Out” to the R&B No.1 hit title track to jazz standard “And the Melody Still Lingers On (Night in Tunisia),” which features instrumental work by Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie. Today we answer Chaka Khan's musical question WHAT CHA' GONNA DO FOR ME by giving the Gold-certified album another spin in honor of the singer's birthday.
Closeup (Album of the Day)
The Raw And The Cooked (Album of the Day)
Fine Young Cannibals had talent to burn - guitarist Andy Cox and multi-instrumentalist David Steele were veterans of the English Beat, and frontman Roland Gift was a vocalist as distinctive as Sam Cooke or Al Green – and 1989's THE RAW AND THE COOKED shows the U.K. trio going out in style. The second and final FYC studio album neatly balances such retro-soul numbers as “Good Thing” and such Prince-influenced dance cuts as “She Drives Me Crazy.” Both of those tracks became No.1 hits, and the remaining songs (all original except for a convincing cover of Buzzcocks' “Ever Fallen In Love”) are also single-worthy. A double-Platinum smash, THE RAW AND THE COOKED remains among the most listenable albums of the 1980s.
Life After Death (Album of the Day)
RED ROSES FOR ME [EXPANDED] (Album of the Day)
Mr. Bojangles (Album of the Day)
Born Ronald Clyde Crosby on this day in 1942, singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker adopted his stage name a couple of years before making his solo debut for Atco in 1968. MR. BOJANGLES features ten fine songs highlighted by the Dylan-esque “The Ballad Of The Hulk” and the original version of the title track, a profile of a down-on-his luck New Orleans tap dancer that was most famously covered by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Reflective of years paying dues in folk clubs, Jerry Jeff 's appealing low-key approach is bolstered here by several talented session players including noted bluegrass picker David Bromberg. In honor of Walker's 75th birthday, we'll ask MR. BOJANGLES to do the old soft shoe one more time...