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

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

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