JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound “Want More”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#560 in the Series) is JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, Want More (Bloodshot Records)– NEW MUSIC REVIEW Not since The White Album has an album been more appropriately named than Want More, the groups second album, and first since signing with the eclectically cool record label Bloodshot Records, from the Chicago based neo-soul band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Consider yourself warned, with the look of a slightly aged Sam Cooke along with his Otis Redding with an edge vocal style, JC Brooks and his band are poised to kidnap your ears, grab your feet, borrow your soul, and take you down a retro rabbit hole you haven’t travelled since James Brown,...
Was (Not Was) “What Up, Dog?”
——————————————————————————————- Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#506 in the Series) is Was (Not Was), What Up, Dog? Have you heard this one? I’m guessing many of you have not. Well, you may have heard one of the singles, “Walk the Dinosaur” or “Spy In the House of Love,” but like many great albums, the singles don’t tell the story. Was (Not Was) is the brainchild of Don Was and David Was. Two outstanding producers/musicians. Don Was has done many things you’ve heard. From the great Bonnie Raitt album, Nick of Time to The Rolling Stones. The majority of this album is a hard funk/ jazz sound, with a couple great ballads tossed in. The band’s sense of humor...
Bill Withers “Just As I Am”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#505 in the Series) is Bill Withers, Just As I Am By all rights the Bill Withers album Just As I Am should never have been made. It’s not that the talent was not here, it certainly was, it’s just that it is not often that when a record company needs to take promotional pictures for an album that they have to work around the artist’s break times during his 8-5 job at a Boeing plant making airplane toilets. In 1967 Bill Withers, fresh from a discharge from the Navy and bolstered by his fellow sailor’s encouragement and recognition of his talent, moved to the west coast to make some demo records...
War “The World is a Ghetto”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#466 in the Series) is War, The World is a Ghetto I’m not sure if you heard that Jerry Lewis is no longer hosting the Labor Day Telethon. The news got out last week. Prior to that, it was announced that the show would not be its usual 21 hours. Starting this year, it’s only going to be on for six hours. I’m really bummed about this. I really got a kick out of the stuff that would happen about three or four in the morning. It could get really interesting at times. One of the things that I’d see every year was War playing about a 10 minute medley of all their...
Daryl Hall “Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#459 in the Series) is Daryl Hall, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine. This is the second Daryl Hall solo release that we’re featuring; we also took a look-see at Sacred Songs. That album had a heavy dose of Robert Fripp and definitely had a unique sound to it. Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine is a much more traditional sounding album that you’d expect from Daryl Hall. This one is plentiful with blue eyed sound and ballads. The album kicks off with the most well-known song off the bunch. That would be “Dreamtime.” In fact, “Dreamtime” is the biggest hit of Daryl Hall’s solo career. It reached #5 on the...
James Brown “Live at the Apollo”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#442 in the Series) is James Brown, Live at the Apollo I often look at “Top” lists when I decide which album to feature. I sometimes look thru “Top Live Albums” and such just to get ideas. The one album that may show up more than any other album on those top lists is this one, James Brown, Live at the Apollo. This was recorded in late 1962 and released in 1963. I wonder, not only is this one of the best live albums of all time, but it’s also got to be one of the first live albums as well. What’s more interesting is the fact that this album almost was never...
Luther Vandross “Give Me the Reason”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#427 in the Series) is Luther Vandross, Give Me The Reason In late 1985, early 1986 I had a chance to see Luther Vandross in Chicago at Rosemont Horizon. Well, at least I think that’s where it was. That was a long time ago. He was just about ready to cross over. That’s one thing I remember about the concert. He was still just a Soul/R+ B star at that time. I know for sure that he hadn’t crossed over yet! I do remember it was a great concert. Besides Luther, The Isley Brothers and Starpoint were also on the bill. It was fun seeing Ernie Isley wale on that classic solo on...
Aretha Franklin “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#419 in the Series) is Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You When Columbia Records signed the 18 year old Aretha Franklin in 1960 they must have been absolutely delighted. There was no doubt that the kid had tremendous talent and years of singing and playing gospel music along with her father and sisters had given her the confidence and experience to go with it. There was surely no doubt that she would go on, very soon, to be one of the biggest stars the label had ever had. Leaving her home in Detroit for New York to work with some of the finest musicians in the country as...
Hall and Oates “Live at the Apollo”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#380 in the Series, and #33 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Hall and Oates, Live at the Apollo. Hall and Oates was a white hot hit machine when they decided to release this live album. They had just had some nice success with their Rock and Soul Pt. 1 greatest hits album and its follow-up, Big Bam Boom. Always known as blue-eyed soul, they decided to take the soul part of that mix and record their first live album at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. They brought some friends along to help make it a success, not just any friends either. They being, the Temptation’s Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin....
Sade “Diamond Life”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#371 in the Series) is Sade, Diamond Life Sade, Diamond Life was released, here in the States, in February, 1985. I distinctly remember two things about that time. Firstly, I remember listening to this album and being taken in on how different it sounded from what was on the radio. Who was going to play this? Would Top 40 touch it? Could it possibly be played on the R+B stations? How about the better rock stations of the time? Well, the answer turned out to be yes. I heard this album on those formats, and then some. It really sprayed to all fields. The other thing that I remember was that at the...
