Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea - P.J. Harvey

Bringing us up to date, something pivotal from the Naughties.
In 2000 Polly Jean Harvey released this, her 5th Album and finally reached the critical acclaim she deserved. The album won the Mercury Prize in 2001.
The City referred to in the title Is New York, a city of "heroin and speed, of genocide and suicide, syphilis and greed" Somehow PJ manages to make this sound mysterious, cool and romantic.
All jangly guitars and dirty bass, Thursdays Critical Junction will feature Big Exit, The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore, You Said Something, and her duet with Radioheads Thom Yorke, This Mess We're In. We may squeeze in We Float before the show kicks off.

Music From Big Pink - The Band

Over the years 1968's Music From Big Pink has come to be regarded as a watershed work in the history of Rock. The Band were Bob Dylans Back Up Band and Big Pink was the house in Woodstock where they hung out in the late Sixties. Dylan collaborated on Tears Of Rage and I Shall Be Released and This Wheels On Fire was to be reworked years later as the theme tune to Absolutely Fabulous. At the time it didn't sell too well despite rave reviews from Rolling Stone. The Weight charted at No. 63, but gained huge popularity the following year when it featured on the Soundtrack of Easy Rider.
Eric Clapton was so blown away by this album that he disbanded Cream and went of in search of a new sound.
On Thursday Mornings Live Drive we'll be playing Tears Of Rage, I Shall Be Released, This Wheels On Fire and, of course, The Weight

Track listing
1. Tears Of Rage
2. To Kingdom Come
3. In A Station
4. Caledonia Mission
5. Weight, The
6. We Can Talk
7. Long Black Veil
8. Chest Fever
9. Lonesome Suzie
10. This Wheel's On Fire
11. I Shall Be Released

Purple Rain - Prince And The Revolution

A Terrible Movie, a legendary soundtrack. Princes 1984 album Purple Rain broke records and broke Prince onto the international stage. The Album is a mix of Funk, Pop, Blues and Rock and apparently the title track Purple Rain was Princes attempt at Country Rock. To capture and corner the Pop market, the lyrics are a tad clearer then previous offerings from The Artist though the cheeky lyrics in Darling Nikki got the ball rolling on Parental Advisory Stickers! (we won't be playing it on the show)

Rolling Stone ranked this No.2 in the top 100 albums of the 1980s, It's a fantastic Album. Prince is hugely popular on the Live Drive and this Critical Junction is definitely worth tuning in for.

Track listing
1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Take Me With You
3. Beautiful Ones, The
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki
6. When Doves Cry
7. I Would Die 4 U
8. Baby I'm A Star
9. Purple Rain

in the Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra

This was the album that saved Sinatras career and ensured a future for him in the musical hall of fame and in the hearts of listeners. It was also one of the first 12" records and spelled the beginning of the "Album Era"
Throughout the 40's Sinatra had gone from strength to strength, starring in hit movies and performing at sellout shows. In 1951 he married Ava Gardner and as her career began to thrive his began to decline. The films flopped, he lost his contract with MGM, and MCA and Columbia dropped him. By 1953 his marriage was gone and his future looked bleak.
He made a swift comeback though both with his Oscar winning turn in From Here To Eternity and with Capitol records recording the musical change in direction that is in the Wee Small Hours. Gone are the wise cracks and finger snapping and instead a more melancholy jazz orientated collection of ballads prevails. The central mood of the album is one of of late-night isolation and aching lost love.
On the playlist for the Thursday Morning Live Drive are In The Wee Small Hours, Mood Indigo, I'll Be Around and Dancing On The Ceiling.

Track Listing
1. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
2. Mood Indigo
3. Glad To Be Unhappy
4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
5. Deep In A Dream
6. I See Your Face Before Me
7. Can't We Be Friends?
8. When Your Lover Has Gone
9. What Is This Thing Called Love?
10. Last Night When We Were Young
11. I'll Be Around
12. Ill Wind
13. It Never Entered My Mind
14. Dancing On The Ceiling
15. I'll Never Be The Same
16. This Love Of Mine

Lisenced To Ill - The Beastie Boys

Licensed To Ill is one of the most important, influential, and relevant rap/rock releases ever, it opened rap music up to a rock audience and became the first Number One Hip Hop album in history

The New York threesome The Beastie Boys (Ad Rock, Mike D, and MCA) with the help of super-producer Rick Rubin revolutionized the industry with the 1986 release of Licensed to Ill on Def Jam.

The tongue in cheek Mock Rap lyrics combined with strong beats and samples and heavy guitar riffs provided the Boys with a place in Rock and Roll history.

We open the show with the most appropriate of beginnings, the Motorhead inspired "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" At 8 we play the ultimate adolescent anthem "Fight For Your Right". "Rhymin And Stealin" which samples Led Zeppelins "When The Levee Breaks" sees in 9 o'clock. We close the show at 10 with something funky "Brass Monkey"

Track listing
1. Rhymin' And Stealin'
2. New Style
3. She's Crafty
4. Posse In Effect
5. Slow Ride
6. Girls
7. Fight For Your Right
8. No Sleep Till Brooklyn
9. Paul Revere
10. Hold It Now, Hit It
11. Brass Monkey
12. Slow And Low
13. Time To Get Ill