Rock Albums Post XI: Favorites

This post consists of an eclectic mix of albums from a variety of genres and time periods. The one thing they all have in common is they are all ultimate favorites of mine.
- Randall Webb

Chris and Cosey - Heartbeat

Chris and Cosey - Heartbeat (1981)

History: Domestic partners Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Newby) formed as a duo in 1981 (Chris and Cosey now perform as Carter Tutti) . Previously they had recorded with the English industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle. The duo released their first album, Heartbeat, on Rough Trade in 1981. Heartbeat is a synth-pop collection of songs with machine rhythms and an air of bleak industrial sounds taking over the mood of the entire album.

Best Tracks: "Put Yourself In Los Angeles", "This Is Me", "Useless Information", "Heartbeat"

Randall Webb's Comments: I purchased this album on complete faith. It was 1981 (way before computers) and the ability to sample obscure albums like this one was uncommon. I liked the album cover and I had been reading a good amount of press on Throbbing Gristle and Chris and Cosey and decided to take a chance on it. I immediately grew to love the album. It was so unlike anything else I had ever owned. it was atmospheric, electronic with touches of synth and industrial. It didn't catch on with any of my friends, but it continued to be a favorite of mine regardless.

Chris and Cosey - This Is Me (1981)

Complot Bronswick - Dark Room's Delight (1986)

Complot Bronswick - Dark Room's Delight (1986)

History: Formed in 1981 in Rennes, France, Complot Bronswick introduced the French to a futursitic sound fusing new wave, electronica and coldwave into haunting sounds of yearning imagery. Complot Bronswick (which translates to Bronswick Conspiracy) became known for their theatrical and image filled live performances which spilled over into their music videos. they've released 6 studio albums spanning from 1983 to 1995. "Dark Room's Delight" is their second studio album. (*** Note: The Bronswick Conspiracy is a fake French documentary in the early 1980's about a conspiracy involving TV sets and people being brainwashed into buying goods compulsively.)

Best Tracks: "Ivory Blade", "Born In A Cage", "Landscape".

Randall Webb's Comments: "Born In A Cage" was the first song I heard by Complot Bronswick. I found the song on YouTube back in 2009. From there I had to get to know as much as I could about this most unusual band. This proved a tough task as there is not a whole lot of information on the band. However I was able to find all their albums and purchased them on MP3 downloads. I love them all but it is "Dark Room's Delight" which has become my favorite.

Complot Bronswick - Born In A Cage (1986)

David Gilmour - On An Island (2006)

David Gilmour - On An Island (2006)

History: David Gilmour is the English rock musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In the eary 1960's, Gilmour met met future Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett, along with bassist and vocalist Roger Waters who attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. In 1962 he joined the band Joker's Wild. He continued with Joker's Wild until 1966. It was in December 1967 when he was approached by Nick Mason (drummer for Pink Floyd) to join the band. Gilmour accepted and joined Pink Floyd in January 1968. Gilmour has released 3 studio albums. The first was simply titled "David Gilmour and was released in 1978. His second released in 1984 was called "About Face" and the most recent "On An Island" was released in 2006.  "On An Island" has achieved worldwide success (as did his first two solo albums). The album reached #6 in the U.S. as well as #1 in the UK and Canada.

Best Tracks: "On An Island", "The Blue", "Take A Breath", "Smile"

Randall Webb's Comments: Pink Floyd has long been a favorite band of mine. I have casually followed the careers and releases of the band's individual members. David Gilmour has always been my favorite in the band. One afternoon, in February 2006, I was surfing wikipedia and decided to check out some stats on David Gilmour. To my joyful surprise I discovered that a new album was going to be released with in the following week. I was on this immediately. That Tuesday (release day) I drove to my local Best Buy and bought the CD. Right from the first listen I loved the album. Every track a winner. "On An Island" is my favorite of Gilmour's three solo studio albums. Gilmour turned 60 years old on the day of it's release and proved that at that age he was and is still in top form both musically and vocally. Gilmour is still every bit as great as he was during the golden days of Pink Floyd.

 David Gilmour - The Blue (2006)

Klark Kent - Music Madness From The Kinetic Kid (1980)

Klark Kent - Music Madness From The Kinetic Kid (1980)

History: Rumor has it that many times Sting (lead singer of the Police) would reject songs presented to the band by drummer Stewart Copeland. In order to get these songs recorded Stewart Copeland created his alter ego Klark Kent and released the album "Music Madness From The Kinetic Kid". The album is full of kwirky and kooky tunes kontaining that fantastic Stewart Copeland humor. Beyond the fun and kraziness of the album the music itself is pretty good. It's very percussiony, but that's what Copeland does best. Copeland wrote all the songs and played every instrument as well as sang all the vocals. This is 100% Stewart Copeland. After listening to this album is quite evident that Copeland's influence over the early sounds of The Police was more than monumental.

Best Tracks: "Don't Care", "Away From Home", "My Old School", "Excess"

Randall Webb's Comments: I picked this up in late 1980 at my favorite local record shop called Licorice Pizza. I had no idea this was Stewart Copeland of the Police. I was a big fan of the Police at this time, but before the days of the internet details about our favorite bands were not as readily available. I did however figure it out pretty quick. I must have played the entire album at least a thousand times in the first month I owned it. I still manage to pull the album out (which I now have on CD via the Kollected Works compilation) and play it every every few months. I most enjoy Klark Kent's finesse on the kazoo. Kent (Copeland) is easily rock music's best kazoo player of all-time.

Klark Kent

Stewart Copeland

Klark Kent - Away From Home

Klark Kent - Don't Care

Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine (1978)

Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine (1978)

History: Düsseldorf, Germany, Kraftwerk released their first album in 1970 simply titled "Kraftwerk". Right from the beginning their electronically atmospheric albums sold well in Germany, but it wasn't until their 4th album (1974's "Autobahn) that they finally caught on with the rest of the world. The group's simplified lyrics are at times sung through a vocoder or generated by computer-speech software. Kraftwerk were one of the first groups to popularize electronic music and are considered pioneers in the field. Kraftwerk helped shape and influence the electronci new wave movement of the late 70's and early 80's having influenced bands such as Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, New Order, Ultravox, OMD, Visage, Human League and Soft Cell. In recent years they have influenced popular artists such as Kompressor, Orb and Franz Ferdinand. "the Man-Machine" was released in May 1978 and reached #9 in the UK, #12 in Germany, #14 in France, #15 in Austria and Italy. In the U.S. the album reached #130.

Best Tracks: "The Robots", "The Model", "Neon Lights"

Randall Webb's Comments: It was "The Robots" that first got me into Kraftwerk. I forget where I heard the song or who introduced me to  it, all I know is that I loved the song and bought the 7" vinyl single right after I heard it. Shortly after that I bought the entire album. My favorite track for the longest time was the shimmering "Neon Lights", though as time has gone on "The Robots" ends up being my favorite of all of Kraftwerk's songs. I really enjoy their danceable electronic sound. Nobody does electronic as well as Kraftwerk does.

 

 

Kraftwerk - The Robots (1978)

Machines of Loving Grace - Concentration (1993)

Machines of Loving Grace (1993)

History: Machines of Loving Grace is an American industrial band who active years spanned from 1989 to 1997. They were a short lived band that only released three studio albums. Despite this they have left their mark on the landscape of industrial rock having recorded some of the most varied and creative music in it's genre. "concentration" was released on September 21, 1993 and achieved a moderate amount of success having gained video airplay on MTV. "Concentration" utilized the band's expertise on heavy beats and throbbing bass sounds.  Unlike other industrial bands, Machines of Loving Grace resist the temptation to smear everything with thrashing guitars. Their use of the guitar is more understated which pulls the other instruments and vocals to the forefront. This makes for a very appealing and somewhat unique sound.

Best Tracks: "Butterfly Wings", "Limiter", "Shake", "Cheap", "Acceleration"

Randall Webb's Comments: Although, I list this album as one of my favorites I don't really know a whole lot about Machines of Loving Grace, except for the fact that I do love this album. I had only discovered them less than a year ago in the summer of 2011 when I found both "Concentration" and their debut album "Machines of Loving Grace" on Cd in a thrift store. I bought them both as they looked interesting to me and I figured at $2.00 each that wasn't too much of an investment even if I ended up not liking them. Fortunately, I did end up liking them quite a bit.

Machines of Loving Grace - Butterfly Wings (1993)

Liam McKahey - Lonely Road (2009)

Liam McKahey - Lonely Road (2009)

History: Liam McKahey first met with critical acclaim in 1999 with the London based band Cousteau. The band's sound has been compared to Burt Bacharach, Scott Walker and David Bowie with an updated moody and contemporary edge. Mckahey's vocals have often been compared to Nick Cave. Cousteau started off on a good note with their debut album which included the popular track "The Last Good Day Of The Year". The song was featured in television commercials, movies and documentaries. Though unfortunately after a good start the band seemed to fizzle out with their, "Sirena", second album. It wasn't because of the music as their second album was every bit as good as their first. They went on to release a third album and then quickly disappeared. McKahey, with his deep and resonant voice, continued his career recording with other musicians such as Ian Mcnabb, Allessandro Magnanini and Dead Cat In A Bag. In 2009 he released his majestic "Lonely Road" album which has garnered outstanding reviews from music critics around the globe, but sadly has not caught on with the music buying public.
" Like Nick Cave, the Triffids, Tendrils and Beasts of Bourbon. There's atmosphere and drive on Lonely Road" - Americana UK 
"It's a divinely dark, cinematic outing full of beauty" - Whisperin and Hollerin

Best Tracks: "Unheeded Tidings", "Lovers and Fools", "Fire", "Listen"

Randall Webb's Comments: I was very saddened when I that Cousteau was breaking up. I truly enjoyed their dark and moody style. I thought this would be the end of it and that I would never hear Liam McKahey smooth yet dark and deep voice on anything new again. Fortunately I was wrong. shortly after Cousteau's breakup he released "Lonely Road", which I have to say is the very best work he's done to date. Again, though, I face the uncertainty of possibly not hearing anything new from him. McKahey, who currently resides in Australia, is busy rasing his family (a young son and daughter) and has not announced any new recordings in quite sometime. I continually check his MySpace (yeah MySpace) and facebook pages, but nothing. He is remaining very quiet.

Liam McKahey - Lovers and Fools

Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (2008)

Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (2008)

History: Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Midnight Juggernauts, is an electro-pop synth rock group. They have been described as anything from 'prog dance meets cosmic film scores', to 'slasher-flick disco' to 'deadpan landscape'. It is hard to define the band's sound as all the instruments are played live through a range of samplers, pads and various acoustic instruments. The band formed in 2004 and released their first EP in 2005 which was followed by their debut album "Dystopia", which was first released in Australia in 2007 and than in other countries around the world in 2008. They've met with a fair amount of success in Australia with "Dystopia" reaching #21 and their second album "The Crystal Axis" reaching #20. Outside of Australia they have achieved only minor success.

Best Tracks: "Into The Galaxy", "Dystopia", "Twenty Thousand Leagues", "So Many Frequencies"

Randall Webb's Comments: Midnight Juggernauts first came to my attention when I was perusing a Columbia music club catalog. I really liked the album cover and the short description listed so I went ahead and ordered it. I often buy new music on faith hoping it will be good when I get it. Most of the time when I take a chance like this, I am fortunately pleased with what I hear. "Dystopia" was unique in that I was not only pleased but elated. This is one of those albums I am able to listen to from beginning to end without skipping any tracks.I hear so many different influences in their music ranging from Giorgio Moroder to David Bowie with hints of shimmering vocal harmonies.

Midnight Juggernauts - Into The Galaxy (2008)

Minus The Bear - Planet Of Ice (2007)

Minus The Bear - Planet Of Ice (2007)

History: Many great bands and musicians have come from Seattle, Washington and Minus The Bear is definitely one of them. Formed in 2001, the group features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound has been described as "Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophisticated time signature composition. Pele is a post-rock band heavily influenced by various jazz genres. Minus The Bear released their first album in 2002 too a moderate yet receptive following. It wasn't until their 3rd album 2007's "Planet Of Ice" that they finally caught on in with a larger audience. "Planet Of Ice" broke on to Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart and made it up to U.S. #74 (their 2010 album "Omni" reached U.S. #49). With it's traces of electronics, prog guitar leads and psychedelic accents, "Planet Of Ice" is full of interesting harmonics, polished melodies, and exceptional arrangements. Overall this is a strong, hypnotic effort from the Seattle band.

Best Tracks: "Ice Monster", "Knights", "White Mystery", "Throwin' Shapes", "Double Vision Quest"

Randall Webb's Comments: I went backwards with Minus The Bear. I didn't discover them until 2010 with the release of "Omni" and like with so many others I took the chance and bought it. What can I say I liked the album cover. I liked "Omni" so much that I had to delve into more of their music. I had been thinking about them for a few days and by fate I ran into their first three studio albums and one of their EPs in a thrift store. Of course I snatched them up. It was "Planet Of Ice" that stuck with me more than the others and after several listens became my favorite by Minus The Bear.

Minus The Bear - Ice Monster (2007)

Donna Summer - Crayons (2008)

Donna Summer - Crayons (2008)

History: Massachusetts born, Donna Summer is known as the "Queen of Disco". Summer has garnered many accolades including 5 Grammy Awards, three consecutive double albums reaching #1 in the U.S., sixteen #1 hits on Billboard's Dance Music chart and sales of more than 125 million discs worldwide. "Crayons" is Donna Summer's 17th studio album and most recent having been released on May 20, 2008. It's Summer's first full-length studio album in fourteen years since 1994's Christmas Spirit, and her first album of original material since 1991's Mistaken Identity. The music on "Crayons" moves in several directions ranging from reggaeton, dance club, anthem, ballad and Tina Turneresque pop. The album was a moderate success throughout the U.S. and Europe having reached US #17, Germany #73, Switzerland #85, Spain #97 and UK #142.

Best Tracks: "Stamp Your Feet", "Mr. Music", "Crayons", "Fame", "Slide Over Backwards"

Randall Webb's Comments: "I Feel Love" was the first Donna Summer song I paid attention to. A friend of mine played it for me back in 1977, when it was first released, and it just blew me away. I fell in love with it. I guess you can say it was Donna Summer who opened the door to my further exploration of electronic music. From there I started listening to Kraftwerk and Gary Numan. "I Feel Love" was like nothing else I heard at the time and instantly I wanted to buy Summer's records. After more than 30 years of buying Donna Summer records, she records "Crayons" and of course I bought it on the day it was released. As much as I love her mid to late 70's work, it is "Crayons" that ends up becoming my favorite album by the disco diva.

Donna Summer - Mr. Music (2008)

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat (1987)

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat (1987)

History: By the time Warnes released "Famous Blue Raincoat" (a tribute to Leonard Cohen) she had been on the music scene since 1968 with the release of her first album "I Can Remember Everything". Commercial success eluded her until 1976 with her fourth album "Jennifer Warnes" which included the mega-hit "Right time Of The Night" and the semi-hit "I'm Dreamin'". By this point in time, the Anaheim, California resident was a well respected singer-songwriter. "Famous Blue Raincoat" was Warnes' watershed moment where she went from well respected to highly respected. Her next two albums "The Hunter" and "The Well" both garnered praise from music critics throughout the musical spectrum. "Famous Blue Raincoat" (FBR) is also Warnes' most commercially successful album having reached US #72, UK #33 and Canada #8. The album's guest contributors include guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Lindley and Robben Ford, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, keyboardist Russell Ferrante, arranger Van Dyke Parks and Cohen himself duetting on "Joan of Arc." Despite her success with FBR, Warnes is best known for her popular movie theme song duets, 1982's "Up Where We Belong" (with Joe Cocker) and 1987's "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" (with Bill Medley). Both songs won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. "Up Where We Belong" also won a Grammy Award. Her 1979 recording of "It Goes Like It Goes" (which she recorded for the film Norma Rae) also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.


Best Tracks: "First We Take Manhattan", "Bird On A Wire", "Joan Of Arc", "Ain't No Cure For Love"

Randall Webb's Comments: My attraction to this album was not immediate. I knew about it from as far back as 1992 when I bought it on cassette tape. I listened to it once (actually did not get past the second song) and never really played it again for about 15 years. It was in 2007 that I plucked the cassette out of a plastic storage container and listened to it again. This time around I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was maturity (I don't know) but I came to really like this album all of a sudden. I am most taken with "First We Take Manhattan", which I consider to be Warnes' single best song in her entire catalog. "Ain't No Cure for Love" is another tasty favorite.

Jennifer Warnes - First We Take Manhattan (1987)

Lenny White - The Adventures of Astral Pirates (1978)

Lenny White - The Adventures of Astral Pirates (1978)

History: Lenny White is known as one of jazz-fusion's most celebrated drummers. He got his first break in 1969 when he recorded with Miles Davis on the historic album "Bitches Brew". In 1972 he joined Chic Corea and Stanley Clarke to form the legendary jazz fusion band Return To Forever. In the same year he also joined the Latin-jazz band Azteca. White released his first solo album in 1975 "Venusian Summer", while still recording with Return To Forever (RTF). By 1977 RTF disbanded and White pursued his solo career full-time. To date he's released 14 studio albums as a solo artist. The Adventures of Astral Pirates is a jazz-fusion masterpiece with a futuristic science-fiction theme.Many critics consider it to be a jazz-fusion essential. This risk taking album blends jazz, rock and funk with elements of Asian music and Middle Eastern music.

Best Tracks: "Assault", "Heavy Metal Monster", "Mandarin Warlords", "Universal Love"

Randall Webb's Comments: Back in 2006 I was looking to expand my collection of jazz-fusion and did an internet search and ran across several bands such as Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever. During this internet search I came across Lenny White's "The Adventures Of Astral Pirates". I recalled having seen this album on vinyl back in the late 70's but had never pursued it. Immediately I had an interest in it and called a few of my local music stores to see if anybody had it in stock as I wanted it ASAP. Nobody had it in stock so I ordered it from Amazon.com. It received the disc several days later in the mail and played it as soon as I unwrapped it. I was more than pleased to hear what I heard. A wonderful blast of music hinging on the experimental side. This was exactly what I was looking for. After getting this album I ended up purchasing two more Lenny White albums, but it is "Astral Pirates" that remains his best.

Lenny White - Assault (1978)

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Rock Albums Post Three / 1979

This post features albums released in 1979...

1979  was a great year in music with albums by groups such as Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, The Cars, Donna Summer, Supertramp, Styx, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and many other favorites. Rock music was once again in a transition period. Classic Rock (which was still very much alive) was sharing the spotlight with New Wave, an increasingly popular new sub-genre and hybrid of rock, punk and dance music. Groups such as Blondie,  Talking Heads, The Cure, The Cars, Gary Numan and others were beginning to make a huge impression on the face of popular music.

Each album is given a rating ranging from 1 star to 10 stars 
(10 stars is the best) 

Please add your comments and ratings on each album

The Cars - Candy-O 
Released in June 1979 exactly one year after the release of their hugely successful debut album the Cars continued in a trend of success. Their second album hinted more at an electronic KROQ new wave style while their first album featured a classic rock sound.

Candy-O, like their debut, featured  female on the album cover. This cover was painted by Alberto Vargas, an artist known for his paintings of pin-up girls which showed up in Esquire and Playboy magazines from the 40's to the 60's. The model who posed for the painted coincidentally was named Candy.

With Candy-O the Cars proved they were not a one hit wonder. The album reached #3 on the US chart as well as #6 in New Zealand and #7 in Australia it also hit #30 in the UK.

The first single from the album was the classic "Let's Go", which was written by Ric Ocasek and featured lead vocals by the band's bassist Benjamin Orr. The song was a huge hit in many countries around the world reaching #14 in the U.S., #5 in Canada and #6 in Australia. The song featured a signature clapping sound which was derived from a 1962 instrumental called "Let's Go" recorded by the Routers. The second single "It's All I Can Do" wasn't quite as successful on the charts but was certainly a big favorite by fans of the Cars and AOR music listeners. This song is described as a romantic new rock ballad. The third single "Double Life" failed to chart but received heavy airplay on classic rock radio stations across the U.S.. This song featured the lead vocal of Ric Ocasek with backing vocals by the entire band. "Double Life" embraces a fresh modern rock sound as it's lyric speaks of the alienation of infidelity in a relationship. "Lift me from the wondermaze, alienation is the craze".

Besides the three singles the albums also features several outstanding album cuts including "Since I Held You", "Candy-O", "Nightspots", "Lust For Kicks", "Got A Lot On My Head" and "Dangerous Type" - all of which received a good amount of airplay on classic rock and new wave radio stations.
Rock Music Rating: 9 stars

Eagles - The Long Run
After releasing five consecutive album one right after the other it took the Eagles 3 long years to record and release "The Long Run". Released on September 24, 1979 the album reached #1 in the U.S. and stayed their for 8 weeks. It dethroned Led Zeppelin's "In Through The Out Door" (of which you can read later in this post). The album also reached #1 in Australia, Canada and Sweden. It was Top 5 in Norway, New Zealand and the UK.

The track "The Geeks Don't Want No Freaks" included Jimmy Buffett on backing vocals.  The moody "Sad Cafe" featured jazz musician David Sanborn playing saxophone.

The album included three U.S. top ten hits with "The Long Run", the ballad "I Can't Tell You Why" and the classic "Heartache Tonight". The latter of which went #1. "In The City", "Sad Cafe" and "Those Shoes" also received radio airplay on classic rock stations.

"Heartache Tonight" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. This was their fourth out of six Grammy Awards.
Rock Music Rating: 8 1/2 stars 

Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery
"Discovery" was a big hit worldwide charting in Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Austria and Canada as well as reaching #1 in the UK, Austrailia and Norway. In the U.S. the album made it up to #5.

Released in May 1979 their were five singles released from the album. The first was "Shine A Little Love", contained a bit of a disco beat and gave ELO a huge boost in universal sales. The song reached the Top Ten in 8 different countries around the world including #1 in Poland and Canada. In the UK the song reached #6 and in the U.S. #8.

The second single was the big sounding "Don't Bring Me Down", which ended up being ELO's biggest worldwide hit (barring movie songs and/or duets). It charted in the Top Ten in 12 countries around the world, which is more than any of their other songs. The song placed the best in Australia and Canada where it reached #2 and in the UK it was #3. In the U.S. the song made it to #4 becoming their biggest U.S. hit.

The third single didn't fare to well. "The Diary of Horace Wimp" was a curious song obviously influenced by the Beatles with the added electronic technology of the late 70's. The song was patterned after one of their hits from 1978 "Mr. Blue Sky". Despite it's catchy feel good sound the song failed to catch on in most parts of the world, although it did hit #8 in Ireland and #10 in England.

The fourth single "Confusion" brought ELO back into the Top 20 throughout many countries around the wrold. By the time the fifth single, "Last Train To London" was released the album had run it's course and the song did not chart in many countries although fared well in France reaching #3 there. It also reached the Top Ten in the UK and Ireland. In the U.S. the song just squeezed into the Top 40 at #39.

The song "On The Run" received a fair amount of classic rock radio airplay and could have been a single had there not already been five releases.

As with other ELO releases the album featured an entire orchestra including instruments such as cello and violin. The orchestral and choral arrangements were composed by Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark . Clark also conducted the orchestra. Louis Clark is best remembered for his "Hooked On Classics" albums released in the early 80's.
Rock Music Rating: 7 1/2 stars

Journey - Evolution
In 1979 Journey was just on the brink of taking an already hugely successful career into worldwide super-stardom with in the next 2 and 3 years. 

"Evolution" brought Journey their first legitimate U.S. hit single with "Lovin' Touchin', Squeezin'". The album was their first to chart in the UK reaching #100.

"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" was written by Steve Perry and was influenced by Sam Cooke's 1962 classic "Nothing Can Change This Love". "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" hit #16 in the U.S. as well as #6 in Canada and #37 in New Zealand.

"Just The Same Way" was the album's first single release but did not chart so well. It reached #58, but still showed an upward progression in the records sales and chart positions. "Just The Same Way" was co-written by Journey band members Gregg Rolie, Neil Schon and Ross Valery. The leads vocals were shared by Gregg Rolie and Steve Perry.

"Too Late" was a third single that showed poorly on the charts but received a good amount of classic rock radio airplay.

"City of the Angels" was a highlight from the album which some claim may be the album's strongest track. The song received radio airplay on FM classic rock station throughout the U.S. and Canada.

With Steve Perry now firmly fronting the band, "Evolution", their fifth studio album,  found Journey sounding stronger and more focused then ever. They incorporated many elements of romance and radio friendly hooks in the album's songs. This was the prototype for future albums such as "Departure", "Escape" and "Frontiers".
Rock Music Rating: 8 stars

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedos
"Damn The Torpedoes" was one of those albums that became part of the culture of many rock music listeners. Each song contained the electric power of the current music of the day, yet with a sense of going back to roots in rock with hints of country and blues. The album felt comfortable from first listen and became a staple at most house parties throughout 1979 and 1980.

Their 3rd studio album, "Damn The Torpedoes", was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers U.S. breakthrough having reached #2 (for seven weeks) and selling over 2 million copies.   Pink Floyd's "The Wall" kept Petty from reaching #1. The album was released on October 19, 1979.

The first single "Don't Do Me Like That" received heavy rotation on FM classic rock radio including KROQ, KLOS and KMET as well as some Top 40 radio.  The song reached U.S. #10 and generated enthusiastic interest and strong sales for the album. Tom Petty was firmly poised for worldwide super-stardom.

Two other singles "Refugee" and "Here Comes My Girl" both received heavy airplay and reached #15 and #59 respectively. "Refugee" became an anthem of sorts with it chant like chorus..."Everybody's had to fight to be free. You see, you don't have to live like a refugee".  The song gave a feeling of freedom and release for those locked up in the torments of love.

"Even The Losers", "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)", "Century City"  and "Louisiana Rain" all received critical acclaim as well as heavy airplay on album oriented rock stations.

Rock Music Rating: 10 stars

 
Pink Floyd - The Wall
1973's "Dark Side of the Moon" was a turning point for Pink Floyd, both in sales and musical growth. "The Wall" released on November 30, 1979 became a classic upon it's release. This was their crowning moment. It just didn't get any better than this. It went on to become one of the Top 30 biggest selling albums worldwide having sold over 30 million copies to date.

The album  delivered a theme of isolation and loneliness in it's songs. Pink Floyd asked Is there anybody out there? Was this a cry for help. In the song "Another Brick In The Wall", the author (Roger Waters) is tormented by his schooling in 1950's Britain. The school was extremely controlling and as Waters said, rebellion was needed. To escape the loneliness Waters built a wall around himself.

"Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)" was released and the song immediately rose to #1 in more than ten different countries around the world as well as Top 3 in several others. The song brought out a sense of unity as the chorus shouts "we don't need no education". It was a means of speaking out against discipline as a means of control. The North London Islington Green School students provided the school choir type vocals. The choir included 23 kids aged 13 to 15. They were overdubbed 12 times to give them a larger and haunting choral sound.

Two other singles were subsequently released "Run Like Hell" and "Comfortably Numb". Both received heavy airplay while "Comfortably Numb went on to become an all-time classic and has been covered by many acts including radically re-arranged Bee Gees disco styled version which reached #10 in the UK in 2004 by Scissor Sisters.

Roger Waters vision was that of a momentous musical experience. The result was well beyond the band's wildest expectations. The album was one in which multitudes of people felt a type of identification in the philosophical statements in the album. It was a connection with the dark side of loneliness and isolation.

Many musicians from various musical genres participated in the making of the album. Bruce Johnston (Beach Boys and Rip chords), Toni Tennille (Captain and Tennille) both contributed background vocals in a few songs. Lee Ritenour (guitar) and Jeff Porcaro (Toto, drums ) were only a few of many uncredited musicians who participated in the recording of "The Wall".

The double album, Pink Floyd's 11th studio album includes many classic tracks such as "Mother", "Goodbye Blue Sky", "Young Lust", "Hey You", "Is There Anybody Out There" and "In The Flesh".

The album is created to be listened to as an album instead of a set of individual songs - although each song holds up well on it's own strength and as a thematic whole.

In 1982 the spectacular British film, "The Wall", which incorporated live action and animation was released and based on the classic 1979 album "The Wall". All the songs from "The Wall" were featured in the movie with the exception of "Hey You" and "The Show Must Go On".
Rock Music Rating: 10 stars

The Police - Regatta de Blanc
Preceded by the single release "Message In A Bottle" the release of "Regatta de Blanc" was emphatically anticipated. "Message In A Bottle" was the perfect teaser for the upcoming album. The song had all the trademarks of classic written all over it. A chant like chorus. A message of a cry out for help, a plea to be noticed. Right from the opening guitar chords the song hits on strong and keeps a driving momentum with Stewart Copeland's always fantastic drum work. The song was a huge European hit reaching #1 in England, Ireland and 32 in the Netherlands. In the U.S. it didn't fare as well, it only reached #74, but received very strong radio airplay and became a classic Police track.

One month later, in October 1979, "Regatta de Blanc" was released to a welcome reception. The album flew to #1 in the UK, Australia, France and the Netherlands. As well as reaching #3 in Canada and #4 in New Zealand. The U.S. seemed to be the hard sell, the album fared decently reaching U.S. #25 and eventually sold over a million copies. The album recharted on the U.S. billboard chart at #153 in 1983, after the release of "Synchronicity". This was the Police's 2nd studio album.

The reggae influenced "Walking On The Moon" was the second single and it sold just a s well as "Message In A Bottle" with the exception of not charting in the U.S. The video for the song was filmed at the Kennedy Space Center and features footage from NASA.

The instrumental "Regatta de Blanc" brought the Police their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. This was their first of 6 total Grammy Awards wins.

The song "Bring On The Night" was written about the execution of Gary Gilmore who was found guilty of robbing and murdering two men in Utah. He was executed by a firing squad on January 17, 1977.

Five of the eleven songs were written by Sting. Stewart Copeland wrote 3. Copeland and Sting co-wrote one song together, while the last two were written by the entire trio of Sting, Copeland and Summers.
Rock Music Rating: 8 1/2 stars

Supertramp - Breakfast In America
"take a look at my girlfriend. she's the only one I got," echoed the halls of many high school campuses and college age dorm parties. Supertramp's 6th studio album, "Breakfast In America", was their peak both commercially and artistically.  The album reached #1 in seven countries arround the world including Canada, Australia and the U.S., where it stayed at #1 for six weeks.

Several of the songs on the album are played on a wurlitzer electric piano, creating a distinctive sound. The album's first single "The Logical Song" was driven by this sound. Right from the very opening of the song the Wurlitzer is prominently featured and is a dramatic constant throughout until the end. "The Logical Song" was released a month and a half after the album's March 29th release. The song was an instant hit commanding heavy airplay in both the U.S. and UK, where it reached #6 and #7 respectively.

The second single, "Breakfast In America", didn't do as well in the U.S. reaching only #64, but became a staple on classic rock radio. In the UK it reached #9.

"Goodbye Stranger", the album's third single, took Supertramp back into the U.S. top 15 reaching #15, but only made it to #57 in the UK. It was somewhat a reversal of the chart history of their previous single. This song, like the others, is supported by the Wurlitzer and propels forward with electric guitar and rhythmic bass lines in the chorus.

The band decided to release a fourth single, which was somewhat uncommon during this time. Three singles from one album was the industry norm. Though as we moved into the 80's four to five singles from an album became commonplace. The fourth single was the classic "Take The Long Way Home, which was already well known both from it's inclusion on the phenomenally successful "Breakfast In America" and from the heavy airplay it had already received at this point in time. Despite the fact the song brought Supertramp back into the U.S. Top Ten reaching #10, though it did not chart in the UK. It did however reach #9 in Germany.

"Breakfast In America" won two Grammy Awards. One for Best Recording Package and the other for Best Engineered Album, Non Classical. The album was nominated for Album of the Year but lost out to Billy Joel's "52nd Street".
Rock Music Rating: 8

 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
This was the second of three Talking Heads albums produced by the maestro Brian Eno. Eno brought Robert Fripp (of King Crimson fame) to play guitar on "I Zimbra". During this time Eno was also working with David Bowie and Devo. Eno was becoming a heavily sought after producer and musician.

"Fear Of Music" contained funk based rhythms which looped back and forth with electronic sounds constructed by Eno. Tina Weymouth (the band's bass guitarist) has commented that David Byrne has an insane but fantastic sense of rhythm.

The album was a minor but worldwide hit having charted in the Top 30 in the U.S., Canada, UK and New Zealand, where it reached #11.  Three singles were released as follows; "Life During Wartime", "I Zimbra" and "Cities". None of them charted well anywhere, but all of them became alt-rock classics and also garnered airplay in dance clubs. Talking Heads entered a new phase in their career - dance music.

"I Zimbra" was the first of three Talking Heads to place on the U.S. Dance chart reaching #28. "I Zimbra" capitalized on a prominent disco beat and funk filled bass lines which pushed the song forward to become an underground dancefloor classic. 

"Life During Wartime" is the prominent track on "Fear Of Music". The song is a grim look of a recruit on the front-line. Byrne's lyric speaks of gunfire, grave sites, roadblocks and disease. Byrne shouts out, "this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around,"  (which became an anthem in the clubs and at house parties). In one round of the chorus Byrnes names Mudd Club and CBGB, both popular underground clubs in New York.

Critics have hailed "Fear Of Music" as one of rock music's finest moments. In a Rolling Stone Magazine review, John Pareles commented, "Fear of Music is often deliberately, brilliantly disorienting. " He continued to say, "The album is foreboding, inescapably  urban and obsessed with texture." Other critics described it as an unconventional rock release and praised the album's gritty weirdness.

In the Rough Guide to Rock published in 1979, Andy Smith commented that the album was a strong contender for Best Album 70's because it's "bristling with hooks, riffs and killer lines."
Rock Music Rating: 9 1/2