Content tagged ''
Dirty Computer (Album of the Day)
Janelle Monáe's DIRTY COMPUTER was among the final projects that Prince worked on and the Atlantic set has an ambition and inclusive approach to genre that would've made the Purple One proud. While still displaying some of the concept-album moves of her two preceding collections, there's more of Monáe in this one; its outspoken lyrics and confident delivery are clearly personal. Among the many highlights here are “Make Me Feel,” “Crazy, Classic, Life” and female-empowerment anthem “Pynk,” which features vocals by Grimes (other notable guests include Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Pharrell Williams). A Top 10 hit that garnered an Album of the Year Grammy nomination, DIRTY COMPUTER was cited by such outlets as The Associated Press, NPR and Time magazine as one of 2018's best, and it's still a knockout.
Together (Album of the Day)
Released in 1977 as the disco era was near its peak, TOGETHER was Sister Sledge's second album and shows the quartet well on their way to becoming dance-floor icons. Recorded at New York City's Power Station with producers (and Silver Convention masterminds) Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, the Cotillion collection has uptempo numbers like “Blockbuster Boy” and “Cream of the Crop” to get you moving and a high funk factor thanks to a couple of Stevie Wonder and Allen Toussaint covers as well as “Do the Funky Do,” one of three Sister-penned songs here. Including ballads and the Brazilian-tinged “Can't Mess Around with Love,” there's much beyond Eurodisco here, and TOGETHER Kathy, Debbie, Joni and Kim Sledge harmonize as beautifully as ever.
The Divine Feminine (Album of the Day)
Released 5 years ago today, THE DIVINE FEMININE was Mac Miller's exploration of relationships both romantic and platonic. The Warner Bros. collection pairs the alternative rapper with a legion of top producers (including Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi and Frank Dukes) and the star power extends to the microphone as well, with Kendrick Lamar, CeeLo Green and Ariana Grande among the many guests. Mac sings and raps from the heart on such tracks as “Dang!,” “We” and “My Favorite Part,” and the album really connected with listeners, reaching #2 on the Billboard chart. We'll leave the last word on THE DIVINE FEMININE to Pitchfork, which said, “It's easily his most intoxicating release yet, an odyssey of soulful compositions paring down his expansive and eclectic soundboard from the last few years into something distinctly cozy and pleasant.”
I Got a Name (Album of the Day)
By the time of I GOT A NAME, Jim Croce's name was well established as a hitmaker and storyteller par excellence. Unfortunately, this fifth album would prove to be his last - the beloved singer-songwriter died in a plane crash on this day in 1973, a few months before the collection's release. While the tragic circumstances may have influenced sales of the Cashman-West-produced set (which reached No.2 on the Billboard chart), the high quality of the 11 tracks were sufficient to ensure success. The classic title track (originally recorded for the film The Last American Hero), “I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” and “Workin' at the Car Wash Blues” were all Top 40 singles, and even the deepest album cuts shine with humanity and fine craftsmanship. As we remember Jim Croce, I GOT A NAME is a poignant reminder of the enduring appeal of his music.
Peace Beyond Passion (Album of the Day)
Born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin, Me'shell Ndegeocello was one of the first signings to Madonna's Maverick imprint, and the buzz generated by her acclaimed debut for the label only grew with sophomore set PEACE BEYOND PASSION. The 1996 collection spun off three singles that reached Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play chart: “Stay,” “Leviticus: Faggot” and a cover of Bill Withers' “Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?,” which hit #1 on that chart. And while the grooves coursing through her music are undeniably danceable (Me'shell is a talented bassist as well as a singer-songwriter), there's also a dream-like feel to the multi-layered arrangements and thoughtful lyrics that adds to the allure. PEACE BEYOND PASSION was a Grammy nominee for Best R&B Album and remains Ndegeocello's most commercially successful collection.
Abacab (Album of the Day)
For their 11th album, ABACAB, the members of Genesis were determined to try new things, and the collection became the first produced by the group and the first recorded at their recently purchased Surrey studio, The Farm. While their prog-rock roots are still evident on such cuts as “Dodo/Lurker,” the set was the band's most accessible to date, thanks to engineer Hugh Padgham's radio-friendly sheen and hook-filled songs including the title track, “Man On The Corner” and “No Reply At All,” which features the Earth Wind & Fire horn section. Released 40 years ago this month, ABACAB was Genesis' first Top 10 hit in America, and the double-platinum album turned the trio into one of the biggest bands of the 1980s.
Coltrane's Sound (Album of the Day)
Often when a label dusts off an artist's unused recordings after they've left for another company, it's something to avoid - but when the artist is John Coltrane, all bets are off. COLTRANE'S SOUND was released in 1964, some four years after the sessions that yielded MY FAVORITE THINGS, PLAYS THE BLUES and these six tracks - and the Atlantic set shows the legendary saxophonist at the peak of his powers. Pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis and drummer Elvin Jones round out the quartet heard here, and on both originals (“Equinox,” “Central Park West”) and covers (“Body and Soul,” “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes”) the playing is sublime. Don't let the trippy cover scare you off; COLTRANE'S SOUND is among the artist's most underrated, and we'll give it a spin now on what would have been his 95th birthday.
Dancin' Undercover (Album of the Day)
After their first two smash albums, Ratt returned in 1986 with a third platinum seller, DANCIN' UNDERCOVER. Cut at Village Recorders with producer Beau Hill back behind the boards, the Atlantic collection features the polished attack that made the San Diego band stars with ten driving originals including “Dance,” “Body Talk” and “Slip of the Lip.” While vocalist Stephen Pearcy takes center stage most of the time, axeman Warren DeMartini riffs magnificently throughout the album, arguably the last of Ratt's peak period. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, DANCIN' UNDERCOVER belongs in any good glam metal collection.
Lindsey Buckingham (Album of the Day)
Over the last four decades, Lindsey Buckingham has developed a radical sense of experimentation and an unrivaled savvy as a producer. Under his direction, Fleetwood Mac became one of the best-selling and most beloved rock groups of all time and as a solo artist, Buckingham is a master of complex, inventive arrangements and innumerable instruments. His new self-titled LP on Reprise is a welcome display of the man's instantly recognizable guitar work and vocal layering, particularly on tracks such as “Power Down,” “Scream,” “Swan Song” and lead single “I Don’t Mind.” “I wanted to make a pop album, but I also wanted to make stops along the way with songs that resemble art more than pop,” notes the performer, and LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM reaffirms his status as a musical maverick and visionary.
What is Soul? (Album of the Day)
Ben E. King’s sixth solo studio album was titled WHAT IS SOUL, and few performers better embodied the music than the former Drifters lead vocalist. Bert Burns helmed the 1967 Atco collection, and the producer was himself an R&B legend, penning hits for the likes of The Isley Brothers, Solomon Burke and Garnet Mimms. While Burns contributes a number here, King is writer or co-writer on four of the dozen tracks including such highlights as “She's Gone Again,” “Katherine” and the title song. With tougher vocals and an earthier approach, the set is closer to Stax than the strings of “There Goes My Baby,” underlining King’s ability to reinvent himself (he would find further success with funk and disco in the 1970s). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was born on this day in 1938, and in his honor we’ll give WHAT IS SOUL another spin.