Author Topic: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s (Read 40423 times)

KevShmev · « **Reply #280 on:** July 27, 2019, 04:39:52 PM »

Joe has now gone from "I saw nearly every band in the 80's live" to "I saw nearly every band in the 80's live AND met some of the more famous members."

What a name-dropper...

King Postwhore · « **Reply #281 on:** July 27, 2019, 07:15:50 PM »

I've got more! Lol

KevShmev · « **Reply #282 on:** July 27, 2019, 07:17:45 PM »

Yeah, I am waiting for bosk1 to post Eliminator so you can tell us how Billy Gibbons let you stroke his beard when you met him after a show.

TAC · « **Reply #283 on:** July 27, 2019, 07:20:36 PM »

I heard he shared a Vegemite Sandwich with the Men At Work guys.

KevShmev · « **Reply #284 on:** July 27, 2019, 07:21:32 PM »

King Postwhore · « **Reply #285 on:** July 27, 2019, 08:06:19 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on July 27, 2019, 07:17:45 PM

Yeah, I am waiting for bosk1 to post Eliminator so you can tell us how Billy Gibbons let you stroke his beard when you met him after a show.

No way in hell.

Quote from: TAC on July 27, 2019, 07:20:36 PM

I heard he shared a Vegemite Sandwich with the Men At Work guys.

.

And you bled with Alice Cooper since only.....

TAC · « **Reply #286 on:** July 27, 2019, 08:15:00 PM »

I believe it was 1996!

King Postwhore · « **Reply #287 on:** July 27, 2019, 08:17:29 PM »

Admit it. You piddled a bit that day.

TAC · « **Reply #288 on:** July 27, 2019, 08:24:56 PM »

I piddled for about 10 years!

KevShmev · « **Reply #289 on:** July 27, 2019, 08:26:01 PM »

"Alice, will you please let me grope your snake?"

bosk1 · « **Reply #290 on:** July 29, 2019, 07:55:33 AM »

By popular demand:

ZZ Top - Eliminator

Songs:
-Gimme All Your Lovin'
-Got Me Under Pressure
-Sharp Dressed Man
-I Need You Tonight
-I Got the Six
-Legs
-Thug
-TV Dinners
-Dirty Dog
-If I Could Only Flag Her Down
-Bad Girl

Well, I was eventually going to get to this album anyways, so... For me personally, this album is in the bottom tier of albums we will be discussing. I have nothing against it. But just not my thing. I did enjoy the singles, other than the very odd TV Dinners. But never enough to go out and buy this album. When the songs are playing, I enjoy them. When they are over, I promptly forget about them. Still, those videos were iconic, and there is no denying the album's success. Just not my thing.

Podaar · « **Reply #291 on:** July 29, 2019, 08:44:05 AM »

Quote from: bosk1 on July 29, 2019, 07:55:33 AM

When the songs are playing, I enjoy them. When they are over, I promptly forget about them.

Yup.

Love me some ZZ Top, but this album is bottom rung of the ladder, IMO.

The Walrus · « **Reply #292 on:** July 29, 2019, 08:47:52 AM »

ZZ Top has always struck me as the kind of band whose full albums sound like extended versions of all their radio hits. Is that true? I feel like even though I only know the first 3 songs, the rest of the album sounds exactly like them.

KevShmev · « **Reply #293 on:** July 29, 2019, 08:51:35 AM »

I've never actually owned this record (on album, cassette or CD).

I loved the videos for the Big 3 at the time, as those girls and the car made them so cool, but Gimme All Your Lovin' is the only song of the three I ever listen to nowadays.

It's a bit of an odd duck in their discography, though, as you had a rock band that made their bones with the blues going pop with most of the bass and drum tracks being done on a synthesizer. The album was even recorded at what was considered the most popular tempo at the time, based on beats per minute.

Grappler · « **Reply #294 on:** July 29, 2019, 08:54:12 AM »

Eliminator is awesome. This album was one of my first forays into rock music, via my parent's music collection. My grandfather worked in the technology industry and brought home from Japan this GIANT thing that was the size of most stereo receivers. It was one of the first home CD players and gave it to my dad. He had this old receiver, this big CD player and huge cabinet speakers.

They had their vinyl collection, which had stuff from The Eagles, Beatles, Styx, Zeppelin and other 70's rock bands. But now, my parents were getting more into the MTV era of music and had the ability to buy and play CD's.

I have great memories of using my dad's stereo in the 80's and jamming to Eliminator. ZZ Top absolutely ruled that decade and MTV and I still love them to this day.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #295 on:** July 29, 2019, 09:11:09 AM »

A good friend (who I'm going to see Maiden with this Thursday) had a theaory that this album was really one song and if you played "Gimmie All Your Loving" backwards it was "Sharp Dressed Man", Play it on 45 and it as "Legs". Play it on it's side.....ect......

KevShmev · « **Reply #296 on:** July 29, 2019, 09:52:42 AM »

Quote from: Grappler on July 29, 2019, 08:54:12 AM

I have great memories of using my dad's stereo in the 80's and jamming to Eliminator. ZZ Top absolutely ruled that decade and MTV and I still love them to this day.

That would be a fun discussion: which artists ruled MTV the most over the course of the entire decade?

Cool Chris · « **Reply #297 on:** July 29, 2019, 10:11:01 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on July 29, 2019, 08:51:35 AM

I loved the videos for the Big 3 at the time, as those girls and the car made them so cool.....

That is about all I came here to contribute.

T-ski · « **Reply #298 on:** July 29, 2019, 10:47:21 AM »

have it on vinyl from way back in the day.

pg1067 · « **Reply #299 on:** July 29, 2019, 11:43:02 AM »

Quote from: bosk1 on July 29, 2019, 07:55:33 AM

By popular demand:

ZZ Top - Eliminator

Songs:
-Gimme All Your Lovin'
-Got Me Under Pressure
-Sharp Dressed Man
-I Need You Tonight
-I Got the Six
-Legs
-Thug
-TV Dinners
-Dirty Dog
-If I Could Only Flag Her Down
-Bad Girl

Three MASSIVE MTV hits and a couple lesser hits and six songs I've never heard (or don't recognize by name). Gimme All Your Lovin'/Sharp Dressed Man (basically the same song) has managed to endure, but this band started and ended for me as a joke (the beards, the one guy who doesn't have a beard is named Beard, the spinning guitars). I've heard a few of the older songs and they're terrible (stuff like Tush and LaGrange), and I don't think anything that came after this album even registered for me. Billy Gibbons (as himself) ended up being a recurring character (father of one of the regulars) on the TV show Bones.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #300 on:** July 29, 2019, 02:44:53 PM »

This is a good album with great hits, but it isn't the best stuff from ZZ Top. That would be their older catalog. My favorites are Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, and Deguello.

TAC · « **Reply #301 on:** July 29, 2019, 02:46:26 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on July 29, 2019, 08:51:35 AM

I've never actually owned this record (on album, cassette or CD).

Neither did I, or any ZZ Top album for that matter.

Lowdz · « **Reply #302 on:** July 29, 2019, 03:53:51 PM »

Love Eliminator. It’s a “cool” record. Billy Gibbons’ tone is excellent on this album. It is about the only ZZ album I like. The earlier bluesy stuff is ok but nothing more than that, and then they spent a couple of albums trying to rewrite Eliminator.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #303 on:** July 29, 2019, 06:00:45 PM »

Quote from: TAC on July 29, 2019, 02:46:26 PM

Quote from: KevShmev on July 29, 2019, 08:51:35 AM
I've never actually owned this record (on album, cassette or CD).

Neither did I, or any ZZ Top album for that matter.

Neither did I as well.

bosk1 · « **Reply #304 on:** July 30, 2019, 08:44:17 AM »

Let's go a different direction.

Scorpions - Blackout

Songs:
-Blackout
-Can't Live Without You
-No One Like You
-You Give Me All I Need
-Now!
-Dynamite
-Arizona
-China White
-When the Smoke Is Going Down

This album may seem tame by modern standards. But back when it was released in '82, it was viewed as heavy and dark. I remember my first exposure to the album, as a kid riding my bike over at the park around the corner from my house. And there was a group of older kids in denim and leather with long hair listening to Blackout on a boom box. They were cool looking. They were smoking. They were scary. And that was kind of the vibe of this album.

It would be a couple of years before I would get into this album myself. But when I did...wow!

People generally know the big singles of No One Like You, Can't Live Without You, and When the Smoke is Going Down. But this album also really shines on the deeper cuts as well, such as the title track, China White, and Dynamite.

As far as the music, this is a band that really figured out the dual guitar attack and did it right. The riffs were nasty and memorable. And then you had some amazing, hummable, soaring leads, not just during the solo, but adding flourishes and texture throughout the songs. And then you have Klaus Meine's powerhouse vocals over the top. And what you have with all of that is a very effective formula for memorable, rocking songs. To me, this album was the band almost at their peak (the pinnacle will be discussed later).

cramx3 · « **Reply #305 on:** July 30, 2019, 08:46:22 AM »

The title track is considered a deeper cut? I LOVE that song. I actually don't think I know the back half of this album, but I do love Klaus' vocals so much

bosk1 · « **Reply #306 on:** July 30, 2019, 08:51:39 AM »

Quote from: cramx3 on July 30, 2019, 08:46:22 AM

The title track is considered a deeper cut? I LOVE that song. I actually don't think I know the back half of this album, but I do love Klaus' vocals so much

Yeah, it seems odd to think of it that way since it has been such a regular in their live set and it is so familiar to people. But it wasn't a single. Funny to think how I am MUCH more familiar with the title track than Now!, which actually was a single. I had to go back and listen to see how that song even goes.

cramx3 · « **Reply #307 on:** July 30, 2019, 08:59:13 AM »

That is kind of funny how that works out, I don't know Now!

MirrorMask · « **Reply #308 on:** July 30, 2019, 09:01:30 AM »

Blackout (the song) was also covered by Stratovarius.

Dream Team · « **Reply #309 on:** July 30, 2019, 09:27:53 AM »

Yup, this was a gateway album for me too (older kids cranking it on the bus). Love the Scorps, but mostly for the 70's output.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #310 on:** July 30, 2019, 10:15:14 AM »

Quote from: bosk1 on July 30, 2019, 08:51:39 AM

Quote from: cramx3 on July 30, 2019, 08:46:22 AM
The title track is considered a deeper cut? I LOVE that song. I actually don't think I know the back half of this album, but I do love Klaus' vocals so much

Yeah, it seems odd to think of it that way since it has been such a regular in their live set and it is so familiar to people. But it wasn't a single. Funny to think how I am MUCH more familiar with the title track than Now!, which actually was a single. I had to go back and listen to see how that song even goes.

It got a lot of radio airplay on the East Coast. I always assumed it was a single.

pg1067 · « **Reply #311 on:** July 30, 2019, 10:39:52 AM »

Quote from: bosk1 on July 30, 2019, 08:44:17 AM

Let's go a different direction.

Scorpions - Blackout

Songs:
-Blackout
-Can't Live Without You
-No One Like You
-You Give Me All I Need
-Now!
-Dynamite
-Arizona
-China White
-When the Smoke Is Going Down

This album may seem tame by modern standards. But back when it was released in '82, it was viewed as heavy and dark. I remember my first exposure to the album, as a kid riding my bike over at the park around the corner from my house. And there was a group of older kids in denim and leather with long hair listening to Blackout on a boom box. They were cool looking. They were smoking. They were scary. And that was kind of the vibe of this album.

It would be a couple of years before I would get into this album myself. But when I did...wow!

People generally know the big singles of No One Like You, Can't Live Without You, and When the Smoke is Going Down. But this album also really shines on the deeper cuts as well, such as the title track, China White, and Dynamite.

As far as the music, this is a band that really figured out the dual guitar attack and did it right. The riffs were nasty and memorable. And then you had some amazing, hummable, soaring leads, not just during the solo, but adding flourishes and texture throughout the songs. And then you have Klaus Meine's powerhouse vocals over the top. And what you have with all of that is a very effective formula for memorable, rocking songs. To me, this album was the band almost at their peak (the pinnacle will be discussed later).

My first exposure to Scorpions was probably the No One Like You video. I had no idea what to think about Rudolf Schenker, but the song kicked ass. Blackout was one of my first album purchases once I got into hard rock and metal. The last couple songs are just meh, but everything up to that point ranges from good to great. Dynamite is my favorite track by a wide margin and probably was my favorite Scorps song until I heard Sails of Charon.

Count me among those who didn't know Now! was a single.

Max Kuehnau · « **Reply #312 on:** July 30, 2019, 11:21:56 AM »

Quote from: bosk1 on July 30, 2019, 08:44:17 AM

Let's go a different direction.

Scorpions - Blackout

Songs:
-Blackout
-Can't Live Without You
-No One Like You
-You Give Me All I Need
-Now!
-Dynamite
-Arizona
-China White
-When the Smoke Is Going Down

This album may seem tame by modern standards. But back when it was released in '82, it was viewed as heavy and dark. I remember my first exposure to the album, as a kid riding my bike over at the park around the corner from my house. And there was a group of older kids in denim and leather with long hair listening to Blackout on a boom box. They were cool looking. They were smoking. They were scary. And that was kind of the vibe of this album.

It would be a couple of years before I would get into this album myself. But when I did...wow!

People generally know the big singles of No One Like You, Can't Live Without You, and When the Smoke is Going Down. But this album also really shines on the deeper cuts as well, such as the title track, China White, and Dynamite.

As far as the music, this is a band that really figured out the dual guitar attack and did it right. The riffs were nasty and memorable. And then you had some amazing, hummable, soaring leads, not just during the solo, but adding flourishes and texture throughout the songs. And then you have Klaus Meine's powerhouse vocals over the top. And what you have with all of that is a very effective formula for memorable, rocking songs. To me, this album was the band almost at their peak (the pinnacle will be discussed later).

great album, Klaus Meine is on fire, as it were. I love the cover art too. (fun fact: it was made by Gottfried Helnwein (the same guy who is responsible for the cover art for Sehnsucht by Rammstein) Btw, bosk, why would you think that Blackout would be tame by modern standards? I don't. (but then again I may not be the right person to jugdge that)

Podaar · « **Reply #313 on:** July 30, 2019, 01:15:41 PM »

I really loved this album on it's release and for a few months after, but it faded quickly (comparatively speaking) from my rotation. Their 70's albums have stuck with me much longer.

Blackout, No One Like You, Dynamite, and China White are my favorites.

The lyrics to Arizona are laughably bad.

Max Kuehnau · « **Reply #314 on:** July 30, 2019, 01:25:23 PM »

Quote from: Podaar on July 30, 2019, 01:15:41 PM

I really loved this album on it's release and for a few months after, but it faded quickly (comparatively speaking) from my rotation. Their 70's albums have stuck with me much longer.

Blackout, No One Like You, Dynamite, and China White are my favorites.

The lyrics to Arizona are laughably bad.

probably, but I was only referring to what happens musically

News: Track-by-track video for Paralyzed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd5TbGbalPs&feature=youtu.be

Author Topic: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s (Read 40423 times)