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Back to Bedlam (Album of the Day)
While a member of the Royal Armed Forces, James Blunt cut some demos that drew sufficient music industry interest to earn a publishing deal. But it wasn't until 4 Non Blondes' Linda Perry championed him as a performer that Blunt's distinctive falsetto was seen as an asset rather than liability. That became undeniable with the release of BACK TO BEDLAM, which quickly became one of the best sellers in U.K. pop history. If heartfelt ballads like “Goodbye My Lover” and “You're Beautiful” (one of the most omnipresent songs of 2005 thanks to TV, film and commercial licensing) dominate the proceedings, closing track “No Bravery,” about Blunt's military service in Kosovo, show the singer-songwriter has more than just romance on his mind. A striking debut that sold more than 11 million copies around the world, BACK TO BEDLAM weaves a wistful spell that continues to entrance listeners.
Hallelujah I Love Her So (Album of the Day)
Ray Charles first entered Atlantic Records' New York studios to begin recording for the label in 1952. For five years Brother Ray's work would be doled out on singles until Atlantic finally got into the LP business - which means that Charles' self-titled debut album (later re-released as HALLELUJAH I LOVE HER SO) was culled from years of hits. Among the 1957 collection's 14 tracks are R&B Top Tens “Mess Around,” “Drown In My Own Tears” and the iconic “I Got A Woman.” With ace Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler at the helm for these sessions, quality control was pretty high, and the instrumental arrangements match the brilliance of the singing. The protean performer still had nearly fifty years ahead of him, but the volcanic RAY CHARLES proves his genius was there from the start.
Call Me Irresponsible (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE may have been the name of Michael Bublé's fifth studio set but successful seems a better description for the Canadian crooner; the 2007 Reprise collection topped the chart and earned a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. While Sinatra-era standards like the title track are clearly a favorite of the performer, Bublé's supple voice and easygoing manner lend themselves to material that goes far beyond big band swing. Among the surprising – but effective – choices here are covers of Leonard Cohen's “I'm Your Man,” Eric Clapton's “Wonderful Tonight” and '70s soul favorite “Me and Mrs. Jones” (there is also a pair of fine originals in “Lost” and “Everything”). The Deluxe Edition of the platinum-selling CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE includes a terrific version of the Milt Gabler-Bert Kaempfert classic “L-O-V-E.”
I'm In Love (Album of the Day)
CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE may have been the name of Michael Bublé's fifth studio set but successful seems a better description for the Canadian crooner; the 2007 Reprise collection topped the chart and earned a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. While Sinatra-era standards like the title track are clearly a favorite of the performer, Bublé's supple voice and easygoing manner lend themselves to material that goes far beyond big band swing. Among the surprising – but effective – choices here are covers of Leonard Cohen's “I'm Your Man,” Eric Clapton's “Wonderful Tonight” and '70s soul favorite “Me and Mrs. Jones” (there is also a pair of fine originals in “Lost” and “Everything”). The Deluxe Edition of the platinum-selling CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE includes a terrific version of the Milt Gabler-Bert Kaempfert classic “L-O-V-E.”
Agent Provocateur (Album of the Day)
It's Valentine's Day - do you want to know what love is? Three years after Foreigner had conquered the charts with 4, the quartet returned with another smash in AGENT PROVOCATEUR. The Atlantic collection sold millions of copies worldwide thanks largely to the strength of hit “I Want To Know What Love Is,” which became the band's only song to top both the U.K. and U.S. singles charts. While that soaring ballad (pairing Lou Gramm's powerful vocals with the New Jersey Mass Choir) remains impressive, there are several other fine cuts among the album's 10 originals, including “Down On Love,” “Growing Up The Hard Way” and Top 40 single “That Was Yesterday.” With writer-guitarist Mick Jones bringing his customary craftsmanship to the production, the arena rock of AGENT PROVOCATEUR remains supremely listenable.
Somewhere in the Stratosphere (Album of the Day)
Since their start in Jacksonville, Florida, shortly after the turn of the millennium, Shinedown has become a platinum seller largely through relentless touring, so it's little surprise that the group supported their SOUND OF MADNESS album with two rounds of concerts. An electric set from a Washington state show on their “Carnival of Madness” tour and a Kansas City stop on their acoustic “Anything and Everything” trek are paired on SOMEWHERE IN THE STRATOSPHERE, and the 2-CD/2-DVD Atlantic collection is Shinedown at its best. While there's some overlapping material – including Billboard Mainstream Rock chart-toppers “Save Me,” “Devour” and “Second Chance” - the performances are strikingly different, and the acoustic show includes frontman Brent Smith's stories behind the songs. Released 10 years ago today, SOMEWHERE IN THE STRATOSPHERE is an apt description of Shinedown's place in the alternative metal universe.
The Essentials: Ruth Brown (Album of the Day)
A decade before there was a Queen of Soul, there was a Queen of R&B, and that crown belonged to Ruth Brown. Though the Virginia-born singer grew up on pop and jazz, Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun convinced her to try rhythm and blues, and her recordings were among the fledgling label's most popular (to the point that Atlantic was sometimes called “the house that Ruth built”). Every one of the dozen tracks on THE ESSENTIALS: RUTH BROWN was a Top 10 Billboard R&B hit, and such classic as “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “Teardrops from My Eyes” and the Leiber/Stoller-penned “Lucky Lips” helped pave the way for rock 'n' roll. Ruth Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and this vibrant collection shows why she is one of THE ESSENTIALS.
Latin Playboys (Album of the Day)
Working with Los Lobos in the early 1990s, producer Mitchell Froom heard demos from that band's David Hidalgo that seemed to go beyond the Grammy winners' usual sound – thus the Latin Playboys were born. With Los Lobos percussionist and songwriter Louie Pérez and Froom's colleague Tchad Blake joining in, the group's self-titled 1994 debut takes Mexican-American roots rock into experimental territory, and such impressionistic tracks as “Manifold de Amour” and “Forever Night Shade Mary” reward repeated listening. Giving the collection an A+ grade, noted critic Robert Christgau called it “Magical, mystical, the kind of inner-child fantasia that usually guarantees self-indulgence, but here is a field recording from two amigos' mutual unconscious.” Have a happy Cinco de Mayo with the LATIN PLAYBOYS.
Boxes (Album of the Day)
Released five years ago today, BOXES shows the Goo Goo Dolls continuing to mature without losing the heart and hooks that made them one of the most popular alternative rockers of the 1990s and 2000s. The Warner Bros. collection, the band's eleventh studio album, boasts a variety of musical styles and arrangements but with a solid guitars-plus-rhythm section foundation; new drummer Craig MacIntyre fits in well here. Frontman John Rzeznik is in typically strong voice and has (along with bassist Robby Takac) come up with some terrific originals - “The Pin,” “So Alive,” “Reverse” and “Lucky One” among them. A well-produced set that reached #3 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, the inspiring BOXES will grow on you with each listen.
30 Trips Around the Sun: The Definitive Live Story (Album of the Day)
The Grateful Dead played 2,318 live shows, more than any other band in the history of music. For 30 years, the band's live performances were constantly morphing and evolving, making every show a unique experience. The four-CD 30 TRIPS AROUND THE SUN: THE DEFINITIVE LIVE STORY 1965-1995 serves as an introductory sampler to the Dead's live canon, including 30 unreleased performances - one for each year the band was together from 1966 to 1995, along with one track from their earliest recording sessions in 1965 (“Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)”). Today we mark another trip around the sun for the man behind the drums for all those years – happy birthday, Bill Kreutzmann!