Today’s Cool Album of the Day (# 1006 in the Series) is Ministy, With Sympathy This was the debut album by Ministry in 1983. I know the band hated it, but I loved it. Ministry is and always has been, Alain ‘Al’ Jourgensen. He’s used numerous sidemen throughout his career.  With Sympathy was their only release on Arista. They jumped to Warner Brothers for their next release which wouldn’t come for three more years. They did release some EPs to fill the void. Those were very good as well. “(Everyday is) Halloween” being the standout to me. Ministry progressed into a much harder industrial sound. This was more synth-pop, heck it was 1983. If you do know any...

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...

  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...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#965 in the Series) is Tim Finn, Escapade By the time 1982 ended, the Split Enz where a hot band.  Their album Time and Tide had done quite well for them, thank you.   Neil Finn was looking forward to getting a follow up on the street. His brother Tim had other ideas. Tim wanted to get a solo release into the market.  Both things ended up happening. In later 1983, the Split Enz would release Conflicting Emotions, while Tim released, Escapade.  Both fine albums.  As it turned out, Tim did spend much of his time completing this album. This left Neil to pretty much completely compose Conflicting Emotions. I’ve always loved this Escapade. I...

    Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#750) is Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones. Hearts and Bones could be considered the “Lost Paul Simon Album.”  It wasn’t Simon and Garfunkel. It wasn’t Still Crazy, It wasn’t Graceland.  It was between all those classics and never received it’s proper due.  Well not until now. I myself hadn’t even played this for quite sometime.  Recently I was on facebook and saw a video by Al Di Meola.  In the thread beneath it, there was a comment that mentioned how Di Meola had “the most pick control” of anyone he could think of. Then I thought, “Al Di Meola and pick control, hmmm” .. I could only think of one solo. ...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#647 in the Series) is Linda Ronstadt with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, What’s New Linda Ronstadt with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra’s What’s New was a very big deal when it was released in 1983.  My guess here is that it was much bigger of a deal than you may remember. Why so you ask?  It wasn’t a big deal so much that it was a Linda Ronstadt album, nor was it a big deal because it included the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. What made it a big deal was that it was one of the first times that a genuine rock and roll star tackled the “Great American Songbook.” I’m sure there are...

  Today’s Cool album of the Day (#608 in the Series) is Was (Not Was), Born to Laugh at Tornadoes.  You can look for years and years and all kinds of music and you’d be hard-pressed to find a band and a sound more interesting than that of Was (Not Was.) They brought a combination of so many different things that their uniqueness may never be topped. What makes these guys interesting and unique? Well, how about the fact that they’re a hard-funk band led by two white Jewish guys from Detroit. There’s a great start. The unbelievably high level of talent of the two bandleaders Don Was and David Was was just fantastic. Don Was has gone well...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#564 in the Series) is Aztec Camera, High Land, Hard Rain This was the first record from Roddy Frame. Roddy, then 19, wrote and produced all 13 songs. A few of the songs were even written a few years before that tender age. His work on the acoustic guitar is most impressive. This is evident right from the opening track, that being the very catchy “Oblivious.” It was actually the only popular song on the album, at least State side.  Roddy’s thoughtful lyrics are accompanied by his underappreciated voice.  He’s also backed by a chorus of background singers. His sense of humor is always quite evident live. When I saw him years...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#460 in the series) Is The Police, Synchronicity. Like most of the people that visit this site, I’m guessing that you’re more fans of the earlier stuff like Zenyatta Mondata and Reggatta de Blanc etc., well I’m right there with you.  When I decide to put a Police album on, it’s usually one of those. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like this album as well. It too contained some pretty decent tunes.  As far as the masses go, this was the one that sold the best. The Police did quite well up to Synchronicity.  Every album seemed to build a nice momentum for the band to this point.  This was the album that...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#456 in the Series and #44 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Peter Gabriel, Play’s Live Peter Gabriel, Plays Live… for me, this is a Desert Island Disc. And it’s not even close. Peter Gabriel’s first few solo albums after leaving Genesis are some of my favorite albums.  This was recorded on his 1982 tour.  He was on the road promoting his fourth album, the one that here in the States is called Security. It was released in a few different packages. The main release in 1983 was a double album.  The CD format of the album was also a double; however there was also a single CD version that was four...