Classic Rock
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
“Wish You Were Here” is still David Gilmour, Pink Floyd lead guitarist, vocalist and present leader’s favourite all-time Pink Floyd album.
Wishbone Ash – Argus ‘Then Again Live’
Argus was voted album of the year by very influential British Music Paper Sounds. Sold-out world tours followed, creating a huge fan base. An album that should be in every record collection.
Jimmy Barnes – Barnestorming
Jimmy Barnes put together the cream of Australian musicians on tour to support the albums to show things off. The band included Johnny Diesel and Dave Amato on guitars, Chris Bailey on bass guitar, Tony Brock on drums and Peter Kekell on keyboards. These recordings were released on a double album as Barnestorming at the end of 1988 and naturally roared up the charts over Christmas, staying at number one for three weeks.
Hard Stuff – Bulletproof
The musicianship is never anything but superb; for that alone, the album cannot be faulted. The best and heaviest thing on the album is the John Gustafson-written ‘Sinister Minister’ with its crunchy guitar licks and bass-heavy driven rhythm.
Concerts & Live Recordings
Greg Lake In Concert – King Biscuit Flower Hour
Recorded on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th, 1981, this concert was certainly full of fireworks. Recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, England, during the world tour for his first solo album (simply titled “Greg Lake”), the show presented Lake on a London stage for the first time since the demise of his previous band “Emerson, Lake and Palmer.”
Ten Years After – Essential
“Essential” by Ten Years After is something of a rarity as I find it faultless in collecting together on one CD what are the “Essential” recordings. In other words, a true “Bests Of” Ten Years After.
Gary Moore – We Want Moore
The songs from the main set don’t let up for a second, and in true eighties tradition Moore just blazes his fingers over them. All of the songs are over seven minutes long with extended solos.
The Who – Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
No other recording shows The Who in the entirety of their talents. Listening to Pete Townshend, at his most explosive leading the band through the shattering rock ‘n’ roll medley at the end of the set is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Heavy Metal
Gary Moore – We Want Moore
The songs from the main set don’t let up for a second, and in true eighties tradition Moore just blazes his fingers over them. All of the songs are over seven minutes long with extended solos.
Aerosmith – Nine Lives
From the opening squally feedback and Steve Tyler’s trademark caterwauling, there’s no mistaking whose album this is; there are some true stormers here.
Budgie – Bandolier
Budgie, the three-piece heavy metal band from Cardiff in Wales, were far more influential than anybody dared think at the time of their self-titled debut album in 1971. Both Iron Maiden and Metallica showered them with praise and recorded their songs, giving the band much-needed royalty revenue.
Van Halen – Van Halen
One of the greatest party albums of all time by one of the greatest party bands of all time, these young tearaway Americans knew how to rock and enjoy themselves to the limit and beyond.
Progressive Rock
Flash – Flash
“Flash” had a vibrancy and optimism that transcended all the stereotypes of seventies rock music. They really loved their music and it always showed. They were Flash – their life was short but burned bright. They came and went in a Flash.
Hawkwind – Space Ritual ‘Live’
Fortunately for us all, several Hawkwind shows were recorded, and the best of two from Liverpool and Manchester have been spliced together to give the complete experience, all done in the correct running order. This was first released as a double album in 1973 at the price of a single album, Hawkwind being Hawkwind and always giving value for money. As well as a poster-size foldout cover, you also got two booklets, one telling the story of the Space Ritual joining the dots between songs, the other giving you all the information you could possibly want about the tour.
Wishbone Ash – Argus ‘Then Again Live’
Argus was voted album of the year by very influential British Music Paper Sounds. Sold-out world tours followed, creating a huge fan base. An album that should be in every record collection.
Hard Stuff – Bulletproof
The musicianship is never anything but superb; for that alone, the album cannot be faulted. The best and heaviest thing on the album is the John Gustafson-written ‘Sinister Minister’ with its crunchy guitar licks and bass-heavy driven rhythm.
Threshold – Legends of the Shires
It’s impossible to pick out highlights on Legends of the Shires as the album is best served to be listened to in its entirety. But after a brief introduction, the second song, Small Dark Lines, shows off Threshold’s combined power. Heavy riffing over a pounding beat with determined vocals—an aural battering.
Guest Posts
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Joe Satriani sends shockwaves through Bangkok with mesmerising skill
Centrepoint Studio, Bangkok, Thailand 19th February 2017 Guitar wizard Joe Satriani spent two years whizzing around the world promoting his fifteenth studio album ‘Shockwave Supernova.’ For his South East Asian jaunt, Satriani treated appreciative fans […]
Caravan – It’s None of Your Business
“It’s None of Your Business” is Caravans 15th album and amongst their finest. All Caravan fans look forward to learning the band’s album titles, and this one is no different. My favorite title goes back to 1975 – “Cunning Stunts.”
