Great Rock Albums of 1984: Survivor- Vital Signs

 

Back in 1984, Survivor, in my mind were a band who were only known for the "Eye of the Tiger" album compliments of the film, "Rocky 3." For some reason totally unexplainable to me, their 1983 album, "Caught in the Game," never made itself known to me. However, from what I have heard about it, people said at the time that it was proof that the only reason Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" album was successful was on account of Sylvester Stallone and they weren't up to much without that. Then in 1984, they recorded the "Vital Signs" album and any talk of this band needing Rocky to succeed was silenced.

Survivor did make a change when recording the album. Out went lead singer David Bickler and in to take over the mike duties was Jimi Jamison. From my recollection of history, Jimi gave the band the lift they needed to make "Vital Signs" a successful album. His vocals on all of the songs are solid and versatile. He can sing ballads like "The Search is Over" and rockers like "Popular Girl" without breaking a sweat. In the eyes of song writers Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, he was a god send.

On that subject, the two men I've just mentioned are very good song writers and just as good musicians. Together, with the rhythm section of Stephan Ellis and Marc Droubay, they make a good band and therefore a cool album. You can't fault four singles and the thing is, I like them all. Was I on drugs at the time? Probably but I do like the first four songs on the album, which were the singles. Even thirty years plus on, I can't decide which I like better between "I Can't Hold Back" and "High on You." However, I wouldn't call the other tracks filler. "Broken Promises" steers the album to more hard rock waters after the very well done progressive rock of the first four songs. There is a good guitar solo on it. Then, probably the hardest song on the album, "Popular Girl," for me is the hidden gem. If a metal band covered this song or if Survivor hadn't held back, it would have the potential to be mind blowing. The next track, "Everlasting" is a cool power ballad with a great metal like guitar solo intro and some noticeably cool drumming. Great stuff.

Track Listing:

1. I Can't Hold Back
2. High on You
3. First Night
4. The Search is Over
5. Broken Promises
6. Popular Girl
7. Everlasting
8. It's the Singer, Not the Song
9. I See You in Everyone

[caption id="attachment_4108" align="aligncenter" width="347"] Survivor[/caption]

Jimi Jamison- lead vocals

Frankie Sullivan- guitar, vocals

Jim Peterik- guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals

Stephan Ellis- bass

Marc Droubay- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMcsKtBDwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxhueyC70cU

You get two songs because I can't decide which one I like more

Survivor silenced their critics in 1984 with Vital Signs and proved they could make good music on their own without the assistance of Mr Stallone. Proof that the album is so good is in the fact that even though it has a more progressive rock sound, a metal head like me likes it.

Next post: Big Country- Steel Town

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Blackfoot- Vertical Smiles

 

Another great Southern Rock or in my view Southern metal band who went for a more commercial rock sound in 1984 was Blackfoot with their album, "Vertical Smiles." Keyboards player Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep became a permanent member and guitarist Charlie Hargrett left over disagreements with the band and management. However, I have always believed Charlie's departure to be fairly amicable because written on the album cover is "Special thanks to Charlie Hargrett for fourteen years of agony and dedication."

The move to more commercial rock comes out in the very first song, "Morning Dew," which was released as the album's only single. I remember it getting limited airplay on radio. While I have always liked this song, it was certainly a departure from traditional Blackfoot. The keyboards lead into the song and it's present throughout, although this isn't a bad thing. I also love the military sounding snare drums complements of Mr Spires and Rick Medlocke pelts a good guitar solo on it. So there is a lot to like with "Morning Dew."

Things go decisively harder for the next few songs after. "Living in the Limelight" is a pure belter and Medlocke's signature vocals are present. The song rocks! The same can be said for "Get It On." This too is a good rocker from the more memorable days of Blackfoot. The song in between them, "Ride With You" isn't bad either. It's just too much keyboards where some good guitar stuff should be and that lets it down a little. Then, the album slows right down with two power ballad type songs, "Young Girl" and "Summer Days." It does show a more tender side to the band and both songs are done very well. Happily, things go back to more familiar ground with the blazing "A Legend Never Dies." I have always thought "this is more like it."  It proves that Blackfoot can effectively employ guitar and keyboard together in a song. But the most true old style Blackfoot track is the pen ultimate, "Heartbeat and Heels." This song casts aside any doubt that Blackfoot have completely abandoned their past. It is the hidden gem on the album. I've never been too sure about the closer. You would think that any song titled, "In For the Kill" would be a hard rocker and though this song has moments, it doesn't move me in for any kill. Still, it's probably the best song to close the album.

Track Listing:

1. Morning Dew
2. Living In the Limelight
3. Ride With You
4. Get it On
5. Young Girl
6. Summer Days
7. A Legend Never Dies
8. Heartbeat and Heels
9. In For the Kill

[caption id="attachment_3114" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Blackfoot[/caption]

Rick Medlocke- guitar, lead vocals

Ken Hensley- keyboards, backing vocals

Greg T Walker- bass, backing vocals

Jackson Spires- drums, backing vocals

Sherri Jarrell- backing vocals

Note: This was a band photo from the last album but I thought I'd use out it of respect for Charlie Hargrett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IUbOy1_UKs

All in all, "Vertical Smiles" is a pretty decent album. True, they incorporate keyboards where a harder guitar sound should be in places but it's not bad. The album does have good songs. Still, it's not near the same level as their three famous albums, "Strikes," "Tomcattin'" and "Marauder."

Next post: Survivor- Vital Signs

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.co9m

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Molly Hatchet- The Deed is Done

 

In the mid and late 1980s, there was a belief that whenever a hard rock or heavy metal band incorporated keyboards into their sound, they had sold out and were trying to sound more commercial friendly. Yes, this was the case for a good number of bands back then and Molly Hatchet were accused of the same when guitarist Steve Holland was replaced with keyboards player John Galvin, who had played with Danny Joe Brown when he had his own band. Sure, the band moved away from their Southern Rock stylings to a more commercial friendly arena rock sound but their 1984 album, "The Deed is Done" is by no means in any shape or form a sell out.

While there are notable differences with this album and their very famous hard smashing album "Flirtin' With Disaster," the hard rock sound is there for all to hear. Even with two guitars, Molly Hatchet really rock out on the album, the keyboards only give it a more melodic back ground. The most prominent examples are the two tracks released as singles, "Satisfied Man" and the one I prefer slightly more, "Stone in Your Heart." These are both rockers with John's keyboards providing excellent melodic back up. Unlike so many bands who tried using keyboards, Molly Hatchet does it right here and unfortunately, this is why the album didn't sell as well as the fore mentioned biggie. Some metalheads scoffed at the use of keyboards while mainstream trendies were put off by the hard guitars and labelled them heavy metal. That's another issue about the 1980s, but I'll save that for another time.

As for the rest of the tracks, they cook as well and the now guitar duo of Duane Rolands and Dave Hlubeck show that even with two guitars, they can still kick ass. There is many a good hard rock song on "The Deed is Done" to be heard. However, if someone moaned about them using keyboards, then that person might have really been freaked out by the use of a saxophone on the track, "She Does She Does." What younger metalheads didn't understand in the 80s was that saxophones were employed very well in many a good rock song throughout the ages and it is done very well on this track. And while Molly Hatchet may have moved a little away from their Southern Boogie Rock sound, it is still there in the tracks, "Heartbreak Radio" and "I Ain't Got You". In fact, the second half of the album really rocks. "Good Smoke and Whiskey" wasn't only a great track, it was my theme song for a while. However, my personal favourite on this album has to be "Man on the Run." The old style of Molly Hatchet is stamped on it from the very beginning and the keyboards, like on the hits, provide the necessary support. This song is probably the best example of how you can incorporate the old Hatchet with the new. So what you do get with "The Deed is Done" is a more melodic hard rock sound in places but with the traditional southern sound not completely forgotten. It does make an excellent combination to the open minded.

Going on a little more about the keyboards, John Galvin is definitely underrated in this position. Some have compared him to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell, probably because their both from Southern Rock bands. Like Southern Rock bands, the piano is given that honky tonk sound which only works with bands like these two giants. However, John's work with organs and synthesizers can't be ignored because he plays them well. Oh yes, with all the talk about keyboards, I forgot to mention that the album also marked the return of Bruce Crump on drums. It was good to hear him return on the album.

Track Listing:

1. Satisfied Man
2. Backstabber
3. She Does She Does
4. Intro Piece
5. Stone In Your Heart
6. Man on the Run
7. Good Smoke and Whiskey
8. Heartbreak Radio
9. I Ain't Got You
10. Straight Shooter
11. Song For the Children

[caption id="attachment_4097" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Molly Hatchet[/caption]

Danny Joe Brown- vocals

Duane Rolands- guitar

Dave Hlubeck- guitar

John Galvin- keyboards

Riff West- bass

Bruce Crump- drums

Additional Musicians

Jim Horn- saxophone

Jimi Jamison, Tom DeLuca, Steve Bassett, Terry Manning- background vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1wIhEICMoI

I think that I've established before the metal court that "The Deed is Done" album was in no way a sell out for Molly Hatchet. While the album marks a departure from their traditional Southern sound, it still rocks and rocks hard. It's just a shame there were too many musically narrow minded people around in the mid 1980s who didn't give the album a chance.

Next post: Blackfoot- Vertical Smiles

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Toto- Isolation

 

It is probably the case that "Isolation" is most likely my favourite Toto album was the reason that it didn't do as well as its predecessors in the charts. Some would say one reason why I like it more was down to the fact that it doesn't have any cheesy singles like "Rosanna" or "Africa." I never thought either of those songs were to begin with. That accolade goes to "99" in my opinion. Besides, "Rosanna" has a really cool guitar solo on it. Additionally, there are no songs on "Isolation" that would be called 'party killing' tunes in the realm of Wayne's World.

[caption id="attachment_324" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wayne puts 'Any song by Toto' as number 2 on his party killing tunes list.[/caption]

Now, some may say that the single, "Stranger in Town," from this album is slightly cheesy. Again, I don't agree, I've always liked it. In fact, it is my second favourite Toto song. "Hold the Line" remains number one. If there be cheese, Toto do what they normally do and hide any cheese behind some good musicianship. There is plenty of that to be heard on the song and every other track on the album. "Stranger in Town" is the third track on the album following two rather good tunes. I also really like the track that comes after, "Angels Don't Cry." There is some good guitar work and it reminds me of late 1970s Styx or Kansas in the sense there are some crunching guitars backed up by some cool but not dominating keyboard playing. The same can be said for "Endless." Even the more keyboard dominated tracks are done very well with some good guitar solos in them. I never bought the critics claim that "Isolation" was a Journey clone. Where did they get that one from?

The new event which occurred on this album was that it was the first one to feature Fergie Frederiksen on lead vocals who replaced Bobby Kimball after the band terminated his services. I never knew what lead to the switch in singers but I've never bothered to find out. Admittedly, I didn't even know they had a new singer until I looked on the credits of the album. However, Bobby Kimball still provides backing vocals on three or four of the songs.

Track Listing:

1. Carmen
2. Lion
3. Stranger in Town
4. Angels Don't Cry
5. How Does it Feel
6. Endless
7. Isolation
8. Mr Friendly
9. Change of Heart
10. Holyanna

[caption id="attachment_4090" align="aligncenter" width="279"] Toto[/caption]

Fergie Frederiksen- lead and backing vocals

Steve Lukather- guitars, backing vocals, lead vocal on "How Does it Feel"

David Paich- keyboards, backing vocals, orchestral arrangements, lead vocals on "Stranger in Town" and "Holyanna," co-lead vocals on "Carmen"

Steve Procraro- keyboards, electric sounds

Mike Procraro- bass

Jeff Procraro- drums, pecussion

Bobby Kimball- backing vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSeldKAqM-w

Back in 1984, Toto's "Isolation" album was my come down a little bit album after listening to three or four metal albums on the trot. The great progressive rock musicianship that comes out of the speakers when it's played was the reason why. I didn't think about it then but for me, I've come to the conclusion that after the demise of both Styx and Kansas in 1984, this album was the progressive album that carried that sound on.

Next post: Molly Hatchet- The Deed is Done

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: The Kinks- Word of Mouth

 

In the waning months of 1984, I was hit by a sudden epiphany one day whilst I was watching MTV. The video for The Kinks' first single, "Do It Again" from the 1984 "Word of Mouth" album came on and it hit. While many bands and genres in rock had come and gone, the Kinks were still going strong for twenty years. In fact, "Word of Mouth" was their 20th album! What helped was the fact that I really liked "Do It Again." On Friday nights, after a heavy night's partying, my friends and I would go to our favourite diner. Back in the day, diners had individual juke boxes in each both, so we would have to put on some tunes while we awaited our feasts. In the last months of 1984 and the first months of 85, "Do It Again" was constantly selected. Why not, it was a great song and still is.

One thing the Kinks have always been so successful at during their tenure was to bend a little with music trends while at the same time, remaining The Kinks. On this album, their sound is definitely in the no man's land between hard and progressive rock and I don't mean this in any derisory way. I mean that track I have loved so much over the past three decades and opens the album is a good hard rock song. The next couple of tracks follow suit, although the title track is the harder one of the two which follow "Do It Again." Then comes another really great track that is hot on the heels of my favourite track. "Living on a Thin Line" has both elements of hard and progressive rock. There's a very catchy melody accented by keyboards but the guitars really crunch when required to do so. An added bonus for me back then and now is the political statement in the lyrics. Dave Davies wrote the song to convey his hatred of politicians with the insinuation that politics in Britain then hadn't moved on much from England in the middle ages. I can see that as this album came out during the peak of the miner's strike.

Following on are two very interesting rock songs in the form of "Sold Me Out" and "Massive Reductions." The keyboards on the latter track are a bit of a paradox for me. In my mind, the Kinks' 1983 single "Come Dancing" was the worst song they ever made. I know a lot of you probably don't agree and that's cool. Anyway, on "Massive Reductions," the keyboards sound very similar to that song I don't like very much. However, with the hard rock of the guitars, the keyboards work well on that song. "Guilty" is a straight forward rocker and the lyrics "Guilty until proven innocent" seemed to ring true for me at the time. Not that I was in any trouble with the law. "Too Hot" is a fun song that reminds me of the Kinks of old, not that they really changed that much over the years. It's just a catchy vibe that makes you want to wiggle back and forth in your chair.

Another interesting song is "Missing Persons" which is the closest song to a ballad on the album. It is a slow song but the drums are done in military fashion and it does get harder when it needs to punctuate its point. "Summer's Gone" is a cross between 1960s pop and heavy metal. Sounds weird I know but believe me, it works on here. Some good guitar work on here too. Maybe it was a summertime fun song for the 1980s. "Going Solo" is a good closer and I have always wondered about it. With the lyrics: "My little girl's going solo" combined with the fact that the band members were parents, that it's about a daughter who's grown up and leaving the house. Just a thought, but you can't fault the album.

Track Listing:

1. Do It Again
2. Word of Mouth
3. Good Day
4. Living on a Thin Line
5. Sold Me Out
6. Massive Reductions
7. Guilty
8. Too Hot
9. Missing Persons
10. Summer's Gone
11. Going Solo

The Kinks

Ray Davies- guitar, vocals, keyboards, harmonica

Dave Davies- guitars, backing vocals, lead vocal on "Living on a Thin Line" and "Guilty"

Jim Rodford- bass, backing vocals

Mick Avory- drums on "Missing Persons," "Sold Me Out" and "Going Solo"

Bob Henrit- drums on all other tracks

Ian Gibbons- keyboards and backing vocals

Twenty years and the Kinks were still going strong as the "Word of Mouth" album certainly showed. Looking back, it amazes me just how much good rock was out there in the year so much metal was being aired.

Next post: There will be no post later on this week as I'm off to Newcastle Upon Tyne for a much needed break. However, I will go to Trillian's and if I happen to see a good band or two whilst I'm there, you'll read about it here.

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Tommy Shaw- Girls With Guns

  

Styx guitarist, although back in 1984 it was former, Tommy Shaw's first solo album is yet another reason why I don't let one song influence me when I buy an album. It was the opening title track that was played by radio and while "Girls With Guns" is a decent song, it on its own, wouldn't have been enough for me to buy the album. What influenced me to buy it was the songs Tommy wrote whilst he was in his former band.

The great thing about Styx in the 1970s and 80s was that Tommy, Dennis De Young and James Young all had the ability to write and perform great songs. While I don't have a preference in this realm, the songs that Tommy wrote which I really loved were: "Too Much Time on My Hands," "Blue Collar Man," "Renegade" and "Man in the Wilderness" for starters. Therefore, like with Dennis's solo album, I used the memories of the great Styx songs Tommy wrote to influence my decision to buy "Girls With Guns."

[caption id="attachment_649" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Styx[/caption]

Did my logic work out? My answer is yes. It's true that the opener, title track and first single was always intended to sound more 80s synth but I did like it. It doesn't really matter because each track after offers up something new each time. The very next track, "Come In and Explain" is very much heavy rock and Tommy does open up with his guitar on that one. Following that, he attempts a ballad with "Lonely School." Now, I don't want to knock his voice because Tommy Shaw can sing and it's not a bad song but I don't think that voice is made for ballads, at least on this song. Just my thoughts that's all. However, he does go into more familiar territory with "Heads Up." This sounds like his days with Styx and there is good harmonizing in the vocals. Plus, there's the added bonus of him laying down a particularly cool guitar solo, so full marks here.

Pure speculation here but maybe he realized he wasn't up for singing ballads because while "Kiss Me Hello" is a ballad, there is much more harmonizing on it and therefore a big improvement. Additionally, I have to give full marks to Peter Wood here because he does a marvelous job on the keyboards on this one. Tommy does end the song with a little guitar solo so full marks all around, actually.

"Fading Away" has a very progressive rock intro and then goes to a reggae sound. Now Tommy Shaw is no Bob Marley but his voice sounds okay on it. He does fuse more progressive rock into the song and the mix sounds okay. "Little Girl World" has a catchy feel good factor about it. It's one of those songs you would play at a celebration or something and has some more good keyboard work from Wood. But there's some hard guitars that do manifest themselves out of the background. A similar thing can be said for "Outside in the Rain" but the guitars are more noticeable, especially with one of Shaw's solos on it. He is also accompanied by one Carol Kenyon on the vocals. "Free to Love You" is the love child between 1980s synth and traditional Styx. Elements of both permeate the album without either establishing dominance and with another cool guitar solo, Tommy blends them well. The closer, "The Race is On" is a decent progressive rock song with saxophones on it. Nicely done in a way that closes the album out on a good note.

Track Listing:

1. Girls With Guns
2. Come In and Explain
3. Lonely School
4. Heads Up
5. Kiss Me Hello
6. Fading Away
7. Little Girl World
8. Outside in the Rain
9. Free to Love You
10. The Race is On

[caption id="attachment_4066" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tommy Shaw, now sporting a mullet in 1984[/caption]

 

Tommy Shaw- guitars and lead vocals, mandolin

Steve Holley- drums, percussion

Brian Stanley- bass

Peter Wood- piano, electric piano, synthesizers

Carol Kenyon- accompanying vocals on "Outside in the Rain"

Richie Connata- sax solo on "The Race is On"

Molly Duncan- saxophone section on "The Race is On"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wNBsGy17V4

Tommy Shaw followed Dennis De Young in releasing a solo album after Styx. While he's not afraid to stretch out a bit on the album, he does remember that his guitar work is his main weapon as it was for Styx. However, he does have  good keyboards player in Peter Wood and that helps to make "Girls With Guns" the winner here. If I were to compare it to Dennis's album.

Next post: The Kinks- Word of Mouth

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: John Parr

 

History has always misrepresented English rocker John Parr. For the masses, he is considered a one hit wonder, that one hit being the title track of the soundtrack for the film "St. Elmo's Fire." If you were to judge him on that song alone, you would have thought him to be just another 80s synth pop singer. However, I know that this wasn't the case and most, possibly all the songs, on his 1984 self titled debut album are better. In fact, the "St Elmo's Fire" track only appears on the UK release and not the US Atlantic records one, which was what I experienced. My conclusion here is that the album is just fine without it.

Long before there was a "St Elmo's Fire," (that film didn't come out until 1985 and it will take a lot of convincing from you the masses for me to visit the soundtrack), I was already familiar with Mr Parr. The first single from the album, "Naughty Naughty" received a good amount of air play on both radio and MTV. It's a rocker and for me, that song defines John Parr.

Fortunately, his album follows suit along with the song I just talked about. In fact the only hint of synth pop on the album is the track "Love Grammar" and I stress only a hint. Even that song has its hard rocking moments as well as a cool guitar solo from John himself. That's another thing about him, he can shred a little too as well as sing. The rest is pretty much straight forward hard rock. (Am I using that phrase too much in my posts?) In this case, it does define the album very well. One great example of this is the track, "Treat Me Like and Animal." Now that song is hard rock, no debate. There is a ballad right after, "She's Gonna Love You to Death" but there are some decent guitars in the song. The album then returns to more rock ground after that with a rather cool intro on the track, "Revenge" and some cool hard guitars on it. I'm glad they did it that way and not try to use synths as was the custom of the time. The keyboards on the track are more progressive rock than anything. The rest of the album pretty much follows along the path with the possible exceptions "Heartbreaker" and the closer, "Don't Leave YOur Mark on Me" which sound like they could have been songs for a 1980s film soundtrack. But even these on has their rocking moments. What you get here is a cool rock album from John Parr.

Track Listing:

1. Magical
2. Naughty Naughty
3. Love Grammar
4. Treat Me Like an Animal
5. She's Gonna Love You to Death
6. Revenge
7. Heartbreaker
8. Somebody Stole My Thunder
9. Don't Leave Your Mark on Me

[caption id="attachment_4060" align="aligncenter" width="331"] John Parr[/caption]

John Parr- lead vocals, lead guitar, African sounds

Pete Solley- organ

Christopher Marra- guitar

Brad Lang- bass

Colin Farley- bass on tracks 3 and 7

Jon Cook- keyboards

Richard Cottle- keyboards tracks 3,4 and 6

Jonathon J Jeczalik- synthesizer

The Kick Horns- horns

Graham Broad- drums, percussion, African sounds

Simon Phillips- drums on tracks 3 and 7

Chuck Kirkpatrick and John Sombataro- backing vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syhrz_AMLQU

So forget "St Elmo's Fire," I never watched the film anyway. Have a listen to this debut album from John Parr. I guarantee you'll enjoy it much more.

Next post: Tommy Shaw- Girls With Guns

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Planet P- Pink World

 

Tony Carey was a very busy man in 1984. In the early part of the year, he hit it big with his solo album, "Some Tough City," which I visited a few months ago. God, has it been that long? In the later part of the year, he attempted to build on the success of his band, Planet P from 1983 with there successful "Project" album. In the latter months of 1984, Mr Carey treated us to the Planet P album, "Pink World."

When I posted about the "Project" album, I was enlightened by a comment on the post to the fact that Planet P was only a band in the loosest of terms. The project was completely under Tony's control with the named musicians brought in to provide necessary assistance. So now enlightened as I strive to get my facts right, I will say that I'm not really bothered by such semantics in this case. Whether Planet P are a proper band or not doesn't matter because the result has been two really cool albums, "Pink World" being the second of those.

What was cool about MTV in 1984 was that they played videos by artists whose songs were never heard on radio. This case in point, the first single, "What I See," which was later fused with the track "Behind the Barrier," both songs fusing to make a rather cool concept video was what got my attention. "Pink World" is a concept album. It tells the story of a young mute boy named Artemis, who can see visions after drinking polluted water, shelters the survivors of a nuclear attack in a place called 'The Zone.' Fearful of the boy's abilities, the government use him to control those living in the zone. As the album goes on, Artemis becomes less sure what to do and in the end vanishes leaving only a pink pool and a basket behind. The residents of "The Zone" realize they no longer need Artemis and leave it. There is a lot of abstract ambiguity here and Tony has always refused to give specifics.

Story or no story, this is a brilliantly crafted progressive rock album. The songs are all very well played and musically thought out and I can say that no two songs are the same. Listening to each of them is an adventure in itself. Plus, while Tony provides all the vocals, he doesn't try to be Joe Cool Rock Singer. Since it was first presented to me as the single, "What I See" continues to be my favourite track on the album. However, there many a good songs that could rival it. I don't even care that "A Boy Who Can't Talk" sounds very much like Pink Floyd to the point that when I first heard the intro, I thought to myself, "Is this 'Pigs on the Wing'?" Other standout tracks for me are "The Shepherd," "Pink World," "What Artie Knows" and the hardest rock sounding songs, "This Perfect Place" and "In the Zone." But fifteen of the 26 songs could easily be included, (the other eleven are all less than 90 seconds and most of those are damn cool), so that's pretty good.

Track Listing:

1. Into the Woods
2. To Live Forever
3. Pink World
4. What I See
5. To Live Forever Pt. 2
6. Power
7. Into the Forest
8. A Boy Who Can't Talk
9. The Stranger
10. What I See Part 2
11. The Shepherd
12. Behind the Barrier
13. A Pink World Coming Down
14. Breath
15. The Perfect Place
16. What Artie Knows
17. In the Zone
18. Behind the Barrier Part 2
19. March of the Artemites
20. The Perfect Place Part 2
21. A Letter From the Shelter
22. What Artie Knows Part 2
23. One Star Falling
24. Baby's at the Door
25. Requiem
26. A Boy Who Can't Talk Part 2

[caption id="attachment_3279" align="aligncenter" width="271"] Planet P[/caption]

Tony Carey- vocals, all instruments except where noted below

Rheinhard Besser- guitar solo on tracks 4, 17 and 19

Helmut Bibi- guitar solo on tracks 6 and 12

Roderich Gold- Fairlight synthesizer

Fritz Matzka- drums on tracks 2, 17 and 23

Robert Musenbichler- lead guitar on track 23

Eddie Taylor- saxophone on track 23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RxyOAHZyDs

"Pink World" was praised by the critics but sales of the album were modest at best. The latter is probably why Planet P didn't make another album until 2005. However, this and the other Planet P album have gained a huge cult status since. Something Tony Carey can be quite proud of.

Next post: John Parr

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Bruce Springsteen- Born in the USA

 

For a good many people, the "Born in the USA" album from Bruce Springsteen was the album of the year in 1984. No one can debate how successful this album was. Any album which sell 11 million copies certainly is that. For the Top 40 brigade, it produced seven singles and like U2, Bruce Springsteen was one of those artists who both metalheads and non metalheads could listen to and not feel they were being unfaithful to their chosen genre. Needless to say, 1984 was Bruce's year and this album was the reason why.

Now, I'm not one to rain on anyone's parade but I am going to make my opinion known as it was the same now as it was then. Like the rest of the world, I agree that this is a fine album. It was certainly four steps up from his previous album, the rather depressing, "Nebraska," but I don't rate this album as high as classics like "Born to Run" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and only slightly higher than "The River." Still, unlike outgoing governor Chris Christie, Bruce Springsteen has always made me feel proud that I grew up in New Jersey.

Reflecting back, I think my main problem with "Born in the USA" was the fact that all of the singles got played to death on the radio at the time. That usually happens in any artist's home ground so New Jersey radio stations did that. However, some of the singles got tiresome after hearing them played for the 957th time. "Glory Days" and "I'm On Fire" were examples of this and probably "Dancing in the Dark" as well. They were all good songs but got old after hearing them so many times. Saying that, "Cover Me" is the big exception here. I could hear that song 9050 times and wouldn't get tired of it.

Fortunately, the great thing about the album was the tracks that weren't singles. They're all brilliant! There is some good traditional Springsteen rock to be had on all five of these. I'm talking about "Darlington County," "Working on the Highway," "Downbound Train," "No Surrender" and "Bobby Jean." For me, it is these tracks that have made "Born in the USA" so enjoyable for me.

While most people have raved about the songs on here, I think what often gets overlooked is the lyrics behind many of these songs. Personally, I can identify a tiny bit with the title track. I didn't serve in Vietnam but Bruce highlights how badly those who served over there were treated. I had been out of the service about a year and by this time, I was beginning to wonder what had been the point of my serving due to the way I was being treated. Only the Vietnam Vets had it far worse than I ever did. The real eye opener was "My Home Town." It was about his native town, Asbury Park and what was happening while he was growing up. It does make one stand up and think of how divided the nation really was back in the 1960s. Bruce let his feelings be known when he wrote these songs.

Track Listing:

1. Born in the USA
2. Cover Me
3. Darlington County
4. Working on the Highway
5. Downbound Train
6. I'm On Fire
7. No Surrender
8. Bobby Jean
9. I'm Goin' Down
10. Glory Days
11. Dancing in the Dark
12. My Home Town

[caption id="attachment_534" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Bruce Springsteen[/caption]

Bruce Springsteen- lead vocals, guitars

Roy Bittan- piano, synthesizer, backing vocals

Clarence Clemmons- saxophone, percussion backing vocals

Danny Federici- organ, glockenspiel, piano

Gary Tallent- bass, backing vocals

Steven Van Zandt- acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals

Max Weinberg- drums, backing vocals

It is slightly amazing that in a year where heavy metal dominated, a great rock album like "Born in the USA" could do so astronomically well. It was considered by many Bruce Springsteen's crowning achievement.

Next post: Planet P- Pink World

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Great Rock Albums of 1984: Billy Satellite

 

Like Jethro Tull, Billy Satellite is the name of a band. As far as I know, there is no individual with that name. Also, like the Bangles, their debut album came and went in 1984 with little notice except for keen persons like myself who had an ear out for some good straightforward rock. Unlike the Bangles or Jethro Tull, this self titled album would be the band's only release and they would drift off into obscurity living only in my memory.

Their album is the reason why Billy Satellite has lived in the back corners of my mind for over three decades. It is a really cool down to earth straight ahead rock album. All the elements to make the album great are there. Good vocals, some cool guitars and a sound rhythm section with a keyboard accompaniment that brings out the flavour of the mix really well. So, my question is, why didn't people take more notice of Billy Satellite? My only suggested answer is that with all of the heavy metal that was flying about at the time, they simply got lost in the hysteria. They definitely aren't a heavy metal band but they were a hell of a lot better than a lot of the non metal in this year.

If you want something to compare them to, then the closest would be Night Ranger but that might being doing them a disservice. They were unique enough to not need any comparison as far as this album is concerned. The first three tracks come straight at you with some of that good straight ahead rock that I have been talking about. The opener was also the highest charting single (#64). It is a good track but I like the following one, "Last Call." That is the standout for me with all the elements of a good hard rock song present. Track #3 is a good one too before the two ballads, "Trouble" being the better of the two. Then things go back to heavy rock with the cool, "Rockin' Down the Highway" and continue to do so for the rest of the album. "Turning Point" has a slight blues feel to it and the tempo change works well on the album. It has a good guitar solo but notes don't reveal which guitarist is responsible. That leads nicely to "Bye Bye Baby" which borders on a ballad and a rock song. Rock returns for sure with "Standing with the Kings" and that leads to the closer which ends the album very well.

Track Listing:

1. Satisfy Me
2. Last Call
3. Do Ya
4. I Wanna Go Back
5. Trouble
6. Rockin' Down the Highway
7. Turning Point
8. Bye Bye Baby
9. Standing With the Kings
10. The Lonely One

[caption id="attachment_4045" align="aligncenter" width="324"] Billy Satellite[/caption]

Monty Byrom- guitars, vocals, keyboards

Danny Chauncey- guitars, keyboards

Ira Walker- bass

Tom 'Fee' Faletti- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSqk8ODRsUs

While sitting here typing this, I have come to a conclusion as to why Billy Satellite didn't go further in 1984. It was that they were about four or five years too soon. Thinking about some of the bands in the late 80s, Danger Danger and Hurricane and Winger, these guys would have fit in well with that group. Unfortunately, they were five years too soon and although they had a cool album, it didn't do well enough for them to continue. They would split and go their separate ways.

Next post: Bruce Springsteen- Born in the USA

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: The Bangles- All Over the Place

 

Before Prince and other more commercial types got their claws into them, The Bangles debut album, "All Over the Place" was a solid new wave sounding album. When the video for the single, "The Hero Takes a Fall" appeared on MTV one day, I thought to myself, I like this song. It wasn't heavy but there was just enough guitar in there for me.

"The Hero Takes a Fall" never broke the top forty charts in 1984, most likely because I liked it. What it did do was to further my intrigue into this band and I liked what I discovered. Like, I said above, "All Over the Place" is a decent album. There is a strong new wave sound but it stops a just short of being a hard rocker and in no way did it knock Girlschool off top spot as my favourite all female band.

The funny thing is that the album could have been a cool metal album if they had let loose with the guitars a bit more. One song that typifies this is "All About You." There is a guitar bit that sounds okay but it would have sounded amazing if they had put a fuzz box in there. The same thing could have been said about "Restless" and "Tell Me." However, there is another song that stands above even those. "Dover Beach" is where lead guitarist Vicki Peterson really gets to shred a little. I'm not going to say she's a hidden guitar great because of one solo but it would have been nice to hear her shred a little more. She does shred a little bit on "Going Down to Liverpool" but because the song is in the early Beatles form, her guitar solo sounds like something from "A Hard Day's Night." Not a bad thing and the song is okay, it just doesn't make it any real rocker.

"He's Got a Secret" is another decent song. It's about a man whose cheating on his partner and there is some good guitar work in it. However, it is the vocals of Susanna Hoffs which punctuate the song for me. Actually, the hardest rock song is, "Silent Treatment" and it's good to hear the band really let loose. I think that song should have been the closer as I was never very impressed with the one that actually is.

Track Listing:

1. The Hero Takes a Fall
2. Live
3. James
4. All About You
5. Dover Beach
6. Tell Me
7. Restless
8. Going Down to Liverpool
9. He's Got a Secret
10. Silent Treatment
11. More Than Meets the Eye

[caption id="attachment_4040" align="aligncenter" width="292"] The Bangles[/caption]

Susannah Hoffs- rhythm guitar, vocals

Vicki Peterson- lead guitar, vocals

Michael Steele- bass

Debbi Peterson- drums, vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAbYsxd3ADg

While I wasn't the only one who took notice of the Bangles in 1984, they pretty much came and went through the year unnoticed. Unfortunately, the wrong people, as far as this metalhead is concerned, did take notice of them and would turn them into a top forty band. That is why "All Over the Place" would be the only Bangles album I would ever listen to.

Next Post: Billy Satellite

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: David Gilmour- About Face

 

Like Lennon and McCartney after the Beatles split and Henley and Frey after the split of the Eagles, I wonder if Roger Waters and David Gilmour were entwined in some music one-upsmanship after the imagined Pink Floyd split following the last album with Waters, "The Final Cut." Early in the year, we were treated to Roger's album, "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking," which I've already posted about. In the months that followed, Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmour, released his solo album, "About Face."

One thing I will never do is allow myself to be dragged into any debate as to which was the better album between Waters and Gilmour. Don't even ask because even after thirty-three years, I couldn't give an answer. I like both of them very much.

Some critic back then stated that "About Face" had a commercial feel that Pink Floyd were never bothered with. I would never call this album commercial, even if in a 2006 interview, Gilmour stated that he thought that it was too 80s. Well, maybe it was for him. In my not so humble opinion, I think that the album doesn't go too far from the Pink Floyd formula. While I wouldn't call the opening track typically Floyd, I do think "Until We Sleep" a cool space rock tune. I can easily listen to it while puffing the magic dragon and might have done so. However, the next two tracks are definitely Pink Floyd style tracks. The first of these, "Murder" was written in angry reaction to the senseless murder of John Lennon. On the track, Gilmour really vents that anger with a hair raising guitar solo. "Blue Light" has a funky jazz beat with the horns and this song is probably the farthest song from the traditional Pink Floyd trademark. I like it regardless.

"Out of the Blue" goes back to more familiar territory, nothing wrong with that either, but the track after, "All Lovers are Deranged" is a bit of a rocker. The lyrics were written by Who guitarist Peter Townsend and you can hear a bit of early Who in the song. It had to have been put on the album to give the listener a shock after being absorbed by the mellower track before it. "Don't Turn You Back" starts out like a Floyd-esque song but there's some interesting stuff going on in the middle of it with horns. If there was any track on the album that sounded commercial 80s, then it would be "Cruise." I have always wondered why it never was released as a single. With its more easy listening style, the trendy top forty types might have liked it even if they didn't know anything about David Gilmour or Pink Floyd. Some good organ work behind a reggae tint makes this song. Another interesting song is the instrumental that is "Let's Get Metaphysical." This goes from being spacey type Floyd to jazzy horns to some very good progressive sounds. The thing is that with all of this mixed together, David pulls it off. That must be a tribute to his genius. Then he ends things in what I call typical Pink Floyd fashion with "Near the End." A long sounded space out track with some great Gilmour guitar licks. It is the best song to end with.

One thing consistent on every song is the guitar work of David Gilmour. He does let himself go more and while I always liked his guitar work with Pink Floyd, he outshines himself on "About Face." It also helps that he put a great band together as well as some cool guest musicians to play with him.

Track Listing:

1. Until We Sleep
2. Murder
3. Love On the Air
4. Blue Light
5. Out of the Blue
6. All Lovers are Deranged
7. Don't Turn Your Back
8. Cruise
9. Let's Get Metaphysical
10. Near the End

David Glimour- guitars, lead vocals, bass

Jeff Procraro- drums, percussion

Pino Palladino- bass

Ian Kewley- organ

Additional Musicians

Steve Winwood- organ on "Blue Light" and piano on "Love on the Air"

Jon Lord- synthesizer

Anne Dudley- synthesizer

Bob Ezrin- keyboards, orchestral arrangement

The Kick Horns- brass

Luis Jardim, Ray Cooper- percussion

Roy Harper, Sam Brown, Vicki Brown, Mickey Feat- vocals

The National Philharmonic Orchestra

David Gilmour popped out onto the music world of 1984 with a great solo album. Okay, it didn't have the chart success even if Dave thought it was too 1980s. Many Pink Floyd fans do like it and so do some who weren't. A great effort from a fine musician.

Next post: The Bangles- All Over the Place

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Great Rock Albums of 1984: Marillion- Fugazy

 

If there hadn't been so much heavy metal available in 1984, I wouldn't have missed the second album from the band I call the progressive rock kings of the 1980s, Marillion. While the "Fugazy" album was wowing people in the UK, I was too busy headbanging away for it to catch my notice.Was it a shame that I didn't listen to any Marillion until 1985 and this album until 87? It sure is but I've made up for it since.

At the opening notes of the album's first song, "Assassing,"I can hear a definite influence from 1970s prog icons Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Maybe it's that horn sound that reminds me of "Fanfare for the Common Man" that does it. Still, "Assassing" is a brilliant song, very underrated, even in the scope of Marillion songs. "Punch and Judy" follows next and there are elements of hard rock in the song that I truly like.

The next three songs have always melded together for me with the standout part being the middle song, Emerald Lies." "Emerald Lies" is a great versatile song that makes use of keyboards and guitars in all the right parts. This is another great progressive rock tune that requires one to sit down and listen in order to appreciate its beauty to its full potential. The song after, "She Chameleon" has always sounded weird to me but not in a bad way. There are keyboard parts that sound like a horror or sci fi film and Steve Rothery does play a mean guitar solo on it. The album closes with two of the strongest tracks on the album, "Incubus" and "Fugazi." Both are very catchy prog rock tunes that have you bouncing along until the end. There might only be seven songs on the "Fugazi" but when the album is done, you definitely feel you had more than your money's worth.

In an age where many bands were dumbing down their sound, it was great to hear that Marillion was one of those bands who continued to sound intelligent. They were musicians who actually cared about how well they played and that is evidenced on this album and other ones. One thing "Fugazi" surprises you with is with all the changes in all of the songs. One minute you're drifting off to some great keyboard wizardry from Kelly and then bang! Rothery powers up the guitar. Then there's the unmistakable vocals of Fish. He makes poetry come alive to music.

Track Listing:

1. Assassing
2. Punch and Judy
3. Jigsaw
4. Emerald Lies
5. She Chameleon
6. Incubus
7. Fugazi

Fish- vocals

Steve Rothery- guitars

Mark Kelly- keyboards

Pete Trawavas- bass

Ian Mosley- drums

Marillion would make the major breakthrough to my listening ears a year later and I would embrace them. Eventually, I would go back through their catalogue and savour the music thanks to my first wife who was a big Marillion fan. That would be the first concert we went to as husband and wife. With all of that said, "Fugazi" was too good of an album for me to miss out on in 1984.

Next post: David Gilmour- About Face

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Great Rock Albums of 1984: Scandal (Featuring Patty Smythe)- The Warrior

 

Honeymoon Suite's "New Girl Now" wasn't the only rock song that got my attention during the summer of 1984. The other was a song called "The Warrior" by Patty Smyth and Scandal. For me personally, there wasn't much in it between the two songs, I really liked both of them. However, the single buying public didn't agree with me at the time. "New Girl Now" only made to around #53 in the Billboard charts while "The Warrior" got all the way to number seven. But what do the public know?

If it wasn't for the fact that I luckily caught a concert by Patty Smyth and Scandal on the radio one night in early 1985, I would have had them down as two hit wonders. It was that radio broadcast that convinced me to explore what would be the band's only full length album, "Warrior." I thank the fact that I was in the right place at the right time because I would have otherwise missed out on a good album.

The weird thing about "Warrior" is then, like now, each time I listen to it, my enjoyment of the album alternates. One listen has me thinking, "What a great album!" while the next time, I might think, "Eh, it's okay." However, I never thought lower than the eh, it's okay.

"Warrior" stacks its three singles on the first three tracks, leading off with the best known one. Then comes "Beat of a Heart" which got a good bit of airplay and I do like it. As for the next track, "Hands Tied," I don't ever remember hearing it outside of the album. That doesn't mean it's a bad song but I do think it's not quite as good as the first two. The rest of the album is still good. One song that really sticks out is "Only the Young" but that song was written by Steve Perry, Neil Schon and Jonathan Cain of Journey who sold the song to Scandal, who do a good job in their recording of the song.

"All I Want" is probably the heaviest song on the album. There are some crunching guitars on it and it does host what I consider to be the best guitar solo on the album. Unfortunately, the credits don't reveal which guitarist plays the solo so I guess we'll never know. "Talk to Me" is almost as hard and the guitar solo matches the previous track but it takes a second or two before the song gets into full swing. The rest of the album goes out on a less harder tone beginning with the ballad, "Say What You Will." Not bad as far as rock ballads go but it doesn't chart in my personal list of great ballads. "Tonight" does take things back to pre ballad feelings and though the guitar solo is pretty cool, it's not quite as rocky as tracks six or seven. As for the closer, it follows on from its predecessor fine and is the best track to close the album with.

Patty Smyth proves on "Warrior" that she can deliver the goods vocally. I never understood why she didn't go farther in the music world. I'd take her over Madonna any day! Then again, I would take any female rock or metal singer over Madonna. As for the rest of the band, I will say that they are competent. Except for the guitar solos, I won't say they're spectacular but they know how to play and they get the job done.

Track Listing:

1. The Warrior
2. Beat of a Heart
3. Hands Tied
4. Less Than Half
5. Only the Young
6. All I Want
7. Talk to Me
8. Say What You Will
9. Tonight
10. Maybe We Went Too Far

Patty Smyth- lead vocals

Zack Smith- guitar, backing vocals

Ivan Elias- bass

Keith Mack- guitar, backing vocals

Thommy Price- drums

Additional Musicians

Peter Wood- synthesizer

Pat Mastelotto- drums on 'Only the Young'

Andy Newmark- drums on "Hands Tied"

Frank Previte- backing vocals on "Hands Tied"

Norman Mershon- backing vocals on "Hands Tied"

"Warrior" was the only album released by Scandal. Patty Smyth would put out some solo albums a few years later but little, if anything, would be heard from Scandal. Is it a shame? I tend to think so because this is a good to okay album and who knows what they would have come up with if given another shot.

Next post: Marillion- Fugazi

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Honeymoon Suite

 

Now that Download is done and dusted, not that I didn't enjoy posting about it because I totally did, I will go back to the great albums of 1984. One note, Teal, my stepson, was going to give Mastodon another chance after their lackluster performance last year at Bloodstock. He never saw them. I didn't either because they were on at the same time as Suicidal Tendencies, so for me, there was no hard decision to make.

In 1984, I was totally impressed by a song I heard on MTV from a Canadian band called Honeymoon Suite. That song was "New Girl Now" and although it only reached 57 in the US charts, probably why I liked it so much, it did go gold in Canada. I just like that hard rock intro with the keyboards giving it the right amount of support to compliment the sound. While, I never have had any personal experience from the lyrics, I do like them. Besides, all those ingredients make the song very catchy and the guitar solo is well done. So there, I've broken down my all time favourite Honeymoon Suite song.

I have come to the conclusion that Honeymoon Suite did things ass backwards on their 1984 debut album. Listening to some of the other songs, you would have thought they would have been more successful as a single than "New Girl Now." All of the first four tracks were released as singles and my fave was the only one to chart in the US. However, the other three songs have more of that 80s soft rock single feel to them. Especially, the fourth track, "Stay in the Light." As for the second track, "Burning in Love," I ask myself, "Are these guys trying to imitate Rush here?" The middle of the song goes very keyboards progressive rock, that's all. Saying that, it is very well played.

After those four songs, the album goes more hard rock. "Now That You Got Me" doesn't send me headbanging away but I do like it. The guitar talents of Derry Grehan show themselves more here and do so more on the remaining tracks. "Funny Business" is a real rocker. That one does get me headbanging away to it. However, it does sound that lead singer, Johnie Dee's voice sometimes struggles to keep up with the song. But that criticism is swept away by another Grehan guitar solo. Each solo does seem to get better with each song from track five on. Dee's voice is more suited for the track after, "Heart on Fire," which is just as rocky as the predecessor, only there's more of a keyboard accompaniment on it. "Turn My Head" is a bit of a paradox. It starts out as a rocker but goes 80s soft rock in the middle only to finish off hard again. "It's Your Heart" is a total rocker but the album ends with a ballad, "Face to Face." It's nothing spectacular except that Grehan plays his best guitar solo on it and that's a great way to end the album.

In short, Derry Grehan is a fantastic guitarist and I have to give credit where due to keyboards player, Ray Coburn. Furthermore, the rhythm section of Brian Brackstone and Dave Betts is sound. I don't want to criticize lead singer Johnnie Dee, he does have a good voice but he wouldn't have the range for a metal band. It seems that the rest of the band has to slow down for him on the harder songs. On the other hand, he does nail "New Girl Now" very well.

Track Listing:

1. New Girl Now
2. Burning in Love
3. Wave Babies
4. Stay in the Ligtht
5. Now That You Got Me
6. Funny Business
7. Heart on Fire
8. Turn My Head
9. It's Your Heart
10. Face to Face

Honeymoon Suite

Derry Grehan- lead guitar, vocals

Johnnie Dee- lead vocals

Brian Bracksotne- bass

Ray Cobourn- keyboards, vocals

Dave Betts- drums

Ray Cobourn- keyboards, vocals

Dave Betts- drums

I have to admit, in 1984 I liked the song "New Girl Now" as much as I did many of the metal songs going around at the time. It is a great song and fortunately, the rest of the album is pretty cool too.

Next post: Scandal Featuring Patty Smyth- The Warrior

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Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1984: HSAS- Through the Fire

 

Late in 1983, Sammy Hagar and Journey guitarist Neil Schon did a project together along with bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve. Together, they formed a band called HSAS which was short for Hagar, Schon, Aaronson and Shrieve and the result was their one and only album, "Through the Fire." Was it a success? Maybe not according to the charts but it made my spring in 1984 and continued to do so for years after.

Confession, I never bought the "Through the Fire" album, I cheated. Instead, I recorded their full performance from an MTV concert. Besides, they played every song on the album plus a few songs that didn't get on it. Having finally listened to the album, I feel no shame as it simply brings back all the great memories of that taped concert.

While most trendy types might not remember HSAS, I'm sure that a lot of metalheads and a few non ones do. When Sammy Hagar toured solo at the end of the year and even during his first tour with Van Halen, there were signs around many a concert venue that read, "Sammy Hagar, Top of the rock." That's because it's the best known song from the album. He played it that night I saw him and it is a brilliant song. However, it's only my second favourite. The top slot goes to the very next track, "Missing You." That song really cooks and Neil belts out great guitar solo on it.

Hearing the next three tracks, I am now convinced that when the band played live, they played all three together as one song. Each track quickly goes from one to the next so you don't really get a break. Furthermore, all three are in the way out space rock mode and they fit very well together. In the MTV concert, only the title of the first song, "Animation" was introduced but it went on for far longer than the four minutes it says the song lasts on the label. Actually, I am pretty sure that the song lasted for the duration indicated by the three songs.

There is one blip in comparing the album with the concert and that comes in the form of the band's cover of the classic, "Whiter Shade of Pale." The song closes the concert and I think it was a great song to close the show with. However, it's not the closer on the album and now I wonder if it should have. It's still done very well and I think that Procol Harum would have been impressed. After that comes the hard rocker, "Hot and Dirty," which Sammy stated in the concert that it was about Kenny the bass player's girlfriend. Can't fault the song, it's really good and Neil Schon shows his talent up and down all of it. While not a ballad, "He'll Understand" is, to quote Sammy, on the tender side. It starts out as a ballad but that changes not far into it and has a smoking guitar solo. The irony is the closer because I am fairly certain that it was the opener for the concert. However, it works both ways.

HSAS in concert

The reason why all nine songs are so good is down to the talents of the four men who comprised HSAS. Sammy's vocals and Neil's guitar work were always going to be a lethal cocktail, no doubt about that. But we should raise a glass to the rhythm section of Aaronson and Shrieve because together, they make a fine one.

Track Listing:

1. Top of the Rock
2. Missing You
3. Animation
4. Valley of the Kings
5. Giza
6. Whiter Shade of Pale
7. Hot and Dirty
8. He'll Understand
9. My Home Town

 HSAS

Sammy Hagar- vocals

 Neil Schon- guitars

Kenny Aaronson- bass

Michael Shrive- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-QdcrubBBY

 For the last 33 years, I have been asking myself "What if?" What if HSAS went beyond this one project and put out more albums? I think that they would have made a huge impact on the music of metal's golden decade. History does sort of support me. When Neil went back to Journey, they didn't make any impact after, at least not on me. Then there's the case of Van Hagar, although I've always said that Sammy can't be blamed for that. What we are left with is one fantastic album and three decades of me wondering, what if.

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

Great Rock Albums of 1984: Dennis DeYoung- Desert Moon

 Journey wasn't the only band whose members carried out solo projects in 1984. By the way, Steve Perry wasn't the only member of Journey with his fingers in another pie in this year but that's a story for another time. Styx had only disbanded less than a year before and by the end of 1984, two former members of the band had released solo albums. The first of these was by former singer and keyboards player, Dennis De Young, who came out with "Desert Moon," in the middle of the year.

 

Like Steve Perry, if I allowed myself to be influenced by singles on radio or MTV, I would have ignored this album. The first single, the title track, while not a bad song, sounds a little too much like the very successful Styx single "Babe." While a big hit for the band, "Babe" was never in my top ten of favourite Styx songs. Fortunately, it's not the best song on the album which bears its name.

When I first heard the opener, "Don't Wait for Heroes," I was quite upbeat. Maybe Dennis was taking the progressive/hard rock formula that worked so well with his former band and incorporating it in his solo album. For me, this is the best song on the album. The next track, "Please," tries to carry this on and does so reasonably but doesn't quite come up to the opener. "Boys Will Be Boys" is a better track and could have been as good as the "Don't Wait for Heroes" but Dennis goes a bit too new wave with it and I found that a turn off. After the title track, "Suspicious" is a very interesting track. It's a definite progressive rock track, in fact, it sounds very suspiciously (yep pun intended) like 10CC. Still, it's a very upbeat and enjoyable song, with some good guitar solos compliments of Tom Dziallo. It gives the opener a very close competition for my top spot.

My biggest criticism of "Desert Moon" is the cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic, "Fire." I know Dennis was a keyboards player and that song would have worked if done right but it wasn't. He tries to make it too new wave or something and it just doesn't work. The album ends with two softer ballad type songs. Dennis's voice was well suited to such songs, although the former, "Gravity" transforms into a cabaret type of song, which doesn't rock me until the guitar solo which does save it a little.

Track Listing:

1. Don't Wait For Heroes
2. Please
3. Boys Will Be Boys
4. Fire
5. Desert Moon
6. Suspicious
7. Gravity
8. Dear Darling (I'll Be There)

[caption id="attachment_3899" align="aligncenter" width="276"] Dennis DeYoung[/caption]

Dennis DeYoung- vocals, keyboards, piano, percussion

Tom Dziallo- all guitars, bass, backing vocals

Dennis Johnson- bass

Tom Radtke- drums, percussion

Steve Eisen- conga, saxophone, conductor

Rosemary Butler- duet vocal on "Please"

Sandy Caulfield- backing vocals

Suzanne DeYoung, Dawn Feusi, Pat Hurley- additional backing vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs_W-Xj-GVA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoZkDKpa_1M

Dennis DeYoung was the first former Styx member out of the starting blocks with a solo album. "Desert Moon" has some good moments and overall is an okay album. However, it doesn't rock all the way through leaving it unbalanced. Still might be worth a listen, I'll let you judge from my two favourite tracks.

Next post: HSAS- Through the Fire

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