Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1989: House of Lords

House of Lords has now made it onto my list of American artists who didn’t crack Britain. Yes, they appeared on the “Protect the Innocent” compilation album but after that, zero. However, when I researched the band and the album, I discovered that they had a rich discography that carried on until 2022! So they must have been somewhat known in the US.

The other surprise came when I watched the video for the single, “I Wanna Be Loved,” which appeared on the compilation. The camera seemed to home in on the keyboards player quite a bit. Now that I know who it is, I’m not surprised. Gregg Giuffria. In the mid 80s, he had is own band, which was named after him and originally this was supposed to have been another Giuffria album, but producer Gene Simmons, yes that Gene Simmons, persuaded him to go another way.

The intro on the opening track, “Pleasure Palace,” sounds as if it could have been a classic progressive rock song from out of the 1970s, ala Yes or Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Gregg definitely has skills on the keys. However, the track develops into a more 80s synth rock song, something you might hear from Survivor but it’s not bad. The track from “Protect the Innocent” is more a rocking track so any thoughts of the album disintegrating into a pop album is quickly erased.

House of Lords really show their worth on “Edge of Your Life.” This is a nicely done melodic rock track with everyone firing on all cylinders. It’s the first track where Larry Cordola is let off the leash and he bangs out a great guitar solo. My personal opinion, this one should have been released as a single. “Looking For Strange” sounds like it might be a little all over the place but the chaos has plenty of hard rock swagger with some cool piano chops from Gregg and nice drum fills from Ken Mary.

Was it a thing in 1989 for bands to have their power ballad at the mid point of the album? It was like that with Femme Fatale and the same happens here. “Love Don’t Lie” is a really tender ballad without being too soppy. James Christian really pours his heart and soul out with the vocals and the rest of the band support with piano, a hard drum beat and a good guitar solo. Well done boys.

“Slip of the Tongue” is the first true hard rock song. They really take things up more than a few paces and rock it out. Just a great metal tune and one Rick Nielsen helped write the song. Still, it has me banging my head at a rapid pace. But it’s the cool intro on “Hearts of the World” and what happens after which convinces me that House of Lords can be considered a metal band. This one too has me headbanging away and while it’s not as fast as “Slip of the Tongue,” the power of metal is there to be heard. This one and its predecessor can both be considered hidden gems.

More 70s sounding progressive keyboards bring in “Under Blue Skies” but this time, it goes into a more heavy metal vibe. Enjoyable but I think the repetition at the end goes on a little too long. Both of the final two tracks could have been closers on the album. Both have that lets end the album in the right way and everybody sing along to the chorus vibe. I don’t see anything wrong with two songs which could be considered closers ending an album on an absolute positive.

Track Listing:

1. Pleasure Palace
2. I Wanna Be Loved
3. Edge of Your Life
4. Looking for Strange
5. Love Don’t Lie
6. Slip of the Tongue
7. Heart of the Worlds
8. Under Blue Skies
9. Call My Name
10. Jealous Heart

House of Lords

Gregg Giuffria- keyboards

James Christian- lead vocals

Larry Cordola- guitar

Chuck Wright- bass

Ken Mary- drums, percussion

Additional Musicians:

Jeff Scott Soto- backing vocals

Well, I’m convinced, I don’t know about the rest of you. I will explore House of Lords further albums.

Next post: Lenny Kravitz- Let Love Rule

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Mammoth

British band, Mammoth, first came to my attention via a compilation album which I’m going to cover in the very near future. The song represented on that album from this debut is “Fatman” and it was a good choice as for me, it’s the best song on the debut. It’s a good heads up rocker and I get the impression that the band are laughing at themselves with it, in a good way of course.

Of course, we got to ask about the rest of the album. If they were looking for Top of the Pops chart success, then the opener “All the Days” would be a prime candidate. It does open with a pop oriented intro but never gets too heavy for the delicate ears of the top 40 brigade. However, there is a cool guitar solo in the middle. Mac Baker is a decent guitarist.

Like with so many bands on their debut albums, some might say that Mammoth were trying to discover what they were. True, on the album songs go in a variety of directions but they mostly stay with the hard rock formula. “Can’t Take the Hurt” is another mid tempo rocker which also could have been released as a single. With the video, maybe it was as it’s the closest they come to a true ballad. The history behind the band is vague at best.

They prove they can rock on tracks like “Bet You Wish,” “Long Time Coming” and “30 Pieces of Silver.” These are good hard rocking tracks and “Bad Times” is a steady melodic one. However, they venture into more progressive metal territory on “Dark Star” and the closer, “Home From the Storm,” and they sound pretty good. I put forward the argument that Mammoth weren’t necessarily trying to find their sound as opposed to the belief that they just wanted to make music.

Track Listing:

1. All the Days
2. Fatman
3. Can’t Take the Hurt
4. 30 Pieces of Silver
5. Dark Star
6. Bet You Wish
7. Long Time Coming
8. Bad Times
9. Home From the Storm

Mammoth

Nicky Moore- vocals, keyboards

Mac Baker- guitar

John McCoy- bass, guitar, synth guitar

Vinnie Reed- drums, percussion

Additional Musicians:

Bernie Torme- guitar

Kenny Cox- guitar

Rob Fisher- keyboards

David Lloyd, Mark Williamson- backing vocals

Steve Sidelynk- percussion

Mammoth was one of those bands who came and went without getting much notice. According to sources, they wouldn’t release another record until 1997. Shame, because with this debut, they were certainly heading in the right direction.

Next post: Dream Theater- When Dream and Day Unite

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Great Metal Albums of 1989: Shok Paris- Concrete Killers

When I posted about Shok Paris’s 1987 album, “Steel and Starlight,” I stated how much I was blown away by this album, I still am. Therefore, I was very much looking forward to listening to and writing about the follow up album, the 1989 “Concrete Killers” album. While I am not disappointed in the follow up album in any way, I have to say that “Concrete Killers” is not as spectacular as “Steel and Starlight.” However, it’s still a very good album nonetheless and has grown on me a great deal after subsequent listens.

Now, I don’t know if I should be mad at Youtube for this or not but on the Tubes of You, the title track, which is the actual closer comes in as the opener. With the pounding drumroll and guitar which brings it in before Vic Hix adds his vocals, this song absolutely screams opener! Someone made a boo boo there, especially as the next track, “The Heat and the Fire” feeds off of it so well. This same comes in with the third track. On the label and two internet sources, it is “In the Dark” which, on Youtube, feeds beautifully off the first two tracks. Instead, we get the power ballad, “Away too Long,” which in itself is a cool ballad. It’s just that with the Youtube version, I think it would have been better placed fourth. That would have been the right time for such a track on the album.

With the Youtube order being different from the actual order and having listened only to the Youtube order, my mind is set that it works better for the most part. Then again, the final seven songs on the album are pretty much inter-changeable. The only real note is on the Tube version, the opener and single, “The American Dream,” comes in at number seven but is the actual opener. As the title cut makes a better opener, the single could fit anywhere mid to lower down in the order. It is still a great song with all of the band coming together perfectly. I can say the same for the hidden gem, “Hold Out.” This track puts the melodic in melodic metal while at the same time being a thrusting metal song.

What does remain constant from the previous album and is not effected by the order of the songs is the musicianship of Shok Paris. Vic keeps his vocals in the zone and doesn’t try to go falsetto and he is better for it. The rhythm section is just as superb as well. Eric Marderwald lays down some great rhythm guitar backed up by more than solid playing from bassist Kel Berkshire. Danny Simmons has some great moments on the drums as well and plays just as well at any speed and of course, what makes the album good is the shredding of Ken Erb. Why isn’t this guy mentioned among the guitar greats? As for the closer, obviously, I don’t pick the title cut which is the actual closer on the album nor do I pick the one on Youtube, “Windows.” I think “On War With the World” would have been a better closer as it has that ‘let’s take the album out on a high’ vibe.

Track Listing:

1. The American Dream
2. The Heat of the Night
3. Away too Long
4. Hold Out
5. In the Dark
6. Get it Right
7. Find a Way Out
8. Memories
9. On War With the World
10. Windows
11. Concrete Killers

Shok Paris

Vic Hix- lead vocals

Ken Erb- lead guitar

Eric Marderwald- rhythm guitar

Kel Berkshire- bass

Danny Simmons- drums

In spite of my misgivings about the order of the tracks, “Concrete Killers” is still a really good album. Not quite as good as its predecessor but very good anyway. Unfortunately, the band would go by the wayside after this. They did put out a live album in 2004 and released a new album in 2020 which I must check out.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Mother’s Milk

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Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1989: The Cult- Sonic Temple

Whether or not it’s my weird brain but did you ever find an album really good but can’t explain why you like it so much? This has always been the case for me with The Cult’s album, “Sonic Temple.” It’s a brilliant album, make no mistake about that. The songs are just fantastic, some critics criticized the album for repeating the same formula song after song but hey, it works. I find myself bobbing along to the opener, “Sun King” and then doing the same on the next track with the single, “Fire Woman.” I really love the riffs on this one.

Another criticism hurled at the album is that they went from a defiant indie rock band to Warrant wannabees. Okay, there are some elements in songs which do point to hair metal but those are done in a way unique to The Cult. Maybe it’s because it seems to me that Billy Duffy is let loose more on the album to do what he does on the guitar. He nails some really good guitar solos, one on the mentioned opener and another on the power ballad, “Edie (Ciao Baby).”

A difficult task, although I’m not complaining because it meant I had to listen to the album more, was identifying the hidden gem. There were a couple of candidates. “American Horse” does bring the power and this song alone puts them in the heavy metal category with that blistering guitar solo and the mentioned power ballad was also a strong consideration. However, and it was a very very close call, the hidden gem goes to “Sweet Soul Sister.” This song has a bit of a Savatage feel at the beginning and that was what won it for me. In addition, it’s one of those metal anthem type songs where if played live, would have the audience clapping along with it.

While I prefer the first half of the album, the second half is by no means weak. “Soul Asylum” starts things off in a cool melodic metal way with some great power chords, though it does drag a little at over seven minutes long. “New York City” is also a strong power rocker which borders near thrash and when I first saw the track listing, I thought the penultimate track, “Soldier Blue,” was going to be a cover of the Buffy Saint-Marie classic. Trust me, it’s nothing like that! Instead, it’s another great metal sounding tune. Still, I wonder what a Cult cover of Buffy’s song would sound like.

Track Listing:

1. Sun King
2. Fire Woman
3. American Horse
4. Edie (Ciao Baby)
5. Sweet Soul Sister
6. Soul Asylum
7. New York City
8. Atomic Blues
9. Soldier Blue
10. Wake Up Time for Freedom

Ian Astbury- vocals, percussion

Billy Duffy- guitar

Jamie Stewart- bass, keyboards

Additional Musicians:

Mickey Curry- drums

Note: Eric Singer and Chris Taylor played drums on demo versions

Iggy Pop- backing vocals on “New York City”

John Webster- keyboards

Bob Buckley- string arrangement on “Edie (Ciao Baby)”

Said it before and I’ll keep on saying, “Who gives a stuff what the critics say?” “Sonic Temple” is a fine offering from The Cult.

Next post: Aerosmith- Pump

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Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1989: Gun- Taking on the World

Scottish band, Gun, is proof that I didn’t pay enough attention to the music scene in 1989. As you know, I had other things to think about back in 1989, otherwise, I would have paid more attention to this band and their debut album, “Taking on the World.” I remember seeing them when they were on “Top of the Pops,” where they played the big single and album opener, “Better Days” and I now remember that I liked the song back then. Of course, now I get to appreciate the entire album.

If I had paid more attention to Gun back in the day, this album would have been posted later on in the tour of 1989 as they definitely obscure the boundary between hard rock and metal, as if it’s not obscured enough. The mentioned opener is a great melodic rock track and it is not a surprise to me that it cracked the UK top 40. However, the second track, “The Feeling Within,” starts with some cool metal sounding riffs and if the guitars continued in this vein, it would have been a metal scorcher! Still, it’s a great melodic metal tune with some great guitar work. I reckon it’s what U2 would have sounded like if they went heavy metal.

An even more metal sounding track is “Inside Out.” It opens with a cool guitar solo and carries on with a Black Veil Brides kind of vibe. Actually, as they were twenty years or so ahead, maybe BVB were influenced by Gun, stranger things have happened. I do love the guitar work and I would love to know which of the two guitarists lays down the guitar solo. Since it was released as a single, I won’t call it a hidden gem but it is one of the best songs on the album.

More good guitar riffs and a thumping bass line makes “Money (Everybody Loves Her.) This one has a very nice metal swagger to it as well as a blistering guitar solo and I love the backing vocals at the chorus. The title track marks the end of the first half of the album. Things slow down a little on this as it starts with an acoustic guitar and Mark Rankin shows versatility in his voice. This nice little ballad does the job perfectly and it was the final single released from the album. It did chart but failed to reach the top 40 but who really cares about that. It’s a nice little ditty.

The second half of the album kicks off with some more interesting guitar riff/bass line combo from “Shame On You.” There is a definite U2 influence on this one at least until the drumroll from livens things up. I do like the change up in Mark’s vocals and some more cool guitar hooks. Metal meets blues on “Can’t Get Any Lower.” I think this is meant to be a more melancholy song but the guitars in the back betray that feeling. Maybe it’s down to the title being a little too repetitive. The rhythm guitar is the thing to note here.

Track 8 reveals the hidden gem which is “Something to Believe In.” You get some interesting metal riffs with a depressing but very likeable vocal style and backing vocals. Penultimate track, “Girls in Love” sounds like Duran Duran going heavy metal. I can actually hear a Duranie vibe here but I still don’t hate it. Gun puts a hard rock spin on it which you cannot fail to like, the guitar solo helps. That brings us to the closer, “I’ll Be Waiting.” While it’s not a weak track in any sense, it does let you sit back and reflect on how great an album this is as it takes the album to its natural conclusion. A fine guitar solo finalizes the fact.

Track Listing:

1. Better Days
2. The Feeling Within
3. Inside Out
4. Money (Everybody Loves Her)
5. Taking On the World
6. Shame On You
7. Can’t Get Any Lower
8. Something to Believe In
9. Girls in Love
10. I’ll Be Waiting

Gun

Mark Rankin- vocals

Giuliano Gizzi- guitar

Baby Stafford- guitar

Dante Gizzi- bass

Scott Shields- drums

Additional Musicians:

Sharleen Spiteri- backing vocals (tracks 2 and 10)

Scott Fraser- bass (tracks 7 and 9)

Alan Thornton- backing vocals

David Aitken- guitar

Jim McDermott- drums

I know it’s very early in the tour of 1989 but I think I have found a candidate for best album which I should have taken more notice of. Congrats to Gun.

Next post: Michael Bolton- Soul Provider

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Great Metal Albums of 1988: Bitch- Betsy

One dilemma many rock and metal bands had back in the 1980s was the question of risking losing their hardcore following in order to gain mass appeal. That’s why many bands, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest included, did things like add synths to their mid 80s records. While the band Bitch didn’t add synths to their album, “Betsy,” they did drop the “Bitch” and went for a less harder sound in order to gain mass appeal and like so many bands who tried this formula, it didn’t give them the commercial success they were hoping to achieve.

While the Duranies of the world paid no attention to the album, I can testify to the fact that “Betsy” is a cool melodic metal album. Betsy, (real name Betsy Weiss), has a great voice and she should be included whenever you talk about such great female metal vocalists from the 1980s like Lee Aaron, Doro and Lita Ford. I think her voice is that good. Furthermore, she has a great band behind her. Guitarist David Garruth cranks out some really amazing guitar solos on this album and David and Betsy are supported by a very competent rhythm section in Ron Gordy and Robby Settles.

Now onto the songs. The best ones on this album are “Devil Made You Do It” which takes the mick out of the anti-metal Christian brigade but it’s done with a cool guitar solo from David while singing about Satan and pentagrams. “Rock ‘N’ Musician” has a Led Zeppelin vibe to it with lots of swagger and some great opening riffs and shall I sing the praises of David’s guitar playing again? Why the hell not! Speaking of opening riffs, those which open “Cold Shot From the Heart” are probably the best on the album. The rhythm on this song is pure metal.

Whether or not it was the case, I speculate that “You’ll Never Get Out” was the intended single. It is more commercial sounding that the rest of the album, although it’s still a decent song. The rest of the album is basically how I described it before, a very good melodic metal album with some great riffs, vocals, rhythm section and cool guitar solos. Ron Gordy does lay down a groovy bass line on “What Am I Gonna Do With You” and “Sunset Strut.” In short, it’s everything one would expect from a heavy metal album. So my question is: Why isn’t this album spoken about more in the heavy metal world?

Track Listing:

1. You Want It You Got It
2. You’ll Never Get Out (Of Here Alive)
3. Devil Made You Do It
4. Rock ‘N’ Roll Musician
5. Cold Shot to the Heart
6. Flesh and Blood
7. Turn You Inside Out
8. What Am I Gonna Do With You
9. Stand Up For Rock
10. Sunset Strut
11. Get Out

Bitch

Betsy Bitch- lead vocals

David Garruth- guitars, backing vocals

Ron Gordy- bass, backing vocals

Bobby Settles- drums, backing vocals

“Betsy” could be one of the best forgotten albums of 1988. This is a great metal album that somehow got lost along the way. I think it’s time to rescue it from the forgotten realms and have a good headbang to it.

Next post: Napalm Death- From Enslavement to Obliteration + Scum

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Great Metal Albums of 1988: Stryper- In God We Trust

“In God We Trust” is one Stryper album I know the least about. I knew of its existence but I listened to it very little and now that I have had a couple of good listens, I am asking myself., “Why did I ignore this album?” I could probably throw out several semi viable excuses but that would serve no purpose because the album is far better than what I remembered way back in 1988.

My first impression of “In God We Trust,” has me thinking of a recent post by Aphoristical on bands who do really good harmonies. Well, the harmonizing on this album is superb! It could be down to Michael Sweet doing a lot of the backing vocals himself with support from guitarist Oz Fox. Needless to say, we all know what a great singer Michael is. He, along with the rest of Stryper is my main argument against those who claim that Christian rock bands were made up of second rate musicians. As far as singers go, I put Michael Sweet in the top class along with Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, do I need to go on? Still, the harmony vocals on this album are just great and if you want a good example of Michael’s vocals, the track I recommend is the power ballad, “I Believe in You.”

Harmonies aside, the real star of this album is Oz Fox. He just rips solos all throughout the album and while many people acknowledge his guitar playing ability, it doesn’t get shouted out as much as it should. Oz Fox is one kick ass guitarist, end of story. I could site just about every track on the album to back up my argument but I think the best track to do that is “The Writings On the Wall.” He just solos his way all throughout the track and even the rhythm guitar breaks on it are mind blowing.

Like with the previous Stryper albums, the Jesus lyrics come through loud and clear. All songs tell the listener to turn to the Lord and be saved or face eternal damnation, although they don’t use those words directly. Those of you who have been following me for awhile, know that lyrics don’t bother me. When I listen to the album, I feel no inclination to burn my Mercyful Fate albums and pour my beer down the drain. BTW, back in the 1980s, I often listened to these two bands together. I called it my ‘Heaven and Hell’ moments. Anyway, the fact that they are singing about Jesus is not important because the music behind it is just fantastic.

Jesus lyrics or not, they must have done something right because three singles were released from the album with two, “I Believe In You” and “Always There For You,” breaking into the top 100. Both of those and the non- charting third single, “Keep the Fire Burning,” are all good songs but for me, the best tracks are the already mentioned “The Writing’s On the Wall” and my vote for hidden gem, “It’s Up 2 U.” They get the nod because they both showcase Oz’s guitar work the best.

Nit picking here but one criticism of “In God We Trust” is the order. In my humble opinion, “Come to the Everlife” should have been the closer. It just has that closer vibe with the melody and certainly the melodic guitar solo ending the track and what better way to end a Christian metal album than to invite everyone to join them in the everlife. The tracks following “Everlife” are good but feel stuck on after. Still, it’s one minor point with an album which is so good in so many other ways.

My other question is why is bassist Tim Gaines absent?

Track Listing:

1. In God We Trust
2. Always There for You
3. Keep the Fire Burning
4. I Believe in You
5. The Writing’s on the Wall
6. It’s Up 2 U
7. The World of You and I
8. Come to the Everlife
9. Lonely
10. The Reign

Stryper

Michael Sweet- lead and backing vocals, guitar

Oz Fox- lead guitar, backing vocals

Robert Sweet- drums

Additional Musicians

Billy Meyers- keyboards

John Van Tongoren- keyboards

Steven Croes- Synclavier programming

Brad Cobb- session bassist

Whatever your views on Christian rock or rock from any religion, one can’t deny that with “In God We Trust,” Stryper deliver their message in cool metal style.

Next post: Europe- Out of This World

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Great Metal Albums of 1988: Briar- Crown of Thorns

With heavy metal bands being a dime a dozen in the late 1980s, it was very easy for bands to come and go unnoticed. In some cases, it was whether you were in the right place at the right time to catch a particular band. That was the case for me with UK metal band, Briar. I discovered them when I saw them open for Styper in London in 1987. Another reason why they might have not gotten true recognition is that while they were pretty good that evening, I wasn’t wowed by them either. Still, it was enough for me to check out their previous album “Take On the World” and their 1988 offering, “Crown of Thorns.”

Here’s another take from the evening, the song I remember the most from their set was “One Foot Back in the Door.” When I got “Take on the World,” I assumed the song was going to be on that album but it wasn’t. However, it does appear on this album. Here’s another idea, because they played that song, I assumed that it was going to be released as a single and it might have been. There was a vague air of familiarity when Briar played the song in London but I don’t remember it as a single. On the other hand, the song that made its way onto MTV in the US was “Frankie.” Both songs were worthy of being released as a single, they have that vibe to it but it’s the deeper cuts which interest me more.

When Briar stick with the melodic metal, which they do for most of the album, things sound really good. The opening title cut and tracks like “Back and Wild,” (my vote for hidden gem) and “Another Day in the Life of a Fool” bear witness to this. All three tracks are straight forward, let’s get down to business songs which are really good. Furthermore, one of their two covers, the one of Thin Lizzy’s classic, “The Boys Are Back in Town,” is done quite well. In fact, I’m going to step into the ring of controversy and declare that I prefer this cover to Bon Jovi’s cover of the same song on the “Make a Difference” compilation album. As for the other cover, Los Lobos’s “La Bamba,” well let’s just say that it’s pretty amusing though metalled out fairly well. I do like the guitar solo on it and Dean Cook has a nice drum fill at the end.

Again, they’re not bad tracks but “Spirit of the Wood” attempts to go a bit progressive at the beginning before going back to Briar basics. Perhaps they realized they shouldn’t veer to far away from their bread and butter. Saying that, the guitar at the intro and between the verses is quite alluring. “Empty Words” is a decent but unspectacular power ballad. Normally, I would say that the album ends with a cool closer and “Everyone’s Going Crazy” is just that. However, officially, it’s not the closer because that is the two second long track, “Fart.” Yes, it’s literally that!

One thing I can say for sure from listening to “Crown of Thorns” is that Briar were a good tight band. Kevin Griffiths has double duties on vocals and bass, just like Lemmy. His vocals are good and I can’t fault his bass playing. The guitar duo of Dave Fletcher and Darren Underwood make a great combination. I like the way they complement each other on the Thin Lizzy cover. Maybe they should have done more, even one guitar solo trade off. Drummer Dean has already been mentioned and what he does on “La Bamba” he does throughout the album. Together, they did make a good band.

Track Listing:

1. Crown of Thorns
2. Frankie
3. Just Another Day in the Life of a Fool
4. Back and Wild
5. La Bamba
6. One Foot Back in Your Door
7. Spirit of the Wood
8. The Boys Are Back in Town
9. Empty Words
10. Everyone’s Going Crazy
11. Fart

Briar

Kevin Griffiths- lead vocals, bass

Dave Fletcher- guitars, backing vocals

Darren Underwood- guitars, backing vocals

Dean Cook- drums

There are probably many reasons why Briar , like so many other bands, never made the big time. It’s basically down to the fact that they were competing in a very saturated market at the time. As “Crown of Thorns” shows, they had the tools. Oh yes, I’ve decided that in the not too distant future, I will write a Cover vs. Cover or even an Original vs. Cover vs. Cover post in reference to “The Boys are Back in Town.”

Next post: Stryper- In God We Trust

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Great Rock/Metal Albums of 1988: Dogs D’Amour- In the Dynamite Jet Saloon

Readers have ask why I will be stopping my tour of rock and metal history after 1989 and there are several reasons for this. One of which was because by 1990, I was becoming more and more aloof musically. I blame that thing called life. However, as I reflect back to that time, that thing was already intruding upon my love for music as early 1988. With a new marriage and a baby on the way, it’s easy to see why. Of course, I had my then wife telling me that I needed to stop being a prat and grow up, which I did. Now, you might be asking what does the album, “In the Dynamite Jet Saloon” by English band, Dogs D’Amour have to with it? The answer is that this album is proof of my oncoming drift away from rock and metal. I never listened to this album until now and I only knew of their big single, “How Come It Never Rains?”

The album explodes another big misconception from that time. Back then, anything with a power chord from a guitar was immediately regards as being heavy metal and with the band’s image, Dogs D’Amour were cast into that pool. Here’s the thing, “ITDJS” is not metal, not by today’s definition for sure. If there is any category they should be put in is melodic hard rock, although the Heavy Harmonies site lists them as ‘sleaze rock.’ I can go with that sentiment.

What you get with this album, is ten, (thirteen if on CD), great melodic rock songs. The songs aren’t power chords galore but the guitar work from Jo Almeida lets you know that this is a rock album. Now Jo doesn’t blow you away with blistering solos but his solos do make the songs sound good. He does play some cool guitar hooks on “Gonna Get It Right.” Furthermore, the rhythm section of Steve James and Bam provide a great foundation on which to build the music on. They especially shine on the track, “Medicine Man.” Plus Steve has a nice little bass line on “Gonna Get It Right.” Lead singer, Tyla, is another reason why Dogs D’Amour can’t be called metal. He doesn’t hit the high notes like a Gillan or a Dickinson but he doesn’t need to.

Two other tracks, “I Don’t Want To Go” and “The Kid From Kensington,” were also released as singles. The thing is, while both are cool songs, it’s the deep cuts which really make this album so enjoyable. Guitar, bass and drums come together to make “Everything I Want,” the hidden gem and that’s after beating off some stiff competition from the already mentioned “Gonna Get it Right” and “Last Bandit.” I haver heard many rock albums which were very easy to listen to but Dogs D’Amour make “ITDJS” a very enjoyable listen.

Track Listing:

1. Debauchery
2. I Don’t Want to Go
3. How Come It Never Rains
4. Last Bandit
5. Medicine Man
6. Gonna Get It Right
7. Everything I Want
8. Heartbreak
9. Billy Two Rivers
10. Wait Until I’m Dead
11. Sometimes
12. The Kid From Kensington
13. The State I’m In

Note: Track 11-13 were only available on the CD version of the album.

Dogs D’Amour

Tyla- lead vocals

Jo ‘Dog’ Almeida- guitar

Steve James- bass

Bam- drums

Dogs D’Amour and the “In The Dynamite Jet Saloon” is a classic case of better late than never with me. I feel I should kick myself for missing out on this cool album when it came out the first time. Note: when I have posted the last album of 1989, I will still be sticking around.

Next post: Briar- Crown of Thorns

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

To sign the petition for a knighthood for Bruce Dickinson, click the link: https://www.change.org/p/special-honours-committees-for-knighthoods-a-knighthood-for-bruce-dickinson?redirect=false

Great Metal Albums of 1988: Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II

When I posted about Helloween’s previous album, “Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I,” Keepsmealive, I’m not sure if it was Aaron or James, asked me if it was worth checking out Part II. I told him I would let him know when I got to the album on the tour of 1988. Well, now I can answer that question and confidently say that he should check out this album. With “Part II,” Helloween pretty much stick to the formula from their previous albums. The only difference might be that this particular album may border more on melodic metal while “Part I” was my introduction to power metal.

In keeping with Helloween tradition, the album opens with a short, just over a minute long instrumental before going into a melodic/power metal foray. “Eagle Fly Free” is a brilliant opening of what’s to come. As with all the album, Michael Kiske’s vocals are superb, he is definitely an underrated singer but you get some great power chords and a cool guitar solo. There’s even a short bass solo from Markus Grosskopf.

Power metal isn’t lost on “You Always Walk Alone” as there are power chords galore to keep you entertained. There is a very interesting musical interlude in the middle of the song, between the two guitar solos where light guitar notes accompany a bass line with cymbal drumming. It’s all quite good and that brings us right to the hidden gem of the album, “Rise and Fall.” This is one of those uplifting anthem type songs where Ingo Schwichtenburg brings in on his drums. The chorus is quite amusing and I like the faster tempo changes and of course, a blistering guitar solo trade off between Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath.

After the hidden gem comes the first single released from the album, “Dr. Stein.” This is a straight forward metal tune and I can hear why it was released as a single. It had me bobbing my head along with the beat and the anthem style chorus followed by some great power chords. The addition of keyboards gives it an extra hook. However, it’s the song three tracks down the line which is the best known song from the album, “I Want Out.” It’s one where it can be said that if you haven’t heard of this song, then you don’t know Helloween. Most people in and out of metal identify the band with that iconic song.

In between those two singles are the tracks, “We Got the Right” and “March of Times.” Both are great power metal anthems and “We Got the Right” shows the versatility of Michael Kiske’s vocals while “March of Times” is another hidden gem, with that guitar solo tradeoff. Now, remember what I said about not straying too far from the formula. Well, like “Part I,” “Part II” ends with an ten minute plus blinder of a song in the form of the title track. Youtube must have read my post on “Part I” because I got the entire thirteen minutes and fifty two seconds of full Helloween inspired metal glory. It’s a great way to end the album.

The CD version of “Part II” has a tenth track called “Save Us.” There is nothing wrong with the song, but it shouldn’t have been stuck on at the end because of what a great closer the title track is. Now, it’s said that Americans are always getting it wrong but in the case of the CD version here, they got it right as “Save Us” is the seventh track on the US version. I think it was better placed there.

Track Listing:

1. Invitation
2. Fly Eagle Free
3. You Always Walk Alone
4. Rise and Fall
5. Dr. Stein
6. We Got the Right
7. March of Times
8. I Want Out
9. Keeper of the Seven Keys
10. CD bonus track: Save Us

Michael Kiske- lead vocals

Kai Hansen- guitar, backing vocals

Michael Weikath- guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Markus Grosskopf- bass

Ingo Schwichtenburg- drums

Listening to “Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II” I am wondering which of the two parts is the better album. Therefore, I am going to have to listen to them in conjunction in order to decide. Oh, the things I have to do.

Next post: After being in Europe for 36 plus years, I am finally going to Paris to visit Jim Morrison’s grave. I will tell you all about it when I get back.

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

To sign the petition for a knighthood for Bruce Dickinson, click the link: https://www.change.org/p/special-honours-committees-for-knighthoods-a-knighthood-for-bruce-dickinson?redirect=false