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The Blue Hour (Album of the Day)
Brit-pop leading lights The London Suede made one of the most welcome comebacks in recent memory when they returned from a near-decade recording hiatus in 2013, and THE BLUE HOUR completes a triptych of albums made since their reunion. It's the band's first collaboration with producer Alan Moulder, whose name can be found on some of the most iconic shoegazing records of the 1990s, and while the new set is short on hazy guitar feedback, it brims with atmosphere. The 14 originals incorporate choir and orchestral arrangements as well as spoken word sections to add an art-rock romanticism to the quintet's sound; singles include “The Invisibles,” “Don't Be Afraid If Nobody Loves You” and “Life Is Golden.” The London Suede's most successful album on the U.K. charts since 1999's HEAD MUSIC, the adventurous THE BLUE HOUR further burnishes a great band's legacy.
Go Slow Down (Album of the Day)
Released 25 years ago today, GO SLOW DOWN was the fifth studio album from Wisconsin quartet BoDeans. The Slash collection was executive produced by T-Bone Burnett, who'd helmed the group's acclaimed debut, and the set has a relaxed, acoustic feel well-suited to the dozen Neumann-Llanas originals here. The best-known of these songs is surely opener “Closer to Free,” which became the band's biggest hit after it was used as the theme to the TV series Party of Five in 1994, but as “Idaho,” “Save a Little” and the title track illustrate, there's no shortage of fine material here. This hook-filled, heartfelt set is easily among the best BoDeans albums, and GO SLOW DOWN will reward any fan of American roots rock.
My Feeling For the Blues (Album of the Day)
Freddie King, beloved by blues aficionados as “The Texas Cannonball,” was born on this day in 1934. While the performer had his biggest hits on the fabled King Records label during the 1960s, fans are quick to point out that King's end-of-the-decade stint on Atlantic produced work that was just as memorable. Case in point: MY FEELING FOR THE BLUES. The 1969 set, helmed by sax great King Curtis and featuring horn arrangements by Donny Hathaway, frames King's amazing axework perfectly, but the real revelation on these 11 tracks is how soulful Freddie was as a singer. From the opening “Yonder Wall” to the closing title track, the underrated MY FEELING FOR THE BLUES will have you feeling them, too.
Ananda Shankar (Album of the Day)
A nephew of the great Ravi Shankar, Ananda Shankar was himself a gifted sitar player - and perhaps even more dedicated than his uncle to bridging the gap between Eastern and Western musics. Released in 1970 on Reprise, his self-titled debut featured Indian classical tracks side-by-side with sitar-driven instrumental versions of rock hits (“Light My Fire” and a gloriously over-the-top “Jumpin' Jack Flash”). With psychedelic production touches and early Moog synthesizer work (from collaborator Paul Lewinson), it may qualify as an exploitation album, but like the best releases in that vein, its guilty pleasures are many, and hip club DJs have gotten a lot of mileage out of these funky grooves. Rightfully included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, ANANDA SHANKAR is masterfully played and thoroughly enjoyable.
More Fun in the New World (Album of the Day)
According to an election campaign, the 1980s represented “morning in America,” but to judge from MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD, X wasn't buying it. The band's final collaboration with producer (and former Doors keyboardist) Ray Manzarek, the Elektra collection deflates the hollowed-out optimism of the era on such cuts as “The New World” and “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts,” though John Doe and Exene Cervenka's sharp lyrics go way beyond politics here. The sound can't be pigeonholed, either – along with punk, the set offers nods to new wave, funk, blues and rockabilly (as on the set's sole cover, “Breathless”), and the quartet are firing on all cylinders throughout. Released 35 years ago, MORE FUN IN THE NEW WORLD still makes the music go bang.
Unattended Luggage (Album of the Day)
A co-founding member of Pink Floyd, Nick Mason is the only constant member of the legendary group, performing on all of their albums as well as all of their live shows. For the first time in over 20 years, Mason's solo albums are available again in the limited edition UNATTENDED LUGGAGE. The new 3-disc boxed set contains 1981 solo debut NICK MASON'S FICTITIOUS SPORTS, 1985's PROFILES (made with 10cc guitarist Rick Fenn) and the 1987 British thriller soundtrack WHITE OF THE EYE (also cut with Fenn). Arriving on the heels of rapturously received tour performances with his band Saucerful Of Secrets, UNATTENDED LUGGAGE is a further celebration of Nick Mason and his undeniably significant contribution to music.
Goodbye and Hello (Album of the Day)
Tim Buckley's second album represented a major step forward from the singer-songwriter's debut a year earlier. GOODBYE AND HELLO could only have been recorded during the Summer of Love, though the era leaves its stamp more on the set's visionary spirit than through any sonic conventions. Produced by Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman and Jerry Yester of the Lovin' Spoonful, the collection remains rooted in folk-rock, though the occasional use of Renaissance-era instrumentation adds to the psychedelic air – as does Buckley's remarkable multi-octave voice. The lyrics of these 10 songs (half of them co-written with poet Larry Beckett) are equally adventurous, and “Morning Glory,” “Once I Was” and the title track continue to dazzle 50 years on. As Tim Buckley changed game plans with every record, it's tough to pick a single best album, but GOODBYE AND HELLO is surely a contender.
SONG OF THE DAY - "I Say A Little Prayer" (Album of the Day)
Burt Bacharach and Hal David penned “I Say A Little Prayer” for singer Dionne Warwick, who scored a Top 10 hit with it in late 1967. While working on ARETHA NOW the following year, Aretha Frankin and backing group the Sweet Inspirations began singing the song just for fun; producer Jerry Wexler knew a good thing when he heard it and committed their version to tape. Released as a single, Aretha's recording also reached the Top 10. Decades later, both songwriters deemed it superior to the original, noting Franklin's seamless transitions between time changes in the chorus. In honor of the late, great Queen of Soul, “I Say A Little Prayer” is our Song of the Day.
The Song Remains the Same (Remastered/Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
Led Zeppelin was at the peak of its powers in July 1973 when the group's performances at New York's Madison Square Garden were recorded for the concert film THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. Cut during the band's tour for then-current studio album HOUSES OF THE HOLY, the soundtrack is packed with electrifying live versions of Zep classics including “Rock and Roll,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “No Quarter,” “Moby Dick,” “Dazed And Confused” and “Celebration Day.” Arriving in stores 50 years after the foursome's first performance together, a new Deluxe Edition of THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME features a 24-page booklet and newly remastered sound supervised by band guitarist/producer Jimmy Page.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Beat Of Your Drum" (Album of the Day)
David Bowie's “Beat Of Your Drum” was first recorded for NEVER LET ME DOWN, which the performer intended as a return to guitar-based rock and a foundation for his big-budget Glass Spider tour. While some of the surrounding material on the 1987 collection deals with social issues, this track finds Bowie in character as a fashion photographer eyeing a young model in a nightclub (“it’s a Lolita number,” the singer once explained). With its ominous verses and explosive chorus, it's one of the album's highlights, and fills the bill in the guitar department with a fine solo by guest star Peter Frampton. In addition to its original version, “Beat Of Your Drum” gets a fresh re-working on the new LOVING THE ALIEN Bowie boxed set, and it's our Song of the Day.