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Coltrane's Sound (Album of the Day)
Often when a label dusts off an artist's unused recordings after they've left for another company, it's something to avoid - but when the artist is John Coltrane, all bets are off. COLTRANE'S SOUND was released in 1964, some four years after the sessions that yielded MY FAVORITE THINGS, PLAYS THE BLUES and these six tracks - and the Atlantic set shows the legendary saxophonist at the peak of his powers. Pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis and drummer Elvin Jones round out the quartet heard here, and on both originals (“Equinox,” “Central Park West”) and covers (“Body and Soul,” “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes”) the playing is sublime. Don't let the trippy cover scare you off; COLTRANE'S SOUND is among the artist's most underrated, and we'll give it a spin now on what would have been his 95th birthday.
Dancin' Undercover (Album of the Day)
After their first two smash albums, Ratt returned in 1986 with a third platinum seller, DANCIN' UNDERCOVER. Cut at Village Recorders with producer Beau Hill back behind the boards, the Atlantic collection features the polished attack that made the San Diego band stars with ten driving originals including “Dance,” “Body Talk” and “Slip of the Lip.” While vocalist Stephen Pearcy takes center stage most of the time, axeman Warren DeMartini riffs magnificently throughout the album, arguably the last of Ratt's peak period. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, DANCIN' UNDERCOVER belongs in any good glam metal collection.
Lindsey Buckingham (Album of the Day)
Over the last four decades, Lindsey Buckingham has developed a radical sense of experimentation and an unrivaled savvy as a producer. Under his direction, Fleetwood Mac became one of the best-selling and most beloved rock groups of all time and as a solo artist, Buckingham is a master of complex, inventive arrangements and innumerable instruments. His new self-titled LP on Reprise is a welcome display of the man's instantly recognizable guitar work and vocal layering, particularly on tracks such as “Power Down,” “Scream,” “Swan Song” and lead single “I Don’t Mind.” “I wanted to make a pop album, but I also wanted to make stops along the way with songs that resemble art more than pop,” notes the performer, and LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM reaffirms his status as a musical maverick and visionary.
What is Soul? (Album of the Day)
Ben E. King’s sixth solo studio album was titled WHAT IS SOUL, and few performers better embodied the music than the former Drifters lead vocalist. Bert Burns helmed the 1967 Atco collection, and the producer was himself an R&B legend, penning hits for the likes of The Isley Brothers, Solomon Burke and Garnet Mimms. While Burns contributes a number here, King is writer or co-writer on four of the dozen tracks including such highlights as “She's Gone Again,” “Katherine” and the title song. With tougher vocals and an earthier approach, the set is closer to Stax than the strings of “There Goes My Baby,” underlining King’s ability to reinvent himself (he would find further success with funk and disco in the 1970s). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was born on this day in 1938, and in his honor we’ll give WHAT IS SOUL another spin.
Brotherhood (Album of the Day)
By the mid-1980s, Manchester quartet New Order had emerged from the shadow of Joy Division, the pioneering post-punk group in which singer-guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris got their start. While Hook's melodic fretwork was a link to that previous group, newcomer Gillian Gilbert's synth playing gave New Order's music a brighter feel, as the effervescent “Bizarre Love Triangle” makes clear. That hit single is but one of the highlights of the quartet's 4th album, BROTHERHOOD, which neatly balances dance club techno with rock-edged songs like “Weirdo.” The collection celebrates its 35th anniversary today, and its confident singing, vibrant instrumental work and mature songwriting make it one of the band's best.
Introducing the Beau Brummels (Album of the Day)
The Beau Brummels are proof that the San Francisco scene was an exciting one even before anyone had heard of the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane. With an English-sounding name to capitalize on the British Invasion then dominating U.S. radios, the quintet entered the studio with producer Sylvester Stewart (later known as Sly Stone) and emerged with this 1965 album for Autumn Records. The dozen tracks on INTRODUCING THE BEAU BRUMMELS include ten originals penned by guitarist Ron Elliott, among them the singles “Laugh Laugh” and “Just A Little,” which reached the Top 10. The Beau Brummels' sparkling debut epitomizes 1960s folk-rock in all its jangly goodness.
King (Album of the Day)
Though Rhode Island alternative rockers Belly made a bigger splash with their debut, the quartet’s follow-up is equally worthy. “KING was a reaction to the bright shininess of STAR and we weren't surprised when it didn't sell,” recalled group founder Tanya Donelly of the 1995 Sire set, which boasts a more muscular, electric sound thanks partly to new bassist Gail Greenwood, who had previously played guitar in a metal band. But Donelly and company’s knack for hook-filled songwriting didn’t change with the stronger rock and roll emphasis, judging from such highlights as “Super-Connected,” “Now They'll Sleep” and “Seal My Fate.” Noted producer Glyn Johns (Eagles, Faces, The Who) helmed the underrated KING, which remains catchy and compelling decades later.
Merci Miles! Live at Vienne! (Album of the Day)
The Miles Davis Group's set at the Jazz à Vienne festival in France on July 1, 1991, was among the final public performances by the iconic trumpeter; this previously unreleased concert has just made its debut as MERCI MILES! LIVE AT VIENNE. Davis’s lifelong love for France is well-documented, and just a few days after this show he was made a Knight of the country's Legion of Honour in recognition of his five decades of musical evolution. In addition to selections from recent Warner Bros. releases, the collection includes two songs – “Penetration” and “Jailbait” – that were written by Prince, with whom Davis had a mutual admiration and friendship. Available in 2-CD and 2-LP formats as part of Black Music Month, MERCI MILES! LIVE AT VIENNE is a stirring valediction from one of the giants of 20th century music.
5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion (Album of the Day)
The seismic cultural changes wrought by 1967 are apparent on The Incredible String Band's 5000 SPIRITS OR THE LAYERS OF THE ONION; from the cover to the grooves, it's an embrace of the psychedelic unimaginable from their debut a year earlier. Singer-songwriters Mike Heron and Robin Williamson had amassed a variety of exotic instruments including sitar, gimbri and oud to weave a multi-tracked tapestry with the help of esteemed U.K. folk-rock producer Joe Boyd. Among the highlights on the collection are "The Hedgehog's Song," “Painting Box” and “First Girl I Loved,” later covered by both Judy Collins and Jackson Browne. Paul McCartney and David Bowie were also huge fans of 5000 SPIRITS OR THE LAYERS OF THE ONION – and its whimsical, imaginative music will make you one, too.
Broken Arrow (Album of the Day)
Released 25 years ago today, BROKEN ARROW shows Neil Young is an absolute master of thundering, mood-evoking guitar jams. Crazy Horse axeman Frank "Poncho" Sampedro, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina had been backing the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer off and on since the 1970s, and at this point their interplay is near-telepathic. From the trio of epics (“Big Time,” “Loose Change” and “Slip Away”) that open the Reprise collection to the live Jimmy Reed cover (“Baby What You Want Me to Do”) that closes it, Neil's in strong voice and his lyrics are thought-provoking and direct. Like the Buffalo Springfield song that shares its name, BROKEN ARROW is another gem from one of the most vital singer-songwriters of all time.