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County Line (Album of the Day)
The nucleus of country rockers Southern Pacific came from The Doobie Brothers after that band's early 1980s break-up. By the time of Southern Pacific's fourth and final album, COUNTY LINE, ex-Doobies John McFee (guitar) and Keith Knudsen (drums) were joined by Kurt Howell (keyboards) and former Creedence Clearwater Revival member Stu Cook (bass). The talented foursome are joined on the 1990 Warner Bros. set by guests including The Beach Boys and Carlene Carter to help the band broaden their sound. Opener “Any Way The Wind Blows” is the best known here due to its inclusion in the Clint Eastwood film Pink Cadillac, but from the yearning balladry of “Help Wanted” to the acapella take on British Invasion favorite “I Go To Pieces,” all dozen tracks on COUNTY LINE are mighty fine.
Pinups (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1973, David Bowie scored his second U.K. No.1 album when PINUPS started a five-week run at the top of the chart. Bowie's popularity at the time is one reason that a covers album was so successful, but the music is strong enough to stand on its own. “These are all bands which I used to go and hear play down the Marquee between 1964 and 1967,” noted the performer. “I've got all these records back at home.” Versions of songs – not necessarily the biggest hits - by bands including The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, The Who and others were love letters to the glories of the British Invasion, with arrangements largely faithful to the originals. ZIGGY STARDUST producer Ken Scott and guitarist Mick Ronson helped bring these tracks into the glam era, making PINUPS essential for Bowie fans.
How Do You Like It? [Mono And Stereo Version] (Album of the Day)
Sharing a manager and a producer with The Beatles, Gerry And The Pacemakers were perhaps the Fabs' greatest rivals during the Merseybeat era, and their 1963 debut, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?, shows why. The quartet's playing is tight and energetic on a mix of covers including rock and R&B chestnuts like “Maybelline” and “A Shot of Rhythm and Blues,” and Gerry Marsden's tenor is appealing throughout. There are also some fine ballads in the line-up, chief among them “You'll Never Walk Alone,” which became the Pacemakers' third No.1 single in a row in their native U.K. (the song has come to prominence again in recent days as a fundraiser for England's National Health Service). The EMI 100th Anniversary remaster of HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? includes both the stereo and mono mixes of the album, and the excitement of the British Invasion comes through loud and clear on each.
Shake Some Action (Album of the Day)
The Biggest Twang of Them All (Album of the Day)
Shake Some Action (Album of the Day)
After a five year break that saw the departure of frontman Roy Loney, Flamin' Groovies returned to the record racks with SHAKE SOME ACTION. The 1976 collection, the band's first for Sire, marked a shift in direction to power pop informed by the British Invasion; the San Francisco quintet worked with producers Greg Shaw and Dave Edmunds (who shared an affinity for the rock of preceding decades), cutting the bulk of the album in Wales. While powerful covers of W. C. Handy and Chuck Berry songs recall the band's earlier incarnation, it's the chiming originals by Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson that leave the strongest impression - “You Tore Me Down,” “I Can't Hide” and the title track have drive and melody that linger long in the memory. The Groovies were far ahead of the retro curve here, and SHAKE SOME ACTION rings with the excitement of a band that knew they were onto something good.
Love's Melodies (Album of the Day)
After The Beatles, The Searchers may have been the most respected band to emerge from Liverpool in the 1960s, and the jangly exuberance that made “Needles and Pins” a classic remains intact on LOVE'S MELODIES. Issued in England as PLAY FOR TODAY, the album was released by Sire in America with a slightly different track lineup and a revised – if somewhat misleading - title. “It was a hard driving rock album and not a collection of soppy love songs,” noted bassist Frank Allen, and the presence of co-producer Ed Stasium (of Ramones fame) lends credence to the claim. The harmony and instrumental work sparkle throughout and just as importantly the material is a first-rate mix of originals (“Little Bit Of Heaven,” “Another Night”), co-writes by The Records' Will Birch and well-chosen covers of favorites from Big Star and John Fogerty. Whether you're a fan of the British Invasion or 1980s power pop, LOVE'S MELODIES is an absolute must.