Bob Marley has been embraced the world over for his message of peace, love, and music. Ranked #11 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The Greatest Artists of All Time”, Marley made a lasting mark on not only Black history but music history as well. Amongst the tumultuous times of the 60’s and the 70’s, which were rich with racial discrimination and cultural intolerance, Bob became a voice of compassion.Like the good Dr. King, he did not fight with anger against hate, instead demonstrated perseverance in the face of people who did not believe in the unity of all humanity. “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”, recorded live in 1975, asks you to forget your troubles and dance. So today, “emancipate yourself” and just dance.
Every great act has a breakthrough album and for U2 it was 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire.The three studio albums that preceded it (Boy, October, and War) each stand the test of time, but it was The Unforgettable Fire where the group teamed up for the first time with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois that saw U2 ascend to global sensation.“Pride (In The Name Of Love),” may have been the smash radio hit, but today’s DFD selection “Wire,” which immediately follows it on the track list, is a hard-charging, lead-the-troops-into-battle piece that foreshadows in style and attitude many songs that would come later.
If the Ramones were the first Punk band, then the New York Dolls were definitely their mother. The Dolls collected the detritus of Rock and Roll songs and parts, mashed it together and created that swaggery, skanky stamp that marked their creations. Kind of an f-ed up, moldy Mr. Potato Head, but with lipstick. The Petri dish of a scene they created in New York helped form dozens of the classic ‘70s CBGBs bands. After 2 albums, the band festered and died amidst personnel and chronic substance abuse issues. 28 years later, the 2 living members, David Johansen, and Sylvain Sylvain, recorded again. Their latest album, Cause I Sez So, produced by Todd Rundgren who produced their first record, spawned a re-recording of their original “Trash” which can be found on a vinyl 45 – along with a rare live version as the b-side - as part of Record Store Day tomorrow.
