1113. Rainbow / Rising. 1976. 5/5

Back in those long-ago days of high school when I was first discovering the so-called dark arts of heavy metal music, the mixture of bands that were sampled during that time ranged from mainstream to hard rock to metal. Players switched bands, which brought about more music to be searched for to listen to. One particular friend had a penchant for the guitaring of Ritchie Blackmore – and why not, he is a legend – and one day brought to school the album Rising by a band called Rainbow. It was not the first material I had heard with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, but it was probably the first time I actually realised just what a powerhouse he was. And in no way was I ready for the change in style of music that came here from what had been Ritchie Blackmore’s forte in Deep Purple. What I found was the start of a new chapter in my love of music.

This has been considered a great album pretty much since its release, a defining album, an album that is influential to so much that followed. All of this is true, but there is always a question over the relative ‘greatness’ of all of the songs on an album, and whether that brings down where the album ranks amongst the greats of any genre or era. That is also true here, as of the six songs that comprise Rising I would consider three to be at the top of the tree, one to be a high standard, and two that are above average but without the qualities of those ranked higher. Thus, the rating of this album for some is a stretch.
The two songs in question for me are “Run with the Wolf” and “Do You Close Your Eyes”. The use of the term ‘filler’ is too harsh for these songs, as aside from the fact that it is difficult to have filler on a six-song album, they both also have their charm. Perhaps the lyrics aren’t what you generally expect from Dio, indeed one could say that they are unexpected given his output from this point on. “Run with the Wolf” does deal with the supernatural and has its flight through this, whereas “Do You Close Your Eyes” falls a bit too close to pop lyrics which is an unexpected left turn considering the opening salvo. Certainly, to me this is the case with “Do You Close Your Eyes”, but was this the Ritchie Blackmore influence, looking for that track that would get radio airplay? Once Dio moved on from Rainbow there was a much great effort to make the band radio friendly, and these are the kinds of lyrics that Joe Lynn Turner was happy to go with in his tenure with the band. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It’s a jaunty enough track but it just doesn’t have the claws of the other songs that trigger those emotional ties.
“Starstruck” too is an upbeat hard to heavy song, and one that gets the mood moving. The chorus is a crowd pleaser and the overall vibe of the song has always given the middle of the album a kickstart. No doubt there are those out there that rate this as highly as the gold tracks of the album. I don’t think it quite reaches that level but I still enjoy the song.
The other half of this album is pure joy. The album opener “Tarot Woman” is one of my favourite songs of all time, and has everything you could ever want from a high voltage song. The beautiful 90 second opening synth prelude from Tony Carey sets the tone up beautifully, wreaking the emotive beginning into the Ritchie’s guitar and Cozy Powell’s drums and underscored by Jimmy Bain’s bass line, crashing into the powerhouse of the song as Ronnie lets loose with his amazing vocals. It also showcases Ritchie’s amazing soloing on guitar, which here is perfectly supported by the keyboards before Dio’s vocals soar for the concluding verse and chorus, and the song then fades out to Carey’s keyboard solo. Still brilliant all these years later.
Most count “Stargazer” as the star attraction of the album, and while I lean to the opening track in this regard that doesn’t make this any less brilliant. It is again full of everything that makes this incarnation of the band its finest. The opening drum solo from Cozy is just awesome, creating the perfect entrance to Ritchie’s guitar riff to start the song. Dio’s brilliant lyrics that are then perfectly performed in telling the story are superb, and then the middle stanza including Ritchie’s best guitar work again make this a perfect work of art. Then we are treated to the joy of “A Light in the Black”, the fastest song on the album where the band again blend superbly. The joyful solo break in the middle of the song is surrounded by Dio’s hard soaring vocals pushing the song to its limits. It is the perfect way to conclude the album with two eight-minute-plus songs that hold your attention all the way to the end.
The performances here by the three major contributors – Dio, Blackmore and Powell – are extraordinary. That is not to ignore the contribution of either Carey or Bain, but these three went on to record the follow up Long Live Rock 'n' Roll which somewhat amazingly outstrips this album. But their perfection in their art – vocals, guitar and drums – on this album is brilliant. Cozy’s hard-hitting drumming is perfect on these songs, Ritchie’s guitar is a shining light and Ronnie’s vocals both here and on the following album are probably his most pure and electrifying of any other project he was involved in. If only Ritchie had not felt compelled to find commercial success, who knows what this trio could have produced.

Whether or not you consider this one of the great ‘heavy metal’ albums of all time, there is little doubt that the influence of Rising on future generations of musicians and bands is enormous. It showed once and for all that Ritchie Blackmore had more to his repertoire than what he did in Deep Purple, and it rose Ronnie James Dio to a prominence that he never fell from again. “Tarot Woman”, “Stargazer” and “A Light in the Black” set the band and its members on to greater glory. The album and its songs sound as great today as they must have when they were first released. To me, it is a triumph and still a joy to put on at any time.

Best songs: “Tarot Woman”, “Starstruck”, “Stargazer”, “A Light in the Black”.

Rating: “Her love is like a knife, she’ll carve away your life”. 5/5

919. Judas Priest / Sad Wings of Destiny. 1976. 3.5/5

If you had happened to stop off on your journey to the past, and taken in Judas Priest's debut album Rocka Rolla, you could be forgiven wondering just what it was that allowed the band to eventually find their feet in the music world, and become the juggernaut that they became. Certainly, there is very little to get excited about there, and it probably wouldn't surprise you that the songs that were rejected for that album by the producer eventually found themselves onSad Wings of Destiny, which is a marked improvement, and a much better assessment of where the band was coming from at the time of its release.

At least three songs that appear on this album - the brilliant and timeless "Victim of Changes", the rocking "Tyrant" and equally foot tapping "Genocide" - had their formation before the recording of the first album, but were left off that vinyl. Hindsight would suggest that was an error, but the fact they appear here shows the strength of the songs that they could force their way onto the second album. "Victim of Changes" has been a part of Judas Priest folklore forever, a song that has some reflections of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", in that two songs were woven together to produce the one, where it ebbs and flows with harder and softer parts, with loud then quiet guitars, with Rob's vocals subtly moving between the sweet soft section through to the hard pumping screams which he is renown for. At almost eight minutes long it is the first Judas Priest classic, and contains everything you need to know about the band in one song. "Tyrant" is a more straight forward heavy track, driven along by a hard riffing chorus of the guitars, the compelling drum beat and Halford's vocals in a middle stream range that allows the layman to sing along without having to stretch themselves. "Genocide" follows a similar path, forming the basis of the standard Priest formula for the present and the future, with the great rhythm section holding together the song, allowing both Tipton and Downing their chance to shine on their solo pieces and Halford to control the song through his vocals.
Elsewhere on the album there is a mix within the songs. "Epitaph" is the piano based song with layered vocals that almost mimics a Queen song, which while Halford's vocals do suit in this instance is a strange direction to go in. This is followed by "Island of Domination", which along with its predecessor is an average song that is likable but not exceptional. "Dreamer Deceiver" is the other slow ballad-like track on the album which is dominated by the vocals of Halford again, starting in the quiet reflective fashion before reaching for the ceiling by the end of the song, which leads immediately into the heavier and faster "Deceiver" amalgamating the best parts of the Priest sound to complete the first side of the album with aplomb.
Arguably the best track on the album, even more importantly than "Victim of Changes", is "The Ripper", which has also stood the test of time since its release. This is the song that perhaps best showcases what Judas Priest brought to the table. The twin guitars of Tipton and Downing really fire here, in the short, sharp sub-three minutes that the song goes for, while Halford's amazing vocal chords get their full work out during the song. It is still as good today as it was on its release, and it is one of the songs all fans know.

Sad Wings of Destiny signals the true beginning for Judas Priest, with several memorable songs and the viable beginnings of the twin guitar and super vocals attack which would lead them to become one of the leading lights in the true beginnings of heavy metal music.

Rating:  "Underneath the gas lamp, where the air is cold and damp".  3.5/5

902. Billy Joel / Turnstiles. 1976. 3/5

Whether or not the album is written exclusively about Billy's own departure from the west coast of the US to return to his home back on the east coast and New York, the influence in the writing and the references to both are plentiful on this album. Everything seems positive in one direction and maybe not the other! As a device to produce a more enthusiastic follow up to the somewhat laid back effort that was Streetlife Serenade it has for the most part appeared to succeed.

The opening joyousness expressed in "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" kicks off the album on an uplifting note. Yes, Billy Joel's best music contains either positives overtones or an upbeat tempo in the song, and this does it best on both levels.
"Summer. Highland Falls" is characterised not only by a constant rolling piano playing that even sounds like a river gently flowing towards the falls, it has the clarinet in the middle of the songs that also brings up visions of that forest area that the river is flowing through. The reggae styling of "All You Wanna Do Is Dance" are probably what hinders the enjoyment of this song for me. Reggae is not my thing, and while the song itself is harmless it does detract from the album for me.
"New York State of Mind" is a brooding, moody song, one that finds its way forward in a stuttering way, mixed with sax and piano. It has become a favourite even though it was not released as a single. Personally I enjoy it enough to sing along to when I hear it, but it isn't a song I go out of my way to find. "James" then opens the second side of the album, and to be honest I feel the same way about it. It's a song that is well regarded within the Billy Joel community, but it doesn't strike a lot of chords with me.
Billy's story-telling songs are generally some of his best. In particular, those songs where he sings along at a speed where he seems to be trying to fit two lines in a space where there is only room for one are his most descriptive and most fun to learn and sing along with. "Angry Young Man" is such a song, and is one I enjoy for all of those reasons. Both sides of the story seem to come here, the description of the 'angry young man' and the reflective side from one who has seen (or been through) it all before. The frenzied piano keying of "Prelude" to start and then complete the song adds to the drama of the song. Terrific stuff.
"I've Loved These Days" brings the tempo and mood back a cog again, which is slightly disappointing on a personal level after the previous song, while "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" does build throughout the song, but in the end ends as so many songs of this era of Billy's music do, on a slow decline to a single tempo that is enhanced by his marvellous vocals and terrific piano, but as songs perhaps only just come in above the average.

This album has more than its predecessor to enjoy, both overall and in the choice of two or three excellent songs of their own accord. As a whole it does still sit within the range that all of his first four albums have done - great musicianship and some cracking tunes, though rounded out by many songs that eventually all have the same modus operandi, and thus not breaking them out of the average to the extraordinary.

Rating:   "And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost".  3/5.

890. Black Sabbath / Technical Ecstasy. 1976. 2.5/5

Every band is entitled to an album where they go outside of their comfort zone, play outside of the box, experiment with their sound, and generally mess with the minds of their diehard fans to the point where they question what the hell was going on when the album was written and recorded. Think Megadeth's Risk, think Helloween's Chameleon, think Metallica's career after 1991. Even for a band that began it's life in the flower power era of the late 1960's and early 1970's, Black Sabbath's Technical Ecstasy is a greatly diversified effort from the catalogue that precedes this, and as a result takes a great deal of effort to get used to.

I didn't hear this album until ten years after it was released, and so came into it from a different direction and amongst a lot of other bands I was discovering at the time. I don't know if I would have a different feeling about it if I had been older and gotten each album as it was recorded, rather than grabbing the whole Sabbath catalogue almost in one hit at second hand record stores in the late 1980's. This resulted in the most appealing albums getting the lion share of listening time, and the ones that didn't immediately grab me getting far less playtime.
The changing landscape of music at the time - with punk beginning to take hold in the UK and bands like Foreigner, Eagles and ELO starting to dominate the US - obviously made a big impression on Sabbath when writing this album. It is slower, almost brighter and creates much less impact as a whole. The increase in piano, keys and synth, along with a less dramatic lyrical aspect, makes this an album that would seem to try and cover all musical genres but sit within none of them. While the opening track "Back Street Kids", the closing track "Dirty Women", and to a lesser extent the long winded "You Won't Change Me" have elements of the Black Sabbath everyone knows, the remainder of the album is a mishmash of experimentalising that is uncomfortable to listen to. The Bill Ward penned "It's Alright", which he also sings on, contains acoustic guitar and piano, while Bill croons along in a ballad that doesn't sit well. Bill can sing, and the band can play, but really this song just doesn't sound like a Black Sabbath song at all. The same for "She's Gone", it is a real departure from the norm. It's not as if they haven't done this before, but whereas a song such as "Changes" sounds powerful and uses the change in direction well, these two songs here don't have the same impact.
The other three songs on the album aren't overly bad songs, but they are average, something that remarkably few songs before this album could be accused of being. "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" is a repetitive riff and lyric combination but Ozzy's enthusiasm helps to ease the pain. "Gypsy" and "All Moving Parts (Stand Still)" contain the right elements to make them solid Sabbath tracks, but perhaps it is just the surrounding tracks that wipe a bit of the gloss off them.

I'm sure there are people out there who love this album, who will defend it to the end as a wonderful piece of the Black Sabbath history. For them I am very pleased. You could even use the terminology that an average Black Sabbath album is better than most other bands best albums. That too could be argued. While I don't have any problem listening to Technical Ecstasy if anyone should happen to put it on for a spin, I cannot say that I ever have the desire to pull this out of the sleeve and listen to it. I did so again for this review, but given that there are so many other brilliant Black Sabbath albums to choose from, the question will always be why would I deprive myself of those to listen to this once again?

Rating: "I walk the lonely streets in search of a friend". 2.5/5

888. KISS / Rock and Roll Over. 1976. 2.5/5

Looking back retrospectively, given this album came after Destroyer made it a difficult task to keep the energy levels up. Destroyer was, and is, a classic, and following up any album of such note is a tough ask.

Perhaps the major problem with Rock and Roll Over is that the best songs on the album just aren't really that great. They are generally upbeat rock songs that, when played within the context of an average KISS album, are recognisable and foot tapping at their best. The lyrics are repetitive and for the most part inane. The opening tracks "I Want You" and "Take Me" are the best examples of those songs here. They aren't terrible, they just aren't particularly exciting either.
It is somewhat of a surprise that a track like "Calling Dr. Love" makes the grade. In the end it is one of Gene's best tracks in that he derives enough attitude in his vocals to drive the song when the guitars fail to do their job. It should have been a much more pro-active song with the dual guitars, but in the long run it survives in popularity on the back of Gene's vocals. Who ever thought that would happen?
"Ladies Room" is one of the dud tracks available. The vocals can't hold this song. It is just an average track. "Baby Driver" sounds great, with the band doing everything right, but the repetitive vocals kill the mood about halfway through the song, which is a shame.
The second half of the album doesn't do a lot to redeem the first half. "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" again over indulges in the repetitive chorus line, which will work in a sing-along environment if the song is strong enough to hold it. Again, I think the first half of the song works well, before it just fades out to a whimper. "Mr. Speed" has some very Rolling Stones sounding riffs and melodies running through it, so much so that I almost expect to hear Mick Jagger singing the vocals. Sadly I think the Stones could have done more with the song also. The short and sharp "See You in Your Dreams" tries to up the tempo, though the basic lyrics again seem to halt the efforts of the musical side of the song.
Just for good measure, the band then throws us another curve ball, as Peter Criss serves up his Rod Stewart impersonation with "Hard Luck Woman". For a band that often tried to claim it was ground breaking and cutting edge, the number of songs on this album that sound like replicas of other 1970's-era rock songs is amusing. Again though, Rod Stewart would have done this better. The album is completed by "Makin' Love", which while again implementing a similar repeating theme lyrically does at least provide more energy than most of the songs that precede it, closing the album on an upbeat note that decries those levels for the majority of the record.

Lyrically we all know where Kiss spent most of its headspace. In the cases where their collective tongues are stuck firmly in their cheek, then they can get away with a certain level of mediocrity. Here on Rock and Roll Overthere is little that stands out from the collective as outstanding material, leaving the album to wade in the waves of averageness.

Rating: "So if you please get on your knees, there are no bills, there are no fees". 2.5/5

743. UFO / No Heavy Petting. 1976. 3.5/5

On a bit of a run after the Phenomenon and Force It albums, UFO followed these up with the No Heavy Petting album, one that for me includes a couple of their best ever songs, but also mixes it with some weaker ones that fills me with mixed emotions.
 
Personally I love the start of the album. Schenker's riff to break into the album in the form of "Natural Thing" is a ripper. This is a terrific song, setting a great tempo immediately. This has been one of my favourite UFO songs since the first time I heard it. Following this comes "I'm a Loser", another perfect example of the Schenker/Mogg writing partnership. Schenker's solo is a scorcher. I love the keys in this song too. I know that is somewhat of an anomaly in my music tastes and reviews, but I really do think this song is so brilliant because of the mix between guitar solo and keyboard bridge.
"Can You Roll Her" also kicks along nicely, again with a prominent dual between the two major instruments. "Reasons Love" is the other song that fits in with these tracks, while "Highway Lady" starts off side two of the album in a similar vein as "Natural Thing" does with side one.
On the flipside, there are those songs that for me fall a little flat. "Belladonna" is a letdown for me. Slow and mournful. I know people and UFO fans love this kind of stuff. For me it puts a big STOP sign out in front of the momentum the album had before this. "Martian Landscapes" is another song in this vein. It really drains out the end of the album, dragging along at a molasses pace with the lyrics being repeated and pulled out far too long over time. "On With the Action" is another mood halter, after the up tempo start of side two of the album. Not a bad song, but it just seems to be in the wrong place.

The good things about this album are fabulous. Schenker's guitaring is at its peak, and some of his solo's here are the equal of anything he's ever recorded. Phil Mogg's vocals are as clean as ever, emoting when needed in songs like "Natural Thing" and "I'm a Loser". The keyboards in those two songs are exceptional, but when they come back for an old-west, piano bar blues sound on a song such as "A Fool in Love", I find it a bit clichéd. In the long run, I believe the good outweighs the average, and continues the excellent catalogue of albums through the 1970's that UFO produced.

Rating:  You can look but please don't touch.  3.5/5

724. Yesterday & Today / Yesterday & Today. 1976. 3/5

Coming straight out of the middle of the 1970's is the very 1970's-sounding eponymous debut for Yesterday & Today, or Y & T as they were to become known.
For the most part this is a great sounding record. It is a product of its time, with stylised 70's rock drumbeat and bass line, overlaid by Dave Meniketti's smooth vocals and guitar licks. The blues rock roots are evident in songs like "25 Hours a Day" with the vocal/guitar trade off sequences, to the obvious Kiss influences in "Game Playing Woman", where you can here Gene Simmons in Meniketti's vocals as he sings it, and perhaps even more so on "Come on Over". Those two songs in particular could have been Kiss songs. On the other side of the coin, "My Heart Plays Too" is a dreary ballad of the type that makes me shudder. Sleep inducing boredom and a bit too kitsch for my liking.
This is redeemed by the excellent "Earthshaker", perhaps the first real indication of the star quality this band has. Whenever I listen to "Alcohol", I feel like I'm watching a re-run of The Dukes of Hazzard. It is just dripping of that standard style of song from the 70's. That's okay, after all it is when it was written and recorded, but there is absolutely no doubt what era this album comes from. Better is to come with "Beautiful Dreamer", a jaunty track dominated by one of those long 70's guitar solos in the second half of the song, a beauty from Meniketti to end the album.

While it may not be to everyone's taste, it is still an interesting comparison point, to hear what the band sounded like at the start of their career, compared to their high point of early 80's hard rock/metal sound, to the glam rock they converted to in the late 90's. It isn't an album I dive for very often, but there is still enough here for me to appreciate the start of what has become a long and (somewhat) stellar career.

Rating: I'm a cold, cold heartbreaker 3/5

494. AC/DC / High Voltage. 1976. 5/5

Having their first album to be released internationally, the decision was made to take the best of the first two albums released to the Australian public, High Voltage and T.N.T., combine them, and release them under the title of the original first album. Then there was a change of cover art to distinguish it from the original Australian release - and probably to highlight Angus Young as the front of the band - and what you have is one of the best albums to have originated on Australian shores.

Unlike the original Australian version, High Voltage contains a majority of its songs from the highly successful follow up T.N.T., and the result is that it became a worldwide smash. it is arguably AC/DC's finest hour. It contains a collection of songs, many of which are known by everyone throughout the world regardless of their music taste, complemented by the other solid songs surrounding them.
To be honest there simply isn’t a weak song on this album. Each is followed by another of equal quality. Few albums exist where you could, when trying to compile a greatest hits collection for a band, lift every song from the one album. This is one.
There are just so many anthems here – “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll”, “Rock n Roll Singer”, “The Jack”, “Live Wire”, “High Voltage”, “TNT” – it’s probably a crime not to just list the entire tracklist. And these are real anthems too, not your pretend pop tunes that some people think are fun to sing along to. These are the real thing, where everyone knows what to sing and when. By taking what would probably be considered as the best two songs off of the Australian release of High Voltage, "She's Got Balls" and "Little Lover", and putting that with the majority of the songs off of T.N.T., the record company has produced a monster.

As an Australian, I prefer to refer to the two Australian record releases when it comes to ranking and rating AC/DC's albums. This will always be somewhat of a compilation. If forced to do so, it ranks above T.N.T. because of the extra tracks from the original release. A true rock masterpiece.

Rating:  High voltage rock and roll.  5/5.

236. AC/DC / Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap [Australian Version]. 1976. 3.5/5.

As they did a couple of times early in their career, AC/DC release both a domestic Australian version and an overseas version of the same album. There are a couple of song differences, and the track line-up is different, so there is a need to review them separately. This Australian release contains two songs that the International release does not, in "R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)" and "Jailbreak" as the substituted songs. These songs are very important in the context of the album.

Following up on the huge success of T.N.T., this album again contains some of the band's best known, most loved and most played songs. Everyone in the world knows the song (and most likely the film clip) for "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". It's a terrific song with a great riff, memorable lyrics and the perfect sing-along song. "Ain't No Fun (Waiting 'Round to Be a Millionaire)" is a slow burn, and probably takes to long to get wound up and going, sitting on the same riff and pace for the first half of the song. "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'" harks back to the start of rock n' roll, a blues based rock song that incorporates a lot of repeated vocals with a blues solo from Angus along the way. It's a bit too repetitive and anodised for my liking. The energy returns with "Problem Child", a song much more like the AC/DC we know and a more suitable solo break from Angus. "Squealer" and "Big Balls" for me are very average songs. I like both to a certain degree, but there just isn't enough in either song to make me say "Yes! Let's play these songs on my random tracks tonight!" "R.I.P. (Rock In Peace)" is the second full-on blues number on the album, and for me fulfils the same thoughts. The blues are fine for blues bands, and I understand that the influences that these guys would have had would have been some of the blues legends, but apart from certain selections the blues bores me to tears. "Ride On" is a great song, a standout on the album more for the reason of its mellow tendencies, a quiet, reflectful tune that does seem to be out of place, and yet fits in perfectly within the album framework. It's not a song you would choose to  play if you are in an AC/DC rocking mood, but its place in the folklore is set.
After a long tough road, we finally get to the closing number, which is another of those classic, legendary songs, "Jailbreak". Again, everyone knows the song, and everyone knows the film clip. It is a great hard rock song, that closes the album on a positive note. When I first bought this album on cassette, I could play the first track, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", and when it had finished flip it over, and it coincided almost perfectly with the start of "Jailbreak", which I would then play. And then the cycle would repeat. To be honest, I think this sort of sums up my thoughts on this album perfectly.

In comparing this album with T.N.T., there really is no comparison. taken away the first and last tracks and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap would be classed as a very average album by anyone except hardcore, die hard fans of the band. I can add probably three other songs here that I would be able to put high up in the AC/DC catalogue, but the rest would remain in the middle selection.

Rating:  All in the name of liberty  3.5/5

235. AC/DC / Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap [International Version]. 1976. 3.5/5

As they did a couple of times early in their career, AC/DC release both a domestic Australian version and an overseas version of the same album. There are a couple of song differences, and the track line-up is different, so there is a need to review them separately. This International release contains two songs that the Australian release does not, in "Love at First Feel" and "Rocker" as the substituted songs. "Rocker" appeared on T.N.T. which was not released internationally, while "Love at First Feel" is exclusive to the International version (although it was released as a single only in Australia).

Following up on the huge success of High Voltage, this album contains a couple of the band's best known, most loved and most played songs. Everyone in the world knows the song (and most likely the film clip) for "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". It's a terrific song with a great riff, memorable lyrics and the perfect sing-along song. "Love at First Feel" is a great follow up, with a terrific groove and led by Bon's smooth vocals and Angus' guitar riff. "Big Balls" for me is a rather average song. It is likeable to a certain degree, but in the long run there isn't enough to really entrance me. "Rocker" is much like its title, a real back-to-roots rock 'n roll song, such that it could have been a 1950's cover version. The energy continues with "Problem Child", a song much more like the AC/DC we know and a more suitable solo break from Angus. This is followed by "There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'", which harks back to the start of rock n' roll, a blues based rock song that incorporates a lot of repeated vocals with a blues solo from Angus along the way. It's a bit too repetitive and anodised for my liking. "Ain't No Fun (Waiting 'Round to Be a Millionaire)" is a slow burn, and probably takes too long to get wound up and going, sitting on the same riff and pace for the first half of the song. "Ride On" is a great song, a standout on the album more for the reason of its mellow tendencies, a quiet, reflectful tune that does seem to be out of place, and yet fits in perfectly within the album framework. It's not a song you would choose to  play if you are in an AC/DC rocking mood, but its place in the folklore is set. The album ends with "Squealer", which for me is a lot like "Big Balls" earlier in the album.

There are some good songs here, those being "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Love at First Feel" and "Problem Child", but there are some others that don't really do the job for me musically. No doubt the hard core fans will see it differently, but apart from the fact that you can still enjoy material that isn't quite at the top of the tree, this has a few misses.

Rating: She keeps nagging at your night and day, enough to drive you nuts.  3.5/5

227. KISS / Destroyer. 1976. 5/5.

One of the most beloved albums of all time by all music lovers, and it's no wonder.

There are some albums that, in retrospect, you could not have packed any more hits into. That the pedigree of most of the songs on the album are so great that the band must have sometimes wondered why they either didn't spread them over two albums, or how they wrote that kind of quality song so frequently at that stage of their career.

OK, maybe that is a bit extreme. But the great songs on this album – and I'm talking Detroit Rock City, King Of The Night Time World, God Of Thunder, Do You Love Me and Shout It Out Loud – are some of the best KISS ever wrote, and they all appear here. Along with that, the remainder of the album contains no songs that could be called filler, they are all good songs in their own respect.

Beth, of course, is considered by many fans as one of their greats. It's far too wimpy for me, but I can't let that drag down my opinion of the album as a whole.

This is a killer album, one of the best you can get your hands on. This is KISS at the peak of their powers, doing what they do best.

Rating : Do yourself a favour. This is one of the best all-genre albums you can hope to find. 5/5.

22. Queen / A Day At The Races. 1976. 3.5/5

Following on from the monster that was A Night at the Opera, the follow up was always going to be a difficult process, not only in the success of the album itself but in the success of the album’s single “Bohemian Rhapsody”. A Day at the Races brings us a multitude of genres within the album’s framework, which only the individual can decide whether it works or is too much to deal with. One thing it is not, is predictable.

It starts off on exactly the right foot. “Tie Your Mother Down” is one their greatest, a hard punching track that showcases everything that is great about the heavier side of the band, not surprisingly written by Brian. His guitar is the star of the song, perfectly foiled by the drums and bass to act as the superb rhythm throughout, while Freddie has a ball, crooning to the beat. It is a dramatic and upbeat opening to the album to draw in the listener.
From this point until we reach the second side of the album, there can be differing opinions on what is presented. I can appreciate the songs that appear in this section, and the way they are written and performed by the band. But for the most part I’m not especially interested in the songs. When I put this album on I listen to it all the way through and enjoy it, but I am waiting for other songs to come on when thee are being played. All of this is in a similar way to the previous album, because it has a similar set up with some brilliant songs, and then others that are wonderfully done, but just don’t attract me. Thus is the conundrum I have here with “You Take My Breath Away” which sounds great, but just has not got the drive for me, and in a similar way this is also true of “Long Away”. “The Millionaire Waltz” has different genres thrown in all along for its five minute length, though it is when Brian’s guitar takes hold that it most attracts me. Then John Deacon’s ”You and I” completes the first half of the album with a middle-of-the-road easy listening song which Freddie makes sound so impressive with his vocals.
The second side of the album starts with the eternally brilliant “Somebody to Love”, one that combines all the greatest parts of the Queen conglomerate, the multi-layered vocals and harmonies that mix within the beautiful rhythm of bass and drums and the piano, and then Brian’s solo guitar through the middle. After all these years it I still a show stopper whenever it comes on the stereo. Oh, to be able to sing like that.
The underrated “White Man” follows, starting off in a slow melancholic way before the heavier band clicks in and drives the lyrical aspect of the song in a serious and passionate way. From here we are treated to “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”, which harks back to the style of the previous album, sounding as it does as though it should be being played on a beach in Brighton, England in the 1930’s. Again it is the layered back vocals that help this become as ‘fashionable’ as it is. Roger Taylor’s “Drowse” honestly makes me feel that way almost every time I listen to it, before the album finishes with "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)", which has two choruses in Japanese as a tribute to those fans. Neither of these songs has much fascination for me as a lover of Queen the band and their music.
As it turns out, perhaps it’s just a matter of taste. There were a couple of songs on A Night at the Opera that I tolerate, and have learned to tolerate, because of how much I love the rest of the album. Here on A Day at the Races though, there are a couple of songs that I don’t enjoy, and I am unable to treat with the same recognition which would allow me to hold this album in higher esteem. Despite two songs that I consider are some of the best of Queen’s catalogue, the album itself doesn’t quite get that high a rating.

Rating:   “Why can't they understand I'm just a peace lovin' guy”.  3.5/5