Van Halen-5150 Review

   With all the talk around Van Halen's new studio album; it's time to take a trip back to 1986 and revisit what many would decry as the beginning of the end for Van Halen. However, 5150 is a surprisingly good album and certainly lives up to the legacy of the early David Lee Roth years; albeit headed in much different direction.

     Recorded at Eddie's "5150" home studio; the albums feel incredibly slick and oozes with panache like a 1985 Ferrari Testarossa. Opener "Good Enough" does not really stray from the typical Van Halen formula; drill-like over driven guitars pepper a rocking riff accompanied by typical lunkhead Haggar lyrics about a woman that is "Good Enough" to... well you get the picture. Like all Van Halen songs; the guitar is really the highlight of the song; as the lyrics will certainly make you cringe with embarrassment. Recently shafted bassist and hot sauce enthusiast Michael Anthony shows off his typical juicy backing vocals. Stupid yes, but a fun song nonetheless. Big single "Why Can't This Be Love" is up next; and most will have heard this song before; likely at a hockey game or during film credits for several cheesy 1990s movies. The pop song sways with Haggar's confident rooster-like vocal pea cocking, and really shows why initially "Van Haggar" was able to outsell many of the Roth-era albums. The song is certainly lame; but a great example of a nostalgic power ballad from a bygone era. "Get Up" showcases Haggar's love of boxing; and the song concerns getting up after being knocked down, metaphorically of course. The drums are insanely fast; and the whole thing sounds as if it was recorded on speed. Energetic, but slightly grating and annoying. The song is really just an excuse for Eddie to play as fast as he can; and Eddie's signature tapping is in full effect here. The lyrics are just plain retarded; even for Haggar. Skip this one.

  The band next takes a sappy turn that would surely make even Bon Jovi cringe. But as a child of the 1980s, "Dreams" is cheesy in a way that I actually enjoy. Haggar has never been afraid to be an optimist and motivator; and the song is really about achieving all you can in life. Much to Roth's chagrin; synthesizers had become an essential component of the Van Halen sound by the mid-1980s. The keyboards actually add a certainly element of ascendance to the song, and it is hard to picture this song without them. The song is quite enjoyable in a guilty pleasure kind of way. The guitar solos are excellent; as per the norm for Eddie and his six-string insanity. "Summer Nights" really acts a modus operandi for the band; and this song shows that simple is not always a bad thing. Like the musical equivalent of "Spike" TV, the song is about hanging out with the boys, watching girls, and pounding a few back. Unlike the bloated rock star that Roth had become; with "Summer Nights" Haggar acts as a sort of everyman, appealing to the most basic of human activities and instincts. Those looking for lyrical sophistication need not apply; this is not Bob Dylan. Instead, you get fun music that really eschews complexity, at least in a lyrical sense. The music is heavily processed, but relaxing like a warm summer breeze.


      Side 2 starts with "Best of Both Worlds". The song instantly reminds one of early Michael Bolton tracks, and is really Metal wrapped up nicely in a pop package. The song is catchy enough; with a repetitive but infectious chorus about having your cake and eating it to.The song does not really add much to the album, and the lack of a quantifiable guitar solo fails to amaze here. Decent song, but could have been a tad longer and fleshed out with more Anthony backups and guitar insanity. "Love Walks In" was another massive power ballad from the album, and the song has sat atop countless wedding song lists for decades. It is here we see the total death of Roth-era goofiness, replaced by Haggar's constant alternation between hyper-macho persona and his utterly sappy and almost crooner-like role as a ballad master extraordinaire. The wispy synthesizers sound somewhat brittle and outdated, but are played quite nicely by Eddie. The lyrics read like some kind of romance novel; and really show why Halen was developing a increasingly female audience at this juncture of their career. The soaring guitar work really shows Eddie's stadium appeal; his guitars cut through the mix and impossible to ignore. Studio effects on Haggar's vocals are dated but interesting, feed backing like the natural crowd acoustics of a huge amphitheater.Michael Anthony is in top form again; giving his best vocal performance since "Dance the Night Away" from "Van Halen II".  Titular "5150" takes the band into pseudo-metal territory, and is based on a slightly heavy riff.  Alex Van Halen shows that when he is on the ball, he is really on the ball. Nice drum fills thunder through the song, and he is finally given a chance to show his stuff on the album. The lyrics are quite vague; and I can only guess that song is about a strained relationship. The song is enjoyable enough, but slightly repetitive and boring at times. The album closes with very 1980s " "Inside". The song sounds somewhat New Wave, and the introduction is reminiscent of "Talking Heads" during some parts. The meaning of the song is beyond me, but the whole thing sounds like some kind of inside joke created by practical joker Haggar. The use of samples, bass synthesizers, and a goofy New Wave like chorus really sound out of place for the band. The song is nothing more than an experiment, and thankfully the band did not choose to pursue this musical avenue.

    "5150" is a good album, but lacks the sheer over-the-top goofball antics of the Roth era. "Van Haggar" headed much more towards the pop/jock combination of songwriting; and the songs on this album tend to fall into one of those two categories. Despite lacking elasticity and diversity; "5150" is a fun album to throw on and is quite energetic and poppy in a way that only slightly offends. Worth a listen.

Rating-7/10

Metal Evolution-The Series Review

Canuck head banger Sam Dunn examines the evolution of heavy metal from the same anthropological viewpoint as his "Metal" documentary films. Metal Evolution is more of the same globe-trotting adventures of Dunn and crew as they examine the origins of the beast from the smoking cauldrons of Birmingham to the back streets of New York in the 1970s.

Dunn plays to his audience and those uninterested in metal might not really enjoy such a detailed examination of the various sub-genres of metal. For those who are more denim and leather inclined, metal evolution provides a treasure trove of interviews with such "metal gods" as Rob Halford, Geezer Butler, and even such "proto-punk"(I hate that term) legends as Iggy Pop. Dunn is entirely methodical in his examination of the genre, and this is clearly a labour (yes I am Canadian, that is a U) of love for Dunn.

What is truly great about Metal Evolution is the sheer grandiosity of the examination. Every major sub-genre is covered (Yes, even the much maligned "Nu-Metal"). If the words "Black Metal, Death Metal, and Power Metal" don't strike any chords in your hardened heart, then Metal Evolution will probably not be worth your time. I truly loved every minute of this series so far, and it is great to see such a documentary in the era of "bands" (I use the term loosely) such as LMFAO and Hedley who are about as heavy as non-alcoholic Labatt's. Yes, Metal (CAPITAL!!!) is back and Dunn's examination proves once and for all that metal is not for the weak, nor is it for the unenlightened. Dunn, a University Graduate and scholar proves that metal is an intensely complex genre full of musical diversity and a list of "characters" that are equally complex. Overall, an absolute must for anyone who has been known to throw up the horns in salute to the world's most misunderstood form of music. METTTTTTTAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

Metal Evolution Airs Fridays at 10:00 Pm on Muchmore Music

Rating-9.5/10 

Alcatrazz-Disturbing The Peace Review

 


What is there to say about this turd. Hands down one of the worst albums of the 1980s. The songs are about as deep as a kiddie pool, with songs about exotic dancers (The Stripper) and the new emerging medium of video (God Blessed Video). Other songs cover similar topics, and most is typical mid-1980s pop metal ala Whitesnake, Great White, etc. The problem with this album, is that it seems to lack the true raunchiness that made bands like Whitesnake lovable in a certain way.

    On to the music; Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, MSG,etc) is by no means a bad vocalist, and I agree with many that Rainbow's "Down to Earth" is still a great album. However, Bonnet is left with little to work with as he belts out the cheesy schlock of six-string masochist Steve Vai and his overblown brand of technical "virtuosity". The songs are really bad, the keyboards are metallic and brittle; they sound totally out of place with this style of music. The mixing is a disaster, and I can only assume the album was produced for a minimal budget. Jan Uvena is not a terrible drummer, but seems to often to be playing totally out of sync with the band.

    This album should be avoided like the bubonic plague. "Lighter Shade of Green" is a horrible song, and what I believe to be  the audio equivalent of water boarding. The album has almost no redeeming qualities, and with horrible lyrics, horrible songs, keyboards, and a maximum serving of cheese; this is a true stinker. Buy Rainbow's "Down to Earth" instead; it is a much better showcase for Bonnet and his particular vocal talent.

Rating: 1/10 

Queen-News of the World Review

 
      What is there to say about this album that has not already been said. Critics and customers alike took issue with Queen at this juncture of their careers; and I think that some of that criticism is definitely warranted. Let's take a look at "News Of The World" and examine why the album has been met with such mixed reactions.

     The album is quite different from the almost "prog-rock" predecessors of the band's early period. The first thing that one will notice is that "News Of The World" contains much more "pop" than the previous opuses of the bands early days. The first two tracks are legendary in the Queen catalog; and anyone unfamiliar with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" has obviously never been a professional sports match in their lives. These sports "anthems" hold up quite well, despite being overplayed to death by sports media. I don't think that these songs need any further explanation; and I will skip describing these songs in detail and move on to the less obvious material on the album.

    "Sheer Heart Attack" reflects the obvious influence of Punk as it invaded England during 1977. The song makes liberal use of effects; but I don't really enjoy the sound or direction of the song; it feels almost like Queen are trying to jump on the proverbial bandwagon with "Sheer Heart Attack". Next is the cryptic "All Dead, All Dead", purported to be about the passing of Brian May's cat. The May penned song is quite sad actually and sweet; I dare someone to listen to it and not be moved to tears. The harmonies are excellent as one would expect from Queen. The short number is actually my favorite song on the album; and a nice short treat of a song. "Spread Your Wings" is an inspirational song; one of many Queen songs to touch the heartstrings of the human spirit. The soaring song reflects the sheer energy and charisma that was Freddie Mercury . I loved the song; and it was a true high-point of the album. Closing out Side 1 (again, I usually review from vinyl) is "Fight from the Inside". I have never really been a huge fan of Roger Taylor written/sung tracks, and this track did not really change my opinion of his songwriting skills (drumming is a different story).

    Side 2 opens with the swinging and sexy rocker "Get Down, Make Love". Mercury is almost in "Robert Plant" mode here; and makes uses of sexual innuendos liberally. The song reproduces sexual tension in musical form; and would provided an excellent soundtrack for more adult activities (wink! nudge!). The song is raunchy and the bar-band clinking piano is driven along by a sparse drum kit and some spacey effects that at the time were sure to be very expensive. "Sleeping on the Sidewalk" is one of the album's most controversial songs. As intended; sleeping on the sidewalk sounds like a budget version of ZZ Top. The song is quite simply horrible; and I believe the rumors that the song was recorded in one take. Queen did never really excel at blues tracks; and this reinforces that commonly held opinion. The album again switches gear with "Who Needs You", the Spanish guitar instrumental is a nice enough song; but is mostly filler and does not really add much musically to the album. The two closing tracks, " It's Late" and "My Melancholy Blues" are decent enough, but do not really save the album from mediocrity. This is the point where Queen begins a decline. "News Of The World" is a decent album, but get Queen, Queen II, and other early material before buying this album .

Rating-5.5/10

Iron Maide-Piece of Mind Review

     An obvious favorite in the Maiden catalog. I much prefer their fourth outing compared to more lauded "The Number of the Beast", an obvious international success and smash hit. Impish Bruce Dickinson is again proves the power of his golden pipes and delivers a vocal performance second to none. Many of the themes explored on this album would continue to dominate the majority of Maiden's output in the years to come; dealing with topics such as war (The Trooper), human progress (Quest for Fire), and flight (Flight of the Icarus). The album in insanely cheesy, and anyone who does not have a fondness for the cartoon metal style of the band should continue to stay away. However, for fans of the band and metal in general, this album is perhaps the strongest example of an album during the bands "golden period" from 1979-1985.

     The really treat is the addition of drummer "Nicko" McBrain (not quite his real name). McBrain is one of the most solid metal drummers and the band shows renewed spirit and energy following his addition. The guitar work is obviously top form with Adrian Smith and Dave Murray trading off licks in a seamless fashion. The highlight of the album and what I believe to the band's finest moment (The Trooper) is the true highlight of this album. The sheer fear and uselessness of war is conveyed in a way that makes Metallica's interpretation of war seem fake and forced.  Overall, "Piece of Mind" is a great album, just not the best that the band has to offer. That honour falls to................ (stay tuned next week I will review my favorite Maiden album).

Rating- 8/10

Aerosmith- Rocks Review

      

   Before American Idol, before falling off the stage more than once, before "Honkin on Bobo", there was "Rocks" and "Rocks" was good. "Rocks" is what many consider to be the last gasp of classic 1970s Aerosmith and I would mostly agree with that statement. Besides laying the blueprint for Guns and Roses and most of 1980s American Metal, "Rocks" just plain and simply f**kin rocks. The song starts out with hockey game hall of famer "Back in the Saddle", which is simply one of the ballsiest songs in rock history. The use of Joe Perry's baritone guitar provides that extra heaviness that I believe has not really been bettered by any other "Drop D" goofballs such as Korn , Static-X, and (who the f**k cares about them anyways). The hits continue, and "Rats in the Cellar", a spiritual successor to "Toys in the Attic" is one of the bands most energetic songs and almost justifies the bands excessive use of non-prescription drugs.

        Side 2 (Rocks can only be heard on Vinyl, shame on you!) really is where the magic starts. "Sick as a dog" is classic Aerosmith, with a swagger and smoothness that only this band can produce. The harmonica work on this song is also great, showing Tyler's prowess at "Bobo". The real highlight of the album is "Nobody's Fault", a song that can easily be considered the first true American "Metal" song (no, Raw Power is not Metal!!!!!). The song alternates from sweet to sinister in a way that only Axl Rose would successfully be able to emulate in the coming years. A true classic. The bluesy "Get the Lead Out" shows the more traditional influences of the band, and is a nice addition to the album showcasing classic Perry blues guitar.  The remaining songs are charming enough (Lick and a Promise, Home Tonight, and the classic Last Child), but lack the depth and sheer aggressiveness of the aforementioned songs.

    Rocks is a great album, and any fan of the band will love this album. Quite simply, buy it and buy it now.

Rating-10/10 

Dio-Strange Highways Review

   
    Throw up your "horns", it is Dio time. The late pint-sized metal master released "Strange Highways" in late 1993/early 1994 at a time when interest for heavy metal was minimal at best after the "Grunge" and Alternative onslaught that had changed the musical landscape by mid-1990s. Let's take a look at this "lost
 album (it sold horribly and is currently out of print) and decide if it holds up to the Dio pedigree set by such classics as Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath and 1983s suburb solo effort "Holy Diver".

     The first thing that you will probably notice about "Strange Highways" is that the sound is much grittier and nastier compared to previous Dio efforts. Heavy Metal had changed a lot since the prior album by Dio, 1990's "Lock up the Wolves". At this point, Pantera and other contemporaries were making heavier and more aggressive music that many other bands definitely used an influence on their sound. The most important change for Dio on this album is the inclusion of guitarist "Tracy G" in the lead role. "Tracy G" provided a much heavier tone than previous guitarist "Craig Goldy". Other lineup changes affected the band at this point, with Dio replacing all except for veteran "Black Sabbath" era drummer Vinny Appice. Let's look at some specific highs and lows.

    "Blood From A Stone" is a classic Dio tune; it contains the hallmarks of the Dio sound. Chugging guitars drive along the soaring and driven vocals that always provide a sense of drama and importance. The bass playing is especially of note here, and seems to be in complete unison with Appice behind the kit. Then bassist "Jeff Pilson" is definitely one of the most underrated bassists in rock today, and this album contains masterful bass work. "Hollywood Black" seems to be a cautionary tale of life in Los Angeles and the associated quest for fame that so many have. The song was quite enjoyable, even if the lyrics are quite vague and almost laughable (as many are by Dio). The guitar is not really a highlight of this track; the guitar solo was underdeveloped and really shows the technical limitations of then guitarist " Tracy G". The album slows down for the title track, "Strange Highways". The song is very Sabbath sounding; and it would not have sounded out of place on 1993's "Dehumanizer" by Dio and Black Sabbath. The track was quite nice; but again really shows that while "Tracy G" is a good guitarist, he lacks the really axe-wielding insanity and technicality of previous Dio collaborates such as Ritchie Blackmore (Rainbow) and of course Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell). "Bring Down The Rain" eases up the tension somewhat;. the song is not heavily detuned and sludgy the way that many other songs on the album are. However; Dio's vocals appear to continue the aggressiveness that dominates the album; he appears to be over singing to match the aggressiveness of Tracy G's playing. Good song. "Jesus Mary And The Holy Ghost" is a fast and groove driven song that actually works. Besides the dated effects on Dio's vocals, the song is a nice addition to the Dio catalog. Dio is always more comfortable with lyrics about religion, mythology, and fantasy. Dio sounds comfortable here and does not try to sound "hard" as he does on a lot of the album. "Give Her The Gun" is actually a cool song; Dio's vocals really excel here and show the pristine elasticity that we all expect from him. The drums hit hard and acoustic guitar fill out the verses. The song does have cheesy 90s keyboards; but they are quite low in the mix and you will likely not hear them at all. The solo is quite bad on the song however; and is way too short for such a dramatic Dio song. Not bad.

  The album definitely has some low moments.  "Here's To You" almost sounds like Def Leppard at points with its sing along chorus and glossy 1980s sounding production values. The guitar work was quite nice on this song; and Tracy G is finally given the spotlight here and shows that he can in fact rip it on the guitar. The ultra masochistic "Pain" is probably the most aggressive song that Dio ever recorded as a solo artist. The song is really a step in the wrong direction in my opinion; Dio lyrics here are extremely ridiculous and quite laughable. Additionally, the bass and guitar seem to be fighting for dominance of the song; and actually both instruments frequently solo at the same time. Dio sounds in "pain" during this song; and his vocals sound wrecked and distorted compared to the usually silky smooth tones we expect from him. Overall, skip this one. "Firehead" is about some kind of killer that seems to burn people alive.  The song is totally out of character for Dio; and it really lame in every sense of the word. The lyrics are very juvenile, and it is hard to head bang to some cautionary tale about a pyromaniac that kills people. The music is almost as bad. Appice is killer as always on the sticks, but Tracy G doesn't add much to this song. He appears to be emulating Zakk Wylde on this track; making heavy use of effects in unison with heavy distortion. Pilson's bass is also distorted; resulting is a very murky and unclear sound. Worst song on the album hands down.  The portmanteau titled song "Evilution" is again reminiscent of Black Sabbath's "Dehumanizer". The song is simply horrible; the lyrics are again extremely silly, and contain cautionary tales about the rising depravity of humanity. The use of samples is very out of place for Dio; and provide fuel for those who say that this album was too modern in terms of lyrical content and production.  A stinker of a song; and one of the worst in Dio's history.  "One Foot In The Grave" lacks any real punch; although has an interesting chorus that does provide some energy and excitement. The guitar solo sounds the same here as other songs; and shows that Tracy G's biggest problem is his lack of flexibility. The lyrics are cheesy, and I could not even tell what the song is about. Not bad, not great.

   "Strange Highways" is definitely not "the" Dio to buy if you could buy only one(that honor goes to 1983's "Holy Diver"). However; it does provide some worthwhile material. The biggest problem with this album is the approach taken on the album. People listen to Dio to hear about dragons, knights, religion and teen angst. Most of those topics are ignored here, and he appears to not really believe what he is singing here. There is a reason that this album is largely forgotten; it tried something different from what people expected from Dio and did not really work. Only for fans of Dio.


Rating-6/10

Rainbow-Down To Earth Review

      Ritchie Blackmore's post Deep Purple project continued to roll on in 1979; ever after the departure of the late banshee of a singer, "Ronnie James Dio". Rainbow instead recruited English singer of "The Marbles" fame Graham Bonnet. I truly believe that Bonnet is one of rock's most underrated vocalists and that this is one of hard rock's most truly underrated albums. Let's take a look a "Down to Earth" in depth......

      The instrumentation of Bonnet era Rainbow is not very different from that of the Dio era; albeit slightly brighter and more poppy in nature. The first track, "All Night Long" is one of the catchiest songs on the album about. The sordid tale of longing and lust is driven along by Blackmore's searing guitar and Rainbow's excellent rhythm/keyboard section. Bonnet's vocals have an almost American like quality, much like contemporary Paul Rodgers of Bad Company fame. The track is great; and extremely catchy and infectious.
The album then takes a more contemporary turn and makes liberal use of synthesizers on "Eyes of the World", a spacey and spooky number about what I could only ascertain to be "Evil". The song has killers backup vocals; as does most of the album and I believe that the extra vocals support Bonnet's voice, which lacks the range of Dio, Halford, etc. The guitar and keyboard solos make the song feel a little bloated; but if you are opposed to copious amounts of solo, Rainbow is probably not a band you would enjoy. The hot rocker "No Time To Lose" is a ferocious boogie and showcases the fact that although he loves mandolins and castles; Blackmore is best when just plain rocking out. The guitar solo felt a little subdued sonically ; and I would say that the guitar tone on this album is a little murky in the mix. Otherwise, a nice little song with Bonnet peacocking his way around the sultry vocal with the great Rainbow rhythm section (especially the late Cozy Powell) again in tow.

     The album continues with "Makin Love", a song about well....... just that. The album has a cool almost classical inintroduction; and includes a Harpsichord sound from master keyboard session musician "Don Airey". The song is very much like Bad Company; and it really sounds dated considering the date of release of this album. A very standard 1970s classic rocker; with very little to set it apart from the pack. The most famous song from the album is "Since You Been Gone", a catchy Russ Ballard written song that has continued to dominate classic rock radio to this day. The song is very out of character for the band; and it lacks the stomp and rollicking jam like character of most Rainbow songs. Not bad, but honestly not a great song in my opinion. "Love's No Friend" ventures into Deep Purple territory and shows Bonnet slightly out of his element with this lazy riff driven number. Bonnet is much better at singing at faster tempos; and probably not the right vocalist for this track. The song annoyingly cuts the keyboard solo prematurely to kick into Blackmore's solo; something I really did not enjoy. Overall, not a bad song at all. "Danger Zone" is very similar to "Eyes of the World"; the song has a kind of spacey/jam feel. Bonnet warns of the dangers of the "Danger Zone"; which I can only assume to be about sex. The song has a cheesy keyboard solo; but the guitar in this song really shows off Blackmore's wide range of scales from a variety of cultures, changing scales seamlessly. The song is ok, but slightly cliche and boring. The album closes with "Lost in Hollywood". "Lost in Hollywood" is the strongest track on the album telling the story of lost times in Hollywood; drinking, partying, and doing whatever else rich English rock bands do on the Sunset Strip. The song breaks into a very regal classic section midway through; and then goes on to a dueling solo between Blackmore and Airey. Finally, the songs kicks back into the main riff. The song is somewhat unconventional, but then again so was Rainbow. Great song.

   "Down to Earth" is by no means a masterpiece. But, I believe it has something for everyone and is definitely underrated in the history of hard rock. If you are a fan 1970s hard rock, you could do a lot worse than pick up the best non-Dio Rainbow album out there.

  Rating-7.5/10

Thin Lizzy-Vagabonds of the Western World Review

   Thin Lizzy left their undeniable mark on rock music throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. "Vagabonds of the Western World" is the third studio album by the Irish rockers, and easily one of the best albums of the early 1970s. Let's examine this classic album and see what it makes it so great.

     The album opens with the bluesy "Mother Nature Said". The song sounds like a lazy bar jam; and the always present punchy bass of Lizzy leader/bassist/chief songwriter Phil Lynott really dominates the song. The song is enjoyable; but a fairly standard slide guitar bluesy number. Next, "The Hero and the Madman" opens with a spoken word introduction. The song contains some influence from soul music; and the song contains liberal use of flange effects on guitars to produce a guitar sound not unlike Curtis Mayfield. The song contains a lengthy outro that feels a tad unnecessary, but contains some very nice guitar work by then guitarist  Eric Bell. "Slow Blues" is just that; a slower, bluesy track that also incorporates funk and soul influences. The song takes a much harder turn near the end; heading into Led Zeppelin territory through the use of a thunderous drum beat and moaning blues guitar atop Lynott's painful growl. Good track, but not exactly a classic. "The Rocker" is one of the strongest tracks in the Lizzy catalog; and the song fully exposes the sound that Thin Lizzy is probably best remembered for; balls to the wall maximum rock 'n' roll. The song contains lyrical references to the danger and indecency of being a "Rocker", a great anthem for those who subscribe to the temple of rock. The solo is way too long; but really when rock 'n' roll is this fun and pure; who cares?

       On side two the action really heats up. "Vagabond of the Western World" could be a possible candidate for the first Celtic Rock/Metal track. The song makes use of traditional Irish music as well as language. "Vagabond" really shows that above all else, Lynott was a poet and a storyteller. The song is heavily influenced by traditional Irish stories about roving from place to place; and may have been influenced by Lynott's own vagabond father. "Little Girl In Bloom" tells the story about a young girl who is pregnant in a situation of what can assume to be wedlock. The song is intensely poetic and touching. Musically, the song is very soft, based off a very simple bass/drum rhythm track accompanied by out of tune guitar interjections. Great track. "Gonna Creep Up On You" shows the clear influence of the ghost of Jimi Hendrix on Thin Lizzy's sound. The extremely sexual lyrics show an almost predator of a man who is "setting his sights" on a sexual target. The song is obviously about sexual conquest; a theme revisited many times over Lynott's brief career. The song reminds one of Hendrix's "Foxey Lady", released a scant six years prior in 1967. Again, the solo to too long; but the overall song is quite sexually charged and invigorating. The album closes with "A Song For While I'm Away", a sweet and sentimental expression of absolute love. The song is somewhat reminiscent of "Beth" by Kiss in the sense that it appears to be a song for a loved one written by an often absent touring musician. The song contains orchestral strings to increase the sappy factor, and the song was a little too slow and sentimental for me. However, the song is very sweet and mushy and a nice closer for the album.

    "Vagabonds" is not the best album in the Thin Lizzy discography. However, it shows the first real brushstrokes of artistic genius from Lynott and company and acts as a precursor to the much grander efforts that would come later from the chameleon like band. A must buy for any fans of the band as well as classic rock lovers. For everyone else; get "Jailbreak" instead.

Rating-8.5/10

Ratt-Detonator Review

    L.A.'s legendary hair metal band close out their original era with "Detonator", their fifth and final album released during the intial run of the band. Detonator may be the soundtrack to the collapse of hair metal, but it is certainly not an album that shows any serious signs of deterioration, at least in a musical sense. Let's take a look at "Detonator" and  find out what makes this a somewhat underrated album.

    The album takes a cue from peers Motley Crue and opens with a short keyboard introduction to the album's second song, "Shame Shame Shame". The album's lead single, "Shame Shame Shame" is a nice Ratt single. The song basically talks about a cheating woman and the revenge that singer "Stephen Pearcy" is going to enact on her. "Shame Shame Shame" contains all the hallmarks of a great Ratt song, a nice thunderous beat provided by "Bobby Blotzer" backed up by the screeching guitar madness of "Warren DeMartini" and the late "Robin Crosby". Next is perhaps the album's most well-known song. Lovin You's A Dirty Job" is kind of cliche and typical late 1980s hair metal, although it contains a catchy chorus that one will find themselves likely singing over and over. The song is passable, but it tacks on a section that sounds almost like ballad; an area which has never been Ratt's strong suite. "Scratch That Itch" does not really add much to the album; the band sounds out of steam somewhat here, it really shows the limitations of Ratt's sleaze-driven lyrics and music. A whole album of this stuff is simply boring at times; which is why Ratt has and always will remain a "singles" band rather than an "album" band.

    "One Step Away" flirts with "Bon Jovi" territory, and the sappy song would sound nice at a high school prom during 1990. The song reminds me of contemporaries "Warrant", although I think it contains more musical merit via DeMartini's excellent guitar playing. The song is cheesy, but if you did not enjoy cheesy things, then why listen to Ratt? Nostalgic and sweet at the same time. "Hard Time" brings the album back into metal mode. "Hard Time" continues the themes of heartbreak and relationship disintegration, and the song is decent enough. The lyrics are utterly ridiculous, but the song has multiple guitar solos atop a heavy "Blotzer" beat.  One complaint, the bass is buried in the mix on this song. Bassist "Juan Croucier" is quite a capable four-string player; and it is quite a shame that he is not very audible on this track. The song continues to reflect the then chart dominance of "Pop Metal" acts like Poison and Bon Jovi with "Heads I Win, Tails You Loose. The song actually features Jon Bon Jovi on backup vocals. The song is very out of character for Ratt, and it is way too poppy for my musical tastes. Pearcy sounds almost like a "Bret Michaels" imitator on this song. Skip this turkey of a song.

   "All Or Nothing" sounds almost like Aerosmith during their seminal comeback album, "Pump". The song includes the incorporation of female backup vocals, perhaps due to the success of Motley Crue's 1989 smash hit "Dr. Feelgood", which contained very similar sounding female backup vocals.The song has some nice gritty Ratt lyrics; and it sufficiently sleazy sound despite some heavy effects processing in the mix. The song is classic Ratt, and a true highlight of the album. "Can't Wait On Love" is an energetic number that would not sound out of place on Ratt's seminal (in my mind)  debut album, "Out of the Cellar".  The song has blistering guitar solos, and anthem-like choruses and extremely horny lyrics that have always been a trademark of the Ratt sound. The song does little different from the vast majority of Ratt songs, but is enjoyable despite the not so "PG" moaning of Pearcy about "sliding it in deep". The song is very aggressive and sexual, and show that Ratt has always provided the proverbial soundtrack to young lust and sexual frustration. Single "Givin' Yourself Away" is utterly atrocious, it sounds like a Bon Jovi throwaway from the massive "New Jersey" album by Jovi and crew. The song does not work for Pearcy's cigarette-stained larynx; and is too slow and too sappy for Ratt. I suspect that master songwriter "Desmond Child" had a hand in the creation of this single, and this piece of schlock should be avoided at all costs. The guitar solos are nice, but that's about it.  The album closes with "Top Secret", a decent enough number which sounds somewhat like an afterthought; as if the band did not want to leave a bad taste in our mouths after "Givin' Yourself Away". The song is ok, but never seems to really go anywhere musically, it is very repetitive and the choruses lack any punch. Average at best.

    "Detonator" is a mixed bag of an album. The ballads definitely fail to work wonders for Ratt, but the album contains enough classic Ratt "sleaze-rock" to warrant a purchase. Unlike most hair metal bands, Ratt went out on top in my opinion with this album despite the cheesy and cliche ballads. If you are a fan of Ratt or a fan of hair metal, you could do a lot worse than purchase "Detonator". That is, if you can find it in print.


Rating-7/10

Black Sabbath-Never Say Die Review

   The last of the original "Ozzy" Osbourne era of Black Sabbath and what is usually considered to be a weak link in the otherwise mostly stellar Black Sabbath catalog. "Never Say Die" is really not as bad as people usually say it is; and I believe that it certainly holds up against the other Ozzy era albums. Let's take a look at this misunderstood album.....

   First up is the titular "Never Say Die". The track sheds the detuned, heavy riff based tracks of early-era Sabbath for a more traditional classic rock sound. Bill Ward is stellar as always on the sticks, and Ozzy certainly does not sound as bad on this album as people would have you believe. Overall, a good song despite the stupid low-pitched vocals at the end of the track. "Johnny Blade" has a cool synth introduction that almost sounds like the solo Osbourne material that would soon follow "Never Say Die". Despite the ridiculous lyrics; the song has a classic Tony Iommi riff; albeit sightly more glossy sounding and less distorted than early records. The classic rhythm section of Ward and bassist extraordinaire "Geezer" Butler provide typically solid Black Sabbath foundations atop Iommi's guitar. The song is somewhat bloated in terms of length, as many of the group's tracks were then becoming. "Junior's Eyes", a song written about the then-recent death of Ozzy's father, is a bass-driven almost "funk" song. The bass is spectacular, and one of Geezer Butler's most intrepid creations on the four-string.

    A "Hard Road" is a kind of throwaway of a song without any real substance. The song literally sounds like the band running out of steam after many hard years of touring, recording, and substance abuse. The song shows that Sabbath had really moved away from the occult and and doom and gloom at this point; instead focusing more on relationships, technology, as well as a wide manner of other topics of the day. The multi-tracked choir like vocals at the end only induce sleep further over Butler's lazy bass playing and Iommi's muffled guitar solos.

  Side 2 kicks it up a notch with "Shock Wave". The song reminds one of classic Sabbath, with a heavy riff from Iommi and Butler's characteristic bass fills.  I could not really ascertain what the song was about; but it does not really matter at this point in Sabbath's career. The solo is quite punchy; reflecting the rising influence of soon-to-be fellow tour mates on Iommi; Van Halen. Not a bad song at all and the closest facsimile to old Sabbath on the album. "Air Dance" is a nifty little song; with heavily multi-tracked  guitars that would not sound out of place on an album by "Boston". Ozzy sings sombre lyrics over gentle pianos and Geezer's dreamy bass. Bill Ward really shows his Jazz foundations on this track; showing his versatility. The song kind of fizzles out after the amazing introduction; and never really recovers the interest of the listener. The song is very sleepy; and the gentle guitars and keyboards reflect an increased interest in Jazz at this point of the band's history. The song contains a lengthy breakdown; and shows that at this point the band had moved away from the shorter songs that had dominated early albums such as "Master of Reality" and "No. 4".

    "Over To You" is a very contemporary sounding song for Black Sabbath. The song would not sound entirely out of place on an album by Chicago. The cheesy tinkling pianos and organ-sounding guitars reflect a very dated sounding Sabbath at this point. The song is a mess. Butler and Ward seem much more out of sync than previous albums here; and the previously invincible rhythm section appears to be starting to show cracks at this point. The guitar sound is very subdued for Iommi, and the very clean sound is almost ruined by the somewhat distorted but not clean guitar. Skip this one. The instrumental "Breakout" does not really add much to the album, and again sounds very dated. This slow jam reminded me of something by "Blue Oyster Cult". The horns are really out of place for Sabbath; and this is easily the worst Sabbath instrumental ever recorded. The drumming is solid; but lost in a haze of horns. Thankfully; the short experiment was not a sign of a future direction for Sabbath. "Swinging The Chain" closes out the album nicely. Bill Ward shows us his vocal talent; with a powerful baritone voice not unlike Zakk Wylde of "Black Label Society". The song contains a very nice distorted riff from Iommi, and nice harmonica playing. Great song.

    "Never Say Die" is not a masterpiece, but it is not a train wreck Fans of Sabbath will find enough to like here amid the filler. Overall, get the earlier albums first, but don't overlook some of the classic material on this final (new album, 2012!) album of the original Ozzy era.

Rating-7.5/10