Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word...

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

Classic rock bands dominated the 67 albums I rated from 1979. But if you look closely, you'll find some New Wave of British 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...

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...

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)

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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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