Album of the Day

On this day in 1962, siblings Charlie and Craig Reid were born in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland; two decades later, they would be better known as The Proclaimers.  From opener “Throw The 'R' Away” to such originals as “The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues,” the duo wear their heritage on their sleeves on THIS IS THE STORY, their 1987 debut. The Reids get an assist from fellow Scot Gerry Rafferty, who co-produced a full band version of the collection's “Letter from America,” which became a No.3 U.K. hit. Beyond that, the collection is predominantly acoustic folk-rock, with the brothers' perfectly matched voices and deft guitar work keeping the energy level high. The buoyant and tuneful THIS IS THE STORY was a terrific start to The Proclaimers' still-ongoing career, and we'll give it another spin to wish the Reids a happy birthday.