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Crossings (Album of the Day)
A Kennedy Center honoree on this day in 2013, keyboardist Herbie Hancock first came to prominence in Miles Davis' quintet, going solo in the late 1960s as the legendary trumpeter began exploring jazz fusion. Herbie's own exploration of that sound can be heard on a trio of albums he cut for Warner Bros. concluding with 1972's CROSSINGS. That set consists of three epic workouts: Hancock's side-long five-part suite “Sleeping Giant” and saxophonist Bennie Maupin's “Quasar” and “Water Torture.” Though about half of the sextet here are horn players, Patrick Gleeson's Moog and Herbie's work on electric piano and Mellotron steer things straight into outer space. Featuring soundscapes that are by turns beautifully alluring, funky and just plain weird, CROSSINGS is ripe for rediscovery by electronic fans as well as jazz buffs.
Strange Days (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Though The Doors’ debut was one of the musical highlights of 1967, it wasn’t the L.A. quartet’s only album that year. STRANGE DAYS followed in September and was another hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard chart and featuring classics like “Love Me Two Times,” “When The Music’s Over” and the title track. Mixing new songs written on the road with some penned before the band’s debut, the Elektra collection benefits from an increased budget, access to an eight-track recorder and additional time to experiment in the studio. A new 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the platinum-selling set has just arrived in stores; produced by the album’s original engineer, Bruce Botnick, the double CD includes remastered versions of the original stereo and mono mixes of the album along with new liner notes and previously unseen photographs. Doors frontman Jim Morrison was born on this day in 1943, and we’ll wish the Lizard King a happy birthday with STRANGE DAYS.
Under Rug Swept (Album of the Day)
On this day in 2002, Alanis Morissette released her fifth studio album, UNDER RUG SWEPT. Largely a return to the raw nerves and punchy arrangements of JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the collection shows Alanis quite capable of crafting powerful music without the assistance of Glen Ballard. Originals like “Hands Clean,” “Precious Illusions” and “Narcissus” display her gift for wrapping thoughtful and impassioned lyrics in memorable melodies and varied arrangements. But as assured as Morissette is in the studio, the subject matter of these 11 songs show her still looking for fulfilling relationships and a sense of belonging, making UNDER RUG SWEPT emotionally resonant as well as compulsively listenable.
My Son The Nut (Album of the Day)
After a pair of LPs steeped in Jewish humor, Allan Sherman broadened his comedic approach with MY SON THE NUT, and the third time proved the charm. The 1963 Warner Bros. collection spent nearly two months at No.1 on the Billboard album chart, a remarkable feat even in the golden age of comedy records. “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)” just missed the top spot on the singles chart - and won a Grammy to boot - and though it's the most famous track here, Sherman's dozen song parodies are all sly gems, lampooning such timeless topics as suburbia, the English language and weight loss. The million-selling MY SON THE NUT was the pinnacle of Allan Sherman's career, and decades later still brings smiles to listeners' faces.
Curtis Live! (Album of the Day)
As one of the founders of '60s hitmakers The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield was instrumental in the development of soul, giving the music both a hauntingly sweet voice and a deep spirituality. He went solo in 1970, and songs from Mayfield's self-titled debut including “(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go” and such Impressions classics as “People Get Ready” and “Gypsy Woman” are brilliantly reinterpreted on CURTIS/LIVE! Cut at New York City's Bitter End club in 1971 (a year before SUPERFLY), this double album is one of the best R&B concert recordings ever, and shows how masterfully Curtis could work an audience. In 1991, this day was declared "Curtis Mayfield Day" by the city of Los Angeles, though the magnificent CURTIS/LIVE! gives good reason to remember the singer/songwriter every day.
I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (Album of the Day)
As the opening track on NUGGETS, “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)” introduced many to garage rock; a few years before that seminal compilation, it helped introduce The Electric Prunes as the title track to their debut album. The 1967 Reprise collection also included the Seattle-to-Los Angeles transplants' other Top 40 hit, “Get Me To The World On Time,” along with material by pro songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancy Mantz that showed the quintet were game for ballads (“Onie”) and novelties (“Tunerville Trolley”) as well as tough rockers. A half-century on, I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM (LAST NIGHT) remains electrifying.
Parachutes (Album of the Day)
By the turn of the millennium, Brit-pop had pretty much run its course when a new band emerged to pick up the U.K. music torch: Coldplay. Following a few independent E.P.s, the quartet signed to Parlophone and their full-length debut, PARACHUTES, arrived in 2000. A wistful and atmospheric set of alternative rock led by frontman Chris Martin's high, aching vocals, the album spun off four singles: “Shiver,” “Trouble,” “Don't Panic” and the hit that introduced the band to American audiences, “Yellow." The collection would eventually go double-platinum in the States, and earned critical plaudits as well, including a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy and a Brit Award for Best British Album. Today we'll unfurl PARACHUTES to wish Chris Martin a happy birthday.
This Is The Story (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1962, siblings Charlie and Craig Reid were born in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland; two decades later, they would be better known as The Proclaimers. From opener “Throw The 'R' Away” to such originals as “The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues,” the duo wear their heritage on their sleeves on THIS IS THE STORY, their 1987 debut. The Reids get an assist from fellow Scot Gerry Rafferty, who co-produced a full band version of the collection's “Letter from America,” which became a No.3 U.K. hit. Beyond that, the collection is predominantly acoustic folk-rock, with the brothers' perfectly matched voices and deft guitar work keeping the energy level high. The buoyant and tuneful THIS IS THE STORY was a terrific start to The Proclaimers' still-ongoing career, and we'll give it another spin to wish the Reids a happy birthday.
The Colpix Singles (Mono Remastered) (Album of the Day)
One of this year's inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nina Simone started her musical career as a classically trained child virtuoso and grew to become a revered performer and civil rights champion. From 1959 to 1964 she was signed to Colpix, where she had an unusual degree of artistic control. “I played what I wanted and nothing else,” she once recalled. “There was no proper producer on my records - just an engineer to set everything up, an orchestrator to write out the arrangements, and the rest I did myself.” THE COLPIX SINGLES offers a remarkable look at her artistic growth; across 27 songs ranging from standards (“The Work Song,” “Little Liza Jane”) to striking originals (“Blackbird,” “I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl”), the new 2-CD set traces a musical journey from jazz and folk singer to critically acclaimed songwriter.
In The Right Place (Album of the Day)
Mac Rebennack had paid his dues on the New Orleans music scene before emerging in the late 1960s as Dr. John. The aptly titled IN THE RIGHT PLACE finds the man in the studio with two of the Crescent City's finest, producer Allen Toussaint and backing band extraordinaire The Meters. Most of the 11 tracks on the 1973 Atco release were Dr. John originals, including soon-to-be signature songs “Such A Night” and the Top 10 hit “Right Place, Wrong Time.” A rich and spicy gumbo of soul and funk, IN THE RIGHT PLACE became the colorful performer's most successful album, and it remains one of his best.