Great Rock Albums of 1985: John Fogerty- Centerfield

 

In March of 1985, I almost won a free copy of "Centerfield," from former CCR lead singer and guitarist John Fogerty. The local radio station was giving away a free copy of the album to the second caller. I immediately rang the station and got through, unfortunately I was the first caller, damn! As a result, I had to cough up the money and buy the album but after hearing it, the expense was well worth it.

One big question on many people's minds was how much would the album sound like Credence Clearwater Revival? The answer is rather complex. There is definitely the CCR influence on several of the songs, "Big Train (From Memphis) is a prime example. It reminds me of many of the songs on CCR's album "Willy and the Poor Boys." "I Saw it On TV" is another good example of the CCR influence. But and this is a big but, the lyrics of the song are about modern times and how we are supposed to take everything we see on television as the blind truth. I like to think it's a dig at 80s Regan America, which is something I tried to do when writing "Rock and Roll Children."

On the flip side, there are songs which I believe John put his own stamp on free from the influence of his former band, for the most part anyway. Two of those were released as singles, "Rock and Roll Girl" and my favourite track on the album which is also the title track. I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, though I do play softball, the lyrics still move me and make me want to put take the bat and ball out and hit a few. Another I guess you could call a Fogerty Special, is "Mr Greed," where he shows he can play lead guitar a little.

Of all the songs which are or not CCR influences, the one that incorporates both very well is the album opener and first single, "The Old Man Down the Road." This is probably why it did so well in the charts. It reminds us old CCR fans that he hasn't gone too far away from his roots but offers something new to the then younger crowd who might have branded John as some sort of ageing hippy. After all, Ronald Regan's greatest success as president in the 1980s was to demonize the 1960s. Sorry, I digress but what John did was take what he had done before and mix it with something new and make a good soft rock album.

Track Listing:

1. The Old Man Down the Road
2. Rock And Roll Girl
3. Big Train (From Memphis)
4. I Saw It On TV
5. Mr Greed
6. Searchlight
7. Centerfield
8. I Can't Help Myself
9. Zanz Kant Danz

[caption id="attachment_4667" align="aligncenter" width="263"] John Fogerty[/caption]

John Fogerty- lead vocals, lead guitar

Rockin' Sydney Simien- accordion

Willy T- saxophone

Kip Basque- rhythm guitar

Mark Miller- bass

Warren Storm- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc

John Fogerty established himself as a true solo artist in 1985 with his album "Centerfield." What he did was take the country rock sound of his former band and threw in some tricks of his own. The combination made a great album.

Next post: Giuffria

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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

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Great Rock Hit Wonders of 1982 and Other Significant Songs

My limited exposure to commercial radio during 1982 could be considered either a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it. While I didn't think commercial radio totally sucked back then, there were some things played on it that I wasn't totally impressed with. Sorry but "Tainted Love" only met with a lukewarm response from me and that was only because there was a dancer at the Driftwood who could work the song to her advantage. I suppose the best way to examine this is by looking at the one hit wonders from that year.

As soon as I returned to the US in June after my second and final deployment to the Mediterranean, I was aware that all the bars were playing "Jenny- 8675309" by Tommy Tutone on their jukeboxes. I can't say that I really rocked out to the song but the melody was very catchy and when the title was sung, it stuck in your mind. The melody is going through my mind right now. I once heard a live version of this song and it did sound a bit harder rock and if Tommy had recorded the song that way, I would have liked it even more.

[caption id="attachment_1759" align="aligncenter" width="243"] The Pretenders[/caption]

All right already, I know that The Pretenders were not one hit wonders nor did they release an album in 1982. However, they did release one song and it was a killer one. "Back on the Chain Gang" is most definitely my all time favourite Pretenders song. This is the song where lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott really shines. He just riffs through the entire song and of course I won't take anything away from Chrissie. Her vocals are as good as ever on this one. Maybe with a great song like this one, The Pretenders believed they didn't need to make an entire album. Who's to know?

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="275"] The McKenzie Brothers[/caption]

Okay, it's not really a rock song, more of a comedy parody. But the single "Take Off" by the Canadian Comedy duo Bob and Doug McKenzie did break the top 40 in the US and I believe it went to number one in Canada! Maybe one of my Canadian followers can verify that for me. That fact alone qualifies them as one hit wonders in my reckoning although their version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is fourth favourite Christmas song. Another reason this qualifies as a rock song is the fact that none other than Geddy Lee sings the backing vocals on "Take Off." That makes the single that much better. Saying that, the McKenzie Brothers do have me on the floor with laughter when I hear it, so take off you hoser!

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hank Williams Jr[/caption]

Having spent the better part of four years in North Carolina, I could not help developing a little appreciation for country music. When asked who are my favourite country artists I answer that one is David Allen Coe and the other is Hank Williams Jr. While, I like a lot of Hank's material the song I like best came out in 1982. "A Country Boy Can Survive" is just brilliant! From the lyrics all the way to the small but noticeable hard rock vibe to it. In fact, Kid Rock puts his own metal spin on it but I still prefer the original.

There you have, four great singles from 1982, two from one hit wonders, one from an established great band and a country song that thrills this metal head. So, maybe commercial radio didn't suck then.

Next post: The Soundtrack to The Wall
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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

Now that I am mellowing with age a little, I found that listening to albums now that I didn't think much of when I listened to them when they first came out but I am now appreciating them a bit more. Having grown up in New Jersey, I was hoping that when I listened to Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" again, that I would feel the same way. Unfortunately, I don't.

With "Nebraska," Bruce plays all of the instruments himself and he goes for a more folk sound on it. In fact, quite a few country artists, including the late Johnny Cash, have covered songs from "Nebraska." That's another reason why I should be more into this album because it was during my military days which were mainly based in North Carolina and that gave me more of an appreciation for country music. Sadly to say, that even that doesn't make me appreciate "Nebraska" any more. The only songs which I can really say I like are "Johnny 99" and "Used Cars." Even the single "Atlantic City" doesn't get me excited despite it being about the city I grew up near. The song sounds just as depressing as the actual city has become today. I went to Atlantic City back when I went back to the States last Autumn and the place is depressing. With three major casinos now closed, I have to agree with my friend's assessment that Atlantic City has become the new Detroit minus the murders.

Track Listing:

1. Nebraska

2. Atlantic City

3. Mansion on the Hill

4. Johnny 99

5. Highway Patrolman

6. State Trooper

7. Used Cars

8. Open All Night

9. My Father's House

10. Reason to Believe

[caption id="attachment_955" align="aligncenter" width="162"] Bruce Springsteen[/caption]

Bruce Springsteen- all instruments and vocals

One argument that came out at the time of "Nebraska" and I totally reject to this day is the one that Bruce Springsteen is nothing without the E Street Band. No, what Bruce did was to go into the studio and make an album by himself. While hearing "Nebraska" makes me want to go and play one of his other albums, he does still show that he is a talented artist and continues to be. Two years after this album, he would go out and make history but that's a story for another time.

Next post: 1982 Triumphs and Tragedy

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Great Rock Albums of 1982: Charlie Daniels Band- Windows

If there was one song whose lyrics really made me think in 1982, it was the single by the Charlie Daniels Band, "Still in Saigon." For those unfamiliar, it's a very haunting song about a Vietnam Veteran and his struggles with the war ten years since coming home. Two lines that still stick in my mind and even more so since I listened to the 1982 "Windows" album are:

"All the sounds of long ago will be forever in my head,

Mingled with the wounded's cries and the silence of the dead."

Those lyrics make me glad that while I served, I never had to fire a live round at a living target nor had any live rounds fired at me. "Still in Saigon" was the first true song that I know of that showed true sympathy to those who served in Vietnam. At the time, some thought it was a bit contradictory to their previous patriotic 1980 hit "In America." There is nothing unpatriotic about "Still in Saigon" and if America apologised to the Vietnam Veterans for they way it treated them every day until the last veteran died, it might just be enough. For me, the song would come to mind in unfortunate circumstances a year later when my old unit got blown up in Beirut.

Like I have said many times before, one song does not make a good album but there are plenty of good ones on "Windows." Charlie Daniels seems to go more rock than country on this album although there is the country ballad type "We Had It All One Time" there's nothing wrong with that song. "Ragin' Cajun" is the other known single from the album which features some fiddle playing reminiscent of the old 1979 classic, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." It's a good rock hoe down. The gem in the dark for me on this album is definitely "Partyin' Gal." I knew a few ladies who partied like that in those days so it should be a tribute to them. It is probably the most rock of all the songs on the album. If "We Had It All One Time" is the country ballad then "Blowin' Along With the Wind" is the rock one. It's not a power ballad, more of a progressive one but it slots in nicely with the rest of the line up. Whether you're country or rock or both, you can't go wrong with "Windows."

Track Listing:

1. Still in Saigon

2. Ain't No Ramblers Anymore

3. The Lady in Red

4. We Had It All One Time

5. Partyin' Gal

6. Ragin' Cajun

7. Makes You Want To Go Home

8. Blowing Along With The Wind

9. Nashville Moon

10. The Universal Hand

[caption id="attachment_1335" align="aligncenter" width="264"] Charlie Daniels Band[/caption]

Charlie Daniels- vocals, guitar, fiddle

Tom Crane- guitar, vocals

Joel "Taz" Di Gregorio- keyboards, vocals

Fred Edwards- drums, percussion

James W Marshall- drums, percussion

Charles Hayward- bass

One song made me think in 1982 but an entire album rocked the year away.
 "Windows" proved to many, especially many up North, that the Charlie Daniels Band were certainly not one hit wonders.
Next post: Johnny Van Zant- The Lat of the Wild Ones

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Great Rock One Hit Wonders of 1980

Well, its that time in the year I'm reminiscing about to pay tribute to some of the one hit wonders from said year. While there are always a good number of them in any given year, there are only a handful worthy enough to make the blog. In 1980, there were three such acts.

The first one and it's in the literal sense in 1980 was Charlie Dore for her big single "Pilot of the Airways." When I first heard it, I thought it was another one hit wonder group from the 70s, Prelude. I still love their a cappella version of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush." However, after the a cappella intro, music kicks in so I ruled out Prelude as the artist of the song. Even though the sound is more country, I found myself liking the song. Charlie does have a unique voice that goes well with the song and I have to admit that back then, most songs with a guitar solo in them were worth the listen. Still, it's a well done to Charlie Dore for this one.

"Media Man" by Flash in the Pan was a brilliant new wave type song. It has one of those catchy choruses that sticks in your mind after the song is finished. I can hear myself singing "clap Hands For The Media Man." The song seems to be a warning of the dangers of mass media but done to a very likeable new wave vibe. Before I get a lot of rebuttal responses, I did notice other songs by this band when I looked it up on YouTube. However, I know nothing of any other material but would be happy to be enlightened. Besides, this song did cross the ocean because later on in the year, I saw it on a juke box in a café in Barcelona Spain.

The first time I heard "Tired of Towing the Line" from Rocky Burnette, I thought it was Bruce Springsteen. The voice was similar and there was a saxophone in the song. Therefore, I was a bit surprised to hear that Rocky Burnette was the actual artist. Still it was this song that chipped away in the charts and always seemed to be on the radio every time I switched it on. In itself, it is a decent rock tune, so hats off to Rocky for this one.

So there you have it, three songs from people who would only grace the charts once but made what is for me, songs that would linger in my brain more than three decades later. So let's raise a toast to the three rock one hit wonders of 1980.

Next post: Black Sabbath- Heaven and Hell

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: The Eagles Live

Musically, 1980 had a great many musical highs but it also had a few lows as well. One of these was the disbanding of a band that entertained the world throughout the entire 1970's, The Eagles. The band unofficially disbanded in July 1980 but they still owed their record company, Elektra/Asylum a live album. This magnificent live album was the result.

It can be argued that this album was just a collection of all The Eagles' greatest hits, which just happened to be recorded live. True, the album contains many of the classics which made us love them. Greats like "Hotel California," "Take Me to the Limit," "Heartache Tonight" and "Take It Easy" are all on their and sound brilliant live. The album even includes a live playing of the Joe Walsh solo classic, "Life's Been Good" and a new song "Seven Bridges Road." On the flip side, they leave out a couple of my personal favourites like "Victim of Love" and "One of These Nights" but that's me nit picking. This album is The Eagles at their best on stage and for people like me who never got the chance to see them live, it makes a good consolation prize.

Track Listing:

1. Hotel California

2. Heartache Tonight

3. I Can't Tell You Why

4. The Long Run

5. New Kid In Town

6. Life's Been Good

7. Seven Bridges Road

8. Wasted Time

9. Take Me to the Limit

10. Doolin' Dalton Reprise II

11. Desparado

12. Saturday Night

13. All Night Long

14. Life In the Fast Lane

15. Take It Easy

The Eagles

Glen Frey- guitars, keyboards, vocals

Don Henley- drums, percussion, vocals

Joe Walsh- guitars, keyboards, vocals

Don Felder- guitars, vocals

Randy Meisner- bass, vocals (1976- recordings)

Timothy B Schmidt- bass, vocals (1980 recordings)

This live album reminds us of the legacy of great music left behind by one of the greatest rock bands of the 70s.  A full account of some of the great rock songs they gave us all recorded at what was considered their killer live shows. While the album is great, it also reminds us that it was what signaled the end for them.

Next post: The Pretenders

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: Southern Fried Rock

If there was ever any proof needed that Southern Rock had finally come into the spotlight in 1980, it is the fact that some corporate record executive had the bright idea to put out a compilation album of great Southern Rock songs. I first saw this album on record store shelves in the summer of 1980 and almost after it appeared, advertisements for it began playing on radio and television. I had heard most of the songs previous to this album and now there was an album where I could listen to them all together.

"Southern Fried Rock" is full of great songs featuring classics like "Ramblin' Man" from the Allman Brothers and the Charlie Daniels Band classic "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." There is also a lot of variation on the album with slower songs like "So Into You" by the Atlanta Rhythm Section and the big country/rock crossover from the Pure Prairie League, "Amie" to rock outs like "Flirtin' With Disaster" from Molly Hatchet, "Train Train" from Blackfoot and 38 Special's "Rockin' Into the Night." This album has it all in terms of Southern rock with fifteen great songs.

Track Listing:

1. Ozark Mountain Daredevils- If You Want to Go to Heaven

2, Blackfoot- Train Train

3. The Charlie Daniels Band- The Devil Went Down to Georgia

4. The Allman Brothers- Ramblin' Man

5. 38 Special- Rockin' Into the Night

6. Black Oak Arkansas- Jim Dandy

7. Molly Hatchet- Flirtin' With Disaster

8. Pure Prairie League- Amie

9. Bellamy Brothers- Let Your Love Flow

10. Elvin Bishop- Fooled Around and Fell In Love

11. Wet Willie- Keep On Smiling

12. Atlanta Rhythm Section- So Into You

13. Greg Allman- Midnight Rider

14. The Outlaws- There Goes Another Love Song

15. Marshall Tucker Band- Heard It In a Love Song

Allman Brothers

Molly Hatchet

Blackfoot

Charlie Daniels Band

If I had to nit pick at this album, it is the fact that there are no Lynyrd Skynyrd songs on it. They were one of the most influential Southern Rock bands and it is a travesty that none of their songs are on it. Still, this is a fantastic album for anyone who wanted to investigate some of the great gems "Southern Fried Rock" has to offer.

Next post: The J Geils Band- Love Stinks

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: The Outlaws- Ghost Riders

One of the things that got me listening to Southern Rock was that it featured prolonged lead guitar solos and there are some beauties that have blown me away over the years. There is the famous "Freebird" complements of Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Highway Song" courtesy of Blackfoot. Plus there are some from the Allman Brothers such as "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica" as well as one from Molly Hatchet which I will definitely be pontificating about when I get to 1983. However, it is The Outlaws who seem to do it best and do it with most of their songs. Their famous "Green Grass and High Tides" is a classic for guitar solos and this doesn't diminish with their 1980 album "Ghost Riders."

Let us begin with the single that got them recognition north of the Mason- Dixon Line, "Ghost Riders in the Sky." There have been many covers of this song before and after The Outlaws put their own stamp on it. My father in law likes the version from 1948 and a British band, The Stranglers, made an instrumental version in 1980 and even Elvis sang it. "Needless to say, which version I like. But the album doesn't begin and end with the one song. There are plenty of great songs on it and many of them have some outstanding guitar work. In fact, the second song "White Horses" has an impressive acoustic guitar sounding intro before going nuts with some harder stuff. The same can be said for the final song "Freedom Walk." Even the slower "I Can't Stop Loving You" is not lacking a cool guitar solo or two and "Angels Hide" is a total rocker. All in all, "Ghost Riders" typifies everything I love about Southern Rock. 

Track Listing:

1. Ghost Riders

2. White Horses

3. Angels Hide

4. Devil's Road

5. I Can't Stop Loving You

6. Wishing Wells

7. Sunshine

8. Freedom Walk

The Outlaws

Rick Cua- bass, guitar, vocals

David Dix- drums, percussion

Billy Jones- guitars, vocals

Mike Duke- keyboards, vocals

Freddie Salem- guitar,vocals

Hughie Thomasson- guitar, vocals

The Outlaws are what the gods of rock envisioned when they forged this great genre known as Southern Rock. Great guitar solos innertwined with some hard rocking chords and even a slow acoustic chord. With "Ghost Riders," you can't go wrong.

Next post: Southern Fried Rock

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: Charlie Daniels Band- Full Moon

Before I start, I would just like to say that it was my birthday on Friday and my step daughter got me a really nice gift that I have to share here. She bought me two bottles of Iron Maiden Ale. Whoa! 

Yes, I enjoyed the first one and I will enjoy the second. Now here's the next album, Charlie Daniels, "Full Moon

In 1980, The Charlie Daniels Band was riding high thanks to their 1979 hit, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." They even appeared in the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy" starring John Travolta. I won't go into great details about the film but I will say that the Texas accent put on by Travolta in the film was unconvincing and I'm from New Jersey. 

John Travolta in Urban Cowboy

"Full Moon" first came to my attention in the summer of this year courtesy of the hit single "In America." As a young marine feeling slightly frustrated that President Jimmy Carter hadn't sent me to Iran to go and rescue the hostages single handed, the patriotic lyrics struck a definite chord with me. That and the rocky edge to the song and that is what The Charlie Daniels Band was so successful at. They made the country to rock crossover look extremely easy and as a result won many fans in both camps. 

The album begins with another notable song, "The Legend of Wooly Swamp" and along with "Lonesome Boy From Dixie," has that Southern boogie rock feel to them. They are sandwiched around the more ballad like "Carolina, I Remember You." The fourth track, "No Potion For The Pain" has a definite blues feel to it and I liked the guitar work on it. The album does go a bit more country with the next few songs although I still like them. "Dance, Gypsy Dance" is the song where Charlie finally cuts loose with his fiddle reminiscent of that great 1979 song. The album returns to that boogie rock edge for the remainder of the songs which leaves the album to finish on a definite high with "In America." 

Track Listing:

1. The Legend of Wooly Swamp

2. Carolina, I Remember You

3. Lonesome Boy From Dixie

4. No Potion for the Pain

5. El Toreador

6. South Sea Song

7. Dance Gypsy Dance

8. Money

9. In America

Charlie Daniels Band

Charlie Daniels- vocals, guitar, fiddle

Tom Crane- guitar, vocals

Joel "Taz" Di Gregorio- keyboards, vocals

Fred Edwards- drums, percussion

James W Marshall- drums, percussion

Charles Hayward- bass

If anyone could unify rednecks and rockers, it was the Charlie Daniels Band. Their blend of country and rock was unique and worked on several levels. Proof in the pudding is in the "Full Moon" album. I might listen to it again while drinking my second bottle of Iron Maiden Ale.

Next post: The Outlaws- Ghost Riders In the Sky

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Great Rock Albums of 1980: Linda Ronstadt- Mad Love

Throughout the entire decade of the 1970s, Linda Ronstadt produced a string of hits, most of which I liked. Her countryfied sound had a rock feel to it made her well known to many listeners, me included. I really enjoyed her sound and as a teenage male, liked the look of her as well and unlike some of my peers, I didn't give a shit to the fact that she never wrote any of her songs. I still listen to great singles such as "You're No Good," "When Will I Be Loved," "It's So Easy" and "Poor Poor Pitiful Me." These were the songs that mad her a household name in the seventies.

I wasn't surprised that when she brought out "Mad Love" in 1980, she, like Billy Joel with "Glass Houses," decided to go for a more harder rock sound. The first song to reach my attention was "How Do I Make You" which let everyone know that Linda Ronstadt wanted to rock. She really propels herself into the vocals with this song backed up by a pretty decent guitar solo. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if you took out the piano and added a harder guitar, a thrash band could easily do a cover of this song and it would sound pretty good. If one song wasn't enough to convince people of her willingness to rock, the track "I Can't Let Go" goes further to back up the statement. I love the guitars mixed in with her repeating backing vocals. The rest of the album is also full of some hard rocking, at least for her, tunes and even the more progressive sounding "Girls Talk" and the ballad "Hurt So Bad" does nothing to lessen the album's sound.

Track Listing:

1. Mad Love

2. Party Girls

3. How Do I Make You

4. I Can't Let Go

5. Hurt So Bad

6. Look Out For My Love

7. Cost of Love

8. Justine

9. Girls Talk

10. Talking in the Dark

Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt- vocals

Doug Dugmore- electric guitars

Waddy Watchel- guitar, backing vocals

Mark Goldenberg- electric guitars, backing vocals

Bob Glaub- bass

Russell Kunkel- drums

Bill Payne- keyboards

Danny Kortchmar- electric guitars

Mike Auldridge- dobro

Peter Bernstein- accoustic guitars

Peter Asher, Steve Foreman- percussion

Michael Boddicker- synthesiser

Rosemary Butler, Kenny Evans, Nicolette Larson, Andrew Gold- backing vocals

 It has been said that in the early 80s, rock ruled the world. I don't know if I agree with this but there was a move by some artists in 1980 to a more harder rock sound. I always believed that Linda Ronstadt always had the ability to do this and the album "Mad Love" is offered in evidence to the fact.

Next post: Grace Slick- Dreams

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Great Rock Albums of 19779: ZZ Top- Delguello

Once again, I realise that I missed at least one more great classic album from before 1978. I could have included several albums by ZZ Top in my "Great Rock Albums of the 70s" chapter, but the one I should have definitely visited was "Tres Hombres." So here it is:

What I love about this album is that it features two of my very favourite ZZ Top songs of all time: "La Grange" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago." Of course the rest of this album is totally killer too, so without any further ceremony, let us proceed to their great offering from 1979, Deguello.

This is the album that when I heard it in my early military days, had me playing air guitar around the barracks, not caring how silly I might have looked. Billy Gibbons shows why he should be counted among the great guitarists of the 70s on this album. It is a fantastic album. It holds many of what I consider some of the forgotten classics by this trio. Of course, I remember the opener "Thank You" and the next to last song on this album, "Cheap Sunglasses," another great fave of mine. But in between those two are some of the very tracks I used to bop my head to, drink beer to and cruise down the road to while playing on the cassette or 8-track. (Sometimes, I did all three at once.) "She Loves My Automobile," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" and "Hi fi Mama" were great anthems for me throughout those days. Plus, the bluesy sound of "Fool For Your Stockings" is reminiscent of my favourite "Jesus Just Left Chicago." So, what's not to like about "Deguello?"

Track Listing:

1. Thank You

2. She Loves My Automobile

3. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

4. A Fool For Your Stockings

5. Manic Mechanic

6. Dust My Broom

7. Lowdown in the Street

8. Hi Fi Mama

9. Cheap Sunglasses

10. Esther Be the One

ZZ Top

Billy Gibbons- guitar, vocals

Dusty Hill- bass, keyboards, vocals

Frank Beard- drums, percussion

Four years after this great album came out and I returned to civilian life in New Jersey, many of the slightly younger than me generation were all going nuts over the "Eliminator" album. Yes, it's a great album and I will visit it, but I was rather amused at the way they thought the Top were some great new thing. For me, I always knew how gifted Gibbons, Hill and Beard were and the Deguello album proves it for me. Thanks for giving me great memories.

Next post: Van Halen II

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Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock Albums of 1979: Charlie Daniels Band- Million Mile Reflections

Of the Southern Rock bands I have featured for the past few posts, there is one who was the most successful in making the country- rock crossover, The Charlie Daniels Band. It definitely helps when you have a top ten hit in both the country and rock singles charts like they did with the famous "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." When I first heard this classic hit, I was in North Carolina so I thought that it was just a good song that was popular in the South. Then I had my first 96 hour pass where I got to go home to New Jersey and found that the song was just as popular there. Charlie Daniels had definitely brought a bit of country to the rockers in the North and they liked it. However, there is one point I would like to bring up for debate; quite a few people believe that the Devil actually was the better in the fiddle duel.

"Million Mile Reflections" was not a one trick wonder. There are some other great tracks on it that help it complete the crossover. "Reflections" is a slow but fitting tribute to Elvis, Janis Joplin and Ronnie Van Zant. Other tracks for me are a more melodic rock sound with some good displays of keyboards and guitar musicianship. One track, I'm pretty sure it's "Blind Man" although I must remember to make notes when I'm listening to an album I'm reviewing, has the extended guitar solo that had become a characteristic of Southern Rock.

Track Listing:

1. Passing Lane

2. Blue Star

3. Jitterbug

4. Behind Your Eyes

5. Reflections

6. The Devil Went Down to Georgia

7. Mississippi

8. Blind Man

9. Rainbow Ride

Charlie Daniels Band

Charlie Daniels- guitar, fiddle, vocals

Tom Crain- guitar, vocals

Taz DiGregorio- keyboards, vocals

Fred Edwards- drums,percussion

James W Marshall- drums, percussion

Charles Hayward- bass

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is probably the one song that focused people up north's attention to Southern Rock. It could be said that it paved the way for the likes of Molly Hatchet and others and that it wasn't just a bunch of hicks playing washboards and jugs. I learned in 1979, that there is true rock down south.

Next post: REO Speedwagon- Nine Lives

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London