Wednesday 31 December 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Led Zeppelin- In Through the Out Door

Led_Zeppelin_-_In_Through_the_Out_Door_alt
If a metalhead who had been one since the 1980s or later was to listen to "In Through the Outdoor" by Led Zeppelin, they would have serious doubts about the band being one of the founding fathers of heavy metal. This album is a far cry from their earlier and much heavier material. There are no songs with that heavy rocking sound such as "Whole Lotta Love," "Communication Breakdown," "Rock and Roll" and my personal favourite, "Black Dog." Two reasons are cited for this: i) After the death of Robert Plant's son in 1977, he no longer was in the mood to sing, "It's been a long time since I rocked and rolled." I can't in any way blame him for that. ii) Led Zeppelin stated that they were looking to achieve some sort of musical integrity. 
Saying all of that, this is still a great album containing the high quality work one would have expected from Led Zeppelin. There is a little bit of humour to the album in my mind with songs like "Fool in the Rain" and "Hot Dog." The other tracks carry a more defined sound and the ten minute plus long "Carouselambra" is a classic trademark of the talented people that Led Zeppelin were. One minor note, if I was in any way producing the album, I would have put the excellent track, "All of My Love" at the very end. This would have been a great way to end the album and when I listen to it in its full, after hearing the aforementioned track, I don't really want to listen to the concluding track, "I'm Gonna Crawl" and that's not fair to it. 
Track Listing:
1. In the Evening
2. South Bend Suarez
3. Fool in the Rain
4. Hot Dog
5. Carouselambra
6. All of My Love
7. I'm Gonna Crawl
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Robert Plant- vocals
Jimmy Page- guitars
John Paul Jones- bass, keyboards
John Bonham- drums
This would be the last studio album made before the tragic death of drummer John Bonham in 1980 and for most people would spell the end of the band. Like so many, I associate "In Through the Outdoor" as their last hurrah but it is still a great one to finish off with and to me, they definitely achieve their musical integrity. 
Next post: Soundtrack- The Rose
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.80smetalman.wordpress.com/title?RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London 

Friday 26 December 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Little River Band- First Under the Wire

220px-FirstUnderTheWire
This has always been my impression of the Little River Band and this album. It was the album you play on your car cassette deck, (remember they didn't have CD's back in 1979) on you way home from a good night out. You have a lady in the car with you, could be your girlfriend or maybe you got lucky with that girl at the end of the bar, no matter. Anyway, you put this album on because it's a good mood enhancer. The soft rock tones won't scare the lady off but it has enough of a hard edge to let you know that you're not selling out and going to buy an Air Supply album next time you're at the stores.
One of the ironic things about "First Under the Wire" is that one of the hardest tracks on the album, "Lonesome Loser" is probably one of their most successful singles. I won't go as far as to say that it's a headbanger, but there are some pretty impressive guitar licks in the song. This is the other thing about the Little River Band, although they are classed as soft rock, there are some impressive guitar solos in a good number of songs. This is true with the other hard(ish) song, "Hard Life." The rest of the album has that late night mellow out feel with a little bit of a jazzy rock vibe. The other single, "Cool Change" is an example and is a good song if you ever find yourself out to sea in a small boat.
Track Listing:
1. Lonesome Loser
2. The Rumour
3. By My Side
4. Cool Change
5. It's Not a Wonder
6. Hard Life (prelude)
7. Hard Life
8. Middle Man
9. Man on the Run
10. Mistress of Mine
Little River Band
Little River Band
Glenn Shorrock- vocals
David Briggs- lead guitar
Greaham Goble- guitar
Beeb Birtles- guitar
Barry Sullivan- bass
Derek Pellici- drums
Mal Logan- keyboards
So if you want something to either mellow out to or to get your partner in the mood, then album might just do the trick. It is a soft rock album but there are moments of hardness to it. An enjoyable album.
Next post: Led Zepplin- In Through the Out Door
To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Journey- Infinity

220px-Journey_Evolution
It has been said and I won't debate it, that the hit single from this album, "Lovin' , Touchin', Squeezin'" is one of the soppiest love songs of all time. Maybe so, but trust me on this, back in late 1979 and early 80, if you wanted to get a girl out on the dance floor on a couples skate, then this was the song that would do it. Yes, this song was big with a lot of females at the time, my then disco loving little sister included. (She saw the error of her ways about a year later.) Saying that, it wasn't a bad song and I did like it. The correction I would have made to it was when the song was fading out at the end with the "Na na na na na's," I would have increased the volume of the lead guitar that was playing in the background.

As I always said, one song does not an album make. There are a lot of good tracks on here as I remembered when I refamiliarised myself with it the other night. It took me back to the memories of my old friend from New Jersey who played the track "City of the Angels" half to death. That is also a very good song and shows that the "Evolution" album is not a one track wonder. The songs after "City of the Angels" are some good blues based hard rock tunes with some good all around musicianship, especially the guitar talents of Schon,  to go with the unique vocals of Steve Perry.
Track Listing:
1. Majestic
2. Too Late
3. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
4. City of the Angels
5. When You're Alone (It ain't easy)
6. Sweet and Simple
7. Lovin' You is Easy
8. Just the Same Way
9. Do You Recall
10. Daydream
11. Lady Luck
Journey
Journey
Steve Perry- lead vocals
Neil Schon- guitars, vocals
Greg Rollie- keyboards, vocals
Steve Smith- drums, vocals
Ross Valory- bass, vocals
Some would say that this was the last good rock album before Journey would make the descent into sounding commercial. I'm not sure about that one but it will be interesting to see as we continue the journey through time. In the mean time, enjoy this great classic album from a class rock band.
Next post: Little River Band- First Under the Wire
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Thursday 11 December 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Supertramp- Breakfast in America


cotc
Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" album was another of those classic albums that I missed way back when I was featuring the Great Rock Albums of the 70s, pre-1978. Therefore, I thought I would include it here because it is a very good progressive rock album. It features two of their most noted songs, "Bloody Well Right" and "Dreamer" although I also really like the theatrics behind the track, "If the Audience Were Listening." It is a very good album indeed.
supbia
So without further ramblings, on with the first album of 2013, Supertramp's brilliant 1979 album "Breakfast in America." This album came out in the very tail end of that pivotal year in my life and I can say that it ushered out the 70s for me. The biggest song from the album, "Take the Long Way Home" spoke to me directly. I'm sounding a bit hippy here aren't I? Even if it hadn't I still would have thought it was an excellent song and still would have bought the 45, some of you might remember those. In fact, I think I still have it somewhere up in the attic.
The rest of the album is also very good and told me at the time that there was still room in 1979 for some good hands on progressive rock. Hits like "The Logical Song" and others make this album the classic that it is. Supertramp use their trademark musicianship and show that keyboard centred rock can work. Unfortunately and I'll be ranting more about this when I eventually get to the mid 80s, many bands would completely take the use of synthesisers out of proportion. Still, that is why I enjoy the album so much because it doesn't, it's just a good listening album.
Track Listing:
1. Gone Hollywood
2. The Logical Song
3. Goodbye Stranger
4. Breakfast in America
5. Oh Darling
6. Take the Long Way Home
7. Lord Is It Mine
8. Just Another Wreck
9. Casual Conversations
10. Child of Visions
Supertramp
Supertramp
Rick Davies- keyboards, vocals, harmonica
John Helliwell- saxophone, vocals, woodwinds
Roger Hogeson- guitars, keyboards, vocals
Bob Siebenberg- drums
Dougie Thompson- bass
So for the new year, why not enjoy an album that for many like me, closed out a decade. Listening to "Breakfast in America" will make you feel good and perhaps get over the over doings of New Year's Eve. Now that I have been looking at the famous album cover, I kind of fancy some pancakes.
 Next post: To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Thursday 4 December 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Damn the Torpedoes

damnthetorp
When I first heard the first single from this great album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Don't Do Me Like That," I was convinced that whoever called this band "punk" back in 1978 was a complete and utter moron whose idea of hard rock was probably Hall and Oates. "Damn the Torpedoes" proved to me that they were a good tight rocking outfit, not that there's anything wrong with punk because there isn't. I just found the album very enjoyable.
It is true that "Don't Do Me Like That" was the song that first properly turned my head to this band and this album but "Damn the Torpedoes" does contain my all time favourite song by these guys, "Refugee." As always, the album isn't just down to the singles although I do like their third single from this album, "Here Comes My Girl." There some killer tracks on here as well like "Century City" and "What You Doin' In My Life" to name just two. All of them have that trademark that made Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers famous.
Track Listing:
1. Refugee
2. Here Comes My Girl
3. Even the Losers
4. Shadow of a Doubt
5. Century City
6. Don't Do Me Like That
7. You Tell Me
8. What You Doin' In My Life
9. Louisiana
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty- guitar, lead vocals, harmonica
Mike Campbell- lead and slide guitars, keyboards, accordion
Benmont Tench- piano, organ, harmonium, vocals
Ron Blair- bass
Stan Lynch- drums, vocals
I have always been of the mind that as a unit, the Heartbreakers have been severely underrated as a band. It is true that Tom Petty is the front man and you can't take anything away from his talents, but the rest of the band seems to have been largely ignored and that to me is a shame. Have a listen to this classic album and you'll see what I mean. 
Next post: My favourite Christmas album
To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London 

Monday 24 November 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Bob Dylan- Slow Train Coming

220px-Bob_Dylan_-_Slow_Train_Coming
In the late part of the 70's, we had Bob Dylan go electric with his "Hard Rain" and "Street Legal" albums. In late 1979, he went gospel with "Slow Train Coming." This album was born out of his conversion to Christianity in early 1979. All of the tracks have some form of religious or moral message in them. The fact is listening to the album, the music is still pretty good. I know that many people can't stomach "Jesus lyrics" and let that put them off listening to what could be a good album. Before this album, Christian Rock was more on the fringe and Dylan, with "Slow Train Coming," made it more accessible to the masses.
The most notable song on the album is "Gotta Serve Somebody," which got a lot of airplay on radio and I saw it on many a juke box in bars and restaurants at the time. I also like the tracks, "Precious Angel" and "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking." As I mentioned earlier, this album celebrates his conversion to Christianity but is nonetheless, a pretty good album.
Track Listing:
1. Gotta Serve Somebody
2. Precious Angel
3. I Believe in You
4. Slow Train
5. Gonna Change My Way of Thinking
6. Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
7. When You Wake Up
8. Man Gave Names to All the Animals
9. When He Returns
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan- guitar, vocals
Barry Beckett- keyboards, percussion
Mickey Buckins- percussion
Carolyn Dennis- background vocals
Tim Drummond- bass
Regina Havis- background vocals
Mark Knopfler- lead guitar
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio- horns
Helena Springs- backing vocals
Pick Withers- drums
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that bands like Stryper partly owe their success to Bob Dylan and this album especially.  Listening to "Slow Train Coming" proved that you could listen to gospel rock and not have an urge to read the bible while still enjoying the music. Bob Dylan brought Christian rock into the mainstream and I think many Christian acts secretly know this.
Next post: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Damn the Torpedoes
To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Blue Oyster Cult- Mirrors

220px-BOC_MirrorsLike with Aerosmith's "Night in the Ruts" album, 1979 featured an album from Blue Oyster Cult, which doesn't get the recognition it deserves. When most people think of albums by this iconic band, the ones they will usually point out are "Agents of Fortune," "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Extra Terrestrial Live." These are all great classic albums and I am in no way taking anything away from them, it just seems unfortunate that "Mirrors" doesn't seem to get any mention at all. This is a shame because for me, it is a damn fine album.
I knew the opening track, "Dr Music," from the live album mentioned above. When I refamiliarized myself with the album, this song came back to me straight away and has stuck in my head to the point that I'm still singing the chorus two days later. Of course, "Dr Music" isn't the only good track on "Mirrors." The tracks "The Great Sun Jester," "I Am the Storm" and "The Vigil" also stand out for me too. This doesn't take away from the rest of the album as it is a good hard rocking album that typifies what you would expect when you hear Blue Oyster Cult.
Track Listing:
1. Dr Music
2. The Great Sun Jester
3. In Thee
4. Mirrors
5. Moon Crazy
6.  The Vigil
7. I Am The Storm
8. You're Not the One
9. Lonely Teardrops
Blue Oyster Cult
Blue Oyster Cult
Eric Bloom- stun guitar, lead vocals
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser- lead guitar, lead vocals
Alan Lanier- keyboards, guitar
Joe Bouchard- bass, lead vocal on "Moon Crazy"
Albert Bouchard- drums, lead vocal on "You're Not the One"
It has been said that the reason for the lack of success of "Mirrors" is that they tried a more glossy, commercial sound with this album. Yes, I do admit that its sound isn't as dark as many of their other albums but I think it is still a good listen and definitely underrated. 
Next post: Bob Dylan- Slow Train Coming
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Store in London 

Thursday 13 November 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1981: Joe's Garage, Act 1

One of the big advantages of having your own recording studio is that you can make albums without worrying about what producers or corporate executives might think.  Frank Zappa was forced to start his own label because many of the big record companies were too afraid of his risque lyrics and themes. This was an advantage for Frank because he was unrestrained by any of the corporate restrictions and therefore was able to get on and make records the way he wanted and at this stage, he was making records as fast as one every three months. It was out of this that the album "Joe's Garage Act 1" was born.
"Joe's Garage Act 1" has all the rude themes and humorous lyrics that is traditional with most Zappa records and there are some classic reminders on this one. "Catholic Girls" and "Crew Slut" are typical cases of him poking fun at society and not holding back. I still find myself quoting lines from the former like "Hey, she gave me V.D." and "She was on her knees." However, I can't leave out my favorite from this album, "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee." Again, this is Zappa at his funniest and is what made him great. This song is so amusing that I had to write down the lyrics for a friend because she kept wanting to sing them. Yes, "Joe's Garage Act 1" has all the humor that is renowned with a Zappa record and is probably the best at doing so.
Another great thing about the album is the musicianship. I said it before, Frank Zappa is a great guitarist but not only that, he always brought out the best in the musicians who played with him. Each song again is an example of this and the guitar solo in "Crew Slut" is among the best. So with "Joe's Garage Act 1" you have both things coming together and the end result is one hell of a fantastic album.
Track Listing:
1. Central Scrutinizer
2. Joe's Garage
3. Catholic Girls
4. Crew Slut
5. Wet T-Shirt Night
6. Toad O Line
7. Why Does It Hurt When I Pee
8. Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up
Fran Zappa
Frank Zappa- guitar, vocals
Warren Cuccurullo- rhythm guitar, vocals, organ
Denny Walley- vocals, slide guitar, guitar
Craig Twister Steward- harmonica
Jeff- tenor sax
Marginal Chagrin- baritone sax
Patrick O'Hearn- wind, bass
Peter Wolf- keyboards
Stumuk- bass and baritone sax
Tommy Mars- keyboards
Vinnie Coliauta- drums, percussion
Arthur Barrow- bass, vocals
Ed Mann- vocals, percussion
Dale Bozio- vocals
Terry Bozio- guest vocals
November has been Testicular and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and I bring this up because it was prostate cancer that took Frank from us in 1993. I played all his albums, well the ones I have, when I heard the news that day. Frank Zappa will always be remembered for being a musical genius and this album is a true testament to that.
Next post: Blue Oyster Cult- Mirrors
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Friday 17 October 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Aerosmith- Night in the Ruts

One way you can tell how brilliant a band is is when they put out a decent album when they are at one of the lowest points in their career. When they put out "Night in the Ruts" in 1979, they had fully made the transition from musicians dabbling in drugs to druggies dabbling in music. Joe Perry said in an interview about ten years ago that by this time, they were making records to pay their dealers. In spite of all that, "Night in the Ruts" is still a pretty good album. I know it's not as good as some of their earlier ones like "Draw the Line" and it doesn't come close to "Toys in the Attic," (my all time fave). Still when Aerosmith can put out a decent album when they were at such a low, it only cements how great their earlier albums are.
I have to confess, that there are some parts of this album where it sounds like a bit of a dirge but it's a good dirge. There is  that familiar 70's rock sound that Aerosmith were famous for then and Joe Perry comes out of his drug induced state to put down some good guitar solos. Steve Tyler also has some good vocal moments and Aerosmith's three unsung heroes, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer do what they do best. Tracks like "No Surprise," "Bone to Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy" and "Reefer Head Woman" lead the way to what is a decent album.
When I first heard the single from the album, "Remember, Walking in the Sand" I thought this was a definite attempt to get into the singles charts, capitalizing on the success from their cover of The Beatles classic, "Come Together." I still believe this is the case. This was a song that was first made in the 1960's and I wondered what were they trying to do. Saying that, like with "Come Together," they put their own unique spin onto it which makes the song somewhat enjoyable.
Track Listing:
1. No Surprise
2. Chiquita
3. Remember, Walking in the Sand
4. Cheese Cake
5. Three Mile Smile
6. Reefer Head Woman
7. Bone to Bone (Coney Island Whitefish Boy)
8. Think About It
9. Mia
Aerosmith
Steve Tyler- vocals
Joe Perry- lead guitar
Brad Whitford- rhythm guitar
Tom Hamilton- bass
Joey Kramer- drums
Before I close, I just wanted to say that I just realized some information I thought reliable all these years has been proven to be slightly inaccurate. I was told that the infamous bottle incident in Philadelphia happened on this tour. It actually occurred in 1978 on the "Live Bootleg" tour. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, what happened was during a show at the Philadelphia Spectrum, someone threw a bottle that shattered in Steve Tyler's face. The band immediately walked off stage and the culprit was found, dragged onto the stage and beaten up in front of the audience. (It's bad enough to get your ass kicked but having it kicked in front of 20,000 people must be humiliating.) Anyway, nothing happened for an hour and a half, then Aerosmith returned and Steve Tyler announced, "Fuck you Philly, we ain't ever coming back!" I wasn't at this concert but I know someone who was in this was her account. However, I saw them in 1986, they did come back eventually and while they were good that night, they weren't excellent. In fact Ted Nugent kind of blew them away. I cite the reason as being that Aerosmith still hadn't fully forgiven Philadelphia for the bottle incident. He made reference to it during the show when he said, "Don't throw anything up here, remember what happened last time." I do make mention of this in "Rock And Roll Children."
That incident was probably an indicator of things to come for the band. Joe Perry, after violent arguments with the band,  left halfway through the recording of the album and would eventually be replaced by Jimmy Crespo. A greatest hits album would be put out the following year leaving many to think that this was the end of the line. It would be seven years before the next good album would be released. I'm glad that the end of the line theory was wrong. Despite all that, "Night in the Ruts" is still a good album.
Next post: Frank Zappa- Joe's Garage Act 1
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Sunday 12 October 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: The Jam- Setting Sons

I have to thank my ex-wife for this one because she is responsible for getting me into The Jam. I had heard of them in the past but never got around listening to them. Then one day we were at a car boot sale, which I guess is like a swap meet for my American readers, when we were going through a load of records that one seller had on display. We came across The Jam's Greatest Hits album and she practically did cartwheels. We bought it straight away and I think it only cost us 10 pence (roughly 15 cents). I have to say, when we got home and listened to this album, I have to say I was converted. To me, they were straight ahead no nonsense rock, often called punk, but I'm not so quick to do labels. I know that I liked the hard aggressive sound that they made.
The other interesting note, that is if you are interested, is that if you were to make a Venn Diagram of my ex-wife's and my musical tastes, it would overlap with such bands as Heart, Alice Cooper and Marillion and a few others. Although she did really like my Kenny Wayne Sheppard album. From that common ground, our musical tastes go in different directions. She was more into New Romantic 80's stuff where I went more for the harder stuff. Anyway, enough of that.
The great thing about The Jam's "Setting Sons" album is that it continues with that same powerful rock that attracted me to them in the first place. Songs like "Thick as Thieves," "Private Hell" and "Smithers-Jones" all give that great aaargh feeling which typifies their sound back then. It also helps that this album contains the hit "The Eton Rifles," which I confess is my all time favourite song by The Jam.
Track Listing:
1. Girls on the Phone
2. Tick as Thieves
3. Private Hell
4. Little Boy Soldiers
5. Wasteland
6. Burning Sky
7. Smithers- Jones
8. Saturday's Kids
9. The Eton Rifles
10. Heatwave
The Jam
The Jam
Paul Weller- guitar, lead vocals
Bruce Foxton- bass, backing vocals
Rick Buckler- drums, percussion
So full marks to my ex-wife for introducing me to The Jam. "Setting Sons" is a classic Jam album in which every song has that power for which they were known for. It shows that hard and to the point is sometimes the best way.
Next post: Aerosmith- Night in the Rights
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Monday 6 October 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Olivia Newton John- Totally Hot

Everybody reading this must be probably think that I've totally lost the plot here. Okay, I lost it many years ago but posting about an Olivia Newton John album, I must be totally bonkers. I mean she was the girl who played along side of John Travolta in "Grease." We won't go into some of the songs that were on that soundtrack. Even before "Grease," ONJ was more of a country singer whose more mellower songs made the cross over into the rock charts. What I can say is that as a result of "Grease," she wanted to shed her goody-two shoes image and so she went with a more rockier sound and "Totally Hot" was the result.
I'm not going to kid anyone into thinking this album is a total rock out, it's not. In the rock stakes, Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar by far blow her away but I have to give her credit where it's due, she tried. "Totally Hot" has both of my favourite ONJ songs of all time on it, "A Little More Love" and "Deeper Than the Night." The first song does have some good rock guitar in it and of the two mentioned, it takes the number one spot. While I don't shoot the devil horns in the air and start headbanging away to it, it is still a good song. The rest of the album is in my view more of an attempt at prog rock without the classy musicianship. Still, it is pretty good and that's why after a long mull in the mind, I have decided to visit it here.
Track Listing:
1. Please Don't Keep Me Waiting
2. Dancin' Round and Round
3. Talk to Me
4. Deeper Than the Night
5. Borrowed Time
6. A Little More Love
7.  Never Enough
8. Totally Hot
9. Boats Against the Current
10. Gimme Some Lovin'
Olivia Newton John
Olivia Newton John- vocals
Mike Botts, Ed Greene- drums
David McDaniels, David Hungate- bass
Jai Winding, David Foster- piano
John Farrar, Steve Lukather- drums
Michael Boddicker- synthesiser
Steve Modaio- trumpet
Marty Grebb- alto sax
Chuck Finley- trombone
Gerald Peterson- tenor sax
Lenny Castro- percussion
The other thing I like about this album is that before it, I thought Olivia Newton John was on the skinny side for my personal tastes. But she put on some weight as well for this album and was looking good for the leather shot on the album cover. The album itself is still a decent listen.
Next post: The Jam- Setting Sons
To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Sunday 28 September 2014

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Pat Travers- Live, Go For What You Know

Raise your hand if there has been a musical artist you like who you hadn't t listened to in many years where when you finally do get around listening to them again, you remember how much you really liked them. I put up my hand to Pat Travers. He was another musical great who never made it onto being played on the old AM clock radio. I first heard about him when I saw this album advertised in a music catalog. Back in the late seventies, they use to have these record clubs where you get an initial offer of buying six albums for a penny to join but you had to buy so many albums in two years. It was such a catalog where I discovered Pat Travers.
Once again, it was my military experiences of widening my musical horizons where I finally got to listen to this great artist and it was this live album. "Live! Go For What You Know" was the perfect album to showcase all of his great songs and guitar talents. The most noted song from this album is "Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights" which many of the bands playing to bars and clubs in North Carolina seemed to play. I also really like "Hooked on Music," "Go All Night" and "Heat in the Street" but all of the songs here are some powerful, blues based, kick ass rock and roll.
Often have I mentioned the ever growing list of underrated guitarists from the seventies and recently, I have consciously been more picky about who I add to the list. However, Pat Travers is one guitarist who definitely belongs on the list. I might even go as far as to equate him with the likes of some I've already mentioned like Gary Richrath, Craig Chaquico and Rory Gallagher, ok I can't leave out Brian May. Travers can definitely bend the six string to his will and a listen to this great live album will confirm it.
Track Listing:
1. Hooked on Music
2. Gettin' Betta
3. Go All Night
4. Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights
5. Stevie
6. Makin' Magic
7. Heat in the Streets
8. Makes No Difference
Pat Travers
Pat Travers- guitar, vocals
Mars Cowling- bass
Pat Thrall- guitar, backing vocals
Tommy Aldridge- drums
The moral of the story here is don't go a long time without listening to someone you know is good. I made that mistake here with Pat Travers and my excuse of not owning any of his material doesn't cut it. So, I'm going to have to go out and buy this fantastic live album. Praise the Lord for Amazon! I think you should give it a listen too, I guarantee you won't regret it. I am wondering and my buddy Stone started my mind rolling on this one, if Pat Travers is yet another great artist the numpties at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have ignored.
Next post: Olivia Newton John- Totally Hot
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London