Retro Reviews - August 2025 Part Two!

Finally moving on from 1990, this is the first of two Retro Review articles I plan on dedicating to 1995, as it turns out there's quite a bit I wanted to catch up on.  This one will feature a quartet of rock bands, one of which I haven't really listened to before (sorta)!  Here's what I've been checking out lately!

Candlebox - Lucy

When I reviewed this band's debut album, I found it to be some pretty decent, if standard, grunge rock for the era, but it was enough to break them out.  This album follows up by going for a bit of a harsher, darker feel, and yet they sound more like Pearl Jam than ever!

Once again, this feels like the right album to come out in 1995, where grunge was becoming much more familiar, so bands needed to really push themselves to stand out.  Here, Candlebox aims for something more atmospheric in their alternative angst, like a series of a short, trance-like journeys.  Once the song starts, it generally locks into that groove and doesn't change much other than adding or taking away layers for verses and choruses.  Kevin Martin's wailing is right in the flow, fitting with the grooves and tones very well, and it's easy to get lost in these songs.  Unfortunately, that also means that the album tends to drone on, especially the two "Butterfly" songs.  As it turns out, this one didn't do as well as their first, and I wonder if this is why.

That doesn't mean there aren't some stand outs.  They made singles out of "Simple Lessons," "Best Friend," and "Understanding," and those were probably the best choices.  "Bothered" did have some chunky riffs though, and it was much more aggressive than the rest.  Otherwise, it feels like more standard grunge again, and with the darker tone, perhaps not as strong as their debut.  While the album is decent for what it is, it's certainly hard to recommend unless you have strong nostalgia for this era of rock music.

AC/DC - Ballbreaker

After the massive success that was The Razors Edge (and a quick little single for a Schwarzenegger film), it took them five years to put together another album, bringing back Phil Rudd on drums.  They decided to bring in Rick Rubin as the producer this time, after working with him on "Big Gun," making sure that this album is business as usual for the band.

I know I've mentioned this before, but reviewing AC/DC albums can be rough.  Their style is so distilled and direct that, unless there's some major mistake, their albums end up being generally fine.  While I don't think this is as good as the one that came before, they continue with their bluesy brand of hard rock.  "Hard as a Rock" kicks things off with some solid, mid-tempo rocking, "Boogieman" has a good 6/8 blues groove, and "Hail Caesar" is an interesting piece of social satire.  Many of these songs often have a build-up in intensity toward the end, making them pretty anthemic.  They're also an uptick in the raunchy lyrics, but with an album title like that, I suppose it's not a surprise.

So once again, we have another decent chunk of hard rock from a band who has long since mastered their craft and were (and still are, honestly) content to keep trucking along, album to album.  This album doesn't have the iconic tracks like their others, but at the same time, it sticks to what works, and that isn't a bad thing.

Spock's Beard - The Light

While I've heard a song or two, most of what I know about Spock's Beard is the one Pattern-Seeking Animals album I reviewed.  (Apparently, they have five albums now!  When did that happen?)  Anyways, this legendary third-wave prog rock band started with the Morse brothers, Alan (guitars) and Neal (vocals, keyboards).  It was originally just supposed to be the two of them, but by the time they got recording, they had picked up Dave Meros on bass and Nick D'Virgilio on drums.  The result is some pretty iconic third-wave prog rock, even if it is maybe trying a little too hard.

The album starts with "The Light," which has been the band's signature song since it came out, and I can see why.  It's a very dramatic piece with a lot of changes, including one that's full-on Latin fusion.  Dream Theater's influence is notable, though Spock's Beard is certainly not metal, but the songwriting of shifting between sections does have that feel.  In fact, these sudden transitions is pretty consistent through the album.  As a result, it does make it a rather unpredictable listen, but at the same time, I do wonder if it isn't too much.  They have plenty of neat little ideas, but instead of giving any of them time to expand, it's off to the next section.  I think I would have liked to hear them explore these ideas more, but I suppose this isn't that kind of band, and they do have some neat little callbacks.  The big epic "The Water" is much the same way, going over 23 minutes and several genres and styles.  However, it does come together like a Pink Floyd song, featuring a small choir of female singers to croon and wail along.  "On the Edge" is probably the most consistent song, but it is also only 6 minutes long, the shortest on this four-song album.

It's definitely an interesting collection of music, taking the prog rock that inspires them and making it relevant in a later decade, and I think they sorta make it work.  Again, I am bugged by the constant transitions (I wonder if this is where Haken gets it from), but that could be a matter of taste.  The material is performed well by all members, and establishes a solid baseline to build on from here for more prog rock adventures.

Glass Hammer - Perelandra

I checked out this band's first album a few years ago, and while it may have had some peculiar synths, it had some decent songs about Aragorn's adventures around Middle-Earth.  Two years later, they come back with another album, now about the works of C.S. Lewis (which I admit I am not as familiar with).  This time, they draw upon a wider prog palette, making them more in line with their third-wave peers like Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings.

Right off, the synths are better, and I think the production, while still not perfect, has improved as well, making these songs sound very lush and Yes-like at times.  This is most apparent in their first full song (after the strange intro track) "Time Marches On."  I felt there was a significant increase in Wakeman-like synth runs and Squire-like basslines compared to the previous album.  Of course, their ELP influence is still around, mainly on the instrumental pieces like "Felix the Cat" and the title track.  The rest of the album is a little all-over-the-place, but it all flows pretty well.  "That Hideous Strength" is probably the biggest jump in style, with it's near-industrial vibes, making me think of Pink Floyd at its darkest.  I have to say the keyboard work is probably the highlight, though I have no idea which parts are by Fred Schendel or Steve Babb, as I understand they're both jamming on the synths along with all the other instruments they play.

This is quite the improvement over Journey of the Dunadan, largely because it feels more consistent, though I do think the shorter tracks are a bit odd.  "Time Marches Out" is a great starter, and "Heaven" serves as a solid closer, getting rather triumphant after the defeat of evil in the previous tracks.  While I don't know if they've reached any kind of peak with this album, I can definitely hear them starting to put the pieces together to become their own thing, and look forward to when I can take the time to listen to more of their work.

April Fools! Weird Al Rocks the 90s!

Well, I had planned to do this article last year, following up from my first one, but totally dropped the ball as the concept slipped my mind entirely.  Better late than never, in any case.  Picking up with his soundtrack to UHF, we'll be mostly focusing on his 90s albums.  Rock music wasn't as much of a focus for him during this decade, as pop music drifted around a lot of genres by then.  Still, there's plenty of curious rock songs through the years that still put a smile on my face.

After his second Michael Jackson parody was a big success, Weird Al turned to making a movie in an attempt to parody film and television.  While it flopped in the box office, it's become a cult classic, and honestly is a pretty good representation of his style of humor.  Certainly a fun film, at the very least.  However, the official soundtrack was more like one of his typical albums, only featuring a few songs from the movie, as well as some of the kooky commercials as little audio skits.

When it comes to rock music, the title track is a solid stand out.  Rather than be a parody of anything specific, it's just a fun rock song with a very catchy riff.  It's probably my favorite song on the album. They also take the opportunity to write another goofy sci-fi film song with "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars" and the polka medley this time is a collection of Rolling Stones songs.  "Generic Blues" ends up being a fun dose of dark humor, making a big deal about minor annoyances, but supposedly, B.B. King said it was one of the best blues songs he'd heard.  However, the highest profile rock song is a curious parody of Dire Straits, taking their big MTV hit and replacing the lyrics with those of the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.  While it fits well with the themes of his movie, the song isn't one of his better efforts, in my opinion.

The failure of his movie left Weird Al scrambling, and when Michael Jackson understandably declined to let him parody his next hit "Black and White," the musical king of comedy felt that perhaps his time was over.  Fortunately, with the arrival of Nirvana and the explosion of grunge, he found his next target, even going so far as to parody the Nevermind cover.  "Smells Like Nirvana" was a massive hit for him, and its easy to see why, making fun of the Cobain's mumbled lyrics while maintaining the apathetic tone of the original.  It's been a staple of his live shows ever since.

As for the rest of the album, there are a few interesting rock songs, all style parodies instead making fun of a given song.  "Trigger Happy" is a curious take on surf rock and guns.  "I Was Only Kidding" is a very sarcastic, heavy song that I think gets close to Megadeth in some ways.  (I think it would be rather fun if Dave Mustaine covered that song in his snarling style!)  "Airline Amy" and "When I Was Your Age" are more typical, but fun, rock songs, and while "You Don't Love Me Anymore" was just a spoof of acoustic ballads in general, the music video ended up being a poke at Extreme's "More Than Words."  The standard polka medley even has some Metallica, Warrant, and Mötley Crüe.  While the Nirvana song dominates the popularity of this album, the rest of the songs prove that Weird Al had plenty of gas in the tank, allowing him to carry on through this decade.

Now that he was in the swing of things again, he didn't hesitate, putting out Alapalooza the following year, the title riffing on the Lollapalooza festival that had just started.  While the main song was more about parodying the Jurassic Park movie with a symphonic pop song from the 60s, there was still plenty of rock to be had.  The shift to alternative rock is certainly felt, with a pair of Red Hot Chili Peppers hits turned into a song about the Flinstones and a style parody of REM called "Frank's 2000" TV." 

However, the big rock songs include a strange parody of Aerosmith's "Living on the Edge" about spoiled food that's now "Living in the Fridge," and a fun style-parody of AC/DC titled "Young, Dumb, and Ugly."  "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime" is another solid rocker, with an amusing premise.  (You think he would have noticed.)  But the best song on the album, in my opinion, is a full polka version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Instead of doing a medley songs, Weird Al and his band do the whole song in his bouncy style and getting plenty of work out of his accordion.  Obviously, Queen would have given him permission (as that's how Weird Al does things), but I would like to have been a fly on the wall when the esteemed classic rock band heard the thing the first time.

After a few more years, Weird Al would follow up with Bad Hair Day, featuring one of his most famous (and controversial) parodies with "Amish Paradise," even making fun of Coolio's hair on the cover.  As for the rock stuff, he's followed the trend of the expanding alternative rock scene, including parodies of U2 and Soul Asylum, and even naming his polka medley "The Alternative Polka," covering bands from R.E.M. and Nine Inch Nails to Foo Fighters and Soundgarden.  He also did a style parody of grunge with "Calling In Sick," which ends up being a solid track full of thick guitars and lazy angst.  The album ends with one of his starkest bits of morbid humor with "The Night Santa Went Crazy," a crazier holiday single than "Christmas at Ground Zero."

Beyond that, though, there really isn't much that really fits in with the kind of stuff I cover on my blog.  Still, this is a fun album, and one of his most popular for good reason.

From here, he would only get bigger.  For his next album, he was able to time "The Saga Begins," a song about Star Wars Episode I, in time with that movie's theatrical release.  Parodying "American Pie" by Don McLean and getting the music video up on MTV as the movie was delighting and disappointing audiences around the world, it was a massive success.  However, the rest of the album, while quite good, again doesn't really match my blog very well.  Much of it is either pop, hip-hop, or alternative rock, including The Offspring, Barenaked Ladies, Nine-Inch Nails, and ska bands like Mighty Mighty Bosstones, with the polka medley catching artists such as Smash Mouth, Matchbox Twenty, Third Eye Blind, and Marilyn Manson.  Still, I admit that, because this album came out right when I was starting to become a fan, I listened to this a lot through my high school years.

However, this album is topped off with a kind of modern prog masterpiece in "Albuquerque."  Not necessarily making fun of any particular artist (though Wikipedia lists a few), this is a straight-ahead hard rock number that goes for over 11 minutes, and is a blast to listen to all the way through!  The bizarre topic changes as part of an ongoing adventure may make it a little hard to follow, but it's peak Weird Al comedy with a very catchy chorus.  And yes, he has played it New Mexico.  While this album would be another big success, ensuring his continued relevance, it's hard to say much about it, even as a joke for a rock and metal music blog.

And I know this will only get harder as I continue, but I do want to complete his album discography with one more article.  I have enjoyed going back over his albums, though, picking through to find rock moments to talk about.  Weird Al is a staple of any good musical library, and I won't hear otherwise!

Anniversary Series - 1994!

This year is certainly a tough one to write about.  While there was plenty going on in rock and metal, it was mostly in genres I generally don't cover on this blog (like pop punk or death metal).  That being said, I think I've got enough to scrape a few paragraphs together to try and cover the year without resorting to a handful of reviews.

Naturally, grunge was still big.  Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden put out some reelases to their diehard fans, with Soundgarden in particular having a massive hit with "Black Hole Sun."  However, this year would also serve the biggest blow with the death of Kurt Cobain.  Almost acting like a turning point for the genre, more radio friendly bands like Bush and Our Lady Peace would move the genre into the post-grunge era.

Prog would end up having an interesting year as well.  Classic bands like Yes and ELP (among others) would put out albums, showing they still have what it takes, while Pink Floyd released Division Bell, marking the end of an era (as it was the last album for them for many years).  Progressive metal was picking up, however, with Dream Theater leading the charge with Awake, their celebrated follow-up to Images and Words.  With newcomers like Vanden Plas and Symphony X following in their wake, prog metal was clearly on the way up.

Meanwhile, power metal was starting to come together.  Stratovarius would be in a state of transition with Dreamspace, but the big story was the comeback of Helloween.  Picking up new singer Andi Deris, the band returned to their speedy, melodic roots with Master of the Rings, one of my favorite albums of theirs.  Finally getting past their experimental phase, they laid out epic tracks like "Sole Survivor" and "Where the Rain Grows," anticipating the explosion of power metal that would soon follow.

So it's not much, but it's something, and there's certainly more in the playlist below, so check that out.  If I've missed something, let me know in the comments below.  Meanwhile, I'll keep carrying on, putting out articles as often as time permits.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Retro Reviews - June 2024!

Unsurprisingly, the Anniversary Articles are dominating my listening lately.  At least, with this one, I'm starting to get ahead again.  I've also got quite the variety here, going from 80s pop rock to grunge to prog and back.  Here's what I've been listening to lately!

Steve Perry - Street Talk

I admit I mostly threw this on for a lark.  At a time of Journey's peak success, Steve Perry sought to have a go on his own, ending up with something much more pop than rock.  Still, powered by his iconic voice, it has some nice, nostalgic charm, even if the album came out before I was born!

While the big song "Oh Sherrie" shares a lot with his band's melodic sensibilities, the rest of the album seems to drift between soul and pop, with dashes of funk here and there.  It feels like a 70s album with 80s production, if that makes sense, perhaps as a consequence of bringing some of his pre-Journey work into the mix.  "It's Only Love" was a nice, upbeat tune (even if it did have the James Bond chord progression in parts), and the other tracks flow pretty well.  While I think it's missing the hard rock crunch that Neal Schon provides, it's a nice collection of soft rock tunes that let Steve what he does best.

Rush - Presto

So after nearly a decade of synth-driven rock, the trio takes a break, then comes back together with a more guitar focused album, marking another turn in this historic band's history.  However, as I enjoy a lot of it, I feel like there's still something missing.

While the synthesizers have taken a backseat, Alex Lifeson retains his thin, jangly guitars, making the album feel more like 80s pop rock, like if U2 covered Rush.  Still, it's not like these are bad songs.  Neil Peart gives the album his regular blend of complex lyrics and drum patterns, ensuring the songs never feel flat.  This is also a more sing-songy album, as there are a lot of catchy melodic lines for Geddy to sing.  I also noticed that the choruses on these songs tend to be softer than the verses, making for some strange dynamics.  I guess when I heard this was going to be different that the ones before, I was expecting more than just a shift in which layers get the attention. 

Again, I don't think this is a bad album. (In fact, I'm getting the impression that Rush has no bad albums.)  Taking it as it is, Rush carries on their legacy of interesting songs, full of clever lyrics and interludes, while letting each member shine.  As before, I may need to listen to this a few times to really wrap my head around it, but first impressions leave me a little underwhelmed.

Rush - Sixteen Stone

Starting up just as the grunge wave was peaking, Bush's debut album was definitely the right album at the right time to go big.  While I never listened to it at the time, I remember a lot of kids in school talking about this band, and since then I've always been mildly curious.   Finally getting around to it, it definitely sounds like pretty typical mid-90s alternative rock, and not much more.

At the time, critics bashed the band for sounding too much like Nirvana, and I admit I have to agree.  Not only are the guitar tones, vocal melodies, and song dynamics similar, the angst-filled lyrics on alienation and drug addiction are pretty standard for the genre.  However, I do think there is more going on than just copying a popular band.  Gavin Rossdale is more of a singer, almost crooning at times, and there is more of a musical touch, giving them a bit of a Pearl Jam vibe, especially as many of the songs escalate towards the end.  It's hard to know if they have anything to themselves, though "Alien" feels like it wanders into post-rock or shoegaze.  Still, considering all the songs, I can hear the transition to post-grunge, as I'm hearing ideas I'd hear from later bands, like Nickelback and Our Lady Peace.

Coming out at the end of a rough year for grunge, I guess folks flocked to it, despite it's reputation, as the album sold quite well on release, thanks to a handful of big singles like "Comedown" and the cinematic "Glycerine."  I also liked "Little Things" and "Machine Head." Overall, it's some pretty typical grunge for the time, but I think there are signs of the band's potential, which, as it seems, carrying them well into the future.

Anniversary Series - 1989!

Another month, another Anniversary Article!  1989 is an interesting year, as rock was in the middle of a lot of transition.  Grunge and alternative rock was slowly growing, pop metal was as big as ever, thrash and death metal were finding their audiences, and other genres were bubbling up.  Here's how this year went!

The year starts of with a number of big hits, as Skid Row and Warrant release their debut albums.  The former provided "18 to Life," "Youth Gone Wild," and the big ballad "I Remember You," while Warrant was about the "Down Boys" and "Heaven."  Great White would soon follow with ...Twice Shy, and the sort of title track cover song "Once Bitten Twice Shy."

However, the beginning of the year, saw other iconic releases, such as Doro's Force Majeure, her first album on her own, Metal Church picking up Mike Howe for Blessing in Disguise, and Dream Theater released their debut with When Dream and Day Unite, carving a small niche for progressive metal that they would widen later.  Meanwhile, Seattle was getting a taste of the future with Nirvana's debut Bleach and Soundgarden's Louder than Love.  In the midst of all this, Jon Anderson would leave Yes and form a group with former Yes members called Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.  Their self-titled album would be a unique prog rock highlight for the year.

As the year goes on, we get more epic hits, with Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood being a massive single factory, including the title track, "Kickstart My Heart," and "Same Ol' Situation."  Alice Cooper would comeback with his own take on the genre with "Poison," John Sykes would form Blue Murder and record their debut album, while his former bandmates Whitesnake would carry on with Slip of the Tongue, featuring "Judgment Day."  

However, in my opinion, the winner of the year is Candlemass.  Their fourth album Tales of Creation is peak doom metal, in my opinion.  I know I don't talk much about the genre on the blog, but this album is my standard for what a good doom metal album sounds like.  From the epic riff on "Under the Oak," to the atmospheric plodding on "Dark Revelations" and "The Edge of Heaven," and even the sudden high-speed instrumental "In the Unfathomed Tower" are all highlights.  A favorite album of mine, from any year.

Wrapping things up, we see Blind Guardian's follow up Follow the Blind, featuring their classic closer "Valhalla" with Kai Hansen showing up with some vocals of his own.  Stratovarius released their debut Fright Night, being more of a speed metal group before they became power metal titans.  Guitar legend Michael Schenker teamed up with Robin McAuley and release Save Yourself, a unique team up that probably should have lasted longer.  Finally, Savatage would really lean into a Queen-like theatrical style with Gutter Ballet, definitely showing signs of where they would end up, to say nothing of their Christmas-themed spin-off.

So that's another year wrapped up again.  Once again, check out the playlist below for more, and let me know in the comments what else stands out to you from this year.  In the meantime, I've got some more albums to listen to, so keep an eye out for more reviews.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1993!

Due to circumstances, this Anniversary Article had to come out at the end of this month this time, and in the end, I decided to make it a bunch of reviews.  Normally, I don't end up doing this to the Anniversary Articles until the later years, but it turns out that I don't really have that much to say about 1993.  Most of the innovative things in rock and metal were happening in genres I don't generally cover (like alternative rock or extreme metal).  While there were some major grunge albums, and a pair of notable (if underwhelming) albums from Helloween and Gamma Ray, I figured it would be better to instead try and fill in some gaps by review some albums I had never heard before, and what we have this time are four debut albums!  Let's get into it!

Threshold - Wounded Land

Threshold, like many other bands, started out doing covers, with Wikipedia naming Ratt and Testament (which is certainly a bizarre combination).  However, as they started to develop their own songs, they drifted into the territory of early progressive metal, as Dream Theater's first two albums loom as a large influence on their debut album.

Since it's their first full-length effort, such emulation is often forgivable, and it's not like the iconic Berklee band is their only influence, as some of their pop metal cover days do slip in during some of the more conventional parts, mostly reminding me of Europe, largely due to the constant synthesizers.  In any case, they have a solid sound, even if it is very 90s, with the snappy production and the cheesy synths with tones that feel like they came from several video game soundtracks of the era.  However, they don't go into lengthy prog digressions, instead leaning into more of a melodramatic style in order to serve up their very didactic lyrics.  While it's not overly preachy, it's hard not to feel like the band worked with Captain Planet in the writing of them, with all the environmental and social issues they discuss.

That's not to say this isn't worth listening to, as they do have some solid songs here.  Nick Midson and Karl Groom's guitars provide plenty of chunky riffs, and Richard West's keyboards provide more than just some symphonic layers, as he gets in a solo or two.  Damian Wilson definitely sounds like he's aping James LeBrie, but he's certainly a good match for what they're doing.  The songs themselves are mostly decent, with the opener "Consume to Live" really setting the tone for the album and "Paradox" with it's more uptempo blend of guitars and synths being the major stand outs.  It's definitely a decent start in the same vein of melodic prog as Vanden Plas and other bands that followed in the wake of Dream Theater.

Candlebox - Candlebox

While progressive metal certainly picked up in the early 90s, it was grunge that had taken over.  Candlebox formed in Seattle just before it became the new mecca of rock, and they benefited greatly when their debut album came out at the peak of the grunge wave.  Listening to it, they definitely epitomize the sound, sounding particularly like Pearl Jam, but with the edges trimmed off.

Jam is definitely the vibe this album goes for, though.  While "Don't You" starts things off with a lot of energy, after that, it immediately drops into mid-tempo hard rock for most of the songs, giving it this default grunge feeling.  There are a few shake-ups, such as the jazz-fusion elements in "No Sense," or the bluesy "Rain," and some of them maybe go on for a little too long, but honestly, this feels like the most safe, profitable thing one could have released in 1993.  Maybe for someone new to grunge, this would be a good introduction to the genre as it doesn't have much of the weirdness that the other bands had (like Pearl Jam's psychedelia, or Nirvana's caustic angst). 

That's not to say that it's a bad album.  Kevin Martin's vocals drift between a laidback, dreamy style to outright wailing, with rambling sections here and there. The rest of the band plays well, as Peter Klett gets in some pretty solid solos, and the production makes them all sound huge and immediate.  The big problem is that it's mostly the same ideas all the way through: quiet verses, loud choruses, a dash of jamming here and there, and then fade-out, on almost every track.  I did like "Don't You" and "Arrow," but I found my mind drifting as the album went on, as it didn't have any ambitions other than to blend in with the crowd of bands that were big at the time.

Glass Hammer - Journey of the Dunadan

Shifting back to progressive music, Glass Hammer formed in 1992 and released their debut the year after.  However, I first became aware of this band much later, when Jon Davison, who had been the band's singer for a few years, joined Yes in 2012.  I did check out If and Cor Cordium at the time, and I thought they were okay.  It's only been lately, as I've been hearing their new singles which have a much stronger Rush feel, that I've began to wonder if there isn't more to this band that I first thought.  So, letting this article work as a good reason to do so, I've checked out their debut album.  (Of course, having it be a concept album about Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings certainly piques my interesting, being the fantasy nerd that I am.)

Narratively, it's basically a greatest hits of the adventures of Aragorn (though skipping the events of the Two Towers for some reason).  Of course, these songs are based on the books, as the movies had not come out yet, so it's a bit of a different interpretation of the character.  Still, it's a decent story to build an album around, mostly revolving a very synth-heavy sound that makes me think of Emerson Lake & Palmer.  However, they include elements of folk music and even dark ambient styles to tell the story, resulting in a pretty diverse listen.  Unfortunately, the whole thing is hampered by the cheesy production.  If I felt that Threshold's synth tones were video gamey, many of the ones here feel borrowed from edutainment PC games.  Despite the excellent playing, it's hard to take them seriously when they sound so cheap.  The lyrics mostly work, often using narration to bring the story along, but sometimes they also dip in the cheese, making the album sound like an Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation of the classic legendarium.

Still, there are some good moments.  "Something's Coming," "Pellanor Fields," "Anduril," and "Return of the King" in particular lean pretty hard into the ELP sound, with those hammond organs taking center stage.  The album also features some decent ballads in "The Way to Her Heart," and "Why I Cry."  I know it's kinda tacky to do this sometimes, but I do wish this album got a complete re-recording, as I think it would hold up.  As it is, it's a solid album with some good ideas, but it's sadly hampered by the limitations of their budget and tools.

Angra - Angels Cry

After enjoying Holy Land so much, I figured I should move back and check out their debut as well.  The band's lineup hadn't quite stabilized yet, but they already have their iconic prog/power metal sound right from the first track.  

To be fair, their sound is a little rough at this point, and their influences of Dream Theater and Helloween do peek through pretty often (I suppose getting both Kai Hansen and Dirk Schlächter, who were together in Gamma Ray at the time, coming to guest star on a song together and recording the album in Kai Hansen Studios in Germany would be a factor as well).  They also include extended references to many different pieces of classical music, with the intro being a piece of Schubert.  Oh, and there's a cover of "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush for some reason.

As for their own songwriting, it's pretty solid stuff.  There are a few clunky transitions, as the songs will sometimes shift from prog to power and back again within the same song multiple times, and it doesn't always work.  However, Andre Matos bellows his vocals with confidence, the teamwork of Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt is right on display, Luís Mariutti is shredding right along with them on bass, and while they relied on a session drummer named Alex Holzwarth, he nails the double-kicking energy the band needs.  The stand-out songs for me were "Carry On" which is punchy and energic, the title track with its ambitious transitions between styles, and "Evil Warning" for it's neo-classical power metal epicness.  While it doesn't really shine all the way through, as there are still a few elements to polish, but this is still an excellent entry in the early history of power metal.

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I guess that will have to do for 1993.  Certainly an interesting group of albums, exploring different ideas at a time where there was a lot of that going on.  As always, be sure to check out the playlist and let me know if I've missed anything in the comments below.  Maybe as I listen to more albums from this year, I'll have more to say about it, but for now, I've got to move on to my next set of articles.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1992!

While I am dedicated to getting these anniversary articles done, I have to admit I don't really have a lot to say about 1992.  Of course, there were certainly big things happening this year, but most of it is outside of the scope of this blog, with the expansion of genres such as groove metal, extreme metal, and punk rock.  Still, there are a few things I can bring up as being important releases for the year.

Naturally, the year also saw a continuation of the grunge explosion, but most of that first wave happened last year, as Nevermind, Ten, and Badmotorfinger continued to sell copies.  This didn't leave much new for the genre, but we did get two big releases.  Alice in Chain's Dirt had success with tracks like "Would?", "Them Bones," and "Rooster."  Meanwhile, Stone Temple Pilots exploded with their debut Core.

Of course, heavy metal hadn't quite been completely erased by the alt rock movement.  Iron Maiden told us of their Fear of the Dark, being the last album with iconic singer Bruce Dickensen for 8 years.  Black Sabbath would suddenly reunite with Heaven and Hell lineup (albeit temporarily) for Dehumanizer.  Manowar gave us The Triumph of Steel, featuring a 28 minute epic about the story of Achilles.  Blind Guardian would push further into their fantasy themes with Somewhere Far Beyond.  Megadeth would follow their rivals Metallica with the mainstream success of Countdown to Extinction, featuring the massive "Symphony of Destruction" and the quirky "Sweating Bullets."

In terms of classic, melodic rock, there are a few gems.  Asia would reform around John Payne and release Aqua, Neal Schon worked with the Gioeli brothers for the first Hardline album Double Eclipse, and Def Leppard would find some left over pop metal appeal with Adrenalize.  AC/DC would also release a widely celebrated live release, simply titled AC/DC Live.

However, in terms of melodic rock and metal, what most likely might be the most important release is Images and Words from the prog metal giant Dream Theater.  While the fusion of prog rock and metal had been kicking around in the 80s, it wasn't until this second album of theirs that the genre really took off, as many bands have since tried to emulate what Dream Theater established here.  Not only featuring their only hit, "Pull Me Under," but also other favorites like "Learning to Live" and the renowned "Metropolis Part 1."  Melodic metal would never be the same after that album.

I'm sure there are plenty I missed from this year, so if you think of any, let me know in the comments below.  Still, a pretty big year for a few reasons.  As always, check out the playlist below for more.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1991!

Sorry for the lack of content lately.  At least I was able to put this one together in advance.  It's also fortunate that 1991 is such a big deal in rock music history, providing plenty of material for this anniversary article.  1991 was definitely the end of some eras and the beginnings of others.  It would be hard to think of a year that would come to represent such massive shifts in the rock scene more than this one.  Still, with such change, great music gets made.

Speaking of the end of eras, Queen would experience a pretty major shift.  Releasing Innuendo in February, it would end up being the last record they would record alongside their singer Freddie Mercury before he would pass away later in this year.  Other bands facing the ends of an era would also include Skid Row, as Slave to the Grind would be their last with singer Sebastian Bach, and Europe, whose Strangers in Paradise would be their last album for more than 10 years.

Other bands were coming to a close as well.  Genesis released We Can't Dance, which would end up being their last with Phil Collins (though currently there is talk of another reunion tour, so who knows).  Dire Straits also put out their last album On Every Street, one that I think is very underrated in their catalog.  Rush would also bring a close to their synthesizer-heavy 80s with Roll the Bones, bringing things back to a more streamlined rock sound.

Of course, it was not all doom-and-gloom for rock and metal bands.  Van Halen was still rocking with Sammy Hagar, releasing For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and Mr. Big would kickstart their popularity in Japan with the single "To Be With You."  Guns 'n' Roses would finally release their double album Use Your Illusion, Ozzy proved he wasn't slowing down with No More Tears, and Metallica would release their self-titled album, which is still their most popular one to this day.

However, the big change came from the Seattle bands.  While they wouldn't get their big explosion next year, 1991 featured some of their biggest releases.  Not only do you have Pearl Jam's Ten, Temple of the Dog's only album, and Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, but also Nirvana's Nevermind, which would introduce the sound to the rest of nation and turn it into an international phenomenon.  Almost instantly, record labels were dropping anything with an 80s rock sound in favor of this grittier, thicker style.  I don't know if there has ever been such a hard pivot in the rock music  industry before or since.

And that's 1991!  Certainly a year of changes, and the music shows.  A lot of pop metal and melodic rock would fade from popularity, making way for the new alternative rock sound, but good music, nevertheless.  I have a bunch more in the playlist below, and as always, let me know if there's something I've missed!  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1995!

Well, I'm making some serious progress on these, now that we're in July!  As we move further in time, rock music really begins to separate out into its genres and communities, making it difficult to really say anything conclusive about the time period as a whole.  As such, these articles are going to focus more on what I've listened to, and therefore be less comprehensive and historical in nature.  Still, there's plenty to talk about for the year of 1995!

Let's start things off with some power metal, as the genre was really starting to come alive by now.  Blind Guardian released Imaginations from the Other Side, Gamma Ray finally got things together for Land of the Free (which I reviewed here), and Stratovarius would find their voice in Timo Kotipelto and give us Fourth Dimension, the first in a long string of great albums.

1995 would be a big year for prog rock.  Pink Floyd's big final tour would result in the Pulse live album, with the iconic blinking light on the spine.  King Crimson continued their unique complexity with Thrak, and Roine Stolt, after the success of The Flower King, would bring together the band The Flower Kings and produce their debut album, which I reviewed earlier this year.

Prog metal would be no slouch either, with Ayreon releasing their debut, Symphony X following up on their debut by introducing the great Russell Allen to the world with The Damnation Game, and Dream Theater expanding their songwriting with the epic "A Change of Seasons," released as an EP.  However, the big surprise was Savatage suddenly coming back with Dead Winter Dead and the hit single "Sarajevo 12/24," the song that inspired the Trans-Siberian Orchestra project.

Of course, atlernative rock was still a big deal at this time, but grunge was making its shift into post-grunge.  Dave Grohl would bounce back with the debut of the Foo Fighters, Candlebox released Lucy, and Alice in Chains had their self-titled third album.

Just to round things out, Van Halen would carry on with Sammy Hagar with the successful Balance, Iron Maiden had The X Factor with their new singer Blaze Bayley, and AC/DC released Ballbreaker, proving that the older styles of rock and metal hadn't gone anywhere.

So that's 1995.  As usual, there's a playlist below, and I'm sure I've missed some good stuff, so don't hesitate to give me recommendations!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1990!

As the year moves along, I hope everyone is staying safe.  In the meantime, this series carries on, into the year 1990!  Another year of transition, much like 1980, with some genres coming to a close while new ones are picking up to take their place!

However, the year would kick of with the familiar sound of glam metal, as Slaughter would release their debut album Stick It To Ya, with the big song "Up All Night."  In fact, glam and pop metal would have a pretty good year over all, with Poison's Flesh and Blood, Steelheart's debut, Ratt's Detonator, Warrant's Cherry Pie, and Jon Bon Jovi's solo debut with Blaze of Glory.

The rest of metal weren't sitting back either.  As thrash metal became more mainstream, Megadeth would find greater popularity with Rust in Peace.  Chock full of big tracks like "Holy Wars," "Hangar 18," "Tornado of Souls," and the title track, songs the band still play live today, it was a release that was hard to beat.  Even Judas Priest got in on the thrash action with Painkiller, letting Halford really go wild with the vocals.

Power metal, while still a long ways off from its peak, would find a few solid releases.  Kai Hansen, after breaking off with Helloween, would start Gamma Ray, with their debut album Heading For Tomorrow coming out this year.  Blind Guardian would release Tales from the Twilight World (which I reviewed at the end of last year), would show them shifting into their iconic style of melodic leads and epic vocals.

Of course, there was a new style developing out in the northwest of the US.  While grunge and alternative rock wouldn't completely take over, bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden would laying down the groundwork for the explosion that would follow in the next few years.

Meanwhile, classic rock fans would have plenty for them as well.  After Tommy Shaw left Styx, he ended up forming Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent and Jack Blades of Night Ranger, who's debut album would put them on the map in a big way.  Of course, Styx weren't sitting back, releasing Caught in the Act to some acclaim.  This year would also give us AC/DC's The Razor's Edge, best known for "Thunderstruck" and proof that classic styles still had power to blow the minds of rock fans everywhere.

As the year drew to a close, glam metal would end up having the last say, with the Scorpions releasing Crazy World with the track "Winds of Change," reflecting to the changing times in Europe.  The genre itself would have a major shake up with Tesla's live acoustic cover of "Signs," a sign itself that glam metal had really gone about as far as it could go.

And that wraps up 1990, though my playlist below has a few extras, as always.  Again, if there's anything you think I left out anything, let me know!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - May 2019!

Good heavens!  It's been a while since I've done one of these!  Hopefully this will break up all the video articles I've been doing lately, though.  Let's see what I've been spinning lately!

Pearl Jam - Ten

Here we are, with Pearl Jam’s first album.  Here, we have them playing more straight-forward grunge, but even as I listened to this album, I could feel some of the hypnotic, almost psychedelic groove to it.  Vitalogy was really just them exploring a sound they already had to some degree.

I also began to see how these songs would probably sound really great live, and has got me thinking that I should try to find a live show of them from the early to mid 90s.  Their music has this jamming quality to it, stuff that could go off for a while, then come back like nothing happened.  I guess it’s just them living up to their namesake!

In any case, all three albums contain very solid rock music, and while the depressing lyrics and topics might not be everyone’s thing, they certainly good at setting their own compelling atmosphere, even during a time when grunge started to sell out hard.

Deep Purple - Machine Head

A classic that really needs no introduction.  Here we have Deep Purple at their peak, providing some of their most iconic songs.  While the story behind the album is almost as fascinating, the music has really helped this album become one of the most celebrated in all of rock ‘n’ roll.

And it’s easy to see why.  Between the lightning quick leads of Blackmore and the aggressive organ of Lord, we have a fun, rockin’ album that knows when to ease off into a bluesy bit and when to turn up the heat.  It really is an amazing recording by a band very much in tune with each other.

Of course, some songs stand out more than others.  The power of "Highway Star" is outright undeniable, with Lord’s and Blackmore’s classically inspired solos.  "Smoke on the Water," for all it’s simplicity, remains very compelling, not only with the story, but with the licks and rhythms.  Then you have "Space Truckin’" and "Lazy," which are just incredible, jam-heavy pieces that roll right along.

In all honesty, thousands of words have already been written that explain how great and influential this album is, often cited as a major inspiration for heavy metal.  While I can hear the sparks of metal here and there (mostly in "Highway Star"), what I think matters is how well the songs themselves have aged as just plain great rock music.  

Herman Frank - Fight the Fear

After getting hyped up about this album back at the end of last year, I finally took the time to sit down and listen to the whole album.  Not surprisingly, it really is just wall-to-wall traditional metal, and I mean that in a good way!

Of course, when dealing with a sound this consistent, it can be hard to identify the stand out tracks.  While I did re-enjoy “Sinners” and “Hail & Row,” the only other songs that stood out to me was the power-metal-esque “Wings of Destiny” and the anthemic closer “Lost In Heaven.”  Everything else just kinda crunched along.

The lyrics are a bit of a mixed bag, with many of them having something of an apocalyptic but adrenaline-driven tone.  While they provide many great sing-along choruses, some of the grammar is clunky, with some of the lines breaking me out of the experience.  However, they’re all confidently sung by Rick Altzi, bring the right kind of old-school machismo that this kind of music needs.

Overall, this is a good album; let me make that clear.  Nothing feels particularly weak or excessive (thought the album might be a bit on the long side).  Full of crunchy, satisfying riffs and electric solos, it’s straight-ahead metal for those who wish the 80s never ended.  Fans of Judas Priest, early Ozzy, and Accept (naturally) will find a lot to like with this one.  

Kamelot - Ghost Opera

After covering a few of Kamelot's early albums in previous articles, I'm jumping ahead to their 2007 effort, mostly because I've listened to the four in-between so many times, I can't even count.  As far as I'm concerned, The Fourth Legacy, Karma, Epica, and The Black Halo are Kamelot's classic period, and represent the best they've made with Roy Khan.

So, Ghost Opera.  I remember listening to this when it came out and being pretty disappointed.  Of course, coming after the excellence that was The Black Halo, it would have been difficult to make an album of equal measure, but I still felt like something was missing from this one.

Upon relistening, I noticed a serious lack of Thomas Youngblood's iconic guitar riffs.  While the album is decently crunchy, the lightning-fast melodies seem to be missing this time, focusing on a more symphonic approach, helping to set a rather grim tone.  While this isn't a concept album, themes of death, futility, and abandonment pervade most of the songs.

That's not to say the album is bad.  The orchestrations are dynamic and effective, and Roy Khan remains a wonderfully dramatic singer.  While this may not be his best work, he does show a considerable amount of range in his performance, almost like an actor.  And the album has their iconic Kamelot sound, so it's by no means a betrayal of expectations.

However, the songs don't seem as inspired as on their classic albums, coming across as maybe a little too dour.  Perhaps it's just a consequence of nostalgia, as I discovered the band in college and binged on them hard.  Still, even upon relistening it, I feel this a weaker effort compared to previous heights.

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So things have taken a bit of a video-y turn lately around here.  I do hope I can balance things out in the future.  I'm mostly happy that I'm able to keep posting things on such a regular (if inconsistent) basis.  For now, this seems to be working, so I'm sticking with it, but I know I want to do more.  Hopefully, I can find time for other things as I go on.

Until then, rock on!  \m/

Last Played - March 2019 Part 2!

It's time for another installment of "Last Played" and once again, I'm hitting albums from all decades!  Here's what I've been headbanging to for the last few weeks.

Dragonland - Starfall

Yup, on to the next Dragonland album.  With this one, they set aside their epic storytelling for a more standard set of songs, and I think this one is their strongest yet.  While the lyrics remain melodramatic and the tone sweeping and epic, the songwriting feels stronger than their previous efforts.

Still, the band is still telling stories, such as the mini epic of “The Shores of Our Land,” the Charles Manson inspired “Calling My Name”, and the ambitious, mostly instrumental three-parter “The Book of Shadows.”  However, the songs that stand out to me are the title track “Starfall” and “The Returning,” maybe because they’re more straight-forward power metal songs.  Oh, and the Helloween cover is solid as well.

What sets this album apart from their previous efforts, though, is how they push into progressive metal territory.  While they’ve had dashes of it in the past, mostly with their full album stories, here the songwriting on this album shifts better from mood to mood, augmenting their power metal chops.  Definitely an improvement!

Pearl Jam - Vs.

While I’m going forward with the Dragonland albums, I’m going backward with Pearl Jam!  Once again, I’m diving into the classic grunge, and that’s definitely what this album has to offer.  I do think this one is a little more raw and confrontational than either Ten or Vitalogy, but I suppose with a title like Vs., that should be expected.

To be honest, there wasn’t much that stood out to me.  It was mostly a solid chunk of thick guitars with some nice riffs, and Eddie Vedder’s iconic vocals drenching everything with his moods, be it somber or angry.  Again, if this is your thing, you probably have this already.

Queen - Queen

While I’ve heard Queen’s big hits on classic rock stations all my life, I haven’t spent much time with their studio albums, so on a whim, I decided to dig deep into the history of rock and listen to Queen’s first album.

Right off the bat, there is no mistaking the band.  Between Mercury’s dynamic vocals and May’s iconic guitar harmonies, it seems Queen already had the elements of their iconic sound from the beginning.  If there is anything unexpected, it’s that the songs have more of a progressive rock style to them, with complex arrangements and guitar riffs.  Overall, the album is fairly eclectic, but that would only serve as a precursor for what would come.

However, the album does have its flaws.  Some of the songs end rather anticlimactically, and the energy seems to fade in the second half.  The songs are not necessarily bad, but they don’t have the same level of drive and dynamics as the first half’s material.  Still, a fun album for taking a peek into the early sounds of an iconic band.

Nightwish - Dark Passion Play

I remember when this album came out, as it was the first after Tarja Turunen’s controversial dismissal.  We all wondered what kind of album Nightwish was going to make with this new singer, and when it landed, it did pretty well, but I remember having a few qualms.  I recently relistened to it to see if time has helped make this album stand on its own.

And honestly, my opinion hasn’t really improved.  This album has the band really shifting away from their classic power metal sound into something more versatile, with more progressive and folk metal elements.  As a consequence, the songs don’t seem quite as powerful, though they remain just as dramatic as ever, with the epic symphonic scores behind the guitars.

That being said, there are still some good tracks here, mostly notably “Bye Bye Beautiful,” “Amaranthe,” and “Last of the Wilds.”  And while she may not have the same sonic presence as Turunen, Azette Olzen is still an adequate singer with her own take on this style of music.  Perhaps not the band at their best, in my opinion, but definitely one in transition, as they move into new genres and territories.

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Well, that's the latest from me.  I know I was kind of getting into a groove there, only to have it fall apart again.  I think that's just how things are going to be for now.  I know it's not great to have posts be so sporadic, but I think it's the best I can do for now.  However, I am enjoying this, and that helps a lot.  So here's to more rock!

Last Played - March 2019

Time for another round of "Last Played."  As always, these articles are about older stuff, but good music doesn't get old, it just ages with grace, right?  Here's what I've been listening to lately!

The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid

When I was working on the final installment of The Big Three here, I decided I needed to listen to some Alan Parsons to get into the mood, and decided to go with this one.  It’s one of the earlier ones, so we get more of a progressive rock feel with the symphonic flourishes and the songs blending from one to the next.

As I mentioned in that other article, the APP tend to focus on topics for their albums, and this one is obviously about the Egyptian Pyramids and Egyptology in general.  Using this material, the songs focus on the eventuality of humanity’s mortality and how even the things we build will eventually crumble or lose their original meaning.  Even the song “Pyramania” focuses on the silly and shallow nature of how the symbols of Ancient Egypt still crop up on modern culture.

However, don’t get the impression that the album is downer.  It’s more of an observation on how much this one culture has affected so many others, and made us wonder.  Even the instrumental songs portray the grandiosity of Egyptian folklore and mythology, tying the whole thing together.  Definitely a great album from beginning to end!

David Gilmour - On An Island

Despite being a big Pink Floyd fan, I admit that I haven’t really bothered much with the solo work of any of its members.  I knew that of the members of Pink Floyd, I would be most interested in David Gilmour’s solo work, so I decided to give On An Island a shot, as I’d heard good things about it.

As expected, I got a set of some nice, mellow bluesy pieces, full of nostalgic moods and textures.  However, I noticed there wasn’t any of the Floyd’s melancholy or bittersweetness, with this one settling in to something more calm and leisurely.  It does have its darker moments, but they are often swept away by the breezy, almost pastoral vibes.

I don’t know if there is anything really mind-blowing here, but I do think I need to give a few more spins before I can really collect all of its pieces.  It’s certainly nice to hear Gilmour play his seemingly effortless licks, but the song-writing doesn’t seem to be as strong as the playing.

Dragonland - Holy War

Last time, I listened to Dragonland’s first album, so now I’ve giving the second one a go, and to be honest, it’s really more of the same.  Epic grandeur, lighting fast guitar riffs and solos, sweeping symphonic scores, all telling a fantasy story.

This album does seem to have some better songwriting than the first one, though.  There are still a few rough lines, as the lyrics are forced into melodies, but things seemed to shift from moment to moment a little more naturally, making it easier to follow.  No real surprises, but a better effort from clearly talented musicians.

Oh, and their cover of “Neverending Story” is amazing!

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

While I know I focus on classic rock and melodic metal sounds, I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m above styles and impact of alternative rock, especially grunge.  I’m always in for good, crunchy riffs.   That being said, I admit that my knowledge base for this genre is not as strong, so every now and then, I’ll pick something up from the early 90s sounds to try and broaden my horizons, and (due to other circumstances) I decided to give this one a shot.

My only real knowledge of Pearl Jam was listening to Ten a few years back and thinking it was okay.  This album, while still very grungy, has the band dipping more into late 60s psychadelia for inspiration.  While I think it works for songs like “Not For You,” “Tremor Christ,” and “Corduroy,” they do take it pretty far, with “Bugs” being a strange, accordion-driven track, and “Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me” being more of a sound collage of psychiatric patients.

Still, there’s good rock to be heard here.  While your mileage with grunge may vary (and depend on your nostalgia for the time period), this album serves as a solid example of the sound at its peak while also trying to break out of the box at the same time.  Perhaps not something I’d listen to often, but not bad while it’s on.

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I feel like I'm getting into more of a groove with this blog.  I admit I haven't been covering new stuff as I would like, but I'm getting there.  Hopefully, I can maintain this kind of consistency moving forward.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - February 2019

This month has some great albums coming out, but that doesn't stop me from checking out videos.  Here's what I've found this time!

Iron Savior has been in the power metal world for a while, but take a more sci-fi route with their lyrics and story-telling.  Perhaps not the most innovative, but certainly a fun listen.  As far as I'm concerned, we can't have enough epic power metal!

Bloodbound is another band that's been cranking out power metal since the hey-day of the 2000s, and they play it like it never went out of style! Sure, lyrics about fantasy and dragons might be clichéd for the genre, but if it's done this well, who cares?!

Alright, here's something different.  Tremonti is clearly a band I've been sleeping on because this rocks real hard!  I've admitted before that I'm only really familiar with his work on Creed, but if he cranks out stuff like this on his own, I have some catching up to do!

I can't say I've heard of this band before, but Darkwater seems to bring some nice, melodic progressive metal here.  Mixing solid uptempo energy with a brooding atmosphere, and some nice synth leads, there's lots to like here!

Here's an interesting group!  Combining former members of Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, and the Scorpions, we get a decent, hard rockin' track that shows potential.  Calling themselves A New Revenge, they might be someone worth keeping an eye on.

Let's finish with something very different.  I admit I'm not familiar with Status Quo (which Francis Rossi is known for), but I stumbled across this song and it gives me a very strong ELO feel (like a folky "Mr. Blue Sky").  Worth a listen, I think.