27 Cubes To TabuLate The Island Party

[Yngve J. Chapleen]

CD's I would take with me to a deserted Island, Part 2.

     Now, that all the dust from the exploding brains settled, I have to say, I'm extremely disappointed in all of you. Except Scott, who was the only brave soul to guess a clue for this week's presentation. It was a great guess, unfortunately, not the one I was looking for.

     I get it. It was a new gate, but you can stop staring. It's not new anymore. Now you know how my brain works, (and, thankyouverymuch, I saw yours after that gory display) there is no more excuses.

As for the last week's clues. This is what you missed: (Wasn't that hard, was it?)

click on the cover to hear samples
1. DAMN YANKEES - Don't Tread On Me
2. DAMN YANKEES - Dirty Dog
3. DAMN YANKEES - Silence Is Broken
4. DAMN YANKEES - Firefly
5. DAMN YANKEES - Double Coyote
from "Don't Tread" CD ℗ 1992

It cost me a pretty penny to acquire their first LP, which turned out to be exactly what I was expecting (considering the bands previous resume). While I liked their self titled album, the early 90's were quite hectic for me to follow up, with their new release. It was a time when I mostly spent my very limited resources on Guitar Instrumental and/or Oriented CD's. Little did I know that, Don't Tread is one of the finest Guitar Driven CD's out there. The playing, as good as it was on the first release, it's off the charts here. Like they are on steroids. To boost that, even the songs got more memorable and Silence Is Broken recalls the best days of Power Ballads. Years after it's release, I picked it up the CD from a second hand store.

DIO - Holy Diver
CD ℗ 1983/1987

Ronnie James Dio was previously known to me from Rainbow and Black Sabbath. When I saw Holy Diver at the Record store, there was no question which LP is coming home with me. I picked up the vinyl, while we were on vacation abroad, because I was sure it won't be available back home. I was right and thanks to my foresight, I became the most popular guy at the school... if only for a while. I knew right away, I stumbled upon something big. It took the LP few months to return from all the friends who were eager to borrow it. Up to that point, keyboards were effectively employed mostly in AOR and Prog Rock, but that intro to Rainbow In The Dark is as memorable as perhaps the Smoke On The Water riff.

STYX - Cornerstone
CD ℗ 1979/1987

Cornerstone wasn't the first Styx project I heard, but it was their first album to fill my collection. I remember seeing Boat On The River music video on TV which appealed to both, my parents and grandparents alike. That was a rare phenomena, equal to a gold pot at the rainbow's end. Few days later the radio played Eddie and I was hooked. Got the LP in the same week and played it often ever since. The album is full of great songs, however the one I'm most drawn to is Love In The Midnight. The transition from the slow acoustic intro to the explosive parts always sends shivers up my spine. I heard you guys in America liked Babe, yes?

Okie-Dokie.
Let's try this again.
INDEX (To keep track of things. Also, the clues for the next weeks selection are here. Do you know; What's Coming To You?)

ROCK
500 pt
300 pt - 1979 - STYX - Cornerstone
800 pt
200 pt
600 pt
1000pt
100 pt
400 pt

HARD ROCK
300 pt
100 pt - 1975 - BIJELO DUGME - Sta Bi Dao Da Si Na Mom Mjestu
500 pt
800 pt
600 pt
200 pt
1000pt
400 pt

AOR
200 pt
600 pt
300 pt
800 pt
100 pt - 1987 - ANDY TAYLOR - Thunder
500 pt
1000pt
400 pt

MELODIC ROCK
400 pt
100 pt
800 pt
200 pt
300 pt
1000pt
500 pt - 1992 - DAMN YANKEES - Don't Tread
600 pt

METAL
300 pt
400 pt
800 pt
200 pt (A single-sex education center was a target of a swift attack, followed by immediate withdrawal)
500 pt
600 pt
100 pt
1000pt

SINGERS GONE SOLO
300 pt
1000pt
800 pt - 1983 - DIO - Holy Diver
100 pt - 1985 - REVESZ SANDOR - Revesz Sandor 
600 pt
500 pt
400 pt
200 pt

GUITARISTS GONE SOLO
100 pt
300 pt
400 pt (You want more of him? Well, you can't have it. He passed onto greener pastures)
800 pt
200 pt
600 pt
1000pt
500 pt

+BONUS
1000pt
500 pt
600 pt (Instrumental clue - On my mark, we are going to violently thrust wooden stakes right through the Zombie's skull)
800 pt

[Scott]

So not Joe Walsh....  hmmmm....

[Jon]

Even though the first DY album was fine, this one is so much better. More raw, more rawkier. This a great album to listen to on cassette in the summer while cruising down the highway.

HD is the only Dio album I really like. Had it when it came out (as did everyone else it seemed) and played it a lot. Then came the followup and I just didn't care anymore except for this album. I did pick up the boxset of some of his solo work earlier this year and it's not bad, but the other four or five albums or whatever is included in the boxset just don't compare to this.

I know noone who like "Babe" or they don't admit it. I didn't back then even though it was played a lot, and still don't yet I think I know all the words? The vinyl of this was pretty cool, had a fold out cover. And other stuff. Other than that one song, this is a pretty good album. Not POE good, but satisfying enough. 

As for the clues? Yeah......no.

Maybe Johnny 5. Other than that, don't know and ain't gonna rack my brain since it's too painful.

[Scott]

the clues don't help this week, I made a valiant guess last week and was wrong.  As far as instrumentals go, I know very few, so Ill opt out any guesses on those...

Have only ever heard the DY debut - Don't Tread came out with a splash and then died a quick death must've had two problems, 1 being it was 1992 and the second being it sounded very similar to the debut.  Still don't see any reason to own this one...

HD is a masterpiece!

I liked Cornerstone, still do, Borrowed Time is one my all time fave Styx tracks.  Reminds of how good and needed DDY's songwriting was to the band especially compared to the newest non-DDY stuff which is far less interesting.  (Still cant get into The Mission).  And Babe had a purpose back in the day, usually related to slow dances, but outside of that, ya, no...