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Grown Backwards (Album of the Day)
David Byrne has been pushing the pop music envelope since his Talking Heads days, and with Nonesuch Records debut GROWN BACKWARDS, he explores opera and classical music that puts melody above grooves. “Many of these new songs began as melodic fragments,” Byrne noted. “I began carrying a little microcassette recorder with me in my backpack, and if a tune popped into my head I'd hum it, wordlessly, into the mic, wherever I was.” With backing by the Tosca Strings chamber group – and Rufus Wainwright harmonizing on a Bizet aria – the singer-songwriter is in excellent musical company, and when his typically eccentric lyrics kick in (“Tiny Apocalypse,” “Glass, Concrete, and Stone”), the effect can be sublime. Released 15 years ago this weekend, GROWN BACKWARDS is yet another triumph from an artist who continues to grow in surprising directions.
The Exciting Wilson Pickett (Album of the Day)
Wilson Pickett's debut album for Atlantic announced the arrival of a major soul star, but his follow-up, THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT, might be even better. Recorded in Memphis and Muscle Shoals (with such greats as guitarist Steve Cropper and pianist Spooner Oldham among the backing instrumentalists), the 1966 collection reflected the Wicked One's stage act at the time, balancing sizzling covers with original songs. The dozen tracks include four classic hits - “Land of 1000 Dances,” “In The Midnight Hour,” “634-5789” and “Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)” - but even the deeper cuts here are amazing. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was born on this day in 1941, so now we salute THE EXCITING WILSON PICKETT.
Born on a Pirate Ship (Album of the Day)
Released on this day in 1996, BORN ON A PIRATE SHIP was the third album from Toronto alternative rockers Barenaked Ladies. After keyboardist Andy Creeggan jumped ship, the band was down to a four-piece for the Reprise collection, but BNL again delivers the goods. Principle songwriters Steven Page and Ed Robertson have come up with a set of songs that are as thoughtful as they are funny, with such highlights as “When I Fall,” “Shoe Box” and “The Old Apartment” (which would become the group's first Billboard Hot 100 single in the U.S.) Not that the guys can't get silly; “Spider in My Room” is gleeful madness, and the instrumentation includes saws, cowbells and a Fisher-Price xylophone. Well-produced (by the band and Michael Phillip Wojewoda), BORN ON A PIRATE SHIP reached #12 in Canada, setting the stage for even greater success to come.
Marquee Moon (Album of the Day)
On this day in 1975, Patti Smith and Television began a 7-week residency at CBGB, helping turn the New York City club into a punk mecca. Yet when it came time for the latter band to cut their debut album it was hardly fast and furious; frontman Tom Verlaine had meticulously mapped out MARQUEE MOON, and the group was so well-rehearsed that most songs were recorded in one or two takes. Guitarists Verlaine and Richard Lloyd bring a spirit of exploration that’s akin to the best jazz improvisation, even if the songs themselves - from opener “See No Evil” to “Prove It,” “Friction” and the near 10-minute title track - aren't far from garage rock. Acclaimed as one of the greatest alternative rock albums of all time, MARQUEE MOON was a major influence on bands from U2 to the Strokes, and will still send any guitar fan into orbit.
The B-52's (Album of the Day)
When the B-52's self-titled album landed, there was nothing quite like their quirky blend of new wave and '60s kitsch. That 1979 debut, cut with producer (and Island Records founder) Chris Blackwell at his studio in The Bahamas, features such energetic originals as “Planet Claire” and that crustacean classic, “Rock Lobster,” which became the band's first hit single. The Athens, GA quintet - Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland – knew how to throw a party, and this platinum-selling album remains as catchy as it is campy. The band went on to even greater success in the ensuing years, but they were never better than on THE B-52'S, which has just been reissued on vinyl to help you dance this mess around.
Vauxhall And I (Album of the Day)
Since its original release 25 years ago, VAUXHALL AND I has often featured in “Best Album” lists the world over. Morrissey's fourth solo set signaled an acceptance of ageing amidst the tyranny of time, casting off the shackles of the past with a will to embrace the future. With noted producer Steve Lillywhite on board and new songwriting partners Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, Morrissey crafted an album of brilliant, melodic and languid songs, exquisite arrangements and mellifluous vocals. The Sire collection features a cast of vivid characters (“Spring-Heeled Jim,” “Billy Budd”) drawn in razor-sharp lyrics, and in the riff-driven “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get,” it spawned a U.K. Top 10 hit. The album itself topped the British chart and made the Top 20 in the U.S., making VAUXHALL AND I a commercial triumph as well as an artistic one.
Americana (Album of the Day)
Born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma, on this day in 1942, Leon Russell mastered virtually every style of American popular music in his 60-year career, so it's fitting that his 1978 album bears the title AMERICANA. Released on Russell's own Paradise Records imprint, the self-produced set shows the singer-songwriter having plenty of fun with country and bluegrass, offering a non-traditional take on the genre in which Kim Fowley (who co-wrote most of these songs) and Chicago's horn section can peacefully coexist. “Elvis and Marilyn,” “Ladies Of The Night” and a fine cover of “When A Man Loves A Woman” are just a few of the highlights here, and AMERICANA presents the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in peak form.
Self Control (Album of the Day)
If Laura Branigan's “Gloria” announced the arrival of an exciting new talent, SELF CONTROL underlined the New York performer's versatility and passion. Released 35 years ago this week, the Atlantic collection serves as a showcase of her multi-octave voice; whether singing a ballad like “Ti Amo” or a pulsing dance song like “Satisfaction” (both co-written by Diane Warren), Laura is in complete control, and “The Lucky One” and the title track became Top 40 and Top 10 hits, respectively. The platinum-certified SELF CONTROL would prove to be Laura Branigan's most successful album, and it's one every '80s fan should hear.
Coward of the County (Album of the Day)
Ginger Baker had been a highly regarded blues and jazz drummer long before he became a star in Cream, so the progressive jazz of COWARD OF THE COUNTY should come as no surprise. Baker shares credit on the release with the Denver Jazz Quintet-to-Octet, a group featuring the percussionist, trumpeter Ron Miles and bassist Artie Moore at its core (sax great James Carter sits in on three tracks here). The playing is remarkably cohesive on the Atlantic set, with Ginger's explosive drum work mixed to the fore. Baker penned two of these songs (“Dangle the Carrot” and “Cyril Davies,” a tribute to the U.K. blues pioneer) but Miles contributes the bulk of the varied originals and proves to be as gifted a songwriter as he is an instrumentalist. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, COWARD OF THE COUNTY is one of Ginger Baker's very best.
The Black Parade (Album of the Day)
When asked to describe THE BLACK PARADE, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way called it “way more dramatic, way more theatrical, completely over the top, borderline psychotic." The 2006 Reprise collection was a wildly ambitious venture for the group – a rock opera about a cancer patient looking back on his life – yet it succeeds thanks to the band's intense performances and hook-filled songcraft. On such highlights as “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “Famous Last Words” and “Teenagers,” MCR's goth-shaded emo achieves the grandeur of such '70s heroes as Queen and Pink Floyd, and the album became a triple-platinum hit. This is Gerard Way's birthday, and to help celebrate it, we'll march with THE BLACK PARADE.