Brian Setzer ‘The Knife Feels Like Justice’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#926 in The Series) is Brian Setzer, The Knife Feels Like Justice. Earlier we featured the forgotten Steve Winwood album. Now we feature a long forgotten, Brian Setzer album. This album just never got it’s due. It was NOT Stray Cats. And it’s not the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It was released between the two and has it’s own unique sound. I guess if I had to tell you what it sounds like I guess I would go with “Americana” or maybe somewher in the “Root’s” categories. Like we’ve discussed before, we hate to pigeon hole, but I’m trying to describe it to those that never heard it. Which, unfortunately for Brian, was most of America....
The Stone Roses ‘The Stone Roses’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#916 in the Series) is the self-titled debut from The Stone Roses. (Silvertone) With the recent news of The Stone Roses reuniting and touring, I thought back to my freshman year of college at Arizona State University twenty plus years ago, where I was first introduced to their self-titled debut. This was a great time in my life musically, considering I was away at college and free to spend as much time as I wanted scouring the record bins at Tower Records or listening to live music at Long Wong’s, the venue that launched The Gin Blossoms. Additionally, that fall both Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten were released. Not to mention my...
Terence Trent D’Arby ‘Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#915 in the Series) is Terence Trent D’Arby, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby. Terence Trent D’Arby arrived on the scene in 1987 and found immediate success. This album, his debut, peaked at #4, TWICE! His second single “Wishing Well” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. He won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Then…. Not much. He would never see success like that again. That first album though is definitely worth looking back upon. The first single was my favorite on that disc. That was the hard funk of “If You Let Me Stay.” I don’t think anything on the album came close to that...
Spinal Tap ‘This is Spinal Tap’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#911 in the Series) is Spinal Tap, This is Spinal Tap Very, very rarely do I toss around words like ‘brilliant’ and ‘masterpiece.’ But I think they apply when describing the humor in the movie, This is Spinal Tap. For those of us that worked in the industry, This is Spinal Tap rang so true, so real, that it is almost scary to watch at times. Yet, the comedy still plays well enough that someone with just casual interest in music can still enjoy it. What also was brilliant was that the stars and writers of the movie also were responsible for creating the music. Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean played all the...
Bill Nelson “The Love That Whirls (Diary of a Thinking Heart)
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#475 in the Series) is Bill Nelson, The Love That Whirls (Diary of a Thinking Heart) Who is Bill Nelson you ask? Well, did you read our recent Be-Bop Deluxe feature written by one of our contributors Jim McCabe? Bill Nelson was the leader/guitarist/front man for them. That piece triggered much discussion about Bill on the site and facebook. Many people were not aware of the long and prosperous solo career that Bill has had. So I’ve decided to come right back with one of his best solo efforts, The Love That Whirls (Diary of a Thinking Heart.) Be-Bop Deluxe pretty much called it a day back in 1978 with the release Drastic...
Don Dixon “Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Do”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#894 in the Series) is Don Dixon, Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Do Quite often the hardest thing about maintaining this website is trying to come up with the next day’s “Cool Album of the Day.” There are times when nothing jumps out at you that you feel like telling people about. Then there are times when you get an idea from places you never expected. That’s what happened yesterday when I was looking for our next entry. As you know we also have a Facebook page for “Cool Album of the Date.” On the page there is often continuous discussion on the entries along...
The Power Station ‘The Power Station’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#888 in the Series) is The Power Station. Duran Duran, Robert Palmer, Duran Duran, Robert Palmer. That’s what you heard countless times when Power Station was released. This was indeed true, unfortunately, those members John Taylor, Andy Taylor along with Palmer, wasn’t what made Power Station hot. What made Power Station a great band was its drummer, Tony Thompson. I miss hearing Thompson play. He was so darn good. He passed away from renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) in 2003, just two months after Robert Palmer died from a heart attack. I’m surprised I don’t see Thompson’s name more when best drummers are discussed. You’ve heard his work so many times. Thing of the...
The Church Perform ‘Starfish’ in its Entirety as it Marks its 25th Anniversary. Watch it Here
2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the great album Starfish from the Australian band The Church. The album was released on February 16th, 1988. It featured the bands first US hit, “Under The Milky Way.” The album peaked at #41 here on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and “Under The Milky Way” peaked at #26 on the Hot 100 Singles chart. ——————————————————————————— Track listing “Destination” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “Under the Milky Way” (Kilbey/Jansson) “Blood Money” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “Lost” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “North, South, East And West” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “Spark” (Willson-Piper) “Antenna” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “Reptile” (Kilbey/Willson-Piper/Koppes/Ploog) “A New Season” (Koppes) “Hotel Womb” (Kilbey) Here’s the personnel listing for the original recording Personnel Steve Kilbey: bass guitar, lead vocals Peter Koppes: guitars, lead vocal on...
Rank and File ‘Sundown’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#795 in the Series) is Rank and File, Sundown. I’m not sure how many of you know this band, or much less this album. Rank and File had a pretty unique sound. “Cowpunk” was the term used to describe their music. I’ve also heard “Country-Punk.” Whatever you want to call them, make sure you have “fun” somewhere in the mix. Alejandro Escovedo was in the band. He’s gone on to a fine solo career and is probably more popular than ever. The best songs here? Check out “Amanda Ruth,” “I Went Walking,” “Coyote” and what I think is their best tune, ‘The Conductor Wore Black.” This had been quite hard to find for...
John Lennon and Yoko Ono “Double Fantasy”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#791 in the Series) is John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy I remember the day when Double Fantasy was released. It was full of hope and promise for the future. That hope would soon turn into the deepest of sadness as John would be killed just three short three weeks later. This was the first piece of music that John had given us in well over a half a decade. We did have a compilation (Shaved Fish) and an album of old covers (Rock and Roll) so we were starved to hear what John had to say. Double Fantasy didn’t knock out the critics’ right out of the box, but...
