Great Metal Albums of 1983: Rainbow- Bent Out of Shape

 

"Bent Out of Shape" would be the last album for Rainbow as we knew them. The band would break up after the tour for the album and members would go in different directions but that's a story for further down the line of metal history. I have heard this album called lackluster and the final nail in Rainbow's coffin but was it that bad? I'll be the first to admit that "Bent Out of Shape" doesn't come up to the level of the previous Rainbow album, "Straight Between the Eyes" but I don't think it's a bad album one bit.

With "Bent Out of Shape," Rainbow go towards a more keyboard dominated sound meaning it's less hard rock than what Rainbow fans were used to. Back in the 1980s, I could see how metalheads would have found that disappointing as many were distrustful of any band who incorporated keyboards in their sound. However, David Rosenthal had been with the band for several albums and had proven himself to be a more than capable keyboardist. Proof is his efforts on the intro to "Can't Let You Go," strictly superb and he does smoke on "Fire Dance." The added bonus with that song is that Ritchie Blackmore still lets you know that he can still bend the six string to do his bidding. Rainbow has always been good at the keyboard-guitar solo trade off and "Fire Dance" shows that their ability to do so hadn't gone away. If you want further proof, listen to the two instrumentals on the album. On "Anybody There" the keyboards play a support role for Ritchie to work his guitar magic and "Snowman" is a great piece of instrumental progressive rock!

It might have been that many metalheads were put off by the single, "Street of Dreams," which got a considerable amount of airplay on MTV before it was supposedly banned for its hypnotic clip. It would later be accused of showing bondage but that again, is for a later post. It is a commercial track without argument but it's not bad. In fact, it's played well. "Desperate Heart" is more of a rocker, the second hardest on the album, with "Drinking With the Devil" being the hardest.  So not everything that Rainbow had stood for for nearly a decade went out the window on the album. Besides, the closer, "Make You Move" takes things out on a hard note very well. Overall, I won't debate that "Bent Out of Shape" is more of a commercial AOR album but I didn't hate it then and I appreciate more now.

Track Listing:

1. Stranded
2. Can't Let You Go
3. Fool For the Night
4. Fire Dance
5. Anybody There
6. Desperate Heart
7. Street of Dreams
8. Drinking With the Devil
9. Snowman
10. Make Your Move

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

Ritchie Blackmore- guitar

Roger Glover- bass

Joe Lynn Turner- vocals

David Rosenthal- keyboards

Chuck Burgi- drums

In spite of whether "Ben Out of Shape" is a good album, Rainbow would disappear after the album. Roger Glover and Ritchie Blackmore would go and rejoin some band they were with back in the early 1970s, you might have heard of them. Not long after, lead singer, Joe Lynn Turner would reappear with his first solo album. One thing that "Bent Out of Shape" proves was that it didn't end the careers of the talented members who made up Rainbow.

Next Post: Black Sabbath- Born Again

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

Great Metal Albums of 1983: Def Leppard- Pyromania

 

Here's the album that was said to have gone multi-platinum in the US while only selling 17 copies in the UK, "Pyromaina" by Def Leppard. At first, I might have been inclined to believe that. When I went to the UK for four weeks in the summer of 1983, many English people I spoke to could only say they had heard of the band and some couldn't even say that. Furthermore, none of their singles made the Top 40 in the UK charts so wouldn't have gotten a mention on Top of the Pops. However, thanks to a tiny bit of research, I do know that "Pyromania" did get to 18 in the UK album charts.

Lots of exposure on MTV helped get Def Leppard the notice they deserved from American audiences. The videos to the first two singles "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph" were really cool. In fact, the latter retained the all time MTV Friday Night Video Fight Championship for well over a year. Does anyone remember the Friday Night Video Fights? That's for another time I guess. Video aside, "Photograph" is my all time second Def Leppard song, (number one hadn't appeared by this time.) It's just a great song in so many ways: the power chords, the harmonizing at the chorus and the guitar solo making a great concoction of a killer tune.

While released as singles, "Foolin'" and "Too Late For Love" didn't achieve the chart status as the other two but they are also brilliant songs. I was gutted when I saw Def Leppard in 1986 and they didn't play "Foolin.'" Like the Iron Maiden album I reviewed in the last post, the rest of "Pyromania" isn't filler. "Rock, Rock til You Drop" is as good an opener as any. I also have a very warm spot for "Die Hard the Hunter" and think it could have been released as a fifth single. Love the guitar solo on it. With all this, it is no wonder why many people on both sides of the Atlantic considered "Pyromania" the album of 1983.

In spite of all the success the album has enjoyed, Def Leppard did have some challenges while recording it. During the recording, the rest of the band decided they had enough of guitarist Pete Willis's alcohol problems and fired him. While Willis recorded all the rhythm guitar tracks on the album, Phil Collen was brought in to replace him and he recorded all the solos on the songs Willis was supposed to. Listening to the efforts on this album, I have to ask if we should include the guitar duo of Clark and Collen along with the greats of Tipton and Downing, Hanneman and King, Watson and Gillis to name a few.

Track Listing:

1. Rock Rock Til You Drop
2. Photograph
3. Stagefright
4. Too Late for Love
5. Die Hard the Hunter
6. Foolin'
7. Rock of Ages
8. Comin' Under Fire
9. Action! Not Words
10. Billy's Got a Gun

Joe Elliot- lead vocals

Steve Clark- guitar

Phil Collen- guitar

Rick Savage- bass

Rick Allen- drums

Pete Willis- rhythm guitar

On amusing story I heard that when Def Leppard supported Billy Squier on tour in the States in 1983, many people left after Def Leppard's set, leaving Billy Squier to play to a half empty arena. I'm not sure if this is true or not.  My sister saw them both, maybe she can shed some light on it. What I do know that "Pyromania" put Def Leppard on the world music stage in this year and rightly so.

Next post: Rainbow- Bent Out of Shape

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

Great Metal Albums of 1983: Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind

 

One problem with me back in 1983 was procrastination. When I would hear about how good a particular band was or even heard a couple of songs I really liked from said band, I still wouldn't rush out and buy their album. I put it down to me being too tight with my money back then. In the case of Iron Maiden, I heard a lot of good songs from them in the early years and even saw their kick ass live show in January 1985, which is highlighted in "Rock And Roll Children," but the first Maiden album I actually bought was "Live After Death." It was then that I started to delve into their backlog of studio albums and discovered what would be my all time favourite Iron Maiden studio album, "Piece of Mind."

If I'm completely honest, I think what I liked most about "Piece of Mind" was that fact that it has many of the songs that I loved from "Live After Death" on it. What's an added bonus is that the studio versions of those songs don't sound too different from the live ones. Although when I hear "Revelations," even after all these years, I still half expect Bruce Dickinson to shout "Scream for me Longbeach!" in the middle of the song. Still, you can't go wrong with such great tracks as the one mentioned as well as two others near the top of my favourite Iron Maiden song list, "The Trooper" and "The Flight of Icarus." The weird thing about those two songs is that "The Flight of Icarus" sounds shorter in length that what it actually is and "The Trooper" sounds longer. But hey, who cares about things like that? They're both great songs, one written about a famous Greek fable while the other is about a tragic blunder in British military history, the charge of the light brigade. Both done very well set to music.

"Die With Your Boots On" is another cross over from the live album and I really like that one as well but those don't lessen the effect the other tracks has on the album. "Where Eagles Dare" is a fantastic opener and "To Tame a Land" is a cool closer. The other three tracks on the album also contribute to "Piece of Mind's" greatness although I never really get to hear what is said in "Nicko" which is a backwards message at the beginning of "Still Life." It was included as a dig at the religious nuts who claimed Iron Maiden were Satanic on account of the "The Number of the Beast Album." On the subject of Nicko, this was the first album to feature drummer Nicko McBrain, who replaced Clive Burr. What I never knew was that Nicko used to play with guitar great, Pat Travers. Man, you learn something new every day.

Track Listing:

1. Where Eagles Dare
2. Revelations
3. The Flight of Icarus
4. Die With You Boots On
5. The Trooper
6. Still Life
7. Quest for Fire
8. Sun and Steel
9. To Tame a Land

[caption id="attachment_3532" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Iron Maiden[/caption]

Bruce Dickinson- vocals

Steve Harris- bass

Adrian Smith- guitar

Dave Murray- guitar

Nicko McBrain- drums

History has tried to state that the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBH) was fading by 1983. I guess that Iron Maiden forgot to pick up the memo because they put out a stellar album in that year. One can't fault "Piece of Mind" at all as it cemented their place as heavy metal legends.

Next post: Def Leppard- Pyromania

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Great Metal Albums of 1983: Ozzy Osbourne- Speak of the Devil

 

Welcome to another 1982 album that came to my attention while I was still serving with the marines on Okinawa. Even when I first heard it then, I, like many others, speculated on why Ozzy would put out an album featuring live performances of his Black Sabbath material. Further investigation turned up that the reason was that this album was a contractual obligation album with Jet Records. That could explain many things like why Ozzy has publicly renounced the album.

Another thing it explains is the shockingly bad production of the album. Yes, this is a live album but it sounds like it was recorded live at a local pub. I can hear why many people found this album off putting. A further reason was that Ozzy's drinking problem was getting to him big time. The vinyl version has pictures of a road crew member who suffered from dwarfism, bringing Ozzy drinks in between songs. It also explains why his voice wasn't tip top on "Speak of the Devil."

In spite of all my negativity here, if you really want all the Black Sabbath classics and are too cheap to go out and buy all their albums, then this is a decent substitute. Yep, all the great songs are there. "Iron Man," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Snowblind," my all time favourite Sabbath song, "War Pigs" and as always, the live show is ended with "Paranoid." They're all there although some songs sound better than others and none of them come up to the standard of when they were first recorded. Personally, I think "The Wizard" sounds the best on it.

One more positive I can add is that Ozzy always gets a good crew of musicians behind him and this is the case on "Speak of the Devil." Here, we have Brad Gillis, before he joined Night Ranger on guitar, Rudy Sarzo, who would go to Quiet Riot on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums. When the production allows, the talents of these three men show through and make the album listenable.

Track Listing:

1. Symptom of the Universe
2. Snowblind
3. Black Sabbath
4. Fairies Wear Boot
5. War Pigs
6. The Wizard
7. N.I.B.
8. Sweet Leaf
9. Never Say Die
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
11. Iron Man/Children of the Grave
12. Paranoid

[caption id="attachment_2343" align="aligncenter" width="245"] Ozzy Osbourne[/caption]

Ozzy Osbourne- vocals

Brad Gillis- guitar

Rudy Sarzo- bass

Tommy Aldridge- drums

"Speak of the Devil" isn't one that is mentioned along with the other great Ozzy Osbourne albums. In fact, it has been universally agreed that a better live album would come out four years later. Don't worry, I'll post about that one in due time. Still, if you fancy a trip down memory lane and want to hear Ozzy sing some Black Sabbath classics, then this album is okay to do that.

Next post: Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- Album

 

In 1982, Joan Jett had established herself as the queen of rock. However, her grip on the throne was not at all secure. The former queen whom she deposed in, if we were talking medieval times, would be described as a bloody coup, was still around and would jump at any chance to get that throne back. That former queen, Pat Benatar, did put out a cool live album in 1983, which I've already posted about. So, what Joan Jett and the Blackhearts needed was a great follow up to the 1982, "I Love Rock and Roll," which established them. So, the question was, would "Album" be enough for Joan to retain her crown?

If you were take the opener and first single "Album" as an answer, then it would be a definite no. "Fake Friends" as a single put many people off the album and I too wasn't impressed and thought that possibly the band had fumbled the ball here. Fortunately for me, especially after the Chris DeBurgh experience, I don't let one song dictate an album for me. In fact, even after more than thirty years of hearing this album, I remain convinced that "Fake Friends" should not only have not been released as a single, it shouldn't even be on the album!

As for the rest of the album, the songs are much better. Track two would have been a much better opener than "Fake Friends." It starts off with the appropriate riff and goes strong from there. The follow up single, "Everyday People," was much better as a single than the one already mentioned, however, even that is nowhere near the best track on this album. What I like about "Album," is that it seems that every track improves as the album progresses. " Hundred Feet Away," "The French Song" and their take on the 1950's Bobby Lewis classic, "Tossin' and Turnin'" are all good rocking tunes. The only exception is the band's attempt at a power ballad. "Why Can't We Be Happy" isn't a bad song, it's just that I feel that Joan's voice isn't suited to ballads. However, she more than makes up with the next two songs, which in my view, are the two best on the album, with the latter being better than the former. "Coney Island Whitefish" torpedoes a hole in the theory about penultimate songs on albums being filler or just not as good. I love the chants of "scumbag"in the chorus. The closer, "Had Enough," ends the album on a very aggressive note.

Track Listing:

1. Fake Friends
2. Handyman
3. Everyday People
4. A Hundred Feet Away
5. Secret Love
6. The French Song
7. Tossin' and Turnin'
8. Why Can't We Be Happy
9. I Love Playing With Fire
10. Coney Island Whitefish
11. Had Enough

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="aligncenter" width="193"] Joan Jett and the Blackhearts[/caption]

Joan Jett- vocals, guitar

Ricky Bird- guitar

Gary Ryan- bass

Lee Crystal- drums

Additional Musicians

Kenny Laguna- keyboards

The Uptown Horns

The Ross Levinson Strings

So the question is: Was "Album" good enough to secure Joan Jett's place as the queen of rock. The answer is complicated. The album was good enough to keep her on the throne but not enough to keep her there securely. Even if you were to take "Fake Friends" out of it. There were several young metal maidens lurking in the shadows who would emerge to challenge and as the decade would prove, we wouldn't see the last of Pat Benatar. But forget all that and just enjoy this album.

Next post: Ozzy Osbourne- Speak of the Devil

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Aldo Nova- Subject, Aldo Nova

 

"Subject...Aldo Nova" was the follow up to Aldo's much adored debut album. The big question will always be: Was it as good as the first? At first, I was tempted to answer no but after a few more listens, I'm not so sure. On "Subject," Aldo does go for a more commercial 1980s sound and therefore it's not as hard rock as the debut. However, the hard stuff definitely does not totally disappear on the album. Maybe he was under pressure from the record company to go for a more commercially viable sound but I can't say. It's still a very good album nonetheless.

The first three tracks are all space rock sounding instrumentals which can easily be blended into a single track. These tracks tell you from the outset that "Subject" is going to be a little different. "Monkey On Your Back" does bring things back to what I liked about the first album. In fact, it reminds me quite a bit of "Fantasy" so you know it's a cool song. From there, things go even harder with the next two songs and he definitely nails the guitar solo on "Cry Baby Cry."

Further evidence that Aldo is not trying to veer too far away from the first album's format comes with the first power ballad, "Victim of a Broken Heart." Unfortunately, this song is more ballad and less power but he still manages to land another great guitar solo which saves the song for me. Then comes the thirty-nine second "Africa (Primal Love)" which has me wondering: Was this necessary? Personally, I don't see the point of it being included here but hey ho, things return to normal with "Hold Back the Night." The big difference here was that there is a bit of barely audible talking in the middle which made me stop what I was doing and listen intently to hear what he was saying. I still couldn't make it out. But there's another cool guitar solo after so who cares?

"Always Be Mine" ventures back into the realm of more commercial rock so I'm assuming that it was an intended single. The chorus is rather catchy so that's a feather in its cap. After "All Night Long," which is more synth sounding but starts with a good solo, the album kind of goes out the same way it came in, with two short instrumentals only the final track, "Paradise" is a full length song and a bit of a power ballad but the guitar solo does take the album out on an absolute high. All in all, "Subject" doesn't quite climb to the heights reached by its predecessor but still gets pretty high up the mountain.

Track Listing:

1. Subject's Theme
2. Armageddon (Race Cars)
3. Armageddon
4. Monkey On Your Back
5. Hey Operator
6. Cry Baby Cry
7. Victim of a Broken Heart
8. Africa (Primal Love)
9. Hold Back the Night
10. Always Be Mine
11. All Night Long
12. War Song
13. Prelude to Paradise
14. Paradise

[caption id="attachment_3516" align="aligncenter" width="296"] Aldo Nova[/caption]

Aldo Nova- guitars, vocals

Billy Carmassi- drums

David Sikes- bass on track 5

Neal Jason- bass on tracks 8,9,10 and 12

Steve Buslowe- bass on track 11

Dennis Chartrand- piano

Chuck Burgi- drums on track 10

Kevin Carlson- 2nd guitar solo on tracks 3 and 12

Aldo Nova had hit the ground running with his debut album and still going strong on "Subject." It seemed as far as American commercial rock was concerned, he would disappear but I can't help thinking that his other albums are as good as his first two.

Next post: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- Album

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Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Aldo Nova

 

When my household finally caught up with the times in 1983 and got MTV, the video for the big single, "Fantasy," from Canadian rocker Aldo Nova's debut album received a fair amount of airplay. Okay, it may not have been played as much as Big Country's "In a Big Country" or the full twenty minute video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller," but I saw it a good few times. Naturally, I assumed that the song was current. It was only later that I discovered that the song and the album were actually released over a year earlier. Therefore, this was another great album that came out in 1982, which I missed on account of my commitments to the military back then. It is also the reason why I am still posting it for 1983. I guess I should be grateful to MTV or else I might have missed it all together.

Even before I first saw the video for "Fantasy," Aldo Nova was making a name for himself in metal circles back then. He supported giants Rainbow and Blue Oyster Cult on two different tours and the reports I received from my friend and my sister was that he was pretty good. That, along with the single I heard, was enough grounds to explore the debut album and what a wise decision that turned out to be.

In typical 1982 fashion, the album opens with the big single but like so many other great rock and metal albums from that year, the rest of the album carries on very well. In the case of Aldo, the tracks "Hot Love" and "It's Too Late" keep me headbanging away. Both are great rocking gems. Then comes the power ballad, "Ball and Chain" and it is this track that has forced me to put Aldo Nova into the category of deeply under appreciated guitarists. He really rips his solo here. "Ball and Chain" also has me pondering something else. This song, along with April Wine's "Just Between You and Me" and the Killer Dwarfs' "Fire In Your Eyes," has me thinking that maybe Canadian bands are the best at power ballads. Something to debate anyway.

It would have been wrong of me to say that the album picks up after the power ballad because it never really slowed down. Still, "Heart to Heart" is a great song and in metal power, I put it between the power ballad and first three tracks. Following it is what sounds for me was a definitely intended AOR single, "Fooling Yourself." However, the chorus is quite catchy so I don't blame him for this one. Even more so because the next track, "Under the Gun" is the best rocking track on the album complete with another great guitar solo.

The album seems to slow down a great deal after that. I wouldn't call "You're My Love" and "Can't Stop Lovin' You" power ballads, just ballads although the latter has a cool guitar solo reminding me of why I added Aldo to my ever growing list of underrated guitarists. I would like to say that the album closes with a blinder but I really can't say that about "See the Light." The song reminds me of something you would hear from a nightclub band. It is done very well and sounds good despite being keyboard dominated but with all the harder tracks, I found myself straining in anticipation for a power chord that never comes. It's only Aldo's guitar solo that saves it for me and that gets me into the song at the end. While the last three songs may not measure up to the rest of the album in my view, those other seven songs are more than enough to make this album a great one.

Track Listing:

1. Fantasy
2. Hot Love
3. It's Too Late
4. Ball and Chain
5. Heart to Heart
6. Fooling Yourself
7. Under the Gun
8. You're My Love
9. Can't Stop Lovin' You
10. See the Light

[caption id="attachment_3516" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Aldo Nova[/caption]

Aldo Nova- vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizers, keyboards

Dennis Chartrand- piano

Michel Pelo- bass

Robert Biagioni- bass

Michael La Chapelle- drums, percussion

Terry Martel- drums, percussion

Daniel Barbe- backing vocals

Dwight Druck- backing vocals

Thank God for MTV is all I can say. While their playing of the video for "Fantasy" may have misled me as to when Aldo Nova's first album came out, it did give me the opportunity to actually discover Aldo and listen to the album. Something I will always be glad about.

Next post: Aldo Nova- Subject Aldo Nova

To buy Rock and Roll Children,

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Zebra

 

Don't ask me how but for some reason, the debut album from the American hard rock/heavy metal band Zebra passed me by. I don't remember it getting any airplay on local radio nor do I remember seeing any videos from them on MTV. If it hadn't been for Rich at Kamertunes, I never would have heard of this band ever let alone get the opportunity to listen to the debut album. But thank God for Youtube as once again, it allows me to listen to another album I never heard before.

Now that I got to listen to this album thrice, I am now able to deliver a verdict on it. I always believe in starting with the negative or at least the less positive. I don't feel that I missed anything major by not listening to the album way back in 1983. The album has a definite "it's all been done before" feel to it. I can't really say that there's anything original about it. Furthermore, I think Zebra attempts to be all things to all people here. There's snippets of progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal dotted all throughout and I'm sorry, the track "Slow Down" sounds too 1950s. I know the song was written in 1958 but there seemed little attempt to bring it up to date. I said it then and I'll say it now, if I want the 1950s in the 80s or any decade, I'll listen to the Stray Cats. Likewise, the closer, "The La La Song," begins like an easy listening tune which spoils most of the song even though it goes a harder not long into it.

Now for the more positive. Overall, the album is pretty good. While I don't think I missed anything by not buying it, if I had heard it in 1983, I still would have bought it. One can't fault the efforts of the three men who make up Zebra. There are some really cool intros on tracks one, two and four and they are all decent to very good tracks, all hard rock. The only gripe is that possibly the opener, "Tell Me What You Want," ends too abruptly. "Who's Behind the Door," I have to say impresses the hell out of me. I do detect a bit of Rush influence here and the vocals are ear catching. "Take Your Fingers From My Hair" does sound like classic 1970s progressive rock, sort of in the vein of Yes or Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The musicianship is ace on this one and it is my favourite track on the album. The next track rocks pretty good as well with a good guitar riff. In short, the seven better tracks do cancel out the two unimpressive ones.

Track Listing:

1. Tell Me What You Want
2. One More Chance
3. Slow Down
4. As I Said Before
5. Who's Behind the Door
6. When You Get There
7. Take Your Fingers From My Hair
8. Don't Walk Away
9. The La La Song

[caption id="attachment_3510" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Zebra[/caption]

Randy Jackson- guitar, lead vocals, piano, Mellotron, synthesizer, percussion

Felix Hanemann- bass, backing vocals, keyboards, strings

Guy Gelso- drums, backing vocals, percussion

Zebra's debut album came and went in 1983 and escaped my notice for thirty-three years. Now that I finally did, I liked what I heard from the debut album. However and I know I'm repeating myself here, I don't think I missed anything super special.

Next post: Aldo Nova

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Life

 

"Thunder and Lightning" might have been the final studio album for Thin Lizzy but that didn't mean they were in any way finished. Further along in the year, 1983, the band released the live album, "Life." The album was recorded over a series of concerts played in September and October, predominantly taking place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

The closest I got to ever seeing Thin Lizzy live was seeing the tribute band, Limehouse Lizzy, in Stroud over ten years ago. It's a shame they never came back, but I digress. Both the tribute band and this album make me regret the fact that I have never seen the actual band in concert. What I have heard in both camps here give me the impression that they would have been sensational, but no use crying over something I have no control over.

It wouldn't have taken a computer to deduce the fact that any live album late in Thin Lizzy's career would have been a glorified greatest hits album. Having owned their greatest hits album, (I have it on cassette), I can attest to this. Still there are some great surprises on here, starting with the fact that "Thunder and Lightning" would be the best track to open the live album or any concert. They play it just as loud and proud live, maybe more. In fact, the songs from "Thunder and Lightning" are all played rather well, "Cold Sweat" definitely gets an honourable mention here. In addition, in my mind, they pick the right songs from that album to play on this one. Saying that, I like the live version of "The Sun Goes Down." To me it seems more sinister though it does go on even longer than on the studio version.

Of course, all the great Lizzy classics are on here and most of them are played very well live. I only have to wait to the third song to hear my all time favourite Thin Lizzy ditty and they definitely do it justice. Other notable efforts are "Emerald," "Black Rose," "Waiting for an Alibi," "Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)" and if they genuinely closed their shows, with "The Rocker" like they do on the album, then it was a very wise choice indeed. A great song to go out on.

Additionally, Phil Lynott got the former Thin Lizzy guitarists to play on different numbers on the album. Gary Moore, Snowy White, Eric Bell and Brian Robertson all play on the album. I now know why "The Rocker" was such a great closer. That's because all the guitarists mentioned as well as Sykes and Goram of course play on the final song in what Phil calls 'The All Star Jam." That was great to hear, it must have been mind blowing to see.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. Waiting for an Alibi
3. Jailbreak
4. Baby Please Don't Go
5. The Holy War
6. Renegade
7. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)
8. Got to Give it Up
9. Angel of Death
10. Are You Ready
11. The Boys are Back in Town
12. Cold Sweat
13. Don't Believe a Word
14. Killer on the Loose
15. The Sun Goes Down
16. Emerald
17. The Black Rose
18. Still in Love With You
19. The Rocker

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Guest Musicians

Gary Moore- guitar on Black Rose and The Rocker

Eric Bell- guitar on The Rocker

Brian Robertson- guitar on Emerald and The Rocker

Snowy White- guitar on Renegade, Killer on the Loose, Hollywood and The Rocker

In November of 1983, I met up with a friend who was on leave from the army after spending two years stationed in Germany. Before he left the country, he got to see Thin Lizzy's last ever gig in Nuremberg. I don't remember many of the details but it sounded like an amazing event. They played many of their classics more than once and "The Boys are Back in Town" three times! Boy I was jealous, still am. I have to settle for the next best thing, this live album.

Next post: Zebra

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Thunder and Lightning

 

Before I launch into the final studio album from one of the greatest rock bands from the 1970s, I feel I must bring to everyone's attention the boo-boo I made on my last post. Having looked at it, I realise that I never posted the photos I took of the headline band, Twister, that night. I have since rectified this mistake and the photos are there for your viewing enjoyment. I've listened to a couple of Twister songs on Youtube and they're quite good.

Yes, "Thunder and Lightning" would be the final studio album from Thin Lizzy. My first experience of this album came in 1986, when partying in my college dorm room, my new British friends and I were making a tape for my sister. A Thin Lizzy song was suggested and "Thunder and Lightning" was further suggested. Upon hearing that suggestion, the Thin Lizzy officianado in the room stated that it was the worst Thin Lizzy song you could play. Having to decide things like that for myself, I listened to the album and I never agreed with my friend's opinion.

Whether it was the addition of John Sykes on guitar or Thin Lizzy trying to jump on the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), "Thunder and Lightning" is the heaviest Thin Lizzy album I have experienced. The title cut opens the album and from the first notes, you know that this is a much heavier brand of Thin Lizzy. That heaviness carries on through the second song as well. However, things slow right down with "The Sun Goes Down." This one is much slower, a rock against the tide of the rest of the album. Still, there is some good keyboard work on it and I have always been a sucker for a great slow blues guitar solo. However, the song does drag in some places.

"The Holy War" returns things to its natural pace. While not quite as hard as the first two tracks, it does deliver through the melodic hard rock avenue and it's possibly my favourite track on the album. It's melody is quite catchy. That track sets up the rest of the album. From then on it's one hard tune after the other, sort of a one, two, three, four, five punch. The opening riffs of "Cold Sweat" give that away. Even then, I can still hear the what some would say as traditional Thin Lizzy coming through and there is some good soloing from both Goram and Sykes.

One song that really intrigued me on "Thunder and Lightning" is "Someday She's Going to Hit Back." The title suggests this is an anti- domestic abuse song and having a read of the lyrics, it seems to support that theory. Here's the paradox. This music to this rocker is really cool with another great guitar solo. However, I fear that on account of that, the message of the lyrics gets lost in the song. Just an observation here. Then comes "Baby Please Don't Go," another cool hard rock song but I am left to wonder if the last song sets up this one. However, both songs lead the way out for the album which ends on a terrific closer in "Heart Attack." Not to take anything away from the penultimate song as that's a good one too.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. This is the One
3. The Sun Goes Down
4. The Holy War
5. Cold Sweat
6. Someday She's Going to Hit Back
7. Baby, Please Don't Go
8. Bad Habits
9. Heart Attack

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="369"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Usually in the case of final albums, they are a lackluster offering from a band whose attitude is to get it done and go. This isn't the case here with "Thunder and Lightning." There was some good thought put into it. Some say that the lyrics aren't up to much but that's a technicality. The music more than makes up for it. Definitely the rockingest album from Thin Lizzy.

Next post: Thin Lizzy- Life

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Thin Lizzy- Thunder and Lightning

 

Before I launch into the final studio album from one of the greatest rock bands from the 1970s, I feel I must bring to everyone's attention the boo-boo I made on my last post. Having looked at it, I realise that I never posted the photos I took of the headline band, Twister, that night. I have since rectified this mistake and the photos are there for your viewing enjoyment. I've listened to a couple of Twister songs on Youtube and they're quite good.

Yes, "Thunder and Lightning" would be the final studio album from Thin Lizzy. My first experience of this album came in 1986, when partying in my college dorm room, my new British friends and I were making a tape for my sister. A Thin Lizzy song was suggested and "Thunder and Lightning" was further suggested. Upon hearing that suggestion, the Thin Lizzy officianado in the room stated that it was the worst Thin Lizzy song you could play. Having to decide things like that for myself, I listened to the album and I never agreed with my friend's opinion.

Whether it was the addition of John Sykes on guitar or Thin Lizzy trying to jump on the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), "Thunder and Lightning" is the heaviest Thin Lizzy album I have experienced. The title cut opens the album and from the first notes, you know that this is a much heavier brand of Thin Lizzy. That heaviness carries on through the second song as well. However, things slow right down with "The Sun Goes Down." This one is much slower, a rock against the tide of the rest of the album. Still, there is some good keyboard work on it and I have always been a sucker for a great slow blues guitar solo. However, the song does drag in some places.

"The Holy War" returns things to its natural pace. While not quite as hard as the first two tracks, it does deliver through the melodic hard rock avenue and it's possibly my favourite track on the album. It's melody is quite catchy. That track sets up the rest of the album. From then on it's one hard tune after the other, sort of a one, two, three, four, five punch. The opening riffs of "Cold Sweat" give that away. Even then, I can still hear the what some would say as traditional Thin Lizzy coming through and there is some good soloing from both Goram and Sykes.

One song that really intrigued me on "Thunder and Lightning" is "Someday She's Going to Hit Back." The title suggests this is an anti- domestic abuse song and having a read of the lyrics, it seems to support that theory. Here's the paradox. This music to this rocker is really cool with another great guitar solo. However, I fear that on account of that, the message of the lyrics gets lost in the song. Just an observation here. Then comes "Baby Please Don't Go," another cool hard rock song but I am left to wonder if the last song sets up this one. However, both songs lead the way out for the album which ends on a terrific closer in "Heart Attack." Not to take anything away from the penultimate song as that's a good one too.

Track Listing:

1. Thunder and Lightning
2. This is the One
3. The Sun Goes Down
4. The Holy War
5. Cold Sweat
6. Someday She's Going to Hit Back
7. Baby, Please Don't Go
8. Bad Habits
9. Heart Attack

[caption id="attachment_3501" align="aligncenter" width="369"] Thin Lizzy[/caption]

Phil Lynott- bass, lead vocals

Scott Goram- guitar, backing vocals

John Sykes- guitar, backing vocals

Darren Wharton- keyboards, backing vocals

Brian Downey- drums, percussion

Usually in the case of final albums, they are a lackluster offering from a band whose attitude is to get it done and go. This isn't the case here with "Thunder and Lightning." There was some good thought put into it. Some say that the lyrics aren't up to much but that's a technicality. The music more than makes up for it. Definitely the rockingest album from Thin Lizzy.

Next post: Thin Lizzy- Life

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

Great Metal Albums of 1983: Twisted Sister- You Can't Stop Rock and Roll

 

What better way to build up the excitement on the eve of Bloodstock than to post my favourite album from one of my all time favourite bands who will be headlining on the Friday night? Words can't express how pumped I am to see Twisted Sister's farewell UK gig. Yes, I'm aware that this might be a hype, after all, Ozzy has had three farewell tours but that doesn't lessen my excitement.

"You Can't Stop Rock and Roll" is the second album from Twisted Sister, though it was the first one I heard. I probably said this when I posted about "Under the Blade," but that album was only available as an import until 1985. Having seen them at Donington that summer, getting this album was a no brainer. Cliches aside, when I got it home and listened to it, I was even more blown away.

I think what I like most about Twisted Sister was many of their lyrics seemed to speak to me personally back then. Starting with the opener, "The Kids Are Back," okay, I'm only one person but I had only been out of the service a few months and I did walk the streets as a one man tattered army. I too asked myself about others who didn't appear to be having fun, how could I stop it. Most people back then couldn't understand that I was able to work hard and play hard. That made the fourth track my response to people. "I am, I'm Me!" and I didn't take seriously those who looked down on what I believed. Then comes "We're Gonna Make It." That song was my driving force come exam time when I was in college. Especially as I found in the service and out that life was mostly a case of "It's not what you know but who you knowin." To cap it off, my favourite Twisted Sister track of all time closes the album out and it's what I say to all those who have a problem with metal, "You Can't Stop Rock and Roll."

Maybe the other tracks weren't quite so personal to me but they are all great metal tunes. From the power riffs of "Knife in the Back" to the more ballad like "You're Not Alone (Suzette's Song) this album just rocks, plain and simple! I think that Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda play some of their finest guitar solos on this album. Now some have said that "You Can't Stop Rock And Roll" was the beginning of Twisted Sister's decent into more commercial sounding metal. Maybe be it's me but I never had that impression then nor do I have it now. This album for me is just amazing.

Track Listing:

1. The Kids Are Back
2. Knife in the Back
3. Ride to Live Live to Ride
4. I Am I'm Me
5. The Power and the Glory
6. We're Gonna Make It
7. I've Had Enough
8. I'll Take You Alive
9. You're Not Alone (Suzette's Song)
10. You Can't Stop Rock and Roll

[caption id="attachment_2918" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Twisted Sister[/caption]

Dee Snider- lead vocals

Jay Jay French- guitar, backing vocals

Eddie 'Fingers' Ojeda- guitar, backing vocals

Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza- bass ,backing growls

A. J. Pero- drums, percussion

When I saw Twisted Sister at Bloodstock, they played three songs from this album, "You Can't Stop Rock and Roll," "The Kids are Back" and "I Am, I'm Me." These are all great songs but since this is their farewell tour I would love for them to play more from it. Definitely, I would love for them to play "Knife in the Back," "Ride to Live Live to Ride" and "We're Gonna Make It." Then again, anything they play from this album will have me screaming loudly as it is my fave. Being the Twisted Sister fanatic that I am, an entire post will be dedicated to their time on stage. We'll I'll be off in the morning.

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

Great Metal Albums of 1983: Slayer- Show No Mercy

 

Excitement and anticipation has me fully in its grasp. In just four days, I'll heading to Bloodstock for three and a half days of headbanging fun. Don't worry, I'll give you a full account of the festival, over several posts, when I get back. With that in mind, I thought it would be fitting to post about two bands playing there who had albums out in 1983 and what better way to start than with the band who will be closing out the festival, Slayer.

One has to bear in mind that in 1983, things were a lot different for Slayer when they released their debut album, "Show No Mercy." They were unheard of back then, hell, it would be another two years before my knowledge of their existence came into being. On account of that, these guys were hungry and that hunger is reflected all throughout the album. Note: I will probably repeat that fact with many bands in future posts but it is unarguably true here.

"Show No Mercy" is an unbridled explosion of hunger, anger and attitude. Hard crunching guitars, thundering bass, cool guitar solos, maniac drumming and the raw vocals of Tom Araya flow through each and every song. Furthermore, I think that Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King raised the bar for bands with two guitarists trading off solos, phenomenal, although I still think they learned it watching Don Felder and Joe Walsh on "Hotel California." The songs themselves may seem stereotypical to heavy metal nowadays but then, it was groundbreaking.  Just look at the titles. Satanism, violence and the occult are covered all through the album. If the PMRC existed then, this album would have been at the top of their hit list.  Then when you think you've heard everything, they surprise you like the semi melodic riff that begins, "Fight Till Death." However, because of the fierce power in every song, I find it impossible to pick stand outs. Every song does that in its own right. What can be said about "Show No Mercy" is that the title of the album is perfectly accurate. Slayer show no mercy here as each song is all killer and no filler.

Track Listing:

1. Evil Has No Boundaries
2. The Antichrist
3. Die By the Sword
4. Fight Till Death
5. Metalstorm/Face the Slayer
6. Black Magic
7. Tormentor
8. The Final Command
9. Crionics
10. Show No Mercy

Tom Araya- bass, vocals

Kerry King- guitar

Jeff Hanneman- guitar

Dave Lombardo- drums

It has been said that "Show No Mercy" by Slayer paved the way for bands like Metallica. I tend to agree with that analysis. They might not have realised it at the time but "Show No Mercy" introduced thrash metal to an unsuspecting populace although it would take another two years before I would come to know it. No wonder the album was the Metal Blade label's best selling record by far at the time. Today, the album has got me all psyched to see Slayer at Bloodstock this year and unlike 2013, my stepson promises not to get tired before they finish. I hope they play at least one song from this album, that would be so cool.

Next post: Twisted Sister- You Can't Stop Rock and Roll

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Blue Oyster Cult- The Revolution by Night

 

After reading about the passing of former Blue Oyster Cult producer, Sandy Pearlman, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to the man if I posted about Blue Oyster Cult's 1983 album, "The Revolution by Night." Unfortunately, when I did a little research for the post, I discovered that Sandy did not produce the album. He did produce the band's previous two albums, "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Extra- Terrestrial Live" and that could be a reason why it doesn't quite measure up to those two. That's not just my opinion, it seems to be the opinion of many now and then. It has been widely felt that "The Revolution by Night" began a decade long era of mediocrity for BOC.

[caption id="attachment_3356" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sandy Pearlman[/caption]

I remember seeing the video for the single "Shooting Shark" and not being very impressed. I admit, I expected something more along the lines of "Don't Fear the Reaper" or "Godzilla" or even "Veteran of 1000 Psychic Wars." "Shooting Shark" is definitely not anything like those classics. It's possibly the closest Blue Oyster Cult has ever come to a ballad. In any case, the song was way too commercial for me back then. However, it did get quite a lot of airplay in 1983, something not common for a Blue Oyster Cult song. Having listened to it again, I find that it's not as bad as I remember. Possibly owing to the fact that I am listening to the full seven minute version that appears on the album and not the shortened MTV version.

Technically, the rest of "The Revolution by Night" is pretty sound. There is nothing bad about the album at all. In fact, the musicianship is as done well and that includes newly acquired drummer Rick Downey who replaced the fired Albert Bouchard. The opener, "Take Me Away" does remind me of the Blue Oyster Cult I grew up loving. It is a good rock song. A better rock song, probably the hardest on the album is "Shadow of California." It is my favourite track here. It also proves that the band didn't abandon the formula that made them so great. "Feel the Thunder is a very good track as well.

Track Listing:

1. Take Me Away
2. Eyes of Fire
3. Shooting Shark
4. Veins
5. Shadow of California
6. Feel the Thunder
7. Let Go
8. Dragon Lady
9. Light Years of Love

[caption id="attachment_3369" align="aligncenter" width="274"] Blue Oyster Cult[/caption]

Eric Bloom- guitar, vocals

Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser- lead guitar, vocals, keyboards

Alan Lanier- piano, keyboards

Joe Bouchard- bass, guitars, vocoder, vocals

Rick Downey- drums

Additional Musicians:

Aldo Nova- guitar and synthesizers on "Take Me Away"

Randy Jackson- bass on "Shooting Shark"

Gregg Winter- backing vocal on "Eyes on Fire"

Marc Baum- saxophone on "Shooting Shark"

"The Revolution by Night" might have been a mediocre album for Blue Oyster Cult but there are so many bands out there who couldn't sound as good as this album, even at their best. Maybe we should lay off BOC for this one because it's not in any way a bad album.

Next post: Slayer- Show No Mercy

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

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1983: Alice Cooper- Da da

 

"Da da" was the final album recorded by Alice Cooper during his too drunk to remember recording it period. There was no tour to promote the album and I don't remember seeing or hearing any publicity for it back in 1983. Therefore, like so many people then, "Da da" completely passed me by. Having read some reviews on the album from some of my fellow bloggers, I thought I would give it a couple of listens and post about it.

The first thing I noticed about "Da da" after the first two listens was that it really strays very little from the traditional Alice Cooper format, he was  known for before his drunken period. A shining example of this is heard with the opening title cut, which reminds me of the horror settings laid down in such Alice classics as "Welcome to My Nightmare" and "Goes to Hell." The second track, "Enough's Enough" is a fun sounding song with some good hard guitar. This could have been a single, it might not have dented the charts but it still could have been one.

With the third track, "Former Lee Warmer," I think it too tries to recapture Alice's glory days of the 1970s. Maybe it's me but that song reminds me of "Steven" from the "Welcome to My Nightmare" album. The problem with it and the title track is that neither of them quite measure up to the classics. Neither song is bad, just not as good as the originals. On the other hand, he does have some fun with tracks four and five. They both sound that he might have actually enjoyed singing them but though he might have had fun with "Dyslexia," I must give him full marks for not being afraid to bring this subject to light. Little was known with the dyslexia condition back in 1983, so well done Alice. It's just a shame that the album didn't make enough noise to enlighten others.

The hardest song on "Da da" to me is "Scarlet and Sheeba." There is some good power chords here and Cooper's voice makes the song a potential hard rock anthem. What lets the song down a little is the keyboard bit where I would be expecting a guitar solo but that's a minor thing and the solo kicks in and makes it all better anyway.

Alice Cooper does not play any of the songs from the album when he goes live. If there is one song that may deserve to be heard, it's "I Love America." Not only does the song rock for me, I really love the satirical lyrics. I speculate that he's taking the mickey out of rednecks here and the emerging blind patriotism that was beginning to hit Regan America back then. Then again, I did watch the "A- Team" on Tuesday nights. "I Love America" is the climax for "Da da" and sets things up for the other two songs to close the album. Note, the guitar solo on the closer, "Pass the Gun Around" is very well played.

Track Listing:

1. Da da
2. Enough's Enough
3. Former Lee Warmer
4. No Man's Land
5. Dyslexia
6. Scarlet and Sheeba
7. I Love America
8. Fresh Blood
9. Pass the Gun Around

[caption id="attachment_812" align="aligncenter" width="260"] Alice Cooper[/caption]

Alice Cooper- vocals

Dick Wagner- guitar, bass, vocals

Bob Ezrin- drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals

Graham Shaw- OBX-8, Roland Jupiter, vocals

Prakash John- bass

Richard Kolinka- drums

John Anderson- drums

Karen Hendricks- backing vocals

Lisa DalBello- backing vocals

I have now listened to "Da da" three times and I find nothing wrong with the album. There are some good songs on here and while none of them quite reach the plateau of some of the 70s greats, they were a hell of a lot better that some of the other stuff that was beginning to find its way onto commercial radio back then. But don't take my word for it, have a listen yourself. The album is easily accessed on Youtube.

Next post: Blue Oyster Cult- The Revolution by Night

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

Great? Soundtracks of 1983: Flashdance

 

As if! I never saw the movie and never listened to the soundtrack. The only tracks I heard from it were the title track sung by Irene Cara which made her a one hit wonder as did the other song, "Maniac" by Michael Sambello. Neither song was good enough for me one hit wonders post. The fact that they were played constantly in discos throughout the world makes no difference. If anything, it makes me less likely to want to listen to them. Funny thing was that there were some really cool films in 1983. "Trading Places" with Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy, "War Games" featuring a very young fresh faced Mathew Broderick and "Pyscho II" to name just a few. However, I don't remember any of these having cool soundtracks. If any of you know of a film from this year that had a cool soundtrack, let me know and I'll listen to it and post about it.

Next post: Business as usual with Alice Cooper- Da da

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

1983 Triumphs and Tragedies

 [caption id="attachment_3349" align="aligncenter" width="539"] The Alamo[/caption]

The only tragedy I remember from 1983 actually happened the year before. Due to my military service, I didn't find out about it until 83 when I read about all the fallout from it. I'm talking about when Ozzy Osbourne pissed on the Alamo. He claims he was drunk as a skunk, (I've never seen a drunk skunk so I have nothing to compare it to.) Ozzy also said he didn't know it was such a national shrine, well it is in Texas. The result of his action got him banned from the city of San Antonio for ten years, although that was lifted a few years later when he made a large donation to the Alamo charity.

[caption id="attachment_2343" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Ozzy Osbourne[/caption]

Ozzy was already getting himself a reputation outside the heavy metal world for the wrong reasons. His infamous biting the head off a bat was making its rounds. Of course, the religious element in America embellished things further. There were rumours he blew up goats on stage and at one show, he supposedly threw a puppy into the crowd and said he wouldn't sing anymore until the audience killed the puppy. While this was all untrue hype, it didn't help Ozzy when he actually did something for real. So for Ozzy and somewhat in the metal world, this was a bit of a tragedy because it overshadowed the two albums he released in the year. I'll be covering those soon enough.

Now for the triumphs. It seems that 1983 was a cool year for festivals. I got to go to two of them. The first one, I mentioned when I posted about the Nantucket and Doc Holliday albums a few months ago. Those two bands topped the bill at the Mayfair Festival at Jacksonville, North Carolina. The other five bands remain pretty much unheard of with the bottom three being cover bands. So, I thought I'd include them in this little piece of history. They were Skeet Kelly, Roxy, Avalanche- who did a great cover of Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal," Peer Pressure- who did a reasonably decent cover of John Cougar's "Hurt So Good" and Eraxle- who closed their set with a fantastic cover of Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man." I consumed loads of alcohol and there were some interesting events between the bands like a wet t-shirt and a men's ugly legs competition. A fine day from what I remember.

[caption id="attachment_1322" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Nantucket[/caption]

Military commitments kept me from attending this festival but my sister went. I tried to pick her brains but she didn't remember much. In the June, Journey headlined in Philadelphia and with them were John Cougar, Sammy Hagar, The Tubes and Bryan Adams. From what she can remember, my sister says that Journey sounded great and had a fantastic light show. John Cougar and Bryan Adams were both very good as was Sammy Hagar despite his red spandex. Unfortunately, The Tubes weren't up to the rest of those who played that day. If this line up played in more cities than Philly, I would love to hear your account of the day.

[caption id="attachment_3350" align="aligncenter" width="387"] Journey Live[/caption]

It didn't matter that I was in the military for this one, I couldn't have gone to the US Festival because it was 3000 miles away in California. The US Festival was a three day festival where the first day consisted of new wave bands, the second day's line up was heavy metal and the third day's was a rock line up. From what I heard, all three days were fantastic although I do recall an interview with a local sheriff saying that he was going to try to ban such events following the festival. I didn't think about it then, but that was the first salvo fired at music in the 1980s. I think the best thing to do is just to let you look at the line up for the three days and I'm sure you will be just as awestruck as I was.

[caption id="attachment_3351" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Us Festival Showbill[/caption]

I did get to the final festival in 1983. This was my first Donington Festival as I happened to be in England at the time. From my memory, I can recall that Diamond Head were all right and Dio were very good. I didn't twig on who the lead singer was until they played "Heaven and Hell" but that was okay. They were brilliant. Then came Twisted Sister. I can still remember Dee Snider's quip: "We're not Culture Club or any of those gay boys or Duran Duran nor any of those other wimps. We're Twisted Sister and we play heavy metal rock and roll!" Of course I knew there must of been something about them when they were introduced as Twisted Fuckin' Sister. Their music was great too.

For me, ZZ Top took the concert. They played a magnificent combination of old and new material during their time on stage. Of course it helped that they played my two favourite ZZ Top tunes, "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and "La Grange." They also played quite a few songs off their new "Eliminator" album so they basically rocked. The big let down after ZZ Top was Meatloaf. I was not impressed, he just sounded terrible that day. Worse, my friend's English girlfriend didn't realize that they ran a special train after the concert so out of fear of getting stuck, we left early and missed headliners, Whitesnake. I remain gutted but overall, Donington 1983 was a kick ass day and proved that Great Britain could rock.

 

That was 1983 in a nutshell. The only real tragedy was Ozzy pissing on a national shrine but all the great concert festivals more than compensated for it. Just posting about it has me psyched for Bloodstock in two weeks. It was no wonder I was super excited when I got out of the marines that year.

Next post: Great Soundtracks

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

Great Rock One Hit Wonders of 1983

 It's that time of the year, at least as far as the trip through 1983 is concerned, where I look back on those who had one song that got my attention and nothing more. In short, it's time to look at the great rock one hit wonders of 1983.

Now you would think that with a name like Rough Trade, this would be a power chord happy heavy metal band. Unfortunately, there is too much piano in their hit "High School Confidential" to make that even possible. However, the song is memorable enough that it has never escaped my memory after all these years.  Maybe it was because when I heard it in '83, I was amused by the lyrics: "She makes me want to cream my jeans." Wow, the things that amused my young mind then. Thinking about it though, the song might sound really cool if metalized.

Doctor Demento

Here's a classic example of how attitudes have changed in the past thirty-three years. Today, if anyone put out a song about a clown who is a peadophile, that person or persons would be hung, drawn and quartered. Things were a bit different in 1983 where a song called "Kinko the Clown" got loads of airplay on the Doctor Demento show. Even then, it was too tasteless for mainstream radio. Back then it got lots of laughs from people who heard it, me included. Today, I see the not funny side about it.

No the Three Stooges didn't put out any songs in 1983. If they did, I would have bought it because I was a big fan of theirs since I was 12, coitenly, nyuk nyuk! Like most fans of this classic comedy group, my favourite Stooge was Curly. So you can imagine how excited I was when I heard the song, "Curly Shuffle" by the Jump in the Saddle Band. The song is definitely of the swing jazz genre but it is played so well that it rocks! Throwing the phrases and sounds made by Curly into the song take it up even higher. Once again, proof that humour belongs in music. So don't be a victim of coicumstance!

[caption id="attachment_3345" align="aligncenter" width="274"] Martin Briley[/caption]

Naturally, I save the best for last. "Salt in My Tears" by Martin Briley is simply a great rocker, nuff said! Thirty three years on, I still head bang along to it. A great rocking hook and though the guitar solo is mind blowing, it is sufficient here. From a personal historical aspect, this song came out just before I got out of the marines and it immediately had me thinking of an ex girlfriend while I was in and how I wanted to sing the song to her. While I don't think about her anymore, those lyrics continue to amuse me.

Well those are my choices for the great rock one hit wonders of 1983 and hopefully they'll bring back some memories for you.

Next post: Triumphs and Tragedies

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Dave Edmunds- Information

 

Radio can be very misleading. In the summer of 1983, the single "Slipping Away" from Dave Edmunds' "Information" got a considerable amount of airplay on radio. Then in the November, when I started my job working the Saturday and Sunday midnight to eight shift at a parking lot in Atlantic City, the radio seemed to play his cover of Bruce Springsteen's "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" at least once during my first few shifts. Naturally, I assumed both songs were from this album, which I never bought for some reason. It was only when I did my preliminary research for the post that I discovered that "From Small Things" was actually on the album prior to this one. Shame, because I really liked that song but listening to "Information," I am not disappointed too much.

Another historical point, back in the early 1980s, there was a brief heyday for what some would call "Rockabilly" music. Rock music with a country music style vibe but unlike Southern Rock, this genre doesn't have the ferocity of it relative. That's the category this Dave Edmunds seems to fall in and I would site the track "The Shape I'm In" as evidence. Saying that, he is still much more rock than the artist most known for rockabilly in the very early 1980s. Here's my weird mind at work again but the whole rockabilly thing has made me think of her again. Juice Newton, who had several hits between 1981 and 83. Hell, she even covered a Dave Edmunds single, "Queen of Hearts" and her version doesn't stray far from Dave's musically.  Confession time! In 1981 and 2, I had a serious crush on Juice Newton.

Enough of Juice for now, let's get on to "Information. The best way to describe this album is Dave Edmunds would be the result if The Ramones played country music. Each song starts out in the one, two, three go style that the Ramones were famous for throughout the 1970s. The best examples of this are "Don't You Double" and "Don't Call Me Tonight." The latter song has a guitar solo in the style of Eddie Cochran, making it sound a quite fifties but it's still well done. Dave Edmunds is very good at keeping the tempo going on every song. Another interesting track is "Feel So Right" which has that Ramones one, two, three start and goes into the rockabilly sound. However, as the song progresses, you are led to conclude that if you didn't know that Jeff Lynne of ELO fame had produced the album, you would have discovered it for yourself with said song. Then again, the more I think about it, I can hear a little bit of Lynne influence on "Slipping Away." These factors combined make "Information" another album I regret not buying back then.

[caption id="attachment_1636" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Ramones[/caption]

Track Listing:

1. Slipping Away
2. Don't You Double
3. I Want You Bad
4. Wait
5. The Watch on My Wrist
6. The Shape I'm In
7. Information
8. Feel So Right
9. What Have I Got to Do to Win?
10. Don't Call Me Tonight
11. Have a Heart

[caption id="attachment_3340" align="aligncenter" width="213"] Dave Edmunds[/caption]

Dave Edmunds- guitar, vocals

Geraint Watkins- accordion

Jeff Lynne- bass, synthesizer

John David- bass

Dave Charles- drums

Paul Jones- harmonica

Richard Tandy- synthesizer

I think this was another hidden gem from 1983 that didn't get the respect it deserved at the time. Maybe because rockabilly was already in decline or because of its unique sound, it was too hard rock for trendies but not hard enough for metalheads. All I know is that I enjoy "Information" and I know I would have liked the album if I first listened to it back then.

Next post: One Hit Wonders of 1983

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: John Cougar Mellencamp- Uh Huh

 

One type of person whom most other people in the world find annoying is the guy who acts all tough but clearly isn't. This was a major problem for John Cougar Mellencamp back in the early 1980s, especially in the eyes of many metalheads. My sister saw him live in 1983 along with Journey (who headlined,) Sammy Hagar, The Tubes and Bryan Adams. Anyway, while Cougar was on stage, ( he hadn't reclaimed is family name yet), someone threw something onto the stage. In response, John called out, "Hey mother f*cker, throw some shit up here again and I'll come down and stomp on your ass." While this was amusing, I remember one friend who said that he would have thrown something else at the stage so he could kick John Cougar's ass because Cougar was a wimp.

JCM's 1983 album "Uh Huh" established him as a true American rock act and many of my British friends agree. My thoughts on the album was while it wasn't a metal album, it was still hard enough for metalheads to enjoy. I have always enjoyed "Uh Huh," even the singles, which are the first three songs on the album. "Crumblin' Down," "Pink Houses" and "The Authority Song" were all good tunes that stretched across the barriers that were being erected in music back then. They had a commercial appeal and a hard rock enough sound that no one who liked those songs would be accused of leaving their chosen camp. Of the three, "The Authority Song" is my favourite because it highlights perfectly the phase I was going through at the time. It was kind of and I stress kind of my theme song for a brief period.

After the three singles, there is still plenty of straightforward American rock and roll to be had. "Play Guitar" and "Lovin' Mother Fo Ya" definitely qualify but the best song of all on the album has to be "Serious Business." The lyrics alone make the song for me. I mean how could one not like lyrics that go :

"This is serious business, sex and violence and rock and roll."

Hell, I'm singing those lyrics now as I type this. This is why I found "Uh Huh" to be such and enjoyable album. John Cougar Mellencamp has a bit of fun on it.

Track Listing:

1. Crumblin' Down
2. Pink Houses
3. The Authority Song
4. Warmer Place to Sleep
5. Jackie O
6. Play Guitar
7. Serious Business
8. Lovin' Mother Fo Ya
9. Golden Gates

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

John Cougar Mellencamp- vocals

Larry Crane- guitar

Kenny Aronoff- drums, percussion

Toby Myers- bass

Mike Wanchic- guitar, backing vocals

Louis Johnson- bass

Carol Sue Hill- vocals

Maggie Ryder- vocals

Jay Ferguson- vocals

When I was teaching full time, I did an American theme in a cookery lesson which the class was making sloppy joes and corn dogs. One of my British colleagues remarked at this, "Sloppy Joes and corn dogs, it sounds like a John Mellencamp song." Yes, many people outside the US regard John Cougar Mellencamp as truly and American artist, especially with some of the topics he sings about in later albums. That was before "Uh Huh," where while there are some hidden themes, it's still a fun rocker of an album.

Next post: Dave Edmunds- Information

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Rolling Stones- Undercover

 

If the Rolling Stones 1981 album "Tattoo You" was a move away from the band's disco albums (at least I thought so) of the late 1970s, then the 1983 "Undercover" album moved them even further away. Saying that, when I first heard the album's first single "Under Cover of the Night," I thought it was a bit of a dirge. It did take me a couple of listens to get used to it. By then, the second single, "She Was Hot" came out and was, in my humble opinion, much better than its predecessor. Unfortunately, memories of the song will be forever in twined with the cheesy video for it. That was one drawback with MTV, good songs could be ruined by bad videos that stick in your mind but anyway.

[caption id="attachment_3331" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A shot from the video for "She Was Hot." Cheesy or not?[/caption]

One thing about the Rolling Stones over the decades was that if I didn't buy an album myself, someone I knew would and eventually I would listen to it. That's what happened with "Undercover." I listened to it and I liked it. "Undercover" takes the Rolling Stones even further back to their roots. This album is more hard rock than anything that they had put out in years, at least I thought that back in 1983. After the two singles are done and dusted at the beginning of the album, the third track, "Tie You Up" starts the hard rock off in earnest. And goes on that path for the next two songs. Then comes the track, "Too Much Blood," which for me is a song of two halves. At first, I thought the jazz infusion, with the horns was nicely done. Then somewhere in the middle, it begins sounding like a dance track making me think they hadn't totally gotten over the disco thing.

"Pretty Beat Up" also has horns and a bit of a rock/jazz fusion and the best part is that it doesn't become a dance tune anywhere I can hear. For me, the best is saved for last. "Undercover" goes out on a real high with the last three tracks. All of them are hard rockers and sound like the Stones of the 1960s that I grew up on. If anything, it is these closing songs that has kept me coming back to the album after so many years.

Track Listing:

1. Under Cover of the Night
2. She Was Hot
3. Tie You Up (The Pain of Love)
4. Wanna Hold You
5. Feel On Baby
6. Too Much Blood
7. Pretty Beat Up
8. Too Tough
9. All the Way Down
10. It Must Be Hell

[caption id="attachment_2295" align="aligncenter" width="374"] Rolling Stones[/caption]

Mick Jagger- vocals, harmonica, guitar

Keith Richards- guitar, lead vocals on "Wanna Hold You"

Ronnie Wood- guitar, backing vocals

Bill Wyman- bass, percussion, piano on "Pretty Beat Up"

Charlie Watts- drums

It has been said that "Undercover" is one of the weaker albums by the Rolling Stones. I never agreed with that or really cared, I just liked it.

Next post: John Cougar Mellencamp- Uh Huh

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