Thursday, June 30, 2016

SPOTIFY: R&B / Soul Mixtape2: BLACK GOLD OF THE SUN
Caffe` Latte` on Spotify
Check out the playlists on offer from Caffe` Latte` on spotify. A new R&B/ Soul mixtape has been added.
BLACK GOLD OF THE SUN

spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte:playlist:2jPprnUNsE7orGMeuvnw24

There’s also playlists  with retro, mixed genres, Eurovision & GLBTI anthems.

100 BEST ALBUM COVERS: #92. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
 AlbumStrangeDays.jpg
92
STRANGE DAYS
THE DOORS (1967)
100 BEST ALBUM COVERS: #93. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
RS64.jpg
93
THE ROLLING STONES
THE ROLLING STONES (1964)

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

BEST ALBUM COVERS: #94. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
 Police-album-synchronicity.jpg
94
SYNCHRONICITY
THE POLICE (1983)
BEST ALBUM COVERS: #95. Continues twice daily.

Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
LikeAVirgin1984.png
95
LIKE A VIRGIN
MADONNA (1984)

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

100 BEST ALBUM COVERS: #96. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
Streisand Superman.jpg
96
SUPERMAN
BARBRA STREISAND (1977)
BEST ALBUM COVERS - #97. Continues twice daily.

Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
 The Slider.jpg
97
THE SLIDER
T. REX (1972)

Monday, June 27, 2016

100 BEST ALBUM COVERS - #98. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
 Acdc backinblack cover.jpg
98
BACK IN BLACK
AC/DC (1980)
100 BEST ALBUM COVERS - #99. Continues twice daily.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
 K.d. lang - Drag.jpg
99
DRAG
K.D. LANG (1997)
100 BEST ALBUM COVERS - #100. Continues twice daily tomorrow.
Caffe` Latte` presents…
THE 100 BEST
ALBUM COVERS
null  
100
THE BEATLES
(aka The White Album)
THE BEATLES (1968)

Sunday, June 26, 2016

200 RECOMMENDED ALBUMS. This update: #58. Continues later this week.
THE CAFFE` LATTE`
200
MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.
#58
GRACELAND:  PAUL SIMON
 Graceland cover - Paul Simon.jpg
 [1986] 
Paul Simon had attracted a following in a duo with Art Garfunkel. The pair split at its peak with the unleashing of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' in 1970. Both members launched solo careers, with Simon attracting the most success. In the mid-1980s, Simon re-invented his sound and writing craft for the mega-seller 'Graceland' project. He had incorporated music from other cultures on prior tracks including "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard", "El Condor Pasa" and "Loves Me Like A Rock". For his new album, Simon turned to South Africa for inspiration. He incorporated mbaqanga and zydeco elements into his music. Fusing these exciting and relatively unknown rhythms with traditional rock 'n roll resulted in a memorable concept album. 'Graceland' saw Simon attract a new audience, while satisfying his traditional fan base. Today this album is acknowledged as an essential release that promoted world music. At the time, Simon attracted criticism. This was the era of apartheid, when Nelson Mandela was still unjustly incarcerated. Fortunately, the surrounding controversy did little to detract from the strength of the content. Simon's songwriting was re-invigorated and helped produce some of his best compositions. "You Can Call Me Al" was its lead single; acting as the perfect bridge between his past and this creative new phase.
Highiight tracks: The Boy In The Bubble; Diamonds On The Sole Of Her Shoes; Crazy Love, Vol. II & Graceland.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Caffe` Latte` Top 10 Tracks this week

The Top 10 is now available on Spotify*


1 Some Other Summer ROXETTE       1wk                                                                               3 3

2 Can't Stop The Feeling JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE                                                                   1 4

3 Laika HUNGRY HEARTS ftg. LISA DILLAN                                                                       5 3

4 Atomic Number NEKO CASE/ KD LANG/ LAURA VEIRS                                             6 2

5 All That She Wants {Mowlo Remix} ACE OF BASE                                                              2 3

6 For The First Time GRAVITONAS                                                                                 9 2

7 What's Going On 2016 MARVIN GAYE ftg. BJ The CHICAGO KID                                NEW

8 Delirium NEKO CASE / KD LANG / LAURA VEIRS                                                       NEW

9 Not A Sinner Nor A Saint 2016 ALCAZAR                                                             NEW

10 Hold Up BEYONCE`                                                                               NEW



* Songs that are not streamed (eg. from Beyoncé's new CD) there will be replaced by others to make up a playlist of 10. Hear this week's Top 10 here:

https://open.spotify.com/user/alanrosscaffelatte/playlist/3oRYS3HHlrsvIxmVhDRRGb 

spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte:playlist:3oRYS3HHlrsvIxmVhDRRGb 

THE CAFFE` LATTE`
TOP 10 ALBUMS – JUNE 2016
Beyonce - Lemonade (Official Album Cover).png

1 LEMONADE Beyonce    2 3
2 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST STOCKHOLM 2016 Various Artists    1 3
3 GOOD KARMA Roxette   NEW
4 CASE / LANG / VEIRS Neko Case, KD Lang & Laura Veirs   NEW
5 SUPER Pet Shop Boys    3 3
6 RUMOURS Fleetwood Mac  4 5
7 THE HITS / THE B-SIDES Prince   5 3
8 THE ESSENTIAL Michael Jackson   7 3
9 THIS UNRULY MESS I'VE MADE Macklemore & Ryan Lewis      10 5
10 25 Adele   8 8 
200 RECOMMENDED ALBUMS. This update: #59. Continues tomorrow.
THE CAFFE` LATTE`
200
MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.
#59
SGT. PEPPER'S 
LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND:   
THE BEATLES
The Beatles, holding marching band instruments and wearing colourful uniforms, stand near a grave covered with flowers that spell "Beatles". Standing behind the band are several dozen famous people.
 [1967] 
The release of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' was a watershed event in the evolution of popular music. This LP changed the rules. The band's previous albums were leading to this revolutionary disc. While some tracks lack a common link, its diversity is a strength. This is especially due to the inclusion of brilliant tracks such as "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "A Day In The Life". "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "She's Leaving Home". There are fun songs too, including the title track, "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Getting Better". George Harrison offers "Within You Without You". All 4 members contribute to the album. George Martin as producer was crucial to the innovative sound of the overall project. Albums became more significant as a result of 'Sgt. Pepper's'.
Highiight tracks: A Day In The Life; Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds; With A Little Help From My Friends & Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Friday, June 24, 2016

EUROVISION MIXTAPE 1956-2016.
Caffe` Latte` on Spotify
Eurovision 2016 Official Logo.jpg
Now that the dust has settled on yet another Eurovision Song Contest,  here’s a new playlist featuring 100 songs from the last 61 years of the ESC, including selections from 2016.
Abba, winners of the Eurovision song contest with their song Waterloo.Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst
spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte:playlist:2s363PxET48ENymtgOHylS

200 RECOMMENDED ALBUMS. This update: #60. Continues tomorrow.
THE CAFFE` LATTE`
200
MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.
#60
BAT OUT OF HELL:  MEAT LOAF
Futuristic motorcycle rider; the motorcycle has jet exhaust. A bat-like figure on the tower of a building.
 [1977] 
Some albums remain in a category all their own. Such is the case with 'Bat Out Of Hell'. It provided Meat Loaf with an enduring legacy. Prior to its release, he was an unknown cast member from the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' film adaptation. Once the album was unleashed, Meat Loaf was a superstar. Everything about the performer was big. His music was packed with countless pop culture references, most notably Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Alice Cooper and the aforementioned cult film. Jim Steinman created epic tracks; lyrically powerful and dramatic. Todd Rundgren rivals Phil Spector in his production. The adolescent male themes are infused with bombastic thrills which serve to give the songs a timeless quality. Meat Loaf was the perfect conduit for Steinman's songs. Other artists have recorded the latter's compositions (eg. Air Supply, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Barry Manilow), but none ever matched the energy and theatricality executed on this thrilling debut set. It remains a cherished defining album of the 1970s; a time when albums dominated radio airwaves. That the album is still one of the best selling, despite containing only 7 tracks (5 of which lasting over 5 minutes) is a testament to its undeniable uniqueness. Meat Loaf delivers with equal aplomb on ballads (such as "Heaven Can Wait" and "For Crying Out Loud") and the rock tunes (including the title track and "All Revved Up With No Place To Go").
Highiight tracks: Paradise By The Dashboard Light; Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad & You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth.
Secret GUILTY PLEASURES- The Top 10- #1. This concludes the countdown. A new Top 100 will commence tomorrow.
THE CAFFE` LATTE` 100
SECRET
GUILTY PLEASURES
They are the songs you don’t admit that you like, but… close all the windows & doors and enjoy these 100 secret guilty pleasures!
1

 
I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO
ABBA (1975)
Many ABBA songs could have been placed at the top of this list. Some of the Swedish group's biggest hits have, over the decades, earned respectability for the vocal harmonies and musical production. There's no doubting ABBA milked repetition in its early days. The music was instantly appealing. Today, countless musicians are proud ABBA fans. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" is at #1 because it was one of the early songs that started the momentum for the band.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Secret GUILTY PLEASURES- The Top 10- #2. Concludes tomorrow.
THE CAFFE` LATTE` 100
SECRET
GUILTY PLEASURES
They are the songs you don’t admit that you like, but… close all the windows & doors and enjoy these 100 secret guilty pleasures!
2

CARELESS WHISPER
George Michael (1984)
George Michael dropped this single while still a member of Wham! He tested the water with the solo single which fast became his biggest hit to date. The duo's fate was sealed. "Careless Whisper" may have sounded vacuous at the time, but it remains a defining song of the 1980s.

Secret GUILTY PLEASURES- The Top 10- #3. Continues twice daily all this week.
THE CAFFE` LATTE` 100
SECRET
GUILTY PLEASURES
They are the songs you don’t admit that you like, but… close all the windows & doors and enjoy these 100 secret guilty pleasures!
3
I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY
Kylie Minogue (1987)
Kylie Minogue has come a long way since the naff, yet catchy hit "I Should Be So Lucky".

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Secret GUILTY PLEASURES- The Top 10- #4. Continues twice daily all this week.
THE CAFFE` LATTE` 100
SECRET
GUILTY PLEASURES
They are the songs you don’t admit that you like, but… close all the windows & doors and enjoy these 100 secret guilty pleasures!
4
WANNABE
Spice Girls (1996)
"Wannabe" introduced the planet to The Spice Girls. The lyrics include the immortal "zigazig-ha".

200 RECOMMENDED ALBUMS. This update: #61. Continues later this week.
THE CAFFE` LATTE`
200
MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.
#61
DIANA:  DIANA ROSS
Diana ross.jpg
 [1980] 
The cover photo of Diana Ross depicts the Motown superstar from a revamped perspective. It heralded a new musical style and attitude from her. This was not the woman who had fronted The Supremes on a dozen US #1 singles. It was not the soloist who then enjoyed further adult contemporary- leaning chart toppers during the 1970s. The woman on 'Diana' was reinventing herself. This was a woman re-assessing her career and asserting her place among popular music's leading females. Berry Gordy had set out to make Ross an African-American Barbra Streisand. 'Diana' was to be her statement declaring strength and relevance in the pop climate of the time. Motown had a tendency to control its major stars. Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye had fought hard to resist the label's efforts and succeeded. Both battles had been advantageous for the performers. As the Seventies was drawing to an end, Ross was keen to empower herself. She enlisted Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers from the funk group Chic. These 2 wrote and produced tracks that reflected Ross' renaissance. Songs such as "I'm Coming Out" dealt with finding herself at a crossroad. Ross was about to depart the label that had made her a superstar over 2 decades. Gordy had not only given her the pivotal role of lead singer in The Supremes, but groomed her for films which led to an Oscar nomination portraying Billie Holiday in 'Lady Sings the Blues'. 'Diana' was a critical and commercial success. Ross jumped ship  to RCA soon after.
Highiight tracks: Upside Down; My Old Piano; I'm Coming Out & Tenderness.