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24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
The title of Stevie Nicks' 24 KARAT GOLD: SONGS FROM THE VAULT suggests a set of previously unreleased recordings, but the 2014 Reprise collection is much more intriguing than that. Nick revisits her back pages as a writer here, with new recordings of unheard songs from before, during and after her rise to superstardom. With Eurythmics' Dave Stewart behind the boards, these 14 tracks feature fairly simple arrangements (though such stellar accompanists as Waddy Wachtel and a couple of the Heartbreakers play them), allowing the material – and Stevie's beautiful voice - to shine through. “Blue Water,” “Lady” and “The Dealer” are just a few treasures that would have felt right at home on her classic Fleetwood Mac and solo albums of the 1970s and '80s. The Deluxe Edition of 24 KARAT GOLD: SONGS FROM THE VAULT includes bonus tracks “Twisted” and “Watch Chain,” and we'll give the set a spin now to wish Stevie Nicks a happy birthday.
Nevermind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (Album of the Day)
Not everyone in England celebrated Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee; on this day in 1977, the Sex Pistols released a scathing attack on the monarch, “God Save The Queen.” Though widely banned, the single sold briskly and became one of three Top 10 U.K. hits (along with “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays in the Sun”) on the quartet's sole studio collection, NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS. Also including the explosive anthem “Anarchy In The U.K.," the album has a snotty power that likely inspired ten people for every one it offended. The classic set debuted at No.1 on the British chart and in the years since NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS has been called one of the 100 greatest albums ever made by the likes of NME, Rolling Stone and Time.
The Atlantic Recordings (Album of the Day)
Today in 1966, iconic soul single “When A Man Loves A Woman” topped the Billboard chart; for far too many listeners, that's all they know of the man who made it, Percy Sledge. That the Alabama-born singer had much more to offer than that one song is made abundantly clear on THE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS. The 4-disc Rhino Handmade collection gathers virtually everything the performer waxed during his stint on the label from 1966 to 1974 – more than 100 tracks, including such hits as “Warm And Tender Love,” “It Tears Me Up” and “Take Time To Know Her” as well as rare, live and unreleased cuts. Featuring excellent remastered sound, THE ATLANTIC RECORDINGS is the ideal way to hear the music that put Percy Sledge into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls (15th Anniversary) (Album of the Day)
Montreal quintet Simple Plan may not have had an elaborate strategy for success, but it was an effective one: bash out catchy, unpretentious pop-punk. The public responded immediately - 2002 debut NO PADS, NO HELMETS … JUST BALLS sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, aided by exposure on the Vans Warped Tour and TV soundtracks. These dozen songs are irresistible fun and “Perfect” “Addicted” and “I'd Do Anything” were all U.S. Top 20 singles (though it didn't chart originally, “I'm Just A Kid” has seen a resurgence in recent weeks through use in TikTok videos); Blink-182's Mark Hoppus and Good Charlotte's Joel Madden each appear on a track for good measure. The 15th Anniversary Tour Edition of NO PADS, NO HELMETS … JUST BALLS adds 7 bonus cuts including B-sides and live recordings.
Jagged Little Pill (Album of the Day)
JAGGED LITTLE PILL wasn't Alanis Morissette's first album, it was just the first that anyone beyond Canadian dance-pop fans had ever heard. A radical self-reinvention, the cathartic collection dove headfirst into deeply personal territory and took the globe by storm. Produced by Glen Ballard, the collection's dozen songs pair memorable melodies and powerful arrangements to some of the most nakedly emotional lines you'll read outside of a diary. Singles like “You Oughta Know,” “Ironic” and “You Learn” helped the album rack up more than 30 million in worldwide sales and several Grammy Awards; more recently it has inspired a musical (in case you missed it, an event featuring Alanis and the stage cast and creative team is streaming as a benefit for The Actors Fund). This is Morissette's birthday, and to wish her a happy one we'll give JAGGED LITTLE PILL another spin.
Solitude/Solitaire (Album of the Day)
On Peter Cetera’s second solo set – and first after leaving the group Chicago – the vocalist displays the same knack for romantic balladry that helped make his previous band one of the most successful in pop history. Though titled SOLITUDE/SOLITAIRE, the singer-songwriter is hardly alone; among the ace session players here are guitarist Ray Parker Jr., percussionist Jeff Porcaro of Toto and keyboardist Michael Omartian (who co-produced this collection). The nine tracks include two No.1 singles: the Amy Grant duet “The Next Time I Fall” and the Karate Kid II theme “The Glory Of Love,” which was released on this day in 1986. The platinum-selling SOLITUDE/SOLITAIRE proved to be Cetera’s most popular album, and its consummate craftsmanship and memorable melodies retain their allure.
Deep Purple In Rock (Album of the Day)
British band Deep Purple started out as classically influenced progressive rockers before finding their true calling in 1970 with DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK. The cover art gives the quintet the Mount Rushmore treatment, and this set certainly qualifies as a national monument of heavy metal. Newly arrived singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover were experienced songwriters, inspiring the group to come up with seven originals (including opener “Speed King” and the epic “Child in Time”) to showcase the blazing riffs of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord as never before. The first studio album from the classic “Mark II” lineup of the group, DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK was released 50 years ago today and will still have you pumping your fist from start to finish.
MY LIFE (Album of the Day)
The youngest of 14 children, Arkansas-born Iris Dement sings of rural America with the honesty and compassion of a Dorothea Lange photograph. The singer-songwriter's debut for Warner Bros., MY LIFE, was cut in Nashville in 1994, but its spirit harks back to country and folk of earlier eras; the 10 tracks include fine covers of Lefty Frizzell and Maybelle Carter favorites. Dement's originals more than hold their own in that august company – such highlights as “No Time to Cry,” “Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day” and the title track are as emotionally powerful as they are straightforward – and her voice adds a rough-hewn grace to everything it touches. Nominated for a Best Contemporary Folk Grammy, MY LIFE belongs in any roots music fan's life.
Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings (Album of the Day)
Aretha Franklin learned to sing in church (her father was Detroit's noted Reverend C. L. Franklin), so it's fitting that AMAZING GRACE is her biggest-selling album. Recorded at Los Angeles' New Temple Missionary Baptist Church on January 13 and 14, 1972, the live album features transcendent performances of such standards as "Precious Memories," "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and "How I Got Over," and was greeted with rave reviews. The collection would go on to sell more than two million copies in the in U.S. alone and still also holds the record as the best-selling live gospel album of all time. It also earned the singer a Grammy award, her first for Best Soul Gospel Performance. Remastered and expanded in 1999 to include all the recordings from both nights, we'll give AMAZING GRACE: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS a spin in honor of Black Music Month.
This week the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is also honoring Aretha who was the first female to be inducted in 1987. Check out Franklin's official bio page for full speeches, performances, and tributes to the Queen Of Soul.
Mind Over Matter (Album of the Day)
Formerly known as the Jakes, Young The Giant followed an attention-getting debut with the equally distinctive MIND OVER MATTER on Fueled by Ramen in 2014. The Irvine, CA quintet turned to Grammy nominee Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Paramore, M83) to produce their sophomore set, and the result was described by The New York Times as “a sharp, electric album that has the cool reserve of the Cure matched with the arena mind-set of, say, Muse.” The baker's dozen originals include such ace songs as “Crystallized,” “ “It's About Time” and the title track (which is currently trending on TikTok), and Sameer Gadhia and company deliver committed performances throughout. A step forward that won't alienate fans of Young The Giant's first release, MIND OVER MATTER offers further reason to keep these indie rockers on your radar.