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)