Great Rock Albums of 1985: Michael Stanley Band- MSB

Here's yet another band brought to my attention during my time in the marines. Even though the Michael Stanley band had been going since the early 1970s, they had never come to my attention. It's probably the combination of not gaining attention in the Northeast USA and the fact they didn't have any songs played on AM radio being the reason why. Thankfully, one of my marine buddies was into them and being 1982, it was the album "MSB" I got to hear first from them.

My first reaction upon hearing this album was to say it was straight ahead rock and roll but that would be so unfair to it. Besides, I don't want to brandish that label around too much because there are bands out there where the label fits. Instead, "MSB" is a widely versatile album yet at the same time, the Michael Stanley Band remain true to their rock roots. Take for instance the very first song, "In Between the Lines." The sax in the song in the song provides a jazz element sort of like the old 1979 hit "Cool Change" by the Little River Band but only much rockier. The very next track, "If You Love Me," has a definite gospel- soul feel to it but at the same time highlights the skilled musicianship behind this band. Then come some straight forward rockers, most notably the song, "When I'm Holding You Tight," which gets my vote for best guitar solo on the album. Things slow down a bit with the next two tracks but "Spanish Nights" is a superb ballad. The album goes back to and goes out on some very good rock tunes, most notably "Love Hurts" and "Hang Tough." In the end, I find myself being eternally grateful that I got to hear this album then and appreciate it even more when I listen to it now.

Track Listing:

1. In Between the Lines

2. If You Love Me

3. Night by Night

4. When I Hold You Tight

5. Spanish Nights

6. One of Those Dreams

7. Love Hurts

8. Hang Tough

9. Just a Little Bit Longer

10. Take This Time

[caption id="attachment_2588" align="aligncenter" width="294"] Michael Stanley Band[/caption]

Michael Stanley- guitar, vocals

Tommy Dobeck- drums

Bob Pelander- keyboards

Greg Markasky- lead guitar

Kevin Raleigh- keyboards, vocals

Michael Gismondi- bass

Rick Bell- saxophone

I am expecting some responses along the lines of "I've never heard of these guys" or no response at all due to the fact of not ever having heard of them. So, the teacher in me is going to set you a little homework. The "MSB" album is easily available on Youtube. Have a listen to this album and you will see what you have been missing all of these years.

Next post: The Clash- Combat Rock

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Rush- Signals

Rush's 1982 album "Signals" is almost another album in that year that escaped my attention. Fortunately, there was somebody in my platoon who was a huge Rush fan so thanks to him, I got to listen to this album. My first reaction to "Signals" was that it wasn't as hard rock as some of the songs on their previous "Moving Pictures" album but it was an enjoyable album nonetheless.

In the eyes of many, "Signals" marked the beginning of Rush's turn towards more synthesizer oriented music. While I won't dispute that belief, I can say that some of the old Rush is still present in some of the songs. You just have to listen carefully. Alex Leifson's guitar is definitely there underneath the keyboards of Geddy Lee.  Together, they make a definite statement for progressive rock not long before it gave way to more synth pop later in the 80s were quality musicianship wouldn't count for much. What is good is that every song on this album follows along in this formula although I can say that Liefson does hammer out great guitar solos on tracks 2, 3 and 4. That's probably why those songs stand out for me even though it was "Subdivisions" and "New World Man" that got the most radio airplay at the time. Those two songs probably deserved it anyway. If I were to compare this album to anything, it would be the second side of the "Moving Pictures" album and that's definitely a good thing.

Track Listing:

1. Subdivisions

2. The Analogue Kid

3. Chemistry

4. Digital Man

5. The Weapon

6. New World Man

7. Losing It

8. Countdown

[caption id="attachment_860" align="aligncenter" width="242"] Rush[/caption]

Geddy Lee- vocals, bass, keyboards, Moog Taurus pedals

Alex Liefson- guitars, Moog Taurus pedals

Neil Peart- drums, percussion

Whether or not you liked Rush or thought they sold out during what was now commonly called, "their synthesizer period," you can't fault this album. "Signals" in my mind, will always be considered a great progressive rock album.

Next post: Michael Stanley Band- MSB

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Greatest Hits of the Outlaws, High Tides Forever

 Whether it was down to the lack of commercial success of the 1982 studio album, "Los Hombres Malo," or simply because they thought it was the appropriate time but in 1982, The Outlaws decided to release a greatest hits album. So, they chose eight of their best songs and put out what was to be a must have for any Outlaws fan or someone who considered themselves a purveyor of Southern Rock. I was the latter.

It might have been only eight songs buy by God, what eight great songs they are! There are the three best known songs, at least to me, "Green Grass and High Tides," "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "There Goes Another Love Song," which I had always thought was on the "Los Hombres Malo" album because I remember it being played quite a bit on radio in early 1983. As an added bonus, the version of "Ghost Riders" is a live recording that sounds really good. The album also opened my eyes to some of the lesser known Outlaws jams as well. "Hurry Sundown," "Holiday" and "Stick Around for Rock and Roll" are all great songs as can only be done by the Outlaws. All three have those long guitar solos in that Southern Blues based fashion. The only track that doesn't go in this mold is "Take It Anyway You Want It." It actually has a more harder edge but lasting only three minutes and fifteen seconds, is very short for an Outlaws song. It's still a decent song goes well in this compilation of Outlaws' history.

Track Listing:

1. Stick Around for Rock And Roll

2. There Goes Another Love Song

3. Take It Anyway You Want It

4. Green Grass and High Tides

5. Ghost Riders in the Sky

6. Hurry Sundown

7. Holiday

8. You Are the Show

[caption id="attachment_1329" align="aligncenter" width="179"] The Outlaws[/caption]

Rick Cua- bass, lead and backing vocals

David Dix- drums, percussion

Dave Lane- fiddle, violin

Dave Lyons- keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Freddie Salem- guitar, lead and backing vocals

Hughie Thomasson- guitar, banjo, lead and backing vocals

There are so many greatest hits albums around that it's no wonder that the Outlaws would put out one of their own. "High Tides Forever" contains the classics that made their name at the time.

Next post: Rush- Signals

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Johnny Van Zant Band- Last of the Wild Ones

 Owing to the fact that I spent two thirds of 1982 overseas combined with the expectations of the military, I only managed to attend one concert in 1982. It was at a local club in Jacksonville, North Carolina called the Chateau Madrid. It's not there any more and unlike the Driftwood, I couldn't find any pictures of it on line. Anyway, there are no prizes for guessing who it was I saw that night as I am visiting the album from that tour of the Johnny Van Zant band right now. I remember it being a good night and Johnny and Co were on form and I loved when they played Lynyrd Skynyrd's "I Ain't the One." However, what could have ruined that night was the fact it was in a club full of drunk marines, yes I was one of them but I didn't get involved in any scraps that night. No kidding, while I was enjoying the show, two marines to my right suddenly went to the floor in a heap and started hooking and jabbing. A few minutes after the bouncers broke up that fight and ejected the participants, two more guys on my left engaged in similar festivities. Those weren't the only two bouts on the card that night but I didn't let it spoil my enjoyment of the evening.

"The Last of the Wild Ones" is the third album from the Johnny Van Zant Band and it is definitely a power Southern Rock album. Some of the tracks are almost metal such as the opener and "Can't Live Without Your Love." Both of these are some very heavy songs where Robbie Gay and Erik Lundgren show what they are capable of with a guitar in their hands. The track "Inside Looking Out" sounds like what I think Boston would have sounded like if they had come from south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The power ballad, "Still Hold On" is the one song of such genre that comes closest to the bar set by April Wine the previous year as to what a power ballad should sound like. "It's You" is the one song I remember getting air play at the time and it's not your standard made for radio single. This song rocks and I can't believe how much I had forgotten of the song, shame on me I know. My question is why this album didn't break the band out of the Southeast as had it gotten more notice up North, it would have done well.

Track Listing:

1. Good Girls Gone Bad

2. It's You

3. The Last of the Wild Ones

4. Still Hold On

5. Can't Live Without Your Love

6. Danger Zone

7. Together Forever

8. Inside Looking Out

9. The One and Only

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="aligncenter" width="292"] Johnny Van Zant Band[/caption]

Johnny Van Zant- vocals

Robbie Gay- lead guitar

Erik- Lundgren- lead guitar

Danny Clausman- bass

Robbie Morris- drums

Maybe it was because the corporate record companies had made their millions out of Southern Rock the previous year the reason for why this album seems virtually unknown outside the Southeast of the USA. This is a shame because they alone got to enjoy what a great album "The Last of the Wild Ones" really is and many got to do it without having drunk marines fighting around them.

Next post: Greatest Hits of the Outlaws- High Tides Forever

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Charlie Daniels Band- Windows

If there was one song whose lyrics really made me think in 1982, it was the single by the Charlie Daniels Band, "Still in Saigon." For those unfamiliar, it's a very haunting song about a Vietnam Veteran and his struggles with the war ten years since coming home. Two lines that still stick in my mind and even more so since I listened to the 1982 "Windows" album are:

"All the sounds of long ago will be forever in my head,

Mingled with the wounded's cries and the silence of the dead."

Those lyrics make me glad that while I served, I never had to fire a live round at a living target nor had any live rounds fired at me. "Still in Saigon" was the first true song that I know of that showed true sympathy to those who served in Vietnam. At the time, some thought it was a bit contradictory to their previous patriotic 1980 hit "In America." There is nothing unpatriotic about "Still in Saigon" and if America apologised to the Vietnam Veterans for they way it treated them every day until the last veteran died, it might just be enough. For me, the song would come to mind in unfortunate circumstances a year later when my old unit got blown up in Beirut.

Like I have said many times before, one song does not make a good album but there are plenty of good ones on "Windows." Charlie Daniels seems to go more rock than country on this album although there is the country ballad type "We Had It All One Time" there's nothing wrong with that song. "Ragin' Cajun" is the other known single from the album which features some fiddle playing reminiscent of the old 1979 classic, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." It's a good rock hoe down. The gem in the dark for me on this album is definitely "Partyin' Gal." I knew a few ladies who partied like that in those days so it should be a tribute to them. It is probably the most rock of all the songs on the album. If "We Had It All One Time" is the country ballad then "Blowin' Along With the Wind" is the rock one. It's not a power ballad, more of a progressive one but it slots in nicely with the rest of the line up. Whether you're country or rock or both, you can't go wrong with "Windows."

Track Listing:

1. Still in Saigon

2. Ain't No Ramblers Anymore

3. The Lady in Red

4. We Had It All One Time

5. Partyin' Gal

6. Ragin' Cajun

7. Makes You Want To Go Home

8. Blowing Along With The Wind

9. Nashville Moon

10. The Universal Hand

[caption id="attachment_1335" align="aligncenter" width="264"] Charlie Daniels Band[/caption]

Charlie Daniels- vocals, guitar, fiddle

Tom Crane- guitar, vocals

Joel "Taz" Di Gregorio- keyboards, vocals

Fred Edwards- drums, percussion

James W Marshall- drums, percussion

Charles Hayward- bass

One song made me think in 1982 but an entire album rocked the year away.
 "Windows" proved to many, especially many up North, that the Charlie Daniels Band were certainly not one hit wonders.
Next post: Johnny Van Zant- The Lat of the Wild Ones

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The Israeli Top Ten- April 1982

Because I hadn't been able to listen to any albums from 1982 over the past few days I decided to take a trip back in personal nostalgia. In a few of my posts, I mentioned that I was in Israel in April of 1982. While getting rather sloshed in a bar in Tel A Viv, my friends and I were entertained by a television showing music videos. At first, we rocked to what I would later discover to be the video to all of Queen's greatest hits up until 1980 and that was totally cool. Next, however, they showed the videos for the top ten songs in Israel that week or so I have always thought. So, to the best of my knowledge, here it is:

10. An Israeli duet featuring a man who looked like a grown up version of a friend of mine from junior high school and a woman. Don't have a clue what the song was, they sang in Hebrew but the lady was quite pretty and the man had a powerful voice.

9. A Soul band whose name or song I can't remember

8. The Human League- Don't You Want Me

7. A rather hot looking French lady- Upside Down (I assume that was the title)

6. A dark haired woman who had a great voice. She was either Israeli or Italian

[caption id="attachment_1726" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The J Geils Band[/caption]

5. J. Geils Band- Centerfold

[caption id="attachment_2277" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Foreigner[/caption]

4. Foreigner- Waiting For a Girl Like You

[caption id="attachment_2485" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Rod Stewart[/caption]

3. Rod Stewart- Young Turks

2. An English band featuring a short guy as lead singer- Can't remember the song

1. Abba- Head Over Heels

I think the reason I remember this top ten so well is that fact that there were a couple of decent rock tunes in the chart. I have also noted that there are a good number of heavy metal bands from the country. My point here is that I think they can rock in Israel! Thank you for coming along on my trip down memory lane.

Next post: Charlie Daniels Band- Windows

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Outlaws- Los Hombres Malo

 It often pays to be in the right place at the right time and in the case of the Outlaws "Los Hombres Malo" album, I was fortunate to be in the south when this album was released. Otherwise, it might have passed me by. "Los Hombres Malo" isn't one of the Outlaws' better known albums like "Ghost Riders" or "In the Eye of the Storm" or in fact, some of the classic albums they made in the mid to late 1970s. All that aside, it's still a pretty good album.

The Outlaws have never been as heavy as Southern Rockers such as Blackfoot or Molly Hatchet. Their sound is more bluesier with some great long lead guitar solos like their all time classic jam, "Green Grass and High Tides." It is more of the same with "Los Hombres Malo." "Don't Stop" is a classic Outlaws type song and opens the album quite well and it's followed up by the similar sounding "Foxtail Lilly." "Rebel Girl" is the only song I remember getting any airplay, even on southern stations and it is a decent song except that the guitar solo isn't as long. My assumption: they were asked to shorten the lead for airplay. The rest of the album goes back to the more traditional Outlaws sound and if, while listening to it, you think that every song is in the same vein, the album throws a curve ball with the more slower "Running." It's a ballad done the Outlaws' way. "Easy Does It" and "All Roads" end the album just fine. While this album doesn't make me want to forget some of the more classic albums, it doesn't make me want to discard it for them either.

Track Listing:

1. Don't Stop

2. Foxtail Lilly

3. Rebel Girl

4. Goodbye

5. Back From Eternity

6. Won't Come Out of the Rain

7. Running

8. Easy Does It

9. All Roads

[caption id="attachment_1329" align="aligncenter" width="248"] The Outlaws[/caption]

Rick Cua- bass, lead and backing vocals

David Dix- drums, percussion

Dave Lane- fiddle, violin

Dave Lyons- keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Freddie Salem- guitar, lead and backing vocals

Hughie Thomasson- guitar, banjo, lead and backing vocals

One event I regret missing in 1982 was that the Outlaws and Blackfoot toured together. That must have been an amazing show. They would have played some songs from "Los Hombres Malo" and that would have been cool.

Next post: The Top in in Israel, in April 1982.

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Rossington//Collins- This Is the Way

One of the best things about being in the Southeastern part of the US in 1982 was that while the rest of the world seemed to be getting into new wave and synth pop was starting to rear its ugly head, Southern rock was still going strong there. Of course heavy metal was growing into a monster out of control but that's another story. As I have said many times before, Southern Rock had stamped its authority in 1981 but while most of the trendy world may have moved on, Southerners were still true to their music. The result being that there are still quite a few more albums in this vein for me to visit and one of the major ones was the second album from Rossington/Collins, "This is the Way."

For me, "This is the Way" is as every bit as good as their debut album "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere." It has that very pronounced Southern down home boogie vibe that is synonymous with Southern Rock. Plus, having several ex Lynyrd Skynyrd members in the band, you can definitely hear their influence on the album. What is different about Rossington/Collins is the lead singer, Dale Krantz- Rossington. Not enough mention is given to her vocal ability which is very high indeed. She really shines on the acapella "Pine Box." Her vocals are just as noteworthy in the songs that have music with them but they have the additional bonus of some of that great Skynyrdesque guitar play from Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. Great examples to this are "Gotta Get it Straight," "Gonna Miss It When Its Gone" and "Means Nothing to You." "Don't Stop Me Now" has an added bonus of the piano work of Billy Powell proving that he could still tinkle the ivories. It beats me why he doesn't get the respect he deserves as a keyboardist. The best example, though, is the more bluesy ballad "Tashauana." This song puts together all of the things already mentions and makes a really good song. Dale's vocals are superb, their is some great powerful guitar and you can hear Powell's well done efforts as well. "Tashauana" demonstrates why "This is the Way" is such a great album.

Track Listing:

1. Gotta Get it Straight

2. Tashauana

3. Gonna Miss It When Its Gone

4. Pine Box

5. Fancy Ideas

6. Don't Stop Me Now

7. Seems Like Every Day

8. I'm Free Today

9. Next Phone Call

10. Means Nothing to You

[caption id="attachment_2147" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Rossington/Collins[/caption]

Gary Rossington- guitar

Allen Collins- guitar

Dale Krantz- Rossington- vocals

Billy Powell- keyboards

Barry Lee Harwood- guitar, vocals

Leon Wilkeson- bass

Derek Hess- drums

"This is the Way" would be the second and final album from Rossington/Collins. They would disappear after this for reasons I will never fully understand. Maybe it was because I didn't appreciate them enough back then. If that's the case, then that's not good, because if they kept putting out albums like this one, I would have been listening to them for years.

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Blackfoot- Highway Song Live

What is the most logical thing to do after your band has put out three very good studio albums? Well, in the case of Blackfoot, the answer is to put out one hell of a live album. That is exactly what they did in 1982 with the album recorded live in London. If it hadn't been for the fact that I happened to visit London in the summer of 1983, this album would have past me by because I never saw it on sale at any of the record shops in New Jersey and that, to me, would have been a damn shame.

Why is this live album so good? The answer is pretty obvious to any Blackfoot fan. At this particular concert, they played some of their finest material off their previous three albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder." If I were to have produced the album, I would have done little different except ask the band to play "I Got a Line On You" from the "Strikes" album but that's a personal thing. The album is fine as it stands. Things open with two songs from "Tomcattin,'" "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme," which is definitely a great concert opener, especially at the beginning when Rick Medlocke announces "All right London, it's boogie time!" You get little time to rest after the opener because Medlocke gets the crowd going by saying, "If someone messes with your queenie, you're gonna mess up their god damn nose!" Then they launch into "Queenie, Every Man Should Know." If the crowd isn't fully up by now, then the almost thrash sounding, "Good Morning" definitely gets them there.

"Good Morning" is the first of three songs from the "Marauder" album. The other two songs that follow, "Dry County" and "Fly Away" sound much better live than the versions on the album and there was nothing wrong with those. It's just the raw energy this concert gives that takes things up several levels. One note, in between "Dry County" and "Fly Away," Blackfoot play their own version of John Lee Hooker's "Rolling and Tumbling" and I will say that they put their own unique stamp on that song quite nicely.

The rest of the album/concert is dominated by songs from the "Strikes" album. "Road Fever" for all the Scotland rock and roll maniacs as how Medlocke introduces the song, rolls things along very well. After they play "Trouble in Mind," Blackfoot take the show up on an enormous high with the two best songs from that album, "Train, Train" and of course "Highway Song" and both are cases of the live version being way above the studio version. This leads me to realise that if Blackfoot can improve on songs from great studio albums when played live, they are definitely a band to be reckoned with.

Track Listing:

1. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

2. Queenie, Every Man Should Know

3. Good Morning

4. Dry County

5. Rolling and Tumbling

6. Fly Away

7. Road Fever

8. Trouble in Mind

9. Train, Train

10. Highway Song

11. Howay the Lads

[caption id="attachment_1316" align="aligncenter" width="215"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rickey Medlocke- guitar, lead vocals

Charlie Hargrett- guitar

Greg T Walker- bass, backing vocals

Jackson Spires- drums

I think back to that time in 1983 and thank God that I was in London and saw this album in a record store. Otherwise, I would have missed it. Then again, each time I listen to the album, I become pig sick at not having ever seen them live. Trust me, "Highway Song" will make you feel that way.

Next post: Rossington/Collins- This is the Way

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: 38 Special- Special Forces

Southern rock hit its highest point in 1981 but it hadn't descended down the summit in 1982. There were still Southern Rock bands making some great albums and getting their songs played on the radio, even up North. One of them was 38 Special whose single "Caught Up in You" from the 1982 album "Special Forces" got into the top ten in the pop singles charts. I have said many times before that I normally didn't pay too much attention to the singles charts but whenever I see that a good rock or metal band I like has a song that gets in there, I find it a cause for celebration.

Hit single aside and "Caught Up In You" follows the trend in 1982 of leading off the album, the rest of the album is the brand of Southern Rock I have always liked about the previous 38 Special albums. There are some great riffs in the likes of "Back on the Track" and "Breakin' Loose" as well as some great rhythm and harmonies on the tracks "Back Door Stranger" and "Take 'Em Out." As usual, Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes do a magnificent job with the vocals on the album singing the songs that play to their strengths. The track I find most fascinating, though, is "Chain Lightning." It starts off with an acoustic riff and at first sucks you into thinking of a possible ballad but then the guitars slam in and the song totally rocks out. Jeff Carlisi reminds me on the song why I consider him very underrated among guitarists. And if you think "Chain Lightning" sounds good on record, you should hear it played live. I got that opportunity in 1984 and it was totally kicked ass. They do sneak another single in and I have to admit, I prefer "You Keep Running Away" to "Caught Up In You" even if chart history dictates otherwise. I have never considered "Special Forces" to be a totally mind blowing as "Wild Eyed Southern Boys" or "Rockin' Into the Night," it isn't really that far below them. A good solid album that kept Southern rock in the spotlight in 1982.

Track Listing:

1. Caught Up in You

2. Backdoor Stranger

3. Back On the Track

4. Chain Lightning

5. Rough Housing

6. You Keep Running Away

7. Breakin' Loose

8. Take 'Em Out

9. Firestarter

[caption id="attachment_1691" align="aligncenter" width="249"] 38 Special[/caption]

Don Barnes- guitar, lead and backing vocals

Jeff Carlisi- lead guitar

Larry Junstrom- bass

Steve Brookins- drums

Jack Grondin- drums

Donnie Van Zant- lead and backing vocals

Additional Musicians

Jimmy Barnes- harmonica, harp

Terry Emery- piano

Steve McCray- keyboards

Lu Moss- backing vocals

Carol Bristow- backing vocals

38 Special achieved the double in 1982 by putting out a great album and breaking the top ten in the singles charts. This was a a great time for the band but what nobody saw back in that year was that the one achievement would have a detrimental effect on the other one with their future albums and attitude towards music.

Next post: Blackfoot- Highway Song, Live in London

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Dire Straits- Love Over Gold

When I visited Dire Straits' previous album, "Making Movies," I mentioned that when I saw them live in 1985, how disappointed I was that they did not play my favourite song from that album and my number two Dire Straits song of all time, "Skateaway." To add to that disappointment and my total perplexity on this, they did not play the biggest single from their 1982 album, "Love Over Gold," "Industrial Disease" either. What was strange about that was even three years later, that song still got the occasional play on the radio.

"Industrial Disease" isn't only the best known song on the album but it is the only track less than six minutes in length. The others are nearly seven or more and the opener, "Telegraph Road," is just over fourteen minutes long. The opener sets the tone for the entire album. Normally, I view songs over ten minutes in length with both optimism and pessimism. Either the song is going to rock out with interludes of great solos and combined musicianship or just be boringly repetitive. Fortunately, "Telegraph Road" follows the former. While, Mark Knopfler's vocals aren't too intelligible on the track, he makes up for it with some sound guitar work in different points of the song. It helps that he has assistance from some polished keyboard work, compliments of Alan Clark. If Knopfler's vocals aren't intelligible in the opener, they are even less so on the next track, "Private Investigations" but like the first track, it is more than made up for with some fine instrumental work. "Industrial Disease" takes the middle slot of the album and we get more of same quality blend of progressive rock and blues based lead guitar with the title track and a very worthy closer. "Love Over Gold" might only have five tracks stretched out over forty minutes but they are definitely ones to remember.

Track Listing:

1. Telegraph Road

2. Private Investigations

3. Industrial Disease

4. Lover Over Gold

5. It Never Rains

[caption id="attachment_1856" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dire Straits[/caption]

Mark Knopfler- lead vocals, lead guitar

Hal Lindes- guitar

Alan Clark- keyboards

John Illsley- bass

Pick Withers- drums

After thirty years, I remain dumbfounded as to why Dire Straits never played "Industrial Disease" on their 1985 tour. I can only speculate that maybe they were advised not to play too much of their early stuff on tour because they were pushing their most commercially successful album then. Still, it would be a shame because there are five really good tracks on the "Love Over Gold" album and the longer tracks tend to sound much better live.

Next post: 38 Special- Special Forces

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Toto- IV

When I listen to the fourth album by Toto, I find myself pining for what could have been. Three years prior, they came rocking into the world with the heavy rock sound of "Hold the Line." Those riffs are still catchy within my own mind and back in 1979, that song was an island that refused to be flooded in the sea of disco that was around at the time. "Toto IV" is a total departure from the sound in the song I have already mentioned. It follows subsequent albums in going into a more progressive, pop oriented sound. None of the songs on this fourth album come close to sounding like "Hold the Line."

This doesn't mean the album is bad, it's not. The members of Toto are all talented musicians and it shows on the album. Take the opening song and like many albums of 1982 thus far, the biggest single on the album. If "Rosanna" had been done by some fly by night, 80s synth pop group put together by the likes of Stock, Aiken and Waterman, then it would have totally sucked. Sure, it might have been a top ten single but quickly buried and forgotten. The reason why "Rosanna" appears on a number of rock compilation albums is the good musicianship behind it. Hearing the lyrics does make me want to say "Oh God" but then comes a cool keyboard solo and later a decent guitar solo. They make the song and probably why it has stood the test of time. Other songs on the album are in the same vein. Eight out of the next nine songs are mellow out progressive jazzy blues sounding songs which are great to sit down and listen to but I won't be listening to them on my way to Amon Amarth in a couple of weeks. The only song that goes anywhere near hard rock is "Afraid of Love" but that song is let down by a keyboard interlude where a cranking guitar solo should be. Still, the musicianship of Toto carry the songs through.

The closer, "Africa," is more of the same but probably my favourite song on the album. Like the previous nine songs, the closer is definitely a strong progressive song. Unlike "Rosanna," the lyrics for me are more listenable and the quality musicianship remains but I think they could have used a better instrumental break than the one in the song, perhaps a guitar solo. Still, it is the best song on the album for me.

Track Listing:

1. Rosanna

2. Make Me Believe

3. I Won't Hold You Back

4. Good For You

5. It's a Feeling

6. Afraid of Love

7. Lovers in the Night

8. We Made It

9. Waiting for Your Love

10. Africa

[caption id="attachment_1266" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Toto[/caption]

David Paich- keyboards, lead and backing vocals, all horn and orchestral arrangements

Steve Lukather- guitars, lead and backing vocals

Bobby Kimball- lead and backing vocals

Jeff Procraro- drums, percussion ,tympani

Steve Procraro- keyboards, lead vocals

David Hungate- bass

"Toto IV" is probably the reason why Wayne Campbell of Wayne's World fame put "anything by Toto" as the number two party killing song. I have to disagree somewhat here. While I wouldn't listen to the album on my way to a metal concert, I would still listen to it at more appropriate times. This is a good easy listening album, with some decent songs and quality musicianship.

Next post: Dire Straits- Lover Over Gold

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Jam- The Gift

Now onto The Jam's 1982 album "The Gift." If I had been listening to The Jam back in the day and heard this album when it came out after listening to their previous albums, I would have immediately accused them of selling out. "The Gift" marks a departure from the hard, aggressive punk sound that they had been known for. I mean the opener for instance, "Happy Together" sounds more like a happy top 40 song then a traditional Jam punk anthem. However, the song does break with the precedent set by the other albums I have covered for 1982 and is not the hit single. Surprisingly enough, the big single from the album and probably their most successful song, "A Town Called Malice" is probably the closest song to The Jam of old on the entire album and probably why it's a good song. At least they tried to keep to their traditional roots somewhat. The rest of the album, although not bad lacks that kick I liked about their previous albums. Paul Weller was trying to stretch out a little and you got to respect that but for me, it just doesn't excite me the way the earlier Jam material did.

Track Listing:

1. Happy Together

2. Ghosts

3. Precious

4. Just Who is the Five O'Clock Hero

5. Trans Global Express

6. Running on the Spot

7. Circus

8. The Planner's Dream Goes Wrong

9. Carnation

10. A Town Called Malice

11. The Gift

[caption id="attachment_1421" align="aligncenter" width="224"] The Jam[/caption]

Paul Weller- guitar, lead vocals

Bruce Foxton- bass, backing vocals

Rick Buckler- drums

While "The Gift" would go to number one, it would also lead to the break up of the band. Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler wanted to stick to the more punk sound while Weller wanted to branch out more. It appears that this disagreement might have shone through on the album because while it goes to new places, it does so without the angry conviction that had gotten The Jam to where they were in the first place.

Next post: Toto- IV

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: John Cougar- American Fool

Before anyone starts putting their hands up in a Arnold Horshak moment to tell that his name is now John Mellancamp, let me just say that as far as I'm concerned, in 1982, he was simply John Cougar. I remember watching a tv interview with him and he explained the reason behind the name change. Simply, he was advised by his agent that Mellancamp wasn't a rock and roll name. Therefore, he took on the name Cougar in order to sound more hard rock. It was only when he achieved commercial success that he retook his real surname and then eventually dropped the Cougar all together but that story is for some time down the future.

[caption id="attachment_2513" align="aligncenter" width="128"] Arnold Horshak from the TV show Welcome Back Kotter[/caption]

"American Fool" was the commercial breakthrough album for John Cougar featuring the hit singles "Hurt So Good," my second favourite song of his and the more known "Jack And Diane," which got so much air play at the time that I got tired of hearing it. It would be at least another decade and a half before I finally could enjoy that song again.

Keeping with the trend in 1982, those two songs lead off the album but fortunately, like many of the albums covered so far from 1982, the rest of the album has more behind it. The songs on the album all have the vibe of straight forward no nonsense rock and roll that Cougar said he was trying to achieve. I have to agree, while "American Fool" isn't a head banger, there is some good guitar hard rock to go around. In fact, I must say that after a renewed listen, I'm quite impressed with some of the guitar work on it. Sure, there's no blood curdling solos but the guitars do enhance the feel good factor. One of those albums you listen to while driving in the car or sitting on the front step with a beer in hand, though I wouldn't recommend it this time of year. Tracks that really impress me were "Danger List" and "Can You Take It" but needless to say, the other tracks are worth a listen as well. John Cougar livened up those summer months of that year when I was actually in the States.

Track Listing:

1. Hurt So Good

2. Jack and Diane

3. Hand to Hold On To

4. Danger List

5. Can You Take It

6. Thundering Hearts

7. China Girl

8. Close Enough

9. Weakest Moments

10. American Fool

[caption id="attachment_2514" align="aligncenter" width="176"] John Cougar[/caption]

John Cougar- lead vocals

Larry Krane- guitar, backing vocals

Mike Wanchic- guitar, backing vocals

Kenny Aronoff- drums

George 'Chocolate' Perry- bass

Mick Ronson- guitar, backing vocals

Robert 'Ferd' Frank- bass, backing vocals

Eric Rosser- keyboards

David Parman- backing vocals

I think that "American Fool" came at a perfect time when you could play straight forward rock without being catagorised into something else. I have met people a couple of years after this album who considered John Cougar to be heavy metal. No way, but it is enjoyable good rock.

Next post: The Jam- The Gift

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Go Go's- Vacation

Owing to a heavy work schedule over the past few days and going to visit family tomorrow, I'm afraid I won't be getting two posts out this week,  my apologies. Although I do have to share some blame because instead of getting on the computer on Monday evening, I decided to watch the recorded Eagles-Cowboys game and seeing the way the Eagles played this week, I would have been better off posting on here.

[caption id="attachment_2508" align="aligncenter" width="267"] Eagles vs Cowboys[/caption]

I was still not tired of listening to The Go-Go's debut "Beauty and the Beat" album in June of 1982 when browsing the record section at the PX in Rota, Spain, I discovered that they had put out a second one. I made a mental note to get it once I returned to the States a few weeks later, although I didn't need to because my sister had recorded several songs off of it. My reaction was that it pretty much sounded like the previous album while at the same time being rather good.

Keeping with the trend of 1982, "Vacation" begins with the hit single which is also the title track. It's not a bad song, probably what you would expect from a single, quite lively. It's the songs that come after it that tingle my interest a bit more. The very next track, "He's So Strange" has a lot more substance to it and is quite a good listen. It sounds as if they are at least trying to venture forth a little and be creative. With several of the other tracks, there is a strong guitar start to the songs. At least The Go-Go's were trying to be a little hard rock. "Girl of 100 Lists," "Everything But Party Time" and "Beatnik Beach" are examples of this and the closer, "Worlds Away" does an excellent job in concluding the album. There is one thing I found slightly disappointing and that is the fact that there is not one memorable guitar solo from Charlotte Caffey on the album. I don't know if that was down to her or other things. I mention this because I always believed that she was the most musically talented of the group. Still, "Vacation" was still an enjoyable album while The Go-Go's still managed to excite my then 21 year old hormones.

Track Listing:

1. Vacation

2. He's So Strange

3. Girl of 100 Lists

4. We Don't Get Along

5. I Think It's Me

6. Everything But Party Time

7. Get Up and Go

8. This Old Feeling

9. Cool Jerk

10. The Way You Dance

11. Beatnik Beach

12. Worlds Away

[caption id="attachment_2299" align="aligncenter" width="278"] The Go Go's[/caption]

Belinda Carlisle- lead vocals

Charlotte Caffey- lead guitar, backing vocals

Jane Weidlin- rhythm guitar, vocals

Kathy Valentine- bass, backing vocals

Gina Schock- drums, backing vocals

While The Go Go's were able to build on the success of "Beauty and the Beat" with "Vacation" for some reason, they would go into obscurity after this album. I don't know why because the second album is certainly likeable.

Next post: John Cougar- American Fool

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: REO Speedwagon- Good Trouble

Many people have said that REO Speedwagon's follow up to the highly commercially successful "Hi Infidelity" album was a disappointment. True this album wasn't the commercial success of its predecessor but that doesn't make it a bad album in anyway. Quite the opposite, "Good Trouble" is, in my humble view, every bit as good as "Hi Infidelity," possibly better. So, why didn't it sell so well? I offer this explanation. In spite of the fact that they had two very big singles on "Hi Infidelity," they didn't want to have every song sound like "Keep On Loving You." Instead, they went back to their roots which made them so good during the 70s. "Good Trouble" isn't as hard and heavy as "Nine Lives" but reminds me a lot more of their excellent "You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish" album and that album was considered their best by many, although my fave is still "Nine Lives."

I'm getting the impression as I revisit albums from 1982 that it seems to have been the thing to have the big single as the album opener. Every album I have covered so far has done this and the same happens with this REO classic. "Keep the Fire Burning" comes and goes and does the job its meant to do. It was a top ten single during a time when the charts actually meant something to me, well a little bit. After that, REO Speedwagon unleash hell for the rest of the way. "Sweet Time" begins like it's going to be a ballad but then some rocking guitars kick in and the rest of the song goes totally up tempo. Then, three songs later, comes my hidden favourite track, "I'll Follow You." That song definitely brings me back to the glory days of REO Speedwagon. It starts hard and then Gary Richrath nails a killer solo. However, as much as I have praised Gary before the guitar altar, the track allows you to hear why Neil Doughty is such a fantastic keyboardist. Most certainly underrated among keyboard players. The other tracks are no less hard rocking. "Stillness of the Night" is a prime example on this scale as Gary shreds away big time on it. Then there is the paradox of the closer and title track. It ranks right up there with any good album closer but the track was also used as the opener when they toured on the album, versatility or what? So, ignore the charts and lack of commercial success, "Good Trouble" is a great rocker of an album.

Track Listing:

1. Keep the Fire Burning

2. Sweet Time

3. Girl With the Heart of Gold

4. Every Now and Then

5. I'll Follow You

6. The Key

7. Back In My Heart Again

8. Let's Be-Bop

9. Stillness of the Night

10. Good Trouble

[caption id="attachment_1342" align="aligncenter" width="163"] REO Speedwagon[/caption]

Kevin Cronin- rhythm guitar, piano, lead vocals

Gary Richrath- lead guitar

Neil Doughty- keyboards

Bruce Hall- bass, lead vocal on "Let's Be-Bop"

Alan Gratzer- drums, percussion

Maybe it was down to the lack of commercial success of "Good Trouble" their next album would be a total sell out. That's a shame because "Good Trouble" is every bit a classic rocking album and reminds me of the time when REO Speedwagon was good and not settling for being popular.

Next post: The Go Gos- Talk Show

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Asia

When I returned from my second deployment in June of 1982, this debut album from Asia was there to greet me. It would be the first new album I would hear on my return. I did get a preview of what was to come when someone played the first single "Heat of the Moment" on the juke of a local bar (not the Driftwood) and that persuaded me to check out the rest of the album to which I was delighted to have done for this was a good album. On a totally unrelated note, this is the only album I know of that my sister and my ex wife both own, but don't tell either of them.

For me, Asia gave the sign that the progressive rock which defined the 1970s, would carry on strong into the following decade. The opening song and previously mentioned big single signifies that Asia were a good tight band who joined together to make great music. It starts with a cool attention grabbing guitar riff before being overpowered by some sublime keyboard work. The guitars don't totally go away but come back to begin each verse. The next couple of songs are keyboard lead but done very well and a guitar solo emerges on the track "One Step Closer" and goes on to take the song to its conclusion. A similar guitar riff starts "Time Again" but like some of the great progressive bands that went before such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Yes, there is some exciting intricate keyboard work laced throughout the song. However, the one song that certainly highlights the quality musicianship of the members of Asia is "Without You." I got to hear a little of everything here with the keyboards, electric guitar and even an acoustic guitar bit, all very well done. My verdict: Asia's self titled album reminds me of the day when musicians actually cared about the quality of the music they played.

Track Listing:

1. Heat of the Moment

2. Only Time Will Tell

3. Sole Survivor

4. One Step Closer

5. Time Again

6. Wildest Dreams

7. Without You

8. Cutting it Fine

9. Here Comes That Feeling

Geoff Downes- keyboards, vocals

Steve Howe- guitars, vocals

Carl Palmer- drums, percussion

John Wetton- bass, lead vocals

Very shortly after this album, what we know as progressive rock would disintegrate into what would become synth pop. For us who grew up with progressive rock, it would become sad times and I could remember seeing many a person from my era force feeding quarter into a juke box when they spotted a song from the olden times. Asia reminds me that in 1982, those sad times weren't upon us yet and there were still some out there who wanted to play some serious rock.

Next post: REO Speedwagon- Good Trouble

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Great Rock Albums of 1985: Loverboy- Get Lucky

Sometime halfway through my second deployment to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, while watching a backdated episode of America's Top 40 with Casey Kasem, I was treated to the Loverboy hit "Working for the Weekend." Admittedly, it didn't quite have the knock out punch I liked about "Turn Me Loose" but it was good enough to have me make a mental note on buying it when I either got to the PX in Rota, Spain or back to the States. It also brought back memories of the previous summer and the Driftwood, even though Twinkles had left a few months before the end of 1981.

True to my word, "Get Lucky" was the first new album I listened to when I returned that summer and I wasn't disappointed. It has just the right blend of progressive and hard rock to make it work. "When It's Over" is more proggy but the hard rock of "Jump" takes over nicely. Other good hard rock tracks come and go after leaving their own stamp on the album. "Emotional" reminds me of classic REO Speedwagon back when they were good in the 70s. "Lucky Ones" brings back fond memories of the first album and there's always has been something about "It's Your Life" that I liked. The album goes out on more a progressive note with "Take Me to the Top" but it's definitely the right closer for this album. Of all the songs on "Get Lucky," the one that stands well above the rest for me is "Gangs in the Street." I don't know if it's because it reminds me of my all time favourite film, "The Warriors" or because the video tries to make Loverboy look bad ass in an unconvincing way or probably just because I like the guitar solo. Whatever it is, the song works and is why this album is so good.

Track Listing:

1. Working for the Weekend

2. When It's Over

3. Jump

4. Gangs in the Street

5. Emotional

6. Lucky Ones

7. It's Your Life

8. Better Watch Out

9. Take Me To the Top

[caption id="attachment_2282" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Loverboy[/caption]

Mike Reno- vocals

Paul Dean- guitar, vocals

Doug Johnson- keyboards

Scott Smith- bass

Mike Frenette- drums

Loverboy seem to have been forgotten by many people now, not me, but back in the very early 80s, they staked their claim on the rock world with two very good albums. They were another reason why Canadian artists have never gotten the respect they deserved.

Next post: Asia

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: U2- October

U2's second album "October actually came to my attention at the tail end of 1981 when I saw it at a record store. However, I was still listening to their debut album "Boy," so I wasn't quite ready for their new album. That all changed while I was early into my second deployment to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean when a fellow marine played the album opener "Gloria" that was on his self made cassette of punk tunes. Fact: believe it or not, back in 1981 and 2, U2 were considered punk by the mainstream. I've said this before and I know I'll say it again, back then, anything new or that mainstream commercial radio just didn't get was classed as punk.

Whether or not U2 were ever punk was not really an issue for me, all I know was that they were quickly growing on me. One reason why was that if I were to choose another name for "October," I would call it "Boy II" because to me, the second album sounds very much like the first. That's not a particularly bad thing by the way. Like "Boy," "October" begins with the best know single from that particular album. I won't make comparisons because "I Will Follow" will always be my favourite U2 song. Therefore I will not take anything away from the opener here. "I Fall Down" is a good follow on and I'm not sure what to make of "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" but it does stand out in the sense that I didn't hear anything like it on "Boy." For me, the album goes down the same road as its predecessor and you could argue "If it ain't broke then don't fix it." Even the end of the album slows down in the same way the closer on "Boy," "Shadows in Tall Trees" does. While I won't go as far as saying the two albums are completely identical, they are quite similar.

Track Listing:

1. Gloria

2. I Fall Down

3. I Threw a Brick Through a Window

4. Rejoice

5. Fire

6. Tomorrow

7. October

8. With a Shout (Jerusalem)

9. Stranger in a Strange Land

10. Scarlet

11. Is That All

[caption id="attachment_2198" align="aligncenter" width="233"] U2[/caption]

Bono- lead vocals

The Edge- guitar, piano, backing vocals

Adam Clayton- bass

Larry Mullen Jr- drums

As I said earlier, if it's not broke, don't fix it. What U2 did with "October" is take their first album as a blueprint and made another album along the same vein. However, it is done in a way that doesn't put the listener off. "October" would prove to be a small stepping stone towards the next album which would lead them to ultimate greatness in the golden decade. One thing I have always said about U2 was the fact that they were one band that metalheads and trendies both liked.

Next post: Loverboy- Get Lucky

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Rod Stewart- Tonight I'm Yours

Balance has been restored in the world now. Rod Stewart's "Tonight I'm Yours" is the first piece of new music I heard in 1982. It wasn't the entire album but the second single from the album "Young Turks" which I heard several times on the AM radio of my beat up Chevy Nova during my journey home on my final weekend pass before going overseas. Like many of the Rod Stewart songs I heard throughout the 1970s, minus the two albums previous to this one because I thought they were too disco. Then again, I did like the song "Ain't Love a Bitch" off the "Blondes Have More Fun" album but I digress. That single did stick in my mind like many of his other singles although I am glad I didn't have MTV at that time so I was spared the cheesy video of the song where everyone is dancing on the roofs of cars. That experience would come in the April when I discovered that "Young Turks" was number three in the Israeli charts.

Abandoning the disco feel of the previous albums, Rod went a little more new wave with "Tonight I'm Yours" while at the same time, not venturing too far from his rock roots. The new wave part is obvious on the first two singles from the album: The title track and the already mentioned one with the cheesy video. Both are done well and I like Rod's personal spin on his cover of "How Long?" which was his third single. He does get down to some more serious rock after that. On "Tora Tora Tora (Out With the Boys)" Rod truly rocks out. The guitar breaks in the song are great and the way it interlinks with the sax is nicely done. I don't know which of the guitarists on the album played the solo here but he should step forward and receive his accolades. A pleasant surprise comes right on the heels of "Tora Tora Tora" in the form of "Tear It Up," which begins with a piano intro that could rival that of "Piano Man" of Billy Joel fame. However, as far as piano intros go, it still doesn't quite measure up to the best of all time: "Joan Crawford" by Blue Oyster Cult. Rod continues his rock tradition with the next few songs pausing in the middle to belt out the ballad, "Just Like a Woman," originally a Bob Dylan tune. The album returns to new wave, with "Young Turks" before going out very nicely with the suitable closer "Never Give Up On a Dream." This album certainly proves that Stewart's voice is far more versatile than what some people give him credit for.

Track Listing:

1. Tonight I'm Yours

2. How Long?

3. Tora Tora Tora (Out With the Boys)

4. Tear It Up

5. Only a Boy

6. Just Like a Woman

7. Jealous

8. Sonny

9. Young Turks

10. Never Give Up On a Dream

[caption id="attachment_2485" align="aligncenter" width="259" class=" "] Rod Stewart[/caption]

Rod Stewart- vocals

Jim Cregan- guitars, backing vocals

Robin LeMesurier- guitars

Jeff Baxter- guitar on "Tonight I'm Yours," pedal steel guitar on "Just Like a Woman"

Danny Johnson- guitar on "Jealous"

Byron Berline- fiddle

Jimmy "Z" Zavala- harmonica, saxophone

Kevin Savigar- keyboards

Duane Hutchins- keyboards on "Tonight I'm Yours" and "Young Turks"

Jay Davis- bass

Tony Brock- drums

Carmine Appice- drums on "Tonight I'm Yours" and "Young Turks"

Paulinho De Costa- percussion

Tommy Vig- tubular bells

Penny Jones- soloist on "Never Give Up On a Dream"

Linda Lewis, The Penetcostal Community Choir- backing vocals

I'm going to come out of the closet here, no not that way, but I am going to admit that I actually like a lot of Rod Stewart's music. Something I would have never admitted to in male heavy metal circles. True, he's not hard rocker or metal singer but his vocals and the music behind them is usually quite good. The album "Tonight I'm Yours" is proof.

Next post: U2- October

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: The Police- Ghost in the Machine

Normally, I start each year with the very first album or song from an album I heard at the beginning of said year. But my brain isn't what it used to be and I only realised this mistake after this album was announced. So, you'll get that one next post. I can't even blame being caught in massive amounts of traffic and roadworks today while going to and from a supply teaching assignment that was miles away where my "Iron Man 2" soundtrack got scratched. Maybe it was all for the best because "Ghost in the Machine" by The Police might be a good place to start.

Tempting as it may be to once again mention my suspicion about albums whose hit single is the opening track being a ploy by one hit wonders, I won't. True, the very first two tracks on "Ghost in the Machine" are the two singles from the album but I get a different impression here. "Spirits of the Material World" and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" are both good songs in their own right and worthy of being singles, my impression is that the idea behind putting them first was to say, "Now, you've heard the singles, now listen to the rest of our album."

The rest of the album is no less inferior, in fact, I only like it more. "Invisible Sun" gives me a dark brooding feeling while I listen to it but I like it. Then things go the complete opposite way with the next two songs. "Hungry for You" and "Demolition Man" are almost party atmosphere songs and definitely make things come alive. With the latter, I hear a bit of fingerboard smoking from Andy Summers which is probably why it's my favourite track on the album. So once again I ask, why did they not just give him one song to just shred? Answers on a post card please. "Too Much Information" sums me up perfectly at times and is an enjoyable song and "One World" sticks out as well. With "Ghost in the Machine," The Police stick with the standard reggae-rock roots but at the same time weren't afraid to venture out of their comfort zone a little. The result is a great album.

Track Listing:

1. Spirits in the Material World

2. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

3. Invisible Sun

4. Hungry For You (J'aurais toujours faim de toi)

5. Demolition Man

6. Too Much Information

7. Rehumanizer

8. One World (Not Three)

9. Omegaman

10. Secret Journey

11. Darkness

[caption id="attachment_1358" align="aligncenter" width="300" class=" "] The Police[/caption]

Sting- vocals, bass, saxophone, keyboards

Andy Summers- guitar, guitar synth, keyboards

Stewart Copeland- drums, percussion, keyboards

It might not actually have opened 1982 for me musically but I think that perhaps "Ghost in the Machine" by The Police was a good place to begin the journey through the year.

Next post: The actual first album I heard in 1982, actually it was a couple of songs.

Rod Stewart- Tonight I'm Yours

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1982: The Floodgates Are Truly Open

To be honest, I was a little nervous about the year 1982 and expected a bit a turbulence during the ride through it. The reason for this was that I spent eight months out of the year overseas with the marines. From the middle of January to the very end of June, I made my second deployment to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Then in the October, I went to Okinawa for the remainder of the year and the first three months of the following one. In fact, October 9, 1982 never existed for me as I was flying across the International Date Line. Because I was overseas so much, the year was fairly barren for me musically and I worried that I might not have enough albums to visit during the year. But, I will persevere and thanks to Youtube, I can listen to albums from that year that I never got the chance to listen to back then.

[caption id="attachment_1085" align="aligncenter" width="127" class=" "] Iron Maiden[/caption]

With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that in 1982, the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) had its claws firmly gripped on the industry. I saw this to be true when I was in Toulon, France in the May. Previously, I had heard of Iron Maiden but it wasn't until I heard a song, I can't remember which one, on a juke box in a bar there that I finally got my ears blown away by them. Of course, there were great metal delights served up by the likes of Judas Priest and Motorhead as well as many other rock and metal acts. It seems my journey through what turns out to be an important year that almost passed me by and I am going to put right something I got wrong in the said year. See, I never listened to Van Halen's "Diver Down" album because a couple of marine buddies bought it while we were in France and said that the album sucked. Again, curse me for simply taking their word. I will listen to this album during the course of my trip through 1982 and give you my own thoughts on it.

[caption id="attachment_1143" align="aligncenter" width="128" class=" "] Van Halen[/caption]

As I go down the road of metal history, I realise that while I may have missed out on quite a bit of music history on account of military service, the year itself was a phenomenal one for metal. Thanks to NWOBHM and others, the floodgates opened and metal began to flood the world.

Next post: The Police- Ghost in the Machine

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