Content tagged 'aod'

Three years after the smash AGENT PROVOCATEUR, Foreigner returned with INSIDE INFORMATION. The 1987 collection was the band's sixth studio album for Atlantic Records – and their last featuring the core quartet of guitarist/keyboardist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, bassist Rick Wills and drummer Dennis Elliott. Jones and Gramm came up with another fine set of originals here, including Top 10 hits “Say You Will” and “I Don't Want to Live Without You,” and the album earned a Platinum sales certification. Neatly balancing the group's signature guitar rock with '80s electronics, INSIDE INFORMATION was produced by Mick Jones, and we'll give it another spin now to celebrate the Foreigner founder's birthday.

Already a star with prog-rockers Genesis, Phil Collins launched his solo career in spectacular fashion with 1981's “In The Air Tonight.” Co-produced by Hugh Padgham (who would become a regular Collins collaborator), the single reached #2 on the chart in the singer's native England, and through frequent use in film and TV soundtracks and samples it has become one of the performer's most recognizable hits. The track's stark atmosphere reflects the anger and recrimination of the lyrics, written in the aftermath of a wrenching divorce, and makes the famous gated reverb drum solo particularly cathartic. As Phil pointed out in a much-retweeted message, if you start the recording at 11:56:40 on December 31^st, that drum break will play just as the clock strikes midnight. To get your New Year going, “In The Air Tonight” is our Song of the Day.

Otis Redding's debut, PAIN IN MY HEART, promised great things to come from the Georgia-born performer. The 1964 collection was recorded at Stax in Memphis, with studio co-founder Jim Stewart behind the boards and house band Booker T. & The M.G.'s (augmented by keyboardist Isaac Hayes) behind Redding to provide instrumentation that packed a real punch. About half the album consists of covers, and from “You Send Me” to “Lucille,” Otis proves equally at ease singing simmering ballads and uptempo shouters. Originals including the pulsing “Security” and “These Arms of Mine” (Redding's breakthrough single) show him to be a gifted songwriter to boot. Released 55 years ago today, PAIN IN MY HEART will bring joy to the heart of any '60s R&B fan

Depeche Mode songwriter Martin Gore may have described the British band's sixth studio album as “anything but music for the masses,” but the 1987 collection's tongue-in-cheek title had more than a little truth to it. MUSIC FOR THE MASSES ventures into darker goth territory than some of the group's earlier work, with such tracks as “Pimpf” showing off their experimental side, but given such hook-filled songs as opener “Never Let Me Down Again,” “Behind the Wheel” and “Strangelove,” the stadium-filling success of the supporting tour seems inevitable. Greeted with critical acclaim as well as a platinum RIAA certification, MUSIC FOR THE MASSES was a major breakthrough for Depeche Mode, and we'll give it another spin now to wish lead singer David Gahan a happy birthday.

From the opening notes of “Bittersweet,” it's clear the Hoodoo Gurus have upped their game on MARS NEEDS GUITARS. The Sydney quartet's second album has the retro-'60s orientation of their debut, but with a more polished, mature sound that suits these 10 originals well. “Death Defying,” “Poison Pen” and surf-tinged “”Like Wow – Wipeout” were additional Australian singles from the pen of frontman Dave Faulkner, but several other tracks on this consistently engaging set could have also made the cut, pairing clever lyrics with power-pop/garage-rock punch. The 1985 collection made the lower rungs of the Billboard chart, and exposure on college radio and MTV gave the Gurus a foothold in America that lasted through the end of the decade. But the appeal of this outstanding album transcends both its time and geographic origins – MARS NEEDS GUITARS, and so do you

By the time of MAKING MOVIES' 1980 release, it was clear that Dire Straits had few peers when it came to literate, roots-informed rock. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Mark Knopfler was always the British band's focal point – even more so with the departure of brother David on this third album - but the frontman rose to the occasion. With arrangements as ambitious as its cover art is minimal, the Warner Bros. set features seven cinematically rich originals including “Romeo and Juliet,” “Tunnel of Love” and “Solid Rock.” The collection was co-produced by Jimmy Iovine, who called on old friend (and E Street Band member) Roy Bittan to add his distinctive keyboard work to the mix. Both passionate and poetic, MAKING MOVIES was a hit with fans, reaching platinum certification, and remains among Dire Straits' very best.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS marked a strong return to form for the Pretenders. The baker's dozen songs include originals ranging from tough (“Rebel Rock Me”) to tender (the classic anthem “I'll Stand by You”), with a couple of great covers to boot (the performance of Dylan's “Forever Young” is particularly stirring). Cut in London, the album was helmed by Smiths producer Stephen Street, Tears for Fears' Ian Stanley and the venerable Chris Thomas, who'd done the honors on three previous Pretenders collections. Also returning to the fold is original drummer Martin Chambers (and for one track, guitarist Robbie McIntosh), though with her commanding vocals, the record undoubtedly belongs to Chrissie Hynde. The final Pretenders set for Sire Records, the gold-certified LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS brings the initial chapter of the band's history to a terrific close.

Dead & Company was formed in 2015 when the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir joined forces with artist and musician John Mayer, Allman Brothers' bassist Oteil Burbridge, and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. The result was one of the most successful touring bands of the decade; the group has played to more than 1.5 million fans and become a record-breaking stadium act. Dead & Company recently launched a digital concert series to release complete shows on download and streaming services, and the new BEST OF: LIVE SHOWS features highlights from 7 concerts drawn from the band's 2017 fall tour and a trio of 2018 shows in Mexico. The playlist includes outstanding versions of such favorites as “Deal,” “Estimated Prophet” and “China Doll,” and today we'll cue it up to wish Bill Kreutzmann a happy birthday.

Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards formed Chic in 1976 after Rodgers was inspired by seeing Roxy Music play live in London; a year later, the band signed with Atlantic Records, where they helped define the pop and disco genres with a string of unstoppable hits. The new digital collection RARITIES, ODDITIES AND EXCLUSIVES brings together 17 rare mixes and hard-to-find tracks from the legendary group. Picking up where last year’s Chic Organization boxed set left off, the set includes a 12” remix of “Chic Mystique,” a #1 hit for the band in 1982; “Tavern On The Green” from the Soup For One soundtrack, plus four remixes of “Le Freak” from 2014 by Chic & Aristofreeks. If the versions on RARITIES, ODDITIES AND EXCLUSIVES are unfamiliar to listeners, they are all recognizable as the work of one of the greatest dance bands in history.

If “Green Onions” notified the world that Booker T. & the M.G.'s were among the country's greatest R&B players, then SOUL DRESSING sealed the deal. The 1965 album, produced by Stax Studios co-founder Jim Stewart, was largely a collection of single sides from the preceding two years, but it's a testament to the Memphis group's talents that it all sounds so consistently soulful. Barring a cover of Don Covay's “Mercy Mercy,” the dozen songs here are all original, highlighted by such favorites as “Tic-Tac-Toe,” “Plum Nellie” and the title track. It may be all instrumental, but the simmering Hammond organ of Booker T. Jones and the stinging guitar of Steve Cropper are as distinctive as any vocalist. For a funky good time, pour on the SOUL DRESSING.