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Today in rock history: on this date in 1970, The Rolling Stones released its quintessential live album, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert. Recorded in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland in 1969, the record is a snapshot of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time delivering some of the most exciting, live, raw performances to ever be captured on record. The record was released in response to the attention an unauthorized bootleg recording from the same time period was attracting and it was a wise move. The record was a huge hit in both America and in the U.K. where it became the first ever live album to reach the no. 1 spot on album sales charts. Containing two Chuck Berry covers (“Carol” and “Little Queenie”), a slow, burning cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love In Vain” and the definitive, incendiary, nine-minute version of the Stones' own blues romp, “Midnight Rambler,” this is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever live rock records ever released. As the late, renown rock critic Lester Bangs wrote in his original review of the record in 1970: “I have no doubt that it's the best rock concert ever put on record."
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1976, the self-titled Fleetwood Mac album that boasted the band’s brand new lineup eased its way into the no. 1 spot on Billboard’s sales charts in the U.S. After a slow and steady climb towards the top spot after more than a year, the record — which was Mac’s first to feature brand new band members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks — hit the coveted no. 1 spot and became the first of three consecutive chart-toppers this formation of the band would enjoy. The album features the massive Fleetwood Mac singles “Over My Head,” “Say You Love Me” and “Rhiannon.” and it ushered in a whole new era for the former blues band who would from this point going forward would become one of the best-selling and popular rock bands all around the world.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1990, American industrial/hard rock band Ministry released its live concert album, In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up. The record was recorded while the band was on tour supporting their groundbreaking 1989 album The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste. The six-song album displayed the aggression and the sheer brutality the band was able to harness as a live concert attraction. The record also spawned a live home video release that captured the live recordings included on the record as well as some additional selections that were not featured on the vinyl counterpart. Recorded earlier in 1990 at a small theater in Indiana, the record solidified Ministry’s place as forerunners of industrial music who’d bring the onetime underground genre to the mainstream.
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Today in rock history: on this date in 1992, indie rock trio Sugar released its debut album, the stunning Copper Blue. Formed by ex- Husker Dü singer and songwriter Bob Mould, the formation of the band followed two stellar solo albums Mould had released: 1989’s Workbook and 1990’s Black Sheets of Rain. All of Mould’s earlier work had been critically praised and elicited a passionate fan base dating back to his early punk rock days with Husker Du, so expectations were high for his new project — and Sugar did not disappoint. In what’s one of Bob Mould’s best and most melodic works, Copper Blue was as warmly received any of his prior releases were. Containing the infectious melodic pop of songs like “A Good Idea,” “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” and “Helpless,” the record was fondly embraced by college radio and by the music press and hailed as every bit as relevant as the beloved work of Husker Du. “Copper Blue” is without a doubt one of the best and most consistent records to be released in the 1990s.
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This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 7, 2017.