Content tagged ''
Vision Thing (Album of the Day)
For 1990's VISION THING, Sisters of Mercy served up a critique of contemporary politics, drawing its title from one of President George H. W. Bush's remarks. The U.K. band's sardonic take on the subject is perfectly matched by the music here, a dark but danceable mix of goth, industrial and metal. With group mainstay Andrew Eldritch's deep vocals couched in heavy guitar riffs and insistent beats (from drum machine “Doktor Avalanche”), songs like “Ribbons,” “More” and the title track become instant Sisters classics. Recorded with the lineup in flux, the outstanding VISION THING is the group's last studio set to date, and has just been given a vinyl boxed set reissue with the original album joined by three 12" singles from the era.
Penthouse (Album of the Day)
GI (Album of the Day)
The Germs emerged from the Hollywood club scene with a string of shows legendary for their chaos, in which food, broken glass or performers threatened to fly off the stage at any moment. Naturally they got banned at a lot of places; the quartet used the pseudonym GI (for “Germs Incognito”) to skirt the ban - and as the title of their debut album. The 1979 Slash Records collection was produced by former Runaway Joan Jett, who brings enough discipline to the proceedings that distinctive songs and performances emerge from the intense rush of sound. These 16 tracks, including “Richie Dagger's Crime" and the classic “Lexicon Devil,” show frontman Darby Crash to be a visionary lyricist, and future Foo Fighter Pat Smear to be a forceful guitarist. Smear celebrates a birthday today, and in his honor, we'll crank up the L.A. hardcore punk landmark GI.
Whatevershebringswesing (Album of the Day)
As a founding member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers helped make Canterbury, England, a wellspring of progressive rock, and his solo work continued to push musical boundaries. The 1971 Harvest collection WHATEVERSHEBRINGSWESING is often cited as the singer-songwriter's best, and the invention and charm of these eight tracks makes that tough to argue. Opener “There Is Loving/Among Us” show the wonders Ayers could work with a budget for orchestration, “Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes” adds a touch of early rock, avant-garde “Song From The Bottom Of A Well” puts future hitmaker Mike Oldfield's bass to good use, while the title track reunites our hero with another former Softie, Robert Wyatt, for some sublime harmonizing. Albums this experimental are rarely so accessible, and the delightfully eccentric WHATEVERSHEBRINGSWESING will make you want to sing whatever Ayers brings.
…And Justice For All (Album of the Day)
Metallica's fourth album, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, was their final one with longtime producer Flemming Rasmussen, their first full-length release with bassist Jason Newsted ... and the band's commercial breakthrough, quickly going multi-platinum. The set's nine epic songs include “Harvester Of Sorrow,” “Eye Of The Beholder” and “One,” a Top 40 hit single that later won a Best Metal Performance Grammy. Featuring complex song structures and lyrics about assaults on civil liberties and the environment that couldn't be more timely, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL remains among the most ambitious and inspiring hard rock albums of the last quarter century, and we'll give it another spin today in honor of vocalist James Hetfield's birthday.
Loud Hailer (Album of the Day)
Six years after his last studio album, two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Beck delivers the goods once again with LOUD HAILER. The name refers to a megaphone, and the new Atco collection isn’t shy about speaking its mind - its topical lyrics make striking statements about everything from the love of power, to the power of love. To help him write the 11 songs on LOUD HAILER, the legendary performer enlisted two fierce young females from London, fellow guitarist Carmen Vandenberg and singer Rosie Bones; the core trio was joined in the studio by drummer Davide Sollazzi and bassist Giovanni Pallotti. From the intense opener “The Revolution Will Be Televised” and riotous rocker “Live In The Dark” (the set's first single) to the reflective ballad “Scared For The Children” and instrumental “Pull It,” Jeff Beck's fluid fretwork dazzles throughout LOUD HAILER.
The Best of Sonny & Cher (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1971, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour debuted on prime time TV, putting its stars on paths that led far beyond music (Sonny would later be elected mayor of Palm Springs; Cher became an Oscar winner for Moonstruck). But Salvatore “Sonny” Bono and Cherilyn “Cher” Sarkisian first found fame as L.A. recording artists, and THE BEST OF SONNY & CHER shows that their music was no joke. Its dozen tracks, all cut for Atco during the duo's mid-'60s heyday, include such Top 10 favorites as “The Beat Goes On,” “Laugh At Me” and signature song “I Got You Babe.” Their first compilation, THE BEST OF SONNY & CHER spent more than a year on the Billboard album chart upon its 1967 release, and it still rings with Sunset Strip folk-rock magic.
Snakes & Arrows (Album of the Day)
Canadian progressive trio Rush ended their Atlantic Records tenure on a high note with SNAKES & ARROWS. The 2007 release is among the most well-recorded of the band's career, recalling the richly layered textures of Rush's '70s classics – even if songs like “Far Cry,” “Spindrift” and “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)” are darker thematically than their early work. The set was shaped to a degree by the Internet; producer Nick Raskulinecz volunteered his services after seeing online posts about the group's recording plans, and the 'net allowed California-based lyricist Neil Peart to collaborate more easily with bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in Toronto. If technology facilitated the recording, the singing and playing are as organic as ever, and “Malignant Narcissism” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Geddy Lee celebrates a birthday today, and we'll cue up the Top 10 hit SNAKES & ARROWS in his honor.
40 Golden Greats (Album of the Day)
Don't dismiss Cliff Richard with other early 1960s teen idols; along with his band The Shadows, he practically invented British rock 'n' roll. Epochal rocker “Move It” opens 40 GOLDEN GREATS, a well-chosen survey of the still-active performer's influential early recordings. Richard's first double album - a No.1 U.K. hit upon its 1977 release – includes classic group and solo sides, soundtrack recordings and his mid-'70s comeback single “Devil Woman” (which became the performer's biggest stateside hit). Sir Cliff has been an entertainment icon in England for nearly 60 years, and 40 GOLDEN GREATS shows why.
Unforgettable: With Love (Album of the Day)
With more than a decade of R&B hits for Capitol and Epic to her credit, Natalie Cole must've surprised longtime fans with her Elektra Records debut, UNFORGETTABLE … WITH LOVE. From its evocative George Hurrell B&W cover photo to its final notes, the album is a tribute to the sophisticated pop of an earlier era – specifically that of her father, legendary performer Nat King Cole. The collection recreates 22 of his signature songs including “Mona Lisa,” “Straighten Up And Fly Right” and “Unforgettable,” arranged as a duet between Natalie and her dad. On this day in 1991, the set began a five-week run at No.1 on the U.S. chart; it would go on to win three Grammys, including Album Of The Year. While several artists have mined the Great American Songbook for hits in the years since, Cole's UNFORGETTABLE … WITH LOVE remains among the most heartfelt and beautiful.