Great Rock Albums of 1982: J. Geils Band- Love Stinks

The USA, Canada and the UK have always enjoyed a musical interaction with one another where acts from one country get the same notoriety in the other. However, this hasn't been the case with all acts. For example, when I get to 1981, I will reveal who I think is the best American artist not to have made it in the UK. (I'm sorry, you'll have to wait til then.) Something similar can be said about the J Geils band. While watching British MTV, they had a weekend viewing of one hit wonders and one of those was the J Geils band with the song "Centerfold." I was astounded! How could they be considered one hit wonders when they had been making great rock in America all throughout the seventies? I would have thought they would have at least heard of the title track of the album I'm visiting here today because "Love Stinks" is the song I will always remember them for.

"Love Stinks" is my favourite J Geils song  and it has been covered by great rock and metal artists such as Joan Jett and Bile as well as been used in commercials and films such as "The Wedding Singer." It is also the title of the eleventh album from them. As I mentioned earlier, they tore up the seventies with a number of great rock albums and I am slightly kicking myself for not featuring any of them in previous postings, my loss. This album is no different. I love the seventies hard sound with the keyboard in accompaniment that make songs like "Till the Walls Come Down" and "Just Can't Wait" great songs. I am also amused by the band's sense of  humour with "No Anchovies, Please." Yes, "Love Stinks" is a great rock album to be enjoyed by any officianado of the fine art of rock music.

Track Listing:

1. Just Can't Wait

2. Come Back

3. Taking You Down

4. Nighttime

5. No Anchovies, Please

6. Love Stinks

7. Trying Not to Think About It

8. Desire (Please  Don't Turn Away)

9. Till The Walls Come Tumbling Down

The J Geils Band

J Geils- guitar

Stephen Bladd- drums, vocals

Seth Justman- keyboards, vocals

Danny Klein- bass

Magic Dick - harmonica, saxophone, trumpet

Peter Wolf- vocals

The song "Love Stinks," along with "Centerfold," will forever be identified with the J Geils Band. However, the rest of the album the first song comes from is definitely worth a listen as well. I hope my British readers will definitely take me up on the offer if they haven't listened to any in the  past. I know you'll like it.

Next post: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack

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

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

Merry Maiden Christmas

Like everyone else in the Western world, I too will be taking a short break over the festive season. I was thinking of posting my second top ten Christmas songs and they too would have been Bob Rivers heavy but a better idea has come up. Having visited my younger son and daughter last week and exchanging gifts, (my daughter is spending Christmas in Norway, at least she has a chance at seeing a white Christmas)I was delighted to receive the new Iron Maiden album, "Book of Souls," from them. Naturally, I had to play it for the journey home and the album is fantastic. The songs on it just click and their are some really good guitar solos on it, I'm impressed.

Then last weekend, we made the pre- Christmas trip to visit the mother in law and remaining step children who still live up in Grimsby. Another present exchange went down and what should I get from my eldest step daughter? Well, it was an Iron Maiden t-shirt. That was cool, since my last one I had was over 25 years ago. Since I got these cool gifts, I have decided that this must be an Iron Maiden themed Christmas.

cool t-shirt huh?

Since it's become a tradition, after it became available three and a half years ago, I always buy a couple of bottles of "The Trooper" to enjoy the festivities and have done so. However, this year there has been an added bonus. Last week at my local supermarket, I saw a special featuring The Trooper in a cool looking case, which housed the bottle and a pint glass. Added bonus was it was on sale along with some other themed beers at two for £8, ($12). No, I didn't buy another Trooper, instead, there was a beer celebrating the fortieth year since the release of the Queen classic, "Bohemian Rhapsody." So, I bought a bottle of Bohemian lager.

I'll show you what's inside next post

That's my yule holiday sorted. No matter how you celebrate this year, whether anyone will join me in the Maiden Christmas or celebrate it in the theme of another band, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

p.s. If you're stuck for a present, you could always give someone a copy of "Rock and Roll Children."

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

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

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.80smetalman.wordpress.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

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

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

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.80smetalman.wordpress.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

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

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

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

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

Great Rock Albums of 1980: Molly Hatchet- Beatin' the Odds

By the summer of 1980, I knew that Southern Rock had established itself up North and was listened to quite extensively there. However, in the October of the same year, I learned that it had made its way across the Atlantic when I saw this very album from Molly Hatchet on sale in a record shop in Southampton, England. The very same marine buddy who first introduced me to Southern Rock was with me at this time and we did both exceedingly rejoice in the fact that Molly Hatchet was listened to in Europe.

Being very predictable here but one can't fail to mention that "Beatin' The Odds" was the first album to feature Jimmy Farrar as lead singer who had replaced Danny Joe Brown who left the band on account of alcohol problems or so I'm told. Many Hatchet fans want to totally forget the Jimmy Farrar period of the band's career but when I listened to the album a couple of days ago, (the first time in about 30 years) I tried to do so in a more open minded manner.

First, Jimmy Farrar is not that bad of a vocalist. Had he come out with another band, he probably would have been right up there with many of those who were around then. The unfortunate thing for him was that he had some very big shoes to fill when he replaced Brown at the mike. Saying that, I feel that the album still lacks a bit of punch to me when compared with the epic "Flirtin' With Disaster" album. Yes, Molly Hatchet still plays that Southern bad boy boogie sound and this is in no way a bad album, but it is a quite a come down from the previous one. The track that stands out for me is "Penthouse Pauper" which has a great guitar intro and the title cut is pretty good too. "Sailor" is also a strong track. However, in spite of all the good things, to me, "Beatin' The Odds" lacks something.

Track Listing:

1. Beatin' The Odds

2. Double Talker

3. The Rambler

4. Sailor

5. Dead And Gone

6. Few And Far Between

7. Penthouse Pauper

8. Get Her Back

9. Poison Pen

Molly Hatchet

Jimmy Farrar- vocals

Dave Hlubeck- lead and slide guitars

Duane Roland- lead and slide guitars

Steve Holland- guitars

Banner Thomas- bass

Bruce Crump- drums

I have coined the phrase "Sophmore Jinx" to bands whose second album didn't match the expectation of a great first album. As "Beatin' The Odds" is the third album from Molly Hatchet, I can't really use it here. Furthermore, like I said, it's not a bad album and it is a good one to have on in the background when sitting in your back garden on a warm day and swilling down some brewskies. However, when you do listen to it, try not to compare it to some of their more iconic albums.

Next post: The Charlie Daniels Band- Full Moon

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

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

Great Rock Albums of 1980: Blackfoot- Tomcattin'

One discovery I made quite quickly as I immersed myself deeper in Southern Rock in 1980 was that out of all the Southern Rock bands I listened to, Blackfoot was the heaviest. In fact, many people actually considered them to be heavy metal as the mid eighties approached. The "Strikes" album was a definite heavy album and the follow up "Tomcattin'" was just as heavy.

The album opens with "Warped" and that song convinced me from the get go that this was going to be another hard rocking album from Blackfoot. The next few tracks back this claim up as well. "On The Run," "Dream On" and "Street Fighter" are all great rock gems. Then there are the next two tracks "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and "Every Man Should Know (Queenie)" that I heard on a live album in 1983. I'll be visiting that one when I get to that pivotal year. Now the live versions of those songs are complete mind blowers so I should have been disappointed that they weren't quite as heavy on the studio album. However, I wasn't because they are both good classic rockers as are the next two tracks: "In The Night" and "Reckless Abandoner." The one slow song on the album "Spending Cabbage" is no let down either. In all of the tracks, there are some heavy and hard riffs and some decent guitar solos from Medlocke and Hargrett and while none of the songs graced the top 40, (like I would care anyway) the album was well received by their loyal fan base in the Southeast and wowed a few Yankees like me.

Track Listing:

1. Warped

2. On The Run

3. Dream On

4. Street Fighter

5. Gimme Gimme Gimme

6. Every Man Should Know (Queenie)

7. In The Night

8. Reckless Abandoner

9. Spending Cabbage

10. Fox Chase

Blackfoot

Rick Medlocke- guitars, vocals

Charlie Hargrett- guitars

Greg T. Walker- bass, keyboards, vocals

Jackson Spires- drums, percussion, vocals

"Tomcattin'" is still considered one of the best Blackfoot albums by many of their loyal fans. For me, it is right up there with "Strikes" and that live one I mentioned. For me, the album stamps Blackfoot's authority on heavy rock and proves that Southern Rock wasn't something that was enjoyed by a bunch of rednecks.

Next post: Molly Hatchet- Beatin' The Odds

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

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