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Pretenders II (Album of the Day)
The glamour shot on the sleeve of PRETENDERS II underlines the stardom the band had achieved with their remarkable debut. Producer Chris Thomas returned for the 1981 Sire set, which like its predecessor combines moments of tender beauty (“Talk Of The Town”) with tough-as-nails rockers (“Message Of Love,” “The Adultress”) and a Kinks cover for good measure (“I Go To Sleep”). Though the album went Top Ten in the U.S., its high quality was somewhat taken for granted upon original release - until the deaths the following year of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon closed the book on the original quartet. Released 35 years ago today, PRETENDERS II shows one of the greatest groups of the 1980s firing on all cylinders.
One Quiet Night (Album of the Day)
Among contemporary jazz's most gifted guitarists, Pat Metheny may be best known as a group leader and fusion specialist, but ONE QUIET NIGHT shows he's just as impressive in solo acoustic mode. Built on an improvised session cut in the performer's home studio, the 2003 Warner Bros. collection features eight new compositions plus distinctive takes on Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why," Keith Jarrett's "My Song,” Gerry and the Pacemakers' "Ferry Cross the Mersey" and the Metheny Group's earlier "Last Train Home.” Played on a baritone guitar in an unusual low tuning, these songs are soulful, intimate and perfect for a relaxing evening. Today we wish Pat Metheny a happy birthday with Best New Age Album Grammy winner ONE QUIET NIGHT.
Tarantula (Expanded) (Album of the Day)
By the time of Ride's fourth studio album, primary songwriters Andy Bell and Mark Gardener were barely speaking, and the quartet's break-up was announced shortly before TARANTULA arrived in stores in March of 1996. Needless to say, the album got little promotion and quickly vanished – which is a shame, as it includes some fine music (even if these riff-driven songs are closer in spirit to the Brit-pop of the day than the shoegaze of the band's first recordings). Bell carries most of the weight here, as writer and lead vocalist on 9 of the 12 originals, among them such highlights as “Black Nite Crash” and “Dead Man.” The Expanded Edition of TARANTULA includes a trio of B-sides as bonus tracks, and we'll give the set another spin today in honor of Andy Bell's birthday.
Like A Virgin (Album of the Day)
While Madonna's debut was a big hit, it was on her follow-up, LIKE A VIRGIN, where she truly grabbed the reins of superstardom. Produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers (and featuring instrumental work from that band's Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson), the album was a savvy mix of Madonna originals and outside material including such singles as “Angel,” “Dress You Up,” “Material Girl” and the title track. With iconic videos of the last two songs in heavy rotation on MTV, the set soared to No.1 on the U.S. chart, becoming the first solo album by a female artist to sell more than 5 million copies on this day in 1985. Diverse, ambitious and endlessly listenable, LIKE A VIRGIN is one of the defining albums of the decade.
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.