1230. Billy Idol / Rebel Yell. 1983. 4/5

Billy Idol had already had a solid career in music long before he became a successful solo act with the release of his first self-titled album in 1982. Originally hailing from the UK, he had been a staple of the growing punk movement in the mid-to-late 1970’s, first being the guitarist of the band Chelsea. Unsatisfied however he soon left the group, and with band mate Tony James they formed the band Generation X. With Billy Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three studio albums over the next three years before disbanding.
In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career. Here he met up with an up and coming guitarist called Steve Stevens, and they hit it off immediately. With Idol’s punk-like image combined with the growing glam metal scene, the pair looked like a match made in heaven. The pair pulled their band together, and eventually recorded their debut album, the self-titled "Billy Idol”. On the back of singles such as “Hot in the City” and “White Wedding”, and being picked up for heavy rotation on MTV, the album became a hit, and the band and its titular star were underway.
Keith Forsey returned to produce the follow up, and the trio of Forsey, Idol and Steven went to work on what was to become “Rebel Yell”. Idol apparently came up with the title for the album at a party he was attending where many guests were drinking Rebel Yell bourbon, and he liked the name. It of course then also became the titular song that dominated the album. Also, during the recording of the album, Idol had been fighting with the record company over creative control of the project. At the height of this, he stole the master tapes of the recordings, which he eventually returned to the studio when he had won his battle. It was at his time that Forsey informed him that he had in fact stolen the wrong tapes, and his tapes had never left the studio. Someone’s album could have met with a messy end over that dispute.

The album’s title track, “Rebel Yell,” is one of the most iconic songs of the 1980s. It features a catchy guitar riff and a memorable chorus that is sure to get stuck in your head. How this only reach number 9 on the charts in the US and 7 in Australia is beyond me. As terrific as “White Wedding” is as a song, this is the one that everyone knows, that everyone rocks out to, that you sing along to at top volume when it comes on. A terrific video clip featuring Billy, and that amazingly iconic solo from Steve Stevens. If you were to make a mixed tape of the 1980’s (and yes many of you would have no idea what that actually is) then surely this song has to be on it.
“Daytime Drama” is a typically new wave song that highlights the drama of relationships which, I believe, and it is only my thoughts, that mirrors the daytime soaps that proliferated the screens in the 1980’s, such as Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless. The album’s second single, “Eyes Without a Face,” follows, and is a slower ballad that showcases Billy Idol’s vocal range. He had done songs like this before, but this was perhaps the best example of the range that Idol had with his voice, and the diversity the band had to create such a song, so different from the types of songs that they were best known for. The song was also a commercial success and peaked at number four in the US, helped by its susceptibility of radio airplay, as well as the growing medium of MTV. “Blue Highway” closes out side one of the album, and again delves into love and relationships, and a yearning for freedom. It’s a hard rock song with a great tempo and super riff that lifts the album again in a positive fashion.
The album’s third single, “Flesh for Fantasy,” opens up the second side of the album, and is a hard rock song that features a driving beat and a catchy chorus. Back to the hard rock roots of the band, the attitude is what drives this song beyond the average, a song that in the hands of another vocalist would not have worked as well as it did. It eventually reached only 29 on the US charts, which perhaps doesn’t reflect how popular it was at the time with his core audience. This is followed by the album’s fourth single, “Catch My Fall,” which is a slower ballad that features a piano and a string section. The song was not as successful as the previous three singles, and perhaps it was overkill going for another track of this type, but in the course of the album it is still a good song. “Crank Call” is a fun track highlighted by Stevens on guitar and bass, before launching in to “Do Not Stand in the Shadows”, a great fast paced hard rock track that lets Idol rip in with his vocals again in their best fashion. This is the song I would have released as that fourth single, because of the great energy it puts out, and would have allowed Billy to again put himself forward in a video clip such as his best efforts. The album then concludes with “The Dead Next Door” which for me is a very strange choice given the soft and quiet nature of the track. The end of “Do Not Stand in the Shadows” to me is the perfect finish to the album, “The Dead Next Door” is an extra four minutes of sleep music to finish off instead.

When the first album came out, I was completely obsessed with “White Wedding” as a song. In fact, it and Chris de Burgh’s “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” were the first two songs on a compilation cassette I was given for my birthday that year, and I wore out that tape just listening to those two songs. Then “Rebel Yell” came out, and that song caught my imagination as well. This was all in the days prior to me buying albums of bands, so the singles were what I had.
Flash forwards a few years, and I get my first listen to this album. And I knew the singles from the album very well, but from the first time I listened to this I thought it was just terrific. Even the slower songs have a depth about them that I enjoyed, which isn’t always the case when it comes to albums of such style. Especially I enjoyed “Blue Highway” and “Do Not Stand in the Shadows”, I felt they were terrific songs that were under utilised and certainly under appreciated when it came to Billy Idol’s work. In terms of album releases from the early 1980’s, I think this is up with the very best. And it is important to note that even though the album artist is credited to only Billy Idol, there are other very important people involved. Steve Stevens, not only as the lead guitarist and other instruments in the recording process as well, but as a co-composer of all of the tracks here, does a fantastic job. While the album is promoted by Idol’s presence, his writing and playing is just as important to the final product. And the producing of Kevin Forsey again is a major contributing factor to the eventual success of this album.
Overall, “Rebel Yell” is a great album that showcases Billy Idol’s and Steve Stevens talent as songwriters and performers. The album features a mix of new wave, hard rock, and pop rock that is sure to please fans of all genres. The album’s title track, “Rebel Yell,” is one of the most iconic songs of the 1980s, and it is a must-listen for anyone who is a fan of music from that era. Or essentially, any era.

1219. Kiss / Lick It Up. 1983. 3.5/5

Following the turmoil that had gone on during the writing and recording of the “Creatures of the Night” album – an episode of which you can catch up on in Season 3 of this podcast – and then the growing success of that album and the tour that followed, you’d have thought that everything would be in place for Kiss to have a smoother ride into the follow up to that album. Ace Frehley, whose personage had appeared on the front cover of that album but had not actually played on it, had left the band officially by this time. Vinnie Vincent, who had played in a guest slot on the album in his absence, was now considered the fourth member of Kiss and was ready to contribute on a more advanced stage than he had on the previous album. This, as it turned out, was only partially true, as Vincent refused to sign the contract offered to him to become a full member of the band. The sticking points apparently included what his actual role within the band would be, whether he would be considered a session player or a full member of the bad, and just what he would be paid as a result. Vincent apparently demanded a percentage of the gross profit, which was summarily dismissed. This meant that although Vincent appears on the cover of the new album, “Lick It Up” and has multiple writing credits and played all of the lead guitar on the album, he was not legally a member of Kiss at any point of this process. Or, as it turns out, afterwards once the band began to tour behind this album. It was an interesting scenario, with Vincent himself believing that he was almost solely the reason for the resurgence of popularity of Kiss at this time, and he wanting the rewards for that. It was to be a battle that dragged on over the next 18 months.
The final big reveal for this new album was the band’s final unmasking, deciding the time had come to forgo he makeup and appear in public as...themselves. This first occurred on MTV as the band launched the new album, and became a massive deal at the time. Although Kiss had performed without makeup at the very beginning of the band’s existence, it was the first time in 10 years that they had been seen performing without it. The album cover also included all four members without their makeup. It was a new era for the band in all of these ways. Now it had to be seen if they could back it up with an album worthy of all of this.

“Creatures of the Night” had been considered to be a heavier album than Kiss had produced for awhile, and in most aspects that has continued on here into “Lick It Up”. In many ways, perhaps much as Vinnie himself suggested, this could be traced to Vincent’s involvement in the writing process, being credited as co-writer on all but two tracks. It’s an interesting discussion point, and one worth delving into. In particular, if you look at the songs that make up the second side of the album, there are cases both ways. That opening track is the second and final single released from the album, “All Hell’s Breaking Loose”, a song that is actually credited to all four members of the band. It has always seemed like a strange choice to be released as a single, with perhaps the only reason being all four would benefit if it didwell because all four have a writing credit. If that was the only reason they did it, then the fact the song didn’t chart at all makes that a poor one. This is followed by what entails a Paul Stanley soft rock ballad like track in “A Million to One”, but actually is more than that because of the harder guitar riffs throughout than would have normally been the case in this type of song. A Stanley inclusion? Or a Vincent inclusion? While the chorus still annoys me, the rest of the song is good, so perhaps this is a win for Vinnie?
Then you have the two songs solely credited to Gene Simmons. “Fits Like a Glove” takes on a faster tempo and harder chanting vocals through the bridge and chorus, and becomes an anthemic like track, and then “Dance All Over Your Face” is a more typical Gene track, mid-tempo with stagnated guitar over a heavy 2/4 drum beat with Gene vocalising over the top. Both of these tracks are more attractive than the previous two songs, which of course would then suggest Vinnie’s influence isn’t as great as it is thought. The other side of that is that all of the other songs where Vincent is co-writer with either Paul or Gene have the great harder qualities that the album is credited as having, and thus surely it is he who has pushed this vibe back into the Kiss catalogue. The side and album concludes with the upbeat anthem “And on the 8th Day”, which is a solid closing track, despite some interesting Gene lyrics in “You sold your soul and virginity, you can't rape a heart of gold”. Sometimes he just makes it hard to sing along...
Side A of the album is terrific and never fails to disappoint if you are a Kiss fan. “Exciter” is a great opening track, with great riffs from Stanley and Vincent that drive the song. It’s a head bobber, one that gets the blood pumping from the outset. “Not for the Innocent” is a great follow up, with Gene’s spitting vocals and bass and guitar riffs carrying on the harder edge from the opening song. This leads into the title track, the legendary “Lick it Up” that is one of the band’s best ever singles, and a song that has remained in their set list since this album’s release. It is a long time classic, and has everything that has made Kiss successful over the years. It is still a beauty. “Young and Wasted” is Gene and Vinnie’s youth anthem, Gene chanting away in his famous style, and Vinnie clocking into his solo with style. Gene’s lyrics aren’t quite as questionable here and as a song to sing loud as a teenager it isn’t the worst option. “Gimme More” is much more questionable lyric wise, back to that overdosed sexual innuendo that the band does stick with. The song is enjoyable, but singing the lyrics as a 53 year old is far more unsettling than you might think.

Those who have been around since the beginning of this podcast, and having heard me already do episodes on several Kiss albums, will already know that my love of Kiss came from different ages and different eras, and that I came across their albums at different times than when they were released. Most of the albums released from the early to mid-1980's I didn’t discover in full until the next decade had arrived, and “Lick it Up” was no exception. I knew the title track, but the rest was a mystery. I heard this, and many of this era’s releases, in the early 1990’s, but never owned my own copies until much later, and it wasn’t until then that I really started listening to the albums of that time.
And, unlike some older Kiss fans, I really enjoy most of those albums, and this one in particular. Vinnie Vincent might be a lot of things, but he does help to write a good song, and the songs on this album are great. His leads are different to Ace, as they should be, but no less interesting and enjoyable. There is a 50/50 mix in the songs here sung by Paul and Gene, and the combination works really well on this album. Eric Carr is also terrific on drums, making a great contribution throughout but especially (to my ears at least) on Gene’s songs.
While I knew this album, my true discovery of it came when my then 10 year old son found his way into Kiss of his own accord, started playing all of their songs on Spotify, and expressed an interest in seeing the band (which at the time I thought we had missed our opportunity). This actually led me to revisiting all of their albums again, and this was one of the ones that got stuck in the CD player of my stereo for some time. Six years later, and I’ve got it back in there again, and I am enjoying this album all over again. And I can’t help ask myself the question why I didn’t listen to this album more often when I was younger. Mainly, when it came to Kiss, I would fall upon my known favourites such as “Crazy Nights” and “Destroyer”, but it seems I missed a trick with “Lick It Up”. I have certainly made up for it ever since.

1212. Metallica / Kill 'em All. 1983. 5/5

Like any new band, there is no magical pathway to fame and fortune. Most of it is hard work mixed with some good and bad fortune, and more than a dash of talent along with being in the right place at the right time. And so it was for Metallica in the same way as so many other bands. The lead up to their chance to record their debut album was littered with band member changes and the luck of coming up with the right combination at the right time.
The story of how the band came into being and its evolution to one of the biggest bands in the world has been told and retold in many various formats. The coming together of guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich through a newspaper ad is fate in itself, and with Ron McGovney and Lloyd Grant they recorded a song named “Hit the Lights” for a “Metal Massacres” compilation. The recruitment of Dave Mustaine as full time guitarist and co-vocalist brought a fury to the band, in more ways than one. The band recorded their “No Life ‘Til Leather” demo tape that found itself distributed everywhere by fans, and their exposure grew exponentially. Tension with Mustaine eventually led to the departure of McGovney, which allowed the band to bring in Cliff Burton, someone who had caught their eye as they played around the scene, but only on the proviso that they relocated to San Francisco.
The band felt ready to head into the studio for real, but were unable to find anyone to come up with the money required to pay for the recording, as they were unable to find a record label who was willing to front the money. In March 1983, the foursome back their belongings in a truck and drove across the country to New York, where Jon Zazula, a record store owner and eventual founder of Megaforce Records, agreed to help them out. This ended up requiring him to mortgage his house and almost go bankrupt in the process. These were the lengths to which the band and their supporters had to go to get this album off the ground.
A couple of weeks after arriving in New York, Dave Mustaine was fired after a gig, for different reasons depending on which story appeals to you. His overt drug taking and alcohol consumption, along with volent interactions with the band members, gave Hetfield and Ulrich, in their opinion, no choice but to move on without him, despite his obvious talent as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. His final request of the band was that they not use any of his songs when they recorded their debut album. In his place, the band recruited Kirk Hammett, a former student of Joe Satriani, who it is said learned all of the band’s songs on the flight to New York. A good thing too, because the album’s recording started less than three weeks later, and was completed in two weeks.
And so, with all of this turmoil and hard work behind them, it came time to put their brimstone and fire onto vinyl, and spread their word to the masses, to see if the masses would agree that Metallica was indeed one of the hottest new bands in the US.

One of the things that, in my opinion, worked best for Metallica in recording “Kill ‘Em All” is that there is a varied output in the songs that is not necessarily noticeable unless you are really a fan of the work. And one of those major factors is indeed spurned former member Dave Mustaine. Even though he asked the band not to use his songs, there are ways to get around the literally meaning of that, and ensure that the songs can indeed be retained. Mustaine gets four co-writing credits on the album of the ten songs recorded, and to be fair he perhaps should have received more credit than that. The four songs where his name appears are “The Four Horsemen”, “Jump in the Fire”, “Phantom Lord” and “Metal Militia”. “The Four Horsemen” began life as Mustaine’s “Mechanix”, with sexually-innuendoed lyrics about a girl at the gas station. Dave of course eventually used his version of the song on Megadeth’s debut album “Killing is My Business... and Business is Good!” Here though, Hetfield re-wrote the lyrics to concentrate on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and added a bridge and solo in the middle of the song in order to create a mostly new song. “Jump in the Fire” was apparently the first song Mustaine ever wrote, again utilising sexually charged lyrics. Hetfield again reworked the lyrics, this time as the devil urging people to commit sin so they end up jumping into the fire of hell. Both “Phantom Lord” and “Metal Militia” apparently had minor cosmetic changes from the originals written by Mustaine. All of these are very recognisable songs from the album, and helped to push its eventual popularity, and as a result Mustaine still deserves part of the acclaim, though it must be admitted that James and Lars’s additions to the songs made them not only better songs but more identifiable to their fan base as a whole, rather than making cheap innuendo in the lyrics such as the glam metal genre had done up to that time through bands such as Motley Crue. The lyrical changes in particular allowed Metallica to stand apart from those songs and bands, something that stood them in good stead going forward.
Another of the varied factors can be attributed to Cliff Burton. The story goes that James and Lars first saw Cliff when he was in his previous band, and he was doing his own wailing bass solo, and that was what made them think “here is a guy who could be something special”. Of course, it is that exact same bass solo that the band then recorded for this album, adding Lars’s drums into the second half of the song and calling it “(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth”. It is this kind of unique song and gift that made “Kill ‘Em All” so special at the time, and his contributions throughout the album are amazing, especially in “Motorbreath” and “Whiplash”.
The remainder of the album retains this high water mark. The opening of “Hit the Lights” brings the album to fever pitch from the outset, and given its familiarity with the fans at the time it was the perfect song to open with. “Motorbreath” is electric, with amazing speed both in guitar picking and drumming, and is the short and sharp rebuttal to that which comes before it. “Whiplash” does the same to complete side one of the album in a fury. “No Remorse” is a vastly underrated thrash anthem, one that seems serene to start but finishes in a tide thrash glory, while “Seek and Destroy” has lasted the journey, still in set lists today and still sung as hard by the crowds as it was back when it was released.
In the current day it is hard to imagine a more brutal and incisive beginning to a band’s history as “Kill ‘Em All”. Coming from the bay area as they did, where so many of the most influential thrash bands of all time hailed from at that time, this album not only kick started Metallica’s career, but inspired those around them to follow in their footsteps and create their own dreams as well.

I still remember as clear as a bell the day when I first discovered this album existed. It was May 1986, and my mother had dragged me to a new shopping centre called Macarthur Square, and as she was having a wonderful time walking through the big department stores, I found this out of the way record store, and wandered in and start to browse, not expecting to find anything that I could afford or would probably know anyway. I made my way through the racks, and came to the one labelled “M” - and here was an album by Metallica. Now, it had only been a few months since my friends and I had discovered Metallica, and those amazing albums “Master of Puppets” and “Ride the Lightning”. But I confess that at that time, I had no idea that there had been an earlier album released. So my excitement levels went through the roof. Here was a Metallica album I didn’t know, with some great song titles. So I nagged my parents to loan me the money to buy it, and the deal was done. Then came the interminable wait to get home so I could put it on my parents stereo and discover it for the first time. The wait ended up being more than worth it.
37 years on from that moment, and 40 years since its release, nothing much has changed. “Kill ‘Em All” remains one of those amazing moments in the band’s existence, and also one of the true masterpiece debut albums of all time. The mixture of raw aggression with anthemic moments intertwined, the melding of the lead and rhythm guitar with the bass lines that really matured their songs beyond what they would have been with another bass guitarist, and the youthful screaming of the vocals that highlighted the enthusiasm and desire of the young band to reach beyond the confines of their San Francisco beginnings.
My original copy of this album was lost in a flood some 22 years ago. The copy I have now is the recently remastered and re-released version. But that hasn’t stopped the majesty over the past couple of weeks, taking this out of the cover, placing it on the turntables, and hearing the fade in if the band going nuts, before the opening riff of “Hit the Lights” crashes out of the speaker, and the goosebumps still appear, and the shudder down the spine still follows. Because this still rates as one of the great albums. It may not be as focused or matured as Iron Maiden’s ”Piece of Mind” that was released a few months earlier, but nor should it, given the different stages those bands were at. And Maiden of course were one of the bands that inspired this album in the first place.
This is still the album you can grab when you decide to take a cruise on the highway, turning it up loud and letting the songs do their work. We did it when we were 17 and 18, it was one of the great albums for that kind of experience. I can confirm that it is still worthy of that kind of treatment, though it is a different experience streaming it over Spotify in the car than having the cassette player blasting it out in 1987.
I supposed you’ve guessed that I still love this album. Perhaps I don’t go to it as much as I used to in those late teenage years and early 20’s, but that is because of the sheer volume of albums I now possess than any dimming of my love for this album. The band that I was in during those years attempted many of these songs in those days, and while we nailed a couple, we made a mess of a few others. This one has always been my favourite to play and listen to in that regard.

1203. Iron Maiden / Piece of Mind. 1983. 5/5

Iron Maiden’s popularity had exploded worldwide with the release of their third studio album “The Number of the Beast”, and the success of the lead single from that album “Run to the Hills”. The story of that album can be found in an episode of this podcast back in Season 2 if you are interested in reliving the story that came with it.
Once the touring schedule for that album had been completed, the band could concentrate on the writing session for their follow up, something that was going to be a tough ask. The first part of that puzzle had already occurred by this point. Drummer Clive Burr, who had been a staple of the first three albums, had been let go by the band after he had taken a short leave of absence due to the death of his father. Filling in for him while he was away was drummer of the band Trust, Nicko McBrain. On Burr’s return, a meeting occurred where the band had decided that they needed to move in a different direction. What brought this on? There is no definitive answer to this. Several reports at the time suggested it was drugs and alcohol that had caused the separation, but more reliable quotes suggest that Clive and band leader Steve Harris had had too many disagreements and Steve’s patience had run out. Clive was quoted in “Classic Rock” magazine two years before his sad demise from multiple Sclerosis as saying - “Steve used to say I played the songs too fast, he was always telling me to slow down. My abiding memory of recording “The Number Of The Beast” album is Steve telling me to slow down.” There were odd spats, he says, but nothing major, nothing serious. Bruce Dickinson in his autobiography says he felt Clive’s dismissal came from personality conflicts with Steve, but that he had always wished he had been able to stay longer, as his drumming was his favourite of Maiden’s drummers. Without knowing anything for certain, it appears from the outside that when Nicko came in for Clive for those shows, something clicked for Steve Harris and he decided that it was this style of drumming the band needed, and he made that decision to fire Clive and hire Nicko full time. Nicko, of course, has been Iron Maiden’s drummer ever since.

The other major change for this album was that Bruce Dickinson was now officially able to contribute to the writing process. Because of contractual problems with his previous band Samson, Bruce was legally unable to be credited on any of that album’s songs, despite the fact that it was later revealed that he had made significant contributions to the songs "The Prisoner", "Children of the Damned" and "Run to the Hills". Now however he was free to be completely involved in the writing process and be credited for this. It gave the band an amazing set of songwriters in Steve Harris, Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson, who were able to write songs on their own but also with each other, something that began to create the amazing template for the Iron Maiden albums of the 1980’s. With Dave Murray also offering his one or two contributions per album, it truly made the band a full unit on the writing front.
When it came ot the writing and recording, the band left UK soil to do both. The writing for the album took place off the coast of France in Jersey in January of 1983, before they moved to the Bahamas to complete that job and then also record the album.
One of the interesting parts about this part of Iron Maiden’s career was the controversy that had come with their previous album and the branding of the band as satanists and devil worshippers as a result. Despite the ridiculousness of those claims, mostly from the conservative religious elements in the US, the band was somewhat branded in some places as a result. On this album, they decided to fight back. In an interlude directly preceding the track “Still Life”, there is an incomprehensible recording, which for all money sounds like it is backwards masking. As it turns out, that is exactly what it is. In order to put the wind up the kind of people who like to protest about ‘this kind of thing happening’ on albums, the band actually recorded Nicko saying "What ho said the t'ing with the three 'bonce', don't meddle with things you don't understand...", and then put it on the album backwards, no doubt driving those that like to protest about this kind of thing mad. And, let’s face it, could there ever be a better way to fight back against that kind of simple thinking than doing exactly this?

There are many elements that still make this a great album. First off, the writing and inspiration of the tracks. For me, I think it is a terrific thing to have so many songs here inspired by stories, either in the written form in the shape of books or poems or short stories, or by movies and the stories told in that art form. And that’s what helps make the songs interesting even 40 years later, because the stories are still there to be told and heard. And then you have the music itself, and the highly developed way it has progressed since their first album just three years previous. Yes, the drums are different because of the change of drummer, that is to be expected. And Nicko is spectacular on this album. But the guitars and the melodic trade off between Adrian and Dave throughout are immense. The switching of solos, the harmony guitars when used, and the amazing rhythm riffs are even more intense and perfectly constructed that they were even on “The Number of the Beast”. And that galloping bass guitar of Steve Harris that is completely unique in metal at the time. All of it combines here to make an unreal album.
And in some places it is just the small things that make it so amazing. The machine guns in the album opener “Where Eagles Dare” are actually just Nicko on his hi-hats. His amazing fills that flesh out the song so much but are often overlooked when it comes to the brilliance of the track itself. Even if you haven’t seen the film that the song is based on, you can almost see it occurring before you anyway as you listen to the song. And Bruce’s vocals lines, into that final high pitches scream at the end of the song is just shivers down the spine stuff. So much air guitaring goes on while this song is played. It is one of the great album openers of all time. This is followed by Bruce’s amazing “Revelations”, which swings between the faster and heavier to the moody and thoughtful, the power of the track being in his own incomparable vocals. His lyrics here, combined from several sources and focusing especially on the writings of Aleister Crowley, are mesmerising, and beautifully expressed.
Many people remained surprised that “Flight of Icarus” was released as the first single from the album, but given its length made it radio friendly, and the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-chorus composition also gave it that radio friendly appeal, perhaps in the long run it was not. Of course, it proved a hit in the US where it reached number 8, so the question is probably moot. Based around the Greek mythology story of Icarus it proved a hit to those who studied ancient history in high school. Side One of the album then concludes with the galloping joy of “Die With Your Boots On”, based on the story of Nostradamus and his visions that many believe foretold the future. Beyond that though, two great guitar solos and that superb bass guitar from Steve Harris drive the song along at the perfect clip and make it one of the best, most underrated Iron Maiden songs in their catalogue.

“The Trooper” is still regarded by most fans as the band’s greatest ever song. Everything about it seems iconic. The cover to the single, the second and final single released from the album, which of course then sold in the millions on T-shirts and posters. The sight of Eddie coming at you with the tattered Union Jack and the sword in his other hand is still one of the most decorated in music history. The amazing combination of the twin guitars on this song is unparalleled, with both Adrian and Dave producing an amazing performance. What makes the song so unique though is the fact that it tells the story of the Charge of the Light Brigade, one of the most famous battles of the Crimean War, and the galloping of Steve Harris’s bass guitar correlates perfectly to the sound of galloping horses, becoming the most iconic of songs as a result. And the sight of Bruce Dickinson standing astride on stage in both the music video for the song, and every night they play it live on stage, completes what is the perfect storm in heavy metal music. 40 years on, it has lost none of its power and standing in the metal world.
“Still Life”, preceded by Nicko’s reverse warning, is another of Maiden’s most underrated songs, and as Dave Murray’s sole co-written track again proves that less can be more. This is a beautifully moody yet melodically heavy track, that builds and wanes perfectly, lulling you into its spell before crashing into the main crunching riff and Bruce’s mood-changing vocals. It is an awesome song, one of my all time favourites with two perfectly played solos again through the middle of the song.
“Quest for Fire”, on the other hand, often gets short shrift when discussed by fans and critics alike. Unlike the other songs here, it seems a fairly simple one, with the only real outstanding feature being Steve basslines, especially through the chorus. Perhaps that is so, and it seems unlikely that anyone would ever put “Quest for Fire” on a pedestal. But to be honest, it never bothered me in the slightest growing up with the album, or now. It is part of the furniture, a song that is a part of Piece of Mind, and that is all that has ever mattered to me. But it is interesting that “Quest for Fire” is often paired up with “Sun and Steel” as being the weak links of the album, and I say interesting because I freaking LOVE “Sun and Steel”. Similar in what many call a ‘simple’ style, I love Bruce’s harmony vocals through the chorus, the melodic guitars especially in the solos, and Bruce’s climbing vocals at the end of the song. I still love it.
What is surely not in dispute is the awesomeness of the album’s closing track, “To Tame a Land”. Based on the novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert, "To Tame a Land" was meant to be called "Dune". They sought permission from Herbert’s agents to do so (much as they had done with Patrick McGoohan for “The Prisoner” on the previous album) but apparently the message they got back as quoted as such - "Frank Herbert doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially bands like Iron Maiden". Thus this epic track is called “To Tame a Land” which to be honest is a much better sounding name for a song of this stature than “Dune”. It is one of Maiden’s most elaborately brilliant songs, amazingly sung by Bruce Dickinson, and then performed by the band itself. Nicko’s drumming is superb and also helps to dictate the mood of the track which is quite a feat for a drummer on this scale. Much like the opening track, even if you don’t know “Dune”, the song paints its own picture and allows you to see everything that the band wants you to see. And it also dictates to you once it has finished that you must turn the album over, and start it all over again.

You may have guessed by now that “Piece of Mind” is an album that I think pretty highly of. I didn’t actually hear the album until the final weeks of 1985, some two and a half years after it had been released. It was the very start of my journey into the love and obsession with the heavy metal genre of music. The previous week I had been handed a cassette with Iron Maiden’s next album, “Powerslave” recorded on it, and then my impatience for new material in this genre was curbed slightly by my heavy metal music dealer providing me with a copy of this album as well. And I began listening to both albums in the two weeks that led up to Xmas that year. Perhaps surprisingly, one song began to stick in my mind, and I began to play it over and over until I had all the lyrics right. That song was “Flight of Icarus”, and it became the song that truly got me into Iron Maiden. From there, the remainder of the album came along for the ride, first with “Die with Your Boots On” and of course “The Trooper”, which soon outstripped “Flight of Icarus” and became the anthem of my final two years of high school. I walked our school cross country the following year with my metal dealer, singing the whole album from start to finish to pass the time, playing each guitar solo on beautifully immaculate air guitars. I began bringing my portable cassette deck to school, so we could listen to this album and others like it during lunch and recess every day. My taped version had “The Trooper” where it jumped a couple of times – in fact, all of us in our group at high school did, because our same metal dealing mate was recording his album for everyone, and his vinyl jumped in the same spot every time. In fact, until we got “Live After Death”, we didn’t even have a copy of the song that was the full version without skipping. That was the joy and bane of the vinyl days of music. The band we were in during the early 1990’s played “The Trooper” in every setlist, and even began to play “Still Life” to rapturous applause during the concluding days of that band’s existence. I have “The Trooper” poster, framed and hanging on my wall in the Metal Cavern. And my 15 year old son Josh has one on his wall as well.
By the time I’d returned to school at the beginning of 1986, I was hooked, an addict. Iron Maiden was a drug, and this album was the affinity of it. It was the beginning of a journey for me, one that in 1986 included Iron Maiden, and the discovery of Metallica and Ronnie James Dio, the three artists that for me have defined a major portion of my teenage years, and my post-teens life. And for those last 30 years, if I was ever asked what my favourite albums of all time are, I can still confidently narrow down as my top three of all time. A Metallica one with crosses all over the front cover, an album that has a pyramid emblazoned on its front cover, and “Piece of Mind”. Come at me with suggestions that you think might be better. You’d be wrong.

1199. Men at Work / Cargo. 1983. 2.5/5

No one, surely not even the band themselves, would have imagined the plaudits that came their way after the release of that debut album “Business as Usual” back in 1981. That album, one where you can hear an episode reviewing it back in Season 1 of this podcast, had two cracks at both the Australian and US markets, essentially through the song “Down Under”. The bleeding of that song into international markets allowed the band the exposure that most other local bands could only dream of with their first album, and meant that the expectation of what to expect on the follow up would lead to two things – the pressure for the band to follow up its success by writing more songs that would again capture the imagination of the listening public, but also a ready-made leap in album sales when the new album was actually released.
The success of the debut album actually led to the release date for “Cargo” being put back somewhat significantly. As “Business as Usual” was still making solid sales, their record company felt that releasing this album too soon would be detrimental to that money-making machine. “Cargo” had been written and recorded throughout the first half of 1982, and was ready for release by mid that year, so it was pretty much another nine months on before it actually saw the light of day. The first single from the album was released in Australia in October of that year, a full six months before the album eventually made the record shelves. That release date, 40 years ago this week, had been preceded by the second single a few weeks earlier, and the success of both of those songs on the singles chart gave the album a huge push when it finally came to light.

This album continues with the interesting mix of song styles and musical direction that the first album started, though the direction here is perhaps in a more commercial bent. It majors in the age of new wave mixed with the pop sensibilities that were around in that era of music, eschewing any pretence of incorporating rock into the mix. Once again, there are songs especially such as “Settle Down My Boy”, “Blue for You” and “I Like To” that all have that reggae blended new wave style that, while I can listen to it when it comes from bands such as Men at Work and others like The Police, I don’t especially love it. The mix of Greg Ham’s saxophone does tend to soften the reggae part and bring to the surface more of the new wave part when it is used in the songs here.
While the album flows together nicely from start to finish, it is an acquired taste. Anyone coming in looking for a combination of the energy that comes from the band’s best known singles will possibly feel disappointed. Those singles are catchy, and were released as singles because of that. But the other songs on the album are a mixture. We have those three I’ve just mentioned that have their own style, and then you have a song such as “Upstairs in My House” which mixes the sax and new wave keyboards with Colin Hay’s beautifully pitched vocals soaring through the song, which makes it one of the highlights. In other tracks the instrumental pieces that proliferate sometime feels as though they have freeform experimentalising on them, where the music continues on just for the sake of filling some space. On numerous listens, sometimes those songs just seem to track longer than they should.
So beyond the bulk of the album, the singles do poke their heads above the waterline to make themselves heard. The opening two songs are “Dr Heckyll and Mr Jive” and “Overkill” which get the album off to an excellent. “High Wire” sits in the middle of the album and lifts it profile there as well, while “It’s a Mistake” still provides the riposte that energises whenever it appears.

Like I mentioned during the review part of this album, the band’s first album was still around the charts at the time this was eventually released, and it became more prominent again six months later when Australia II won the America’s Cup, when “Down Under” had become the unofficial anthem of the campaign. So in many ways, despite the late release and the particular way they released the singles from THIS album, “Cargo” was still being overshadowed by its predecessor all along the way – at least, that’s how it felt to me at the time.
While this was released at a time before I had begun to seek out and buy albums of my own accord, I did know the singles of it off the radio. Eventually “Business as Usual” became one of the first albums that I did ever purchase. “Cargo” was an album I heard sporadically at friends’ of my parents, and not many places otherwise. Eventually down the track, a few years after Men At Work had ceased to exist, I did get a taped copy of this album on cassette and listened to it for awhile. For several reasons – I was listening to much heavier material at the time, and the age of new wave was well and truly passed – I didn’t get as much out of it as I had with the debut album, and it slipped from my mind.
So I’ve listened to it again over the past couple of weeks, and I have the same feelings about it now as I did then. I’ve been quite happy to have it on and listen to it, knowing it isn’t my preferred genre in this day and age. The comparison with The Police is still there, less than there was on the first album, but there nonetheless. And my main joy of an early episode of the comedy series “Scrubs” is when Colin Hay came on and played an acoustic version of this album’s superior song.

1195. David Bowie / Let's Dance. 1983. 3/5

Having released so many albums in his career up to the point where the 1980’s decade began, it may come as somewhat of a surprise when it is revealed that Bowie himself went into this new album with a desire to have a commercial hit, with both album and singles. His first album of the decade, “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”, had in fact done rather better than his so-called “Berlin Trilogy”, which had received widespread acclaim from music critics without being as successful as their reviews made them out to be. On “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”, Bowie had managed to have quite a great deal of success. That album had reached number 1 in the UK and Australia, and #12 in the US, while the single “Ashes to Ashes” had made top 10 in the UK and Australia, though not in the US.
Following this album, Bowie had made changes in his management and record company, and had also collaborated with Queen to release the single “Under Pressure”, which again went to #1 in the UK. The growing commercial success appeared to have taken a hold of him, and he hired producer Nile Rodgers in an effort make a change to what had occurred on his recent albums. Rodgers had written and produced a number of R&B hits in recent times, both for his own band Chic and other artists, songs such as “Le Freak” and “We Are Family” and “Upside Down”. And it was this that Bowie was hoping to tap into, the have popular songs driving the force of the album. He also decided to work with a whole different band of musicians, believing it was time for him to work outside of his comfort zone and find a new medium to work with. A number of these ended up being Rodgers’ frequent collaborators from Chic. One who Bowie requested personally was the then-unknown guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, whom he has seen play at Montreux. Though he was seen by many as a strange choice, there is little doubt that Bowie knew what he had seen, and knew what he wanted, and Vaughan’s contribution on lead guitar to the album is an important part of its eventual success.

In looking at the album as a whole, it perhaps makes sense to look at it in its two halves – the singles, and the non-singles, that make up the bulk of the album to which they have served. Of course, the singles have utilised these other tracks as B-sides, so that almost every song from the album gains a place on a single as either an A-side or a B-side.
The second side of the album is where all of the non-A-side singles resided, which I know made it difficult or easy for some people I knew who had the album back in my high school years, because they would generally just play the first half of the album over and over again as a result. But that would be to the detriment of those songs on the back side of the album.
“Ricochet” starts that second side of the album, and for the most part doesn’t really stick with the style of the rest of the album. Rather than flowing, it feels as though it stops and starts. “Criminal World” is a cover of the song done by a band called Metro a few years earlier, and this is more like the new wave and romantic era that the album fell in with, also inducing some reggae themes along the way. This is followed by “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”, an updated version of the song that Bowie wrote and recorded with Georgio Moroder for the movie Cat People a couple of years earlier. It has a better energy about it than the songs around it, and Vaughan’s guitar solo indices most of that. And the final track “Shake It” closes out the album with a funky style that is reminiscent of that late 1970’s sound that producer Nile Rodgers had been involved with more than David Bowie had.
On the other hand, the first half of the album has the most recognisable tracks, the ones that anyone growing up in the 1980’s would recognise. The album opens with “Modern Girl”, the upbeat singalong dance track that seems to be more likely as the direction Bowie was looking for when he began this album. It is followed by the other two big time singles, “China Girl”, which Bowie had actually co-written with Iggy Pop for his first solo album, and was redesigned and re-recorded for Bowie’s purposes here, and the title track “Let’s Dance” which became one of his biggest selling singles. The final song of the side is “Without You”, which often divides fans and critics alike as to its place in the bowie song history.

It is interesting to note that this album is in fact David Bowie’s highest selling album of all time, selling almost 11 million copies worldwide since its release. It also achieved its purpose in gaining popularity and commerciality, topping charts around the world. And yet, despite this, there is often conflict when it comes to discussion on its merits compared to the remainder of his discography. Albums such as “Hunky Dory”, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and “Heroes” in particular are the albums that are considered ground-breaking, the ones where the artistic vision of the artist in question is praised above all. And yet, this album has noses pointe upwards and flaring in contempt, indeed, even from Bowie himself. He often said that the success of this album hindered his creativity for the remainder of the 80’s decade, because he felt he had to follow up the style of this album as this is what had proven to be popular, the commercial popularity that he had apparently sought out. And when that success was not replicated by the following two albums, he walked away, and sought out the critical acclaim that had once been his once again. All very strange.
My journey with David Bowie was for the most part not commenced until after the 80’s were in the rear vision mirror. I enjoyed the singles off this album, and bits and pieces of albums earlier and later. I almost convinced myself to go see him with friends when he toured at the end of 1987, and in recent years have regretted my eventual decision not to. By the time I realised how amazing David Bowie was it was well beyond the glory years, but this album was one that I sought out following viewing the perfect 1980’s retro film “The Wedding Singer”, which drew on the nostalgia that that era was beginning to draw upon of those of my age group. And so I discovered this album for the first time, with the singles I knew and the others I did not. And I can only agree that it isn’t as important or arty as those other three albums. But you know what it is? It’s fun, and that is what the best 80’s albums are with their new wave and new romantic leanings. And my favourite Bowie song from the era might be looked down upon in certain circles, but for me still typifies that era of music, and showcases just why David Bowie was so brilliant, because he could transcend the era and be just as relevant in it, even when he tried to diss it later on.

1193. Fastway / Fastway. 1983. 2.5/5

Thinking of Motorhead without “Fast” Eddie Clarke and of UFO without Pete Way back in the early 1980’s was almost impossible, and yet this is exactly what occurred in 1982, with both looking to escape the perceived troubles they saw with those bands current line ups, and looking for a new start. That they came upon each other, and found enough similarities to form a new band together was also fortuitous. Thus, the name Fastway was launched, taking the “Fast” from Eddie Clarke’s nickname, and the “Way” from Pete’s surname. It seemed a perfect fit.
What wasn’t a perfect fit though was Pete Way’s contract with Chrysalis Records, one which he soon discovered he was unable to break in order to write and record with his new band. At the same time as this realisation hit, he was offered the bass players spot in Ozzy Osbourne’s touring band to replace Rudy Sarzo who had left to re-join Quiet Riot. This meant that despite being considered as a ‘founding member’ of Fastway, Pete Way never played nor recorded with the band.
Better news came from the recruitment of Jerry Shirley, the drummer from Humble Pie, and an unknown lead singer named Dave King, whose vocal chords perfectly fit what the band was looking for. Because although no one was looking for a Lemmy replica to be fronting this new band, they were certainly expecting those famous “Fast” Eddie Clarke riffs to be flooding through the songs. And they needed a front man with a voice to carry the performance, and in King they found their man.

With the focus of the fans on the band coming from its two high profile musicians in “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Jerry Shirley, there is little doubt that it is the vocals of Dave King that are the leading light of the band in the early songs of the album. The opening track “Easy Livin’” is a straight forward hard rock track that introduces his vocals from the outset, and from that point on, the album has set its template. The atypical boy-to-girl hard rock tracks such as “All I Need Your Love” and “Feel Me, Touch Me (Do Anything You Want) and “Give it All You Got” are the prototype to what the LA hair metal bands began to popularise, though Fastway perform them in denim jeans and leather jackets rather than the spandex and teased hair and make up that came with those bands. Songs like “Another Day” and ------- are where both Shirley and Clarke come into their own, where the drums sound like they are being hit with more intensity, and where Eddie lets loose on the strings and gives us the riffs and solo breaks that most of the fans have come for. Other songs such as “Heft!” and “We Become One” are more in that Diamond Head NWoBHM standard which almost a doom standard riff followed by a more complex solo piece from Eddie. And then you have songs such as “Say What You Will” that have a classic Motorhead sound without the gravelled vocal chords.
Listening to the album with these different sets of styles, it becomes an interesting task in retrospect, because it sounds as though the band was still trying to establish exactly what they wanted to sound like, or what direction they wanted their music to go in. So you will find different varieties and genres of the emerging hard rock heavy metal scene of the early 1980’s. And because of this, these songs probably shouldn’t gell together well on an album. But that is the surprising part about it – because it really does.

I didn’t come across Fastway until the end of my high school years, and the release of the horror metal-injected movie titled “Trick or Treat” which had cameos from Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, about a satanic-loving metal star who is raised from the dead by the playing of his unreleased album backwards. Go watch it if you are interested, but it has dated badly. The soundtrack for that movie was provided by Fastway, which is where I first heard them. It wasn’t until many years later that I went back and looked into the band, discovered the reason for its formation, and listened to their back catalogue. And it is fair to say that, by that time many years after its release, I found this to be interesting without being brilliant. Certainly, having read reports on it from the time it was released, I was expecting brilliance beyond what I had heard before, but that isn’t what I got. What I heard was a fairly decent hard rock album that had some good bits, but was not a stand out.
Having come back to it over the past couple of weeks in the lead up to recording this episode, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually retained its pleasure for me. I think going in without any expectations helped this, whereas in the past I was looking for something that it didn't have. But the vocals are very good, lifting the songs above an averageness that they could have had with a lesser singer. And Eddie’s riffs are good as well – not Motorhead good, but still enjoyable. It was marketed as a heavy metal album, whereas in reality it is a hard rock album with a reasonable kick. Come into it thinking you are going to hear AC/DC rather than Motorhead and you will find it is a good solid album worthy of your time.

1192. ZZ Top / Eliminator. 1983. 3/5

For an outsider, who may not be a fan of ZZ Top or their music, the way this album was crafted is still a really interesting story. There has been no shortage of controversy over it through the years, completely apart from how the album eventually became such a huge success and seller around the world.
ZZ Top had always been known for their blues rock sound, exemplified in hit songs such as “La Grange” and “Tush”, but as the band moved into the 1980’s, and the change in the music landscape around them, there was a push by band leader Billy Gibbons to update that sound slightly for the new generation.
What exactly did this mean? Well, Gibbons has gone on record that he was looking to find the synth rock and new wave vitality that was popular at the time, while retaining the band’s basic guitar rock sound as well. How was this achieved? It was a somewhat controversial move at the time, where fellow band members Dusty Hill and Frank Beard had come in to record their bass and drum parts, as well as contribute the vocals that they needed to, and left to return home. From here, Gibbons and the album producer and engineer came in and almost systematically replaced the majority of their parts – with Gibbons replacing the bass with his own playing or of that on a keyboard synthesiser, and the drums being replaced by a drum machine, with Beard’s tom rolls and cymbals being the only thing left in the recording. Outside singers also came in to add backing vocals where necessary.
There was also a push to have the tempo of the songs played at a certain bpm, as this had apparently been proven to be the speed which helped songs become popular when broadcast. Go figure. And finally there was a dispute over the writing credits for the album, with Linden Hudson claiming to have been a collaborator on many of the tracks, and solely on the song “Thug”. Overall, despite these things all happening, the whole process seemed to move rather smoothly. Now all that had to happen was to wait and see if they would gain the rewards for their work.

Aside from the hit singles that everybody knew if you were growing up in the 1980’s, the remainder of the track list is a mixed bag, depending on whether you were a massive fan of the band or a casual observer, and whether you enjoy their style of blues based rock with the modern changes that had been made to coincide with the writing for this album. “I Got the Six” (sung by Dusty Hill) and “If I Could Only Flag Her Down” are typical ZZ Top tracks from their past, utilising all of the trademarks from those early albums and hits. Yes, it is in a modern way but the techniques are the same. “Bad Girl” draws from old school rock and blues such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard, which must have been a shock to the kids listening to this who had no idea such artists existed. All three are good strong tracks that are a strength of ZZ Top at their best. Other tracks such as “I Need You Tonight” and “Dirty Dog” and “TV Dinners”, which was released as a single, are more in the average class of song, and not the kind of song that makes you sit up and notice. In most ways, they are overshadowed by the singles and the popularity they garnered.
Surely even the band could not have imagined the way those singles went through the charts and blew up the screens. Backed by the fun storylines drawn out by the music videos that took over MTV and other music video shows around the world, these songs pushed the enormous sales of the album and therefore the fans love of the album. “Gimme All Your Lovin”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and especially “Legs” became the standard bearers for the album, highlighted by the 1933 Ford coupe that appeared in each film clip, and the band themselves. And, the good looking women too I guess. Along with the superb guitar riffs, great vocals and catchy lyrics, the album took off around the world, going top ten in the US, UK and Australia.

Given that this was released in the year that I first became interested in buying albums of bands rather than Various Artists compilations, and that I was still focused on rock bands more than the heavy metal gnre that came a couple of years later, there was always a chance that I may have purchased this at the time it came out. But because of the staggered singles release, it wasn’t until over 12 months later that “Legs” was released as a single and a music video, and it was definitely this song that made me look up and take notice. For reasons already mentioned. And the first two singles are good ones, and got good coverage on the radio at the time. Despite this, I didn’t actually listen to the album until I had left high school a few years later, and it came on at an acquaintances house we were gathered at that evening. And the conversation around the album as it played was “remember those film clips for those songs?!?”
It is not an album I have owned a physical copy of. I have a downloaded version, and I have listened to it sparingly over the years. I did so most recently on the passing of Dusty Hill last year, and came away from that with a more rounded view on the album rather than just the singles component.
The album remains as the band’s best known, and if you play it today you will get as much enjoyment out of it as you are looking for.

1187. Def Leppard / Pyromania. 1983. 5/5

As has been stated on other episodes of this podcast when it comes to retro-reviewing Def Leppard albums, for a band that was spoken of as one of the early leaders of the NWoBHM movement, they shirked that title at every turn, and rather than go down that path they chose their own, which mainly looked to try and crack the American rock market. And given the brilliance of their sophomore album “High N Dry”, which made a few inroads in that respect but perhaps not the break they were looking for, there was no doubt an even bigger push to have that occur with their follow up album.
Writing and recording of “Pyromania” was again not a particularly easy process. Recording took up most of 1982 as the band, along with producer “Mutt” Lange, searched for the sound that would propel them to the success they were looking to achieve. And while Def Leppard, even in their earliest form, could not be classed as heavy metal, the faster and heavier tracks from “High N Dry” still had the band labelled as such in many quarters. What can be seen on “Pyromania” is a band in transition. There are still the faster tracks here that showcase what the band had been like in their earliest days, bFor ut there are also the tracks here that, while not being pop songs as such, were beginning to develop more into songs that radio stations would be happy to pull up and play on rotation, which in 1983 was still the best way to sell albums.
Along with this, Pete Willis, whose alcoholism had caused some ructions within the group for some time, eventually found he had run out of chances. Towards the end of the recording process he had laid down all of his rhythm tracks for the album, but the band had lost its patience, and he was fired before the album was completed. In his place came Phil Collen, who with the support of Mutt Lange was encouraged to ‘just be a lead guitarist, jump around and have fun’ as he competed the album by coming up with his own lead guitar pieces to complement the songs and bring them all together. And when you listen to the album, you can hear that fun inspiration in the songs because of that. Some may say… well, I may say… that the greatness of the tracks here is that scintillating lead guitar work from the man who came in and gave the album the kick that pushes it into greatness.

For me, there is a common misconception when it comes to Def Leppard albums depending on the era you grew up in. Those who were early Def Leppard fans feel that this album is a diverse change from the first two albums, and that it signalled the real change in the band’s direction, whereas later fans feel that change didn’t occur until the following album “Hysteria”. If you were to play the first four albums back to back, I think you will agree that there is a maturing of the material and the production of each album, but that essentially the songs on “Pyromania” can be collated much more closely with “High N Dry” than with “Hysteria”.
There are the obvious singles here on “Pyromania” that have either been purpose-written to find their way onto radio airplay, or just naturally occurred that way. But none of those four songs could be accused of ‘selling out’ or drifting away from the overall theme of the album. “Too Late For Love” takes on that role lyrically and with a greater concentration of the chorused vocals that would come to define the later sound that the band took, but all three initial singles – “Photograph”, “Rock of Ages” and “Foolin’” are no less hard rock than the songs that came before them. “Photograph” was the song that really broke them in the US, and it had repeated playings of the music video on those video shows as well. The follow up “Rock of Ages” also did well, and perhaps drew in another section of fans because it wasn’t a typical radio friendly song of the day.
But the ore of the album is still, for me at least, that great hard rock style that Def Leppard had produced on their earlier albums. “Die Hard the Hunter” finishes off side one of the album in style, while the triumvirate that completes side two – “Comin Under Fire”, “Action Not Words” and “Billy’s Got a Gun”, are just superb, played and sung with a passion that still gives me goosebumps when I put the album on and listen to, and sing out loud, these songs.
The biggest change on “Pyromania” then was probably the production of Mutt Lange. Whereas “High N Dry” still had that gritty hard rock, almost live feeling about most of the tracks, a lot of that doesn’t exist in the same way here. “Stagefright” is the closest song here to being felt like it was a live song (probably for the faux crowd being inserted onto the track), and I can attest that a song like the opening track “Rock Rock til You Drop” sounds amazingly better live, because it is written to be a live song, but it doesn’t always come across that way here. Lange and no doubt the band was looking for a showpiece to present to the world, and that is exactly how it was prepared, and how it comes across.

The 1980’s decade was where Def Leppard found their way through numerous challenges and blockades to find the fame and sound that they wanted, and the success that it then brought. Nothing was easy about it, and they made lots of fans along the way, and probably lost a few as well.
“Pyromania” came to me by way of my high school metal music dealer, back in 1986, which was before the hype of “Hysteria” drew in every kind of music fan to say “DEF LEPPARD!!! WHOA!!!” And I can assure you that I adored this album at the time, and there were a LOT of bands and albums that I was getting into at the time, and for this to find its way above water level to keep being heard was a feat in itself. And I guess it was also fortunate that, given I didn’t first hear this until over three years after it was released, it didn’t have any new Def Leppard music to compete against it, given the length of time that came between albums. But what always impressed me, and allowed me to fall in love with this album, was that while it wasn’t the traditional heavy metal of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath or the thrash metal of Metallica that I was gorging on at the time, nor was it soft core. These songs have a great hard rock base, solid drumming from Rick Allen, an awesome bass sound from Rick Savage, sensational guitars from Steve Clark and Phil Collen, and those amazing unique vocals from Joe Elliott, along with the harmony backing vocals that a lot of bands I was listening to at the time just didn’t have. They mixed all of that together to have songs you cold sing along to at the top of your voice, and play air drums and air guitar along to, and make them so catchy that as soon as the album finished, you just had to put it on again to hear them all again. The momentum of the album is never bogged down, each song carries itself and is both wonderful it itself and as a part of the whole.
Having had this on my stereo in the Metal Cavern for the past two weeks on constant rotation, I am still not sick of it. I have it going right now in the background as I record this podcast episode. And it has again raised in my head the question “what is my favourite Def Leppard album?” Because whenever I listen to “High N Dry”, I think it is that album. And now? Well. Honestly. How can you go past this work of art as the best that Def Leppard has produced?

1013. Mötley Crüe / Shout at the Devil. 1983. 5/5

Motley Crue is a band that has either been loved or despised over the years, both for their contribution to the music world, and their antics away from the writing and recording process. In many instances, people are unable to separate the two, and should they disapprove of the behaviour of members of the band then they also disapprove of the music they create. It was around the time this album was being created that the behaviour patterns were set in stone. Coming off their debut album, “Too Fast for Love”, an episode of which you can find in Season 1 of this podcast, the band were on significant tours with high profile artists such as Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, and eventually the 1984 Monsters of Rock with Van Halen and AC/DC. Each of these bands had major problems with the way Motley Crue conducted themselves. Gene Simmons had them replaced after just five shows of the “Creatures of the Night” tour. Bob Daisley counselled them not to change their guitarist when they spoke on the tour bus of replacing Mick Mars. And Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Malcolm Young were left furious at some of things that the band perpetrated. For their part, Motley Crue just didn’t care. They were high on life and doing it their own way. They trashed every motel room thy stayed in, and Nikki Sixx got into an accident in a friend’s Porsche he had stolen, the consequences with pain killer addiction were not fully realised until a few years later.
In and around all of this, the band had to write and record the follow up their first album. While it had some excellent tracks and had been well received, following that up to the point that they could back up their over the top behaviour on tour was going to be another thing entirely. "Too Fast for Love” had been a good album that showed promise, but not on a scale that this album produced. The jump in quality and energy between it and this is quite remarkable. Some fans disagree and think that this album waters down the punkish edge that the debut had and thus made it less alternative and more mainstream. I can see where that argument could be made, but the extra ‘polish’ that may appear to be here does actually help to tie in the whole album rather than expose any lesser tracks such as could be argued appear on “Too Fast for Love”.

Here on “Shout at the Devil” there is a nice mixture of tempo on the songs without ever losing the energy and power of the album, and each member of the band can be thanked for that. Tommy Lee’s hard hitting drums are a constant metronome. He doesn’t always sound like he is doing anything special outside of a regular drum beat, until you realise that the nuances he uses are so much more than average, they are extraordinary. His drum sound on this album is perfect, it doesn’t take centre stage nor is it hidden in the background, it rides along with the other four in harmony. Nikki Sixx’s bass lines rumble along in much the same way, not appearing to be out of the ordinary but in fact are driving the songs, supplying the energy in the tracks throughout. An interesting thought, given the recent developments that suggest Sixx did not play any of the bass guitar on this album, that it had been re-recorded by an unnamed session player. Mick Mars and his guitar shine along the way, not only matching the riff of his bass partner but making the perfect punctuations when his solo slot comes up in each song. He really is a very underrated player. Topping this off is the marvellous vocals from Vince Neil whose falsetto voice pierces through in places that are sometime unexpected, supported by the chanting back up voices of his three band mates to allow him to be the star out front. Whatever problems he may be faced with in the modern day in the live environment, his vocals sound great here on this album.
As to the songs themselves, I love every one of them on this album. That could be put down to having had this album imprinted in my brain back in those early days rather than the songs being spectacularly good, but that is the advantage of listening to the album and not just having heard a couple of singles off the album. For instance, most people would know “Looks That Kill” as it is a well aired video and song, but how many of those people would know of songs such as “Bastard” and “Red Hot”, or the album closer “Danger”? A very low percentage I would suspect, and these songs to me are just as enjoyable and important as “Looks That Kill” is. “Bastard” and “Red Hot” are the two fastest tempo songs on the album, and help to raise the action and adrenaline of the song list. They’re not singles by a long shot, but they are terrific songs that make up the core of the album itself. “Knock ‘em Dead Kid” and “Ten Seconds to Love” settle in that same range that every great album needs, the songs that may not be the stars of the show, but are terrific supporting cast. And you can’t have a great album if the bulk of the tracks, the ones that don’t get a single release of played at the live shows, aren’t great in their own way. Then you can add in the excellent cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter”, which to me is the best version of this song, by any band. Again, the key word is ‘energy’ and this version has plenty of that in order to get the most out of it.
“Shout at the Devil” and “Too Young to Fall in Love” are the two real foot stompers on the album, based around the great Mick Mars riffs and leading drums from Tommy Lee. They both have that heavy mid-tempo riff with the drum pattern that encourages not only hard foot tapping in time but a solid head banging rhythm as well. And that is one of the key characteristics of this album. Perhaps the song structure isn’t complex or difficult, but it is enjoyable and entertaining, and that’s all you can ask of an album.

Back in my teenage years, in the middle of the Age of Discovery where new music and new bands were hopping out of the ground by the dozen, I gained my first exposure to the band Mötley Crüe. Initially it was through the video clip for the song “Looks That Kill” that had popped up on music video programs at specified times, and eventually metal music dealer picked up the album “Shout at the Devil” and taped it for me. Thus began my love affair with this band in general, but on a wider scale the hair metal genre as a whole. The album is a product of its time. The carefree ‘we are indestructible’ quartet looking to make their way in a music world that was finding success in several different quarters, and Motley Crue were able to knock down a couple of doors with their antics, their stage persona and the music itself.
I came into the band just beyond the halfway mark of the 1980’s decade, and when I did I came in hard. I had this on one side of a cassette with “Girls Girls Girls” on the other, which made for a riotous 90 minutes whenever I put it on. Driving around town with the drivers side window wound down and this blasting out of the car stereo was not an unusual sight in those days. And it was this album in particular that solidified my love of the band. Critics like to suggest that there is nothing outstanding about the song writing or the performance, but to me that’s what makes this such a great album. Lee’s drumming sounds simple but is so intricate, it makes it more special. Mars’s riffing is superb, and his solo’s his every spot perfectly. And Vince’s vocals don’t go for extremes, they are exuberant and enticing. And the fact Nikki Sixx almost single handedly wrote the album makes it what it is.
Plenty have suggested this is Mötley Crüe’s finest hour. There is enough evidence here to suggest that’s a fair comment. I believe they at least equalled this with “Dr. Feelgood” a few years down the track, but as much as I like their other surrounding albums I don’t think they get close to this one in terms of greatness. The formula comes up as a winner on this album, and when I put this on again over recent days to listen to it for this podcast review, it has now been on constant playback for a couple of weeks, and there is every chance it will continue to stay on my playlist now for a while to come. Surely that alone is enough to indicate just how highly I rate it.

1004. Spandau Ballet / True. 1983. 3.5/5

Perhaps one has to be a true child of the 1980’s decade to fully appreciate Spandau Ballet’s third album. Or even to like it. Or to love it. Because it has everything that firmly anchors it to that period of music. You get the full saxophone treatment here, mixed with the keyboards, piano and other percussion, along with the solid drums, bass and guitar that hold the additional pieces together. There is no rock and roll here, instead a harmonic mix of new wave and R&B caresses its way through the speakers in a way that is strangely alluring.

Given the way my taste in music diverged and hardened quite conclusively after 1985, some may find it difficult to believe that I still enjoy this album. When it was released however, my love of music was mostly dictated to what I heard on the radio, and back in 1983 these style of song that dominates this album was what was being mixed in with the synth pop that was infiltrating the airwaves. While I never owned a copy of this album at the time, friends of our family had it on vinyl and was often the go-to album when we went to their house for get-togethers, and so I did hear it quite often. Eventually I had a taped cassette version that was played when there was nothing on the radio or the mood came upon me. It was a different side of music from that of the other bands I had found at that time, which included Queen, The Police and Midnight Oil.
In today’s world of course, what this album brings with it is nostalgia, and the memories of the time it was released, which for me was the dominant part of Year 8 and 9 in high school. That remains one of the great joys of music, that you can not only enjoy it for enjoyment’s sake but for the memories it can revive. And that is one of the major drawing cards this album retains for me today, the memories it brings back of that time.
As for the songs themselves, some rise above others and some do even more than that. “Foundation” for instance is so very 1980’s, driven along by the keys and synth and probably too much of Gary Kemp’s backing vocals which dominate what could be termed the chorus of the song. It’s not that he can’t sing, but when you listen to Spandau Ballet what you are listening for is Tony Hadley’s amazing voice. He is the voice of Spandau Ballet, and so “Foundation” becomes a slightly less exciting so because of the shared vocals (and yeah, it is slightly annoying as well). “Code of Love” does tend to drag out a little too long without making much headway. Other songs such as “Heaven is a Secret”, Communication” and “Pleasure” all hold their best qualities in tow, moving along at a good tempo and giving the band members their opportunity to be heard in the mix.
The two superstar tracks of course are “Gold” and the title track “True”. This is where the band is at its best. Tony’s vocals are front and centre, and the sax is a major part without dominating. The faster build up and jaunt of “Gold” settles nicely with the slower pace and more commercially pleasing sound of “True”. That these two songs both come at the conclusion of Side A and Side B of the album also fits perfectly into the framing.

Almost 35 years on, True still stands as a testament to Spandau Ballet’s importance to the British pop scene in the early 1980’s. And despite my standard musical listening since this album’s release being in an entirely different ballpark, I still think this is an excellent easy-listening album that is worth your attention.

Rating:  “After the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time, remember we were partners in crime”.  3.5/5

973. Elton John / Too Low For Zero. 1983. 3/5

Back in 1983, in the middle of those years where pop and synth were ruling the airwaves of Australian radio, Elton John released this album, and my mother went out and bought it. It was unusual, as Mum didn’t buy many albums, and possibly none since the abomination (my mother’s words) that was Yoko Ono’s contribution to the Double Fantasy album in 1980. It was my first initiation to an Elton John album, as before this it was only the songs that were played on the radio that I knew, and here again the only reason that I sought it out and played it of my own volition was on the strength of the first two singles released that found airplay. It was an education, one that in later life had me searching for all of his albums.

The opening track wasn’t part of that reason. Listening to it didn’t auger well for what was to follow if it was going to follow along these lines. "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)" is a dreadfully deadpan, boring opening to an album, one that has the potential to push away would-be listeners immediately. The opening of an album has to be a grabber, one where your attention is diverted immediately to it and drawn into its spell. This opener does almost the exact opposite, and is a disservice to album overall.
“I’m Still Standing” is still the song that punctuates the 80’s decade for Elton. It’s the upbeat, grandiose song that shines with positivity and ecstasy, a bright and breezy proclamation for both Elton himself, and as an anthem for those who wish to push it. You can’t help but like this song, no matter what your mood, as it drags out the bad and replaces it with the good.
The title track “Too Low for Zero” reaches for those same emotions but in a different way, expressing from the depressed side of the spectrum and garnering a slow and melancholic drip feed as a result. I always liked this song as a teenager, perhaps allowing it to feed on my own angsts of the time when they arose. Without those feelings 30+ years later, it probably doesn’t impact me as much. “Religion” is one of those Elton John songs that doesn’t come along too often, one where the piano doesn’t dominate. It’s the guitar, bass and drums that make the most impact here, though in that same mid tempo that the majority of his songs sit in. This has never been a favourite of mine, perhaps because of the lack of piano which is his signature, but it’s a combination of all lots of factors that pushes me away.
The first side ends with what I consider to be a classic, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues”, a beautifully paced song led by Elton’s piano throughout and sung just perfectly. I can’t explain why I have always loved this song so much. It is completely outside the box of what I would consider my usual style of song, but it grabbed from the start and has never left me. It is one of my three go-to karaoke songs whenever that particular urge grabs me, and although it sounds like I’m strangling a cat when I sing it, I don’t care.
The second side opens with the hybrid craze-induced “Krystal”. Musically it is as far away from a typical Elton John song as you could imagine, but it works. The constant back beat and bass line keeps the momentum flowing throughout, allowing the instruments to fade in and out where necessary, and leaves Elton to sing over the top, telling the story as he does. It is strangely effective, and though I don’t think it works as a radio single as it does become repetitive, on the album it fits in nicely.
This is followed by “Kiss the Bride”, the partner to “I’m Still Standing” in regards to the upbeat up tempo vibe that it provides, a perfect party song to bring out the happy spirits and encourage a singalong as well. It provides the same brightening of the album as its partner does on the first half of the album. The segue into the two works perfectly. It’s a mood lifter. “Whipping Boy” doesn’t quite contain the same energy, but it does maintain the momentum that the album has picked up along the way. It just feels a bit samey all the way through. “Saint” and “One More Arrow” are for me as disappointing as the opening song. For me they are limp and lifeless, and are always a signal to either restart the album (preferably without the first track) or change albums to the next in line. It is a somewhat disappointing finish to the album.

This is probably Elton's best album from the 80’s, and while it was an excellent decision to have Bernie Taupin return as ‘full time’ lyricist here, the songs are still mixed in quality. The best songs here are excellent, ones that you can still sing along with today. The not so good are completely forgettable, and harm the album as a whole when trying to look at it objectively.

Rating:   “And it won’t be long, before you and me run, to that place in our hearts, where we hide”.   3/5

915. The Police / Synchronicity. 1983. 5/5

Perhaps more so in the 'old days' of the 1980's than occurs in this day and age, your first taste of a band's new album was of the initial single released, which is then (if you are deemed worthy) saturated with airplay on the radio, and thus increases or decreases your desire to buy the album it comes off. Often, the single was the 'best' song on the album, and so you would sometimes find nothing more exciting when you got the album. Occasionally though, no matter how much you liked that single, when you got the album it completely blew you away, and it was the songs that were not tagged for single release that made the album as exciting as it was. For me, “Synchronicity” is one of those albums.
The band had come off the successful “Ghost in the Machine” album, especially with the popularity of the singles “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and “Spirits in the Material World” which had done great business around the world. The recording of that album had involved a lot of ‘building up’ of songs, using multiple overlays in instruments and vocals, something the band had enjoyed at the time. But coming into the new album, the trio had decided that they wanted to go back to sounding like the band sounded on stage, with less overlaying and dubbing and more of just the three of them. This didn’t stop them from recording many takes of each song, and then choosing the pieces from these takes that they felt worked best, and piecing them together to form the song itself. The band also used a variety of instruments and equipment, including a sequencer for the first time. All of this meant that most of the reggae influences that had proliferated their other albums were almost completely missing from this album, with the style of songs here a mix of influences throughout. All of this made for a unique release for The Police, one that had the potential to either put their long time fans offside, or take the band to another level.

Just about everyone knows the main three singles that were released from this album, and that's great, because they are all great songs. "Every Breath You Take" is probably The Police's most well known and most popular song apart from their first ever single "Roxanne", and everyone who grew up in the 1980's can sing it to you. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" are also classic radio singles, in that their music is quiet and unobtrusive, able to be played in a multitude of settings without upsetting people, while having lyrics that are intensely interesting, and again are known by most of those people who came through the 1980’s listening to the radio. And they are the perfect tracks for radio, as they could be played them at any time of the day. And they are great songs, don't get me wrong. But the instrumentation in "Every Breath You Take" is just fairly basic, and despite the great moo swings thrugh the middle section, it is a song that you can take or leave if it gets overplayed. Famously, the story goes that Sting wanted the very basic of basic backing on this track, and would force Stewart Copeland to re-do his drums if he even plugged in a simple roll out of the character that Sting wanted. Blows were even apparently traded during the recording process. Anyway, as brilliant musicians as Stewart and Andy Summers are, they were hamstrung during the recording of this song. Of course it sounds great, but it is strange that they were not allowed to put their own stamp on the song. But that of course is what led to the events that came after the world tour to promote this album.
On the other side of the coin, there is the brilliant synth-into-guitar-drums intro to the opening track "Synchronicity I" that sets the album off on the perfect footing. The first time I put this album on, turned it up, and heard this coming out of my speakers, I was hooked. It's the perfect combination of the old and the new, and a superb chorus lyrically:
"A connecting principle, Linked to the invisible, Almost imperceptible, Something inexpressible., Science insusceptible, Logic so inflexible, Causally connectible, Nothing is invincible"
It is fantastic, and even today when I put the album on and let the needle hit the vinyl, this opening is just magic to the ears.

From here the remainder of the first half of the album expresses so much variety that it would be easy to dismiss it as a joke or poor creative musicianship. But that is what makes it so brilliant. The wonderful "Walking in Your Footsteps" mixes everything up, on the surface only concentrating on Sting's vocals, but a deeper look shows the excellent percussion and bongos from Stewart and the simple but effective guitar of Andy. "O My God" is a jazzy piece, that even incorporates lyrics from the band's previous hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", something that had friends and members of my family spending months trying to work out where they had heard those lyrics before.
Then comes the piece de resistance, Andy Summers' "Mother", a freaked out, frantic guitar and drum piece with Andy himself crying out the vocals of the song. Let's face it, the music here perfectly portrays the mind of a man who would be saying these lines - "Telephone is ringing, is that my mother on the phone - telephone is screaming, won't she leave me alone!" and "Every girl I go out with, becomes my mother in the end". Terrific stuff that may not be appreciated by certain members of the audience but to my mind is excellent. This is followed by the straight forward "Miss Gradenko", which features dual vocals from Sting and Stewart throughout.
Above all the excellence that can be found here, "Synchronicity II" is perhaps the highlight. Through the brilliant rumbling bass line, Andy's ripping guitar riff, Stewart's amazing drums and lyrics that hit home in the best way possible, this song to me is the crowning glory to The Police's legacy. It also perfectly closes out side one of the album. Sensational.
Following the three singles previously mentioned that are the mainstay of side two of the album, the final two songs are the quiet and thoughtful "Tea in the Sahara" which closed out the original album, while "Murder By Numbers" is the additional track from the cassette (that I first owned) and the CD (which I now own), that close out the album in a quieter frame than I would normally appreciate. And I don’t doubt in the slightest that because this album came out before I began to look for heavier material in my music, that I love this more than I may have if it had come even a couple of years later than it did.

“Synchronicity” was the first album by a band that I ever bought. I had been gifted compilation cassettes at birthdays and Christmas, had even bought a couple of singles, but I had never bought an album by a band before this one. And it is fair to say that it encouraged me to start doing it more often. Because from the very opening of the title track, this album had me. The energy, the relentless drive of the songs, the superb drumming and the remarkable technical guitaring, and Sting’s bass and vocals that could croon and soar at either spectrum. And it was the differing style of songs that come on the album that perhaps was my introduction as to how an album works, that not all songs by a band are the same, and that the ability to create such strange concepts like “Walking in Your Footsteps” and “Mother” and place them on an album with “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is how you establish how a band works. And all of that is in effect here.
I initially bought this on cassette, and used to play it on my portable tape deck in my room from the time I got home from school until it was time for bed. It went around and around so many times that eventually it pretty much disintegrated from overuse. I then went out and bought it on vinyl, to help that from occurring again, and then also on CD a few years after that. From being the first album I ever bought, it still comes out as regular as clockwork to be listened to, and marvelled over each and every time. Some might say that of all first time albums that you would purchase, but as I said, I bought it on the strength of two singles heard on the radio. The album still had to sell itself to me after I purchased it. And it did that to the millionth degree.
This proved to be the final album released by The Police, and in many ways it is fitting that it was. There is little doubt that the members of the band were diverging in their musical tastes, and the fact that they were unable to do anything further together is not a surprise, no matter how disappointing it was at the time. Instead, we have this monument that stands as the finale of their career, and while it again has differences from each of their previous albums, it is the one that marks their genius and greatness forever.