Two Seventies seminal LP's and Vinny's birthday!!!

The Ramones
L-to-R: Johnny, Tommy, Joey and Dee Dee. (Photo: Roberta Bayley/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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2/04/1976 (40 years ago today) - The album cover (above) was ranked No. 58 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers -- what was inside was destined to become a classic: today's the day The Ramones released their self-titled debut album. Recorded for $6,400 in seven days and the de facto inspiration for thousands of punk bands worldwide, its exalted reputation has never overshadowed its monolithic roar, an unbelievable 14 songs in 29 minutes. Savage and hilarious at the same time, the tracks are beyond legendary: "Blitzkreig Bop", "Beat On the Brat", "Judy Is a Punk", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue". A definitive must-have.

2/04/1977 (39 years ago today) - What a difference a year makes: this time around it's "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac that hits the shelves, and though it's a completely different beast than the aforementioned Ramones debut, the effect that this Mac classic has on sales, radio, touring, production, etc., is still resonating -- a band where the girls share equal billing with the guys (!?!?); three stylistically different singer/songwriters; a rhythm section that can play in just about any kind of style --  it remains a landmark achievement that continues to sell year in, year out (45 million and counting...). Unreal actually.

2/04/1948 - Happy Birthday to Vincent Furnier -- we love him better, though, as the one and only Alice Cooper, 68 years old today. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville and garage rock, Alice was the real deal, a true theatrical-rock pioneer; his early '70's shows were specifically designed to shock the audience -- guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, boa constrictors, baby dolls, swords, all kinds of weird props -- you name it and Alice has already used it. The influence of his early live work can never be fully understood or underestimated, and it was a fact, kids: the band kicked some serious ass while Alice himself had a lot more than an evil twinkle in his eye.

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"I got a baby's brain and an old man's heart...", xoxo!

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