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Loving the Alien (Album of the Day)
DAVID BOWIE LOVING THE ALIEN (1983-1988) is the fourth in a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed boxed sets spanning the legendary performer's career from 1969. Focusing on Bowie's most commercially successful period, the new 11-CD collection includes remastered versions of LET'S DANCE, TONIGHT, NEVER LET ME DOWN and the live GLASS SPIDER. The set also features a disc of contemporaneous dance remixes and one of rare non-album sides and soundtrack songs. LOVING THE ALIEN has plenty of previously unreleased material as well – a concert recording from the 1983 Serious Moonlight tour and a brand new production of NEVER LET ME DOWN overseen by Bowie producer/engineer Mario McNulty.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Walk Right Back" (Album of the Day)
Elvis wasn't the only rock and roller drafted into the Army; former Crickets guitarist Sonny Curtis was performing in the Everly Brothers' backing band when he got the call in 1959. Curtis was also a talented songwriter, and when he got a 3-day pass during basic training at Fort Ord, he paid the Everlys a visit in Hollywood and played them his latest song: “Walk Right Back.” Phil & Don quickly worked up their trademark harmonies, entered a recording studio – on this day in 1960 – and emerged with a Top 10 hit. Later covered by artists including Anne Murray, Andy Williams and The Move, “Walk Right Back” is an early rock evergreen, and it's our Song of the Day.
Chicago II - Live On Soundstage (Album of the Day)
Originally released in January 1970, CHICAGO II was a major breakthrough for the legendary rock band with horns and features some of the group's biggest hits, including the Top 10 singles “25 Or 6 To 4,” “Make Me Smile” and “Colour My World.” Nominated for three Grammy awards and certified double-platinum, the set is also known for several extended song cycles. Chicago went home to its namesake city last year to record a live version of the album at the historic WTTW-TV studios; the performance features every song from that classic collection, several of which haven't been played live since the 1970s. Now available, a collector's edition of CHICAGO II: LIVE ON SOUNDSTAGE comes with the Soundstage performance on CD and DVD, as well as the original CHICAGO II album remixed by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson.
SONG OF THE DAY - "Le Freak" (Album of the Day)
Chic masterminds Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers weren't yet dance music kingpins when Grace Jones invited the pair to New York's Studio 54 in late 1977 – and they were denied entrance to the club because Jones had neglected to notify the doorman. Edwards and Rodgers channeled their frustration into songwriting, and had the last laugh when “Le Freak” became a No.1 hit. Graciously name-checking the notoriously exclusive nightspot (and a predecessor, the Savoy), the song celebrates the joys of dancing the night away, propelled by an insistent guitar riff and the irresistible chant “freak out!” Named one of Billboard's all-time Top 100 Songs in 2013, the multi-million-selling “Le Freak” is one of the greatest anthems of the disco era, and in honor of Nile Rodgers' birthday, it's our Song of the Day.
Tormato (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Released 40 years ago, TORMATO was the final album of the 1970s from U.K. prog rock greats Yes. Recorded in London following an exhaustive tour behind comeback set GOING FOR THE ONE, the sessions strained the group - vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman would depart soon afterward - but resulted in some wonderful music. Housed in a distinctive Hipgnosis-designed cover, the platinum-selling collection features immaculate performances (with several new instruments broadening the quintet's sound) and such strong songs as “Release, Release,” “Onward” and popular single “Don't Kill the Whale.” The Deluxe Edition of TORMATO adds 10 bonus tracks, all but a couple of them non-LP originals.
Houdini (Album of the Day)
The Melvins had been playing for years before the word “grunge” came into fashion to describe the intense, sludgy alternative rock they helped pioneer, so it's only fair that when Nirvana hit, the band got offered a major label deal. Released 25 years ago today, HOUDINI, the first Melvins album for Atlantic and fifth overall, was partially produced by longtime fan Kurt Cobain, who also contributes a bit of guitar to “Sky Pup.” These dozen originals (plus a version of Kiss' “Going Blind”) are loud, heavy and lumbering, and the massive riffs and weird twists of “Honey Bucket,” “Lizzy” and “Hooch” are still overpowering. Featuring iconic Frank Kozik cover art, HOUDINI is the Melvins' most successful album to date, and an ideal introduction to the work of King Buzzo and company.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Orinoco Flow" (Album of the Day)
Enya grew up with musical siblings and was briefly a member of her family's group Clannad before becoming a solo star with “Orinoco Flow,” released in the U.K. 30 years ago today. Recorded at Orinoco Studios in London, the enchanting song was part of the Irish performer's breakthrough album, WATERMARK, but almost wasn't issued as a single. “There was no middle eight, and 'Sail away' was after every line - it drove me crazy, but there was something there that could be worked on,” noted Enya's A&R rep Rob Dickens (who is name-checked in the lyrics), and fortunately the track's quality carried the day. "Orinoco Flow" topped the British chart and earned two Grammy nominations, and it's our Song of the Day.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Album of the Day)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' 1991 Warner Bros. debut BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK proved to be the commercial breakthrough for the L.A. funk-rock quartet. Producer Rick Rubin put the band up in his mansion studio, and they emerged with a collection that was as accessible as it was powerful, selling more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone. The sex (“Suck My Kiss,” “Sir Psycho Sexy”) is a bit easier to find than blood or sugar here, but there's magic all over – and not just on singles like “Under The Bridge” or “Give It Away.” Flea's bass playing on “Funky Monks” or John Frusciante's guitar solo on “My Lovely Man” (a tribute to late Chili Pepper Hillel Slovak) are almost supernatural. Today is Flea's birthday, and we'll wish him a happy one with BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK.
Ocean Rain (Album of the Day)
“We wanted to make something conceptual with lush orchestration; not Mantovani, something with a twist. It's all pretty dark.” So said Echo & The Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant of the band's fourth studio collection, OCEAN RAIN. The 1984 Sire album is a bit of a departure from its post-punk/neo-psych predecessors; largely dispensing with synthesizers, the 35-piece accompaniment lures the Liverpool quartet into dramatic and melodic new territory. Highlights include “Silver” “Seven Seas” and Top Ten U.K. hit “The Killing Moon,” but this is the kind of darkly romantic work best experienced as a whole. Featuring a strong set of songs and impassioned performances, the moody and majestic OCEAN RAIN is cited by many fans as the group's high-water mark.
Giving You the Best That I Got (Album of the Day)
Released 30 years ago today, GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT solidified Anita Baker's status as one of the classiest and most successful artists in contemporary R&B. RAPTURE producer Michael J. Powell returned for this fine follow-up, providing appropriately lush settings for the singer's soul-pop balladry. Among the many highlights of the 1988 Elektra collection are “Just Because,” the Latin jazz-tinged “Good Enough,” “Good Love” and the Top 10 hit title track (the latter two songs are also co-written by Baker). The set was a success by any measure, topping the Billboard chart, earning three Grammys and selling more than three million copies. An ideal showcase for the songstress, GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT is one of the best Anita Baker albums you can get.