Content tagged 'aod'

The Monkees were in a rather strange place in 1968. They'd spent two years as pop stars on the order of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, but – even though the craftsmanship of their hits frequently rose to that level – never got anything resembling the critical respect accorded those bands. Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter were aware of that disconnect, and the movie HEAD, which premiered this month in 1968, reflected it. The wildly creative film poked fun at the group's “manufactured image” while boasting a killer soundtrack. The last Monkees album before Peter Tork left the band, HEAD includes such gems as “The Porpoise Song,” “Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along.” While not a success on original release, both the film and its music went on to become cult favorites; it may have taken a few decades, but The Monkees have finally gotten the respect they deserved.

Called by Rolling Stone “one of rock's more elaborate, beguiling and strangely rewarding concept albums,” Genesis' THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY was the pinnacle of the U.K. band's progressive rock phase. The double LP would be the group's final release with founding frontman Peter Gabriel, who wrote the set's lyrics about a Puerto Rican gang member named Rael and his journey of self-discovery in New York City. The Atco collection showcases both the group's talent for crafting compelling songs (“Counting Out Time,” “The Carpet Crawlers”) and for inspired instrumental interplay. A personal favorite of both Gabriel and drummer Phil Collins, the gold-certified THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY was released on this day in 1974, and belongs on any good list of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time.

Percy Sledge was working in a hospital when he teamed with local DJ Quin Ivy to try his luck making records; the pair succeeded beyond their wildest dreams with “When A Man Loves A Woman.” Improvising lyrics at the microphone, Sledge poured his heart out on the song, which soared to the top of the U.S. singles chart and became one of the most iconic R&B singles of all time. Naturally his label, Atlantic Records, capitalized on the hit with an album, but WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN doesn't play like any cash-in. With simmering sides like “You're Pouring Water On A Drowning Man” and “Put A Little Lovin' On Me” among its 11 tracks, the collection ranks with the best deep Southern soul ever to emerge from Alabama's storied Muscle Shoals studio. Sledge was born on this day in 1940, so we'll give WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN another spin in his honor.

Joy Division's catalog is as influential as it is brief; the Manchester quartet cut just two studio albums before the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The posthumous Joy Division collection STILL closed the book on the band with rare material from the post-punk greats. The set was originally a double album with the first disc devoted to studio recordings like “Glass” and the previously unreleased “Dead Souls” (plus a great live version of The Velvet Underground's “Sister Ray”), while the second disc featured the band's final gig at England 's Birmingham University in May 1980. Thanks to successor group New Order (and Curtis biopic Control, released on this day in 2007), Joy Division's stature has only risen in the last four decades, and STILL adds significantly to the group's legacy.

FOREIGN AFFAIR was Tina Turner’s third studio album since her dramatic global resurgence, following the monumental success of PRIVATE DANCER and BREAK EVERY RULE, as well as her lead role in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Produced by Dan Hartman (and featuring several songs penned by swamp soul great Tony Joe White), the 1989 set went on to be a multi-platinum record across the world, including the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and many more. The biggest track to come from the collection was '80s anthem “The Best,” which features one of the most recognizable choruses in music history. On top of that single, the album is complemented by several Turner favorites, such as “Steamy Windows,” “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” and the title track. We'll wish the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer a happy birthday with another spin of FOREIGN AFFAIR.

With STRANGE DAYS, The Doors were out to strike while the iron was hot; the album hit the chart (eventually reaching #3) while the L.A. quartet's first LP was still in the Top Ten. In fact several of the set's 10 originals predated The Doors' eponymous debut – though they were by no means cast-offs. Jim Morrison's poetry and the dark and unsettling music of Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore lifted the title track, the near-11-minute closer “When the Music's Over” and Top 40 hits “People Are Strange” and “Love Me Two Times” to rock immortality. Though it was at first seen as a commercial disappointment, time has vindicated the 1967 collection, which eventually went platinum and was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. We'll wish drummer John Densmore a happy birthday with another spin of STRANGE DAYS.

Whitesnake founder and frontman David Coverdale was gearing up to record his third solo album when, in the wake of the group’s massive global success, his record label prevailed upon him to change course and release RESTLESS HEART under the David Coverdale & Whitesnake moniker. Powered by singles “Too Many Tears” and “Don’t Fade Away,” the 1997 album was a Top 40 hit in the U.K. but surprisingly was never released in the U.S. - until now. With the vocalist joined by such talented musicians as Adrian Vandenberg, Denny Carmassi and Guy Pratt, the 2-CD RESTLESS HEART DELUXE EDITION features a newly remixed version of the collection that’s closer to the sound Coverdale initially intended for his solo set, plus a remastered version of the original album including three bonus tracks from the Japanese release.

Jim Morrison was born on this day in 1943, and more than seven years after his death the iconic performer was back on record racks with AN AMERICAN PRAYER. The Elektra/Asylum collection was built around poetry recordings he had made in 1969 and 1970, with instrumental backing provided by former bandmates John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek - making this in effect the final Doors album. The pieces may not have the kind of song structure that girded the foursome's hits (though there is a killer live version of “Roadhouse Blues” included here), but Morrison's gift for striking lyrical imagery is in full effect, and the musical accompaniment is eerily sympathetic. The list of platinum-selling spoken word albums is a pretty short one, and AN AMERICAN PRAYER earned a place on it by channeling the spirit of one of rock's all-time greatest groups.

After the massive success of their major label debut DOOKIE was followed by three lesser hits, Bay-area pop-punk trio Green Day might have raised some eyebrows when they decided to release a rock opera. But AMERICAN IDIOT became not only one of the band's best-selling, but best-received albums. As audacious as the album's overall concept may be (it follows an anti-hero “Jesus Of Suburbia”), the individual songs are just as striking; “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,” “Holiday” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” were all huge singles. Engaging the post-9/11 political and cultural landscape with surprising insight and passion, AMERICAN IDIOT is surely one of the greatest rock albums of the new millennium, and we'll give it a spin now to wish Green Day's Tré Cool a happy birthday.

IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR would be Led Zeppelin's final studio album before the group disbanded 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” (released as a single on this date in 1979). If one can't help but to wonder where Led Zeppelin would have gone next, IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR is nonetheless a highly satisfying swan song for the legendary band.