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...

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...

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...

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Willis Alan Ramsey “Willis Alan Ramsey”

Posted 03 Jan 2019 in 70s, Albums of 1972, Albums of the 70s, Americana, Country, Outlaw Country

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1001 in the Series) is Willis Alan Ramsey, Willis Alan Ramsey Willis Alan Ramsey is the Harper Lee of the Americana, Alternative Country scene of the 1970’s and his eponymous album is his To Kill a Mockingbird. Released on New Year’s Day 1972 Willis Alan Ramsey was the first, last, and only album to be released by an artist that many consider to be one of the forefathers of the Outlaw sound who heavily influenced such Cosmic Cowboys as Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker and Ray Wylie Hubbard. With a Texas Troubadour sound that is more Steve Earle, Guy Clark, and Joe Ely than Willie Nelson, Willis Alan quickly...

Chic “C’est Chic”

Posted 22 Dec 2018 in 70s, Albums of 1978, Albums of the 70s, Dance, Funk, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#998 in the series) Chic, C’est Chic (Atlantic) I have a feeling that this post might take a few people by surprise. What’s he doing here, isn’t this disco? Well, yeah, Chic indeed did have some disco hits, some huge disco hits. Who can forgot “Good Times” or “Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah? Or from this album, “Le Freak?” The reason I bring a Chic album to this party is for one reason, talent. Not long ago I mentioned that Fleetwood Mac had a great rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. I do think that was one of the best for pop and of course for blues as well. However, if you want...

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Leo Kottke ‘Time Step’

Posted 20 Dec 2018 in Albums of 1983, Albums of the 80s, Jay Kretchmar

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#997 in the Series) is Leo Kottke, Time Step Leo Kottke is one of my favorite fingerstyle guitar players. He is one of those players that the music reveals its complexity slowly. It often takes me multiple listens just to realize the intricacies and subtleness of a song. I realized how great his playing was while listening to a live performance and discovering that there was only one guitar being played. His ability to play multiple melody lines at once was just unbelievable to me. Slap on top of that his quirky sense of humor, he keeps me coming back for more. My discovery of Leo Kottke happened when I was thumbing through...

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The Small Faces “First Step”

Posted 16 Dec 2018 in 70s, Albums of 1970, Albums of the 70s, Bernie Sparrow, Rock + Roll

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#995 in the Series) is The Small Faces, First Step Being married to, or even dating a super model may give you a lot of bragging rights with the boys down at the local watering hole, and it certainly gives you a “checkmate” in the game of one-upmanship when you and your buddies are on your fifth pint and trading war stories about the hottest girlfriend you ever dated. But if you are a rock star, and history tells us anything, it’s that that Super Models are responsible for ruining more careers than drugs, alcohol and Yoko combined, and that maintaining a relationship with one or more of these long legged vixens may be...

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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy”

Posted 15 Dec 2018 in Albums of 1970, Albums of the 70s, Americana, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Folk Rock, Stephen Dalrymple

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#994 in the Series) is Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy Most music fans will know the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (if they know them at all) as the makers of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, a superb album which has become semi-legendary in certain circles, with good cause. It was an essential purchase when it came out in 1972, a wondrous 3 LP set within which tribute was paid by a younger generation to some of the most revered performers of traditional Country music. The likes of Mother Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs and Roy Acuff were on board for a seminal release on which both sides of...

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The Waterboys “This is the Sea”

Posted 12 Dec 2018 in 80s, Albums of 1985, Albums of the 80s, Alt-Rock, Rock + Roll, Stephen Dalrymple

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#992 in the Series) is The Waterboys, This is the Sea. Hands up all those who remember “The Big Music?” Don’t worry, you could easily be forgiven if you don’t! You’ll know the bands associated with it though. The Big Music was a description thrown about in the early 80’s (here in the UK at least) and it was applied, mostly, to a small grouping of bands who were just starting to make an impression on the music buying public and who were all deemed to be making a similar grandiose, epic, “reaching for the sky” type music. You or I would probably just have settled for the term Stadium Rock to be...

Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith ‘Evidence’

Posted 07 Dec 2018 in Albums of 1989, Albums of the 80s, Folk, Folk Rock, Singer / Songwriter

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#990 in the Series) is Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith, Evidence It was 65 degrees here in Chicago a couple of short days ago. Within 10 hours it was down to 32. Yes, it was freezing. I tell you that weather tale as I lead into a piece on this great album by Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith titled Evidence. Why you might have asked? I mention that because I’ve always had certain albums that I associate with the different seasons or even sometime more specifically a certain time of that season. I could never listen to Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe in the dead of summer because no one “trudges across the tundra” in...

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George Winston ‘December’

Posted 06 Dec 2018 in 80s, Albums of 1983, Albums of the 80s, Christmas, Instrumental

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#989 in the Series) is George Winston, December. There’s really not a ton more that you can say about this album that hasn’t been said previously? It’s an all-time Hall of Fame Christmas season album, how’s that. I read a few reviews on this album while looking for information on it. They all basically said the same thing, how this album set the tone for a whole new genre, and how for years and years others would try and recreate what George Winston created in 1983. It’s just a man and his piano and that’s it. One of the most difficult things in all of music has been to record a new...

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Big Star ‘Third/Sister Lovers’

Posted 22 Nov 2018 in Albums of 1974, Albums of 1978, Albums of the 70s, Stephen Dalrymple

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#984 in the Series) Big Star, Third/Sister Lovers This one goes down as one of the great enigma’s of rock music, an album by a band which had pretty much split up by the time it was recorded, which had no title and which didn’t even have a finalized track listing. For years it was, just like The Beach Boys “SMiLE”, more of a rumour, a myth, than an actual record. Thankfully it was eventually released, in an albeit limited capacity, and fans were finally able to hear what all the fuss was about. Was it worth it? Hell yeah. Big time. Big Star were founded in Memphis by three friends who were deeply...

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Missing Persons “Spring Session M”

Posted 01 Oct 2018 in 80s, Albums of 1982, Albums of the 80s, Dance, Techno

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#983 in the Series) is Missing Persons,Spring Session M. (Capitol) I don’t know many bands that would 100% fill the term “Cool” better than Missing Persons. Not only did they have the “look” but they definitely also had the “chops” to go with it. They were one of the original bands that received a huge boost by MTV. The hot look of lead singer Dale Bozzio had a ton to do with that, especially when the ex-bunny dressed in only bubble wrap. Hot looks only take you so far without musicianship however, and as good as they looked, they played even better. Dale Bozzio’s “other half” was drummer Terry Bozzio. This man...

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