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But Seriously, Folks... (Album of the Day)
Joe Walsh started releasing solo albums shortly after his stint in The James Gang and just because he joined one of the world's most successful groups – Eagles – that didn't mean he would stop. His fourth studio set, BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS... arrived in stores between HOTEL CALIFORNIA and THE LONG RUN, and his Eagles bandmates and producer Bill Szymczyk all make appearances. Spirit keyboardist Jay Ferguson also lends his talents, but the 1978 Asylum collection is still Joe's all the way, his wry sense of humor and ace guitar licks energizing every song. If “At the Station,” “Over and Over” and #12 hit “Life's Been Good” got the most airplay, this is nonetheless an album designed as a cohesive whole, and every track on the Platinum-certified BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS... has something worthwhile to offer.
Make Way for Dionne Warwick (Album of the Day)
The three confident poses on the cover of MAKE WAY FOR DIONNE WARWICK show a performer ready for stardom, and this set put Dionne on the pop album chart for the first time. The 1964 Scepter collection (her third) was produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and the team supply all but three of the dozen songs here. “You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart),” “Reach Out for Me” and the iconic “Walk On By” were all successful singles for Warwick, and if her versions of “Wishin' and Hopin'” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You” are less famous than those by Dusty Springfield and The Carpenters, they're still beautifully sung and arranged. Today we'll give MAKE WAY FOR DIONNE WARWICK another spin to wish the legendary vocalist a happy birthday.
In-A-Gadda-Vida (Album of the Day)
Iron Butterfly's second album, IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA, featured five fine originals on the first side ranging from Summer-of-Love pop to proto-metal, but listeners really hit paydirt when they flipped the record over. Powered by Doug Ingle's hypnotic organ riff and ominous vocals (and one of the all-time great drum solos from Ron Bushy), the 17-minute title track is the ultimate in acid rock. This month in 1968, the collection was certified Gold; it would go on to sell more than 4 million copies and earn the first-ever R.I.A.A. Platinum sales certification. The gloriously excessive IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA is more than Iron Butterfly's magnum opus – it's a '60s touchstone.
In Concert (Album of the Day)
Released 55 years ago, Peter, Paul & Mary's IN CONCERT captures these leading lights of the 1960s folk boom at the peak of their powers. A Top 10 hit, the 1964 collection has its share of activist anthems, opening with Bob Dylan's then-new “The Times They Are A-Changin'” and closing with The Weavers classic “If I Had A Hammer.” But those songs are part of a broad mix of original and traditional material delivered with a surprising dose of humor and the matchless harmonies for which PP & M had become famous. The Warner Bros. double album spotlights both the group's commitment to social justice and their talents as consummate entertainers, making IN CONCERT perhaps an even better representation of the trio than their studio albums.
LifeLines (Album of the Day)
In The Wind (Album of the Day)
Album 1700 (Album of the Day)
For their seventh studio set, named ALBUM 1700 after its Warner Bros. catalog number, Peter, Paul and Mary took some cues from pop culture, starting with a Bonnie and Clyde-inspired cover pose. The music was also in keeping with 1967, featuring fuller folk-rock arrangements with backing musicians (including Paul Butterfield) and a Top Ten single, “I Dig Rock And Roll Music,” that name-checks several contemporary hitmakers. As on the group's earlier releases, magnificent harmonies take center stage, and there's an interesting take on Dylan (“Bob Dylan's Dream”), though the collection's most famous track spotlighted then unknown songwriter John Denver – whose “Leaving On A Jet Plane” would give PP&M their only No.1 hit. Of course the politically aware trio also included some social commentary on ALBUM 1700, making it a good one to spin on a local election day.
PopArt: The Hits (Album of the Day)
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are among pop’s greatest hit-makers. From the storied UK duo’s very first single, 1984’s instantly classic and iconic “West End Girls” (which eventually hit #1 in both the US and the UK), the Pet Shop Boys have consistently released innovative and thrilling pop music for nearly 40 years. It was November 2003 when the Pet Shop Boys’ top 20 singles(along with a pair of new tracks) were collected on the double-CD compilation PopArt: The Hits. Divided into “Pop” hits on one disc, and “Art” hits on the other, the “Pop” side featured “Always on My Mind,” PSB’s 1987 take on Elvis Presley’s 1972 hit. The group performed their version on Love Me Tender, a 1987 TV special on the ITV network in the UK commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. The performance was so well received that on December 19, 1987, “Always on My Mind” hit #1 on the UK singles chart, where it stayed for four weeks straight.
Kylie Christmas (Album of the Day)
Australia's reigning pop princess, Kylie Minogue has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, and though it took her a while to get to a holiday album – KYLIE CHRISTMAS was her 13th studio set – the results were worth the wait. Co-produced by her longtime musical director Steve Anderson, the 2015 collection offers a little something for everyone, from time-honored classics (“It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” bookend the album) to more recent yuletide songs by The Waitresses, Pretenders and Coldplay to such originals as “Christmas Isn't Christmas 'Til You Get Here.” The arrangements are varied as well, and guest stars include Iggy Pop, James Corden and Frank Sinatra (via a vintage recording of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”). Have a Merry KYLIE CHRISTMAS this year!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Album of the Day)
Aren't the best presents under the Christmas tree always a surprise? No one would've guessed that Scott Weiland, Grammy-winning lead singer of alt-rock hitmakers Stone Temple Pilots, had a holiday album in him. THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR shows the performer's a soft spot for pop vocalists of decades past with versions of “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song” that would have made Crosby and Cole nod in admiration. But the 10 tracks here also include a few less-traditional takes on seasonal standards; “O Holy Night” gets some reggae flavor and “Silent Night” a bossa nova beat. A labor of love for the Christmas music he grew up on, Scott Weiland's THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR is pretty wonderful, indeed.