Top 5 of 1975!!

Like I mentioned in the Anniversary Article for this year, this was a year of transition, with prog rock phasing out and arena rock taking over.  Still, this meant a lot of good albums, and putting together this Top 5 was harder than it seemed.  As usual, I want to note that I'm just one guy with limited time, listening to what I can, and I'm keeping things within the scope of the blog, so this isn't going to be the most comprehensive list ever.

I did want to talk about a few honorable mentions, though.  While Black Sabbath and Scorpions had some decent stuff, those albums are a little clunky, and even though Rush had two albums this year, neither of them made it (even though Caress of Steel nearly made it in!).  With that out of the way, here's my Top 5 for 1975!

5. Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Sure, it might not be their best album, but this was the world's introduction to the titanic singer Ronnie James Dio, and his presence is immediately felt with "Man on the Silver Mountain."  While the album does get a bit goofy here and there, I find it to be pretty consistent in quality, and so it squeezes in here at number 5.

4. Queen - Night at the Opera

Like I mentioned when I reviewed this, it would be impossible to talk about this decade without Queen, and this album is a major reason why.  I have to admit it was tough to decide whether or not I liked this more than Zeppelin's work, but in the end, fourth is not a bad place to be.

3. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Again, this an obvious choice.  While their definitely experimenting with their sound, they still dominate the hard rock scene with titanic songs like "Kashmir" and "Ten Years Gone."  Being a double album, I will say that it's probably a bit too long, but that doesn't make the album any less amazing.

2. Styx - Equinox

I won't deny that Styx is one of my favorite bands, and even a clunky album of theirs will still rate highly for me.  It's a bit of a janky listen, but with catchy rockers like "Lorelei," "Lonely Child," and "Midnight Ride," the album gets plenty of play.  That awesome riff in the middle of "Suite Madame Blue" seals the deal.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

However, this year is dominated by Pink Floyd's follow up to The Dark Side of the Moon.  While it doesn't get the same level of acclaim as their iconic album, I still think there's a lot going on with this one as well as they perfect their iconic sound.  If you really want to see me gush about this album, go check out the band retrospective I did four years ago, but suffice it to say, this is one of my favorite albums, so it's no surprise to me that it takes the crown for 1975.

Retro Reviews - March 2025!

While working on my Top 5 articles, I ended up listening to a lot of new stuff.  However, I figured I couldn't do a review for all of them, but here's a handful that I thought were worth talking about, partially because they let me carry on reviewing these bands' discographies.  

Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Rock

While I've reviewed a handful of this band's albums, I'm certainly doing them out of order.  In preparation for this one, I did listen to their first three albums, and they're just okay.  Obviously, Jon Lord's neo-classical elements were neat, but it was clear that they weren't really doing anything too special quite yet.  With a lineup change, things are certainly different, as the band really digs in hard on a louder, more intense sound.

Right away, new vocalist Ian Gillian makes an impact.  Rod Evans wasn't a bad singer, but he wouldn't have been a good match for this shift into hard rock.  Gillian takes command of the songs and gives them a ton of attitude.  The rest of the band really turns it up as well, making some very loud and forceful tunes.  Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore go back and forth with their solos, while Ian Paice rocks out with new bassist Roger Glover.  I can definitely see why the band felt this was a restart for them, calling this iteration Mark II.

However, it's still rough in spots.  Lord leans a little too hard on some atonal chords for his organ in spots, and the second half of the album isn't as strong, which is why it didn't make my Top 5 for the year.  Still, it's all pretty solid, heavy-hitting blues rock.  Songs like "Speed King" and "Child in Time" have cemented themselves in rock history, and the album sets the foundation for them to turn into one of the major hard rock bands of the era.

Scorpions - In Trance

Yup, it's time to pick up where I left off with this band.  While the first two album had them still messing around with progressive rock ideas, here we have the band fully streamlined into a 70s hard rock sound.  While I don't think they have their iconic sound quite yet, I can't deny this one had some very fun songs, and I'm kinda surprised it wasn't a bigger deal back then (on an international level, anyway).

Once again, Klaus Meine shows why he's one of the best of the business, his vocals majestically soaring over the songs, and the harmonies are very spot on as well.  However, I do wonder if guitarist Uli Jon Roth doesn't take a bit too much of the spotlight.  Some of the songs later on the album just feel like pieces for him to solo over, and not much else (including the instrumental track that closes the album).  Still, what's here rocks pretty well, finding a spot between Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep (especially with those organs they use in the background sometimes).

As for standouts, the title track is the biggest, feeling like a mini-epic with how it builds, "Robot Man" is definitely on the quirky side, but it also has some good energy, and many of the tracks show Roth's range of guitar playing ability, with him playing both melodic and noodly parts quite well.  Which is why it's strange that it feels like this album wasn't a bigger deal when it came out.  I get that getting a record outside of Germany in the 70s may not have been easy, but I could see fans of Queen and Rainbow really digging this, between the theatrical tones and dynamic guitar work.

Uriah Heep - Return to Fantasy

Speaking of which, I'm still working my way through this band's discography!  John Wetton of King Crimson (and would later start Asia) joins them on bass for this album.  However, the band stays pretty consistent with what they've been doing recently, though with a few twists here and there.

For an album title that claims to return to the fantastical, the lyrics seem to focus on typical romantic stuff.  I admit I would have liked them to bring back some of the ideas from Demons and Wizards.  Nevertheless, what makes Uriah Heep is still around: the tight vocal harmonies, the prominent organ, now joined by more synths, and some solid rocking grooves.  Wetton seems to bring a little funk with him, as well.  The title track and "Showdown" show the band still has their chops, both in performing and song-writing.  "Beautiful Dream" gets a bit weird, but in a good way, as the song builds well.  And the closer "A Year and a Day" has some good dynamics and transitions, getting a bit anthemic.

However, some songs end up being just filler.  "Your Turn to Remember" is a pretty generic blues rocker, "Why Did You Go" has this somber vibe that I think they've done better elsewhere, and "Prima Donna" has this horns section and bombastic energy that it didn't even feel like Uriah Heep!  I'm not sure why they went with that for a single.  Overall, it's decent stuff, about as good as previous albums, if perhaps a little less inspired, as it seems like they're hitting the same notes as before.

Queen - A Night at the Opera

Well here's a bit of a throwback.  Much earlier in my blog, I started reviewing Queen's discography, hoping to get a little deeper into their catalog.  After doing the first three albums, I guess I dropped the ball.  Fortunately, these Top 5 articles I'm doing have inspired me to pick this band up again.  With all the 70s rock I'm listening to, it's hard to imagine the decade without Queen, after all.

Of course, this album is probably their best known, featuring some of their biggest hits, like "You're My Best Friend" and the immortal "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Getting into the deeper songs, we see more of their humorous and whimsical side, with "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous," and "Good Company."  These sound like some of the Beatles' later experiments with a bouncier sound, but Queen gives them just enough pomp to make them their own.  As for more of their rock side, while "Sweet Lady" does feel like filler, "Death on Two Legs" has to be one of their most aggressive songs, and "The Prophet's Song," while maybe a little too long with the neat a capella section, is them at their most epic and theatrical.  Those looking for hard rock with plenty of flair would find little competition in the 70s.  

Reviewing this album maybe a little redundant, as it is so well loved, but like I said, I wanted to go beyond the handful of tracks that I hear on classic rock radio all the time.  While previous albums have decent, I can definitely say this one is nearly the complete package, a joy to listen to all the way through, and one of the best albums of 1975.  This Top 5 article I'm working on is gonna be hard to decide!

Anniversary Series - 1974!

Happy Leap Day!  It's kind of peculiar to think this year will be the last round of Anniversary Articles, as I will have done one for every year since 1970.  Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, as we have a solid year of rock music to discuss here.  1974 is a bit of a curious year, as we see the end of prog rock and the beginnings of arena rock.  Let's check out what was going on for 1974!

Right off, we get a handful of great hits, with "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers and Grand Funk Railroad's cover of "Loco-motion."  The Eagles give "The Best of My Love" and "Already Gone," while Rush's debut makes waves in Cleveland with "Working Man."  We also see the debut of Kiss, though still a few years off of their success, but their first record provides live staples like "Strutter" and "Deuce."

Things heat up as the year goes on, with Aerosmith's "Same Old Song and Dance," Bad Company's debut album with "Can't Get Enough," and Lynyrd Skynyrd giving us a Second Helping down in their "Sweet Home Alabama."  This is followed by Bachman-Turner Overdrive's Not Fragile, including hits like "Roll On Down the Highway" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet."

While progressive rock was looking a little long in the tooth by now, it was still a standout year with some big, experimental albums.  King Crimson started things off with Starless and Bible Black, along with Camel's Mirage.  Rick Wakeman took listeners on a Journey to the Center of the Earth, Emerson Lake & Palmer said Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends with an epic live album, Supertramp committed The Crime of the Century, Genesis ended their Gabriel era with The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and Yes would get quite technical with Relayer.  King Crimson then came back with the much celebrated Red.  However, after this year, prog rock would really drop off, as tastes and trends were shifting away from extended songwriting and musical experimentation.

Still, the year ends strong with some solid rock.  Kiss comes back Hotter Than Hell, Sweet has the "Fox on the Run," Grand Funk Railraod returns with "Some Kind of Wonderful," and Queen teases their upcoming stadium rock prowess with "Stone Cold Crazy" and "Killer Queen" on Sheer Heart Attack.  It was certainly a busy year for some of these bands.  Even Deep Purple put out Burn and Stormbringer this year, before Ritchie Blackmore had had enough and left to start his Rainbow.

As you can see, this was another great year for rock music, even as styles and line-ups were changing.  Be sure to check out my playlist below for more classics, and if you think I've missed something, let me know in the comments below.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1973!

Sorry that it's been a bit slow around here, but things will pick up soon.  In the meantime, I have another Anniversary Article for you.  1973 is an interesting year, as prog rock was reaching its pretentious heights, hard rock was shifting into more arena-friendly sounds, and bands were exploring all kinds of lyrical topics and ideas.  Certainly an exciting year, featuring great work from artists new and old.

Right at the beginning of the year, we have Aerosmith's debut album, featuring the massive single "Dream On," soon followed by "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper.  Led Zeppelin would carry on with Houses of the Holy, dipping into some pretty diverse sounds.  However, the first quarter was soon dominated by the massive Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.  I doubt I need to explain why this was a big deal, especially since I already gushed about it in my retrospective article for the band.

The year carries on with a bunch more massive singles.  The Eagles sang about their "Desperado" and Chicago was "Feelin' Stronger Every Day."  Paul McCartney and the Wings were willing to "Live and Let Die," while Queen were telling us to "Keep Yourself Alive."  The hard rock continued on, with "We're An American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad, "La Grange" by ZZ Top, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut album providing "Gimme Three Steps" and the iconic epic "Freebird."

At the end of the year, progressive rock picks up again, with releases from many big bands.  Genesis was checking out our wardrobes in Selling England by the Pound, Emerson Lake and Palmer were inviting us back to the show that never ends with Brain Salad Surgery, Jethro Tull performed A Passion Play, and Yes told us the Tales of Topographic Oceans.  However, at this point, prog rock was looking quite long in the tooth (in a number of ways), as the genre would struggle beyond this year.

I just want to point out a handful of others before I wrap up.  First of all is Styx's second and third albums.  While they didn't get much attention at the time, "Lady" would eventually become an AOR station staple in just a few years, and there are a handful of hidden gems like "Earl of Roseland," "Witch Wolf," and "Jonas Psalter."  Black Sabbath would salvage themselves with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, coming back with a bigger metallic sound.  And Mike Oldfield would suddenly find himself with more attention than he could have expected with Tubular Bells, a unique arrangement of instruments that would eventually become the soundtrack to horror films and space documentaries alike.

Well, I think that wraps up the year quite nicely.  It's definitely an eclectic year with all kinds of sounds and styles, but there's certainly plenty to recommend.  As always, check out the playlist below for more, and if I've missed anything, let me know in the comments.

Anniversary Series - 1977!

The middle of the month means it's time for another Anniversary Article, and I have to tell you that this year is a killer one for great rock music.  So many big bands putting out great albums, as things shift in a more FM radio-friendly direction.  Still, progressive rock wasn't quite out yet, as a few bands were still putting out some epic material.

In fact, the year starts off with one of the biggest prog rock bands: Pink Floyd.  Inspired by Orwell's allegorical novella Animal Farm, their Animals album shows them at their darkest, as well as their proggiest, with three very long songs dominating the album.  At around that same time, the often overlooked Starcastle would release the first of two albums.  While not quite as strong as their debut, I've always liked their mix of Yes and Kansas sounds, making for some very underrated prog.  Jethro Tull also released Songs of the Wood, the first of three very folk music heavy albums, and Journey went Next, starting to shift away from jazz-fusion into the hard rock they'd be known for.  The band would hire Steve Perry later that year.

As the spring warms things up, we get a slew of great hard rock albums.  Foreigner had their debut album, with the big singles "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice," Heart warned us of the "Barracuda," AC/DC released Let There Be Rock, and Judas Priest committed Sin After Sin, as they further refined their heavy metal sound.  The Steve Miller Band would bring more of their southern-fried rock with Book of Dreams, featuring "Jet Airliner," "Swingtown," and "Jungle Love."

Summer would give us some more prog, as Yes would bring back Rick Wakeman for Going for the One, featuring one of their most beautiful songs, "Awaken."  Rush would push themselves further into prog territory with A Farewell to Kings, known for the ballad "Closer to the Heart" and the exotic "Xanadu."  Alan Parsons would return with his Project to provide the Asimov-inspired I, Robot.  However, the big album of the summer was Styx's The Grand Illusion.   Half the album remains on classic rock playlists across the country, and it was the first album I ever reviewed for this blog.  With standout classics like "Come Sail Away," "Fooling Yourself," "Miss America," and the title track, it's easy to see why this one was such a massive release.

The rest of the year would finish quite strong.  As we get into the fall, The Electric Light Orchestra release the double album Out of the Blue, which had "Turn to Stone," "Sweet Talkin' Woman," and the nearly overplayed "Mr. Blue Sky."  Kansas would follow that with Point of Know Return, a very solid, proggy, hard rock album from start to finish.  Then thing get epic with Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell, which I just reviewed, and Queen's News of the World, giving us the perennial stadium anthem "We Will Rock You," which flows into the titanic "We Are the Champions."  Eddie Money would then close the year out with his debut album, promising us "Two Tickets to Paradise."

Seriously, this is one amazing year, and I know I didn't cover everything, as you can see in the playlist below.  However, if you think I've missed something, just let me know.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - August 2021!

Hey, it's time for some more album reviews!  I'm trying to get back to writing shorter ones, but we'll see how long that lasts.  At least I had room to squeeze four into this one so expect some good variety!  Here's what I've heard recently:

Electric Light Orchestra - Zoom

Probably not an obvious choice for this blog, what with all the hard rock and heavy metal, but ELO's Out of the Blue is very much a part of my childhood.  Lately, I had been thinking about the Zoom album, partially because I'm doing the 2001 Anniversary article this month, but also because I had actually heard this album before.  My dad picked it up when it came out, and I remember listening to it and liking it, but all this time later, I realized that I remembered nothing about it.  So I put it on to see if I recognized anything, but it might as well have been my first time, as nothing sounded familiar.

Still, what we have is some pretty decent pop/rock songs.  While it doesn't have the dynamic orchestrations all the way through like OotB did, we still have Jeff Lynne's iconic vocal harmonies, and some of the spacy synths and vocoders. Jeff Lynne pretty much does most of everything himself on this one, though he does bring in a few guests, including a few former Beatles.  As a result, it has a lot of ELO's hallmarks, but in a more streamlined version.  The songs are quite short, but don't feel like they're missing anything, resulting in an album that just goes down smoothly.  There are some interesting riffs and licks, but it mostly just coasts along with a lot of mid-tempo grooves.  "Alright" is a decent opener, and "In My Own Time" brings some of the orchestrations back, supporting a nice, moody, bluesy 6/8 swing of a ballad.  The production also deserves a mention, at it really retains a lot of the classic 70s vibe, which only solidifies the classic feeling of these songs.  Overall, it's a nice listen, but mostly goes in one ear and out the other.

Seven Planets - Flight of the Ostrich

I was feeling ill one evening, so I wanted something I could just kinda space out to, and remembered I had come across this band on YouTube and decided to give their first album a spin.  Very much in the vein of desert rock, this is some seriously groovy stuff, expanding blues rock riffs with jazzy interludes and licks.  It's also rather short, but that's probably not a bad thing here.

I've talked before about how instrumental albums can sometimes be a struggle, as the meanderings can make it hard to focus.  However, the point of this stuff is to meander, but it doesn't really waste time, either.  The band builds solid dynamics up and down the intensity chart without taking a lot of time between these shifts, and they sound tight all the way through.  The guitars get some tasty licks in, and the rhythm section is on point, with the drummer getting plenty of opportunities for exciting fills.  Overall, they know how to balance each track between the song itself and their improvisations.  Of course, with something like this, there really isn't a track that stands out, as it's meant to be more of a "put it on and tune out" kind of thing, and I have to admit, this flows quite well.  It definitely feels like a jam session between Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top, making it a solid listen.

Herman Frank - Two For A Lie

After Herman Frank's last album Fight the Fear was such a solid slab of traditional metal, I knew I had to give his follow up my attention.  However, the singles had left me a little lukewarm, so I started this album with a bit of trepidation.  Fortunately, he's kept his straight-forward metal approach without any real deviation, with plenty of crunchy riffs and noodly solos, providing plenty of headbang-worth material.

However, I do things are a little darker and grittier this time around, especially with the lyrics.  Still, Rick Altzi remains a great vocalist for this kind of material, having the right mix of grit and grandiosity.  If there is a problem, it's that none of the tracks really stood out.  While they're all generally solid and driven, it didn't have anything like the anthemic "Hail and Row" or the speedy freedom of "Wings of Destiny."  That being said, it's also a short album, so it's not like there's any filler either.  Just consistent metal, all the way through.  Fans of classic metal will find plenty to like, but this does feel like a bit of a step down for me.

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

After listening to their first two albums back in 2019, I've gotten back to my journey through Queen's albums by listening to their third one.  This is definitely a jump in quality, I think, as the material is stronger overall.

Of course, there are a couple of classics.  "Killer Queen" remains a staple of Queen's sound, full of vocal and guitar harmonies so tight that they sparkle.  And then there's "Stone Cold Crazy," a high speed shredder that seems that feels like metal before metal.  It really is fascinating to hear something like this being recorded that far back.  It must have mind-blowing to hear something so aggressive back then. 

There are a few other good tracks as well.  "Brighton Rock" is a narrative song that lets Brian May get all kind of bluesy licks, and features a section of May on a delay pedal soloing around, as if he's doing a duet with himself.  "Flick of the Wrist," despite being part of a medley on the album, stands out with its thumping chorus.  And then there's "Now I'm Here," a live highlight using some illusions to make it seem like Freddie Mercury is in multiple places at once, but the song itself is some solid glam rock.

However, the back half of the album really struggles, but certainly not for a lack of trying.  Bouncing between all the piano ballads, honky tonk, moody acoustic numbers, and other threatics, it's very eclectic, and Queen is nothing if not confident.  I don't know if any other band could have pulled these off without coming across as insincere.  However, these songs aren't as memorable or consistent in quality as the well-known classics from the album.

Still, I do agree with other critics that this is where the band really comes into their own.  While the earlier albums showed a lot of promise of where the band was going, here on Sheer Heart Attack, they've finally arrived.  Finding that right mix of hard rock and pop theatrics, Queen would really pick up from here, turning them into an arena filler for the rest of the decade.  Certainly a classic album for all the right reasons.

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Well, there's all that squared away.  I know I need to catch up on newer releases, as I know there are just going to be more of them before the year ends.  I'm hoping these shorter reviews will help me cover them in an more timely manner.  Still, it's fun to go back through some older stuff, especially the classics.  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 - 1986!

Yup, time for another anniversary article.  1986 is definitely a peculiar year, as rock and metal were evolving in a lot of directions by now.  Still, plenty of great songs and albums came out, so let's take a look.

Starting off, we have Ozzy himself, carrying on his solo career with The Ultimate Sin.  Featuring the big hit "Shot in the Dark" (not to be confused with the Great White album of the same name that also came out this year), it would also be the last Ozzy album to feature the fretwork of Jake E. Lee.  Another big name featuring some lineup changes was Van Halen, giving us 5150 and new singer Sammy Hagar, dividing the fans for many years to come.

However, the big metal shift came with the advent of thrash metal.  After kicking around for a few years, bands starting coming out with monster records that would expand the fanbase as well as metal's diversity of sound.  While I generally don't cover a lot of thrash on this blog, I can't deny the melodic chops of Metallica's Master of Puppets and Megedeth's Peace Sells...But Who's Buying.  These two albums would become thrash classics for the genre, and it's easy to see why.  Proggy elements mixed with fierce riffing and shredding, and some iconic vocal hooks, ensured that these bands meant business.

Of course, pop metal was only getting bigger.  Europe would finally crack the US with their third album The Final Countdown, Poison's debut Look What the Cat Dragged In also did well with the singles "I Want Action" and "Talk Dirty to Me," Ratt followed up their second album Dancing Undercover, Cinderella gave us Night Songs, and Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet would go to #1 thanks to their three massive singles.  Even Judas Priest started to glam it up with Turbo, putting a little color in their classic black leather look.

Metal certainly dominated things by this point of the 80s, but rock was still going strong, in it's own way.  AC/DC found success with the single "Who Made Who," Journey was able to work with Steve Perry's health to release Raised on Radio, Genesis continued their pop success with Invisible Touch, and Queen mixed up their sound even more with A Kind of Magic.  Even Boston was finally able to work out their legal troubles and released Third Stage, featuring the big track "Amanda."

Rock was certainly in a lot of different places by 1986, leading to greater diversification later on, and you can find more of that in the playlist I've provided below.  As always, let me know if I've missed something.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1980!

You'd think with everything shutting down that I'd have more time for this blog, but as it seems, my time and interests have taken me away from here lately.  Of course, I'll still be posting content here when I feel like I've got something together, but things may slow down here for a while.

Meanwhile, it is the middle of April, so it's time to put together another anniversary article, this time for the classic year of 1980.  This really was a big year for rock and metal, with some massive albums that started in January and didn't stop until December!  Let's get into it!

We kick the year off with prog rock bands shifting into more mainstream styles.  Rush released Permanent Waves, the first of their sound-streamlining that would define their sound for the upcoming decade.  The song "Spirit of Radio" was their first major radio hit, and be a staple of many live shows to come.  Fellow proggers Genesis was already mid-shift into pop, as 1980 saw them release Duke, with songs "Turn It On Again" and "Misunderstanding."  Yes even teamed up with new wave stars The Buggles ("Video Killed The Radio Star") to give us Drama, a very underrated album that's only recently been given it's proper due.

This year would also be a boon for heavy metal fans, as several bands released several strong records, many of which were debuts: Scorpions released Animal Magnetism featuring "The Zoo"; Judas Priest had British Steel, galvanizing their sound with tracks like "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law"; Iron Maiden had their raw and noodly self-titled debut; Black Sabbath reformed with Ronnie James Dio on the mic, giving us the titanic Heaven and Hell; Motorhead released Ace of Spades, featuring a title track full of gambling high-energy and drive; Diamond Head debuted with Lightning to the Nations, featuring the iconic "Am I Evil?" which would be famously covered by Metallica; Saxon cranked out both Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law; and Ozzy Osbourne would pull himself together for his own debut, Blizzard of Ozz, with iconic tracks like "Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," and "Mr. Crowley" proving Ozzy wasn't going away anytime soon.

One that stands out to me, though, is Def Leppard's debut On Through the Night.  It straddles the classic metal sound with the more pop-radio-friendly sound they would be known for, with some really catchy and well-written songs!  I remember giving this one a shot on a lark and was blown away with how much I liked all the songs!  It's like this band was made for the arenas!

Speaking of which, arena rock would also have a good year in 1980.  Journey's Departure provided "Any Way You Want It," Loverboy's debut exploded with "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Turn Me Loose," Queen shook things up with The Game through the funky "Another One Bites the Dust," and the retro "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

As the year goes on, we get the massive Back in Black by AC/DC, proving that even the death of the legendary Bon Scott couldn't stop this band (though Brian Johnson is no slouch in the vocals!).  I don't even need to tell you how many big tracks came from this album, as half of them are still played on classic rock radio stations around the world!

Towards the end of the year, we got Zenyatta Mondatta from The Police, with the massive hits "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."  The Alan Parsons Project released Turn of a Friendly Card, best known for "Games People Play" and "Time."  And Queen would return to their classic blend of hard rock and pomp by providing the soundtrack to Flash Gordon, the main theme of which remains one of their most iconic compositions, and given who I'm talking about, that's saying something!

I hope you're enjoying these little trips down memory lane, even if I don't have any of these memories myself, technically.  Still, 1980 was a very strong year, and I left a lot of good albums out of the article!  As always, there's a playlist below with even more, and I've missed any, let me know!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1975!

Hey, it's time for another one of these!  My goal is to do an anniversary article once a month for the rest of the year. That should provide some decent variety, especially as I get closer to the present!  This month, 1975!  To be honest, this year is very much a time of transition.  Prog was wearing out its welcome, arena rock was really picking up, and punk was still a few years off.  Still, a lot of great stuff came out this year, so let's get into it!

Early in the year, Rush introduces the world to Neil Peart with Fly by Night.  While they still retain much of their Zeppelin-like debut, the song-writing definitely went up a notch or two when they got their new drummer.  Of course, Zeppelin themselves would show their chops that same month with Physical Graffiti, a titanic double-album with epics like "Kashmir" and "Ten Years Gone."  

Also expanding the arena rock style is Alice Cooper and Kiss, with their style and flashy flair.  Alice introduced us all to his nightmares, while Kiss were Dressed to Kill, though their success wouldn't come around until they release Alive! later on this year.  Inspired by UK's glam rockers, these bands gave shows few attendees would forget, letting us rock 'n' roll all night!

As winter turns to spring, we get Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic.  With massive tracks like "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion," its no wonder they still get airplay on classic rock radio.  At the same time, fellow blues-rockers Bad Company released Straight Shooter, giving us "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Shooting Star."  The Eagles followed with One of These Nights, a massive album featuring not only the title track, but "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It To The Limit" as well!

Despite this trend of more streamlined rock, the prog-masters were still putting out material.  Rick Wakeman would continue his solo career by dabbling with King Arthur and his Knights, Camel released The Snow Goose, Hawkwind had Warrior on the Edge of Time, and Uriah Heep was making a Return to Fantasy.  Rush would be highly productive and release Caress of Steel, expanding their prog rock style with "Bastille Day" and the side-long epic "The Fountain of Lamneth."

Of course, the big prog rock record would be Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.  Featuring incredible and innovate moods and melodies, the band really came together and made a masterpiece (in my opinion, anyway).  Unfortunately, it would also be the last time they would be so well-balanced and in-sync with each other.

Heavy metal also saw a few excellent releases, with Black Sabbath releasing Sabotage, a rather underrated album with classics like "Hole in the Sky" and "Symptom of the Universe."  Meanwhile, Rickie Blackmore would finally break from Deep Purple and introduce the world to Ronnie James Dio with his Rainbow Debut.  "Man on the Silver Mountain" remains one of the most epic tracks ever recorded!

Wrapping things up, Fleetwood Mac would introduce the world to Stevie Nicks on their second self-titled album, providing singles in the second-half of '75 and deep into '76.  Styx finally gets their major record label debut with Equinox, full of great songs like "Lorelei," "Lonely Child," and "Suite Madame Blue."

And finally, a discussion of rock from 1975 would not be complete without Queen's A Night At The Opera, released at the end of November.  Between the poppy "You're My Best Friend," the epic "The Prophet's Song," and of course the headbang-worthy "Bohemian Rhapsody," it was a release few rockers could afford to miss.

Hard to beat a conclusion like that!  Hopefully, you're all enjoying this style of article.  I know I'm having fun digging through all this stuff, and I know I've missed some great tracks, so I've got another playlist below.  If I'm missing anything, let me know.  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - November 2019!

Oof, it's been a while since we've had one of these.  Been in a bit of a 70s mood lately, so I threw in some classic 70s material.  Here's what I thought:

Journey - Evolution

I’m sure like many of you, I’ve heard all of Journey’s big hits over and over again, but I admit I’m much less familiar with their deeper cuts, so I figured I would give Evolution a spin.  I have to admit, being used to the anthemic vibes of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Separate Ways,” this was a little different.

The first thing that stood out to me was how bluesy the album was.  After a nice opening instrumental, the album starts with “Too Late,” and the classic “Touchin’, Lovin’, Squeezin’”, with “Sweet and Simple” showing up shortly later.  “Too Late” in particular has some very nice guitar work from Neal Schon.

The rest of the album is a little more familiar: big riffs, catchy melodies, and tight vocal harmonies.  However, toward the end, with “Daydream” and “Lady Luck,” there seems to be a pretty strong Led Zeppelin vibe, with some crunchy riffs and Steve Perry doing some Plant-like vocalizations.  That’s not to say they’re bad songs; in fact, I enjoyed them quite a bit.  It’s just not the Journey I’m used to, I guess.

Overall, I was surprised and pleased by the variety, and how 70s it sounded. It’s like they wanted to have a record that honored a great decade of rock music.  Maybe not amazing, but very nice, indeed!

Led Zeppelin - II

Speaking of Zeppelin!  When I saw that this album had just reached its 50th anniversary, I decided to throw it in for fun.  While it is certainly known for its classic radio hits, the album really does have some strength all the way through.

Listening through it this time, what stood out most was all the dynamic mood shifts and tempo changes.  While “Whole Lotta Love” has that well-known free jazz section in the middle, lesser-known tracks like “What Is and What Should Never Be,” “The Lemon Song,” and “Ramble On” also has these proggy elements, going back and forth between softer, folky moments and the harder riffs.  Even “Thank You” goes on a hammond-y journey towards the end.

Of course, this album also cements Zeppelin’s place in the world of hard rock.  Jimmy Page’s riffs hit hard when they need to.  Starting off with the iconic riff from “Whole Lotta Love,” the lightning guitar work in “Heartbreaker,” the super bluesy “Bring It On Home,” and the aggressive, straight-forward “Living Loving Maid,” this album is chock-full of hard-rockers that really get you out of your seat.

Of course, this album isn’t all Jimmy Page, as John Bonham and John Paul Jones do great work throughout as the rhythm section.  Jones in particular has some really catchy, funky basslines, especially on “Ramble On.”  And any drummer worth their salt is familiar with “Moby Dick,” Bonham’s percussive magnum opus.

It’s easy to see why this band just exploded the way they did with material this strong.  While they were clearly building on a solid blues foundation, this album teases the grandeur the band would soon be known for with later epics like “Stairway to Heaven,” “Kashmir,” and “Achilles Last Stand.”  Definitely a classic album from start to finish, without a doubt. 

Queen - Queen II

Continuing on from my review of Queen’s first album, I gave Queen II a spin as well.  It really is fascinating to hear some of these deeper tracks, especially when it feels like the band is exploring ideas and concepts that would pay off later.  Queen II is curiously divided between its “White Side,” which features material written by May and Taylor, and its “Black Side,” which is all Mercury, and it’s interesting to compare the two.

The White Side is more straight-forward in its style, going for riff-heavy rock numbers, giving it a very Led Zeppelin vibe, and even May himself admits that!  However, it’s more than just the riffs, providing some interesting acoustic parts as well, blended together with May’s iconic guitar layers.  None of it is particularly bad, but it does seem to lack the personality Queen is known for.

The Black Side has Mercury’s trademark theatrics, and really pushes the progressive side of the band, as the songs rise and fall to the stories being told.  You can really hear the band stretching themselves to meet the imagery that Mercury is imagining, setting the stage for their better known songs.  It’s hard not to hear “Ogre Battle” and “The March of the Black Queen” as antecedents of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  

Overall, the band really is making the most out of the studio this time, full of panning effects and textures and layers that would come to define Queen.  They also seemed to have picked up a few ideas from Pink Floyd as well, as the songs sometimes transition into each other in curious ways.

For all the influences they seem to bear, though, this is definitely a Queen album through-and-through.  You just can’t find vocal harmonies like that anywhere else!  While I don’t know if this album really shines through on its own (I may need more time with it, as it really is quite dense!), it definitely is a landmark in the band’s growing style.

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Only three this time, but they did end up being longer than usual.  I guess I had a lot to say about these albums. 

I think I'll try to focus on newer releases, as the year is winding down, so expect more Last Played articles.

In the meantime, there are some things changing in my personal life (switching to a better job!), so that may shake things up for a bit, but I'm still going to keep putting these out as often as I can.  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!