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SMASH (Album of the Day)
“As we start work on a new album, and later this year continue our 'Dreamworld' Greatest Hits Tour,” said Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of SMASH, “it seems like a good time to take stock and bring together every single we've released.” The 3-CD set is aptly named, with most of its 55 sides having reached the Top 30 in the duo's native U.K., among them such iconic tracks as “West End Girls,” “Always on My Mind,” “So Hard” and “Go West.” Expanding on the pair's DISCOGRAPHY thirty years on, the new collection shows PSB to be among the most gifted pop songwriting teams on the planet. Lowe was born on this day in 1959, and we'll wish him a happy birthday with SMASH: THE SINGLES 1985-2020.
GIVE ME THE NIGHT (Album of the Day)
GIVE ME THE NIGHT confirmed George Benson's status as a crossover star; the 1980 album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 while also topping the magazine's Soul and Jazz charts. Credit part of the collection's success to its producer, Quincy Jones, who brought in top musical support (including Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin and Lee Ritenour) and songwriting ace Rod Temperton (who was born on this day in 1949). While the Top 10 title track would prove Benson's biggest hit, the set is truly gem-packed, with “Moody's Mood,” “Off Broadway” and “Dinorah, Dinorah” each winning Grammy Awards. Rarely has the performer's voice and guitar playing been put to better use than on the Platinum-certified GIVE ME THE NIGHT, which remains one of George Benson's very best.
NIGHTS ARE FOREVER (Album of the Day)
“England” Dan Seals and John “Ford” Coley had performed together in such Texas '60s bands as Southwest F.O.B. before setting up shop as a duo; following a couple albums for A&M, the pair scored their commercial breakthrough with NIGHTS ARE FOREVER. The 1976 Big Tree collection was certified Gold on the strength of Top 10 hits “I'd Really Love to See You Tonight” and “Nights Are Forever Without You,” though the other nine tracks also feature strong melodies and sparkling performances (including guitar work from Dan's big brother Jim, of Seals & Crofts). NIGHTS ARE FOREVER is among the most enjoyable soft rock albums of the 1970s, and we'll give it another spin to wish John Ford Coley a happy 75th birthday.
TUSK (Album of the Day)
After RUMOURS became one of the biggest sellers of the 1970s, Fleetwood Mac earned creative carte blanche for their next album and put it to good use on TUSK. The expansive double-disc collection is the most experimental release in the Mac catalog, incorporating punk and new wave production touches. But the music remains highly accessible - both “Sara” and the title track were Top Ten singles, and the Grammy-nominated album sold more than four million copies worldwide. Released this month in 1979, TUSK showed a band still hungry for artistic challenges even after unparallelled popular success, which is one of the reasons that Fleetwood Mac is true rock royalty.
TRUE STORIES (Album of the Day)
Already a musical trailblazer, David Byrne further flexed his creative muscles by directing and starring in the motion picture TRUE STORIES, which was released on this day in 1986. The quirky film about a bunch of people in Virgil, Texas, featured a wonderful soundtrack whose songs – sung by actors in the movie - would be recut in the studio for Talking Heads' seventh album. Among the highlights of the Sire collection are “Love for Sale,” “Radio Head” (from which the U.K. band would draw its name) and Top 40 hit “Wild Wild Life.” Inventive, varied and fun, the Gold-certified TRUE STORIES shows the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers still knew how to turn heads.
OOH LA LA (Album of the Day)
Faces left behind four studio albums - each a rough-hewn gem - though by the 1973 release of the last of these, OOH LA LA, frontman Rod Stewart was more focused on his solo career. But co-founder Ronnie Lane picked up the slack in spectacular fashion; the title track may be the best thing he ever wrote, and “Glad and Sorry” isn't far behind. Sir Rod (Stewart was knighted on this day in 2016) makes his raspy presence felt on such tracks as “Cindy Incidentally” and with producer Glyn Johns rallying the troops, the rest of the boys play superbly. A chart-topper in the group's native U.K., OOH LA LA is a rousing finale to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' career.
INSIGHT OUT (Album of the Day)
For The Association's first album on Warner Bros. the label paired the sextet with producer Bones Howe (The Mamas & the Papas, The Turtles) hoping to steer the band in a more commercial direction. The move paid off spectacularly - 1967's INSIGHT OUT included No. 1 hit “Windy” and No. 2 hit “Never My Love,” both of which would rank among the most played singles on the radio that year. While those two songs were penned by outside writers, nearly half the tracks were band originals; the nostalgic “Wasn't It a Bit Like Now?,” sunshine popper “Sometime” and ambitious anti-war ballad “Requiem for the Masses” are some of this eclectic set's many pleasures. Featuring the group's magnificent harmonies (and instrumental work by several Wrecking Crew aces), the Gold-certified INSIGHT OUT is one of The Association's finest albums, and we'll give it another spin to wish rhythm guitarist Russ Giguere a happy 80th birthday.
AGENT PROVOCATEUR (Album of the Day)
Three years after Foreigner had conquered the charts with 4, the quartet returned with another smash in AGENT PROVOCATEUR. The 1984 collection sold millions of copies worldwide, thanks largely to the strength of hit single “I Want To Know What Love Is,” which topped the chart on both sides of the Atlantic. The song pairs Lou Gramm's powerful vocals with the New Jersey Mass Choir, and while that soaring ballad remains impressive, there are numerous other gems 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, and the album is now available on red vinyl with a bonus 7” as part of the Rhino Reds series
STUNT (Album of the Day)
With a distinctive blend of humor and harmonies, Barenaked Ladies rose through the ranks of the Canadian rock scene, making the leap to major label status with a Reprise Records contract in 1992. The band's fourth studio album, STUNT, became their U.S. breakthrough, spurred by the success of “One Week,” which topped the singles chart on this day in 1998. Songwriters Steven Page and Ed Robertson have peppered these originals with plenty of BNL's trademark satire, but the eclectic arrangements and punchy performances on tracks like “It's All Been Done,” “Call And Answer” and “Alcohol” lift the album far above novelty status, making the quadruple-Platinum STUNT one of the group's very best.
CALIFORNICATION (Album of the Day)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers made a strong return to form with 1999's CALIFORNICATION, an album that marked the return of prodigal son John Frusciante, who had left the band after BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK for a solo career. The guitarist sounds rejuvenated here and he isn't isn't the only one - vocalist Anthony Kiedis sings better than ever on these 15 originals, and bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith drive the band forward with grooves worthy of one of rock's greatest rhythm sections. Introspective songs like “Scar Tissue” and the title track show a newfound maturity to the Chili Peppers' songwriting, though the quartet delivers more raucous material like “Around the World” and “Otherside” just as effectively; producer Rick Rubin keeps these sides of the band in perfect balance throughout the album. This is Smith's birthday, and we'll celebrate it with the multi-Platinum CALIFORNICATION.