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Pleasant Dreams (Album of the Day)
Though the Ramones are rightfully seen as punk pioneers, 1960s radio hits were always a strong influence on the band, and PLEASANT DREAMS plays to that strength. Graham Gouldman, who penned classics for the likes of Herman's Hermits and The Yardbirds, helmed the Sire set and gives these dozen tracks clean sound even as they touch upon heavier rock territory. Joey and Dee Dee split the songwriting duties here and come up with another batch of winners including opener “We Want the Airwaves” and “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” Featuring guest appearances from Debbie Harry of Blondie, Russell Mael of Sparks and a couple of The B-52's, PLEASANT DREAMS will please any Ramones fan, and we'll cue it up in memory of Johnny Ramone, who passed away on this day in 2004.
Face Value (Album of the Day)
Phil Collins had already tasted success in Genesis, but as a solo artist he became a superstar. Initially released shortly after the performer's 30th birthday, FACE VALUE was propelled to international multi-Platinum status with the help of the smash hit "In The Air Tonight" (later used to fine effect in TV's Miami Vice when it premiered on the day in 1984). Other notable tracks on the album include the follow-up singles "I Missed Again" and "If Leaving Me Is Easy," as well as "Behind The Lines" which was written with Collins' Genesis colleagues Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Collins was going through a divorce as he was making the 1981 collection, and FACE VALUE's mix of emotionally raw balladry and upbeat R&B-tinged pop-rock remains striking.
Like a Virgin (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1984, Madonna performed the title track to LIKE A VIRGIN at the very first MTV Video Music Awards; while her debut album had been hit, it was this follow-up that launched her into the stratosphere. Produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers (and featuring instrumental work from that band's Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson), the collection was a savvy mix of Madonna originals and outside material including such singles as “Angel,” “Dress You Up” and “Material Girl.” With iconic videos in heavy rotation on MTV, the set soared to No.1 on the U.S. chart, becoming the first solo album by a female artist to sell more than 5 million copies. Diverse, ambitious and endlessly listenable, LIKE A VIRGIN is one of the defining albums of the decade.
The Other Side of the Mirror (Album of the Day)
Stevie Nicks finished off the 1980s with THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR; her fifth solo album was another Top 10 hit. Crystal visions and fantasies had been a favorite with the singer-songwriter since her Fleetwood Mac days, and this 1989 set owes a strong thematic debt to Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Among the highlights here are hit single “Rooms on Fire,” “Long Way to Go” and “Two Kinds of Love,” which features Bruce Hornsby on vocals (other celebrity guests include saxophonist Kenny G and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell). Rupert Hine – who was born on this day in 1947 – produced THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR, and the Platinum-certified collection showcases Stevie Nicks' voice beautifully.
The Other Side of the Mirror (Album of the Day)
Stevie Nicks finished off the 1980s with THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR; her fifth solo album was another Top 10 hit. Crystal visions and fantasies had been a favorite with the singer-songwriter since her Fleetwood Mac days, and this 1989 set owes a strong thematic debt to Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Among the highlights here are hit single “Rooms on Fire,” “Long Way to Go” and “Two Kinds of Love,” which features Bruce Hornsby on vocals (other celebrity guests include saxophonist Kenny G and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell). Rupert Hine – who was born on this day in 1947 – produced THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR, and the Platinum-certified collection showcases Stevie Nicks' voice beautifully.
Young Americans (Album of the Day)
While always artistically adventurous, David Bowie's reputation as a musical chameleon really began with YOUNG AMERICANS, which marked a break with the glam rock style that had made him a star. With sessions beginning at Gamble & Huff stronghold Sigma Sound in Philadelphia, the collection is steeped in funk and blue-eyed soul (or as Bowie would call it, “plastic soul”), most evident in the title track. Producer Tony Visconti was back behind the boards, and when sessions continued in New York, a new collaborator had joined the Thin White Duke: John Lennon, who can be heard on a cover of “Across the Universe” and “Fame,” which was the #1 song in America on this day in 1975. A milestone in David Bowie's career, YOUNG AMERICANS would soon leave its mark on a legion of soulful U.K. bands including Spandau Ballet, Simply Red and ABC.
Chic (Album of the Day)
New York session musicians Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards met in the early 1970s and, after working together under a couple of other names, launched Chic. The group's self-titled debut followed on Atlantic Records in 1977, and it displays the influence of such stylish rock bands as Roxy Music along with the disco sounds then in the air. This would be Chic's sole album with lead vocalist Norma Jean Wright, though her successor, Alfa Anderson, can be heard on backing vocals (along with Luther Vandross). Propelled by singles “Everybody Dance” and Top 10 hit “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),” the collection was soon certified Gold. Rodgers turns 70 today, and we'll wish the legendary writer-producer-performer a happy birthday by giving CHIC another spin.
Selling England By the Pound (Album of the Day)
Genesis' dominance of the pop charts in the 1980s and 1990s cemented their image as radio-friendly hitmakers, but there was a time when the U.K. group stood at the cutting edge of progressive rock; the band's first half-dozen albums (with singer Peter Gabriel at the microphone) are exemplars of the form. SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND, from 1973, is a remarkably effective fusion of whimsical storybook tales and muscular rock performances. The eight originals include a catchy single (“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”) as well as complex musical epics (“The Battle of Epping Forest,” “The Cinema Show”) and - shades of things to come – a lead vocal from drummer Phil Collins (“More Fool Me”). SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND reached #3 on the British chart to become Genesis' most commercially successful album to that point, and the set remains among the band's very best.
Dizzy Up The Girl (Album of the Day)
Buffalo, NY trio Goo Goo Dolls had already made a “Name” for themselves as alternative rockers to watch when they came up with a song for the City Of Angels soundtrack - and found themselves on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for a record 18 weeks. That Grammy-nominated track was featured on the band's sixth studio album, DIZZY UP THE GIRL, which was released on this day in 1998. But “Iris” wasn't the only hit there; the set's 13 originals also include the successful singles “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” “Broadway” and “Dizzy.” Produced by Rob Cavallo, the polished, hook-filled collection demonstrated that strong melodies and tough rock textures were not incompatible, and DIZZY UP THE GIRL went triple-Platinum to become Goo Goo Dolls' breakthrough album.
In the Dark (Album of the Day)
The Grateful Dead had been making music for more than 20 years before their 12th studio set, IN THE DARK, finally put them in the Top 10. The material on the 1987 collection is outstanding, with many of the originals having been workshopped by the group in concert for years; among the highlights are “Hell in a Bucket,” “Throwing Stones” and “Touch of Grey,” the band's sole Top 40 single. The album's title reflects its recording at Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, where the house lights were turned down as though an audience was present. “Everybody played their parts in real time, together,” recalled drummer Bill Kreutzmann. “When we took breaks, we'd go into the wings by the stage door and sit there and talk about what we'd just done … the analysis served the songs and the camaraderie served the band.” IN THE DARK captured lightning in a bottle and became a double-Platinum hit.