Great Metal Albums of 1989: Femme Fatale

As promised, I am posting about one of the albums from 1988, although it didn’t get really going until 1989, so I am still being accurate here, from the “Protect the Innocent” compilation. First up is the self titled album from Femme Fatale. Question: Am I the only one who, when hearing the bands name and the vocals, immediately jumped to the assumption that they were an all female band? Well, they’re not but saying that, lead singer, Lorraine Lewis has so much presence that it’s very easy to make such an assumption.

I can see why the song which appeared on the compilation album, “Falling In and Out of Love,” was the single from the album, It has that hard rock meets commercial viability vibe which such a song should have. I hope when you listened to it on the last post, you could feel Lorraine’s energy on it and the shredding is done well. I wish there was some note as to which guitarist solos on which track but there’s none. However, all of the first four songs on the album can fall into such a category. They are all in the same vein, although “Waiting for the Big One” is the right choice for the opener and “My Baby” has a sharper edge than the others.

Separating the more commercial first four songs from the harder final five is the power ballad, “Rebel.” While the other members of the band do their part well on it, it’s the charisma of Lorraine that makes the song. The power ballad is the stop gap between the two halves of the album as “Fortune and Fame” kicks off a more heavier sound for the remainder and gets your head banging straight away

I’ve also learned something new here. The track, “Touch and Go,” was also on the soundtrack for the film, “License to Drive.” I’ve never seen the movie but I enjoy the song. It does start with a pretty cool bass line. However, the hidden gem goes to “If.” This is the one where they put it all together and make a great metal tune. It sounds down and dirty, the band was definitely firing on all cylinders here. Great rhythm, cool shredding and of course, the vocals. “If” marks the final peak as while the two closing tracks are good, they don’t quite reach the dizzy heights.

Track Listing:

1. Waiting for the Big One
2. Falling In and Out of Love
3. My Baby
4. Back in Your Arms Again
5. Rebel
6. Fortune and Fame
7. Touch and Go
8. If
9. Heat the Fire
10. Cradle’s Rockin’

Femme Fatale

Lorraine Lewis- vocals, tambourine

Bill D’Angelo- guitar

Mazzi Rawd- guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Rick Rael- bass, backing vocals

Bobby Murray- drums, backing vocals

Like with many a band’s debut albums, this showed that Femme Fatale had the chops to go further but bad luck prevented this. The band dissolved and didn’t record another album until 2016. Shame really but with so many metal bands out there at the time, it was easy to fall through the cracks. As for Lorraine, well she now sings in an all female band called Vixen. You might have heard of them.

Next post: House of Lords

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Vow Wow- Helter Skelter

Let’s start with the obvious, yes, Vow Wow’s album is named after a famous Beatles song and the one which can be said was the Fab Four’s contribution to heavy metal. Saying that, Vow Wow’s cover of the song is very good and it does appear on that compilation album I keep going on about. It also gives me another idea which I’ll talk more about at the end of the post.

Another point about Vow Wow, which I’m sure I stated when I posted about their previous album, “V.” They were to England what Loudness was to America, a great Japanese metal band which everyone thought kicked ass. It’s a bit of a shame that either band didn’t seem to get traction in the other country. I guess it proves that the US and the UK are two peoples separated by the same language.

The first two tracks of “Helter Skelter” are decent tracks but I also think they were more oriented for commercial radio. For me, the album doesn’t really kick into gear till the third track, “Spellbound” and no it’s not a cover of the Triumph classic. This is a great tune, my favourite on the album and I guess you could call it the hidden gem. From the kick ass guitar intro you get a good steady rocking with some great vocals and backing vocals and you get a cool keyboard/guitar solo tradeoff between Kyoji Yamamoto and Rei Astumi.

After the title track comes the first of two power ballads, “The Boy.” Genki Hitomi does pour his heart into it but I must say, I think he and Minoru Nihara are cut from the same mold in regards to their vocal styles. This is no way a bad thing. One ever so slight disappointment comes in the form of “Rock Me Now.” This track would have rocked me more if the keyboards had been turned down and the guitars turned up! Fortunately, the next track, “Turn on the Night” does rock out and rocks out totally although it does sound a little Kiss-ish. Kyoji’s guitar solo is top notch.

“Never Let You Go” is the second power ballad and Genki sings it with the same conviction as he does “The Boy.” There is some good drumming from Toshihiro Niimi. Then we get back to some rocking with “Night By Night.” However, the album ends as it began with two more commercial friendly tracks although there is a bit of swagger to the penultimate track and the closer is the perfect choice for the job.

Track Listing:

1. Feel the Power
2. Talking ‘Bout You
3. Spellbound
4. Helter Skelter
5. The Boy
6. Rock Me Now
7. Turn on the Night
8. Never Let You Go
9. Night By Night
10. You’re the One For Me
11. Sign of the Times

Vow Wow

Genki Hitomi- vocals

Kyoji Yamamoto- guitars

Rei Astumi- keyboards

Neil Murray- bass

Toshihiro- Niimi- drums

“Helter Skelter” is a solid offering from Vow Wow. Somebody should have suggested a joint tour between them and Loudness, this way we would have had a double whammy of great Japanese metal.

On the subject of the song “Helter Skelter,” there have been so many covers of this classic Beatles song that I propose a post of deciding which one we like most or the original. I formally invite all of you to contribute to a massive joint post on the subject.

Next post: MASS- Voices in the Night

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Pretty Boy Floyd- Leather Boyz With Electronic Toyz

Pretty Boy Floyd did not appear on the compilation album I will be posting about in the near future. My introduction to them came from a tape sent to me from my sister in 1990 and it featured the closer from the album, “I Wanna Be With You.” The song did come in at number 19 on my list of Top 30 Power Ballads, so it must be a good song. However, as good as it is, “I Wanna Be With You” is not typical of the rest of “Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz.”

The rest of the tracks on the album scream Motley Crue and Poison as it seems that the band want to sound like both. Judging by their appearance, it could be argued that they wanted to look like them as well. Lead singer Steve ‘Sex’ Summers, cool middle name by the way, sounds like both Vince Neil and Brett Michaels on various tracks on the album. He definitely sounds like Vince on “Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the World on Fire)” but the backing vocals sound more Poison. It could confuse one’s mind. To make matters worse, they cover Motley’s “Toast of the Town” and its not a bad cover. However, I’m making a note to listen to the MC original and compare. It could be worth an “Original vs. Cover” post.

We get another power ballad with “Wild Angels.” While I prefer “I Wanna Be With You,” this one is not without its charm. True, they still sound a lot like their influences but they do put some heart into the song. Here comes another comparison. Guitarist Kristy ‘Krash’ Majors rips a cool solo on “Wild Angels” and he shows himself to be a decent guitarist throughout the album. My verdict is that Krash is not quite Mick Mars but I would say he’s better than CC DeVille.

Hidden gem time, although some might call “48 Hours to Rock” hidden because it did find its way onto the soundtrack of “Karate Kid III.” Since I haven’t seen that film in a couple of decades and it has escaped unnoticed for so long, I will call it a hidden gem. PBF really rock this one out and no matter who might have influenced them, this song showed that they were capable of making it on their own merit. This one is a pure cooker. Speaking of cooking, the track “Rock and Roll Outlaws” brings the power chords and could be a second gem, although the chorus sounds too ‘done before.’

Poison’s influence comes through loud and clear on “Only the Young.” This could have easily been a Poison song but Floyd, no not Pink, do a decent job on their own. After two same-sounding but not bad tracks, we get to the already mentioned closer. Listening to the song over the years, if I was the girl Steve was singing to, I might get a bit creeped out. She’s the new girl in school and I guess it’s okay that this one guy is asking her out. Then he gets her number from a friend and calls her up and at the end, declares that she’s the girl he’s been looking for. Ladies, please answer, listen to the song and tell me if such a guy would creep you out.

Track Listing:

1. Leather Boyz With Electronic Toyz
2. Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the World on Fire)
3. Wild Angels
4. 48 Hours to Rock
5. Toast of the Town
6. Rock and Roll Outlaws
7. Only the Young
8. The Last Kiss
9. Your Mamma Won’t Know
10. I Wanna Be With You

Pretty Boy Floyd

Steve ‘Sex’ Summers- lead vocals

Kristy ‘Krash’ Majors- guitar, backing vocals

Vinnie Chas- bass, backing vocals

Kari Kane- drums, backing vocals

Additional Musicians:

Howard Benson- keyboards

Matt Bradley, Phil Balvano, Jennifer ‘Miss Frosty’ Hoopes, Paris Hampton, Maura Eagan, Candace Gartland, Elizabeth Goldner, Katharine Lundy- backing vocals

Pretty Boy Floyd were another band which came and went. It could be down to the fact that glam and hair metal were on their way out but who knows? If they could have shaken free from the glam metal influences, they might have gone places.

Next post: A Piece of 80s History I Should Be Shot for Missing

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Motley Crue- Dr. Feelgood

Critics and fans have called “Dr. Feelgood” Motley Crue’s best studio album. It was their most commercially successful album going six times platinum in the US and gold in many other countries. Furthermore, it produced five singles, two of which made it into the top 40. However, while impressive, this doesn’t make it their best album in my view. That honour belongs to “Shout at the Devil.”

In comparison to my favourite MC album, what they did similar is play to their strengths. It also helped that the band were addressing their demons in regards to substance abuse and were sober when they recorded. They also recorded each of their parts separately as they were all at each other’s throats but fair dues to producer Bob Rock, he combined all their efforts to make a really good album, the best since my favourite one.

Before, I launch into the album proper, I must say that I’ve apologized enough to Mick Mars for calling him the worst guitarist in metal for many years in previous posts. He never accepted my invitation to come to England and give me a slap and now he’s probably physically unable to do so. With that said, his guitar playing is top notch on “Dr. Feelgood.” Arguably, his best effort is on “Sticky Sweet.”

After a brief opener which they unashamedly borrowed from Queensryche’s “Operation Mincdrime” album, the title cut has lots of swagger to it and shows that Motley Crue were going in the right direction. It’s also good to see that they hadn’t lost their sense of humour. While never lyrical geniuses, “Slice of Your Pie” has some amusing innuendos backed up by some more rock swagger. The same can be said for “She Goes Down.”

The problem with an album which produces so many singles, it’s sometimes hard to find a hidden gem but no worries, I find it with “Rattlesnake Shake.” If there is any song which can take me back to “Shout at the Devil,” it’s this one. They put it all together here with some good drum rolls from Tommy and guitar hooks from Mick and even though some might say that Vince sings the title too much, he does make it sound good.

At the middle of the album, you get three of the five singles in succession. “Kickstart My Heart” begins this and even though it was released as a single, it doesn’t sound overly commercial and that’s always a good thing. I think Crue had a good time making this one, at least the video. That is followed by the first of two power ballads on the album, “Without You.” While not bad, I prefer the other one, the penultimate track, “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away.)” It was the highest charting of the singles but for me it brings the power to the ballad and while Vince puts his soul into both of them, he does it more convincingly on the second one.

That brings me back to the third of the singles string and my favourite of all the singles, “Same Ol’ Situation.” They rock this one out more. It’s one of those enjoyable anthem sounding songs you just want to bang your head along to. There’s much for me to like about it whether it’s Tommy’s drumstick twirling or Mick’s guitar solo. “Dr. Feelgood” ends with a good closer. Were they singing about their change in lifestyle? I don’t know but all the band comes together to end the album right.

Track Listing:

1. T.n.T. Terror in Tinsletown
2. Dr. Feelgood
3. Slice of Your Pie
4. Rattlesnake Shake
5. Kickstart My Heart
6. Without You
7. Same Ol’ Situation
8. Sticky Sweet
9. She Goes Down
10. Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
11. Time for Change

Motley Crue

Vince Neil- vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, shakers

Mick Mars- guitar, backing vocals

Nikki Sixx- bass, backing vocals, organ, piano

Tommy Lee- drums, backing vocals

Additional Musicians:

John Webster- honky tonk piano, keyboards

Tom Keenlyside, Ian Putz, Ross Gregory, Henry Christian- horns

The following provided backing vocals:

Bob Rock, Brian Adams, Steve Tyler, Donna McDaniel, Emi Canyn, Marc La France, David Steele, Jack Blades, Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Skid Row, Bob Dowd, Mike Amato, Toby Francis

“Dr. Feelgood” gained Motley Crue complete success, although some metalheads complained that it was a step further to them simply becoming glam rock posers. However, the success tells the story but personally speaking, while I like this album, especially more than their previous two, I’ll stick with “Shout at the Devil.”

Next post: Due to having to cover a lot of sickness at work, I won’t post an album next. Instead, I will use one of my supplemental post which will be “Historical Events Mentioned in Rock and Roll Children, Music and non-Music Related.”

On another note, I would like everyone to congratulate Mrs. 80smetalman because today officially marks 19 years of her being married to me.

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Danger Danger

My sister, Dawn, sent me Danger Danger’s debut album along with two other albums from Dream Death and Wrath as a Christmas present in 1989. I can’t help thinking she was just unloading them. The other two albums were too thrash for her and if I’m right, she probably thought Danger Danger were trying to be the next Bon Jovi. When I listened to the album back then and listening to it now, I remain convinced that they were.

Now, I am not saying that Danger Danger wanting to be Bon Jovi is a bad thing. Bon Jovi have always been a great band to look up to and their success can’t be denied. So, one can’t really blame this band for trying as the result was a pretty decent debut album.

For me, the album doesn’t really kick into gear until the fifth track, “Bang Bang.” There’s nothing wrong with the first four tracks, they’re all good but rather forgettable. Although “Under the Gun” is starting to grow on me. Furthermore, “Saturday Nite” does have a really cool rocking intro and rocks quite a bit but does lose its way around the middle of the song. The ballad “Don’t Walk Away” is okay but there is a far better ballad further along on the album.

Like I said, “Bang Bang” gets the album cooking in full earnest. There is much more pizzaz behind this song and this is the first one to make me bang my head in earnest. That rocking accelerates a little more with “Rock America.” True, they were trying to be Night Ranger here and maybe there could be less keyboards here but the guitar solo nails it. That leads perfectly to my two favourite songs on the album. “Boys Will Be Boys” is a great rocker and it shows that this band had pure potential to be a great metal band. Next is the other ballad, “One Step From Paradise.” Way back in 80smetalman antiquity, actually it was 2018, this track was number 18 in my list of Top 30 Power Ballads according to me. I stand by that.

A tip for listening to the album: Don’t judge the lyrics for many of the songs by today’s standards. Remember and this is not a justification, the album came out in 1989 and back then, it was cooler to sing about subjects like seeing girls in their birthday suits and justifying one night stands, which is done on my favourite track but that’s not why I like it.

Track Listing:

1. Naughty Naughty
2. Under the Gun
3. Saturday Night
4. Don’t Walk Away
5. Bang Bang
6. Rock America
7. Boys Will Be Boys
8. One Step From Paradise
9. Feels Like Love
10. Turn It On
11. Live It Up

Danger Danger

Ted Poley- vocals

Kasey Smith- keyboards

Bruno Ravel- bass, backing vocals, cello, rap on track 11

Steve West- drums, rap on track 1

Andy Timmons- guitar, tracks 3 and 7

Tony ‘Bruno’ Rey- guitar on all other tracks

Note; Tony Rey played on the album but left to rejoin Saraya and was replaced by Andy Timmons. If you ask me, both of them wail on this album.

Whether Danger Danger were trying to be the next Bon Jovi or even the next Night Ranger, is irrelevant in regards to their debut album. It is good enough to stand on its own.

Next post: Lizzy Borden- Masters of Disguise

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Extreme

For those of us in the UK and probably some in the US, Extreme didn’t come to light until their biggest known hit, “More Than Words,” which comes on the following album. As a result, a lot of people missed out on their debut album and this is a big regret for me as I like the album.

Some critics described Extreme on this album as a band who was trying to shed their influences. Maybe so, but I tend to think that they might be wearing their influences as a badge of honour. Sure the tracks, “Wind Me Up” and the single “Kid Ego,” sound like 80s KISS but there’s nothing wrong with this. Especially as they are in no way KISS clones, they prove they are their own band, it’s just the KISS influence comes through on these tracks.

Backing up the argument that they are their own band Is the opening track, “Little Girls.” This is done with serious funk and it’s the type of opener which grabs you by the balls and says, “You’re going to listen to this album.” The other influence comes via Van Halen where guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt, does his best Eddie Van Halen licks. The beginning on the hidden gem, “Mutha (Don’t Want To Go To School Today),” sounds like Nuno’s trying to play his own version of “Eruption,” at least to a degree. His guitar work goes on for the first minute and a half of the song before the rest of the band join. Another reason why it’s the hidden gem is because it’s about something we all felt as kids. How often did any of us not want to school? Then again, it’s a cool straight up metal tune and Nuno lays down another great guitar solo near the end.

One of his other attempts at being Eddie comes on “Smoke Signals” and the power ballad, “Rock a Bye Bye.” He just shreds away at the end of the song and it’s what makes the song for me. Jeez, another underrated guitarist to add to that ever-growing list of mine. On every issue except for Australia and New Zealand, “Rock a Bye Bye” is the closer and it makes a good one for the album. On the versions down under, you get “Play With Me” which would also feature on the “Bill and Ted” soundtrack and as closers go, it’s an okay one to end the album.

Track Listing:

1. Little Girls
2. Wind Me Up
3. Kid Ego
4. Watching, Waiting
5. Mutha (Don’t Want to Go to School Today)
6. Teacher’s Pet
7. Big Boy’s Don’t Cry
8. Smoke Signals
9. Flesh ‘n’ Blood
10. Rock a Bye Bye
11. Play With Me

Extreme

Gary Cherone- lead and backing vocals

Nuno Bettencourt- guitar, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals, percussion

Pat Badger- bass, backing vocals

Paul Geary- drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional musicians:

The Lollipop Kids- backing vocals

Rapheal May- harmonica

What no Steve Lukather or Claude Schnell?

I have come to the same conclusion on Extreme’s debut album I have on the debuts of some of the other bands I’ve posted about, it’s a promising start. Yes, with the benefit of history, Extreme will make an amazing second album and I guaranf*ckintee it that I will write about that one in 1990. In the meantime, let’s all enjoy this cool debut.

Next post: Candlemass- Tales of Creation

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Loudness- Soldier of Fortune

Thinking about my comment about Billy Squier being the best American artist not to have made it in Britain, Loudness gets the gong for best Japanese band to have cracked America but not Britain. In the UK, the big Japanese metal band was Vow Wow but that’s a story for another day. This is the only reason why Loudness’s 1989, “Soldier of Fortune,” passed me by in that year. It didn’t make any headway in Britain.

Before recording the album, lead singer, Minoru Nihara, left the band after the band’s manager suggested that Loudness would have more success in America if they had a real English speaking singer. Soap box alert: If I had known this back then, I wouldn’t have been happy because I have always liked Nihara as a singer and so what if he sang better in English than he spoke the language. He has always been one of my favourite vocalists. Soap box moment over.

With all that said, I did listen to “Soldier of Fortune” with an open mind. For me, the power and glam Loudness brought to their albums remained. Massayoshi Yamashita Munetaka Higuchi are a reliable, if not formidable rhythm section and Akira Takasaki shows the world that he’s still a shredder who should be taken seriously. As for the newly acquired American vocalist, Michael Vescera, to me he sounds very similar to his predecessor in vocal style. At times I thought that it was actually Nihara singing, so there are no earth shattering changes here.

In a nutshell, it seems that on “Soldier of Fortune,” Loudness were trying to recopy the formula which made their iconic “Thunder in the East” album so good. It starts with some powerful songs with the second track, “You Shook Me,” released as a single. The song was single material, too bad the public didn’t buy it but a good metal song. The track, “Danger of Love,” comes in with an acoustic intro before the power kicks in. The song sounds very Scorpions like, not a bad thing but you still know it’s Loudness.

Where things go a bit different is on the track, “25 Days of From Home.” This sounds more jazz infused and not something one would expect from a metal band. It’s like a ballad but it’s not. Still, it doesn’t seem out of place on the album. Maybe because Akira plays a blinder of a solo on it. However, it doesn’t take long to get back to the metal as the hidden gem, “Red Light Shooter,” comes in. Pure metal done the way Loudness does it best. For those who might be wondering, the song is about someone who jumps traffic lights and not to be confused with city districts given that name.

Loudness go almost speed metal on “Running for Cover,” as it’s done at a very fast pace dragging the melody with it. There are some cool guitar hooks in it. Then it slows down for the more ballad sounding, “Lost Without Your Love.” It is on this track that you know for sure it’s Michael singing and he does a good job but it’s the little progressive sounding guitar hook at the intro which really grabbed my attention. More power metal returns on “Faces in the Fire” and continues with “Long After Midnight.” I do like the guitar work on both songs and the harmonizing at the chorus of the latter. That brings us to the closer, the rip roaring “Demon Disease” and a good closer it does make.

Track Listing:

1. Soldier of Fortune
2. You Shook Me
3. Danger of Love
4. 25 Days From Home
5. Red Light Shooter
6. Running For Cover
7. Lost Without Your Love
8. Faces in the Fire
9. Long After Midnight
10. Demon Disease

Loudness

Michael Vescera- vocals

Akira Takasaki- guitar

Massayoshi Yamashita- bass

Munetaka Higuchi- drums

Additional Musician:

Claude Schell- keyboards

This is the second straight album Claude played on. Was he trying to be Steve Lukather?

No matter if you’re in the Vescera camp or the Nihara one, Loudness would fade into obscurity in America, although they would continue to rule in their homeland of Japan. However, this was down to other changes in the wind and not to the change in the singer, though I’m still a Minoru Nihara fan to the end.

Next post: Extreme

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Doro- Force Majeure

Originally, “Force Majeure” was going to be a Warlock album but since Doro Pesch was the only original member left in the band and after some legal wrangling, she decided to use her own name and has done so ever since. Still, some call this album Warlock’s last album, which is a bit strange because Warlock were a German band and the musicians she uses here are all American, although former Dio keyboardist, Claude Schnell, although born in America, was raised in France. Anyway, enough of the history, now onto the album.

“Force Majeure” starts off with an interesting cover of the classic, “Whiter Shade of Pale.” The original and subsequent covers are more on the mellow side, Doro puts a bit of hard guitar into it and it sounds brilliant. I didn’t expect this song to sound so good metalized. However, that sets the stage for the rest of the album because you get one great metal tune after another. I mean you could substitute “World Gone Wild” with “Doro Gone Wild” and it would be the truth. She proves that she can shape her voice to fit any song and it helps that you get a blazing guitar solo from guitarist Jon Levin who is currently in Dokken.

For me, the two best tracks on the album are “Mission of Mercy” and “Angels With Dirty Faces.” On the former, Doro and her band are really tight with her vocals, a good rhythm section and some more great guitar work. The latter goes more back to Doro’s days with Warlock, which is not a bad thing at all. Man, I could go on for this entire post gushing about how great Doro’s voice is and the guitar work of Jon as both are present on the album but those talents are best highlighted on these two tracks.

While I never had any doubts as to Doro’s ability to sing a ballad, if anyone else needs proof, then the short but sweet “Beyond the Trees” silences anyone else’s doubts. One track I did know of because my sister sent it to me when she used to send me cuts from the different albums she had was “Hard Times.” Because my cassettes are stored up in my attic, I haven’t heard this in ages but it’s just as good as I remember.

Going back to Doro’s versatility, she goes near thrash on “I Am What I Am” and the power does not lessen with “Cry Wolf” and “Under the Gun.” The ballad like “River of Tears” would make a great closer if Doro hadn’t thrown in the brief “Bis aus Blut” in at the end. Still, it makes for a dynamite album.

Track Listing:

1. Whiter Shade of Pale
2. Save My Soul
3. World Gone Wild
4. Mission of Mercy
5. Angels With Dirty Faces
6. Beyond the Trees
7. Hard Times
8. Hellraiser
9. I Am What I Am
10. Cry Wolf
11. Under the Gun
12. River of Tears
13. Bis aus Blut (Till It Bleeds)

Doro Pesch

Doro Pesch- vocals

Jon Levin- guitar

Tommy Heindriksen- bass, backing vocals

Bobby Rondinelli- drums

Claude Schnell- keyboards

No need for anyone to say that for Doro, life after Warlock was grand. “Force Majeure” was the album which started it all off and she continues on to this day. I know, I’ve seen her twice at Bloodstock and both times she was phenomenal.

Next post: Loudness- Soldier of Fortune

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: Queen- The Miracle

Credit a reader named Damien with the great save. If he hadn’t emailed me about Queen’s album, “The Miracle,” it would have been omitted from the tour of 80s rock and metal history, which might be a hanging offense. I forgot what a great album this is and why I put them down as one of the great metal influences. I refer to a post way back in 80smetalman antiquity: https://80smetalman.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/other-great-metal-influences-part-5-queen/

“The Miracle” was recorded as the band was coming out of personal struggles with members of the band. Freddie Mercury was coming to terms with HIV and Brian May had recently been divorced and some British tabloid rags like the heavy metal hating newspaper, “The Sun,” was hounding him about his new relationship with then British soap star, Anita Dobson. Being able to put those things behind them and come out with a great album is a sure tribute to how great Queen is.

What Queen does so successfully on “The Miracle” is combined their unique 70s more hard rock sound with the trends of the 80s, although the album is far from synth pop in any way. The first two tracks set the tone for things as the opener is what the title suggests, a party, done more in the 80s style but you know it’s Queen from the get go. The second track, “Khashoggi’s Ship,” is belter of a rocker.

Five of the next six tracks were all released as singles, which I now remember. The odd one out being “Rain Must Fall,” which itself is a pretty good track. While all of the singles have been coming back to memory, I know how Quantum leapers must feel, the ones which stick out for me are “I Want it All” and “Breakthru,” although I do love Brian’s shredding on the title track. “I Want It All” takes me back to my teen days in the 70s and I get to reminisce about those times. “Breakthru” has a Don Henley “Boys of Summer” feel to it and it’s also a very good melodic rocker. Saying that, the harmonizing, which has flashes of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was a great way to begin the track.

The hidden gem of the album doesn’t reveal itself until the penultimate track of the album. Brian and John Deacon accompany each other so well on guitar and bass on this song. 80smetalman getting on his soap box alert: There is no argument that the worst thing to happen to Queen was Freddie’s tragic passing but the second worst thing was the departure of John Deacon. Queen should have begged and pleaded with him to stay because John, as proven on hidden gem,” My Baby Does Me,” is a phenomenal bass player. Of course, everybody knew that from “Another One Bites the Dust.” That song came out when I was in the service and when one of my African American brothers in arms heard it, he commented, “That white boy can really play the bass.” The hidden gem proves that John hasn’t received the tributes as a bassist due him, so I’m paying him those tributes now. Having exhausted myself from my little soapbox speech, I can only say that “Was It All Worth It” is a brilliant closer.

Track Listing:

1. Party
2. Khashoggi’s Ship
3. The Miracle
4. I Want It All
5. The Invisible Man
6. Breakthru
7. Rain Must Fall
8. Scandal
9. My Baby Does Me
10. Was it All Worth It

Queen

Freddie Mercury- lead vocals, keyboards, piano

Brian May- guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, co-lead vocal on tracks 1 and 4

John Deacon- bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Roger Taylor- drums, percussion, backing vocals, keyboards, guitar and co-lead vocals on track 5

Condemn me to hell if I had missed out on such a great album! Even more kudos should be given to Queen to put out such a fantastic album like “The Miracle” after going through adversity.

Next post: This week, I’ll be marrying off my last child as my daughter, Rowena, is getting married. I’ll bore you with all the details and photos, especially of me giving the bride away. I hope you’ll all join me in wishing Rowena and her fiance Eline a happy day.

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Alice Cooper- Trash

Here’s my weird mind’s ability to notice the not so strange things. Both Aerosmith and Alice Cooper had similar career paths. Both were rock legends in the 1970s, I had albums from both of them. Then by the end of the decade and into the early 1980s, they had fallen victims to the excesses of the music industry. Aerosmith were making albums to pay off their dealers and Alice Cooper describes the same era as his ‘drunk period.’ Then in the late period of the decade, both released albums which let the world know they hadn’t gone away, which was followed by a more solid album. However, it was 1989 where both Alice and Aerosmith had the albums which brought them the adulation they had missed for over a decade. I’ve already posted Aerosmith’s “Pump” album but Alice’s breakthrough album was “Trash.”

Naturally, a breakout album usually needs a great single to propel it. In the case of “Trash,” that came in the form of “Poison,” which was Alice’s highest charting single since 1977’s “You and Me.” I must have this single on at three least rock compilation albums and those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head while I sit here typing this. But make no mistake, “Poison” is a great song and I love everything about it.

Avoiding the temptation to make a boring statement about albums being more than one song, I can say for sure that the rest of “Trash” doesn’t disappoint. The hard rocking “Spark in the Dark” carries on the momentum from the big single and that’s followed by the more melodic offering, “House of Fire,” which was also released as a single. It didn’t have the chart success of “Poison” but it’s a cool tune anyway.

Next comes the hidden gem, “Why Trust You.” This is a fast tempo burning rocker and Alice’s vocals are in no doubt here. However, full credit should also be given to guitarist “John McCurry” as he really shreds on it. Afterwards, Alice ends the first side of the album with a cool power ballad “Only My Heart Talkin.'” I say cool but to be honest, Alice has done better ballads like “Only Women Bleed,” “I’ll Never Cry” and “How Are You Gonna See Me Now.” Alice voice sounded much better on those classics and John ‘s guitar solo could have been a tad longer but it’s still enjoyable.

Another single released from the album, “Bed of Nails,” had better chart success than “House of Fire.” Well, it begins with a horror movie like intro, which made Alice a legend back in the 1970s. This is a good throw back to those days and then some good hard rock comes in but being melodic enough to gain some appeal from the more fickle listeners. Now, I’m going to utter blasphemy but I think I like this one better than “Poison,” though that could be down to the fact that I don’t hear it as often as “Poison.”

A good guitar solo brings in the very amusingly titled track, “This Maniac’s In Love With You.” Alice always has to have one song whose lyrics shouldn’t be taken seriously and this one is it. Then the lyrics don’t matter when you get some great guitar shredding. Guy Mann-Dude from the Dudes of Wrath plays guitar on this track, which might explain things. A huge number of guests appear on the title track, including two members of Aerosmith, which reminds me, Steve Tyler sings on the power ballad. If it wasn’t for all these musicians contributing their expertise, then this track might have been more filler. Instead, it kicks a bit of ass.

Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora help Alice out on the penultimate track, “Hell is Living Without You.” Don’t panic, this song sounds nothing like any tracks from the “New Jersey” album. If anything, this is more classic 70s Alice with the horror movie feel to it. There’s also some great power chords on the songs and I think it’s Ritchie but whether it’s him or John, that person lays down a cool guitar solo. Furthermore, the track could have made a good closer, maybe even more so than the actual closer, “I’m Your Gun.” It’s okay as a closer but it could have fitted anywhere else on the album.

Track Listing:

1. Poison
2. Spark in the Dark
3. House of Fire
4. Why Trust You
5. Only My Heart Talkin’
6. Bed of Nails
7. This Maniac’s In Love With You
8. Trash
9. Hell is Living Without You
10. I’m Your Gun

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper- vocals

John McCurry- guitar

Hugh McDonald- bass

Alan St. Jon- keyboards

Bobby Chouinard- drums

Additional Musicians:

Vocals:

Steve Tyler- track 5, Jon Bon Jovi- track 8, Kip Winger- track 10

Guitars:

Joe Perry- track 3, Ritchie Sambora and Steve Lukather- track 9, Kane Roberts- track 6, Guy Mann-Dude- tracks 2,4,7, Mark Frazier and Jack Johnson- track 8

Tom Hamilton- bass- track 8

Joey Kramer- drums- track 8

Paul Chiten- keyboards

With “Trash,” Alice Cooper had returned to reclaim his crown in the music world.

Next post: Queen- The Miracle

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

To sign the petition to have Bruce Dickinson knighted, click the link: https://www.change.org/p/special-honours-committees-for-knighthoods-a-knighthood-for-bruce-dickinson