R.E.O. Speedwagon “Live, You Get What You Play For” .. Today’s “Cool Album of the Day”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#6xx in the Series) is R.E.O. Speedwagon, Live, You Get What You Play For                 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Track listing “Like You Do” (Gary Richrath) – 6:54 “Lay Me Down” (Richrath, Gregg Philbin) – 3:39 “Any Kind of Love” (Richrath) – 3:34 “Being Kind (Can Hurt Someone Sometimes)” (Kevin Cronin) – 6:35 “Keep Pushin'” (Cronin) – 4:06 “(Only A) Summer Love” (Richrath) – 6:05 “Son of a Poor...

Herb Alpert’s ‘Whipped Cream Lady’ is a lovely 82 Years Old….

Boomer Guys, the girl of your teen dreams is now 82 years old Her name is Dolores Erickson and she has been living in the Seattle for around 40 years, after a career that included being an Eileen Ford model in New York. She appeared at a Seattle record store recently and wants to tell you teen dreamers, “Enjoy the memories.” You don’t know her by name — maybe as the “Whipped Cream Lady” — but certainly by the...

Digital Sex ‘Essence’

    Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1050 in the Series) is Digital Sex, Essence  Do you know this one? No you say? I somewhat expected that. No, not because the band wasn’t good enough or deserving enough because they indeed were. They were quite good but they were unfortunate to be another one of those talented acts that fell through the cracks. I don’t remember seeing them on MTV and that was the quickest and easiest way...

Jesus Christ Superstar – Original London Cast

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day is the Original London Cast recording of  Jesus Chris Superstar. It”s now our Cool Album of the Day every Easter Sunday. Don’t give me the knock-offs. Give me the original 1971 release featuring Ian Gillian as Jesus. I remember playing the hell out of this back in the day. To me this has always been the definitive version of  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera.  It’s the Original London Concept Recording.  Yes, I...

Nomad Planets ‘You’re Never Lost Until You Panic’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1033 in the Series) is Nomad Planets, You’re Never Alone Until You Panic The following was originally posted back about seven years ago. Let’s read it again shall we… This is a piece that I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time. What’s taken so long? That’s an easy one.  I love this album so much that I never thought I could do it justice with words.  I still don’t think...

The ‘Nirvana Baby’ is Now All Grown Up. Who is He? What Is He Doing Now?

  Let’s check out this post that we ran a few years ago. Spencer is now nearly 30 years old. You’ve seen him but you probably never knew his name.  The famous three month old pee-pee baring baby on the cover of the Nirvana Nevermind album is now a thirty something year old man. His name is Spencer Elden.  He told MTV News a few years back  “it’s kind of creepy that that many people have seen me...

Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. The Most Complete Listing of Shows from the 60s thru the 90s

Ah the Aragon Ballroom. This is a fun listing for the old Rock ‘n’ Rollers that visit the Cool Album of the Day site. Here’s a list of just about ever show that was held at the Aragon Ballroom in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.  If you went there, have fun looking thru this list.  Look for the shows that you saw. Feel ‘bummed’ about the ones you missed. Be angry about the ones that you would have checked...

Phil Lucafo ‘One Block East’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1023 in the Series) is Phil Lucafo, One Block East. One Block East is the first solo album by former Heartsfield co-lead guitarist/co-lead vocalist Phil Lucafo. (Full disclosure: One Block East was released by Cool Album Productions which is also owns this website.) Phil was responsible or partly responsible for many of Heartsfield’s better known songs such as “The Only Time I’m Sober Is When You’re Gone,” “Pass Me By,” “Gypsy Rider,”...

“Cool Album of the Day” is Looking for Contributors

If you follow the Cool Album of the Day website I’m guessing that you are a little bit of a music fan. Excellent! Have you ever wanted to be published? Well if you are, we at Cool Album of the Day are always looking for contributors. You know what we do here. Like I mentioned, we’re always looking for people that would like to do a write up on some of their favorite albums. We’d also love people that would...

The Reconstructed “Great North Wind” NEW MUSIC REVIEW

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1005 in the Series) is The Reconstructed Great North Wind.  When first approached by the CEO of Cool Album of The Day to write this review I was met with great trepidation. My exact words were “I’d feel foolish writing a record review for an album recorded by a good friend.” After some serious introspection while out mowing my lawn it occurred to me that people need to hear this album! So...

Mudcrutch "Mudcrutch"

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#981 in the series) is the debut self-titled album by Mudcrutch. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never been the biggest Tom Petty fan.  Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s OK, I do like him. I’ve seen him and really enjoyed the show. (Althought I liked the opening band the del Fuegos better)  I’ve liked some of this work but I think the best thing he ever did was his...

Old & In The Way “Old & In The Way”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#978 in the series.) is  Old and In The Way. Five great musicians getting together for some great pickin’ and singin.’ I guess you could call it bluegrass but there’s more than a hint of old fashioned mountain music thrown in. For those of you not familiar with this project, Old and In the Way were Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), John Kahn (bass), Vassar Clements (fiddle) and Jerry Garcia...

Nanci Griffith “One Fair Summer Evening”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#977 in the Series ) is Nanci Griffith, One Fair Summer Evening. “Variety; Learning about different types of music; bringing different genres to different people.”   These were just some of the objectives that we publically discussed when we started this project just about a year ago. We’re most definitely going to continue in that direction tonight.  This is one of those albums that requires you to “be in the proper” mood. However, when...

Genesis “Seconds Out”

Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#976 in the Series) is Genesis, Seconds Out. How much do I like this album? Well, if I could only take ten albums to a desert island, I might have to take two copies of this and then eight others. This was the album that made me fall in love with Genesis.  I don’t know why I didn’t get into them earlier. After this was released I did go back and loved all...

Warren Zevon ‘The Wind’

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#975 in the Series) is Warren Zevon, The Wind In the final episode of season 2 of the hit Showtime series Californication, down on his self-inflicted luck, writer Hank Moody has just finished a book project and is ready to begin his post-project ritual. “Every time I finish a book, It’s Whiskey, Weed and Warren Zevon, It’s the little things” he says, while ”Keep Me in your Heart” plays delicately in the background....

Blood, Sweat and Tears “3”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (# 974 in the Series) is Blood, Sweat and Tears, 3. In many ways, this album had more to do with long love affair with music, than any other album ever released. When I was a wee lad, my sister gave me copy of this. It was actually on cassette. It was right when those lovely pre-recorded cassettes first hit the market. I had a player and played it over and over...

Justin Townes Earle “Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#973 in the Series) is Justin Townes Earle, Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot Records) When your father is one of the best singer-songwriters in the business and you are named after another about whom Steve Earle once said “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that”, the expectations are...

Richard & Linda Thompson ‘I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#972 in the Series) is Richard & Linda Thompson, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. This is an album I’ve went back to recently and it’s captivated me, full to the brim as it is with wonderfully bleak, world-weary and fascinating songs. I actually found my old cassette copy of it and realized that I hadn’t played the full album in years, most of my Richard Thompson stuff is on...

Hal Ketchum “Past The Point Of Rescue”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#971 in the Series) is Hal Ketchum, Past the Point of Rescue. I don’t know what it is. I’ve always been a sucker for those songs when an artist takes a known track, their’s or possibly another artists, and recreates it using a slower tempo.   I’m thinking of tracks like Joe Jackson’s live version (played as part of the Big World tour) of “Steppin’ Out” or Loey Nelson’s take on “To Sir with...

Jellyfish ‘Bellybutton’

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#970 in the Series) is Jellyfish, Bellybutton. My guess is that a good number of you don’t know this album or even this band. In one word, “you should!” They were one of the best power-pop bands of the early nineties, Jellyfish.  One of those bands that you ask yourself, Why wasn’t this all over radio, why were they not more popular? They definitely had some radio friendly songs, a good look a...

The Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#969 in the Series) is The Pixies, Surfer Rosa  Playing my Surfer Rosa album last night reminded me that the album is not just The Pixies first album, but my favorite album as well. It also reminded me why I keep my record collection in my room away from my kids- the album’s cover features a topless woman who I remember swooning over when it first came out. In case anyone is...

Ten Years After ‘A Space in Time’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#968 in the Series) is Ten Years After,  A Space In Time When you are three pints in, and the conversation as it inevitably does, turns to the greatest guitar players of all time, and the usual suspects Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and the rest are shouted out from around the bar, the name Alvin Lee is largely and criminally ignored.  As one of the early pioneers of Blues Rock,...

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...

Johnny Cash “American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day is Johnny Cash, American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways The year was 1994, and it was not the best of times for Johnny Cash.  His health, starting to fail from a series of illnesses and decades of hard living, was seemingly bringing “The Man in Black” much closer to the end than he was ready to admit.  His latest major record label, Mercury Records had dropped him after one last commitment record, The...

Shadowfax “Watercourse Way”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#955 in the Series) is Shadowfax, Watercourse Way When you look at a listing of the best bands Chicagoland has produced it better have Shadowfax included, if it doesn’t find a new list. Are you familiar with Shadowfax? If not, let me go back a ways. The origins of this eventual Grammy-winning band begin in the early 70s in south-suburban Crete, Illinois. That’s where the band lived in a farmhouse popularly known as...

Alice Cooper "Billion Dollar Babies"

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#953 in the Series)  is Alice Cooper, Billion Dollar Babies. About three years ago I listened to this album for the first time in about 12 years. I could not believe how great it still sounded. Of all the early 70s things that I loved, this one still kicked as good, if not better, than almost anything else I’d played in quite sometime from that old era. The quality of the tracks stood...

The Doobie Brothers “What Were Onces Vices Are Now Habits”

Today’s Cool album of the Day (#952 in the Series) is The Doobie Brothers, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Can you believe that this little gem was released 41 years ago this week!! I really enjoy the decade or so tradition of bands playing one of their albums in its entirety. I know it would probably never happen, but if the Doobie Brothers were to do add join that tradition, then they should play “What Were Once...

Billy Joe Shaver ‘Long in the Tooth’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#948 in the Series) is Billy Joe Shaver, Long in the Tooth On the Mount Rushmore of 70’s Highwayman Icons, a zip code that includes Willie Nelson,Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristoffersons, Billy Joe Shaver could very well be considered the fifth Beatle, the under the radar cowboy that jump-started the movement with Honky Tonk Heroes in 1973, and in the process put the outlaw in Outlaw Country, reshaped the image...

Complete Footage of “The Last Waltz” Concert Surfaces

  Yes, you read that headline correctly. The full nearly four hour performance of the 1976 Thanksgiving night concert by The Band has made it’s way to the public. It includes, previously unreleased tunes by The Band such as “WS Wolcott Medicince Show,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Arcadian Driftwood,” “Rag Mama Rag,” and also “The Weight” which in the film was represented only by the live in studio version. No overdubs here either. Songs by some of the guest...

The Most Popular Songs Played By Musicians In Each State

MADISON, WI – March 19, 2014 – Dialect, cuisine and fashion tastes can vary by state, and the songs people like to play are no different, according to a recent list of the distinctively best-selling sheet music titles by Musicnotes.com, the world’s top digital sheet music e-retailer and publisher. Musicnotes crafted a list of the “Uniquely Popular Sheet Music by State (Plus D.C.)” to expound on the breadth of its sheet music catalogue, as well as the diversity of...

Springsteen Continues to Cover Australian Acts During Down Under Tour. Inxs ‘Don’t Change,’ AC/DC, Bee Gees and Lorde in the Mix as Well

Bruce Springsteen continues to pull out some cool surprises on his current tour down under. He’s been including some great tunes by the locals into his mix. We’ll post videos when we can. I’ll add them as I get them. So far they’ve included Inxs’ “Don’t Change.” AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (wth Eddie Vedder) and Lorde’s “Royals.” The Easybeats “Friday on My Mind” and even the Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive.”  I’m really hoping for some Split Enz!!! Tom Morello...

Robert Downey Jr is ‘Driven To Tears’ with Sting!

Robert Downey Jr. Joins Mr. Sting on Stage I didn’t see this one coming? Did you? Who knew Robert Downey Jr. had musical talent. He should sit in with Black Sabbath too. I have an idea what song he could sing with Ozzie!  Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

AMAZING! – Watch 32 Discordant Metronomes Achieve Synchrony in a Matter of Minutes

from io9.com If you place 32 metronomes on a static object and set them rocking out of phase with one another, they will remain that way indefinitely. Place them on a moveable surface, however, and something very interesting (and very mesmerizing) happens. The metronomes in this video fall into the latter camp. Energy from the motion of one ticking metronome can affect the motion of every metronome around it, while the motion of every other metronome affects the motion...

What Were Kurt Cobain’s Favorite Fifty Albums? Here’s His Handwritten List.

  I’m sure you’ve all been wondering what the late Kurt Cobain’s favorite fifty albums were. Here is his own hand written list. Now you know. I’m sure you feel better. Oh, while you here. Have you ever wondered how the baby was on the cover of Nirvana’s debut Nevermind? He’s now all grown up and we have a story on who he is and what he’s doing now. He even recreated that famous album cover. Well, kind of…...

Vince Gill Shares His Thoughts on Today’s Country Music..and He’s Right On!

  For quite some time now I’ve been harsh on today’s country music, or more specifically, the state of today’s country radio. Now I’ve been joined by Vince Gill in its critique. It’s sad when Taylor Swift can dominate country radio and Merle Haggard can’t get a sniff. And I’m not talking about Merle’s old great albums I’m referring to his last couple of albums. They’ve been great yet completely ignored. Justin Townes Earle’s “Harlem River Blues” also did...

Music: How we bought it through the years. Plus: ‘What is an ‘album?’

Albums? No, an ‘album’ does NOT mean vinyl.  For years our radio friends would refer to the music they played as ‘albums.’ Stick around for something from the new Genesis album, or That was ”Song For My Brother’ from the Shadowfax album, ‘Watercourse Way.’ Then as the 80s were ending, so was the way that radio gave us our music.  They were making the transition from playing vinyl to compact disc. It cost them a good penny and they...

Novo Combo “Novo Combo”

Posted 31 Dec 2019 in 80s, Albums of 1981, Albums of the 80s, Rock + Roll

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1038 in the series) is the self-titled debut from Novo Combo. This is yet another album of the day that you just can’t find any longer. Why more cut-outs aren’t on at least iTunes, I’ll never understand. I can see not printing any issues of some of these great nuggets, but at least toss the master up on a download site and let us buy away! “Novo Combo” was released in 1981. It was a combination power pop/new wave production. Besides some wonderful music, Novo Combo was mostly known for their drummer, former Santana member, Michael Shrieve. (Think Woodstock and Soul Survivor!) Pete Hewlett handled guitars and some vocals. He went on to do some...

Lyle Lovett ‘Pontiac’

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1037 in the Series)  is Lyle Lovett, Pontiac I was a music distributor in 1987 and was sitting at my desk when a Senior Vice President named Dennis Sinclair walked in and tossed “Pontiac” on my desk. He said, “Carta,check this out, This is all you. I think you’ll really like it.” Senior VPs always got their hands on the goodies first. As I jumped in my Pontiac and headed on Route 83 southbound I popped the disc into the player. The first song I heard was “If I had a Boat” second up was “Give Me Back My Heart” then “I Loved You Yesterday” and on an on. OK, Lyle, you got me!...

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...

The Rave Ups “Town and Country”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1035 in the Series) is The Rave Ups, “Town and Country” When the Rave-Ups played Cabaret Metro (Chicago) in 1990, they introduced themselves by saying we’re The Rave Ups from Pittsburgh, PA. They then launched into their biggest hit “Positively Lost Me” which in the middle of they did a brief but melodic cover of The Stones “The Last Time” that not only worked but was a great example of their talents. Unfortunately, there were about the same number of people in the crowd that night as there was when they played that same song in a scene from the movie Pretty In Pink. These guys were an underground hit that came at...

Bob Dylan ‘Blood On The Tracks’

Posted 25 Sep 2019 in 70s, Albums of 1975, Albums of the 70s

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1034 in the Series)  is Bob Dylan’s 1975 release, Blood On The Tracks. “A lot of people tell me that they really enjoy that album. It’s hard for me to relate to that, you know. I mean, people enjoying that type of pain ?” – Bob Dylan. It’s one of the most famous quotes in rock music history and he was referring, of course, to people’s reaction to “Blood On The Tracks,” not only his own personal best album but one of the greatest ever made, by anyone. Bob being Bob though, he also came out later and denied that the songs on the album were based on his own life, marriage or...

Nomad Planets ‘You’re Never Lost Until You Panic’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1033 in the Series) is Nomad Planets, You’re Never Alone Until You Panic The following was originally posted back about seven years ago. Let’s read it again shall we… This is a piece that I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time. What’s taken so long? That’s an easy one.  I love this album so much that I never thought I could do it justice with words.  I still don’t think I’ll be able to but I had to make sure that you knew about. You can hear the album its entirety below so even if I slobber and make zero sense at least you can just blow me off and...

The Outlaws “Hurry Sundown”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1032 in the Series) is The Outlaws, Hurry Sundown. The Outlaws first hit the music scene (at least as far as recordings go) in 1975. They actually had been together on and off since as early as 1967.  Their debut album was simply titled The Outlaws.  It contained a song that would be closely associated with the band for the rest of their career. That song would of course be “Green Grass and High Tides.” While it did help their popularity, I also thing it mistakenly categorized them as a southern rock band from then on.  I use the word “mistakenly” because I really don’t believe that The Outlaws were a southern-rock...

Uriah Heep “Live”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1031 in the Series ) is Uriah Heep, Live Back in the mid-seventies, one of my friends had a “neat” drum kit in his attic. He and and a few other  friends would pound away on it. At that point I had taken some lessons so I knew a little bit of what I was doing. We had a stereo up there as well.  If memory serves me correct, it was a two story unit apartment house type of thing with maybe one person living in-between. So we could make a ton of noise up there and no one cared, and we did. We’d get some of our favorite albums and try and...

Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66”

Posted 12 Sep 2019 in 60s, Albums of 1966, Albums of the 60s

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...

Rosanne Cash “The List”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1029 in the Series) is Rosanne Cash, The List When Rosanne Cash was 18, she was spending most of her time on tour with her famous father, Johnny.  One day, Johnny was checking out what she was listening to.  Most of her tastes, like most teenagers, were towards the music of the day.  He thought it was time to teach her a little bit about music. So he brought her into the tour bus, sat her down, and wrote out a list of, what he felt, were the 100 most essential country songs of American music history. She held onto that list. She would look at it year after year.  She became quite...

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