The very first metal blog I discovered, Metal Odyssey, is calling it quits after twenty years. Stone, the author, states that his traffic has decreased significantly and doesn’t have the support. From my own viewpoint, through reading his posts, I have been able to learn about new metal bands, albums and even had heads up on bands who would be touring around my area. It’s a damn shame to see him go. Therefore, I implore all my readers to click the link below and visit his page and show your support. Who knows, the next time it could be you.
Looking back on yesterday’s post, I realized I posted the song “Wake of Magellan” twice, the second one being where “Hall of the Mountain King” should be. I’m surprised and a little relieved no one pointed this out. So, as a special bonus, here’s the title track, my favouirte for “Hall of the Mountain King.”
After a successful joint post with 2Loud where we ranked Survivor albums from worst to first, I have decided to do it again, only this time with Mike Ladano. From our years of reading each other’s posts, we have learned that both of us are big Savatage fans. Therefore, it seemed mandatory that we write a joint post ranking Savatage albums from worst to first. The only difference is that this time, my sister Dawn and eldest son Jake are also offering their rankings as they are also big Savatage fans. It will be interesting to see which albums we agree on and how different our rankings are. So, enough of me rambling, here’s Savatage ranked from worst to first.
11, Fight For the Rock (1986)
It seems almost universally agreed that “Fight For the Rock” is the worst Savatage album, though I did point out the positives when I wrote about it. This album is too pop. Savatage were chasing hits and that’s the reason for this album. They do a cover of a 70s hit “Day After Day” but it lacks that Savatage metal influence. It is saying something when, at least in my opinion, the best song is a re-recording from the debut album.
10l Poets and Madmen (2001)
Here’s where some people might think I am a madman. First of all, this album is many steps above the one at the bottom, “Poets and Madmen” is a damn fine album. My only issue is that while there are some great tracks on the album, none of them would make my top ten list of Savatage songs. I have always considered the album the band’s last hurrah as it is their final studio album. “The Rumour” is my favourite track on the album and “Morphine Child” is also a great track. .
9. Guitar Ballet (1989)
Actually, it took a couple of listens between this one and “Poets and Madmen” to decide which got nine and which ten. “Guitar Ballet” won out for two reasons. One, Criss Oliva lays down some cool solos on it and two: it hosts my all time favourite Savatage song, “When the Crowds Are Gone” and the title track would make my top ten, maybe even five. What lets the album is that there are no real standout songs on the second side, “Mentally Yours” being the one exception. If the second side was as good as the first, I would have it higher in my rankings.
8. Power of the Night (1985)
When I wrote my post for “Power of the Night,” I said that I thought it was a rough draft for their breakout album which would come two years later and is ranked at number three. There are some very strong tracks on the album and the band’s hunger is plain to hear. In fact, there are no tracks I would consider weak, just maybe needing a bit more polish which would come on future albums. “Warriors” and “Necrophilia” are the best tracks here but hearing this album and the one which would come two year later, I am led to question further about what were they thinking with “Fight for the Rock?”
7. Handful of Rain (1994)
Credit to Jon Oliva where credit is due. “Handful of Rain” was the first album following the tragic death of guitarist Criss, Jon’s brother. It is reported that the band was in disarray following Criss’s death. It is said that “Handful of Rain” is the Savatage album not made by Savatage. What happened was that Zack Stevens still handled the vocals and they got Alex Skolnick from Testament to play guitar but Jon came out of retirement and performed the bass and drum duties. Even with all of that, a great album came out if it. The title track and “Taunting Cobras” are my faves but I also really like “Castles Burning.”
6. Sirens (1983)
I feel that it’s only fitting that the debut album, “Sirens” gets the middle spot. While I didn’t listen to the album until many years later, I can hear the potential behind the band. It is said that the album is split between the commercial route they could have taken, (we see where that went with “Fight for the Rock”) and the more metal route which Savatage is famous for. What I love about the album is the fact that Criss is let off the leash and hammers our some really great guitar solos, especially on the last two tracks, “Scream Murder” and “Out on the Streets.”
5. Streets- A Rock Opera (1991)
“Streets” is what it says in the title, a rock opera. Jon and Criss always wanted to make such a concept album and boy, what a great job they did here. The story is about the rise and fall of DT Jesus and the songs tell the story very well as well as the great musicianship which the band is famous for. There are some great standout tracks here like “Jesus Saves,” “Strange Reality” and my personal favourite, “Somewhere in Time.” I think my problem is that I lost the CD so it doesn’t get regular listens and Christmas is over. Maybe I can put it on my birthday list for June.
4. Wake of Magellan (1998)
“Wake of Magellan” is another concept album and it’s also a great one. It tells three stories, one about a brave attempt by a ship’s boatswain to save a stowaway from being thrown overboard. The second is the story of Irish reporter Veronica Guerin who died fighting the drug trade in her country. The final is the who the album is named after, Ferdinand Magellan, sails out into the Atlantic to give himself a glorious death. However, he sees a man drowning and saves him, therefore, regretting his decision and chooses life. Many great tracks adorn the album, the title track for one and “Complaint in the System.” “Blackjack Guillotine” and “Turns To Me” are also great tracks.
3. Hall of the Mountain King
I said when I posted about the album and I’ll say it again, “Hall of the Mountain King” was the breakthrough album for Savatage. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this album has ten great tracks, so many I won’t list them individually but my favourite is there for a listen. HoMK is the only album from the 1980s to make my top five but it definitely deserves its place. Jon”s refined shrieks of terror accompanied by Criss’s guitar make this album what it is.
2. Dead Winter Dead (1995)
Another great concept album focusing on the war in what was Yugoslavia which was going on at the time it was made. Listening to the tracks, I can hear why I think this is their best concept album, especially with all of those tracks. Criss Oliva might have no longer been with us but Al Pitrelli and Chris Cafferey do a great job in his place. Again, too many great songs to listen individually but my two favourites here both begin with “This.” The title track makes a good change up.
Edge of Thorns (1993)
There are several reasons why “Edge of Thorns” takes the number one spot. For one, this was the last album with Criss before his tragic death. It’s also the first album to feature Zack Stevens on vocals and his vocals gave the album the extra lift it needed. Of course the number of great tracks on the album has a lot to do with it as well although I still can’t figure out who Skraggy is and what’s so special about his tomb. A very personal reason why “Edge of Thorns” is number one is because the track “All That I Bleed” helped me get through the break up of my first marriage.
That was my list but now it’s time to share my sister’s and son’s lists.
My sister Dawn
Dawn’s List:
Note: she refused to rank Savatage’s first three albums as she feels they were unworthy.
8. Poets and Madmen
7. Wake of Magellan
6. Streets
5. Hall of the Mountain King
4. Guitar Ballet
3. Edge of Thorns
2. Handful of Rain
Dead Winter Dead
My son Jake in the front. It’s also his third anniversary so will everyone please which him and his wife Grace a Happy Anniversary!
Jake’s List:
11. Fight For the Rock
10. Power of the Night
9. Sirens
8. Handful of Rain
7. Hall of the Mountain King
6. Wake of Magellan
5. Guitar Ballet
4. Edge of Thorns
3. Streets
2. Dead Winter Dead
Poets and Madmen
That was the Savatage rankings from Dawn, Jake and myself and you can check out Mike’s rankings here: https://wp.me/p2hc2t-zLK
Next post: Happy New Year
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
The big question I ask myself in regards to RATT’s 1988 album, “Reach for the Sky,” is: Were they on a downward slope? While the album would go platinum and reach 82 in the UK charts, it failed to really make a dent. In 1988, I didn’t even know this album was out at the time. It didn’t help that the two singles released from the album, “I Want a Woman” and “Way Cool Jr.” failed to break into the top 40 in the US, let alone the UK. Funny thing is that when comparing the singles to those from the previous album, “Dancing Undercover,” I like these two more, especially “I Want a Woman,” which is more of a throwback to their former days of glory. Then again, “Way Cool Jr.” has a nice swagger to it.
My hypothesis for the album not getting the love it deserved is that many people might have been in agreement with my sister who claimed that by the previous album, they should change their name to RUTT. However, after re-familiarizing myself with the album, I think it’s pretty good. Definitely better than the previous album in my opinion although still not as good as the first two. “City to City” gives the album a promising start with straight forward heavy metal. It definitely got my attention for the rest of the album.
Following the two singles is a definite throwback to RATT’s early days with “Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds.” This one has a hard rocking edge while at the same time letting you know it’s a RATT song. Stephen’s vocals are better though the guitar solo could have been a little longer. It gives me the impression that it was played by Robbin because Warren definitely hammers some of the band’s best guitar solos in the past. “I Want to Love You Tonight” starts with a very cool acoustic guitar before going full power chords. I have to admit, it’s a pretty cool power ballad and I can’t help thinking that it’s definitely Warren on the guitar solo here. Am I right in assuming that most of the metal world thought that Warren was the better guitarist of the two? In any case, “I Want to Love You Tonight” is my hidden gem on the album.
Side two brought up a second question for me. Would “Reach for the Sky” follow “Dancing Undercover” with an inferior second side? Kick off track, “Chain Reaction” states that you have nothing to worry about with the second half of the album. It’s as close as RATT would come to speed metal but it’s a strong powerful track and it’s good to see them just go for it here. Melodic power chords on “No Surprise” go further to hold the second half of the album up to the first. It’s more early RATT but at the same time, sounds fresh. By this point, I feel safe to say that RATT were no longer in a rut.
Concern three in regards to the previous album. With that album, I thought the last three tracks were okay by uninspiring. “Bottom Line” with its cool lead guitar intro reassures that it won’t be the case. The band just keeps doing what they had done so far and produce another catchy headbanger. Another plus for the album is that penultimate track, “What’s It Gonna Be,” isn’t the weakest link. It holds its own and not one to skip. Closer, “What I’m After” rocks the album out to a great conclusion.
Track Listing:
City to City
I Want a Woman
Way Cool Jr.
Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds (note: this song was used by pro wrestler Brian Pillman for his ring entry)
I Want to Love You Tonight
Chain Reaction
No Surprise
Bottom Line
What’s It Gonna Be
What I’m After
Ratt
Stephen Pearcy- lead vocals
Warren DeMartini- guitar, backing vocals
Robbin Crosby- guitar, backing vocals
Juan Crocier- bass, backing vocals
Bobby Blotzer- drums, percussion, harmonica, washboard
For me, “Reach for the Sky” was a noticeable improvement from the previous album. That begs the question, Why wasn’t it more popular? Maybe fair weather metal crowd had given up on them but they did enough for the hardcore fans.
Franco Harris
On a non music related note, not only great musicians are leaving us, but also some great sports stars. Two days ago, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris passed away. He was largely responsible for me becoming a Steelers fan as he was the one who caught the ‘immaculate deflection’ in the 1972 playoffs and ran it in for a touchdown. The saddest part is that Franco passed away just three days before the 50th anniversary of his great achievement.
Rest in peace Franco Harris
Next post: Merry Christmas
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
There has been much negative talk over the years in regards to Judas Priest’s 1988 album, “Ram It Down.” I agree that it doesn’t reach the heights of colossal albums like “Screaming for Vengeance” and “British Steel” nor does it even come close to two very underrated albums, “Point of Entry” and “Defenders of the Faith.” “However, I must give the album credit where credit is due, I thought it was better than “Turbo.”
It was plain from the opening title track that Judas Priest was determined to put their synthesized previous album behind them and get back to basics. “Ram It Down” comes out of the blocks at 500 mph with the determination of pounding your ears into submission. It also host the first of a number of great guitar solo tradeoffs between KK and Glenn. Then with “Heavy Metal,” following an interesting guitar intro, they try to recapture the formula which made those great albums mentioned in the first paragraph what they were. This track sounds a little like the bastard child of “Better By You, Better Than Me” and “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll.” There are many cool guitar riffs, hooks and solos in the song.
Judas Priest continue their all out assault over the next two songs starting with a cool drum solo to start, “Love Zone.” The chorus on the song is quite catchy and does bring back memories of their former glories. While critics said that the album brought nothing new to the table, on this track, it didn’t need to. Instead, they remind you of what they did to get you listening to them in the first place. I can pretty much say the same on “Come and Get It,” although that has a cool guitar intro and great riffs and solos throughout the song instead. Then we come to the hidden gem, “Hard as Iron.” Not only does this track capture the glory days, it does so without sounding like you’ve heard this all before. That chorus blows my mind away and the solo tradeoff is damn cool.
The second half of the album starts off with the more progressive metal sounding “Blood Red Skies.” The way out intro lets you know that this is going to be more than an assault on the ear drums. The acoustic guitars and Rob’s more sombre vocals stamp it as fact. The only problem is that after the intro synths and drum machines reminding you of “Turbo” do threaten to put one off the song. However, the guitars and Rob’s falsetto vocals spear any thoughts of a return to the previous album. Actually, the track is well placed as the change up keeps the interest and thought it’s nearly eight minutes long, it never gets boring.
If you want a song which is pure traditional Judas Priest, then I give you “I’m a Rocker.” While slammed for being nothing new, it is a great reminder of something old and after “Turbo,” I think this was what they needed. Following on is a cool cover of the Chuck Berry classic, “Johnny B. Goode.” This appears on the “Greatest Hits” album and I can see why it would be there. One question I ask about a lot of albums is why least strongest track is used as a penultimate track. AC/DC did this a lot and I have to say it’s the case here. “Love You to Death” isn’t a bad track but is the one which sounds a bit tired. However, “Monsters of Rock” closes the album out superbly. The song may have an impending doom feel but tells you that Judas Priest weren’t finished yet.
Track Listing:
Ram It Down
Heavy Metal
Love Zone
Come and Get It
Hard as Iron
Blood Red Skies
I’m a Rocker
Johnny B. Goode
Love You To Death
Monsters of Rock
Judas Priest
Rob Halford- vocals
Glenn Tipton- guitars, synthesizer
KK Downing- guitar
Ian Hill- bass
David Holland- drums, drum machine
Some people were ready to give up on Judas Priest after “Turbo” and even after this one. Fortunately, most of the masses didn’t and they are still out there blowing people away. “Ram It Down,” while no where near those classic from the late 1970s and early 80s, it was a step back in the right direction after what many called a misstep.
Next post: RATT- Reach For the Sky
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Having listened to Iron Maiden’s last two studio albums, “The Book of Souls” and “Senjutsu,” recently and then rediscovering the 1988 “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son,” I can’t help noticing some similarities. When I listened to the album for the first time after quite a few years, I thought that it reminded me a lot of those other two albums. Opener “Moonchild” starts with an acoustic intro with soft vocals from Bruce before going into traditional Maiden territory. You know, the rhythmic power chords, Steve’s bass, Bruce’s versatile vocals and a cool guitar solo. It sets things up nicely for the rest of the album.
Follow on track, “Infinite Dreams” is definitely what I loved about Iron Maiden at the time. A lead guitar intro which goes into a more softer rock song, though I like the guitar hooks in the background before things liven up a lot. Nicko’s drumming takes command on the song leading it into a cool change up in the middle and then possibly the best guitar solo on the album. What I didn’t know was that it was released as a single to coincide with the release of the 1989 video “Maiden England.” Still, I will call it the hidden gem on the album.
As for singles, there are three. The most notable of this is “Can I Play With Madness” which went to number three in the UK charts. The other two singles, “The Evil That Men Do” and “The Clairvoyant,” peaked at five and six respectively. Back then, I always counted it as a victory for metal when a metal song breached the top ten in the charts. For me it was sticking a middle finger up at the establishment, which was great. With that said, all three songs deserved their places there. None of them were altered to meet accepted musical trends at the time but simply was Iron Maiden doing what they do best. On the other hand, and I hope American readers will correct me if I’m wrong, none of these songs made much of an impact on the Billboard charts most likely down to the lack of play on American radio. I don’t blame the band one bit for being pissed off at American radio at the time.
If there is any track which gives weight to the links I have drawn between “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” and the last two albums, it has to be the title track. First of all, the song is over nine minutes long. It starts out in a progressive metal style with some high vocals before the guitars crunch in. Similarities with “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” can be drawn here, especially in the middle of the song with the light guitar and bass instrumental and then Bruce’s spoken word telling us about the seventh son of the seventh son. One difference is the choir sounding vocals accompanied by synthesizers which almost lull you to sleep before hitting you over the head with a guitar solo trade off which goes on for the final few minutes of the song.
Not the hidden gem, “The Prophecy” is still a great song. The intro is in line with the concept of the album and Bruce’s vocals take command. You got an almost hypnotic guitar solo at first before it explodes into a mega one. Still, it’s Bruce that makes this song tick. Following “The Clairvoyant” and closing out the album is “Only the Good Die Young.” No, it’s not a Billy Joel cover! Instead, it’s a fast paced metal rocker which takes the album out in a fine frenzy.
Track Listing:
Moonchild
Infinite Dreams
Can I Play With Madness
The Evil That Men Do
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Prophecy
The Clairvoyant
Only the Good Die Young
Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson- vocals
Steve Harris- bass, synthesizers
Adrian Smith- guitar, synthesizer
Dave Murray- guitar
Nicko McBrain- drums
Iron Maiden were sitting on top of the metal world in 1988, although they’re pretty much still doing that today. They could do no wrong in 88 and “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” is a reason why. Even if American radio (fools they are) didn’t take notice.
Next post: For the next couple of weeks, I will be cutting my album reviews to one a week. This is because I am writing a joint post with another blogger ranking albums. Unlike the joint post I wrote with 2Loud, this band has a few more albums I need to listen to. So next week’s post will be: Judas Priest- Ram It Down
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Two great albums with two cool instrumentals. If any band broke the stereotypes of thrash metal, it would be Metallica. When I wrote about the “And Justice For All” album last post, I stated about how enthralled I was with the penultimate track, the instrumental “To Live is to Die.” However, it also led me into comparisons with the penultimate track from the “Master of Puppets” album, “Orion.” Therefore, I am going to feature both songs, give my verdict and invite all of you to do the same. Remember, dissenting opinions are definitely welcome here.
Metallica with Cliff
“Orion” begins things in a very basic form with the rhythm guitars setting the pace and providing a building block for when the song progresses. You get a guitar solo from Kirk and then it goes back to the rhythm guitar and Lars’s drumbeat. At the midpoint, Cliff’s bass comes in for a brief solo and that leads things to go more progressive metal. Kirk plays a melodic solo backed up by a rather progressive bassline. That in turn builds up into some more cool guitar work and a solid power chord from James which in turn, spurs the song on to go out in more metal way.
“To Live Is To Die” opens with an acoustic guitar leading some to believe that this is going to be one of those acoustic instrumental ballads. However, that suddenly stops and some hard core power chords come pounding in with a cool and catchy metallic vibe. The tempo changes keep things interesting and with some lead guitar as an added attraction. However, Kirk is totally let off the lead around the three minute mark and cranks out a cool guitar solo with some changes in the melody. Once again, though, you get another change up with a soft electric guitar and for those who say they didn’t hear it, I can hear Jason’s bassline at this point and it sounds all right. A minute or so later, the song perks up again with some more guitar work from Kirk. Of course, I can’t leave out the spoken word part and it does fit in perfectly here. With a drumroll from Lars, the song goes full metal until the final thirty seconds where it goes back to being acoustic and ends the song perfectly.
Metallica with Jason
My verdict: I honestly believe that after “Orion,” Metallica thought that let’s make a good instrumental even better. “Orion” is a great instrumental but to me, it’s clear that “To Live is To Die” is an improvement and therefore the winner. However, you are all free to state which song you like better.
Next post: Iron Maiden- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
In the opinion of many, the 1988 albums I have already featured from two of the big four, Anthrax and Slayer, didn’t meet the bar set by their blockbuster previous albums. While I can somewhat agree on a small scale, I think those albums were great in their own right, I’ve already said so. Therefore, the question for Metallica’s “And Justice for All” album is if it lived up to the bar set by the previous defining album, “Master of Puppets.” Well, the fact that this was Metallica’s best selling album would answer the question in the affirmative.
My problem, although I wouldn’t call it a problem, is that “Master of Puppets” is my all time favourite Metallica album. So, where does that leave “And Justice for All?” The answer is quite simple, this album is a fantastic album. Metallica don’t lose any of the hunger they displayed when they recorded “Master of Puppets.” They still want to blow your mind at 300 mph and pound you into submission with power chords. Plus, the comparisons between these two iconic albums are plain to see. Take the first track, like my all time favourite Metallica song, “Battery,” “Blackened” also grabs you by the throat and demands that you are going to listen to this album to the death. They just do it slightly different. Instead of an acoustic guitar intro, “Blackened” opens with a more mellow lead guitar interlude, that’s how it sounds to me anyway, before going all out assault.
The title track is one reason this album falls ever so slightly below its predecessor. While it was good that they kept the same format, on “Master of Puppets,” you have eight songs in fifty-five minutes, they go beyond that on a couple of the songs here. While I love the title track, I do think it goes on a little too long and I can see why after playing it live, Kirk Hammett stated that they’re weren’t going to play that fucking song again. Then there is the case of two songs, which were ironically released as singles which, while great songs, aren’t as spectacular as the rest. I’m talking about “Eye of the Beholder” and “Harvester of Sorrow.” For me, they are slightly below the others on the album but here’s the thing, if they were on some of Metallica’s other albums, they would be the best songs on that album. That’s an indication of just how good “And Justice for All” is.
Speaking of singles, if you really want one from the album, then “One” is your single. What Metallica did here was to take everything which they did so well on the previous album and put it all into this song. The haunting slow parts, the guitar hooks of Kirk and the speed metal bits. Plus there is the spoken parts which add to the sinister feeling of the song and though it doesn’t come until the final quarter of the song, Kirk does lay down a mean guitar solo. This song is just brilliant and screw MTV and the radio stations for not playing it.
Following the best single on the album is the hidden gem, “The Shortest Straw.” It is simply Metallica doing what Metallica does best, going all out thrash. One outside criticism which has been aimed at the album is that Jason’s bass was significantly turned down on the album. Well, I get to hear it quite well on this track and it lays down the groove which the guitars and frantic drumming of Lars follow on with.
Again, finding very hard not to compare “And Justice For All” with “Master of Puppets,” I find a near similarity with the penultimate tracks. Anyone who knows anything about Metallica knows what a great instrumental “Orion” is on said previous album. Except for four lines of spoken word written by the late Cliff Burton and left in as a tribute to him, the rest of “To Live is to Die” is pretty much an instrumental. Like “Orion,” it’s masterfully done and dispels the belief held by Duranie types at the time that thrash metal musicians were only capable of playing two chords. This has given my an idea for my next post as I am heading north to play Santa Claus for some of my step-grandchildren and am not able to give a full length album the attention it deserves. I’m going to feature the two songs and see which one if either is better.
Track Listing:
Blackened
And Justice For All
Eye of the Beholder
One
The Shortest Straw
Harvester of Souls
The Frayed Ends of Sanity
To Live is to Die
Dyers Eve
Metallica
James Hetfield- vocals, rhythm guitar acoustic guitar, second solo on “To Live is To Die”
Kirk Hammett- lead guitar
Jason Newsted- bass
Lars Ulrich- drums
For all of my comparisons between this one and Metallica’s previous album, I will say that “And Justice for All” is a magnificent album in its own right. My second favourite of all time and it’s clear why whenever I listen to it.
Next post: Orion vs. To Live is to Die
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
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