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Genesis (Album of the Day)
Though Phil Collins' solo success was impossible to ignore by the time of GENESIS, the Atlantic collection was very much a collaborative affair. Cut at band-owned Surrey studio The Farm, the set evolved from jam sessions; as keyboardist Tony Banks explained, he, Collins and guitarist Mike Rutherford wanted to “write an album and record it in one go, from start to finish.” The songs were as much discovered as created, and their immediacy and variety made for compelling singles including “Mama,” “That's All” and “Illegal Alien.” Accordingly, the album reached #1 in the group's native U.K. (during this month in 1983) and Top 10 in the U.S., while also earning a pair of Grammy nominations. Rutherford rates the quadruple-platinum GENESIS one of his favorites by the band, and you will as well.
The Song Remains the Same (Album of the Day)
Led Zeppelin was at the peak of its powers in July 1973 when the group's performances at New York's Madison Square Garden were recorded for the concert film THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. Cut during the band's tour for then-current studio album HOUSES OF THE HOLY, the soundtrack is packed with electrifying live versions of Zep classics including “Rock and Roll,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “No Quarter,” “Moby Dick,” “Dazed And Confused” and “Celebration Day.” Since its original release, the quadruple-platinum collection has been remastered and re-edited to give it even more oomph. THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME film premiered on this day in 1976, and it remains a potent reminder that the quartet was one of the greatest live acts of all time.
Sherry and 11 Others (Album of the Day)
The 4 Seasons' debut, SHERRY AND 11 OTHERS, was an auspicious one; at a time when vocal groups seemed in decline, the 1962 Vee-Jay collection reaffirmed the appeal of pop harmony. Led by Frankie Valli's falsetto, the Newark, New Jersey quartet could sing like angels, but voices weren't the only weapons in their arsenal. Whether on standards or more recent covers like “Oh! Carol” (or a reworking of the group's first charting single, “Apple of My Eye”), producer Bob Crewe provided engaging arrangements. And the Seasons had a gifted songwriter in Bob Gaudio, who penned the title track and co-wrote “Big Girls Don't Cry” - both No.1 singles. The 4 Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day in 1990, and SHERRY AND 11 OTHERS makes that success seem all but inevitable.
Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (Album of the Day)
Alice Cooper's five-decades-and-counting career has always been marked by a flair for the theatrical – from the distinctive eye makeup to the boa constrictors to the guillotines, the man knows how to put on a show. Concept albums, with unified themes and visual components, came naturally to The Coop, and on his 1976 Warner Bros. long-player GOES TO HELL, he was truly in his element. Continuing the story of a character named Steven who had been introduced in WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE, the set's 11 originals paint a picture of Hades that is both dark and witty. Produced by Bob Ezrin, the Gold-certified collection touches on disco, jazz, hard rock and even Broadway musicals and produced a #12 hit single in “I Never Cry.” Get ready for Halloween with ALICE COOPER GOES TO HELL.
Human (Album of the Day)
Rod Stewart started the new millennium on a new label, Atlantic, with his nineteenth studio album, HUMAN. Fittingly, the 2001 collection shows the performer trying on new styles, in this case contemporary R&B and dance music. Working with a team of producers, Stewart sourced 11 fine songs including “Run Back Into Your Arms,” the Adult Contemporary charting “I Can't Deny It” and "Don't Come Around Here." The last of these features Helicopter Girl as a duet partner; elsewhere Rod recruits guitarists Slash, Mark Knopfler and Jesse Johnson to lend their talents to the cause. On the 20th anniversary of Stewart's performance at the United We Stand benefit concert, we'll give HUMAN another spin.
Absolutely Live (Album of the Day)
As amazing as their studio albums were, The Doors were truly in their element when they were ABSOLUTELY LIVE. Though much of this double album hails from January 1970 gigs at New York's Felt Forum, the album was painstakingly assembled from multiple performances on the MORRISON HOTEL tour to recreate the ultimate concert experience. “Sometimes I'd cut from Detroit to Philadelphia in mid-song. There must be 2,000 edits on that album,” noted producer Paul Rothchild, and the cohesion and power of the Elektra collection testifies to the quartet's remarkable chemistry. Though you'll hear “Break On Through” and “Soul Kitchen,” this is less a greatest hits show than an exploration of the blues (“Build Me a Woman.” a song unreleased elsewhere) and poetry at its furthest extremes (the legendary “Celebration of the Lizard”). There's no telling where frontman Jim Morrison will take you on ABSOLUTELY LIVE, which captures a time in rock when all things seemed possible.
Greatest Hits 2.0 (Album of the Day)
The seeds of WAR were planted in the late-1960s when producer/songwriter Jerry Goldstein and singer Eric Burdon hand-picked ace musicians from the clubs of L.A. After three albums from Eric Burdon and WAR, the group spun-off without the former Animal, and its popularity skyrocketed thanks to three consecutive #1 R&B albums. Celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary, the new, career-spanning GREATEST HITS 2.0 expands on WAR’s platinum-certified 1976 best-of album. Available as a 2-CD or 2-LP set, the collection features classic songs recorded between 1970 and 1994 including “Spill The Wine,” “Low Rider,” “Galaxy,” “The Cisco Kid” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” WAR’s head-nodding mix of music and message will continue to win over the hearts and hips of fans around the world with GREATEST HITS 2.0.
Pinups (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1973, David Bowie scored his second U.K. No.1 album when PINUPS started a five-week run at the top of the chart. Bowie's popularity at the time is one reason that a covers album was so successful, but the music is strong enough to stand on its own. “These are all bands which I used to go and hear play down the Marquee between 1964 and 1967,” noted the performer. “I've got all these records back at home.” Versions of songs – not necessarily the biggest hits - by bands including The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, The Who and others were love letters to the glories of the British Invasion, with arrangements largely faithful to the originals. ZIGGY STARDUST producer Ken Scott and guitarist Mick Ronson helped bring these tracks into the glam era, making PINUPS essential for Bowie fans.
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out The Trash (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
The Replacements’ 1981 Twin/Tone Records debut, SORRY MA, FORGOT TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH, heralded the Minneapolis-based band’s competing tendencies toward indelible genius and reckless abandon. The ’Mats’ lead singer-songwriter and guitarist Paul Westerberg, drummer Chris Mars, and brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson (lead guitar and bass respectively) unleashed a thrilling, dynamic sound on the album with now-classic songs like “Takin’ A Ride,” “Shiftless When Idle,” and “Customer.” Marking the collection's 40th anniversary, a new 4-CD/1-LP set offers a remarkable document of The Replacements’ formative years. Of the 100 tracks on SORRY MA, FORGOT TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH (DELUXE EDITION), 67 have never been released before, including the first demos the band recorded in early 1980, as well as a professionally captured concert from January 1981.
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (Album of the Day)
This week in 2008, Coldplay was declared the biggest-selling act of the year at the World Music Awards held in Monaco, thanks to VIVA LA VIDA OR DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS. While the U.K. quartet's first three albums had positioned them for this success, the collection reached double-platinum status by rewriting their usual playbook. Vocalist Chris Martin's distinctive falsetto gets a rest most of the time, and as the French Revolution cover art suggests, lyrical themes are more global than personal. Most significantly, the band tapped Brian Eno to helm the record, and the producer's desire that every song sound different made singles “Violet Hill,” “Lost!,” “Strawberry Swing” and the title track all the more indelible. A Grammy winner for Best Rock Album, VIVA LA VIDA is not just one of Coldplay's most unusual, it's one of the group's best.