This Day in Music
Michael Fitzgibbon
None of the releases today were made in the Sixties or Seventies. It’s all current music, which is to say, music that’s only 40 years old, even the daily Elvis, on this day in music.
Rio
1982: British pop-rock band Duran Duran release their second studio album, “Rio.” Expanding their sound from their debut LP, the band incorporated additional instruments like mallet percussion, and sound effects, such as the flint from a cigarette lighter and the cracking of an ice tray.
A mixture of synth-pop and new wave, the album is a collection of mostly upbeat numbers, with some ballads. Though it was a vast commercial success, going to No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 in the U.K., and No. 6 in the U.S., critics at the time were mostly unimpressed, but have since revised their reviews in retrospective ratings. Earning no better than 3-stars in 1982, the LP now enjoys a 4.5-star review from AllMusic, 4.5-stars from The Rolling Stone Record Guide, and a 9/10 from Spin. Robert Christgau has not changed his grade from C-, however.
Though I'm not a Duran Duran fan myself, I like half this record, particularly the title track, “Rio,” which sheds the synth-pop aesthetic for an 80's-style Rock and Roll song, with a wonderful lead guitar tone, a great sax solo, and synthesizers limited to atmospheric background effects. The song would have been even better if the outro vocal chants lasted a little longer.
Weezer
1994: “Weezer,” often referred to as “The Blue Album,” the debut studio CD from American rock act Weezer, is released to widespread critical acclaim.
While its chart performance was limited mostly to alternative and college lists, it was a huge commercial success, achieving double-Platinum certification in Canada, triple-Platinum in the U.S., and Gold in the U.K., on its way to selling just under 3.5 million copies.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1992, the band struggled to overcome the popularity of grunge, but finally found an ear at Geffen Records with their demo CD, “The Kitchen Tape.” Ric Ocasek of The Cars was brought in to produce, and together they issued an album that is recognized among the decade’s best, ranking No. 292 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
One of my personal favourites from the nineties, the standout tracks include “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain't So,” “My Name is Jonas,” and “Undone - The Sweater Song.”
On the Night
1993: Dire Straits releases their second contemporary live album, “On the Night.”
Recorded in May of 1992 at Les Arenes in Nimes, France, and at Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, Netherlands, it's a collection of live versions of mostly later-period Dire Straits songs, including “Walk of Life,” “Heavy Fuel,” “On Every Street,” and “You and Your Friend.” The two classic-period numbers are “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Private Investigations.”
Though the LP had early success in the charts, going to No. 1 in continental Europe and No. 4 in the U.K., it is unfortunately mediocre output from the band and was poorly-received by critics. It has sold just over 500,000 copies, which for most artists is quite an achievement, but compared to the usual sales volumes by Dire Straits, was a disappointment.
The Daily Elvis
2005: A compilation CD of live covers by Elvis titled “Live from Las Vegas” is released by RCA. It features Elvis performing some of pop's most famous songs, including “Sweet Caroline,” originally by Neil Diamond, Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie,” and “Proud Mary,” written by John Fogerty for his band, Credence Clearwater Revival.
