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GP (Album of the Day)
After pioneering country rock with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons perfected the form on GP. Though the singer-songwriter's 1973 Reprise Records solo debut includes some covers (George Jones' “That's All It Took” among them) the album leans heavily on such outstanding originals as “She” and “The New Soft Shoe.” Great as the material is, it's the performances that really put this set over the top; Gram's vocals never sounded better, and he's surrounded by such stellar instrumentalists as guitarist James Burton, fiddler Byron Berline and co-producer Ric Grech on bass. In a class by herself is Emmylou Harris, whose harmonizing here helped launch her illustrious career. Parsons was born on this day in 1946, and we'll salute the cosmic American musician with another spin of GP.
Crooked Piece of Time (Album of the Day)
John Prine, who passed away in April, was one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of his generation and recipient of the 2020 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Known for his raspy voice and equally admired for his unique songwriting ability, Prine spent nearly five decades creating witty and sincere country-folk music that drew from his Midwestern American roots and incorporated sounds from rockabilly, R&B and rock 'n' roll. Rhino remembers the man that Rolling Stone once called “The Mark Twain of American songwriting” with CROOKED PIECE OF TIME: THE ATLANTIC & ASYLUM ALBUMS (1971-1980). Just released, the newly remastered seven-CD boxed set includes the first seven studio albums of his career in mini-LP replica sleeves along with poster inserts and a 20-page booklet with liner notes by acclaimed music writer David Fricke.
Winelight (Album of the Day)
The warm tones of smooth jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. were rarely more intoxicating than on 1980's WINELIGHT. Cut in New York City with co-producer Ralph MacDonald (who also provides percussion), the album frames Washington's mellifluous horn work with accompaniment from such musical talents as keyboardist Richard Tee, drummer Steve Gadd – and singer Bill Withers on “Just The Two Of Us.” The album's sole vocal track, that No.2 hit single makes an unexpected appearance at the end of the new BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (and has since been trending on TikTok). The song, and the wonderfully melodic instrumentals surrounding it, lifted WINELIGHT into the Top 10 on the pop, jazz and soul album charts, and the Grammy-winning collection stands as one of Washington's very best.
Reinventing the Steel (20th Anniversary Edition) (Album of the Day)
Philip Anselmo, Dimebag Darrell, Rex Brown and Vinnie Paul had already earned a #1 album and several Grammy nominations by the time Pantera began recording REINVENTING THE STEEL. Released in 2000 at the peak of nu-metal’s popularity, the set’s back-to-basics approach flew in the face of the trend and served as a potent reminder of the enduring power of primal metal. A celebration of the skull-rattling sound the quartet had cultivated through the years, the collection features such highlights as “We’ll Grind That Axe For A Long Time,” “Goddamn Electric” and “I’ll Cast A Shadow.” Certified gold and embraced by fans and critics alike, the album would unexpectedly become the band’s last. Now available, the 3-CD REINVENTING THE STEEL: 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION pairs a newly remastered version of the original with a disc of rarities and a new mix by producer Terry Date, who was behind the console for the band’s previous four landmark albums.
LaVern (Album of the Day)
Born Delores Evans in Chicago, LaVern Baker had a voice that elevated every song it touched, be it blues, jazz, gospel, R&B or rock 'n' roll. After signing with Atlantic Records, she released her debut album in 1956 and though the label's longplayers of the era were often just collections of singles, LAVERN is a more cohesive affair. While opener “Lots And Lots Of Love” is a Baker original and “Of Course I Do” was penned by proto-rocker Chuck Willis, romantic ballads and standards such as “Harbor Lights” carry the day here. Producers Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler brought in top-flight instrumentalists behind the performer, who wrings every drop of emotion from these dozen songs. As the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was born on this day in 1929, we'll give another listen now to LAVERN.
Zuma (Album of the Day)
Neil Young's batting average in the 1970s was extraordinarily high, and ZUMA is another home run. Named after the California beach where Neil resided, the 1975 Reprise collection largely ditches the despair running through his preceding “ditch trilogy,” and the 9 originals include such tender songs as “Lookin' for a Love” and even a CSNY track, “Through My Sails.” Cut with a reconfigured Crazy Horse, the album has plenty of raw energy and some of Young's best-ever guitar solos, most notably on “Danger Bird” and historical epic “Cortez the Killer.” It's an ideal showcase of the intensity, versatility and heart that put Neil Young in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we'll give the gold-certified ZUMA another spin now to wish the man a happy 75th birthday.
Illuminations (Album of the Day)
By the time of ILLUMINATIONS, Josh Groban already had a string of platinum-selling albums under his belt, so one might have expected the singer-songwriter to stick with the formula on his fifth studio collection. Instead, Groban decamped to San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios to work with noted rock and hip-hop producer Rick Rubin, and teamed with Semisonic’s Dan Wilson to pen half of these 13 tracks. While the Reprise collection's classically trained vocals, radio-friendly singles (“Hidden Away”) and foreign-language tracks (“Você Existe Em Mim”) will be familiar to fans, the album's surprisingly effective left turns (like a Nick Cave cover) make it one of the performer's most personal. Released 10 years ago today, the Top Ten hit ILLUMINATIONS illuminates one of contemporary pop's most gifted artists.
IV (Album of the Day)
Though Led Zeppelin's fourth album is technically untitled (it's sometimes referred to as IV or ZOSO), let's just call it the group's masterpiece. Produced by guitarist Jimmy Page, the collection is a seamless combination of heavy metal (“Black Dog”), blues (a cover of Memphis Minnie's “When the Levee Breaks”), folk (the Joni Mitchell-inspired “Going to California”) and mythology (“The Battle of Evermore,” with guest vocals by Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny). The 1971 Atlantic set introduced future concert favorites “Rock and Roll” and signature song “Stairway to Heaven” and has gone on to sell more than 37 million copies worldwide. We're hard-pressed to think of another hard rock album that showcases the form's power and possibilities as effectively as LED ZEPPELIN IV, and we'll give it another spin now to wish singer Robert Plant a happy birthday.
Ritual de lo Habitual (Album of the Day)
No less an authority than Alice Cooper declared Jane’s Addiction's RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL “their peak album, where they really went out on a limb,” and it's tough to argue with the rock legend on this point. The second and final studio set from the L.A. quartet's original incarnation spans alt-rock ragers (“Stop”), mainstream rock hits (“Been Caught Stealing”) and haunting ballads (“Classic Girl”) as well as progressive epics (“Then She Did”). Frontman Perry Farrell and axeman Dave Navarro play every song as if it might be their last on the double-platinum RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL, which was released 30 years ago today.
Freedom Suite (Album of the Day)
FREEDOM SUITE shows two sides of The Rascals. “It's a double album,” as drummer Dino Danelli explained upon the set's original release. “The first is full of lyrical songs and the second has instrumentals featuring the sort of numbers we play in clubs, and never record. It's beautiful - very jazz orientated.” Though political engagement and gospel influences were more to the fore, the first disc could have passed for one of the quartet's earlier collections as it's packed with catchy tracks like “A Ray of Hope” and the smash “People Got to Be Free,” which topped the chart on this day in 1968. Co-producer Arif Mardin brought in sax greats King Curtis and David Newman to lend a hand, and the extended jams that follow reflect both The Rascals' skillful playing and their growing ambition. The gold-certified FREEDOM SUITE stands as another triumph from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.