On Sunday, another piece of history passed into another realm. Doug Fieger was a strong part of the New Wave band from the late '70s called The Knack, a band that enjoyed several cult hits that included "My Sharona." The Knack wasn't a BIG band but nevertheless latched onto the cultural bandwidth that continues to this day with the one hit song that everyone pulled into their playlist of the mind. "My Sharona," a song that Fieger penned in reference to an actual girl, and which was at #1 for an uncommon stretch, 5 or 6 weeks, was the band's one song that got them notice. It was followed by lesser hits, "Good Girls Don't" and "Baby Talks Dirty." Doug Fieger was only 57 at his death from a several year battle with cancer. Bruce Gary, another member of The Knack, preceded Doug Fieger in death.

Doug Fieger
1952-2010
RIP

Doug, we'll all miss you because, whether some of us liked it or not, you and The Knack were a strong part of our growing years that represented our cultural progression. Your new part in the Great Band will surely yield a hit. The iconic album cover seems right.

Other passings included Jake Hanna, a Jazz drummer of note, and Dale Hawkins, a Rock persona from the late '50s, who not only played as a musician, he also produced a number of songs and albums as well as penning the memorable and oft-covered "Suzy Q."

In the meantime, the Poll still continues. Please participate (you'll be glad you did):

I must be crazy.  After our large-scale Underrated Guitarist Poll, I have a similar poll to begin.  But first, my backstory: I had attended my monthly LP Record meet and managed to pick up a nice copy of Mott by Mott the Hoople on vinyl.  It was something that I listened to after playing my newly acquired Houses of the Holy.  A week later and I'm still listening to it.  Every song is perfect.  

Yes, we all have more than a few absolutely pure albums that we remember fondly and that we revisit completely on a continuous basis.  By that I mean that we play every song on the album.  There's no picking favourites because they all qualify, every song.

Mott is one of mine.  Sure, I have more...but not many.  Even favourite albums by favourite bands don't always qualify because there is that one...bad...song on it.  It may not be overly bad but it's typically the one you'll skip over  or play sporadically if only to keep in touch with it.  I have lots more just like that one and those are more typical.  For this poll, I'm looking for those albums that are perfect top to bottom, first track to last.

I'm sure that I'll get inundated with emails for this Poll but this one can lead me - and you - to music I haven't heard before.  I like that.  So once again, we crank up the Poll machine to see which albums, past and current, are perfect.

Have at it by clicking through on the link for Perfect Album.

Today, we present a review of the fine 2CD Legacy Edition of Carlos Santana's extraordinary Supernatural (1999).

Sony Classical plans to re-release The Red Violin (2007) by Joshua Bell, scheduling the CD release for March 2.

Columbia Records will release the new Jakob Dylan album on April 6. The new album will be called Women and Country.

Arista Nashville will release Frieght Train by Alan Jackson on March 30.

As reported before, Shout! Factory will release a time-framed collection for The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion called Dirty Short Rock 'n' Roll: The First Ten Years. The 22-track set will be released on March 30, and followed during 2010 with remastered and expanded reissues of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion original albums. The albums (Controversial Negro; Now I Got Worry; The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion; Extra Width + Mo' Width; a 2-disc Orange + Experimental Remixes EP; and the 2-disc Acme + Xtra Acme USA) will also contain replica packaging and new liner notes.

At the beginning of the week, we reported that Grateful Dead Productions would release a 3CD/1DVD Grateful Dead set called Crimson, White & Indigo: July 7, 1989 - JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, planning its release for March 30. That release date has been changed to April 20.

Geffen Records will reissue the popular Lynyrd Skynyrd Live album from 1976 known as One More For From the Road. This is to be reissued in the Rarities Edition series and will arrive on April 27. Polydor will add Velvet Underground & Nico, same date, same series.

Sanctuary will release the DD for Savoy Brown of a Live set called Hellbound Train - Live! 1969-1972 on March 9.

Watch for a string of Amy Grant collections to be released on March 30. They will be The Early Years; Singer Songwriter Collection; The Pop Collection; The Breakout Years; and Somewhere Down the Road.

Astralwerks will release Pandemonium Live by Pet Shop Boys on March 23.

Candlelight Records will release what looks to be a DVD of Am I Black Enough For You by Billy Paul on March 23.