Doing a 180: Duran Duran and Dwight Yoakam

Rhino has made it a point to reissue classic albums on 180-gram vinyl on a regular basis. These are the latest to get that treatment. You're welcome.

Duran Duran, Notorious: The band's fourth album is better known for being their first album after the original Fab Five - Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor - devolved into a three-piece after Andy and Roger departed the ranks. (Technically, Andy is on the album, but he's not on much of it, and even at that, he's not credited as a proper member.) At the time, there was understandable skepticism that Duran Duran would be able to soldier on successfully, but they defied whatever odds were deemed to have been against them and sent three singles into the Billboard Hot 100: the title track, “Skin Trade,” and “Meet El Presidente.”

Dwight Yoakam, Come On Christmas: Yes, it's true, Christmas albums from country artists are a dime a dozen nowadays, but they weren't nearly as prevalent in 1997 when Mr. Yoakam released this effort, and even if they were, c'mon, this is Dwight Yoakam! If ever there was a guy who knew how to deliver a rollicking good time, it's him. The title track leads off the proceedings, and it's a Yoakam original, as is the closing number, “Santa Can't Say,” but in between these musical bookends you'll find Dwight doing justice to classics like “Silver Bells,” “I'll Be Home for Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” “Santa Claus is Comin' to Town,” and several other holiday favorites.