Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#756 in the Series) is Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. One of the greatest albums of all time and one of the defining moments in Eric Clapton’s legacy is all you really need to know about this album. “The Layla Album” was released in 1970. It’s interesting to note that while it reached #16 in the US, the album did not chart in the UK.  What were they thinking? The band was made up of Eric Clapton on guitar vocals. Duane Allman on guitar; Carl Randle, bass; Bobby Whitlock, organ and vocals and Jim Gordon, Drums. Duane Allman did not play on three of the most popular songs....

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#292 in the Series) is Black Sabbath, Paranoid. Black Sabbath, Paranoid……  I don’t think I need to say much about this one now do I?  This was one of the very first metal albums that I owned.  I have a feeling that many of us can say that.  Hey, and we turned out alright, didn’t we? I went to a rather conservative catholic high school in suburban Chicago.  We had a bus driver that had hooked up a pair of speakers about half way back towards the ceiling. He looked like George Carlin.  He used to blast the 8-track of this on the way to school about 8:00 in the morning.  How cool was...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#482 in the Series) is the debut from Lucifer’s Friend. If ever a band fit the category “cult,” it’s Lucifer’s Friend. I guarantee 90% of casual rock music fans will respond “Lucy-who’s what?!” Unfortunately, they also join the long list of bands that never were quite able to surpass, or even equal, their debut album. It’s like the old adage- bands have twenty years to make their first album. They’ve got six months for the follow up. I can still remember the day I bought Lucifer’s Friend’s 1970 debut, some 38 years ago. (It wasn’t released in the US ‘til around ‘73.) I was actually buying The New York Dolls debut when a curious-looking...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#480 in the Series) is Alice Cooper, Easy Action I’ve always had a soft spot for Alice Cooper. No, let me rephrase that—I’ve always been a diehard Alice Cooper fanatic! It all stems from AC being the first “real” band I ever saw, back in 1972 on the School’s Out tour. I was 13 years old, and alone. To say the event was life-changing would be an understatement. The seedy, yet exciting, world of rock n’ roll was now at my fingertips and in living color! Even better—there were no grownups to be found! But, first, let’s back up just a tad… Following their experimental and, quite frankly, bizarre debut album, Pretties For...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#418 in the Series)is George Harrison, All Things Must Pass I know I’ve mentioned the purpose of the Whale Wednesday Series. Yeah, the plan was to feature some of the bigger releases and give them some representation on the site as well.  However I meant that to mean “bigger” in regards to profile or sales etc. I didn’t intend it to mean the actual size of the recording! So here we have one that fits the term ‘Huge’ on a couple fronts. The first of those being that it was recorded by George Harrison along with some well-known friends. The second being how well this was accepted.  All Things Must Pass sold over...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#402 in the Series) is Leon Russell. The year was 1970,  the 23 year old British Singer-Songwriter who had recently changed his name to Elton John, in his first American concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, Ca, was nervously sitting at his piano bench, about to start “Sixty Years On”, gazing over the packed- in audience in wonderment that all these people were here to see him, when he paused and noticed Leon Russell was in the house.   This was 40 years before Elton would collaborate with his idol and one of the original “piano men” and release the excellent The Union album. This was also before the “ Rocket Man” became...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#363 in the Series, and #10 in the Whale Wednesday Series) is Santana, Abraxas Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, David Brown, Michael Shrieve, José “Chepito” Areas and Mike Carabello To me, those six guys were Santana.  Carlos has gone thru more musicians than any band leader I know, to me however, those six cats were Santana at its best.  In fact, I feel this was the only actual Santana band.  After that it was Carlos and whomever he decided to bring in.  How can I back that statement up? Look who wrote the songs on this. Nearly every one contributed in the writing.  The great Gregg Rolie wrote two.  “Chipito” Areas wrote two, Michael...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#249 in the Series) is Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmos Factory. I was surprised to find out that we hadn’t done anything from Creedence nor John Fogerty solo as of yet.  Well that ends now. CCR has had more popular releases than Cosmos Factory. I chose this album for song, “Ramble Tamble.”  It’s a nice long seven minute excursion thru the swamp. It does house many of the better known classics.  I’m sure you’ll remember “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Runnin’ Through the Jungle.”’  Hmm, more than I thought actually. Rolling Stone Magazine rated Cosmos Factory #265...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#237 in the Series) is Savoy Brown, Raw Sienna. I’m sure the old timers in our group know the story of Savoy Brown.  But for those who don’t, quickly… Savoy Brown was the fantastic blues-rock band that produced some great music starting in the later 60s. It was mostly Kim Simmonds band.  Three early mainstays of the band, Tony (aka Tone) Stevens, Roger Earl and “Lonesome” Dave Peverett would later leave to form another successful band, Foghat. Savoy Brown would continue and continue to make some great music for years to come. However, you never had a clue who Kim would have in his band from day to day. I guess that did...