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  

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 

Great Rock Albums of 1985: Glen Frey- The Allnighter

 

When I begin a new year of my trip through the golden decade of heavy metal, I always start with albums that were made in the previous year but didn't come to my attention until the said year. Because there were so many great albums in 1984, I didn't get around to listening to a good number until 1985. One of these was "The Allnighter" from the late former Eagles guitarist/singer, Glenn Frey.

Reflecting back to early 1985, I used to wonder if I was a little unfair to both Glenn and one of his former bandmates who also released a solo album in this year. First, I was very much into all things metal and "The Allnighter" is definitely not metal. Furthermore, I was very much into the last two Eagles albums, "Hotel California" and "The Long Run" which did feature some harder rock than their early 1970s albums.

Glenn goes further away from his Eagles roots with this album as it's a more mellower and somewhat bluesier sound. There are some ballads on here like "Let's Go Home" and "Lover's Moon." Glenn's voice has always been suited to these but it is also versatile enough for the faster songs. "Sexy Girl" is kind of in the middle here and he does sing it well. I recently heard a live version of it and it sounds better than the commercial version. However, the best song and one that I've come to appreciate far more in my aging years is "Smuggler's Blues." This song is proof that Frey can sing harder stuff, not that I had any doubt he couldn't. What has really impressed me about it is the musicianship. Like his previous album, Glenn uses a ton of musicians on it, so I don't know who does the guitar solos on the song but they are ace. Full marks to whoever played them. The song did feature on the mid 1980s TV show "Miami Vice."

Track Listing:

1. The Allnighter
2. Sexy Girl
3. I Got Love
4. Somebody Else
5. Lover's Moon
6. Smuggler's Blues
7. Let's Go Home
8. Better in the USA
9. Living In Darkness
10. New Love

[caption id="attachment_2716" align="aligncenter" width="190"] Glenn Frey[/caption]

Glenn Frey- lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano, synthesizer

Josh Leo, Duncan Cameron- guitar

John 'JR' Robinson, Michael Huey, Larry Londin- drums

David Hood, Bryan Garofalo- bass

Greg Smith, Willie Bergman, Al Garth- saxophone

Vince Melamed, Allen Blazek, Barry Beckett- piano

Barry Beckett, David 'Hawk' Wollinski- synthesizer

Nick DeCaro- strings

Steve Foreman- percussion

Victor Feldman, Jack Tempchin, Oren Waters, Jack Galloway, Luke Waters- backing vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSXKyHM133c

I might have mellowed a bit with age and while I like some of what's on "The Allnighter," it really isn't my cup of tea. There are some good songs on it and it's a great album to mellow out to or provide suitable background settings but I won't put away my metal albums in favour of it.

Next post: I know I said at the beginning of the post that I'll be starting with albums that came out originally in 1984 but I have to make an exception. I went to the Download Festival the weekend after I posted this originally, so I need the correct inspiration.

Kreator- Endless Pain

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

1985: The Backlash Begins

 

Ever since the days of Elvis, there has always been a backlash against rock music and the backlash against heavy metal in particular has always been many folds greater. Whether it be religious fanatics, parents or just trendy top forty followers who just didn't like the genre, there have been people dead set against heavy metal music. This backlash had been slowly building up throughout the early 1980s but the fact that heavy metal had gotten mainstream attention in 1984 was enough to blow the powder keg in 1985.

The first instance that turned my attention to this backlash was reading letters to MTV citing that they were either playing too much heavy metal or not enough. It would appear that in or around March of 1985, the anti heavy metal brigade won out as MTV made a statement that it would be playing less metal on the air. Now, it's easy to think that there were that many more anti than pro metal people writing to MTV and if anyone says that it was because metalheads are too stupid to write, me and many of my followers here will be over to your house to kick the crap out of you! Once again I digress but my theory was that by the end of the previous year, MTV was already becoming nothing more than a glorified commercial radio station. Some Dead Kennedys lyrics come to mind here and I'll reveal those when I visit their "Frankenchrist" album which came out in said year. Oops, digressing again but less and less metal was being played on MTV or the radio.

[caption id="attachment_1897" align="aligncenter" width="273"] Dead Kennedys[/caption]

As 1985 progressed, I began to notice it in more ways. There wasn't just a backlash against heavy metal but persecution of metalheads as well. One thing I was criticized for in "Rock And Roll Children," though I don't regret it one bit, was over pounding the point of how metalheads were discriminated against back then. Truth was they were! I simply pointed this out. Example, based on my own experiences: in 1984, I went to a McDonald's after the Dio/Twisted Sister concert and had no problems, nor did the many other metalheads who hit up the place after the show. One year later, my friends and I hit the same McDonald's after the Motley Crue/Loudness concert and upon entry, were greeted by all sorts of negative comments. Also, like in the story, there was an off duty cop in the store pontificating how no one did anything like that in his day and how he busts punks like us for drugs all the time. While, there were no arrests that night, one month later, after seeing Dio, we hit the same McDonald's and this time, it was like a policeman's convention. This brings me to another point, while I never saw it happen, there were tales in 1985 of police getting warrants and going into pre-concert parties and busting metalheads. However, they didn't do that at the Wham concert where I heard eyewitness accounts of 12 year old kids getting falling down, sickly drunk. It was definitely war on metalheads in 1985.

Of course, the more astute of you will recall that in the closing months of the year, the backlash against rock music and especially heavy metal became the subject of a congressional hearing and lead to the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center, (PMRC). Even after more than thirty years, I tend to laugh at this if it wasn't so pathetic and there will be a post dedicated to that.

In spite of all the doom and gloom, the backlash achieved very little. Great albums were still being made and you'll get to read about a lot of them. There were other great events and concerts including the most famous one, Live Aid. So, sit back and get ready for another roller coaster year in the golden decade of metal.

Next post: Glenn Frey- The Allnighter

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