Vision Quest (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Today (February 12th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of the soundtrack from Vision Quest, a coming-of-age film from 1985 starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino and Daphne Zuniga. The album hit the shelves three days prior and featured an all-star roster. The album spent a total of twenty-three weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 11.

For more on this album, click here.

Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross (35th anniversary)

This month marked the thirty fifth anniversary of Christopher Cross, the self-titled is a soft-rock classic debut from a Texas-born singer/songwriter. It went multi-platinum in the US (reaching number 6 on the Billboard Album chart - a chart where it spent over one hundred and sixteen weeks total) as well as selling very well internationally (number 6 in Australia, number 14 in the UK, number 16 in New Zealand and number 18 in Japan).

For the complete album review, click here.

Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast

Today (November 19th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Building the Perfect Beast, the second solo studio album from Don Henley. This multi-Platinum seller from 1984 hit number 24 in Sweden, number 18 in New Zealand, number 17 in Canada, number 15 in Norway, number 14 in the UK and number 4 in Australia. Here in the US, it spent sixty-three weeks total on the Billboard Album chart with a top spot of number 13.

Joe Walsh - You Bought It - You Name It

Today (May 21st) marks the thirtieth anniversary of You Bought It - You Name It, the sixth solo studio album from American rocker Joe Walsh. It peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and produced a couple tracks that were big on the US Mainstream Rock chart.

Joining Walsh on the record was Kevin Dukes (guitar), Don Felder (guitar and vocals), Don Henley (guitar and backing vocals), Michael Martin Murphey (vocals), George Perry (bass), Timothy B. Schmitt (vocals), Joe Vitale (various instruments) and Waddy Wachtel (guitar).

Christopher Cross - Another Page

After his phenomenal hit selling, self-titled debut record from 1979 (click here for that review) and a number 1 hit song with the title theme from the 1981 film Arthur, Christopher Cross had a lot riding on his follow up album. Today (January 31st) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Another Page, his second studio album.

The record went Gold in both the US and the UK. Chart-wise, it climbed all the way to number 12 in Sweden, number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 9 in New Zealand, number 7 in the Netherlands, number 6 in Australia, number 4 in the UK, number 2 in Germany and number 1 in Japan.

Randy Newman - Trouble In Paradise

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Trouble in Paradise, the seventh studio album from singer-songwriter Randy Newman. It climbed to number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 200 chart. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 67 on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.

Newman had a number of guest performers on the record. Appearing on vocals are Lindsey Buckingham, Don Henley, Rickie Lee Jones, Christine McVie, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger, Wendy Waldman and Jennifer Warnes. On the music side, the record also featured Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of Toto, Waddy Wachtel and many more.

Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still

From 1972 to 1980, Don Henley served as the drummer and lead singer for the Eagles. When the band broke up, Henley embarked on a career as a solo artist.

Today (August 13th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of I Can’t Stand Still, his debut solo album from 1982. The Gold selling record went to number 34 in Sweden, number 24 in the UK, number 22 in Norway, number 14 in New Zealand and number 5 in Canada. In the US, it topped out at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (soundtrack) (30th Anniversary)

This week, we are doing Matinee Monday.

Today (July 30th) marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the soundtrack album to the seminal 80's teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

For my review of this album, please click here.

So, let's all put on our checkered Vans and chill out with Spicoli, Brad, Stacy, Damone, and Mr. Hand.

Warren Zevon - The Envoy

Today (July 16th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of The Envoy, the fifth studio album from the American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. After strong showings on the charts for his previous two albums (both top 20), this one showed a remarked slide in public favor. It only got as far as number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 200.

Zevon has help from a number of musicians on the record, including vocal harmonies from Don Henley (tracks one and five), Lindsey Buckingham (track two), J.D. Souther (tracks six and eight) and Graham Nash (track eight). His band for the album included Waddy Wachtel (guitar, percussion), David Landau (guitar), Leland Sklar (bass) and Jeff Porcaro (drums).

Eagles - Eagles

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Glenn Frey, who is celebrating a birthday tomorrow November 6th, first teamed with Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner as a backing band for Linda Ronstadt on her debut album in 1971. They performed with her once live before going off to form their own band the Eagles. By the summer of 1972, they were ready to release their self-titled debut record Eagles, an album that did very well. It reached number 22 on the US Billboard Pop Charts and number 13 on the Canadian charts, and it also generated three Top 40 hit singles. The record was also popular with the critics; Rolling Stone magazine has ranked it at number 374 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.

Vision Quest (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In 1985, a coming-of-age film that starred Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino and Daphne Zuniga hit theatres. Vision Quest told the story of a high school wrestler who falls for an older woman that is renting a room at his father's house. Madonna also makes an appearance in the film as a club singer. The film was moderately successful in theatres in the US, grossing $13 million.

The soundtrack album for Vision Quest was released three days prior to the film's opening. It boasted an interesting mix of performers.

Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross

The Texas singer-songwriter Christopher Cross ended the 70's with his self-titled debut album, released in late December of 1979. Christopher Cross is a soft-rock classic that went multi-platinum in the US (reaching number 6 on the Billboard Album chart) as well as selling very well internationally (number 6 in Australia, number 14 in the UK, number 16 in New Zealand and number 18 in Japan). The record stayed on the US charts for the entire year and well into 1981, when it beat out Pink Floyd’s The Wall for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In 1981, Rolling Stone magazine writer Cameron Crowe went undercover to a San Diego, California, high school to research a book. In 1982, that book was adapted into the coming-of-age teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film, which opened in August of 1982, helped launch the careers of young actors Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Renhold, Robert Romanus, Phoebe Cates, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards and Nicolas Cage. At a cost of $4.5 million to make, the film earned more than $27 million at the box office and has since become a TV/cable and video favorite the world over. It even spun off a short-lived CBS sitcom in 1986 that starred young actors Courtney Thorne-Smith and Patrick Dempsey.

The double-disk soundtrack album, released on July 30th of 1982, did fairly well; it peaked at number 54 on the Billboard 200 and several of the songs were released as singles.