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Love It To Death (Album of the Day)
The first two albums Alice Cooper cut for Straight Records went largely unnoticed, but when Warner Bros. bought the Zappa-affiliated label, the band got a second chance and made the most of it. LOVE IT TO DEATH introduced the group to producer Bob Ezrin, with whom they'd make a string of hits, and the 1971 WB collection perfects the quintet's full-throttle hard rock attack. The songwriting also reaches a new peak, with such highlights as “Is It My Body,” “Caught in a Dream” and “I'm Eighteen,” a Top 40 single that provided inspiration to both the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. Those anthems – and a spectacular stage show – made LOVE IT TO DEATH Alice Cooper's first big success (it would eventually go platinum), and we'll give the album another spin now to wish the shock rocker a happy birthday.
Rock ‘N Soul (Album of the Day)
Jet magazine was right on the money when it recognized Solomon Burke as the “King of Rock 'n' Soul” in January, 1964. The Philadelphia-born singer's debut album for Atlantic Records was released later that year and features rock, soul and even a little swamp pop, all sung in an inimitable voice that garnered Burke such admirers as The Rolling Stones. The set is sort of a “best-of” collection of his work going back almost three years, and most of its dozen tracks reached the Billboard Top 100 singles chart, including hits like "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)," "Cry to Me" and "If You Need Me." You won't find a better way to kick off Black History Month than by listening to a little ROCK 'N SOUL.
Dookie (Album of the Day)
Bay Area trio Green Day had a pair of independent albums under their belts when they signed to Reprise and released DOOKIE in 1994. Arriving on the heels of grunge rock, this extraordinarily catchy set of pop-punk songs was an instant hit, racking up more than 20 million sales worldwide (as well as a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy). Snotty, fun and clearly from the heart, Billie Joe Armstrong's lyrics struck a chord with listeners, and “When I Come Around,” “Welcome To Paradise” and “Basket Case” (an ode to Billie Joe's chronic anxiety that topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart for 5 weeks) became enduring fan favorites. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, DOOKIE remains one of alternative rock's landmark albums.
King Size Soul (Album of the Day)
A brilliant saxophone player, bandleader and producer, King Curtis was the secret weapon on many a recording session, and the artists he's backed would fill an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Curtis was a star in his own right with a string of releases on Atlantic, and 1967's KING SIZE SOUL remains one of his most enjoyable. With Atlantic stalwarts like Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd in the booth and his band The Kingpins joining him at the mic, the sax sensation cut ten tracks touching on rock and country as well as R&B, and both “Ode To Billie Joe” and signature song “Memphis Soul Stew” became Top 40 singles. King Curtis was born on this day in 1934, so we'll cue up KING SIZE SOUL to pay tribute to musical royalty.
Agent Provacatuer (Album of the Day)
Three years after Foreigner had conquered the charts with 4, the quartet returned with another smash in AGENT PROVOCATEUR. The 1984 collection sold millions of copies worldwide, thanks largely to the strength of hit single “I Want To Know What Love Is,” which topped the singles chart on both sides of the Atlantic. The song pairs Lou Gramm's powerful vocals with the New Jersey Mass Choir, and while that soaring ballad remains impressive, there are numerous other gems among the album's 10 originals, including “Down On Love,” “Growing Up The Hard Way” and Top 40 single “That Was Yesterday.” With writer-guitarist Mick Jones bringing his customary craftsmanship to the production, the arena rock of AGENT PROVOCATEUR remains supremely listenable.
Heartbeat City (Album of the Day)
The Cars had four hit albums in the trunk when the group took a short hiatus to accommodate solo projects; they reconvened in London to cut their fifth album, HEARTBEAT CITY, with producer Robert “Mutt” Lange. The time off was just what they needed, and the 1984 collection broadens the quintet's classic rock and new wave hybrid to include moody and atmospheric tracks like “Drive.” Sung by Benjamin Orr, the poignant ballad reached the Top 10 and showed The Cars were still eager to explore new territory. With inventive videos for “You Might Think,” “Magic” and “Hello Again” in heavy rotation on MTV, the collection wound up being The Cars' biggest seller ever (and, along with their debut, the group's most critically acclaimed). Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, HEARTBEAT CITY will quicken the pulse of any listener.
Leisure (Special Edition) (Album of the Day)
LEISURE was a very promising debut from Blur, even if it was a bit removed from the music that later launched the quartet to stardom. Shoegazing and Madchester influences are strong on the 1991 collection, and if that makes it an anomaly for the band, the outstanding songcraft that would become Blur's trademark can already be heard - “She's So High,” “Sing” and “There's No Other Way” were all single-worthy, and the set reached the Top 10 in the group's native England. Original producer Stephen Street (of Smiths fame) remastered the album to celebrate its 21st anniversary, and the Special Edition of LEISURE sounds better than ever. We'll give it a spin now to celebrate guitarist Graham Coxon's birthday!
Strikes (Album of the Day)
Blackfoot's name reflected its members' Native American heritage, and the group's Southern rock reflected its beginnings in Jacksonville, Florida. After paying their dues with albums for Island and Epic, the quartet signed to Atco and struck it rich with STRIKES. The 1979 collection was recorded in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Brownsville Station's manager and drummer producing, giving the music additional hard rock heft (there's a great version of Free's “Wishing Well” here). The 10 tracks include Top 40 hits “Highway Song” and “Train, Train,” which was written by frontman Rickey Medlocke's grandfather - and is probably the only song ever covered by both Dolly Parton and Warrant. Forty years after its release, the platinum-certified STRIKES has lost none of its bite.
Double Dynamite (Album of the Day)
When it came to '60s soul, Sam Moore and Dave Prater truly were DOUBLE DYNAMITE. Released at the end of 1966, the Atlantic album saw the pair consolidate the success of their “Hold On, I'm A-Comin'” breakthrough; Sam & Dave had perfected their gospel-influenced call-and-response vocals, and with the Stax Studios house band (made up of members of Booker T. and the M.G.'s) behind them, the duo were unstoppable. The third ingredient in the hit-making formula was the material, and songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter came up with some greats here, including “When Something is Wrong With My Baby,” “You Got Me Hummin',” “Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody” and “Soothe Me” - all four of which reached the Pop as well as R&B chart. On DOUBLE DYNAMITE, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Sam & Dave are explosive from start to finish.
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.