Confessions Of A Vinyl Collector - Feb 2007

The first appearance of my original blog to appear on Rock Of Ages and I’ve actually not much to confess!

Due to some financial constraints this month connecting around changing jobs and paying some debts I’ve managed just one vinyl purchase…. but what a purchase!

From ebay I secured the Vertigo Price label re-issue of the Kiss debut album. Released way back in 1974 its not an album I’m greatly familiar with but I like tracks like Strutter, Deuce and Black Diamond from Kiss live albums and shows but I’ll need to give this album some attention before a full review at a later date.

There will definately be a bigger Confession next month though, I’ve already got a couple of albums on the way off ebay and I’m off to a second hand stall in Carmarthen market saturday to see what gems I can spot there.

Of course if this sort of post interests you the archive of some 14 months worth of Confessions can be found via the page to the right!

Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever

 

Details:

 

• Year of release : 1977
• Label : Epic EPC 82010
• Review format : vinyl

A few weeks ago I picked up this album by American ‘rent-a-loon’ guitarist Ted Nugent in a local 2nd hand record shop for just a couple of quid. As its supposed to be the high water mark of Nugent’s solo career I’ve been giving it a few plays with high expectations.

Title track Cat Scratch Fever launches the album and is of course a certified classic. The strange thing for me is that I’ve heard this track so many times on the K-tel compilation Axe Attack and it seemed strange that The Scorpions’ Make It Real wasn’t following it! Actually its the eccentric Wang Tang Sweet Poontang next and its in a similar vein to the opener. It does sound a bit dated to my ears, especially the high (or is it female?) vocals singing out the title - very 70s. This song rocks hard enough but I found that high phrase off-putting and spoilt the song a bit for me. Death By Misadventure has a great riff and much clearer vocals (Derek St. Homes taking over?). Good song that if not for the title track would be the highlight of the album. Slightly slower Live It Up is another decent track with a nice groove, notable distorted guitar sound and a bluesy solo. The bridge sounds a bit of a mess with whistle and drums and strangely I found this track reminding me of something off the Heavy Metal Kids debut album! Side ones closer Home Bound has a southern rock feel evident from the opening passage. An instrumental not a million miles away from Skynyrd in places.

Side two’s opener Workin Hard Playing Hard apes Queen’s Keep Yourself Alive - same muted guitar sound. Another blue collar rocker and another decent if unspectacular track although the lead guitar work is impressive. A much fuller sound embelishes Sweet Sally. The heaviest track since the album opener its a good example of 70s hard rock - short, sweet rock n’ roll. The melodic A Thousand Knives starts off with a promising piece of guitar work but didn’t develop as I’d expected. I really enjoyed the lead guitar on this track but overall it disappoints - not sure whether its the lyrics, vocals or what but the lead work deserved a better overall song - does this make sense?

Fist Fighting Son Of A Gun boasts an excellent title and a heavy intro ala The Beatles’ Revolution. Another enjoyable track that, if re-recorded, could do with losing the hand-claps. Final track Out Of Control ends the album in style. I realised that I’d heard this track before (possibly on Planet Rock although Nugent doesn’t get much play on this excellent UK DAB radio channel) and whilst, like much of the album, its not lyrically challenging its another chunk of enjoyable 70s classic rock. A term that fits this album nicely!

Summary : My main exposure to Ted Nugent previously has been his apparently uncharacteristicly low key work on the excellent Damn Yankees albums (especially the much loved first album - what a release!). Its been interesting to listen in depth to an earlier solo album even if its not been as brash and over-the-top as I was expecting given Nugent’s reputation. Good, solid hard rock - perhaps a little dated but I can see why he would have been a good live gig in the 70s. Enough to convince me to check out more of his solo albums in the future.

If You Listen To One Track Listen To : Cat Scratch Fever

(If You’ve Heard That One Enough Try! : Death By Misadventure)

 

Overall : 3/5

Iron Maiden - Brave New World

 

Moving to this decade then with my selection of an album from each of the last four decades and its the 2000 re-union release of the mighty Iron Maiden. A major release at the time but how does it stand up 7 years later?

Details :

• Year of release : 2000
• Label : EMI 526 6052
• Review format : CD (nb. pictures taken from the 2-LP picture disc set)

Line-up : Bruce Dickinson (vocals), Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray (guitar), Adrian Smith (guitar), Janick Gers (guitar), Nicko McBrain (drums)

In 1999 Iron Maiden were rejoined by Bruce and Adrian as they expanded to the six-piece that they remain today. Following an exploratory tour to promote the Ed Hunter collection and game they withdrew to the studio emerging again in a year later with their strongest and most eagerly awaited album since Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son in 1988.

Following the largely disappointing Blaze Bayley era albums Maiden couldn’t afford any more lackluster albums like No Prayer For The Dying and neither could they afford to just clone the sound of the eighties and hope for acceptance. Although many were hoping for a return to the glory days of Powerslave and Piece Of Mind Maiden actually managed to develop a more mature and modern sound whilst retaining echoes of the past, adding deeper and darker elements to their sound and lyrics whilst adding an almost prog rock flavour in places that drew from their own early influences of the likes of Jethro Tull. Collaboration is the key but without compromise as all band members except McBrain contributing to the writing. Indeed there is just one Harris solo credit across all ten tracks.

The Wicker Man, sounding like the distant offspring of Two Minutes To Midnight and the Mariner-esque Ghost Of The Navigator set proceedings off any straight away Bruce’s return marks a step-up from the previous two studio albums. The epic title track Brave New World showcases the new maturity and freedom - the new group ethic allowing more experimentation and deviation from the 80s sound whilst they still managed to retain a chorus that would see thousands of Maiden fans chanting in unison! Blood Brothers offers more of this darkness to light style with Bruce Dickinson again in fine form. The Mick Wall biography Run To The Hills states that Bruce had a desire to return to the big stages after his solo years and his vocal performance throughout this album support that statement. The Gers/Harris co-write Dream Of Mirrors is a nine minute epic encompassing everything that was ever good about this band - superbly atmospheric in places, granite hard rock in others and with a depth of sound that makes it possible to hear the interaction between the guitarists with some great work by all three. The Fallen Angel is a low point sounding like filler off Powerslave but this is soon forgiven as the eastern flavoured The Nomad takes over and shines! The second single lifted from the album, Out Of The Silent Planet features the longed-for galloping riffs of so many predecessors and provided a deserved second UK hit single for the new line-up following the success of the reunion celebration of The Wicker Man prior to the album. The dark The Thin Line Between Love And Hate once again demonstrates the modern take on the classic Maiden sound with a sneering Dickinson vocal early on developing into a typical Maiden anthem and a very satisfactory closer.

The longer running time of the CD allowed the epic nature of Iron Maiden to come to the fore and its notable than rather than the one ‘epic’ per album we are treated to no less than four tracks longer than 7 minutes. Something Maiden would continue to do from here on. The 10 tracks proved that the chemistry that had been missing (arguably since Adrian Smith’s departure post Seventh Son) was back with a vengeance.

The subsequent tour proved that they could also co-exist again on the road and that there was enough ‘meat’ in the old songs to cater for three guitarists as well! Six of the tracks on this album were featured regularly in the live set (showcased on the Rock In Rio released) and it must be kudos to Maiden for this as it would have been so easy to just include a couple, play the classics again and take the money. I had the privilege of catching them live twice on this tour and although the UK comeback at Earls Court was dissapointing due to being at the back of London’s enormo-arena the Birmingham NEC gig some months later was stunning. Second only to the classic Seventh Son show featured on the Maiden England video/CD set (yup I was there!!) as far as my live experience of Iron Maiden goes.

 

Summary : It had been a while since I listened to this album and although I enjoyed it on release I was surprised this week at just how good it is and how well it stands up after the initial pleasure of the reunion has receded. A cracking comeback, just what I and British metal needed in 2000. The Fallen Angel is the only slightly disappointing track here as the ‘new’ Iron Maiden create a sound foundation for their quest to reclaim their position as the worlds best metal band. A little short of classic mid/late 80s standards (maybe due to nostalgia?) but so much stronger than the patchy releases of the 90s.

If you listen to one track listen to: Dream Of Mirrors

Score : 4.5/5

Thunder - Laughing On Judgement Day

 

Details:

 

• Year of release : 1992
• Label : EMI EMD 1035
• Review format : Vinyl

The third part of this weekend’s 4 parter moves into the 1990s and the 2nd album from classic rockers Thunder.

In 1992 Thunder released this, their follow-up to the successful ‘89 debut album Back Street Symphony. Despite a successful slot at the Monsters Of Rock festival a week before release as well as a good UK chart position much had changed since the debut album and the door to mega-stardom was closing for non-grunge acts. This album then, instead of being the one that broke Thunder worldwide has ended up somewhat forgotten and hence much overlooked.

The CD age had also taken over by now however vinyl fans were still catered for at this time and in this case in some style as the single CD became a double album in a gatefold sleeve really showing off the Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd etc) sleeve design. The Thunder line-up for this album was that of the first: Danny Bowes (vocals), Luke Morley (guitar), Ben Matthews (guitar & keys), Mark ‘Snake’ Luckhurst (bass) and Harry James (drums).

 

The acoustic intro to Does It Feel Like Love? defines the genre we’re in straight away, classic rock UK style ala Bad Company et al. Danny Bowes is in fine form with a track previewed at the Donington show. Unfortunately this fine song didn’t stay in the live set much after the tour to support this album. The Big Bad Horns and chant along chorus of Everybody Wants Her follows and attempts to clone the success of Dirty Love from the first album - a surprise US MTV hit. Its not as strong a song as Dirty Love though and was therefore a surprising and poor choice as the second single to be lifted from the album. The lead-off single however, Low Life In High Places, is a superbly dark number with Luke Morley proving as adept at writing thought provoking lyrics as well as great party rockers. Perhaps a brave choice for a single given its content its still well received in concert these days and often is the only selection from this album to get played live. Title track Laughing On Judgement Day closes side one dealing with greed and money and the problems it can bring. A decent number which rocks along and closes the side on a high note.

Atmospheric power ballad Empty City introduces side two once again demonstrating what a great voice Danny Bowes possesses. Surely with the right luck he would be ranked alongside the likes of Paul Rodgers and David Coverdale in the list of great rock singers? I know one person who thinks that this is by far the best song on the album. Today The World Stopped Turning and is a personal favourite of my own which has never graduated to the live set. Once again the acoustic guitar is to the fore before the song develops into a cracking rocker about love and separation. Some nice deep hammond organ sets the song apart and a soaring Luke Morley solo nails it as an album highlight. The hammond is rolled out again for the excellent Long Way From Home, another typically Thunder rocker, demonstrating a style they’ve followed and executed so well for so many years now.

The strongest of the four side begins with another of my faves, Fire To Ice. A tale of love lost due to excesses of alcohol is shaped into an urgent rocker with strong Luke Morley guitar work throughout, especially the solo. A song under-rated even by the band and to date has criminally never made it into any live set I’ve witnessed! Feeding The Flames is another pounding rocker with Harry slamming the drums to great effect as the power chords ring over the opening lines. Another great guitar solo (why did these go out of fashion in the 90s?) as the band really cut loose before slowing things down completely for the totally acoustic A Better Man. A surprise choice as the third single lifted from the album but this again showcases Bowes’ soulful voice. Nice harmonica from ‘Blind Lemon Morley’ to boot. Proceedings are cranked up again with the funky The Moment Of Truth closing side three with another high quality chunk of melodic rock.

Side four opens with the disappointing Flawed To Perfection. Unfortunately another attempt at ressurecting the Dirty Love formula this is a b-side at best. Indeed in demo form it had already appeared as the b-side of an earlier single. Killer power ballad Like A Satellite follows it though and had this been released a couple of years earlier then maybe Tunder would have followed the likes of Def Leppard in achieving super-stardom. As good as anything slow released by the likes of Cinderella, Poison and Warrant etc this song should be so well known - but isn’t!

Baby I’ll Be Gone closes the album in style and once again displays the ability of this much ignored band. Thank god they’ve chosen to carry on regardless of major label indifference and changing musical tastes and have ultimately released numerous albums all of which feature some excellent classic rock.

 

 

Summary : I make no apologies for the fact that I am a huge fan of Thunder. I’ve seen them over 20 times since they supported Aerosmith way back in ‘89 (I think it was!) at the N.E.C., own all their albums, numerous cds, so many of the multiple format single releases and too many greying t-shirts that are now way too small for me!

This is my favourite album of theirs and would be one of my ‘desert island discs’. However I cannot award it top marks due to the couple of below par, formulaic hit chasers on here. Still its a great example of a British Classic Rock band at the peak of their confidence and although not as immediate as Back Street Symphony its ultimately just as essential. Unfortunately it failed to break the US market and after one more studio release Thunder were dropped by EMI and destined never to return to major label status. Despite this set back they continued to put out strong albums if failing to hit the heights achieved here. Highly recommended!!!

If you listen to one track listen to : Today The World Stopped Turning

Score : 4/5

 

Jimmy Page - Outrider

 

For my 1980s selection of a uniquely British artist I’ve gone for the debut, and to date only truely solo album from Led Zeppelin guitar God Jimmy Page.

 

Details :

• Year of release : 1988
• Label : Geffen Records WX155
• Review format : vinyl

By mid-1988 Jimmy Page’s post Led Zeppelin project The Firm had been and gone whilst former colleague Robert Plant was well on the way to re-asserting his place in the rock elite with Now And Zen, a very good album on which Page himself had added some guest guitar. The scene was set then for Page to launch his return to the limelight accompanied by a varied cast of sidemen including Jason Bonham on drums for the entire album.

Wasting My Time opens the album and could quite easily have been a leftover from The Firm days such is its sound. John Miles takes the lead vocal on a decent, if quickly forgettable song. Miles is again on vocals for the much better Wanna Make Love. A track more akin to Page’s Zeppelin work this sounds a little like Nobody’s Fault But Mine in places and after a few listens I reckon this could’ve fitted quite nicely on the excellent Coverdale/Page collaboration a few years later had Page seen fit to resurrect it. David Coverdale would have given a much stronger vocal performance. Page’s guitar is so strong on this track whilst Bonham’s drums sound very much to the fore as well. Writes Of Winter follows and is the first of three instrumentals on the album with Page taking centre stage on a decent uptempo blues rocker.

The highlight of the album for many people upon release was the much anticipated The Only One. It marked the first Jimmy Page/Robert Plant co-write for years and perhaps sowed a seed that would emerge Un-Led-Ed a few years later. With Plant on vocals, Page on guitar and son of John Bonham, Jason on drums this song sounds unsurprisingly like a latter days Led Zeppelin effort. A decent stab but like their later original work it falls short of the high standard Zeppelin set - was/is John Paul Jones the missing link? Will we ever get to see the three surviving Zeppelin members back together again? Hopefully!

Heavy guitar laden instrumental Liquid Mercury closes an enjoyable side one in some style.

Blues themed side two see Chris Farlow take over vocal duties beginning with the only non-Page written track Hummingbird. A soft, bluesy number with some excellent warm guitar tones but unfortunately a fairly ordinary song. The final Instrumental Emerald Eyes kicks off acoustically and pretty much fails to go anywhere as its a repetitive track that saw my attention wander to the cover art and sleeve notes (of which there arn’t many!) . Things pick with the trademark Page sound returning on the slow burning Prison Blues which is the highlight of this side. Excellent soloing and a decent lead vocal from Farlow underpin what is basically a cracking showpiece for Page’s blues guitar work.

Blues Anthem (If I Cannot Have Your Love…) closes the album in a strangely downbeat way. Sounding almost gospel-like in places Page sticks mostly to acoustic guitar until a very melodic solo. A song I found stuck in my head for a while but ultimately an unsatisfactory ending to my ears with this blues side of the album acting as a bit of a downer after a decent, rocking side one.

Summary : Outrider sees Page finding his licks again before his activities the following decade with David Coverdale, Robert Plant and The Black Crowes. With rumours of a new solo album and/or a Zeppelin re-union seemingly ever present it has been good to familiarise myself with an album I pretty much ignored on release in ‘88. Whilst not a great album by any means its an interesting piece that suffers from having 3 vocalists across 6 non-instrumental tracks as well as two distinct styles on each side of the album. This causes the album to sound a little disjointed and more of a collection of projects rather than a coherent works. While its falls some way short of Jimmy Page’s stunning high pedigree I will definately be revisiting side one regularly.

If you listen to one track listen to : Wanna Make Love

Score : 2.5/5

Status Quo - Piledriver

 

 

This is the first of four very-much British artists I’m going to post reviews on over the next couple of days or so. One artist for each decade of rock music from 1970s to the 2000s. First up is 1970s favourites Status Quo.

Details :

• Year of release : 1972
• Label : Vertigo 6360 082
• Review format : vinyl

By 1972 Status Quo had already released 4 albums for the Pye lable. The first two were psychedelic tinged pop affairs which delivered the hit single Pictures Of Matchstick Men but increasingly little satisfaction for the musicians themselves. The next two albums, Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon and Dog Of Two Head, saw Quo take more of the direction they wanted and are a couple of decent albums bluesy, dirty boogie rock. The lack of sales, particularly in the singles market, coupled with a desire to further follow their desired path saw Quo split with Pye and switch labels to the more progressive Vertigo. Stripped down to the four piece line-up of Francis Rossi (lead guitar/vocals), Rick Parfitt (rythym guitar/vocals), Alan Lancaster (bass/vocals) and John Coughlan (drums) the fruits of this partnership were born right away on Piledriver - from the heads down on-stage pose on the front cover to the unique ‘vertigo swirl’ mark of quality on the label - Quo delivered their what has become known as their first classic album.

The jangling riff of Don’t Waste My Time launches Piledriver in a clear statement of what was soon to become the trademark Quo sound - solid, no-nonsense 12-bar boogie rock. Some 13 years later this live favourite was the surprise choice to close Quo’s famous opening set at Live Aid. O Baby builds into another pounding rocker with the band stripped to the bare bones and just rocking hard. The gentle Lancaster/Frost co-write A Year sounds something like George Harrison could have come up with around the Beatles White Album period with the harmonies of the middle section extremely Beatle-esque to my ears. A lovely understated song.

One thing about doing this blog is that its forcing me to listen more carefully than ever to my albums and once again I’ve discovered a gem of a song that I’d somehow passed over in the past!

The gentle blues of Unspoken Words closed side one and lulls the listener into a nice relaxed state - before blowing your ears away on side two….

Rick Parfitt takes the lead vocal on Big Fat Mama, nearly 6 minutes of hard hitting guitar across a song of two distinct parts. An excellent track that quickly became a live favourite and is still gladly received when included in the set on recent tours. Paper Plane, at 2 minutes 57 seconds, is by far the album’s shortest track but as the lead single is the song that broke Status Quo big as a UK rock act. A catchy track with a memorable chorus it is, on reflection, the most obvious choice for a single and is another track that has been retained in the live set for many years. The ringing introduction to All The Reasons, a Parfitt-Lancaster collaboration, has a nice lyric but the softest track on the album is also the weakest on the album. Normal service is resumed quickly though as the next 7 and a half minutes see Quo take on and claim The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues as their own. Augmented by Road Manager Bob Young’s harmonica, Alan Lancaster takes the vocal as they power through the song and define their sound (live at least!) for the next 35 years and counting.

Summary : A cracking album that began a hot streak that cemented Status Quo’s place in British rock history. Forget what you may have heard about everything they do being the same 3 chords, forget the bad decisions of the 80s and 90s or the dodgy cover albums of recent years. Give Piledriver (or follow ups Hello, On The Level, Quo, Blue For You or the excellent Live) a spin and remember Status Quo as the no-nonsense, tight as hell boogie-rock 4 piece they should be remembered as.

If You Listen To One Track Listen To : Big Fat Mama

Score : 4/5

W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.

 

“The gods you worship are steel,

at the alter of rock and roll you kneel.”

 

Details :

• 1984 release
• Label : Capitol / EMI EJ 24 0195 1
• Review format : vinyl

My admiration of Blackie Lawless and the music of W.A.S.P. dates back to about 1987 and the release of Live In The RAW. At this point I should have gone back and really listened to their earlier work however I didn’t! At least not with as much attention as I should have. I got into the release of The Headless Children and it’s follow up The Crimson Idol became, and still is, one of my favourite albums of all time and therefore the first album I reach for when wanting to listen to some W.A.S.P.

A couple of weeks ago I downloaded a file from a forum featuring a 1984 live performance of W.A.S.P. at the Lyceum in London. This impressive performance which is taken from a VHS video release has sent me back beyond my staple W.A.S.P. albums and particularly to this, their debut album.

Following their controversial EP F**k Like A Beast LA shock-rockers could not have made a stronger statement of intent than the two tracks that open side one of their debut album. I Wanna Be Somebody and L.O.V.E. Machine are both such good songs either would grace any rock compilation and would be essential on any collection looking at the mid-eighties US rock explosion. To launch a debut album with such strong material though means its difficult to keep up the quality and it does suffer a bit with both The Flame and the plodding B.A.D. Side one closer School Daze is a decent song however and was particularly memorable on the live show I mentioned. An anthemic, anti-establishment teen anthem is appears to be attempting to out-play Twisted Sister, a band that probably fit in a similar category to W.A.S.P.

Pounding drums launch side two of the vinyl with Hellion but good as this is it doesn’t prepare you for the next track. Just how damn good is Sleeping In The Fire? Blackie’s rasping vocal is particularly strong on this powerful ballad. The gentle acoustic intro builds into a stunning, soaring anthem which hints at a direction that would eventually yield The Crimson Idol. How the hell I’ve overlooked this track for so long thinking the first two tracks on side one were the real highlight of this album I do not know!

On Your Knees follows and whilst its basically just another decent rock track without being anything outstanding I got to thinking about just how many rock bands have released songs called ‘On Your Knees’. I certainly remember a Great White song with this title. Tormentor and The Torture Never Stops complete the album solidly but again without being anything overly memorable.

 

Summary : I love listening to the US rock sound of this era. One or two great tracks per album, the odd turkey but generally enjoyable (particularly when driving) without being too challenging to the listener. WASP, Motley Crue, Y&T, Ratt etc of this period typify the positive vibes rock music can create when its all not taken too seriously!!! The two classic rockers at the start of the album and the over-looked power-ballad make this album well worth playing now and again.

If you listen to one track listen to : Sleeping In The Fire

Score : 3/5

 

AC/DC - Powerage

Details:

• 1978 release
• Label : Atlantic ATL50 483
• Review format : vinyl

A quiet sunday morning in South Wales and I’ve been listening to a bit of AC/DC, influenced by BBC4’s decision to show their fine 1978 Rock Goes To College performance on Friday evening. Rather than reach for the usual suspects of Highway To Hell, Back In Black or personal favourite Let There Be Rock I thought I’d spin the often overlooked Powerage album (possibly because I don’t have the others on vinyl yet only CD!). At this time of course Bon Scott was still on vocals and the twin guitar of Angus and Malcolm Young was backed on this album for the first time by English bass player Cliff Williams with Phil Rudd on the drums.

Side one kicks off with the excellent, high energy Rock N Roll Damnation and then moves into the underrated boogie rocker Gimme A Bullet. The lyrical highlight of the album follows with Bon Scott’s story of excessive spending, Down Payment Blues. Drug themed Gone Shootin’ isn’t the best ever AC/DC track but pounds along into the superb Riff Raff - a song that was to become a live favourite and indeed opener to their next album, the live, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It.

The only bona-fide DC classic on Powerage, Sin City opens side two - still part of the live set on the Stiff Upper Lip tour twenty odd years later and covered by the likes of Bruce Dickinson, Great White and Twisted Sister in recent years, its a stomping rocker telling of gambling and debauchery in Las Vegas. Up To My Neck In You follows and is another decent track but for me the bar is then raised by the much underated What’s Next To The Moon. The wikipedia entry for Powerage claims that the surviving members of AC/DC are dissatisfied with this song - I’m not! For me its the highlight of the album!! The quality control meter drops with the final two songs Cold Hearted Man and Kicked In The Teeth which is unsurprising given the sheer amount of output from AC/DC around this time. I would imagine that once they had enough songs written an album was published looking at the closeness of the release dates in the mid to late 70s. Of course sub-standard DC tracks from this period would grace albums of lesser mortals!

During the course of listening to this album for review I also dug out the recent reissue CD of it from the Rocks box set and was surprised at a very different running order as well as the missing Cold Hearted Man - I’d not noticed this difference before. I’m more used to the vinyl order than the CD order but further investigation indicates that the cd recreates the running order of an international (U.S.) release of the album as opposed to the european issue.

The 2003 reissue cd enables the disc owner to access internet content at www.acdcrocks.com and view period photos, a video of Rock N Roll Damnation live, access to bonus tracks including the missing Cold Hearted Man and ‘european mixes’ of 3 tracks and view the tour dates supporting this album - a tour which included a scheduled appearance at Great Yarmouth’s Vauxhall Holiday Camp on 11 May 78! Can’t imagine them playing there these days can you?

Summary: A very good album but falling short of a classic due to 2 or 3 fillers. The fact that only one track ranks as an ACDC classic indicates that this falls short of the very high standard this fine band have. Still an enjoyable album though and well worth a regular listen at high volume. As with all AC/DC albums its worth seeking out the recent reissues for the access to the excellent internet content.

If you listen to one track listen to: What’s Next To The Moon

Score : 3.5/5

Gary Moore - After The War

Details :

• 1989 release
• Label : Virgin V2575
• Review format : Vinyl

For the first review on this site I’ve chosen what for me is the finest of Gary Moore’s solo releases. At this time Moore had yet to discover the blues direction that would give him his big payday but was fresh from some excellent songs on the Run For Cover and Wild Frontier albums. Whilst Run For Cover has some great tracks including the Philip Lynott duet Out In The Fields, the follow up faltered in the use of drum machines which detract a little from some excellent songs, notably Over The Hills And Far Away and the title track.

After The War however sees Moore assemble a line-up featuring himself of course on guitar and vocals (apart from one notable exception we’ll come to in a moment), the great Cozy Powell on drums, Bob Daisley on bass and Neil Carter on keyboards. The music falls very much into the Irish tinged rock vein Moore and Lynott both helped forge back in the 70s with Thin Lizzy and to a lesser extent the original Skid Row and Moore’s early solo work.

Side one then kicks off with as the sounds of a battlefield with helicopters buzzing about fades into the first track and title track After The War. Whilst being a great song and a strong opener you can’t help but notice that its basically Out In The Fields with different lyrics!! Speak For Yourself follows and whilst being nothing too memorable it is no bad song but in this position acts as a lull before the storm of track 3 and the first real Lizzy-esq track Livin’ On Dreams. This one evokes memories of Dancing In The Moonlight for me. The final track on side one is the one that gathered most comment upon original release. Responding to oh-so-strong Zeppelin influences on the debut album by Kingdom Come as well as Cinderella’s Long Cold Winter and Whitesnake’s Still Of The Night Moore hands over the vocal duties to Ozzy Osbourne for the excellent Led Clones. In itself a Zep pastiche but perhaps that can be forgiven as it certainly captured Moore’s anger at the time. I can remember a Kingdom Come photo shoot in Kerrang where they held signs saying “We’re so sorry Gary” - ironic really that for their next albums Kingdom Come toned down the Zeppisms whilst Moore heavily borrowed from Blues artists - just as Zep used to!

Flipping over to side two then and we get another atmospheric intro leading into another rocker with that definate celtic flavour titled Running For The Storm. Next track up is This Thing Called Love and Moore really opens himself up to a bit of a responce from those he criticised on Led Clones by borrowing pretty heavily himself from Van Halen’s Hot For Teacher. Nevertheless its a cracking rocker which fizzes along and really brings out the power in this band. A gentler song follows with Ready For Love and whilst its not a ballad its a pleasant mid-paced bluesy rock song allowing for some trademark guitar heroics in the solo. Backing vocals are provided by future Pink Floyd ladies Sam Brown and Miriam Stockley. This then gives way to the highlight of the album Blood Of Emeralds. This full on rocker would have fit musically on any Thin Lizzy album from Jailbreak onwards and is in many ways a successor to Black Rose. Lyrically its part autobiograpical and part tribute to the deceased Lynott and is a stunning closer to the album.

Summary: Overall a strong album with just a couple of ordinary tracks. Interestingly no ballad given the year of release and in my opinion Gary Moore’s best album and his final true rock album before he embarked on his blues journey of the 90s.

If you listen to one track listen to : Blood Of Emeralds

Score: 4/5

Passing the first post…..

Hello and welcome to Rock Of Ages. A new blog brought to you from the epicentre of rock - South Wales……. well maybe not the epicentre but my aim here is to work my way through my record and cd collection, share my thoughts and memories and hopefully make one or two readers think “wow.. I havn’t heard that in ages” and maybe spin a record or two from the good old days when rock really rocked.

This site accompanies another blog I’ve had running for a year or so which basically lists my purchases as I’ve built up my record collection again. That blog is entitled Confessions Of A Vinyl Collector and you can get to it via my home pages here.

You will notice that my home pages list my record collection - that is vinyl of course, my favourite format. However I also have a large CD collection that I’ll be dipping in and out of for Rock Of Ages.