Great Metal Albums of 1982: Hanoi Rock- Oriental Beat

 

Hanoi Rocks didn't come to my knowledge until 1984 and there is a story behind that which I will tell when I get to the year, but as far as 1982, they were a complete non entity. Even though I was travelling around Southern Europe at the time the album, "Oriental Beat" was released, it still escaped my attention. I don't ever recall seeing it in that record store in Toulon, France. It became another album I had to trawl back through Hanoi Rocks's backlog for. Upon hearing it, I definitely don't regret it.

Now I don't want to brandish the term "party album" around too liberally, since I have used the term to talk about other albums but I have to say that it definitely applies to "Oriental Beat." This an album that would get everyone at a party just pumping their fists high in the air and singing along to all of the catchy choruses. It's easy to say that the band doesn't take itself too seriously, especially when I hear the lyrics of "Lightning Bar Blues" but there seems to be a vibe in the music that says that they do want to be taken seriously, at least a little bit. I get it most when I hear the closer, the ballad "Fallen Star." Plus, there are some good intros, like the opener, "No Law, No Order" and "MC Baby." Maybe that's what is so good about "Oriental Beat."

I have only met two people from Hanoi Rocks's native Finland and they were both ladies. I did think that with one, our meeting might lead to better things but, sadly, it wasn't to be. They both told me that all types of music are popular there and they both heard of the band. Though they didn't venture forth an opinion on them. As I listen again to the albums of Hanoi Rocks, I'm getting the impression that maybe Finnish people do like to have fun and maybe music like this helps them to do that. BTW, I do remember meeting another Finn but he was only eleven. Still, he was one hell of an ice hockey player.

1. Motorvatin'
2. Don't Follow Me
3. Visitor
4. Teenage Outsiders
5. Sweet Home Suburbia
6. MC Baby
7. No Law No Order
8. Oriental Beat
9. Devil Woman
10. Lightning Bar Blues
11. Fallen Star

[caption id="attachment_2403" align="aligncenter" width="265"] Hanoi Rocks[/caption]

Michael Monroe- vocals

Andy McCoy- lead guitar

Nasty Suicide- rhythm guitar

Sam Yaffa- bass

Gyp Casino- drums

Next time you host a party, put this album on. I'm sure that if your guests are like minded about their music as you are, the party mood will be greatly enhanced. While, this might have been a retro album for me, I still enjoyed it quite a lot.

Next post: Motorhead- Iron Fist

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

Great Metal Albums of 1982: Rainbow- Straight Between the Eyes

 

Here's the paradox that is me. I have said many times that my favourite era of Rainbow was when Ronnie James Dio was at the mike and I will forever feel that way. However, my favourite Rainbow song of all times comes during the Joe Lynn Turner era and yep you guessed it, is from the 1982 album "Straight Between the Eyes." That song is "Death Alley Driver." When I heard it on the video screen at a rock bar on Okinawa, Japan, I thought, "This song kicks ass, totally." It's just a pure rocker and Blackmore plays possibly his best guitar solo of all time on it, pure magic.

Recently, I have been debating to myself whether or not to call "Straight Between the Eyes" a metal album. There are some songs on the album that would certainly qualify it as such like "Rock Fever" and "Power," besides the big song I've already mentioned. However, there are other songs that are more progressive like the ballad like "Tearin' Out My Heart" and keyboard oriented songs like "Stone Cold," "Miss Mistreated," which has a really cool keyboard intro. To add further confusion into the mix, Ritchie goes to town on the guitar on the songs here. Then there's "Bring on the Night" that is definitely hard rock and includes more cool soloing. So, what I should be asking myself here is why the f*ck I'm worrying about what category I should or shouldn't put this fine album in and simply appreciate it for the great album that it is. So I will.

While Ritchie Blackmore shines on the album, the rest of the band steps up just as much. Joe Lynn Turner's vocals make those more progressive songs sound that much better but he can also belt our a rocker like "Death Alley Driver." David Rosenthal proves a more than capable replacement for Don Airey on the keys. The intro on "Miss Mistreated" alone is proof of that. Roger Glover is the brilliant bass player that he's always been and provides a strong rhythm section with Bobby Rondinelli. All of these elements combine well to make the album all that much better.

Track Listing:

1. Death Alley Driver
2. Stone Cold
3. Bring on the Night (Dream Catcher)
4. Tite Squeeze
5. Tearin' Out My Heart
6. Power
7. Miss Mistreated
8. Rock Fever
9. Eyes of Fire

[caption id="attachment_2923" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Rainbow[/caption]

Ritchie Blackmore- guitar

Roger Glover- bass

Joe Lynn Turner- vocals

David Rosenthal- keyboards

Bobby Rondinelli- drums

 Hence lies the danger of putting music into categories. One worries too much if a band is metal, hard rock, prog rock etc and don't enjoy the music. "Straight Between the Eyes" from Rainbow is just simply good music.

Next post: Hanoi Rocks- Oriental Beat

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

Great Metal Albums of 1982: Twisted Sister- Rough Cutts

 

This time, I have an excuse for not discovering this 1982 album until 1985. That is the fact that I never saw it in any record store in America until then. Trust me, if the debut EP but Twisted Sister, "Ruff Cutts," had been available anywhere, I would have found it. I was that much of a Twisted Sister fan. Then again, if I had heard it in 1982, I still would have bought it as, it was a sign of things to come for this band.

Three of the four songs featured on "Ruff Cutts" would later be re-recorded on their debut full length album that would come out later that year and obviously, I won't let that one go by. "What You Don't Know," "Shoot'em Down" and "Under the Blade" are three of the corner stone songs on that future album so it's no wonder they would appear on the EP. The tracks aren't as polished as they would be on the album but that's not a crime here. They are still as hard rocking and show a flash of greater things to come.

As for the fourth track, "Leader of the Pack," that would appear on an album that would come out weeks after I discovered this EP but that's another story. Trying to get into the band's mindset back then, I wonder if they thought to include it for humourous reasons or were they saving it for later on. I never hated the song, but it does pale in comparison with the other three.

Track Listing:

1. What You Don't Know
2. Shoot'em Down
3. Under the Blade
4. Leader of the Pack

[caption id="attachment_2918" align="aligncenter" width="337"] Twisted Sister[/caption]

Dee Snider- vocals

Jay Jay French- guitars, backing vocals

Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda- guitars, backing vocals

Mark "The Animal" Mendoza- bass

Joey Brighton- drums, tracks 1 and 2

Tony Petri- drums, tracks 3 and 4

The EP would arise in popularity in the 1980s and for many bands, it would be a good way to get them noticed without having to put out a full album. History shows that this might have been the case with "Ruff Cutts" for Twisted Sister as this would lead to some magnificent albums in the future.

Next post: Rainbow- Straight Between the Eyes

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