Great Metal Albums of 1984: Hanoi Rocks- Two Steps From the Move

 

Coming to the final month in 1984, just when I thought that the year of metal might be coming to end, I get news of a band shown on MTV coming to a local club. That band just happend to be, yes you guessed it, Hanoi Rocks. Previous to their appearance, I did happen to catch the video to their single, a cover of the CCR classic, "Up Around the Bend." The video impressed me enough to go to the club and to make a long story short, I was rather impressed. In fact, I sometimes wonder if I should have included that gig in "Rock and Roll Children." My reason for not doing so was because KISS came to Philadelphia that evening and I concluded that the main characters would have gone to see KISS instead. However, I do mention in the story that Bob's older brother Mitch goes to see Hanoi Rocks.

Hanoi Rocks's performance on that memorable evening further motivated me to get their then latest release, "Two Steps From the Move." Another decision I have never regretted because this album is very good. I would be lying if I didn't say that "Up Around the Bend" is my favourite track on it. I had always liked the original version and what Hanoi Rocks did was take a great classic and totally metalize it. However, the album is full of great metal jams. The ones which stick out especially are: "I Can't Get It," "Underwater World, which has a good guitar solo and "Million Miles Away" is as good a power ballad as any. The hidden gem on the album has to be "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." The energy on that song is simply phenomenal! Definitely one to blast driving with the window down and "Boiler" is quite amusing. On the other hand and as cliche as this sounds, all the songs really kick ass. If I were to nit pick, it would be that "Don't You Ever Leave Me" should have been the closer of the album but that's a tiny technicality.

Track Listing:

1. Up Around the Bend
2. High School
3. I Can't Get It
4. Underwater World
5. Don't You Ever Leave Me
6. Million Miles Away
7. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
8. Boiler (Me Boiler 'n' Me)
9. Futurama
10. Cutting Corners

[caption id="attachment_2403" align="aligncenter" width="329"] Hanoi Rocks[/caption]

Michael Monroe- lead vocals and saxophone

Andy McCoy- lead guitar, vocals

Nasty Suicide- guitar, vocals

Sam Yaffa- bass, vocals

Razzle- drums, vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9qHE9P8tHE

In 1984, Hanoi Rocks were on the threshold of international stardom. Unfortunately, just a few short weeks after I saw them obliterate a small club in New Jersey, tragedy would strike the band which would lead to their eventual break up. While it's no secret what that tragedy was, I thought it would be better to go into more detail next post. Right now, focus on the band's happier times with this great album.

Next post: 1984 Ends in Metal Tragedy

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

Great Metal Albums of 1984: Triumph- Thunder Seven

 

Just when I thought that 1984 was becoming all metaled out towards the very end of the year, along comes a great album from Canadian greats, Triumph, to continue the metal mayhem that was that year. By then, both commercial radio and MTV was starting to suck, so when the first single, "Spellbound" came blasting over the airwaves on Thanksgiving Day, I was truly psyched. I was already a Triumph convert by then thanks to their previous albums, "Never Surrender" and "Allied Forces" so I welcomed the new "Thunder Seven" album with open arms and ears.

"Spellbound" is my second favourite Triumph song of all time. I just love how Rik Emmett uses his guitar on the song and the harmonizing on the chorus, just great. There are keyboards but unlike the trend in the 1980s, they simply support and not take over the song. Full marks to Mike Levine, he does a good job with them. With the keyboards in that great song, one might be tempted to think that Triumph had gone the same way as their fellow Canadians, Rush, had done earlier in this year. Trust me, they don't.

Not many songs do what they say in the title but the second song does "Rock Out and Rock On!" Not really much more I can say about it than that, except it's a cool track. Then, I really do like the cowboy type vibe on "Cool Down." I don't know if the song really is about cowboys but what I do know and like is how Rik lays down some really cool guitar work on it. "Follow Your Heart" was the second single from "Thunder Seven" and everything about the song says "single." It's a slightly lighter than the other songs but you can still feel Triumph's energy with it.

The rockingest song and my vote for hidden gem is definitely "Time Goes By." While this song is harder than "Spellbound," there is some great harmonizing vocals on it as well. Another song that has Triumph being at their best, especially Emmett's guitar solo. Following "Time Goes By" are two songs which are less than two minutes, the first one being an acoustic instrumental, done well. The second, sounds like a church choir but it does show the vocal ability of Rik Emmett and Gil Moore in a different light. Their vocal abilities also come through very well on the next track, the ballad, "Killing Time." However, things pick up with the penultimate rocker, "Stranger in a Strange Land" before going out an a mega high with the blues based instrumental, "Little Boy Blues," where once again, Rik shows his guitar prowess.

Track Listing

1. Spellbound
2. Rock on Rock Out
3. Cool Down
4. Follow Your Heart
5. Time Goes By
6. Midsummer's Daydream
7. Time Cannon
8. Killing Time
9. Stranger in a Strange Land
10. Little Boy Blues

[caption id="attachment_1547" align="aligncenter" width="262"] Triumph[/caption]

Rik Emmett- guitar, vocals, synthesizers, bass pedals

Gil Moore- drums, vocals, percussion,

Mike Levine- bass, keyboards, synthesizers, bass pedals, organ, clavinet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-znWVHQA7Aw

It was great to see that when people thought that metal was fizzling out in 1984, Triumph kept things going with this great album.

Next post: Hanoi Rocks: Two Steps From the Move

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

Great Metal Albums of 1984: Loudness- Disillusion

 

No further proof is needed to support the fact that heavy metal had the world by the balls in 1984 than the album from Japanese metal greats Loudness, "Disillusion." As far as I know, this was the first Loudness album to be sung in English. All previous albums had been sung in the band's native tongue although that did not make them any less kick ass.

Thinking about the above statement, that leads to the one small problem with the album. Minoru Nihara's vocals are sometimes difficult to hear. This is a shame because it is true he sings better English than what he speaks. I've heard interviews with him. What is a further shame is the fact that you can't hear what a great voice he has. Some of you might remember that when I've posted about previous Loudness albums, I compared Minoru Nihara to the likes of Ronnie James Dio, Klaus Meine and Ian Gillan. He certainly belongs in the same league as those just mentioned.

While not being able to fully appreciate Nihara's vocals on "Disillusion" is a little frustrating at times, it is only a small inconvenience because what does obscure the vocals is the brilliant guitar playing of Akira Takasaki. From the first note of the instrumental opener, he just shreds and riffs all over the album. The solos are superb and even his rhythm guitar parts are done amazingly well. He shines extremely well on the tracks "Butterfly" and his instrumental solo "Exploder." However, my vote for the favourite track is still "Satisfaction Guaranteed" because Nihara's vocals come through the clearest on it and he does a good job with them. Of course, Takasaki's guitar playing guided by a good rhythm section help as well.

Track Listing:

1. Anthem
2. Crazy Doctor
3. Esper
4. Butterfly
5. Revelation
6. Exploder
7. Dream Fantasy
8. Milky Way
9. Satisfaction Guaranteed
10. Ares' Lament

[caption id="attachment_2906" align="aligncenter" width="278"] Loudness[/caption]

Minoru Nihara- lead vocals

Akira Takasaki- guitar

Masayoshi Yamashita- bass, taurus pedals

Munetaka Higuchi- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA2YRcgJfc4

"Disillusion" put Loudness on the metal map in the West and set the stage for the following album which would propel them to greatness. It also proved that culture, race, or national borders had nothing to do with enjoying great metal.

BTW, I will be purchasing my tickets for Sunday's Download tonight.

Next post: Triumph- Thunder 7

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

Great Metal Albums of 1984: Venom- At War With Satan

 

Everybody probably all knows the stereotypes of all heavy metal bands. They can only play four chords, they scream because they can't sing, etc. Well, when I came upon the third album from British death metalers, Venom, I thought that they had a point. My first thoughts of "At War With Satan" was that it was loud, it was brash and it sounded like the whole album was recorded in somebody's basement. Yes, the album ticked all the boxes of the opinions many non-metal people have about heavy metal. But guess what? I couldn't have cared a monkey's about what they thought. I liked this album on account of all that.

For those who have or listened to "At War With Satan" on either cassette or vinyl will know that the entire first side is comprised by the title track. Therefore, you get nineteen minutes of Venom viciousness in one song. The song itself is meant to tell the story of how Hell revolts against Heaven and God is thrown into hell, all centered around the keeper of the gates of Hell who shares his name with Venom's drummer. While a very long concept song, it does keep you on your toes with the various changes throughout so you don't get bored with it. Plus there's some interesting guitar soloing from Mantas. Back in the day, if I had listened to the track on CD, I might have thought it was different songs as opposed to one long one.

Side two consists of the remaining six songs whose combined length equal that of the title track on the previous side. If anyone had problems with Venom stretching out like they did on side one, then they'd be rest assured that Venom return to their more traditional roots of short, sharp headbangers. "Rip Ride" starts things off well enough but is quickly superseded by "Genocide." That is a cool track. "Cry Wolf" actually is slower than what was considered traditional Venom but the band pull it off. The joke at the time was that you could actually make out what Cronus was singing here. Maybe it was meant to be a single. Following, "Stand Up (And Be Counted)," another song whose lyrics you can understand after the initial growls, comes my all time favourite Venom song, "Women, Leather and Hell." This song typifies what I have always liked about Venom. It's loud, ferocious and about some of my favourite subjects. I was rather disappointed when they didn't play it at Bloodstock, 2016. That leads to the very amusing closer, "Aaaaarrrghh."

Track Listing:

1. At War With Satan
2. Rip Ride
3. Genocide
4. Cry Wolf
5. Stand Up (And Be Counted)
6. Women, Leather and Hell
7. Aaaaaarrrghh

[caption id="attachment_2436" align="aligncenter" width="209"] Venom[/caption]

Cronus- bass, lead vocals

Mantas- guitar

Abaddon- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weXJZ5iVd9o

Critics back in 1984 mostly agreed that "At War With Satan" catapulted Venom into the world of mainstream metal. Maybe it did but those of us who liked this album didn't care about that. What was good was the fact that the band was able to write more mature songs without losing any of their edge.

Next post: Loudness- Disillusion

It is also my displeasure to announce that due to the events of the past month and a half, I will not be going to the full Download Festival. The good news is that I will attend the Sunday where I intend to see, Kreator, Marilyn Manson and headlining will be Ozzy.

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