Author Topic: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s  (Read 40150 times)

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Offline Podaar

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #315 on: July 30, 2019, 01:36:51 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

My comment wasn't directed at you Max, but just the album in general. To be honest, I hadn't even read your post. Although, now that I have, I don't see any correlation between the two posts. You never even mentioned Arizona.  :lol
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Offline TAC

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #316 on: July 30, 2019, 02:52:35 PM »
I love Blackout. 81-82 were my real musical coming of age years.

I remember getting my father to buy this for me at a gas station in the Carolinas on a hot ride down to Florida for a family vacation. I guess I made enough noise!

The riff to China White is so wicked it should be illegal!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #317 on: July 30, 2019, 03:24:19 PM »
I never got into Scorpions very much.  I liked some of their hits, but never enough to dive any deeper than that.
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Offline pg1067

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #318 on: July 30, 2019, 03:47:19 PM »
The lyrics to Arizona are laughably bad.

Not exactly unique for a Scorps song.  No one is listening to the Scorps for great lyrics.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #319 on: July 30, 2019, 05:49:51 PM »
I never got into Scorpions very much.  I liked some of their hits, but never enough to dive any deeper than that.

That was basically my story regarding this band until a manager I worked with back in the 00's, who was a diehard Scorpions fan, got me to listen to some of their deeper cuts, and I did get into some of them. Still not a band I ever really reach for, outside of a handful or so of songs.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #320 on: July 30, 2019, 05:51:12 PM »
I remember getting my father to buy this for me at a gas station...
I have never, in my 43 years of living, seen a CD for purchase at a gas station.
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Offline King Postwhore

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #321 on: July 30, 2019, 05:52:56 PM »
I remember getting my father to buy this for me at a gas station...
I have never, in my 43 years of living, seen a CD for purchase at a gas station.

That would be an album back then.  :lol
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #322 on: July 30, 2019, 05:54:38 PM »
Or a cassette. I almost remember gas stations carrying cassettes.

Offline The Walrus

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #323 on: July 30, 2019, 05:57:10 PM »
I remember getting my father to buy this for me at a gas station...
I have never, in my 43 years of living, seen a CD for purchase at a gas station.

Really? They're everywhere. Want me to blow your mind some more? I bought Rush's debut album on CD at a gas station last year.

Think the station down the street still has George Strait's Best Of.  :lol
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Offline King Postwhore

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #324 on: July 30, 2019, 07:19:06 PM »
That hooker banged you to Need Some Love too. Admit it.
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So wait, we're spelling it wrong and king is spelling it right? What is going on here? :lol -- BlobVanDam
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Offline TAC

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #325 on: July 30, 2019, 07:44:54 PM »
I remember getting my father to buy this for me at a gas station...
I have never, in my 43 years of living, seen a CD for purchase at a gas station.

It was a combination gas station/campground! :lol
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline King Postwhore

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #326 on: July 30, 2019, 07:50:08 PM »
Tim got Scorpions albums and lost his virginity at the same place!
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'.” - Bob Newhart
So wait, we're spelling it wrong and king is spelling it right? What is going on here? :lol -- BlobVanDam
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Offline TAC

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #327 on: July 30, 2019, 07:52:52 PM »
Tim got Scorpions albums and lost his virginity at the same place!

I may have lost my um..."self" virginity! :lol
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Podaar

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #328 on: July 30, 2019, 07:56:17 PM »
 :lol
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Offline King Postwhore

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #329 on: July 30, 2019, 07:59:11 PM »
The only place that happened?  Amateur.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down'.” - Bob Newhart
So wait, we're spelling it wrong and king is spelling it right? What is going on here? :lol -- BlobVanDam
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Offline TAC

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #330 on: July 30, 2019, 08:49:34 PM »
Dude, I left a trail down the East Coast that summer! :lol

NNNNNNNNNNNNOW!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline bl5150

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #331 on: July 30, 2019, 09:25:05 PM »
(Nobody Wants To) Know What TAC Did Last Summer.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #332 on: July 30, 2019, 09:26:58 PM »
Don't Let TAC In The Babysitter's Bed.

Offline TAC

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #333 on: July 30, 2019, 09:29:14 PM »
(Nobody Wants To) Know What TAC Did Last Summer.

Or in 1982! :lol
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline bosk1

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #334 on: July 31, 2019, 10:19:50 AM »
Since Kat is dealing with this album in his top 50 thread, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so here as well and cross-pollinate ideas.

Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction

Songs:
-Welcome to the Jungle
-It’s So Easy
-Nightrain
-Out Ta Get Me
-Mr. Brownstone
-Paradise City
-My Michelle
-Think About You
-Sweet Child o’ Mine
-You’re Crazy
-Anything Goes
-Rocket Queen

This album was/is an absolute MONSTER.  I have mixed feelings about it, so it's kind of a tale of two takes on the album.

First, on a personal note, I don't particularly care for it.  Personally.  While the strength of the songs is undeniable, the headspace of this album just isn't something I particularly identify with or care for.  I liked Welcome To the Jungle, Sweet Child, and Paradise City well enough.  But I first got the album as a "donation" from my uncle, who didn't care for it.  And while I liked a few songs, it wasn't really for me.  I ended up trading away my copy to a friend for Warlock's Triumph and Agony (the vocals on that blew my mind!), and to this day, I still consider that a good trade.  The overall tone of the album captures a gritty, seedy, grungy, unseemly vibe to a tee.  But that's just not me and never has been.

On the other hand, I can appreciate the excellent song writing, the attitude, the genuineness, and the influence this album has had on the rock/metal scene.  GnR took the world by storm as the true "bad boys" of rock.  And they were the real deal, which I think is one of the reasons this album has endured (coupled with, again, rock-solid songwriting). 

So let me be clear:  I fully recognize that this album is incredible.  I just personally do not identify with the vibe.  So while I still enjoy a lot of the songs on occasion, I don't gravitate toward this album.

The interesting thing for me is, as good as the "hits" are, the album really shines on its deep cuts.  Rocket Queen and My Michelle, for example, are way underrated gems.  But really, there isn't a weak track on the album.

One thing I often see sort of touched on when the band is discussed, but not put in quite these terms and explored from this angle is the almost "musical identity crisis" of this band.  And maybe I'm overstating it just a tad.  But I definitely see/hear it.  On one hand, you had Slash and Duff, who were all about dirty, grimy, no-frills, straight ahead, in-your-face rock.  They don't need the music to be shiny and polished.  They just want it real, aggressive, and edgy.  Then you had Axl, who can definitely play in the same playground as Slash and Duff, but also STRONGLY has a more polished, artsy side.  Then you had Izzy, who was sort of artsy in a different way, with some blues and jazzy influence.  The result was, in a way, a mess.  But it was a brilliant mess that gave GnR a unique sound.  That musical tension resulted in some truly groundbreaking songs that made you take notice and rewarded you for listening carefully to what they were doing.

Anyhow, this is kind of a rambling review.  But when it comes to GnR, that's kind of my thought process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link to discussion in Kat's thread:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=53954.msg2571055#msg2571055
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Offline Podaar

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I agree with all of that, bosk1. You said it much better than I could...not really my jam, but I lustily sing along with most of the songs (except Sweet Child O' Mine) when I hear them on the radio. Welcome to the Jungle, Night Train, Mr. Brownstone, and Paradise City are all great.
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Offline The Walrus

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Quote
One thing I often see sort of touched on when the band is discussed, but not put in quite these terms and explored from this angle is the almost "musical identity crisis" of this band.  And maybe I'm overstating it just a tad.  But I definitely see/hear it.  On one hand, you had Slash and Duff, who were all about dirty, grimy, no-frills, straight ahead, in-your-face rock.  They don't need the music to be shiny and polished.  They just want it real, aggressive, and edgy.  Then you had Axl, who can definitely play in the same playground as Slash and Duff, but also STRONGLY has a more polished, artsy side.  Then you had Izzy, who was sort of artsy in a different way, with some blues and jazzy influence.  The result was, in a way, a mess.  But it was a brilliant mess that gave GnR a unique sound.  That musical tension resulted in some truly groundbreaking songs that made you take notice and rewarded you for listening carefully to what they were doing.

Love this observation and totally agree. In a way it's a mess but it's a beautiful mess that gels together perfectly (so in a way, NOT a mess  :lol). That doesn't happen too often, at least not to the degree it worked out on Appetite. I said my piece over in my Top 50 thread but yeah, this is just an amazing rock record. 32 years on and I still think the production is marvelous. Not the best, but the best for what it is, and it's got massive balls.

The lyrics on this record rule, in my opinion. Love the imagery and the visceral energy in so many songs. "Rocket Queen" is a wonderful closer and the way it morphs from this dark, sexy, almost drug-addled rocker into an "after the storm" type feel is just so cool, and the tonal shift of the lyrics and singing is a big part of that. "My Michelle" also has great imagery, there's a good video of Axl and Sebastian Bach singing that one live on YouTube somewhere from many years ago.

Legendary rock record.
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Offline bosk1

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Bosk and I have teamed up today to turn Dream Theater Forums into Destruction Theater Forums :2metal:

Better than a Marvel annual crossover event!  :metal

Rock on, my friend.  Rock on.  :)
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Offline jingle.boy

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So you're saying that AfD is NOT in your Top 50, Bosk?
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
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Offline Cool Chris

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Liked the singles at the time. That's about it. My mom, who couldn't name a rock band that formed after 1970 to save her life, loved Paradise City. She said it had a nice beat.
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Offline pg1067

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #340 on: July 31, 2019, 11:50:21 AM »
Since Kat is dealing with this album in his top 50 thread, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so here as well and cross-pollinate ideas.

Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction


At the risk of repeating myself, I pretty much can't stand GnR or anything they did.  Paradise City is about the only exception.  GnR = Axl, and Axl = crap.
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Offline bosk1

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So you're saying that AfD is NOT in your Top 50, Bosk?

Depends.  50 most influential hard rock/metal albums of the '70s-90s?  Yeah, and fairly high up that list.  50 favorite albums?  Nope.  But, again, just because I don't love it doesn't mean I don't respect it and acknowledge how solid it is.
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Offline bosk1

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GnR = Axl, and Axl = crap.

Yeah...while I think that's way overstating it, I don't disagree, in principle.
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Offline pg1067

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GnR = Axl, and Axl = crap.

Yeah...while I think that's way overstating it, I don't disagree, in principle.

Probably more accurate to say that Axl ruins whatever enjoyment I could potentially get from GnR's music, but what I wrote before was more concise.
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Offline TAC

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Appetite is a great album. This band had such great musical chemistry. Unfortunately their personal chemistry did not follow suit.

This album was out for a year before they really broke huge. This was released in the summer of '87. I saw GnR open for Aerosmith in the summer of 1988, and it was only then that they were really breaking big.

I saw them in October of '87 on their East Coast club tour. I've posted these before, but for anyone that hasn't seen them, I took these pics.
Japanese band EZO opened.

October 26, 1987
The Living Room
Providence, RI













The last couple pics were taken right before Slash jumped into the crowd.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline The Walrus

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That's so damn cool, TAC. Now be honest, how badly did Axl kick your ass when he saw you snapping pics?  :lol
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Offline KevShmev

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I get why this album is so popular, but half of the songs are total throwaways, IMO, and Axl Rose's voice doesn't help a few others.  I have said for over 30 years now that his voice turned Paradise City from a great song into just a pretty good one.  Musically, that song is killer, but the second he starts singing, I want to cover my ears.  His voice is very hit or miss for me.  Welcome to the Jungle is always great, and I like Rocket Queen, Think About You and Mr. Brownstone all quite a bit.

Offline bosk1

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Def Leppard - Pyromania

Songs:
-Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
-Photograph
-Stagefright
-Too Late for Love
-Die Hard the Hunter
-Foolin'
-Rock of Ages
-Comin' Under Fir
-Action! Not Words
-Billy's Got a Gun

This album more than any other helped set my musical direction.  I was kind of all over the place before this.  But upon seeing the video for Rock of Ages on MTV, I knew I had found my favorite band.  For the next few years, I could not get enough of them.  I of course picked up the back catalog.  And then Hysteria, after the long wait.  But Pyromania was truly special. 

Even the weaker tracks have something to offer.  Of course everyone knows the hits.  Those alone totally won me over.  But there are some fantastic "2nd tier" songs that maybe weren't quite radio-ready, but are in many respects possibly even better, like Too Late and Die Hard.  But even the remaining songs had plenty of hooks, great riffs, ear-worm solos, and those signature Joe Elliot vocals. 

I can certainly understand the feelings of fans that were around from the beginning who felt that this more commercial direction was a full-on sellout.  It can be hard not to feel that way when our favorite band goes more commercial and suddenly becomes a mass-consumed commodity.  But when the music is done this well, who cares?  This is still an album I go back and revisit, and I always enjoy it when I do.

"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Max Kuehnau

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Def Leppard - Pyromania

Songs:
-Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
-Photograph
-Stagefright
-Too Late for Love
-Die Hard the Hunter
-Foolin'
-Rock of Ages
-Comin' Under Fir
-Action! Not Words
-Billy's Got a Gun

This album more than any other helped set my musical direction.  I was kind of all over the place before this.  But upon seeing the video for Rock of Ages on MTV, I knew I had found my favorite band.  For the next few years, I could not get enough of them.  I of course picked up the back catalog.  And then Hysteria, after the long wait.  But Pyromania was truly special. 

Even the weaker tracks have something to offer.  Of course everyone knows the hits.  Those alone totally won me over.  But there are some fantastic "2nd tier" songs that maybe weren't quite radio-ready, but are in many respects possibly even better, like Too Late and Die Hard.  But even the remaining songs had plenty of hooks, great riffs, ear-worm solos, and those signature Joe Elliot vocals. 

I can certainly understand the feelings of fans that were around from the beginning who felt that this more commercial direction was a full-on sellout.  It can be hard not to feel that way when our favorite band goes more commercial and suddenly becomes a mass-consumed commodity.  But when the music is done this well, who cares?  This is still an album I go back and revisit, and I always enjoy it when I do.
Great album by the Leps IMHO, great songs, great production too (Mutt Lange). Not as clean as Hysteria, but still great.
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But somehow I carry on, heading for the top
A physical absurdity, a tremendous mental game
Helping me understand exactly who I am"

Offline cramx3

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Re: "Classic" album appreciation thread - the '80s
« Reply #349 on: August 01, 2019, 09:45:52 AM »
Awesome album and one I have, I can see why people who were already fans would be put off a bit, but like you said, it's great music and I hope those people eventually came around to enjoy this (I'm sure many or most did).