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Circles (Album of the Day)
Born Malcolm James McCormick, Mac Miller was poised for great things before his untimely death on this day in 2018. The Pittsburgh rapper was gearing up for a tour in support of his acclaimed SWIMMING album and was in the middle of sessions for a follow-up, which was released posthumously. Mac had intended CIRCLES as a companion piece to the preceding set and producer Jon Brion brought the project to remarkable fruition. Singing as well as rapping, Miller brings a broad musical vision to the collection (which includes an Arthur Lee cover, of all things), and if his lyrics are frank about his substance abuse struggles, they are also touched with hard-won wisdom. Singles “Good News” and “Blue World” were both Top 40 hits and CIRCLES reached #3 on the Billboard 200, the performer's highest album chart debut.
Year of the Cat (Album of the Day)
Though he had more than a decade under his belt as a singer-songwriter, 1976 could well be called the year of Al Stewart given his commercial breakthrough. “When I finished YEAR OF THE CAT, I thought: ‘If this isn't a hit, then I can't make a hit,” he once recalled. “We finally got the formula exactly right.” Along with Stewart's appealing melodies and nuanced narratives, Alan Parsons' luxuriant production was a key part of that formula, elevating the Top 10 title track and such fine originals as “On The Border” and historical portrait “Lord Grenville.” The Platinum-certified collection is generally acknowledged as the Scottish performer's masterpiece, and we'll cue up YEAR OF THE CAT again to wish Al Stewart a happy birthday.
Scoundrel Days (Album of the Day)
Norway's a-ha surely owed much of its popularity to MTV, but a closer listen to the group's albums makes clear that its music was worthy of that success. The 1986 set SCOUNDREL DAYS, the trio's second longplayer, takes the melodic synth-pop of their debut in a darker but equally satisfying direction. While producer Alan Tarney is back behind the boards, such strong originals as “Cry Wolf,” “Manhattan Skyline” and “The Swing of Things” show the trio had more than just love songs on their minds. A big international hit, SCOUNDREL DAYS sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and we'll give the collection another spin to wish guitarist Pal Waaktaar a happy birthday.
Fever (Album of the Day)
Kylie Minogue's knack for self-reinvention and ability to anticipate the pop zeitgeist is surely on a par with that of Madonna. More than a decade after she first reached the Top 10 (with a cover of “The Loco-Motion”), Minogue returned to U.S. record stores with FEVER. Clearly the Australian performer spent her time away polishing her craft - with a small army of top producers at work, the collection boasts a gleaming studio sheen and 14 energetic dance-pop tracks. Among the singles are “In Your Eyes,” “Love at First Sight,” the Grammy winning “Come into My World” and signature song “Can't Get You Out of My Head,” which was released on this day in 2001. Coupled with a massive supporting tour, FEVER became quite contagious, surpassing Platinum status to become Kylie Minogue's most successful album to date.
Kettle Whistle (Album of the Day)
When L.A. alternative rockers Jane's Addiction returned to performing for their 1997 “Relapse” tour, Warner Bros. marked the occasion with the release of KETTLE WHISTLE. An odds & sods-style compilation of demos, live and rare cuts, the 15-song set includes two new recordings: “So What!” and the title track (both of which feature Flea on bass). But most of this material hails from the group's late-'80s heyday, with alternate versions of such classics as “Been Caught Stealing” and “Mountain Song” joined by more than 20 minutes of a Hollywood Palladium concert that shows why the band remains legendary. We'll wish drummer Stephen Perkins a happy birthday with another spin of the gold-certified KETTLE WHISTLE.
Kellyoke (Album of the Day)
When Kelly Clarkson won the inaugural American Idol competition twenty years ago, it was only the first victory for the Texas-born vocalist. On this day in 2019, The Kelly Clarkson Show premiered on TV and the variety talk program has earned more than a dozen Daytime Emmy Awards. Most episodes include a cover song performed by Clarkson, and that popular feature provided the inspiration for the new KELLYOKE. The six tracks on the Atlantic EP range from classic country (Roy Orbison's “Blue Bayou”) to R&B (Whitney Houston's “Queen of the Night”) to contemporary indie pop (Billie Eilish's “Happier Than Ever”). KELLYOKE offers an irresistible taste of the versatility that made Kelly Clarkson a star.
Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway (Album of the Day)
These two Howard University alums had crossed paths briefly (Roberta Flack’s first two albums included some Donny Hathaway songs) before Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler teamed the acclaimed performers for a duets album. The 10 tracks on this release include a couple of successful singles – “You’ve Got A Friend,” which was issued at the same time as James Taylor’s version, and “Where Is The Love,” which peaked at #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week in 1972 (and would go on to win a Grammy the following year). A million-selling hit, this wonderful collection of standards and originals shows that ROBERTA FLACK AND DONNY HATHAWAY were true musical soulmates.
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.