Van Halen - 1984
Can you believe this classic is 35 years old now? It’s kind of crazy to think what a huge impact this album had back in the day, mostly through some huge hits like “Panama” and the MTV favorite “Hot For Teacher,” as well as Eddie Van Halen’s increased use of synthesizers, most noticeably on “Jump” and “I’ll Wait.”
As for the rest of the album, it’s pretty standard Van Halen: good riffs and good times. They really had the right combination of heavy guitars and incredible accessibility, and shows what good songwriters they were. As it would turn out, it was also the last album with David Lee Roth for quite some time, as he decided to go solo.
Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
So one Sunday, I had a pretty big headache and decided I was in the mood for something kind of mellow. I wanted to give a shot to one of the Canterbury scene prog rock bands, known for their chill brand of jazz-fusion rock. I ended up choosing this one, and it turned out to be a pretty solid chunk of music.
While I don’t know if there was any particular stand-out to this album (though the “For Richard/Warlock” section was a pretty neat jam), the whole album occupies this groove-laden level of quality all the way through, making it a rather pleasant listen. There’s also this element of quiet hope, as the band can feel they’re on the edge of a breakthrough in their career. A pretty neat, jazzy, uplifting little album.
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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
A definitely classic, I mostly relistened to this to help me get in the mood for The Big Three Article I wrote earlier. I personally think this is Pink Floyd’s best album, as it has all the members firing on all cylinders. The lyrics are thoughtful, the synths grand and textured, and Gilmour’s solos remain powerful and emotive, even all these years later.
The main reason I like this over Dark Side of the Moon, is that while Dark Side is a great album to listen through as a whole, the individual songs are a little more mixed. Wish You Were Here does both: works as a full album and as individual songs, even with “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” split up. A beautiful masterpiece of mood and melody.
Kamelot - Siége Perilous
Named after the infamous empty seat at the round table of King Arthur’s court, we have Kamelot’s first album featuring the epic voice of Roy Kahn, and the difference is quite noticeable. However, many of the progressive elements from the band’s previous albums are still hanging around, making this one an album of transition into the power metal sound they would become known for.
As such, it’s a clunky album. “Millennium” stands out with its high-speed energy and riffing, while “Rhydin” and “Irea” provide good, epic numbers that foreshadow the band’s output in the 2000s. Everything else is just okay, but slightly better than the previous two albums.
Europe - Prisoners in Paradise
Still riding the wave from their success from The Final Countdown, we have Europe’s final album before they went on hiatus for the 90s, and just in time, as it would seem. Released at the dawn of the grunge wave, this album is a last stand of shiny, glossy, anthemic 80s style pop metal right before the style was abandoned by record labels across the world.
So what do we have here? Mostly, it’s an album of arena-ready rockers, with a bit of a blues-y vibe, wearing their Whitesnake influence on their sleeves for this one. Not much of it really stands out, but it’s decent while it’s on, with “Seventh Sign” and “Girl From Lebanon” being the closest they come to their classic mid-80s style, and the opener “All or Nothing” kicking things off well. While they’ve always had a radio-friendly sound, this one feels particularly thin compared to their better known albums.
Well, that's it for the moment. Looking ahead to February, I'm seeing a lot of new albums I want to listen to, ranging from the epicness of Dream Theater and Avantasia, to the Herman Frank album I won't shut up about! I don't know I'll give each one their own article or if I'll end up grouping them together, but I'm pretty excited for what's coming!
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