John Hiatt “Slow Turning”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#420 in the Series ) is John Hiatt, Slow Turning. Three Dog Night- “Sure As I’m Sitting Here; Rosanne Cash –“This is the Way We Make a Broken Heart “and “Pink Bedroom,” Jeff Healey Band –“Angry Eyes,” Eric Clapton and BB King – “Ridin’ With the King – Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit and Desert Rose Band – ”She Don’t Love Nobody,” Bonnie Raitt –“Think Called Love.” You may know many of these songs. They all did quite well and they were all written by John Hiatt. For years he was known as the guy that put out hits for others but couldn’t quite make that success carry over to his own...
Fire Town “The Good Life”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#417 in the Series) is Fire Town, The Good Life It’s funny how you can really like an album, then over time completely forget about. Then all of a sudden, you see something catches your eye or you run across it in your collection and you jump up and it all comes back to you, and you wonder why you ever let it get away. For me, Fire Town, The Good LIfe is the perfect example of that. I really liked this release and then.. it was gone for years, but now it’s back. So who is Fire Town? Were you a fan of this great pop act back in the late 80s?...
Paul Young “No Parlez”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#415 in the Series) is Paul Young, No Parlez As a hit maker, Paul Young has made quite a bit of money for songwriters. His albums have many really good songs on them, but the hits have always been remakes. I’m sure Paul doesn’t mind, a hit’s a hit right? This was Paul’s debut as a solo artist for CBS records. Previously he had been with some bands that no one ever heard of. Not only did it play well on top 40 radio stations but it also did quite well on the FM rockers. His remake of the Joy Divison/New Order single was all over radio. This surprised me since it was...
Joe Jackson “Jumpin’ Jive”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#410 in the Series) is Joe Jackson, Jumpin’ Jive Now THIS my dear friends is the absolute definition of a “Cool Album.” Joe Jackson released this album of many big band, swing tunes in 1981. It’s Cool and it’s fun. I didn’t get a chance to see this tour, but I did see Mr. Joe play a lengthy medley of these songs on his Big World Tour in 1986. He and they were marvelous. What Joe did here was release an album of well-known cover tunes that were originally released by the classic of era. Performers like Louis Jordan and especially Cab Calloway made careers of playing this music. I would have loved...
The Nails “Mood Swing”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#408 in the Series) is The Nails, Mood Swing. One of the niceties of getting up “early” on Saturday is listening to WXRT here in Chicago and listening to four hours of their long running segment called “Saturday Morning Flashback.” Each Saturday they pick a year and play nothing but great music released during that time. They also give a little rundown of top movies, TV shows, who left us etc., etc. It really is a fun way to kill a morning. Today was 1984. What tunes we were treated too. (Working With Fire & Steel –China Crisis; Whisper to a Scream – Icicle Works; This is the Day – The The; A...
Paul Barrere’s Bluesbusters “Accept No Substitutes”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#406 in the Series) is Bluesbusters, Accept No Substitute I was really missing Little Feat in the mid-eighties when I first heard about The Bluesbusters. Like a good ol’ bowl of crawfish etouffee, let’s say they really hit the spot. If you don’t know about them, let me clue y’all in. The Bluesbusters featured five very talented musicians that made their name mostly in other acts. Paul Barrere was of course a lead vocalist, guitarist, slide guitarist in Little Feat. On Keyboards was the late T.Lavitz. T spent most of his time in another great band, The Dixie Dregs. Freebo was on bass. He previously added the boogie to the woogie of Ms....
Haircut 100 “Pelican West”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#403 in the Series) is Haircut 100, Pelican West. I’ve long been a Nick Heyward fan. I absolutely love his North of a Miracle album. Haircut 100 is where he started. They also released some excellent music. Their years lasted basically from about 1980 thru 1984 that was it except a couple reunion projects around 2004 and again recently. They only had two album, this one, Pelican West was released in 1982 and Paint and Paint in 1984. Nick left the band after Pelican West and doesn’t appear on the follow up. It showed too. Their only top 40 US hit was on Pelican West that would be of course, “Love Plus One.”...
American Music Club “California”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#401 in the Series) is American Music Club, California The Ones That Got Away. It’s a list that surely every music fan has got: the great unsung heroes, the bands or artists that you consider to be utterly brilliant but who simply do not, for whatever reasons, get the credit and recognition they so deserve. I’ve certainly got such a list and you can be damn sure that very near the top of it is this band, American Music Club. Formed in San Francisco in 1983, A.M.C. were roughly contemporary with bands such as R.E.M. and The Replacements and like both those fine bands they went on to create some of the very...
Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#400 in the Series and #36 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense Yes, you read it correctly. Today marks the 400th entry to “Cool Album of the Day.” Wow, already. I’d get schmaltzy but I’ll save that for #500. I try to find something a little special for all the milestone numbers. I think I’ve done a pretty decent job finding one for #400. I remember Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense being a huge, huge deal when it was released in 1984. The concert form which this was taken was from December 1983. The main reason that this was hugely talked about was that it accompanied a...
China Crisis “Flaunt the Imperfection”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#396 in the Series) is China Crisis, Flaunt the Imperfection Flaunt the Imperfection is the third studio album from one of my favorite acts, China Crisis. I love their What Price Paradise album. Like I’ve mentioned before, it seems like my favorite albums coincide with the tours that I’ve seen, having said that, this is probably a better album. This one has a big name attached to it. That name is Walter Becker. Who? Many of you know that name. He’s one half of the famed duo that fronts Steely Dan, the other half being of course, Donald Fagen. Mr. Becker produced Flaunt the Imperfection. He also ads some synthesizer touches along with...
