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.

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