Content tagged ''
CURTIS (Album of the Day)
Curtis Mayfield played a key role in the development of soul in the 1960s as a founder of The Impressions, infusing their music with spirituality and conscience. The singer-songwriter left the trio for a solo career in 1970, and his self-produced debut (released on his own Curtom Records label) boasts the same social awareness as his previous group while traversing tougher musical territory. Cut in Chicago, CURTIS serves up simmering funk and psychedelia on eight originals, including epic side openers "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go" and "Move On Up." Seen through the eyes of one of R&B's greatest poets, CURTIS offered a look at “what's going on” in Black America during the Nixon years – though its compassion for all people makes the album timeless.
AWB (Album of the Day)
The band name may have been self-effacing, but these six white guys – from Scotland, no less – cut one of the funkiest records of the 1970s in AWB. Certainly some of the credit for the band's Atlantic Records debut goes to veteran R&B producer Arif Mardin, but one listen to the set's No.1 hit “Pick Up The Pieces” reveals some serious instrumental chops at work here. In Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart, the group also had a pair of talented vocalists, and the original material on this 1974 collection, including such tracks as “Person To Person” and “You Got It,” was tailor-made for dancefloors. Currently part of Rhino’s Quadio series, the chart-topping AVERAGE WHITE BAND now sounds better than ever.
TECHNIQUE (Album of the Day)
New Order started work on their fifth studio set, TECHNIQUE, on the island of Ibiza - which was then a center of acid house. While it was a natural fit for the quartet’s trademark dance-electronic sound, the 1989 collection also has strong rock and alternative pop currents coursing through it. Singles “Fine Time,” “Round & Round” and “Run” proved irresistible, and the album became New Order’s first to top the U.K. chart. “I think it catches a summer sound really brilliantly,” said bassist Peter Hook of the Gold-certified TECHNIQUE, and we’ll give it another spin now to wish Hooky a happy birthday.
HUMAN AFTER ALL (Album of the Day)
For their third album, Daft Punk chose to break with the two-year long gestation of DISCOVERY - HUMAN AFTER ALL was recorded in six weeks with a minimalist approach that emphasized improvisation. It was a thematic left turn as well; drawing inspiration from George Orwell, the 2005 collection was not a party record. The duo’s Thomas Bangalter described it as a terrifying look at technology while acknowledging that “there can be some beauty and emoting from it.” The occasionally paranoid atmosphere didn’t stop listeners from connecting with such propulsive singles as “Robot Rock,” “Technologic” and the title track, and the set soared to the top of Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Daft Punk disbanded on this day in 2021, and we’ll salute them with another spin of the underrated HUMAN AFTER ALL.
GOOD OLD BOYS (Album of the Day)
Randy Newman's GOOD OLD BOYS validated all the praise that critics had heaped on the singer-songwriter since his debut. If the wicked insight of songs like “Rednecks” was familiar to longtime fans, the ambitious mix of history (“Louisiana 1927”) and contemporary commentary (“Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man)”) kicked things up a notch, as did some of the most masterful arrangements and orchestrations of Newman's career. Produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman, the Reprise collection also includes guest turns by guitarist Ry Cooder and most of the Eagles. Randy Newman's first Top 40 success, GOOD OLD BOYS earned a place on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and is now available as part of Rhino’s Quadio series.
FULL HOUSE “LIVE” (Album of the Day)
The J. Geils Band hailed from Boston but found Detroit particularly welcoming and cut their first concert album at the Motor City's Cinderella Ballroom in April, 1972. FULL HOUSE shows that the sextet's reputation as one of the greatest live bands of the era was well-deserved. Along with one top-notch original (“Hard Drivin' Man”), the sextet make blues and R&B favorites like “Serves You Right to Suffer” and “First I Look at the Purse” their own with remarkably energetic workouts. While vocalist Peter Wolf and harp player Magic Dick merit special mention, the entire band is on fire throughout this set. Guitarist John Geils was born on this day in 1946, and in his honor we'll turn up the full-tilt rock 'n' roll that is “LIVE” FULL HOUSE.
SWISS MOVEMENT (MONTREUX 30th ANNIVERSARY) (Album of the Day)
That improvisation is the lifeblood of jazz is borne out by SWISS MOVEMENT. Pianist Les McCann and tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris were paired for the first time on this 1969 concert appearance but sound like they’ve been playing together for years. Highlighted by signature song “Compared to What,” this legendary recording sold more than one million copies and helped put Montreux on the international festival map. SWISS MOVEMENT belongs in any serious jazz collection and the painstakingly remastered 30th Anniversary edition features a previously unreleased track ("Kaftan") from the same historic performance.
TRIO (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. Released this month in 1987, the Platinum-selling 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.
THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS (Album of the Day)
If you thought the recently re-released concert film Stop Making Sense was impressive, just give a listen to THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS. The 1982 live double album shows the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers on their way up with tracks spanning the preceding five years. The first half of this set, drawn from a 1977 radio broadcast and a 1979 Passaic, NJ gig, features the quartet on such early favorites as “Psycho Killer” and “Love Goes to Building on Fire.” The second half was recorded during the 1980 REMAIN IN LIGHT tour and sees the group joined by guest performers including Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell and Nona Hendryx. THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS takes the alternative rock icons’ already exciting studio performances to a whole new level.
LIVE NASSAU COLISEUM ‘76 (Album of the Day)
David Bowie went through several stylistic ch-ch-changes over the course of his legendary career, and he was going through one of his most significant at the time of LIVE NASSAU COLISEUM ‘76. Previously included as part of the WHO CAN I BE NOW boxed set, this March 1976 Uniondale, NY show was recorded as the Thin White Duke was touring in support of STATION TO STATION. Several months later he would move to Berlin for his groundbreaking collaborations with Brian Eno, bringing several musicians heard here (most notably guitarist Carlos Alomar) with him. Along with songs from his latest album, the 2-CD LIVE NASSAU COLISEUM ‘76 includes energetic performances of such glam-era classics as “Life On Mars?,” “Suffragette City” and “Rebel Rebel.”