Changed my mind
................I want to get these runners up done and dusted . The pace is killing me too Chad so I want it outta da way
Once I get to the Top 50 I'll slow it down.
#60 Roxus : Nightstreet
Released 1992It’s time for a bit of local Aussie talent – these guys lived about 40 mins drive from me and were well known around the traps as a solid band. Things started to really get cooking for them when local music identity Molly Meldrum signed them to his label , they had a hit single with Where Are You Now (penned by the famous Randalls and demoed up by James Christian at one point) and things looked great for them.
In what will become an obvious pattern (if it’s not already) this was released in 1992 and joined the graveyard of great rock albums swamped by Cobain and Co. Juno Roxas later released a shite solo album and tried to break the US (worked with Jeff Paris) but it all came to nothing. I have some demos he did with Paris and they’re good without being anything great.
This album is essential for fans of “hair metal”/"cock rock"………..if you like Danger Danger etc…..this album has everything you want. Strong vocals , solid musicians and well written songs for the most part.
Favourite Tracks:
Rock'n'Roll Nights ,
Midnight Love,
Stand Back#59 The Storm: The Storm
Released 1991 What do you get when you combine one of the best rock/AOR singers on the planet (Kevin Chalfant)with 3 ex members of Journey (Rollie, Smith and Valory), Josh Ramos (Hardline etc..) on guitar and a Bob Marlette/Beau Hill production?? Two of the best AOR albums ever.
Up until today this listing was for the second of those albums (Eye of the Storm) but , to be quite frank, after listening to it earlier today I struggled with the wimpiness LOL. This list is weighted towards my current taste if there's doubt and so, even though the debut is a bit less consistent , I have switched to that because at least the more upbeat tracks rock a bit.
My tolerance to this sort of sappy stuff is diminishing but if I ever feel like a fix of that sort of thing then both of these albums are really fantastic . I love Chalfant’s voice, the playing and production are absolutely top notch and both albums got plenty of airtime back in the day.
Eye of The Storm (the second album) is just a bit ballad heavy for me at the moment but it’s about as good as it gets in that department.
Favourite Tracks :
You Keep Me Waiting ,
You're Gonna Miss Me#58 Eyes: Windows of the Soul
Released 1994Gawd - more wimpy stuff but if I'm in the mood it might as well be one of my favourite rock singers doing it. I really enjoy it when rock/metal singers with the required flexibility add their power to more commercial material. Only the best (Soto, Free etc...) can do it well.
If you asked me which singer appears on more discs than any other in my collection , my best guess would be Jeff Scott Soto. I really went nuts there for a while in the 90’s tracking down everything he’d appeared on. My first exposure to him was on Malmsteen’s debut and I’m sure I described him as “the worst singer I’ve ever heard on a major release”. I then purchased the follow up Marching Out and after a good listen I checked the notes to find out who the new vocalist was and goddamn – Jeff Scott Soto! What an amazing improvement.
Jump forward a few years and a local band manager who had taken me under his wing recommended that I check out the debut by a band called Talisman , which I soon did . I was floored by how good it was and enquired as to who was singing – Jeff Scott Soto LOL………..a much smoother sounding vocal than on the Malmsteen stuff and from there I went nuts getting all his stuff which was rather expensive as he’s Mr Everywhereman.
Anyway………….one of his many bands was Eyes (where he took over from James Christian prior to releasing anything) - the debut is often cited as a bit of a melodic rock/hair band classic and it certainly is a good album. This album , although it was released after the s/t debut, was actually recorded prior and is basically what the debut was GOING to be before a change in direction. Windows of the Soul is much softer, more AOR but IMO is a more consistent album that’s aged much better and contains quite possibly JSS’s best vocal performance- just smooth power from start to finish in what is a testament to his flexibility across different styles. When I’m in the mood for some more laid back commercial rock , this fits the bill nicely. The last track (It's All Over - appropriate) rocks a bit and is a favourite – other highlights include the opener Cheyenne and Love Lies (the big vocal note JSS hits near the end is one of those moments I rewind and repeat quite a bit).
Favourite Tracks:
Cheyenne ,
It's All Over ,
Love Lies ,
Don't Turn AroundDon't Turn Around was on both albums.
No 57; David Lee Roth : A Little Ain’t Enough
Released 1991If the pattern’s not hitting you yet (great albums released early 90’s just before/as grunge hit and which were commercial flops) then it will
Dave’s star was certainly fading by this stage (the peak being the massive hype around the US festival gig when he was in Van Halen) but it still “made gold’..
I distinctly remember buying this on cassette in a bargain bin for $2 only weeks after its release, so I’d risk betting it didn’t chart well in Australia. I’ve always been a fan of Dave’s and had really enjoyed the prior two solo efforts – with this one I gave it a few listens and then forgot about it. Over the years though my appreciation for it has changed to the point that it’s my favourite DLR solo album. I still rate Eat ‘Em and Smile highly , but Skyscraper to me hasn’t aged so well. ALAE on the other hand I think has aged great and (if you can say this about DLR and retain your credibility) I think that has a lot to do with what I see as a big step up in the maturity of the music and what I think is also a huge step up in his lyric writing/story telling. There’s some real clever lines to be found , as there is on Van Halen’s latest ……………some really cool stuff in there.
As per usual Dave put together a fantastic line up and here’s my chance to get Jason Becker a mention in this thread – he does a sterling job ,much better than I expected at the time ( a lot of shredders don’t cross over to this style so well) and that’s even without the tragic health issues he was beginning to deal with. There’s a great variety of moods with the usual goofy stuff (title track) to the more smoky blues club feel of Tell The Truth , which for some reason always reminds me of “Black Velvet.” Lady Luck is an awesome commercial rocker, Shoot It features a brass section ( trendy at the time), It’s Showtime is a typical VH style boogie and Last Call has a cool Walk This Way vibe about it.
This is a hugely under rated album in my book and is sadly the last we would hear from a (relatively) healthy Jason Becker. It’s also the last thing of Dave’s I really rated highly until the most recent VH album (yes, DLR band had it’s moments)
Favourite Tracks:
A Little Ain't Enough,
Tell The Truth ,
Baby's On Fire,
Lady Luck ,
Dogtown Shuffle#56 Shotgun Messiah : s/t
Released : 1989It’s amazing what I’m capable of putting up with in the vocal department when the music (and in particular the guitar work ) is to my taste. Yes – even glam metal with average vocals. And I mean real glam …….the hair, the eyeliner, lyrics about skool roolz and a drummer called Stixx. I don’t normally take much notice of lyrics but these guys have that down too – you can just imagine the time spent writing timeless stuff like this “ don't tell me my hair's a disgrace-up yours, get outta my face”
There’s really only 2 bands I ever took much notice of in this realm – Tigertailz and Shotgun Messiah. I was always a casual Tigertailz fan (although their stonking, glammed up cover of
Creeping Death got almost as much play outta me as the original from Metallica) but Shotgun Messiah were on another level. This type of band generally wasn’t known for great musicianship , so Shotgun Messiah are like the Dream Theater of glam metal. They can really play , especially guitarist Harry Cody who’s one of those guys who came along a few years too late and unfortunately faded into obscurity in the early 90’s when grunge toasted everyone in the scene.
He’s not Petrucci like in terms of technique but he has most of what I like in a guitarist – awesome attack and attitude , a keen sense of melody and he pushes the instrument to its boundaries at times. Shotgun Messiah produced a second album (Second Coming) which is also very good and featured the very cool
Heartbreak Blvd but for me the debut is the most consistent. One of the tracks I have linked is an instrumental called The Explorer – as you’re listening to that have a think about how many other glam bands could’ve or would’ve attempted anything like that. Hail the kings of glam metal and one of the great debut albums.
Favourite Tracks:
Nervous ,
Don’t Care About Nothin' ,
The ExplorerUseless trivia: The band began in Sweden under the name Kingpin and later moved to LA to try and break big (they did in fact crack #99 on Billboard with this album) . Singer Zinny Zan was earlier in a band called Easy Action along with future Europe guitarist Kee Marcello. Zinny left for the 2nd album with vocals handled by bassist Tim Skold who later went onto some well know industrial bands and also Marilyn Manson.