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

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

You Wanted the Best...

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)

To Cry You A Song - Trains

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)

To Cry You A Song - Colors

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)

Top Ten - 1996

1996 might have been a down year in rock and metal. Or I just haven't gotten around to listening to many albums from that year. Whatever the case, I've only reviewed 28 albums, so the numbers are not impressive at all. The drop into lower ratings happens quickly, and more than half the bands shown are below a rating of 80. That doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid these albums, but it may be best to try before you buy.

1996 Top Ten:
87.13 -- Stratovarius - Episode
85.72 -- Blitzkrieg - Ten
83.84 -- Morgana Lefay - Maleficium
83.18 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Black Moon Pyramid
82.81 -- Riot - The Brethren of the Long House
82.67 -- Helloween - The Time of the Oath
82.58 -- Randy Holden - Guitar God
82.22 -- Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
82.21 -- Molly Hatchet - Devil's Canyon
81.02 -- Joe Stump - Supersonic Shred Machine

Other 1996 releases:
80.76 -- Rage - End of All Days
80.33 -- Dio - Angry Machines
79.66 -- Motörhead - Overnight Sensation
79.58 -- Deep Purple - Purpendicular
79.30 -- Bow Wow - Led by the Sun
78.95 -- Metallica - Load
78.38 -- Bruce Dickinson - Skunkworks
77.54 -- Angra - Holy Land
77.47 -- Manowar - Louder than Hell
77.06 -- Mägo de Oz - Jesús de Chamberí
75.84 -- Warrior Soul - Fucker
75.09 -- Michael Schenker Group - Written in the Sand
71.35 -- Anvil - Plugged In Permanent
67.26 -- ZZ Top - Rhythmeen
64.36 -- W.A.S.P. - Still Not Black Enough
61.40 -- Def Leppard - Slang
60.65 -- Scorpions - Pure Instinct
58.19 -- Rhea's Obsession - Initiation

Rock Island - Chapter Eight

Early one morning, you decide to take a walk around the island. As the sun rises, you see what looks like a meteor heading directly for the island. You run to the edge of a cliff to look for it. Instead, you see a space capsule. An astronaut is rubbing sand from what looks like a bottle. When he opens it, smoke pours out and suddenly a beautiful girl is standing in front of him. You rub your eyes and pinch yourself, thinking you're still in bed dreaming. When you open your eyes again, the pair is flying off in a helicopter. Confused, you walk back to your hut.

You tell Roy about your story, and he is curious about it, but Ann Marie clearly thinks you were hallucinating. She tries to change the subject, but nothing works until she asks you about other songs on your MP3 player. You pick up where you left off:

• Deep Purple - Hush; Kentucky Woman; Bird has Flown; Child In Time; Flight of the Rat; Hard Lovin' Man; Fireball; No One Came; Highway Star; Pictures of Home; Smoke On the Water; Space Truckin'; Rat Bat Blue; Burn; Sail Away; Stormbringer; This Time Around - Owed to 'G'; Knocking at Your Back Door; Perfect Strangers; The Spanish Archer; Strangeways; Anya; Soon Forgotten; Sun Goes Down
• Doors - Break on Through (To the Other Side); Light My Fire; Strange Days; When the Music's Over; Not to Touch the Earth; Love Her Madly; L.A. Woman; L'America; Riders on the Storm; Ships w/Sails
• Dust - Love Me Hard; From a Dry Camel; Pull Away/So Many Times
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Barbarian
• Foghat - I Just Want to Make Love to You; Slow Ride
• Food Brain - That Will Do
• Foreigner - Long, Long Way From Home
• Fuzzy Duck - Mrs. Prout
• Gillan - Mr. Universe; Are You Sure?; Sleeping On the Job; On the Rocks; Running, White Face, City Boy; For Your Dreams; I'll Rip Your Spine Out; Driving Me Wild; Demon Driver
• Golden Earring - Radar Love; Kill Me (Ce Soir); Twilight Zone
• Grand Funk - Heartbreaker; Inside Looking Out; We're an American Band; Shinin' On; Bad Time; Dues; Out to Get You
• Granicus - Prayer
• Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Talking about music is a good distraction from the day's events, but it's time to stop, knowing that there are other songs for another day.

Top Ten - 1998

Two non English-singing bands made the 1998 top ten list. I do like both bands a lot, even if I can't sing along to the songs. There are many big names among the 43 albums rated for that year, and while most released albums worth buying (or at least worth considering), there were a few notable duds.

1998 Top Ten:
91.18 -- Iced Earth - Something Wicked this Way Comes
89.74 -- Helloween - Better than Raw
89.18 -- Mägo de Oz - La Leyenda de la Mancha
88.59 -- Molly Hatchet - Silent Reign of Heroes
87.81 -- Savatage - Wake of Magellan
85.47 -- Iron Maiden - Virtual XI
84.96 -- Joe Stump - Rapid Fire Rondo
84.67 -- Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus
84.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
84.00 -- Aria - Generation of Evil

Other 1998 releases:
83.97 -- Angra - Fireworks
83.80 -- Riot - Inishmore
83.52 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Heaven Forbid
83.35 -- Running Wild - The Rivalry
82.84 -- Stratovarius - Destiny
81.22 -- Threshold - Clone
80.64 -- Kiss - Psycho Circus
80.46 -- Blackmore's Night - Shadow of the Moon
79.84 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans of Time
79.52 -- Vanderhoof - Vanderhoof
79.27 -- Iron Savior - Unification
79.10 -- Edguy - Vain Glory Opera
79.04 -- Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied
78.67 -- Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
78.64 -- Balance of Power - Book of Secrets
76.84 -- Monster Magnet - Powertrip
76.46 -- Blitzkrieg - The Mists of Avalon
76.46 -- Nightwish - Oceanborn
76.15 -- Angel Dust - Border of Reality
75.92 -- Rage - XIII
75.79 -- Gov't Mule - Dose
75.06 -- Kamelot - Dominion
74.94 -- Kamelot - Siege Perilous
74.23 -- Brainstorm - Unholy
73.56 -- Motörhead - Snake Bite Love
72.54 -- Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings
71.21 -- Therion - Vovin
70.27 -- Whitesnake - Restless Heart
68.55 -- Anvil - Speed of Sound
68.23 -- Praying Mantis - Forever in Time
68.21 -- Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
60.93 -- Deep Purple - Abandon
59.79 -- Van Halen - Van Halen III

Rock Island - Chapter Four

You realize the snobby couple isn't so bad (even though the guy sounds strangely like Mr. Magoo, who you never really cared for). His wife (her name is Dovey) appears to be a bit tipsy more often than not, and more than once you've helped walk her back to her hut, wondering where she hides the alcohol.

"Do you play any instruments?" Ann Marie asks the next day. "Only air guitar," you lamely answer. She laughs (a little too politely, you think), but you recover well after you tell her that Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Doors, Cream, Kiss, Led Zeppelin and The Who are on your MP3 player. You also mention you have obscure bands like Buffalo, Captain Beyond, Dust, Toad and Warhorse. She's interested in hearing them. "Maybe being stuck here isn't so bad," you think.

Top Ten (+ 15) - Albums by British Bands

Almost 1/3 of the albums I've rated are by British bands. Because of that (the total is 611, by the way), I'm going to post my top 25 British albums. There are only 13 different bands listed here, a result of a few bands being listed more than once. Black Sabbath leads everyone with four albums, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and Gillan are next with three each, and Saxon, Sweet and Uriah Heep all have two albums in the Top 25. Also interesting is that most albums were recorded in the 70s and 80s, while only 4 were recorded in 1990 or later.

Top 25 Albums:
98.14 -- Deep Purple - In Rock (1970)
97.98 -- Rainbow - Rising (1976)
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)
91.90 -- Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983)
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)
91.11 -- Gillan - Glory Road (1980)
91.00 -- Sweet - Desolation Boulevard (US version) (1974)
90.86 -- Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)
90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr (1990)
90.82 -- Elixir - The Idol (2003)
90.71 -- Deep Purple - Fireball (US) (1971)
90.64 -- Gillan - Future Shock (1981)
90.57 -- Gillan - Double Trouble (1981)
90.55 -- Saxon - Metalhead (1999)
90.52 -- Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)
90.48 -- Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations (1981)
90.45 -- Saxon - Power and the Glory (1973)
90.39 -- Uriah Heep - Salisbury (1971)
90.27 -- More - Blood & Thunder (1982)

Top Ten - 2003

I rated 61 albums from 2003. This was an interesting year that featured two old NWOBHM bands at or near the top of the list and some of the worst-rated CDs overall at the bottom of the list. Overall, 2003 was an very strong year, with many good to excellent Classic Rock and Prog/Power Metal releases.



2003 Top Ten:

90.82 -- Elixir - The Idol
89.64 -- Dark Moor - Dark Moor
89.17 -- Jaguar - Run Ragged
88.49 -- Seven Witches - Passage to the Other Side
88.14 -- Helloween - Rabbit Don't Come Easy
87.44 -- Firewind - Burning Earth
87.28 -- Burning Point - Feeding the Flames
87.19 -- Dream Theater - Train of Thought
86.62 -- Dark Moor - Between Light & Darkness
86.58 -- Shaman - Ritual

Other 2003 releases:
86.47 -- Aria - Baptism by Fire
86.32 -- Circle II Circle - Watching In Silence
86.10 -- Brainstorm - Soul Temptation
85.84 -- Rage - Soundchaser
85.63 -- Mägo de Oz - Gaia
85.19 -- Stratovarius - Elements Pt. 2
85.04 -- Lost Horizon - A Flame from the Ground Beneath
85.04 -- Labyrinth - Labyrinth
84.29 -- Nostradameus - The Third Prophecy
84.28 -- The Yardbirds - Birdland
84.03 -- Michael Schenker Group - Arachnophobiac
83.92 -- Tierra Santa - Indomable
83.74 -- Rob Rock - Eyes of Eternity
83.44 -- Stratovarius - Elements Pt. 1
83.17 -- Red Wine - Sueños Y Locura
82.25 -- Joe Stump - Armed and Ready
82.11 -- Gun Barrel - Battle-Tested
81.86 -- David Shankle Group - Ashes to Ashes
81.79 -- Cage - Darker than Black
80.80 -- Masterplan - Masterplan
80.63 -- Alkemyst - Meeting In the Mist
80.43 -- Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
80.40 -- Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild
79.94 -- Cryonic Temple - Blood, Guts & Glory
79.93 -- Galloglass - Legends from Now and Nevermore
79.45 -- The Lizards - The Lizards Rule
78.68 -- Mystic Prophecy - Regressus
78.63 -- Kamelot - Epica
77.08 -- Alice Cooper - The Eyes of Alice Cooper
76.88 -- Saracen - Red Sky
76.79 -- Dario Mollo / Tony Martin - Cage 2
76.25 -- Platitude - Secrets of Life
74.86 -- Derek Sherinian - Black Utopia
74.66 -- Nemesis - Goddess of Revenge
74.46 -- Taraxacum - Rainmaker
74.21 -- Krokus - Rock the Block
73.87 -- Exhibition - The Sign of Tomorrow
73.09 -- Deep Purple - Bananas
73.07 -- Zebra - Zebra IV
73.00 -- Blackmore's Night - Ghost of A Rose
71.73 -- Twilight - Born Undivine
71.67 -- Styx - Cyclorama
71.61 -- Arachnes - Primary Fear
71.31 -- Chinchilla - Madtropolis
70.60 -- Wizard - Odin
66.53 -- ZZ Top - Mescalero
63.88 -- Praying Mantis - The Journey Goes On
62.78 -- Jethro Tull - The Christmas Album
57.29 -- Queensrÿche - Tribe
37.04 -- Metallica - St. Anger
32.26 -- Seventh Seal - The Black Dragon's Eyes

Top Ten - 2006

I rated 46 albums released in 2006. Quite a few classic rock artists returned with new efforts and mixed results. Once again, some lesser-known bands cracked the top ten, and you should probably get to know them. (Note: Due to some recent reviews, the Top Ten changed with the addition of both an Anthem and Wolf album).

2006 Top Ten:
90.97 -- Aria - Armageddon
90.85 -- Metal Church - Light In the Dark
89.30 -- Heavenly - Virus
88.88 -- Anthem - Immortal
88.63 -- Elixir - Mindcreeper
88.14 -- Wolf - The Black Flame
87.70 -- Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
86.92 -- Pretty Maids - Wake Up to the Real World
85.93 -- Benedictum - Uncreation
85.81 -- Axxis - Paradise in Flames

Other 2006 releases:
85.80 -- Rage - Speak of the Dead
85.47 -- Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
85.30 -- Firewind - Allegiance
84.96 -- Krokus - Hellraiser
84.81 -- Sir Lord Baltimore - III Raw
83.77 -- Bloodbound - Nosferatu
83.55 -- Astral Doors - Astralism
83.25 -- Hammerfall - Threshold
83.11 -- Manticora - The Black Circus, Pt. 1: Letters
82.55 -- Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas
82.48 -- Mob Rules - Ethnolution A.D.
82.06 -- Riot - Army of One
81.66 -- Tierra Santa - Mejor Morir En Pie
81.17 -- Edguy - Rocket Ride
79.76 -- Iron Fire - Revenge
79.52 -- Cactus - V
79.46 -- Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear
76.80 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime II
76.47 -- Circle II Circle - Burden of Truth
76.39 -- Eddie Ojeda - Axes 2 Axes
75.83 -- Persuader - When Eden Burns
75.74 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
75.22 -- Budgie - You're All Living in Cuckooland
74.37 -- Andy Timmons - Resolution
74.36 -- Blackmore's Night - The Village Lanterne
73.96 -- Angra - Aurora Consurgens
73.95 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings
73.16 -- UFO - The Monkey Puzzle
72.28 -- Motörhead - Kiss of Death
70.68 -- Empire - Raven Ride
69.30 -- Dominus Praelii - Bastards and Killers
65.72 -- Wizard's Hymn - Hymnal
65.21 -- Felony - First Works
62.64 -- Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols
61.98 -- Deep Purple - Rapture of the Deep
60.96 -- The Who - Endless Wire