Rock & Metal Reviews

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word...

2009-12-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted anything, and I wanted to apologize for the delay and let you know why. It seems someone is willing to pay me to write about music, and although it's a less colloquial style than this, it's fun, and like I said, it pays.

I'll still continue with my blog, and I will finish my Top Ten countdown to somewhere around the mid 1960s. I'll also post my Top Ten for 2009 soon, as well as my Top Ten for the past decade. The other posts will also continue, just maybe at a slower pace.

By the way, if you're interested in my other gig, I'm now the Baltimore Rock Music Examiner. Check it out sometime, especially if you live in the area. I plan to cover local news, and probably even some non-local topics that I'll post here as well.

Top Ten - 1979

2009-12-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

Classic rock bands dominated the 67 albums I rated from 1979. But if you look closely, you'll find some New Wave of Heavy Metal bands not only enter the list, but start off strong right from the beginning.

Top Ten - 1979
92.75 -- Scorpions - Lovedrive
88.62 -- Gamma - Gamma 1
87.72 -- Motörhead - Overkill
87.28 -- Van Halen - Van Halen II
86.50 -- Gillan - Mr. Universe
86.31 -- Triumph - Just A Game
86.00 -- Rainbow - Down to Earth
84.95 -- Blackfoot - Strikes
83.88 -- Quartz - Deleted
83.70 -- Poobah - Steamroller

Other 1979 releases:
83.64 -- Mythra - Death and Destiny
82.98 -- New England - New England
82.80 -- Bad Company - Desolation Angels
82.41 -- Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster
82.26 -- ZZ Top - Degüello
82.25 -- Cozy Powell - Over the Top
82.18 -- Aerosmith - Night in the Ruts
82.13 -- AC/DC - Highway to Hell
81.97 -- Cheap Trick - Dream Police
81.04 -- Thin Lizzy - Black Rose: A Rock Legend
80.57 -- Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
79.92 -- Legend - From the Fjords
79.60 -- Accept - Accept
79.45 -- Riot - Narita
79.38 -- Mariner - One
79.26 -- Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather
79.07 -- Legs Diamond - Fire Power
77.81 -- Face Dancer - This World
77.28 -- Saxon - Saxon
77.25 -- Jethro Tull - Stormwatch
76.87 -- Motörhead - Bomber
76.60 -- April Wine - Harder ... Faster
75.77 -- Hawkwind - PXR5
75.61 -- Foghat - Boogie Motel
75.32 -- Styx - Cornerstone
75.23 -- Ted Nugent - State of Shock
74.10 -- Whitesnake - Lovehunter
73.99 -- R.E.O. Speedwagon - Nine Lives
71.06 -- Foreigner - Head Games
70.54 -- Winterhawk - Electric Warriors
70.23 -- Pat Travers Band - Heat In the Street
69.93 -- Axe - Axe
68.89 -- Kiss - Dynasty
67.52 -- Golden Earring - No Promises...No Debts
66.62 -- Shooting Star - Shooting Star
66.21 -- Sweet - Cut Above the Rest
65.30 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Mirrors
64.74 -- Pink Floyd - The Wall
61.18 -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Angel Station
60.76 -- Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot II
55.73 -- Pepper Porter Band - Invasion
43.71 -- Truth And Janey - Just A Little Bit Of Magic
41.67 -- The Godz - Nothing Is Sacred
37.35 -- Max Webster - A Million Vacations
69.54 -- Hawkwind - Choose Your Masques
69.23 -- Budgie - Deliver Us from Evil
68.51 -- Golden Earring - Cut
65.33 -- Krokus - One Vice At A Time
65.00 -- Twisted Sister - Under the Blade
64.06 -- Tygers of Pan Tang - Crazy Nights
62.80 -- Hawkwind - Church Of Hawkwind
62.50 -- Van Halen - Diver Down
61.10 -- Venom - Black Metal
59.50 -- Pete Townshend - All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
55.66 -- Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin
52.96 -- Foghat - In the Mood for Something Rude
50.14 -- Queen - Hot Space

Moonlight and Madness...

2009-12-10T13:33:00.003-05:00

The mighty Sava... er, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is back in town! I took a break from the show last year (I had seen them the previous five years), but I'm going again tonight and really looking forward to it. If you've never seen them live, it's quite an experience. On stage are the 16 touring musicians and singers, plus some members of the local orchestra.

The show is always loud, rocking, and exciting, and is visually entertaining too with lights, lasers, stars, snow, and fire. I believe the Savatage members in this version* of the band will be Chris Caffery, Alex Skolnick, Johnny Lee Middleton, Jeff Plate and Bob Kinkel.

*There's another version that simultaneously tours the Western part of the U.S. One year I'd like to see both versions.

True story: In 2006, I waited after the show to meet the band and get my tour program signed. All 16 performers were there, and when I got to lead female singer Jennifer Cella (who is both incredibly talented and unbelievably gorgeous), she asked me if I was sitting in an aisle seat. As it happens, I was in the 7th row on the floor, center section, in an aisle seat. I said yes, and she said she saw me during the show. I thought it was pretty cool that she noticed me (especially since there were about 14,000 people there), and I have to be honest, my mind started racing with some completely implausible and wildly unwholesome thoughts!

Tonight promises to be a great evening. I'll fill you in on the details soon.

Alone In the Dark...

2009-12-09T20:04:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't know, this is a one man show. Yeah, that's right, it's all about me. I listened to and rated every album that is and will be listed here. I write the posts. I designed the website (technically I modified a template, but you know what I mean). I created the header graphic (ok, I modified the image from the Cream compilation album Heavy Cream, but again, you know what I mean).

So it especially sucks when I find mistakes or ratings that don't seem right. Because there's only one person to blame. I hate making mistakes. Even worse, I hate second guessing myself. But sometimes it happens.

I think my standards for rating songs have changed slightly since I started three years ago. Sometimes it seems that some of the first albums I reviewed have lower ratings than they should. And when the discrepancy between what I see and how I feel is too big to ignore, I'm compelled to listen to the album again. Although I do sometimes change the rating, it's almost never a significant change because only a few songs are affected, and even then, only slightly (i.e., one level up (or sometimes down)).

What I'm saying is that if something appears way off, I'll try to be proactive and do something about it. But please feel free to call me out on anything you think I missed. I'm always open to suggestions. I may not always agree with you, but it will always be fun to discuss it.

To Cry You A Song - Random Songs (The Sequel)

2009-12-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

So here I am, back again, with another list of random songs. I know some of you are looking for them (you know who you are), and for the others (you know who you are too), I promise, I will post other themes soon. But in the meantime, this frees me up to list songs I may not be able to get to in this format. Hmmm... perhaps there is a method to my madness after all.

This time, the focus is on classic rock bands. You undoubtedly know some of these songs, but there may be a few you're not familiar with. If not, check 'em out. Now. Seriously. Go. Ok, fine... get them when you can.

Random Tracks:
1. Sweet - Midnight to Daylight (3:32)
2. Ten Years After - You Give Me Loving (6:33)
3. Gillan - On the Rocks (6:41)
4. Triumph - Ordinary Man (7:17)
5. Uriah Heep - I'm Alive (4:17)
6. Grand Funk - Out to Get You (4:44)
7. Blue Öyster Cult - Take Me Away (4:31)
8. Michael Schenker Group - Victim Of Illusion (4:45)
9. Ozzy Osbourne - S.A.T.O. (4:07)
10. Van Halen - Unchained (3:29)
11. Deep Purple - Space Truckin' (4:34)
12. Kiss - Exciter (4:10)
13. Rainbow - Stargazer (8:26)
14. UFO - Lights Out (4:33)
15. Scorpions - Lovedrive (4:52)
16. Robin Trower - Jack and Jill (2:45)
Disc length: 79:16

Albums:
Sweet - Off the Record (1977)
Ten Years After - Rock & Roll Music to the World (1972)
Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
Triumph - Allied Forces (1981)
Uriah Heep - Fallen Angel (1978)
Grand Funk - Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976)
Blue Öyster Cult - The Revolution by Night (1983)
Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (1980)
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1981)
Van Halen - Fair Warning (1981)
Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)
Kiss - Lick It Up (1983)
Rainbow - Rising (1976)
UFO - Lights Out (1977)
Scorpions - Lovedrive (1979)
Robin Trower - Victims of the Fury (1980)

Top Albums - Diary of A Madman

2009-12-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of A Madman (1981)
Rating: 90.22
Overall Rank: 64

Ozzy returned to the hard rock/metal scene in a big way in 1980 with his first solo album, Blizzard of Ozz*. It was a great album with many songs getting regular airplay on the radio. And like many of my friends, I climbed aboard the crazy train and enjoyed the ride.

*This was my first concert (August 16, 1981 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland). Def Leppard opened, but not surprisingly, Ozzy and Randy Rhoads (R.I.P.) ruled the stage. I had 10th row seats in dead center, and I still remember how ungodly loud it was. My ears rang for two days following the show. My memory of the individual songs is hazy (it was over 28 years ago, after all), but thanks to the magic of the internet, I found a nice sounding bootleg of the show. Now I'll be able to relive my first concert whenever I like (although probably not as loud as before).

Diary of A Madman came out the following year, and holy shit, it was even better than Blizzard of Ozz! From the opening notes of Over the Mountain to the closing chants of the title track, I listened to the album repeatedly. Half the album -- Over the Mountain, Believer, S.A.T.O.* and Diary of A Madman -- are Desert Island songs (exceptionally few albums I've rated have that many Desert Island songs on one album). Two other songs, Flying High Again and Little Dolls, are excellent and belong on any "Best of Ozzy" collection. Unfortunately, the slower, ballady songs, You Can't Kill Rock and Roll and Tonight, bring down the mood of the album ever so slightly, which affects the overall rating. But, because of their popularity, I wouldn't argue that they don't belong on a Best of collection.

Here are my individual song ratings (the ratings key is at the end of the post):
1. Over the Mountain - 6
2. Flying High Again - 4
3. You Can't Kill Rock and Roll - 3
4. Believer - 6
5. Little Dolls - 4
6. Tonight - 3
7. S.A.T.O. - 6
8. Diary of A Madman - 6

*This song was originally titled Strange Voyage, but was changed after original bassist Bob Daisley left the band. There are a few interpretations floating around, including "Sail Across the Ocean," "Sundays and Thursday¹s Only" or that it's Sharon Osbourne's initials (Sharon Arden Thelma Osbourne). However, Daisley claims it means "Sharon Adrian Thelma Ozzy," which refers to Sharon and Ozzy and their respective boyfriend and wife at the time.

One last thing... I would be remiss in not talking about the controversy surrounding this album (and Blizzard of Ozz). Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake (of Uriah Heep fame) were original band members on both albums (even though Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums) were credited on Diary of A Madman). In 2002, Daisley and Kerslake filed a $20 million lawsuit against Ozzy and Sharon for compensation and credit for their songwriting contributions on the albums. Although the lawsuit was dismissed, the record company released remastered versions of the albums which contain re-recorded bass and drum parts by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin, respectively. Although fans and critics denounced the move, the changes remain in place.

It goes without saying that I recommend this album, but please, do not contribute to the travesty of the remastered versions. Yes, I bought them in 2002, but after listening to them once, I immediately sold them and re-bought the original albums. Do yourself a favor and find and purchase the originals. The remasters come off as little better than cover albums, similar to bands with new members who re-record classic albums. They're never as good as the originals.

Ratings Key:
0 - Hate It
1 - Dislike It
2 - It's Ok
3 - Like It
4 - Like It A Lot
5 - Love It
6 - Desert Island Song

The Numbers of the Beast...

2009-12-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

I originally posted these numbers on September 30. As they increase, I'll re-post them. To date, I've rated:

712 bands
2,316 albums
23,283 songs

(Original posted numbers: 626 bands, 2,059 albums and 20,657 songs)

As always, if you have a question about ratings for a particular band, album or song, post a comment here or in the chat box and I'll get back to you.

Top Ten (+15) - The 1980s

2009-12-05T14:50:00.001-05:00

The top ten lists from the 1980s included 243 bands and 595 albums. Now that I'm at the end, I know you've all been waiting for this, so without further ado, here are my top 25* albums from that decade. It's a pretty damn impressive list, with every album topping a 90 rating (without rounding up).

*Yes, there are indeed 26 albums listed here; there was a tie for 25th place.

Three bands -- Gillan, Iron Maiden, and Queensrÿche -- show up more than once. I was surprised that some of my favorite bands, including the Scorpions, Savatage, Black Sabbath, Metal Church, MSG and others only have one album listed here. But I wasn't surprised that 24 of the 26 albums were from 1980 - 1984. That was a special time in rock and metal history, and the strength of diversity of the music was evident.

Top 25 Albums:
96.37 -- Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (EP) (1983)
94.86 -- Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)
93.73 -- Black Sabbath - Born Again (1983)
93.02 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
91.90 -- Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983)
91.79 -- Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack (1982)
91.78 -- Krokus - Headhunter (1983)
91.76 -- Metal Church - Blessing In Disguise (1989)
91.64 -- Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling (1984)
91.46 -- Fastway - Fastway (1983)
91.40 -- Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (1982)
91.22 -- Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry (1984)
91.11 -- Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
90.86 -- Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)
90.73 -- Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2 (1988)
90.64 -- Gillan - Future Shock (1981)
90.57 -- Gillan - Double Trouble (1981)
90.54 -- Scorpions - Love at First Sting (1984)
90.51 -- Anvil - Metal On Metal (1982)
90.48 -- Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations (1981)
90.45 -- Saxon - Power and the Glory (1983)
90.36 -- Riot - Restless Breed (1982)
90.33 -- Kix - Kix (1981)
90.27 -- More - Blood & Thunder (1982)
90.22 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1981)
90.22 -- Def Leppard - On Through the Night (1980)
89.96 -- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (1980)

Top Ten - 1980

2009-12-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

1980 was an important year in rock and metal. Looking through the 60 albums below, you'll find many bands' first albums, including Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, MSG, and others. Also notable is Ian Gillan's two-year stint not just in the top spot, but at #1 here, and #1 and #2 the following year.

Top Ten - 1980
91.11 -- Gillan - Glory Road
90.22 -- Def Leppard - On Through the Night
89.96 -- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
89.62 -- Manilla Road - Invasion
89.07 -- Warrior - Let Battle Commence
88.74 -- Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law
87.83 -- Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
86.21 -- Robin Trower - Victims of the Fury
86.04 -- Krokus - Metal Rendez-vous
85.23 -- AC/DC - Back In Black

Other 1980 releases:
85.05 -- Budgie - Power Supply
84.83 -- Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group
84.55 -- Quartz - Stand Up and Fight
84.47 -- Samson - Head On
84.38 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
84.25 -- Ted Nugent - Scream Dream
84.21 -- Triumph - Progressions of Power
83.48 -- Motörhead - Ace of Spades
82.95 -- The Rods - Rock Hard
82.84 -- Killer - Ready for Hell
82.23 -- White Spirit - White Spirit
82.23 -- Chevy - The Taker
82.17 -- Samson - Survivors
81.84 -- Fist - Turn the Hell On
81.53 -- Saxon - Wheels of Steel
81.02 -- Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the Odds
80.60 -- Rush - Permanent Waves
80.57 -- Gamma - Gamma 2
80.50 -- Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
80.14 -- Girlschool - Demolition
80.04 -- Angel Witch - Angel Witch
79.93 -- Scorpions - Animal Magnetism
78.82 -- Queen - The Game
78.49 -- Judas Priest - British Steel
75.42 -- Atomic Rooster - Atomic Rooster
75.36 -- Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
74.94 -- Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing
74.62 -- Van Halen - Women and Children First
74.57 -- UFO - No Place to Run
73.52 -- Max Webster - Universal Juveniles
72.74 -- 707 - 707
72.46 -- Heart - Bebe le Strange
72.27 -- Witchfynde - Stagefright
72.05 -- Blackfoot - Tomcattin'
71.58 -- Uriah Heep - Conquest
71.39 -- Crack the Sky - White Music
71.05 -- Hawkwind - Levitation
70.68 -- Pete Townshend - Empty Glass
70.58 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Cultosaurus Erectus
70.09 -- Winterhawk - Dog Soldier
68.79 -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Chance
68.04 -- Pat Travers Band - Crash and Burn
65.44 -- Foghat - Tight Shoes
65.15 -- Bow Wow - Glorious Road
61.53 -- Sweet - Waters Edge
60.17 -- Jethro Tull - A
59.17 -- Alice Cooper - Flush the Fashion
58.93 -- Queen - Flash Gordon
51.41 -- Touch - Touch
46.24 -- Kiss - Unmasked
62.80 -- Hawkwind - Church Of Hawkwind
62.50 -- Van Halen - Diver Down
61.10 -- Venom - Black Metal
59.50 -- Pete Townshend - All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
55.66 -- Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin
52.96 -- Foghat - In the Mood for Something Rude
50.14 -- Queen - Hot Space

One Hundred and Five Degrees...

2009-12-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

Sometimes things fall neatly into place. Whether by luck, chance, or fate, sometimes things just work out. In this case, I've been thinking of adding a new regular feature to this blog, and I finally figured out what to do. I currently have four on-going topics* (plus these annoying interludes), but none of the topics focus on individual albums.

*Shameless plug #1: Check out my Long Way To Go... post for details.

The plan is to discuss in detail (you know, actually review) an album, where I'll provide insight into the individual song ratings and show you how I determined the album rating. I'll focus on albums with a rating of 90 or better (if you round up). I won't do them in order; instead, I'll pick whichever album I feel like discussing at the time, but eventually I'll get to them all.

So, you may be wondering, how does the "sometimes things fall neatly into place" thing fit in here? First, check out the post title* again. Now, I want you to guess how many albums I've given a 90 rating or better? (I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out.)

*In keeping with tradition, the title of this (interlude) post is indeed a song. It's by Leafhound, a semi-obscure early 70s hard rock band that reformed in 2007 and released a new album. Both the song and album are rather good, too.

One last thing... I posted my Top 50 albums in the You Wanted the Best... post (shameless plug #2), so you can see a little preview of some of the albums to be reviewed. In the meantime, if you want a review for a specific album, just let me know.

To Cry You A Song - Random Songs

2009-12-01T19:34:00.002-05:00

What? A To Cry You A Song post with no theme? Tell me it ain't so! I know how much you like them, but don't worry, I haven't abandoned the concept; I just wanted to create a disc of Desert Island songs without the limitations of a theme. For this particular disc, I'm thinking that at least some of the songs below have escaped your notice, and this is a good way to highlight them.

I have more themes in mind (and trust me, they're just as lame as the previous ones), but I'll also continue with these posts (which technically could be considered a theme, so there!) as the spirit moves me. And although I may have already listed some of the songs in the Rock Island storyline, others will be new and just as worthy of recognition.

Random Tracks:
1. Silent Force - Infatuator (4:46)
2. Cornerstone - Once Upon Our Yesterdays (6:00)
3. Feinstein - Rebelution (4:57)
4. Kamelot - Center of the Universe (5:27)
5. Tad Morose - Anubis (3:53)
6. Thy Majestie - The Siege of Paris (6:22)
7. Anthem - The Man with No Name (4:46)
8. Force of Evil - Hell on Earth (3:29)
9. Overlorde - Metallic Madness (3:46)
10. Bow Wow - Fallen Angel (5:11)
11. Jaguar - Eighties (3:49)
12. Masterplan - Enlighten Me (4:37)
13. Brainstorm - Hollow Hideaway (4:25)
14. Uriah Heep - Overload (5:59)
15. David Shankle Group - Asylum God (4:09)
16. Mägo de Oz - Réquiem (8:10)
Disc length: 79:46

Albums:
Silent Force - Infatuator (2001)
Cornerstone - Once Upon Our Yesterdays (2004)
Feinstein - Third Wish (2004)
Kamelot - Epica (2003)
Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi (2004)
Thy Majestie - Jeanne d’Arc (2005)
Anthem - Seven Hills (2001)
Force of Evil - Force of Evil (2004)
Overlorde - Return of the Snow Giant (2004)
Bow Wow - Era (2005)
Jaguar - Run Ragged (2003)
Masterplan - Masterplan (2003)
Brainstorm - Metus Mortis (2001)
Uriah Heep - Wake the Sleeper (2008)
David Shankle Group - Hellborn (2007)
Mägo de Oz - La Leyenda de la Mancha (1998)

Top Ten - 1981

2009-11-29T11:07:00.005-05:00

After his initial foray into jazz rock, Ian Gillan renamed his band to Gillan and returned to a hard rock sound. 1981 was a high point as he took the top two spots with the excellent Future Shock and Double Trouble albums. NWOBHM bands also started coming on strong, placing four bands placed in the top ten. I rated 67 albums from that year.

Top Ten - 1981
90.64 -- Gillan - Future Shock
90.57 -- Gillan - Double Trouble
90.48 -- Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations
90.33 -- Kix - Kix
90.22 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
89.60 -- Killer - Wall of Sound
88.46 -- More - Warhead
88.37 -- Gaskin - End of the World
86.00 -- Riot - Fire Down Under
85.84 -- Y&T - Earthshaker

Other 1981 releases:
85.32 -- Anvil - Hard'n'Heavy
85.30 -- Triumph - Allied Forces
85.28 -- Holocaust - The Nightcomers
84.66 -- Iron Maiden - Killers
84.23 -- April Wine - The Nature of the Beast
83.54 -- Tygers of Pan Tang - Spellbound
83.37 -- Rush - Moving Pictures
82.66 -- Rainbow - Difficult to Cure
82.62 -- Danny Joe Brown - Danny Joe Brown and the Danny Joe Brown Band
82.42 -- Robin Trower - B.L.T.
82.18 -- The Rods - The Rods
81.75 -- Mötley Crüe - Too Fast for Love
81.74 -- Peter Frampton - Breaking All the Rules
81.56 -- Saxon - Denim and Leather
81.31 -- Fist - Back with A Vengeance
80.60 -- Grand Funk - Grand Funk Lives!
80.52 -- Demon - Night of the Demon
80.43 -- Warning - Warning
80.29 -- Michael Schenker Group - MSG
80.05 -- Krokus - Hardware
79.25 -- Budgie - Nightflight
79.15 -- Lucifer's Friend - Mean Machine
79.05 -- Blackfoot - Marauder
78.59 -- Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry
78.30 -- Billy Squier - Don't Say No
77.95 -- Vardis - The World's Insane
77.89 -- Raven - Rock Until You Drop
77.63 -- Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
77.34 -- Venom - Welcome to Hell
77.12 -- UFO - The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent
77.09 -- Heavy Load - Metal Conquest
76.27 -- Molly Hatchet - Take No Prisoners
76.17 -- Neil Young - Re-ac-tor
76.17 -- Styx - Paradise Theater
75.47 -- Manilla Road - Mark of the Beast
75.34 -- Whitesnake - Come an' Get It
74.60 -- Pat Travers Band - Radio Active
74.34 -- Hawkwind - Sonic Attack
74.25 -- Graham Bonnet - Line Up
73.97 -- The Who - Face Dances
72.14 -- Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies
71.88 -- Samson - Shock Tactics
71.58 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
71.30 -- Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
71.02 -- Van Halen - Fair Warning
69.74 -- ZZ Top - El Loco
69.53 -- Accept - Breaker
69.20 -- Judas Priest - Point of Entry
68.02 -- Cozy Powell - Tilt
67.29 -- Thin Lizzy - Renegade
65.20 -- Kiss - Music from "The Elder"
64.64 -- Foghat - Girls to Chat & Boys to Bounce
64.58 -- Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
64.20 -- Foreigner - 4
63.81 -- Bow Wow - Hard Dog
62.40 -- AC/DC - For Those About to Rock
56.07 -- Alice Cooper - Special Forces

Top Ten - 1982

2009-11-27T20:12:00.005-05:00

1982 was a strong year in rock. The 67 albums below are a good mix of top acts and lesser known bands, of heavy metal and classic rock, of bands on their way in and bands on their way out. Oh, and while the top two albums are great, don't ignore the four behind them.

Top Ten - 1982
91.79 -- Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack
91.40 -- Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
90.51 -- Anvil - Metal On Metal
90.36 -- Riot - Restless Breed
90.27 -- More - Blood & Thunder
88.44 -- Winterhawk - Revival
87.33 -- Triumph - Never Surrender
86.39 -- Baron Rojo - Volumen Brutal (english version)
86.27 -- Rainbow - Straight Between the Eyes
86.17 -- Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance

Other 1982 releases:
85.47 -- Diamond Head - Borrowed Time
85.12 -- Vandenberg - Vandenberg
84.83 -- Scorpions - Blackout
84.21 -- Picture - Diamond Dreamer
83.95 -- Demon - The Unexpected Guest
83.48 -- The Rods - Wild Dogs
83.28 -- E.F. Band - Deep Cut
83.26 -- Manowar - Battle Hymns
82.95 -- Pat Travers Band - Black Pearl
82.80 -- Raven - Wiped Out
82.79 -- Gary Moore - Cooridors of Power
82.78 -- Gillan - Magic
81.76 -- Uriah Heep - Abominog
81.47 -- Asia - Asia
80.18 -- Plasmatics - Coup d'Etat
79.47 -- Motörhead - Iron Fist
79.41 -- Y&T - Black Tiger
78.91 -- Whitesnake - Saints & Sinners
78.84 -- Bow Wow - Warning from Stardust
78.62 -- Axe - Offering
78.46 -- Rush - Signals
78.41 -- Nightwing - Black Summer
77.86 -- Aerosmith - Rock in a Hard Place
77.78 -- Bow Wow - Asian Volcano
76.12 -- Viva - Dealers of the Night
75.75 -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Somewhere in Afrika
75.72 -- Santers - Racing Time
75.66 -- Kiss - Creatures of the Night
75.62 -- Night Ranger - Dawn Patrol
74.91 -- Riff Raff - Robot Stud
74.80 -- Gaskin - No Way Out
74.22 -- Ted Nugent - Nugent
74.18 -- Heavy Load - Death Or Glory
73.80 -- Kim Mitchell - Kim Mitchell
72.32 -- UFO - Mechanix
72.31 -- Witchfinder General - Death Penalty
72.17 -- Billy Squier - Emotions in Motion
71.31 -- Jethro Tull - The Broadsword and the Beast
71.08 -- Talas - Sink Your Teeth into That
70.75 -- The Who - It's Hard
70.51 -- Manilla Road - Metal
70.46 -- Sweet - Identity Crisis
70.09 -- Robin Trower - Truce
69.63 -- Samson - Before the Storm
69.54 -- Hawkwind - Choose Your Masques
69.23 -- Budgie - Deliver Us from Evil
68.51 -- Golden Earring - Cut
65.33 -- Krokus - One Vice At A Time
65.00 -- Twisted Sister - Under the Blade
64.06 -- Tygers of Pan Tang - Crazy Nights
62.80 -- Hawkwind - Church of Hawkwind
62.50 -- Van Halen - Diver Down
61.10 -- Venom - Black Metal
59.50 -- Pete Townshend - All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
55.66 -- Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin
52.96 -- Foghat - In the Mood for Something Rude
50.14 -- Queen - Hot Space

With a Little Help from My Friends...

2009-11-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

I have a bit of a problem here. Take a look at the numbers below and see if you can figure it out:
1960s - 170
1970s - 604
1980s - 586
1990s - 387
2000s - 534

The left column is a decade in music. The right column is the number of albums I've reviewed/rated from that decade. I expected the 1960s to be on the low side, and I'm working on them, but I don't ever think the numbers will rival those of the other decades.

The 1990s, on the other hand, are unexpectedly low. I believe this is due to the popularity of certain musical genres prevalent during the decade, such as grunge, alternative metal, nu metal, and alternative rock. As I've explained, I generally don't like these genres and have few, if any albums by those bands. Just to be perfectly clear, don't expect to see much of the following bands rated here:

Alice in Chains, Bush, Hole, L7, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Biohazard, Godsmack, Kid Rock, Korn, Limp Bizkit, P.O.D., Rage Against the Machine, Sepultura, Slipknot, Soulfly, Staind, System of a Down, Therapy?, Tool, Type O Negative, White Zombie, Candlebox, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Incubus, Live, Nine Inch Nails, Offspring, Primus, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer

This is where you come in. I'd like to find new (to me) bands and albums from the 90s that fall into my musical comfort zone; that is hard rock, traditional heavy metal, and prog and power metal. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, post a comment here or in the chat box.

Living In the Past...

2009-11-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

As posts are added, we get further and further from the raison d'être (look at me, getting all fancy!) for this blog, which was explained in the first post, From the Beginning....

For those of you who missed it, which as far as I can tell is everyone, I want to provide a brief summary of what I'm doing here, and also invite you to check out the full-blown (but not long-winded -- does that sound odd to you too?) original post.

I started this because I don't believe standard rating systems (1 - 10, 10 - 100, etc.) are very accurate, or that a perfect score is possible. I've never found an album that I love from beginning to end. Even my favorite albums have fillers or maybe part of a song that isn't fantastic, like a weak intro, bad solo, etc.

So I came up with something a little different. I not only rate each song on an abum, but I also take into account song length*. As a result, my ratings don't reflect how much I like the album; instead, they reflect how much of the album I like.

*I explain the importance of considering song length, as well as provide an example, in the From the Beginning... post.

For now, I'm limiting my ratings to studio albums only. Also, although I like a lot of styles of genres of rock and metal, there are some I don't care for (such as Grunge, Nu Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal and others) and will not generally collect. Therefore, it wouldn't be fair to rate these types of albums as they would most likely receive low ratings.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions, requests, etc., post a comment here or in the chatbox.

Rainbow Discography

2009-11-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

In 1974, Ritchie Blackmore, frustrated with the funk/soul direction of Deep Purple's Stormbringer, as well as the band's rejection of his desire to record a cover tune, decided to record the song as a solo single track. He brought in the band Elf (minus their guitarist), who had supported Deep Purple on previous tours, as his backing musicians. However, Blackmore and singer Ronnie James Dio quickly discovered a musical chemistry, which prompted Blackmore to leave Deep Purple and form Rainbow.

From 1975 - 1984, and again from 1994 - 1997, the band included a staggering 24 musicians (featuring seven bassists, six drummers, six keyboardists, four singers, and one very tempermental guitarist). The early recordings with Dio are fan favorites, and were influential in the development of many of today's progressive and power metal bands.

Rising (1976) - 97.98
Well, it doesn't get much better than this. This is actually my second-highest rated album, and needless to say, there's not a bad song to be found. Side two of the original LP may be the best album side in rock and metal history, with two tracks (Stargazer and A Light In the Black) totalling almost 17 minutes of sheer musical bliss. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Stargazer, A Light In the Black, Tarot Woman, Starstruck

Stranger In Us All (1995) - 88.10
Ritchie Blackmore reforms Rainbow after a tumultuous 10 year stint with the reformed Deep Purple. The album features an all-new lineup (including future wife and Blackmore's Night founding partner Candice Night as songwriter and off-stage background singer) and is an excellent conclusion to the Rainbow studio discography. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Ariel, Hall of the Mountain King

Straight Between the Eyes (1982) - 86.27
Rainbow finally achieve commercial success (not a bad thing, by the way) with power ballad Stone Cold leading the way. The album title allegedly came from Jeff Beck, who used the phrase when describing Jimi Hendrix to Blackmore. Blackmore tucked it away for years, finally deciding this was the time to use it. It's hard to disagree. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Death Alley Driver, Stone Cold, Eyes of Fire

Down to Earth (1979) - 86.00
Graham Bonnett replaces Dio on vocals, and not surprisingly, the band starts to pull away from the fantasy motif of the previous albums. Rainbow finally hit the radio airwaves (and MTV!) with All Night Long and Since You Been Gone, but Eyes of the World and Lost In Hollywood are the real gems on this album. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: All Night Long, Eyes of the World, Lost In Hollywood

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978) - 84.44
Rock anthems, speed metal, fantasy themes, ballads... this album has it all. Unfortunately, the lengthy mediocre ballad Rainbow Eyes had a rather large impact on the rating. Were it just a little better, the album rating would have been almost five points higher. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, Gates of Babylon, Kill the King

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975) - 84.01
The first Rainbow album is a mix of great and not-so-great songs, but standout tracks Man on the Silver Mountain and Sixteenth Century Greensleeves hint at future excellence. Plus, there's a cool instrumental cover of The Yardbird's Still I'm Sad. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Man on the Silver Mountain, Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, Still I'm Sad

Difficult to Cure (1981) - 82.66
Joe Lynn Turner takes over vocal duties. The band, turning ever more commercial, continues producing radio- and MTV-friendly tunes. Mostly good stuff here, but ironically, the non-radio-friendly self-titled instrumental is the only standout track. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Difficult to Cure (Beethoven's Ninth)

Bent Out of Shape (1983) - 79.91
Their most radio-friendly album was also their weakest. This is not a condemnation of the album; after all, it still received an 80 rating (if you round up). It's just that there are no "holy shit" moments. On the other hand, there are no "vomit-a-little-in-your-mouth" moments either. There is something to be said for consistency, even if only reaches the level of very good. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: none

Caught In A Web...

2009-11-23T23:31:00.006-05:00

I designed this blog on Internet Explorer, and through that browser everything looks fine. But I recently discovered that Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari don't display the blog the same way as IE. Originally, I thought I'd need to resize the album cover graphics, but in fact all I needed to do was make small edit to the layout template and delete some HTML code in the posts that contain album covers. It took less time than I thought, and now everything displays as intended on all browsers.

Top Ten - 1983

2009-11-23T19:12:00.003-05:00

Here we go... the best year in rock and roll! Nine of the top ten albums topped a 90.00 rating (rounding up, of course), and 36 of the 68 albums listed topped an 80.00 rating. And just look at the top six: each and every one a classic metal album! It was good to be a metalhead in '83.

Top Ten - 1983
96.37 -- Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (EP)
93.73 -- Black Sabbath - Born Again
91.90 -- Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
91.78 -- Krokus - Headhunter
91.46 -- Fastway - Fastway
90.45 -- Saxon - Power and the Glory
89.81 -- Acid - Maniac
89.71 -- Jaguar - Power Games
89.64 -- Anvil - Forged In Fire
89.28 -- Silver Mountain - Shakin' Brains

Other 1983 releases:
88.91 -- Motörhead - Another Perfect Day
87.21 -- Savatage - Sirens
86.95 -- Metallica - Kill 'Em All
86.60 -- Oz - Fire in the Brain
86.55 -- Pretty Maids - Pretty Maids
85.90 -- Robin Trower - Back It Up
85.55 -- Savage - Loose 'n' Lethal
85.54 -- Blackfoot - Siogo
85.22 -- Zebra - Zebra
84.41 -- Killer Dwarfs - The Killer Dwarfs
84.29 -- Accept - Restless and Wild
83.86 -- Mercyful Fate - Melissa
83.43 -- Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
83.41 -- Kiss - Lick It Up
83.38 -- The Rods - In the Raw
83.30 -- Y&T - Mean Streak
83.28 -- Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning
82.25 -- Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil
82.10 -- Chateaux - Chained and Desperate
82.00 -- Dio - Holy Diver
81.47 -- ZZ Top - Eliminator
80.49 -- Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll
80.09 -- Molly Hatchet - No Guts No Glory
79.91 -- Rainbow - Bent Out of Shape
79.84 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
78.85 -- Quiet Riot - Metal Health
78.41 -- UFO - Making Contact
77.92 -- Michael Schenker Group - Built to Destroy
77.22 -- Manowar - Into Glory Ride
77.02 -- Witchfinder General - Friends of Hell
76.81 -- Axe - Nemesis
75.93 -- Highway Chile - Storybook Heroes
75.66 -- Raven - All for One
73.94 -- Waysted - Vices
73.37 -- Dokken - Breaking the Chains
73.12 -- Def Leppard - Pyromania
73.05 -- Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N Roll
72.84 -- Demon - The Plague
72.35 -- Vandenberg - Heading for a Storm
72.04 -- Torch - Torch
71.93 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
71.13 -- Quartz - Against All Odds
70.75 -- Axewitch - The Lord of Flies
69.00 -- Alice Cooper - Dada
67.53 -- Styx - Kilroy Was Here
67.45 -- Cozy Powell - Octopuss
67.42 -- AC/DC - Flick of the Switch
66.16 -- Diamond Head - Canterbury
65.58 -- Grand Funk - What's Funk?
63.62 -- Moody Blues - The Present
63.40 -- Uriah Heep - Head First
62.91 -- Heavy Load - Stronger than Evil
62.78 -- Blue Öyster Cult - The Revolution by Night
58.10 -- Kix - Cool Kids
55.98 -- Atomic Rooster - Headline News
51.57 -- Venom - At War with Satan
47.06 -- Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
45.39 -- Foghat - Zig-Zag Walk

To Cry You A Song - Animals

2009-11-23T12:40:00.001-05:00

I was originally going to do this with song titles, and actually found many animals mentioned (including some odd ones like a sealion, dolphin, monkey, and bee). But then I looked at band names and was surprised at how many were named after animals. I figured I could put together a better list of songs when choosing from an artist's entire catalogue, and in fact, it turned out better than I expected. This particular list includes 15 very good to excellent songs, with 10 being Desert Island songs (marked with an *).

You may notice some notable names are missing from this compilation. Obviously, The Beatles fit the category, but because this turned into a more hard rock/heavy metal compilation, I decided to leave them off. Also, there's no Whitesnake, because technically the name's not about an animal. The same is true for W.A.S.P. Also missing are bands with intentionally misspelled names, such as Ratt and Jackyl, and bands with an adjective or qualifier before the name, such as Iron Butterfly, Fuzzy Duck, White Lion, etc.

Animal Tracks: (wow, another unintentional bad pun)

1. Budgie - Zoom Club (9:56)*

2. Buffalo - Intro: Pound Of Flesh / Shylock (10:33)*

3. Bull Angus - Run Don't Stop (4:27)*

4. Buzzard - Save Me (3:51)*

5. Chinchilla - Father Forgive Me (5:10)

6. Great White - Desert Moon (4:32)*

7. Jaguar - Eighties (3:49)*

8. The Lizards - Hungry World (4:41)

9. Praying Mantis - Panic in the Streets (3:43)

10. Raven - Ballad of Marshall Stack (5:38)*

11. Scorpions - Lovedrive (4:52)*

12. Viper - Knights of Destruction (3:13)

13. Wild Turkey - Butterfly (4:55)

14. Wolf - Genocide (3:41)*

15. Zebra - Arabian Nights (5:19)*

Disc length - 78:20

Albums:

Budgie - In for the Kill (1974)

Buffalo - Volcanic Rock (1973)

Bull Angus - Bull Angus (1971)

Buzzard - Gambler (1984)

Chinchilla - The Last Millenium (2002)

Great White - Hooked (1991)

Jaguar - Run Ragged (2003)

The Lizards - The Lizards Rule (2003)

Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies (1981)

Raven - All for One (1983)

Scorpions - Lovedrive (1979)

Viper - Soldiers of Sunrise (1987)

Wild Turkey - Battle Hymn (1971)

Wolf - Black Wings (2002)

Zebra - Zebra IV (2003)

Good Times Bad Times...

2009-11-22T21:00:00.001-05:00

In recent Top Ten posts, I postulated that 1985 may be the weakest year in rock and roll. I was wrong, but not by much.

I calculated the average of each year's top ten albums, and there are actually 10 years worse than 1985, including three I've posted so far: 1993, 1994, and 1996. I had written about 1993 and 1994 being down years, but didn't realize just how bad they really were.

I also posted that I thought 1984 was the strongest year so far, and I was right about that. But, it's not the best year in rock and roll. I won't give that away just yet, but trust me, you'll know soon enough which year it is. And as I get a bit closer to the end of the top ten posts for each year, I'll also post the averages. It's an interesting list, and the third best year was a big surprise to me.

Top Ten - 1984

2009-11-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

Unlike 1985, 1984 was a huge year in rock and metal. Major players populate the list literally from top to bottom. And I believe this is the strongest top ten so far, with eight albums above a 90 rating (rounding up, of course), and a ninth just barely missing the cut. Even more impressive is that out of the 70 albums I rated, 40 top an 80 rating.

Top Ten - 1984
94.86 -- Iron Maiden - Powerslave
91.64 -- Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling
91.22 -- Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
90.86 -- Metallica - Ride the Lightning
90.54 -- Scorpions - Love at First Sting
89.72 -- Sortilège - Métamorphose
89.60 -- Buzzard - Gambler
89.52 -- Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
89.45 -- Dokken - Tooth and Nail
88.51 -- Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers

Other 1984 releases:
88.21 -- Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
87.17 -- Metal Church - Metal Church
86.49 -- Saxon - Crusader
86.42 -- W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
86.09 -- Cutty Sark - Die Tonight
86.04 -- Rush - Grace Under Pressure
85.94 -- Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
85.93 -- Riot - Born in America
85.56 -- Killer - Shock Waves
85.07 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
83.67 -- Gravestone - Victim of Chains
83.55 -- Accept - Balls to the Wall
82.73 -- Manowar - Hail to England
82.69 -- Box of Frogs - Box of Frogs
82.08 -- Grim Reaper - See You In Hell
81.88 -- The Rods - Let them Eat Metal
81.85 -- Bow Wow - Beat of Metal Motion
81.71 -- Pat Travers Band - Hot Shot
81.57 -- Brocas Helm - Into Battle
81.48 -- Exciter - Violence & Force
81.39 -- Ostrogoth - Ecstasy and Danger
80.86 -- Krokus - The Blitz
80.68 -- Whitesnake - Slide It In
80.59 -- Triumph - Thunder Seven
80.48 -- Hexx - No Escape
80.28 -- Armored Saint - March of the Saint
80.27 -- Trouble - Psalm 9
80.13 -- Silver Mountain - Universe
79.79 -- Queensrÿche - The Warning
79.63 -- Warlock - Burning the Witches
79.08 -- Ratt - Out of the Cellar
78.47 -- Dio - Last In Line
77.90 -- Helix - Walkin' the Razor's Edge
77.88 -- Van Halen - 1984
77.82 -- Heavy Pettin' - Lettin' Loose
77.69 -- Fastway - All Fired Up
77.56 -- Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
77.10 -- Great White - Great White
76.87 -- Zebra - No Tellin' Lies
76.35 -- Pretty Maids - Red, Hot And Heavy
74.53 -- Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
73.74 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather
72.53 -- Stone Fury - Burns Like A Star
72.25 -- Torch - Electrikiss
71.87 -- Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead
71.33 -- Kiss - Animalize
70.80 -- Y&T - In Rock We Trust
70.14 -- Billy Squier - Signs of Life
67.89 -- Blackfoot - Vertical Smiles
67.79 -- Ted Nugent - Penetrator
65.01 -- Kim Mitchell - Akimbo Alogo
64.01 -- Tyran' Pace - Eye to Eye
61.76 -- Running Wild - Gates to Purgatory
61.46 -- Lee Aaron - Metal Queen
57.76 -- Manowar - Sign of the Hammer
55.48 -- Molly Hatchet - The Deed is Done
55.31 -- Queen - The Works
51.03 -- Golden Earring - N.E.W.S.
50.27 -- Samson - Don't Get Mad, Get Even
30.90 -- Jethro Tull - Under Wraps

Top Ten - 1985

2009-11-20T20:39:00.002-05:00

Of the 54 albums I rated in 1985, only about 1/3 were by popular bands. This is reflected in the top ten as well, as only Saxon, Mötley Crüe, and Megadeth are the big names there. Not surprisingly, the lack of top talent meant lower ratings, with most bands scoring below 80. 1985 may just be the weakest year in rock and roll.

Top Ten - 1985
89.56 -- Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
87.89 -- Aria - Megalomania
86.42 -- Saxon - Innocence is No Excuse
86.20 -- Manilla Road - Open the Gates
85.90 -- Mötley Crüe - Theatre of Pain
84.93 -- Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone - Fighting Back
84.91 -- Blackmayne - Blackmayne
84.39 -- Overkill - Feel the Fire
84.05 -- Anthem - Anthem
83.91 -- Megadeth - Killing is My Business...and Business is Good!

Other 1985 releases:
83.11 -- Savatage - Power of the Night
82.03 -- Attacker - Battle at Helm's Deep
81.91 -- Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
81.86 -- Piledriver - Metal Inquisition
80.79 -- Dio - Sacred Heart
80.69 -- Aerosmith - Done with Mirrors
80.64 -- Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt
80.63 -- Nasty Savage - Nasty Savage
79.89 -- Avenger - Prayers of Steel
77.93 -- Exodus - Bonded by Blood
77.12 -- W.A.S.P. - The Last Command
76.49 -- 220 Volt - Mind Over Muscle
76.05 -- Blitzkrieg - A Time of Changes
75.99 -- Rottweiller - Screams of the Innocent
75.47 -- Ostrogoth - Too Hot
74.42 -- Kix - Midnight Dynamite
74.10 -- Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad
73.12 -- Nightmare - Power of the Universe
73.06 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - Soul to Soul
72.01 -- Helloïse - Cosmogony
71.62 -- ZZ Top - Afterburner
70.90 -- Dokken - Under Lock and Key
70.77 -- Hawkwind - The Chronicle of the Black Sword
70.43 -- Y&T - Down for the Count
70.38 -- Malice - In the Beginning...
69.82 -- Thor - Only the Strong
69.66 -- Twisted Sister - Come Out and Play
69.51 -- Kiss - Asylum
68.69 -- Running Wild - Branded and Exiled
68.68 -- Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit
68.42 -- Bow Wow - Cyclone
68.12 -- Krokus - Change of Address
67.79 -- Triumph - The Sport of Kings
66.07 -- AC/DC - Fly On the Wall
65.93 -- Grim Reaper - Fear No Evil
64.30 -- Gravestone - Back to Attack
62.54 -- UFO - Misdemeanor
62.01 -- Rush - Power Windows
61.60 -- Vandenberg - Alibi
61.25 -- Uriah Heep - Equator
59.10 -- Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace
58.33 -- Icon - Night of the Crime
58.12 -- Demon - British Standard Approved
52.71 -- Demon - Heart of Our Time

To Cry You A Song - Numbers

2009-11-19T12:10:00.002-05:00

With so many songs to choose from, the themes for these posts are limited only to my imagination (and I have a great imagination)! For this compilation, I gathered songs with numbers in their titles and began listing them consecutively, intending to stop when I couldn't find a number. I honestly expected to compile a single CD ending around the number 14, but instead I found songs that included numbers up to 22*. Rather than ignoring anything that wouldn't find on a single disc, I included all 22 songs on two CDs.

*If anyone knows of a song with the number 23 in it, please let me know and I'll add it to the list. I already have songs with "24" and "25" in their titles, so I can take this a bit further if possible.

As before, this is actually a good collection of songs wrapped around a theme. I really like all but one song, and even included a few Desert Island songs (marked with an *).

Number Tracks:
Disc 1
1. Fates Warning - One (4:27)
2. Doors - Love Me Two Times (3:16)
3. Three Man Army - Three Man Army (5:23)
4. Aphrodite's Child - Four Horsemen (5:53)*
5. Megadeth - Five Magics (5:39)
6. Silent Force - Six Past the Hour (4:44)*
7. Helloween - The Bells of the Seven Hells (5:22)*
8. The Beatles - Eight Days a Week (2:46)
9. Aerosmith - Nine Lives (4:1)
10. Mötley Crüe - Ten Seconds to Love (4:17)
11. Yngwie Malmsteen - Eleventh Hour (8:03)
Disc length - 54:51

Disc 2
12. Goddo - Twelve Days (3:24)
13. Anvil - This is Thirteen (6:40)
14. Guns 'n' Roses - 14 Years (4:17)
15. Highway Robbery - Fifteen (2:58)
16. Kiss - Christine Sixteen (3:14)
17. Kingdom Come - 17 (5:26)
18. Alice Cooper - I'm Eighteen (3:0)
19. Angel Witch - Flight Nineteen (5:55)
20. BillyLee Janey - 20 Miles Bad Road (3:27)
21. Annihilator - 21 (4:25)
22. Iron Maiden - 22 Acacia Avenue (6:37)
Disc length - 49:23

Albums:
Fates Warning - Disconnected (2000)
Doors - Strange Days (1967)
Three Man Army - A Third of A Lifetime (1971)
Aphrodite's Child - 666 (1972)
Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
Silent Force - The Empire of Future (2000)
Helloween - Gambling with the Devil (2007)
The Beatles - Beatles for Sale (U.K.) (1964)
Aerosmith - Nine Lives (1997)
Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil (1983)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Perpetual Flame (2008)
Goddo - Goddo (1977)
Anvil - This is Thirteen (2007)
Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion II (1991)
Highway Robbery - For Love or Money (1972)
Kiss - Love Gun (1977)
Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come (1988)
Alice Cooper - Love It to Death (1971)
Angel Witch - Angel Witch (1980)
BillyLee Janey - Soul Driver (2008)
Annihilator - King of the Kill (1994)
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (1982)

Stranger In A Strange Land...

2009-11-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

Very few rock and metal bands maintain a single member line-up throughout their history. More often, members come and go. And sometimes, there is an unlikely pairing of an artist's past with his present; for example, Robert Plant touring with (bluegrass country singer and fiddler) Alison Krauss.

There are 20 such pairings listed below. Can you name the band member who was in both groups? Some may be (should be) easy, but I'm guessing there are some you never knew. I will give you one hint: in some cases, the artist was a touring member of the band but did not record an album with the band.

Post your answers in the comments or the chat box. Good luck!

1. Black Oak Arkansas & Ozzy Osbourne
2. Vanilla Fudge & Blue Murder
3. The Cult & The Doors
4. Cream & Masters of Reality
5. Jethro Tull & Yngwie Malmsteen
6. Dust & Ramones
7. Electric Light Orchestra & Black Sabbath
8. Heart & Whitesnake
9. Jefferson Starship & UFO
10. Trapeze & Judas Priest
11. Hawkwind & Motorhead
12. Strawberry Alarm Clock & Lynyrd Skynyrd
13. Billy Squier & Kiss
14. Meatloaf & Ted Nugent
15. Jeff Beck Group & Rainbow
16. Savoy Brown & Michael Schenker Group
17. Billy Idol & Dream Theater
18. Humble Pie & Fastway
19. Manfred Mann's Earth Band & AC/DC
20. Journey & Axel Rudi Pell

Top Ten - 1986

2009-11-17T19:53:00.002-05:00

I rated 51 albums from 1986, which saw releases from Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, W.A.S.P., AC/DC, and many other top acts. It's unfortunate that these bands overshadowed some other great, but less well-known, albums released that year. That only Iron Maiden made the top ten (and Metallica came in at number 11), should give you an idea of the quality of some of these other releases.

Top Ten - 1986
88.47 -- Sword - Metalized
87.64 -- The Rods - Heavier than Thou
87.46 -- Helloween - Walls of Judas
87.29 -- Cinderella - Night Songs
86.48 -- Elixir - The Son of Odin
86.41 -- Desolation Angels - Desolation Angels
86.17 -- Vanadium - Born to Fight
84.58 -- Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
84.30 -- Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
84.05 -- Anthem - Tightrope

Other 1987 releases:
83.34 -- Metallica - Master of Puppets
82.24 -- Queensrÿche - Rage for Order
81.94 -- Manilla Road - The Deluge
81.74 -- Hexx - Under the Spell
81.55 -- Obsession - Scarred for Life
80.62 -- Waysted - Save Your Prayers
80.04 -- Great White - Shot In the Dark
79.87 -- Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
79.71 -- Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin
77.88 -- Ted Nugent - Little Miss Dangerous
77.78 -- AC/DC - Who Made Who
77.59 -- Samurai - Weapon Master
77.39 -- Accept - Russian Roulette
77.25 -- Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
77.10 -- Omen - The Curse
76.55 -- Savatage - Fight for the Rock
75.87 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Club Ninja
75.35 -- Tension - Breaking Point
74.51 -- Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who's Buying?
73.78 -- W.A.S.P. - Inside the Electric Circus
73.72 -- Saxon - Rock the Nations
73.38 -- Steeler - Strike Back
73.35 -- Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
73.14 -- Cirith Ungol - One Foot in Hell
70.98 -- Aria - Whom Are You With
70.97 -- Angel Dust - Into the Dark Past
70.69 -- Alice Cooper - Constrictor
70.51 -- Motörhead - Orgasmatron
68.65 -- Van Halen - 5150
68.63 -- Ratt - Dancing Undercover
67.57 -- Queen - A Kind of Magic
66.74 -- Bow Wow - III
66.18 -- Judas Priest - Turbo
64.85 -- Zebra - 3.V
62.66 -- Gravestone - Creating A Monster
62.23 -- Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In
61.68 -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Criminal Tango
60.20 -- Rage - Reign of Fear
55.98 -- Box of Frogs - Strange Land
47.33 -- Forgotten Child - Forgotten Child
34.68 -- Piledriver - Stay Ugly

Spotlight On: Road

2009-11-15T13:09:00.000-05:00

Road was an American power trio formed in Los Angeles, California. Band members included Rod Richards (guitar, vocals), Leslie Sampson (drums, vocals, percussion), and former Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding (bass, vocals).

Road formed in 1970 following the break up of Redding and Sampson's band Fat Mattress. The pair joined with Richards, who had recently left Rare Earth. They released their self-titled album in 1972 and disbanded shortly thereafter.

After the demise of Road, Redding and Sampson formed The Noel Redding Band while Richards went on to a solo career.

Album Review:

Great 70s hard rock, featuring plenty of wah-wah guitar, thundering bass, and even a drum solo (which I believe was a requirement for early 70s hard rock bands). Opening track I'm Trying alternates between slow and fast, with the wah wah really kicking in during the fast parts. I'm Going Down to the Country, a slow song with country-flavored twangy guitar, is the album's weakest track. The hard-rocking Mushroom Man is next, with Redding's bass up front and heavy as hell. Man Dressed in Red is a mid-paced rocker that features Richards' soloing throughout the song. Spaceship Earth is the standout track, full of heavy riffs and wah wah guitar goodness. Friends starts and ends heavy, with the aforementioned drum solo in the middle of the song. Closing track Road has a Black Sabbath-style heavy riff, lots more wah wah guitar, and a pretty good bass solo (I guess Redding didn't want to feel left out). Needless to say, this album is highly recommended for anyone who loves early 70s hard rock.

Overall and individual song ratings:

Road (87.89)

1. I'm Trying - 4

2. I'm Going Down to the Country - 2

3. Mushroom Man - 4

4. Man Dressed in Red - 3

5. Spaceship Earth - 6

6. Friends - 4

7. Road - 5

Ratings Key:

0 - Hate It

1 - Dislike It

2 - It's Ok

3 - Like It

4 - Like It A Lot

5 - Love It

6 - Desert Island Song

Long Way To Go...

2009-11-15T08:59:00.001-05:00

So here we are, 71 posts into my blog, and I've only covered 992 ratings. Why so few, you may wonder? Am I lazy? (well, yeah, but not about this.) Do I procrastinate? (Let me get back to you on that.) Do I have a short atten... ooohh... shiny............

Sorry about that. Now where was I? Oh yeah. Do I have a short attention span? (Sometimes.) Actually, I'm anxious to display my results. I enjoy writing about them and sharing them. I even see some people are reading them (and hopefully enjoying them).

And that's what this is all about. I'm trying to do something both informative and fun. Sprinkled between the album ratings are some on-going posts that I like to write:

Top Ten lists cover a range of topics such as ratings by year, country of band origin, genre, etc. I'll often include more than just the Top Ten albums in the list, and in the ratings by year posts, I actually list all the albums from that year (which means I'll eventually post all 2,200+ ratings.) So far, I posted album ratings from 2008 to 1987. I'll continue back to 1967, then probably write a single post for 1963 - 1966. The 2009 ratings will be posted soon after the year ends. I'll handle 2010 posts differently, probably as a single post with periodic updates.
Discographies are self-explanatory. I've rated many band's complete studio discographies, and plan to post them all. The posts include the albums sorted by rating (highest to lowest), the year they were released, brief comments, trivia, or other interesting or noteworthy tidbits, and my favorite tracks.
To Cry You A Song posts are compilation (audio) CDs based on a theme, band, year, genre, etc. This may already be an outdated concept given the proliferation of high-capacity MP3 players, but it's more fun (and more challenging) to limit myself to 80 minutes of music.
Spotlight On features obscure (or less well-known) bands I like. I delve into the band's history and also list the albums and individual song ratings. Some of the albums are definitely worth owning if you're into that genre or style of music.

Additionally, I posted commentaries, thoughts, updates, a multi-part story, and even some word games. These posts all have one thing in common: the name of the post is always a song title. (Including this one... or did you notice that already?) I'll continue posting these at random.

As always, if there's anything you'd like to see, I take requests.

Top Ten - 1987

2009-11-14T15:40:00.004-05:00

I rated 50 albums from 1987, and there was a major upset at the top spot as relative unknown Angus bests one of my personal favorites, Savatage. But hey, a great album is a great album, and finding them is part of what this three-year effort has been all about.

Top Ten - 1987
88.82 -- Angus - Warrior of the World
87.39 -- Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
86.39 -- Malice - License to Kill
86.22 -- Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1
86.21 -- Testament - The Legacy
85.80 -- Alice Cooper - Raise Your Fist and Yell
85.25 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
85.20 -- Grim Reaper - Rock You to Hell
85.10 -- Dark Quarterer - Dark Quarterer
84.90 -- Ostrogoth - Feelings of Fury

Other 1987 releases:
84.52 -- Krokus - Heart Attack
83.52 -- Anthem - Bound to Break
83.24 -- Black Sabbath - Eternal Idol
81.58 -- Dokken - Back for the Attack
81.48 -- Matakapos - Coming Out Ahead
81.26 -- Aria - Hero of Asphalt
81.24 -- Dio - Dream Evil
81.22 -- Great White - Once Bitten…
81.10 -- Manilla Road - Mystification
80.39 -- Deep Purple - The House of Blue Light
79.07 -- Metal Church - The Dark
79.05 -- Viper - Soldiers of Sunrise
78.78 -- Warlock - Triumph & Agony
78.16 -- Rage - Execution Guaranteed
78.12 -- Overkill - Taking Over
78.10 -- Anvil - Strength of Steel
76.40 -- Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
76.10 -- Whitesnake - Whitesnake
75.86 -- Twisted Sister - Love Is for Suckers
75.11 -- Motörhead - Rock 'n' Roll
74.70 -- Manowar - Fighting the World
72.82 -- Armored Saint - Raising Fear
72.73 -- Stormwitch - The Beauty and the Beast
72.22 -- Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation
72.12 -- Pretty Maids - Future World
71.88 -- Def Leppard - Hysteria
71.70 -- Jethro Tull - Crest of A Knave
70.34 -- Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger
69.68 -- Demon - Breakout
68.72 -- Bow Wow - Vow Wow V
68.52 -- Girl - Killing Time
67.71 -- Kiss - Crazy Nights
66.82 -- Toxik - World Circus
66.08 -- Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
65.52 -- Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls
65.28 -- Fastway - Trick or Treat
64.83 -- McAuley Schenker Group - Perfect Timing
58.35 -- Leviticus - Setting Fire to the Earth
54.68 -- Blackfoot - Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot
52.60 -- Picture - Marathon

Top Ten - 1988

2009-11-14T15:38:00.005-05:00

1988 was a strong year in metal, with four of the 47 bands rated achieving or topping a 90.00 rating (if you round up). Queensrÿche's powerhouse album Operation: Mindcrime easily ruled supreme that year, which is particularly impressive considering Helloween also released their excellent Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2.

Top Ten - 1988
93.02 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
90.73 -- Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2
89.59 -- Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
88.99 -- Attacker - Second Coming
88.74 -- Apocalypse - Apocalypse
87.90 -- Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come
87.63 -- Riot - Thundersteel
87.57 -- Cinderella - Long Cold Winter
86.78 -- Anthem - Gypsy Ways
86.61 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Imaginos

Other 1989 releases:
86.24 -- Fates Warning - No Exit
86.14 -- Dark Quarterer - Etruscan Prophecy
86.02 -- W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children
85.13 -- Crimson Glory - Transcendence
84.95 -- Metallica - …And Justice for All
84.04 -- Liege Lord - Master Control
83.75 -- Kix - Blow My Fuse
81.74 -- Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
80.88 -- Girlschool - Take a Bite
80.62 -- Heretic - Breaking Point
80.29 -- Skid Row - Skid Row
80.22 -- Judas Priest - Ram it Down
79.70 -- Rage - Perfect Man
79.23 -- AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video
78.51 -- Running Wild - Port Royal
78.40 -- Vixen - Vixen
75.44 -- Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear
75.33 -- Anvil - Pound for Pound
75.19 -- Scorpions - Savage Amusement
74.43 -- Saxon - Destiny
74.16 -- Megadeth - So Far, So Good...So What!
74.04 -- Hurricane - Over the Edge
73.25 -- Bow Wow - Vibe
68.01 -- Masters of Reality - Masters of Reality
67.96 -- Poison - Open Up and Say...Ahh!
67.55 -- Ted Nugent - If You Can't Lick 'Em...Lick 'Em
66.94 -- Ratt - Reach for the Sky
66.72 -- Bon Jovi - New Jersey
65.81 -- Steeler - Undercover Animal
64.73 -- Jeff Healey Band - See the Light
64.01 -- Hawkwind - Xenon Codex
63.05 -- Van Halen - OU812
59.60 -- Angel Dust - To Dust You Will Decay
58.96 -- Manilla Road - Out of the Abyss
57.96 -- UFO - Ain't Misbehavin'
56.01 -- Silver Mountain - Roses & Champagne
52.57 -- Manowar - Kings of Metal

To Cry You A Song - The Worst Metal Album Ever Made

2009-11-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

I've put together some fun (and admittedly different) compilations, but I figured it was time to switch things up a bit. So what I have for you today is the worst metal compilation I could scrape together. This was actually easy to do as only 32 songs out of the 22,000+ I've listened to received the lowest rating. Of those 32 songs, some were from non-metal bands and so didn't belong here. I also included only one song from each band (some had more than one awful song), which further reduced the possibilities. I then removed a few fringe-metal bands, and voila!, The Worst Metal Album Ever Made.

I kept the CD under 60 minutes, but that was probably more due to self-preservation as I couldn't really stomach another 20 minutes worth of this crap.

To be fair, I haven't actually listened to any of these songs since the first time I heard them, so one or two may not be as bad as I originally thought. On the other hand, there's way freakin' way my tastes have changed that much, so what I thought was shit then is most likely still shit now.

Before I list the tracks, I need to warn you: I am not responsible for any physical or mental conditions suffered while listening to this disc, including, but not limited to: bleeding from the ears, nose, eyes, or gums; fainting; rashes; uncontrolled flatulence; vomiting; explosive diarrhea; or temporary insanity.

Shit Tracks:
1. Venom - Aaaaaaarrghh (2:24)

2. Manowar - The Warrior's Prayer (4:20)

3. Seventh Seal - The Unicorn (5:41)

4. Vigilante - Disharmonic Memories (6:59)

5. Max Webster - Let Go the Line (3:33)

6. Guns 'n' Roses - My World (1:22)

7. Civilization One - 16 (4:36)

8. Def Leppard - All Night (3:38)

9. Empire - Maximum (3:54)

10. Krokus - Move It On (3:28)

11. Metallica - Purify (5:14)

12. Mötley Crüe - Glitter (5:00)

13. Slayer - Born of the Fire (3:07)

14. Wizard - Fuck Your Ass (2:06)

Albums:

Don't even worry about it.

You Wanted the Best...

2009-11-11T17:19:00.003-05:00

Recently I cautioned against getting too wrapped up in the ratings numbers. After all, an album rated 91.18 is not significantly different from an 87.27. The point is, both are excellent albums.

So, while writing this post on my top-rated albums (those above 90.00), what did I do? That's right... I fell into my own trap. Of the 2,200 albums I rated, only 99 received a rating of 90.00 or higher (this includes albums I rounded up from 89.51 - 89.99).

While looking over the albums that just missed the cut, I decided there were some that I should re-evaluate. I didn't go crazy and re-evaluate everything that was close to a 90.00 rating; instead, I scanned the 152 albums that were rated 87.00 - 89.49 and chose 21 albums that I knew I liked and thought had a chance to top 90.00 (or at least 89.50) after a minor adjustment or two to the individual song ratings.

As my top 50 list changed, I realized that I wasn't quite finished yet. You see, it's hard to put aside emotional connections to some albums, especially those I bought and listened to as a kid. So I re-evaluated a few newer highly-rated albums as well, looking to move them down the list to below albums I've liked for awhile. (For example, how can I like Wolf's Black Wings album more than Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast? One is really good, but the other is a classic.)

I consider the 90.00 threshold to be the best of the best. Some of the re-evaluated albums deserve to be there, while other albums, although very good, probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. In the end, I re-evaluated 35 albums and made adjustments that I'm happy with. It's interesting to note, however, that the number of albums above an 89.50 rating only increased by seven. Before, there were 99 albums in that group; now there are 106. (FYI, percentage-wise, it works out to just under 5% of the total albums reviewed.)

The updated ratings affected the Top 50, some of the Top Ten lists, and the Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden discographies. All lists have been updated accordingly.

I'm reposting the Top 50 here, but if you're curious about what changed, check out the original list in my first post, From the Beginning... (which you should check out anyway if you haven't already, as it explains everything you need to know about how and why this blog came to be).

I'm sure the list of top-rated albums will continue to grow, albeit slowly at this point. I may also tweak the list again at some point (but to be honest, it was a pain in the ass updating the various affected posts). So stay tuned. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know.

Top 50 Albums:

98.14 -- Deep Purple - In Rock (1970)

97.98 -- Rainbow - Rising (1976)

96.37 -- Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (EP) (1983)
95.70 -- Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)
94.86 -- Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)
94.24 -- Sweet - Give Us A Wink (1976)
93.73 -- Black Sabbath - Born Again (1983)
93.67 -- Ted Nugent - Free-for-All (1976)
93.55 -- Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
93.02 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
92.75 -- Scorpions - Lovedrive (1979)
91.90 -- Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983)
91.79 -- Michael Schenker Group - Assault Attack (1982)
91.78 -- Krokus - Headhunter (1983)
91.76 -- Metal Church - Blessing In Disguise (1989)
91.67 -- Anthem - Heavy Metal Anthem (2000)
91.64 -- Savatage - The Dungeons are Calling (1984)
91.52 -- Murasaki - Impact (1976)
91.47 -- Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
91.46 -- Fastway - Fastway (1983)
91.45 -- Uriah Heep - Wake the Sleeper (2008)
91.40 -- Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (1982)
91.28 -- Domine - Stormbringer Ruler (2000)
91.22 -- Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry (1984)
91.18 -- Iced Earth - Something Wicked this Way Comes (1998)
91.18 -- Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation (1991)
91.16 -- Buffalo - Volcanic Rock (1973)
91.11 -- Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
91.04 -- October 31 - Meet Thy Maker (1999)
91.00 -- Sweet - Desolation Boulevard (US) (1974)
90.97 -- Aria - Armageddon (2006)
90.86 -- Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)
90.86 -- Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)
90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr (1990)
90.85 -- Metal Church - Light In the Dark (2006)
90.82 -- Elixir - The Idol (2003)
90.80 -- AC/DC - Let there Be Rock (1977)
90.73 -- Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2 (1988)
90.71 -- Deep Purple - Fireball (USA) (1971)
90.64 -- Gillan - Future Shock (1981)
90.57 -- Gillan - Double Trouble (1981)
90.55 -- Saxon - Metalhead (1999)
90.54 -- Scorpions - Love at First Sting (1984)
90.52 -- Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)
90.51 -- Anvil - Metal On Metal (1982)
90.51 -- Gamma Ray - Majestic (2005)
90.49 -- W.A.S.P. - Dying for the World (2002)
90.48 -- Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations (1981)
90.45 -- Saxon - Power and the Glory (1983)
90.41 -- Bow Wow - Era (2005)

Top Ten - 1989

2009-11-11T00:58:00.002-05:00

As we go back in time, we start moving away from the Power and Progressive metal bands and back into the realm of traditional metal, NWOBHM, and classic rock bands. There are 45 albums from 1989 listed here.

Top Ten - 1989
91.76 -- Metal Church - Blessing In Disguise
88.77 -- Badlands - Badlands
88.33 -- Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
88.23 -- Faith No More - The Real Thing
87.62 -- Running Wild - Death or Glory
86.25 -- Anthem - Hunting Time
86.05 -- Gamma Ray - Heading for Tomorrow
85.28 -- Cacophony - Go Off!
84.69 -- Blue Murder - Blue Murder
84.14 -- Savatage - Gutter Ballet

Other 1989 releases:
84.01 -- Aria - Play with Fire
83.85 -- Testament - Practice What You Preach
82.27 -- Bride - Silence Is Madness
82.22 -- Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry
81.54 -- Great White - ...Twice Shy
81.24 -- Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite
81.20 -- Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue
80.64 -- Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest for the Wicked
80.39 -- Aerosmith - Pump
79.08 -- Rage - Secrets in a Weird World
78.51 -- Viper - Theater of Fate
78.48 -- King's X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
78.28 -- McAuley Schenker Group - Save Yourself
77.27 -- Jethro Tull - Rock Island
76.87 -- Joe Satriani - Flying in a Blue Dream
75.84 -- Ten Years After - About Time
75.58 -- Kiss - Hot In the Shade
74.72 -- Demon - Taking the World by Storm
73.95 -- Alice Cooper - Trash
73.45 -- Bow Wow - Helter Skelter
73.12 -- U.D.O. - Mean Machine
72.91 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step
72.68 -- Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood
72.41 -- Stratovarius - Fright Night
67.54 -- Triumph - Surveillance
67.16 -- Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind
65.93 -- Pink Cream 69 - Pink Cream 69
65.87 -- Sabbat - Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays)
65.82 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Wild Obsession
64.40 -- Uriah Heep - Raging Silence
63.58 -- Bonham - The Disregard of Timekeeping
62.76 -- Toxik - Think This
58.05 -- Queen - The Miracle
55.81 -- Molly Hatchet - Lightning Strikes Twice
51.94 -- Fastway - On Target

Past and Future Secret...

2009-11-10T15:49:00.005-05:00

The letters below form an album title. Can you figure it out? I'll give you a hint... wait... I've already given you a hint in this post. Actually, I've given you two hints already. But I'll tell you what. How about one more hint? I mentioned the album in one of the Top Ten lists I've already posted.

This is actually a pretty simple cipher, once you understand how it works. If you know the answer, post it in the comments or the chat box. Good luck!

tfhlwareiolotgremwhlstitd

To Cry You A Song - Trains

2009-11-10T12:48:00.004-05:00

Another unusual theme, but maybe not quite as bad as the To Cry You A Song - Colors post. The songs are a mix of blues rock, hard rock, and metal, but like the other post, it works due to the strength of the high song ratings and the inclusion of six Desert Island songs (marked with an *).

I almost listed the songs in a random order, but as I was looking over the titles, they seemed to form a interesting "story."

Update: This morning I realized I didn't include a train song by Grand Funk Railroad. This was a mistake, as they have three songs that qualify, not to mention that their name alone implies they should be included here. After dismissing the instrumental T.N.U.C.*, I was left with the hit The Loco-Motion or the less popular but better Railroad. This was actually an easy decision. But now I also needed to remove a song and somehow find extra time because Railroad is longer than all but two tracks. After some deliberation, I came up with a solution. I removed the Badlands' track Rumblin' Train (a good song, but not as good as Railroad), and also sacrificed the harmonica intro to Blackfoot's Train, Train. It hurt me to do that, but it was now necessary.

*By the way, if you've ever wondered what this song title means, read the letters backwards.

Anyway, without further ado, here it is, the new and improved TCYAS - Trains CD:

Train Tracks (a purely unintentional, and admittedly awful, pun):

1. Grand Funk Railroad - Railroad (6:07)
2. Scorpions - Catch Your Train (3:38)*

3. Ten Years After - Standing at the Station (7:11)*

4. Vanderhoof - Nowhere Train (5:09)*

5. Blackfoot - Train, Train (3:32)

6. Saxon - Princess of the Night (4:01)*

7. Aerosmith - Train Kept A-Rollin' (5:33)

8. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (4:58)

9. Bow Wow - Get On Our Train (5:07)

10. Deep Purple - Slow Train (5:36)

11. Foghat - Jump that Train (5:16)

12. Mogg/Way - Gravy Train (4:55)

13. Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train (9:07)*

14. George Thorogood - Hellbound Train (4:56)*

15. Armored Saint - Last Train Home (5:18)

Disc length - 79:48

Albums:
Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band (1973)
Scorpions - Virgin Killer (1976)
Ten Years After - Rock & Roll Music to the World (1972)
Vanderhoof - A Blur in Time (2002)

Blackfoot - Strikes (1979)

Saxon - Denim and Leather (1981)

Aerosmith - Get Your Wings (1974)

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

Bow Wow - Signal Fire (1977)

Deep Purple - Fireball (25th Anniversary Edition) (1971)

Foghat - The Return of the Boogie Men (1994)

Badlands - Badlands (1989)

Mogg/Way - Edge of the World (1997)

Savoy Brown - Hellbound Train (1972)

George Thorogood - Half a Boy/Half a Man (1999)

Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation (1991)

Top Ten (+15) - The 1990s

2009-11-08T16:12:00.004-05:00

Now that I've finished posting my ratings for albums released during the 90s, I want to wrap it all up with a post of the top 25 releases of the decade. The posts from 1990 - 1999 included 382 albums released by 170 bands (low numbers when compared to the decades before and after, but ones that I'm sure will increase in time).

What surprised me most about this list is that only two bands -- Running Wild and Metal Church -- had more than one album here, while some bands that I like a lot (such as Megadeth, Dream Theater, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, and others) had only one or even none.

Should this list change, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, I'll continue with ratings from the 1980s, and will also post my top ten from 2009 and the best of the 2000s soon after the year ends. Stay tuned!

Top 25 Albums:

93.55 -- Megadeth - Rust in Peace (1990)

91.18 -- Iced Earth - Something Wicked this Way Comes (1998)

91.18 -- Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation (1991)

91.04 -- October 31 - Meet thy Maker (1999)

90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr (1990)

90.55 -- Saxon - Metalhead (1999)

90.28 -- Rage - The Missing Link (1993)

90.18 -- Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine I (1993)

90.04 -- Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World (1990)

89.74 -- Helloween - Better than Raw (1998)

89.64 -- Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)

89.52 -- Running Wild - Black Hand Inn (1994)

89.52 -- Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century (1990)

89.18 -- Mägo de Oz - La Leyenda de la Mancha (1998)

89.16 -- Jeff Healey Band - Hell to Pay (1990)

89.13 -- W.A.S.P. - Helldorado (1999)

89.12 -- Seven Witches - Second War in Heaven (1999)

89.12 -- Wuthering Heights - Within (1999)

88.96 -- Lefay - Symphony of the Damned (1999)

88.59 -- Molly Hatchet - Silent Reign of Heroes (1998)

88.57 -- Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (1995)

88.40 -- Running Wild - Blazon Stone (1991)

88.38 -- Metal Church - Masterpeace (1999)

88.29 -- Metal Church - The Human Factor (1991)

88.28 -- Aria - Blood for Blood (1991)

Top Ten - 1990

2009-11-08T14:52:00.003-05:00

I rated 45 albums from 1990, and sadly, it was the last great year for three top metal bands - Black Sabbath, Scorpions and Judas Priest. Never again would these bands crack the top ten. Kinda sad, but there's still hope that they'll once again find some of that past metal magic.

Top Ten - 1990:
93.55 -- Megadeth - Rust in Peace
90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr
90.04 -- Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World
89.52 -- Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century
89.16 -- Jeff Healey Band - Hell to Pay
87.85 -- Anthem - No Smoke without Fire
87.68 -- Scorpions - Crazy World
86.73 -- Judas Priest - Painkiller
84.90 -- Rage - Reflections of a Shadow
82.93 -- Artillery - By Inheritance

Other 1990 releases:
82.49 -- Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying
82.33 -- Riot - The Privilege of Power
82.23 -- Manilla Road - Courts of Chaos
82.23 -- Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
82.12 -- Desperado - Bloodied but Unbowed
81.78 -- Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation
81.17 -- Queensrÿche - Empire
81.16 -- Elixir - Lethal Potion
80.20 -- Sanctuary - Into the Mirror Black
80.12 -- Testament - Souls of Black
79.71 -- Warrant - Cherry Pie
79.48 -- Reverend - World Won't Miss You
78.50 -- AC/DC - The Razor's Edge
77.76 -- Bow Wow - Mountain Top
77.74 -- Extreme - Extreme II: Pornograffitti
77.39 -- Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
75.61 -- Spread Eagle - Spread Eagle
72.87 -- Pat Travers Band - School of Hard Knocks
72.21 -- Ratt - Detonator
72.16 -- ZZ Top - Recycler
69.95 -- Dio - Lock Up the Wolves
69.90 -- Blues Traveler - Blues Traveler
69.88 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse
69.45 -- Vixen - Rev It Up
69.02 -- Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
68.72 -- Slaughter - Stick It to Ya
68.40 -- Blackfoot - Medicine Man
67.96 -- Hawkwind - Space Bandits
67.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire
67.27 -- Morgana Lefay - Symphony of the Damned
65.63 -- Pretty Maids - Jump the Gun
63.37 -- Styx - Edge of the Century
58.31 -- Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
57.20 -- Axxis - Axxis II
54.66 -- Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom

Top Ten - 1991

2009-11-06T20:08:00.004-05:00

Looking at the 41 albums in this list, you'll see over 3/4 are metal or metal-related (including an all-metal Top Ten). Not a whole lot going on classic rock-wise. Also, if you look closely, you'll find one of the few Grunge albums (Nirvana's Nevermind) that will appear in this blog.

Top Ten - 1991:
91.18 -- Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation
90.26 -- Metal Church - The Human Factor
88.40 -- Running Wild - Blazon Stone
88.28 -- Aria - Blood for Blood
87.94 -- Warrior Soul - Drugs, God and the New Republic
85.78 -- Galactic Cowboys - Galactic Cowboys
84.40 -- Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears
84.39 -- Bride - Kinetic Faith
83.12 -- Gamma Ray - Sigh No More
82.79 -- Venom - Temples of Ice

Other 1991 releases:
82.37 -- Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid
82.28 -- Metallica - Metallica
81.61 -- Saxon - Solid Ball of Rock
81.46 -- Iced Earth - Iced Earth
81.44 -- Motörhead - 1916
81.20 -- Krokus - Stampede
79.18 -- Great White - Hooked
78.76 -- Savatage - "Streets" - A Rock Opera
78.61 -- Cirith Ungol - Paradise Lost
78.43 -- Badlands - Voodoo Highway
77.47 -- Skid Row - Slave to the Grind
77.42 -- Helloween - Pink Bubbles Go Ape
77.06 -- Demon - Hold On to the Dream
76.46 -- Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
75.60 -- Crimson Glory - Strange and Beautiful
73.87 -- Pink Cream 69 - One Size Fits All
72.65 -- Kik Tracee - No Rules
72.53 -- Blues Traveler - Travelers and Thieves
72.31 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
71.53 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
71.45 -- Reverend - Play God
71.29 -- Anvil - Worth the Weight
70.87 -- Nirvana - Nevermind
69.22 -- Queen - Innuendo
68.90 -- Uriah Heep - Different World
68.71 -- Fates Warning - Parallels
67.64 -- Praying Mantis - Predator in Disguise
65.99 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Nasty Reputation
65.07 -- Jethro Tull - Catfish Rising
63.68 -- Golden Earring - Bloody Buccaneers
61.33 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying

To Cry You A Song - Kamelot

2009-11-06T14:32:00.002-05:00

I didn't learn about Kamelot until the Fourth Legacy, which was, not surprisingly, their fourth album. Prior to that, the band was still struggling with their identity. But everything started to come together on their third album, Siege Perilous, which featured new singer Roy Khan. But on Fourth Legacy, the band solidified their sound, and have been instrumental (damn, that was a bad pun) in pushing the boundaries of progressive power metal ever since.

What you have here are my favorite Kamelot songs, which, I believe, are also representative of their sound and style. I considered adding a song from Siege Perilous (there are some good ones on the album), but I didn't want to sacrifice a better song to do that. Also, FYI, Desert Island songs are marked with an *.

Kamelot Tracks:
1. New Allegiance (0:54)
2. The Fourth Legacy (4:55)*
3. Silent Goddess (4:15)*
4. Desert Reign (1:39)*
5. Nights of Arabia (5:26)*
6. Lunar Sanctum (5:57)*
7. Regalis Apertura (1:57)
8. Forever (4:07)*
9. Mirror Mirror (Elizabeth Part I) (4:22)*
10. Requiem For The Innocent (Elizabeth Part II) (3:46)*
11. Fall From Grace (Elizabeth Part III) (4:15)*
12. Prologue (1:08)
13. Center of the Universe (5:27)*
14. Farewell (3:41)*
15. III Ways to Epica (6:17)*
16. March of Mephisto (5:28)
17. When the Lights are Down (3:41)
18. Solitaire (1:00)
19. Rule the World (3:41)*
20. Ghost Opera (4:06)
21. Silence of the Darkness (3:43)
Disc length - 79:45

Albums:
Tracks 1 - 6: The Fourth Legacy (2000)
Tracks 7 - 11: Karma (2001)
Tracks 12 - 15: Epica (2003)
Tracks 16 - 17: The Black Halo (2005)
Tracks 18 - 21: Ghost Opera (2007)

Iron Maiden discography

2009-11-05T21:22:00.003-05:00

Wow, talk about consistency! Fourteen albums, and none rate lower than 80.43. This is what makes Iron Maiden such a great band. I could end the discography review right now by simply recommending you buy their entire studio discography, but because I like to write, you're stuck with 14 (largely unnecessary) reviews. But I'll try to make them interesting, if not very informative (kind of like everything else posted here).

Powerslave (1984) - 94.86

I remember buying the LP (remember those?), tearing off the plastic wrap, and placing it on the record player for the first time. I was at a friend's house, and man, were we excited to hear the album. Everyone loved it (well, maybe not the women, but the guys certainly did). Powerslave floored me then and still does today. And a 13 1/2 minute metal song? You've got to be kidding! Killer album, both visually (what incredible cover art!) and musically. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Powerslave, Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Piece of Mind (1983) - 91.90

The album kicks into high gear immediately with Where Eagles Dare, and doesn't back off until the last notes of To Tame A Land. Flight of Icarus was the big hit off the album, and it's a great song that brings back fun memories of my college days, but my favorite song is the aforementioned To Tame a Land. It's based on the book Dune, and I believe the band wanted to use the book title as the name of the song, but (Dune author) Frank Herbert refused. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Where Eagles Dare, Revelations, Flight of Icarus, To Tame a Land

The Number of the Beast (1982) - 91.40

Ex-Samson vocalist Bruce Dickinson (a.k.a. Bruce Bruce) joins the band, replacing Paul Di'Anno. It's absolutely a classic album, but it's also just a little too inconsistent for me to rank at the top of the list. And although it appears that Dickinson didn't contribute to the album, in fact, he did, but wasn't credited due to contractual issues with Samson. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Hallowed be Thy Name

A Matter of Life and Death (2006) - 87.70

Their most recent studio album contains 10 tracks, nine of which are at least five minutes long. Lengthy tracks can be disastrous to an album's rating (see my first post, From the Beginning..., for an explanation), but this is Iron Maiden we're talking about. They know how to pull this off better than anyone. Only one quibble... why are we still waiting for a new studio album? It's been over three years since this was released! Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: For the Greater Good of God

Brave New World (2000) - 86.68

The first album recorded by the new and improved six-piece Iron Maiden (following the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith, while keeping Janick Gers) is a solid return to the classic Iron Maiden sound. Nine of the ten songs were good to excellent, with only The Thin Line Between Love and Hate as the exception. Because of the song's length, its low rating bumped the album below A Matter of Life and Death. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: The Wicker Man, Ghost of the Navigator, Blood Brothers

Virtual XI (1998) - 85.47

The second album with Blaze Bayley on vocals received this rating on the strength of three long tracks (Angel and the Gambler, Clansman, and Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger), although ironically, the best track, Futureal, is the shortest. The rating is no fluke, though, as the remaining tracks are all good as well. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Futureal, Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger

Killers (1981) - 84.66

Iron Maiden's second album is similar to the punk/metal sound of the first, but with more consistent song-writing. The first seven of the 11 songs are very good to excellent, but the quality drops a bit on the last four songs. This is the last album with Paul Di'Anno on vocals, who was fired due to his erratic behavior while touring. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Wrathchild, Killers

Somewhere in Time (1986) - 84.30

A decent album in a vacuum, but relatively weak when compared to its predecessors The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind and Powerslave. The songs are likable enough, but that's not very high praise considering the standards set by the previous albums. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Caught Somewhere in Time

X Factor (1995) - 83.34

After Bruce Dickinson left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career, Blaze Bayley was brought in as his replacement. Fans didn't react well to this album and the follow-up, Virtual XI, but if you can accept the style change in vocals, you'll find the songs are worthy of the band. The lack of a favorite track here is a bit misleading as all the songs are good; there are just none that stand out as spectacular. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: none

No Prayer for the Dying (1990) - 82.49

A personnel change as guitarist Adrian Smith left the band and was replaced by Janick Gers (who played guitar on Bruce Dickinson's solo album Tattooed Millionaire). The band moved away from the progressive elements on the two previous albums and returned to more traditional metal sound. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Tailgunner, Run Silent Run Deep

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) - 81.74

The last album with the classic lineup of Harris, Dickinson, Murray, Smith and McBrain continues the progressive sound of Somewhere In Time, only not as well. The title track, however, is simply fantastic, and may contain the fastest solos and bass playing of any Iron Maiden track. Worth it for that track alone. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Fear of the Dark (1992) - 80.83

There are quite a few very good songs here (including the radio-friendly ballad Wasting Love), but two average songs (Judas Be My Guide and Weekend Warrior) severely affect the rating. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Fear Is the Key

Iron Maiden (1980) - 80.50

Iron Maiden's first album is a mix of punk energy and metal riffs, which fit well with singer Paul Di'Anno's style, both vocally and visually. Song quality alternates between good and very good, with one great track (see below) and one not-so-good track (Charlotte the Harlot). Mascot Eddie the 'Edd ('Edd, as in Head... get it?) also makes his first official appearance, and has graced every album cover since. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Remember Tomorrow

Dance of Death (2003) - 80.43

The band's "worst" album is still better than almost 1,300 other albums I've rated. All the songs are good, but only No More Lies really stands out. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: No More Lies

Top Ten - 1992

2009-11-04T22:57:00.004-05:00

Another relatively small list containing only 35 album ratings. As I mentioned in my other mid-90s Top Ten posts, Grunge was ruling the rock scene, which limited albums that appeal to me. Speaking of which, I'm sure many of you noticed (and maybe vehemently disagreed with) my rating of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. I've read other reviews of this album -- it's a classic; a 10/10 rating, etc. -- but this style of metal just doesn't work for me.

1992 Top Ten:
89.83 -- Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
89.64 -- Dream Theater - Images and Words
88.02 -- War Babies - War Babies
87.10 -- Running Wild - Pile of Skulls
86.56 -- Saxon - Forever Free
86.00 -- Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider
83.81 -- Rage - Trapped!
83.67 -- Demon - Blow Out
83.67 -- Testament - The Ritual
82.90 -- Warrior Soul - Salutations from the Ghetto Nation

Other 1992 releases:
82.49 -- Killers - Murder One
82.43 -- Anthem - Domestic Booty
82.22 -- Damn Yankees - Don't Tread
80.83 -- Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark
78.92 -- Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer
78.63 -- Jackyl - Jackyl
78.38 -- Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
77.17 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Fire and Ice
76.11 -- McAuley Schenker Group - MSG
76.06 -- Faith No More - Angel Dust
75.71 -- Cozy Powell - The Drums are Back
75.31 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Eternal Prisoner
74.08 -- Pretty Maids - Sin-Decade
73.52 -- Motörhead - March ör Die
73.15 -- Kiss - Revenge
72.31 -- UFO - High Stakes & Dangerous Men
72.02 -- Wildside - Under the Influence
70.77 -- Stratovarius - Twilight Time
70.72 -- Hardline - Double Eclipse
69.18 -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Black Moon
67.24 -- Alice in Chains - Dirt
64.42 -- Manowar - The Triumph of Steel
63.54 -- Def Leppard - Adrenalize
61.83 -- Manilla Road - The Circus Maximus
50.94 -- Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

Let the Music Do the Talking...

2009-11-03T21:34:00.001-05:00

As I create and post my lists, I sometimes find myself at odds with the ratings. I'll look at an album that I know I like a lot and wonder why it's not rated higher. But that's an emotional trap that I need keep reminding myself to avoid. Remember, the idea behind my ratings is to be objective, not subjective. I'm evaluating the entire album, not just my favorite songs off the album. Sometimes it's difficult to avoid placing too much emphasis on those favorite songs, and I have to admit I've occassionally tweaked some ratings to satisfy an emotional attachment to an album.

I don't intend for anyone, including me, to get caught up in the numbers. They're a guide, a compass, pointing you in the direction of music I like, and by extension (if you're reading this), music I think you'll like.

I have some books on music reviews* that I found to be invaluable when looking for new bands or albums. Their value lies in the fact that my tastes are similar to the author's. When I bought the books, I immediately read about albums I have and like a lot, and about albums I heard and didn't like. I figured if the author has similar thoughts about these albums, then when I read about an unfamiliar album, I can trust his judgement. Did I agree with all of his reviews? Of course not. But I agreed often enough to use them to discover a lot of new, excellent music.

* "The Collector's Guide To Heavy Metal Volume 1: The Seventies" and "The Collectors Guide To Heavy Metal Volume 2: The Eighties" by Martin Popoff.

This is how I hope you'll use my blog: Check out the ratings. If they're in the same ballpark as albums you like (or hate), then our tastes may be similar. And if so, maybe you can use the ratings of unfamiliar albums to discover your own new, excellent music.

Top Ten (+15) - Albums by Swedish Bands

2009-11-02T22:34:00.005-05:00

I rated 104 albums by 39 Swedish bands, but six bands (Hammerfall, Krokus, Morgana Lefay, Nostradameus, Tad Morose and Yngwie Malmsteen) are responsible for half of the releases. As always, there are a few items of interest here. Although newer music dominates the list (16 of the 25 albums were released in 2000 or later), Krokus placed four albums in the top 25. No other band has more than two. And Sweden's (arguably) most popular musical export, Yngwie Malmsteen, has only one album in my top 25, but that may change after I rate the rest of his discography.

Top 25 Albums:

90.12 -- Krokus - Headhunter (1983)
90.18 -- Wolf - Black Wings (2002)
90.00 -- Trettioåriga Kriget - Trettioåriga Kriget (1974)
89.36 -- Grand Magus - Iron Will (2008)
89.28 -- Silver Mountain - Shakin' Brains (1983)
88.96 -- Lefay - Symphony Of the Damned (1999)
88.56 -- Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi (2004)
88.14 -- Wolf - The Black Flame (2006)
87.36 -- Overdrive - Let the Metal Do the Talking (2008)
87.35 -- Lion’s Share - Dark Hours (2009)
86.47 -- Silver Mountain - Breakin' Chains (2001)
86.39 -- Tad Morose - Undead (2000)
86.39 -- Hammerfall - Glory to the Brave (1997)
86.04 -- Krokus - Metal Rendez-vous (1980)
85.97 -- Morgana Lefay - Sanctified (1995)
85.65 -- Persuader - The Hunter (2000)
85.28 -- Hammerfall - No Sacrifice, No Victory (2009)
85.22 -- Dogface - In Control (2002)
85.07 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force (1984)
85.04 -- Lost Horizon - A Flame from the Ground Beneath (2003)
84.96 -- Krokus - Hellraiser (2006)
84.65 -- Dream Evil - Dragon Slayer (2002)
84.52 -- Krokus - Heart Attack (1987)
84.47 -- Persuader - Evolution Purgatory (2004)
84.29 -- Nostradameus - The Third Prophecy (2003)

Top Ten - 1993

2009-11-02T22:21:00.007-05:00

The early to mid 90s seemed to be a transitional time for hard rock and metal. Grunge was in full swing while many of today's top metal acts were either in their infancy or not yet formed. As a result, the number of releases (of the style of music I prefer) dropped significantly during this time, culminating in 1993's low of only 30 albums reviewed.

1993 Top Ten:
90.28 -- Rage - The Missing Link
90.18 -- Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine I
87.77 -- Metal Church - Hanging in the Balance
85.64 -- Candlebox - Candlebox
84.59 -- Joe Stump - Guitar Dominance!
82.58 -- W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol
82.51 -- Threshold - Wounded Land
82.00 -- Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius
81.89 -- Morgana Lefay - Secret Doctrine
81.86 -- Morgana Lefay - Knowing Just as I

Other 1993 releases:
80.89 -- Coverdale•Page - Coverdale•Page
77.98 -- Triumph - Edge of Excess
77.94 -- Aerosmith - Get A Grip
77.91 -- Pink Cream 69 - Games People Play
77.88 -- Blue Murder - Nothin' but Trouble
77.45 -- Savatage - Edge of Thorns
76.92 -- Diamond Head - Death and Progress
76.15 -- Tad Morose - Leaving the Past Behind
76.02 -- Butthole Surfers - Independent Worm Saloon
75.66 -- Deep Purple - The Battle Rages On
74.66 -- Motörhead - Bastards
73.09 -- Scorpions - Face the Heat
72.64 -- Angra - Angels Cry
72.34 -- Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus
71.62 -- Blues Traveler - Save His Soul
70.24 -- Pat Travers Band - Just a Touch
65.85 -- Praying Mantis - A Cry for the New World
65.81 -- Warrior Soul - Chill Pill
63.11 -- Pretty Maids - Stripped
58.23 -- Hawkwind - It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous

Top Ten (+15) - Albums by Canadian Bands

2009-11-01T23:13:00.006-05:00

I rated 94 albums by 29 Canadian bands, and other than Anvil taking the top two spots, what was also interesting is that just six bands (Anvil, April Wine, Pat Travers, Rush, Steppenwolf and Triumph) released almost 2/3 of those albums. I still have more albums to rate so the list may change (although I'll be surprised if anything changes among the top seven albums). By the way, if you haven't seen the documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," see it.

Update: Two April Wine albums entered the top 25, forcing Pat Travers and Annihilator off the list. I also re-evaluated Triumph's Never Surrender, and I think the new rating is more accurate.

Top 25 Albums:
90.51 -- Anvil - Metal On Metal (1982)
89.64 -- Anvil - Forged In Fire (1983)
89.57 -- Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony (2008)
89.36 -- Rush - Rush (1974)
89.32 -- Moxy - Moxy (1975)
89.16 -- Jeff Healey Band - Hell to Pay (1990)
88.47 -- Sword - Metalized (1986)
87.33 -- Triumph - Never Surrender (1982)
86.31 -- Triumph - Just A Game (1979)
86.04 -- Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984)
85.80 -- Pat Travers Band - Lookin' Up (1996)
85.66 -- Pat Travers Band - Blues Magnet (1994)
85.32 -- Anvil - Hard 'n' Heavy (1981)
85.30 -- Triumph - Allied Forces (1981)
85.21 -- Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Bachman-Turner Overdrive (1973)
84.90 -- Mahogany Rush - World Anthem (1977)
84.83 -- Pat Travers Band - Makin' Magic (1977)
84.61 -- Triumph - Rock & Roll Machine (1977)
84.41 -- Killer Dwarfs - The Killer Dwarfs (1983)
84.27 -- Mahogany Rush - Eye of the Storm (2001)
84.23 -- April Wine - The Nature of the Beast (1981)
84.21 -- Triumph - Progressions of Power (1980)
83.37 -- Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
83.20 -- Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Bachman-Turner Overdrive II (1973)
83.17 -- April Wine - Harder... Faster (1979)

Top Ten - 1994

2009-11-01T11:42:00.006-05:00

Judging by how quickly the ratings drop into the 70s and below, 1994 looks like a weak year in music. This may be misleading, though, because I only reviewd 31 albums, due in part because of the popularity of Grunge at the time. But things could change if I eventually include some of those bands.

1994 Top Ten:
89.52 -- Running Wild - Black Hand Inn
86.23 -- Savatage - Handful of Rain
85.66 -- Pat Travers Band - Blues Magnet
84.14 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Between the Walls
83.61 -- Bruce Dickinson - Balls to Picasso
83.42 -- Threshold - Psychedelicatessen
83.32 -- Warrior Soul - Space Age Playboys
83.21 -- Megadeth - Youthanasia
82.26 -- Dream Theater - Awake
82.00 -- Riot - Night Breaker

Other 1994 releases:
81.78 -- Doctor Butcher - Doctor Butcher
80.17 -- Helloween - Master of the Rings
79.74 -- Dio - Strange Highways
78.64 -- Foghat - The Return of the Boogie Men
78.11 -- Stratovarius - Dreamspace
76.95 -- Mötley Crüe - Mötley Crüe
76.00 -- Pretty Maids - Scream
74.14 -- Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes
74.09 -- Helloween - Chameleon
73.70 -- Mägo de Oz - Mägo de Oz
70.97 -- Alice Cooper - The Last Temptation
70.81 -- Fight - War of Words
70.33 -- Symphony X - Symphony X
70.18 -- Blues Traveler - Four
69.12 -- Annihilator - King of the Kill
68.05 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Seventh Sign
66.51 -- Queensrÿche - Promised Land
65.25 -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - In the Hot Seat
61.35 -- ZZ Top - Antenna
58.87 -- Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
57.09 -- Fates Warning - Inside Out

To Cry You A Song - Colors

2009-10-28T13:00:00.006-04:00

A goofy list to be sure, but what the hell. What makes this work (for me, at least) is that every song is rated 4 or higher*. And even better, three songs (Rat Bat Blue, Running, White Face, City Boy and Golden Country) are Desert Island songs.

There's a little more thought to song order here. I start with black and white, then list the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV, with a substitution of purple for indigo), then other colors, and finally the metallic colors.

*That is, every song except Why Is a Carrot More Orange than an Orange. But it was the only one I had that used the word "orange" in the title, so I didn't have much choice.

The disc isn't completely full, running "only" 62:15, but this is somewhat intentional because I didn't want to repeat any colors. If you know of any other "color" songs that I missed (tan, for example), let me know and maybe I'll add them here.

Color Tracks:
1. AC/DC - Back in Black (4:15)
2. Gillan - Running, White Face, City Boy (3:13)
3. Great White - Lady Red Light (4:54)
4. Amboy Dukes - Why Is a Carrot More Orange than an Orange (2:25)
5. Scorpions - Yellow Butterfly (5:44)
6. Judas Priest - Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown) (3:21)
7. Deep Purple - Rat Bat Blue (5:23)
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze (2:50)
9. Blackmore's Night - Under a Violet Moon (4:23)
10. Aerosmith - Pink (3:55)
11. Testament - As the Seasons Grey (6:16)
12. Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar (3:49)
13. April Wine - Silver Dollar (5:14)
14. R.E.O. Speedwagon - Golden Country (6:33)
Disc length - 62:15

Albums:
AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)
Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
Great White - Once Bitten… (1987)
Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968)
Scorpions - Eye II Eye (1999)
Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather (1979)
Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are (1973)
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (U.S.) (1967)
Blackmore's Night - Under a Violet Moon (1999)
Aerosmith - Nine Lives (1997)
Testament - The Ritual (1992)
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)
April Wine - First Glance (1978)
R.E.O. Speedwagon - T.W.O. (1972)

Spotlight On: Dust

2009-10-27T22:53:00.006-04:00

Dust was an American proto-metal band formed in the late 1960s that included Richie Wise (vocals/guitar) and teenagers Kenny Aaronson (bass and slide and steel guitars) and Marc Bell (drums). Kenny Kerner was the band's producer, manager and lyricist.

Dust released their self-titled debut album on Kama Sutra Records in 1971. Their follow-up album, Hard Attack, was released on the same label in 1972. Although the group only recorded two albums, they are highly collectible to anyone interested in early American heavy metal.

The band members and their manager all went on to other projects. Aaronson joined labelmate Stories in 1973 before continuing his career as a session bassist. Wise and Kerner teamed up and produced the third Stories album, Traveling Underground (which included Aaronson on bass and featured the #1 hit Brother Louie). The following year they produced both the self-titled Kiss debut album and their second release, Hotter than Hell. Wise would eventually become the A&R man at Scotti Brothers Records. Bell joined Richard Hell & the Voidoids then moved on to the Ramones as drummer Marky Ramone.

Album Reviews:

Dust is a good album that's difficult to classify. The mix of hard rock and prog is reflected in the individual song ratings: when the band is on, they're excellent; when they're not, the songs are OK at best. Fortunately, they're on more often than not. The first two tracks are excellent, while Love Me Hard and From a Dry Camel are no-brainer Desert Island songs.

Hard Attack features decidely heavy metal cover art by fantasy artist Frank Frazetta that immediately grabs your attention. The cover is somewhat indicative of the music within as some songs have a harder sound than the debut (particularly Pull Away/So Many Times (another no-brainer desert island disc song) and the instrumental Ivory), but the presence of the pop-styled songs probably hinted at the direction Wise and Kerner would later take their career.

If you like early 70s hard rock and proto-metal, get these albums and combine them into a single CD containing these tracks:

1. Stone Woman (4:03)

2. Chasin' Ladies (3:39)

3. Love Me Hard (5:30)

4. From a Dry Camel (9:52)

5. Pull Away - So Many Times (5:02)
6. Walk In the Soft Rain (4:25)

7. Learning to Die (6:26)

8. All In All (4:06)

9. Ivory (2:42)

10. Suicide (4:40)

Overall and individual song ratings:
Dust (76.35)
1. Stone Woman - 4
2. Chasin' Ladies - 4
3. Goin' Easy - 1
4. Love Me Hard - 6
5. From a Dry Camel - 6
6. Often Shadows Felt - 2
7. Loose Goose - 2

Hard Attack (72.52)
1. Pull Away/So Many Times - 6
2. Walk In the Soft Rain - 3
3. Thusly Spoken - 2
4. Learning to Die - 4
5. All In All - 3
6. I Been Thinkin´ - 1
7. Ivory - 5
8. How Many Horses - 1
9. Suicide - 4
10. Entranco - 2

Ratings Key:
0 - Hate It
1 - Dislike It
2 - It's Ok
3 - Like It
4 - Like It A Lot
5 - Love It
6 - Desert Island Song

Ch-Ch-Changes...

2009-10-26T12:44:00.001-04:00

Over the next couple of days I'll be making some cosmetic changes to the site (it's time-consuming adding color to the posts, but they do look better). I may or may not post anything new during this time.

In the meantime, here's a brief recap of what I've done so far (in case you recently started reading this blog):

The story behind the rating system and my top 50 albums are in the first post, From the Beginning....
I posted ratings for albums released from 2008 - 1995, and will continue doing this until 1966 or 1965, where I'll combine the remaining years (due to rating so few albums from those years). I'll post my 2009 ratings in early 2010.
I listed 500 of my favorite songs in the Rock Island storyline, which is loosely based on an old American TV show (and includes references to other shows). There are 10 references altogether. Do you think you know them all? If so, post a comment to let me know.

I have many ideas for future posts, which I hope continue to be informative and entertaining (assuming, of course, that they were informative and entertaining to begin with). However, if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Also, in case you're wondering... no, I do not post links to the albums I've rated. I know it can get expensive, but it's always best to support the artists. I hope my ratings point you to albums I think are worth buying as well as help you avoid those that are not worth your money.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Black Sabbath discography

2009-10-25T12:30:00.007-04:00

Like most bands that have been around a while, their albums range in quality. But even the worst Black Sabbath albums have merit, and if you're a fan, there's no doubt that you should own them all.

Born Again (1983) - 93.73

Ian Gillan's only album as vocalist is... wait... What? Ian Gillan? From Deep Purple? Although this sounds like an odd pairing (in fact, the deal was sealed after everyone had a bit too much to drink one night), if you ignore the atrocious cover and not-so-good production and focus instead on the sinister guitar riffs and solos, the godly metal shrieks, and the face-bashing rhythm section, you'll find Black Sabbath at their head-banging best! Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Trashed, Zero the Hero, Digital Bitch

Paranoid (1970) - 91.47

Paranoid. War Pigs. Iron Man. Electric Funeral. Fairies Wear Boots. The second album is still a metal classic almost 40 years after it was released. 'Nuff said! Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Paranoid, War Pigs, Iron Man

Tyr (1990) - 90.85

Criminally underrated. There's not a bad song to be found here. It's easily the best Black Sabbath album recorded in the past 20 years. Tony Martin's vocals won't remind you of Ozzy or Dio, but he more than holds his own on this excellent album. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Anno Mundi, The Sabbath Stones, Valhalla

Master of Reality (1971) - 90.52
The third album is a "master" piece of early metal. The only weak spot is Orchid, but because it's only a minute and a half long, I can't hold that against the album. By the way, did you know that the coughing at the beginning of Sweet Leaf is Tony Iommi after he took a drag on a joint? Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Sweet Leaf, Children of the Grave

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) - 90.18

The rating here is actually misleading as just one song, Fluff, caused it to be much lower than it could have been. A higher song rating would have made this album no worse than my second favorite, and quite possibly my favorite. Every other song is very good to excellent. Recommendation: Buy immediately!

Favorite tracks: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabbra Cadabra, Killing Yourself to Live

Heaven and Hell (1980) - 89.96

Exit Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward, enter Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice. Dio and Appice brought new blood to a stagnant band and helped them record their best album since Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Not a bad song to be found on this excellent album. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Neon Knights, Lady Evil, Heaven & Hell

Sabotage (1975) - 89.92

An excellent follow-up to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. A consistently great album with standout track Symptom of the Universe. Look for the 23-second track Blow On A Jug tacked on to the end of The Writ, which features Ozzy and Bill Ward messing around in the studio. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Symptom of the Universe

Headless Cross (1989) - 88.33

Another Tony Martin album, and again he delivers. A solid album with no weak tracks, save the intro song Gates of Hell. Listen for the Brian May guitar solo on When Death Calls. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: Headless Cross, When Death Calls

Black Sabbath (1970) - 88.31 (US version); 88.25 (UK version)

Black Sabbath began as a heavy blues-rock band called Earth, but soon renamed themselves after the title of a 1963 Italian horror film. The difference in the two ratings is due to the inclusion of a different track on the US album versus the UK album (Wicked World instead of Evil Woman). Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: The Wizard

Vol. 4 (1972) - 84.25

Another solid release. The slightly lower score is the result of a few weak tracks that keep this album from being on par with those released before and after. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: Supernaut

Eternal Idol (1987) - 83.24

The band line-up and recording of this album is a bit of a jumbled mess. There were quite a few personnel changes during the recording of this album, including vocals, which featured Ray Gillen on the original demos. But Gillen left the band before the album was finished, and they brought in Tony Martin (who they wanted previously but was unavailable) to re-record the vocals. The result is a pretty solid album overall. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite track: The Shining

The Devil You Know (2009) - 81.17

Tired of waiting for Ozzy to record with the band, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler reunited with ex-bandmates Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice to record this album. Yeah, technically they're now called Heaven and Hell, but that's just a (legal) formality. It's still a Black Sabbath album, and a pretty good one at that. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite Song: Fear

Seventh Star (1986) - 79.87

This was originally recorded as a Tony Iommi solo album, but the record company pressured him into calling it a Black Sabbath album. Glenn Hughes sang on the album, but was fired early on the tour and was replaced by Ray Gillen. Although it was never released on CD in the U.S., it's decent enough to spend the extra money on. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite tracks: In for the Kill

Dehumanizer (1992) - 78.92

I'll be honest... I had pretty much forgotten about this album prior to the Heaven and Hell reunion tour. But during the concert, they played the song "I," and I was blown away. I didn't remember the song being that good. I was wrong. The album's not bad, but the song kicks ass. Recommendation: Worth buying.

Favorite Tracks: I, TV Crimes

Cross Purposes (1994) - 74.14

Tony Martin returns, but this time the results aren't as impressive. A few above average songs are balanced by a few below-average songs, resulting in a pretty average album. Recommendation: Listen before you buy.

Favorite tracks: none

Mob Rules (1981) - 71.30

The second album featuring Dio on vocals. It has some strong tracks, but it's not nearly as good as Heaven and Hell. Cool cover painting by fantasy artist Greg Hildebrandt. Recommendation: Listen before you buy.

Favorite track: The Mob Rules

Forbidden (1995) - 68.74

Tony Martin is again on vocals, but the magic of his previous albums is nowhere to be found on this release. Consistently weak, with only Shaking Off the Chains being a decent track. Recommendation: Listen before you buy.

Favorite tracks: none

Technical Ecstasy (1976) - 67.59

The beginning of the end with Ozzy. Personal (i.e., drug) issues were causing problems within the band, and the results showed. A pretty weak effort overall. Recommendation: Listen before you buy.

Favorite track: Dirty Women

Never Say Die (1978) - 65.39

The final Ozzy album. The problems were too much to ignore and a change was needed. Perhaps the album title and song were meant to inspire hope among the band and the fans, but even though the song rocked hard, it was too little, too late. Recommendation: Listen before you buy.

Favorite track: Never Say Die

Crap Track: Break Out

(Thanks to the website www.black-sabbath.com for some of the trivia posted here.)

Rock Island - Rescued

2009-10-23T12:53:00.001-04:00

You can't exactly say you're happy to see the rescue boat arrive. Roy finally managed to rig up a solar-powered GPS transponder that signalled your location to the Hawaii coast guard, and within a few hours your adventure was over. Aside from the coconuts and fish (both of which you may never eat again), you enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, the company of great new friends, and 500 of the best songs ever recorded.

You leave the island with a great tan, your MP3 player cranked, and a huge grin on your face. The rescue team looks at you looking at Cinnamon and Ann Marie, and suddenly they understand. And they wonder to themselves... they all want to know... which one? Which song is he listening to? You'll never tell...

Top Ten - 1995

2009-10-22T23:50:00.008-04:00

Savatage tops the list of 43 albums reviewed from 1995. But this great album featured a 3 minute and 12 second song that eventually put Savatage on hold indefinitely. The popularity of "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" led to the band members forming the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which became so successful that they literally couldn't afford to put that aside in order to record another Savatage album. No matter, though. Now we can enjoy the Savatage albums as well as TSO, Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva's Pain, and Chris Caffery. Not a bad trade-off!

1995 Top Ten:
88.57 -- Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
88.10 -- Rainbow - Stranger In Us All
88.04 -- Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
87.97 -- UFO - Walk on Water
86.88 -- Rage - Black In Mind
86.61 -- Running Wild - Masquerade
86.60 -- Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
86.52 -- Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
85.97 -- Morgana Lefay - Sanctified
85.19 -- Motörhead - Sacrifice

Other 1995 releases:
84.38 -- Gov't Mule - Gov't Mule
83.97 -- Sun Red Sun - Sun Red Sun
83.69 -- Aria - Night is Shorter than Day
83.64 -- Dokken - Dysfunctional
83.34 -- Iron Maiden - X Factor
80.33 -- Krokus - To Rock or Not to Be
80.16 -- Blitzkrieg - Unholy Trinity
80.07 -- Bow Wow - Bow Wow #1
78.60 -- Stratovarius - Fourth Dimension
78.10 -- Ted Nugent - Spirit of the Wild
77.96 -- Hawkwind - Alien 4
77.35 -- Uriah Heep - Sea of Light
76.93 -- Symphony X - The Damnation Game
76.88 -- Fight - Small Deadly Space
76.56 -- Tad Morose - Sender of Thoughts
75.00 -- Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
74.99 -- Saxon - Dogs of War
74.48 -- Kamelot - Eternity
74.02 -- Van Halen - Balance
72.73 -- Pat Travers Band - Halfway to Somewhere
72.71 -- AC/DC - Ballbreaker
72.69 -- White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000
71.07 -- Praying Mantis - To the Power of Ten
70.44 -- Carmine Appice - Guitar Zeus
69.61 -- Jethro Tull - Roots to Branches
69.10 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Magnum Opus
69.08 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis
68.74 -- Black Sabbath - Forbidden
65.19 -- Edguy - The Savage Poetry
61.71 -- Blackfoot - After the Reign
55.14 -- Queen - Made In Heaven
51.45 -- Therion - Lepaca Kliffoth

To Cry You A Song - NWOBHM

2009-10-22T18:28:00.001-04:00

Here's another recurring post that I'll probably drag out longer than necessary. The idea here is my recommendation for a single CD (up to 80 minutes) containing top-rated songs based on a specific genre, year, band, country of origin, theme, etc.

I've listed the artists, songs and song times first, along with the length of the CD. Below the CD track list, I've listed the artists, albums, and years of release in case you actually want to create this CD yourself. I'll follow this same format (but with a lot less introductory crap) on subsequent posts.

My first post (as if you couldn't tell by the title) is a CD featuring New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. You've probably noticed that some famous bands are missing from this compilation. I did this intentionally so that some lesser known songs could get some attention. (And besides, I'll probably post about Iron Maiden, Saxon and Def Leppard at some point anyway; it's easy enough to create a single disc of top-rated songs by each of these bands.)

By the way, there's no real insight to the track order; I just listed the songs in order of release date. Also, I tried to stay in the early 80s, but a few songs released after this time period were much to good to ignore.

NWOBHM Tracks:
1. Angel Witch - Angel Witch (3:25)
2. Fist - You'll Never Get Me Up (In One of Those) (2:49)
3. Samson - Vice Versa (4:44)
4. Warrior - Let Battle Commence (5:01)
5. White Spirit - Midnight Chaser (5:17)
6. Diamond Head - Am I Evil? (7:42)
7. Gaskin - End of the World (3:38)
8. More - I Have No Answers (5:44)
9. Vardis - Blue Rock (I Miss You) (4:30)
10. Demon - Don't Break the Circle (4:43)
11. Raven - Ballad of Marshall Stack (5:38)
12. Savage - Let It Loose (3:17)
13. Witchfinder General - Quietus Reprise (6:29)
14. Grim Reaper - See You in Hell (4:24)
15. Blitzkrieg - Night Howl (3:30)
16. Elixir - Born Loser (4:55)
17. Jaguar - Eighties (3:49)
Disc length - 79:35

Albums:
Angel Witch - Angel Witch (1980)
Fist - Turn the Hell On (1980)
Samson - Head On (1980)
Warrior - Let Battle Commence (1980)
White Spirit - White Spirit (1980)
Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations (1981)
Gaskin - End of the World (1981)
More - Warhead (1981)
Vardis - The World's Insane (1981)
Demon - The Unexpected Guest (1982)
Raven - All for One (1983)
Savage - Loose 'n' Lethal (1983)
Witchfinder General - Friends of Hell (1983)
Grim Reaper - See You In Hell (1984)
Blitzkrieg - Ten (1996)
Elixir - The Idol (2003)
Jaguar - Run Ragged (2003)

Rock Island - Chapter Twelve

2009-10-21T12:39:00.002-04:00

Tired of the games, you decide to go for a walk. You soon discover a pussycat swallowtail butterfly, one of the rarest in the world. As you excitedly follow the butterfly, you stumble across a thermal vent. You forget the butterfly and run back to tell Roy about your discovery. Soon everyone is taking hot baths and showers, and Roy even manages to create a hot tub using spare parts from the boat and space capsule.

Everyone appreciates your discovery. Ann Marie is especially happy. One night while enjoying a soak in the tub, she asks about the rest of your music. You finish the list:

Socrates Drank the Conium - It's a Disgusting World
Spirit - I Got a Line on You
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Change It
Styx - Lady; Lorelei; Miss America; Blue Collar Man; Renegade
Sweet - Restless; Ballroom Blitz; Fox on the Run; Action; The Lies In Your Eyes; White Mice
Ted Nugent - Stranglehold; Writing on the Wall; Hammerdown; Cat Scratch Fever; Smokescreen; Rawdogs and Warhogs
Ten Years After - I'm Coming On; Standing at the Station
The Nice - Rondo
The Seeds - Pushin' too Hard
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
Thin Lizzy - The Rocker; Angel of Death
Tiger B. Smith - To Hell
Toad - Thoughts
Triumph - Ordinary Man; Too Much Thinking
Truth and Janey - Down the Road I Go; Remember a. A Child b. Building Walls
Tucky Buzzard - Which Way, When For Why
UFO - Doctor Doctor; Rock Bottom; Let It Roll; Mother Mary; This Kid's (incl. Between the Walls); Too Hot to Handle; Lights Out; Love to Love; Chains, Chains; Long Gone; Makin' Moves
Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself; Easy Livin'; The Magician's Birthday; Sell Your Soul; Red Lights; Cry Freedom; Against the Odds; Between Two Worlds; Overload
Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil; Eruption; You Really Got Me; D.O.A.; And the Cradle Will Rock...; Everybody Wants Some!!; Where Have All the Good Times Gone!
Warhorse - Burning
Wind - Dear Little Friend
Zebra - Tell Me What You Want; Who's Behind the Door?; Wait Until the Summer's Gone; Arabian Nights

You're alone with Ann Marie. She catches you staring at her. She smiles. You smile back. Life is very good.