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Paranoid (Album of the Day)
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Black Sabbath's emergence from Birmingham, England, at the end of the 1960s made the demise of that decade's utopian outlook deafeningly clear. With their second album, 1970's PARANOID, the quartet tackled such cheery topics as nuclear war (“Electric Funeral”), drug-addicted soldiers (“Hand Of Doom”) and violent skinheads (“Fairies Wear Boots”). The music was as powerful as the lyrics, with Tony Iommi's crunching riffs, Ozzy Osbourne's banshee wail and the driving rhythms of bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward truly hitting their stride. Despite minimal airplay, the collection topped the U.K. chart and turned “Iron Man,” “War Pigs” and the title track into signature songs for Sabbath. PARANOID was released in the U.S. 45 years ago today, and it remains one of the all-time great heavy metal albums.
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An Introduction To Syd Barrett (Album of the Day)
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
As the leading creative light of Pink Floyd's original lineup, Syd Barrett helped write the book on British psychedelia in the 1960s. The notoriously unstable singer, songwriter and guitarist left that band after its debut album for a solo career that was also brief, but AN INTRODUCTION TO SYD BARRETT reveals that this crazy diamond once shone brightly. The 2010 collection is the first to combine Pink Floyd songs with tracks from THE MADCAP LAUGHS and BARRETT, connecting the dots between early group singles “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play” and solo sides like “Octopus” and “Baby Lemonade.” Pink Floyd's David Gilmour assembled this 18-track set, including vibrant new remixes, and AN INTRODUCTION TO SYD BARRETT serves as a loving tribute to the gifted musical eccentric, who was born 70 years ago today,
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The Immaculate Collection (Album of the Day)
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Madonna's status as one of the most successful female artists in history becomes immediately understandable with one listen to THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION. Her first greatest hits set, this 17-track compilation is a near-definitive look at the superstar's first flash of fame. The Material Girl dominated the radio with these songs, including such No.1 smashes as “Like A Virgin,” “Crazy For You,” “Papa Don't Preach” and “Justify My Love,” which topped the U.S. chart on this day in 1991. Smart, sexy and undeniably catchy, this endlessly listenable mix of ballads and dance-pop hits sold more than 30 million copies worldwide to become one of the best-selling solo artist compilations ever. THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION is an essential part of any collection of popular music.
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Substance (Album of the Day)
Monday, January 4, 2016
Joy Division's SUBSTANCE served the same purpose as a similarly titled collection did for successor band New Order – to gather the group's single and otherwise non-LP sides together in one convenient package. Given the exacting standards of the Manchester post-punk quartet (and producer Martin Hannett), this “odds & sods” set is as stunning and essential as the band's two official studio albums. Spanning 1977 to 1980, the 17 tracks include the famed “Ideal for Living” EP, as well as such seminal singles as “Atmosphere,” “Transmission,” the 12" version of “She's Lost Control” and the group's swan song, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” SUBSTANCE shows Joy Division at the peak of its powers, and is the perfect way to celebrate the 60th birthday of the band's guitarist/keyboardist, Bernard Sumner.
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Tusk (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
Friday, January 1, 2016
After RUMOURS became one of the biggest sellers of the 1970s, Fleetwood Mac earned creative carte blanche for their next album and put it to good use on TUSK. The expansive 1979 collection is the most experimental release in the Mac catalog, though the music remains highly accessible - both “Sara” and the title track were Top Ten singles, and the Grammy-nominated album sold more than four million copies worldwide. A new Deluxe Edition of the seminal set delves deep into the vaults with five CDs including the remastered original, an alternate version of the album made up of session outtakes (most previously unissued), an assortment of singles, demos and remixes, and two discs of unreleased performances from London, Tucson, and St. Louis stops on the supporting tour. Even after unparalleled popular success, Fleetwood Mac remained eager to push the artistic envelope, and TUSK – DELUXE EDITION shows the quintet rising brilliantly to the challenge.
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14 Songs (Album of the Day)
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Paul Westerberg led The Replacements to the forefront of alternative rock in the 1980s, so after the Minneapolis band's break-up, expectations were high for the singer-songwriter's first solo album. 14 SONGS did not disappoint; the 1993 collection brims with keenly observed, passionately played rockers like “Runaway Wind” and opener “Knockin' On Mine.” With such kindred spirits as Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan and Joan Jett lending support, Westerberg's heartfelt, occasionally humorous, performances cut straight to the bone. Life beyond the 'Mats offered both uncertainty and possibility, a combination that remains exhilarating on 14 SONGS, which we'll cue up in honor of Paul Westerberg's birthday.
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Get Ready (Album of the Day)
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
After an eight-year absence from record stores, New Order's GET READY showed the Manchester electro-pop pioneers were ready for the new millennium. The final album from the quartet of singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, drummer Stephen Morris and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert acknowledges the group's storied past – it's dedicated to manager Rob Gretton and features a cover designed by Peter Saville, both of whom go back to the Joy Division days. But the set is decidedly forward-looking, with an emphasis on songcraft and instrumental punch evident on such propulsive tracks as “Crystal” and “60 Miles An Hour.” Boasting an energetic rock edge while remaining dance-friendly, GET READY is the sound of a great band being reborn.
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Greatest Hits (Album of the Day)
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Tracy Chapman has created a body of work that has been as consistently compelling as it is honest and uncompromising, eloquently telling stories with perennial appeal that are at once personal and universal. Since her eponymous 1988 debut (a triple Grammy winner that has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide), she has captivated audiences with her pure voice, evocative songs and intense spirit. Now in stores, Chapman's long-awaited GREATEST HITS collection brings together, for the first time, classic tracks from her eight best-selling studio albums. Compiled by Chapman herself, the 18 remastered tracks include such stirring singles as “Fast Car,” “Talkin' Bout A Revolution,” and “Give Me One Reason” (not to mention a killer live-on-Letterman version of “Stand By Me”). Spanning three decades, GREATEST HITS is a potent reminder of Tracy Chapman's enduring appeal and relevance.
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I Am The Cosmos (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
Monday, December 28, 2015
A talented songwriter, performer and producer, Chris Bell co-founded power pop legends Big Star and was struggling to emerge as a solo artist when he was killed in a car accident in 1978, two days after Christmas. The recordings he made before that finally saw release on Rykodisc in 1992 as I AM THE COSMOS, a haunting and beautiful work even if Bell never got the chance to put the finishing touches on some songs. Rhino's Deluxe Edition of the album contains a remastered version of the original on one disc, plus a second disc of 15 tracks recorded between 1970 and 1976 - all but two of them previously unreleased. If Alex Chilton got much of the attention in Big Star, Chris Bell was an equally gifted musician, a fact made even clearer with I AM THE COSMOS - DELUXE EDITION.
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December (Album of the Day)
Friday, December 25, 2015
Scala & Kolacny Brothers' DECEMBER isn't exactly your parents' idea of a Christmas collection – and that's just the way the band wanted it. The 2012 album takes a decidedly alternative tack to seasonal songs, with Linkin Park, Smashing Pumpkins, Coldplay and Pearl Jam among the artists covered here. The group took suggestions from their fans to help pick these 14 eclectic tracks (there are a couple of Kolacny originals here as well in “Tears Can Sparkle Too” and “Sun-kissed Snow”), and they make these songs their own with wonderfully atmospheric arrangements. If you're burned out on the usual holiday hits, add Scala & Kolacny Brothers' DECEMBER to your Christmas wish list.
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