DEF LEPPARD
VAULT: DEF LEPPARD GREATEST HITS (1980-1995)
1995 – MERCURY
Produced By ROBERT JOHN “MUTT” LANGE, MIKE SHIPLEY, DEF LEPPARD & PETE WOODROFFE
1. Pour Some Sugar On Me
2. Photograph
3. Love Bites
4. Let’s Get Rocked
5. Two Steps Behind (Acoustic Version)
6. Animal
7. Foolin’
8. Rocket
9. When Love & Hate Collide
10. Armageddon It
11. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
12. Rock Of Ages
13. Hysteria
14. Miss You In A Heartbeat (Acoustic Version)
15. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
So…I guess the question is, how much do you love Def Leppard? This best of from 1995 covers a lot less ground than the fifteen years the title suggests. In the period between 1980 and 1995, Def Leppard actually only released five albums. Their debut, On Through The Night, is not represented here at all. There is only one track (“Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”) from the second album, High ‘N’ Dry. Two tracks (the two acoustic versions) are from the 1993 compilation of B sides and unreleased stuff called Retro Active. This leaves us with 12 of the 15 tracks on this best of culled from only three albums: 1983’s Pyromania, 1987’s Hysteria, and the highly inferior 1992 album Adrenalize.
The results are mixed. And while it might be nice having the hits from their two big winners, Pyromania and Hysteria on one disc, this means that you also have to take them alongside the two tracks from Adrenalize. “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” is boring and typical hair metal power ballad fodder, while “Let’s Get Rocked” is so stupid that it actually tries to be clever and replace the word “fuck” with “rock”. You want the best of Def Leppard? Really? Go out and get yourself High ‘N’ Dry, Pyromania and Hysteria. Those albums are a lot of fun, and there is nothing from the rest of this band’s discography that you need to have. At all. This one should be for bargain hunters only.
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KANYE WEST
YEEZUS
2013 – DEF JAM
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. On Sight
2. Black Skinhead
3. I Am A God
4. New Slaves
5. Hold My Liquor
6. I’m In It
7. Blood On The Leaves
8. Guilt Trip
9. Send It Up
10. Bound 2
Kanye West is a one man media circus. He says a lot of things that should probably be kept to himself…but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because West released his controversial album Yeezus in 2013, and it’s the musical part of him that’s the most worthy of talking about. Yeezus is his sixth album, and was released without the benefit of an advance single and with pretty much no artwork. And it still reached number one in 8 countries, as well as being in the top three of almost every year end list for 2013. Yeezus is stripped down and highly abrasive. It takes some work to get used to (and you might never reach that point), but at its best it shows an artist not bowing to expectations by making yet another record loaded with radio friendly songs.
Kanye is very vocal about his Christianity, but you would not know it by listening to the lyrics here. He also relies a bit too heavily at times on my least favorite studio tool, autotune. I also believe that a lot of the hype for this album comes from his ability to sell himself. Controversy is a big part of this. “I Am A God” (which lists God as a featured artist), “On Sight” (which raised the ire of Parkinson’s disease activists), and his complete disregard for any type of discretion about anything fuel this album, for better or worse. I know a lot of people won’t give this a chance because of who the artist is…which I think is the wrong reason to be closed to it. Musically? This is a risky album for him. It succeeds on many levels. It also fails on just as many. We’ll see where this ends up in a decade or so…
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GENESIS
SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND
1973 – CHARISMA
Produced By JOHN BURNS & GENESIS
1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
3. Firth Of Fifth
4. More Fool Me
5. The Battle Of Epping Forest
6. After The Ordeal
7. The Cinema Show
8. Aisle Of Plenty
Which Genesis do you prefer? The band that did short and highly melodic pop songs with Phil Collins singing, or the band that did long, drawn out prog pieces with great playing led by Peter Gabriel? Selling England By The Pound is the Gabriel led five piece Genesis. It’s their fifth studio album, the one just before The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, which is ambitious and highly interesting. It’s also the one after Foxtrot, on which Genesis found their footing in a lot of ways. Selling England was a tough album for them, as they had been constantly touring and entered the studio with no material. The results here are mixed, for sure. The highs are really good, and the lows are instantly forgettable.
Instrumentally, Tony Banks and Steve Hackett really shine here. And the drumming of Collins makes the album worth hearing alone. Gabriel sounds almost out of place here, and the lyrics on most songs are not so good (not that you can really hear what Gabriel is singing). Of interest are “Firth Of Fifth, which is instrumentally wonderful, and contains what may be the best Genesis guitar solo. Also of note is “More Fool Me”, which is one of only two times that Collins sings lead during the Gabriel era, and “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”, which became their first charting single. This record is sandwiched between albums that were much better representations of this period for the band. It’s a good listen, but it’s far from greatness.
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BLACK SABBATH
MASTER OF REALITY
1971 – VERTIGO
Produced By RODGER BAIN
1. Sweet Leaf
2. After Forever
3. Embryo
4. Children Of The Grave
5. Orchid
6. Lord Of This World
7. Solitude
8. Into The Void
The first three albums…Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Master Of Reality, remain this band’s most important works. Master Of Reality was the third, and the last to be produced by Rodger Bain (maybe not the best move to replace him?). Because of the pain in guitarist Tony Iommi’s fingers, the guitar and bass tuned down a step and a half on many of the songs, which worked to give the band a deeper and darker sound. They also had the ability, as they were not touring at the time, to work out songs and arrangements. Master Of Reality is, as a result, a real blueprint for the dark side of metal, and it still sounds great today. Especially Ozzy Osbourne, who was never in finer frightening form.
“Sweet Leaf”, written by bassist Geezer Butler, is a wide open ode to marijuana. “Children Of The Grave” continues with the anti-war theme of “Electric Funeral” and “War Pigs”. “After Forever” explores Butler’s Catholic upbringing. All wrapped up in this dark and loud package that was the end of best period of this band. This tracklist is the English version…the album released in America adds a pair of short tracks (including the outer groove “The Haunting”, which is “children of the grave” whispered in a loop) and “Deathmask”, which on the British version is included in the track “Into The Void”. This is the band that best represents the early days of metal, and is a vital part of the trilogy that makes up the best albums by this important group.
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JAMEY JOHNSON
THE GUITAR SONG
2010 – MERCURY NASHVILLE
Produced By ARLIS ALBRITTON, WAYD BATTLE, JIM “MOOSE” BROWN, T.W. CARGILE, KEVIN “SWINE” GRANT, JAMEY JOHNSON, “COWBOY” EDDIE LONG & DAVE MCAFEE
1. Lonely At The Top
2. Cover Your Eyes
3. Poor Man Blues
4. Set ‘Em Up Joe
5. Playing The Part
6. Baby Don’t Cry
7. Heaven Bound
8. Can’t Cash My Checks
9. That’s How I Don’t Love You
10. Heartache
11. Mental Revenge
12. Even The Skies Are Blue
1. By The Seat Of Your Pants
2. California Riots
3. Dog In The Yard
4. The Guitar Song
5. That’s Why I Write Songs
6. Macon
7. Thankful For The Rain
8. Good Morning Sunrise
9. Front Porch Swing Afternoon
10. I Remember You
11. Good Times Ain’t What They Used To Be
12. For The Good Times
13. My Way To You
If you like your country music to be of the outlaw variety, then Jamey Johnson is the guy for you. This Alabama native has been putting out deep twangy Americana music since 2002. The Guitar Song is his fourth album, and it’s quite an ambitious endeavor. A double album that clocks in at nearly two hours, the first disc (Black Album) is quite dark, with the second disc (White Album) gradually lightening the mood. But while many of these songs are extremely fine, what makes Johnson and this album so special is that baritone that brings to mind Merle and Waylon at every turn. Like his outlaw heroes, Johnson has the voice to convince you that his songs were probably marinated in a bottle of Jack before laying them down. And that’s a very good thing.
His previous album, 2008’s That Lonesome Song, established Johnson as a heavyweight. This album solidifies that in a big way. And while two discs here may be a bit much, there’s enough to make it worthwhile. “Playing The Part”, “My Way To You” and “Heartache” are all excellent, as is the awesome “Macon” and a nice cover of Kris Kristofferson’s classic “For The Good Times”. Yes, this is a lot to take in at once…you may want to listen to this one disc at a time. But you will find plenty of rewards…most especially Johnson’s voice, and his way of making you feel like you just dropped into the deep South. He’s been fairly quiet since this album except for some cool singles…hopefully there will be more from him soon.
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ROY ORBISON
MYSTERY GIRL
1989 – VIRGIN
Produced By ROY ORBISON, MIKE CAMPBELL, JEFF LYNNE, T-BONE BURNETT, BARBARA ORBISON & BONO
1. You Got It
2. In The Real World
3. (All I Can Do Is) Dream You
4. A Love So Beautiful
5. California Blue
6. She’s A Mystery To Me
7. The Comedians
8. The Only One
9. Windsurfer
10. Careless Heart
So sad. Roy Orbison was in the middle of one of the greatest comebacks in music history, having resurfaced as a member of the Traveling Wilburys. His 22nd album, Mystery Girl, had been finished in November of 1988, with a sure fire hit in “You Got It”. But Orbison died only a month later, at the age of 52. Mystery Girl went from completing his triumphant comeback to being his musical eulogy. For those who aren’t aware, Orbison was one of rock and roll’s greatest voices from the early 1960’s. On Mystery Girl, he works not only with fellow Wilburys Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty (along with Mike Campbell), but also with T-Bone Burnett and U2’s Bono and The Edge.
“You Got It”, produced by Lynne, is an absolute gem, although it does sound a bit too much like Orbison fronting ELO. The rest of the Lynne tracks are unfortunately not up to par. The better songs here are “The Comedians” with Burnett, and the Bono produced “She’s A Mystery To Me”. Ultimately, Mystery Girl suffers from the inconsistency of having too many cooks in the kitchen. Had Orbison lived on, who knows where his career would have gone…more solo albums, more music from the Wilburys (who were just not the same without him). Mystery Girl is not great, but it does contain some of the magic that was Roy Orbison. And that is always well worth hearing. There will always be that incredible and wonderful voice of his. He was one of the very best.
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EMMYLOU HARRIS
LUXURY LINER
1977 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By BRIAN AHERN
1. Luxury Liner
2. Pancho And Lefty
3. Making Believe
4. You’re Supposed To Be Feeling Good
5. I’ll Be Your San Antone Rose
6. (You Can Never Tell) C’est La Vie
7. When I Stop Dreaming
8. Hello Stranger
9. She
10. Tulsa Queen
How do you not love Emmylou Harris? From her early days as the backup singer for Gram Parsons through her solo career, she has become one of the most respected figures in country music…and who doesn’t want to sing with her? Luxury Liner is her third album, and although it didn’t have the big hits that her first two albums did, this is one of her better works. Harris writes songs, but her recording career has been more as an interpreter of the songs of others. So, much like Linda Ronstadt, the quality of her albums depend much on her choice of material. And Emmylou has great taste. Luxury Liner has some very special moments and some very special songs (along with some great musicians) to make a nice musical package.
Of special note here are a pair of Parsons songs (“She” and “Luxury Liner”). It also includes the very first cover of Townes Van Zandt’s classic “Pancho And Lefty”, the old Kitty Wells hit “Making Believe”, and a wonderful version of Chuck Berry’s “(You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie”. She duets with Nicolette Larson on the Carter Family’s “Hello Stranger”, and there’s even a song by The Louvin Brothers (“When I Stop Dreaming”). The voice of Emmylou Harris is always a treat, but when she takes chances with fine material as she does here, the results are almost always outstanding. You will always find something to love from Emmylou, and there are always rewards with her records. This is one of hers to definitely have.
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MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Excellent album. Probably my personal favorite Emmylou LP. The version of "Making Believe" blew me away when I heard it the first time and it still does every time since. I came up as a teen associating "Making Believe" with Social Distortion and that version was one of my go-to sad bastard teen lovesick songs for mix tapes. The fact that I heard this and almost instantly recognized it as my preferred version says a lot about how incredible I find it.
Otherwise, yeah tracks like C'est La Vie" and especially "Luxury Liner" have ABSURD energy. The whole album is killer.
Glad you highlighted this goodie. _________________ -Ryan
Excellent album. Probably my personal favorite Emmylou LP. The version of "Making Believe" blew me away when I heard it the first time and it still does every time since. I came up as a teen associating "Making Believe" with Social Distortion and that version was one of my go-to sad bastard teen lovesick songs for mix tapes. The fact that I heard this and almost instantly recognized it as my preferred version says a lot about how incredible I find it.
Otherwise, yeah tracks like C'est La Vie" and especially "Luxury Liner" have ABSURD energy. The whole album is killer.
Glad you highlighted this goodie.
Thanks for recognizing this one as the classic it is. I have this one as her best older album...Wrecking Ball is her best for me.
My other favorite version of "Making Believe" has always been the Kitty Wells original. EmmyLou is able to stand alongside Wells here...which shows how good she really is. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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UB40
SIGNING OFF
1980 – GRADUATE
Produced By BOB LAMB, RAY “PABLO” FALCONER & UB40
1. Tyler
2. King
3. 12 Bar
4. Burden Of Shame
5. Adella
6. I Think It’s Going To Rain Today
7. 25%
8. Food For Thought
9. Little By Little
10. Signing Off
11. Madam Medusa
12. Strange Fruit
13. Reefer Madness
And you may ask yourselves…how authentic, really, is British reggae? UB40 may not be from Jamaica, but they are the real deal. It’s the heart and soul that they have put into the band for nearly forty years that makes them not just a novelty. Signing Off was their 1980 debut album. The name of the band comes from the form shown on the cover…form UB40 in England is the Unemployment Benefit Form 40. They play not just reggae music, but they also infuse it with a British pop sensibility and a love of dub that gives them a unique sound. Signing Off has remained a fan favorite over the years, with songs that have remained concert favorites. It stands today as nothing really more than a decent debut.
Even though UB40 has made a career out of having hits with cover songs (“Red Red Wine”, “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You”), Signing Off is loaded with original songs. And even though they seem light and poppy, the songs tend to be politically motivated (which doesn’t make them age well). Signing Off was the blueprint for better things to come, but it does have some fine moments. “King” (about MLK) was their first single, and it’s quite good. “Tyler” should have been a hit, written about an American black teen convicted of murdering a white youth despite there being no real evidence. The CD version contains the original ten tracks, plus a three song EP that was released alongside of it. Signing Off has too much filler to be great, but it’s cool to hear where these guys got started.
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