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

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

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

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

742. Stryper / No More Hell to Pay. 2013. 3.5/5

No matter what way you swing when it comes to religion and the matters of God, you cannot help but be impressed by the music that is produced by Stryper, and more to the point, you cannot help but enjoy this album. Whatever their thoughts were when they came into writing and recording this album, they have finally managed to find a formula that is reminiscent of their glory days back in the mid-to-late1980's, utilising their greatest assets to produce an at times scintillating album.

This goes back to their metal roots. There is a definite push on this album to make heavier songs and heavier music, and you can't argue with the results. The drumming and drum sound here is terrific. Rob Sweet appears to be playing his kit harder, and getting the maximum thump out of his toms. The 'visual timekeeper' of old is more than holding up his end of the bargain on this album. Listen to songs such as "Sticks & Stones", and you wonder how he has any unbroken drumsticks left. The always remarkable lead guitar of Oz Fox continues to astound. He and Michael Sweet have a unique and brilliant guitar sound, one that any band would give their eye teeth for. Not to mention Michael's amazing vocal chords once again. He still retains once of the most remarkable voices in music, let alone the hard rock and metal scene. The notes he still hits are ridiculous, without ever sounding like they are forced. The end of "Saved by Love" is a perfect example of this. His vocal harmonies with Oz Fox match those they perform with their guitars. Unbelievable.

I don't listen to Stryper for the lyrics or their perceived message. I listen to Stryper for the music, for those amazing guitars, and to hear Michael Sweet sing. I know every word off the album To Hell With the Devil because I was 17 when it was released and that's what you did when you were 17. Now I could barely tell you a line I remember from this album, but that doesn't mean I like it any less.
I'm not trying to oversell this album, because no matter what your music taste is you will find flaws here along the way. I'd be more impressed if the songs were faster, because that's what I like. My favourites from the album would include "Legacy" and "Te Amo" for that reason. And sure, after a while some of the songs will begin to repeat on you. But it is the style they have headed in that I like. If you enjoyed Stryper back in their golden years you should also enjoy this. If you haven't been a fan, this is unlikely to convert you. Pun intended.

Rating:  I’ve seen enough to write tale after tale.  3.5/5

741. Freddie Mercury / Mr. Bad Guy. 1985. 3.5/5

Following on from Queen's The Works album and tour, Freddie Mercury decided to collate some songs he had written, along with writing some more to throw into the mix, and release a solo album while the band was on a hiatus. At the time of its release, the most interesting thing for me to hear was what the difference would be between his songs without the influence of his other three band mates. While Queen's true balance was rock, here Freddie has a much more dance or pop style and vibe in his songs, while retaining his amazing vocal performance to make them instantly recognisable.

So, although these are certainly different from Queen songs, that doesn't make them any less likeable. The fact that a number of these songs received some 'Queenifying' later on for releases that came after Freddie's untimely death in 1991 is testament to the fact that the song writing standard of these songs was still at his high calibre. "Made in Heaven" and "I Was Born to Love You" both appeared on Made in Heaven, while the duet recorded between Freddie and Michael Jackson on "There Must Be More to Life Than This" was recently released on the new compilation Queen Forever.
Mr Bad Guy uses a lot of synths and programming, all of which was the popular culture of the mid-1980's and of which Freddie wanted to experiment. And as with many solo adventures, about half of this works brilliantly, and the other half perhaps falls a little flat. You know, the other half of the songs where input from other members of a band would either improve them or replace them with better songs.
The opening four songs are all terrific, with "Let's Turn it On" being the jaunty opener, followed by "Made in Heaven" and the faster paced pop anthem of "I Was Born to Love You". "Your Kind of Lover" uses a similar kind of vocal to that in "Let's Turn it On", which seems like a bit of a cheat, and somewhat derides that song. Side Two starts with the title track "Mr Bad Guy" which is a highlight. "There Must Be More to Life Than This" showcases Freddie's vocals perfectly. As to the remainder, while it is not a complete loss, it is just average fare, not quite as light and refreshing as those other songs are.
 
In a career than spanned over twenty years, it is perhaps unusual that this was the only solo album Freddie put out. One can only assume that, had he lived longer, there would have been further opportunities for this to occur. And while this album is great to listen to and still very enjoyable, it is forever tied to this era of music with the domination of the keyboards, synths and programming involved. And that will be a turn off to some who may try to access it.

Rating:  Can't you see, it is my destiny.  3.5/5

740. Various Artists / Metal For Muthas. 1980. 3.5/5

Any notable article or long form document looking back at the start of the so called New Wave of British Heavy Metal will often refer to this release, if for no other reason than it was a part of the history of one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, Iron Maiden. Given that they were afforded two song positions on this ten track release, it probably states just how far advanced they already were by this period of time. Perhaps though, just as viable a question is, given the success Iron Maiden attracted following this initial release, what happened to the other bands featured here? Is there any particular reason why they did not go on to huge international careers. In fact, where did they go from here?

You can accept the fact that the two Maiden tracks here are excellent, but it is interesting to hear the earlier versions of "Sanctuary" and "Wrathchild". The self titled track by Sledgehammer immediately comes across as impressive, and fits in well with the album's direction.  This is followed by another faster track, "Fighting for Rock and Roll" by E F Band. This is another song that you can see why they were put on this compilation at the time. Toad the Wet Sprocket's "Blues in A" is exactly that, a blues track, and does NOT fit in well with the album's direction. So what the hell is it doing on an album that publicises itself as promoting metal? Apart from being an average song, it has no place in this collection when you place it alongside the other songs on the album. Ordinary.
Praying Mantis was seen as a band from this compilation that would be the one to "make it". "Captured City" is the song they have here, which is okay, but the vocals are just a bit weedy. However, you can sense greater things in the music than the vocals allow to improve it. Ethel the Frog's "Fight Back" sounds like a typical NWoBHM track, based on fastish guitars and drums, without really showing anything that would hook you in for further music from the band. Angel Witch's "Baphomet" is probably my favourite from the remainder of the album, and my favourite band here apart from the obvious top dog. The Samson track, "Tomorrow or Yesterday" is an early taster of their material, which improved dramatically over the next two years with the recruitment of Bruce Dickinson. The closing song "Bootliggers" from Nutz is another unusual one, given the band already had three albums out, and then disbanded not long after this album was released.

35 years on, and this is still an interesting look back at what was happening in the metal scene in the UK at the time, in what was perhaps a breeding ground for the genre. Funnily enough, it turns out that more bands made it to the big time after this period, having been inspired by what these bands were producing, than the bands who produced the material in the first place.

Rating:  Born into a scene of angriness and greed, dominance and persecution  3.5/5

739. McAuley Schenker Group / MSG [McAuley-Schenker Group]. 1992. 1.5/5

Having listened to this album a couple of times, you can't help but wonder whatever happened to the man who had been so impressive in bands like UFO, Scorpions and his own M.S.G. No, not this M.S.G, but the Michael Schenker Group, when the songs had some depth and brilliance, and Michael reigned supreme on the guitar. Now into the third release from the remonikered McAuley Schenker Group, and it all seems to be going a little pear shaped.

Even though I can hear and admit the limitations of the first release Perfect Timing, I still enjoy it. It's an album from that era which spoke to me at the time, thus nostalgia plays a part. The follow up Save Yourself had some good tracks, but also fell apart for the majority of the album. Here, MSG [McAuley-Schenker Group] sounds amazing musically, with Robin and Michael joined by former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and future Scorpions drummer James Kottak - but oh dear, whatever happened to song writing?
We are treated to some shocking songs here, such that you have to wonder at what market they were aiming this record. "When I'm Gone" and "Nightmare" are truly average slow ballads, surely purpose written to eventually have their day as acoustic numbers on a later release, as was the rage in the early 1990's (this of course did come to pass). I would call them gut-wrenching only to describe the way I feel sick to the stomach whenever I hear them. To this you can add "This Night Is Gonna Last Forever". Awful. Truly awful. Now I know the subject matter of this band is different from Schenker's earlier bands, and that the lyrical content is therefore of a different direction. But honestly this combined with the wimpy, limp and steel-less music on these songs is catastrophic. The songs that do attempt to elevate themselves to the status of a rock song (and that's being generous) have nothing of any value. There are no hooks, nothing that asks you to remember this song, to play along with it, to sing the nonsensical rubbish lyrics that are a part of them.
The irony probably is that Schenker's guitaring makes a return to something like front and centre on this album, whereas on the past couple of albums it has really taken a back seat to be a part of the background of the soft metal songs that have been written, rarely breaking out for more than a few seconds to poke it's nose out of the water. While the song structures here are generally the same, Michael does have solo spots where the real reason we buy his albums comes to the fore. It's just a shame that it all seems buried in average and uninteresting songs.

When this first came out, and I (unfortunately) paid for this album, and then put it securely in my shelves after the first half a dozen listens, I hoped that it would get better with time. That the next time I gave it a try, it would have gotten better, that it would have grown on me. I don't recall when that time was, but I'm pretty sure that listening to it now to review and re-rate it, it has been something close to 15 years since I last heard it. And "Crazy" is still a terrible song, and "Nightmare" is still a nightmare, and this still is one of those albums that I can never get my money back for.

Rating:  Bang bang, shoot 'em all down  1.5/5

738. Scorpions / Love at First Sting. 1984. 5/5

There are plenty of arguments that can take place in regards to the greatest era of the Scorpions - 70's, 80's, 90's - and also as to what is their best album. Everyone will have their own opinion in both regards. In many ways it will depend on when you came to fall upon the band and their work. Whichever way you may lean, this album brought them to light worldwide in a way that they had been unable to do beforehand.

Opening with Matthias Jabs' marvellous crawling guitar riff, "Bad Boys Running Wild" opens an album that combines lyrical references that young men around the world could relate to with a thumping and heavy back beat, blazing guitar riffs and stadium-filling vocals that make this such a huge recording. "Bad Boys Running Wild" sets the tone, before crashing into the 80's anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane", a song that propelled the Scorpions to stardom in the US and around the world. This became their signature tune, setting the tone for their future shows, at least until the release of "Wind of Change" on the Crazy World album. "Rock You Like a Hurricane" was played everywhere, and became an air guitar classic. Still is, in fact.
"I'm Leaving You" deals with the teen angst (though, maybe surprisingly from the male perspective - I never had this when I was a teenager...), rolling in with a guitar lick to a simple chorus, leading into Matthias' brilliant liquid guitar solo. After this comes the no doubt autobiographical "Coming Home", with a beautiful understated beginning then blazing into the heart of the song with lungs pumping and guitars sizzling.
The rest of the album continues in the same vein - but okay, it's hard to top the first half of the album. "The Same Thrill", "Big City Nights", "As Soon As the Good Times Roll" and "Crossfire" are all great songs though, more than holding their own against the heavyweights in the first act. All have those sing-along choruses that just drag you in each time you play the album.
The closer is a creeper, in a similar vein to Lovedrive's closing number "Holiday". Yes, it is a slow track, in essence a power ballad. And yes, for the most part I believe you can take your power ballads and shove them up your... shirt. But this is a rarity, one of those power ballads that is written and performed so well in the context of the album that you can' help but like it. For a star, it doesn't stop the momentum of the album, because they hold it back to the end, after they have finished ripping out your senses with their awesome tracks. As a result, it fits in perfectly, and ends the album in amazement of Klaus's vocal range and Rudolph's great solo to the fade out. So, on this occasion, it is a worthy addition.
Klaus Meine's vocals are absolutely magnificent throughout this album. From the opening strains of "Out on the streets!..." from "Bad Boys Running Wild" he nails it immediately. His anthemic triumph in "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Coming Home". His soulful crooning in "Still Loving You". His vocal performance on this album is quite possibly the finest in his tenure. He has to find every range, and every emotion, and he does so with aplomb. Matthias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker are again superb on guitars, combining brilliantly throughout, and trading lead duties on different songs along the way.
Jimmy Bain and Bobby Rondinelli were both apparently brought in to record the demo's of this album. It then depends on who you choose to believe in regards to who actually appears on the album. The band insist the bass and drums were re-recorded by Francis Buchholz and Herman Rarebell (as Buchholz says in this interview), while others insist that Bain and Rondinelli's work remains as the recorded work on the album (as Bain suggests in this interview), with Buchholz and Rarebell's names on the album as the players to save face only. Maybe the truth will be absolutely confirmed one day. Or maybe not.

So to finish where I started, the late 70's and early 80's is this band's finest era, with the albums Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love at First Sting, and the live album World Wide Live. It is where their greatest tracks reside. And if I was forced to separate the albums listed, then I guess my vote would go with this one as the best Scorpions album. It is one of the classics.

Rating:  Year after year out on the road, it's great to be here to rock you all.  5/5

737. KISS / Love Gun. 1977. 3.5/5

In my experience with the band – and don’t get me wrong, I love the band in all of its era’s and enjoy pretty much everything they have ever released – I still find that KISS tend to have an unnerving ability to write albums that are so uneven that it makes it hard to listen to, review or rate without bias. Apart from what I consider to be three or four outstanding exceptions, this could well be true of every KISS album. And, for me at least, It most certainly is the case with “Love Gun”, an album with two or three brilliant songs, mixed with some songs that almost defy explanation. Then it becomes a question as to whether the love of the band outweighs the possible unevenness of the tracks on the album, because if you desperately desire to, you can always find a way to make an album feel as though it is better than it perhaps in reality is.
“Love Gun” came on the back of some pretty heady years for the band. Their double live album “Alive!” had risen them from a good band with reasonable popularity to supergroup status, and this was followed up by the amazing “Destroyer” album that kicked them into the stratosphere. “Rock and Roll Over” came next and had great sales as well, and the band was flying. Their coverage seemed to be everywhere, on radio and TV, and the stage get up and personas only increased their interest. Something they didn’t have at this stage was a number one album in the US, and going into the studio that was something that was on all four band members minds.

When it comes to the songs here on “Love Gun”, I really believe that the good is brilliant. The opening track "I Stole Your Love" kicks everything off in the right direction, a jaunty rocking number of the type that Paul Stanley does so well. Just a great opening track. This is immediately followed by the much more sappy and less energetic "Christine Sixteen", which apart from the song's lyrics can just end up annoying you with the repeated ‘Christine Sixteen’ words from Gene, which are then repeated again by the other three members. This, along with Gene’s quite provocative spoken word in the middle of the song makes it a pretty creepy kind of song listening to in the 2020’s. It’s a tough one to completely love, but it is one of those songs that I mentioned earlier that you tolerate because of the band and not for the song’s greatness. And I do. I don’t know what it is about it… well, yes I do. It is quintessentially Kiss. And if you love Kiss you will like the song. Another Gene song "Love For Sale" is next, and it holds itself up better until the last minute of the song, where we just hear "I've got Love For Sale" over and over. That's great Gene, sell away, just come up with a less pop song ending to your song. Again, I enjoy this but through somewhat gritted teeth.
Ace Frehley's first lead vocal track, his own number "Shock Me" is a good song that is probably made a little average by the fact that he is singing it. Written about his own electrocution on stage on the previous tour, apparently he wrote it for Gene to sing, who then suggested he do it himself. Personally I think Paul singing it with enthusiasm would have made it a much better track. "Tomorrow and Tonight" closes out side one (for those that remember vinyl) on an upward note. Once again Paul's ability to write a track that gets you rocking is highlighted here. Apparently it was supposed to be this album’s “Rock and Roll All Nite”, but it certainly doesn’t reach those heights.
More is to come with Paul's title track. "Love Gun" is the best song on the album, and is still one of my favourite KISS songs. This is the moneyshot when it comes to this album. Gene’s bass line through the song is probably the highlight for me, it plays off Paul’s vocals superbly. Still one of the greatest ever Kiss songs. Peter Criss's solo vocals of "Hooligan" is another to add to the good songs category, but there is more unevenness in "Almost Human" and "Plaster Caster". They're not top shelf, but not complete losses either.
The pièce de résistance is the final song on the album, a cover version of The Crystals' 1963 pop song "Then He Kissed Me", reverse gendered to be "Then She Kissed Me". Now, I do not like the original song, so I may be biased from the start. But this version lacks any great enthusiasm, it hasn't been improved, and it feels as though it is forced. The question is, why is it on this album in the first place? Did they need one more song, had no ideas, and then just threw this on there? I don't know what the answer is, but I really, REALLY dislike what they have done here. It ends the album on a sour note that is hard to take. I’d almost settle for a power ballad...

How do you rate an album that probably has as much average material on it than absolute gems? I guess it depends on how often you play it, and how you are able to ignore the ordinary to get through to the brilliant. It may not be their best overall, but there are those timeless great songs on here that just keep you coming back for more. This album in particular gained a lot of late support with the release of the 1999 movie “Detroit Rock City”, which focused on a bunch of mates trying to get to a Kiss concert. “Love Gun was the album focused on it the opening scenes, and the opening credits rolled with the title track blazing over the top.
“Love Gun” was one of the first Kiss albums that I heard regularly. My older cousin was a huge Kiss fan in the days this was released, and the room he lived in at our grandmother’s in those days was covered in Kiss posters, and he would play this and “Destroyer” very loud from his bedroom. At the time I didn’t really get it, but when hard rock and metal music began to take hold of my senses a few years later it was Kiss and this album that again came into focus.
As you can probably imagine with many Kiss songs and albums, as they get older they tend to date a bit, perhaps more in subject matter than the music. But as I’ve said, I’ve known this album for a very long time, and it was easy to love it for what it is at the age I grew up with it. On occasions now when I listen to it I may offer the odd cringe moment – especially that closing track, I mean, really, what the hell were they thinking of with that? But for me “Love Gun” remains one of the band’s highlights, and is one of those albums that I didn’t listen to a lot in the process of recording this podcast episode, because I still put it on more often than not all these years later, because it is one of the classics.

736. Testament / Low. 1994. 3/5

By the mid-1990's music had changed, for some irrevocably. Grunge had been and was practically gone, but its influence on the metal genre had produced a new sound in order to survive and thrive in its environs. Old school metal bands either changed with it, chose to stay true to themselves and fight it out, or died. Sometimes more than one of those things.
On Low, Testament have made a few adjustments from earlier releases. With the departure of Alex Skolnick, new guitarist James Murphy joined the band. While he is good here, and perhaps suits the slight change in direction the band makes on the album, it misses Alex's technique and his song writing. It is not as out-and-out fast thrash as earlier releases were. Chuck Billy's vocals are beginning to morph slightly, as is the music. Whether the rise of Pantera's new sound was an influence I don't know, but there are aspects here that remind you of their direction. "Low" and "Legions (In Hiding)" are perfect examples of this. They aren't thrash metal, they are much closer to the grunge type of metal that was becoming prominent by the mid-1990's. Good songs, but not more recognisable Testament songs. But these are not the only changes.
"Trail of Tears" is a case in point. The slow acoustic beginning and almost unrecognisable soft vocals, merging into the mournful guitar solo before breaking into a heavier conclusion, is the stuff of bands that are not Testament. Is it their own "Fade to Black"? If it is, realistically they are a decade too late to be claiming any authenticity. It's not so bad, but it always catches my attention for the wrong reasons rather than as a highlight. This is followed by "Shades of War", which is much more like the band we know and love.
"Dog Faced Gods", much like "Legions (In Hiding)" before it, initiates Chuck's full on growl. It was released as single, which further suggests that Testament may have harboured Pantera-like dreams, especially given the very Dimebag-like solo. The remainder of the album is enjoyable if not spectacular. However, "Last Call" to me is a strange way to round off the album. They could have just let "Ride" finish it off, halting the battery on a high, rather than the strange little instrumental exit.

Overall it doesn't rank in the first half of Testament releases. Even at the time, it felt a little off centre, just not what I expected from Testament. I knew what was happening around me in the metal landscape (a quick look at Metallica during this period will tell you that) but I guess as a fan I wanted more speed and more thrash, not less. The band had to roll with it in order to sell records I guess. In the final analysis, there is plenty here to enjoy, some here to ponder or question, and accept that for all intents and purposes, this is a slightly better than average album.

Rating:  Too blind to see what's wrong from right, darkness veils their way.  3/5

735. Rainbow / Long Live Rock 'n' Roll. 1978. 5/5

As brilliant as their previous album Rising was, for Rainbow to then follow it up with an album that is so inspired, so ground breaking and so influential to so many who have come since, is quite an achievement. And yet that is what they have done with Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, an album that has legendary songs performed and written by some of the greats of all time.
Here then is Long Live Rock 'n' Roll, a pinnacle in the still fledgling heavy music genre, at a time when Deep Purple was on hiatus, and Black Sabbath appeared on its last legs. It was the third album for Rainbow, by which time the chief contributors Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio had found their groove, and produced a collection of magnificent tracks that roll effortlessly into a majestic album.

It all starts with the title track, the anthemic "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", which starts the album off with a bang. The lyrics say it all, the riff stands the test of time. Ronnie stands at the front and centre and leads you in the verses and into the chorus. Ritchie rifles through the chorus before sending his guitar through the solo break. This is followed by the highly underrated "Lady of the Lake". This has another great Ritchie riff, simple yet powerful, while Ronnie's layered vocals come through the bridge strong and forceful, pushing it into your chest, and forcing you to sing along as powerfully as he is delivering it to you. Just a great song.
I've never understood the reasoning behind "L.A. Connection" being released as a single. Was it just to keep the album's most noticeably brilliant songs only for those that forked out for the whole album? I don't know, but certainly this would probably have been the last song I would have thought of releasing to promote the album. It's a good song, but only good. It isn't anywhere near as strong lyrically or musically as the other brilliant songs found around it.
Case in point - "Gates of Babylon". This is high on my list of the best songs ever written. Utterly magnificent, firstly by the energy, drive and passion of Ronnie's vocals, then drawn away by Ritchie's brilliant guitar solo through the middle, along with Cozy Powell's enormous drum work, only for Ronnie to return and finish the job. Then you can also add on to that list "Kill the King", yet another brilliant composition of guitar riffs from Ritchie combined with the emotive and powerful vocals from Ronnie. Everything about this is a speed metal song that isn't speed metal, but you can sure hear how it inspired those bands in Europe and especially Germany to follow that path.
"The Shed (Subtle)" is the other song on the album alongside "L.A. Connection" that is a standout for the reason of its averageness rather than its brilliance. Once again, it is a good song, but surrounded by the gems that this album holds, it just seems to take a back seat to them. The band takes the rock 'n' roll element seriously on "Sensitive to Light", a song with a real rock beat, and a rolling, rollicking feel to the song.
The closing song, given the way the whole album has preceded it, is completely unexpected, and 180 degrees apart from them in regards to the performance. But it is a masterpiece, and an amazing musical experience. Combining Dio's amazing vocal range, and Ritchie's talent on the guitar, "Rainbow Eyes" completes the circle for this band. Incorporating flute and violin, this song illustrates the versatility of these two artists. Dio's vocals are just awesome. He hits the notes, he sings the emotion, he just blows minds with his vocal chords. The pureness of his voice is unbelievable.

This album is a masterpiece, one that has stood the test of time and is still just as brilliant today as it was when it was released. Ritchie played most of the bass guitar on this album as well (being 'between bassists' at the time), and he is spectacular. Ronnie's vocals are just amazing. His range in belting out songs like "Long Live Rock n Roll", "Gates of Babylon" and "Kill the King', to the joyous subtleties of "Rainbow Eyes" capture perfectly the brilliance and magnificence of his voice. Of all the recordings he has been a part of, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll is the snapshot in time of his amazing talent. Add to this the marvellous drumming from the incomparable Cozy Powell, and you have an album that is at the very top of the tree in all-time releases.

Rating:  Sleep with the Devil, the Devil will take you away  5/5

734. Cinderella / Long Cold Winter. 1988. 2.5/5

I always thought that Cinderella's biggest problem in following up their debut Night Songs was going to be - could they produce anything different from that album? Or, if they were going to travel down the same road, could they make it good enough that it didn't matter that it was the same?
OK, so it's pretty obvious from the opening that they decided to start heading down that same old road, but the start is worth it. "Bad Seamstress Blues / Fallin' Apart at the Seams" is a reasonable opening track, easing you into the album, while the rocking "Gypsy Road" kicks it along nicely, similarly to "Shake Me" from the first album. It's the song that gets you into the album, and you need that early on. Good solo in the middle. However, having sucked you in to the album, this is followed by the power ballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)". Well, it's a bit early in the piece to be introducing this, but I guess this was their 'money song', the one they hoped would get the radio airplay and make them their fortune. Here though it just brings the album to a screeched halt. Again - why stop the momentum of an album by introducing the slow ballad at the wrong time? Madness. "The Last Mile" and "Second Wind" restore some order back to the album, both good tempo songs that move along nicely, which only makes it more strange that they had "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" placed where it is.
The title track follows, and really stalls everything. This is a molasses-stretching yawn fest, a real boredom-inducing blues song that, if you like that kind of thing you will probably find is riveting. But for goodness sakes, it just reminded me of the worst of Gary Moore's 1990's blues escapism. Now this album is just mixing genres all over the place. By doing this, how did they expect to entice people to buy it? As it turns out, by the two songs I have just bagged. They were the stars of this album, and boosted its sales to the stars. Shows what I know. But that's personal taste for you.

There is enough here to like for fans of the first album. There is also an obvious movement through to a bluesier rock here as well, so if that tickles your fancy, and you like the occasional power ballad, then no doubt you will be a fan. Even fans of the harder rock side will get  kick out of songs like "Fire & Ice" and "Gypsy Road" and even "Take Me Back". For me though, there is just too much variation in the style of songs here for me to enjoy the album as a whole. I still enjoy pieces of it today, but it's like picking through a box of chocolates to find your favourites and avoid the turkish delights. I would run ten miles to avoid songs such as "Don't Know What You've Got (Till It's Gone)" and "Long Cold Winter". These really do not appeal to me on any level, and cast a pall over the album as a whole. So while the road is similar, it certainly has its diversions, and potholes. Big fans of the band will no doubt love this. I still come away dissatisfied and disappointed with the end result.

Rating:  I guess I've always been a travelling man.  2.5/5

733. Metallica / Lords of Summer (First Pass Version) [Single]. 2014. 2/5

In the absence of any new material for the last six years (if you choose to ignore Lulu, which I most definitely choose to do!), this single was released in the middle of 2014, as a portent to the possible sessions that were going on in regards to possibly putting together material for a possible new album. Possibly. So, like very other poor sap out there, I plonked down my hard earned to have a listen to what Metallica circa 2014 sounds like.
I am somewhat at a loss as to why the song that was written and released had to be over 8 minutes in length. I mean, it comes across as though they just had about six different riffs out there, so if we throw them all together in varying parts of this, then extend them as long as we possibly can, then we will have something we can sell the public on. Oh, and it's over 8 minutes long, so you know it must be quality.

Really? I mean... really?!

I don't hate this. Let's get that out there. It has merit. Or at least, pieces of it have merit. I can hear some good things in here, but I can't hear anything that really makes me want to sing, or headbang, or even vaguely tap finger-drumsticks on the table. And why the time changes? I thought they had gotten all of this out of their system long ago. In the past they fit, now we go from frenetic shredding to slow strumming then back to mid-tempo, all within about 60 seconds. That annoys me. So do Hetfield's vocals when he goes into his "St. Anger" high pitched wailing. Enough James, St. Anger sucked, let's go back to singing in mid range.

Is it the drumming that annoys me the most about this? I think so, even more so than James' vocals. Seriously, if Lars makes his drumkit any smaller he'll be playing the bones instead of the drums. And you really notice it here. It is simplified stuff, because he simply doesn't have any variety in his kit anymore to do anything else! Check out the thousands of drummers in metal bands around the world right now - the ones Lars inspired back in the 80's when he was the out and out king of drumming. They have toms galore to play rolls on. They play their double kicks at lightning speed, because Lars did it. Every drummer in the world is now more powerful and more proficient in music because of Lars... except Lars himself. He is now denigrating his own music, because he wants to play on a box and a piece of tin. I don't get it. This song is not as full sounding as it should be because Lars does not have a drumkit to play onto make it sound that way.
And the solo mid-section just goes on way too long.
Anyway...

If this song makes the next album, then beware the rest, because they need to work a bit harder if they are going to make something that captures the public's attention for the right reasons. This isn't it.

Rating:  Lords of summer have returned... to mediocrity perhaps... 2/5

732. Iron Maiden / Lord of the Flies [Single]. 1996. 3.5/5

This was the second single released by Iron Maiden from The X Factor album, with Blaze Bayley having come into the fold to replace Bruce Dickinson on vocals. Written by Janick Gers and Steve Harris, the lyrics are based on the famous novel of the same name. I like the song, but it barely seems to get out of second gear all the way through. In a way, the whole of the album tends the same way.

Additional songs here are cover versions, The Who's "My Generation" and UFO's "Doctor Doctor". Both songs sound rather flat compared to the original versions by the original artists. This has been a sore point for me for a long time. The originals are energetic, full of life. And this is Iron Maiden, one of the finest bands... ever! Unfortunately, I really think they should have played these in a live atmosphere and really gone to town on them. Instead, we have a studio feeling, as though it is over produced. You can't over produced these two songs, they really needed to be let loose. While "My Generation" has an innate energy on this recording, it isn't anything spectacularly different, while I must admit I was hoping for a breakout version of "Doctor Doctor" that just doesn't arrive.
Overall, this single is satisfactory without sending shivers down the spine.

Rating:  Saints and sinners, something willing us...  3.5/5

731. Poison / Look What the Cat Dragged In. 1986. 3.5/5

At a time when it was almost mandatory to wear makeup and have teased hair if you were going to make the scene (ala bands such as Motley Crue, Ratt, Bon Jovi and W.A.S.P.), Poison came forth with their debut album Look What the Cat Dragged In, hoping to break into an already saturated market where MTV and sugar coated power ballads seemed to be the only way to make an impact. Winding back to those days, and if you ignored the physical features as they were presented to you (I was from the denim-jacketed Maiden/Metallica side of metal rather than the spandex/glam side) you could generally find something on the vinyl that caught your interest from such bands. If you could do that, you could hopefully see past the syrup-dripping ballads that came as part-and-parcel of albums like this, and enjoy it for what they were, and concentrate on those songs that had some balls about them.
When this was released it was almost impossible to ignore given the airplay on music video shows that the singles received. What was tougher was finding anything gritty enough to make it worthy of purchase. In the days where you hoped one of your mates bought the album so you could tape it to cassette for your own use, no one was jumping at this on the basis of the singles that were released. Eventually, the purveyor of all to those kids with no income, the second hand record store, provided my first vinyl copy of this album, and I was able to finally experience what was beyond the money-spinning singles.

Fast forward back to the present day, and listening to the album now still reminds me of those days in the late 1980's. It also shows the double edged sword that most hair metal / glam metal bands were working under. You could write and play the harder, faster songs, the ones that made teenagers jump around their bedrooms playing air guitar (something that it always looked like CC DeVille was doing on stage anyway). But to get on the radio, you had to have a ballad, or a pop song, thus singles such as "I Won't Forget You". Ugh. You also had to have a video to support that power ballad, in order to get heavy rotation on the music video shows.
As an album, I still get a lot of enjoyment from this. The songs are mostly up-tempo teenage anthems, preaching good times and anti-parent themes with the usual sexual innuendo thrown in. Get past some of the lyrical content, and you have some fairly impressive happy guitaring from C.C. DeVille, while the rest of the band are tight and precise. Rikki Rockett's drumming is excellent, as is Bobby Dall's bass work. There can be no complaints about the quality of the musicianship. Bret Michaels vocals convey each song's message to a nicety.
Still, some songs for me are of a better quality than others. The high energy songs such as "Look What the Cat Dragged In", "Talk Dirty to Me", "Want Some, Need Some" and "Let Me Go to the Show" are my favourites, and given they all feature on the second half of the album it probably helps my enjoyment of the album as a whole. I'm not as enamoured with songs such as "Cry Tough", "I Want Action" and "I Won't Forget You". They don't really do anything for me lyrically or musically.
There's no doubt I probably enjoy this album more now than I did back in the late 1980's, and most of that is because of nostalgia for the end of those teenage years, and what they represent. If it was only to be represented by that, this could even rate higher.

Rating: The night rolls up and I do it again. 3.5/5

730. Paul Di'anno / The Living Dead. 2006. 2.5/5

As it turns out, I have never been able to locate a copy of Di'anno's album Nomad, which would appear to be unfortunate until I found this album, and it turns out it is exactly the same tracks, though apparently remastered and shuffled in order, with a few extra tracks tagged on. It could well be that I never get to hear the original album, but it would be nice to once, just to hear if there is any difference whatsoever. I'm guessing there is not. Given Paul's dalliance with the re-recording or playing material from his days in Iron Maiden, perhaps it is ironic that now he is re-recording/re-hashing his own material, from a brief six years in the past. Putting that aside, the songs here stack up reasonably well. Much of this would compare favourably with some of the best of his other post-Maiden career, from albums such as Fighting Back and Murder One.

The playing might be great, but Paul's vocals are literally all over the place. It just feels like he couldn't decide how he was going to sing on this album, so he decided to cover every base available. I mean, he sang some parts of songs in a similar register that he used in his younger, Iron Maiden days, and he sang some parts of songs in an almost falsetto high pitched voice that defies description, except to say that it doesn't sound anything like Paul Di'anno at all. Then he sang some parts of songs with a modern day growl, that again just doesn't suit him historically at all. Now, it may well just be me, but for someone like Paul, for whom the majority of his fan base is derived from his initial recordings with Iron Maiden and whose instrument is his voice, the surely it is his selling point, and he needs to make sure it is at the peak of its form. There doesn't seem much sense in putting out an album, no matter what the music is like, if his voice isn't in there driving the songs. I have no problem with him doing something different if that is what he is trying to achieve, but it is all so uneven here that the good work done instrumentally is actually being dragged down by the vocals, and that should never be the case when you are the big name behind the recording in the first place.
The songs themselves actually have quite a lot to offer. There's plenty of hard rocking, mostly heavy material, with belting drums and riffing and solo-work on the guitars. The opener "The Living Dead" is a great way to start the album, lulling you in but its understated melody. "Mad Man in the Attic" and "War Machine" follow this up with a real metal feel. "Nomad" and "S.A.T.A.N." are the best of the rest of the album, with the guitars being the stars of the show, overshadowing the title artist's vocals.
The cover version of Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction" seems to have fans equally divided. Many feel it is better than the original and an excellent version. Personally I think it is the epitome of the problems this album has with the vocals. They are everywhere. There is no uniformity, and no effort to be so. They are obviously meant to go for high to low and woe. I find it far too distracting to enjoy. Also tacked onto the end are another two live cover versions of Iron Maiden songs form Paul's era, this time being "Wrathchild" and "Phantom of the Opera". Neither is any better or worse than the thousands of other versions Di'anno has put out over the last 30-odd years.

Rating:  I have no future but always to roam alone. 2.5/5

729. Hughes Turner Project / Live in Tokyo. 2002. 4/5

The most exciting part about the release of the initial Hughes Turner Project album was to hear how the combination of the two partners vocals would turn out, as well hopefully producing some great material. While the vocals melded well, the great material didn't quite eventuate.
However, this live album is something quite different. Not only do we get the best of their material from their debut album in a live setting, we get a range of top shelf, classic songs from their past history, which combines some of the best songs released by the bands Deep Purple and Rainbow from their tenure in those bands.
While songs from their HTP project do come to life better in this live environment, most notably "You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll" and "Ride the Storm", as well as the always impressive "Devil's Road", it is the songs from their past that are the stars of this release. Listening to Glenn Hughes singing to the stars in "Mistreated" and "Stormbringer" is a treat in itself. The man that the Japanese dubbed "The Voice of Rock" again proves himself here with these Deep purple numbers. So much so that it makes his track that he recorded with Tony Iommi on Seventh Star, "No Stranger to Love", seem so much more ordinary because of it. His vocals on that album don't match what he can really do, and even this version of the song pales in comparison to those great Purple numbers. Joe Lynn Turner does his Rainbow number s with justice, especially "Spotlight Kid" and "I Surrender".
Though the two albums that this duo released, Hughes Turner Project and 2 were both somewhat disappointing for me, it was never through the quality of their musicianship, but just that they were a bit generic in their writing. This live album increases their value, as well as showcasing the amazing vocal capabilities of both gentlemen, along with the guitaring of Akira Kajiyama, who is quite scintillating in places. Fans of these gentlemen's contributions to Deep Purple and Rainbow will appreciate this album the best.

Rating:  No point running, cos it's coming your way.  4/5.

728. Helloween / Live in the U.K. 1989. 5/5

Riding high on the success of their Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II album, which itself had ridden the success of the Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I album, Helloween's tour of the UK was recorded to produce this live album.

I loved this album on its release. Not only is the set list just terrific, it showcases just how good this band was live, at a time that would have to be considered their peak, at least for this line up. Michael Kiske's vocals soar, in a way that few could say they could equal in a live environment. Mention him in the same breath as Dickinson, Dio and Halford and you won't be denigrating this group. The happy guitars of Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath complement each other beautifully throughout the album. Markus Grosskopf on bass rumbles through each song, his running basslines such a part of what makes their music so wonderful, while Ingo Schwichtenberg's drumming can at times appear simplified, when in reality it is the complex timekeeping that ties the whole album together while the other subjects go about their business.
The seven songs featured here cover the three full studio albums that Helloween had released to this point. The sense of fun in the lyrics of "Dr Stein" and "Rise and Fall" come through perfectly in this live setting. "A Little Time" and "Future World" sound just as good as their studio versions. The soaring melodic tones during "We Got the Right" send chills down the spine, which is repeated in the closing "How Many Tears", with Kiske wringing every last piece of angst and passion out of the song. Just brilliant.
Perhaps the only criticism I can find of this release is that it is far too short. In times where the majority of bands releasing live albums were doing so on double LPs (or by 1989 beginning to be double CDs), in order to capture the entire gig, this seems to be over with just as it is warming up. The actual concerts that this album was recorded at had double this number of songs - you can hear the entire bootlegged concert at this location. Imagine this album also containing great live versions of "Eagle Fly Free", "Halloween", "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and "I'm Alive"! It would truly be a masterpiece. I don't know the reason behind this - perhaps their record company felt a single album was the best way to go (for them) in terms of sales. There are bootlegs of these gigs, of which I have a couple, and they do sound terrific. The other reason it is a shame we didn't get a full recording is because this is the only official release with this line up, the "Keepers" line up. Kai Hansen moved on after this tour, and it was really the end of the first great era of Helloween. While this album is a sterling reminder of their brilliance, it could have been a ripper with a full set.
Despite this slight falling down, what is presented here is a great live album full of terrific tracks, showcasing the best that this band had to offer. Top shelf.

Rating: They become great rock musicians. 5/5

727. Sonata Arctica / Last Drop Falls [Single]. 2001. 3/5

I can't (but can) understand why this was released as a single. I mean, it's a slow, mourning ballad. The kind of song Sonata Arctica do so well, and the kind of song I really don't enjoy. So from a personal point of view, I wish they had released another song from the album as a single. However, when you are looking for single sales and hopeful radio play, then this is the kind of song that may attract that kind of attention. For a start, the lyrical content may not be a persuasive argument to a radio executive that it should be played!

In buying singles, you generally buy them for the other songs attached to them. This is the case here, with an excellent cover version of Iron Maiden's "Die With Your Boots On". This again showcases the amazing talent in this band. Following this is an acoustic version of "Mary-Lou" to round it off.
Worth getting your hands on for the maiden cover alone.

Rating: I have found the whore in you. 3/5

726. Adrenaline Mob / Dearly Departed. 2015. 3/5

I jumped at this in excitement, thinking that it was the new album from Adrenaline Mob. I loved Omertá on its release, and was a little less excited by its follow up Men of Honor. Then I discovered this was a mixture of covers and acoustics and the like, and not an actual new album. Oh well. Still, I went ahead and made the purchase, and here we are.

In a similar vein as Covertá I believe almost all covers albums have only a limited listening half-life. If the songs are any good, you'll always go back to the original versions. All of the covers here are done well, and I enjoy the Mob's interpretation of them. The Pat Travers Band's "Snortin' Whiskey" is performed in a high energy style, an honorable rendition. Choosing to reinvigorate a classic such as The Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - also without a fiddle, which perhaps can be seen as little difficult - was a somewhat brave move. With lead guitars taking the place of the fiddle, it's a reasonable effort that perhaps just proves how good the original version is. The "Black Sabbath Medley" is much more in the genre that Adrenaline Mob feels comfortable in, and their homage to the songs within the medley here are terrific. The same can be said for Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down", and good rocking version of the song that generally doesn't come near the original version, but is more than listenable.
The three acoustic version of Adrenaline Mob songs - Crystal Clear", "Angel Sky" and "All on the Line" are open to the listeners' preference. For me, why would a band like Adrenaline Mob want to have acoustic versions of any songs, let alone their own? Sure, instrumentally it sounds great, but it isn't my style, and I'd rather hear the full on version of these songs than these versions any day. The album is rounded off by the old fill-in standard of "Radio Edit" of "Dearly Departed" (perhaps allowing them to segue into the title of this album) and an unreleased song, "Gets You Through the Night", which is better than average for a cast off.

Like I said, I was expecting a new album. I've enjoyed this (for the most part) but again it is going to be an album that gets played while it is still new and current, before being placed back in the CD rack, possibly only to be thought of when you are looking for that rare jewel at a party, when you say "Oh, you know that song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia? Well I bet you haven't heard THIS version!"

Rating: "Killing yourself to live!" 3/5