Classic Rock Bottom

Day 15
Dear Diary,

     DING DI... DI... DING DI... No this is not a Morse code, but the sound of your correct answers. Scott knew the AOR artist, but not the album and Jon was psyched to steal half the points, but only managed to pilfer half of those half the points, because his answer was... Indecisive. Yes, Ballard's catalog has two titles to contain the word "Fire", but if he did pay attention to my words at the beginning, he could've walked away with more points. Take another look at the Index. The albums are listed by release dates. From the earliest to the latest, in each category. I know this didn't helped much when we started, but by now you guys should be reaping some benefits from this elaborate method of sorting. The deduction should've eliminated "Fire Still Burns", (released in 1985) and leave you with the only possible (and correct) answer. Live an' learn, eh? Black Sabbath was the other half correct guess from Jon. Despite the current spike in points:
Jon is, what Is The Word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah Lonely at the top with 1900 pts
Scott and second place are no Strangers to each other, with 1500 pts, while for
Everyone Else, Here Comes The Hurt: 0 pts.

     Global News... We are still exploring the endless pleasantries of Christmas. If you want to gift someone with a present, get something from Amazon. That's exactly what Grandma Debbie Greenhalgh from Blackburn, Lancashire did for her nine-year-old granddaughter Millie. The girl wanted some sticky Gold Letters to stick them... All over the place. When the parcel arrived, the good Granny told Millie: "Your surprise is here! Go ahead and open it!" And when Millie opened the package, all she got was a Stress Willy. Millie didn't know what Stress Willy was, so for her, the surprise was really huge. Luckily, Grandpa was familiar with that Willy, so he immediately grabbed it from Millie. I've been ordering from Amazon quite a bit, but I never got a mistaken item like that, which makes Grandpa very suspicious in my book. Unfortunately, the good folks at Amazon run out of Golden stickers, but as gracious as they always are, Amazon told Grandma she can keep the Willy. The whole thing is so silly, because ideally, Millie wasn't suppose to see the Willy. But she did, and her questions about Willy are really stressing out the Granny, Good thing she's got the Stress Willy so she can deal with her anxiety. I mean, whenever Grandpa is not using the Willy, that is. As for Millie? Well, give her Vanilli. It will take her years to figure out the joke behind that, but haven't we all been there?

     Island News... Last time I was fortunate to find fire extinguishers to foam up the Island, but that wasn't enough. At night, I wished for those chasing Christmas lights and when I woke up this morning, there was a whole bunch of Glitter cans littering the beach. Right away I started chasing all the animals on the Island to spray then in glitter. Even the cockroaches. Now, everything is moving, and chasing each other with a sparkle and shine. It's beautiful. You better watch out... Na na na na... Na na na na... Na na na na, Santa Clause is coming to the Island.

And this is what he's gonna hear at night:

click on the cover to hear the samples
1. BLACK SABBATH - Lonely Is The Word
from "Heaven And Hell" CD ℗ 1980/1996

I knew and heard few songs from BS long before the school band decided to play "Paranoid" at one of the Christmas parties. But it was these boys performance that put the band on my wish list. In the following days, "Paranoid" became the Hit Song of the Week, on the radio. That warranted a trip to the record store, where I picked up the album I was convinced "Paranoid" was on. Little did I know, "Paranoid" was an old song and not to be found anywhere on Heaven And Hell. I was disappointed, tossed the vinyl on the side, went back to the store, bought Paranoid as a single and forgot about my illpurchase, for a while. Later, when I was too broke to support the music industry, I decided to put that ugly looking brown release with drawn heads on the cover up on my record player for immediate and cheap entertainment. (Yes, the smoking angels were banned, back there.) And I never looked back. Didn't connect the dots right away who Dio was, but when I did, I was even more impressed. What can I say about this masterpiece, that you lads already don't know?

2. RUSS BALLARD - Strangers
3. RUSS BALLARD - Madman
4. RUSS BALLARD - Here Comes The Hurt
5. RUSS BALLARD - I Will Be There

from "Into The Fire" CD ℗ 1980/1998

My love for guitar music predates all the prominent guitar Instrumental albums and Into The Fire is the best proof of that. I didn't know who Ballard was, when I bought the vinyl. Wasn't aware he was the member of Argent, nor his writing credits were known to me. (Those years, I wasn't bothered by things outside of the music itself) But from the moment I heard the first note to linger off from Side A, I was a captive audience. After the flip, I was completely sold. Now, the funny thing is that Tonight (Track # 1, Side B) had a nasty skip, which I could never fix. That jump on the groove got imprinted in my brain so hard, that even when I listen to these song on the CD, I know exactly where it used to be and I still anticipate it to happen. Crazy huh? Well, that's how much I love this album. You want to know something else? I took the vinyl back, but I would not let it out of my hands. The clerk was willing to refund my money, since that was the only copy they received, but I wouldn't want such nonsense. Kept the album as it was. Ballard's, other releases have more songs that got covered by other artists, but to me this is the one that "didn't" got away.

6. MAGNUM - Soldier Of The Line
7. MAGNUM - The Spirit
8. MAGNUM - Long Days, Black Nights
9. MAGNUM - Back To Earth

from "Chase The Dragon" CD ℗ 1982/1999

The first time I heard Magnum was the song Back To Earth playing on the radio, as a kid. Since then, I was looking hi and lo for the album, but they weren't really big to find them easily. Not back home, nor in the places where we vacationed, but I just couldn't get that song out of my mind, so I kept searching. When their entire back catalog got reissued on CDs, I bought them all. Back To Earth was never part of any album (it was released as a single), but it is present on Chase The Dragon CD, as a bonus track. In case you wonder, no, this is not a one-trick pony. All these songs are epic. Same as that Rodney Matthews cover.

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 - 1981 - ZZ TOP - El Loco
200 pt - 1983 - ELO - Secret Messages
600 pt - 1984 - HOBO BLUES BAND - A Vadaszat
1000pt - 1985 - DIRE STRAITS - Brothers In Arms
100 pt
400 pt - 1988 - STATUS QUO - Ain't Complaining

HARD ROCK
300 pt - 1973 - NAZARETH - Razamanaz
100 pt - 1975 - BIJELO DUGME - Sta Bi Dao Da Si Na Mom Mjestu
500 pt - 1981 - RAINBOW - Difficult To Cure
800 pt - 1982 - MAGNUM - Chase The Dragon
600 pt - 1983 - THIN LIZZY - Thunder & Lightning
200 pt - 1983 - KISS - Lick It Up
1000pt - 1983 - NIGHTWING - Stand Up And Be Counted
400 pt

AOR
200 pt - 1980 - RUSS BALLARD - Into The Fire
600 pt - 1983 - PRISM - Beat Street
300 pt - 1987 - TRIUMPH - Surveillance
800 pt
100 pt - 1987 - ANDY TAYLOR - Thunder
500 pt - 1988 - DOMINOE - Keep In Touch
1000pt
400 pt - 1990 - LAOS - We Want It

MELODIC ROCK
400 pt - 1984 - VAN HALEN - 1984
100 pt - 1984 - BON JOVI - Bon Jovi
800 pt - 1984 - SCORPIONS - Love At First Sting
200 pt - 1987 - WHITESNAKE - Whitesnake (1987)
300 pt
1000pt - 1988 - EDDA - Valtozo Idok
500 pt - 1992 - DAMN YANKEES - Don't Tread
600 pt

METAL
300 pt - 1980 - JUDAS PRIEST - British Steel
400 pt - 1980 - BLACK SABBATH - Heaven & Hell
800 pt
200 pt - 1981 - GIRLSCHOOL - Hit & Run
500 pt - 1981 - SAXON - Denim & Leather
600 pt - 1981 - GORDI - Pakleni Trio
100 pt - 1982 - IRON MAIDEN - Number Of The Beast
1000pt (Don't you hate it when out of nowhere a sudden noise bursts forth)

SINGERS GONE SOLO
300 pt
1000pt
800 pt - 1983 - DIO - Holy Diver
100 pt - 1985 - REVESZ SANDOR - Revesz Sandor
600 pt - 1990 - KEN TAMPLIN & FRIENDS - An Axe To Grind
500 pt - 1993 - DORO - Angels Never Die
400 pt - 1993 - VINCE NEIL - Exposed
200 pt - 1994 - BRUCE DICKINSON - Balls To Picasso

GUITARISTS GONE SOLO
100 pt (First he was living in the shadow of his big brother, then he was literaly punched on stage by the singer and look who leads his own band now)
300 pt
400 pt - 1987 - GARY MOORE - Wild Frontier
800 pt - 1989 - JON BUTCHER - Pictures From The Front
200 pt - 1990 - LITA FORD - Stiletto
600 pt - 1992 - JOHN NORUM - Face The Truth
1000pt - 1992 - MARTY FRIEDMAN - Scenes
500 pt - 1994 - YNGWIE MALMSTEEN - The Seventh Sign

+BONUS
1000pt
500 pt (A rare breed of medical practitioners. Experts in both... Women and horses)
600 pt - 1991 - MARK WOOD - Voodoo Violince
800 pt - 1996 - ARS NOVA - Goddess Of Darkness

Views: 44

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

The Andrews Sisters

Michael Schenker Group--Assault Attack (any other MS album would be wrong)

The Partridge Family

Never been a big fan of this BS album. Like the followup so much better.

As for RB, it's a good album. Think his best is Barnet Dogs, but to each their own. Scott would know nothing about this.

Never really got into Magnum. Just didn't hit the right notes with me. They're a little bit epic, but not epic enough. The last song is something I believe has been covered by someone else, or it sounds really familiar for some reason. 

This BS is stellar!  First heard it at a friends house in about 10th grade and got hooked in right away.  Picked up a Deluxe Edition some time ago along with the Deluxe Edition of that album Jon likes better!  Tough pick really but Heaven and Hell has more sentimental value to me so that tips the scale of preference...

Jon is correct, I know only what was posted here about Ballards solo career and since the time of posting its completely left my consciousness - give me a week or two and this batch of Ballard tunes will as well. No offense, his songs just seem to be better covered by someone other than him.

Magnum?  Kinda sorta sounds familiar but I have no memory of ever hearing anything from this band.  Well now I have, and this may shock you, but I kinda like a few of the tracks here!  Don't get me wrong its not something I'd purchase but it has some good moments and riffs (the first 3 you posted specifically).  There's minor hints of prog but those never go anywhere like I would like and the epicness, as Jon mentioned, only comes in hints as well.  Nice guitar work and musicianship though...

My Guesses...

  • Metal: Y&T Earthshaker (total SWAG)
  • Guitarists Gone Solo:  Its Schenker and Assault Attack has to be right as well.  I'm OK splitting points on this one.
  • Bonus: no idea...

RSS

Question Of The Week

CRB Features (Click photo to visit)

Birthdays

There are no birthdays today

CRB Staff Members

 

In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by RJhog (Admin).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service