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Real People (Album of the Day)
By the time of REAL PEOPLE's 1980 release, Chic masterminds Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were among the most in-demand producers in the world as artists like Sister Sledge and Diana Ross sought out their services. But if others were hoping Rodgers and Edwards could make them dancefloor queens, the duo were looking beyond disco for their own group. While there's no shortage of grooves to get you moving and The Chic Strings make a welcome return, REAL PEOPLE fuses old-school soul, new wave, guitar-riff rock and funk to strike a tone that's more melancholy than celebratory. “Rebels Are We,” “Chip Off the Old Block” and the title song are just some of the distinctive tracks here, all of which serve as reminders that Chic included some truly brilliant instrumentalists. REAL PEOPLE turns 40 years old today, but its adventurous and insistent edge still feels contemporary.
A Donny Hathaway Collection (Album of the Day)
Under Construction (Album of the Day)
One of hip-hop's most commanding performers, Missy Elliot extended an impressive winning streak with her fourth studio album, UNDER CONSTRUCTION. With longtime producer Timbaland serving up beats and old school samples, the rapper gets as nasty as she wants to be on “P***ycat” and the smash “Work It,” puts the haters in their place on “Gossip Folks” and pays heartfelt tribute to Aaliyah and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes on “Can You Hear Me.” Such guests as Ludacris, Jay-Z and Beyoncé join the party on the 2002 Elektra release, which in addition to its commercial success, earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. We'll put the double-platinum UNDER CONSTRUCTION on the turntable today in honor of Missy Elliot's birthday.
Jagged Little Pill (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Alanis Morissette's groundbreaking JAGGED LITTLE PILL celebrated its 25th anniversary last month; upon its release in 1995, the album was a cultural phenomenon and a critical smash. Working with producer Glen Ballard, Morissette's soul-baring songs burst with raw emotion and the melodies and forceful arrangements of “You Oughta Know,” “Hand In My Pocket,” “Ironic” and “Head Over Feet” practically jumped out of the radio. With more than 33 million copies sold worldwide, the Maverick collection has now been certified 17x Platinum by the RIAA, making it the 16th best-selling album of all time in the U.S. A digital-only Deluxe Version of JAGGED LITTLE PILL has just been released that pairs the 13-track original with a new acoustic live album from Alanis’ performance at Shepherd’s Bush from March 2020.
Standing Ovation at Newport (Album of the Day)
The 1965 Newport Folk Festival is famed as the event where Dylan “went electric,” but the Newport Jazz Festival had some electrifying music as well that year. Recorded live 55 years ago today, the aptly titled STANDING OVATION AT NEWPORT captures jazz flutist extraordinaire Herbie Mann and a band including pianist Chick Corea and vibraphonist Dave Pike as they deliver soaring versions of Pike's “Patato,” “Stolen Moments” and an epic rendition of “Comin' Home Baby” (a fourth song on the Atlantic collection, “Mushi Mushi,” was recorded at New York's Village Gate nightclub a couple months earlier). You can feel Mann feeding off the audience's energy on these thrilling performances, and STANDING OVATION AT NEWPORT stands among his finest albums.
Dixie Chicken (Album of the Day)
The L.A. music scene was a busy one in the early 1970s, and even a band as talented as Little Feat could get lost in the shuffle. After their first two albums for Warner Bros. earned raves from critics and fellow musicians – but relatively meager sales – the group reorganized, bringing in a new guitarist, bassist and additional percussionist. It was just the kick in the pants Little Feat needed; the album that followed, DIXIE CHICKEN, may be the Feat's finest. Featuring some of founder Lowell George's most memorable songs (including “Two Trains,” “Fat Man In The Bathtub” and the title track), and a funky New Orleans feel, the collection is both relaxed and sophisticated. Lowell George was born on this day in 1945, and we'll mark the occasion by serving up some DIXIE CHICKEN.
Concert in the Virgin Islands (Album of the Day)
Duke Ellington and his orchestra made a tour stop in the Virgin Islands in the mid-1960s and it must have been a memorable one to have inspired CONCERT IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS (which, despite its name, is a studio recording). “We wrote some of the music while we were down there, and finished it shortly after we returned home,” recalled the jazz icon. “We found a certain flavor there, musically and otherwise, that is genuinely unique.” The Caribbean groove that Ellington discovered comes through beautifully on the opening four songs (the “Virgin Islands Suite”), but even the older compositions are irresistibly buoyant, with such players as violinist Ray Nance, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton and trumpeter Cat Anderson clearly having a ball. With excellent fidelity to match the performances, the 1965 CONCERT IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS is a desert-island disc for any big band buff.
Nightmares…And Other Tales From The Vinyl Jungle (Album of the Day)
The J. Geils Band may have seen more success in the 1980s, but ask a true fan about their earlier Atlantic recordings and they'll talk your ear off. NIGHTMARES … AND OTHER TALES FROM THE VINYL JUNGLE captures the bad boys from Boston in their '70s prime on eight Peter Wolf-Seth Justman originals (and a cover of Andre Williams' “Funky Judge” with a cameo by old-time comedian George Jessel). Cut in New York with Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk, this action-packed set delivers on every level, from heart-wrenching ballads (“I'll Be Coming Home”) to party-starters (“Stoop Down #39”) to an actual hit single (“Must of Got Lost”). Pulsing with the intense energy of a J. Geils Band concert, NIGHTMARES … AND OTHER TALES FROM THE VINYL JUNGLE is a dream come true.
City to City (Album of the Day)
Born on this day in 1947, Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty had tasted success as part of The Humblebums in the late 1960s, and in Stealers Wheel (“Stuck In The Middle With You”) a couple of years later, but it was CITY TO CITY that truly put him on the musical map. The 1978 solo album features the song most associated with the multi-talented performer, “Baker Street,” a tale of discomfort with the music industry's star-making machinery that paradoxically became a No.2 U.S. single. With another hit in “Right Down the Line,” the collection went to No.1 on the U.S. chart, eventually going platinum. Any good best-of will include those two highlights - but maybe not “Whatever's Written In My Heart,” “Mattie's Rag” or “Home And Dry”; this album shines from start to finish with outstanding pop craftsmanship. Surely Rafferty's finest hour, CITY TO CITY is well worth another visit.
D-Sides (Special Edition) (Album of the Day)
A collaboration between former Blur frontman Damon Albarn and graphic artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz are undoubtedly the most successful virtual band in history. Second album DEMON DAYS debuted at the top of the chart in the group's native U.K. and went on to sell more than 8 million copies worldwide, and it's a testament to the creativity of this rotating cast of musicians that the accompanying D-SIDES compilation is also outstanding. The 2007 double-disc set gathers B-sides, bonus tracks, remixes and unreleased recordings from the DEMON sessions, and the varied selection suits the eclectic Gorillaz mix of alternative rock, dub, hip-hop and electronica perfectly. Such superb songs as “68 State,” “Hong Kong” and “Stop The Dams” ensure that D-SIDES can stand alone as an album essential for fans and inviting for new listeners as well.