Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#354 in the Series) is Morrissey, Vauxhall And I Morrissey is, for many, the best singer and lyricist to emerge in the last 30 years. And Vauxhall And I is his greatest album. “How can you tell?” I hear you cry, “They all sound the same!” That’s a pretty common accusation from non-Moz fans and, to be fair, there’s a grain of truth in it. Stylistically, he doesn’t change things too much, he’s found his groove and he’s staying in it. There’s been the occasional foray into experimental territory (almost exclusively confined to extra tracks on his singles) but, by and large, his stuff sounds pretty much the same as it did way...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#341 in the Series) is P.J. Harvey, Rid of Me PJ Harvey’s second album sounded like a cry for help. Which was strange really since, on the surface at least, things seemed to be going pretty well. Her first two singles, especially “Dress”, and her debut album had been met with tremendous reviews and great acclaim from fans and the critics. Even better, she was loved by the legendary DJ John Peel, a man whose seal of approval could be the making of your entire career. Those first records had been released by the relatively small London-based indie label Too Pure but such was their impact that Harvey soon found herself signed up...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#335 in the Series) is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Boatman’s Call Long cited as one of the world’s best (albeit relatively unknown) songwriters, Nick Cave at last came out with the classic album that many had suspected he was capable of. And this time it was personal. Considered one of the heirs to Leonard Cohen’s throne, his worked had often explored similar themes, not least the biblical. However, due to its unremitting focus on matters of the heart, specifically the bitterness of broken relationships and their aftermath, The Boatman’s Call would seem to have more in common with Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks. Sensing that these songs didn’t need much...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#330 in the Series) is Elvis Presley, From Elvis in Memphis. 1969. To the record buying public , the general perception was that Elvis’ career as a recording artist to be taken seriously was all but over. There’d simply been too many over sentimental ballads, too much pop/pap soundtrack dross and far too many terrible movies. He was a man out of step with the times , overtaken by the counter-culture , left behind by the likes of Dylan, The Beatles and The Stones. The ’68 Special had helped a bit but not nearly enough. He knew it, everyone around him knew it. Something had to change. A planned Nashville session for January...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#316 in the Series) is Orange Juice, You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever It’s impossible to write anything about Orange Juice without first mentioning Postcard Records.Founded by Alan Horne and operated from his bedroom , Postcard was a tiny independent label which went on to have massive influence. It was also the label which released the debut singles by Aztec Camera, The Go – Betweens, Josef K and, trailblazing the labels tongue-in-cheek motto “The Sound Of Young Scotland”, with four seminal 7′ releases , Orange Juice. Orange Juice quickly outgrew the label and moved on to Polydor Records, heading straight into the studio to start work on their debut album. When it finally...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#310 in the Series) is John Stewart, California Bloodlines By 1969 , John Stewart was 29 years old and had packed in a fair bit of living. He co-founded The Cumberland 3 , released three albums with them and moved on to become a member of  The Kingston Trio , releasing numerous discs and playing hundreds of live shows . Fast forward to 1968 and we find him recording an album with his wife Buffy Ford and , just for good measure , he also managed to write a little song you may have heard of , “Daydream Believer” , a smash hit for The Monkees in ’67. For most people that would be...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#281 in the Series) is Jeff Buckley, Grace. Make a list of the best debut albums of all-time and it won’t be very long before you get to Grace. For, quite simply, Jeff Buckley and his band created a beautiful work, rich and varied in scope, tough but also tender. As a performer in his own right, Buckley first came to the attention of the public (and most A&R men) when he took up a weekly residency at Sin-E, a small basement cafe in New York. Appearances there saw him hone his craft to perfection, crafting a rare beauty from his soaring vocal range, dazzling guitar skills and myriad influences, most notably Led...