I'm still entranced with VH-1 Classic's "Metal Mania" show. Four hours of metal videos a week at my disposal and most of them are actually good. I have noticed that alot of the early 80s videos seem alike, such as Dokken's "Into the Fire", Def Leppard "Photograph", Scorpion's "Rock You Like A Hurricane", Dio "Mystery"...etc...lot's of wild looking women, fire, some tell mini storylines, very cool videos in general. As the 80s progressed it became more about band shots with bigger hair. In fact, the bigger, the better. I love them all but these early videos are interesting.
On the pure music front, it's a mixed bag for September so far: meaning, lots of old stuff and not alot of the new. That should change as the month progresses and we get further into October but for now, it's all memory lane baby, memory lane.
Oh and I'm sure everyone has seen the news about the Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans turning into Mad Max and the Superdome. I used to live in Louisiana, a good 400 or so miles from New Orleans I might add, in an area totally unaffected by this, so far in fact that NO-LA was practically like another country from where I grew up and lived. But the fact that something like that could happen in my home state is pretty depressing. The weirdest selfish feeling from it all is the fact that places I saw and remember from visiting there now no longer exist (which was once...15 years ago, but whatever...) There was this cool little park that was fairy tale themed, and was in a run-down state even back then but it saddens me to think that it's no longer there. I remember being amazed at this slide that looked and was shaped like a dragon circa 1940s and it was not "open" to the public because it was being renovated and my father promised to take me back someday to "slide down it" but that day will NEVER come now. And I know that many lives were lost, interrupted and destroyed from this disaster and here I am whining about a slide but... those are just my memories of the city. The "new" Atlantis. Sad, but it was coming for a long time. It's just too bad that it had to happen with so many casualties.
Journey - Greatest Hits
The new Journey disc was disappointing, so I tapped into the classics, and what better way than this ballad loaded greatest hits disc from shortly after their breakup? well, it was a few years afterward but more recent than any of the other Journey hits packages. This one has "Lights" and "Girl Can't Help It", two of my fav tunes by the band. Fun fact: Journey is one of the most played "classic" bands on New England radio stations. The song I have personally heard the most? Not "Separate Ways" or "Faithfully" (although they both get heavy rotation) but "Lights"! Which always pleases me to no end because I love that song.
Def Leppard - Adrenalize
Time and again I have bought this album. I was at the height of my Def Leppard mania when this thing was released and therefore have owned it on cassette, and three CDs. THREE. The first was knocked off of a CD rack before I had a disc changer (and I've had a multi disc changer for atleast 10 years now) and it took out a chunk of the CD. Literally, chunks of the CD were missing and the last four songs would not play. The second replacement was stolen along with a batch of other much missed albums. I think this particular Def CD gets more undeserved hate than any other (I would claim that for "Slang" but that one *did* suck). "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" and "Tonight" are two of the best songs the band has cut and "Have U Ever Needed Someone So Bad" always turns on my waterworks. Not at their peak, but still a super disc.
XSavior - Caleidoscope
Still listening to this... it's very progressive and I'm having a hard time really immersing myself into the cd to review it properly. By the time I finally feel like I can write about it, it will probably be a year old. But atleast no one can say "YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT ONE MORE" when the final verdict comes down. That always irritates me, y'know, because I put in many spins on a disc before I can finally feel comfortable enough to review it and stick by my opinion.
Journey - Generations
Which brings me to this again. I hauled this disc all over New England and back, and even after I have reviewed it, it seems like I am missing something. Some key to unlock a treasure trove stacked with the jewels of greatness. But alas, it's still out of reach. Either that, or the mythical awesomeness just doesn't exist here. *sigh*
Icon - Night of the Crime
Hell yea! ICON! Or more like..."oh how nice...Icon!" Too bad this was the only disc they put out with this singer that was AOR. The other one was more hard rock, but this thing is pure magic through and through. The first five songs are picture perfect examples of the finest AOR. The kind of music that is the standard for the rest. "Missing" is especially tasty and "Naked Eyes".
Lake of Tears - Forever Autumn
"To Blossom Blue" is to blossom without you... aaawww this disc always gets me. Lake of Tears perfected the emotion of distraught, downtrodden depression with this masterpiece. Then there's "Demon You (Lily Anne)"... repetitive, to the point where its almost a chant, but so cool...so cool.
Conception - Flow
Progressive metal these days... it just doesn't measure up to the best from our past. Dream Theater "Awake" for instance, Shadow Gallery "Tyranny", or "Flow". These albums were so unique and broke ground all over the place. These days it's like they are trying TOO hard... anyhow, Khan and company had it together for their final fling. Memories takes me back to first hearing a scratchy stream of "Gethsemane" off of Noise Records' website which I used to LIVE on everyday before they went to crap years ago. They would pack their site full of soundclips and sold me more discs that way than you could possibly count. Hours would be spent checking out new bands, but this song "Gethsemane"... I heard the clip and was absolutely hooked. Listened to that low quality, horrible sounding real audio stream compulsively and shivers ran up and down my spine each time.. and you know what? Even to this day, no matter how crappy the equipment the disc is being played on, it still gets the same reaction. The song is genius. Couple that with the simplistic, heart wrenching ballad "Hold On", and that's enough right there to make a classic. Of course the rest of the disc is good too but those two songs...man oh man... it's a shame this one is mostly a lost and forgotten piece of the metal puzzle.
Whitesnake - Slide It In
What a sex charged one this is! I had forgotten about it's raw passionate power till somehow "Love Ain't No Stranger" trapped itself in my head one night and the CD just HAD to be revisited. "Hungry For Love" and the enthralling hot, sweaty and powerful "All Or Nothing" are staples of Whitesnake goodness before they went overly commercial. "Standing in the Shadow" is sultry and "Slide It In" coupled with "Slow an' Easy" is a one-two punch of sexy, sexy sleaze. David's voice was so masculine and seductive, with this youthful sheen over the soulfulness lying underneath and John Sykes' guitar was the perfect combo of blues and bite
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