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Live By Request (Album of the Day)
Born Kathryn Dawn Lang in Alberta, Canada, k.d.lang has long combined torch and twang in her music, and both sides are heard to terrific effect on LIVE BY REQUEST. Made as part of A&E TV's performance series of the same name, the singer-songwriter's first concert release plays like a greatest hits collection, with such signature songs as “Crying,” “Miss Chatelaine” and “Constant Craving” joining 11 more fan favorites. Well recorded (at New York City's John Jay College of Criminal Justice), the album is a perfect showcase for one of adult contemporary's greatest voices. Released 20 years ago this month, k.d. lang's LIVE BY REQUEST was among A&E's highest-rated specials, and you'll rate this spellbinding set highly as well.
The Long Goodbye (Album of the Day)
Among the most acclaimed dance-rockers of the new millennium, LCD Soundsystem may have been a bit premature when they declared their April 2011 appearance at Madison Square Garden would be their last, but the Brooklyn band nonetheless played a concert to remember. Produced and mixed by founder and frontman James Murphy, THE LONG GOODBYE (LCD SOUNDSYSTEM LIVE FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN) is the ultimate audio document of the legendary sold-out show. The new 3-CD collection finds the LCD core live band of Murphy, Pat Mahoney, Nancy Whang, Al Doyle, Gavilán Rayna Russom and Tyler Pope joined by a choir, string and horn sections - plus special guests including Win Butler and Regine Chassagne of Arcade Fire. A career-spanning, near-4-hour performance, THE LONG GOODBYE is an essential document of a singular moment in the history of LCD Soundsystem and New York City’s musical life.
The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Album of the Day)
Wilson Pickett's debut album for Atlantic announced the arrival of a major soul star, but his follow-up, THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT, might be even better. Recorded in Memphis and Muscle Shoals (with such greats as guitarist Steve Cropper and pianist Spooner Oldham among the backing instrumentalists), the collection reflected the Wicked One's stage act at the time, balancing sizzling covers with original songs. The dozen tracks include four classic hits - “Land of 1000 Dances,” “In The Midnight Hour,” “634-5789” and “Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)” - but even the deeper cuts here are amazing. Released 55 years ago this month, THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT is the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer at his most electrifying.
Coral Fang (Album of the Day)
Though The Distillers have reportedly returned to the studio, 2003's CORAL FANG remains the most recent release by the L.A. punk heroes. The band's major label debut following a pair of indie releases, the Sire set features frontwoman Brody Dalle unleashing a torrent of rage and despair on 11 originals including “Drain the Blood,” “The Hunger” and “Beat Your Heart Out.” You can credit producer Gil Norton (The Pixies, Foo Fighters) for adding some polish without dampening The Distillers' power, building on top-notch songs and the quartet's fiery performances. Hailed by outlets including Kerrang!, Blender and Q upon release, CORAL FANG still goes for the jugular.
How The West Was Won (Album of the Day)
Along with their remarkable studio albums, Led Zeppelin conquered America with relentless touring, a fact driven home on HOW THE WEST WAS WON. The quartet was “going to California” on this leg of their 1972 trek and the 3-CD set gathers highlights from shows at the L.A. Forum and the Long Beach Arena, including classics from their then-new fourth album, as well as epic versions of “Dazed and Confused” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Guitarist Jimmy Page produced the 2003 collection, and his assessment that the group was at its artistic peak at the time of its recording is borne out by the music. The platinum-certified HOW THE WEST WAS WON debuted at No.1 on the Billboard chart and we'll give it another spin now to wish frontman Robert Plant a happy birthday.
East-West (Album of the Day)
Born in Chicago, Paul Butterfield had assembled one of the city's tightest blues bands by the mid-1960s – Dylan was so impressed that he used much of the group to back him when he “went electric” at Newport in 1965. After their eponymous debut that year, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band returned with EAST WEST 55 years ago this month. Recorded at the legendary Chess Studios, the Elektra set is as steeped in taut electric blues as its predecessor, with driving covers of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters songs, but there's a little more at work here. A version of Michael Nesmith's “Mary Mary” showed the sextet had their ears on contemporary radio and the proto-acid rock of the title track (which incorporated Indian ragas and jazz) put them way ahead of the curve. Harpist Paul Butterfield and dueling guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop are in stellar form throughout EAST WEST, considered by many to be the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' greatest achievement.
Imaginary Voyage (Album of the Day)
IMAGINARY VOYAGE was recorded in Burbank 45 years ago this month, by which time Jean-Luc Ponty had performed with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Frank Zappa – both of whom fed the French-born violinist's appetite for experimentation. The 1976 Atlantic collection opens with “New Country,” an energetic hoedown that allows every member of Ponty's quintet to shine. Though what follows is more contemplative and dreamlike, the playing is equally sublime, culminating in the title track, a four-part side-long suite. Ponty's approach straddles jazz fusion and progressive rock on the self-produced set, with an emphasis on melody and lyrical instrumental work that makes it one of the performer's most accessible. This IMAGINARY VOYAGE will take listeners to a place of tranquility and wonder.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Album of the Day)
Wilco's fourth studio set saw the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett and drummer Ken Coomer - and famously prompted a break with the group's record label – yet somehow triumph emerged from adversity. Picked up by Nonesuch, YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT would become the Chicago-based alternative rock band's most successful album. From opener “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” onward, the collection's ambition is undeniable, with Sonic Youth stalwart Jim O'Rourke's multi-layered mix applied to some of Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy's most varied and distinctive songs. With its #1 ranking in the year's Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll and spots on best-of-the-decade lists in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Paste, critical acclaim for the gold-certified YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT is near-universal, and we'll give the set another spin to wish Tweedy a happy birthday.
The Head On The Door (Album of the Day)
THE HEAD ON THE DOOR was a pivotal album for British alternative rockers The Cure, with some key lineup changes (the return of bassist Simon Gallup, the addition of guitarist/keyboardist Porl Thompson) and a crystallization of the band's signature sound. It was on this 1985 collection that Robert Smith and company perfected the mix of emotional desolation and pop accessibility that would make The Cure international stars. With such catchy singles as “In Between Days” and “Close to Me” and some of their most imaginative arrangements, the album debuted in the U.K. Top 10, was a hit across Europe and broke into the Top 100 in the U.S., a first for the group. Named Album of the Year by Melody Maker, the gold-certified THE HEAD ON THE DOOR celebrates its 36th anniversary today.
The Dark Knight (Album of the Day)
Recasting Batman as THE DARK KNIGHT helped reinvigorate the superhero genre; Christopher Nolan's 2008 blockbuster earned both critical acclaim and a place on the list of highest-grossing films of all time. Befitting the star-studded action movie, its soundtrack was composed by not one but two Hollywood heavy-hitters: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Their contrasting styles – the stark minimalism of Zimmer's “Joker” themes vs Howard's rich orchestrations for “Harvey Dent” - provide a variety that makes this score compelling beyond the context of the film. The Grammy-winning THE DARK KNIGHT: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK is now available at retail in a special edition on violet/green splatter vinyl.