My Fave Albums Of All Time #17 AOR (you haven't heard or don't remember)

After last weekends post one some of my fave classic AOR albums, I thought it would be cool to list a few of my fave obscurities from the genre.  Just because they are a little more obscure or forgotten, does not mean that they are not incredible.  Most times it was a case of bad timing, poor management, record company politics, or a combination of those.  So for fun, here is a list of some of the forgotten gems in AOR that I have always enjoyed.

1. Signal - Loud & Clear (1989)

I don't remember how I stumbled across this one, but it was probably 10 years ago or so, and found out that ex King Kobra vocalist, Mark Free, sang on this project.  This record is a perfect example of how AOR/Hard Rock should sound. It is also a perfect example of the control record companies had over bands on their roster.  I read the band played something like 6 shows to promote the record, with no support from the big guys.  Oh well, we still have the record to listen to.  At the time this album should have been huge, almost every song has hit single potential, with brilliant songwriting and performances from Mark Free and co. Think 80's Foreigner and Bad Company mixed with Bad English.  This album is one of the best of the genre.  Gets regular spins by me. A Classic!

2. Airrace - Shaft Of Light (1984)

From the back pages of Hit Parader magazine, I discovered another classic of the genre.  Airrace is a British band that featured none other than Jason Bonham on drums.  This is their debut and only album (until last years Back To The Start).  Another album that should have been huge, great songs, great production (courtesy of Beau Hill (Ratt), and the stunning vocals of Keith Murrell. Shaft Of Light is full of melodic rock and the whole record is full of catchy rockin' tunes. Faves include First One Over The Line, Didn't Want To Lose Ya, and Brief Encounter. If the Simmons drums and keyboards were pushed out a bit, this record would be along more of the hard rock of the time.  A brilliant album, with fantastic vocals and guitar, not to mention Bonhams drumming.  A must have.

3. Giuffria - S/T (1984)

This one is a little more familiar to some.  Ex-Angel keyboardist Gregg Giuffria put this band together in the early 80's and did two albums.  The S/T is a slice of lush, prime AOR.  Keyboards are up front, along with some tasty playing from guitarist Craig Goldy.  Vocalist David Glen Eisley gets to show off his pipes all over the record.

This record did do a bit of business at the time, had two great singles in the amazing Call To The Heart and Lonely In Love, and the band had the opening slot on Deep Purples reunion tour.  As a fan of Giuffria's previous band, the mighty Angel, I have always dug this record.  Along with the above mentioned singles, Turn Me On and Line Of Fire feature a more rocking sound.  The album ends on a proggy note with Out Of (The) Blue.  Check it out!

4. Magnum - Vigilante (1986)

UK rockers Magnum had already released 5 records, including the massive On A Storytellers Night, before Vigilante was released in 1986. Well known in thier homeland, Magnum should be mentioned in the same breath as their US contemporaries Journey and Foreigner.  Roger Taylor of Queen took over production duties on Vigilante, and his influence can be heard throughout the record. That Queen influence, along with the incredible vocals of Bob Catley and guitar work of Tony Clarkin make this album a great experience. Songs like Lonely Night and When The World Comes Down should have been all over the radio in North America. Lots of rock on the record too with Red On The Highway and the title track.  Cover art notwithstanding, Vigilante stands amongst Magnum's best works.

5. New England - S/T (1979)

This AOR rarity from 1979 is one of my faves.  I found out about these guys because being a KISS fan, I knew that it was produced by him, and the band opened up for KISS in Canada and the US on their Dynasty tour.  I would say their sound is a blend of classic KISS and ELO.  This record is known mainly for the Top 40 hit Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya, but the entire record is full of great rock and AOR.  Tracks like P.U.N.K. and Shoot show that New England could rock with the best of them.  A really underrated act that should have been bigger.  Members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea went on to work with Graham Bonnet and Yngwie Malmsteen in Alcatrazz.  Hunt this one down!

That's all for now, I'll be back with more of my fave albums and lost gems soon! MUYA!

My Fave Albums Of All Time #16 Classic AOR

I"ve been known to go on tangents with my music, listening to bands entire discographys, jumping from genre to genre...One day it's Malmsteen, and the next it's Styx.  That just how it goes.  As long as it's rocking, I'm usually on board.  Lately, I've been spinning alot of classic AOR (Album Oriented Rock).  The term was really just used for radio stations back in the day, but now it represents an entire genre of music.  It can be everyone from Air Supply and Michael Bolton to Journey and later 80's hard rock bands. Soaring vocals, and lots of keys.  So having said that, I stick to the stuff that is more guitar and hard rock based, rather than the really sappy style.  I thought it would be fun to compile a quick list of my Top 5 AOR albums.  I'm gonna do two lists, the first will be releases you are mostly familiar with, and the second list will be some of the hidden gems of the genre.  Enjoy!

1. Journey - Escape (1981)

Really for me, this is the Granddaddy of them all.  The peak of Journey's popularity, and one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Journey had some good records before this one, but Escape is a bonafide classic.  Steve Perry, Neil Schon and new recruit Jonathan Cain (The Baby's), along with Steve Smith and Ross Valory took their classic sound to a whole new level with brilliant performances and production.  Don't Stop Believin', Who's Crying Now and Open Arms were the hits, but the secret to this album is the deeper tracks like Stone In Love, Mother, Father and the title track.  I loved this record as a kid, and do to this day.  A true rock classic, and an album I would think any rock fan should have in their collection. 9 million people can't be wrong.  Bask in it's awesomeness!

2. Foreigner - 4 (1981)

1981 was a great year for music, metal was exploding everywhere, and rock acts were releasing the best music of their careers.  Like Journey, Foreigner has some great records leading up to this, but this one blew the doors open.  Produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, Foreigner took their classic rock roots to a new level and landed them a #1 record.  No easy feat in 1981.  Trimmed down to a four piece, Foreigner continued on with a rockier sound with tunes like lead off track Night Life, I'm Gonna Win and the classic Juke Box Hero.  Lou Gramm proves once again he is one of the greatest American rock vocalists ever.  This record also contains the brilliant Urgent, as well as uber ballad Waiting for a Girl Like You. A record that sat along nicely with all my more metal releases.  A classic record.

3. Asia - Asia (1982)

Please, no 40 Year Old Virgin jokes...Supergroup Asia's debut landed on an unsuspecting rock audience in 1982.  Featuring members of classic prog bands Yes, King Crimson and ELP, Asia is a perfect blend of prog, rock and pop. It went to #1, and sold like pancakes.  Sure the hit Heat Of The Moment is the touchstone here, but 2nd single, Only Time Will Tell, and deep rockers like Wildest Dreams and Sole Survivor are what really grabbed me.  I vividly remember listening to my friends copy (Hi Pat!) in Junior High. A great record that contains killer performances with a pop rock attitude with prog rock sensibilities. Still sound good to these ears today.  Follow up Alpha, although a little lighter is another solid record from Asia.  Glad to hear that the original members are still working together.

4. Survivor - Vital Signs (1984)

Survivor is one of those bands that are known for "That Song".  Get over it people. While Eye Of The Tiger is a great song on a better album, Survivor have a wealth of great rock music in their catalog.  Vital Signs was the 2nd follow up to the above mentioned, and is a fantastic example of great AOR.  Brilliant vocals from new recruit Jimi Jamison, and a great blend of ballads and rockers, with some of the best choruses I have heard. Lots of fond High School memories with the hits I Can't Hold You Back, High On You, and one of the best ballads ever in The Search Is Over.  Again, there is more to the record than the hits.  Check out Broken Promises, Popular Girl and Everlasting.  A record I enjoy more now than I did at the time...and I love it now.  Hey, us metalheads need to clear the palate, right?

5. Styx - Pieces Of Eight (1978)

Maybe not a true AOR album, but after mentioning Journey and Foreigner, I have to say Styx because they are one of the best bands from the US ever, and this album features elements of AOR, Prog and Hard Rock.  Maybe Cornerstone would be a better choice for AOR, but I like Pieces Of Eight better.  Not a dud on this album, and features all the rocking pomp you would expect from Styx.  My fave Styx song Blue Collar Man is here, along with rockers Great White Hope, Queen Of Spades and Renegade. In this day and age, the younger people don't realize how incredible some of this music was (is).  At the time this baby went triple platinum and was a precursor for alot of the melodic rock and metal that dominated the 80's.  A great spin and an example of everything right with rock and roll. STYX!

That list was pretty easy to compile, but there are a hundred more I could add.  Although Hard Rock is my main deal, the above bands and albums have always been a big part of my life.  Next up this weekend is my Top 5 AOR you probably have not heard or remember! See ya next time for another blast from the past!

Lost Classic #2

Back with another lost classic from the past.  Something you may know a bit, or are totally unfamilar with...

This one comes from the streets of San Fran in the year 1989...Vain - No Respect.

This one was definitely under the radar for a lot of us. This album gets lumped in what alot of people call "Hair Metal"...sigh...I hate that term.  As I've said in the past...if you were there, at that time, the music that came from that period was Heavy Metal.  Slayer was Metal, and so was this. No, they sound totally different, but it was all part of a bigger scene.  That term came out waaayyy after the fact, and has always pissed me off...rant over.

Back to Vain.  This was their debut, it came probably a few years late, but is a great piece of sleazed up hard rockin' Metal. Think classic Crue doing Guns n' Roses, and you get the picture.  Lots of guitars, great vocals, and a sound you just won't hear today unless it's by some new band that is dreaming they came from the 80's and not 2012.

OK, so maybe there is alot of hair here------>, but the sound that comes from your speakers is straight up 1989 California Metal.  No Respect is quite an achievement for a debut record.  At this point they had graced the cover of a couple of music rags, as well as opened for the mighty G n'R.

The album opens with the gritty Secrets, a nice raw start to the record.  Follow that up with Who's Watching You and single, Beat The Bullet, and you have a killer album filled with attitude and streetwise chops. Deeper tracks like Down For The 3rd Time and Laws Against Love show they should have stood right alongside Skid Row, Tesla and G n'R in terms of sales and support. A super underrated classic from the late 80's that actually signified everything that was right with hard rock at the time.  While many of their peers faded into obscurity with sub par releases, Vain released a excellent album that they can always be proud of.  Here's a clip from the record for my fellow old schoolers.

My All Time Fave Albums Pt. 15

In honour of an almost all original reunion and album, I thought I'd post my fave album by the legendary Van Halen.  That album would be Van Halen II.  

Growing up, I was never a huge Van Halen fan.  I only knew a few singles, and just never really wanted to check them out.  In interviews I always found them (DLR in particular) to be arrogant and brash, and that turned me off of them. Their albums were too short, had too many covers, I just never gave them a chance.  Obviously, this was an error in judgement. One day I decided to pick up some classic Roth era VH, and came home with Van Halen II. The cassette I had purchased had the sides reversed, so mine opens with Light Up The Sky, which continues to be one of my top 5 VH tunes.  My feelings about VH were never the same again.  I quickly collected the entire back catalog ,and the love affair began. The thing about this record (and all the classic Roth era stuff) is not what they play, but what they don't play.  They keep it simple, the production is always perfect (thanks to Ted Templeman), Edwards brilliant guitar flouishes, and Roth's unique vocal stylings are the reason why Van Halen is one of the Top 3 bands EVER to come out of the US. The ultimate feel good party band...nobodys depressed when listening to VH (unless we're talking VH III, that's another story).

Van Halen II  doesn't carry the hit status that some of the other records do (I'm a sucker for an underdog), but has fantastic deep tracks like D.O.A., Beautiful Girls, Somebody Get Me A Doctor and the single Dance The Night Away. Just listing those songs off reminds of why this is my fave album from them.  Maybe we'll hear a track or two from this record on the tour! 

The Hagar era was still good (there will be a post about 5150 eventually), but not as magical as the original VH lineup. Any self respecting rock fan should have this album in their collection.  Bask in the glory and majesty of Roth, Alex, Edward and Anthony...all hail VH!

                                      

Breezy's Top 15 of 2011! #1

Finally!  It was a lot of fun doing up this list ,and it will be fun to look back on in a year and see if I still feel the same way about my picks.  My top pick of the year is from one of my fave bands.  #1 - Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events.

I've been a fan of Dream Theater for a while now, and have enjoyed their past few releases even moreso than the earlier ones (excl. Scenes...one of my desert isle albums).  I've always had Prog Rock in my collection, and include Rush, Genesis and Yes as some of my fave bands.  For those of you who don't know, DT are the giants of the current Prog Rock/Metal scene.  Tricky arrangements, time sigs, and just flat out awesome musicianship are why these guys rock my world.  

In the past 18 months or so, founder/drummer/lyricist Mike Portnoy left the band after one of their most successful albums and tours.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen, because you don't just replace a Mike Portnoy ,but they did with new drummer Mike Mangini (the perfect replacement) and recorded another brilliant album.

If you are a fan of DT, you'll love this record. 9 tracks, with 4 over 10 minutes in length, with all the classic sounds you'd expect.  Words I would use to describe this album would be: Fresh, Uplifting, Complex, Intricate, and not quite as Metal as the past few releases.  I liked the record on spin number 1, but by spin 5, I couldn't stop listening to it.  Alot of great music to take in.  Fave tracks are the epic Bridges In The Sky, the proggy Lost, Not Forgotten ,and the closer, a ballad called Beneath The Surface.

Vocalist James LaBrie has never sounded better, and his bandmates Myung, Petrucci and Rudess continue to be a step above all of their comtemporaries.  I'm glad they decided to continue on in the face of losing a founding member.  I eagerly await your return to Western Canada guys.  Here is the clip from the opening track, On The Backs Of Angels.

Support the bands you like and buy their albums!

Breezy's Top 15 of 2011! #2

I thought I'd have this done already...ahhh the life of a Dad.  Anyway ,this pick is my biggest suprise this year, from an artist I love.  #2 - Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a massive fan of Alice.  His early stuff from Love It To Death through to Flush The Fashion is some of the best rock music ever recorded.  Though his stuff through the 80's is not his best, he had returned to form in the 90's and his past 3 albums have been downright awesome.  Why am I suprised?  It is a sequel, a stab at past glories...sequels dont work (unless it's The Empire Strikes Back ;)) in my opinion.  So he gets Ezrin on board, brings back the original band for three tracks, and we see where Steven is 30 years later.  The result is excellent.  After a few spins I realized this is the Alice I grew up with.  This album is classic Alice in the sense that he covers all the bases, rock, jazz, vaudeville, disco(!), 50's era surf, a great ballad...it's all here. 

 This album has alot of the old Alice Cooper flavour, and studio brilliance from Bob Ezrin.  It is true to the original nightmare, but brings everything up to date.  1st single, I'll Bite You Face Off is a collaboration with the original band and sounds like one of the best tunes the Stones never released.   Something To Remember Me By is beautiful ballad in the theme of Only Women Bleed or You And Me.  Tunes like Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever (incredible) and Ghouls Gone Wild show Alice has not lost his sense of humour (including a duet with Ke$ha (lol).  The opening track (I Am Made Of You) is reminisent of the classic Hello Horray in style. 

I wasn't pumped about this album, but as the old saying goes, Never judge a book by it's cover.  Alice Cooper has done it again, and shows all the kids how it's done (along with his induction into the Rn'R Hall Of Fame).  If you are or were a fan of Alice, check this out.  If you are a fan of great rock, check this out.  If you are neither, check this out.  Thanks for the great tunes Alice !Here's the vid for the first single!  See you soon!

 Support the bands you like and buy their albums!

Breezy's Top 15 of 2011! #3

It's been fun putting this list together.  The tough thing as I've mentioned is that there was a lot to pick from this year, a few albums were missed that I've been spinning alot so at the end I'll do a quick extra 5 or so as honourable mentions...LOL  Next up at #3, Bullet - Highway Pirates.

Bullet is a band from Sweden that have been playing for a few years and have 4 albums.  This of course is their latest, and a new discovery for me.  These dudes are retro all the way in their sound, with great playing and production.  Only comparisions I could make would be a blend of AC/DC, Krokus and Accept, with some Lizzy-esque twin leads in for good measure.  Vocalist Hell Hofer (awesome name!) kicks this up a notch for me with his Udo inspired pipes.  This is the soundtrack to a night with the boys where the beer is cold and the music is loud.  The songs are reasonably simple structures, with great choruses and catchy riffs.  As with some of my other new discoveries over the past few years, I'm a fan of the retro sounds and bands that still carry the torch of hard rock and metal. 

For me there is no filler on this record. Every tune carries a catchy chorus with a great beat that will keep your head bangin'.  If I'm gonna pick a few, my fave track is Fire and Dynamite, along with the fantastic City Lights and Back On The Road.  Another band I'm already waiting for the next album!

I've found out that quite a few of my friends are reading my blog (thanks guys!!), and most of them are old schoolers like myself, so this pick is for them.  We all grew up with the bands I mentioned earlier in this post ,so here is a taste of the new breed.  Enjoy the official video for the album and stay wild!

Support the bands you like and buy their albums!