The same year Jay-Z released what he called his “retirement” album, his new girlfriend and future wife, Beyoncé Knowles, released her debut, Dangerously in Love.
Beyoncé had a successful career already as part of Destiny’s Child, but the trio had begun releasing solo material in order to boost the band’s profile. The move wound up boosting Beyoncé’s profile, no doubt, but Destiny’s Child released only one more album and Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams had less illustrious solo careers.
Every time I do one of these Decades theme weeks, I highlight a celebrated rap album from the year in question, hoping it will make a big impact despite my aversion to the genre.
For 2003, the lucky record is Jay-Z’s The Black Album. And I’m sorry to report that it fared about as poorly as the rest.
Rap just isn’t my genre, and even Jay-Z’s “farewell” album, widely praised as one of his best, can’t change that.
My only exposure to Evanescence — whose album Fallen is next up in my Decades look at the year 2003 — is through this record’s cover image. I recall seeing lead singer Amy Lee’s white face and big eyes staring at me when browsing music aisles back in the day.
Evanescence is a nu metal band out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Their sound is a mix of heavy guitars and lilting piano, Metallica meets Diana Krall. It’s not surprising that they’re completely off my radar because this is not my kind of music.
‘Is Anybody Going To San Antone’ is the closing track on Ron Sexsmith’s 2015 album Carousel One.
The song is a cover of a song released by country music singer Charley Pride in 1970. You can hear that version here.
Pride was a top-selling artist in the 70s. Over the course of his career, he scored 30 #1 Country hits and put 52 songs on the top 10.
If you’re a Billy Joel fan, as I am, you find gems no matter where in his catalog you go. OK, maybe his last couple of albums were a bit thin on great material, but prior to the mid-80s, he was firing on all cylinders.
Take today’s SOTD, a cut from the second half of Piano Man, Joel’s 1973 sophomore album and his commercial breakthrough. ‘Stop in Nevada’ is a great song in the same country rock vein as much of the record. Casual Joel fans have probably never heard it. But if you know and love the man, this is one more solid song in a sea of them.
Meet Me In Montauk 