Reviewed:
- Out of Our Heads (1965, US version)
- December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
- Aftermath (1966, US version)
- Between the Buttons (1967, UK version)
- Beggar's Banquet (1968)
- Let It Bleed (1969)
- Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970, live album)
- Sticky Fingers (1970)
- Hot Rocks 1964-1971 (1971, compilation)
- Exile on Main Street (1972)
- Some Girls (1978)
- Tattoo You (1981)
- Steel Wheels (1989)
- Flashpoint (1991, live album)
- Voodoo Lounge (1994)
- Bridges to Babylon (1997)
- A Bigger Bang (2005)
- GRRR! (2012, compilation)
OUT OF OUR HEADS (US) 1965 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: 'Mercy Mercy', 'The Last Time', 'Good Times', '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', 'Play With Fire', 'One More Try'
This is early Stones, so there were two releases - the UK and US pressings. Basically I picked up the US version because it has 'The Last Time' and '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', which automatically makes it better than the UK release in all fairness. Plus, I actually had December's Children (And Everybody's) before this record, and it contains the UK tracks that were missing from the US version of Out of Our Heads anyway, so yeah. Anyhow, early Stones may sound somewhat primitive in comparison to what they were doing a few years later in the decade, but I still love the majority of the material from this period. Yep, covers were still the norm for the band at this point, but Out of Our Heads was the first album to feature a considerable number of originals penned by the band. Well, 5 out of 12 tracks to be precise, but they had to start somewhere. And it was around now that you could actually hear the great songwriters trying to get out of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. I mean, 'The Last Time' is a great, great tune with one of the catchiest and coolest riffs of their career. No wonder it went to number 1 in the UK. Plus, everyone knows 'Satisfaction', right? It's played at every gig, still - and once again it features an iconic riff that's so goddamn groovy it just sticks with you forever.
I will admit that the remaining originals don't exactly live up to the aforementioned. 'The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man' (jeez, that's a mouthful) is a group effort, not just the typical Mick/Keith songwriting duo, and it honestly sounds like it could've been one of the covers given that it sounds like generic blues to me. Hell, first time I heard it I thought it was a cover, and not one of their stronger ones either. 'The Spider and the Fly' is a bit better, but the band was still delving heavily into their blues roots/influences - fair enough really, especially given as it was still 1965 and songwriting wasn't something they were used to yet. 'One More Try' is a bit more upbeat and rock n' roll, while 'Play With Fire' is a moody pop number and a good precursor to the kind of stuff that would appear on Between the Buttons - it's probably the best original behind 'The Last Time' and 'Satisfaction', though it does still drag far behind by comparison.
Happily the covers on here are mostly great stuff. Yes, it was necessary for the band to stop recording so many covers later on, but at this point they still pulled 'em off, and pulled 'em off well. 'Mercy' was originally a soul number by Don Covay - the Stones' rendition is much more rhythmic and metallic. It's cool. Same goes for the Marvin Gaye track, 'Hitch Hike'. In fact, a lot of the covers on the album were soul numbers to begin with rather than blues or rock n' roll - there is also a nice cover of Sam Cooke's 'Good Times'. Half way through the record is a live song ('I'm Alright') from Got Live If You Want It!, kinda random, but still decent singalong-y stuff.
I really like this album overall. It's probably my favourite from the early years, actually. Well, along with Aftermath that is.
Adam's rating: 8.6/10
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN (AND EVERYBODY'S) 1965 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: 'She Said Yeah', 'Talkin' About You', 'Look What You've Done', 'Get Off of My Cloud', 'As Tears Go By', 'I'm Free'
A lot of fans seem to slag this one off, but not necessarily for the music itself. Presumably it's because the LP is more of a compilation of singles than a true album effort. Only three of the tracks here were previously unreleased. Hell, even Bill Wyman stated the album was 'just a collection of songs', even if it is still listed as one of their studio records. The rest were pretty much just various singles and maybe a track or two from the UK version of Out of Our Heads that were missing from the US version of said record. If you put this thing in context however, I guess the US market had more reason to pick it up at the time. Plus, I own the US Out of Our Heads anyway, sooo....
Well, I will admit that this CD is kinda choppy - it has no real direction. It's pretty much 50% originals and 50% covers - Mick Jagger and Keith Richards still weren't in full songwriting mode at this point. Despite the lack of any real direction, all the covers here are mostly solid - 'She Said Yeah', although a bit short for my liking, hits you hard. 'Talkin' About You' is a Chuck Berry cover (definitely not unusual for the Stones to cover Chuck during this period) and mixes the bands' blues influences with the rock n' roll of the original song. I like it. 'You Better Move On' is a little too motownish for me, but is still enjoyable. Motown was a big deal in the 60's after all. The Muddy Waters cover, 'Look What You've Done' obviously suits the Stones' style better though - white guys performing black blues with their own twist on the matter. I don't really get why they threw in 'Route 66' from the Got Live If You Want It, er, live EP. Hearing an obviously live number with crowd noises among the rest of the album just sounds weird and out of place to me, even the song is a fun rock n' roll piece, but obviously they did with Out of Our Heads too. The Mick/Keith compositions are great too overall, but obviously none were specifically written for this release. 'I'm Free' is indeed from the UK release of Out of Our Heads, and this song is just a classic that was later covered by Soup Dragons in 1990. The main standout though, is 'Get Off of My Cloud'. Honestly, it's songs like this that proved Mick and Keith didn't really need to include so many covers on their records anymore (well, to be fair they did begin to stop doing this afterward); that guitar riff is infectious as hell! One of my favourites for sure. Plus, 'As Tears Go By' is a nice acoustic piece, again, doesn't really fit in with all the bluesy stuff on here, but is great in it's own right.
Despite the inconsistencies of this album, it's still worth owning. Individually nearly every track on here is great even if they don't really flow together that well. You might think my rating is a little high, but come on, it's the Stones!
Adam's rating: 8/10
AFTERMATH (US) 1966 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: 'Paint It Black', Stupid Girl', 'Lady Jane', 'High and Dry', 'Think', 'Flight 505', 'Doncha Bother Me'
It was around this point where the band had finally ditched the covers and fully realised their songwriting potential. Mick and Keith proved themselves to be competent songwriters on Out of Our Heads, but obviously that record still had it's fair share of covers. Aftermath features entirely original compositions on both the UK and US releases. I went with the US version because it has 'Paint It Black', basically. That instantly makes it superior to the UK release in my humble opinion. I've loved that song since I first heard it while watching Full Metal Jacket in my early teens. The lyrics are great, the riffs are great, and that rumbling bass sound near the end of the song from Bill Wyman is cool as fuck. You can't always hear it without headphones, but once you do, you can't UNhear it. Hell, Brian Jones even plays sitar on the song.
'Under My Thumb' is arguably one of the more popular tracks from the album, and I can see why...although it is rather poppy and moves away from the blues influences on past works. This isn't a negative, it's just the band experimenting with new ideas and sounds. The same can be said for the acoustic pop of 'Lady Jane', and 'Stupid Girl' is, uh, stupidly catchy! In contrast to this however, 'Doncha Bother Me' is definitely more traditional Stones, being the heavily blues-influenced number it is. 'Going Home' is pure blues too, but it feels more like an improvised jam then an actual structured song. Fuck, it lasts 11 minutes and 13 seconds; now that is long for the Stones. I like it, but I have to be in the right mood to be able to sit through it's entirety. Mick's unpredictable vocal style on the song sort of reminds me of Jim Morrison on The Doors' 'The End' for some reason.
There's also a handful of 60's rockers on here, stuff like 'It's Not Easy', 'Think' and 'Flight 505', so there's a fair bit of variety going on throughout this record. Frankly, I don't think there's a duff number on here. But I still don't think it achieves legendary status among the discography. It's one of the best albums of their early output (i.e. 1962-1967) and it's a no-brainer that you should go out and buy it immediately, but it isn't a masterpiece. 'Classic' is a better description. I love the fact that they had ditched covering other artists by this point, but being their first full-length LP to include entirely original songs, I guess they still hadn't quite figured things out properly yet.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (UK) 1967 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: 'Yesterday's Papers', 'My Obsession', 'Miss Amanda Jones', 'Please Go Home', 'Connection'
A lot of people claim this record to be the band's 'pop masterpiece'. 'Pop' - sure, but 'masterpiece'? Naaahhh... Granted, the Stones proved they certainly can pull of pop on this thing, but I personally wouldn't put it among their best. The fact that the album revolves more around pop and 60's psychedelia instead of bluesy rock n' roll instantly brings it down a notch in my books. True, it is possible for a band's greatest work to not fit in with the sound they are generally known for - I can't deny that, but I guess I just find Between the Buttons to be somewhat overrated. Of course, this was 1967 and the band were still releasing UK and US versions of their studio albums, so the track listing differs slightly. I've got the UK version which includes 'Back Street Girl' and 'Please Go Home'. It's missing 'Let's Spend the Night Together' and 'Ruby Tuesday' however. The US version is vice versa.
It's a shame 'Let's Spend the Night Together' is missing on the UK edition - honestly, I'd give the album a better score if it was present, but whatever. In comparison to Aftermath, there's some weird shit going on here at times (although saying that, you can definitely hear influences of Aftermath on a lot of the tracks here too...). I do LOVE 'My Obsession' even if it's lacking in the blues department. This is acid rock at it's finest, and that rumblin' bass sound is killer! And sure, I'd prefer 'Let's Spend the Night Together' over 'Back Street Girl', but at least 'BSG' is classic 60's pop. Hell, it's more like baroque pop. The same goes for 'Yesterday's Papers' due to the harpsichord usage. 'Miss Amanda Jones', 'Please Go Home' and 'Connection' do rock in an almost signature Stones style! They're not exactly perfect examples but are great all the same.
Really I think every track on here is great in it's own right. Well, except maybe the closer 'Something Happened to Me Yesterday'. The horns kind of piss me off, and I could be talking out of my ass here, but Mick's approach to the vocals remind me too much of that Small Faces 'Lazy Sunday' brand of cheesy, jolly 60's pop. It's about as far removed from the Stones as you can get. Plus, even though the rest of the songs are still genuinely good/great, I do have other issues with this album. Obviously the lack of any true rockin' blues means a lack of clearly guitar-driven songs. I get that this was the point, but Keith's guitar tone has been subdued and certainly not at the front of the mix. Shame really, because from what traces of guitar are audible, he and Brian Jones are still on form for the most part.
Yep, it was difficult giving this one a rating. As a trippy pop album, it's probably an 8.5/10, but as a Stones album, it's a 7.5.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10, 8.5 if you look at it from a pop perspective.
BEGGARS BANQUET 1968 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: Everything, but especially 'Sympathy for the Devil'.
Okay, no more dicking around. This is where the Stones knew exactly what and who they wanted to be. The sound of maturity, even. After the acid rock experimentation of the previous record (Their Satanic Majesties Request), and all the cover songs and tributes to their heroes from the early works, Beggars Banquet displays some of Mick and Keith's finest songwriting examples. The rockers will, well, rock you I guess while the remaining numbers mostly consist of sleazy, country-tinged blues. I can't say I'm a fan of actual country music, but the country influences here really help shape the sleaziness of the rollicking blues tracks like 'Dear Doctor' and 'No Expectations'. Really, I can't emphasise the word 'sleazy' enough! At least for those blues songs anyway.
Like the country-blues sleaze of 'Dear Doctor' and 'No Expectations', the rest of the blues tracks are killer too, naturally. 'Parachute Woman' is traditional blues, only beefed-up and given the Stones makeover. 'Prodigal Son' is kind of jolly in a way, and has that modest vocal approach where they are audible but not direct (almost muffled, but in a good way). Kinda like the first minute or so of 'Bring it On Home' from Led Zeppelin II. 'Factory Girl' is similar in this sense too, only it has more of a folky feel to it with mellotrons and fiddles. Yep, I love this one too, but thankfully it's not all about the blues. The rockers are amazing too - 'Street Fighting Man', anyone? If you have the LP, it's the first track on side two of the album, and this was the right place to put it. It's intensity breaks up the album brilliantly after sitting through the last few songs. 'Street Fighting Man' is also one of their key concert openers, and deservedly so. 'Stray Cat Blues' rocks hard too, and is nearly as great as the aforementioned 'SFM'.
But of course, the real standout is 'Sympathy for the Devil' - one of their best songs EVER, one that I can listen to over and over again and not get bored. Everything about it works perfectly. The use of bongos, the pianos, all those 'woo woo's!' in the background, Keith and Brian Jones' infectious electric guitar licks, Jagger's 'DEVILishly' good lyrics (sorry, that was lame)! The studio song is perfect, but you can tell it was also written to give any live performance improv opportunities and extended play time. So really, how can you top a song like this? Well, you can't, but they'd still write songs that are just as good on later records.
So, any criticisms then? Well, honestly, I don't think this one is quite perfect 'cos it has maybe one too many of the sleazy blues songs on it. Individually, every song is nearly flawless, but I feel like it could've done with one extra 'Street Fighting Man' or 'Stray Cat Blues' and one less 'Dear Doctor'. Saying that, most people will put the album among their greatest, and so do I - even if I doubt it's my favourite of the lot. As far as 'roots rock' goes however, there's no denying that it doesn't get much better than this. As a band, I feel this was the turning point for them.
Adam's rating: 9.5/10
LET IT BLEED 1969 (ABKCO)
- Standouts: All of it!
If it bleeds, we can kill it. Yep, that Arnie quote has absolutely no relevance to this record other than the fact both talk about bleeding. So, uh, anyway, ask the average critic or fan which Stones album they think is best, I wouldn't be surprised if this came up top in the poll. I can understand that. I suppose. I dunno, to me it almost feels like a continuation of Beggars Banquet (for much of, but not all of the record) only with a broader sense of musicianship. 'Course, this is not a bad thing, not in the slightest. I just don't necessarily find it to be any better than the predecessor.
You probably already know that Let It Bleed starts with 'Gimme Shelter', a song that Martin Scorsese has used in most of his gangster films at some point. Who can blame him? It's one of the best rock songs ever, and a perfect summary of how far the 60's movement progressed musically. And those lyrics! 'Rape, murder! It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away!' - I (presumably) like many others, assumed it was about the Vietnam War. Even if it is, Keith Richards explained it was actually inspired by a monsoon he was watching from a window in London, with people in the streets running for shelter. Whatever, Mick Jagger sings the bulk of the verses, but he also duets with Merry Clayton, who is simply key to the power of the choruses, and the emphasis of the lyrics. You've also gotta love Keith's openly-tuned guitars. I'm gonna outright say that this and 'Sympathy for the Devil' are the two greatest songs the band ever penned.
'Love in Vain' continues the acoustic SLEAZE! 'Country Honk' continues the country SLEAZE! 'You Got the Silver' continues the bluesy SLEAZE! You get the picture, much of the songs follow the same formula as those found on Beggar's Banquet. Again, the Stones had mastered these sounds on said record, so I'm not picking holes. Even with the familiar vibes, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' touches on gospel with all the vocal harmonies and organ sounds in the background, and it works just fine. And hey, 'Live With Me' and 'Monkey Man' are two of their finest rockers - everything pads out in the end. As I said earlier though, while this album often gets the winning vote over Beggars Banquet, I don't think it's any better, particularly. Both are near perfect LP's that have their own strengths (and barely, if any, actual weaknesses).
This album was to be the end of an era for the Stones. Brian Jones had become something of an outsider in the last few years leading up to Let It Bleed, and the record ended up being his final recording with the band. He died in 1969, drowning in his swimming pool. RIP. Actually, he had already quit the band prior, and was replaced by Mick Taylor. Both play on the album.
Adam's rating: 9.6/10
GET YER YA-YA'S OUT! THE ROLLING STONES IN CONCERT 1970 (ABKCO)
Frankly this is one of the most overrated live albums I've ever heard. Don't get me wrong, in no way does it suck (far from it) - for me it just doesn't come anywhere near the greatness of other live LP's like Deep Purple's Made In Japan or Judas Priest's Unleashed In the East. I get that either of those examples are difficult to compare to with regards to the genre (especially Priest), but this thing just doesn't get me particularly excited. The energy is just kind of lacking, even if some of the songs have been rearranged and feature more guitar jams.
You hear that? That's the sound of every die hard Stones fan wanting to kill me right now.
Seriously though, 'Sympathy for the Devil' loses all the cool percussion and is almost entirely guitar-driven now (I suppose this made it more conventional for the band to perform live) and loses it's character, like some weak cover band. And Mick kind of half-asses it until half-way through. I will admit that this is the only performance I really have an issue with; guess I just like the original that much. I don't care much for the Chuck Berry covers either; I mean, if the setlist was longer than 10 songs I wouldn't mind, but I'd have preferred more of their own songs in all fairness. What is great however, are the guitar tones throughout the whole record. Songs like 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', 'Live With Me' and 'Street Fighting Man' sound much rougher and hard-edged than they do on the studio versions, and it gives 'em more drive. Production is well done overall too, and the majority of the setlist consists of Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed material so I can't exactly argue too much given how great those albums are. So yeah, a good but not great live album, and certainly doesn't deserve to be up there as 'one of the best'.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
STICKY FINGERS 1970 (Polydor)
- Standouts: All of it. Well, for me maybe not 'Dead Flowers', but chances are you'll love it, so...
Instead of trying to replicate Beggars Banquet or Let It Bleed, the band take a more straightforward rock n' roll approach to Sticky Fingers overall, and I feel that the record's direction became the benchmark for many later Rolling Stones songs. Not exactly difficult to see why, because although this album plays things relatively safe musically overall, it's something they pretty much perfected. It's basically arena rock before it got lame thanks to American bands like Bon Jovi and, if we're gonna go further in time, Nickelback. I promise I'll never mention Nickelback in a Rolling Stones segment ever again.
This album is full of rockers, rockers like the upbeat classic 'Brown Sugar'. I think it's safe to say that a lot of Stones albums feature at least one of their greatest songs ever, and this is no exception. It's also got the master balladry of 'Wild Horses', need I say more? Yeah, I do actually, 'cos 'Sway' is one of their best blues rockers, even if it is a very highly polished and stadium pleasing blues rocker, and not really comparable to their grittier blues roots. 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' has Keith's guitar licks turned up to 11 and it's awesome. 'You Gotta Move' is a slide guitar-driven blues song that does fit in with the band's traditional African American roots - their first cover in a long time. Obviously 'Bitch' is one of their strongest rockers riffs-wise, it rocks hard, and the use of the sax adds something extra. 'I Got the Blues' slows things down a little and 'Sister Morphine' brings back the sleaze of the two predecessors, and was written by Keith and Marianne Faithfull (though she doesn't actually sing on it). The album ends on 'Moonlight Mile', which is actually sorta epic.
I must admit that I was never a big fan of 'Dead Flowers', as it's just a little too country for me - Mick actually sounds like a Yank. Kind of feels out of place with the rest of the tracks, but aside from that it goes without saying that this is up there with the best of 'em. Predictable thing to say I know, but it is. Though honestly, I still can't decide what my favourite Stones album is.
Adam's rating: 9.4/10
HOT ROCKS 1964-1971 1971 (ABKCO)
Compilation of songs that span from, yep, you guessed it - 1964-1971. Some tracks that I feel should be on here are missing, like 'The Last Time' and 'Little Red Rooster', but I can't exactly knock the quality of the music on here. Plus, since this Platinum-selling compilation was released, there's been countless other comps put together that are more concise and up to date. But hey, mine comes in one of those fat double-opening jewel cases that you hardly see anymore. That's pretty much why I picked it up in all fairness.
EXILE ON MAIN STREET 1972 (Universal Recordings)
- Standouts: Pretty much everything, kinda surprising given how long it is.
A double album that is once again considered to be one of the band's greatest works by a lot of people. It almost feels like an (long) extension of Sticky Fingers to me - musically, they were playing it safe again. I often find that double albums usually have their fair share of filler, but the band were still in top-tier songwriting form in '72 so fortunately, this isn't the case with Exile on Main Street. Near enough every song on here is a winner, from the upbeat rockers like 'Rip This Joint', 'All Down the Line', 'Turd on the Run', 'Tumbling Dice', the appropriately titled 'Rocks Off' and the Richards-fronted 'Happy' to the bluesy numbers like 'Shake Your Hips','Casino Boogie' and 'Ventilator Blues'. It's also got the odd sleazy country-inspired moment like 'Sweet Virginia' and 'Torn and Frayed'; even gospel-type stuff with 'Shine a Light'. It really does tick all the boxes for what they were doing right at the time of their career, although I will say that overall it focuses most on rockin' out and having a good time than it does blues or pop, like a lot of their 60's material. I honestly can't think of any song on here that I genuinely dislike.
I do still have something else to say however, and I could be talking bollocks (hmm...when do I ever not talk bollocks?) but sitting through 18 songs can be hard work sometimes regardless of the quality of the record. It took me ages to actually be able to remember how a lot of these songs go; I could be 3/4 of the way through the record and I'd forget how the majority of the first half even went. For that reason, I usually just listen to half the album at a time, or individual tracks just so I can let them sink in. Not really the band's fault, just a personal gripe I have with double albums in general (Christ, how long did it take me to digest Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness properly?). Still, you gotta give 'em credit for putting out yet another classic record with 18 quality songs on it. If you loved Sticky Fingers, you'll love this one too. Despite being a double album, the entire record is still short enough to fit on a single CD (67 minutes). Obviously the vinyl will come on 2 LPs, but I don't know if a double CD version matching the vinyl layout was ever released.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
SOME GIRLS 1978 (AM Records)
- Standouts: Again, everything.
I'm currently still missing albums like Goats Head Soup and Black and Blue, which were released between Exile on Main Street and this. I do know that Some Girls was considered a return to form at the time though. At this point Ronnie Wood was in the band (well, he actually joined for the previous Black and Blue), replacing Mick Taylor. Personally I think this is one of their best records. Hell, some days it is my favourite. The band dabbles with some new trends, most notably disco on 'Miss You' and even a little punk rock after the boom in 1976. 'Miss You' is honestly one of the best songs ever. The funky disco bass line is the best thing about it, and those vocal 'hooo ooo's' melodies are ridiculously cool. It's a song they were destined to write, and it just works perfectly even if it sounds unconventional on paper. It's a good job they only really went down this path for the one song on the record; they achieved perfection with it, no more disco influences were necessary.
'Respectable' and 'Shattered' have their punk influences, mostly in Mick's approach to the vocals - I can even hear some Iggy Pop in him for 'Shattered'. 'Lies' is more hard-edged than usual too. I don't know if it's just the guitar tone or what, but this song definitely takes some inspiration from the punk movement at the time too, even if it doesn't qualify as fully-fledged punk rock. Whatever, the punk trend worked for them. I love each of those tracks as well.
The album still has it's share of typical Stones rockers on it as well. The infectious 'When the Whip Comes Down' is another of my favourites, Keith sings on 'Before They Make Me', another great track. The title track is pure sleaze, and it's awesome. 'Far Away Eyes' stands out big-time too because it's a country song that feels almost like a joke, but in a good way. Mick sings and speaks in this humorous faux Southern American accent. I can't tell if the song was supposed to be a joke or not, but I kind of like it. I know some of their past songs had country tinges to them, but this one is basically a full-on country tribute and/or piss-take. So yeah, this is another near-flawless work from Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie (well, Bill Wyman too). Sometimes experimentation is for the better, and even if disco and punk were in at the time, these songs still feel natural and unforced. Yep, Some Girls rules. Personally I think everything that came after hasn't been as good.
I managed to get the 2011 deluxe re-release/remaster, which features a bonus disc with 12 tracks recorded during the Some Girls sessions - aside from 'Tallahassee Lassie' and 'We Had It All', according to Wikipedia anyway. Apparently Mick re-recorded the vocals sometime in 2010/11 (again, according to Wikipedia). This bonus disc combined with the original album almost makes it a double album or even an entirely new studio record on it's own, and it's awesome - some of the best bonus material I've ever seen in any deluxe release of an album. The second disc isn't as good as Some Girls, obviously, but songs like 'Claudine', 'I Love You Too Much' and 'Tallahassee Lassie' are prime Stones. You should buy Some Girls anyway, but make sure it's this version (unless you're an early pressing kind of guy).
Adam's rating: 9.4/10
TATTOO YOU 1981 (Polydor)
- Standouts: 'Start Me Up', 'Hang Fire', 'Slave', 'Little T&A', 'Neighbours'
This album does have it's share of excellent songs, but it's not as good overall as most people claim it to be, no sir. I feel because it has 'Start Me Up' on it, people give it more praise than it really deserves and forget about the rest of the record. True, 'Start Me Up' is one of their best no-frills rockers they ever penned (and the 'you make a grown man cry!' chorus is great), I'm not gonna argue with that. And there are a handful of other great songs on here too; 'Hang Fire' has a great sing along vocal melody, 'Slave' is a nice and lengthy blues jam, the Keith-fronted 'Little T&A' is a fun rock n' roller and 'Neighbours' is cool. However, the second half of the album loses steam completely and I actually find it to be monotonous after a while, monotonous to the point where I usually turn it off completely. 'Tops', 'Heaven', 'No Use In Crying' and 'Waiting On a Friend' all follow a soft rock/pop direction with excessive keyboard and piano use. They just blend together tediously. 'Heaven' sucks balls and doesn't even sound like the Stones. It almost sounds like elevator music if it wasn't for the stupid vocals. And I'm not a fan of the glossy 80's production full-stop on this one, regardless of how good the first half of the album is. The guitars have way too much echoey reverb going on; 'Start Me Up' would sound far more powerful if it had similar guitar tones to an album like Sticky Fingers.
So, is it worth buying then? Probably. I mean, I am in the minority of people who don't consider Tattoo You to be one of their classics after all. Luckily the decent tracks on here are enough for the album to qualify as 'good' in my books, but not much more.
Adam's rating: 7/10
STEEL WHEELS 1989 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Slipping Away', maybe 'Sad Sad Sad' too if it weren't for the production.
Well, to begin with I reckoned Steel Wheels was an underappreciated effort, but listening to it a few more times I can safely say this CD is full of issues. The production is far too clean and typical of the 80's; everything is too 'big'-sounding, like the album was recorded in a warehouse...to be quite honest, it just sucks the life out of the band. It doesn't exactly help that the songwriting itself is very un-Stones like, and most of the album just sounds like lame 80's American arena rock. All their past influences are greatly subdued; only rockers like 'Sad Sad Sad' and 'Mixed Emotions' display any sort of Jaggerish energy, and even then they've been tainted by the stupid fucking 80's production. 'Almost Hear You Sigh', 'Terrifying' and 'Hearts for Sale' are utter garbage, frankly. This album may as well just be thrown in among all that campy Jouney/REO Speedwagon kinda crap, honestly. How I actually enjoyed the album on first listen is beyond me. 'Slipping Away', one of the Keith-fronted numbers is the only song I actually 100% enjoy here.
I know I'm coming off pretty damn strong right now, and honestly, I've heard albums far worse than Steel Wheels. But considering this is the motherfuckin' ROLLING STONES we're talking about, it pretty much sucks balls. Yeah, I'm giving the album a 3.7/10. Maybe I'll come to like more in the future, but who knows. Let It Bleed this ain't.
Adam's rating: 3.7/10
FLASHPOINT 1991 (Virgin)
Here's a controversial opinion for you, I actually prefer Flashpoint to the hugely overrated Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! as far as live Stones records go. This has far more energy and just better audience vibes in general; it feels more live than you know what, as dumb as that sounds. Mick sounds far stronger, honestly. I can't deny that there isn't really anything interesting going on throughout the performance per say - don't expect any crazy long improvs or jams, it's more like they just crammed as many songs in the setlist as possible and played them relatively close to the studio counterparts. And they're fun. Heh, even 'Sad Sad Sad' and 'Rock In a Hard Place' from Steel Wheels sound great in live perspective. Goes to show how much production can ruin what are actually great songs, in the studio.
The other great thing about this disc are the two new studio tracks, 'Highwire' and 'Sex Drive'. The former is another decent rocker that stands out above anything off Steel Wheels, while 'Sex Drive' is more of a soul/funk-focused, James Brown-ish kinda tune. Not great, but certainly not bad either. And at least these tracks don't sound horrible in terms of production. Even if you're not a fan of live albums, the two new studio recordings make Flashpoint essential for true Stones fans.
Adam's rating: 8/10
VOODOO LOUNGE 1994 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Love Is Strong', 'You Got Me Rocking', 'Sparks Will Fly', 'New Faces', 'Moon Is Up', 'Baby Break It Down', 'Mean Disposition'
Voodoo Lounge is very much a case of 'back to basics' (thank fuck). Granted, the 80's weren't a complete catastrophe for the band (Tattoo You was decent even if I do find it overrated), but there's no bullshit going on with this record. I mean, yeah, you could criticise them for not being ambitious enough by not experimenting, but really, after dodgy albums like Steel Wheels and Dirty Work, a stripped-down slab of hard rockin' rhythm and blues is what everyone needed. Okay, so maybe 'Suck On the Jugular' dabbles a bit with funk, but it's not completely horrible. I kinda like it, actually. A hefty amount of the album consists of rockers and sleazy blues though, and it's probably their longest since Exile On Main Street. 15 songs in total reaching over an hour in total length; pretty long then, but the album's a return to form so the extended play time is welcomed. The first 3 tracks, 'Love Is Strong', 'You Got Me Rocking' and 'Sparks Will Fly' kick things off brilliantly, and there's something almost AC/DC-like in the vocal hook for 'You Got Me Rocking' (not a complaint in the slightest). The album does slow things down with the following 'The Worst' and 'New Faces', but both are short mellow pieces, and 'New Faces' actually has a kind of early 60's Stones vibe, which is cool (sort of baroque, Between the Buttons kind of sound). 'Moon Is Up' has a weird drum/percussion sound that takes some getting used to, but I like the sleaze of Mick's voice in it - probably the most sleazy Stones number in a long time. The same goes for 'Brand New Car', and 'Baby Break It Down' has some country twang to it.
I can't say that this album is perfect however. The second half, while still enjoyable overall, isn't up to the same quality of the first half. 'Thru and Thru' is kind of dull, but luckily it's followed by the powerful 'Mean Disposition', the album's closer and one of the standouts. The first three tracks that I mentioned before are the best songs on here - so I suppose it does go downhill from thereon, but not by much. Really this is a respectable effort from a band that got back to writing the kind of songs they do best.
Adam's rating: 8/10
BRIDGES TO BABYLON 1997 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Flip the Switch', 'Already Over Me', 'Too Tight'
Despite the success of Voodoo Lounge, which stayed true to what the band is known for musically, they decided to tamper with alternative rock on this CD...for better or worse. Alt. rock was already the big thing in '94 (when Voodoo Lounge was released), so why they suddenly decided to stray away from their roots by '97 I don't know. When you listen to this album for the first time, it's clear they weren't entirely influenced by whatever was popular at the time. Most of the traits that made the Stones good in the first place are present here, the album's just much more 90's rock than usual. Weirdly, I enjoyed Bridges to Babylon more than I thought I would. Unlike a lot of their 80's material, this album is hardly cringey, nor has it aged as badly. Keith and Ronnie's guitars are still unmistakably Stones, it's just that on some of the songs, like 'Low Down' and especially 'Might As Well Get Juiced', the approach to the vocal melodies and chorus' are really un-Stones like and sound like Mick was too busy listening to bands like Pearl Jam or Beck in order to get inspiration. I don't think the album's a total disaster. It can be odd hearing the way these songs for the first time, but none of it was unlistenable, except maybe for the stupid reggae-influenced 'You Don't Have to Mean It'. Hell, 'Flip the Switch' is an excellent song whatever way you look at it. I also enjoy the ballad 'Already Over Me' (well, if you can call it a ballad). 'Too Tight' is cool as well.
Before you give this thing a listen though, let me just say that I'm not whole-heatedly recommending the album. It's far from their best, and if they'd just followed the same formula they used on Voodoo Lounge, the record would've guaranteed to have been superior than the result we got. Still, it's a fair effort and nowhere near the failure it could've been.
Adam's rating: 6.5/10
A BIGGER BANG 2005 (Virgin)
- Standouts: You listen and decide for yourself (and I don't mean that in a bad way).
forwhateverreasonthebanddecidedthatitwouldbeagoodideatopresentalmostallthetextwithinthesleevenoteswithalmostnospacingwhatsoever. fuckknowswhatwasgoingthroughtheirheads.
Thankfully the actual music on the album is much more clear and straightforward. Yeah, this is the Stones doing a generic Stones record, but at this point in their career, it was necessary. And by 'generic Stones' I mean, the album is basically a greatest hits of all their seminal material. If their gonna write new tracks of their own, no more experimentation is really necessary. It's not like they have to prove anything to anyone anymore, what the countless classic records they have under their belts. Frankly, I enjoyed this album quite a bit. 'Rough Justice' is a great opener, and Mick sounds fresh. Heck, the whole band sound fresh on it. It has that classic vibe but still sounds relevant. 'Let Me Down Slow' is a good sing-along, 'It Won't Take Long' and 'She Saw Me Coming' are more hard-edges, 'Rain Falls Down' dabbles a little with funk, 'Back Of My Hand' yet again returns to the sleazy blues, 'This Place Is Empty' is a predictable but enjoyable acoustic number, 'Oh No, Not You Again' rocks hard and really the whole album is listenable from start to finish. It's true, I am finding it difficult to really find any tracks that stand as all-time classics within the discography, but due to the band sticking so closely to the formulas that they know actually work for them, nothing here borders on mediocrity either. It's true, my score for the album probably is a little high, but I really can't think of anything bad to say even if I can't think of anything really good to say. It's the Stones, it works.
Adam's rating: 7.8/10
GRRR! 2012 (ABKCO)
There are multiple versions of this compilation, mine is the 50-track, 3 CD edition with 12-page booklet. As you can probably guess, GRRR! is a compilation that spans the entirety of the band's career, and a very good one at that. I picked it up on release in 2012 and aside from having Sticky Fingers too, it was the only Stones record in my collection until 2017 when I finally started collecting more of their stuff. It has songs from every studio album (at the time) plus two previous unreleased tracks, 'Doom and Gloom' and 'One More Shot'. Both these tracks are straightforward Stones rockers that wouldn't be out of place on albums like Voodoo Lounge and A Bigger Bang. I still play this thing despite having most of their albums (but not all...YET) because it makes for a great playlist in the car or gym, or whatever.
Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
DEAFHEAVEN
SUNBATHER 2013 (Deathwish)
- Standouts: 'Dream House', 'Sunbather', 'Vertigo', 'The Pecan Tree'
I had to hear this record out of curiosity more than anything. Sure it took me 5 years (!) to actually get around to picking up a copy of Sunbather, but we can skip over that. Basically, I'd heard so many mixed opinions about Deafheaven and their discography (but mostly just this album for some reason) that I finally gave into the hype and found a used CD copy for £6 on eBay.
The controversy surrounding the band is both understandable and retarded, in all fairness. See, they dabble with black metal in their sound, mixing it with post/alternative rock and shoegaze influences. You can't tell me that isn't unique. However, a lot of the criticism comes from hardcore black metal fans labeling them 'hipster metal' for a multitude of reasons; they don't look like the average black metal band, or even just any typical metal band in general. Also, black metal fans are often very protective of the genre - it's a sound that many think should not be mixed with other influences, let alone genres that aren't metal. Don't get me wrong, there are certain traits that have been incorporated by black metal bands that seem to be 'acceptable' among fans; the whole ambient sound can be pretty common among bands thanks to legends like Burzum. Even Cradle of Filth mixed orchestral sounds with the genre (probably not a great example, but you get the picture). Either way, in some ways I do sort of like the fact that black metal is as protected as it is; I mean, I guess it keeps the genre away from the mainstream. However, I do find it ridiculous that some people bash Deafheaven for the way they look, even if they are throwing in unorthodox influences to the traditional black metal sound.
I've listened to Sunbather a few times now and I've honestly liked it for the most part. I don't think it deserves all of the praise the critics have given it; it's not masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but what they've done still surprised me in terms of how good it is. On paper, you'd think throwing in elements of alternative rock would result in an epic fail, but somehow it isn't horrible to listen to. The 9 minute opener 'Dream House' is actually kind of hypnotic; the vocals are the typical black metal raspy screams, and the heavy riffs are also typical tremolo-picked stuff you'd normally expect, but on top of this are some melodic, alt. rock-inspired guitar lines and this boosts the song into something that sounds like no other. Well, for me at least. 'Sunbather' follows the same formula. 'The Pecan Tree' I would describe as 'progressive melodic alternative black metal', or some shit. The song transitions into many different parts. Some bits use the same style as the title track and 'Dream House', whereas the latter parts of the song wouldn't sound out of place on a 'normal' alt. rock album, save for the black metal vocals obviously.
A lot of Sunbather is instrumental though. 'Irresistible' is a nice enough clean melodic guitar piece, but the first half of 'Please Remember' is just pointless noise rock that sounds out of place before transitioning into and acoustic number. 'Windows' is just shite, honestly, and has all this pointless spoken word crap buried underneath the 'music' (I use that term loosely). I like all the proggy changes in the actual songs like 'Dream House', 'Sunbather', 'Vertigo' and 'The Pecan Tree' as it actually works for them, but the instrumentals here are just too experimental to work with rest of the album, as ironic as that seems. Had they just included cut half this crap out and included two more actual Deafheaven songs I'd enjoy the record a lot more. Also, this isn't an album I can just pull out and enjoy every time - even for the songs I do really like. In fact, I'd imagine there would be times I'd just turn a song like 'Vertigo' off completely depending on the circumstances. Example, you probably won't be listening to Sunbather in the gym any time soon.
As far as this album as whole goes however, I think they succeeded. I mean, they've definitely done something new and fresh to a genre that is largely elitist and refuses to expand (man, some black metal fans probably want me dead right now). I don't think Deafheaven are geniuses or anything, but good for them for writing songs they want to write regardless of what the black metal scene tends to be like. It's not like they're trying to change the genre or create a new image or claim to be 'true' black metal anyway; Sunbather is what it is. I like it, even if I don't think it's as great as a lot of the critics claim it to be. Fans of bands like Alcest will probably like it too. Hell, even hardcore Burzum, Watain, Drudkh and whoever else should at least give it a try before slagging it off.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
- Standouts: 'Dream House', 'Sunbather', 'Vertigo', 'The Pecan Tree'
I had to hear this record out of curiosity more than anything. Sure it took me 5 years (!) to actually get around to picking up a copy of Sunbather, but we can skip over that. Basically, I'd heard so many mixed opinions about Deafheaven and their discography (but mostly just this album for some reason) that I finally gave into the hype and found a used CD copy for £6 on eBay.
The controversy surrounding the band is both understandable and retarded, in all fairness. See, they dabble with black metal in their sound, mixing it with post/alternative rock and shoegaze influences. You can't tell me that isn't unique. However, a lot of the criticism comes from hardcore black metal fans labeling them 'hipster metal' for a multitude of reasons; they don't look like the average black metal band, or even just any typical metal band in general. Also, black metal fans are often very protective of the genre - it's a sound that many think should not be mixed with other influences, let alone genres that aren't metal. Don't get me wrong, there are certain traits that have been incorporated by black metal bands that seem to be 'acceptable' among fans; the whole ambient sound can be pretty common among bands thanks to legends like Burzum. Even Cradle of Filth mixed orchestral sounds with the genre (probably not a great example, but you get the picture). Either way, in some ways I do sort of like the fact that black metal is as protected as it is; I mean, I guess it keeps the genre away from the mainstream. However, I do find it ridiculous that some people bash Deafheaven for the way they look, even if they are throwing in unorthodox influences to the traditional black metal sound.
I've listened to Sunbather a few times now and I've honestly liked it for the most part. I don't think it deserves all of the praise the critics have given it; it's not masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but what they've done still surprised me in terms of how good it is. On paper, you'd think throwing in elements of alternative rock would result in an epic fail, but somehow it isn't horrible to listen to. The 9 minute opener 'Dream House' is actually kind of hypnotic; the vocals are the typical black metal raspy screams, and the heavy riffs are also typical tremolo-picked stuff you'd normally expect, but on top of this are some melodic, alt. rock-inspired guitar lines and this boosts the song into something that sounds like no other. Well, for me at least. 'Sunbather' follows the same formula. 'The Pecan Tree' I would describe as 'progressive melodic alternative black metal', or some shit. The song transitions into many different parts. Some bits use the same style as the title track and 'Dream House', whereas the latter parts of the song wouldn't sound out of place on a 'normal' alt. rock album, save for the black metal vocals obviously.
A lot of Sunbather is instrumental though. 'Irresistible' is a nice enough clean melodic guitar piece, but the first half of 'Please Remember' is just pointless noise rock that sounds out of place before transitioning into and acoustic number. 'Windows' is just shite, honestly, and has all this pointless spoken word crap buried underneath the 'music' (I use that term loosely). I like all the proggy changes in the actual songs like 'Dream House', 'Sunbather', 'Vertigo' and 'The Pecan Tree' as it actually works for them, but the instrumentals here are just too experimental to work with rest of the album, as ironic as that seems. Had they just included cut half this crap out and included two more actual Deafheaven songs I'd enjoy the record a lot more. Also, this isn't an album I can just pull out and enjoy every time - even for the songs I do really like. In fact, I'd imagine there would be times I'd just turn a song like 'Vertigo' off completely depending on the circumstances. Example, you probably won't be listening to Sunbather in the gym any time soon.
As far as this album as whole goes however, I think they succeeded. I mean, they've definitely done something new and fresh to a genre that is largely elitist and refuses to expand (man, some black metal fans probably want me dead right now). I don't think Deafheaven are geniuses or anything, but good for them for writing songs they want to write regardless of what the black metal scene tends to be like. It's not like they're trying to change the genre or create a new image or claim to be 'true' black metal anyway; Sunbather is what it is. I like it, even if I don't think it's as great as a lot of the critics claim it to be. Fans of bands like Alcest will probably like it too. Hell, even hardcore Burzum, Watain, Drudkh and whoever else should at least give it a try before slagging it off.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
Sunday, 20 May 2018
VARDIS
Reviewed:
- 100 M.P.H. (1980, live album)
- The World's Insane (1981)
- Standouts: Everything.
I'm still in NWOBHM mode (can't be arsed to keep spelling out the whole thing, Google it if you don't know) after taking a look at my Diamond Head CD's, so it reminded me of this album. Vardis don't quite qualify as unsung heroes of the movement; I'd be surprised if any serious fan of the period hasn't heard 100 M.P.H.. However, I doubt most metalheads in general will know of them. This is the only record they made of any real importance, I suppose. But what an album!
Surprisingly, 100 M.P.H. is NOT a studio album. This makes Vardis one of few bands that actually has a live record as their debut - and frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. This thing is just full of so much crazy energy (the album cover even promises 'Guaranteed No Overdubs'!); they were a trio that fused metal with an up-beat, raw and bluesy rock n' roll sound - kinda like Motorhead but more melodic. In fact, I personally think 100 M.P.H. holds it's own against any Motorhead record... and I'm a huge Motorhead fan. And Steve Zodiac (pseudonym of course), jeez... he's just an awesome frontman. Yeah he doesn't have an amazing voice per say, but he gets things going to point where when you listen to this record you can feel the energy. It's almost as if you can picture the whole performance in your head. The sweaty, alcohol-fueled performance. I'm sorry, but I just don't get vibes like that from live albums these days. More about Zodiac though, he really is an underrated showman. His riffs get you pumped up, and his solos are presumably improvised, and they kick so much ass. Seriously, what an underrated guitarist. The songs are full of those Motorhead-esque, turbocharged heavy blues riffs that actually border on speed metal, and the music is just freaking fun. My favourite track is 'Move Along', which starts off as a boogie rock n' roller, before transitioning into this really lengthy and fucking awesome improv guitar solo, backed by a bass riff that is oh-so catchy!
This album is so fun then, that it's a regular listen for me in the gym, and it's an album I crank LOUD when driving. The album isn't a masterpiece or especially groundbreaking; it's not like the record was doing completely new or radical in metal or hard rock, but it just has a charm for me that most do not, let alone live albums. I stick this on, it almost always puts a smile on my face regardless of my mood, and I never skip any of it. Sure, it only sticks to one solid musical formula and direction throughout the set, but that's the point. This is by far one of the best records to come out of the NWOBHM. I actually owned it on vinyl long before I picked up a CD copy. It was reissued in 2009 by Krescendo Records, but I swear it was still out of print for a few years because I didn't get mine until 2016 (still the 2009 version). Until then the prices were really steep.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
Surprisingly, 100 M.P.H. is NOT a studio album. This makes Vardis one of few bands that actually has a live record as their debut - and frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. This thing is just full of so much crazy energy (the album cover even promises 'Guaranteed No Overdubs'!); they were a trio that fused metal with an up-beat, raw and bluesy rock n' roll sound - kinda like Motorhead but more melodic. In fact, I personally think 100 M.P.H. holds it's own against any Motorhead record... and I'm a huge Motorhead fan. And Steve Zodiac (pseudonym of course), jeez... he's just an awesome frontman. Yeah he doesn't have an amazing voice per say, but he gets things going to point where when you listen to this record you can feel the energy. It's almost as if you can picture the whole performance in your head. The sweaty, alcohol-fueled performance. I'm sorry, but I just don't get vibes like that from live albums these days. More about Zodiac though, he really is an underrated showman. His riffs get you pumped up, and his solos are presumably improvised, and they kick so much ass. Seriously, what an underrated guitarist. The songs are full of those Motorhead-esque, turbocharged heavy blues riffs that actually border on speed metal, and the music is just freaking fun. My favourite track is 'Move Along', which starts off as a boogie rock n' roller, before transitioning into this really lengthy and fucking awesome improv guitar solo, backed by a bass riff that is oh-so catchy!
This album is so fun then, that it's a regular listen for me in the gym, and it's an album I crank LOUD when driving. The album isn't a masterpiece or especially groundbreaking; it's not like the record was doing completely new or radical in metal or hard rock, but it just has a charm for me that most do not, let alone live albums. I stick this on, it almost always puts a smile on my face regardless of my mood, and I never skip any of it. Sure, it only sticks to one solid musical formula and direction throughout the set, but that's the point. This is by far one of the best records to come out of the NWOBHM. I actually owned it on vinyl long before I picked up a CD copy. It was reissued in 2009 by Krescendo Records, but I swear it was still out of print for a few years because I didn't get mine until 2016 (still the 2009 version). Until then the prices were really steep.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
THE WORLD'S INSANE 1981 (Krescendo Records)
- Standouts: 'All You'll Ever Need', 'Curse the Gods', 'Love Is Dead', 'Steamin' Along'
The power-trio's second album is an actual studio effort this time around. In all fairness though, if you stuck some crowd noises at the end of each track, you probably wouldn't have guessed this was recorded in a studio. The production is raw and echoey, the bass has been mixed very loud, and as for the music and performances, they sound largely unrehearsed, but certainly not unprofessional. I wouldn't expect anything less after the success of 100 M.P.H. after all. Steve Zodiac must have sang everything in one take, surely?! There seems to be a little more of a boogie, bluesy kind of influence thrown in with the usual formula on songs like 'Power Under Foot' (which sounds almost rockabilly-inspired to me) and 'Money Grabber'. The latter even has a little harmonica on it. The title track is a surprisingly slow and plodding blues rocker unlike the cover of Hawkwind's 'Silver Machine', which works surprisingly well in Vardis' favour. 'Police Patrol' has bagpipes on it! Some of the tracks are your more conventional Vardis affair too, like 'All You'll Ever Need', 'Curse the Gods', 'Love Is Dead' and 'Steamin' Along' - just good old fashioned, no-frills metallic rock n' roll that you rarely ever hear these days.
I must say that I don't like The World's Insane nearly as much as 100 M.P.H.. On paper, it sounds as if it should be as good as the first record, nearly all the songs simply just aren't as good. The album sounds the way you want it to, but the songs themselves just don't bring out the same energy within the band like the one's from the debut did. Tracks like the 'All You'll Ever Need', 'Curse the Gods' and the Hawkwind cover come close, but they're still not as good as songs like 'Out of the Way', 'Move Along', 'Destiny', 'Situation Negative' etc., whichever way you look at them - and I simply just don't listen to this album as much as the debut. That said, I don't think this record is poor, just a bit disappointing when compared to 100 M.P.H.. It certainly does sound unmistakeably like Vardis, even with the occasional dabbling with other instruments. And honestly, the second half of the album is still pretty damn good across the board, so despite the fact I think it's inessential to most old-school metalheads, NWOBHM collectors in particular should definitely track down a copy.
Adam's rating: 7/10
Saturday, 19 May 2018
DIAMOND HEAD
Reviewed:
- Lightning to the Nations (1980)
- Lightning to the Nations (1980)
- Death and Progress (1993)
- The Best of Diamond Head (1999, compilation)
- The Best of Diamond Head (1999, compilation)
- What's in Your Head? (2007)
- The MCA Years (2009, box set)
- The MCA Years (2009, box set)
- Diamond Head (2016)
LIGHTNING TO THE NATIONS 1980 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: The whole thing!
Diamond Head - one of those bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that could have, and should have been bigger. Even if they never achieved the same success as bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard or even Saxon from the same movement, at least they get the credit they deserve from giants such as Metallica or Megadeth; 'course, they've influenced countless other bands too. Hell, Metallica recorded numerous Diamond Head covers over the years and even used to play their songs regularly during their beginnings. Ironically, Diamond Head were hyped up by the press in the early 80's, critics claiming them to be the next Led Zeppelin (or at least I think I read that somewhere, Classic Rock magazine at some point maybe?), or the next big thing in metal. Hearing Lightning to the Nations, it's not surprising people thought they were gonna be huge.
Originally this album was released independently, and initially, only 1000 copies were pressed in a blank, white sleeve. They couldn't get a record deal prior to the album's release, which is why they went their own way. They would get a major label deal after of course, but it honestly baffles me why nobody jumped right in on them from the get-go. I mean, of all the bands who were there from the start of the NWOBHM explosion, Diamond Head were by far one of the most talented. They had it all, and it shows on this debut record. Sean Harris has a superb high-range clean voice, Brian Tatler is an unsung guitar hero and the whole band were tight, for that matter. And the songs were, in a way, ahead of their time. Seriously, the album has traits of traditional metal, speed metal and progressive rock, and they all blend seamlessly. And they knew how write a good hook too - they were heavy, melodic, bluesy and proggy all at once. Songs like 'The Prince', 'Sucking My Love' (dumb lyrics aside, this song is still amazing) and 'Helpless' are just phenomenal, all of which clock at 7 minutes of longer; Tatler cranks out endlessly great riffs, most notable would be the, uh, evil 'Am I Evil?'. Well, actually, it isn't that evil, but it was freakin' heavy for the time! On tracks like 'It's Electric' and 'Lightning to the Nations', they pull of catchy riffs and melodies whilst still retaining the heaviness of the rest of the record.
When it comes down to it, Lightning to the Nations is an album that influenced the upcoming metal masses, even if only subconsciously. I know it's hailed as a classic, but I think it borders on being a masterpiece. Sure, it may sound primitive by today's standard, but these guys were like the Mastodon of the early 80's in terms of musicianship and innovation. The album is nearly perfect, it just needs an extra (thin) coat of paint in terms of the production. Not too much, since that'd tread the record into glossy territory; just enough so that it's still raw but without the crackling sound. Aside from that, every self-proclaimed metalhead should either own this record or at least listen to it once in their life. I have the 2001 Sanctuary reissue which features a smattering of bonus tracks, doubling the tracklisting. It includes the 1981 Diamond Lights EP and some singles.
Adam's rating: 9.4/10
THE BEST OF DIAMOND HEAD 1999 (Spectrum)
This CD covers songs from the early days up until 1983's sketchy Canterbury. Something's not quite right with the first few Lightning to Nations numbers. Maybe they've been remastered in strange way, but if this is true, why does the version of 'Helpless' here sound like it's in a lower tuning to that of the Lightning to the Nations recording? 'Sucking My Love' sounds the same aside from the production however. 'Am I Evil?' is clearly the Borrowed Time version. So yeah, strange compilation, but it was my first Diamond Head CD that I bought as a 14 year old. I loved it, so who am I to complain?
LIGHTNING TO THE NATIONS 1980 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: The whole thing!
Diamond Head - one of those bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that could have, and should have been bigger. Even if they never achieved the same success as bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard or even Saxon from the same movement, at least they get the credit they deserve from giants such as Metallica or Megadeth; 'course, they've influenced countless other bands too. Hell, Metallica recorded numerous Diamond Head covers over the years and even used to play their songs regularly during their beginnings. Ironically, Diamond Head were hyped up by the press in the early 80's, critics claiming them to be the next Led Zeppelin (or at least I think I read that somewhere, Classic Rock magazine at some point maybe?), or the next big thing in metal. Hearing Lightning to the Nations, it's not surprising people thought they were gonna be huge.
Originally this album was released independently, and initially, only 1000 copies were pressed in a blank, white sleeve. They couldn't get a record deal prior to the album's release, which is why they went their own way. They would get a major label deal after of course, but it honestly baffles me why nobody jumped right in on them from the get-go. I mean, of all the bands who were there from the start of the NWOBHM explosion, Diamond Head were by far one of the most talented. They had it all, and it shows on this debut record. Sean Harris has a superb high-range clean voice, Brian Tatler is an unsung guitar hero and the whole band were tight, for that matter. And the songs were, in a way, ahead of their time. Seriously, the album has traits of traditional metal, speed metal and progressive rock, and they all blend seamlessly. And they knew how write a good hook too - they were heavy, melodic, bluesy and proggy all at once. Songs like 'The Prince', 'Sucking My Love' (dumb lyrics aside, this song is still amazing) and 'Helpless' are just phenomenal, all of which clock at 7 minutes of longer; Tatler cranks out endlessly great riffs, most notable would be the, uh, evil 'Am I Evil?'. Well, actually, it isn't that evil, but it was freakin' heavy for the time! On tracks like 'It's Electric' and 'Lightning to the Nations', they pull of catchy riffs and melodies whilst still retaining the heaviness of the rest of the record.
When it comes down to it, Lightning to the Nations is an album that influenced the upcoming metal masses, even if only subconsciously. I know it's hailed as a classic, but I think it borders on being a masterpiece. Sure, it may sound primitive by today's standard, but these guys were like the Mastodon of the early 80's in terms of musicianship and innovation. The album is nearly perfect, it just needs an extra (thin) coat of paint in terms of the production. Not too much, since that'd tread the record into glossy territory; just enough so that it's still raw but without the crackling sound. Aside from that, every self-proclaimed metalhead should either own this record or at least listen to it once in their life. I have the 2001 Sanctuary reissue which features a smattering of bonus tracks, doubling the tracklisting. It includes the 1981 Diamond Lights EP and some singles.
Adam's rating: 9.4/10
DEATH AND PROGRESS 1993 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Starcrossed (Lovers of the Night)', 'Truckin'', 'I Can't Help Myself', 'Wild on the Streets'
After the flop that was Canterbury, the band split in 1985. In 1991, the band reformed with a new bass player and drummer, and Brian Tatler and Sean Harris once again. This was the album that spawned shortly after...
Opening track 'Starcrossed (Lovers of the Night)' was co-written by non-other than Tony Iommi, who also plays some guitar parts on it too. And you can tell that Tony was a part of this song; many of the riffs are heavy and doomy of course, and quite similar to the kind of stuff he was doing on the Dehumanizer and Cross Purposes Sabbath albums in the early 90's. But the faster sections of 'Starcrossed' are Brian Tatler through-and-through. What you have is a song that sounds like Diamond Head mixed with Black Sabbath, an awesome combination if you ask me. 'Truckin'' has Dave Mustaine on it! By the looks of things though, he had no real input in the writing of 'Truckin'', he just mixed it and played some guitar. Otherwise, this song is also gold, with a cool and slightly erratic main riff. 'Calling Your Name (The Light)' is a little lighter, a little more 'radio-friendly' - but not necessarily in a bad way. It's just a very nice and melodic hard rock song. Still Diamond Head alright. 'I Can't Help Myself' is a kind of Zeppelin-ish rocker, and rhythmically bluesier. A couple of the riffs in this one actually remind me slightly of some of the songs from Deep Purple's album, The Battle Rages On..., which was also released in '93. The straightforward NWOBHM-style 'Paradise' is a highlight while 'Dust' is another melodic rocker that maybe could have fit on Canterbury, albeit with a slightly more 80's arena rock quality. Canterbury wasn't all bad I guess, and I quite enjoy 'Dust' for the most part. 'Run' is... okay I suppose, just generic AOR-sounding stuff. Quite poppy, even. Treading back into Canterbury territory, but certainly the weaker side. 'Wild on the Streets' is pretty cool though - fast, heavy and it grooves. The last couple of numbers, 'Damnation Street' and 'Home' are enjoyable as well. I especially like the last few seconds of 'Home', where it frantically speeds up until the finale.
This is a decent album - not in the same league as the first two, but definitely a lot better than Canterbury. Most of the tracks are good - some may not be particularly memorable, but others like 'Starcrossed (Lovers of the Night)' and 'Truckin'' are fantastic. And Harris sounds as good here as he did ten years prior - I really do consider him to be one of metal's most underrated singers. And obviously Tatler is a great guitarist. Sadly though, Diamond Head in the 90's only lasted three years. They opened for Metallica and Megadeth in 1993 at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England, (despite Dave Mustaine's infamous feuds with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, they can all at least agree that they love Diamond Head), and apparently most of the Metallica fans were ignorant enough to not know that 'Am I Evil?' and 'Helpless' are Diamond Head-penned classics. Metallica had covered these tracks in the past, so moronic fans thought Diamond Head were covering Metallica! That didn't go down well. Needless to say, the band split up in 1994. Apparently Sean Harris was becoming less interested in singing heavy metal too around this period, which wasn't helping either. Naturally, this meant Death and Progress was the last album he'd sing on with DH.
I own the 2001 Sanctuary reissue. For whatever reason, they changed the cover. The original Death and Progress album cover was extremely generic, but as for the reissue... uh, it's extremely generic too, actually.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
THE BEST OF DIAMOND HEAD 1999 (Spectrum)
This CD covers songs from the early days up until 1983's sketchy Canterbury. Something's not quite right with the first few Lightning to Nations numbers. Maybe they've been remastered in strange way, but if this is true, why does the version of 'Helpless' here sound like it's in a lower tuning to that of the Lightning to the Nations recording? 'Sucking My Love' sounds the same aside from the production however. 'Am I Evil?' is clearly the Borrowed Time version. So yeah, strange compilation, but it was my first Diamond Head CD that I bought as a 14 year old. I loved it, so who am I to complain?
WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD? 2007 (Cargo)
- Standouts: 'This Planet and Me', 'Killing Me'
This was the sixth Diamond Head studio record, and the second and last album with Nick Tart on vocals. Even though the man was in the band until 2014, we wouldn't see another Diamond Head album until 2016. Anyhow, I'd always heard mixed things about What's in Your Head?, so I didn't exactly go out of my way to try and find a copy for a very long time. In the end, I managed to bag a promotional copy on eBay in one of those crappy cardboard sleeves for about £2.99, and that's good enough for me. Musically this CD is a fairly competent heavy metal/hard rock album, but it's not a particularly good Diamond Head record. I don't think Nick Tart was a great fit for the band - I heard he was good live with 'em (I've seen the band twice, both times with Rasmus Bom Andersen on vocals), but I just don't get DH feels from this album. I'll admit that Nick is a good singer with a great rock voice - he sounds a little like a combination of Joe Lynn Turner, Sammy Hagar and maybe even a touch of Robert Plant at times, but he's certainly different to Sean Harris. I won't blame Nick entirely though - musically this album sounds a bit more like UFO to me. Not that that's a bad thing per say, but it kind of is if you were looking for an album that sounds like Lightning to the Nations or Borrowed Time, i.e. something that sounds like DIAMOND HEAD. Brian Tatler's guitar riffs and licks here just don't necessarily sound like, well, Brian Tatler. Tracks like 'This Planet and Me' and 'Killing Me' I enjoy quite a lot, but the band were certainly lacking identity at this point. In fact, none of this album is unlistenable, it's just generic. It probably doesn't help that the album cover looks more like something Fear Factory would use.
While this album is definitely not pretentious and borderline sell-out material like Canterbury was, it's not really worth checking out. Sure, it's well-performed, straightforward heavy metal, but it's also faceless and generic, and lacking the ingredients that made Diamond Head the influential band they were in the early 80's. The good news is that Brian Tatler still has a few aces up his sleeve, as the more recent Diamond Head albums have proved - and they're still great live too, but this period in the 2000's was a really forgettable one for the band.
Adam's rating: 5.6/10
THE MCA YEARS (BOX SET) 2009 (Polydor)
The MCA Years is a 3-disc remaster box set that covers the band's recordings from the, uh, years they were signed to the MCA label. The package comes in a compact box (as far as box sets go anyway) that fits well among jewel cases and the discs are kept in cardboard sleeves. You also get a 16-page booklet with interesting notes about the music within and plenty of photos. It's a nice collector's item, and I got mine back in 2009 when it was first released. Looking on eBay and Amazon now, it's pretty damn expensive however. Not worth the money, but about 75% of the content here can be picked up separately anyway in other formats.
Thankfully Lightning to the Nations did eventually get them a major recording deal, and the follow-up was 1982's Borrowed Time. To be honest, this album is damn good from start to finish - the band were still in their prime after all - but the fact they decided to re-record 'Am I Evil?' and 'Lightning to the Nations' is pretty dumb and automatically has an effect on my rating. Having seven songs in total is fine by me so long as the quality of each of them is prioritised over quantity... but releasing a full-length album with only five new tracks is just plain lazy I'm afraid. I understand that every song on the debut is a classic, and they probably wanted to throw in some oldies with a brand-spanking new production job (especially given that the debut was recorded independently and had a demo-like quality), but it would've been better if they'd just included seven new songs and the re-recordings as a bonus. Plus, the 'improved' production, in a way, actually makes them sound weaker than they did in their original format. However, don't think I'm bashing the production completely. Sure, it's cleaner than the first record's, but it's still far from sounding glossy and fake. I just prefer the former. Plus, songs like 'To Heaven from Hell', 'Don't You Ever Leave Me' and the title song retain the somewhat proggy heavy metal nature of former epics like 'The Prince' and 'Helpless' etc., and are just excellent songs in general - as good as anything from the predecessor. Maybe they aren't quite as hard-hitting as before, as the emphasis on being really heavy sadly lies with the two re-recordings, but the actual performances and songwriting as a whole is just as impressive. 'Call Me' is very catchy too, and borders more on pop rock (gasp!) than the rest of the album, but I still really like it. So really, this is kind of a disappointing and actually quite a lazy follow-up in regards to the number of content it offers, but either way you look at it, each and every song is still great, so fuck it, it's still an easy recommendation.
The MCA Years copy also features some BBC Radio 1 sessions and the Four Cuts EP ('Call Me' excluded but only because it was featured on the Borrowed Time album anyway...so technically you are still getting the entire thing). This is cool because 'Dead Reckoning' and 'Shoot Out the Lights' are some of my favourite Diamond Head numbers. The latter is a live favourite.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
THE MCA YEARS (BOX SET) 2009 (Polydor)
The MCA Years is a 3-disc remaster box set that covers the band's recordings from the, uh, years they were signed to the MCA label. The package comes in a compact box (as far as box sets go anyway) that fits well among jewel cases and the discs are kept in cardboard sleeves. You also get a 16-page booklet with interesting notes about the music within and plenty of photos. It's a nice collector's item, and I got mine back in 2009 when it was first released. Looking on eBay and Amazon now, it's pretty damn expensive however. Not worth the money, but about 75% of the content here can be picked up separately anyway in other formats.
- Disc 1 - BORROWED TIME (1982)
Thankfully Lightning to the Nations did eventually get them a major recording deal, and the follow-up was 1982's Borrowed Time. To be honest, this album is damn good from start to finish - the band were still in their prime after all - but the fact they decided to re-record 'Am I Evil?' and 'Lightning to the Nations' is pretty dumb and automatically has an effect on my rating. Having seven songs in total is fine by me so long as the quality of each of them is prioritised over quantity... but releasing a full-length album with only five new tracks is just plain lazy I'm afraid. I understand that every song on the debut is a classic, and they probably wanted to throw in some oldies with a brand-spanking new production job (especially given that the debut was recorded independently and had a demo-like quality), but it would've been better if they'd just included seven new songs and the re-recordings as a bonus. Plus, the 'improved' production, in a way, actually makes them sound weaker than they did in their original format. However, don't think I'm bashing the production completely. Sure, it's cleaner than the first record's, but it's still far from sounding glossy and fake. I just prefer the former. Plus, songs like 'To Heaven from Hell', 'Don't You Ever Leave Me' and the title song retain the somewhat proggy heavy metal nature of former epics like 'The Prince' and 'Helpless' etc., and are just excellent songs in general - as good as anything from the predecessor. Maybe they aren't quite as hard-hitting as before, as the emphasis on being really heavy sadly lies with the two re-recordings, but the actual performances and songwriting as a whole is just as impressive. 'Call Me' is very catchy too, and borders more on pop rock (gasp!) than the rest of the album, but I still really like it. So really, this is kind of a disappointing and actually quite a lazy follow-up in regards to the number of content it offers, but either way you look at it, each and every song is still great, so fuck it, it's still an easy recommendation.
The MCA Years copy also features some BBC Radio 1 sessions and the Four Cuts EP ('Call Me' excluded but only because it was featured on the Borrowed Time album anyway...so technically you are still getting the entire thing). This is cool because 'Dead Reckoning' and 'Shoot Out the Lights' are some of my favourite Diamond Head numbers. The latter is a live favourite.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
- Disc 2 - CANTERBURY (1983)
- Standouts: 'Makin' Music', 'Knight of the Swords'
Canterbury is arguably - well, FACTUALLY the album that screwed them over in the 80's. I reckon they could've gotten more popular just by being themselves, but ohhh-no, they decided to go more mainstream and radio-friendly and in turn, lost a lot of their metalhead fanbase. They already knew how to write hooky numbers while still being heavy, so why they recorded decided to record Canterbury in an even poppier direction I have no idea. Actually, it almost became the norm for the more recognised NWOBHM bands to clean up their sound around this period. The labels wanted them to conquer America instead of just the UK after all. It worked for Def Leppard with Pyromania, and Canterbury was Diamond Head's answer. It didn't work out of course, but that's what it is. Just like Saxon's Crusader, it was destined to fail.
In all fairness though, the album isn't a complete disaster. Oh sure, 'One More Night' is dire, 'I Need Your Love' is embarrassing and 'The Kingmaker' features some annoying keyboards, but I do like the Zeppelinish hard rock of 'Makin' Music', 'Out of Phase' is okay too, and 'Knight of the Swords' could've (maybe) fit on Borrowed Time had it been recorded differently. Speaking of which, the production is much glossier, with tinny guitars and thin drum tones. The album ends on 'Canterbury' which isn't too bad as a progressive rock song, but doesn't cut it as a Diamond Head number. I will give credit to Sean Harris though, whose voice still sounds great from start to finish, and even if Tatler's riffs are kinda sucky in comparison to the oldies, at least his licks, solos and melodies are still decent. But none of this is enough to save the album, no siree. The bonus tracks aren't as good either - you get a remix of 'Makin' Music' and some demos. Granted the demos are fairly decent ('Can't Take No More', 'Time's On My Side' and 'Come to Hear You Play') - tracks that weren't featured on Canterbury or Borrowed Time.
Adam's rating: 4.6/10
- Disc 3 - BONUS LIVE TRACKS (2009)
The third disc in this box set is a collection of live recordings, a set at Reading Festival in 1982 and a BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show session, also in 1982. I'm not going to give this disc a rating since it is basically a compilation and not a real live album, and I don't give compilations ratings. Yeah, I just don't. Whatever, this CD is good stuff. The band were still at their peak in 1982 after all. The Reading performance is very energetic, while the radio session is really tight, and nearly to the same quality as a studio album. I suppose for die hard fans of this band, this disc is probably the main selling point besides the demos, since they'll already have both studio albums and the EP featured. At least I don't think any of this live stuff was previously released? Their Metal-Archives page (https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Diamond_Head/401) seems to back this up. I think.
DIAMOND HEAD 2016 (Dissonance Productions)
- Standouts: 'Bones', 'Shout at the Devil', 'Set My Soul on Fire', 'See You Rise', 'All the Reasons You Live', 'Wizard Sleeve', 'Silence'
I don't know what was going on with What's in You Head?. Nick Tart was a good vocalist, but musically that was as generic a heavy metal album can be, with little of the traits that made Diamond Head the influential act they were to begin with. Thankfully, this self-titled follow-up released some nine years later is vastly superior. With Danish singer Rasmus Bom Andsersen handling vocal duties, Brian Tatler suddenly gets his act together again, and what you have is a very retro-sounding album akin to Lightning to the Nations and Borrowed Time. Even the production is great, with Tatler's guitars sounding heavy, but the distortion and overdrive is subtle. The guitar tones all those old NWOBHM bands had back in the day was always heavy, but not obnoxiously heavy. It's quite hard to describe. The excellent production is important, sure, but the songs themselves are even more important, and the tracks within this record certainly deliver. The first two tracks, 'Bones' and 'Shout at the Devil' are up-tempo, blazing numbers with great vocals, great melodies and hooks, and also have that Led Zeppelin-esque sensibility about them. It's what made Diamond Head great in the first place. I love the chugging 'Set My Soul on Fire', and I sort of get AC/DC-style boogie vibes from the riffs and structure of the fast rocker 'See You Rise'. Andersen doesn't sound like Bon Scott or Brian Johnson of course (has way more in common with Sean Harris, which is what you want), but he sounds quite raspy on this track, and it suits the mood of the song overall.
The album slows down a little on the plodding 'All the Reasons You Live', which admittedly does sound more modern than much of the rest of the tracks here. But again, this is a powerful song with great hooks. 'Wizard Sleeve' returns to the sound of classic Diamond Head and 'Our Time is Now' grooves along nicely. 'Silence' is the predictably longer closing finale, and the use of keyboards add a Deep Purple/Uriah Heep flavour to the mix. It works. I suppose there are some minor issues to be had. Not every song is all that memorable. The intro to 'Blood On my Hands' reminds me of 'Lightning to the Nations', but the rest of the track is a little slow and lacking in the riffs department. 'Speed' is not bad, but again, it's kind of lukewarm next to the other songs here. That said, I wouldn't label any of the cuts on this record as 'bad' by any means, there's just a few moments here and there that tread close to filler territory, and they mostly seem to revolve around the latter half of the album.
On the whole, this album is a much-needed return to form for Diamond Head. It isn't outstanding by any means, but it is certainly a great heavy metal album that does a fine job of recapturing the brilliance of the band's glory days - the early 80's. I wouldn't give Andersen all the credit - he is a great vocalist and fit for the band, but Tatler really got his guitar work and songwriting back on track with this album. On the predecessor, What's in Your Head?, it honestly sounded like anyone could've been playing on it, but on Diamond Head 2016, I can immediately hear Brian's signature techniques and style of riffs.
Adam's rating: 8.3/10
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