161. Edguy / Burning Down The Opera. 2003. 4/5.

The first live release by this excellent power metal band, highlighting the best of their years in the business.

I am very impressed by their live performance. I must admit that before I heard this, I didn't think they would be able to pull it off live – especially the vocals.
Silly me. Tobias is a gem, and hits every note that he needs to without losing a step.

This double disc contains a lot of their best material, including Tears Of The Mandrake, The Pharoah, Vain Glory Opera and Painting On The Wall. Every song is pulled off almost note for note as they appear on the studio albums, along with the added live atmosphere and crowd support.

It is difficult to believe that Edguy are not better known in the metal industry. Everything they have done has been fantastic, and they are one of the best in the power metal genre. I know we are isolated in Australia, but more Australians must start listening to this band.

Rating : You could do worse than start off with this album if you are a beginning. For those that love live metal, this should be another addition to the collection. 4/5.

160. Ark / Burn The Sun. 2001. 4/5.

I went back in time, and got this album on the strength of Masterplan's debut effort, for which Jorn Lande had migrated to following the release of this, Ark's final installment with him behind the microphone.

It is hard to judge it now, knowing what Masterplan have done since. This is a very diverse effort, with a lot of conflicting styles interwoven. For instance, Absolute Zero features some whacked out, Stewart Coupland-esque drumming, Just A Little starts off with a Spanish Guitaring frenzy, Missing You starts out as a very Queen-or-Whitesnake-ish rock ballad type, before thrashing out towards the end. Mixed in with all of that is the kind of power metal songs that have made this band popular.

I don't really know how to take this album. Having it playing in the background tonight while at work, it was great to listen to. Sitting down and trying to sift through it song by song, however, brought other emotions to the process. If I was to try and get technical, I would say that this is a little too different in song style. However, I find that I still like it too much not to rank it higher than average. The musicianship is great, and Jorn's vocals are just fantastic.

Rating : I've decided to throw out the technical studying, and go with what my head was banging away to. 4/5.

159. Deep Purple / Burn. 1974. 5/5.

Following the departure of Ian Gillan from Deep Purple following the album Who Do We Think We Are, the band recruited David Coverdale to come in and take on the lead vocalist role.

Burn is a triumph. Not only do Coverdale's vocals stand out at the front of the band on this album, he brings through a great enthusiastic vibe to the songs. Whether the band had become stale before his arrival is open to question, but here they are rocking again. This can also be attributed to Glenn Hughes on bass and duelling vocals. Hughes and Coverdale's singing on this is a joy to listen to.

In the modern world, a lot of the Purple songs NOT recorded by Mark II have disappeared, and it is a shame because there is some great stuff. Here, for instance, come some of their best, in Burn, Might Just Take Your Life, Lay Down Stay Down, and the brilliant Mistreated.

This album stacks up against any other that Deep Purple have released. Just imagine what they may have been able to do if they hadn't always been arguing with each other!!

Rating : Deep Purple at their finest. 5/5.

158. Michael Schenker Group / Built To Destroy. 1983. 3.5/5

Continuing the trend of the early 80's, here is another album full of songs with brilliant guitaring and great vocals, and yet that nagging feeling that at least a couple of the songs were more commercially bent that would normally be the case, in an effort to breakthrough onto radio.
Schenker, to a lesser degree than say Yngwie Malmsteen, I'm sure was looking for a commercial hit, but veered too far away from his safety net to gain it.

Apart from that, this is a great album, again producing some of his best ever songs and showing why he is regarded so highly. I'm not sure why he kept having to change personnel in his band, but I'm guessing it was because he was a volatile character. But everything works here.

There are some great songs. Rock My Nights Away, The Dogs Of War, the brilliant instrumental Captain Nemo, Still Love That Little Devil and Rock Will Never Die.
How, then, was it four years before he appeared on another album, under a different band name?

Memories : In my first year at Uni in 1988, I got through a lot of it with new bands I was discovering by buying albums at the second hand record store. MSG was one of those bands. I lived a lot of that year by the lyrics of Rock My Nights Away - “Cos when I'm sad and lonely, and far from home, I'm just gunna rock my nights away!”
Yeah, I failed pretty much.

Rating : Schenker still knows how to do the good stuff well. 3.5/5.

157. Skid Row / B-Side Ourselves [EP]. 1992. 4/5.

When Skid Row were still good, and wholly intact, they released this gem on a whim, and it is just great.

What did they do? Well, they released a five song EP of cover tunes. Each member of the band chose a song they wanted to cover, and they slapped them all together and put it out. Charged a fortune for it at the time ($10.95!!), but it ended up being worth it.
Psycho Therapy is great, but not near the brilliance of C'mon And Love Me and Delivering The Goods (which is live, with guest Rob Halford). What You're Doing and Little Wing round out the five-fa.

Rating : Great idea for a mini-EP, and done terrifically well. 4/5.

156. Alice Cooper / Brutal Planet. 2000. 3/5.

This album is certainly a change in direction for the recent history of Alice Cooper. The musical direction is definitely different from albums such as Constrictor, Trash and Hey Stoopid! Whereas those albums were a little bit silly and a little bit fun, this has a much more 'serious' and grungy feel to it.

Alice has survived through the decades by being able to change with the times when it suits him, but never losing his identity with it. Here is another change, and yet it is still quintissentially Alice.

My concern lies in the fact that, even when you have grown to know the album, it is difficult to discern between the first six tracks on the album. They really do all sound like the same song – the same riff and the same vocal melody. The second half of the album is fine, but the first half still concerns me when I listen to it.
So, Alice has made a change – perhaps for the new decade? Or perhaps just as a change from his recent outings. I'm still not sure it works, but you can't deny him the opportunity of doing it!

My favourites from the album include Sanctuary, Blow Me A Kiss, It's The Little Things and the great Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me, which is just classic Alice, and completely different from everything else on the album (yes, it was a bonus track!)

Rating : Not one of my favourites from the great man, but still worth listening to. 3/5.

155. Sonata Arctica / Broken [EP]. 2003. 3.5/5

OK, it's just the single, but the songs are great! It contains Broken in full and edit mode, along with Dream Thieves and The Gun. A good little buy.

Rating : Good single release. 3.5/5.

154. Judas Priest / British Steel. 1980. 4.5/5.

With the new decade upon the band, and the fans of music beginning their switch from the punk movement to the NWOBHM sound that was punctuating the UK, Judas Priest was at the top of their game. With several successful albums behind them, and riding on the wave of their live album released the previous year, the band brought out this album, British Steel. As they had done over the course of their career, the music they were writing and recording was constantly building and forming into a marketable product. This album had all of that and more surprises in store.

From the outset a few things are noticeable. It’s sleeker. It’s shinier. It has been polished both in production and in recording. The timing hits the right beat all the way through. The songs are more structured, with verse then chorus then verse then chorus. The rhythm is tight and perfect, holding each song within its walls. The guitars are perfectly in sync, only breaking out in their allocated solo section. This is such a regimented album in almost every way, you could probably march to it were you so inclined to do so. Something which some fans do have a problem with.
Let’s face it. New drummer Dave Holland doesn’t have a lot of outstanding work to do here. Most of his work could be categorised as basic 4/4 or 2/4 with a few cymbal crashes thrown in at the appropriate time. It provides the base that this album was obviously looking for and it does its job, but without much variation to it to help colour the songs it does then bring on that feeling of being a similar album throughout. It’s the kind of album you can give to a learner and say ‘play along with that’, and soon enough they will because it is heavy in the basics. This is not meant to be a criticism but just to point out how this album was written.
The same too can be said for the guitars on the album. All of the songs in general have simple riffs and chords for most of the song, before allowing the guitar solos in the middle to help change up this part of each song. And through it all, the vocals are terrific, but there is nothing stretching the range here like on earlier albums. It’s all very within the limitations of other vocalists, and has no breakout screams or high pitched ringers that has always been a part of the Halford trick bag. To try and put a rating on it, British Steel is much like an AC/DC album, with less rock and more metal. The basic premise of the rhythm, both in how tight it is and the tempo in particular, reminds me of how AC/DC operate. That’s not a bad thing in song structure, but it is somewhat different from what Judas Priest had done in the past.
Despite all of this and any belief that I have been bagging the album, everything works. The fast paced opening of “Rapid Fire” is terrific, and the brilliant mood swing into “Metal Gods” is still a joy to listen to even after all of these years. “Breaking the Law” is the track that got most airplay at the time and typifies what this album is about, the simple but effective and memorable riff along with a catchy chorus that people of all ages find themselves singing along to. “Grinder” as well has a great feel to the rhythm riff.
The result of the similar song structures does hold some dangers, and there does come a point where there is some boredom of repetition in some of the songs. Every individual probably has different songs that drives them to distraction on this album. “United” is one of them for me. It is very rigid musically and lyrically, and while it isn’t a bad song it is one of the ones here that I can almost reach for the skip button if I am in that kind of mood. It is improved in a live setting, where the crowd can get involved and chant along, but here on the studio version it eventually gets stale and staid. “You Don’t Have to be Old to be Wise” also has some degree of this seeping in, if only for the constant repeating of the title through the second half of song to the fade out. It does get tedious on occasions. Many people say the same about “Living After Midnight” and I couldn’t knock them if they did, but this like “Breaking the Law” is a Judas Priest anthem, one they always have to play and another where the catchy chorus has people of all ages singing along. “The Rage and “Steeler” close out the album in a similar style.

British Steel has been a classic since its release almost 40 years ago, playing off the success of its two main singles and through the simplistic excellence of the rest of the album. Even now when you listen to the album you can hear the results of the effort put into the writing and recording these songs and the plan that must have been in place for all of them. As a structured masterpiece this ticks almost every box, and only falls short of a perfect rating by the slight nagging in the back of my head that says that a couple of the songs just aren’t quite up to giving it that.

Rating: “I’m getting hotter by the hour”. 4.5/5

153. Dokken / Breaking The Chains. 1982. 3/5.

The opening of the Dokken career is a strange one, with a difficult birth and then a just as difficult re-birth, along mixed in with the feeling that there was something here to work with. All in all in was a confusing couple of years in order to get the start they wanted.

The album was initially released as Breakin' the Chains under the moniker of Don Dokken in Europe. When it was eventually released in the US it was marketed under the Dokken banner as Breaking the Chains, with completely changed cover art, as well as having some of the songs remixed and even re-ordered on the album itself. It also managed to change the title of two of the songs. “We’re Illegal”, which initially was the closing song on side one of the album was rebranded as "Live to Rock (Rock to Live)" on the US version, though it retained its position as the end track of side one. Also the opening track to side two on the original release was “Paris”. 

However, on the US release, not only has it been moved to be the final track, it is also a live version of the song recorded in 1982, and is now titled “Paris is Burning”. This is actually one of my favourite songs from the album, and it is an improvement on the studio version of the initial release, most likely from the extra energy it gains from the live setting.

“Breaking the Chains” is a great opening song to the band and the album. It highlights most of what makes Dokken the band they became. A solid rhythm of drums and bass provided by Mick Brown and Juan Croucier, Don Dokken’s terrific vocals and George Lynch’s outstanding individualistic guitar work. It’s easily catchy and makes an immediate impression.

As for the rest of the album? In the main, apart from the title track and “Paris is Burning”, this is a straight up hard rock album that does the good things well without as much flash and glint as you might expect listening to the albums that followed this. “In the Middle” and “Nightrider” and “Seven Thunders” are all good songs, but there is nothing that jumps out at you and grabs you about them. The beat and rhythm stay intact, and the lyrics are simple but effective. George does a great job, but there is certainly none of the amazing stuff that he produced later on. It’s all very straight forward, and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it just makes for an average album rather than a great album.

Rating: “Take a good look around you”.   3/5

152. Spinal Tap / Break Like The Wind. 1992. 4.5/5.

Who would have thought that a band that was made up to star in a film which was taking the mickey out of the music business would, nine years later, release an album which became one of the best releases of that year? It could only be Spinal Tap, couldn't it?
Whatever reasons they came up with for doing it, it is well justified. Not only do Spinal Tap play great music, their lyrics are just brilliant. If they can still crack up my wife, then they are doing something right.

Apart from the regular band, Nigel Tufnell, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls there are a number of guests who make an appearance, including Dweezil Zappa, Steve Lukather, Slash, Jeff Beck and Joe Satriani.

It becomes almost impossible not to sing along to songs like Bitch School, The Majesty Of Rock, Cash On Delivery, The Sun Never Sweats and Break Like The Wind. Each is brilliantly written musically, and lyrically laced with double meanings. You can't go past it.

Memories : In March of 1992, the fabled metal band Wizball trekked out to the far galaxy of Blayney to play what could perhaps be called a 'gig'. Getting there mid afternoon, we purchased a case of beer, sat in the car park and demolished it – while listening to this album over and over. It was the first time I'd heard it. I bought it the next week, and haven't stopped listening to it since.

Rating : At the top of the tree for so many reasons. 4.5/5.

151. Iron Maiden / Brave New World. 2000. 4/5.

From April 1999 until its release in mid-2000, this was the most awaited album in the world. Well... it certainly was in my world, anyway! The reuniting of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith with the four remaining members brought headlines and whetted appetites.
When it was finally released, it stayed on my CD player for months. Maiden tours sold out all over the world (though of course they refused to tour Australia...), with the setlist containing half of the album. Iron Maiden were back!

Flash forward six years. How does it hold up?

I'm not sure how I rated it when it was released, but to listen to it now is to hear, to my eyes, all the holes that exist. The album opens well with the first single The Wicker Man, and flows nicely into Ghost Of The Navigator. Brave New World and Blood Brothers are the two best live tracks on the album, containing good choruses to allow audiences (of 1 or 500,000) their chance for participation. Dream Of Mirrors and The Fallen Angel are also good numbers, while Out Of The Silent Planet is probably the most underrated song on the album, and my favourite.

But the rest? Well, it is average at best. The Mercenary does little exciting and still made the live set. The Nomad is close to being in the Top 5 Most Ordinary Iron Maiden Songs Of All Time. Even the closer, The Thin Line Between Love And Hate probably rambles on far too long for its and the album's own good.
I guess it is easy to find fault with Iron Maiden albums in recent years. They do have a lot to live up to. I'm not trying to imply that this is not a good album – just that in comparison to some of their efforts in the past, it has a few question marks about it.

Memories : The morning I bought this album I was invited over to Garry's house for afternoon 'drinks'. This then stretched from 1.00pm to a 3.00am finish at Kearo's house, with numerous listenings to Brave New World throughout the long day.

Rating : This is NOT a poor album, in fact overall it is a good album! But I can't shake the feeling that they should have done more with it, especially with the three guitarists. 4/5.

150. Bon Jovi / Bounce. 2002. 3.5/5

You've got to be impressed with Bon Jovi's ability to survive in their market, and yet continue to make diverse albums without alienating their fan base. It is remarkable that this band is enjoyed and followed by teeny-boppers, rock fans and metal heads – three different genres of music listeners, and yet bodies of each love Bon Jovi.

Bounce is another excellent mix of their rock headbanging tunes and their rock ballad tunes. It takes some talent to be able to write both types of songs, and mix them into the same album without losing the feel for the whole disc. Bon Jovi have been doing it for years, but not always as successfully as I think they have done it here.
My favourites here are Undivided, Everyday, Hook Me Up and Bounce.

Rating : Another easy album to listen to. 3.5/5

149. Black Sabbath / Born Again. 1983. 4/5.

Following the departure of Ronnie James Dio after Mob Rules, there came what at the time must have appeared to be a strange decision to replace him – Deep Purple's Ian Gillan. With Sabbath and Purple having been so successful at different ends of the rock/metal spectrum, putting elements of the two together must have appeared a little off kilter – but it had worked with Dio (who had fronted Rainbow previously), so why shouldn't it?

In my opinion, it works. I think this is a terrific album, and Gillan is in fine form. Apparently it faltered live, when he was expected to sing Sabbath's classsics, but here on Born Again, it is excellent. You've got to love Trashed, Zero The Hero, Digital Bitch and Born Again. They are great songs, and have probably never received the recognition that they deserve. Tony's riffwork is still superb as is Geezer's bass lines, and Ian's vocals are at their best on with the faster pace of Sabbath's material.

The tragedy here is that Gillan left after this to reform the Mark II era of Deep Purple, which of course has gone from strength to strength since. But it would have been great to hear a second Butler/Iommi/Gillan collaboration, to see how the band and music would have progressed.

Memories : The film clip for Trashed. I didn't even realise it was Ian Gillan singing in the clip for a number of months after I first saw it. I actually thought it was Ozzy, singing in a different key... I was young and naïve...

Rating : Deserves a better fate in history than it has received. 4/5.

148. Zakk Wylde / Book Of Shadows. 1996. 4/5.

After his phenomenal success as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne's band for almost a decade, which had sent his profile soaring within the music world and especially in the metal world, this is very different from anything Zakk had been renown for to most of his fans in his career. It was his first branching out on his own since his pairing up with the great man, a solo album away from the style of his work with Ozzy Osbourne. A real changing of style too, not just a mere tweak. And as a result there will no doubt be a lot of people won't like it.

While it may seem like an unusual thing to come out of my mouth, in this instance all I can say is – give it a chance! It really does grow on you.
OK, so it's not metal. But in many ways it is like a heavy metal 'chill-out' session. Zakk's guitaring is as brilliant as always, we get the chance to hear him sing for the first time (on his lonesome), and discover he CAN actually sing! And the songs all carry their own mood, and don't suffer from any identity crisis. They are not trying to be something they are not. The album is not looking to cash in on anything or anyone.
While I cannot guarantee you this will be your cup of tea, it is worth a shot next time you are feeling in a mellow-ish type of mood to slap this disc on. It will more than likely suit it perfectly, and you can appreciate the ridiculous talents of Zakk Wylde in all of their glory. And it should be said that while this album suited the time it was released, pre- Black Label Society as it was, this would still be well thought of if it hadn't been repeated somewhat ad nauseum on later albums by that very band.

Rating: This was a real surprise, and a pleasant one. If you are in a suitable mood, this is just great. 4/5.

147. AC/DC / Bonfire [Box Set]. 1997. 4.5/5

The Bonfire boxset contains four very different albums, mostly featuring the late lamented Bon Scott.

The first album is the band Live From Atlantic Studios in 1976, and is a pearler. Everyone is in top form, and the songs are just brilliant. Live Wire, High Voltage, Whole Lotta Rosie... oh the list goes oh. Sensational.
The second album is the two-disc Live In Paris, which is more of the same, but with even more tracks. As a live album (recorded during the filming of the film Let There Be Rock) showcasing not only Bon's great vocals in a live environment, but also the band itself, this is probably as good as it gets. Absolutely brilliant.
The third album is Volts, a collection of rare tracks and live tracks.
The fourth album is a remastered version of the classic Back In Black – but why it is a part of this collection, I'm not really sure. I mean, I guess there might be someone in the world who doesn't own this album... nah... couldn't be, could it?

146. Motörhead / Bomber. 1979. 3.5/5.

Following the band’s establishment through their first two albums, the arrival of Bomber was met by a rousing reception back in the day. For those of us who came in a few years later due to age and unable to drive to a record shop (at nine years of age), listening to it beyond further releases perhaps sheds a new light upon the album.

This album follows Overkill which is one of my favourite Motörhead albums, and precedes Ace of Spades which ranks alongside it also. So, with hindsight and a touch of the obvious, I find that Bomber pales in comparison to these two albums and any direction I could make between the three makes for a poor result.
In trying to find a reason for this, in the long run I can only offer that there is no big two or three songs that dominate this album, that then allow the rest of the tracks on the album to play good support to them and build a well of greatness about it. Overkill has the title track and “Damage Case”. Ace of Spades has the title track and “(We Are the) Road Crew”. Bomber has plenty of songs that are good average rockers and a couple that are better than average, but none that stand out significantly and are true great songs in the band’s discography. That, to me at least, means that listening to the album is still an enjoyable experience but there is nothing there that lifts you out of your seat, or has you looking up with a smile on your face when it begins. I can’t give a good reason for why this is the case, apart from the fact that this was released only seven months after Overkill which seems a ridiculously short time between albums. As such, all of the material written for Bomber was done off the road and barely tried out before going into the studio to put them down, which gave the band no time in which to really get their heads around it. To me it just means that none of the songs has a real standout quality that not only grabs the listener but lifts the album.
That being said, there are good songs here. The title track “Bomber” leads us out of the hanger, and along with “Dead Men Tell No Tales”, “Lawman”, “Sharpshooter” and perhaps the best on the album “Stone Dead Forever” are my favourite tracks from the album. It’s also great just to hear Fast Eddie on lead vocals, as he does on “Step Down”, which is a real change from Lemmy’s usual gruff tidings.

Perhaps it doesn’t have that stand out magic that some other Motörhead albums have, but it has those three original rockers in Lemmy, Philthy and Fast Eddie cranking away at full throttle in their prime and you can’t ask for much more than that. It might be in the shade compared to those other albums but it still has more than enough to satisfy fans of the band.

Rating: “You think you see me, in the glass, you think you hear me, you better listen fast”. 3.5/5

145. Jerry Cantrell / Boggy Depot. 1998. 3/5.

In the downtime when Layne Staley was 'not in the right frame of mind' to perform his duties for Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell released this, his first solo album.
I really don't know what the publicity was for this at the time. I only found it as I was digging away through every CD rack at the Marrickville Metro Sanity one Saturday morning, and I've never seen it since.

I must admit that it took some time for me to come around to this album. I mean, the songs sound like Alice In Chains songs (to no one's surprise...), but it took me some time to get past not having Layne's vocals on them. Once I got over this, and accepted the album for what it was – Jerry's album – I appreciated it a lot more. It certainly is not as if Jerry can't sing!!

So yes, the songs are very much in the same vein as the Alice In Chains songs that Jerry wrote, and for the most part they work well. A few do tend to get bogged down (no pun intended...) through the middle of the album, but overall if you like Alice, you will enjoy this album as well.
My favourites from the album include Dickeye, Cut You In, My Song, Devil By His Side, Keep The Light On and Between.

Rating : I'd love to have heard it with Layne, but if wishes were horses... etc... 3/5.

144. Gary Moore / Blues From A Gun. 1998. 1.5/5.

This is a double live album (soundboard by the sounds, so it's OK).
More of the same, and not as well done as Blues Alive.

Rating : Enough already, Gary! 1.5/5

143. Gary Moore / Blues For Greeny. 1996. 1/5.

Look, I'm sorry, OK? I just can't get into this.
Blues. So why have I got it? Because Gary Moore plays on it, and sometimes you just hope he's going to do something again that is brilliant to my ears.

Rating : This isn't it... 1/5.

142. Gary Moore / Blues Alive. 1993. 3/5.

A live album from Gary Moore, showcasing his talents on stage with the best of his blues revolution.

I guess I've written enough already about my taste for his blues music (recent reviews are your best bet if you haven't) but this is somewhat of an exception:
a) this is a live album, and Gary has always been great live. His guitaring on this is superb, and his vocals great as always.
b) most of the songs are his up-tempo ones, which are good. His slower, more introspective songs do slow things down waaaaay too much.
c) Parisienne Walkways, though not technically a blues song, makes an appearance (surprise, surprise...)

All right then. It's a 50/50 album if you aren't a blues fan. I still have to pick up the remote and flick to the next song on a few occasions. But it is Gary Moore live, and that is a treat at the best of times.

Rating : Just rises into the good category. 3/5.

141. Blue Murder / Blue Murder. 1989. 1.5/5.

Well, this was probably one of those mistakes that we have all made when buying albums, but it was a mistake that was well researched...

This was released in 1989, at a time that I was trying to expand my music horizons and collection, especially given I had full time employment for the first time, and money to throw away.
John Sykes had formed the band, having just completed his commitments with Whitesnake, and included Tony Franklin and Carmine Appice who were both respected musicians in their field.

*cough*

OK, it's not all bad. Certainly the first few songs sound like Whitesnake, but that's not really enough to hold up throughout the album. There is not a lot of momentum in any of the songs, and it struggles to hold your attention until the end.

Rating : Some gambles pay off, and others don't. This $29.95 certainly didn't come home a winner. 1.5/5

140. AC/DC / Blow Up Your Video. 1988. 2.5/5

I really wanted to love this album. Who Made Who had come out previously and re-whetted our appetites for classic AC/DC material, and when this came out, fired up by the two single releases, there was great hope that this would be the return of AC/DC as a megaforce. On first listen, it just didn't grab me at all. But the band was touring Australia for the first time in seven years, and so I gave it spin after spin to force myself to love it. It didn't work. For an album that contains two of the band's most recognisable songs of the 80's on it, this is somewhat of a disappointment.

Of course, you know what you get with AC/DC, but having started the album so well with "Heatseeker" and "That's The Way I Wanna Rock 'N' Roll", the rest is very up and down average fare. Even these two opening songs, with their big videos and massive airplay, are really only standard stuff. Their perceived popularity probably came more from the fact that they heralded that first Australian tour in forever, and this cashed in on that market. They're not bad songs but they aren't from the top shelf either.
From this point on, there are some songs that have merit, and others that you would almost have to categorise as filler, which for a band as revered as AC/DC is a terrible thing to have to say. If you want hard rock songs with a solid rhythmic base that satisfies all of the basic musical elements, topped off with vocals over the top that tend to sing along without a huge influence, and the occasional guitar solo that quite frankly rarely manages to disturb the furniture in its volume or originality, then you can find all of that here. Although it would be slightly unfair to suggest so, the band could almost have recoded the same song here and then repeated it seven times to complete this album. In essence you jump into the pool, and then tread for 44 minutes.

Perhaps I am being overly sensitive to this, but I still remember how disappointed I was with this album back when I bought it, and so much more so after I first saw AC/DC in concert just a couple of weeks later from the front row of the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. the band then was bigger than life, playing all their hits, and showcasing their amazing talent. This album does not possess a whole lot of that excitement.

Rating:  Dig the trench, watch the blast, shell shock come, coming fast.  2.5/5

139. B L A Z E / Blood & Belief. 2004. 4.5/5.

Blaze Bayley's third release for his own band continues their trek toward the top of the modern metal genre, with a heavy and headbanging addition to his discography.

This band has progressed in the metal genre with each album, and here is their best so far. Full of great heavy riffs and drumming, and backed by the excellent lyrics and vocals. The songs are perfectly balanced for Blaze's vocals, something that is apparent was not considered a lot in his days in Iron Maiden.
Driven by the powerful Alive, Ten Seconds, Blood And Belief, Life And Death, Will To Win and Soundtrack To My Life, this album exceeds all before it, and is a blue print for how metal in the new millenium should be heading. The fact that it is at least as good as Maiden's recent releases is also a triumph for Blaze himself.

In my opinion, Gamma Ray have been the leaders of innovation and pushing the future of heavy metal in the past fifteen years. This album proves that B L A Z E are now one of those bands following the path that they have 'blazed' for them.

Rating : An extremely impressive addition to this band's stable. Their ability to continue to follow up solid albums is a testament to their hard work. 4.5/5.

138. Ozzy Osbourne / Blizzard Of Ozz. 1980. 5/5.

Two years after the release of Black Sabbath's Never Say Die and his subsequent firing from the band, Ozzy Osbourne found a band that suited what he needed, and between them they came together and wrote and recorded one of the most influential albums of the 1980's. And though the stories that have since come out that surrounded the way the album and band was supposed to be drawn have differed, there is no denying that Blizzard of Ozz was what propelled Ozzy onto a stardom he could not have imagined. That that stardom was not reflected on the other members of the band is still a disappointment and a tragedy on many levels.

 
Ozzy was teamed up with a relatively unknown guitarist called Randy Rhoads, and other hard-working musicians in Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake and Don Airey. What they produced together is, in my opinion, the equal of what Black Sabbath had done with their self-titled debut album in 1970. Teaming Ozzy's well-known vocals with the amazingly refined guitaring of Randy, then fabulous groove of Daisley’s bass and the drive of Kerslake’s drumming, Blizzard of Ozz is a terrific collection of songs that meld together from different genres to form something far more as the sum of its parts.

On reflection, if you were to take on the songs individually you can probably find some fault or lack of glory. People who have read my reviews throughout this blog know full well I am not a lover of the ballad, be it a power ballad or rock ballad or thrash ballad (there is no such thing, but there should be). And there is no doubt that “Goodbye to Romance” is this, a soft rock ballad. But get beyond this, and listen to Ozzy’s vocal line and Randy’s terrific soloing the middle of the song and you gloss over that entirely. I do anyway, I sing along to it every time I listen to the album. And “Dee” of course is just a Randy ditty which to listen to is an instructional delight, but taken out of the album is nothing special. And “No Bone Movies” was actually only written to be a B-side on a single, but eventually found its way onto the album so that Lee would have a writing credit. And I like the song but it isn’t ground breaking. As it turns out the song that was supposed to be on the album, "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You", I think is actually a better song.

So that may seem negative, but it isn’t meant to be, because albums are crafted, and that is certainly the case here. From the opening riff that kickstarts “I Don’t Know”, this album grabs you and sucks you in. Bob Daisley’s lyrics all tell a story, and that story is almost universally Ozzy’s, and having Ozzy singing about himself without really crafting the lyrics himself is something to behold. “I Don’t Know” is a great track, asking questions about the world around us, all the while also being our first introduction to Randy Rhoads and his amazing talent. Then we have the scream of “AAAALLL ABOOOARD!!!” and the forward momentum into what has become one of Ozzy’s signature songs “Crazy Train”, with the wailing guitar riffs, soaring vocals, brilliantly underrated bass line and drum tracking underneath. This is one of the great songs of heavy metal, one that has now even embedded itself into mainstream sports telecasts and the such. Then add to this the wonderful tones of “Suicide Solution”, the song that critics of the band always claimed was suggesting to people they should contemplate suicide, when it actually suggests the exact opposite. More terrific lyrics from Daisley.

The second side of the album provides just as much joy. The complete brilliance of “Mr. Crowley” is in its exuberance, both vocally and instrumentally. Ozzy sounds like he is standing on a pulpit preaching the words to his sermon, while Randy’s guitar solo through the middle and conclusion of the song is just stunningly brilliant, taking this song from a terrific one to out and out brilliance. And the closing two tracks of the album are vastly underrated and complement each other perfectly. “Revelation (Mother Earth)” is a terrifically moody song about destroying the planet (one that is still relevant today), finishing off with a brilliant hard metal solo piece from Randy, Bob and Lee that segues beautifully into the start of “Steal Away (the Night)”, a fantastic fast paced song that is highlighted by Daisley’s perfect running bass line that steals the song. Following on from the slow-paced start to harder finish of “Revelation (Mother Earth)”, this is a sensational way to conclude the album, and beckons to you to turn the album back over and start all over again.

There is a lot to take away from this album. It revitalised Ozzy’s career, giving him the kickstart he needed to fend off the end of his Sabbath years, and allowed him to leap into the new decade, one where his profile eventually outstripped those of his former bandmates. Unfortunately, those that helped to raise him to these heights didn’t get the same credit as they deserved. Randy Rhoads of course was lauded for his guitaring and writing, as he deserved to be, but the contributions of both Daisley and Kerslake would continue to be downplayed and undervalued for years. The fact that the band was actually supposed to be called The Blizzard of Ozz, and not just a solo band of Ozzy Osbourne, is now somewhat lost. It is important to note that without Bob Daisley’s song writing and lyric contributions, this album would have been a far different proposition, and perhaps not as great a success as it became.

Apart from this, the album is still as sensational today as it was on its release all those years ago. Everything about it still hits the right note. The vocals of Osbourne, the genius guitaring from Rhoads, the underrated bass and drums of Daisley and Kerslake, and the songs themselves that still stand the test of time and are as enormous and relevant today as they were back then. And that is what sets this album up as one of the most influential in the heavy metal genre.

Best Songs: “I Don’t Know”, “Crazy Train”, “Suicide Solution”, “Mr. Crowley", “Steal Away (the Night)”.

Rating: “Mental wounds still screaming, driving me insane.” 5/5

137. Gamma Ray / Blast From The Past. 2000. 5/5.

When it comes to putting out best-of packages, most bands (or their agents, or their record companies) are usually pretty unimaginative. They choose a selection of the songs that made the band known, sometimes add an unreleased track or two, or record a new single, and slap it together and put it out.

Gamma Ray did something highly inventive. Sure, they chose three songs from each of their six albums released to that date – but they re-recorded them all with the band's current line-up, updated them a little to how Kai Hansen believed they would play them at that stage of their career, and more importantly, had Kai singing the songs off the first three albums that Ralf Scheepers had originally done.

The result? Brilliance! Not only do you have a greatest hits album for those that are just getting into the band, you also have an album that all fans of the band can buy, as they do not have the versions of the songs as they are recorded on this double disc package. Everyone wins and everyone is entertained! And the new versions in no way detract from the originals as they were recorded.

Rating : One of the best greatest hits releases you are ever likely to hear. 5/5.

136. Scorpions / Blackout. 1982. 4/5

Back in the glory days of this band, they released four or five just unbelievable albums, and this was one of them. For a band to be under constant pressure to follow up a great album, and to actually equal or outdo said album, for a stretch of albums, is a remarkable and seldom successful venture, but the Scorpions were able to do so in the late 70's and early 80's.

Scorpions possess a unique sound, through not only the talented musicians that form the group, but the brilliant vocals of Klaus Meine. His voice drives through their great songs on this album, including Blackout, Can't Live Without Out, No One Like You and Dynamite.

However, China White and When The Smoke Is Going Down do drag on a little too long for comfort, which somewhat detracts from everything at the conclusion of the album.

Rating : A really great album, though the final two songs pull down the rating. 4/5.

135. Y&T / Black Tiger. 1982. 3.5/5.

Ah, the boys from Y&T. This is one of their early and defining albums, and though they seem to still be searching for what they want to be, it is still an interesting effort.

This is a solid outing, with the general mix of what Y&T always offered – rock songs and rock-ballads. Though I am not a fan of the ballad (as I am sure I must have mentioned here somewhere before), at least with Y&T you knew it would not just be a change of their musical character. They were still guitar and drum oriented, and the tempo was still such that you can tap your foot along to them, unlike other bands who write them purely for radio airplay. Winds Of Change here is a prime example. It is a ballad, but still has the same defining Y&T character that all of their songs do.

Open Fire, My Way Or The Highway, Black Tiger and Winds Of Change are my favourites from the album.

Rating : Y&T, like AC/DC, make very similar albums each release – but they do not lose anything in comparison to each other. So you either like 'em or don't. I do. 3.5/5.

134. Primal Fear / Black Sun. 2002. 4/5.

For a band that was originally labelled as just a Judas Priest rip-off band, Primal Fear have continued to rack up some pretty impressive albums. This is just another one, and a great example of what they do best – German Power Metal.

From the very beginning of this album, there is little doubt as to what is to follow – fast guitars, pounding drum beats and screaming vocals. From Countdown To Insanity and Black Sun, through to Lightyears From Home and Mind Control, This is another great album. He may on occasions sound a lot like Rob Halford, but Ralf Scheepers just keeps 'delivering the goods' (a little Judas Priest pun for you :) ) with his vocals, while the band are still rock solid perfect.
Having grown out of the legacy of Helloween and Gamma Ray, Primal Fear may not have the same standing as those two bands, but they are just as important in the ever growing European power metal scene, and this album shows why.

Rating : Another excellent example of how Euro metal is beginning to influence so many others. 4/5.

133. Black Sabbath / Black Sabbath. 1970. 4/5.

When attempting to review or rate an album such as this, which is one of the most important albums ever recorded in the heavy metal genre, it is easy to get caught up in it all, and automatically throw a 100% rating at it and be done. But I can't do that. Because even this album has some flaws, at least to my ears.
"Black Sabbath", the song, is one of the most remarkable Album 1, Side 1, Track 1 songs of all time. It must have been a buzz when it was released to put it on and try and absorb it. The sound of rain falling before the start of the track has become synonymous with the songs and the album, and the lyrics and heavy guitars bring goosebumps every time you hear it. What an amazing song to set off on a recording career with.
This is followed by "The Wizard", which is initially dominated by the harmonica and is the hallmark of the song. A terrific song where Bill Ward's drumming is also highlighted. "Behind The Wall Of Sleep" is the slower, more 60's oriented calmer song (mostly for those that are tripping out over the first couple of songs)., "N.I.B." returns the album to its groundbreaking best, with more lyrics invoking the devil and hammered by that guitar and bass riff that thuds into your chest as you listen.  "Evil Woman (Don't You Play Your Games With Me)", a cover version of a song done by a band called Crow, almost bounces along with a jaunty heavy riff, with Ozzy almost playfully singing out the lyrics.

As we approach the end of the album however, is the point where we hit a speed hump. I'm sure there are people out there who will tell me that "Sleeping Village" and "Warning" are great songs, and important pieces of the Black Sabbath legacy. I strenuously disagree. I know this album was written in a different age, when 'flower power' was still strong, and this type of musical writing was popular, mainly to allow people who don't mind indulging in some drug additive to trip out to the music. "Warning" is in fact another cover song of this era. But they just don't do anything for me. I always stop the album before these songs come on. I do think they detract from an otherwise superb album.

Yes, this was a groundbreaking album, paving the way for all of those that came after them. For the heavy metal genre, there are two major songs here that kick off that sound for the coming generations, those being "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B.". However, Black Sabbath's follow up album, Paranoid is probably the most cited influence, with a more refined and destructive heavy sound than parts of this album.

132. Black Sabbath / Black Mass – Germany 1970 [EP]. 1999. 3/5.

I'm not even sure where I picked this up from, but it is a four track live recording of Sabbath back in 1970, performing Paranoid, Black Sabbath, Iron Man and, of all things, Blue Suede Shoes. They are loud and probably very off their collective nuts. :)

Rating : Historical point of view only. 3/5.

131. Danzig / Black Aria. 1992. 0/5.

Well, this is mood music. I really don't know what Glenn was trying to do with this, I must admit. Perhaps I should research it a bit, because it has nothing. It is like the soundtrack to a particularly drab movie. No lyrics, just like elevator music, or the stuff they play on ABC FM sometimes. Anyway...

Rating : It doesn't deserve anything, so... 0/5.

130. Lita Ford / Black. 1995. 1/5.

I guess my question to Lita after listening to this would be... “What the hell were you thinking!!”

This album is a complete hotpotch, with at least four different styles of songs on the album. There is the country twangs of Loverman and Killin' Kind, the bluesy Smoking Toads and Spider Monkeys, and the grunge of Hammerhead. In fact, it is really on Boilin' Point that Lita fires up with anything like her old hard rocking self, but even this song is punctuated with a harmonica solo that tries to turn it into a different style right before your ears.

There is no continuity with the songs on this album. Generally when you buy an album, you know the kind of style the music will be and can be comfortable with that. Here, Lita is obviously trying to do something different, to extend herself, but that just doesn't sit well with me at all.
I wonder to myself if this is what other fans think as well?

Rating : This is a true disappointment. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who like it, but for me it was like pulling teeth to get through it. Think Echobrain terrible... 1/5.

129. Vinnie Vincent Invasion / All Systems Go. 1986. 3.5/5.

Though I didn't discover this album until fairly recently, I was pleasantly surprised by it when I finally got to listen to it.

This is classic hair metal from the 80's. Plenty of riffs, screaming vocals, lyrically concentrating on love (sometimes tongue-in-cheek), a mix of faster rocking songs and the mandatory sugary ballad type of numbers, colourful outfits and big, big hair.
Vinnie Vincent first came to my notice for his short stint in Kiss. This album is a fair way distant from Kiss, if only from the vocals point of view. Mark Slaughter does a fine job, though I know it isn't to everyone's taste.

My favourite songs from the album would be Ashes To Ashes, Dirty Rhythm, Let Freedom Rock and Breakout.

Rating : A really good 80's metal album. It makes you wonder why they didn't go on to bigger things, when you compare them to other similar bands in their era and genre. 3.5/5.

128. Alice Cooper / Billion Dollar Babies. 1973. 4/5.

Over 30 years on, and this album still contains songs that every generation of music lover knows and loves.

This is one of Alice's greatest, a mixture of angst and anger, of innocence and incendiary. Filled with the classic hits of Hello Hooray, Elected, Billion Dollars Babies and No More Mr Nice Guy, the album still holds up so well in this day.
On the Deluxe Edition, remastered and released in 2001, there is a second disc, a live album recorded on the Billion Dollar Babies World Tour, which is a fascinating insight into how the band performed live in days when Alice Cooper was beginning to make a name for their stage show as well as their music.

Rating : A terrific album from one of the greats. 4/5.

127. Various Artists / Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey : Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. 3.5/5.

When it comes to putting together a soundtrack of original songs for a film, it must be a difficult task to get the artists together, have them understand what the movie is about, and have them produce something that can not only be used in the movie, but will be used to sell the soundtrack of the movie.

This is one of the better movie soundtrack albums. Almost all of the songs are original, and can only be found on this album, which must help with the sales no end. The bands are not nobodies either, which is why I eventually bought this.
I loved the movie (still do!), and there were a number of songs that grabbed my attention – Winger's 'Battle Stations', Steve Vai's 'The Reaper', Faith No More's 'The Perfect Crime' and Megadeth's sensational 'Go To Hell'. These songs, woven into the movie, made me want to go out and buy the soundtrack. On this level, they have succeeded.

Memories : First going to see the film when it was released at Wollongong with Kearo, Bono and Joel. Just a great day.

Rating : Very high for a film soundtrack. You can't do much better than this, than perhaps a slightly better mix of good bands. 3.5/5

126. Stormtroopers Of Death / Bigger Than The Devil. 1999. 3/5

When S.O.D brought out the ground-breaking Speak English Or Die album, it was a novelty as well as an underground smash. It was not meant to be taken seriously, and wasn't, but it's popularity grew.
This second album, almost two decades after the first installment, is more of the same, but without the same impact as Speak English Or Die created. It is just as I described earlier – a novelty. It is worth a listen, but after two or three listens that novelty begins to wash off, and you go in search of albums of fuller quality.
I'm sure the guys did this album for fun, not money. I'm sure they enjoyed themselves making it. When I am in the right mood, I can always go and put this on. If I'm not in that mood, I am searching for something closer to Among The Living than Bigger Than The Devil.

Rating : More devious humour capers from the lads. But the party stops here. 3/5

125. Twisted Sister / Big Hits And Nasty Cuts : The Best Of Twisted Sister. 1992. 4/5.

Twisted Sister are still considered in many circles as a one-hit wonder. Indeed, ask many pundits what they think of Twisted Sister's back catalogue, and they will swear blind that they released only one album.

As good as Stay Hungry was, and is, this album gives the novice TS fan a broader range of their hits, and would no doubt open a few eyes.
There is some great stuff on here. In fact, the mix of studio and live tracks gives the listener a terrific overview of the band in both scenarios.
In many ways, it is a shame that they didn't make more of their initial fame. But here for everyone is a chance to relive the best that was the freak of Twisted Sister.

Rating : Worthy of a listen or two. 4/5.

124. The Cult / Beyond Good And Evil. 2001. 2.5/5.

Bloody hell I tried to like this album. I really tried.

I have this problem with The Cult. I thought Sonic Temple was magnificent... at the time it was released, for that time. Since then, whenever I have listened to them, I've been wishing for the song or album to finish so I can put something else on.
This is a fairly difficult thing to get past.

Kearo gave this to me when it came out, and I gave it a real go. It was then cast aside. Listening to it again over the past few days, I have been unable to get enthused about it, which is a shame. I know Kearo thinks I'm a little mad because of this.
I just think that The Cult's style has now grown out from me, and my tastes have moved onto other things. Maybe in the future I will rediscover what it is about them that I loved, but this album failed to bring that back to me.

Rating : This is the best I could muster for it. 2.5/5.

123. Black Sabbath / Between Heaven And Hell. 1995. 4/5.

This is a really strange compilation, which I assume is just a money making exercise.
Look – the songs are great, and there are some strange choices, but you have to wonder who would buy this if they had all of Sabbath's stuff already?
What? People like me? Oh yes. I guess you are right...

Rating : Another 'sorta' best-of. 4/5.

122. Helloween / Better Than Raw. 1998. 3/5.

This album falls into a strange bracket for this band. After the falling-out phase that came from Pink Bubbles Go Ape and the atrocious Chameleon, a change of personnel had brought two further studio albums and a live album that had well and truly gotten the band back on track.

Here however a change is in the air, which succeeds on all levels on the album that FOLLOWS this release. For me, though, Better Than Raw doesn't click at all. The songs seem a bit rushed, with little in the way of a hook to drag you into the album.
The first single, Hey Lord, has a very radio feel about it, but also sounds out of place in the mix of the album. It is probably just me, but there doesn't appear to be a lot of cohesion in the song writing, or the arrangement of the songs themselves.

Perhaps I am being a bit picky. I don't know for sure. I do know that from the time I bought this album it just didn't sit right. Having given it three straight listens again today, my opinion remains the same.

Rating : There is not a lot here that grabs my attention. However, that doesn't make it an altogether poor album. Just a disappointing one in my book. 3/5.

121. Y&T / The Best Of Y&T (1981-1985). 1990. 4/5.

Here is another Best Of that was released when there were more albums to come from the band – but here they got it spot on.
No one could deny that Y&T's glory days were between the years of 1981 and 1985, and this collection captures the best that the band released.
You can choose your own favourites out of those on the album sleeve. I loved the album Mean Streak, and all the songs on it. Mean Streak, Midnight In Tokyo, Hang 'Em High, Hurricane and Black Tiger probably classify as my favourites from this collection.

Good albums were still to come – 1987's Contagious is another of my favourites – but certainly the best they came up with finds itself here in the glory years of the early-to-mid-80's.

Rating : An excellent collection that shows off the best that this band could produce. 4/5.

120. Van Halen / The Best Of Van Halen, Volume 1. 1996. 4/5.

There is no argument from me that Van Halen are a great band, and that early on they were one of the front runners when it came to guitar bands. Hundreds of bands that have made it since can than k Van Halen for their influence upon the scene.
To me, however, I still think they were a little bit hit and miss. They had some great stuff, but they also had some stuff that still makes me sit there and think “What the hell were they thinking there?!”

This Best Of is a bit like that as well. There are some brilliant songs on here, from both the DLR era (Ain't Talking 'Bout Love, Unchained, Jump, Panama) and the Hagar era (Dreams, Why Can't This Be Love, Can't Stop Loving You), but others are just lukewarm offerings.
They were also very optomistic with the title. Only VHIII was released following this, and that has been 10 years now since this came out...

Rating : Great tunes from a great band, but not the best they could offer. 4/5.

119. Iron Maiden / Best Of The B-Sides. 2002. 3/5.

This was the third and final double disc from the Eddie's Archive collection, and it holds some interest without getting too excited about it.

I mean, let's face it. Most of us had this material from when they released the Ten Years singles collection in 1990, with all the singles re-released. So the first disc would appear superfluous.
The real point is this – there is a reason all of these songs were on the B-side of singles... they are mostly very ordinary songs. They were songs that were culled from albums before their release, they are cover songs the band did in the studio to fill the back end of 7” and 12” singles, or they are muck-around things done in lay times while recording.

OK, some have some historical significance, and a couple are outstanding (Reach Out, sung by Adrian Smith, is the prime example here), but the rest are the kind of songs you'll listen to once, and then file away for some time when you have absolutely nothing else to listen to.

Rating : As an album, it does not rate highly. But it is not designed that way, it is just a collection of songs of interest to real fans. But not of eternal interest... 3/5.

118. Iron Maiden / Best Of The Beast. 1996. 5/5.

I guess the band, or the record company, or both, thought that it was time that a best-of package came out. After ten albums, that's fair enough.
The two disc package contains a cross section of songs from Maiden's history – though with no real rhyme or reason behind the selections. A new song, Virus, is also part of the package, and it is a shame this song gets lost in the history of the band by only being found on this compilation. There are live versions of some songs as well. At the conclusion of the second disc, fans are treated to versions of songs off the rare Soundhouse Tapes EP, which catapaulted the band to their initial record contract.

This was a difficult time in Maiden's history. Dickinson had left, Blaze was entrenched but fans were lukewarm. This may have been an attempt to appease all before the next album arrived.

Rating : Now – it is a difficult thing to put out a best-of album for a band like Maiden, and please everyone. Impossible, even. And that is true here. But you can't deny how great the songs are that HAVE been included, so what else can you rate it? 5/5

117. Rainbow / The Best Of Rainbow. 1981. 5/5.

This is an excellent compilation of the formative years of Rainbow, and the songs that made them the group they were.
Formed when Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple, and picked up a rising star in Ronnie James Dio, this double CD features the best songs from Rainbow's first five albums.

OK – so it is close to their best. I have a problem with Tarot Woman not being included here, but I guess everyone has their own choices. What this album does show is the wonderful force that Blackmore and Dio made as a writing team – Stargazer, Man On The Silver Mountain, Long Live Rock And Roll, Kill The King, Gates Of Babylon... and the list goes on.

It also makes you wonder what may have happened if Graham Bonnet had stayed with the group. His one release as vocalist, Down To Earth, contains great hits like Eyes Of The World, All Night long and Since You Been Gone.

Joe Lynn Turner gets a couple of token songs tacked on, with Difficult To Cure having only just been released when this came out, but he contributed just as much as these other two to Rainbow's legend in coming years.

Memories : I remember Rainbow getting me through a lot of the early stage of Uni in 1988. Think I had listen to Dio to death, and put this album on one day, and didn't take it off for about two months. Kill the King, A Light In The Black and Gates Of Babylon in particular were songs that helped me out a lot at the time.

Rating : Though there were more albums to come, and there has not been a definitive best-of done since, this is pretty much as good as you can get anyway. 5/5.