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.

Anniversary Series - 1979!

Wow, this has been a rough month!  I wanted to get some articles out before now, but I guess life had other plans.  Still, I am determined to do these Anniversary Articles, as they provide a fun summary to write up.  As it turns out, 1979 is a pretty solid year.  Melodic rock was really starting to take off, and we have the early signs of NWOBHM movement.  Let's get into it!

The year starts off strong with a lot of big names.  Scorpions was "Loving You Sunday Morning," Journey gave us some "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," Van Halen wanted to "Dance the Night Away," and Supertramp was having Breakfast in America.  That album was a big one for them, as the title track, "The Logical Song," "Goodbye Stranger," and "Take the Long Way Home" would be big hits for them.

Heavy metal gets some interesting releases this year, featuring the debut albums of both Accept and Saxon, as well as Motorhead's iconic double-bass kicking on Overkill.  Judas Priest released a classic live album with Unleashed in the East, Iron Maiden was working on their Soundhouse Tapes, and Motorhead would return later in the year with Bomber.  While I do think the next year would be where metal really takes off, this year was certainly a sign of things to come.

Meanwhile, the summer really heated up with a lot of massive hits.  The Electric Light Orchestra released "Don't Bring Me Down," Foreigner sang about "Head Games," Rainbow switched out Dio for Graham Bonnet to get Down to Earth, the Eagles went for The Long Run, and AC/DC drove down the Highway to Hell, which is easily the best album they did with Bon Scott.

As the year winded down, some of the high points included Styx's ballad "Babe," Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' with Disaster," ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses," and .38 Special's "Rockin' Into the Night."  However, the big album that would cap the year off is Pink Floyd's The Wall.  Powered by iconic hits like "Another Brick in the Wall Part Two," "Run Like Hell," and "Comfortably Numb," this psychological rock opera would put Pink Floyd back on top of the world, despite the band falling apart inside.  

That wraps up another year.  Check out the playlist below for more tracks, and let me know in the comments below if you think I've missed something.  I'll certainly do better next month for articles, as I've slowly been pulling some things together.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1978!

It's time for another article to celebrate an iconic year in rock history.  1978 is definitely a dynamic year.  While competing with the explosion of disco (which I actually don't mind, honestly), bands found all kinds of new ways to rock.  Between the growing arena rock scene, the fading prog rock scene, and metal at a pivotal turning point, the year provides all kinds of exciting music!

The year started off with Journey introducing the world to the voice of Steve Perry with Infinity.  Bolstered by the big hits "Lights" and "Wheel in the Sky," the band evolved from their jazz-fusion roots into the rock radio scene with confidence.  Hard rock would continue to dominate the first part of the year, with AC/DC putting out Powerage, Joe Walsh's eclectic "Life's Been Good," and Van Halen's debut "erupting" on the scene, providing the hits "Ain't Talking  'Bout Love" and their cover of "You Really Got Me," and essentially rewriting the electric guitar playbook for at least 10 years.

Moving into the spring, the rock parade continues with The Cars iconic debut album, Dire Straits releasing "Sultans of Swing," and Rainbow proclaiming Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, with "Kill the King" and "Gates of Babylon" continuing to show the strengths of the Dio and Blackmore combination.  However, the biggest album was Foreigner's Double Vision, which had three massive hits in "Hot Blooded," "Blue Morning, Blue Day," and "Double Vision," all of which are classic rock station staples to this day.

Progressive rock would go through quite the transition this year.  Genesis would morph their streamlined sound into something more poppy and accessible, finding success with "Follow You Follow Me."  Yes would also release a stripped down effort with Tormato, strange album art and all.  However, concept albums were not lacking.  The Alan Parsons Project would look to Egypt for ideas with their concept album Pyramid, and Jeff Wayne would unleash his version of The War of the Worlds.  In the midst of all this, Rush put out Hemispheres, being one of the few bands at the time willing to push deeper into their sound.

Heavy metal was also going through changes.  Despite the confident title, Black Sabbath's Never Say Die! sounded like a last, desperate gasp for the genre.  However, Judas Priest carried on unperturbed, as they released two albums within the calendar year.  Stained Glass provided the "Exciter," while Killing Machine inspired metalheads the world over to be "Hell Bent for Leather."  The power of these releases would help to inspire the rebirth that is the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to suddenly pick up in the subsequent years.

Wrapping things up, the rest of the year featured some great, anthemic rockers.  The Who showed their veteran strength by demanding "Who Are You," Toto debuted their self-titled album and asked us to "Hold the Line," Boston followed up their incredible first album with Don't Look Back, and Styx released Pieces of Eight, a solid follow-up to The Grand Illusion.  Featuring big hits like "Blue Collar Man," "Queen of Spades," and the iconic "Renegade," they rocked stadiums and jukeboxes across the country, and continue to do so on classic rock stations around the world along with Foreigner.

With a year of plenty great rock and metal to listen to, this ends up being one of the strongest years I've had to write about.  As always, check out the playlist below for more, and let me know if I've missed anything you think should be mentioned!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Anniversary Series - 1976!

You'd think it would be hard to top 1971, but honestly 1976 is almost just as good.  Lots of great albums came out this year, even if not all of them were massive radio hits.  There's a lot to cover for this one, so I'd better get started!

The year starts with the massive Frampton Comes Alive!, featuring extensive use of the talkbox.  Live versions of "Show Me the Way," "Babe, I Love Your Way," and "Do You Feel the Way We Do" would find their way to rock stations around the world.  Kiss, who also found success with a massive live album last year, would release two albums this year: Destroyer and Rock and Roll Over, the former of which had big hits with "Detroit Rock City" and the ballad "Beth."  Led Zeppelin, while perhaps struggling with drugs and personal tragedies, still proved they still had it with Presence, featuring the epic "Achilles Last Stand."

Progressive rock was on its way out of public favor at this time, but there were still some solid albums this year.  Genesis released Trick of the Tail, which I reviewed late last year.  Rush also came to fruition with 2112, featuring the epic side-long title track that would propel them to the forefront of prog rock and hard rock fans across the world.  The Alan Parsons Project would begin this year as year, with Tales of Mystery and Imagination providing musical adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe.  I also want to mention Starcastle's debut album.  Perhaps a little derivative of Yes, but I think it's a solid album, especially the opening track "Lady of the Lake."

Meanwhile, metal was starting to move toward its iconic sound, with help from Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny, featuring classic tracks like "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper," and Rainbow's Rising, which saw Ronnie James Dio really go all out on "Stargazer."  Black Sabbath would also release an album this year, but frankly Technical Ecstasy is not the band at their best, as they tried for a more commercial sound as the members were falling apart.

As the year went on, Blue Öyster Cult would tell us to "Don't Fear the Reaper," Steve Miller Band would help us "Fly Like an Eagle," and the Electric Light Orchestra would ask "Do Ya."  AC/DC would continue to perfect their sound with Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, which I reviewed two years ago.  Boston released their incredible debut album, probably one of the best ever!  With songs like "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," and "Long Time," Boston would be a staple for classic rock stations in the decades to follow.

At the end of the year, we have two more great albums.  Styx released Crystal Ball, which not only has a great title track, but also "Put Me On," a fun song about listening to rock records that balance the band's classic styles together.  And finally, The Eagles put out Hotel California, which features another great title track, as well as the massive hit "Life in the Fast Lane."

I told you this was a great year!  Honestly, there were others that I left off this article, but I made sure to throw them into the playlist below.  As always, if I've missed some, just 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 - July 2019!

Rock and roll never sleeps, but I've been feeling more exhausted than ever lately (maybe it's the heat).  Because of that, I've decided to dig deep into the history of rock to try and relax and cool off.  Let's see what I've been listening to this month!

Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds

When I’m feeling exhausted, Pink Floyd can be the best band to listen to in the world.  Their mix of blues, ambiance, and rock just seems to provide a lot of relief from the weariness of the day.  While some albums are better about it than others, I decided to listen to the often overlooked Obscured by Clouds, and it was the right album to listen to that day.

Being a hodgepodge of songs made for a movie soundtrack, it doesn’t have the thematic vibe of their better known albums, but it shows how, even when they’re just throwing stuff together, they still know how to set an iconic tone.  Set between the bluesy Meddle and the dramatic Dark Side of the Moon, there are some very nice pieces on here that wouldn’t be out of place on either, honestly.  

Of course, there are some stand out tracks.  “The Gold It’s In The…” is very different, almost coming across as a CCR or Guess Who style blues rocker (and not a bad one, in my opinion).  And there’s “What’s … Uh The Deal?”, a great acoustic ballad later made famous by its inclusion on David Gilmour’s later solo tours.  In fact, Gilmour has a lot of good (if short) solos on this album.  However, it’s the instrumental sections that really stood out to me this time around, notably the opening title track and “Mudmen.”

To be sure, this isn’t Pink Floyd at their best, but to dismiss this album as mere filler would be a mistake, in my opinion.  If you’re in the mood to just throw on a solid, ambient rock album and not worry about following a thread from track to track, Obscured by Clouds fills that need quite well.

Rainbow - Down to Earth

I’m pretty familiar with Rainbow’s classic three albums with Ronnie James Dio, but I hadn’t really bothered with their later stuff, that is until I decided to tune in to Dee Snider’s House of Hair show.  After he played a few tracks from this album, I decided I should give it a shot.  Right off, it’s definitely a change of pace from Dio’s sword-and-sorcery and mysticism.  Gone are the long, proggy epics, and instead we get a handful radio-friendly rockers with a much more straight-forward approach.  

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, but it does make comparisons to the earlier stuff somewhat useless.  Comparing it to the likes of Styx’s Grand Illusion or Kansas’s Point of Know Return would probably serve it better.  However, even in the company of those albums, a lot of this stuff sounds very bog-standard late-70s arena rock. The production also seems a bit muddy, like they were trying for a “wall of sound” effect, but the results sound like everything is just smushed together. 

Still, there are some songs worth listening to.  Blackmore brings his bouncy riffs and solid solos, while new singer Graham Bonnet has his moments.  Singles “All Night Long” and “Since You Been Gone” do have their charm, and “Eyes of the World” still has shades of the Dio-era bigness.  Songs like “Makin’ Love” and “Love’s No Friend” have more of an old-school Deep Purple vibe, which let Blackmore’s bluesy-ness really hang out.  “Lost in Hollywood” makes for a pretty solid closer, as well.

So, overall, not a bad album.  Perhaps not the chart-breaking success they were going for with the transition from 70s metal to 80s AOR, but a decent attempt at the sound while still retaining a few of the elements that has made Blackmore one of the most celebrated guitarists in the world.

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

Speaking of Dio, can you believe that I hadn’t listened to his iconic first Black Sabbath album until this month?  While I was somewhat familiar with Sabbath’s Ozzy period, as well as early Rainbow and Dio’s later solo career, I had overlooked this nexus of two great names for far too long, so I decided to fix that, and throw it on. 

Up front, this definitely has Dio’s stamp all over it.  The epic melodic lines, the mythological references, the soaring vocals over crunchy powerful riffs; it really does feel like a prototype of Dio’s Holy Diver, and it sounds amazing.  Dio may have been many things, but he certainly knew how to pen a rock song and give it life like few others can.

That’s not to say he overwhelms the album.  Tony Iommi is definitely here, bringing his solid, thick chords and riffs.  In fact, compared to the likes of Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die, both of which sounded pretty thin, the production on Heaven and Hell is very full and powerful, so I can see how many would see this as a major step up for the band.

I do think the first side (with “Neon Knights,” “Children of the Sea,” and the title track) is definitely stronger than the second, though “Die Young” has a lot of dynamic range.  It also seems to have a bit of a glossy sound, not unlike Judas Priest’s British Steel, as Sabbath rides the NWOBHM wave of tighter, faster, slicker metal.  Overall, very solid, and I feel bad for having missed it this whole time.

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Wrapping this up with another classic, it’s hard to go wrong with AC/DC.  While some of their albums might have more going for them than others, every single one is a testament to a band that just wanted to play fun, stripped-down rock and roll!

Just to be clear, I’m listening to the international version, so this one has “Love at First Feel” and “Rocker” instead of "R.I.P. (Rock in Peace)" and “Jailbreak,” as well as the shorter variations of the songs it shares with the Australian version.

Not that it matters all that much, really.  Like I mentioned earlier, you know what to expect with an AC/DC album, and this one certainly delivers.  While the title track may be one of the best known songs in their catalog (and for good reason!), there are other solid songs like "Rocker" and “Problem Child” to fill things out, and "Ride On" provides a unique change of pace, being a slow-burning blues rocker.  Of course, you also get a few songs on the raunchier side, with the aforementioned “Love at First Feel” and the notorious “Big Balls,” but they’re performed with such tongue-in-cheek, it’s hard to really take them seriously.  

In the end, it's probably pointless to review an AC/DC album.  Their sound is so familiar and recognizable, you probably already know how you feel about them, and any given album won't change that for you.  For me, they're albums that let me kick back and not think for a while, and sometimes, in this heat, it's all I want.

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The more I listen to rock music, the more staggering it becomes how much of it is out there, and how much of it I want to listen to.  Still, the journey certainly is a blast, whether I'm checking out the new stuff or digging up classics.

I'm planning on doing one more article before this month ends, so keep an eye out for that.  Until then, rock on!  \m/