This should really be called Chinese Democracy by a man called Axl and some mates. how long did we wait for this album? I think I have played it twice. I just don’t care anymore.
Burning Red – Machine Head
This was the first Machine Head album I bought and I can remember driving in a car somewhere with Andy Smith with this on in the background. I think it was about the time I lived in Brentwood. Much like the previous review it’s a very good heavy album. Well worth listening. On first play I got confused by song number 8 as I knew the lyrics and melody of the vocals! somewhat worrying for an album I hadn’t heard before. Only when the chorus came in did I realise it was a cover version of “Message in a Bottle”.
The Blues Brothers [Original Soundtrack] – Various
This, first and foremost, is not metal. It’s not even close. However, everyone should have a copy of this and have seen the film at least three times. While I was in the sixth form at school there were a group of people who were very “Blues Brothers”. They loved the film and thought it was really good. They would quote it now and then and I was happy for them. I had never seen it.
While at university I attended a couple of the City and Guilds College Union Engineers’ Balls. Part of the night’s celebrations would be a posh dinner and dance and taxis around London. Then we would return to the student union and spend the rest of the dark hours of night there with music, drinks, food and films. The student cinema would show “The Blues Brothers” [it was a tradition]. So my first experience of this was at some god-awful hour of the night and feeling slightly worse for wear. It is a great film and one that I bought on video to watch in my own time. My latest copy is on DVD to explain and show people that although it is a “musical” it isn’t a “musical”. It’s a great film.
This is a soundtrack to a great non-musical-musical film that has cult status. It’s great.
Blue Murder – Blue Murder
When Whitesnake had their massive eponymous album in 1987 they went through so much strife that the band didn’t survive. The guitarist went on to form Blue Murder and they produced this album. I bought this on music cassette from the Our Price shop by Harlow bus station. It was in the rock section and one of those albums you look at, look at the band, look at the titles of the songs and then think it should be worth the money. This was a bargain!
The sound is so British and heavy. The songs are pounding slow beats of pure rock heaven. The style is similar to 1987 but the feel is much more heavy. I really like it. It still gets played quite regularly which is good for an album 20 years old. My highlights would be:
- Riot
- Sex Child [slightly worrisome though]
- Valley of the Kings
- Blue Murder
- Ptolemy
The British sound of the 1980s is one of my favourites. I love the NWOBHM style and this is what it evolved to become.
Blow Up Your Video – AC/DC
It’s hard to inform you just how much of an influence this album has been! I bought this when I was 16. AC/DC had charted with “That’s The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll” and I really liked it. So, I bought the album. I then recorded it onto tape and I’m pretty sure I took that tape on our last family holiday to the island of Jersey where we stayed at the Hotel Central. I remember listening to these tracks while I stayed in the hotel’s annex on my own. This album has provided the soundtrack for my introduction and descent into metal and for the summer of my GCSEs and 1988.
Once you get into a band you want to listen to all of their stuff. I started to buy the back catalogue, all of which will be mentioned in these communications.
Blow Up Your Video is not the best AC/DC album but it is one of the better ones. All the songs are classic AC/DC with catchy rock’n’blue riffs and good lyrics. Strangely, not many of the songs here are to do with sex. There isn’t a song a will skip when I listen to the album. The only thing is that AC/DC don’t play any of these songs in their live set which is a shame!
My highlights are:
- Heatseeker
- That’s the Way I Wanna Rock & Roll
- Kissin’ Dynamite
- This Means Way
This album just means so much to me.
The Blackening – Machine Head
Years ago I bought the Burning Red album by Machine Head and was impressed with the dark sound. I remember I was living in Brentwood at the time so this was 1999 or so. About a year ago I decided to buy another Machine Head album. I got this one. It’s alright. It sounds the same as the first one I got and is good for a run or winter music.
Bitter Sweet and Twisted – The Quireboys
This album came along with “A Bit Of What You Fancy” when I downloaded it from iTunes. It really bugs me when joint albums are downloaded. I don’t like them being stored on my phone as one album so I mess with the properties to make them into the original versions.
I’ve not listened to this album.
The Best Of The Doors – The Doors
I’m pretty sure that albums by The Doors are bought because people think they should own them rather than want to own them. I’ve got LA Woman on vinyl and this on CD. I think that, along with The Beatles, they are over-rated.
It’s something I might play every couple of years when I’m sitting in the garden and it’s sunny. It’s just not me, but I can’t bring myself to delete it. Why?
The Best Of Great White – Great White
I bought this when I was going through my 80s rock revival. I saw them once and I really appreciate the cover to the “Hooked” album which I have as a picture disk.
I think this album is ok. I’ve not deleted it from my phone but I don’t play it a great deal. It’s too easy listening! Not a lot else to say, it’s alright.
The Best Of Diamond Head – Diamond Head
Diamond Head are one of the bands that influenced Metallica and that is how I became aware of them. I’m slightly too young for NWOBHM to have affected me directly but its sound is one that I find base. It affects me greatly and hits my emotions in all the right spots.
“Am I Evil” recorded by Metallica was on a tape I had and eventually I found out it was written and first recorded by Diamond Head. When I bought this I wanted the original versions of “Evil”, “Helpless” and “It’s Electric” which Megadeth used to play live. This album is great. I find all the songs enjoyable. Bizarrely this is another album that I consider easy enough listening to play to non-metal fans. Along with Audioslave this is, for me, easy listening.
I saw Diamond Head play with The Almighty, Megadeth and Metallica at the Milton Keynes bowl in 1992. It was a great concert for it was the first time Megadeth and Metallica had played on the same bill since Dave left Metallica. Diamond Head opened the concert and lots of the crowd obviously weren’t aware that “Evil” is not a Metallica original. Many of them rushed foward shouting Metallica. Idiots.