Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Nazereth- Hair of the Dog

Some may be asking themselves what some of the albums I have written about here have to do with 80s metal and my answer is that each one I have written about so far have shaped me into the metal I became in the 80s and I still am today. However, with this post, I am going back to my true metal roots with Nazereth's sixth album "Hair of the Dog." It's true that Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, KISS and all of the bands I have listed, along with their albums, laid the foundations of what we know and love as heavy metal, but if there is any one album I can point to and say, "This is how it was meant to be done," it is this one.
Although, I didn't own a copy until 1981 and that was because an old service buddy left the tape in my car and was transferred out of the unit a few days later and never reclaimed it, I remember everyone talking about this album and even wearing "Hair of the Dog" t-shirts. This was before rock t-shirts became a thing of mass production. When I did hear the album, I immediately found myself headbanging away to the first track and carrying on through the rest of the album. If it wasn't for the ballad "Love Hurts," my head might have come off from all of the great hard rocking tracks that comprise this album.

Track Listing:

1. Hair of the Dog

2. Miss Misery

3. Guilty

4. Changin' Times

5. a) Beggar's Day b) The Rose and the Heather

6. Whisky Drinking Woman

7. Love Hurts

8. Please Don't Judas Me

Nazereth:

Dan MacCafferty- vocals, talk box on "Hair of the Dog

Manny Charlton- guitars, synthesiser

Peter Agnew- bass

Darrell Sweet- drums

I am willing to bet that if I were to play this album to any metal head from the 1980s to the present, not one of them would call it "dated." This album set the standard for what heavy metal should sound like.

Next post: Bue Oyster Cult, Agents of Fortune

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Considered by many to be the best rock album of the 1970s, if not all time, Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album has all the things needed that make an album great. Good musicianship, good vocals and a wide range of songs that appeal to everyone. For the top 40 oriented, there are the tracks, "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" and for rockers like me, we went crazy upon hearing "Go Your Own Way." There are ballads like "Songbird" and "Oh Daddy" and there is a song with risque lyrics in "Second Hand News." Most teenage boys (and a few girls) had many a good smile when they heard the lyrics, "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff." That is why practically every one I knew had a copy of this great, classic album.
Apart from the individual tracks, there are many great highlights, which make this such a great album. My personal favourite bass line of all time is present in the song, "The Chain." I feel that John McVie's talent on the bass has not been recognised enough. Furthermore, guitarist Lindsay Buckingham produces some great licks, especially on the track, "You Make Lovin Fun" as well as on some of the other songs. He is another underrated guitarist and I still get totally blown away by Stevie Nicks' vocal efforts on "Gold Dust Woman." Who care is she sounds like a sheep, the woman is a great vocalist.

Track Listing:

1. Second Hand News

2. Dreams

3. Never Going Back Again

4. Don't Stop

5. Go Your Own Way

6. Songbird

7. The Chain

8. You Make Lovin Fun

9. I Don't Want To Know

10. Oh Daddy

11. Gold Dust Woman

Fleetwood Mac

Lindsey Buckingham- vocals, guitars

John McVie- bass, vocals

Christine McVie- vocals, keyboards

Stevie Nicks- vocals

Mick Fleetwood- drums

Drummer Mick Fleetwood once said that "Rumours" was the most important album of all time. I don't know about that, but I do know that it is a great album.

Next post: Nazareth- Hair of the Dog

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Rock And Roll Children- The CD

Book sales of Rock And Roll Children are a bit slow at the moment, so in order to jump start things, I will be now giving away a free CD with any books bought directly from me. All you have to do is email me at tobychainsaw@hotmail.com for more information. However, those lucky few who already have a copy can still get a CD by writing a review on Amazon, The Rock And Roll Children Page on Facebook or on any blog. Just alert me to it's presence.
The CD obviously features songs mentioned in the book. When compiling the list, I originally chose 61 songs to use on the CD and I could have used a few more. Some of my British friends may wonder why "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" by Night Ranger is not on it as the club we all used to go to back then played it every week. After much consideration, I eventually had to cut it down to 17.

Song List:

1. Judas Priest- You Got Another Thing Coming
2. Twisted Sister- We’re Not Gonna Take It
3. Ratt- Round and Round
4. Dio- The Last in Line
5. Krokus- Screaming in the Night
6. Iron Maiden- Two Minutes to Midnight
7. Deep Purple- Perfect Strangers
8. AC/DC- For Those About to Rock, We Salute You
9. Dio Rock And Roll Children
10. Stormtroopers of Death- Pussywhipped
11. Aerosmith- Dream On
12. Ozzy Osbourne- Shot in the Dark
13. Anthrax- Madhouse
14. Iron Maiden- Wasted Years
15. Megadeth- Peace Sells
16.  WASP- Fuck Like a Beast
17.  Kiss- Crazy Crazy Nights

 

So, if you fancy a good read and you want some kick ass jams to accompany it, then buy the book and get this great CD.

Next Post: An alternative compilation album

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Lynyrd Skynyrd- One More From the Road

Throughout the years, there have been many great, good and not so good live albums. I've already mentioned one on here, Bob Dylan, "Hard Rain" and you can be sure that I will post many more in the future. However, one live album that really does it for me is this one, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "One More From the Road." This is probably my favourite live album of all time, although it gets pretty stiff competition fom Black Sabbath's "Live Evil" album, which I will be featuring further on in the future.
Lynyrd Skynyrd were the second (the Allman Brothers were the first) of a string of great bands which came out of the Jacksonville Florida area in the 1970s and early 80s. In their heyday between 1973 and 1977, the year of their tragic plane crash, they defined the genre that we now know today as Southern Rock. During this time, Skynyrd put out a string of classic studio albums which brought Southern rock to appreciative Northern ears like mine and established them as one of the great bands of the time. In fact, as I write this, I am asking myself why they weren't included as one of the great metal influences, because some Southern metal bands can site Skynyrd as a big influence.
It's not just because "One More From the Road" is live being the reason I am posting it. The fact that on the album, they take many of the great songs they had put out and improve them to an even higher plane. A classic example is the legendary song "Freebird." The studio version from the first album was good, but on the live album there is great additions such as the piano intro by Billy Powell and the three guitars coming together for the grand finale at the very end. This is why the live version of "Freebird" is more loved than the original.

Track listing:

1. Working for the MCA

2. I Ain't the One

3. Searching

4. Tuesday's Gone

5. Saturday Night Special

6. Travelling Man

7. Whiskey Rock And Roller

8. Sweet Home Alabama

9. Give Me Three Steps

10. Call Me the Breeze

11. T for Texas

12. The Needle and the Spoon

13. Crossroads

14. Freebird

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Ronnie Van Zant- vocals

Gary Rossington- guitar

Allen Collins- guitar

Steve Gaines- guitar

Leon Wilkeson- bass

Billy Powell- piano, keyboards

Artimus Pyle- drums

For me, this is a great, classic live album and it was what put me on the road to the music I would later come to know and love as heavy metal. This album alone helped put the music scene of Jacksonville Florida on the map.

Next Post: Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Black Sabbath- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

There are many great Black Sabbath albums post "Paranoid" from the 1970s which I could talk about (ie. We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll), but I chose "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" because it is the only Sabbath album I own on CD. This is not to say that this isn't a great album in its own right because it definitely is. When I put this album into the car CD player, it always makes the car journey that much more pleasant.
"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" was the first Black Sabbath album to receive favourable reviews from the mainstream press and the subsequent tour in 1974 helped expose the band to a wider audience in the U.S. On the album, the band makes greater use of additional instruments such as synthesisers, which in no way detracts from the over all heavy sound which Sabbath are known and loved for. Additionally, keyboard legend Rick Wakeman also plays on the album. While the album has the traditional dark mood sounding lyrics, the track "Killing Yourself to Live," written by Geezer Butler, is about his battle with binge drinking.

Track Listing:

1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2. A National Acrobat

3. Fluff

4. Sabbra Cadabra

5. Killing Yourself to Live

6. Who Are You?

7. Looking for Today

8. Spiral Architect

Black Sabbath

Bill Ward- drums, percussian, timbani

Ozzy Osbourne- vocals, synthesiser

Geezer Butler- bass, synthesiser, meletron

Tony Iommi- guitar, piano, organ, synthesiser, flute

"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" is just one of the great Sabbath albums that they put out during the 1970s and while they would go on to put out more great albums after the departure of Ozzy, it is this era in the chronicles of Black Sabbath and albums such as this one that they will forever be known for.

Next post: Lynyrd Skynyrd- One More From the Road

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Led Zepplin- Physical Graffiti

Although released in 1975, this is another album I didn't get to hear until the early 1980s mainly owing to my self imposed repression back in my teenage years. I first heard this album in late 1980 or early 1981, I can't pinpoint the exact time. All I know was that at the time, I was in the marines serving on a troop transport, which can get very boring. Therefore, in order to preserve sanity, we opened our musical minds and explored new horizons, something I am now very grateful about.

Enough about that though, before I heard "Physical Graffiti," my main experience of these legends of the 70s was the fourth album, which really rocks out and a few odd tracks. My mind set of Led Zeppin was the standard four piece singer, guitar, bass and drums laying down some really cool hard rock. Therefore, I was at first surprised by the wide range of music the album had to offer. However, it didn't stop me from liking the album any less. You could say that "Physical Graffiti" helped to expand my mind.

Track Listing:

1. Custard Pie

2. The Rover

3. In My Time of Dying

4. Houses of the Holy

5. Trampled Under Foot

6. Khashmir

7. In the Light

8. Bron- Yr- Aur

9. Down By the Seaside

10. Ten Years Gone

11. Night Fright

12. The Wanton Song

13. Boogie With Stu

14. Black Country Woman

15. Sick Again

Led Zepplin

Robert Plant- vocals, harmonica, accoustic guitar

Jimmy Page- electric, slide and accoustic guitars, harmonica, mandolin, synthesiser

John Paul Jones- bass, accoustic guitar, electric piano, meltron, mandolin, synthesiser, clavinet, organ

John Bonham- drums, percussion

I always have wondered what today's put music neatly into categories world would make today if a noted heavy rock band like Led Zepplin put out a diverse album such as "Physical Graffiti." Would the hardcore rockers accuse them of selling out? Fortunately, back in the 7os, people tended to listen to music with a more opened mind, which is why this album was so successful and is why it is listed among the albums you should listen to before you die.

Next post: Black Sabbath- Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: KISS- Destroyer

If there are any albums which I can site as being an album that converted me to metal, this would definitely be one of them. I wasn't quite fifteen when this album came out and it would be a few months after its initial release before I actually heard any of it, but when I did, I was hooked. Before, I heard this album, my idea of hard rock was Bachman Turner Overdrive but KISS's "Destroyer" album completely blew me away. This was in spite of my religious upbringing and some people trying to tell me that KISS were admitted Satan worshippers.

Track Listing:

1. Detroit Rock City

2. King of the Nighttime World

3. God of Thunder

4. Great Expectations

5. Flamming Youth

6. Sweet Pain

7. Shout It Out Loud

8. Beth

9. Do You Love Me

10. Rock and Roll Party

"Detroit Rock City" became a show opener for KISS for nearly the next ten years. I saw them in 85 and have the video of their 1984 tour and they opened both concerts with this song. Upon hearing it, I can definitely see why and is also why I include lyrics from the song in "Rock And Roll Children." Of course the album includes the ballad Beth which, as I mentioned in previous postings, is the song that young rockers like me played to their girlfriends in the hopes it would lead to paradise.

KISS:

Paul Stanley- rhythm guitar, vocals

Gene Simmons- bass, vocals

Ace Frehley- lead guitar, vocals

Peter Criss- drums, vocals

While KISS would dominate rock throughout the rest of the decade and go on to be a chief influence for many of the 80s metal bands, I'm afraid my religious affiliations would prevent me from getting into more of their music after this. However, although fear of hellfire at the time didn't allow me to admit it, this album would always stick in my mind and be a big influence on me. But it just wasn't me, many other great bands have covered songs from this album including Iced Earth, White Zombie and even Nirvana. But my favourite cover is Hammerfall's cover of "Detroit Rock City." If anyone wants to know where it all began, this album was one of the doorways.

Next Post: Led Zepplin: Physical Graffiti

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: The Eagles- Hotel California

The Eagles are normally thought of as an easy listening band, mainly due to their countryfied sound. Throughout the seventies, they were able to cross over to both the country and pop charts with songs like "Lying Eyes," "Tequila Sunrise" and "Take Me to the Limit." The same can be said for this album because the single "New Kid in Town" hit number 43 in the country charts and number 2 in the pop charts. Therefore, it is no surprise that they have been labelled easy listening or country rock.
So if this band is considered easy listening, why did so many hard rockers like me go out and buy this album. The answer to this is simple, The Eagles can rock and tracks like "Life in the Fast Lane" and "Victim of Love" are testimony to this. But it's not just these tracks, the title track itself was able to offer something that listeners of different musical genres could identify with. It also helped that back in the 70s, people weren't as quick to categorise music like they do now. For me, it was that unique opening guitar riffs to the just hard enough rock melody throughout the middle to the cranking guitar solos at its finale. As a impressionable teenager back then, I watched a video of Hotel California and was totally blown away at the way lead guitarists Joe Walsh and Don Felder went back and forth trading guitar solos. I wonder if the metal bands who had dual lead guitarists who traded off solos got the idea here.

Track Listing:

1. Hotel California

2. New Kid in Town

3. Life in the Fast Lane

4. Wasted Time

5. Wasted Time Reprise

6. Victim of Love

7. Pretty Maids All in a Row

8. Try and Love Again

9. The Last Resort

 

The Eagles:

Don Felder: guitar, vocals, keyboards

Glen Frey- guitar, vocals, keyboards, piano

Don Henley- drums, vocals, keyboards

Randy Meisner- bass, vocals

Joe Walsh- guitar, slide guitar, vocals, keyboards

Another thing this album has in common with heavy metal of the 80s is that it has been accused of being satanic. Someone somewhere associated some of the lyrics of "Hotel California" with death and drew the conclusion that that was what the song was about. For me, I don't waste my brain cells thinking about that. I just like listening to the great music it has to offer.

I am going on holiday for a week and when I return, the next post will be KISS- Destroyer

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Bob Dylan- Hard Rain

Whenever anyone thinks of Bob Dylan, the first thought that enters people's heads is the image of him playing an accoustic guitar, accompanied by his harmonica and singing folk style songs through his nose. It is true that most of his albums sort of fall into this vein and like me, most people who like Dylan, like him for his lyrics than for his music ability.

Then in 1976, I heard the Hard Rain album and upon hearing it, thought the album really rocked. Gone were the slow accoustic songs replaced by much harder versions on electric guitars. Old classics like "Lay Lady Lay," "Maggie's Farm" and "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" were given the rock treatment and in this blogger's opinion, sound better for it. Unfortunately, most of the critics at the time didn't share the same views as me and really came down on it. In spite of that, Hard Rain did go gold and peaked at 17 in the charts.

Track Listing:

1. Maggie's Farm

2. One Too Many Mornings

3. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again

4. Oh Sister

5. Lay Lady Lay

6. Shelter From the Storm

7. You're a Big Girl Now

8. I Threw It All Away

9. Idiot Wind

Musicians:

Bob Dylan- lead vocals and guitar

T-Bone Burnett- guitar and piano

Mick Ronson- ~guitar

Steven Soles- guitar

David Mansfield- guitar

Rob Stoner- bass

Howard Wyeth- drums and piano

Gary Burke- drums

Scarlet Rivera- violin

This album was recorded live on Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour and it shows Dylan in a different light. It also shows that Dylan can rock a little.

Next Post: Kansas

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Bad Company- Straight Shooter

Since we are now in summer and I have heard a lot of talk about music that makes it feel like summer, especially from my friend Metalodyssey, I thought I would offer an album that reminds me of the summer. So now you have it, the second album by Bad Company, "Straight Shooter." This album reminds me of summer mainly due to it's hit single, "Feel Like Making Love." That, to me, has always been a song for the lazy warm weather days. However, the other tracks on it compliment the summer feeling just as much. If I still had my copy, I would be laying on the grass with a beer in hand as I write this post from a laptop.
"Straight Shooter" was the follow up to Bad Company's successful debut self titled album and was a big hit for them. While the album received mixed reviews from critics, it hit the top ten in the album charts in most countries, New Zealand being an exception where it only reached 13.

Track Listing:

1. Good Loving Gone Bad

2. Feel Like Making Love

3. Weep No More

4. Shooting Star

5. Deal With the Preacher

6. Wild Fire Woman

7. Anna

8. Call On Me

As I did my background research for this post, I was shocked to discover that the track "Shooting Star" was never released as a single. It's defintely my favourite track on the album and I had no trouble finding it on a Limewire search. Furthermore, I have seen it on the odd juke box over the years. Maybe they should release it now as I'm sure many rockers would love it.

Bad Compny

Paul Rodgers- vocals, rhythm guitar and piano

Mick Ralphs- guitar, keyboards

Simon Kirke- drums

Boz Burrell- bass

There's not much more I can say about this album. Just have a listen and enjoy the summer.

Next post: Bob Dylan- Hard Rain

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Jefferson Starship: Spitfire

A common proverb through the years has been "Never judge a book by its cover." I have always wondered if the same concept applies to music albums. In 1983, I learned the hard way never to buy an entire album on account of one song when I bought "The Getaway" by Chris DeBurgh because I liked the song "Don't Pay The Ferryman." On the other hand, if I didn't buy the Jefferson Starship album on account of the single "With Your Love," I wouldn't have bought this album and would have been poorer for it. Fortunately, I did judge the album by its cover. The idea of a pretty lady riding on a dragon that was formed by the smoke of her cigarette was a cool image for me. To me, the "Spitfire" album was the first really cool album cover in my eyes.
Back in the late 1970s, Jefferson Starship were renowned for being a mellow out type of band. They were noted for songs like "Count On Me" from the "Earth" album and their top hit "Miracles" from the "Red Octopus" album and even on the "Spitfire" album, the hit single "With Your Love," branded this band as one who excelled in mellow out rock.

Tack Listing:

1. Cruisin'

2. Dance With the Dragon

3. Hot Water

4. St. Charles

5. Song to the Sun

i. Part 1 Ozymadias

ii. Part 2, Don't Let It Rain

6. With Your Love

7. Switchblade

8. Big City

9. Love Lovely  Love

Unlike the hit single, the other tracks are much more rocking and showcase the great musicianship posessed by the band. There are some good rocking tracks like "Dance With the Dragon" and "Don't Let It Rain" and there is some great progressive rock on the tracks St. Charles and Switchblade and show cases the keyboard wizardry that is Pete Sears. What I like about this album especially is that lead guitarist Craig Chaquico is let loose on most of the tracks and is allowed to show that he can smoke the fingerboard.

Jefferson Starship:

Marty Balin- vocals

Grace Slick- vocals, piano of Ozymadias and Switchblade

Paul Kantner- rhythm guitar

Craig Chaquico- lead guitar

Pete Sears- bass and keyboards

David Freiberg- bass and keyboards

John Barbata- drums

Back when the album came out in 76, before people started putting music into categories, this album worked on a lot of levels. There are good hard rocking tracks, some great progressive rock and for the top 40 followers, a solid hit single. This is a great rock album and with the cool front cover design, shows you can judge and album by its cover.

Next post: Bad Company- Straight Shooter

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Boston

If I could point to any one album back in my naive teenage days which opened my eyes to the world of heavy rock, it would have to be the first album by Boston. When I first heard the song "More Than a Feeling," I was completely blown away and made sure whenever that song played on the radio in late 1976 and early 1977, the volume would get turned up to full. Boston was the major turning point leading me out of relying on the top 40 played on AM radio to more harder rock persuits.

Track Listing:

1. More Than a Feeling

2. Peace Of Mind

3. Foreplay/Long Time

4. Rock and Roll Band

5. Smokin

6. Hitch A Ride

7. Something About You

8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight

While "More Than a Feeling" is the most popular Boston song of all time, (it appears on many compilation albums including three of mine) many of the other tracks can stand alone in their own right. "Peace of Mind" and "Foreplay/Long Time" also both made the top 40 charts and I know that "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" also received play on the radio. Furthermore, all of the other tracks also feature on classic rock stations and back in the late 70s, many thought that "Rock And Roll Band" should have also been released as a single, I was one of them.

Boston is:

Tom Sholtz- guitar, organ, electric piano, accoustic guitars, clavinet

Brad Delp- vocals

Sib Hashian- drums

Barry Goudreau- lead guitar

Fran Sheehan- bass

Boston's first album is the second largest selling rock album of all time, only "Appetite for Destruction" by Guns and Roses has more sales. This album while a good rocking album is quite melodic as well, which is why it works on so many levels. After 35 years, this album continues to set a standard for great rock.

Next Post: Jeffereson Starship: Spitfire

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Other Great Metal Ballads

Like I said in the last post, it is a common belief that every metal band has their "token" ballad. This is true with many of them, although I still wouldn't say that to any fans of Exodus. This next list is more of those great ballads. These aren't necessary love songs. I mean I wouldn't play "Community Property" by Steel Panther if I were going for seduction. Same with Kansas, according to Family Guy, you only listen to this one when you are walking the streets in deep contemplation. Anyway, enough of me, here's the list and a few piccies.

• Kansas- Dust In The Wind
• Lionsheart- Flights of Angels
• Anthrax- Nice F*cking Ballad
• Dogs D'Amour- How Come It Never Rains
• Warrior Soul- We Cry Out
• Dio- This Is Our Life
• Black Sabbath- Too Late
• TNT- Eddie
• Bonfire- Good Night Amanda
• Stryper- Together As One
• Heart- Allies
• Von Groove- Arian
• Vaughn- Paradise Ain't Home
• Pretty Maids- With These Eyes
• Rainbow- Rainbow Eyes
• Westworld- Suicide
• Megadeth- A Tout Le Monde (not exactly a ballad, but it is the closest they will ever come to one
• Tesla- Sail Away
• Night Ranger- Sister Christian
• Steel Panther- Community Property

I know there are probably hundreds more I can list here, so if you have your own ideas what should be included, let me know. Knowing me, I proabably missed some obvious ones.
Next post: Great Rock Albums of the 70s, Boston
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Great Metal Love Songs

Much has been said about metal love songs as of late. In fact, the Kerrang Channel recently played what was considered the greatest fifty power ballads. I didn't watch as much as I would have liked but I could agree with some of the songs, although I personally wouldn't call "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback a love song or even a ballad, but everyone has different ideas to what a ballad is.
It has been often said that every heavy metal band has its token ballad, although I don't think anyone would dare say that to Exodus and a few like minded bands. As I'm beginning to mellow with age, well just a liittle, I have been taking more notice of some of these softer songs. Today I'm going to list the ones that I think most metalhead males play to their female counterparts in the hopes it will get them laid.
                                       

• KISS- Beth
• Motley Crue- Home Sweet Home
• Poison- Every Rose Has Its Thorn
• Def Leppard- When Love And Hate Collide
• Guns and Roses- November Rain
• Jouney- Open Arms
• Rush- Closer To the Heart
• Twisted Sister- You're Not Alone (Suzette's Song)
• TNT- Lost Without Your Love
• Twisted Sister- The Price
• Thunder- A Better Man
• Extreme- More Than Words
• Little Angels- I Ain't Gonna Cry
• Aerosmith- I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
• The Scorpions- Winds of Change (Yes I know its about the collapse of the Berlin Wall, but a lot of ladies still like it)
• Def Leppard- Love Bites
• Nazereth- Love Hurts
• Slade- My Oh My
• April Wine- Just Between You and Me
• Tyketto- Standing Alone
• Pretty Boy Floyd- I Wanna Be With You
• Mass- Do You Love Me
  
• Metallica- Nothing Else Matters
• LA Guns- Ballad of Jane
• Danger Danger- One Step From Paradise
• Nelson- Love and Affection
• Dokken- Alone Again
• Crystal Ball- Silence of the Night
• Alice Cooper- You and Me
• Alice Cooper- I'll Never Cry
• Alice Cooper- Only Women Bleed
• Heart- Alone
• The Scorpions- Still Loving You
• Def Leppard- Bringing On the Heartbreak
• Heart- These Dreams
• Whitesnake- Here I Go Again
• Steelheart- I'll Never Let You Go
• Thin Lizzy- I'm Still In Love With You

Obviously, this list is in no means exhaustive and there are probably many more songs you metalheads play to your girlfriends in order to seduce them. Please, let me know your favourites.

Next post: Other metal ballads

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Peter Frampton- Frampton Comes Alive

""Frampton Comes Alive," everyone knows this album. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with boxes of Tide."

Wayne Campbell

My copy of this album must have gotten lost in the mail because I never received it, although my mother did get her box of Tide. I never bought the album either, I didn't have to. Practically everyone I know had a copy of it so whenever, I went to someone's house in 1976 or 77, you could be assured that it was playing loud on the stereo. That is what happens when an album sells 6 million copies worldwide.
The thing "Frampton Comes Alive" is probably most famous for is Frampton's use of the "talk box" on two of the songs. I still remember sitting in my Sophmore biology class listening to two of my classmates debate the merits of it. Even though the talk box was only used on two songs, it was enough to catapult the single "Show Me the Way" to number 6 in the US charts and number 10 in the UK. "Show Me the Way" wasn't the only single from this album. The single "Baby I Love Your Way" reached 12 and 43 respectively in the US  and UK charts. Furthermore, it led to an entire generation, me included, trying to imitate his famous "Thank You" at the beginning of the song. Of course, many people like me can also relate to waking up in the morning feeling the same way as described in the single "Do You Feel Like We Do."

Track Listing:

1. Something's Happening

2. Doobie Wah

3. Show Me The Way

4. It's a Plain Shame

5.  All I Want to Be Is (By Your Side)

6. Winds of Change

7. Baby I Love Your Way

8. I Wanna Go to the Sun

9. Penny For Your Thoughts

10. (I'll Give You) Money

11. Shine On

12. Jumping Jack Flash

13. Lines on My Face

14. Do You Feel Like We Do

Musiscians on the album:

Peter Frampton- guitar and vocals

Bob Mayo- guitars, piano, electric piano, organ

Stanley Sheldon- bass

John Siomos- drums

There were some good live album before "Frampton Comes Alive" and many more since, but none of them achieved the success this album did. For me, it was the first live album I listened to and it is why it will always be in my mind when anyone mentions great live albums.

Next post: I will be taking a break from the Great Rock Albums of the 70s series and will write about the great heavy metal love songs.

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Deep Purple- Machine Head

The period of 1970-71 was obviously a great year for rock as two out of the three albums mentioned so far were made then. This post makes it three out of four as I present the "Machine Head" album by Deep Purple. Again, this is another one I didn't listen to until later in life, probably because I was only nine or ten when this album was released. However, I can say that I have definitely made up for it since and I can include it among the greats of the decade.

Needless to say, the best known track on the album is the famous "Smoke on the Water," a song known by metalheads young and old. Even after 40 years, young guitar apprentices play those famous opening riffs when they first learn to play an electric guitar. The song did for Deep Purple and "Machine Head" what "Stairway to Heaven" did for Led Zepplin on their forth album. But like Led Zepplin IV, "Machine Head" has many other great tracks on it such as "Highway Star" and "Space Truckin" which can stand on their own and make this album great.

Track Listing:

1. Highway Star

2. Maybe I'm a Leo

3. Pictures of Home

4. Never Before

5. Smoke on the Water

6. Lazy

7. Space Tuckin

Deep Purple is:

Ritchie Blackmore- guitar

Ian Gillian- vocals

 Roger Glover- bass

Jon Lord- keyboards

Ian Paice- drums

In the eyes and ears of many metalheads and ageing rockers like me, "Machine Head" will go down as Deep Purple's greatest album. When I finally got to see them live in 1985, I thought it was only fitting that the first and last songs of that concert were from this album, which I sing the praises of in "Rock And Roll Children."

Next post: Peter Frampton- Frampton Comes Alive

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Led Zepplin IV

Of all the people in my age group I have met over the years, I have only ever met one person who had never heard the famous song "Stairway to Heaven." For forty years, that song has been a classic anthem with rockers both young and old. I mean who hasn't been to at least one music shop where there's a sign on the wall banning people from playing it on the guitar in the shop. "Stairway to Heaven" is definitely among the top classics. However, if Led Zepplin had been around in the 80s, it would have been classed as their token ballad or they might have been accused of selling out by some metalheads.
While "Stairway to Heaven" is one of the reasons why Led Zepplin IV is such a great album, it isn't the only good song on it. There is an argument for all eight songs on the album to given the spotlight. I've seen both "Rock And Roll" and "Misty Mountain Hop" on juke boxes and my favourite has always been "Black Dog." Five out of the eight songs appear on the "Mothership" album. Each and every song makes this album such a classic.

Track Listing:

1. Black Dog

2. Rock and Roll

3. The Battle of Evermore

4. Stairway to Heaven

5. Misty Mountain Hop

6. Four Sticks

7. Going to California

8. When the Levee Breaks

Robert Plant- vocals

Jimmy Page- guitar

John Paul Jones- bass

John Bonham- drums

I will not debate anyone who mentions the many other great albums which Led Zepplin put out in the 70s. "Physical Graffiti" and "Led Zepplin II" already come to mind. However, it is "Led Zepplin IV" that shows the true rock talents of Led Zepplin and why it is one of the greatest rock albums ever.

Next Post: Deep Purple, Machine Head

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Black Sabbath- Paranoid

Living the sheltered life I did as a teenager back in the 1970s, I didn't hear this album until 1980. When I did, I thought this was the hardest rock album ever (until then). Hearing the Paranoid album changed my view on music forever. After that, I completely abandoned any feeling for the top 40 and have been a dedicated metal head ever since and this is the album I have to thank for it.
Every rock or metal compilation album puts the title track "Paranoid" on it knowing that it will boost the album. I won't take anything away from the song, it's a good one. However, the song that did it for me and is still my favourite Sabbath tune is definitely "War Pigs." Having seen Sabbath twice in concert, I cheer the loudest when they play it. Of course, we can't forget the brilliant riffs that is "Iron Man" as well as the other songs like "Fairies Wear Boots." From beginning to end, it is understandable why this is one of the true metal albums of all time.

Tack listing:

1. War Pigs

2. Paranoid

3. Planet Caravan

4. Iron Man

5. Electric Funeral

6. Hand of Doom

7. Rat Salad

8. Fairies Wear Boots

Ozzy Osbourne- vocals

Tony Iommi- guitar

Geezer Butler- bass

Bill Ward- drums

No one can argue against the Paranoid album by Black Sabbath as being the template for what true metal albums since should be like. This album has been often immitated but never duplicated and will forever stand the test of time.

Next Post: Led Zepplin IV

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Aerosmith- Toys in the Attic

Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic" was probably the very first true rock album I heard. Before that, it was old 45 records and compilation albums that went on sale at your local Jamesway. (Sad, I know). Before this album, I was very musically naive, but hearing it was a total eye opener. From the first track, I was hooked and wanted to listen to the whole album and like every other teenager back then, I had a big snigger at the track, "Big Ten Inch Record."

Track Listing

1. Toys in the Attic

2. Uncle Salty

3. Adam's Apple

4. Walk This Way

5. Big Ten Inch Record

6. Sweet Emotion

7. No More, No More

8. Round and Round

9. You See Me Crying

Of all the tracks, it was "Walk This Way" that stands out. That is because once I heard the album, I seemed to hear that particular song played everywhere. Therefore, the song holds a special place in my metal heart.

Now that I am much older and wiser (pause for laughter), I can fully appreciate the great musicianship by Aerosmith on this album. The clear vocals by Steven Tyler and the guitar solos by Joe Perry backed up by the others make this album a magnificent listen. Aerosmith hadn't begun to destroy themselves with the excesses of success, which is another reason this album is so crisp.

Steve Tyler- vocals

Joe Perry- lead guitar

Brad Whitford- rhythm guitar

Tom Hamilton- bass

Joey Kramer- drums

Thirty six years after its first release, "Toys In The Attic" continues to stand the test of time. It is a standard bearer for many of the albums which have followed it and will always be ranked among my favourites.

Next post: Black Sabbath: Paranoid

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