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Todd (Album of the Day)
Todd Rundgren's fifth longplayer, TODD, took the experimental approach of A WIZARD, A TRUE STAR one step further. A double album – the performer's second – the collection is still peppered with the radio-friendly pop-rock (“A Dream Goes on Forever”) that made Rundgren a true star, but the self-produced 1974 set revels in taking musical left turns. Novelties (“An Elpee's Worth of Tunes”), hard rock (“Heavy Metal Kids”) and even a Gilbert & Sullivan cover (“Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song”) are all fair game here. There's plenty of virtuoso instrumental work, and the glee with which our hero explores the sonic possibilities of the synthesizer is contagious. Released 45 years ago this month, TODD is both challenging and exhilarating, and that's probably why it remains such a favorite among fans.
The Complete ATCO Recordings (Album of the Day)
Though not as famous as her older sister Dionne, Dee Dee Warwick made some wonderful R&B records of her own in a career spanning more than two decades. Following a stint on Mercury, Dee Dee signed with Atlantic Records in 1970 and over the next two years cut the 35 tracks heard on THE COMPLETE ATCO RECORDINGS. The double-disc collection includes Warwick's superb TURNING AROUND in its entirety; recorded at Miami's Criteria Studios with producer Dave Crawford, the album is highlighted by Grammy-nominated R&B hit “She Didn't Know (She Kept On Talking).” Along with non-LP singles and compilation-only tracks, the set includes a dozen previously unreleased sides that further underline Dee Dee's strength as a soul singer. With terrific remastered sound, THE COMPLETE ATCO RECORDINGS showcases a talent that shouldn't stand in anyone's shadow.
The Smiths (Album of the Day)
Released 35 years ago today, The Smith's self-titled debut inaugurated a new era in British alternative music. The Sire collection featured balefully crooned, literate lyrics paired with jangly Rickenbacker guitar work; songs like “Hand In Glove” and “What Difference Does It Make?” were quite unlike anything else on radio at the time. Strange as this new sound was, there was something deeply affecting about Morrissey's fey, worldly persona and guitarist Johnny Marr's precise arrangements, and listeners responded, driving the collection to #2 on the U.K. chart. The first of numerous triumphs for the Manchester quartet, THE SMITHS stands as one of the landmark albums of the 1980s.
Inside Your Love (Album of the Day)
George Benson is a superb singer as well as a gifted guitarist, and both sides of his talent are on full display on LIVIN' INSIDE YOUR LOVE. The 1979 Warner Bros. collection, helmed by producer Tommy LiPuma, is actually a double album, with a dozen tracks that let the man stretch out and play. With such greats in the band as drummer Steve Gadd and fellow fretman Earl Klugh (who penned the title track), the instrumental work is immaculate. Yet given the eclectic mix of material – which includes Goffin-King and Sam Cooke covers as well as three Benson originals - there are also some fine vocal numbers. A super-smooth fusion of pop, jazz and R&B, the gold-certified LIVIN' INSIDE YOUR LOVE is well worth revisiting this Black History Month.
Practical Magic (Music From the Motion Picture) (Album of the Day)
Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as sister witches trying to break a curse that kills men who fall in love with them in romantic comedy PRACTICAL MAGIC. The 1998 film strikes a variety of tones, so its soundtrack is an eclectic brew of genres and artists. Along with score by composer Alan Silvestri, the tracks include romantic favorites by country (Faith Hill), R&B (Marvin Gaye) and rock (Elvis Presley) hitmakers as well as off-the-beaten-path selections from singer-songwriters Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell. Musical enchantress Stevie Nicks contributes a pair of performances: “If You Ever Did Believe” and a new version of her “Crystal” (both of which feature back-up vocals by Sheryl Crow). As perfectly matched to their scenes as these songs are, they're also plenty of fun on their own, and PRACTICAL MAGIC (MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE) will cast a spell over listeners.
Remain in Light (Album of the Day)
“And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” The amazing “Once In A Lifetime” only hinted at the burst of creativity on Talking Heads' REMAIN IN LIGHT. The 1980 Sire album finds the quartet incorporating African polyrhythms into its music, as well as making innovative use of loops and samples as instrumental tracks. Brian Eno returns as producer (guitarist Adrian Belew and funk keyboard great Bernie Worrell also contribute to the album), helping strike an appealing balance between danceable grooves (“Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On),” “Crosseyed And Painless”) and more experimental fare (“Houses In Motion,” “The Overload”). While outlets ranging from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork to Slant have called REMAIN IN LIGHT one of the best albums of the 1980s, it has a thrilling sense of discovery that remains of-the-moment.
In Through The Out Door (Album of the Day)
IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR would be Led Zeppelin's final studio album before the group disbanded in the wake of John Bonham's death. Its seven songs (which include such classic rock radio anthems as “In The Evening” and “All My Love”) show the quartet adding Latin and country touches to their powerful blues-based rock, and John Paul Jones' synthesizers are as prominent here as Jimmy Page's riffing guitars. While the group members were exploring new directions, they never abandoned their core strengths and the 1979 set is a highly satisfying swan song for the legendary band. We'll give IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR another spin now to wish John Paul Jones a very happy birthday.
Jump! (Album of the Day)
As a composer, performer and arranger, Van Dyke Parks has championed the rich history of American popular music in all its forms for nearly half a century, and JUMP! is one of his most delightful creations. The 1984 Warner Bros. collection uses the Uncle Remus folktales of Joel Chandler Harris as a jumping-off point, with Br'er Rabbit and his brethren as central characters in a song cycle of the South. Like the soundtrack to a Broadway musical of your dreams, the album couches Park's witty wordplay in such styles as bluegrass, ragtime, hot jazz and Tin Pan Alley, with a strong studio band (including such friends as Jennifer Warnes, Danny Hutton and Jim Keltner) behind the singer-songwriter. As Van Dyke Parks just celebrated a birthday, it's the perfect time to JUMP! into this rewarding record.
Los Angeles (Album of the Day)
X marked the spot on the Los Angeles punk map, and when the band's 1980 debut for Slash Records hit the streets, it made the quartet standard-bearers for “the unheard music.” While LOS ANGELES was a bracing look forward, it also cast a backward glance at the city's rich rock history; Ray Manzarek of The Doors produced the set and contributes keyboards to a cover of “Soul Kitchen.” John Doe and Exene Cervenka's tales of urban desperation (“Johnny Hit and Run Paulene,” “Nausea”) remain indelible thanks to their careening, intertwined vocals and the spare, rockabilly-flavored drive of guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D.J. Bonebrake. Named one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone, the electrifying LOS ANGELES still captivates listeners far beyond the City of Angels.
1984 (Album of the Day)
Most bands who'd experienced the success that Van Halen had wouldn't mess with the formula; fortunately the L.A. quartet wasn't like most bands. “Eddie Van Halen discovered the synthesizer” was how producer Ted Templeman explained the remarkable success of 1984, released 35 years ago today. While the Warner Bros. collection doesn't skimp on the group's trademark hard rock (“Panama," “Hot for Teacher”), the keyboard-driven “Jump” and “I'll Wait” are just as exhilarating. The former was Van Halen's first No.1 hit single, and the good-time anthem will still make you jump for joy when singer David Lee Roth takes his place against the record machine for the chorus. The final album by the original foursome, 1984 was also one of Van Halen's biggest hits, selling more than 10 million copies in the U.S alone.