Doug Dillard & Gene Clark ‘The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1052 in the Series) is Doug Dillard & Gene Clark, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark They may have only recorded together for (roughly) eighteen months but in that short but productive period of time Dillard & Clark made some of the best music you’ll ever hear, two albums and a single which still sound fantastic all these years later. Best of the material though is undoubtedly this superb debut album from October 1968. It’s an album which is a definitive document, and a cornerstone release, of the (then) burgeoning country-rock movement, an album which took the traditional forms of bluegrass, country and folk, gave them a shake, added electric instruments...
The Shaggs ‘Philosophy of the World’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (# 1036 in the Series) is The Shaggs, Philosophy of the World. Parents. We all think that our kids are special. They are. To us. In 1969, Austin Wiggins thought that his daughters were a musical gift to the world. With little training and experience to go with their poor equipment, the Shaggs were to record an album that would launch Dot, Helen, Betty, and Rachel Wiggin to superstardom. The resulting long player has become a document of great discussion. Is it an amateurish attempt at music? Is it a thing of misunderstood brilliance? Is it to be embraced? Is it to be avoided like the plague? Some of the greatest moments in...
Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1030 in the Series is Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, Herb Alpert Present, Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66. I know I’ve mentioned many times in these parts how much of a part my two older sisters (Tina and Judy) played in getting me started on listening to good music. Tina was the older one; she always made sure that she had on “Where The Action Is” or “Shindig” in the afternoons. She added the first albums to the family record collection that were not my father’s stuff like Al Martino, Mario Lanza or Robertino “The Young Italian Singing Sensation.” Judy was a little younger and took over from there. She bought me my...
Poco “Pickin’ Up the Pieces”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1027 in the series) is the debut album from Poco, Pickin’ Up The Pieces. It must be nice to be known as a band that helped establish a new genre of music. Why isn’t this band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Their omission is a real tragedy. Some things just don’t make sense. Someday I hope, they surely deserve it. Poco laid their plan.. right there.. in the lyrics in the title cut. Call it a Mission Statement: ‘Well, there’s a little bit of magic In the music we’re playin’ So let’s begin We’ll bring you back down home where the folks are happy Sittin pickin’ and a-grinnin’ Casually,...
Sebastian Cabot, actor; Bob Dylan, poet ‘A Dramatic Reading with Music’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#959 in the Series) is Sebastian Cabot, actor; Bob Dylan, poet. A Dramatic Reading with Music. ..Like one of our favorite comedy troupes once proclaimed…”And Now For Something Completely Different.” You’d be hard pressed to find something as different as this. What I like about this album is the fact that it’s of course a novelty album, a “what the heck, why not album” yet it has a redeeming quality that makes me actually like it on a non-novelty level. It is just what the title says it is. It’s the late actor Sebastian Cabot giving a dramatic reading to Bob Dylan’s lyrics. Mr Cabot is probably best known at least here...
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” Music by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1000 in the Series and then re-posted in 2011) is a Charlie Brown Christmas, music by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. We all remember the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Because of that special, we were first introduced to one of the bestselling Christmas albums of all time. The Charlie Brown Christmas with music by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. It was recorded way back in 1965. It made it to CD in 1986. Many Decembers, if you don’t grab it in the first few weeks, you can’t find it. It seems like there is always shortage of these produced. Downloading has taken care of that issue. A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first animated television...
The Ventures “The Ventures Christmas Album”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#999 in the Series) is The Ventures, The Ventures Christmas Album The Ventures were another band that got a strong amount of airplay in my house when I was a youth. No, It didn’t want to make we want to be a surfer or anything like that. That would have been a little hard for a Chicago boy so I’m glad that was never a goal. Italian kids weren’t usually blonde enough either. I was no exception. It did help me add to my love of rock and roll. I remember my sisters playing their version of “Telstar” on more than one occasion. I remember my sisters playing their version of “Telstar”...
Andy Williams ‘Merry Christmas’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#991 in the Series) is Andy Williams, Merry Christmas In 1963, smooth jazz crooner, Andy Williams, released his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album too much acclaim and his name has been synonymous with the holiday season ever since. As good as it was it can’t compare with what he followed up with in 1965. Andy’s Merry Christmas album focused exclusively on 20th century compositions, unlike its predecessor, with one side focusing on more traditional pop and secular holiday fare. For a generation of baby boomers and even early generation X-ers, this is the quintessential holiday album because of its mainstream production, in addition to years of Christmas specials on...
Phil Spector ‘Phil Spector’s Christmas Album’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#987) is Phil Spector, Phil Spector’s Christmas Album In November of 1963, The Philles label released one of its few long-playing records, “A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records”. Consisting mostly of secular Christmas standards it is one of famed producer Phil Spector’s masterpieces and was later released as A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector and later simply Phil Spector’s Christmas Album when re-released by the Beatles’ Apple label in 1972. No matter what the title or it’s varying cover photos, it is a true classic with Spector’s trademark “Wall of Sound” style and selections featuring vocal performances of his regular artists during that time. Oddly enough, one of...
Al Kooper, Stephen Stills, Mike Bloomfield “Super Session”
Today’s Cool Album the Day (#945 in the Series) is Al Kooper, Stephen Stills, Mike Bloomfied, Super Session. Blues, Blues, Blues. Blues at its best. This album was a project put together by Al Kooper. Al had just left Blood, Sweat and Tears. It was 1968. He recruited Mike Bloomfield to play guitar for this project. They had known each other since playing together on Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 revisited. He also had Stephen Sills in on the project. Still was in the process of leaving The Buffalo Springfield at the time. Al Kooper played the VERY well-known keyboard part in ‘Like a Rolling Stone.’ In fact, he got the gig mostly by accident. He was invited to the...
