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Both Sides (Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
Released 25 years ago this month, Phil Collins' BOTH SIDES recalls the introspective atmosphere of his breakthrough solo debut FACE VALUE. Featuring the Top 10 hit “Both Sides of the Story” as well as further singles “Everyday” and “We Wait And We Wonder,” the Atlantic collection topped charts around the world and was certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. “BOTH SIDES is my favorite album, from a songwriting and creative perspective,” remarked the performer in a recent interview. “It was very much a solo album. I played everything, the songs just streamed out of me, and as a writer that's the kind of thing that you dream of.” Curated and compiled by Collins himself, the 2-CD Deluxe Edition of BOTH SIDES includes a disc of carefully selected b-side, demo and live tracks, six of which are previously unreleased on CD.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Album of the Day)
When Rod Stewart posed the musical question “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?” millions replied in the affirmative; the single was a Top 10 hit in nearly 20 countries, topping the U.S. chart for four weeks. The song was co-written by Stewart, drummer Carmine Appice and Duane Hitchings, who described it as “a spoof on guys from the 'cocaine lounge lizards' of the Saturday Night Fever days … Rod, in his brilliance, decided to do a spoof on disco.” A highlight of the BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN album, the track may have had some fun with dance music, but it raised serious money for UNICEF, to which the performer donated royalties. The double-platinum “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?” was named one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release, it's our Song of the Day.
Unzipped (Album of the Day)
While it was the hard rocking sound of hits like “Still Of The Night” and “Give Me All Your Love” that brought Whitesnake worldwide, multi-platinum success, founder and frontman David Coverdale has never been a stranger to the occasional ballad. The band revisits some of its best unplugged and acoustic-based performances from the last two decades on the new UNZIPPED. The collection includes rare and unreleased versions of songs like “Summer Rain” and “Forevermore” from the band's recent studio albums GOOD TO BE BAD and FOREVERMORE as well as songs like “Love Is Blind” from Coverdale's 2000 solo album and the previously unreleased “All The Time In The World.” “Some songs ask for a softer touch,” notes the vocalist of UNZIPPED. “These songs are some of the most personal I've been involved with through my almost five decades as a professional musician.”
Shakedown Street (Album of the Day)
The final Grateful Dead album of the 1970s, SHAKEDOWN STREET, paired the group with another acclaimed California rocker: Little Feat's Lowell George, who co-produced the Arista collection. This would also be the final Dead album to feature the Godchaux husband-and-wife team, and Donna Jean made the most of it, singing beautifully on “France” and her own “From the Heart of Me.” From the Garcia-Hunter title track (which flirted with disco) to such future concert staples as “Fire on the Mountain” and “I Need a Miracle,” these 10 songs cover plenty of stylistic ground. Released 40 years ago today, SHAKEDOWN STREET shows a great band still eager to shake things up.
Where I'm Bound (Album of the Day)
Born on this day in 1931, Bob Gibson was a 10-year veteran on the folk scene when he released WHERE I'M BOUND in 1964, and he brings all that experience to bear on this fine set. Most of the 14 tracks on the Elektra collection feature simple acoustic guitar and vocal arrangements, but Gibson is a stirring singer and his 12-string playing was never better. In contrast to earlier releases, most of the material here is original, including such highlights as “The Town Crier's Song” (penned with frequent collaborator Hamilton Camp), “Fog Horn” and “The New 'Frankie and Johnnie' Song,” one of several co-written with author/cartoonist Shel Silverstein. Gibson's final album of the 1960s and one of his very best, WHERE I'M BOUND shows why such stars as Roger McGuinn, Judy Collins and Simon & Garfunkel were fans of the performer.
El Corazon (Album of the Day)
The 1980s saw Steve Earle rise from Nashville staff writer to acclaimed recording artist, but as the decade drew to a close, he was sidelined by drug addiction for several years. By 1995, he'd begun a comeback that culminated in EL CORAZON, one of the finest albums of his career. The well-produced 1997 Warner Bros. collection includes country, rock and R&B (with such varied guests as Emmylou Harris, Supersuckers and The Fairfield Four lending a hand), and it all meshes perfectly thanks to Earle's passionate performances. The songwriting is equally strong and varied, touching on topics including relationships (“Poison Lovers”), personal heroes (“Ft. Worth Blues,” a tribute to Townes Van Zandt) and thought-provoking social commentary (“Christmas in Washington”). Steve Earle wears his heart on his sleeve with EL CORAZON, and it makes all the difference.
Nocturnes (Album of the Day)
For multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, jazz was a starting point for journeys that ventured into world music and beyond; his 1989 release NOCTURNES came on the heels of a Best New Age Album Grammy. As tough as the Atlantic collection is to pigeonhole, it's well-titled; the dozen tracks here evoke the mood of dark evenings with playing that ranges from stark dissonance to calm beauty. Lateef's flute, sax and keyboard work is complemented by a fine band including trumpeter Hugh Schick, and standouts include “Compassion Duration” and “Warm Intensity.” NOCTURNES celebrates its 30th anniversary this month, and its often ominous soundscapes still make for terrific late-night listening.
Tiger Bay (Album of the Day)
Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley once described TIGER BAY as “an album of modern folk songs done in twentieth century styles like techno and dub,” and the set's balance between retro songcraft and contemporary arrangements never falters. The British indie trio's third album includes such favorites as “Like A Motorway,” “Pale Movie,” the Billboard Dance Club-charting “Hug My Soul” and (for its U.S. Warner Bros. release) the joyous “I Was Born on Christmas Day.” Stanley and fellow keyboardist Pete Wiggs fill their songs with lovelorn wit and irresistible hooks, and vocalist Sarah Cracknell sends them into orbit with the buoyant charm of a '60s pop queen. A Top 10 hit in the band's native England, TIGER BAY has been issued and reissued with varying cover art and track lineups, and if fans argue over which is definitive, there's consensus that the 1994 collection captures Saint Etienne near the top of its game.
Born to Sing (Album of the Day)
En Vogue emerged from Oakland, California at the end of the 1980s to become one of the most exciting acts in R&B. Modeled after the girl groups of the 1960s but with a contemporary twist, the quartet – Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones and Dawn Robinson – already displayed the poise and talent of seasoned stars on their debut album, the aptly titled BORN TO SING. Helping to marshal the foursome's outstanding harmonies on such singles as “Lies,” “You Don't Have To Worry” and the No. 2 crossover smash “Hold On” is the production team of Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy (both veterans of hitmakers Club Nouveau). With its effortless blend of soul, hip-hop and New Jack Swing, the 1990 Atlantic collection was a platinum seller and earned the group a Best R&B Performance Grammy nomination, and we'll give BORN TO SING another spin to cap off Black History Month.
Live in Hollywood (Album of the Day)
Linda Ronstadt released more than two dozen studio albums during her stellar five-decade career but surprisingly never released a live album – until now. The new LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD includes 12 of the singer's favorite performances from a 1980 concert recorded for an acclaimed HBO television special. For the show, she was joined by an outstanding band: guitarists Kenny Edwards and Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardist Billy Payne (of Little Feat fame), pedal steel guitarist Dan Dugmore and backing vocalist Wendy Waldman. The hit-packed set list includes "Blue Bayou," "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," "It's So Easy," "You're No Good" and a trio of Top Ten hits from the then-current MAD LOVE album. LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD captures Linda Ronstadt at the peak of her reign as America's most popular female rock singer.