Showing posts with label 80s hard rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80s hard rock. Show all posts

Pyromania Review

Pyromania
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Pyromania ReviewReleased in 1983 "Pyromania" was the album that broke Def Leppard in America but primarily due to MTV's playing the videos of "Photograph", "Foolin'" and "Rock Of Ages". Again, with Robert John "Mutt" Lange doing the producing as well as co-writing most of the songs "Pyromania" had it's share of great songs starting with the hits "Photograph", "Foolin'", "Rock Of Ages", and "Rock Rock (Till You Drop)", etc. More polished than the band's 1981 album "High N' Dry" (but in my opinion not necessarily better) it was ex-Girl guitarist Phil Collen's debut replacing original guitarist and founder Pete Willis. "Pyromania" seems to have a more commercial sound than the previous albums and the band seems to be getting away from their NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) roots. The remastering on this Deluxe Edition is far superior when compared to the older non-remastered single disc. I hear a crispness and more midrange in this newly remastered version that the older version lacked. The bonus disc (running just over seventy minutes long) from a concert in 1983 at the L.A. Forum is extremely well recorded and is a treat for Def Leppard fans as it includes not only material from "Pyromania" but from "High N' Dry" and "All Through The Night". Songs such as "Rock Brigade", "Wasted", "High N' Dry (Saturday Night)", "Another Hit And Run" and "Let It Go" have never been recorded "live" on cd or dvd for commercial release as far as this reviewer remembers so this is a first. Queen's Brian May even makes an appearance joining the band in playing the Creedence Clearwater classic "Travelin' Band" (the ending mixed with Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll"). The packaging of this Deluxe Edition of "Pyromania" is excellent with both discs securely mounted and there's also a fairly lengthy booklet with colorful photos of the band. Highly recommended!Pyromania Overview

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G N R Lies Review

G N R Lies
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G N R Lies ReviewComprised of a previously released EP and 4 new acoustic tracks, Lies succeeded in recasting GN'R into a band with more depth (and, unfortunately, venom) than any other L.A. group. The first half, the "live" tracks, (actually studio with overdubbed crowd noises) is a nice snapshot of the band's embryonic period but nothing more-they hadn't yet developed their memorable style. The 4 acoustic songs are the heart of the record-the lovely, generous "Patience" sets a gentle mood, but the rest of the record is unremittingly dark. "Used to Love Her" is simply a cruel (and old) joke set to a countryfied shuffle. A smouldering "You're Crazy" is superior to the version on "Appetite", displaying the paranoia and selfishness of the song more successfully. But it's the scabrous "One In a Million" that defines this album. Murky and ominous, it presents a picture of a character (who may or may not be Axl) as he came to the big city and confronted his hatred of others and, ultimately, himself. Even more disturbingly, the song ends without a resolution-the hate remains, the demons fought to a draw, no winners. Like the rest of the album, it's an exorcism of raw emotion. Not easy to listen to, but extraordinarily powerful. It showed no other band could have shaped such ugly dramas into such compelling music.G N R Lies Overview

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Whitesnake Review

Whitesnake
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Whitesnake ReviewCan vintage pop metal from the 1980s be taken seriously by adults? Sometimes, yes. Case in point: Whitesnake's eponymous 1987 album, which catapulted them to international success and made them one of the top bands of the late eighties.
This album is the result of the songwriting collaboration between singer David Coverdale and guitarist John Sykes, and it has everything one could ask of good pop music: melody, wit, energy, and immaculate production. Coverdale is in very fine voice, and Sykes' guitar playing--well, it simply must be heard to be believed. This man is a virtuoso's virtuoso; his fingerwork alone is worth most guitarists' tapping. One scintillating solo follows another, but the fireworks are always in the service of the songwriting, which is largely first-rate.
Unfortunately, David Coverdale's personality is not one that cultivates collaborative bliss. By the time this album was released, Sykes had been fired and the Whitesnake lineup was completely transformed. Indeed, the big hit off this album, "Here I Go Again," was a recycled 'Snake song from the 1982, and featured a solo from Sykes' replacement, Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg (and a fine solo it is). That said, this is still very much Sykes' album, and an enormous accomplishment at that.
Who knows what heights Whitesnake would have reached had Sykes stayed and continued to write with Coverdale. The band's follow-up, "Slip of the Tongue" (1990), was relatively lackluster, despite some good tracks, and they never again reached the level of this album. Oh, well--at least this still makes good listening. Even for people who are now older and wiser.Whitesnake OverviewJapanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) paper sleeve pressing. Universal. 2008.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Blue Murder Review

Blue Murder
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Blue Murder ReviewAfter playing with Tygers of Pan Tang and Thin Lizzy, guitar virtuoso John Sykes got the gig of a lifetime. In 1984 he joined a reformed Whitesnake line-up, a position he originally declined. John did some guitar work on Whitesnake's Slide It In album in 1984. Impressed by his work, Whitesnake made Sykes a full member and in 1987 released their self-titled album. The album prominently displayed Sykes masterful guitar work on such tracks as "Still of the Night" and the re-worked "Here I Go Again". Whitesnake found themselves with their most successful album to date. There are conflicting reports as to Sykes departure from the group, he either left or was fired depending on what you read. However, Geffen records were certainly a fan of John's work in Whitesnake. So much so they offered him a record contract of his own. With the help of Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice, Blue Murder was born in 1989.
Sykes performs double duty on their self-titled debut, handling guitars and vocals. Both are pretty smooth on the albums opening track "Riot". You can take the man out of Whitesnake but you can't take the Whitesnake out of the man. That's evident on "Sex Child". Sykes parallels the work he did on "Slide it In". There's no sexual innuendo or metaphor here, Blue Murder cums right out it says it (that's not a misspelling!). Sex child / we're gonna slip and slide / I'm gonna come inside / girl. "Valley of the Kings" is an eight minute epic that displays all the member's strengths. Appice sets the pace with a pounding drum beat and Franklin plays in sync with Sykes guitar work. Sykes and company throw in a couple of blues-influenced tracks, among them is the acoustic lead "Jelly Roll". "Ptolemy" is a nice blend of blues & metal. "Out of Love" is the group obligatory power ballad.Blue Murder's debut album wouldn't be complete without an eighties metal staple. Nope, it's not a song about gypsies, it a song named after the group. Blue Murder is the best track on the album. It has that perfect metal sound which defined that era.
Bottom Line:
Whitesnake should be crying Blue Murder! It's clear that John Sykes was influential in the success of the eighties version of Whitesnake. Sykes took that talent and displayed it prominently with Blue Murder. The album is loaded with guitar heavy, metal anthems as well as smooth blues tracks. Sykes sounds a little like David Coverdale, but that doesn't take away from his vocal talents. The songs are simple, memorable, and a blast to listen to. It's too bad Blue Murder weren't more successful. Definitely a must for eighties Whitesnake fans. I won't even hold it against the group that they dressed like pirates on the back cover.Blue Murder Overview

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Van Halen: 5150 Review

Van Halen: 5150
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Van Halen: 5150 ReviewThis album and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge are the best Van Hagar CD's. The tracks were good except for the last one.
Good Enough-Good start for Van Hagar. The band sounds like it has been reinvented here.
Why Can't this be Love?-Good song, even though it is a saccarine love song. THe Keyboard work was quite interesting.
Get Up-Easily the hardest song on the album. Sammy really hit the high notes here. Good song to listen to when you want to get pumped up.
Dreams-The best song on the album. The song is very keyboard driven but has a very lush feel. It also moves fast and deals with people aspiring to be more than they are.
Summer Nights-A fun party song. It was a carefree song about meeting women and having a good time with the guys.
Best of Both Worlds-A good track about enjoying your life while you can.
Love Walks In-I thought this song sounded very progressive and I quite enjoyed it despite it being a saccharine love ballad.
5150-Really good track, mainly dealing with the woes of winning a woman. It has a really great guitar riff opening as well as a good solo.
Inside-I hate this track. While the rest of the albu is pretty good, I can't stand this song. I always stop my CD after the 8th track so I don't have to listen to this horrible song.
Overall, a good album. THough, I thought that the sound was wierd. It had a very compressed feel.Van Halen: 5150 OverviewThis 1986 album was the first with former Montrose singer Sammy Hagar! Diamond Dave's absence doesn't phase the band, whose crashing guitars and harmonies are still there! Includes Good Enough; Why Can't This Be Love; Get Up; Dreams; Love Walks In; 5150 , and more.

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Diver Down Review

Diver Down
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Diver Down ReviewEddie Van Halen once referred to DIVER DOWN as his "least favorite album." Pointing to the profusion of cover songs and the fact that the mini-Moog riff that opens "Dancing In The Streets" was meant for an original VH tune he was writing, EVH noted, "I'd rather bomb with my own stuff than score with somebody else's." In that vein, I once read a review of this LP that said, "This is the product of an exhausted, bored band at a creative lowpoint."
True, true. Yet DIVER DOWN is not a terrible or even a bad album. It is merely mediocre by the standards of the Old (1979 - 1985) Van Halen. And considering that band gave us ridiculously brilliant albums like VAN HALEN I and 1984, that's a sliding scale.
First of all, the three main cover tunes ("Dancing", "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" and "Pretty Woman") are well done, although "Pretty Woman" is technically way off, the result of the band playing it in the studio from memory rather than actually doing their homework (just like high school, Dave!). In fact, I like all of these songs better than their originals - VH truly made them their own. In keeping with old VH traditions, there are also two gag-reel songs, "Big Bad Bill" and "Happy Trails", which are as ridiculous as you'd expect them to be.
On the softer, more AOR-radio friendly side, we've got "Secrets" and "Little Guitars", two underrated and understated tunes you will never - ever - hear on contemporary radio. And the good old VH trademark of an instrumental song ("Cathedral") marks the first real foray by Ed into keyboards and is really a beautiful and evocative track. His next outing was the key-solo on "Jump", and we all know how that one ended up.
DIVER DOWN has a vaguely spaghetti-Western type of theme (I guess Dave was watching a lot of Sergio Leone in 1982?), most particularly on the oddly compelling song "Hang `em High", which is arguably the best track on the record. In addition, "The Full Bug" features an exuberant harmonica solo. This song rocks full-bore and will get you a speeding ticket if you listen to it while driving.
All in all, DIVER DOWN is decent three-star album from a great band playing with one hand occupied by beer, or possibly a groupie's bra. It has most of the things you'd associate with DLR-era Van Halen, the main difference being the lighthearted, almost disposable nature of the songs, which lack the hard, gritty resonance of earlier albums or of side 2 of "1984." It' a quirky, very distinctive, upbeat type of Big Rock with just enough edge to prevent it from straying into sugar-pop-rock territory.
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Pyromania Review

Pyromania
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Pyromania ReviewPyromania(1983). Def Leppard's third studio album, and the
first one with Phil Collen on guitar.
DL has always been one of my favorite pop/metal bands to arrive on the 80's music scene. They started out in 1980's On Through The Night as a purely metal NWOBHM act (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal to the uneducated) and as they gained fame and fortune, DL gradually grew into more of a pop rock act. Pyromania sees DL at the height of their pop/metal powers just before the pop sound would take over on the albums that followed. To give this album more of an "edge" over the current rock competition, DL brings back producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange (that's right, High And Dry was his first time producing for DL, NOT PYROMANIA), and sends the band into the studio working hard for about a year. Pyromania was the direct result and in more ways than none, IT PAID OFF BIG TIME. Let's take a look:
1) Rock Rock- DL kicks off the album with this amazing head banger. As another reviewer put it, it draws great similarities to High And Dry's "Let It Rock". The intro always sends chills down my spine, and that's a good thing. 9/10
2) Photograph- One of the four big singles off here. This song became famous for a reason, and that reason is because IT ROCKS! Great guitar work and vocals. One of the songs that got me to be a huge DL fan. 10/10
3) Stagefright- A very catchy, fun, and ambient fast rocker. It's truly an underrated track, as I believe it would have made for a great single. Sadly, this is the last time drummer Rick Allen would play this fast before losing his arm a couple of years down the road. 9/10
4) Too Late For Love- A GREAT GLOOMY BALLAD, unlike many of the sappy ballads DL would be writing from Hysteria(1987) on. Joe Elliot's vocals really stand out here. With as much radio play as this song has seen, WHY DIDN'T THIS TRACK FIND ITS PLACE ON VAULT(1995)? 10/10
5) Die Hard The Hunter- BY FAR MY FAVORITE TRACK OFF OF PYROMANIA, and one of my four all time favorite DL songs ("Gods Of War", "White Lightning", and "Ring Of Fire" being the other 3). It starts out with synthesized war sounds and changes into a steady head banger with a killer chorus and guitar solo. VASTLY UNDERRATED AND EXCELLENT. 10/10
6) Foolin'- Another famous gloomy ballad like track 4. Once again, Joe's vocals really soar on this one, making it a winner. 9/10
7) Rock Of Ages- Ahh the classic rock 'n roll anthem, and one of the catchiest songs DL has ever made, pop years included. It hints at the next few albums down the road. Some people may hate ROA, but it still stands strong alone, even on the poorly-put-together greatest hits cd Vault. 9/10
8) Comin' Under Fire- I didn't pay much attention to this gloomy ballad at first, but it certainly grew better with each listen, and now I consider it to be a DL DEFINING MASTERPIECE. Very melodic and probably the best of the gloomy ballads. TRULY UNDERRATED FOR WHAT IT IS. 10/10
9) Action! Not Words- A mid-paced rocker with a cool guitar solo. Most likely, this is Pyromania's weakest song because it does nothing to stand up to the rest of the tracks. 8/10
10) Billy's Got A Gun- A great melodic slow-paced rocker, with excellent vocals and synths strewn about throughout the track. For some strange reason, as soon as the song ends an odd synthesizer drum beat pattern emerges and plays for about two minutes. Not sure why this was left on. 9/10
If I haven't stated it enough throughout this review, let me say it again: PYROMANIA IS A POP/METAL MASTERPIECE! Five stars for excellent songwriting and musicianship. If you see it in the stores, don't hesitate to pick it up. Some people may decide that they aren't huge DL fans, so they may settle for Vault. BIG MISTAKE. Like I stated above, Vault is a very poorly put together greatest hits cd. AVOID VAULT AT ALL COSTS! Instead, just buy Pyromania and Hysteria and then decide if you like DL or not. PYROMANIA IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ANYONE WHO LIKES POP/METAL.Pyromania OverviewJapanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) pressing of this classic 1983 album from the Rock legends. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2008.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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