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Ray of Light (Album of the Day)
“I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time,” noted Madonna of RAY OF LIGHT. Coming four years after her last proper studio album, the 1998 Maverick collection was the performer's most mature and personal to date, reflecting both her recent spiritual explorations and the vocal training she'd undergone for the role of Evita. More importantly, the set is a successful reinvention of her sound, with producer William Orbit enlisted to guide Madonna into techno/electronica territory. The set spun off five singles, with “Frozen” and the title track both reaching the U.S. Top 10 and “The Power of Good-Bye” just missing it; the album as a whole went quadruple-platinum and earned four Grammy Awards. Greeted with near-universal acclaim upon release, RAY OF LIGHT still stands as one of Madonna's shining achievements.
Pleased to Meet Me (Album of the Day)
The cover image of The Replacements' 5th studio collection is a telling one: PLEASED TO MEET ME has one foot in the door and the other one in the gutter, with the spirit of the Minneapolis band's punk roots given a newfound polish and a willingness to explore other genres. If longtime fans bemoaned the absence of anarchic guitarist Bob Stinson, the 1987 Sire collection more than compensates with Paul Westerberg's best-ever set of songs. The 11 originals range from the harrowing "The Ledge" to the aching beauty of "Skyway" to the propulsive "Alex Chilton" (about the Big Star guitarist, who guests here on "Can't Hardly Wait"). Recorded in Memphis' Ardent Studios with producer Jim Dickinson, the near-unimprovable PLEASED TO MEET ME is an album any alternative rock fan will be pleased to hear.
Trio (Remastered) (Album of the Day)
Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt had each established distinguished singing careers by the mid-1970s when they resolved to record together. The demands of separate careers (and three different record labels) delayed an album release for more than a decade, but TRIO was well worth the wait. The platinum-selling 1987 collection included four country hits among its 11 tracks (a remake of The Teddy Bears' oldie “To Know Him Is To Love Him” being the most successful), and brought the trio a pair of Grammy Awards. With an outstanding mix of traditional and more recent songs and stellar instrumental support from the likes of Ry Cooder, David Lindley and Little Feat's Bill Payne, TRIO remains one of the most delightful pop/country confections ever created.
All the Right Reasons (Album of the Day)
Nickelback is among the most successful rock bands from Canada, and ALL THE RIGHT REASONS is one of the reasons; the diamond-certified 2005 collection was one of Billboard's 20 biggest-selling albums of the decade. The quartet deliver exactly what fans want on these 11 originals while still branching out from the post-grunge rock they cut their teeth on, and the set's singles include three Top 10 hits: “Far Away,” “Photograph” and “Rockstar.” If frontman Chad Kroeger sounds a little more reflective on these tracks and the instrumental palette more varied than on past efforts, the album still packs a punch, with 3 Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair joining the lineup and tough guitar riffs from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell (who is sampled on the tribute song “Side of a Bullet”). The chart-topping ALL THE RIGHT REASONS is reason enough to put Nickelback on your playlist.
Pandemonium (Album of the Day)
Pet Shop Boys made a triumphant stop at London's O2 Arena in December 2009, and the concert was released a few months later as PANDEMONIUM. The second live album from the synth-pop duo features an appealing mix of songs from their latest studio album, YES, obscurities like “Two Divided by Zero” and a generous selection of hits including “Always on My Mind,” “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” and “West End Girls.” The cover art hints at the innovative presentation (in which video screens were built up and rearranged on stage), and it's clear from these performances that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were as excited as their audience with how it all turned out. The U.K. hitmakers will head back out on the road later this year, but in the meantime you can enjoy PANDEMONIUM.
Kettle Whistle (Album of the Day)
When L.A. alternative rockers Jane's Addiction returned to performing for their 1997 “Relapse” tour, Warner Bros. marked the occasion with the release of KETTLE WHISTLE. An odds & sods compilation of demos, live and rare cuts, the 15-song set includes two new recordings: “So What!” and the title track (both of which feature Flea on bass). But most of this material hails from the group's late-'80s heyday, with alternate versions of such classics as “Been Caught Stealing” and “Mountain Song” joined by more than 20 minutes of a Hollywood Palladium concert that shows why the band remains legendary. A treasure trove for fans, the gold-certified KETTLE WHISTLE captures Jane's Addiction at full boil.
Begin to Hope (Album of the Day)
Born in the Soviet Union and raised in the Bronx, Regina Spektor turns an unusually broad array of influences into a cohesive whole on BEGIN TO HOPE. The 2006 Sire album (her second for the label and first of all-new material) includes listener-friendly singles “Fidelity,” “Better” and “On The Radio” and the polished production of David Kahne but the performer's individuality is proudly on display as well. Spektor's voice is a sweet, quirky instrument, her lyrics go beyond confessional intimacy to encompass orca whales and biblical verse, and her arrangements reflect the classical piano she grew up playing, as well as anti-folk, vintage soul and contemporary electro-pop. Greeted with critical acclaim upon release, the gold-certified BEGIN TO HOPE topped the Billboard Heatseekers chart and offers new hope for singer-songwriter fans.
Solo (Album of the Day)
A genre-defining figure in the folk-pop scene of the 1960s and 1970s, Gordon Lightfoot is Canada’s greatest singer-songwriter, and the just-released SOLO is his first album of new music since 2004. “I thought my fans would be interested in hearing what songs sound like when first written,” the performer noted of the 10-track set, which was spurred on when two CDs recently resurfaced of unreleased material penned shortly before he suffered a near-fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm in 2002. After discovering the songs, Lightfoot went into Grant Avenue Studio in downtown Hamilton, ON alone with his guitar to create this beautifully minimal work. Heralded by lead single “Oh So Sweet,” SOLO showcases the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee at his most pure.
Unplugged (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Eric Clapton had a quarter-century of rock superstardom under his belt when he entered an English studio to tape an installment of MTV's UNPLUGGED series. The resulting Reprise album became a phenomenal success, topping the Billboard chart and later earning six Grammys. The haunting single “Tears In Heaven,” written in memory of Clapton's young son, accounted for three of those awards, and a stripped-down reworking of “Layla” was another winner, but the singer-guitarist is in peak form throughout the set. The 14 songs on the original album – and the six unreleased outtakes on the Deluxe Edition – reveal how ideally suited Clapton is for the role of acoustic blues troubadour. The three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer turns 75 today, and we'll wish him a happy birthday with UNPLUGGED.
Duke (Album of the Day)
Genesis had become one of the most acclaimed progressive rock groups in England by the time of original frontman Peter Gabriel's departure, and their instrumental prowess and taste for experimentation remained undiminished when drummer Phil Collins picked up the microphone. But with DUKE, the group began a reinvention of their sound that would make Genesis even bigger stars. This key transitional collection has one foot in prog (the two-song closing suite, “Duke's Travels” and “Duke's End”) and one in pop (the hit singles “Misunderstanding” and “Turn It On Again”), with nary a misstep on its dozen tracks. Released 40 years ago this month, DUKE is a major milestone in the Genesis catalog, and the platinum-selling album still stands among the band's best.