Great Metal Albums of 1982: Black Sabbath- Live Evil

Perhaps it’s something to do with having black in the title of the bands’ names but like Blackfoot in 1982, the mighty Black Sabbath also recorded a live album in the same year. Like the former, Black Sabbath were riding high on the wave of two very successful studio albums, “Heaven and Hell” and “The Mob Rules.” It could be argued that with great albums such as these and a further legacy of great albums with the previous lead singer, it is only logical that they put out a live album.

“Live Evil” is everything I would expect from a live Black Sabbath album. It’s a fine marriage of the great songs they were playing at the time from the last two albums and their classic older hits. I can easily imagine myself sitting in the audience, my anticipation ready to explode through the roof with the introduction of “E5150” and then having it actually do so when the band explodes into “Neon Knights.” What a great song to open the show with. Then lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio shows right away that he can handle the Ozzy era songs in the way he sings “N.I.B.” I am very tempted to actually take Lucifer’s hand when I hear him sing the line. Then comes my favourite Dio era Sabbath song and possibly my second favourite over all, “Children of the Sea.” Maybe with this one, it was a good idea that I wasn’t in the audience at some arena but listening at home. There I could jump around to the song totally unheeded.

Black Sabbath live

Following “Voodoo” from “The Mob Rules” album, which is also nicely done, the band launch three of the best known Sabbath classics, “Black Sabbath,” “War Pigs” and “Iron Man,” the middle song being my all time favourite Sabbath jam. There is no need to repeat myself as to how well Dio handles the Ozzy songs, so I’ll comment about the musicianship, especially the guitar playing of one Tony Iommi. He simply cooks, not only on these three songs but the entire album. We are also treated to a drum solo from Vinnie Appice following “War Pigs” although I have heard mixed comments about this. All I know is that it sounds okay to me. However, going back to Tony, it’s “Heaven and Hell” where he really cooks. The song is twelve minutes long and most of that is him just laying down some cool guitar work. If I had been in the audience, I would be definitely holding my cigarette lighter high in the air.

“Heaven and Hell” serves as a great climax to the show. The final songs, “Sign of Southern Cross” combined with the remainder of “Heaven and Hell” lead things out nicely. However, if Black Sabbath left the stage at this point, I would have been one of the many thousands screaming for their return. Of course, as the album shows, they played the all too familiar “Paranoid” and end things with “Children of the Grave.” While, I would have been booing when the main lights came back on, I would have still left with a very contented feeling that I had witnessed a piece of history.

Track Listing:

1. E5150

2. Neon Knights

3. N.I.B.

4. Children of the Sea

5. Voodoo

6. Black Sabbath

7. War Pigs

8. Iron Man

9. The Mob Rules

10. Heaven and Hell

11. Sign of the Southern Cross/Heaven and Hell

12. Paranoid

13. Children of the Grave

14. Fluff

Black Sabbath

Ronnie James Dio- vocals

Tommy Iommi- guitar

Geezer Butler- bass

Vinnie Appice- drums

Like some of the live albums I covered in 1982, at the time, this was the closest I had come to seeing them live. Fortunately, in the case of Black Sabbath, that would change a year later, so be prepared for when I visit that album. But if you haven’t seen them live, then “Live Evil” is the best alternative to it.

Next post: Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

 

 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1982: Aerosmith- Rock in a Hard Place

Two reasons exist for why I have never listened to Aerosmith’s 1982 album “Rock in a Hard Place” until this week. Yes, I hang my head in shame and will whip myself mercilessly for this transgression. If I may address the court, my first defense is of course, being in the military and spending eight months out of the twelve in this year overseas. A lot of music passed by without my notice. The second reason was that between the years of 1980-85, I considered Aerosmith to be lost in the rock wilderness. In my mind and many others too, they had truly gone from musicians dabbling in drugs to druggies dabbling in music. I don’t know if was during the tour for this album but I heard a story that when they played live, a roadie would have a collapsible table near the stage and every time there was a guitar solo, Steve Tyler would go to that table and snort the eight lines of coke that the roadie had laid out for him. However, like so much of the stories like that, it was probably more hype than truth.

So what did I think of my introduction to “Rock in a Hard Place?” For one, it wasn’t the diamond in the rough that lain hidden for over 30 years. I wouldn’t hold in the same regard as I do classics like “Toys in the Attic” or “Get Your Wings.” However, I do think it was better than the 1979 “Night in the Ruts.” While the first few songs of “Rock in a Hard Place” is a bit of the dirge that its predecessor was, the second half of the album for me is quite good. While, I like the intro of “Jailbait” and it is better than the next two songs, which ironically are the two singles released from the album, it doesn’t really grab me until track four, “Bolivian Ragamuffin.” One surprise is that I have to say that “Cry Me A River” is their best ever attempt at a power ballad and that includes some of their better known ones in the 90s. “Joanie’s Butterfly is a decent tune but my favourite on the album is definitely the title track. It seems that on “Rock in a Hard Place,” the band came down long enough to just relax and enjoy making music. If I listened to the album when I should have, I would have said to the band, “Remember when you you to sound like this?” at the title track. Saying that, the best song is followed on by the last two which take the album out nicely. “Push Comes to Shove” is a very tidy closer.

I would be negligent in my duties if I didn’t point out that this was the album without guitarist Joe Perry and rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford would leave during the recording. In fact, he only plays on “Lightning Strikes.” I must say that from the solos, I thought that Jimmy Crespo is a good guitarist in his own right. At least enough where I never found myself saying “Come back Joe, all is forgiven.”

Track Listing:

1. Jailbait

2. Lightning Strikes

3. Bitches Brew

4. Bolivian Ragamuffin

5. Cry Me a River

6. Prelude to Joanie

7. Joanie’s Butterfly

8. Rock in a Hard Place

9. Jig is Up

10. Push Comes to Shove

Aerosmith line up for Rock in a Hard Place

Steve Tyler- vocals

Jimmy Crespo- guitar, backing vocals

Rick Dufay- guitar

Tom Hamilton- bass

Joey Krammer- drums

For a band in the wilderness, it could be said that Aerosmith were calling out to be found. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear them at the time. If I had heard this album back then, I would have most certainly listened to it. But as they say, better late than never.

Next post: Black Sabbath- Live Evil

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishingroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Amazon and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1982: Blue Oyster Cult- Extra-Terrestrial Live

 

Just back from a nice weekend break at Butlin’s Holiday Camp in Minehead and it was nice to get away for a few days. The downside was since places like Butlin’s are family oriented, there is little scope for metal. We took the grandkids to a panto of Aladdin where I witnessed an act of sacrilege. In the panto, Aladdin and Jasmine sang a duet of the classic Guns ‘N Roses song “Sweet Child of Mine.” Of course, they tried to make it sound cute and that’s bad enough. However, they made it worse by fusing it with “Living On a Prayer.” It drew a big WTF? from this person. After the panto there was a group called The Ragdolls who were a tribute Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons act. They were okay but what I found amusing was the guitarist. When allowed, he could really wail and I got the vibe that he would rather be wailing away on some great rock as opposed to playing Four Seasons’ songs. Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures.

1982 featured two magnificent live albums from bands I’ve never seen live and with both, the results are the same: After listening to those albums, I regret not having seen them live even more. I’ve already visited the first album, Blackfoot’s “Highway Song” and the second one is Blue Oyster Cult’s “Extra- Terrestrial Live.” All but two songs were recorded during the “Fire of Unknown Origin” tour, the band’s previous album, so you know that this live album is going to be great straight away. The three songs that appear from that album sound even better live! The piano intro on “Joan Crawford” sounds even more eerie and they don’t leave out the sound effects like the screeching brakes, which some bands tend to do live. Even “Burning for You” has a more upbeat feel that makes you think you’re in the arena pumping your first along to the song. However, both of those songs pale to the live version of “Veteran of 1000 Psychic Wars.” The song is extended to include some great guitar soloing from Buck Dharma. That takes nothing from the rest of the song where the keyboards sound just as fresh as when done in the studio. Fantastic!

Being a live album, Blue Oyster Cult don’t disappoint with some of their classics from the 70s. No gold stars given for stating the obvious, “Don’t Fear The Reaper” being the closer. After all it’s their best known song. At the other end, “Dominance and Submission” is certainly a good song to open the show with and “Cities on Flame” and “Dr Music” are both great songs to follow on from that. Furthermore, Blue Oyster Cult show their versatility by playing an excellent cover of The Doors classic, “Roadhouse Blues,” although I’m not too sure about Eric Bloom’s tale about buying a six pack from the Seven-Eleven. It doesn’t ruin the song though but that’s hard to do. Like with all the songs mentioned, I was also very impressed with the live version of “Black Blade.” They make that song come alive for real.

Saving the best for last, my all time personal BOC favourite, “Godzilla.” It begins with one of the best live introductions to a song ever. Marrying past with then present, Eric Bloom explains to the crowd how the Cold War and nuclear testing caused a monster frozen in ice to come back to life. It is a fine intro before it rips into the great song I know it for. It is here where they fully launch into their famous three guitar attack and the pausing to hear bombs dropping is just superb and makes the song that much better. While any song following “Godzilla” would work here, it just so happens that with “Extra- Terrestrial Live,” that song is “Veteran of 1000 Psychic Wars.” Sheer brilliance if you ask me.

Track Listing:

1. Dominance and Submission

2. Cities on Flame

3. Dr Music

4. The Red and The Black

5. Joan Crawford

6. Burning For You

7. Roadhouse Blues

8. Black Blade

9. Hot Rails to Hell

10. Godzilla

11. Veteran of 1000 Psychic Wars

12. ETI (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)

13. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

Blue Oyster Cult

Eric Bloom- lead vocals, guitar, keyboards

Donald “Buck Dharma” Roesser- lead guitar, vocals

Alan Lanier- keyboards, guitar

Joe Bouchard- bass, vocals

Albert Bouchard- drums on tracks 1 and 8

Rick Downey- drums on all other tracks

 *Albert Bouchard was fired during the “Fire of Unknown Origin” tour and was replaced by roadie, Rick Downey

Wow, another great live album from a band I have never seen live. It’s no wonder I regret not having done so.

Next post: Aerosmith- Rock in a Hard Place

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1982: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- I Love Rock and Roll

Not long ago when I visited Pat Benatar’s “Get Nervous” album, I ended the post by saying that in 1982, someone would come along and usurp Pat’s throne as the queen of rock. Yes, I know I’ve just given it away, the usurper would be Joan Jett. Unlike Pat’s bloodless ascension to the throne in 1980, Joan’s would be a very bloody one in regards to music because as evidenced by the “Get Nervous” album, Pat Benatar was not going to give up the throne without a fight. So if we were to look at this coup, not in rock terms but in terms of medieval fantasy, which I love, it would have unfolded in two ways. If both ladies amassed armies, there would be lots of casualties, ransacked castles and burning villages on both sides. In the second scenario, if both ladies chose to forego the armies and engage in single combat, both would have had serious wounds inflicted on them by the other. However, the end result would have been the same, a victorious Joan Jett standing over a vanquished Pat Benatar.

This is what a clash of rock armies might have looked like

And if they engaged in single combat

Putting my love for fantasy aside, fortunately, there was no actual bloodshed. The reason why Joan Jett would usurp the crown as Queen of Rock is simply down to the fact that her album “I Love Rock and Roll” is just brilliant. I first heard about the album when my lieutenant shot it down saying the band only played two chords. If that’s true, then they were the right two chords. My first induction to the album was once I returned to the US, the title track was dominating the juke boxes in just about every bar I went to and the second single, “Crimson and Clover” an old number by Tommy James and the Shondells got a considerable amount of play too. Furthermore, this would be the first and probably only album that had two songs that were common favourites of different dancers at the Driftwood. A dancer named Angie really knew how to move to “I Love Rock and Roll.” She made that song come to life almost. “Crimson and Clover” was finely manipulated by a dancer named Mary. Trust me, watching her work her magic to that song was something else. It is little wonder why I have fond memories of both of these songs.

Because the two hit singles from the album were classics written by others in another era, it has been surmised by some that Joan’s song writing is not up to much. When I listen to the other songs, I disagree. What those songs do is set an interesting vibe for the rest of the album. If I could give this album a theme, it would be “The early rock and roll years transformed to metal.” Many of the songs do have a vibe like they could have been written in the 1950s or early 60s but that hard guitar sound blows everything out of the water. Joan Jett writes the other ones that make the album for me like “(I’m Gonna) Run Away,” “Love is Pain” and “Victim of Circumstance” and while she didn’t write “Nag,” I’m going to mention it here anyway, I like it. How Joan Jett and the Blackhearts version of “Little Drummer Boy” missed my favourite Christmas song list, I’ll never know.

While it’s easy to sing the praises of Joan Jett, you can’t take anything away from her band. Along with Joan, who should have been included in my list of great rhythm guitarists, Gary Ryan and Lee Crystal provide a solid rhythm section and while I don’t know which guitarist does which solos but I am impressed by Rick Byrd and Irvan Arifin Harahap. These boys definitely played a key role in Joan’s ascension to the rock throne.

Track Listing:

1. I Love Rock and Roll

2. (I’m Gonna) Run Away

3. Love is Pain

4. Nag

5. Crimson and Clover

6. Victim of Circumstance

7. Bits and Pieces

8. Be Straight

9. You’re Too Possessive

10. Little Drummer Boy

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Joan Jett- lead vocals, guitar

Gary Ryan- bass, backing vocals

Irvan Arifin Harahap- guitar, vocals

Lee Crystal- drums

Rick Byrd- guitar

That is the story how Joan Jett became the new Queen of Rock in 1982 and arguably the first Queen of Metal. It is hard to fault it with a great album like “I Love Rock and Roll.”

Next post: Blue Oyster Cult- Extra Terrestrial Live

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

 

 

 

Great Soundtracks of 1982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Before I get started, let me be perfectly blunt here. I thought the movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” sucked. Not as much as my friend though because while I was willing to endure it to the end, he couldn’t take it and suggested we leave. I didn’t debate it. I know that it has been preserved on account of its apparent tackling of teen issues at the time. That may have been true but they could have made a better film to deliver the message. The only positive I found about the film was the stoner character played by Sean Penn, he was quite amusing.

Sean Penn in the film

Fortunately, a sucky film doesn’t mean that the soundtrack is going to be as bad. Any soundtrack that has such artists as Billy Squier, Don Felder, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Sammy Hagar has to be good. My hypothesis is that when deciding what songs to use on the soundtrack, someone suggested just how kick ass the soundtrack to “Heavy Metal” was so they brought in some of the same artists on “Fast Times.” Again, Sammy Hagar does the title cut and it’s good although I wouldn’t put it at the same level as the other film I mentioned here. It’s the same with Felder’s track. It’s good but it doesn’t measure up to “Heavy Metal Takin’ a Ride.” Then again, that is a very tough song to measure up to. On the other hand, I do prefer the offering from Stevie Nicks on this soundtrack and I really liked her song on “Heavy Metal.” Plus there are good contributions from the likes of Joe Walsh, Don Henley and Billy Squier as well.

Billy Squier  

Sammy Hagar

Stevie Nicks

Another comparison with “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Heavy Metal” is the fact that there are some good songs from unknown artists. The Rayvins “Raised on Radio” is a very pleasing hard rock track and it’s made me curious to hear what else they might have to offer. The same can be said for the songs by Graham Nash and Gerrard McMahon. Both deliver some decent rock here. However, they’re not the only ones. Jimmy Buffet and Poco both known more for their country rock sound go down a definite rockier route with the songs on this soundtrack. But the biggest surprise is from Donna Summer! The proclaimed Queen of Disco from the late 70s sings a blinder of a rock song on the soundtrack and all I can say is, “I’m impressed.”

Track Listing:

1. Jackson Browne- Somebody’s Baby

2. Joe Walsh- Waffle Stomp

3. Don Henley- Love Rules

4. Louise Goffin- Uptown Boys

5. Timothy B Schmit- So Much in Love

6. The Rayvins- Raised on Radio

7. Gerard McMahon- The Look In Your Eyes

8. The Go Go’s- Speeding

9. Don’t be Lonely- Quarterflash

10. Don Felder- Never Surrender

11. Billy Squier- Fast Times (The Best Years of Our Lives)

12. Sammy Hagar- Fast Times at Ridgemont High

13. Jimmy Buffet- I Don’t Know (Spicoli’s Theme)

14. Graham Nash- Love is the Reason

15. Poco- I’ll Leave it Up to You

16. Donna Summer- Highway Runner

17. Steve Nicks- Sleeping Angel

18. Palmer/Joist- She’s My Baby (And She’s Out of Control)

19. Oingo Boingo- Goodbye Goodbye

What can’t be faulted is that there is a great collection of songs here by some of the best artists who were around at the time. Many of whom are still going. What they did was come together to make a really cool soundtrack which leaves me thinking, “Shame about the movie.”

Next post: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- I Love Rock and Roll

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

Great Soundtracks of 1982: The Wall

For the life of me, I can’t remember much about this film. I did see it once many years ago but I had to read the synopsis on Wikapedia to remind myself what it was about. The reason for my lapsed memory on this occasion is the fact that like so many who watched the film at the time, I became like one of the songs suggests, “Comfortably Numb.” I can’t even remember if I liked it or not but nevertheless, the one thing no one can fault is that the soundtrack to it kicks ass.

What is really cool about the soundtrack is that Roger Waters doesn’t take the easy road here and just chuck in tracks from the album of the same name. It must have been very tempting to do that. There are some new songs introduced and many of the songs from the album had changes made to them with varying results in my view. A negative one and it is very minor is from the track “Goodbye Blue Sky.” They omit the child at the very beginning saying, “Look mummy, there’s an airplane in the sky.” While it’s a good song, that bit was always my favourite part of the song. “Mother” was remixed almost completely and I couldn’t hear the acoustic guitar along with the lyrics although I’ll admit that I have always loved the lyrics to the song and at least they left the guitar solo alone and that makes the song. However, the most noticeable change for  me is with “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” The teacher saying those amusing lines: “If you don’t eat your meat how can you have any pudding?” comes in during the children’s singing and is broken up. The following line of “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?” follows on a few lines later. Strangely, I find that this doesn’t effect my appreciation for the song at all. Other changes include vocal contributions from Bob Geldolf who played the lead role in the film and the inclusion of a brass band in the final song. None of these change the song for me as I can appreciate that Pink Floyd are talented enough to pull anything like this off. The two new songs, “When the Tigers Broke Free 1” and “When the Tigers Broke Free 2” are decent enough to be included in the soundtrack. Actually they make little impact on the quality of this great soundtrack.

A scene from The Wall

Track Listing:

1. When The Tigers Broke Free 1

2. In the Flesh

3. The Thin Ice

4. Another Brick in the Wall Part 1

5. When the Tigers Broke Free 2

6. Goodbye Blue Sky

7. The Happiest Days of Our Lives

8. Another Brick in the Wall Part 2

9. Mother

10. What Shall We Do Now

11. Young Lust

12. One of My Turns

13. Don’t Leave Me Now

14. Another Brick in the Wall Part 3

15. Goodbye Cruel World

16. Is There Anybody Out There

17. Nobody Home

18. Vera

19. Bring the Boys Back Home

20. Comfortably Numb

21. In the Flesh

22. Run Like Hell

23. Waiting for the Worms

24. 5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)

25. Stop

26. The Trial

27. Outside the Wall

I have heard this film rubbished by some people although I can’t see what they were expecting to find when they went to view it. Maybe they weren’t comfortably numb. Whether or not you like the film, you can’t fault the soundtrack, it is simply classic Pink Floyd doing what they did best.

Next post: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

Great Rock One Hit Wonders of 1982 and Other Significant Singles

My limited exposure to commercial radio during 1982 could be considered either a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it. While I didn’t think commercial radio totally sucked back then, there were some things played on it that I wasn’t totally impressed with. Sorry but “Tainted Love” only met with a lukewarm response from me and that was only because there was a dancer at the Driftwood who could work the song to her advantage. I suppose the best way to examine this is by looking at the one hit wonders from that year.

As soon as I returned to the US in June after my second and final deployment to the Mediterranean, I was aware that all the bars were playing “Jenny- 8675309” by Tommy Tutone on their jukeboxes. I can’t say that I really rocked out to the song but the melody was very catchy and when the title was sung, it stuck in your mind. The melody is going through my mind right now. I once heard a live version of this song and it did sound a bit harder rock and if Tommy had recorded the song that way, I would have liked it even more.

The Pretenders

All right already, I know that The Pretenders were not one hit wonders nor did they release an album in 1982. However, they did release one song and it was a killer one. “Back on the Chain Gang” is most definitely my all time favourite Pretenders song. This is the song where lead guitarist James Honeyman Scott really shines. He just riffs through the entire song and of course I won’t take anything away from Chrissie. Her vocals are as good as ever on this one. Maybe with a great song like this one, The Pretenders believed they didn’t need to make an entire album. Who’s to know?

The McKenzie Brothers

Okay, it’s not really a rock song, more of a comedy parody. But the single “Take Off” by the Canadian Comedy duo Bob and Doug McKenzie did break the top 40 in the US and I believe it went to number one in Canada! Maybe one of my Canadian followers can verify that for me. That fact alone qualifies them as one hit wonders in my reckoning although their version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is fourth favourite Christmas song. Another reason this qualifies as a rock song is the fact that none other than Geddy Lee sings the backing vocals on “Take Off.” That makes the single that much better. Saying that, the McKenzie Brothers do have me on the floor with laughter when I hear it, so take off you hoser!

Hank Williams Jr

Having spent the better part of four years in North Carolina, I could not help developing a little appreciation for country music. When asked who are my favourite country artists I answer that one is David Allen Coe and the other is Hank Williams Jr. While, I like a lot of Hank’s material the song I like best came out in 1982. “A Country Boy Can Survive” is just brilliant! From the lyrics all the way to the small but noticeable hard rock vibe to it. In fact, Kid Rock puts his own metal spin on it but I still prefer the original.

There you have, four great singles from 1982, two from one hit wonders, one from an established great band and a country song that thrills this metal head. So, maybe commercial radio didn’t suck then.

Next post: The Soundtrack to The Wall

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

Great Rock Albums of 1982: Jefferson Starship- Winds of Change

No, I haven’t fallen down a hole nor was I kidnapped by a raging gang of Boy George fans on account of my April Fool’s joke. The reason why I haven’t been around for the past few weeks was down to technical difficulties. Having a computer under warranty has distinct advantages but one disadvantage is that I had to wait nearly two weeks to have my new keyboard delivered. My stepson was kind enough to lend me his laptop from time to time so I was able to follow many of you whose blogs I get directly through email but he wouldn’t let me download photos or give me enough time to write a post. But that’s all over and I’m back! What no fanfare?

One very annoying misconception about hard rock and heavy metal is that every album from such an artist sounds the same. Yes, I scream “Bullshit!” when I hear this and the same was said back in 1982 when Jefferson Starship released their album “Winds of Change.” To the uneducated, it sounded just like their previous albums “Freedom at Point Zero” and “Modern Times.” I bet if they actually listened to all three albums, they would realise that they couldn’t have been more wrong.

First of all, when I listen to this album, I am reminded why Jefferson Starship was my favourite band from 1977-84. “Winds of Change” contains everything I liked about the band back then and it adds a few surprises. What I like most about the album is that Craig Chaquico is given free reign on the guitar. Every song has a killer solo or guitar break and in many cases, both. If you ever wondered just how good a lead guitarist he is, then listen to “Winds of Change” because it shows him at his best.

Let’s not take anything away from the rest of the band. Pete Sears still lays down some of his keyboard magic in songs like “Be My Lady” and “Can’t Find Love” as well as working well with Paul Kantner and Aynsley Dunbar to provide a cool rhythm section. Mickey Thomas is at his vocal best and this was the album that marked Grace Slick’s complete return to the band. Her vocals make one believe that she never left the band in the first place. She also leads the band with a small departure from the norm with the punk like “Out of Control.” Every time I hear that song, I just want to start pogo dancing.

While there’s not a bad track to be found on the album, the ones that stick out for me are the title track, the previously mentioned one, “Black Widow” where Grace makes the mating ritual of the black widow spider sound almost erotic and Paul Kantner makes his usual fine contribution with “I Came Back From the Jaws of the Dragon.” The song starts out about Kantner’s brain hemorrhage that might have killed him and his near miraculous recovery but in the Kantner style, goes political on Central America and crime and punishment. For the Jefferson Starship fan, there is everything to like on this album.

Track Listing:

1. Winds of Change

2. Keep on Dreamin’

3. Be My Lady

4. I Will Stay

5. Out of Control

6. Can’t Find Love

7. Black Widow

8. I Came Back From the Jaws of the Dragon

9. Quit Wasting Time

Jefferson Starship

Mickey Thomas- vocals

Grace Slick- vocals

Craig Chaquico- lead guitar, backing vocals

Paul Kantner- rhythm guitar, vocals

Pete Sears- keyboards, piano, synthesizer and bass on all tracks except “Be My Lady”

David Freiberg- vocals, keyboards, bass on “Be My Lady”

Aynsely Dunbar- drums, percussion

*Note: While Aynsely Dunbar played on the recording of the album, he would leave before the tour and was replaced by Donny Baldwin

A few years down the line, Mickey Thomas would use the observation I made earlier to justify the Starship’s later change in sound. But that story’s for another day. “Winds of Change” showed that Jefferson Starship could rock with the best of them.

Next post: Great Rock One Hit Wonders of 1982

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London