Truly classic albums from the 60's and 70's that were well-deserved chart-toppers, and a b'day for a woefully under-appreciated artist (she's great, ya gotta trust us here)...

(Courtesy of RSO Records)
(Courtesy of RSO Records)
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8/17/1968 (50 years ago today) - The Doors kick off four weeks at the top with their third studio album "Waiting For The Sun" -- Pretty solid, really; in addition to the (also) No. 1 single "Hello, I Love You" (as close to pop-ditty land as they ever got), the LP featured some of the bands darkest goth-pyschedelia -- "Five To One" (featuring Jim Morrison's classic "No one here gets out alive" moaning) and "The Unknown Soldier" provided some shivers, while "Not To Touch The Earth" and "My Wild Love" were the stuff of nightmares -- Definitely an underrated entry in their catalog, go back for a fresh listen and re-discover the simple fact that nobody else ever sounded like these guys!

8/17/1974 (44 years ago today) - Eric Clapton begins four weeks at No. 1 on the LP chart with his near-perfect comeback release "461 Ocean Boulevard" -- After recovering from a three-year addiction to heroin, Eric went for a more laid-back approach to his blues-based repertoire by incorporating reggae and country-shuffling into his style, rather than the turn-it-up-to-eleven jamming heroics he had become famous for -- The result was a worldwide smash hit, selling over two million and featuring the No. 1 single "I Shot The Sheriff" (which introduced most of us to a previously unheard-of exotic artist known as Bob Marley). It was also one of the first "pop music" albums officially sanctioned for release in the U.S.S.R.! Not a bad track on here actually...

8/17/1964 - Happy Birthday to singer-songwriter Maria McKee, 54 years old today -- Perhaps best known for her stint as leader of the cowpunk/country-rock band Lone Justice in the 1980's, she's been working steadily since on a critically praised solo career, along with acting as a back-up singer on records by U2, Steve Earle, The Dixie Chicks, Robin Zander, Counting Crows and Robbie Robertson and a boatload of movie soundtrack work (including "Pulp Fiction" and "Streets Of Fire"). She's the real deal as you are about to find out right here:

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"Disillusion has an edge so sharp/It tears at your soul and leaves a stain upon your heart...", xoxo!

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