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.
Hawkwind – Take Me To Your Leader
“Take Me To Your Leader” was the 21st all-new studio album to come out under the Hawkwind banner since the band’s conception in 1969. It is also a fine return to form by the original lords of Space Rock.
The New Wave of Progressive Rock from the late 1980s to the early 1990s
As the 1980s drew to a close, hair metal died away to be replaced by grunge, hip hop and rap. But underneath this was a small but determined surge of Progressive Rock. Here are a few debut albums from this period.
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.
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.
Big Country – The Crossing
The best thing of all was the Big Country dual guitar sound; it blew away all the synthesizer bands dominating the music scene in the early Eighties and allowed real rock & roll to make a much-needed comeback. Proper music with proper songs about actual events or feelings.
BBM (Jack Bruce – Ginger Baker and Gary Moore) – Around The Next Dream
After bouts of Spinal Tap-type behaviour, this trio did manage to leave behind a true masterpiece in “Around The Next Dream.”
Derek Sherinian – The Phoenix
As soon as Derek Sherinian roars into action on the title track, ably assisted in a raiding pack of Zak Wylde on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, Armen Ra on Theremin and Simon Phillips on drums, you know things are red hot as ever.
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