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WILD TALES (Album of the Day)
WILD TALES is the title of Graham Nash's autobiography but his 1974 album of that name also offers a look at the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's life and times. Confronted by romantic disappointments (“I Miss You”) and social concerns (“Prison Song”), Nash gets by with a little help from such friends as guitarists David Lindley and Dave Mason along with CSNY bandmates David Crosby and Neil Young (under the pseudonym “Joe Yankee”). Leavened with whimsy and energetic playing, these ten originals still resonate with listeners 50 years on. We'll wish Graham a happy birthday with another spin of the underrated WILD TALES. (edited)
LIVE NORTH AMERICA 2016 (Album of the Day)
Born 40 years ago today in Austin, Texas, Gary Clark Jr. learned to sing and play the blues in such local clubs as Antone’s before becoming one of the busiest concert performers in the country. LIVE NORTH AMERICA 2016 captures Clark on tour in support of his then-current studio release THE STORY OF SONNY BOY SLIM and nearly half of that album is represented here, highlighted by a terrific version of “Shake” with a guest appearance by Leon Bridges. Along with a couple of songs from his debut LP, the dozen track include classics by Jimmy Reed' (“Honest I Do”) and Elmore James (“My Baby's Gone”) that showcase some truly exceptional guitar work. By turns gritty and soulful, LIVE NORTH AMERICA 2016 will have you lining up for Gary Clark Jr. the next time he comes to your town.
SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER (Album of the Day)
Arguably the definitive British New Wave group, Duran Duran had become superstars with RIO and the success of that album turned the quintet into tax exiles – for their follow-up, they made demos in Cannes, France, recorded tracks at George Martin’s studio in the Caribbean, and mixed the album in Sydney, Australia. Despite the globe-trotting that went into making it, SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER is both focused and hook-filled, and Top 10 singles “Union of the Snake,” “New Moon on Monday” and “The Reflex” drove the collection to double-Platinum status in the U.S. This final longplayer from the original lineup (until 2004's ASTRONAUT) brought the first era of the durable U.K. band to a glorious close, and we'll give SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER another spin to wish guitarist Andy Taylor a happy birthday.
MAKE IT LAST FOREVER (Album of the Day)
Keith Sweat was singing with a group called Jamilah when he crossed paths with Teddy Riley, keyboard player in another local band, Total Climax. It was a fortuitous meeting; the pair would team to produce Sweat's debut album, MAKE IT LAST FOREVER. The 1987 collection helped inaugurate New Jack Swing with a string of R&B Top 10 hits including the title track, “Something Just Ain't Right” and “I Want Her” (the last of which also reached #5 on the Pop chart). There isn't a dud among the seven originals here, and the cover of The Dramatics' “In The Rain” shows Sweat was a master of romantic slow jams from the get-go. MAKE IT LAST FOREVER is Keith Sweat at his peak, and this triple-Platinum classic is out today on 140-gram Black Ice vinyl in celebration of Black History Month.
SVENGALI (Album of the Day)
Among the most revered arrangers in jazz history, Gil Evans may be best known for his collaborations with Miles Davis but he also released numerous albums of his own. SVENGALI (an anagram of his name) captures the Canadian-born pianist leading an ensemble through half a dozen live performances made in New York City during the summer of 1973. Evans’ broad musical interests and masterful balance of acoustic and electronic instruments are on full display here, from versions of old favorites including “Summertime” and “Blues In Orbit” to a pair of tunes penned by saxophonist Billy Harper (also performing on sax at these dates is a young David Sanborn). SVENGALI is one of Gil Evans’ best releases of the 1970s and is now available on blu-ray audio as part of Rhino’s Quadio series.
HATFUL OF HOLLOW (Album of the Day)
The Smiths' self-titled debut had been in shops for less than a year when this odds-and-ends collection of single sides and radio recordings was released. Yet HATFUL OF HOLLOW is hardly a cash-in or stop-gap release; its 16 tracks underline the remarkable burst of creativity with which the Manchester quartet launched its career. Though not included on the band's proper studio sets, “William, It Was Really Nothing,” “Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now” and “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” are nothing short of essential, and the BBC takes of songs like “What Difference Does It Make” or “This Charming Man” equal, if not surpass, the LP versions. HATFUL OF HOLLOW showed The Smiths to be a great singles as well as a great album band, and the 1984 collection has recently been reissued on 180-gram vinyl.
LIVE 1978-1992 (Album of the Day)
Dire Straits’ studio albums set a standard for meticulous craftsmanship, but the U.K. band could also deliver the goods on stage. Out now, the 8-CD LIVE 1978-1992 is the definitive look at the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in concert. It includes expanded editions of earlier live collections ALCHEMY and ON THE NIGHT (both augmented with unreleased tracks), a clutch of BBC recordings and the 2021 Black Friday EP ENCORES. Best of all is a complete, unreleased December 1979 show from London’s Rainbow, which closes with Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott joining Dire Straits on a quartet of rock classics. LIVE 1978-1992 shows that these sultans really could swing.
WHO LOVES YOU (Album of the Day)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons had so many iconic singles in the 1960s that it's easy to forget they made great records in the 1970s as well. Case in point: WHO LOVES YOU, a Warner Bros./Curb collection that shows the Seasons successfully incorporating disco rhythms (and even a bit of synthesizer) into their classic harmony pop sound. Frankie Valli, whose solo career was then taking off, plays a reduced role here, but the other singers more than compensate, and the band's longtime producer-songwriter Bob Gaudio supplies some winners here including “Silver Star,” the Top 10 title track and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” which topped the Billboard chart on this day in 1976. WHO LOVES YOU was a key career milestone for the Jersey boys, and there’s still plenty to love about it.
LEARNING TO CRAWL (Album of the Day)
The loss of a lead guitarist and a bassist in less than a year would have destroyed many bands, but Pretenders bounced back from tragedy with LEARNING TO CRAWL. The 1984 Sire set includes a magnificent tribute to the late James Honeyman-Scott (“Back On The Chain Gang,” a Top 10 hit), but the rest of the ten tracks show the band looking forward rather than backward. With producer Chris Thomas returning to the helm, frontwoman Chrissie Hynde came up with some of her best songs, ranging from fiery rockers (“Middle of the Road,” “My City Was Gone”) to tender balladry (Christmastime classic “2000 Miles”). More than a triumph over adversity, the Platinum-certified LEARNING TO CRAWL stands among the very best Pretenders albums.
PORNO FOR PYROS (Album of the Day)
Following the 1992 dissolution of Jane's Addiction, frontman Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins recruited guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble to carry on as Porno For Pyros. Expectations were high for the band's self-titled debut, and it doesn't disappoint; if the 1993 Warner Bros. set bears similarity to Jane's Addiction in places, it nonetheless stands proudly on its own. Though the songs remain concise, for the most part they trade riffs for more progressive textures, covering a lot of stylistic ground in the process. The subject matter is equally diverse – paired tracks “Cursed Female” and “Cursed Male” examine gender roles, Modern Rock chart-topper “Pets” has an extraterrestrial theme, and a couple of songs deal with the then-recent L.A. riots. To celebrate Perry Farrell's birthday, we'll give PORNO FOR PYROS another spin today.