VANDENBERG – Let’s go back to 1982. I was a sophomore in high school and very proud of my ability to draw the band logos for Styx, Michael Schenker Group and of course… KISS. (The Judas Priest band logo was and forever will be too difficult for me to draw freehand). Hirax, Hellhammer and Armored Saint were formed, just to name a few Metal bands. Alright, W.A.S.P. was formed in 1982 too. World famous pro basketball star, (UCONN & Pheonix Mercury) Diana Taurasi was born.
Ronald Reagan was the United States President and Bryant Gumbel began his 15 year career as NBC’s The Today Show co-host. The Weather Channel also launched into cable television back in 1982. Well, enough with the 1982 trivia… this post is about guitarist Adrian Vandenberg’s own Hard Rock band which debuted their self-titled album Vandenberg, this very same year on Atco Records.
This Vandenberg debut album was and always will be an excellent listen for me. My favorite song from this album is Burning Heart. That’s correct… a ballad. A Power Ballad too. Me, the dude who likes to tip-toe around ballads in almost any album review I do, really digs Burning Heart. Ever since I first heard this song on the FM dial back in 1982, I have been an admirer of it. Bert Heerink was the lead vocalist on this song and album. Could it be the strength in Bert’s vocals that I hear be the deciding factor for my liking Burning Heart so much? How about the guitar talent of Adrian Vandenberg himself? Adrian’s solo in Burning Heart is as articulately placed and played as any I’ve ever heard over all these years.
Adrian’s tone and feel that comes out at me from his guitar just always seemed to have that wallop. On Burning Heart, Adrian makes his guitar come across with such a free floating sound, making this Power Ballad come together perfectly… he dictated this song and commanded it with his guitar eloquence. Burning Heart from the very onset of my hearing it, never came across to me as being sappy. It is quite an emotional song for certain and radiates that essential vibe that seems to be lacking in so many Power Ballads over the decades.
Does Burning Heart remind me of a love I once had? Nope. Does it remind me of a love I could never have? Nope again. Despite this, this is a song that just reminds me of a time in my life when I was seeking out my place amongst my peers and just trying to get along. In actuality, that is really what I’m still doing, to this very day. Any song, from the vast and seemingly infinite world of music, will hold it’s own unique affect on an individual. Burning Heart stays in my music mind files as being… timeless.
* Besides being a legendary guitarist, find out more about Adrian Vandenberg and his other artistic talent… as a world renowned painter in the fine arts. Peruse Adrian’s brilliant artwork by clicking this link: ADRIAN VANDENBERG – ARTIST
Vandenberg, as they appeared on the debut/self titled album:
Adrian Vandenberg – guitar, keyboards and backing vocals
Bert Heerink – lead vocals
Dick Kemper – bass and backing vocals
Jos Zoomer – drums and backing vocals
LONG LIVE ADRIAN VANDENBERG & HIS MUSIC
Stone.
Ozzy Osbourne, the Heavy Metal Prince of Darkness. Ozzy Osbourne – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with Black Sabbath. Honestly, I revere the living hell out of this Heavy Metal legend. I did get to see Ozzy Osbourne live in concert twice during my lifetime. For me, those two concerts were unbelievable, with Metallica opening up for Ozzy in New Haven Connecticut, (at the spooky New Haven Coliseum) – it was The Ultimate Sin Tour for Ozzy and Metallica was promoting their legendary Master of Puppets album. The other Ozzy concert I saw had Queensryche open for Ozzy in Springfield, Massachusetts, (at the Springfield Civic Center), on this same Ultimate Sin Tour. Alright, so it is obvious I think the Metal world of Ozzy Osbourne… fine. However, by process of elimination, there has to be my least favorite Ozzy Osbourne song out there and there is one. I do not think much of the song, uh, ballad So Tired from Ozzy’s Bark At The Moon album. This song, ugh, ballad is responsible for my distaste of most Heavy Metal ballads ever released since, by any band. This album was released on December 10, 1983. Don’t get me wrong here, the Bark At The Moon album as a whole, is unreal good. Three songs on this album are incredible for me… Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel, You’re No Different and of course – Bark At The Moon. These three Ozzy songs I can hold up on a Metal pedestal forever. Plus, Jake E. Lee on guitar is a Metal bonus to listen to.
Motley Crue really did it for me with their Heavy Metal ballad – “Home Sweet Home”. Since it’s release on the “Theatre Of Pain” album, (June 21, 1985), I still gravitate to this song. When I first heard it, (back in 1985), I was semi-surprised at the mellow side that Motley Crue had taken with “Home Sweet Home”… it only took one listen for me to get hooked for life. Mellow or not, Motley Crue in my Metal opinion, created an instantly memorable song that I could never grow tired of. The “Theatre Of Pain” album, (originally released on the label Elektra), is one strong Heavy Metal album at that. “Home Sweet Home” was written by Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee. (Mick Mars, of course, plays guitar on this song, I just have never read his name in any writing credits for it). I just always have been struck by the lyrics, there have been countless moments throughout my life where I have adhered to this song for inspiration. When I bought this CD twenty four years ago, little did I know, that there would be that one song, that would resonate such strong feelings inside of me.
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