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  

Great Rock Albums of 1985: Bryan Adams- Reckless

 

Reflecting back to early 1985 when I first heard songs from the "Reckless" album from Bryan Adams, I have to ask myself, "Was I a metal snob back then?" I remember not hating any of the songs from this album but I kind of pushed it to one side because it wasn't heavy metal. The other possibility could be the fact that I may be mellowing a bit with age and the album is more suitable to my pallet because listening to the album again, I really like it and have to say that it rocks in many places.

"Run to You" was the first single from "Reckless" and my favourite track on the album. It would have been my favourite all time except for the cheesy video of him rolling around in the leaves in the song. Fortunately, I have been able to block that memory out when I listen to it and simply appreciate the guitar riffs. "Heaven is a good power ballad even if it didn't make my top thirty list. If I had expanded the list to a top 50, it would have been there. I do like the power chords in it and only now starting to appreciate the guitar work of Keith Scott. He also shines on the opener, "One Night Love Affair,"  a very underrated guitarist indeed.

With so many well known singles on "Reckless," it's impossible to find a hidden gem. "Somebody" got lots of airplay and it's a good power rocker. The problem with "Summer of 69" is that it gets played to death even to this day. On its own, it's a decent song but having been saturated with it over the past thirty-three years, I kind of get put off it.

The closest the album comes to having a hidden gem has to be "Kids Wanna Rock." I do love how it opens with some cool soloing from Scott and he keeps it up between the verses. There are some good power chords a plenty on here as well. Then there's his single with Tina Turner, "It's Only Love." It too rocks, especially live versions and I have to admit, Bryan and Tina did have a good onstage chemistry. "Ain't Gonna Cry" closes the album out very well.

Track Listing:

1. One Night Love Affair
2. She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'
3. Run to You
4. Heaven
5. Somebody
6. Summer of 69
7. Kids Wanna Rock
8. It's Only Love
9. Long Gone
10. Ain't Gonna Cry

[caption id="attachment_3046" align="aligncenter" width="189"] Bryan Adams[/caption]

Bryan Adams- lead vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, hand claps and foot stomping

Keith Scott- lead guitar, backing vocals

Jim Vallance- percussion

Dave Taylor- bass

Pat Steward- drums, backing vocals

Tommy Mandel- keyboards

Jody Perpick- backing vocals

Tina Turner- accompanying vocal on "It's Only Love"

Mickey Curry- drums

Steve Smith- drums on "Heaven"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEVuuX-x62c

So was I narrow minded or am I mellowing with age? Then again, does it really matter because I really enjoy Bryan Adams' "Reckless" album.

Nest post: Metal For Breakfast

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

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Kreator- Endless Pain

 

Maybe I should do a list of bands whose second albums I bought before their first one. It would be a long list, that's for sure. This hold true for German thrashers, Kreator. My first experience of them was their better known second album, "Pleasure To Kill." I really loved it and played it to one of my friends who first introduced me to thrash. It was good to tell him about a cool album for a change. He was so impressed with that album that he bought the debut album, "Endless Pain."

I know I shouldn't compare an album to one I haven't reviewed yet but I'm going to anyway. The only contrast is that "Pleasure to Kill" is more polished than its predecessor, that's it. What both albums have in common is the intense ferocity of all the songs on them. "Endless Pain" is one total thrash fest from beginning to end. Each and every song pounds your head in every way. Only some brief melodic moments, actually I should say seconds, in "Storm of the Beast" and "Flag of Hate" give you any rest from the onslaught on your ears and it's always been hard to pick a favourite track. After listening to it again, maybe "Flag of Hate" just edges it out.

Early Kreator was never a band for those with sensitive ears. Those are the people who say that thrash metallers can't really play or sing. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to tell Mille and Ventor apart on the vocals but that's part of the fun. Definitely not the most tuneful voices in music but their guttural barks fit very well with the frenzy of the music. Someone also once remarked that all the members could only play three chords fast. He reckoned that guitarist Mille Petrozza had only been playing six months. I thought he was brilliant on the closing track, "Dying Victim." Having never seen any Kreator music sheets, I can't debate it. However, if that is the case, then it's certainly the right three chords because the album sounds fantastic.

Track Listing:

1. Endless Pain
2. Total Death
3. Storm of the Beast
4. Tormentor
5. Son of Evil
6. Flag of Hate
7. Cry War
8. Bonebreaker
9. Living in Fear
10. Dying Victim

[caption id="attachment_4569" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Kreator[/caption]

Mille Petrozza- guitars, vocals on even numbered tracks

Rob Fioretti- bass

Jurgen 'Ventor' Reill- drums, vocals on odd numbered tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp9lFWI9b-8

Thrash metal was in its early infancy in 1985 although it would grow astronomically over the year. There were many great bands just waiting to burst out onto the thrash scene, grab the world by the throat and shout, "We are here!" Kreator was one of those bands as "Endless Pain" shows. I am frothing at the mouth at seeing them at Download on Sunday.

Next post: Bryan Adams

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