Friday 7/30/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Smash Mouth – Astro Lounge (1999)

Astro Lounge is the second studio album by the American rock band Smash Mouth, released on June 8, 1999 by Interscope Records. It includes the single “All Star”, arguably the group’s most well-known song, which reached number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Three other singles were released from the album, including “Waste” and “Then the Morning Comes”.

1. “Who’s There” 3:33
2. “Diggin’ Your Scene” 3:10
3. “I Just Wanna See” 3:45
4. “Waste” 3:27
5. “All Star” 3:21
6. “Satellite” 3:39
7. “Radio” 3:21
8. “Stoned” 4:10
9. “Then the Morning Comes” 3:04
10. “Road Man” 2:31
11. “Fallen Horses” 4:06
12. “Defeat You” 3:54
13. “Come On, Come On” 2:33
14. “Home” 3:12
15. “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby” 2:30

Steve Harwell – lead vocals
Paul De Lisle – bass, backing vocals
Greg Camp – guitars, backing vocals
Kevin Coleman – drums, percussion
Michael Klooster – keyboards, programming, backing vocals
Mark Camp – sci-fi stylings (turntables, effects)
John Gove – trombone
Dana Pfeffer – xylophone
Eric Valentine – additional keyboards, vibraphone
DJ Homicide – turntables on “Stoned”

Friday 7/30/21 12am ET: Feature LP: AC/DC – Back In Black (1980)

Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released on July 25, 1980 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It is the band’s first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death of previous lead singer Bon Scott.

After the commercial breakthrough of their 1979 album Highway to Hell, AC/DC was planning to record a follow-up, but in February 1980, Scott died from alcohol poisoning after a drinking binge. Instead of disbanding, they decided to continue on and recruited Johnson, who was previously vocalist for Geordie.

The album was composed by Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young, and recorded over seven weeks in the Bahamas from April to May 1980 with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who had worked on their previous album. Following its completion, the group mixed Back in Black at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The album’s all-black cover was designed as a “sign of mourning” for Scott.

As their sixth international studio release, Back in Black was an unprecedented success. It has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, and is one of the best-selling albums in music history. The band supported the album with a yearlong world tour, cementing them among the most popular music acts of the early 1980s. The album also received positive critical reception during its initial release, and it has since been included on numerous lists of “greatest” albums. Since its original release, the album has been reissued and remastered multiple times, most recently for digital distribution. On December 9, 2019, it was certified 25x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

1. “Hells Bells” 5:10
2. “Shoot to Thrill” 5:17
3. “What Do You Do for Money Honey” 3:33
4. “Given the Dog a Bone” 3:30
5. “Let Me Put My Love into You” 4:16

1. “Back in Black” 4:14
2. “You Shook Me All Night Long” 3:30
3. “Have a Drink on Me” 3:57
4. “Shake a Leg” 4:06
5. “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” 4:15

Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Angus Young – lead guitar
Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Phil Rudd – drums

Thursday 7/29/21 1am ET: Feature LP: T-Rex – Electric Warrior (1971)

Electric Warrior released September 24, 1971 ans is an album by Marc Bolan’s band T. Rex, their sixth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968, and their second under the name T. Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band’s sound, moving away from the folk-oriented music of the group’s previous albums and pioneering a flamboyant, pop-friendly take on electric rock & roll known as glam rock.

The album reached number 1 on the UK charts and became the best selling album of 1971. The single “Get It On” reached the top ten in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Retitled “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” by the US record company, it also became the band’s only hit in North America.

Electric Warrior has since received acclaim as a pivotal release of the glam rock movement. It had a profound influence on later musicians of different genres.

1. “Mambo Sun” 3:40
2. “Cosmic Dancer” 4:30
3. “Jeepster” 4:12
4. “Monolith” 3:49
5. “Lean Woman Blues” 3:02
6. “Get It On” 4:27
7. “Planet Queen” 3:13
8. “Girl” 2:32
9. “The Motivator” 4:00
10. “Life’s a Gas” 2:24
11. “Rip Off” 3:40
12. “There Was a Time” 1:00
13. “Raw Ramp” 4:16
14. “Planet Queen (Acoustic Version)” 3:00
15. “Hot Love” 4:59
16. “Woodland Rock” 2:24
17. “King of the Mountain Cometh” 3:57

Marc Bolan – vocals, guitar
Mickey Finn – congas, bongos, vocals
Steve Currie – bass guitar
Bill Legend – drums, tambourine
Howard Kaylan – backing vocals
Mark Volman – backing vocals
Rick Wakeman – keyboards on “Get It On”
Ian McDonald – saxophone
Burt Collins – flugelhorn

Thursday 7/29/21 12am ET: Feature LP: ZZ Top – Eliminator (1983)

Eliminator is the eighth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. It was released on March 23, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded in Tennessee during 1982, the album was produced by the band’s manager Bill Ham and peaked at the top of the charts in many countries. “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Got Me Under Pressure”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “TV Dinners”, and “Legs” were released as singles. A Diamond certified album, Eliminator is ZZ Top’s most commercially successful release, with sales of over 10 million copies in the United States alone.

The band wanted to expand on the synthesizer sound of their 1981 album El Loco. Influenced by new wave, Eliminator′s tracks were recorded with a combination of the synthesizer, drum machine and sequencer. The album used music videos as successful promotional tools — the videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” received regular rotation on MTV and helped the band gain popularity with a teenage fan base. A customized 1933 Ford coupe, depicted on the album cover, could be seen in the videos. Following Eliminator′s release, ZZ Top embarked on a worldwide concert tour.

Often considered ZZ Top’s most popular release, the record was ranked at number 398 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and was listed at number 39 in The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s.

After the success of “Legs”, Eliminator was reissued with the song’s edited single remix replacing the original version. The single remix was also used on many CD pressings. CDs manufactured in Germany by Record Service Alsdorf still used the original album mix. In 2008, Eliminator was remastered and reissued, with the addition of bonus tracks and a DVD containing music videos and live performances. The original version of “Legs” was included, while the single mix of the song remained on the album as a bonus track.

1. “Gimme All Your Lovin'” 3:59
2. “Got Me Under Pressure” 3:59
3. “Sharp Dressed Man” 4:13
4. “I Need You Tonight” 6:14
5. “I Got the Six” 2:52
6. “Legs” 4:35
7. “Thug” Gibbons, Hill, Beard, Linden Hudson 4:17
8. “TV Dinners” 3:50
9. “Dirty Dog” 4:05
10. “If I Could Only Flag Her Down” 3:40
11. “Bad Girl” 3:16
12. “Legs” (Dance Mix) 7:48

Billy Gibbons – guitars, vocals
Dusty Hill – bass, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on “I Got the Six” and “Bad Girl”
Frank Beard – drums, percussion
Jimi Jamison – backing vocals
Terry Manning – synthesizers, drum machine, engineer

Wednesday 7/28/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Collective Soul – Dosage (1999)

Dosage is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band Collective Soul. The album was released on Atlantic Records on February 9, 1999 and peaked at #21 on the Billboard albums chart. The album’s title was derived from a catchphrase they used to describe burnout after their previous tour.

The first single from the album, “Heavy”, gave the band another #1 hit on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and spent a then record-breaking 15 weeks on the top spot. “Heavy” was also featured in the opening of the video game NHL 2001 and in the 2014 Golden Corral ad. The second single released, “Run”, also gained broad mainstream radioplay and was featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Varsity Blues.

Over nine years after the album’s release, the single “Tremble for My Beloved” was featured in the 2008 film Twilight and its accompanying soundtrack.

In 2012, the band performed the album in its entirety (save “Dandy Life”) during their Dosage Tour.

1. “Tremble for My Beloved” 3:52
2. “Heavy” 2:56
3. “No More, No Less” 5:18
4. “Needs” 5:21
5. “Slow” 3:32
6. “Dandy Life” 4:03
7. “Run” 4:35
8. “Generate” 3:33
9. “Compliment” 3:01
10. “Not the One” 3:49
11. “Crown” (“Crown” ends at 5:06. A hidden track entitled “She Said” starts at 5:59 after 53 seconds of silence.) 10:16

Ross Childress – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Dandy Life”
Shane Evans – drums, percussion
Ed Roland – lead vocals, guitar, keyboard
Dean Roland – rhythm guitar
Will Turpin – bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals
Anthony J. Resta – programming, synthesizers, drum loops, Mellotron

Wednesday 7/28/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Madman Across The Water (1971)

Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by Elton John, released November 5, 1971 through DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a popular music artist. The album contains 9 tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.

There were two singles released from Madman Across the Water, “Levon” and “Tiny Dancer.” It was certified gold in February 1972, followed by platinum in March 1993, and 2× platinum in August 1998 by the RIAA. The album was included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

1. “Tiny Dancer” 6:17
2. “Levon” 5:22
3. “Razor Face” 4:42
4. “Madman Across the Water” 5:57
5. “Indian Sunset” 6:47
6. “Holiday Inn” 4:17
7. “Rotten Peaches” 4:58
8. “All the Nasties” 5:09
9. “Goodbye” 1:49

Elton John – acoustic piano, vocals
Brian Dee – harmonium (2)
Rick Wakeman – Hammond organ (3, 4, 7)
Jack Emblow – accordion (3)
Diana Lewis – ARP synthesizer (4, 7)
Caleb Quaye – electric guitar (1, 2, 3), acoustic guitar (6)
B. J. Cole – steel guitar (1)
Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar (1, 4, 7), mandolin (6), sitar (6)
Chris Spedding – electric guitar (4), slide guitar (7)
David Glover – bass guitar (1, 3, 6)
Brian Odgers – bass guitar (2)
Herbie Flowers – bass guitar (4, 5, 7)
Chris Laurence – double bass (5)
Dee Murray – backing vocals (1, 6, 7), bass guitar (8)
Roger Pope – drums (1, 3, 6)
Barry Morgan – drums (2)
Terry Cox – drums (4, 5, 7)
Nigel Olsson – backing vocals (1, 6, 7), drums (8)
Ray Cooper – percussion (4), tambourine (7, 8)
Paul Buckmaster – orchestral arrangements and conductor (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)
David Katz – orchestra contractor (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)
Tony Burrows – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Roger Cook – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Lesley Duncan – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Barry St. John – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Terry Steele – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Liza Strike – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Sue and Sunny – backing vocals (1, 6, 7)
Cantores em Ecclesia Choir – backing vocals (5, 8)
Robert Kirby – choir director (5, 8)

Tuesday 7/27/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Toto – Hydra (1979)

Hydra is the second studio album by American rock band Toto, released in 1979. It reached #37 on the Billboard Pop Albums. While most of the album’s singles failed to make any impact in the charts, “99”, a song inspired by the 1971 science fiction movie THX 1138, reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1. “Hydra” 7:31
2. “St. George and the Dragon” 4:45
3. “99” 5:16
4. “Lorraine” 4:46
5. “All Us Boys” 5:03
6. “Mama” 5:14
7. “White Sister” 5:39
8. “A Secret Love” 3:07

Bobby Kimball – lead and backing vocals
Steve Lukather – guitars, lead and backing vocals
Steve Porcaro – synthesizers, electronics, synthesizer programming
David Paich – piano, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
David Hungate – bass guitar, guitars
Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion
Lenny Castro – percussion
Michael Boddicker – synthesizer samples
Roger Linn – assistant synthesizer programming
Marty Paich – string arrangements

Monday 7/26/21 11pm ET: Feature LP: Janet Jackson – Janet (1993)

Janet is the fifth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson, released on May 18, 1993, by Virgin Records America. Prior to its release, Jackson was at the center of a high-profile bidding war over her recording contract. In 1991, her original label A&M sought to renew her contract, while others, such as Atlantic, Capitol, and Virgin all vied to sign her. After meeting with Virgin owner Richard Branson, she signed with the label. The contract was worth an estimated $40 million, making her the world’s then-highest paid musical act.

Criticism that her success in the music industry was attributed to being a member of the Jackson family and a producer-dependent artist led her to write all lyrics for the album, in addition to co-producing every song and co-writing each of their arrangements with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its title, read “Janet, period.”, is meant to disassociate her public image from her family, dropping her surname. A pop and R&B record, Janet incorporated hip hop, opera, house and jazz, eliminating the rigid, industrial sound of her previous records. Lyrically, the theme of Janet is sexual intimacy—an abrupt departure from her conservative image. Much of her lyrics emphasize a woman’s perspective on sexuality and the demand for practicing safe sex.

In the United States, Janet became the singer’s third consecutive album to top the Billboard 200 and her first to debut at number one. Selling 350,000 copies in its first week, it set a record for the highest first week sales for a female artist at that time. Certified sixfold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it has sold over seven million copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan. Internationally, Janet topped the record charts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom, and has sold an estimated 14 million copies worldwide.

Janet remains one of only seven albums in history to produce six top-ten hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the number-one singles “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Again”. The MTV-sponsored Janet World Tour supporting the album received critical acclaim for Jackson’s elaborate stage performances, reinforcing her reputation as one of the preeminent artists of the MTV generation. Janet cemented her as an international icon and sex symbol, and is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time. Academics argued the erotic imagery in her music videos have contributed to a higher degree of sexual freedom among women.

1. “Morning” 0:31
2. “That’s the Way Love Goes” 4:24
3. “You Know…” 0:12
4. “You Want This” 5:05
5. “Be a Good Boy…” 0:07
6. “If” 4:31
7. “Back” 0:04
8. “This Time” 6:58
9. “Go on Miss Janet” 0:05
10. “Throb” 4:33
11. “What’ll I Do” 4:05
12. “The Lounge” 0:15
13. “Funky Big Band” 5:22
14. “Racism” 0:08
15. “New Agenda” 4:00
16. “Love Pt. 2” 0:11
17. “Because of Love” 4:20
18. “Wind” 0:11
19. “Again” 3:46
20. “Another Lover” 0:11
21. “Where Are You Now” 5:47
22. “Hold on Baby” 0:12
23. “The Body That Loves You” 5:32
24. “Rain” 0:18
25. “Any Time, Any Place” 7:08
26. “Are You Still Up” 1:36
27. “Sweet Dreams” 0:14
28. “Whoops Now” 4:59

(Ex) Cat Heads – rap
Alice Preves – viola
Ann Nesby – background vocals
Bernie Edstrom – horn arrangements, trumpet
Carolyn Daws – violin
Celine Leathead – violin
Chuck D – rap
Core Cotton – background vocals
Daria Tedeschi – violin
Dave Karr – flute
David Barry – guitar
David Bullock – violin
David Carr – flute
David Eiland – sax (alto)
David Rideau – mixing
Frank Stribbling – guitar
Gary Raynor – bass
Hanley Daws – violin
Jamecia Bennett – background vocals
Janet Jackson – main performer, record producer, vocals, background vocals
Jean Krikorian – design
Jeff Gottwig – clarinet, trumpet
Jeff Taylor – bass, vocals
Jellybean Johnson – producer
Jimmy Jam – keyboards, producer, vocals
James “Big Jim” Wright – keyboards, vocals
Jossie Harris – talking
Kathleen Battle – vocals
Ken Holman – clarinet, sax (tenor)
Kool & the Gang
Laura Preves – bassoon
Lawrence Waddell – organ (hammond)
Lee Blaskey – orchestration
Len Peltier – art direction, design
Marie Graham – background vocals
Mark Haynes – bass, drum programming, programming
Merilee Klemp – oboe
Mike Sobieski – violin
Patrick Demarchelier – photography
Robert Hallgrimson – sax (alto), trumpet
Steve Hodge – mixing
Steve Wright – trumpet
Steven Pikal – trombone
Stokley – drums
Tamas Strasser – viola
Terry Lewis – producer
The Average White Band
Tina Landon – talking
Tom Kornacker – violin

Monday 7/26/21 10pm ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by Elton John. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John (Captain Fantastic) and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy). It was released in May 1975 by MCA in America and DJM in the UK and was an instant commercial success.

The album reached number 1 in its first week of release on the US Billboard 200, the first ever album to do so, reportedly selling 1.4 million copies within 4 days of release, and it stayed in that position in the chart for seven weeks.

Though they would all appear on later albums, this was the last album of the 1970s with the original lineup of the Elton John Band (guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson). Murray and Olsson, who had formed John’s rhythm section since 1970, were sacked prior to the recording of the follow-up album Rock of the Westies, while Johnstone would leave in 1978. This was the last album until 1983’s Too Low for Zero that Elton John and his classic band would play on together.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 158 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list

1. “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” 5:46
2. “Tower of Babel” 4:28
3. “Bitter Fingers” 4:35
4. “Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” 4:20
5. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” 6:45
6. “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket” 4:01
7. “Better Off Dead” 2:37
8. “Writing” 3:40
9. “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” 4:15
10. “Curtains” 6:15
11. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” 6:18
12. “One Day at a Time” 3:49
13. “Philadelphia Freedom” 5:22
14. “House of Cards”

Elton John – lead vocals, acoustic piano (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), Fender Rhodes (1, 4, 5, 8), clavinet (4, 6), ARP String Ensemble (5), harmony vocals (7, 8), harpsichord (9, 10), mellotron (9, 10)
David Hentschel – ARP synthesizer (9, 10)
Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar (1, 5-10), electric guitar (1-4, 6, 9, 10), mandolin (1), backing vocals (3, 5-10), Leslie guitar (5), acoustic piano (8)
Dee Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals (3, 5-10)
Nigel Olsson – drums, backing vocals (3, 5-10)
Ray Cooper – shaker (1, 5, 8), congas (1, 3, 4, 9, 10), gong (1), jawbone (1), tambourine (1-6, 9, 10), bells (3, 9, 10), cymbals (5), triangle (7, 8), bongos (8)
Gene Page – orchestral arrangements (4)

Monday 7/26/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Britney Spears – Circus (2008)

Circus is the sixth studio album by American singer Britney Spears, released on November 28, 2008, by Jive Records. Looking to transition from her “darker and more urban” fifth studio album Blackout (2007), Spears wanted to make her next project “a little bit lighter”. She recorded the album during the summer of 2008, after her much-publicized personal struggles saw her placement under a conservatorship earlier that year. As executive producers, Larry Rudolph and Teresa LaBarbera Whites enlisted collaborators including Spears’ longtime colleague Max Martin and Danja. Their efforts resulted in a primarily pop and dance record with urban influences.

Upon its release, Circus received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production but were ambivalent towards its lyrical content. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, making it her fifth album to reach the top of the chart. The album has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

Four singles were released, three of which became international hits. Its lead single, “Womanizer”, peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and registered as the largest jump to the top of the chart at the time after debuting at number 96. It became Spears’s best-selling single in the country since “…Baby One More Time” (1998), and received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards (2010). The second and third singles, “Circus” and “If U Seek Amy”, peaked at numbers three and 19 in the country, respectively. Consequently, Circus became Spears’s second studio album after her debut …Baby One More Time (1999) to have two top-ten singles and three top 20 singles, also being her first to have two top-five singles in the United States along with five charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100. To promote the album, Spears embarked on a concert tour titled The Circus Starring Britney Spears, which commenced in March 2009.

1. “Womanizer” 3:43
2. “Circus” 3:12
3. “Out from Under” 3:54
4. “Kill the Lights” 3:59
5. “Shattered Glass” 2:53
6. “If U Seek Amy” 3:37
7. “Unusual You” 4:23
8. “Blur” 3:09
9. “Mmm Papi” 3:22
10. “Mannequin” 4:06
11. “Lace and Leather” 2:48
12. “My Baby” 3:20
13. “Radar” 3:49
14. “Rock Me In” 3:17
15. “Phonography” 3:35
16. “Amnesia” 3:57

Luke Boyd – background vocals
Cathy Dennis – background vocals
Dr. Luke – drums, guitar, keyboards, programming,
Lady Gaga – background vocals, songwriter
Leah Haywood – background vocals
Henrik Jonback – bass, engineer, guitar
Claude Kelly – vocal producer, background vocals
Kasia Livingston – background vocals
Myah Marie – background vocals
Max Martin – producer, programming, background vocals
Nicole Morier – vocal producer, background vocals
Candice Nelson – background vocals
Debi Nova – background vocals
Andy Page – drum programming, engineer, guitar, mixing, piano, strings, synthesizer, synthesizer bass
Britney Spears – vocals, background vocals, concept, songwriter
Windy Wagner – background vocals

Monday 7/26/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Into The Great Wide Open (1991)

Into the Great Wide Open is the eighth studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in July 1991. The album was the band’s last with MCA Records. The album was the second Petty produced with Jeff Lynne after the success of Full Moon Fever.

The first single, “Learning to Fly”, became the band’s joint longest-running No. 1 single (along with “The Waiting” from 1981’s Hard Promises) on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, spending six weeks at the top spot. The second single, “Out in the Cold”, also made No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, albeit for two weeks.

The music video for the title song stars Johnny Depp as “Eddie”, who moves to Los Angeles as a teenager to seek rock stardom, along with Gabrielle Anwar, Faye Dunaway, Matt LeBlanc, Terence Trent D’Arby and Chynna Phillips.

1. “Learning to Fly” 4:02
2. “Kings Highway” 3:08
3. “Into the Great Wide Open” 3:43
4. “Two Gunslingers” 3:09
5. “The Dark of the Sun” 3:23
6. “All or Nothin'” 4:07
7. “All the Wrong Reasons” 3:46
8. “Too Good to Be True” 3:59
9. “Out in the Cold” 3:40
10. “You and I Will Meet Again” 3:42
11. “Makin’ Some Noise” 3:27
12. “Built to Last” 4:00

Tom Petty – lead vocals, guitars (acoustic, electric, 12-string), keyboards, percussion
Mike Campbell – guitars (lead, 12-string, bass, resonator, slide), keyboards, backing vocals on “Learning to Fly”
Benmont Tench – acoustic and electric pianos, synthesizer, accordion
Howie Epstein – bass guitar, backing vocals
Stan Lynch – drums, percussion
Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, backing vocals, piano, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects, producer
Roger McGuinn – backing vocal on “All The Wrong Reasons”
Richard Tandy – synthesizer on “Two Gunslingers”

Sunday 7/25/21 1am ET: Feature LP: The Band – Music From The Big Pink (1968)

Music from Big Pink is the debut studio album by the Band. Released in 1968, it employs a distinctive blend of country, rock, folk, classical, R&B, blues, and soul. The music was composed partly in “Big Pink”, a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, New York. The album itself was recorded in studios in New York and Los Angeles in 1968, and followed the band’s backing of Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour (as the Hawks) and time spent together in upstate New York recording material that was officially released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes, also with Dylan. The cover artwork is a painting by Dylan.

1. “Tears of Rage” 5:23
2. “To Kingdom Come” 3:22
3. “In a Station” 3:34
4. “Caledonia Mission” 2:59
5. “The Weight” 4:34
6. “We Can Talk” 3:06
7. “Long Black Veil” 3:06
8. “Chest Fever” 5:18
9. “Lonesome Suzie” 4:04
10. “This Wheel’s on Fire” 3:14
11. “I Shall Be Released” 3:19

Rick Danko – bass guitar, fiddle, vocals
Levon Helm – drums, tambourine, vocals
Garth Hudson – organ, piano, clavinet, soprano and tenor saxophones
Richard Manuel – piano, organ, vocals
Robbie Robertson – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
John Simon – producer, baritone horn, tenor saxophone, piano, tambourine

Sunday 7/25/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Jackson Browne – Downhill From Everywhere (2021) Twitter: @JacksonBrowne

Jackson Browne albums don’t come around all that often anymore. During his prolific years in the 1970s and ’80s, he had plenty to say and said it with the sensitivity and poetic candor that is his stock-in-trade. Released in July 2021, Downhill from Everywhere is Browne’s fourth studio album since the turn of the millennium, and it’s a pretty good one. One of the defining voices of the boomer generation, he epitomized the laid-back singer/songwriter sound of the West Coast and in that respect, little has changed. At 72, Browne’s musical legacy remains undiminished and if Downhill isn’t a particularly radical entry in his catalog, it has the heart, craft, and veteran presence of an artist who has little to prove, but still a bit more to say. Warmly arranged in the lean manner of his best ’70s work, the ten-song set is a delight of tasteful guitar work, folk-rock charm, and perceptive lyrics befitting the singer’s current position on the timeline. Among the reflections on mortality (the wistful “Still Looking for Something”) and late-in-life romance (“Minutes to Downtown”) are more topical concerns like the environment (the title track’s punchy anti-pollution plea) and immigration (the poignant “The Dreamer”). In this way, Downhill adheres to Browne’s late-period album template of presenting a fairly even balance of the personal and political. Captaining the expected band of L.A. studio stalwarts with easy grace, it’s an album full of strong performances, few missteps, and the weary charisma that has been one of the singer’s hallmarks. A half-century into his career, that timeless feeling that signified even Browne’s earliest releases is still present, if ever-so-slightly more shopworn by time’s passing. AllMusic Review by Timothy Monger

1 Still Looking for Something 03:10
2 My Cleveland Heart 03:20
3 Minutes to Downtown 05:31
4 A Human Touch 04:42
5 Love Is Love 04:46
6 Downhill From Everywhere 05:45
7 The Dreamer 03:16
8 Until Justice Is Real 04:33
9 A Little Soon to Say 06:27
10 A Song for Barcelona 08:37

Friday 7/23/21 1am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)

Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on December 17, 1971 by RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie’s previous two records.

Compared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. His lyrical concerns on the record range from the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention on “Changes”, to occultism and Nietzschean philosophy on “Oh! You Pretty Things” and “Quicksand”; several songs make cultural and literary references. He was also inspired by his stateside tour to write songs dedicated to three American icons: Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. The song “Kooks” was dedicated to Bowie’s newborn son Duncan. The album’s cover artwork, photographed in monochrome and subsequently recoloured, features Bowie in a pose inspired by actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age.

Upon release, Hunky Dory and its lead single “Changes” received little promotion from RCA who were wary that Bowie would transform his image shortly. Thus, despite very positive reviews from the British and American music press, the album initially sold poorly and failed to chart. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie’s 1972 follow-up album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Retrospectively, Hunky Dory has been critically acclaimed as one of Bowie’s best works, and features on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where “Bowie starts to become Bowie”, definitively discovering his voice and style.

“Changes” – 3:37
“Oh! You Pretty Things” – 3:12
“Eight Line Poem” – 2:55
“Life on Mars?” – 3:43
“Kooks” – 2:53
“Quicksand” – 5:08
“Fill Your Heart” – 3:07
“Andy Warhol” – 3:56
“Song for Bob Dylan” – 4:12
“Queen Bitch” – 3:18
“The Bewlay Brothers” – 5:22

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, piano (“Oh! You Pretty Things”, “Eight Line Poem”)
Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals, Mellotron, arrangements
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar, trumpet
Mick Woodmansey – drums
Rick Wakeman – piano

Friday 7/23/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Kansas – Monolith (1979)

Monolith is the sixth studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released May 1979. The album was remastered and reissued in 2011, as a Japanese import vinyl-replica Blu-spec CD (Epic EICP 20078) including the rarity live version of “On the Other Side” previously available only on the 1994 Legacy-issued Box Set. A domestic version of the remaster was released in standard CD format in the US as part of Legacy Recordings’ Classic Album Collection series which included all of their Kirshner/CBS studio releases. A Dutch-issued “Music on CD” series released the album on CD in 2016. It was last of the albums with the original lineup to be re-released on vinyl. Three different colored vinyl versions appeared in 2018 and 2019.

1. “On the Other Side” 6:26
2. “People of the South Wind” 3:41
3. “Angels Have Fallen” 6:39
4. “How My Soul Cries Out for You” 5:49
5. “A Glimpse of Home” 6:37
6. “Away from You” 4:26
7. “Stay Out of Trouble” 4:15
8. “Reason to Be” 3:51

Steve Walsh – keyboards, lead and backing vocals
Kerry Livgren – guitars, keyboards
Rich Williams – guitars
Robby Steinhardt – violin, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Angels Have Fallen,” “How My Soul Cries Out for You,” and “Stay Out of Trouble,” anvil
Dave Hope – bass
Phil Ehart – drums
The O. K. Chorale – background vocals on “Angels Have Fallen”