Archive for 1980’s rock bands

Classic Rock… What Would I Do Without You?

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , on February 24, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

CLASSIC ROCK – Yes, I will admit, the thought of a world without Classic Rock is a bit scary. Just in the last couple of days, I thought to myself, what would I do without Classic Rock? If it wasn’t for the bands, solo musicians and albums of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s yesteryears would Metal as we all know and love it in 2011 be the same? What would Rock and Hard Rock have sounded like the past 20 years without Classic Rock? The Classic Rock bands that I turn to on a consistent listening basis, are equivalent to comfort food. My mashed potatoes and chicken pot pies of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

Truthfully, bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, Styx, The Doors, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Heart, Bad Company, Grand Funk Railroad, Yes, Sweet, Asia and Boston give me an engulfing sense that everything is either alright or it’s gonna be alright. There are countless more Classic Rock bands that I can rattle off here, of course. These bands and their albums have forever been linked to moments I’ve experienced through life, good or bad, from a young lad to adulthood. Certainly, any fan of music knows what I’m getting at here… I hope.

I can’t leave out KISS… their 1970’s catalog of albums can realistically be tagged as Classic Rock, regardless of the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal that they are so famously known for. How about Motörhead? Can a case be made that this iconic Rock ‘N’ Roll band’s legacy is, after all, Classic Rock worthy? Am I just getting too damned sentimental in my thoughts? Am I becoming this big old softy after all? Classic Rock is synonymous with good times. That’s just the way I feel about this era of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

There will never be another 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s or 1980’s. Those are all decades that will continue to live on through their respective music, with no genre excluded. No decade can ever be duplicated for it’s pop-cultural or Rock ‘N’ Roll impact. Duplication of a Classic Rock sound and/or style is merely called influence. Classic Rock grows it’s roots deeper into the fabric of Rock ‘N’ Roll history with each passing day. There are young bands of today that will inevitably be looked upon as influential and classic as well… 25 or 30 years down the road by different generations of fans.

Who are these bands of today that will be the Classic Rock influences of tomorrow? Is it Kopek? Rooney? My Darkest Days? Pop Evil? Daughtry? Sons Of Sylvia? I never thought of this question when I was a young lad. I used to think that the bands I listened to back then would not be around once I turned, um, the age I am now. Man, was I ever wrong! I’m very glad that I was wrong too.

LONG LIVE CLASSIC ROCK.

Stone.

11 Comments »

THE CARS – DEBUT ALBUM FROM 1978 REVISITED

Posted in Album Review, classic rock, classic rock bands, classic rock music, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, new wave music, rock and roll news, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

The Cars have always been summed up and best described as a New Wave Band. Alright, I’ll let that jive with me, only on their first album, The Cars had some serious Rock in their Wave. Missing Persons were a New Wave Band too, so was Men Without Hats and neither of those two bands come even remotely close in sounding like The Cars. So, were The Cars really a New Wave Band after all? A Flock Of Seagulls… now that’s what I consider a New Wave Band from the 80’s to sound like.

Due to the timing of The Cars being released, I gather it is probably “convenient” to lump this band into the New Wave crowd too. The debut and self titled album from The Cars was perhaps, just a few hundred slivers heavier, than your standard New Wave Band of the late ’70’s and early ’80’s. Sure, Missing Persons had a few “heavier” songs for their New Wave sound and style, with very decent drumming from Terry Bozzio, his playing and songwriting really was standout with that band. (Plus, Terry Bozzio was and still is an excellent drummer and all around musician too… in my Metal opinion).

I can recall hearing the “first” single off of this album, it was Just What I Needed. Can I recall the actual year I first heard this song? Ugh. Maybe it was 1979. No, I think it was 1980. Who really gives a flying elephant crap about when I first heard Just What I Needed. The simple fact is that I loved this song from the opening note. Seriously, this song’s significance lies in it’s originality for no other song really sounded like it, back in 1978.

I’m trying to “think back” and remember if there was another band out there that sounded like The Cars did, at the time of their 1978 debut album. This was 1978, not 1988, when a decade later you could swoop up a hundred New Wave Bands or so and compare them all against each other. Growing up in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I just accepted The Cars and their sound without giving any thought as to what music genre they belonged to. (Now that I’m a cranky old man, I scrutinize music genres like there’s no tomorrow). As each new song from their debut album trickled onto FM radio, I became more of a fan of them and this album.

Out of the nine songs heard on The Cars, seven of them made it to FM airplay. Seven! That is nothing to sneeze at either… how many Rock or Hard Rock bands can any of us name in 2010, that can boast seven songs from one album, being accepted into FM airplay and becoming hits? A “debut” album no less! It’s not as if these songs on The Cars were “Poppy” either, they were mainstream certainly, still a far cry from sounding “bubble gum”. These seven songs were played so often on the Connecticut FM radio stations, (WHCN, WCCC and WPLR), that I am guilty of never having bought this album, many years after it’s release.

Elliot Easton played guitar on The Cars with an obvious hard edge, his solo on Just What I Needed is an example of what I mean. It’s guitarists like Elliot that really exemplify playing for the song unselfishly and skillfully, versus the household name guitarists out there, who have accentuated their fame through piles of average solo albums throughout the decades.

Ric Ocasek’s vocals were meant for The Cars. I know that sounds rather cliche, only it’s so true. Ric Ocasek gave The Cars a booming personality with his vocals. The “modern” vibe that The Cars pulsated with through their songs seemed to stick to Ric’s voice like glue. The late/great Benjamin Orr not only played bass for The Cars, he was the lead vocalist on All Mixed Up as well. Benjamin Orr’s vocals were perfect for this song, giving it that added emotion and personal element befitting of the lyrics. (His vocals on The Cars 1984 hit Drive, from their Heartbeat City album is another memorably gigantic performance from him as well).

The Cars presented an edgy futuristic listen into Rock’s eventual “wide-open” Pop feel of the 80’s, courtesy of Greg Hawkes on keyboards and an open mindedness of this band to create songs that were fabulously accessible. Regardless of the Rock/Pop direction The Cars did take into the 80’s, this debut album is by far, their best full-throttle, Rock teetering on Hard Rock effort… with a New Wave approach, let’s not forget.

Moving In Stereo can be the cornerstone New Wave song for The Cars. There was and still is something almost fantastically mystical about my never wanting to turn this song off, when I hear it on the radio. Could it be that The Cars really are moving me, through stereo? I feel semi-scared now. Good Times Roll has all the ingredients of bursting out of it’s seams with a loud guitar solo and a psyched out tempo that doesn’t relent. It does not happen that way though. It’s the keyboards that administer the melancholy antidote of calm, making this song still feel like the good times are rolling, nonetheless… in a Logan’s Run sort of cosmic way.

The Cars as I look back upon them now, were a mighty decent Rock, I mean, New Wave Band. After all these years, however, it is more beneficial for me personally, to call The Cars debut album a Classic Rock gem. If I was to recommend that “one” album from The Cars to a civilization outside of our Milky Way, it would no doubt be their debut album. For those on this planet, that are just being introduced to The Cars, I would recommend their debut album as well. These excellent musicians that decided to call themselves The Cars, as I look back now, are a symbolic example of their era, showing just how dynamic and memorable a band could become, by solidifying a unique sound from a Rock meets New Wave fusion.

* THE CARS was released in June of 1978, on Elektra Records.

Track Listing For The Cars:

Good Times Roll

My Best Friend’s Girl

Just What I Needed

I’m In Touch With Your World

Don’t Cha Stop

You’re All I’ve Got Tonight

Bye Bye Love

Moving In Stereo

All Mixed Up


Rest In Peace, Benjamin Orr.

Stone.

24 Comments »

SANTANA AND THAT SUMMERTIME VIBE

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, classic rock music, Guitar, guitar legends, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock guitarists, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 10, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

SANTANA – I am guilty of associating many songs, albums and even bands/musicians to a certain season of the year. In the past, I wrote that RUSH is my Winter band… a band I turn to when I’m driving in snowstorms. Maybe the whole music imbedding “thing” comes into play here. When I used to live in Northwestern Connecticut, the snowstorms were very generous and very consistent, couple that with RUSH being a super HUGE band in that area of the world and maybe the exposure factor really left it’s mark with me.

Come Wintertime, it just felt as if FM stations played RUSH every 5 minutes while I was growing up, in very expensive Connecticut. Therefore, I gather that all the parameters were lining up for my RUSH/Winter imbedding many years ago.

I led with my RUSH and Wintertime “vibe” (as I’ll now call it), to introduce what is my Summertime “vibe” band… or musician… take your pick for it’s Santana. Yes, we all know that Santana is an exemplary musician and yes, Santana has always had a fabulous band behind him, (the original Santana band lineup is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame). Therefore, referring to Santana as either a band or musician can go both ways. Now, if you want to get picky, I can say… Carlos Santana, the exemplary and legendary guitarist. I’ll just stick to “Santana” and hopefully we can all agree.

Since I was a young lad, Santana always had an open sound to his guitar tone… a feeling of sunny days and hot weather just seems to drift over me when I hear him play. Driving to the beach comes to mind each time I listen to Black Magic Woman. This song has me seeing visions of ocean waves slapping against the hot sand of the beach, while I feel my feet burrowing into the deeper depths of the cool sand. Black Magic Woman has always been a Summer chill-out song for me… so listening to it while driving in a snowstorm would ruin it’s ambiance, in my own mind.

Santana can tell a story with his guitar, having a lead vocalist on his songs proves to be a bonus for my ears. If there ever was a song that Santana speaks that mystical guitar language through his playing, it is Black Magic Woman. Captivating is the word.

Back in the Summer of 1999, my wife was expecting with our twin daughters… and so was I expecting too. We were on the threshold of a forever life changing event, the birth of our daughters with a target date of late September. That Summer of ’99 was extremely hot and humid… abnormally humid as the “weather experts” were saying back then. (You know those “weather experts”… they get it right every time). One album that kept my wife and I from going bananas during that period in our lives was… Santana – Supernatural.

As Metal as my witness, this Santana album chilled us out, as well as it lifted our spirits and made us feel very comfortable… on our journey to becoming first time parents. This Supernatural album just cast a magical spell on us… we would listen each day and night to those Summer Grooves and melodies of Santana’s guitar and be glad we did. Our favorite song from Supernatural was of course, Smooth, with Rob Thomas on lead vocals. That song is a quintessential Summertime Santana song if there ever was one. The music video for Smooth was a hit back in ’99 too… it radiates Summertime cool in the city streets.

It has gotten to the point, that when I see a photo of Carlos Santana, I think of Summer. Carlos “Summertime” Santana. Gee Metal whiz… it’s just me I guess. The same can be said for Jimmy Buffet, only equating Summertime and the ocean to Jimmy is way too obvious. Jimmy Buffet is all about songs that stir up images of the Tropics and fun in the Summer sun. However… I can never eat a cheeseburger without thinking of Jimmy Buffet… (I don’t drink Margaritas by the way).

I never want to resist or ignore the positive memories and images that music provides me. Just as I equate a song, album, musician or band to a season, I can equally equate them to specific moments in my life. Santana just happens to be an example of just how good music makes me feel.

* Santana (entire original band), was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.

* For more info on the ever legendary guitarist, songwriter, musician and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer – Carlos Santana, just click on this link: SANTANA – Official Web Site

* For more info on my favorite Wintertime band, RUSH, click here: RUSH Aw, heck, RUSH is a favorite of mine all year long.

LONG LIVE SANTANA!

… AND RUSH & JIMMY BUFFET TOO!

Stone.

2 Comments »

CHEAP TRICK – “FOUND ALL THE PARTS” VINYL EP FROM 1980… I FOUND!

Posted in classic rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock music history with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 26, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

CHEAP TRICK – Earlier this Summer, I took the family on one of our trips to Amish Country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As I have stated in past posts… I like to hunt for Rock ‘N’ Roll, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal memorabilia and/or music anywhere I go. Antique stores are around Lancaster County, that is for certain. One particular stop, to a second hand memory shop uncovered the Cheap Trick – Found All The Parts EP from 1980, on vinyl. The asking price was $10… sold!

The total condition of this Cheap Trick EP’s album jacket and vinyl is mint, as if it was just opened from it’s original plastic factory wrap. (Check out my pics below of this EP I found). On the backside of this EP, at the top left corner, there is a gold embossed stamp that reads: “For Promotion Only, Ownership Reserved By CBS, Sale Is Unlawful”. Cool… a promo copy. The only bugaboo about my finding this Cheap Trick EP is that it does not have the bonus promotional 7″ single – Everything Works If You Let It. That is now a Cheap Trick 45 rpm that I will be on the look-out for.

I have seen this Cheap Trick EP for sale on Amazon ranging from $25 to $91 in new/sealed condition with the 7″ single included. I have also seen the used versions of this EP on Amazon ranging from $6 to $58. (Used conditions do vary though). The highest priced used copies don’t specify if the 7″ single comes with it, yet a couple of the lower priced used copies do state the 7″ single comes with the EP. Go figure. Nonetheless, I’m pleased that I found this used promo copy of Cheap Trick – Found All The Parts EP for $10, especially since the condition is so mint and I’ve never owned it before.

Track Listing For Found All The Parts EP:

Day Tripper (live)

Can’t Hold On (live)

Such A Good Girl

Take Me I’m Yours

* These same four songs heard on this EP can also be heard on the studio release: Cheap Trick – All Shook Up – (remastered/reissued version). This EP was originally released on Epic Records.

* For more info on Cheap Trick, just click the link below:

Cheap Trick – Official Website

Album Jacket Front:

ALBUM JACKET BACK:

CHEAP TRICK ARE:

Robin Zander – lead vocals

Rick Nielsen – lead guitar

Tom Petersson – bass guitar

Bun E. Carlos – drums

LONG LIVE CHEAP TRICK!

Stone.

* Note: The word “bugaboo” was used on Metal Odyssey. Yes it was, in paragraph two of this post.

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MAGNUM “INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING” – A CLASSIC ALBUM FROM A CLASSIC BAND

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

MAGNUM – Vocalist Bob Catley and guitarist Tony Clarkin are the nucleus and only two original members of Magnum, (since 1978’s debut album Kingdom of Madness),with Mark Stanway manning the keyboards since 1982’s Chase The Dragon album. Regardless of lineup changes, Magnum has created music that touches on four decades, (soon to be five with the 2011 studio release of The Visitation).

Into The Valley Of The Moonking is the fifteenth studio album from Magnum, released on June 16, 2009, on Steamhammer/SPV Records. There are those bands that make music, the kind of music that resonates that classic feel and sound from every turn… this Magnum album resonates this.

Classic Rock is not just a bunch of albums from the ’60’, 70’s and ’80’s. The Classic Rock sound and style is just as relevant in 2010 as any other time in Rock Music history, in my Metal opinion. Magnum unrolls their Classic Rock red carpet and struts down it like royalty on this album.

With delectable nuances and flavors that nod towards The Electric Light Orchestra on such songs as: The Moonking, No One Knows His Name and  In My Minds Eye, just to name examples, being lured into these songs due to their mini-epic style is unavoidable for me. Harry James on drums, the guitar tones of Tony Clarkin and Mark Stanway’s keyboards are to blame for my hearing any ELO similarities.

Not a copycat band to any of their peers, Magnum is and always has been as original as they come. As I listen to Magnum, I get the sense that they are re-inventing Classic Rock music while many might think it’s just a continuation of a well known and seasoned band. Album Oriented Rock is not a dinosaur after all, Into The Valley Of The Moonking is twelve songs that substantiate the importance of having depth and not filler on an album.

Magnum incorporates Keyboards as an emotional element throughout their music, with Mark Stanway becoming such an integral part of this band over the years. Never are there keyboard parts that don’t fit or run-off in an annoying endless stream. The keyboard arrangements are priceless on Into The Valley Of The Moonking.

Cry To Yourself is my favorite song, with it’s unrelenting melodic wave. All right, Cry To Yourself moves me. There, I said it. Tony Clarkin on guitar is superb, his playing elevates the emotion of this song. Bob Catley is beyond excellent on vocals, it’s as if this song was born with him. All My Bridges takes me on an up-tempo and melodic ride that is not easy to jump off. Take Me To The Edge is a fist to the air Hard Rock song, accentuated by Tony Clarkin’s guitar licks and the drumming of Harry James. Al Barrow on bass, is right in on the Hard Rock action throughout Take Me To The Edge… a real cool jamming song it must be for this band.

Clocking in at 6:58 long, Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns is another Hard Rock number on this album, bringing in some Old School riffs, with some Rock ‘N’ Roll piano. The beat is consistently contagious on this song, making for a legitimate foot stompin’ listen. At the close of Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns, the tempo subsides dramatically with the keyboards and guitar adding a subdued and reflective atmosphere.

Magnum puts great emphasis on song lyrics, to coincide with creative song writing. The songs on this album seem to reflect a conscientious attention to detail that Bob Catley, Tony Clarkin and this band have towards making music. It’s the journey that these songs on Into The Valley Of The Moonking send my mind on, from both the lyrics and music, which results in my liking this album all the more. Magnum has made an album here that I will now label as a classic. And why not? Into The Valley Of The Moonking is only going to be labeled as such… two decades from now if not sooner.

* For more info on MAGNUM, just click on the link below:

MAGNUM – Official Website

MAGNUM, as they appeared on Into The Valley Of The Moonking:

Tony Clarkin – guitars

Bob Catley – vocals & tambourine

Mark Stanway – keyboards

Al Barrow – bass & backing vocals

Harry James – drums

Track Listing For Into The Valley Of The Moonking:

Intro

Cry To Yourself

All My Bridges

Take Me To The Edge

The Moonking

No One Knows His Name

In My Minds Eye

Time To Cross That River

If I Ever Lose My Mind

A Face In The Crowd

Feels Like Treason

Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns

LONG LIVE MAGNUM!

Stone.

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CLASSIC ROCK 101: ORION THE HUNTER “SO YOU RAN” – 1984 MUSIC VIDEO

Posted in classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock music history, rock music videos with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

ORION THE HUNTER – Let’s go back to those good ol’ ’80’s… again. When Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal seemed to mesh together for me, just like chocolate-caramel-fudge swirl ice cream. It was a decade when FM Radio really was the one-stop listening destination for great music. MTV proved to be the same for music videos. I can recall vividly hearing So You Ran on the FM dial… and I was hooked. Sure, it wasn’t a Heavy Metal song I was hearing, nonetheless, it was Rockin’ along with a melodic sound that made me feel alright… and still does.

This Orion The Hunter album is yet another great piece of vinyl that I let go many Metal moons ago. It was released back in 1984 on Columbia Records. Now, from what I have seen, the CD sells “new” from $50 to $125 (U.S.).  It appears Orion The Hunter is… out of print.

Orion The Hunter was: former Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau, Boston vocalist Brad Delp on backing vocals, future Boston vocalist Fran Cosmo, Bruce Smith on bass and Michael DeRosier on drums.

Convict me of being sentimental sometimes… yet this song just brings back some good memories of being a young dude, with no bills and high taxes to pay.

Track listing for Orion The Hunter:

All Those Years

So You Ran

Dreamin’

Dark And Stormy

Stand Up

Fast Talk

Too Much In Love

Joanne

I Call It Love

REST IN PEACE, BRAD DELP – 1951 – 2007

Stone.

4 Comments »

CHEAP TRICK “WOKE UP WITH A MONSTER” – SPOTLIGHTING A STANDOUT 1990’S HARD ROCK ALBUM

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, classic rock music, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 6, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

CHEAP TRICK – Don’t be fooled by those “elitist” Rock magazine reviews on this prize of a Cheap Trick album called – Woke Up With A Monster. Past reviews from pathetic Rock Music publications, that can’t grasp great Rock ‘N’ Roll bands and their music, just make for incredible comedy. Why drop names here now… we fans know the politically biased Rock magazine I’m referring to. Woke Up With A Monster is a Hard Rock album from 1994 that glows bright amongst the glut of mid 1990’s Rock and Hard Rock album releases, which many seemed to stray away from having any semblance of Classic Rock influence all together.

Amidst competing with the popular Grunge movement of it’s time, Woke Up With A Monster pulsated then and radiates still, in 2010. With eleven songs that beat down the door of stagnant Rock Music and kicks it’s weak ass from sunrise to sundown, this is a Cheap Trick album that sets an example of just how to ROCK STEADY in the face of pop-cultural ignorance of the day.

Phew. That felt kinda gooood. Now, onto this outrageously infectious delight, that is Woke Up With A Monster. The very last song on this album grooves along with a Rockin’ melodic aura that makes me feel like… the album is over? Can’t be! This song is just too cool and it flows through my veins like Rock ‘N’ Roll oxygen! This last song I’m referring to is Love Me For A Minute. Rick Nielsen on guitar plays some crafty licks throughout Love Me For A Minute, giving this song it’s melodic driving appeal. Robin Zander sings this song like it’s the biggest Cheap Trick hit from their career too. A “wow” song that ends this album on a very, very, high note.

Now, if the last song on Woke Up With A Monster is this chewy delicious, just how good are the other songs? For all intents and Rock ‘N’ Roll purposes, the remaining ten songs are a listen and quick study in what Rock greatness is all about, when you don’t try to reinvent the F’n wheel. The song writing, the lyrics, the vocals, the all too irresistible Rock sound of Cheap Trick. Just like comfort food. Sounds so simplistic doesn’t it? If Rock ‘N’ Roll “focus” was a pre-requisite for Cheap Trick to carry on as a band for all these years, they certainly bestowed a monumental ton of it, while creating their 12th studio album, regardless if there was “outside” assistance in song writing.

Despite what may be “read” from “other” reviews on this album over the years… I just don’t buy into the notion that there is a Grunge sound on Woke Up With A Monster. Hell, my ears don’t even hear a hint of it. Even if the band members themselves were to tell me they veered towards a Grunge “feel”, I’m not listening. This is Cheap Trick and it’s as underrated an album as there can possibly ever exist. Metal be thy name.

As fickle and wavering the “general Rock listening public” was back in the mid ’90’s, Woke Up With A Monster did get released. It was during an era where the “flavor of the month club” was buying up whatever the “experts” on MTV and VH1 were hawking. Great Rock Music will always, (here comes the cliche’), stand the test of time. The songs on this Cheap Trick album should easily speak for themselves in 2010, with an almost bone chilling relevancy. Woke Up With A Monster, perhaps, is an album that was sixteen years ahead of it’s time. If you think that sounds far fetched… just listen to The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album and try to convince yourself it really was released in 1967.

From the onset, My Gang sets off the Rockin’ tone of this album with all the Cheap Trick familiarities that are so unique to this bands sound. From the tight as cousins rhythm section of Tom Petersson on bass and Bun E. Carlos on drums, to Robin Zanders’s Rock profound vocals, with Rick Nielsen’s song altering guitar play, Cheap Trick certainly walloped my senses with Woke Up With A Monster. The title track being my favorite song doesn’t distract me from the other ten. However, this title song gets more tasty to my ears each time I listen to it… even if I have lost count after all these years.

True and great Rock Music was never meant to be disposable… we’ll leave that disposable stuff to the Pop Bubble Gum Music world. My intent, in getting the word back out on Woke Up With A Monster is to rekindle past fans of this album and shake loose new fans that this Cheap Trick release exists. Regardless of any “out-of-print” or “unavailable” status for Woke Up With A Monster, the digital download world like itunes does exist for albums such as this.

* For more info on Cheap Trick, just click that fantastic link below:

Cheap Trick – Official Website

Cheap Trick Are:

Robin Zander – lead vocals

Rick Nielsen – guitars

Tom Petersson – 12 string bass

Bun E. Carlos – drums

Track Listing For Cheap Trick – Woke Up With A Monster:

My Gang

Woke Up With A Monster

You’re All I Wanna Do

Never Run Out Of Love

Didn’t Know I Had It

Ride The Pony

Girlfriends

Let Her Go

Tell Me Everything

Cry Baby

Love Me For A Minute

* Woke Up With A Monster was produced by Ted Templeman.

* Woke Up With A Monster was released in 1994, on Warner Bros. Records.

LONG LIVE CHEAP TRICK!

Stone.

22 Comments »

KISS – FIGURINES BOX SET I ADDED TO MY KISS COLLECTION!

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, hard rock bands, hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 8, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

KISS – It was a cold, dark and dank night this past Winter, when the family and I realized we had a very low supply of food and necessities to keep us alive. So, when a family of four knows they need  the essentials to keep the cupboards and fridge stocked… a grocery store trip soon follows. Hello, Super Walmart. We took our sweet time inspecting and deliberating our vast grocery choices that Winter’s night. And why not? Once in awhile in life, a family of four has to stop to smell the groceries… you know?

Our grocery shopping experience was drawing to a close as we positioned ourselves and shopping cart into a check-out line, when all of a sudden, I hear my two daughters exclaim… KISS! Well, that word is Metal Music to my ears. Knowing that Walmart had some KISS merchandise hidden about the Super Store only made me all the more Metal giddy. My head turned to my daughters, then I saw my wonderful wife holding the most gorgeous KISS surprise! Check out the pics below… this is what the KISS figurine box set that I own looks like, both front and back!

Front:

The front of this box shows graphics that are slightly different from other retail store chains that carried this KISS “Super Stars” box set. This KISS box set was released in late 2009, when the KISS album Sonic Boom hit the shelves at Walmart. (I still have to take the price sticker off, located at the top right corner on box front).

Back:

(Photo’s and cropping of these KISS images were done by my graphic design guru wife and I thank her with a million Metal hugs!)

Apparently, when I had my head turned, my wife went into the trading card aisle of this Super Walmart… that is where this unreal cool KISS figurine box set was hiding. The price you might ponder? $20 (U.S.) is what it cost for a terrific piece of KISSTORY. If anyone thinks that is too pricey for this KISS gem, just think about the billions of dollars that BP is throwing away each day in the Gulf Coast. An alarming Metal perspective it is… a real Metal reality check I might add too.

Well, enough with BP… on with my KISS figurine story. I had a smile on my face like the Chesire Cat as I gazed at this KISS memorabilia. Guiding it from my wife’s hands onto the check-out conveyor was crucial… this was one item that could not be plopped down on top of the frozen foods. As this KISS box set made it’s way down the conveyor, I made certain no other item banged into it. Now, the next crucial step was getting it past the cashier’s hands without there being a mishap. The cashier that Winter’s evening was courteous and diligent in her handling of my KISS bounty. She deftly placed this KISS box set into it’s very own Walmart shopping bag too. Score!

With our shopping cart very much filled, (again, we really needed a major grocery order), I made certain that the bag containing my KISS booty was delicately placed on top of all the other bags. As we made our way out of this Super Walmart, concern quickly came over me… is it snowing? Could there be, (gasp), freezing rain? The last thing I needed was inclement weather descending upon my KISS box set, regardless if a paper-thin, plastic shopping bag was covering it. As we approached the exit doors, I noticed there was some very minor precipitation falling from the Winter sky… a very light snow. It was not enough however, to cause any Metal alarm or damage to my new found KISS item.

Placement of the bag, that contained this KISS box set, within the car’s trunk was critical. I could not afford another shopping bag the opportunity to fall or even lean against the KISS box set. No Metal way. My Metal mission was accomplished… the drive home proved a success with no bags moving about in the car’s trunk! Getting my new piece of KISSTORY into the house was now a piece of Metal cake. All of my corn dog worrying about transporting this KISS item from my beautiful wife’s hands at Super Walmart to our house was over. Phew. I have this KISS figurine box set on display now… in my Rock ‘N’ Roll room of course.

I truly thank my wife and daughters for scoping out KISS memorabilia at Super Walmart that Winter’s night… they are the heart, soul and light of my life.

LONG LIVE KISS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!

Stone.

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ASIA – REFLECTING ON THIER 1982 PROGRESSIVE ROCK ALBUM DEBUT

Posted in classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, progressive rock, progressive rock bands, progressive rock music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

ASIA – in March of 1982, the debut and self-titled album of this Progressive Rock supergroup was released unto the world… with a little help from Geffen Records. Being a sophomore in high school in ’82, I had my musical tastes ranging from Judas Priest to The Electric Light Orchestra with Cheap Trick, AC/DC and Foreigner in between. KISS of course, ruled my teenage planet. So when I first heard ASIA being played on my favorite FM radio stations, I instantly took a major liking to their sound. My infatuation with ELO and The Moody Blues made it very easy for me to embrace ASIA as a young teen… I can thank my late sister Christine for getting me “into” the Moody Blues.

Learning very quickly, that YES guitar great Steve Howe was in ASIA, just gave me the hint that this supergroup was to be reckoned with. I knew of some YES songs, thanks of course to FM once again. I did not own a YES album at all, back in ’82… yes, I do look back in disbelief over that one. It seemed as if everyone else I knew, had at least one YES album to boast of back then. With Carl Palmer on drums, I was familiar with his name being equated to the legendary Progressive Rock band – Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Once again though, I did not own a single Emerson, Lake and Palmer album in 1982 either.

When I learned that bass guitarist John Wetton was formerly with the incredibly diverse King Crimson, it was once again, a Rock Music history lesson for me. What took the Rock and Roll cake for me, upon learning quickly about the members of ASIA, was that Geoff Downes was half part of the New Wave sensation called – The Buggles! Just about every kid I knew, back in 1980, had heard the song – Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles. Heck, Video Killed The Radio Star was actually the very first music video that MTV aired on August 1, 1981! Now, if that isn’t Rock and Roll history… then I don’t know what is!

Well, with all of the ASIA band history aside, it was actually very fun for this sixteen year old in 1982, in becoming more informed about other great Rock bands, that were an indirect part of the formation of ASIA. For the life of me however, I just could not believe how astoundingly textured, layered and inspirational the songs sounded on this very first ASIA album. The bonus was that this debut ASIA album Rocked my ears off of this sixteen year old too! I singled out the song – Sole Survivor… very quickly. I must have dropped the turntable needle onto that Sole Survivor song… more times than I could ever imagine! That section of vinyl that Sole Survivor represented on the album, was for certain, the most worn!

Despite the FM airplay that Sole Survivor, Heat of the Moment and Only Time Will Tell received back in 1982 and into the years ahead, I never wavered away from playing them, in their entirety, on my turntable. As it stands to this very day in 2010, my favorite song from this ASIA album is Wildest Dreams. I like to reminisce about the ultra Classic Rock albums of the past, especially the one’s that made the biggest impact on my music loving life. ASIA is an ultra Classic Rock album for me. I can remember losing my thoughts, amidst the Progressive Rock brilliance of this amazing album. As I look back upon this ASIA album now, it was like music therapy for me as a sixteen year old.

Why I feel this ASIA album has stood the test of Rock Music time, is simply two words: quality musicianship. Once the quality is instilled, the rest seems to always fall into place, regardless of what project is being discussed. The songs on this ASIA album soothed, inspired and yes, as I stated before, Rocked me. I did realize at the time, back in 1982, what a profound Rock Music family tree that ASIA embodied. What I did not realize back in 1982, was that I would carry the same ecstatic feelings and emotions for this ASIA album so many years later into my life… and then be writing about it for the whole world to read in 2010, in an unbelievably vast place called the world wide web.

LONG LIVE ASIA!

Stone.

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THE WHO – “GREATEST HITS” IS MY ANNIVERSARY GIFT!

Posted in 1960's classic rock music, 1960's classic rock bands, 1960's rock & roll british invasion, 1960's rock music, 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's classic rock music, 1970's hard rock, 1970's rock bands, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's rock music, 1980's classic rock, 1980's classic rock music, 1980's hard rock bands, 1990's hard rock music, 1990's rock bands, 1990's rock music, 1990's hard rock bands, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, cool album covers, current rock bands, family, feel good stories, hard rock bands, hard rock music, life, life stories, living, metal odyssey, Music, real life experiences, Rock, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame inductees, rock music, rock music history with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

My wife and I will celebrate our 15 year Wedding Anniversary on February 11th. Wow, how time has flown by! Tonight, while strolling about at K-Mart, my wife informed me my anniversary gift from her is The Who – Greatest Hits. (Not too shabby, in my Metal opinion). Heck, I’m the guy, I never expect an anniversary gift to begin with… I always make sure my wife gets a gift for certain, still, this feels like a bonus to me!

What’s very exciting about getting this CD from my wife is the pure fact: I have never owned The Who on CD my entire life!! You read that correctly… never did I upgrade The Who to CD, after all these years. Go figure. Of course, I have owned some, (not all), of The Who titles on vinyl and cassette… still have them floating around somewhere. It’s an invigorating feeling to have this Greatest Hits by The Who now… 19 songs and all! What sweetens the deal about this CD is that it was on sale for $9.99! Yes, maybe I have given off hints now and again that I am frugal… it’s from growing up in New England for most of my life… in extremely expensive Connecticut. Believe me, if you live or ever lived in Connecticut, you know what I mean. Living there, man, you have to know how to cut corners and clip coupons… or go broke trying.

Back to The Who… my wife and I, along with my best Metal buddy Scott Coverdale, saw The Who back in the mid ’90’s… seeing them was a thrill beyond belief for me. Drivin N Cryin was the opening band too. I’m thankful I was able to witness John Entwistle live, on bass as well. This legendary show was at the Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Who is a band that I can never, ever, grow tired of. Honestly, The Who just strikes that certain chord within my psyche… and I’m not concerned about figuring it out either. Seeing Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend Rockin’ out during the Super Bowl XLIV half-time special… was something special. I could only hope and pray, that I am in that kind of shape when I hit that age! Sure, Roger Daltrey may not sound like he did in 1980… yet c’mon… he belted it out for the world to know that The Who is still around and damn proud! Pete Townshend also reminded us all, that he too… can still kick some Rock and Roll ass.

My favorite song ever, from The Who, is: Eminence Front. I’m not going to attempt any explanation here, other than this is THE song. You know how it is… there’s always that one particular song from a band that resonates with your mind and soul… Eminence Front is just that song by The Who. I’m thankful for my beautiful wife of 15 years and counting… nothing beats the memories, life experiences and love we have both shared with each other. (We actually have been together since 1988, married in 1995). I’m also thankful I have the memory of seeing The Who, live, with my wife and best friend. Money can’t buy love and memories… but $9.99 can buy me the coolest wedding anniversary gift – The Who, Greatest Hits.

The Who – Greatest Hits was released on December 21, 2009.

LONG LIVE THE WHO!

Reflecting on the good memories of life and staying positive and true to yourself… is what it’s all about. Music is the stimulus of good life memories for me… the Rock Music of The Who is no exception.

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ZZ TOP “ANTENNA” WAS MY RAINY DAY CD TODAY

Posted in 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's hard rock, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's rock music, 1980's hard rock bands, 1980's rock bands, 1990's rock bands, 1990's rock music, 1990's rock albums, blues rock music, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, cool album covers, essential classic rock albums, essential rock albums, feel good stories, guitar legends, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock & roll hall of fame inductees, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame members, rock music, vintage rock albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

ZZ Top Antenna cured my rainy day blues today. You bet it did rain, all day long too in Pennsylvania. I turn to music any time it rains, just to get my adrenaline and momentum perked up. This ZZ Top album may not get the notoriety of their Eliminator, (1983) or Degüello, (1979) albums, still this is one dandy of an album. A dynamite Rock album is Antenna. Cutting to the chase here, Cherry Red is one of my favorite ZZ Top songs ever… it has all the vintage Blues Rock and patented Rock Boogie that this Hall of Fame band is super known for. Cherry Red, in my Metal opinion, sounds like a ZZ Top song that would have fit perfectly on their El Loco album from 1981. Lizard Life is one groove saturated, bluesy Rock song that showcases ZZ Top’s flare for all out, old school, jamming. Fuzzbox Voodoo is another knockout song on Antenna. The foot stomping and (kick your worries aside) beat and swagger of Fuzzbox Voodoo is so good. Pincushion was the big hit from this album, a meat and potatoes song from ZZ Top without a doubt, it is a substantive opening track for Antenna.

I re-discovered this Antenna album over this past Summer of 2009, finding it at an antique store in Bird-In-Hand Pennsylvania… believe it or not. When I saw this CD for sale amidst a small bounty of others, my mind was made up as to taking this ZZ Top title home. It really amazes me, that over the years, I just never bought this ZZ Top album. Regardless, I have redeemed myself by buying this used copy. Quite honestly, there are those bands I listen to that are like comfort food… ZZ Top has always been a comfort band for me. Does that sound ridiculous? Maybe, only that is how I feel and see it.

I did get to see ZZ Top on this Antenna Tour too, back in 1994 at the Hartford Civic Center. George Thorogood opened up for ZZ Top and he simply put… rocked. My girlfriend (and now wife), bought the tickets to this concert, we both had a great time. Bringing back cool memories is only one of many great qualities of music. I realize that I have mentioned going to this concert in a past ZZ Top related post, please excuse the redundancy. As I listened to Antenna today, I couldn’t hold back the memory of that ZZ Top concert… good times. My daughters had the day off from school, (Thanksgiving Holiday), so we listened to this CD as we played UNO… good times again. I also played this ZZ Top CD in the car as we embarked on our errands, driving around in the cold rain. Long live ZZ Top.

The caricatures of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard on the cover of Antenna are just plain fun. As I look at the front cover of Antenna, I conclude that sometimes artistic creativity is grand in it’s most simplistic design. I have to give a Rock and Roll salute to designer/illustrator Michael Ray Nott for the front cover artwork of Antenna.

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JOURNEY – “Arrival” is a 2001 album I finally bought in 2009

Posted in 1970's classic rock bands, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's rock albums, 1980's rock music, 1980's hard rock, 1990's hard rock music, Album Review, classic hard rock, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, essential classic rock albums, essential rock albums, Hard Rock, hard rock album review, hard rock guitarists, hard rock songs, hard rock vocalists, Music, old school hard rock, Rock, rock album reviews, rock music, rock music vocals, rock vocalists, vintage rock albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 20, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

main-150When it comes to Rock and Hard Rock Music, I always have put Journey on my listening rotation. I am guilty of not keeping up with the purchases of new CD’s over the years from Journey, “Arrival” is a perfect example of this. After the 1986 album “Raised On Radio”, I never picked up “Trial By Fire”, “Arrival” (until now) or “Generations”. You betcha I did grab a copy of “Revelation”… the Walmart 2 CD/1 DVD version too. It is not as if I totally forgot about Journey, these albums are just victims of the hordes of releases out there I have always wanted to buy… financially it is impossible to buy everything. Man, I am impressed by this Journey album… more than that, I cannot believe it took me this long to land “Arrival” into my music collection. I guess after each listen to “Arrival”, all I can really say to myself is what was I waiting for and thinking?  (I should have just bought this album years ago and stop worrying about how much money I spend on music!). I can’t comprehend how this album has not sold over a million copies? What gives? If “Arrival” was fronted by the legendary Steve Perry and released back in the 1980’s, it surely would have been multi platinum… wouldn’t it? Who knows, we shall never know, it is all make believe speculation on my part. All I do know is that “Arrival” is chock full of Rock and Hard Rock songs that are premium quality, in my Metal opinion. The song writing on “Arrival” is so outrageously good, I shake my head and thank the fact Journey is still around Rocking today.

Neal Schon is tremendous on guitar, (as usual), especially on “Livin’ To Do”… a choice favorite song of mine from this album. “Higher Place” is the opening song, the one and only song I was familiar with before I bought “Arrival”. “Higher Place” is the perfect table setter for this album, it has all things Journey about it happening. “I Got A Reason” is another song that really stands out for me, the lyrics and upbeat melody delivers plenty of highs here.  Steve Augeri on lead vocals does sound extremely close to Steve Perry… yet I will always state – there is only one Steve Perry, only one. With that off my chest, Steve Augeri does a smash up job on lead vocals, this guy can sing. On “With Your Love”, Steve Augeri makes me really like a ballad for a change. Neal Schon again, on guitar, adds the strength to this ballad that makes it rise up with musical emotion. I cannot hesitate to recommend “Arrival” to any fan of Classic Rock and Hard Rock, of any generation. Walmart has this CD in their retail store… that is where I found “Arrival”, plus it was an even five dollars. Five dollars, for a sealed (not used) CD… there are many times the Walmart CD aisles Rock.

Journey, as they appeared on “Arrival”: Neal Schon on guitar & backing vocals, Steve Augeri on lead vocals, Jonathan Cain on keyboards & backing vocals, Ross Valory on bass guitar & backing vocals and Deen Castronovo on drums & backing vocals. “Arrival” was released on April 3, 2001.

200px-Journeyarrival

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