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Full Metal Jacket (Album of the Day)
Stanley Kubrick movies are noted for their brilliant visuals, but their soundtracks are equally distinctive; case in point: FULL METAL JACKET. For the harrowing tale of fresh recruits transformed into killing machines during the Vietnam war, the legendary director combed through the Billboard singles charts of the mid-1960s to come up with such period classics as “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” and “Surfin' Bird.” Along with a terrific version of “The Marines Hymn,” the film features dark and atmospheric music scored on the Fairlight CMI synthesizer by “Abigail Mead” - a pseudonym for Kubrick's daughter Vivian. The 1987 film brilliantly juxtaposes the horror and absurdity of war, and the FULL METAL JACKET ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK shows both of those sides to striking effect.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Sharp Dressed Man" (Album of the Day)
Veteran Texas trio ZZ Top scored the biggest album of its career in 1983's ELIMINATOR, which went 10x platinum thanks to heavy rotation on both radio and MTV. Such iconic tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” were tailor-made for music videos; this one features an L.A. nightclub worker whose luck with the ladies improves after some encouragement from the band. As you'd expect, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard display a lot more sartorial style than in their TRES HOMBRES days, and the anthem has been adopted as the title of at least one ZZ Top book. If you're stuck for ideas about what to get dad for Father's Day, take a lesson from our Song of the Day and get him something nice to wear - 'cause everybody's crazy 'bout a “Sharp Dressed Man.”
Waiting for the Sun (50th Anniversary Edition) (Album of the Day)
Released 50 years ago today, The Doors' WAITING FOR THE SUN was the band's third platinum album in less than two years and the first to top the album chart. The collection has sold millions of copies around the globe and contributed to the Doors' legendary canon with classics like “The Unknown Soldier,” “Five To One” and the #1 smash “Hello, I Love You.” This summer, Rhino commemorates the golden anniversary of the album with a Deluxe Edition featuring a new version of the original stereo mix on both CD and 180-gram vinyl LP, remastered by longtime Doors engineer/mixer Bruce Botnick. The WAITING FOR THE SUN: 50th ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION also includes a second CD of 14 completely unreleased tracks: nine recently discovered “rough mixes” from the album recording sessions and five live songs from a 1968 Copenhagen show.
What's That Sound? The Complete Albums Collection (Album of the Day)
Canadian transplants Neil Young and Bruce Palmer intersected with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Dewey Martin in 1966 to form one of the truly great Los Angeles bands; Buffalo Springfield released three studio albums on ATCO during its intense two-year existence. Newly remastered from the original analog tapes under the auspices of Neil Young, WHAT'S THAT SOUND? THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION includes stereo mixes of all three albums, plus mono mixes for the first two. The pioneering folk- and country-rock on the group's self-titled debut (“For What It's Worth”), BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN (“Rock And Roll Woman,” “Mr. Soul”) and LAST TIME AROUND (“Kind Woman,” “Uno Mundo”) earned the quintet a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Enjoy some musical fireworks today with the new WHAT'S THAT SOUND? boxed set!
Hotel Paper [Deluxe Edition] (Album of the Day)
After an impressive 2001 debut, singer-songwriter Michelle Branch made a strong return two years later with HOTEL PAPER; the Maverick collection debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard chart and has been certified platinum. Its baker's dozen originals show the young performer - not yet 20 at the time of release – taking her success in stride, with such songs as “Breathe,” “'Til I Get over You” and the Grammy-nominated “Are You Happy Now?” seeking out balance in a hectic world. The digital Deluxe Edition adds several bonus tracks, including non-LP sides “Wanting Out” and “Lay Me Down,” as well as a fine cover of Joni Mitchell's “A Case of You.” This is Michelle Branch's birthday, and we'll wish her a happy one with HOTEL PAPER.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Run to the Hills" (Album of the Day)
With dynamic new lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson in place and a breakthrough album, 1982 was a pivotal year for new wave of British heavy metal standard-bearers Iron Maiden. THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST was the band's first U.K. chart-topper, and the multi-platinum collection includes the group's first U.K. Top 10 single in “Run to the Hills.” Penned by bassist Steve Harris, the song looks at the arrival of European colonists in the New World from both the settlers' and Native Americans' viewpoints and, as you might imagine from such a culture clash, it rocks relentlessly. It remains a favorite in concert, so as the band continues on its current Legacy of the Beast world tour, we'll make “Run to the Hills” our Song of the Day.
I've Been Doin' Some Thinkin' (Album of the Day)
Fifty years ago today, Mose Allison entered Annex Recording Studios in Hollywood to begin work on I'VE BEEN DOIN' SOME THINKIN', the singer-songwriter's sixth album for Atlantic Records. Mose was one of the greatest lyricists in jazz history; when he started thinking, you were wise to start listening, and his sly wit sparkles on such originals as “Just Like Livin',” “Your Molecular Structure” and the wickedly barbed ballad “Everybody Cryin' Mercy” (there's also a sharp cover of “You Are My Sunshine” among these dozen tracks). Bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Bill Goodwin supply rhythm here, and Allison attacks the keyboard with particular gusto on the 1968 collection. This is cool jazz with some fire to it, and I'VE BEEN DOIN' SOME THINKIN' ranks with the performer's best.
THE MONKEES 50 (Album of the Day)
The Monkees have amassed a dozen Top 40 hits - including a trio of tunes that soared to #1 - and sales of their LPs were more phenomenal still, with 16 million albums and 7.5 million singles sold in a mere 2 1/2 years. In celebration of the band's golden anniversary two years ago, Rhino released THE MONKEES 50, a three-CD set packed with 50 unforgettable songs from the band’s historic career. Along with classic chart-toppers “Last Train To Clarksville,” “I’m A Believer” and “Daydream Believer,” and such Top 40 singles as “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” and “Valleri,” the collection delves even deeper into the band’s rich catalog to include fan favorites like “She,” “Mary, Mary” and “Papa Gene’s Blues.” The group returned during the MTV era (receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on this day in 1989) and THE MONKEES 50 also features comeback tracks "That Was Then, This Is Now" and "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" as well as songs from their latest album, GOOD TIMES!
Over the Years... (Album of the Day)
Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Graham Nash burst onto the scene during the British Invasion with The Hollies before he formed the legendary supergroup Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1968 with David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Towering above virtually everything that Nash has accomplished in his long and multi-faceted career, there stands the litany of songs that he has written and introduced to the soundtrack of the past half-century. Painstakingly curated by Nash and longtime associate Joel Bernstein, the new anthology OVER THE YEARS... looks back at some of his best-known recordings and features more than a dozen unreleased demos and mixes. Among the classics heard in both familiar versions and demo form on this 2-CD set are “Marrakesh Express,” “Teach Your Children,” “Our House” and “Just A Song Before I Go.”
SONG OF THE DAY - "Everywhere" (Album of the Day)
With their biggest album since RUMOURS spinning off four Top 20 hits, Fleetwood Mac truly was “Everywhere” in 1987. One of several TANGO IN THE NIGHT tracks written and sung by Christine McVie (and one of the band's first CD singles), the song features a buoyant melody and declaration of love that remain utterly irresistible. It topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, but don't assume that means it's just easy listening fare - Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip and Paramore have all performed this one. Christine McVie turns 75 today, and we'll wish her a happy birthday with our Song of the Day, “Everywhere.”