Scott's Hidden Treasures - Classic Rock Bottom2024-03-19T00:17:42Zhttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/forum/categories/scotts-hidden-treasures/listForCategory?feed=yes&xn_auth=noHidden Treasures - The Heavier Side of ... Journeytag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-08-10:6060463:Topic:1490552017-08-10T16:43:34.494ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273249108?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273249108?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> So, the softer side worked out pretty ok, maybe, at least I think it did, who knows... But I do want to dabble from time to time on this topic and its polar opposite, so here is my first ever "Heavier side of..." post. And the band I picked was the very first thought I had when I thought of this, literally an immediate reaction, so why overthink it and go a different way.…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273249108?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273249108?profile=original"/></a>So, the softer side worked out pretty ok, maybe, at least I think it did, who knows... But I do want to dabble from time to time on this topic and its polar opposite, so here is my first ever "Heavier side of..." post. And the band I picked was the very first thought I had when I thought of this, literally an immediate reaction, so why overthink it and go a different way. That’s why we’re going to explore the heavier side of Journey with one caveat, it’s gotta be Steve Perry era. Let’s get to it!<br/><br/><br/> Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/av1m6m88" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/av1m6m88</a> </p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Infinity</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>1978</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>1 - Can Do</strong></span><br/><br/>Could've also went with La Do Da and that would have been a good choice also. But this one jams a bit more IMO.<br/><br/>Dead and buried were the jazz fusion overtones of previous offerings, and with the new songwriting combo of Perry/Neal Schon leading the march, the band set out to completely redefine their sound. Traditional pop arrangements were now adopted, cutting out the unnecessary musical fat, and allowing each bandmember to play to his strength: Perry's soaring, whale of a voice, Schon's scorching fret work, and Gregg Rolie's subtle keyboard arrangements.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99ccff;"><strong>Evolution</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99ccff;"><strong>1979</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99ccff;"><strong>2 - Lovin' You Is Easy</strong></span><br/><br/>A decidedly more commercial album than Infinity, if you can believe that or not, but this track rocks nicely.<br/><br/> If Infinity had defined a new songwriting formula for the act, Evolution only served to develop it and streamlined it further, clearly qualifying as their strongest effort to date and endearing the band to millions of FM rock listeners in the process. With commercial rock hits like "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" (their first single to crack the Top 20), "Too Late" (which reached number 70), and the powerful "Just the Same Way" (which peaked at number 58) leading the way to radio dominance, Journey had never sounded stronger or more determined. And with Steve Perry's tenor pipes now clearly driving the band's engine, and guitarist Neal Schon beginning to relish in his guitar-hero persona, Journey could seemingly do no wrong.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>Line of Fire</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>1980</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>3 - Line of Fire</strong></span><br/><br/>Where Were You was on my short list as well. There are a few nice rockers on this album.<br/><br/>The album continued to build on the band's previous two recordings, but offered an added edge, arrangement-wise. This was likely due to the fact that the band had walked into Automatt Studios with 19 new tunes and proceeded to record most of them live, eventually trimming down to 11 songs. Never sounding tighter, the quintet then launched into "Walks Like a Lady" (another future FM staple) and a string of outstanding rockers, including future concert opener "Where Were You" and the stop-go-stop-go energy of "Line of Fire."</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>Captured</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>1981</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>4 - Dixie Highway</strong></span><br/><br/>Not sure if this was ever recorded in the studio or not, though Im thinking not.<br/><br/>With Captured, a live double-disc from 1980, the newly crowned kings of AOR show off like a formerly fat girl at prom. "Separate Ways" and "Faithfully" were still a few years away, but the band had plenty of hits by this time and they blast through them all, including a blistering version of "Any Way You Want It." The band are in rare form and vocalist Steve Perry uses Captured as his coming out, while the thousands of diehards sweating in the blistering sun give the album an underlying hum of energy that tops even Perry's.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #666699;"><strong>Escape</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #666699;"><strong>1981</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #666699;"><strong>5 - Lay It Down</strong></span><br/><br/>Surprisingly this commercial heavy album rocks pretty good at times! Couple of nice rockers like the Title track could've worked as well as Dead or Alive.<br/><br/>The songs on Escape are more rock-flavored, with more hooks and a harder cadence compared to their former sound. Outside of the singles, there is a certain electricity that circulates through the rest of the album. The songs are timeless, and as a whole, they have a way of rekindling the innocence of youthful romance and the rebelliousness of growing up, built from heartfelt songwriting and sturdy musicianship.</p>
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<td><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>Trial By Fire</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>1996</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>6 - Can't Tame The Lion</strong></span><br/><br/>The controversial 1996 album is full of ballads and stylistic changes but here again there a few nice rockers to choose from!<br/><br/>Journey have been completely unaffected by any trend in popular music, whether it's hair metal, hip-hop, or alternative rock and, frankly, they're the better for it. Trial by Fire delivers exactly what any Journey fan wants -- anthemic rockers and sweeping power ballads. Steve Perry sounds as powerful as ever, while Neal Schon's accomplished guitar licks remain as tasty as ever. If you've enjoyed Journey in the past, you're certain to enjoy the best moments of Trial by Fire, but if their arena rock and radio-ready ballads.</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - The Softer Side of ... Judas Priesttag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-07-26:6060463:Topic:1487342017-07-26T00:13:36.944ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258797?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258797?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> Remember me? I’ve been a bit pre-occupied with family business as of late and unfortunately that’s not going to change to a point where I can be consistent at posting playlists, but I have time this week and I also have an idea I’ve been working with a bit on the side... I've been on a looooong run of blues and metal music for the past year and I’ve noticed some things, one…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258797?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258797?profile=original"/></a>Remember me? I’ve been a bit pre-occupied with family business as of late and unfortunately that’s not going to change to a point where I can be consistent at posting playlists, but I have time this week and I also have an idea I’ve been working with a bit on the side... I've been on a looooong run of blues and metal music for the past year and I’ve noticed some things, one of those being that bands that are known for a certain style are more than just what they’re perceived to be, so this is how I came across the idea to do a post, or maybe more, titled "The Softer Side of ________". Conversely we can also do "The Harder Side of _________". But maybe that'll come up later, anyway it fits the Hidden Treasures MO!<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> So, there we go, and first up is the softer side of Judas Priest. Yes, they have a softer side and to any fan of the band this will be no surprise at all, but to the casual fan this may be a bit of a surprise, whatever perspective you have coming into this, it will be a fun listen...<br/> <br/> <br/> Enjoy!<br/> <br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avzu5d11" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avzu5d11</a><br/></p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>Rocka Rolla</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>1974</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>1 - Run of the Mill</strong></span><br/> <br/> A sketchy and underfocused debut, Rocka Rolla nonetheless begins to delineate the musical territory Judas Priest would explore over the remainder of the decade: frighteningly dark in its effect, tight in its grooves, and capable of expanding to epic song lengths. On the other hand, Rocka Rolla is also murkier, less precise and powerful in its riff attack, and more blues-based; the stylistic debts to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are obvious at this juncture, although they would become much less apparent on subsequent releases. The compositions alternate between short songs and extended suites; some are decent, but overall they don't establish a real direction and tend to plod aimlessly in many of the longer pieces. Mostly a curiosity for hardcore fans, Rocka Rolla definitely hints at Judas Priest's potential and originality, but doesn't always suggest the quantum leap in vision that would occur with their very next record.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #808000;"><strong>Sin After Sin</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #808000;"><strong>1977</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #808000;"><strong>2 - Last Rose of Summer</strong></span><br/> <br/> Judas Priest's major-label debut Sin After Sin marks their only recording with then-teenage session drummer Simon Phillips, whose technical prowess helps push the band's burgeoning aggression into overdrive. For their part, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton employ a great deal more of the driving, palm-muted power-chord picking that would provide the basic rhythmic foundation of all but the most extreme heavy metal from here on out. The proggy ballad "Last Rose of Summer" is the biggest departure here, with florid lyrics and "red blood/white snow" imagery that would be fully at home on any goth rock band's most depressing bedsit dirges.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Defenders of the Faith</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>1984</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>3 - Night Comes Down</strong></span><br/> <br/> Eeven if there's a low percentage of signature songs here, there's a remarkably high percentage of hidden gems waiting to be unearthed, making Defenders possibly the most underrated record in Priest's catalog. Musically, it follows the basic blueprint of Screaming for Vengeance, alternating intricate speed rockers with fist-pumping midtempo grooves and balancing moderate musical sophistication with commercial accessibility. It's a craftsmanlike record from a band that had been in the game for a full decade already, but was still vital and exciting, and decidedly not on autopilot (yet).</p>
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<td><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #cc99ff;"><strong>Redeemer of Souls</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #cc99ff;"><strong>2014</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3" style="color: #cc99ff;"><strong>4 - Beginning of the End</strong></span><br/> <br/> The antithesis to 2008's overblown Nostradamus, Redeemer of Souls feels quaint in comparison, eschewing the largely fantasy-driven conceptual style of the ambitious, yet undeniably cumbersome, two-disc set in favor of a more refined, classic rock approach that edges closer to the group's late-'70s offerings like Sin After Sin and Stained Class. New guitarist Richie Faulkner, with his golden mane and tight, controlled riffing, suggests a wax Downing just sprung to life and simply walked out of Madam Tussaud's museum and into the band's rehearsal space, and his tasteful, yet undeniably meaty playing alongside Glenn Tipton goes a long way in helping to restore some of the classic Judas Priest luster, especially on standout cuts like the aforementioned "Dragonaut," the nervy and propulsive "Metalizer," and the rousing title track. Still, this is a band that's well into its fifth decade of being "Hell Bent for Leather"; they've explored, both successfully and occasionally at great cost, nearly every shadowy nook and suspicious looking crevice of the genre, and the album's stalwart yet shopworn 13 tracks reflect that journey. That said, Redeemer of Souls is also the loosest (attitude-wise), leanest (arrangement-wise), and most confident-sounding collection of new material the band has released in ages.</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures Artist Showcase - Kenny Wayne Shepherdtag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-03-01:6060463:Topic:1437162017-03-01T00:33:26.156ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273254300?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273254300?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> Last week I posted the metal portion of my current preferred musical listening experiences as of late. This week is side 2 of that equation, the Blues. When I browse my collection of blues based bands the paintbrush paints an enormously wide picture. Then I remembered RJ asking about Kenny Wayne Shepherd and I thought this week would be a great opportunity to kill two birds…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273254300?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273254300?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>Last week I posted the metal portion of my current preferred musical listening experiences as of late. This week is side 2 of that equation, the Blues. When I browse my collection of blues based bands the paintbrush paints an enormously wide picture. Then I remembered RJ asking about Kenny Wayne Shepherd and I thought this week would be a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone! (PETA be damned!). So this weeks playlist is a Blues artist showcase featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd...<br/> <br/> <br/> I picked up on this guy when Blue On Black released, I found his "Trouble Is..." album approaching stellar and have enjoyed it for years. Trouble is (pun intended) he kinda disappeared for while and then he cam back onto my radar with "How I Go" and it rekindled my ear for his style of blues, and so Ledbetter Heights was added and Live On came next. Still need to check in on a couple of albums I don't have but this sampling should give you a great idea about him. I'll round out the list with the Supergroup "The Rides" first effort. But don't forget "The Rides" second album which can be found in a recent New Music Corner. But first, lets kick it off with some artist info courtesy of Wiki and Allmusic...</p>
<ul compact="compact">
<li>Shepherd is "completely self-taught", and does not read music.</li>
<li>At the age of 13, Shepherd was invited to play guitar onstage by blues musician Bryan Lee. He subsequently made demo tapes, and a video was shot at Shepherd's first performance at the Red River Revel Arts Festival in Shreveport. It was this video performance that impressed Giant Records chief Irving Azoff enough to sign Shepherd to a multiple album record deal.</li>
<li>From 1995 on, Shepherd took seven singles into the Top 10, and holds the record for the longest-running album on the Billboard Blues Charts with Trouble Is....</li>
<li>Shepherd married actor Mel Gibson's daughter, Hannah, on September 16, 2006.</li>
<li>In September 2008, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. released the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Stratocaster, designed exclusively by Shepherd.</li>
</ul>
<p>OK, those all came from Wiki, just don't tell Jon that, he'll never know the difference... Enjoy!<br/> <br/> <br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1p3ycpp" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1p3ycpp</a> <br/></p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Ledbetter Heights</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1995</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - Deja VooDoo</strong></span><br/> <br/> You would never guess from Kenny Wayne Shepherd's fiery playing that the guitarist is still only in his teens. On his debut, Ledbetter Heights, Shepherd burns through a set of rather generic blues-rock ravers that are made special by his exceptional technique. It may still be a while before he says something original, but he plays with style, energy, and dedication, which is more than enough for a debut album.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Live On</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1999</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - Was</strong></span><br/> <br/> The best thing about the record is that it's tougher and stronger than its two predecessors. There's still a fair amount of crossover -- a Hendrix cover and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" -- but Shepherd not only seems to be developing a style of his own, the playing of his band has become grittier, or at least it's being captured better on record. Shepherd can still fall prey to excess, but not as often as he used to. He's figuring out how to restrain himself, and his music is all the better for it.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ffcc99;" class="font-size-3"><strong>How I Go</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #ffcc99;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2011</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ffcc99;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Dark Side of Love</strong></span><br/> <br/> Some of the slickness that had occasionally plagued his work is in evidence here, especially with the keyboards, overdubbed guitars, and occasional backing vocalists, but in general, this is a solid, enjoyable outing that should have followed 1999's Live On. Ballads such as "Show Me the Way Back Home," with its gospel organ and soaring guitar solo, and the Hendrix/Trower vibe of the grinding "Heat of the Sun," are some of the finest in his catalog. Hunt sings with sweaty passion and commitment. His performance shows that Shepherd should never have tried to take his own lead vocals.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #333399;" class="font-size-3"><strong>The Rides</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #333399;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Can't Get Enough</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #333399;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2013</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="color: #333399;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - Talk To Me Baby</strong></span><br/> <br/> The Rides are a competent hard rock-blues group, and Stills, as a guitar player, has always been at his best when he has another guitar player to support and feed off of, and there are plenty of blazing electric guitar leads and trade-offs here.</p>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Metal Headstag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-02-22:6060463:Topic:1431822017-02-22T21:52:58.571ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257301?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257301?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> Been on a bit of Blues and Metal bender for a good period of time. Usually these listening phases come and go much quicker than this. So why not share a bit of each! First up, some of the Metal that's been in high rotation around here lately... and now that Jon sent me a link to a remastered edition of one of my favorites and I see no end in sight!! We'll start with that…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257301?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257301?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>Been on a bit of Blues and Metal bender for a good period of time. Usually these listening phases come and go much quicker than this. So why not share a bit of each! First up, some of the Metal that's been in high rotation around here lately... and now that Jon sent me a link to a remastered edition of one of my favorites and I see no end in sight!! We'll start with that one...<br/><br/><br/> What musical moods are you stuck in and what are you listening to during it?<br/><br/><br/> Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1ki2cpp" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1ki2cpp</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Accept</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Metal Heart</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1985</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - Metal Heart</strong></span><br/><br/>You gotta hand it to Accept, they sure knew how to make an entrance by now, and the apocalyptic title track is about as dramatic as it gets (the operatic "Bound to Fail" comes close), with guitarist Wolf Hoffman taking the helm on a long, mid-song solo excursion containing equal nods to Beethoven (very nice) and Edward Van Halen (get real). First single "Midnight Mover" is next, and along with the even more melodic "Screaming for a Love-Bite," it places obvious emphasis on hooks and melodies (and proved to be the toughest to stomach for the band's more hardcore fans). But despite another strange detour into jazz territory with the bizarre "Teach Us to Survive," Accept still packed amazing power, heaping on their Teutonic background vocals for the ultraheavy "Dogs on Leads" and gleefully pile-driving their way through relentless moshers like "Up to the Limit" and "Wrong Is Right."</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Megadeth</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Youtanasia</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1996</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - Train of Consequences</strong></span><br/><br/>Megadeth's follow-up to the hit Countdown to Extinction lacks the focus of its predecessor, but Youthanasia makes up the difference with more accessible, radio-friendly production and tighter riffs. Unfortunately, they have abandoned some of the more experimental, progressive elements in their music, but those are hardly missed in the jackhammer riffs of tracks like "Train of Consequences."</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Metallica</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Master of Puppets</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1986</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Welcome Home (Sanitarium)</strong></span><br/><br/>Though it isn't as startling as Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets feels more unified, both thematically and musically. Everything about it feels blown up to epic proportions (indeed, the songs are much longer on average), and the band feels more in control of its direction. You'd never know it by the lyrics, though -- in one way or another, nearly every song on Master of Puppets deals with the fear of powerlessness. Sometimes they're about hypocritical authority (military and religious leaders), sometimes primal, uncontrollable human urges (drugs, insanity, rage), and, in true H.P. Lovecraft fashion, sometimes monsters. Yet by bookending the album with two slices of thrash mayhem ("Battery" and "Damage, Inc."), the band reigns triumphant through sheer force -- of sound, of will, of malice. Some critics have called Master of Puppets the best heavy metal album ever recorded; if it isn't, it certainly comes close.</p>
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<td><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Black Sabbath</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Sabbath Bloody Sabbath</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1973</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - Killing Yourself to Live</strong></span><br/><br/>With 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath made a concerted effort to prove their remaining critics wrong by raising their creative stakes and dispensing unprecedented attention to the album's production standards, arrangements, and even the cover artwork. As a result, bold new efforts like the timeless title track, "A National Acrobat," and "Killing Yourself to Live" positively glistened with a newfound level of finesse and maturity, while remaining largely faithful, aesthetically speaking, to the band's signature compositional style. In fact, their sheer songwriting excellence may even have helped to ease the transition for suspicious older fans left yearning for the rough-hewn, brute strength that had made recent triumphs like Master of Reality and Vol. 4 (really, all their previous albums) such undeniable forces of nature</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Rumors In The Air (2017 Edition)tag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-01-31:6060463:Topic:1425152017-01-31T16:02:29.182ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273250684?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273250684?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> So our dying breed series identified scores of classic rock artists who have consistently recorded and released new music at least up to this point in time. What about those artists/bands that we continue to hold out hope for? Will they ever record again? Reunite? Do SOMETHING? They could only bolster the re-surging rock and roll movement! <br></br> <br></br> <br></br> Today were going…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273250684?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273250684?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>So our dying breed series identified scores of classic rock artists who have consistently recorded and released new music at least up to this point in time. What about those artists/bands that we continue to hold out hope for? Will they ever record again? Reunite? Do SOMETHING? They could only bolster the re-surging rock and roll movement! <br/> <br/> <br/> Today were going to look at the 2017 rumor mill in the hopes that these are artists resurrect themselves...<br/> <br/> <br/> Enjoy!<br/> <br/> <br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avxcej99" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avxcej99</a></p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>The James Gang</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Yer' Album</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1969</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - I Don't Have The Time</strong></span><br/> <br/> <em>Reuniting for 50th anniversary tour and possibly recording new material? ... C’mon man! Do it!!! There’s no Eagles, you’ve released a cool solo project a few years back, what’s left? Get the gang together and get going? This rumor is one I’m seriously on board with.</em><br/> <br/> “It was horrible,” Peters told Ultimate Classic Rock of Walsh’s exit from the band. “It was like going to the electric chair. It was like, ‘Now what?’ Because it was all working. Everything was working. We had found our sound, we had a good recording thing going, we had the right agents, you know, all of this stuff was in place.” He tells “Rolling Stone” it’s something that has been on his mind since the group’s previous reunion back in 2006. Walsh explains that five years ago he, Jimmy Fox, and Dale Peters got back together just to see if they “still had it,” adding that they “pretty much did.” After Walsh departed the band (after Barnstorm, he famously went on to join The Eagles), Peters admitted the group never again recaptured the magic they did with James Gang Rides Again. With any luck, that stuff will be back in place again. When teasing the band’s 50th anniversary, Walsh even joked that the band’s most famous song could spawn a great tour name: Funk 50.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Fleetwood Mac</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3"><strong>Mirage</strong></span><br/> <span class="font-size-3"><strong>1982</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - That's Alright</strong></span><br/> <br/> <em>What’s the real story here? New Mac or a duets album? Here’s another c’mon man! Scenario… Nicks gets a career boost and goes on a successful tour, remasters her first two solo albums and all of the sudden Fleetwood Mac go on the backburner after rumors of a new album with McVie on board. You get McVie back, clearly, after Say You Will, the band needs McVie to return to form. I don’t think anything the band does will tarnish their legacy, but why not bolster it? Why not see if the most successful lineup in Mac history still has it? I can’t be alone in wanting to hear this…</em><br/> <br/> In August 2016, Fleetwood revealed that while the band has "a huge amount of recorded music", virtually none of it features Stevie Nicks. Buckingham and Christine McVie however, have contributed multiple songs to the new project. Buckingham and Christine McVie officially announced a new album tentatively titled Buckingham McVie. While Mick Fleetwood and John McVie do appear on a few tracks, it will not be considered a part of the Fleetwood Mac canon. Stevie Nicks explained her reluctance to record another album with Fleetwood Mac. "Is it possible that Fleetwood Mac might do another record? I can never tell you yes or no, because I don't know. I honestly don't know. … It's like, do you want to take a chance of going in and setting up in a room for like a year [to record an album] and having a bunch of arguing people? And then not wanting to go on tour because you just spent a year arguing?" She also emphasized the point that people don't buy as many records as they used to. Fleetwood Mac also announced another world tour in 2017</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Steve Perry</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>For The Love of Strange Medicine</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1994</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Donna Please</strong></span><br/> <br/> <em>Reuniting with Journey and/or releasing new material? Perry’s been on the yearly rumor mill for far too long. But since he stepped on the stage with the Eels these rumors have been persistent if not growing louder. Now that the RRHOF will induct Journey, the cries are at a fever pitch, this compounded with the rumors that he is in fact recording solo material... what will we actually see happen this year? I for one would love to hear him either with Journey or solo, just something! Times a wasting!</em><br/> <br/> In an interview with Classic Rock Presents AOR, released in December 2010, Perry revealed that he had written many new songs and was contemplating his first solo project since 1994. "A little over a year and a half ago, I felt I could maybe come back to it, I have been writing. I have about 50 songs in a little over a year. I never thought I would do it again, but I decided to open up that room and see what I could find. It's been interesting. Some of it sounds familiar, some of it sounds contemporary, some of it you can't put a label on—and I've never been big on labels anyway." Perry is reluctant however to put a timescale on his return. "I'll be honest, I don't really know how to do that, but I can definitely smell a solo project on the horizon. I will be recording some music. In December 2015, Perry announced that he was completing a new album, which he stated was to be released in 2016, but it has yet to materialize…</p>
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<td><span style="color: #008080;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Van Halen</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #008080;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Women and Children First</strong></span><br/> <span style="color: #008080;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1980</strong></span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #008080;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - In A Simple Rhyme</strong></span><br/> <br/> <em>Recording or not recording? Roth or Hagar? Something’s brewing here… My take on all the rumors lately is that I hope they get Roth in the studio and get things going. I don’t buy the Hagar reconciliation stories and I don’t think Anthony will be let back in for any new recording (though its rumored he may make appearances on a 40th anniversary tour), but get Roth, get writing, and get recording? One thing we all know is that no matter what is really happening, the Van Halen’s will deny everything until they’re ready. Still, something’s afoot at the Circle K Ted!! And I’m in! Or maybe that’s already happening….???</em><br/> <br/> David Lee Roth recently let slip that Van Halen is working on a follow-up to 2012’s ‘A Different Kind of Truth,’ and although he cautioned fans they’d have to wait awhile, it sounds like the band is making real progress. According to a source, rumors of Eddie Van Halen (from Van Halen) working in recording studio are true, with as many as eight songs having been put to tape. “It’s still in the early stages,” “He’s got security on the doors to ensure no-one hears a whisper,” a source said.</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Last of a Dying Breedtag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-01-25:6060463:Topic:1422782017-01-25T00:46:26.586ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255923?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255923?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> I’ve got an idea!” Read that in your best Captain Kirks voice and then we can get started… <br></br><br></br><br></br> I’m going to spend the next few weeks exploring the state of Classic Rock bands and the future of our favorite music from my perspective. I have been keeping some side notes about newly released music and it struck me that we still have a strong pool or Classic Rock…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255923?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255923?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>I’ve got an idea!” Read that in your best Captain Kirks voice and then we can get started… <br/><br/><br/> I’m going to spend the next few weeks exploring the state of Classic Rock bands and the future of our favorite music from my perspective. I have been keeping some side notes about newly released music and it struck me that we still have a strong pool or Classic Rock artists who record and tour on a regular basis. I’m not talking about touring bands only, that’s a bigger pool, but those who still gift us with new Classic Rock music! I want to diversify this playlist a bit so you’ll get a nice heavy and melodic mix. Let’s kick this off with a look at some of bands who we might consider as the last of a dying breed…. <br/><br/><br/> Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avzuqpnn" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avzuqpnn</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Accept</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Stalingrad</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2012</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - Twist of Fate</strong></span><br/><br/>Accept released their fourteenth studio album Blind Rage on July 18, 2014 and on their world tour, they are playing in Australia for the very first time. Blind Rage became Accept's first album to debut at number one on the charts in their home country. On December 28, 2014, guitarist Herman Frank announced that he has left Accept again. Later that day, Accept announced that drummer Stefan Schwarzmann also left the band. On April 12, Accept announced new guitarist and drummer, respectively Uwe Lulis and Christopher Williams. On June 5, 2015, prior to the band's performance at the South Park festival in Tampere, Finland, bassist Peter Baltes told Kaaos TV that Accept planned to begin work on a new album after the conclusion of the Blind Rage tour. Hoffmann stated that the new album will be released around July or August 2017.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Judas Priest</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Redeemer of Souls [Deluxe Edition]</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2014</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #666699;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - Snakebite</strong></span><br/><br/>Redeemer of Souls was released on 8 July 2014. It sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart, the band's highest charting position in the US after the double-disc concept album, Nostradamus, debuted at No. 11. This was the band's first top 10 album in the US. The band went on tour in support of the album which ran from 1 October 2014 until 17 December 2015. The Redeemer of Souls Tour led to the sixth live album, 'Battle Cry' released on 25 March 2016 after being recorded at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany on 1 August 2015. In a November 2015 interview with Reverb.com, Richie Faulkner said that the band would start work on a new album in 2016. In April 2016, Loudwire posted a photo showing Halford, Tipton and Faulkner in the studio beginning the process of the album. In an October interview with Mitch Gallagher of Sweetwater Sound, Faulkner stated that the band would begin recording in January 2017 and also said that they would not go on tour until 2018</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Pat Travers</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Retro Rocket</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2015</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Searching For A Clue</strong></span><br/><br/>Travers has not been able to regain the level of commercial success he once had, despite a very large and loyal fan base who call themselves "Hammer Heads". He tours regularly in the U.S. and has made several trips to Europe in the last decade as well. In 2001 he was part of the "Voices of Classic Rock" tour, and had a minor hit with Leslie West from the band Mountain called "Rock Forever". In 2004 he started a project with the veteran drummer Carmine Appice and started touring the U.S.A.; as of now there are 3 albums released. Travers recorded cover tunes from bands such as Led Zeppelin, Montrose, Queen, and Trapeze under the album name P.T. Power Trio 2, and they toured Europe in November 2006. The Pat Travers Band put out the album "Fidelis" in late 2009. In July 2013, The Pat Travers Band put out new album "CAN DO" released by Frontiers Records, a major label based in Italy for numerous artists in the field of classic rock. The CAN DO album was supported by PTB tours of the U.S., the U.K., and Europe during the later half of 2013. In January 2015, Frontiers Records released Pat Travers Band Live at the Iridium NYC, recorded in February 2012, featuring Jon Paris playing blues harp on "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" and "Spoonful".</p>
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<td><span style="color: #ff99cc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Toto</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff99cc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>XIV</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff99cc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2015</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff99cc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - 21st Century Blues</strong></span><br/><br/>Toto released their fourteenth studio album and their first in nine years titled Toto XIV in March 2015. To promote the newly finished project, the band started a world tour running with an extensive European headline arena tour including appearances at key festivals, along with a North American tour to follow in the summer of 2015 and Asia later that year. Toto are currently in the studio remastering their 11 Sony studio albums. Steve Lukather: "It is all from the ORIGINAL album mixes but Re-shaped EQ wise but NO compression added at all!!! We are hearing subtle parts that were buried in the old mixes on the early albums. Remember we had to mix for Vinyl back then and there were sonic rules we HAD to deal with that were a drag. many treats/surprises will be in there as well, some great liner notes on all 11 SONY albums and photos and personal stuff... and it is like we re-mixed the early stuff, the first 3 albums, but we didn't! It's SO clear and hi fi! This was an amazing experience. NO compression was added!!! It has inspired us to write the NEW music we start on January 9th till March. Many surprises and 'treats' will be included. Out 2018 but we will tour 2017 as well. Some festivals in Europe and then the USA. A surprise is coming there as well. It is all working us up to the 40th anniversary in 2018. 2 year world tour to follow.”</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Holy Trinities (Kansas)tag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-01-18:6060463:Topic:1421602017-01-18T01:27:33.431ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255496?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255496?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> Jon's Bryan Adams post gave me an idea, not his post technically but the comment I made regarding an artist’s Holy Trinity. You see some time back I read an article on bands who went on to record a series of great albums and the writer referred to these runs as the Holy Trinity of that bands catalog. Not sure why this memory got recalled in the form of a comment n Jon's post,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255496?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255496?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>Jon's Bryan Adams post gave me an idea, not his post technically but the comment I made regarding an artist’s Holy Trinity. You see some time back I read an article on bands who went on to record a series of great albums and the writer referred to these runs as the Holy Trinity of that bands catalog. Not sure why this memory got recalled in the form of a comment n Jon's post, but it did, and now I get to showcase some of my favorite artist Holy Trinities! But first, some rules...<br/><br/><br/></p>
<ul>
<li>These are all studio albums, no Live releases.</li>
<li>Clearly there needs to be a substantial catalog of studio albums to pick from. A band who's only released 5 or less albums better be in the stellar category to make this work well.</li>
<li>They must be successive and uninterrupted studio releases, we're not talking about a bands best 3 but rather the best studio run of three.</li>
<li>If a live album was put out somewhere between the run of three, for example; if you consider "Dressed to Kill - Destroyer - Rock N Roll Over" as Kiss' holy trinity that's we can consider valid for the purposes of discussion.</li>
<li>This rule is because of RJ's recent disdain for EP's ... Studio EP's are interruptions and kill a run.</li>
</ul>
<p>So I'm starting with Kansas for several reasons, one is that I've been enjoying a good bit of time going through their albums. Probably because their new album sparked some interest, but whatever it was, it's a good start. Would've been OK with me to start with Monolith and end up with Vinyl Confessions, but ultimately this is the Kansas Holy Trinity! Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a13yh2ww" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a13yh2ww</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
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<tbody><tr valign="top"><td><p><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Masque</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1975</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #993300;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - Child of Innocence</strong></span><br/><br/>Musically, Masque foreshadows the tight melodies and instrumental interplay on the next two albums, Leftoverture and Point of Know Return, which together serve as the peak of Kansas' vision. The band deserves more respect than it gets for incorporating British hard rock and progressive rock to become the only U.S. progressive rock band of note during the genre's 1970s heyday. Robbie Steinhardt's violin work certainly helped give Kansas a distinctive sound. The liner notes indicate Masque is a "concept album" thanks to the title's definition: "A disguise of reality created through a theatrical or musical performance." "Child of Innocence" is a tough blast of hard rock with a soaring chorus.</p>
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<td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255659?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256806?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
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<tr valign="top"><td><p><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Leftoverture</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1976</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - Opus Insert</strong></span><br/><br/>For any art rock band, the fourth album means it's time for a self-styled masterpiece -- if you need proof, look at Selling England by the Pound or Fragile. So, with Kansas, the most determinedly arty of all American art rock bands, they composed and recorded Leftoverture, an impenetrable conundrum of significance that's capped off by nothing less than a five-part suite, appropriately titled "Magnum Opus," and featuring such promising movement titles as "Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Gnat" and "Release the Beavers." Of course, there's no telling whether this closing opus relates to the opener, "Carry On Wayward Son," the greatest single Kansas ever cut -- a song that manages to be pompous, powerful, ridiculous, and catchy all at once. That they never manage to rival it anywhere on this record is as much a testament to their crippling ambition as their lack of skills. And it's unfair to say Kansas are unskilled, since they are certainly instrumentally proficient and they can craft songs or, rather, compositions that appear rather ambitious.</p>
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<td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256799?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256799?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
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<tr valign="top"><td><span style="color: #ffcc00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Point of Know Return</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ffcc00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1977</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ffcc00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Lightnings Hand</strong></span><br/><br/>The band is in peak form and also churned out the single "Point of Know Return," which is still played daily on classic rock stations. While their pop-oriented approach and standard rock guitar sound helped define the classic rock sound of the '70s, careful listening reveals that this band's talent goes beyond colleagues such as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Boston. Their arrangements and time signatures more accurately reflect the music of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. "Paradox" and "The Spider" are both excellent examples of their progressive approach. Unfortunately, the band always struggled to maintain a healthy balance of progression combined with pop. That made for such awkward moments here as "Portrait (He Knew)" and "Lightning's Hand."</td>
<td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258071?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258071?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
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<p><br/><br/><br/>Well, do you agree? Or would you have selected a different run of 3?</p> Hidden Treasures - Moneytag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2017-01-10:6060463:Topic:1420362017-01-10T22:30:13.795ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255525?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255525?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> Welcome to 2017! Here’s hoping the new year is the best one yet… But … with all the resolutioning going on, maybe we should be careful what we ask for! Money is a common resolution, mo’ and mo’ of it! Maybe this playlist is more of a reflection on the way these types of things work out for me… Here’s hoping yours go better!<br></br><br></br><br></br> Enjoy! It's free…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255525?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="650" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273255525?profile=original"/></a>Welcome to 2017! Here’s hoping the new year is the best one yet… But … with all the resolutioning going on, maybe we should be careful what we ask for! Money is a common resolution, mo’ and mo’ of it! Maybe this playlist is more of a reflection on the way these types of things work out for me… Here’s hoping yours go better!<br/><br/><br/> Enjoy! It's free afterall...<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1mqdlss" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1mqdlss</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
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<tbody><tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256704?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="210" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256704?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a></td>
<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>Monty Python</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>Monty Python Sings</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>1989</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #99cc00;"><strong>1 - Money Song</strong></span><br/><br/>Monty Python Sings is a 1989 album of comedy songs written by the Monty Python team. It compiles popular tracks from their previous albums and films, as well as some new tracks. The album was released in memory of Graham Chapman, who had died the year earlier that year. In June 2014, the album was re-released as Monty Python Sings (Again) on CD and as a digital download, expanded with six additional recordings – three previously unreleased archive recordings and three new recordings from Eric Idle. A deluxe edition in both formats also includes the 1970 Monty Python's Flying Circus album.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256770?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="210" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256770?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a></td>
<td><p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Chicago</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Chicago XIV</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>1980</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - I'd Rather Be Rich</strong></span><br/><br/>Despite containing a few hidden gems, Chicago's 14th long player went primarily unnoticed when first released in the summer of 1980. In retrospect, it seems that the band had not yet recovered from the tragic loss of Terry Kath (guitar) less than two years earlier. The vast majority of the album's material came from either the Peter Cetera (bass/vocals) or Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals) camps. While the pair had long been considered Chicago's strongest respective songwriters, Cetera in particular was emerging with a definitive and soulful delivery especially notable on "Song for You" and "Overnight Café." A decidedly more successful outing from Cetera, Lamm, and Danny Seraphine (drums) is "Thunder and Lightning" -- which is highlighted by some jazzy chord changes reminiscent of Steely Dan's "Fez" or "Josie."</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257938?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="210" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257938?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a></td>
<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffff99;"><strong>The Who</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffff99;"><strong>Face Dances</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffff99;"><strong>1981</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ffff99;"><strong>3 - Did You Steal My Money</strong></span><br/><br/>Without Keith Moon, the Who may have lacked the restless firepower that distinguished their earlier albums, but Face Dances had some of Pete Townshend's best, most incisive compositions since Quadrophenia. "Don't Let Go the Coat" was one of his better odes to Meher Baba, "You Better You Bet" was a driving rocker, as was the rueful "Cache Cache," while "How Can You Do It Alone" was a solid ballad.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273259314?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="210" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273259314?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a></td>
<td><p><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff99cc;"><strong>AC/DC</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff99cc;"><strong>Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff99cc;"><strong>1976</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #ff99cc;"><strong>4 - Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round To Be A Millionaire)</strong></span><br/><br/>As glorious as the title track was, the entire album served as a call to arms from a group that wanted nothing more than to celebrate the dirtiest, nastiest instincts humans could have, right down to the insurgent anti-authority vibe that runs throughout the record. Take "Big Balls" -- sure, it's a dirty joke, but it's a dirty joke with class overthrow in mind. There's a sense on Dirty Deeds that AC/DC is storming the gates -- they're problem children sick of waiting around to be a millionaire, so they're gonna make their own money, even if they take down others as they go. That's what gives Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap its supercharged, nervy pulse; there's a real sense of danger to this record, something that can't be hidden beneath the jokes. Maybe that's why the album wasn't released in the U.S. until 1981, after Bon's death, after AC/DC had become millionaires -- if it arrived any earlier, it would have been too insurrectionist for the common good.</p>
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<td><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #993300;"><strong>Little River Band</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #993300;"><strong>After Hours</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #993300;"><strong>1976</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3" style="color: #993300;"><strong>5 - Broke Again</strong></span><br/><br/>In Australia, After Hours was the second album from the Australian rock band Little River Band. Lead singer Glenn Shorrock names this Australian version of the album as his favorite album by the band. However, it was not released internationally until decades later. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, the band's record company contract at the time did not cover international releases. Secondly, at the time of its release in Australia, the band's first album, Little River Band, had not yet become a hit in the US. When the first album entered the US charts, following the delayed success of single "It's a Long Way There", any potential US release of After Hours was delayed. In the meantime, the band recorded their third album, Diamantina Cocktail. However, Capitol Records in the US deemed that album to be not commercial enough. In response, Capitol selected five tracks from the Australian After Hours plus four tracks from the Australian version of Diamantina Cocktail and released this compilation in the US under the name Diamantina Cocktail.</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Top 10 Influential Albums (Part 2)tag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2016-12-14:6060463:Topic:1409762016-12-14T02:46:51.403ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256555?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256555?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> After the runaway success of last weeks post, I've been asked by just about everyone I meet when I will post the remaining 5 albums that influenced my musical life. Have to admit, I was sooooo inundated with inquiries about this that the idea kinda started to lose it's luster. But as the old saying goes, fans are always right, and I'm all about my fans - or something like…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256555?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273256555?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>After the runaway success of last weeks post, I've been asked by just about everyone I meet when I will post the remaining 5 albums that influenced my musical life. Have to admit, I was sooooo inundated with inquiries about this that the idea kinda started to lose it's luster. But as the old saying goes, fans are always right, and I'm all about my fans - or something like that...<br/><br/><br/> So here's the remaining 5, and as a reminder these are not ranked in any way, in fact as time goes on the list would like change. For example, Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree could easily have been added to this list as a couple of their albums have really changed the shape of music for me, but alas, I'm sticking with the core 10...<br/><br/><br/> I'll lighten it for the first two tracks and then we'll get back to the heavier side things...<br/><br/><br/> Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avtpyhuu" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/avtpyhuu</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
<table width="95%" border="0">
<tbody><tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257660?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273257660?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><p><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Pablo Cruise</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>A Place In The Sun</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>First Heard: 1977</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff9900;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - A Place In The Sun</strong></span><br/><br/>This band was the first live rock concert I ever seen, and though my brother had this album and I listened to it enough to know I liked, it wasn't until I seen them that it took a foothold. California beach music, soft rock, whatever you wanna call it, its catchy, fun and not like anyone else. I still get a lot of enjoyment out of this bands whole catalog some of my favorite songs come from them. Plus they have one of the coolest logos ever IMO.</p>
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<td><p><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Poco</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>Legend</strong></span><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>First Heard: 1978</strong></span><br/><br/><span class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - Heart of the Night</strong></span><br/><br/>I know its not a deep cut, but the album gets lost because the band didn't take off like they should have. This album is just top to bottom goll-darn-great Country Rock. And I loved Paul Cottons voice and guitar work, no he's not a shredder, but he knows what works for him and its unique to the band. It simply worked to perfection well in this band and peaked on this album. Still have a thing for this band. I'd rank it above some of the Eagles pre-Hotel California albums easily and second to none against any other Country Rock bands not named Eagles.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258936?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273258936?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><p><span style="color: #ffff00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Triumph</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ffff00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Just A Game</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ffff00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>First Heard: 1979</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ffff00;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Lay It On The Line</strong></span><br/><br/>Heard Triumph a year or two earlier than 1979 when Rock and Roll Machine was their current album, really liked that one too. But then this came out, it had a gate-fold that when opened was a fully functioning game board. Truth be told the game sucked, but the album knocked my socks off. Movin' On's riff hit perfectly but Lay It On The Line floored me. Moore hit sounded like he was hitting those drums so hard they were going to knock the speaker over. Hold On even hit the top 40 for all to brief time. Top to bottom a stellar album, and for fans who know Emmett's new album, this album introduced us to Johnny Walker.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273260259?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273260259?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>April Wine</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>First Glance</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>First Heard: 1979</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - Get Ready For Love</strong></span><br/><br/>This is where it gets hard because I really wanted to include Van Halen's debut on here but truth be told this one worked just as well for me. Apparently I have thing for Canadian bands, I don't know why, they just resonate. But my friends older brothers friend brought this album over to their house one day and the needle hit the opening track and I heard the guitar pick scrape the strings like nothing I'd ever heard before, don'd recall if it stopped me in my tracks but it seemed like it did. Still does...</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273260428?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273260428?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>The Who</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Who's Next</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>First Heard: 1976-7ish</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #99ccff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>5 - Gettin' In Tune</strong></span><br/><br/>Here's the biggest non-surprise on here. My absolute favorite album of all time containing the absolute best classic rock song, Baba O Riley. Undisputed! But... it wasn't Baba O Riley that got me into it, it was the song featured here. Til the day I die, I will own and play this on whatever media is the best of the day, so far I've owned vinyl, CD, remastered CD and Deluxe Edition CD, whatever's next it's on my wish list. I don't know what else can be said for such a complete package, simply the best...</td>
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</table> Hidden Treasures - Top 10 Influential Albums (Part I)tag:classic-rock-bottom.ning.com,2016-12-06:6060463:Topic:1407682016-12-06T23:19:20.201ZScotthttp://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/profile/Scott
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273239037?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273239037?profile=original" width="650"></img></a> I’ve seen and read a bunch of articles lately that give a forum to rock stars to talk about their Top 10 most influential albums, so I thought that sounded like a fun topic to think about. So here’s a two part post of reflections on my 10 most influential albums. Please don’t read this as an all-time top ten post, it’s not, though it does contain albums that make that list…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273239037?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273239037?profile=original" width="650" class="align-center"/></a>I’ve seen and read a bunch of articles lately that give a forum to rock stars to talk about their Top 10 most influential albums, so I thought that sounded like a fun topic to think about. So here’s a two part post of reflections on my 10 most influential albums. Please don’t read this as an all-time top ten post, it’s not, though it does contain albums that make that list for me. Rather this first post is more of a chronological journey for me, and was a very cool reflection time for me to pull together.<br/><br/><br/> My order may be off a bit too, but one thing I’m sure if this first album is truly my first recollection of music that totally engaged me… And so it will go from there… <br/><br/><br/> Enjoy!<br/><br/><br/> PLAYLIST --> <a href="http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1un2iii" target="_blank">http://www.podsnack.com/sgabbert/a1un2iii</a> <br/><br/><br/></p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Tommy James and the Shondells…</strong></span><br/><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>(First heard: 1972-ish)</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;" class="font-size-3"><strong>1 - Crimson and Clover</strong></span><br/><br/>My oldest brother owned this greatest hits package and I’m pretty sure it was Crimson and Clover that totally drew me in. But as it turns out there were so many great songs on it that I practically ruined his vinyl copy because of my overplay and mishandling of the album at the time. But hey, whadda ya do! It truly was the first captivating music I recall getting thoroughly into. Think about the music on here, Crimson and Clover, Mony Mony, I Think Were Alone Now (which was cool until Tiffany got a hold of it!), Crystal Blue Persuasion, Sweet Cherry Wine, Sugar On Sunday, and so many more. Everything had a catchy hook and the psychedelic’s of the times were represented as well. Probably still owe my brother a copy of this but I don’t think this specific package is available anymore.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac</strong></span> <br/><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>(First Heard: 1975-ish)</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #c0c0c0;" class="font-size-3"><strong>2 - I'm So Afraid</strong></span><br/><br/>Ah I remember it well, walked up the hill to my friend’s house and his older brother-in-law was there. They had just bought a new stereo system. You know, a fancy one with several components and large speakers in the corners. He was showing it off, and he threw on a couple different albums, one of which was this album. As soon as the needle hit Monday Morning entranced me! Ya it was like that. Never heard anything like that before and very rarely has music hit me so squarely. But it just got better from there, Warm Ways, Blue Letter, and others really shot out of the speakers and into me. Still love hearing this album today as much as I did back then.</p>
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<td><p><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>Rush 2112</strong></span> <br/><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>(First Heard: 1976)</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #ff0000;" class="font-size-3"><strong>3 - Lessons</strong></span><br/><br/>I suppose I could’ve have listed Caress of Steel from 1975 as the influencing album because my brother owned it and I Think I’m Going Bald was hilarious to me, but it didn’t start my prog journey, like 2112 did. In these days 45’s were released and I stumbled upon a 45 of The Temples of Syrinx and given my vast knowledge of Caress of Steel, I bought (man I wish I could find it, may be worth some money today!) Anyway, it was cool! And then friends started playing the album version of 2112 and in context, it just got cooler. So 2112 started me on a prog journey that continues to this day.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273241891?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273241891?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><p><span style="color: #3366ff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>KISS – Destroyer</strong></span> <br/><span style="color: #3366ff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>(First Heard 1976)</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #3366ff;" class="font-size-3"><strong>4 - Flaming Youth</strong></span><br/><br/>OK, so I’ve told this story as well, but so what! I had some friends in 6th grade that came to school one day with a KISS Army sticker on their lunch pale and I asked them what that was. After school we went to their house and they had a copy of The Originals which was a package of the band’s first three albums. Their room was filled with posters of the band, the infamous Empire State Building poster captivated me, but they played Destroyer on their stereo and so I was hooked in to the image and music quite easily but because I liked it so much I gladly took the ridicule that came with it.</p>
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<tr valign="top"><td><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273242025?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1273242025?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></td>
<td><span style="color: #33cccc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>AC/DC – Let There Be Rock</strong></span> <br/><span style="color: #33cccc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>(First Heard: 1977)</strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #33cccc;" class="font-size-3"><strong>5 - Dog Eat Dog</strong></span><br/><br/>I’ve told this story before but what the heck, here it goes again. I had just started Junior High School and met a new group of friends. One day for lunch hour we walked over to a friend’s house who lived close by the school. Once we got there he threw on this album and queued it up to the second track of side one, the song was Dog Eat Dog. He thought we’d all get a kick out of the lyrics, which we did. But it wasn’t Dog Eat Dog that reeled me in it was the riffs on most every other song, plus it was so different from everything I’d heard ever before that it peaked my interest. Though it’s not my favorite ACDC album it is the most influential ACDC album for me.</td>
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