Echo and The Bunnymen “Ocean Rain”
Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#306 in the Series) is Echo and The Bunnymen, Ocean Rain. Echo and the Bunnymen were one of the leaders of the post punk movement of the early 80s. We previously discussed their great album from 1987. It was just self titled, “Echo and the Bunnymen.” That was my favorite album of that year. Today we’re going back a bit to 1984 and another one of their great releases, Ocean Rain. Ocean Rain was a little darker than the self-titled 1987 album. It featured some spectacular songs including one of their darkest, “Crown of Thorns.” Haunting is a word that could be used here as well. The title cut was another not to...
Lou Reed “Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#276 in the Series) is Lou Reed, Rock and Roll Animal. For those of you that did not know or are a new visitor, we feature a ‘live’ album every Saturday. This live project from Lou Reed was released in 1974. Five songs here, that’s it, five. Five influential songs? You bet. Lou Reed had broken up his band, The Velvet Underground, four years before this. I know, they did some things with a new vocalist (Doug Yule) but come on, if you want to recognize that as part of the band’s career then knock yourself out. This album went a long way to giving life to some of Velvet Underground’s classic songs....
The Clash “London Calling”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#267 in the Series) is The Clash, London Calling “The Only Band That Matters” that is one of the names that was given to the The Clash. Some people could also say that London Calling was the only album that mattered. London Calling was the The Clash’s 1979 (1980 in the US) double album. It contained many of their most well-known songs. The title cut plus, ‘Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Clampdown’ and ‘Train in Vain’ are just some of the highlights. There really isn’t a bad track amongst the 19 on this double album release. One of the few bands that I missed seeing. There were not many! Joe Strummer passed...
Ramones “Rock and Roll High School”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#184 in the Series) is the soundtrack to the movie, Rock and Roll High School. ”Gabba, Gabba, Hey!! Just pure silly fun in the movie and on the soundtrack! I started today’s choosing by looking at the Ramone’s catalog and tried to make a decision. I just couldn’t find one album to feature! So I decided to do something slightly different. So today’s album is the soundtrack to Rock and Roll High School. It’s features mostly songs by the Ramones, but has a couple other goodies in there as well. Tons of Ramones here. ‘Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna Be Sedated, She’s the One, Rock and Roll High School, Sheena is a Punk Rocker,...
Sex Pistols "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols"
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#147 in the Series) is the Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. This album was a huge deal when it came out in 1977. Punk Rock is Here. CBGBs!!! Malcolm McLaren!!! Johnny Rotten!! Sid Vicious!! ….and on and on and on. What I remember about this album at the time was that I liked the songs. I think many of them were pretty darn catchy and poppy myself, thank you. Sure they were played with a much harder edge. But there was quite a bit of commercial pop in those tracks. Don’t fool yourself. For a movement that was so ‘anti-establishment’ there sure was a sound and a plan...
