Hall & Oates - Voices (35th anniversary)

Today (July 29th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Voices, the first album by Hall and Oates for the 80's. It spent a total of one hundred weeks on the US Billboard Album chart with a peak position of number 17.

For my full review, click here.

For even more Hall and Oates, click here.

St. Elmo's Fire (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Today (July 26h) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of the soundtrack from St. Elmo's Fire. The album spent thirty-seven weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, hitting a peak spot of number 21.

For my complete review, click here.

AC/DC - Back In Black (35th anniversary)

Today (July 25th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Back In Black, the classic sixth studio album from AC/DC. The record spent an amazing one hundred and thirty-seven weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, with a top spot of number 4.

For my complete review, click here.

For even more AC/DC, click here.

Pointer Sisters - Contact

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Contact, the eleventh studio album from the Pointer Systems and their first on the RCA label. The Platinum seller hit number 49 in Germany, number 37 in the Netherlands, number 36 in New Zealand, number 34 in the UK, number 19 in Switzerland, number 17 in Australia, number 14 in Canada and number 6 in Sweden. Here in the US, it reached number 24 on the Billboard Album chart (with a total thirty-four weeks run) and number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart. The record also garnered the group an American Music Award for Favorite Video Group in 1986.

Aretha Franklin - Who's Zoomin' Who?

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Who's Zoomin' Who?, the thirty-first studio album from Aretha Franklin. This Platinum seller, produced by Narada (Michael Walden) from 1985 spent fifty-one weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 13. It also went to number 49 in the UK, number 15 in Australia, number 13 in Canada and number 3 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 86 on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980's.

Book Review: How Music Got Free

Now on sale at all your favorite book stores and online sources is How Music Got Free: the End of an Industry, the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy. It is a non-fiction look at the music industry over the past few decades and how things have shifted from CDs to digital.
Its author is Stephen Witt, a math major turned journalist with a very strong interest in music.

Book Review: The Great Zoo of China

The Great Zoo of China, a novel by Australian author Matthew Reilly, was released in January of 2015 here in the US. I've had it sitting on my iPad for awhile now and finally got to a few weeks ago.

The premise of the story is that the Chinese government has built a massive new tourist attraction, appropriately called the Great Zoo of China. There goal is to create a tourist attraction that can rival that of any in the United States or the rest of the world. But a lot of secrecy surrounds the zoo until a group of dignitaries and press are brought to it prior to its grand opening. Among the group is Dr. Cassandra Jane "CJ" Cameron, an alligator export now working as a freelance journalist, and her photographer brother Hamish.

Face To Face - Confrontation

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Confrontation, the second studio album from the Boston new-wave band Face To Face.

Xanadu (soundtrack) (35th anniversary)

Welcome back to Soundtrack Sunday.

Today marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the chart debut for the soundtrack from Xanadu, a movie that would then hit theatres a month later on August 8th of 1980. The record reached number 1 in Newton-John's native home of Australia, number 2 in the UK, and number 4 on the US Billboard Album chart (with thirty-six weeks on the charts). It also spawned six top 40 singles.

For my full review of this favorite of mine, click here.

Back To The Future (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Today (July 8th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the soundtrack from Back To The Future. The record spent thirty-two weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 12.

For my full review, click here.

Laura Branigan - Hold Me

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Hold Me, the fourth studio album from Laura Branigan. This 1985 record hit number 75 in Japan, number 71 on the US Billboard Album chart (with a fifteen week total time on the chart), number 64 in the UK, number 43 in Canada, number31 in Germany, number 12 in Norway, number 10 in Switzerland, and number 7 in Sweden.

J.D. Shelburne - live and on CDs

Our final day of our Nashville trip rounded out with a stop at the Tequila Cowboy, a restaurant and bar on Broadway. It was there that we were treated to final hour of an afternoon acoustic set by J.D. Shelburne. He was joined on stage by acoustic cajon player Eric Carby.

Shelburne hails from Taylorsville, Kentucky. This hard-working musician has been playing gigs regularly since he graduated the University of Kentucky in 2007. He has even opened for such big name country acts as Kellie Pickler, Montgomery Gentry and Miranda Lambert.

The Vapors - New Clear Days (35th anniversary)

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of New Clear Days, the 1980 debut album from the new-wave band the Vapors. In the group's native UK, the record reached number 44 on the charts. In the US, the record went to number 62 on the Billboard Album chart with a twenty-eight week total run. In Canada, it went to number 41 on the charts.

For my full review, click here.

The Ryman and the Hall of Fame

After our first night in Nashville and celebrating music (click here for yesterday's post), the rest of our weekend was going to continue to focus on the sounds of city.

Saturday morning was spent shopping, but by the afternoon my wife and I were hanging out downtown. We would stop in a variety of local establishments to listen to some musicians play for the bar and restaurant patrons. It was also a good time to people watch. There were quite a few bachelorette trips in town for the weekend - trust me, you could not miss these groups of rowdy ladies out for a weekend romp.

A Night at the Opry

This past weekend, we took a family trip down to Nashville, TN. Our son was playing in the Yu-Gi-Oh Nationals card tournament, so my wife and I decided to take in the tourist sites of the city. Top on the list was, of course, a visit to the Grand Ole Opry.