Tony Bennett and Bill Evans ” The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#457 in the Series) is Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, The Tony Bennett /Bill Evans Album I think it’s fair to say that Tony Bennett has had a damn fine career, what with the estimated 50 million (!) records sold, the thousands of stellar concert performances and the small matter of 15 Grammy awards. And that’s just scratching the surface , there’s Emmys, humanitarian awards, you name it, Tony’s done it. He also happens to be a damn fine painter in his spare time. It’s enough to make you sick ! Even with all of this however, there’s one thing in his career that stands as an artistic high point, indeed a defining...
Be-Bop Deluxe “Sunburst Finish”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#454 in the Series) is Be-Bop Deluxe, Sunburst Finish. Create a list of 1970’s guitar heroes. Hendrix, Clapton, Richards, Schenker, Gallagher, Ronson, Jones, etc… Be-Bop Deluxe’s Bill Nelson wouldn’t get much mention. He should. Be-Bop Deluxe was a band formed in England in 1972. Classification of Be-Bop is a difficult proposition. In 1972 Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones dominated much of the rock world. Perhaps the most logical comparison may be that Be-Bop Deluxe was a poppier version of Roxy Music. Nelson was definitely the straw that stirred the Be-Bop drink. While each member of the band contributes mightily to the sound, every song builds to a burst...
Carly Simon “No Secrets”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#453 in the Series) is Carly Simon, No Secrets A “Whale?” You’re actually putting this album in the “Whale Wednesday” category? If you’re questioning that, then you weren’t around in the late 1972 or early ’73. If you were, you’d have remembered how big this album was. Singer-songwriters were all the rage at this time. A year and a half earlier, Carole King was top of the charts forever it seemed with her masterpiece “Tapestry.” That album was released in March on ’71 and she actually released another album, Music before ’71 was out. Carly’s No Secrets was not another Tapestry, but it may just have had a bigger hit than anything of...
Steely Dan “Aja”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#446 in the Series, #22 in the Whale Wednesday Series) is Steely Dan, Aja 1977, that’s when Steely Dan, Aja was released. Yes, in 1977. Does it really seem like 34 years ago? Well heck no, not only does it not seem like 34 years ago, but give this a listen again. It also seems hardly true from a musical and recording standpoint. Aja was recorded in 1977. It just seems hard to believe. This is jazz-rock at its finest. These are the finest written songs, with the finest musicians giving life to those songs. Some people like their music straight forward in three minute pop tunes, so do I. Some people like...
America “America”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#445 in the Series) is the debut, self-titled debut from America America? Cool? I say heck yeah, especially this album. This was 1971. I remember walking up to Roseland Music Store and buying my first ‘45s’ ever. In fact, they were just about the only 45s I even bought. I went pretty much right into albums. That day, however, I did by two. They were two songs by two artists that I think we’re very similar at this time. They were America, “Horse With No Name,” and Neil Young, “Heart of Gold.” Similar, at this stage of their music, absolutely. Listen to Horse With No Name and tell me that that couldn’t be...
Eric Clapton “Slowhand”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#439 in the Series and #21 in the Whale Wednesday Series) is Eric Clapton, Slowhand Slowhand was a major, major release for Mr. Clapton. It was one of the few that featured some strong radio friendly top 40 hits. Now there is a thing where something can be a top 40 hit and still be a good song. So, so many times hear from people that think just because something is a huge hit that it’s no longer a quality piece of music. Well let me tell you, those are usually the hardest songs to write. OK, so maybe this wasn’t the usual blues guitar heavy rock album that we had grown accustom...
Jimmy Buffett “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#438 in the Series) is Jimmy Buffett, A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean Well it took us well over 400 albums but we have our first Jimmy Buffett entry. Not only that, but we’re going way back, all the way back to 1973. This was before he broke out. He was just getting out of playing folk clubs. Here in Chicago he was still hanging out with all the folkies like John Prine, Steve Goodman, Fred + Ed Holstein etc. In fact, Steve Goodman was a ‘Coral Reefer’ for this album. He played some really nice lead acoustic on it. Also, this album was the first time that Jimmy used the...
Dave Mason “Certified Live”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#428 in the Series and #40 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Dave Mason, Certified, Live Back in the mid-seventies Dave Mason had a really nice run. In 1976 he had a nice hit record with this release, Certified Live, and then he followed that up a year later with one of, if not the most popular album of his solo career, Let it Flow. Certified Live was another double live album. They were the rage in the mid-70s. You can thank Frampton Come Alive for that. If you were a decent selling artist in that period that did OK but needed a little kick to break out, you released a double...
Chip Taylor “Chip Taylor’s Last Chance”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#426 in the Series) is Chip Taylor, Chip Taylor’s Last Chance Every single person that I’ve mentioned this album to has invariable replied: “Chip Taylor? Never heard of him ” Of course you have, you just don’t know it yet! That’s because: Chip Taylor wrote a little song that became a big hit in the 60’s – “Wild Thing” as recorded by The Troggs. He then had another top effort with “Angel Of The Morning”, a smash for Merrilee Rush. Plus many more, he’s been a busy fella over the years, “Try (just a little bit harder) by Janis Joplin? Chip again. And I suppose i really should mention that his real name is...
Ian Hunter “You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#424 in the Series) is Ian Hunter, You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic Remember when ABC ran “In Concert” every weekend? Midnight Special” was on as well. There was one band that I could swear that was on every week. They were on so often that I really started not liking them, they of course were Mott the Hoople. Yup, every week I’d turn it on and sure enough, there would be this goofy looking band with a guy or two wearing these strange looking boots. I was young and didn’t know much about them. As I got slightly older I got to like the band as I actually started listening to the music. ...
