YK's Classic Rock Music Project

[LordMortis]

The problem is that I cannot stand Halford's vocals. What I find intriguing about Judas Priest is that you can literally trace every modern hard rock guitar riff the last 25+ years back to a Judas Priest song. The last 5+ years I have been into Japanese hard rock and Judas Priest is saturated into that music. So you know what everyone has been listening to.

That's why I love the earlier stuff.
His vocals were much more nuanced.

I mean.....does it really get any better than this?

video

I'm not really deep into Judas Priest but when I think of early Judas Priest I think of

I'm the inverse... I love male rock falsetto and metal shrieks.

Nope. Rob Halford is the exception and I don't know why. I also like it when when JP over do it.

[Skinypupy]

The problem is that I cannot stand Halford's vocals. What I find intriguing about Judas Priest is that you can literally trace every modern hard rock guitar riff the last 25+ years back to a Judas Priest song.

Same. I love the riffs, but man do I really struggle with Judas Priest because of the vocals.

[YellowKing]

That's me with GHOST. My brother loves them, but he said, "Try not to think of Weird Al singing it." Which is of course all I can think of when I hear them. I love the instrumentation, but I really struggle with the vocals.

[Sudy]

One exception: when I say I like falsetto and shrieks I don't mean glam.

I think I have a similar reaction (struggling with the vocals despite enjoying the music) with Mustaine/Megadeth. I enjoy a lot of Megadeth (despite Dave going off the deep end... if he was ever actually in the shallows), but his whiny annoy the hell out of me sometimes. Case in point: Sweating Bullets. It reminds me of Strong Bad's Limozeen.

[Jaymann]

I will be interested to see your reactions to the three distinct versions of Fleetwood Mac:

Peter Green Era: Emphasis on British blues

Danny Kerwan/Bob Welch Era: Christine McVie emerges. Jeremy Spencer survived into this era but mostly as a slide guitar specialist.

Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham Era: What many think of as the definitive version, but to me the least impressive.

[mori]

Don't want to derail the thread further but I got another recommendation. Country music does not seem to be in your wheelhouse but I would highly recommend George Jones. When he started out everyone wanted to sound like Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, but he evolved into the sound of country in the 60s & 70s. As Mojo Nixon says all the time, "sings so good it makes your dick hard". My father loved him and some of the only music I knew he bought because of the albums at the house. Of course back then I discounted the oldie music but now listening to it again, oh my god was he good. Probably won't take the place of a Viagra though.

[YellowKing]

Oh I *love* George Jones. In fact, I was thisclose to buying tickets to see him shortly before he died. I love classic country. Pretty much anything 90s back makes up 95% of all the country I listen to. My wife likes the newer stuff, but if it's new I've got to have people like Chris Stapleton or Tyler Childers that have an old-school sound.

There's not a heck of a lot of music I don't like. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head might be super hard death/doom metal. Other than that I will listen to just about anything. There are definitely genres I'm less knowledgeable about than others, like reggae. But that's not a matter of not liking it, just not being as experienced in it as I am other genres.

[Sudy]

I know all too well the variety of music YK likes.

[hitbyambulance]

i've personally been going through Gary Numan's discography, as i was familiar with about 1978-80 and then everything after 1995. i'm finding i really like his Japan-influenced early-80s material that seems to be passed over/forgotten now.

[Kraken]

If country is leaking in here, I demand Lucinda Williams.

[Carpet_pissr]

I'm curious to hear your thoughts after you do a deep dive on Genesis. I suspect it will surprise you.

That's a band I fell in love with in high school, and not the just the very poppy, very mainstream stuff they were playing in the late 80's/early 90's when I discovered it. I mean the older stuff right after Peter Gabriel left in the late 70's.

I think probably the album "Invisible Touch" got me listening (Tonight, Tonight, Tonight is probably one most know, and the title track of course). The popular track s got me to buy that album, but the truly weird, amazing, and definitely NOT for MTV instrumentals and 10 minute long....epic 80's prog rock... poem that is Domino parts 1 and 2 got me to listen to every single album they had released prior to that (which was pretty much a different group of course, with frontman Peter Gabriel early on, then Phil Collins I still remember hearing the epic, instrumental "The Brazilian" track for the first time...it was at home, on my Dad's "hi fi" cassette tape player, complete with equalizer, amp, etc etc. I was just blown away. It's what started me down a long path with synths, piano, digital music, editing, and a lot of other things that I still love even though I don't tinker with them like I used to (retirement, though!!!)

After you listen to Domino P1 and 2 on that Invisible Touch album, then go watch the live concert video of that being performed on tour, because it's hilarious - the crowd has absolutely no fucking idea what to do for the first 5 minutes of the weirdness, and are wondering if they are at the Genesis concert that they paid for )

FWIW, I tried going all the way back to the late 60's with Genesis and couldn't do it (and by that I mean the stuff I found didn't mesmerize me like some of the later stuff with Collins as front man). Probably a big part for me (especially at that time) was the sound quality was atrocious (though all the Genesis albums have since been remastered AFAIK, when they did the big box set in 2010 or around there). I absolutely love Peter Gabriel's voice, and always have, but these early albums were maybe a little too prog rocky for my tastes. Ain't nobody got time for 23 minute songs, that aren't symphonies!

Hope you have fun with this one...it's an interesting journey (that sadly ended with an absolutely awful album when Collins left - you can definitely skip the last album)

[Sudy]

This thread has inspired some interesting discussion. For being a fairly narrow demographic we have some diverse tastes. Well, kind of lol.

[JCC]

I'm curious to hear your thoughts after you do a deep dive on Genesis.
...
I think probably the album "Invisible Touch" got me listening (Tonight, Tonight, Tonight is probably one most know, and the title track of course).

My story is very similar. I was 13 when IT wa released. Of course "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" became ubiquitous from the Michelob ads. Long story short I went down the rabbit hole on Genesis, and they were largely responsible for me becoming more than a casual music fan. Genesis got me into Pink Floyd with got me into Led Zeppelin which eventually got me into Black Sabbath, and now metal rules my world. But my 2nd favorite genre is prog rock, which of course ties me back to Genesis.

I like the Peter Garbiel era a lot too. It's not all awesome, but there are plenty of epic songs from that era that are among the best things they ever did. Supper's Ready is just amazing. Steve Hackett was/is a much better and more interesting guitarist than Rutherford, though it's not a coincidence that when he left the band they really took off commercially.

[Kraken]

I'm curious to hear your thoughts after you do a deep dive on Genesis. I suspect it will surprise you.

That's a band I fell in love with in high school, and not the just the very poppy, very mainstream stuff they were playing in the late 80's/early 90's when I discovered it. I mean the older stuff right after Peter Gabriel left in the late 70's.

My take on Genesis (long one of my favorite bands) is the opposite of yours. Their first album, "From Genesis to Revelation," was their attempt to get radio air time. After it flopped, the band embraced the prog rock that would define them. "Foxtrot," "Nursery Crime," "Selling England by the Pound," and especially "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" were Peter Gabriel's finest work (even despite Lamb's filler material to pad a double album). The Lamb tour was the most incredible concert I ever saw in my life. They played for two full house and did "Supper's Ready" as an encore.

I saw them again after Gabriel left and hated Phil Collins's turn toward pop. Collins made them a commercial success at last, so I know my opinion is in the minority. I also saw Gabriel soon after the split, when he shunned costumes and stagecraft and performed a minimalist show in order to distance himself from Genesis. Neither act was ever as good as they were together.

So yeah, I look forward to YK's take given our differing opinions.

[Carpet_pissr]

To clarify, I am not much of a fan of the poppier Genesis tracks…but they piqued my interest enough at the time (and probably primarily bc they were heavy on brass parts, even if synth, which draws me like a magnet ) to make me listen to the deeper cuts. Those ‘zero radio play’ cuts were what impressed me about the band and the sound, and made me go back to stuff like Duke and Abacab and prior

And I should also say that to me, Peter Gabriel’s voice sounds like a got damn angel (ha!), so if I found most of the music (writing, not lyrics) from the early (ha ha!) Genesis days merely ‘above average’, that voice made up for it.

Finally, our age difference probably has something to do with our differing perspective on this. ‘Pop’ Genesis hit right around the time I was developing a strong sense of music appreciation, I had been studying music for years already, etc, so the timing was important. While I certainly appreciated and ‘ got into’ older bands like Zeppelin, I was at the same time absolutely hypnotized by the new synth sounds that were emerging. Truly a product of 80’s music.

I’ll shut up now about Genesis in a thread with someone’s name in it! Apologies for the derail/ hostage taking.

[Kraken]

Finally, our age difference probably has something to do with our differing perspective on this. ‘Pop’ Genesis hit right around the time I was developing a strong sense of music appreciation, I had been studying music for years already, etc, so the timing was important. While I certainly appreciated and ‘ got into’ older bands like Zeppelin, I was at the same time absolutely hypnotized by the new synth sounds that were emerging. Truly a product of 80’s music.

Yup. When I saw the Lamb tour, I was a music reviewer for my high school newspaper. Writing as "Burnout #1" and "Burnout #2", my best friend and I reviewed every major band that came to town. So my music education peaked in the mid '70s. We were also friends with a deejay at the local prog rock station -- it was called "album rock" then -- which certainly influenced my tastes. Oh, and I had recently discovered drugs, too.

[Carpet_pissr]

Ha! Awesome. Well then I guess 23 minute songs were right up your alley!

Whooooaaaaa, dude! This song is ennndless!! It's like...there IS. NO. END!!!

[Exodor]

Finally, our age difference probably has something to do with our differing perspective on this. ‘Pop’ Genesis hit right around the time I was developing a strong sense of music appreciation, I had been studying music for years already, etc, so the timing was important. While I certainly appreciated and ‘ got into’ older bands like Zeppelin, I was at the same time absolutely hypnotized by the new synth sounds that were emerging. Truly a product of 80’s music.

I’ll shut up now about Genesis in a thread with someone’s name in it! Apologies for the derail/ hostage taking.

I'm about the same age as you but had a weird intro to Genesis. A good friend in high school was a big fan of 70s prog rock era Genesis so we listened to those early albums a LOT. Our interest waned after the Invisible Touch album (and only about half of that album is listenable to me today) but Domino remains a big favorite.

Looking forward to YK experiencing early 70s Genesis weirdness.

[YellowKing]

You'll have to wait awhile. My damn random number generator is avoiding Genesis like the plague. But to stay consistent I'm using the same one throughout the course of the project. I've got the first 50 albums lined up already.

Also no need to apologize on derails. I honestly was surprised the thread has generated so much discussion and I'm enjoying it a great deal. It's definitely open to all to talk about anything music related. I'll keep posting album reviews as I finish them, but in the meantime have at it.

[Jeff V]

Finally, our age difference probably has something to do with our differing perspective on this. ‘Pop’ Genesis hit right around the time I was developing a strong sense of music appreciation, I had been studying music for years already, etc, so the timing was important. While I certainly appreciated and ‘ got into’ older bands like Zeppelin, I was at the same time absolutely hypnotized by the new synth sounds that were emerging. Truly a product of 80’s music.

I’ll shut up now about Genesis in a thread with someone’s name in it! Apologies for the derail/ hostage taking.

I'm about the same age as you but had a weird intro to Genesis. A good friend in high school was a big fan of 70s prog rock era Genesis so we listened to those early albums a LOT. Our interest waned after the Invisible Touch album (and only about half of that album is listenable to me today) but Domino remains a big favorite.

Looking forward to YK experiencing early 70s Genesis weirdness.

In the Peter Gabriel days, they were certainly prog rock -- Phil Collins took them to pop after Gabriel left.

I hear Peter GabIriel is coming out with his first album in over 20 years this year, with a tour. I've seen him 3 times -- he is, without a doubt, my favorite solo performer. All the shows were superb, but the first time I saw him, it was such an incredible experience -- as if he was singing to me and not the other 30,000 in attendance.

[YellowKing]

Side observation I forgot to mention. This music project is already playing big dividends.

I went to my local record store today to pick up some orders (Mad Season - Above and Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um), and I was just perusing the classic rock bins. It was neat to run across Bad Company's "Run with the Pack" and actually *know* that record now. A record that in the past I would have flipped right past not having a clue. Just the idea that at the end of this I'll have 250 some odd classic rock records in my database of knowledge is incredibly satisfying.

And undoubtedly I'll make some new discoveries that I like enough to wind up purchasing.

[Jeff V]

Bad Company is one of those underrated bands that will always pay dividends. Paul Rodgers is an excellent front man, although I still can't believe he was the first Freddy Mercury replacement in Queen.

[Madmarcus]

I couldn't do this project as I could not keep my attention onto for very long.

I'm glad to hear that someone else has a similar problem. I can listen to random stuff just fine or I can listen to stuff I already have but I find it hard to imagine sitting down to really give a couple of good, uninterrupted listens to that many albums. Long ago I figured out that music is now either background music or the background to driving for me and I really don't drive longer distances now without my wife in the car. My wife basically doesn't like music other than some classical so it's NPR and podcasts when we are in the car together.

Still love the thread. The last time I did anything like this was when I listened to all of Kraftwerk and Yello after talking to my daughter about electronic music back when Daft Punk was big.

[LordMortis]

I will be interested to see your reactions to the three distinct versions of Fleetwood Mac:

Peter Green Era: Emphasis on British blues

Danny Kerwan/Bob Welch Era: Christine McVie emerges. Jeremy Spencer survived into this era but mostly as a slide guitar specialist.

Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham Era: What many think of as the definitive version, but to me the least impressive.

Growing up, it was always weird and fascinating to hear "Hypnotized" on the radio and trying to reconcile it as being Fleetwood Mac.

I hear Peter GabIriel is coming out with his first album in over 20 years this year, with a tour. I've seen him 3 times -- he is, without a doubt, my favorite solo performer. All the shows were superb, but the first time I saw him, it was such an incredible experience -- as if he was singing to me and not the other 30,000 in attendance.

That would be great. I've always wanted to see Gabriel. I haven't seen a show since well before the before times. That could get me out, I think.

[stimpy]

I will be interested to see your reactions to the three distinct versions of Fleetwood Mac:

Peter Green Era: Emphasis on British blues

Danny Kerwan/Bob Welch Era: Christine McVie emerges. Jeremy Spencer survived into this era but mostly as a slide guitar specialist.

Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham Era: What many think of as the definitive version, but to me the least impressive.

Growing up, it was always weird and fascinating to hear "Hypnotized" on the radio and trying to reconcile it as being Fleetwood Mac.

I hear Peter GabIriel is coming out with his first album in over 20 years this year, with a tour. I've seen him 3 times -- he is, without a doubt, my favorite solo performer. All the shows were superb, but the first time I saw him, it was such an incredible experience -- as if he was singing to me and not the other 30,000 in attendance.

That would be great. I've always wanted to see Gabriel. I haven't seen a show since well before the before times. That could get me out, I think.

I've seen Gabriel many times and his last tour, the one with Sting, was by far the most uninspiring I've ever seen. He really seemed to be on autopilot,

[YellowKing]

11. Bad Company - Burnin' Sky (1977) - This is another solid Bad Company album, actually completed right on top of their previous album I covered Run With the Pack. And like that album, it's filled with very straightforward but good rock tunes. There were no big singles on this one, but it offers enough variety to keep things fresh. Am I becoming a Bad Company fan? Still have a number of albums to go, but so far so good.

Top track: "Burnin' Sky" Favorite track: "Morning Sun"

12. Motley Crue - Generation Swine (1997) - Another "modern" era Motley Crue album made after the critical and commercial failure of their self titled three years earlier. Features the return of Vince Neil. This one sometimes dips into alternative rock territory, and not necessarily to good effect. Of the two later-era Crue albums I've covered thus far, I vastly preferred New Tattoo's hooks over this batch of songs. As always, however, I'm only listening to these once so this is just first impressions.

Top track: "Afraid" Favorite track: "Shout At the Devil '97" (not that I think a remake was necessary, but because it's the best song on the album IMO)

13. Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who's Buying? (1986) - Even not knowing much about Megadeth, I knew this was a classic album. While the cornball devil worship/angry teenager lyrics aren't necessarily my cup of tea, I really loved the music on this album. I was curious as to whether Dave Mustaine's voice would be distracting, but I didn't find it bothersome at all. Kind of fits the whiny angst lyrics.

Top track: "Peace Sells" Favorite track: "Good Mourning/Black Friday"

14. Foreigner - Mr. Moonlight (1994) - Oh boy, here we go with Foreigner's worst-selling studio album. Probably because it really failed to land any charting singles. It's filled with innocuous early '90s love songs that still sound a bit stuck in the late '80s. I didn't find this one particularly terrible, just not particularly memorable either.

Top track: "Until the End of Time" Favorite track: "White Lie"

15. Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (2016) - Heck, I didn't even know this album even existed. I thought their last studio album was Death Magnetic. However, it turned out to be a pretty pleasant surprise. While it still suffers from songs that overstay their welcome by a minute or two, I enjoyed it much more than Reload. Feels like it inches back to the edge that Metallica seemed to lose in their later albums, and actually gives me hope for the upcoming 72 Seasons.

Top track: "Hardwired" Favorite track: "Moth Into Flame"

[Dramatist]

The Stooges - The Stooges (1969)
Another album where I can see all the influence comes from. I also learned it was produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. I have heard several of these songs remade before too. I’ve been an Iggy Pop fan for awhile and it’s fun to hear him here. I have heard I Wanna Be Your Dog and No Fun before so those two stand out for me. I also really liked 1969.
Favorite track - I Wanna Be Your Dog.

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)
Spotify didn’t have Kraftwerk’s first three albums so I started here. I’ve always loved synth music and these guys influenced almost every part of synth music. The title track is amazing in its full 22 minute version but I generally don’t want to listen to a 22 minute version of a song. The other tracks are more what I call soundscapes instead of songs. Some amazing stuff for 1974, but not something I’m interested in listening to for pleasure in 2023. I’ve never been into instrumental tracks very much just as a personal preference.
Favorite track- Autobahn.


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[Skinypupy]

15. Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (2016) - Heck, I didn't even know this album even existed.

Neither did I, so I listened to it this morning. It's not necessarily bad, but I found it to be very generic and completely forgettable.

Then again, I've thought that about everything they've done post ...Justice.

[LordMortis]

11. Bad Company - Burnin' Sky (1977) - ... There were no big singles on this one.

This checks out, which totally surprised me. "Burning Sky" was in the local rotation non stop, but shockingly, it only peaked at 78.

https://billboard.elpee.jp/single/Burni ... 20Company/

Crazy, man. Crazy.

[hitbyambulance]

The Stooges - The Stooges (1969)
Another album where I can see all the influence comes from. I also learned it was produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. I have heard several of these songs remade before too. I’ve been an Iggy Pop fan for awhile and it’s fun to hear him here. I have heard I Wanna Be Your Dog and No Fun before so those two stand out for me. I also really liked 1969.
Favorite track - I Wanna Be Your Dog.

don't forget the Iggy and the Stooges _Raw Power_ album from '72. the original David Bowie production and the 1997 Iggy remix sound very different and i recommend listening to both. (and they both kinda suck for different reasons, but you'll find that out for yourself)

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)
Spotify didn’t have Kraftwerk’s first three albums so I started here. I’ve always loved synth music and these guys influenced almost every part of synth music. The title track is amazing in its full 22 minute version but I generally don’t want to listen to a 22 minute version of a song. The other tracks are more what I call soundscapes instead of songs. Some amazing stuff for 1974, but not something I’m interested in listening to for pleasure in 2023. I’ve never been into instrumental tracks very much just as a personal preference.
Favorite track- Autobahn.

my old vinyl copy of Autobahn is one of my prized possessions

also, you aren't going to find their first three albums officially released anywhere, since Ralf and Florian disowned them - you have to resort to bootleg sources - like YouTube:

[YellowKing]

16. KISS - Sonic Boom (2009) - Wasn't quite sure what to think going into this one, the first KISS album after Psycho Circus, a gap of 11 years. However, they put forth a fairly enjoyable rock record. Stanley and Simmons trading lead vocals on nearly every track helps keep things fairly fresh, and even though none of these songs really break into the pantheon of KISS hits, I'd have expected worse from the long hiatus. In addition to the below favorite track, I also liked the album closer "Say Yeah."

Top track: N/A (Album not on Spotify) Favorite track: "Never Enough"

17. AC/DC - The Razors Edge (1990) - This was AC/DC's comeback album following two lackluster studio albums, selling more than both of those combined. The album produced three charting singles, the now-classic "Thunderstruck," "Are You Ready," and "Moneytalks." This album also produced a hugely successful tour which in turn contributed to some great live-album work. This is such a fun album, never letting up after that initial killer riff that starts things off. Hell, it even has a (naughty) Christmas song! This is the first album of the ones covered so far that is going on my "to buy" list.

Top track: "Thunderstruck" Favorite track: "Thunderstruck"

18. Iron Maiden - The X Factor (1995) - This is considered a pretty mediocre Iron Maiden album, the first of two featuring Blaze Bayley on lead vocals after Bruce Dickinson's departure. So maybe not the best one to start out with, being a complete Iron Maiden virgin. About halfway through this album I went back to an older Iron Maiden track to hear the vocal difference, and I definitely prefer Dickinson. This guy sounds a bit stodgy by comparison, and if you're going to sing about Satan I feel like you need to have some kind of edge to your voice. To me this guy sounded like my dad getting drunk and doing metal karaoke. Wasn't a fan of this one.

Top track: "Man on the Edge" Favorite track: "Man on Edge"

19. Aerosmith - Just Push Play (2001) - I have a confession to make. By the time I discovered Aerosmith, it was when they were firmly planted in the MTV era. So the songs I knew and loved were based on watching Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone music videos. I didn't even realize Aerosmith had a long rock history going back to the '70s until Guitar Hero introduced me to tracks like "Train Kept A Rollin." So my Aerosmith "fandom" still gravitates towards the more mom-friendly Aerosmith of Get a Grip and Pump. I still like their old stuff, but you're far more likely to find me listening to "Big Ones."

I skipped Nine Lives, but for some reason I remember being super excited when Just Push Play came out and bought it immediately (maybe due to the strength of the big single from the album, "Jaded.") However, I also remember being mostly underwhelmed by it at the time. I hadn't listened to the album in 20 years, so I was super curious as to what I would think.

Short answer - it holds up OK if, like me, you still like mainstream pop radio Aerosmith. If you're an "old" Aerosmith fan, you're going to hate it. This album never strays far out of mom-rock territory, even if it does avoid any overt "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" moments.

Perhaps the biggest flaw of Just Push Play is how hard it tries to recapture the magic of Pump and Get a Grip. A lot of songs on here sound like they might be hits in some alternate universe, but just fell short in this one. And that's largely because there's a lot of self-plagiarizing going on. "Luv Lies" is just an inferior version of "What It Takes," and Steven Tyler never misses an opportunity to lay it on thick with his signature vocal quirks.

In the end, however, it's hard to accuse the album of being boring. It's an extremely upbeat album, with a great variety. And I have no doubt much of my kindness towards it is the Beatles influence all over the album.

Top track: "Jaded" Favorite track: "Sunshine"

20. The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue (1980) - The Stones go disco! Ok, not really, though the first track certainly flirts with it. Emotional Rescue did produce some minor success with the title track, but at the time was considered inferior to their previous hit album Some Girls. The album spawned a couple of minor hits, the title track and "She's So Cold."

I felt like this was a solid but unremarkable Stones album. Inoffensive, to use a term I've already used to describe some other mediocre albums in this project.

Top track: "Emotional Rescue" Favorite track: "She's So Cold"

[Kraken]

Aerosmith was one of the first bands I ever saw in concert. Maybe THE first...I had seen Frank Zappa before that, but he's not a band. Aerosmith only had one album (Get Your Wings), so it was a short set. Being a prog rock guy, I liked the opening act better (Michael Quatro...Suzi's older brother). The intertubes say it was Oct. 26, 1974, at Grand Valley State Colleges, where I would see many many more concerts over the next few years.

[LordMortis]

Aerosmith was one of the first bands I ever saw in concert. Maybe THE first...I had seen Frank Zappa before that, but he's not a band. Aerosmith only had one album (Get Your Wings), so it was a short set. Being a prog rock guy, I liked the opening act better (Michael Quatro...Suzi's older brother). The intertubes say it was Oct. 26, 1974, at Grand Valley State Colleges, where I would see many many more concerts over the next few years.

They were the first major concert I ever saw.... In 1985. For Back in the Saddle. They were horrible but I loved it. They were my favorite band at the time and they had just gotten back together and it was first time the likes of Joe Perry was with them in a very long time. I'm kinda the opposite of YK, though. Pump was the last album I could bare and I only liked Done With Mirrors and Permanent Vacation because it felt like I had to. Every thing before DWM was great for my listening though. Even Rock in Hard Place.

[Kraken]

I wore the grooves off of Get Your Wings and Toys in the Attic, but never bought any albums after that.

Steven Tyler is a local boy who regularly pops up in and around Boston. The 85-year-old owner of my local burrito shop proudly displays a framed picture of himself with Tyler, and there's a large sharpie autograph on the wall.

[Skinypupy]

Aerosmith was one of the first bands I ever saw in concert. M

I remember begging my parents to let me go see Aerosmith in Denver when I was in high school. They refused, so I told them I was staying at a friend's house and we went anyways. I got busted (of course) and was grounded for about a month. Their mediocre live show certainly wasn't worth that punishment.

Interestingly, mom and dad had no issues with me going to see Anthrax/Public Enemy. Because that show was at the Air Force Academy fieldhouse, they must have figured it was wholesome or something.

[Jeff V]

I've seen Gabriel many times and his last tour, the one with Sting, was by far the most uninspiring I've ever seen. He really seemed to be on autopilot,

That's disappointing, but maybe his new album will be inspiring.

I've seen him 3 times. The first was on a tour for his "Plays Live" album, and the massive drums starting the show with Rhythm of the Heat is simply unforgettable. He then proceeded to make me forget there was a sold-out Poplar Creek around me -- until he crowd surfed during Lay Your Hands on Me...the only time I thought that an effective maneuver.

Next time was on the "So" tour, with Youssou N'Dour (and his Senegalise band opening). Incredible show.

Third time was on "Us", the visuals were outstanding, but the connection wasn't as potent as the previous shows.

I have watched some fairly recent concert videos (including one with his daughter), but I figured my ambivalence was more due to the medium and not being there in person. I guess not?

On a related note, how many septuagenarian acts are still bringing the passion like they used to? (bonus points if you remember Gabriel's mostly instrumental album, "Passion"). Mick Jagger perhaps, he's a freak of nature though. Others are technically on point, but do lack that gusto they had earlier.

[JCC]

18. Iron Maiden - The X Factor (1995) - This is considered a pretty mediocre Iron Maiden album, the first of two featuring Blaze Bayley on lead vocals after Bruce Dickinson's departure. So maybe not the best one to start out with, being a complete Iron Maiden virgin. About halfway through this album I went back to an older Iron Maiden track to hear the vocal difference, and I definitely prefer Dickinson. This guy sounds a bit stodgy by comparison, and if you're going to sing about Satan I feel like you need to have some kind of edge to your voice. To me this guy sounded like my dad getting drunk and doing metal karaoke. Wasn't a fan of this one.

Top track: "Man on the Edge" Favorite track:"

Ah, poor Blaze Bayley. A decent singer who somehow got into a band he had no business singing in. A calamitous decision for the band and did no favors to Blaze, (well except I am sure he still is making plenty of money from royalties assuming he wasn't screwed over by the band). Poor Blaze gets all the criticism for 2 albums that would have been disappointing even if 1983 Bruce Dickinson was singing on them (though still improved). My advice with listening to Maiden is stick with the 80's. It's unquestionably the band's performance and songwriting peak. There is plenty of good stuff after that, but it's never as magical as those first 7 albums.

[Jeff V]

Reminds of Rainbow's most accessible (and perhaps most successful?) album, Down to Earth. Graham Bonnet was the singer, did a superb job - but the album did not go platinum, Ritchie Blackmore held him accountable and fired him.

[stimpy]

Reminds of Rainbow's most accessible (and perhaps most successful?) album, Down to Earth. Graham Bonnet was the singer, did a superb job - but the album did not go platinum, Ritchie Blackmore held him accountable and fired him.

Just watched the Dio documentary and the reason he quit and Bonnet was hired was Dio's refusal to sing "Since You've Been Gone", which became Rainbow's biggest hit, but didnt help Bonnet in the end. Dio made the right choice.

[Dramatist]

Kraftwerk - Radio Activity (1975)
At once more experimental and more pop than 1974s Autobahn. There are more songs here, some very pretty and warm, even though they are also very machine like. I enjoyed this listen. There no one song as good as Autobahn but there are a handful of nice tracks. Along with several more soundscapes. There a later remix of Radio Activity that is one of my favorite Kraftwerk tracks but the original version is not as good.
Favorite track - Radio Activity

Suicide - Suicide (1977)
Finally an album that was a rough listen. Only 7 tracks and about 33 minutes long. Mostly everything sounds very similar. Primitive electronics and whispered vocals. Even then they try to do different styles and it kind of works. There’s a sort of Rockabilly and some love songs in the mix. Then you get to Frankie Teardrop. A song about a man at a breaking point that kills his family and himself and the song literally ends up in Hell. It’s one of the creepiest and most menacing songs I’ve ever heard with yelps and blood curdling screams. I can definitely see why it got some attention when it came out. I can only imagine listening to this on headphones in a dark room.
Favorite track - Frankie Teardrop, it’s like nothing else.


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