|
Angel Angel 1 - Tower Angel was discovered by Kiss bass player Gene Simmons performing at a nightclub and was eventually signed to the same label as Kiss, Casablanca. Angel's image of dressing in all white was a deliberate contrast to Kiss, which wore black. Angel sported an androgynous image and elaborate stage sets. It was slammed by rock critics, and Frank Zappa ridiculed the all-male band’s female appearance in the song “Punky’s Whips.” Angel never achieved mass commercial success but acquired a following as a cult band.
|
|
Heart Dreamboat Annie 2 - Soul of the Sea Heart's first single "How Deep It Goes" b/w "Here Song" (M-7008) received little attention when released in Canada by the small Mushroom label in 1975. The second single "Magic Man" b/w "How Deep It Goes" was first picked up for radio play by CJFM-FM 96 in Montreal, while the band was on tour playing small club dates. Dreamboat Annie was released following the success of the second single. The album cover was designed by current Emily Carr University of Art and Design communication design instructor Deborah Shackleton Heart's first radio success earned them a spot opening a Montreal concert for Rod Stewart in October 1975. More Canadian airplay soon followed, partly because Heart's recordings qualified for Canadian content broadcast requirements. The album sold an impressive 30,000 copies across Canada in its first few months.
|
|
Kansas Song For America 3 - Down the Road Continuous touring had given Kansas a small following of loyal fans, some of whom would follow the group from one show to another. Despite the minor success of their debut album, they were still, for the most part, a struggling bar band. While Song for America did little to change that, it is their most progressive and heavy work, as their next albums would transit into a softer format. Like the first album, the writing duties were divided between Kerry Livgren and the former members of White Clover, mostly vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh. Musically, Song for America features complex arrangements for electric and acoustic guitar, violin, and keyboards (including piano, organ, and Arp and Moog synthesizers). Walsh’s songs reflected life on the street ("Lonely Street"), drug dealing ("Down the Road"), and temptation by Satan ("The Devil Game"). Livgren’s lyrics to "Lamplight Symphony" are centered on Christian themes, while those of "Song for America" have an environmentalist basis, both of which are reoccurring themes in his work.
|
|
Thin Lizzy Fighting 4 - Suicide After spending four albums trying to find their niche, the band finally forged an identifiable sound featuring the twin guitars of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. This sound draws from hard rock, folk, pop and rhythm and blues. It set the stage for the big commercial breakthrough of the follow-up album, Jailbreak. The album was also their first album to chart in the UK, hitting #60. The track "Suicide" was originally performed by Thin Lizzy when guitarist Eric Bell was still in the band, including on a BBC broadcast recorded in July 1973. It was first performed with different lyrics under the title "Baby's Been Messing". Another track recorded at the Fighting sessions was "Try a Little Harder", which was eventually released on the Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels boxed set in 2002.
|
|
Alice Cooper Welcome To My Nightmare 5 - Welcome To My Nightmare This was Alice Cooper's first solo album (all previous Alice Cooper releases were band efforts). It is a concept album; the songs, heard in sequence, form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven. It inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare TV special and a worldwide concert tour in 1975, and the Welcome To My Nightmare concert film in 1976. In 2011, the sequel Welcome 2 My Nightmare was released. The cover artwork was created by Drew Struzan for Pacific Eye & Ear. Rolling Stone would later rank it 90th on the list of the "Top 100 Album Covers Of All Time". The remastered CD version adds three alternate version bonus tracks. Famed film actor of the horror genre Vincent Price provided the introductory monologue in the song "The Black Widow". The original version of "Escape" was recorded by The Hollywood Stars for their shelved 1974 album "Shine Like a Radio", which was finally released in 2013. |