Recent purchases

Here's a few purchase of late. Some good, some bad, some just plain suck.

1. John 5 - Remixplotation, Vertigo, The Devil Knows My Name, Songs for Sanity, and Requiem
All 5 of these albums kick total a$$. Some heavy industrial metal guitar riffs. Highly recommended.
2. Cheap Trick - In color and in black n white
Great classic album. The funny thing is the weakest song on the album is the studio version of I Want You To Want Me. Go figure.
This goes back to when they just played good Rock n' Roll before the 80s
3. Peter Framton - Now
Not a bad album, but not a favorite. Fingerprints is a much better one that is all instrumental. This one Peter sings on. Not that he has a bad vocals. Just not a good Rock voice.
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
The bands just not the same since the turn of the century...not to mention the loss of guitarist James Iha.
5. Steel Panther - Feel the Steel
It's pretty funny the first time through. This faux metal band (see Spinal Tap) makes fun of Hair Metal with its looks and song lyrics. But after one listen you discard them from your iTunes.
6. Tora Tora - Surprise Attack
This album I would say is 2.5 out of 5 for that carbon copy late 80s Metal. Worth one listen
7. UFO - You Are Here
I was kind of disappointed when I heard this. I was highly recommended UFO from someone. Although this lineup is more recent, it just didn't do it for me. The riffs were pretty good with Vinnie Moore, but the vocals with Phil Mogg were disappointing.

Rob Zombie Show Killed in Indy (5 outta 5 stars)

I checked out the Rob Zombie show last week (11/16/09). I will say that was one of the best shows I've ever seen. I've heard he is hit or miss and that night he was hit. The show opened with Capt. Clegg and the Night Creatures, the Psyco-Billy band from the Rob's movie Halloween II. There were sort of a Stray Cats meet the Munsters. Although I was not familiar with the songs, they were intertaining. The second act was a joke. The Nekromantics. Two guys looked a cross between Kid n' Play meets Vanilla Ice. They too had the Pycho-Billy sound. I did like the stand up coffin bass the lead singer was playing but that was about it. Now as for the Zombie show...17 crushing songs...including 3 White Zombie and 3 new ones, which by the way most at most concerts you can feel the croud crenge in their seats when bands play new material...but not Zombie. All 3 new songs (although the new album is not out yet and has been pushed back to after the first of the year) totally rocked and the crowd was into all three new ones. Never once did anyone sit in their seat. The band opened with Sawdust in the Blood as the band marched onto the stage in military fashion wearing some halloween masked straight out of a horror flick. Then blasted right into What Lurks on Channel X? Then right into my favorite Superbeast. It's not that often I hear a band play a favorite right at the start of the show. He closed with 2 different encores. The first with a new tune Werewolf Women of the SS and then Lords of Salem. They closed the show with fan favorite Dragula. John 5 was impressive although during his solo I would have liked to have heard something from one of his solo albums.

Setlist
1. Sawdust on the Blood
2. What Lurks on Channel X?
3. Superbeast
4. Super-Charged Heaven (White Zombie)
5. Living Dead Girl
6. Demon Speeding
7. More Human Than Human (White Zombie)
8. Sick Bubble-Gum (new)
9. House of 1000 Corpses
10. Never Gonna Stop (Red, Red Groovy)
11. Scum of the Earth
12. What? (new)
13. American Witch
14. Thunder Kiss '65 (White Zombie)

Encore
15. Werewolf Women of the SS (new)
16. Lords of Salem

Encore II
17. Dragula

I would not have taken any songs out of the setlist but I would have like to have added Feel So Numb.

John 5 - Restacking My Deck

I just saw Rob Zombie last week in Indy. (which BTW I give 9 outta 10 stars for his show at the Murat). Now typically most Zombie songs have great guitar solos or any solos at all. So watching the concert I had no idea that John 5 was a shredder. And by watching him walk around the stage I wouldn't have guessed he's a metal guiarist. For one he plays a Telecaster. Not know for metal. For two he plays his guitar up so high like David Byrne of the Talking Heads and shakes his head like he's one of the Monkeys. It wasn't till the next day I was checking out his website online to discover his Bio. He's played with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford, special guest on Hour 1 on the Scorpions last album and now Rob Zombie. He also has 4 solo efforts. I check them out on iTunes and I was really surprised....REALLY surprised.

1. Requiem (personal favorite)
2. Songs for Sanity
3. Remixploitation
4. Vertigo

The dude can shred. His style his heavy quick and even throws in a little chicken-pickin'. I've just post my new rankings over to the right. I have to put him in the top 5 all time...crazy huh?

Metallica My Way: Top Ten Metallica Songs

Old Metallica, New Metallica and everything in between. I will say first after a recent show of theirs, I did enjoy hearing the old stuff but was disappointed not to hear at the very least some in between stuff (St Anger, Load, Reload, Garage Inc).
Personally I didn't grow up on Metallica. I remember the early days of Metallica in high school. They were regarded as strictly as thrash or speed metal. If you liked thrash/speed metal, you didn't like anything else. I wasn't like that. I had a wider range of taste when it came to Rock/Hard Rock/Metal. At that time when they first came out I didn't really care for them at all. I was more into Classic Hard Rock/Metal of the Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Van Halen, Scorpions and Black Sabbath. It wasn't until the MTV performance of Enter Sandman that I went out and purchase my first Metallica cassette. Now of course the rest of Metallica followers thought Metallica sold out going Metal-Mainstream. I will also say every Metallica fan as well as Metallica themselves hate St. Anger. After watching Some Kind of Monster I see why Metallica hates the album. But as a fan I think it's one of their better albums. It progressed from the previous 90s albums. It fits perfectly in between the 90s albums and Death Magnetic. It's harder than the 90s stuff. Plus I never once heard a song from that album on local radio which is fine with me. NO overplay. Here's my Top Ten Metallica song. Some old, some new and some in between.

1. Of Wolf of Man
2. Frantic
3. My Friend of Misery
4. Shoot Me Again
5. Seek and Destroy
6. Eye of the Beholder
7. King Nothing
8. Some Kind of Monster
9. Cyanide
10. Sabbra Cadabbra

Check Jerry's Brain: Alice's Comeback

I will first admit I was very skeptical with the Alice in Chains comeback without the late Layne Staley. After his death in 2002 I was for sure that was the last of AIC. With the new Black Gives Way To Blue I wasn't even sure I would give it a listen. Now I will say after the first listen I was impressed from the very first song to last. Even though I feel some songs lose their way with thier new singer (which only appears on four songs). I will just say now Jerry carries the band now and with all do respect to Layne, Jerry carried more than I thought during the early years. The album opens with a little long All Secrets Known. A little dreary for an opening song. The song is only 4:45 but as slow as it is, seems a little too long to get the real opening song Check My Brain which is probably the best song on the album. Now on When the Sun Rose Again and Private Hell you can hear the haunting influence of Layne's voice. It's almost eery. The closing song is Black Gives Way to Blue which which is a personal tribut to Layne. It's a very sad and you can even feel the pain the band has and still is going through.

Better Than Expected:
1. Check My Brain
2. Your Decision
3. Black Gives Way to Blue
4. Take Her Out
5. Private Hell
6. When the Sun Rose Again

Skip throughs:
1. Last of My Kind
2. Acid Bubble
3. A Looking in View
4. Lessoned Learned

How come Slade doesn't get their due?

How does a band like Slade get their due. The Glam/Hard Rock group from Woverhampton, England has had some of their songs go on to become hits from other bands. Even catipulting a band like Quiet Riot into the stratosphere. Yes in the early 80s they had a MTV video hit with Run, Run, Away. But it seems not too many music fans every talk about them being a huge influence on other bands. I recently purchased one of their greatest hits albums and it's not bad surprisingly. Here some covers that I found:

Coz I Luv You - The Wonder Stuff
Cum on Feel the Noise - Bran Van 3000, Quiet Riot, Oasis
Goodbye to Jane - Van Halen, Britny Fox
Mama Weer All Crazee Now - The Runaways, Quiet Riot, The Fargone Beauties, and Mama's Boys
Run Run Away - Great Big Sea
Merry Christmas Everybody - Oasis

Top Ten Hard Rock Singer

1. Dave King
2. Rob Halford
3. Ozzy Osbourne
4. Bon Scott
5. James Hetfield
6. Ronnie James Dio
7. Axl Rose
8. Klaus Meine
9. Steven Tyler
10. Chester Bennington

Kiss: Do the right thing.

As we all know Kiss now has the lineup Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer in the makeup of Ace and Peter. Paul says that no band member owns their makeup Kiss character which last I read that wasn't true and that Gene and Paul own theirs. When you went to a Kiss concert you went to see Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter...not The Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman. You went to see Ace's guitar smoke or hear him sing Shock Me or 2000 man. No distrespect to Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. I understand what Paul is saying but any Kiss fan that goes to see them now will not be seeing in my eyes Kiss. You'll be seeing a "put together of musicians" version of Kiss. As for the new album Sonic Boom. I'm not impressed. Ace's new album Anomoly, although lacking lyric writing, blows the Sonic Boom away. His guitar work is heavy and on top of his game. His voice still sounds as good as ever. I didn't understand why Kiss re-recorded (again) their top hits and packaged them with the new Sonic Boom. Then again, that's Gene for ya. Bottom line...Tommy and Eric use your own makeup.

10 New Songs Worth a Listen

1. What? - Rob Zombie
2. Your Decision - Alice in Chains
3. Fox on the Run - Ace Frehley
4. End of the World - Dead by Sunrise
5. Broken, Beat & Scarred - Metallica
6. When the Lights Go Out - Cheap Trick
7. Headcrusher - Megadeth
8. A Right of Passage - Dream Theatre
9. Take Her Out - Alice in Chains
10. Modern Day Delilah - Kiss

Alice In Chains:Check My Brain

10 new songs i heard today worth a listen

1. Highway Star - Buck Cherry (Deep Purple cover)
2. Crawl Back In - Dead By Sunrise (Chester Bennington, Linkin Park)
3. Outter Space - Ace Frehley
4. Now We Run - Steve Vai
5. Get It Up - Chickenfoot
6. Bone House - The Dead Weather (Jack White)
7. Good Morning, Good Morning - Cheap Trick Live (The Beatles cover)
8. Check My Brain - Alice in Chains
9. New Divide - Linkin Park
10. Fly Farm Blues - Jack White (It Might Get Loud - Single)

Pick of the Week: Chickenfoot

First I want to start out saying that growing up I was a pretty big Van Halen fan until "1984". I was aslo a huge Sammy Hagar (solo) fan up until "...55". And when the two join forces in 86 I had my doubts. I wasn't a fan. I thought they sold themselves out. They did infact all the way to number one. I also grew up a huge Joe Satriani fan. Joe is my #1 with EVH a distant second....so when i first heard that Chickenfoot was coming about I once again had my doubts. Now I'm hear to say it took only one listen to every song from start to finish and thought this is what Van "Hagar" should have sounded like. Heavy riffs, no keys, Michael Anthony's backing and decent vocals...infact the vocals on this album were much more impressive than I anticipated. Sammy's like what 72? But sounds better now than when he first started with VH. I understand that Edward has not listened to the album nor does he have a desire to. Eddie if you are listening, listen carefully: Listen to the album one time and go back to Dave, Wolfie, and Alex and say we must top this. Your band is "the one band" that HAS to get back to the sound that defined your career...forget about getting to #1 or pleasing the casual fan. Do it for Rock! Now back to Chickenfoot. The first two songs starts with a what I will call a "Joe" songs Avenida Revolution and Soap on a Roap. Heavy riffs that are reminicant of recent Joe albums. The third song, Sexy Little Thing starts a string of "VH songs" until "Get it Up" which has the vintage "Joe" sound as well as a heavy "Down the Drain". Following are a couple of ballad-esque songs. This album is definately a 5 out of 5 star album to my surprise. Great job gents and Eddie... the ball is in your court now to kick up a notch.

5 Great ones:
1. Down the Drain
2. Get it Up
3. Soap on a Roap
4. Turnin Left
5. Avenida Revolution

The next 5 Great ones part II:
1. Bitten by the Wolf (Bonus Track available on iTunes)
2. My Kinda Girl
3. Runnin Out
4. Oh Yeah
5. Sexy Little Thing

Pick of the Week: Nevermind the Bullocks 5 out of 5 stars

I wouldn't say i grew up on punk or even gave it a the time a day until recent years. I've become to appreciate it more today. But only the true punk bands, not the posers that put out the "punk pop". But as i was reading John (johnny rotten)Lydon's autobiography did i discover something i didn't know about The Sex Pistols. Not only were they only together 2 years they also had only one studio album. How can such an influential band have such an impact on punk music of the 90s and today..well I'll tell you how..I recently purchased Nevermind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and I will say it's one of the best "front to back" albums I've heard. The entire album is full of fist pumping, middle finger-giving, energizing, political anthems. Green Day today does have their radio-friendly "punk pop" but i think after stepping out with American Idiot, they felt like they needed to use the same formula instead of making the next step. To me the Sex Pistols made the music for themselves rather than to get radio play or even for their fans. But that also could have been part of their downfall. (as well as many other issues) But back to the album, personal favorites, Sub-mission, Anarchy in U.K., God Save the Queen, and EMI, the jab at the record company that dumped them, New York and Holiday in the Sun.

Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown 3 out of 5

After listening to Green Day's newest album 21st Century Breakdown for the 5th time,
the album really doesn't kick in until track 6, Christian's Inferno. Classic Punk. From there the album goes in and out of true punk and catchy pop. I would prefer they had not gone the concept direction after coming off of American Idiot. Here's a quick peak:

5 worth a listen:
1. Peacemaker - personal favorite
2. Horseshoe's and Handgrenades - probably the hardest song on the album
3. Last Night on Earth - has a Beatles-esque White Album sound
4. Christian's Inferno - where the album takes off
5. See the Light - a perfect closing song

5 to forget:
1. 21st Century Breakdown
2. Know Your Enemy
3. Last of the American Girls
4. Static Age
5. 21 Guns

A quick peeve of mine. If you present yourself as a "trio" then be a trio...for live shows they use a lead guitar player and studio musicians. If Rush, the Police and ZZ Top can do it, then surely a self-proclaimed punk band can do it.

Live Pet Peeve

My newest peeve. All these bands on the road now performing complete albums from the past. Example:
Judas Priest: British Steel
Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown
The Cult:Love
Motley Crue: Dr. Feelgood
There's a few i'm leaving off.
I'm a big fan of the deep cuts. Not a fan of the music generals that decide what are going to be the singles to get the radio play. They are deciding what you will listen to. But anyway some of these songs from these albums are marginal and to sit through the show as a casual fan it may be like pulling teeth. Now I'm a fan of those bands and wouldn't bother me so much but to the casual fan they would rather hear more of the hits.

Duff McKagan's Loaded: Sick

Check out the new Duff McKagan's Loaded Sick new album Sick. 5 outta 5 stars. It includes 4 of 5 songs from the EP Wasted Heart from last fall including a alternate version of Wasted Heart. 15 songs and a digital booklet on itunes. Total kick-a Seattle rock.

Bucket List

5 Bands I gotta see before i go.

1. Van Halen with DLR
2. Metallica (mark this one off in Sept)
3. David Bowie (missed a couple of years ago..won't do that again)
4. Loaded
5. Chickenfoot

Great Aerosmith Dream On Version

Which R U: Album or Song Buyer

Since the inception of iTunes you have the choice of a favorite song or complete album. Of course there's the occaional "album only" purchase which in other words the album probably sucks and they're counting on you to pay 9.99 for a sucky album but that's a whole another blog....but for now..I'm an Album lover for many reasons. I come from the Album (yes old) generation. One, the artwork of the album. I used to spend the first hour reading the liner notes or examining the front cover. Two, I'm a huge deep cut fan. The songs that are deep into the album that get no airplay at all...so in other words i don't have to worry about getting burned out the the single that the record company wants you to listen to. Plus when I scroll through my ipod, I will listen to albums...not songs. If i wanted to do that, I would just listen to the radio or internet radio. I love listening to albums front to back...even the sucky ones. I also like completing collections..in order to do that I must have the entire album. I listen to music at least 8 hours a day..whether it's in the car, at work (which let's me do so) or in my studio at home. So i do have the time to listen to whole albums rather than singles. By just buying singles, you're cheating yourself out of the really good stuff.

Chickenfoot

I think Joe Satriani and his new band Chickenfoot with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Chad Smith just raised the bar for Eddie Van Halen for the next Van Halen album. I just listen to the 2 new tracks at www.chickenfoot.us and holy crap this is what the Van "Hagar" era SHOULD HAVE sounded like. No keyboards just unbelievable rockin guitar with Sammy vocals and the traditional Michael Anthony backing. Look for the new album in early June.

Heaven and Hell: Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath's newest change. Their name. With Dio as the frontman with the original members of Sabbath have changed their name to Heaven and Hell. A message they are sending their fans is that they will not be playing any of the old Sabbath classics (fronted by Ozzy) at their shows. Being a Sabbath fan since like forever, (I prefer the Ozzy era), I'm not taking to the name change. To me it would be like Van Halen offically changing their name to Van Hagar during the Hagar era. Or AC/DC changing their name to Back in Black and refusing to play the Bon Scott stuff at their shows. Now I will say the Black Sabbath with Dio sounds pretty good but they other than Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell, what other BS songs with Dio turned into classics? I would be very dissapointed to go the show and not hear Iron Man or Paranoid. At least keep the name and just not play the Ozzy stuff.

Worth a listen

1. Dark Days by Duff McKagan's Loaded 4.5 stars. Duff's side project's first album is very punk and very dark but highly recommended. Last years Wasted Heart EP is much better produced but only contains 5 songs and is just a tease.

2. Under it All by New American Shame. This band's 1999 release if very "American Rock 'n Roll" borrowing the AC/DC forumula.

3. Orgasmatron by Motorhead. A little different from Lemmy but heavy.

4. Wheels of Steal by Saxon - Early British Metal, raw but classic.

Who is the greatest Rock "Star"?

What is a Rock "Star"? A Rock "Star" by my opinion is a legendary rock star that when walks into a room every head turns. There is a vibe that you feel when they enter the room. They have to have had several hits with their band. They pretty much don't give a F@#$ what anyone thinks of them. Say anything that comes to mind no matter the outcome.They obviously had to have been a drug addict at some point right? I can think of about 5 or so and one comes to my mind that tops the list. Stephen Tyler. He's got the look. He's got the voice. He's got the hits. He's got the fans. He's got his own Guitar Hero game that feature's his exclusively his band. He's also been a drug addict. He would be recognized on the street by anyone. Plus a 25 year old girl at my work think's he's just the bomb (even in his 60s). The other 4 that come to mind. Bono, Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison and Nikki Sixx. I know Nikki was from the hair metal era which gets little deserved respect. But after reading his Herion Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Rock Star, I have more respect for him.

Why is it?

Why is it that most bands from the 70s, 80s, and 90s whom have had a catalog of hits go on tour now with new material but no one wants to hear the new stuff. It's pretty much like pulling teeth just getting through the new songs. I know why they do it. They have to. They have to promote their own album. Let's take Journey for instance. I saw them last fall and they every song they played was a radio hit at some point in time except for 3 songs from the new album that the crowd just growned through. Now on the other hand you bands like Metallica, AC/DC and U2 that put out new material and the crowd goes just crazy for it. Is it because they are still relevant? Is it because of the new generation picks up on these bands from Guitar Hero and Rock Band and that makes them cool? Or is it just a matter of taste? Or just some of those old bands just never evolved to the music of today. Some bands always say "well, on our next album, we're going back to their old sound", which they never do and why do it? Why not take a lesson from Metallica? They for example have never peaked. They always come out bigger and better with every ablum and it never sounds the same.

Recommendation! 2.0

Friday I checked out on FUSE, Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. "Metal" was a 2005 documentary directed by Sam Dunn with Scot McFadyen and Jessica Wise. The film follows 31-year-old Sam Dunn, a Canadian anthropologist, who has been a heavy metal fan since the age of 12. He sets out across the world to uncover the various opinions on heavy metal music, including its origins, culture, controversy, and reasons it is loved by so many people. Great interview with Dio and Vince. Although he didn't explore every metal genre or sub-genre. He did have a interesting breakdow chart of metal.

Early metal (1966−1971)
- Cream - Jimi Hendrix - Blue Cheer - Deep Purple - Led Zeppelin - MC5 - Mountain - The Stooges - Black Sabbath

Original hard rock (1974−1979)
- Thin Lizzy - Blue Öyster Cult - Aerosmith - Ted Nugent - AC/DC

Shock rock (1968−1983)
- Arthur Brown - Alice Cooper - New York Dolls - Kiss - Ozzy Osbourne - W.A.S.P.

Early punk (1976−1979)
- The Ramones - The Damned - Sex Pistols - The Clash - The Dead Boys

Power metal (1976−present)
- Scorpions - Judas Priest - Rainbow - Accept - Manowar - Dio - Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Helloween - Blind Guardian - HammerFall - Primal Fear

New Wave of British Heavy Metal (1979−1983)
- Motörhead - Saxon - Iron Maiden - Angel Witch - Girlschool - Tygers of Pan Tang - Diamond Head

Progressive metal (1970−present)
- Uriah Heep - Rush - Queensrÿche - Savatage - Fates Warning - Voivod - Dream Theater - Meshuggah - Symphony X - Evergrey

Glam metal (1973−1990)
- Slade - Sweet - Hanoi Rocks - Mötley Crüe - Twisted Sister - Poison - Cinderella - Skid Row

Pop metal (1978−present)
- Quiet Riot - Van Halen - Whitesnake - Def Leppard - Europe - Dokken - Lita Ford - Ratt - Guns N' Roses - Winger - Warrant - Doro - The Darkness

Stoner metal (1982−present)
- Witchfinder General - Trouble - Candlemass - Cathedral - Kyuss - Today is the Day

Original hardcore (1980−1986)
- Agnostic Front - D.O.A. - The Exploited - Bad Brains - Misfits - GBH - Discharge - Dead Kennedys - Minor Threat - Black Flag

Thrash metal (1983−present)
- Metallica - Slayer - Anthrax - Megadeth - Exodus - Overkill - Kreator - Destruction - Sodom - Testament - Nuclear Assault - Death Angel - Pantera - Sepultura - Children of Bodom

First wave of black metal (1981−1986)
- Venom - Bathory - Mercyful Fate - Celtic Frost

Norwegian black metal (1990−present)
- Mayhem - Darkthrone - Immortal - Gorgoroth - Emperor - Satyricon - Enslaved - Dimmu Borgir - Cradle Of Filth (UK)

Grindcore (1987−present)
- Napalm Death - Carcass - Repulsion - Exhumed - Extreme Noise Terror - Cephalic Carnage - Brutal Truth

Death metal (1985−present)
- Possessed - Death - Morbid Angel - Obituary - Deicide - Cannibal Corpse - Immolation - Autopsy - Nile - Dying Fetus

Swedish death metal (1990−present)
- Grave - Entombed - At the Gates - Unleashed - Dismember - Arch Enemy - Soilwork - In Flames - Dark Tranquility - The Haunted

Metalcore (1985−present)
- Corrosion of Conformity - Suicidal Tendencies - Dirty Rotten Imbeciles - Machine Head - Stormtroopers of Death - Hatebreed - The Dillinger Escape Plan

Grunge (1988−1993)
- Green River - The Melvins - Soundgarden - Mudhoney - Nirvana - Alice in Chains - Mother Love Bone - Stone Temple Pilots - Pearl Jam

Goth metal (aka Doom metal on the DVD) (1990−present)
- Paradise Lost - Tiamat - Therion - Type O Negative - My Dying Bride - Anathema - Theatre Of Tragedy - Katatonia - Opeth

Industrial metal (1988−present)
- Ministry - White Zombie - Godflesh - Nine Inch Nails - Fear Factory - Marilyn Manson - Static-X

Hard alternative (1985−present)
- Faith No More - Jane's Addiction - Prong - Living Colour - The Smashing Pumpkins - Rage Against the Machine

Nu metal (1994−present)
- Biohazard - KoЯn - Slipknot - Limp Bizkit - Godsmack - Coal Chamber - System of a Down - Disturbed - Kittie

New Wave of American Metal (2000−present)
- Shadows Fall - Lamb of God - Darkest Hour - Chimaira - Killswitch Engage - Unearth - God Forbid

1980, 1982, 1983 or 1984: The greatest year in Hard Rock

1980
AC/DC - Back in Black
Motorhead - Ace of Spades
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz
Judas Priest - British Steel
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Rush - Permanant Waves
Saxon - Wheels of Steel
Scorpions - Animal Magnitism
Def Leppard - On Through the Night
Van Halen - Woman and Children First

1982
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengance
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Scorpions - Blackout
Motley Crue - Too Fast for Love
Van Halen - Diver Down
Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova

1983
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Metallica - Kill Em All
Quiet Riot - Metal Health
Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Dio - Holy Diver
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
AC/DC - Flick of the Switch
Krokus - Headhunter
Kiss - Lick it Up
Fastway - Fastway
Dokken - Breaking the Chains
Y & T - Mean Streak
Helix - No Rest for the Wicked
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness
Vandenburg - Heading for a Storm
Kix - Cool Kids
Triumph - Never Surrender
Zebra - Zebra

1984
Van Halen - 1984
Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Dokken - Tooth and Nail
Scorpions - Love at First Sting
W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Ratt - Out of the Cellar
Whitesnake - Slide It In
Dio - The Last in Line
Quiet Riot - Condition Critical
Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers

I'm gonna have to pick 1983. This is when Hard Rock/Metal really took off and more notice on MTV. More great front to back albums...plus what happen
to an album every year. Used to you could count on a new studio album every year by your favorite band. But now you get over-produced drawn out 6 month recordings followed by a 2 year tour. I'm glad to see that this year Ozzy is going back to back years with new material (due Thanksgiving). Long live the Prince of Darkness.

Recent Purchases

Duff McKagen's Loaded - Wasted Heart - Hot Stuff, sounds cross between GNR and Velvet Revolver
Dio - Killing the Dragon - Very good guitar work. Probably Dio's best vocals in recent memory
Motley Crue - Saints of Los Angeles - 3 good songs: S of LA, Down at the Whiskey, and MF of the Year
Judas Priest - Nostradamus - Pretty heavy but opposite spectrums from the early Rock-a-Rola, British Steel and 80s albums. It's also risky putting out a concept album.
AC/DC - Black Ice - More like Stiff Upper lip side 2
Lynch Mob - Lynch Mob - Much better than Wicked Sensation
Cheap Trick - Woke Up with a Monster
Cheap Trick - Authorized Hits: It was 7.99 at Walmart. Has most of the hits including That 70s Show theme song. Was dissapointed it didn't have the more heavy Gonna Raise Hell and Need Your Love from Dream Police.
Sebastian Bach - Angel Down: I finally completed the album off iTunes...but well worth the $7 to complete it. Very heavy plus Axl appears on 3 tunes including Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle

This or That 2.0

1. Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler - I have to go with the original bad boy Stone.
2. Lynch Mob or Dokken - I hate to say it but this is one time that the guitar player WAS the band and not the singer that holds the name. Lynch.
3. Steve Harris or John Entwistle - Steve Harris...nobody plays bass faster but more freely plus the song writing skills are beyond comprehension.
4. Roger Daltry or Robert Plant - Daltry
5. Rock of Love or Supergroup - Supergroup, more about the music, not the lifestyle
6. Bret Michaels or Sebastian Bach - Oooh tuff one but everyone knows how if feel about Bret and I just heard a Eddie Trunk interview with Sebastian Bach and I think I've had the wrong impression. I truely believe he is a true rocker and is about the music and not the fame.
7. Green Day or Blink 182....Before American Idiot I would have said Blink 182 but that album says Green Day is more than just 3 snotty kids playing music for slackers.
8. Rush or Dream Theatre - I'll have to say Rush...they've had more mainstream hits.
9. Death Magnetic or Kill 'em All - I may have to go with Kill 'em All...I like the rawness of the sound.
10.Frampton Comes Alive or Cheap Trick Live at Budakon - Cheap Trick in a landslide

LIVE!

Top 10 live albums
1. Judas Priest: Live
2. AC/DC: Live in Paris
3. Green Day: Bullet in the Bible
4. Britny Fox: Long Way to LIVE!
5. Cheap Trick: Live at Budakon
6. Ozzy Osborne: Speak at the Devil
7. Fastway: Say What You Will LIVE!
8. Joe Satriani: Live at San Fransisco
9. Journey: Greatest Hits Live
10. Motley Crue: Red, White and Crue

Recommendation!

Eddie Trunk Show...10am-1pm Saturday mornings on iTunes radio KNAC.com
Great interviews with rock stars and great stories of the evolution of bands, songs and life on the road as well as music from the artist....This week guest: Joe Lyn Turner of Rainbow.

For Sale!

1 copy of Chinese Democracy.....$1

Ten Deep Cuts Worth a Listen (Gems)

1. Soul Stripper - AC/DC '74 Jailbreak
2. Longing for Fire - Scorpions In Trance
3. What's in it for Me - Nazareth No Mean City
4. Red Hot - Motley Crue Shout at the Devil
5. Megalomania - Black Sabbath Sabotage
6. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles Revolver
7. Lightning Strikes - Aerosmith Rock in a Hard Place
8. The Rage - Judas Priest British Steel
9. Til the End of Time - Whitesnake Good to be Bad
10. House of Pain - Van Halen 1984

VH1s Top 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs

I recently viewed VH1s Top Greatest Hard Rock Songs. I loved it. Great interviews. Great "where are they now" and best of all - updated. As for he list itself, I was pretty impressed. There were a few hit and misses:

Misses:
1. #100 Sammy Hagar: I can't drive 55. - There's only one way to rock! Come on.
2. #96 Kansas: Carry On Wayward Son - Top 10 worst songs ever.
3. #90 Jethro Tull: Aqualung - After Metallica getting dished????
4. #63 Survivor: Eye of the Tiger - No Rocky Songs Please
5. #40 Poison: Talk Dirty to Me - No Pop Metal or Poison (which I'll get to later)
6. #89 Journey: Any Way You Want It - Love Journey, wrong list

Hidden Gems:
1. #54 Faith No More: Epic - a song that started the whole Metal/Rap. There were made fun of at the time.
2. #34 Heart: Barracuda - Glad to see the early Heart here.
3. #52 The Runnaways: Cherry Bomb
4. #49 Iggy Pop: Search and Destroy
5. #44 Cream: Sunshine of your love

As for the top 10, I also enjoyed. I'm not sure i would have put Welcome to the Jungle at #1. I would have dropped them down to 6 or 7. You could have put all 10 in a bag and shake them up and any order would have been fine. My personal #1 Paranoid.

Now for the only thing I didn't like at all.....Bret Michaels as host. Shameless promotions for his new release. Or his t-shirt that said "Bret Michaels Rock On". He thinks he's more popular than he really was. Like he was Robert Plant or David Lee Roth or even Vince Neil.