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Who Loves You (Album of the Day)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons had so many iconic singles in the 1960s that it's easy to forget they made great records in the 1970s as well. Case in point: WHO LOVES YOU, a Warner Bros./Curb collection that shows the Seasons successfully incorporating disco rhythms (and even a bit of synthesizer) into their classic harmony pop sound. Frankie Valli, whose solo career was then taking off, plays a reduced role here, but the other singers more than compensate, and the band's longtime producer-songwriter Bob Gaudio supplies some gems here including “Silver Star,” the Top 10 title track and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” which was released on this day in 1975 and would become the Four Seasons' all-time best-selling single. A major comeback for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, WHO LOVES YOU is an album you're sure to love.
Spend the Night (Album of the Day)
By the time they had released SPEND THE NIGHT, the members of The Donnas had been playing together since their days at Palo Alto High School, which may explain why the 2002 collection sounds so tight. The quartet's fifth studio album (and first for a major label, Atlantic Records) delivers the punchy Ramones-meets-Runaways attack of previous releases while adding sharper production and more accomplished performances. Party anthems and tales of teen romance and rivalry abound on these 13 originals, which include “Take Me to the Backseat,” “Who Invited You” and “Take It Off,” a single whose success helped put the album on the Billboard chart – a first for the group. Hard rock fans looking for a good time should SPEND THE NIGHT with The Donnas.
Prince - 1999 (Super Deluxe) (Album of the Day)
One of the most iconic and influential double albums in rock history, Prince’s 1999 was released in late 1982 at a major turning point in the artist’s career. After years of being relegated to the R&B charts, he experienced his first true crossover moment with the mega-hits “Little Red Corvette,” “1999,” and “Delirious,” shattering barriers with a revolutionary blend of rock, funk, R&B and new wave pop. The new 1999 SUPER DELUXE EDITION represents the deepest dive to date into Prince’s vault and includes a total of 65 audio tracks across five CDs and ten 180g vinyl records. Along with nearly two dozen previously unissued studio tracks, the set features a complete live audio performance of a 1982 Detroit concert, and a DVD containing another complete, previously unreleased concert from the same tour. New Year's Eve is our cue to party like it's 1999...
PLAYLIST OF THE DAY - Christmas Time (Album of the Day)
CHRISTMAS TIME gathers all your favorite Christmas songs and some new ones to make memories to. There's a little something for everyone on the 80-song playlist, which illustrates how popular holiday songs are with artists in every genre. Vocal pop is well-represented by singers ranging from Frank Sinatra (“Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town”) to Josh Groban (“The First Noel”) and Kelly Clarkson (“Christmas Eve”) and so is classic rock, with hitmakers including The Beach Boys (“Little Saint Nick”), Eagles (“Please Come Home for Christmas”) and Paul McCartney (“Wonderful Christmastime”). But there's also R&B (Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder), country (Martina McBride) and jazz (Vince Guaraldi) here … and even a Chanukah song (by Adam Sandler, of course). On the night before the big day, get in the mood with CHRISTMAS TIME.
PLAYLIST OF THE DAY - 100 Greatest Christmas Songs Ever (Album of the Day)
100 GREATEST CHRISTMAS SONGS EVER really delivers on its title; celebrate the yuletide in style with this timeless playlist of Xmas favorites old and new. Of course there are lots of perennials here - tracks like Nat King Cole's “The Christmas Song” and Gene Autry's “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” have been holiday traditions for generations. You'll also hear seasonal staples given fresh spins by artists ranging from Michael Buble and Kylie Minogue to Blake Shelton and Los Lobos. More recent additions to the Christmas canon include “Last Christmas” by Wham!, “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues and “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses. Have a happy holiday with our 100 GREATEST CHRISTMAS SONGS EVER.
Down by the Jetty (Album of the Day)
A reaction to the prog and glam of the early 1970s, the back-to-basics sound of U.K. pub rock was rooted in the rock and roll and R&B of earlier decades, and few bands delivered it more powerfully than Dr. Feelgood. The Essex quartet had years of live performance under their belts when they entered the studio with producer Vic Maile to cut DOWN BY THE JETTY, and it shows in the dozen cuts that precede the “Bony Moronie”/“Tequila” concert recording that closes this debut. Guitarist Wilko Johnson penned several fine originals for this set, including “She Does It Right” and “Roxette,” and the bluesy shout of frontman Lee Brilleaux seals the deal. An inspiration to bands ranging from The Jam and Boomtown Rats to Blondie, DOWN BY THE JETTY turns 45 this month but its fire remains undimmed.
Desolation Angels (40th Anniversary) (Album of the Day)
In the late summer of 1978, Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell spent several weeks recording songs for the British supergroup’s fifth studio album at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, England. DESOLATION ANGELS – named after Jack Kerouac’s 1965 novel – was released in March 1979, and became a double-platinum hit, peaking at #3 on the U.S. album charts. The collection introduced fan favorites like “Evil Wind” and “Rhythm Machine” and spawned two singles: “Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy,” which took radio by storm and became the best-selling single of the band’s career. The new double-disc DESOLATION ANGELS: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION boasts 19 unreleased songs taken from the album’s recording sessions, including versions of seven album tracks as well as outtakes “Smokin’ 45” and “Rock Fever.”
This Fire (Album of the Day)
Dedicated to "the inner fire of all life,” Paula Cole's second album turned the heat up on the Massachusetts singer-songwriter's career. The self-produced THIS FIRE features adventurous arrangements, passionate performances and a set of original songs that are both thoughtful and ear-catching. Top 10 hit “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and near-Top 10 single “I Don't Want to Wait,” which was used as the theme for TV series Dawson's Creek, are the best known tracks here, but such cuts as “Me” and “Hush, Hush, Hush” (with guest vocals from Peter Gabriel, with whom Cole had toured) underline the collection's consistent quality. A double-platinum hit, THIS FIRE earned 7 Grammy nominations, including a Best New Artist win, and it still burns brightly.
Giant Steps (Album of the Day)
“History will undoubtedly enshrine this disc as a watershed the likes of which may never truly be appreciated,” said Allmusic of GIANT STEPS, and few jazz fans would argue the point. Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane had just finished his work for Miles Davis when he began recording this, his debut for Atlantic Records, with producer Nesuhi Ertegün in New York. Assembled from two 1959 sessions (the second of which reunited Trane with KIND OF BLUE pianist Wynton Kelly and drummer Jimmy Cobb), the collection introduced such jazz standards as “Naima” and the title track – as well as a host of stylistic innovations. Jazz solos would never be the same after the intense “sheets of sound” treatment they receive here, and the approach to chord changes was just as groundbreaking. Released 60 years ago this month, GIANT STEPS has been enshrined by the Library of Congress, Rolling Stone and The Penguin Guide to Jazz, and it remains essential listening.
10,000 Hz Legend (Album of the Day)
Air's 10,000 HZ LEGEND takes the vibe of the French duo's Virgin Suicides soundtrack a step further, turning an occasionally disconsolate vision into an electro-pop soufflé. While the opening track is tellingly titled “Electronic Performers,” the collection seamlessly integrates a wide variety of acoustic instrumentation into the mix of synthesizers and robotic vocals. Power-poppers Jason Falkner and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. lend a hand on a few tracks, as does Beck, whose appearance on “The Vagabond” is an album highlight. Other standouts include “Radian” and “People In The City,” both of which show how Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin add hooks and production touches over the course of a few minutes to create an irresistible song. 10,000 HZ LEGEND was one of Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums, but the 2001 set will appeal to sophisticated listeners of every stripe.