Essential Studio Albums

[wease]

KISS - Creatures of the Night

If my reading is correct, this is where the continues to splinter and is the last with the makeup for quite some time. Ace Frehley was gone after this album, which is heavier than prior KISS albums and also seems to be making an effort at being more serious. I don’t know that this works for them - their brand of party rock early on scratches on what was needed for rock music in the mid-70s, but this just feels forced - as if the band was having no fun making this album. I thought Danger and I Still Love You were decent enough, the latter really saved by a big Frehley solo.

The Essential Track: Danger

Up Next: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

Ace didn’t play on it at all.

War Machine is my pick.

Yeah, Robben Ford played lead on I Still Love You with Vinnie Vincent on everything else except Rock and Roll Hell. I might toss this on next for a revisit... maybe.

Steve Farris from Mr Mister played the lead on the title track.

Bryan Adams also co-wrote two of the Gene tracks, Rock and Roll Hell and War Machine. He also co-wrote one with Eric Carr that didn’t make the KISS album but did get included on Adams’s own record.

I just read that Bryan Adams inclusion on wikipedia, it's barely a KISS record

I first realized it a number of years back where Gene mentioned writing with him in a book. I was like, holy shit. Adams has recently released his own versions of both those songs.

[liebzz]

Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

I think there was some chatter earlier on this thread about Judas Priest suggesting largely mediocrity. While I don’t think I agreed as it pertained to British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance is probably a bit more on the mediocre end of things. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming is the single and it’s pretty decent, but also the best of the bunch. Devil’s Child wasn’t terrible, and really most of the album wasn’t, but there also wasn’t much that felt essential.

The Essential Track: You’ve Got Another Thing Coming

Up Next: Misfits - Earth A.D./Die, Die My Darling

[liebzz]

Misfits - Earth A.D./Die, Die My Darling

This one goes by real fast - 12 songs, 21 minutes, and no time to waste. Frankly, to my ears most of this was pretty unintelligible, a blast of fast paced guitars, but without the bass lines that carried the last album by the Misfits. Die, Die My Darling however is a nice highlight on an album that I more wish was more carefully recorded and produced. It seemed otherwise kind of a hot mess.

The Essential Track: Die, Die My Darling

Up Next: Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

[liebzz]

Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

Idol is a true character of the early to mid-80s. An early darling of the music video era, Idol had the sneer of a punk and the glam rock chops to sell well in that format. And I got to see him live last year and he was shockingly entertaining. As for this album, it’s not nearly as exciting as all that. It’s fine and all, and Rebel Yell is an iconic track, with Eyes Without a Face recognizable. The rest is just sort of glam rock without the distinct personality of say a David Bowie. Man, it sucks to be so negative on a few albums in a row!

The Essential Track: Rebel Yell

Up Next: ZZ Top - Eliminator

[liebzz]

ZZ Top - Eliminator

This is likely the most recognizable version of ZZ Top that you know, also darlings of the early MTV era with their signature beards and rotating guitars. The difference of course if they have the riffs and the grooves to back it up. This might be the most commercial version of their Texas boogie, but some of these songs are just undeniable. The trio of Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs is perhaps enough to power a really good album, but there’s more to this than just that. Got Me Under Pressure, Thug, and TV Dinners are a trio nearly as good on an album that has no clear misses. I really enjoyed this (I am pretty sure I’ve heard this album before but this is one of those albums (really the hits) that play on core memories of being 5 and 6 years old and seeing them on MTV.

The Essential Track: Gimme All Your Lovin’

Up Next: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Album

[wease]

TV Dinners is great!

[liebzz]

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Album

This seemed to me like an upgrade from the last one, perhaps because there’s at least less reliance on covers. Plus, the cover of the Stones’ Star Star is really good. The top original here is I Love Playing With Fire, which seems like the most filled out rocker. This isn’t going to be among my favorites in this journey, but it’s a step up for them - nothing nearly as good as The Runaways or Jett’s debut solo album.

The Essential Track: I Love Playing With Fire

Up Next: Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon

[liebzz]

Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon

Without Randy Rhoads, from which much of the enjoyment is Ozzy’s first two studio albums derived, heading into this one was a bit of a mystery. While there’s surely fireworks in spurts on this album, this one I think sees Ozzy’s sound just a little more heavy but also almost more melodic. While I still got a lot of enjoyment out of this one, it’s not quite that prior magic. The title track, Now You See It (Now You Don’t), Centre of Eternity (which explodes into some great heavy music), and Slow Down were my favorites here. There’s still greatness surrounding Ozzy at this point, so preferring the others may just be splitting hairs.

The Essential Track: Centre of Eternity

Up Next: Metallica - Kill ‘em All

[liebzz]

Metallica - Kill ‘em All

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to thrash metal. Granted, Iron Maiden plays super fast so that might be a bit of a stretch, but this debut album feels like the real beginning, merging the crazy musicianship of that band with the pace and attitude of the hardcore punk bands we’ve been listening to. Somehow, Metallica still feels like it own entity and universe. Hit the Lights is an epic opener. Motorbreath, Jump
In the Fire, (Anasthesia)—Pulling Teeth, and No Remorse are all highlights of a band on a mission. But the best probably comes down to the opener, Whiplash, and Seek & Destroy - three absolutely stunning metal tracks that are true game changers.

The Essential Track: Seek & Destroy and Whiplash (everybody wins!)

Up Next: Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

[liebzz]

Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

These last few albums have basically been a run in a golden age of metal. This album gets thrown on that heap with more great work from this band. I really don’t think there’s a spot to go wrong here, but I loved Where the Eagles Dare, Revelations, Flight of Icarus, The Trooper, and Sun and Steel in particular. This album might be slightly top heavy but it’s great quality throughout. 4 great albums thus far from this band.

The Essential Track: The Trooper

Up Next: Def Leppard - Pyromania

[liebzz]

Def Leppard - Pyromania

This album, along with a handful of others from these few years, are what feels like arena rock morphing into hair metal. I think Def Leppard are maybe a bit closer to just hard rockin’ Foreigner/Boston/Journey than say Motley Crue, but not by too much. I mean, it’s pretty undeniably fun to listen to Rock of Ages and Photgraph, not to mention Rock! Rock! Til You Drop, Too Late For Love or any other selection of song here, the cheese caked on thick such that you either roll with it, or recoil at its way over the top approach. Either way it’s a moment to not take things too seriously and just pump that fist.

The Essential Track: Rock of Ages

Up Next: Quiet Riot - Mental Health

[liebzz]

Quiet Riot - Mental Health

If the other bands preceding kick around the edges of what’s to be somewhat derisively referred to as hair metal, this feels like a dive into the deep end. Big arena ready guitar riffs and solos, rock n’ roll cliches abound - really a sense of bringing together a Sabbath-like visual presentation with the excesses of KISS and Motley Crue, but maybe a shade heavier. Cum On Feel the Noise is the song everyone knows here, and it’s probably the best of the bunch here, but they’re all sort of on that level.

The Essential Track: Cum On Feel the Noise

Up Next: Dio - Holy Diver

[Jorge]

Worth noting that "Cum On Feel the Noize" is a cover, which is also why it's their best song

[Jorge]

Their version is the best one though. The original by Slade kinda sucks and Oasis also recorded a pretty limp cover

[wease]

Worth noting that "Cum On Feel the Noize" is a cover, which is also why it's their best song

I did not know that.

[Happy Trees]

They were forced to record it because "no singles" and had no desire to. Huge hit anyway.

Next album? Forced them to record another cover by the same band. It flopped, end of band. Major record company derp.

[liebzz]

Look at how much we are learning here.

[wease]

Came upon your next journey earlier today, liebzz, for after you finish this one in 2027.

One Hit Wonders

[VinylGuy]

Look at how much we are learning here.

[Happy Trees]

See the tree
How big its grown