1969 - One of the earliest and most vivid examples of outsider rock & roll, Wiggen sisters Dorothy, Helen, Betty, and Rachel record Philosophy of the World as The Shaggs. Numerous music critics and historians consider it the worst album ever recorded, but years later both Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain call it one of their favorites ever made.
1987 - U2 released The Joshua Tree. If the album if War was an exploding political bomb, The Joshua Tree is a journey through its aftermath, trying to find sense and hope in the desperation. Bono's lyrics focus on America and country & western influences texture the music. It might seem a little ironic that U2 became superstars on the back of such a dark record, but their focus has never been clearer, nor has their music been catchier. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
1999 - Wilco released Summerteeth. Initially controversial among fans because it marked the spot where Wilco almost entirely abandoned the country influences that had once been the core. Summerteeth is a set of off-kilter pop, suggesting a Midwestern fusion of peak-era Brian Wilson and Big Star's 3rd. If Being There was the album where Jeff Tweedy embraced all that was possible with Wilco, Summerteeth was where he closed the door on the past and boldly stepped into a very different future. BTW, the deluxe edition includes a Nov. 1, 1999 show at the Boulder Theater.
Birthdays:
Ornette Coleman was born on this day in 1930. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s. Essential album: The Shape Of Jazz To Come
John Cale of the Velvet Underground is 81. John Cale has enjoyed one of the most diverse and adventurous careers in rock music, building a bridge between the avant-garde, contemporary classical and art music, and the more imaginative wings of pop and rock. Cale's work as a founding member of the Velvet Underground would be enough to earn him an esteemed place in music history, but he's also celebrated as an important solo artist, a gifted songwriter and composer, a skilled instrumentalist, and a thoughtful producer who helmed seminal albums by Patti Smith, the Stooges, and the Modern Lovers.
Procol Harum guitarist Robin Trower is 78. Influenced by Hendrix, Trower was an early member of Procol Harum. Started his solo career in 1973. essential album: Bridge Of Sighs.
Jimmie McFadden, drummer and harmonica player in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 75. Nitty Gritty Dirt band is in the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame.
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.