Great Rock Albums of 1985: John Fogerty- Centerfield

 

In March of 1985, I almost won a free copy of "Centerfield," from former CCR lead singer and guitarist John Fogerty. The local radio station was giving away a free copy of the album to the second caller. I immediately rang the station and got through, unfortunately I was the first caller, damn! As a result, I had to cough up the money and buy the album but after hearing it, the expense was well worth it.

One big question on many people's minds was how much would the album sound like Credence Clearwater Revival? The answer is rather complex. There is definitely the CCR influence on several of the songs, "Big Train (From Memphis) is a prime example. It reminds me of many of the songs on CCR's album "Willy and the Poor Boys." "I Saw it On TV" is another good example of the CCR influence. But and this is a big but, the lyrics of the song are about modern times and how we are supposed to take everything we see on television as the blind truth. I like to think it's a dig at 80s Regan America, which is something I tried to do when writing "Rock and Roll Children."

On the flip side, there are songs which I believe John put his own stamp on free from the influence of his former band, for the most part anyway. Two of those were released as singles, "Rock and Roll Girl" and my favourite track on the album which is also the title track. I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, though I do play softball, the lyrics still move me and make me want to put take the bat and ball out and hit a few. Another I guess you could call a Fogerty Special, is "Mr Greed," where he shows he can play lead guitar a little.

Of all the songs which are or not CCR influences, the one that incorporates both very well is the album opener and first single, "The Old Man Down the Road." This is probably why it did so well in the charts. It reminds us old CCR fans that he hasn't gone too far away from his roots but offers something new to the then younger crowd who might have branded John as some sort of ageing hippy. After all, Ronald Regan's greatest success as president in the 1980s was to demonize the 1960s. Sorry, I digress but what John did was take what he had done before and mix it with something new and make a good soft rock album.

Track Listing:

1. The Old Man Down the Road
2. Rock And Roll Girl
3. Big Train (From Memphis)
4. I Saw It On TV
5. Mr Greed
6. Searchlight
7. Centerfield
8. I Can't Help Myself
9. Zanz Kant Danz

[caption id="attachment_4667" align="aligncenter" width="263"] John Fogerty[/caption]

John Fogerty- lead vocals, lead guitar

Rockin' Sydney Simien- accordion

Willy T- saxophone

Kip Basque- rhythm guitar

Mark Miller- bass

Warren Storm- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc

John Fogerty established himself as a true solo artist in 1985 with his album "Centerfield." What he did was take the country rock sound of his former band and threw in some tricks of his own. The combination made a great album.

Next post: Giuffria

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1985: John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band- Tough All Over

 

Jon Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band was probably the biggest flash in the pan in 1985 but that didn't stop their album, "Tough All Over," from being good. Their first act of notoriety was to have a couple of songs, which they're more known for on the soundtrack of the film "Eddie and the Cruisers." Most of you who were living in the USA around this time might remember their two hits from that soundtrack, "On the Dark Side" and "The Warm Tender Years." In fact, the band has been so identified with that film that many people thought that the title of the film was the actual name of the band. No, Eddie and the Cruisers has always been a fictitious band from the film. I've never seen the film but I have heard that there is a scene filmed along a road called Bay Avenue in Somers Point, NJ, where I lived for a year and was the next town over after I moved. Maybe I should watch it.

[caption id="attachment_4659" align="aligncenter" width="359"] A shot of Bay Avenue in Somers Point[/caption]

"Tough All Over" was the John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown's attempt to break away from their association with the film and prove they could make good music on their own. In my most humble opinion, the album does prove that they are capable of making good music without the aid of a movie soundtrack. This is a good progressive, melodic rock album and I can definitely hear the comparisons made to Bruce Springsteen at the time. The best example of this is "Dixieland," which starts with a cool sax solo but the entire song, the tempo, the vocals all permeate Bruce Springsteen. Many of the other tracks follow this vein but not quite as pronounced as "Dixieland."

While Bruce might be an influence here, there is enough to say that the band aren't just clones of the Boss. The title track and "Where the Action is" are catchy melodic rock vibes that can go on inside your head after the song finishes. "More Than Just One of the Boys" has a good opening riff and speaking of openers, "Voice of America's Sons" does the job very well. The final two tracks are more bluesy mellower tunes but they do end the album okay. So, what you get here is a good melodic feel good rock album which doesn't have me pining for any past soundtracks.

Track Listing:

1. Voice of America's Sons
2. Tough All Over
3. C-I-T-Y
4. Where the Action Is
5. Dixieland
6. Strangers in Paradise
7. Small Town Girl
8. More Than Just One of the Boys
9. Tex-Mex(Crystal Blue)

[caption id="attachment_4660" align="aligncenter" width="334"] John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band[/caption]

John Cafferty- lead vocals, guitar

Gary Gramolini- lead guitar

Patrick Lupo- bass

Kenny Jo Silva- drums

Bobby Catoia- piano, keyboards, synthesizers

Michael 'Tunes' Antunes- saxophone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTH95pc12Bs

And I thought I'd throw in a classic from Eddie and the Cruisers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgIsyoxZ7Uw

Was it the association with the film? Was it because some thought they sounded too much like Bruce Springsteen? Or was it because that in 1985, the music world was divulging too much into synth pop and metal and there was no room for a straightforward melodic rock band? Whatever the reason, although I now know they had an album in 1988, I never heard from John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band again. However, this album "Tough All Over" was good enough for me to remember it after so many years.

Next post: John Fogerty- Centerfield

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at:tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1985: The Firm

 

For a good number of people in 1985, The Firm were considered a disappointment. This was because many people, including yours truly, thought that a band with both Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page in it was going to be some sort of Led Zeppelin/Bad Company hybrid. The Firm's debut album certainly wasn't that. What Rodgers and Page did was make their own unique music with the help of a great rhythm section featuring Tony Franklin and Chris Slade.

The album's first single, "Radioactive," put many metalheads off exploring them more. This is a shame because I knew that there would be better things to come on the album and I was right. This is not to say that there isn't anything wrong with "Radioactive," it's a good song in it's own right. It was just the fact that many people were expecting the song to be the love child of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Bad Company" and "Radioactive" doesn't come close. I still like the song.

Once one has thrown away their expectations of what they thought this album was going to sound like and listen to it with an open mind, one would find that it's a damn good album. Okay, it's definitely not heavy metal, more of a straight forward rock album and if you listen closely, you can still hear some Bad Company influence. Especially in the songs "Make or Break, which is the hidden gem and "Satisfaction Guaranteed." Furthermore, while Jimmy Page doesn't nail down the solos like in the old Zeppelin classics like "Stairway" or "Whole Lotta Love," he still shows he can wail on the guitar. It's just with The Firm, it's not as pronounced like it was with his former band. "Money Can't Buy" is a fine example.

Proof that Rodgers, Page, Franklin and Slade were determined to forge their own path in the rock world is their cover of the Righteous Brothers classic, "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling." The coolest part in the song is Jimmy's guitar solo supported by Tony on the fretless bass, good stuff. Also, Paul's vocals are as good as ever on every song on this album.

Track Listing:

1. Closer
2. Make or Break
3. Someone to Love
4. Together
5. Radioactive
6. You Lost That Lovin' Feeling
7. Money Can't Buy
8. Satisfaction Guaranteed
9. Midnight Moonlight

Paul Rodgers- lead vocals, guitars

Jimmy Page- lead guitar

Tony Franklin- bass, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals

Chris Slade- drums, percussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfng9F8hqM

Does anyone have a time machine I could borrow? If so, I would like to go back in time and say to all of those people who rejected The Firm back in 1985 because they didn't sound like former bands, "Look, they're not like Bad Company or Led Zeppelin, get over it!" Because their first album shows what they can do on their own.

Next post: John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band- Tough All Over

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com  

Great Rock Albums of 1985: David Lee Roth- Crazy From the Heat

 

Here's a thought, I wonder if David Lee Roth had some sort of deal with MTV back in 1984 and 85. The first video shown on the channel in 1984 was  the debut video for Van Halen's "Jump." One year later, the first video shown in the new year for 1985 was from the video from David's solo album, "Crazy From the Heat," the Beach Boys' classic, "California Girls." This seems too much of a coincidence for me and I wonder if David did have some sort of deal with MTV.

The first noticeable thing about "California Girls" is that it sounds nothing like the Beach Boys nor Van Halen. David puts his own spin on the song and I think he does a very good job on it. That is if you cast aside the predictable girls in bikinis video for the song. He sings very well on not just this but all songs even if sometimes one can't take him seriously. On the other three songs on this four song EP, he departs even further from what he did with Van Halen and heavy metal in general.

With two of the remaining three songs, David tries to be a 1940s era type big band singer. Always being more the showman as opposed to the singer, his personality does burst through more than his vocal ability but he does sing very well on it. Full credit, he's a more versatile singer than what he was often given credit for back then or even today. As for the final song, "Coconut Grove" I have always had trouble getting into that one but the reason is not down to David. Three of the four songs are good for me and it doesn't matter that the entire EP is less than fourteen minutes.

Track Listing:

1. Easy Street
2. Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
3. California Girls
4. Coconut Grove

[caption id="attachment_4646" align="aligncenter" width="328"] David Lee Roth[/caption]

David Lee Roth- vocals

Dean Parks- guitar on "Coconut Grove"

Eddie Martinez, Sid McGinnis- guitars

Willie Weeks- bass

John Robinson- drums

Sammy Figueroa- percussion

James Newton Howard- keyboards on "Coconut Grove"

Edgar Winter- keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals on tracks 1&2

Brian Mann- keyboards

Carl Wilson, Christopher Cross- backing vocals on "California Girls"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GMoLENWsSk

David Lee Roth's debut solo album sparked a lot of rumours in regards to his relationship with Van Halen. It has been said that the success of "Crazy From the Heat" inspired him to go solo. Maybe it did. All I know that this is a cool little album.

Next post: The Firm

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Yngwie J. Malmsteen- Rising Force

 

The last of the 1984 albums that didn't come to my attention until 1985 and it wasn't until May of said year that I was treated to this one. I remember it well, fairly well anyway. I was sitting in the cafeteria of my local glorified high school, (community college), when a friend offered me a listen on his walkman saying, "I think you'll like this." He was right, I did like it. It was the opening track to the "Rising Force" album by Swedish guitar god, Yngwie J Malmsteen. It was said that the J is there so we won't confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the world.

"Black Star" the opening track I mentioned changed my entire outlook on guitar instrumentals, which was a hard thing to do because I have always had great admiration for masters of the axe. It was just the way that then 21 year old Yngwie made the guitar scream and bend to his will as he played that had me totally hypnotized. "Black Star" was simply the perfect introduction for me and apparently, he still plays it live.

One criticism aimed at guitar albums is that all of the tracks sound the same. Yes, I know, complete hogwash but if anyone says it to you, then you can point them to this album. All of the tracks are original and unique as Yngwie strains his guitars to fit the sound of each song. Whether it's the faster paced "Far Beyond the Sun," it is rumoured he still plays that one live too or the classical sounding "Icarus's Dream Sweet Opus 4," Yngwie delivers a unique sound every time.

While the guitarist is the main attraction here, you must give credit to the supporting cast. Jens Johansson premieres his keyboard skills on the album and shows he is very good at what he does. One must also give credit to drummer Barriemore Barlow. He has to keep up with a guitarist who can change direction at any time and often does so. And while there are only two vocal tracks on the album, it was here where I got my first experience of Jeff Scott Soto. Even with very little vocal opportunity, he shows he's got the pipes. Fortunately, he would be given more opportunity on future albums as "As Above, So Below" is proof that Jeff and Yngwie made a very good combination. See, if it hadn't been for Danny Vaughn, Jeff would have been my vocalist of choice for the 80sMetalman Band of Underrated Musicians.

Track Listing:

1. Black Star
2. Far Beyond the Sun
3. Now Your Ships Are Burned
4. Evil Eye
5. Icarus's Dream, Sweet Opus 4
6. As Above, So Below
7. Little Savage
8. Farewell

[caption id="attachment_2962" align="aligncenter" width="194"] Yngwie Malmsteen[/caption]

Yngwie Malmsteen- guitars, bass, Moog Taurus

Jens Johansson- keyboards

Jeff Scott Soto- vocals

Barriemore Barlow- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blNQZc84Q5c

In the later years, I would learn all about Yngwie's over inflated ego and how he doesn't play nice with others but that's in the future. What I knew in May 1985 was that he could rip a guitar, which he does extremely well on his debut album.

Next post: David Lee Roth- Crazy From the Heat

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Dokken- Tooth and Nail

 

Although released in 1984, it took a long time before Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" album finally got some notice. For me, it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. By March of 1985, heavy metal got little or no airplay on commercial radio or MTV save for two singles from this album. The first one, "Alone Again," is number ten on my all time favourite power ballads list. I can't describe it but the song just kicks ass.

It's not just the power ballad that makes "Tooth and Nail" my all time favourite Dokken album. Just so happens that it also contains my all time favourite Dokken song, "You Just Got Lucky." While they were being accused of becoming another glam metal band, this song proved to the world they could still play. I just love how George Lynch works his guitar magic on the song and Don Dokken does a straight forward clean vocal performance. While rumours of these two men totally hating each other were rife even then, this song shows how well they put their differences aside when it mattered.

"Tooth and Nail" has some other great metal tunes on it as well. The title cut is the closest thing to thrash the band will ever come to, a very powerful song. "Heartless Heart" doesn't shy away from being a great metal tune although the harmonizing vocals begin to remind me of what they would do on future albums but fortunately, this time, I'm able to go back in my mind to 1985 and forget all that. "Don't Close Your Eyes" offers up more of the same. Great power chords and vocals with some fine, fancy guitar work and that guitar work continues many-fold on "When Heaven Comes Down." That's a hard, grindy type of song with a cool guitar solo.

"Into the Fire" was the first single released from the album and thinking back to late 1984, I don't remember hearing it on any commercial media. Maybe it was too heavy amid the backlash against heavy metal that was starting. What I know is that I like it and as much as I sing the praises of George's guitar capabilities, I never fully appreciated how great he really was. After another great rocker, "Bullets to Spare," comes the forementioned power ballad. The thing is that on my first few listens, I thought that maybe "Alone Again" should have been the closer but the way the actual closer, "Turn on the Action," ends, there is no need to swap things around. The album is good as it is.

Track Listing:

1. Without Warning
2. Tooth and Nail
3. You Just Got Lucky
4. Heartless Heart
5. Don't Close Your Eyes
6. When Heaven Comes Down
7. Into the Fire
8. Bullets to Spare
9. Alone Again
10. Turn on the Action

[caption id="attachment_4629" align="aligncenter" width="278"] Dokken[/caption]

Don Dokken- lead vocals

George Lynch- guitars

Jeff Pilson- bass, backing vocals

Mick Brown- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c6tYOoyA7k

The "Tooth and Nail" album from Dokken brought a little sunshine to what was a dour early 1985, musically. While it's always been my favourite Dokken album, I think I like it even more these days.

Next Music Post: Yngwie Malmsteen- Rising Force

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Metal For Breakfast

 

Welcome to the first heavy metal compilation album I bought. It was early February 1985 when I saw "Metal For Breakfast" at my local record store. Since I often used to feel like the way the dude on the cover looks, I thought it was worth a look. When I flipped to the back cover of the album and saw who was actually on it and their songs, I knew I had to buy it straight away. Who couldn't resist an album with Ted Nugent, Saxon, Y&T, Quiet Riot, Ozzy and Judas Priest on it. Furthermore, the songs from these artists with the exception of Judas Priest's hidden gem, (I had never heard "The Ripper" until this album), was more incentive to get it. But that's only half the story!

Attic Records, being based in Toronto, seemed very eager to unveil much of its local talent and they chose a good group to do so. I had heard of Anvil but never listened to them. "Forged in Fire" changed all that. Any band called The Killer Dwarfs had to be granted a listen and "Heavy Mental Breakdown" did not disappoint. This was the first step on their way to them becoming my all time favourite Canadian band. I know Mercyful Fate are from Denmark but the fact that "Black Funeral" comes right out and sings "Hail Satan" sticks one in the ear for the American religious zealots. On the second side is the lovely Lee Aaron and "Metal Queen" is mind blowing. Of course, there's always a hidden gem and on "Metal For Breakfast" it's the track "Metalhead" by Blotto. It takes a dig at metalheads but it's done in a really funny way plus, it's a good song. So what you have is a great combination of well known metal tunes and ones that weren't so well known coming together to make a fantastic album.

Track Listing:

[caption id="attachment_2368" align="alignnone" width="226"] 1. Anvil- Forged in Fire[/caption]

2. Ted Nugent- Cat Scratch Fever

[caption id="attachment_3211" align="aligncenter" width="223"] 3. Killer Dwarfs- Heavy Mental Breakdown[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4225" align="aligncenter" width="259"] 4. Accept- Balls to the Wall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3680" align="aligncenter" width="287"] 5. Mercyful Fate- Black Funeral[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4619" align="aligncenter" width="276"] 6. Blotto- Metalhead[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3675" align="aligncenter" width="204"] 7. Lee Aaron- Metal Queen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1148" align="aligncenter" width="259"] 8. Saxon- Princess of the Night[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1309" align="aligncenter" width="194"] 9. Judas Priest- The Ripper[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3552" align="aligncenter" width="272"] 10. Quiet Riot- Metal Health[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2875" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 11. Y&T- Mean Streak[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2343" align="aligncenter" width="238"] 12. Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train[/caption]

And I think you should listen to the hidden gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzu4L4ZnMvQ

Back in 1985, "Metal for Breakfast" was the classic metal combination of what was known and not so known in the heavy metal world. Nowadays, it's just a classic 80s album but it still kicks ass!

[caption id="attachment_4620" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I probably looked more like this back then.[/caption]

Next post: Dokken- Tooth 'N' Nail

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com