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BORN TO SING (Album of the Day)
The members of En Vogue - Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson – couldn't have picked a more appropriate title for their 1990 debut album than BORN TO SING. Oakland, California's finest female foursome display the poise and talent of seasoned stars on the collection, effortlessly blending soul, hip-hop and New Jack Swing on such tracks as “Lies,” “You Don't Have To Worry” and the No. 2 crossover smash “Hold On.” Helping to marshal their outstanding harmonies is the production team of Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, who'd scored their own hits as part of Club Nouveau. We'll wish Robinson a happy birthday with the Platinum-selling BORN TO SING.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Album of the Day)
Randy Newman's seventh studio album may have been titled TROUBLE IN PARADISE but it opens with one of the performer's most upbeat anthems - “I Love L.A.” If that signature song isn't entirely representative of the 11 originals that follow – in which razor-sharp lyrics skewer racists, yuppies and war-mongers – its accessibility is. With Warner Bros. hitmakers Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker behind the board (and such guests as Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Bob Seger behind mics), the 1983 collection displays the craftsmanship that would make the singer-songwriter one of the most sought-after composers for film and TV. TROUBLE IN PARADISE is among Randy Newman's very best, and we'll give it another spin now to wish the man a happy 80th birthday.
RUNNING ON EMPTY (Album of the Day)
Released this month in 1977, RUNNING ON EMPTY is a concept album about touring – and one of the best and most unusual live albums ever made. None of these ten songs had appeared on any of Jackson Browne's previous albums, and in addition to concert performances, the collection includes impromptu recordings made backstage, on buses and in hotel rooms during one of the singer-songwriter's tours. With such old hands as guitarist David Lindley, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel in the band, the proceedings have a loose, easy feel to them, even when the material touches on the darker side of life on the road. RUNNING ON EMPTY brought Browne a pair of Grammy nominations (including Album of the Year) as well as commercial success; the anthemic title track and “The Load Out/Stay” were both hit singles, while the album reached #3 on the chart.
MINGUS MOVES (Album of the Day)
Among jazz history's most imposing figures, Charles Mingus blazed trails as a bassist, composer and bandleader. After a decade at other labels, he returned to Atlantic Records and producer Nesuhi Ertegun for MINGUS MOVES, which ranks as a late-career high point. His new combo on the 1973 collection included pianist Don Pullen, saxophonist George Adams and trumpeter Ronald Hampton, with drummer Dannie Richmond back in the fold after several years away – and they're firing on all cylinders throughout. The set pairs such outstanding Mingus originals as “Canon,” “Opus 3” and “Opus 4” with tracks by the rest of the group, all of which provide plenty of space for stellar instrumental work. Transferred from the original half-inch four-channel masters, the new Quadio issue of MINGUS MOVES sounds better than ever.
SPINNERS (Album of the Day)
Spinners had cut several records for Motown but the Detroit vocal group didn't really hit its stride until signing with Atlantic Records; the quintet's eponymous 1973 debut for the label was nothing less than a masterpiece. Recorded with producer Thom Bell, the album epitomized the “Philly soul” sound that would dominate airwaves for much of the decade - a seamless blend of passionate vocals and nimble orchestration. The set features impeccable harmonizing, with recent arrival Philippé Wynne leading the way on the classic “I'll Be Around.” Both that and “Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" were Top 10 singles, and in "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" and “Ghetto Child,” the group had two more signature songs. SPINNERS captures this great band at the peak of its powers, and the R&B chart-topper is now available in Quadio.
IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR (Album of the Day)
IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR would be Led Zeppelin's final studio album before the group announced – on this day in 1980 - that it was disbanding in the wake of drummer John Bonham's death. The collection shows the group adding Latin and country touches to their powerful blues-based rock, and John Paul Jones' synthesizers are as prominent here as Jimmy Page's riffing guitars. While the group members were exploring new directions, they never abandoned their core strengths – the set brims with classic rock radio anthems including “In The Evening,” “All My Love” and “Fool in the Rain." If one can't help but wonder where Led Zeppelin would have gone next, IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR is nonetheless a highly satisfying swan song for the legendary band.
THE AGE OF PLEASURE (Album of the Day)
Five years after the acclaimed DIRTY COMPUTER, Janelle Monáe returns to record stores with THE AGE OF PLEASURE. Setting a celebratory tone, the 14 originals on the new Atlantic collection had been play-tested at get-togethers with friends; as the performer noted, “if the songs can't work at the party, they're not going on the album.” Highlighted by such tracks as “Float,” “Lipstick Lover” and “Water Slide,” this garden of earthly delights is a seamless mix of Afrobeat, reggae and soul and finds Monáe joined by fellow revelers including the legendary Grace Jones. THE AGE OF PLEASURE has just been nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy, and we'll cue it up now to wish Monáe a happy birthday.
CHICAGO IX: CHICAGO’S GREATEST HITS (Album of the Day)
Chicago is the first American band to release Top 40 albums in five successive decades, and it certainly seems like they've been making hits forever. CHICAGO IX, the group's first best-of collection, topped the Billboard album chart this month in 1975 – it was their fifth No.1 album (and spent five weeks at that position). The set culls 11 highlights from the band's first five years, including “25 Or 6 To 4,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and “Saturday In The Park.” While the Peter Cetera-led balladry of the next decade would bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers even more Gold records, these are the hits that put Chicago on the musical map.
MARQUEE MOON (Album of the Day)
Television helped turn CBGB into a punk mecca, but when it came time to cut their debut album, the quartet were anything but fast and furious. Frontman Tom Verlaine (born on this day in 1949) meticulously mapped out the record, and when the band entered the studio, they were so well-rehearsed that most songs were recorded in one or two takes. Which isn't to say that MARQUEE MOON is sterile; guitarists Verlaine and Richard Lloyd bring a spirit of exploration that’s akin to the best jazz improvisation, even if the songs themselves - from opener “See No Evil” to “Prove It,” “Friction” and the near 10-minute title track - aren't far from garage rock. In the years since its 1977 release, outlets like Rolling Stone and NME have championed MARQUEE MOON as one of the greatest albums of all time.
MORRISON HOTEL - 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Album of the Day)
With legal problems dogging their lead singer and a cool critical response to their previous album, The Doors were on the ropes in February 1970 when they came back swinging with MORRISON HOTEL. Rooted in R&B, the Elektra collection starts with the classic “Roadhouse Blues” and rarely lets up from there; “Peace Frog,” “Land Ho!” and “You Make Me Real” are among the other highlights. The 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the quartet's fifth studio album includes multiple unreleased takes of the opener and “Queen of the Highway” as well as tough versions of Muddy Waters' “Rock Me” and Motown chestnut “Money (That’s What I Want).” Frontman Jim Morrison was born 80 years ago today and we'll mark the occasion with a visit to MORRISON HOTEL.