Black Sabbath, Headless Cross

Black Sabbath, Headless Cross (IRS-1989)

As a big fan of this band I as all fans love the Ozzy stuff and for a great reason. But all those albums done very well and sold quite rightfully in their million is America and beyond.

Next singer was again a favorite in Ronnie James Dio. But again that was a very successful era in the band. After the second 'Dio' album many fans seem to slowly move on. Some may have felt the constant lineup changes making that once fantastic band seem a little corporate and well stale. But by the time the band got to the late 80s the band was very different. New deal with IRS was signed and a real idea for a change in direction.

A great help for me in this album is Cozy Powell, what a fantastic drummer, he played on many other bands but notable for me Rainbow and on the 'Rising' album. He as ever plays a blinder on this album. And thanks to him a new singer was recruited in Tony Martin. The plan by Tony Iommi was to bring back Dio but Cozy suggested Tony Martin. The idea was to have him on rehearsals and well it all went so well this album was made with the three of them and like the old days all writing credits between the band.

There is an air of AOR on this album but it for me it is in that 80s feel, little bit of a hair metal sort of vibe. But those are all quickly trampled on with guitar from Toni Iommi, easily one of the geniuses of music. Great playing and some nice solos here. Not so much a big riff album but an all round classic rock structure.

The classic inro track really shows what this is all about, Occult and Satanic lyrics and references all over the album. There is also a nice mix of all out metal songs and the classic doom style the band invented in ‘Kill in the Spirit World'. one of the first things I heard about this album was the track ‘When Death Calls’ and I never knew the solo was by Brian May, again amazing stuff and it really expands on everything the band used to be but moving it forward to 1988. As I say the bands at the time were hair metal and slowly there was the grunge thing in the early 90s so it is a nice album in the middle of all that. There are some nice touches of keyboards that give the album that occult vibe from Geoff Nicholls and I think his best work with the band.

Produced by Powell and Iommi it shows how much creativity they had and I am glad that there was no others in the studio as the sound may well have been watered down for that 88 sound.
For me the best Sabbath albums are the first six then this one then the Dio stuff so there really is some great quality here. Well receved at the time by critics but on IRS it really never sold bundles or even got people buzzing at the band. If you are a fan of Sabbath or like many a big fans of the Ozzy/Dio era and and have not heard this it really is a cracking album and fully deserves to be in your collection.

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Johnny Cash, Ragged Old Flag

Johnny Cash, Ragged Old Flag (Columbia-1974)

Mr Cash had up till now some big selling albums. And one of them the 'At Folsom Prison' for me is one of the best live albums ever recorded. The live album was the second of live recordings from inside a prison. But those two albums were so successful I really can't put them in here so I have chosen this one. 

And a good choice I would think, this album was his first ever album where he wrote all the material himself. That is quite unusual for country back in 1974 and a kind of gutsy move. Not only that he did also have quite a political subjects included on the album. Again not the sort of thing you get that often in mainstream/radio music never mind country.

Title song 'Ragged Old Flag' is a spoken word tribute to patriotism. Released as a single it really shows how good a story teller he is. Back when he was young he would write poems and you can tell he loved a good story. Written during the Watergate scandal many Americans were questioning what they country had really done. 

Other songs have the classic man in back themes as he deals with working in jobs with long hours 'All I Do is Drive' and jobs where promotion offers very little in reward 'King of the Hill'. He delves into environmental subjects with ' Don't Go Near the Water' questioning where the fish are going and how clean the water may well be upon getting to the sea. Although the subjects for the songs can be regarded as being negative the album is helped with the inclusion of the Oak Ridge Boys. Mr Cash for me had one of the most unique voices in the world and on this album the crystal clear production does him justice but the Oak Ridge Boys give this some volume and wealth. 

This album is a great start for anyone who is just getting into Johnny Cash as it is a classic country album. Filled with messages and content and made more special as it is all his own (Bar 'I'm a Worried Man' co written with his wife June). The whole album is from his experiences and understanding. As I mentioned the two prison albums near the end of the album 'Please Don't Let Me Out' is about a prisoner who fears being released. Or does he simply think he has more freedom in prison? After all they then have to get a job and work for the man before dieing 'Pie in the Sky'. 

Many who are not used to country may dislike the title song but I love it, remember country music was the first style of music to really rebel like the punks did in the later 70s people had to break away from the so called proper way to play music. And like many punk bands this album is quite simple in structure but the content is what makes you think. As the pistols sang God Save the Queen a few years before Johnny had Ragged Old Flag out. Both to me are similar and can be taken by each of us differently. That to me is good songwriting.

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Whomp That Sucker, Sparks

Whomp That Sucker, Sparks (RCA-1981)

Most people into music know Sparks well due to the gold album Kimono My House but they did keep on going after that album and done some great albums. So much so it is hard for me to single one out.

But I have here is one I think could have done more in sales. Done at Musicland Studios in Germany the band seem to change the sound a little. Going back to a more rock sound and having Reinhold Mack producing is a great addition as he was now working with the likes of Queen and a great all round studio engineer and programmer. Ideal to now bring back a more rock sound to the brothers sound.

First track "Tips for Teens" you can't help but enjoy the all out pop tune and wonder why it was not on the radio every day all the time. It makes you want to buy dance shoes and give it a go. "Funny Face" also feels great and that rock sound is now here with the track showcasing some nice guitar work. Both songs were released as singles and done nothing much at all. Not sure why they seem to just miss the mainstream as they both would have fitted in well with the new wave sound that was hitting the airwaves in the early 80s.

"Upstairs" brings in that nice synthesizers sound that you have heard so many times before. The intro alone makes me pinpoint Musicland studios as I have heard it before. The music has always got some great lyrics from the Mael brothers. At times they come across as very repetitive and no real direction but listen closely.

"I Married a Martian" is a cracking song and so catchy again radio hit all over it and a great title so much so I can see why bass player Leslie Bohem went on to have a successful screen writing career. "Suzie Safety" sounds a bit like the theme tune to a kids show but again all those pop hooks keep the music fun. The album has a nice all rounded production and never sounds too polished. Last track "Wacky Women" should have been out as a single or at least had a crazy video made for it. Grab that comb and sing along to it before a night out. Plenty of drums and bass to keep the toes moving, I love this track!

So there you go I managed to choose a Sparks album and I fear in a few weeks (or seconds) I may change my mind but a great reason here is this album was released in the US under RCA but there was no other big deal in Europe or the UK so it was put out on other labels there. That could have been the mistake that stopped any real sales as the promotion of the band and album would have been hard to tie into each areas for selling. Still it did chart in America (Just) and done well in France where the band enjoyed a high level of success. But this album for me and in 1981 should have done very well in the UK and has Top of the Pops songs all over it. Remember those days you see an act on that show and instantly buy the single the next day? Well why not make up for missing it and give it a go now.

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Eddie And The Hot Rods - Life On The Line

Eddie And The Hot Rods - Life On The Line (1977-Island)

The Rods as this band were known as for their first and only top ten hit single and it is track one on this album. "Do Anything You Wanna Do" is an all-out classic punk anthem. With it coming out in the summer of 77 and a switch in sound from the rawer first album you could credit this song and album as the first real punk pop style music. Those bands that came out in the 90s were really just recreating this album for much of the time. But as the first track shows they just have something raw and inspiring in them.

But the single is no one off, as the album has a really nice production job and also was on a decent size record label in Island. Time in the studio is used well and can be heard in “Quit This Town” great riffy guitars and catchy vocals from the single continue, some melodies are even here to show you this band mean business. Unlike many punk bands of the time you really can hear the band play on this album and for me the drums are the winner. A sound like that really can stand tall after so many years and it makes this album sound great over 30 years later. “Telephone Girl” even lets you hear some clear bass lines, not quite at the level of some of the rock greats but it is a nice sound and one that reminds me there is more to playing in the right way.

“Life On The Line” is the title track and a great one with a nice screeching solo in the middle. I think even some AOR fans could switch to this album as there is so much on offer if they are happy to listen carefully. Not so much of the stage posing on offer as punk posturing in a way. It is a sound and feel of a pub rock band who know exactly how to turn a room of drinkers into fans. And that is a great skill, “(And) Don't Believe Your Eyes” feels like a bit of a slower song. More of a sing along song as the hit single was.

But remember how I say this is kind of the first punk pop style album? Well there is a great instrumental on here as well. As the album was released on vinal it was on the b side track one of the album and I am sure that was done for a reason. Make you double look to see if it is the same album? Joke aside “We Sing....The Cross” is a great track. “The Beginning Of The End” continues that negative style of the album and it is hard to ignore even the cover is a big statement. Not sure if it is to do with the record deal and music industry or just an off day. But it is again catchy with real lyrics and over 8 minutes the track on its own is more than most punk bands total output.

So why did the band not make it? I think it was over saturation of the punk market at the time and most really would not have seen much past a punk band here. Such a same as they are a great rock n roll band and this is a really catchy album with great tunes. It feels so much more mature and even now it is a shock to see it was made in 77. Took many punk bands into the post punk and early 80s to move the sound along and they done it in months.

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The Clash, Sandinista!

The Clash, Sandinista! (1980-CBS)

I was never a big fan of the Clash, I do like them and love the first album. I also have a lot of respect for the band as they really did include so many styles of music in every album they did. And that ties into this album in a big way.

The band made it big and way bigger than most punk bands collected together. But it never took away their punk mentality. Each album was full of great tunes and also very important political and every day subjects. This album has even been named after the troubles in Nicaragua taking the name of a political party in that country.

But the album is a first here and also something very rare in music. It is a triple album, and I do mean three LPs. The album fills up all six sides of the three slabs of plastic and I feel it is filled well. The story goes it was made three disks due to Bruce Springsteen putting out his the River album as a double and the music world creaming themselves over that. So a challenge in a way. Both artists really have no problems with each other and this reviewer looks at the River as one of the bosses top three so we all win here.

The album is no real departure from previous but one inclusion unique to it is all four member take lead vocals at some point. Also some tracks are there twice with the second being a Dub version. Sounds like some fillers here but it does seem to work. Now here is where respect is due, the band made a deal to have the album out at £5 so the punters could get it at the same price as other albums. This would have hit the bands finances and pretty much have robbed them of any royalties. So it was a big gamble and looking at sales it was a bad one for the band.

Only gaining a silver (60,000) units in the UK the album was certified gold in the US. So total sales in America must have been about 175,000 as the certification on multiple records in the US includes each disk as one sale. I feel it should have sold more and the marketing side of me sees it as a value for money buy as well. We have all purchased that soundtrack album in a supermarket as it has all the hit songs you like, cheaper than buying each individually eh?

Even the albums singles failed to do much "The Magnificent Seven" being the only top 40 hit in the UK. A great song and full of fun as was "Hitsville U.K." a great song that really shows how good the band were at writing pop music with a great world music feel. For me the album has the best sound out of all the bands albums, recorded and mixed by Bill Price he would have made sure all the music was recorded properly and that is not easy including multiple session players for things like trumpets, saxophones and harmonicas over two studios.

By todays standards artists think nothing of making an album run over 60 mins but back then a triple album was a real big thing and very rare. I hostly know of no band that done it successfully. The album has for some people filler tracks. Like "Career Opportunities" sung or rather worded by Mickey Gallagher's two sons, Luke and Ben it is an odd thing to do but it really shows how far punk had went from 76. Before the band would never have used valuable time in the studio like that but times changed in the punk world so fast.

The three disks do have a little different feel with the first full of the singles and fun, second and third feel similar but the last is way more experimental and it could have been a kind of side project in a way. But at the time the band sort of marketed the 3LP as a 2LP with a bonus 12" so looking at the last album as a bonus is a good thing. But still a cracking album and for me time has served it very well.

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David Bowie, Low, Heroes and Lodger (Berlin Trilogy)

David Bowie, Low, Heroes and Lodger (RCA-1977/79)

For me the best time in this mans career was in the 1970s. Album after album for me was fantastic and always sold well. But there were three albums that didn't sell as much due to the style of music contained on the album. Going from Art rock, experimental rock, krautrock, electronic, ambient and even pop over these three albums is just too much for many listeners. But time really should have changed your ears and tuned them into liking this music now.

For me "Low" is the easiest to get into, more electronic pop than anything. Ok you will not be able to start up the karaoke but there is music to move to here. "Sound And Vision" is a stand out track here on side one where as the second side really takes you on Bowie's trip through giving up cocaine. Brian Eno is a guest on the second side and this is where it really takes on the electronic synth style called krautrock. At the time it was totally new to most people as they had never heard the likes of Kraftwerk. Co produced with Tony Visconti he was a big part in the sound on the whole album and with Eno they labored more in the creative side than given credit.

The previous release in "Station to Station" was a big inspiration to the change in sound. As it was to be used for a film soundtrack this helped give Bowie some freedom in the writing of the album. That album has been given much praise from many bands in the area around punk in the 70s as it was capturing so much more than the typical AOR style that is always promoted by the labels.

Quickly the same year "Heroes" came out and with a similar sound but recorded in a more of an improvised way. Many first takes were used and again the album really can't be put into anything he done before. "Beauty and the Beast" provided a top 40 hit in the UK (only just at 39) the album was loved by music fans but really done nothing in America. Again the flip side provided a change from the other with "Sense of Doubt" and "Neuköln" being instrumentals and using that ambient style from his previous album. The album is less negative than the first as Bowie had moved to Berlin proper and recorded the whole album there.

With the first two albums having a kind of bi polar feel to them for most people you could easily love the first side and well... respect the second? But in 1979 "Lodger" may well be the one you like best. It is a far more straight forward release, that is in comparison to the other two. Still very much in an experimental style the album does not seem to suffer from any of his drug problems and at the time he was back to great writing. As with any good album travel is featured and tracks like "African Night Flight" and "Fantastic Voyage" get you thinking of booking a ticket abroad to get where he heard the influences for yourself.

The second side has tracks poking fun at our own culture. "Repetition" could be talking about other styles of music or even every day life, same job, same bus trip to work. And a top ten hit in the UK with "Boys Keep Swinging" gave this album much needed attention. Lyrics like "When you're a boy, other boys check you out" really shows he is thinking out loud and asking questions on gender, the video near the end had himself dressed in drag as three backing singers. In America the lead single was "Look Back in Anger" as the previous song was not considered due to the gender diverse topic that the song and video possess. This track was a nice rock track with some great guitar work from Carlos Alomar who provides guitar to tracks over all three albums.

As these albums were being recorded the music world was changing from punk to post punk and new wave bands all making it big. All challenging people to take on more diverse music. As his next album in "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" coming out in 1980 he needed to sell well and did all thanks to the build up of the three albums before as the fans of those were again buying more great new music.

The three albums here were all but ignored by America and as each came out even got less attention in the UK. After this was three massive selling albums. They were simply just out too early I feel. But saying that you really would not have sold much more even in the 80s I think. Many bands and artists owe a big thank you to these albums as they really did open the door. May take a few listens but they really are his best work.

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Burzum, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

Burzum, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (Misanthropy-1994)

Recorded in September of 1992 this album along with three others were recorded in just over a year. Each for me are well worth buying and highlighting “Filosofem” from 1996 as it really is two completely different sounding albums.

This album is a concept album and in English is called If the Light Takes Us. Much of the Black Metal world was all about volume and speed where this music rewound all that back. This is far more of an ambient album. But the influence is there.

"Det som en gang var" ("What Once Was") starts the album with a guitar sound that has been made to sound very empty owning to the concept of the album. He messes about with synthesizers and guitars multi tracking to make a sound I really do not think could be done live. Well up to a point where a full band sound kicks in and all the rock fans out there will recognize some classic elements of riffs and rhythm. All still played while there is a droning in the background. About now you are shocked that it is all done by one person, every instrument, mixing and production was all done by one person. I think this is the key here as most people would most likely get someone else to play drums due to not being good enough but on this album it really does work very well. The production is not crystal clear but that is the whole point as well.

What is new here is the mix of ambient and metal in the same songs and at the same time. None of this one minute intro of building music up to a big guitar blitz. This is all here at once. Fourteen and a half minutes fly by.

"Hvis lyset tar oss" ("If the Light Takes Us") brings us back to a style most would see as BM but again there is that droning guitar sound. Same goes for track three "Inn i slottet fra droemmen" ("Into the Castle from the Dream") this has more of a repetitive nature to it. Not that far away from a drum and bass sound. The screams and growls keep you where you want to be though. Saying that the vocal work on this album is really kept to a minimum and I think that is helpful to many new ears on the style of music. Track three has most of the vocals on the whole album. And to those like me who can’t speak Norwegian you will not know what he is singing. There are plenty of pages on the web with translation and the lyrics are really nothing amazing. First verse of track three is “Between misty vales, Between gloomy mountains, Under gray clouds, In the black night”

Lyrics are never this style of music’s strong point. Well it is one of those reasons it exists. Can’t sing well it is not needed. Same as in track four "Tomhet" ("Emptiness") why bother writing bass, guitar and drum parts when you can use a synthesizers to make the epic feeling of nothing. I have read some say this track is a filler track and for me they are wrong it is my stand out track. I once went to Norway and got the train from Oslo to Bergen and got off at a stop in-between and went for a walk in the mountains of Finse. With 2hr wait between the trains I had a good listen to this music and it really does sound right. There is more to the track as it builds up and it really catches you unaware. I won’t ruin it but is for me a fantastic track. Other times I listen to it is on long flights more so at the start of the flight just to settle me down a bit. It has that effect on you.

This blog is about albums that missed the big time. This could never have made it big but looking at the last few years of Black Metal and bands headlining 60,000+ festivals and making big money then yeah the payoff never happened. Can’t do this live and I would never want to see it live. But what a great album.

If you like this check out “Filosofem” as well.

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My trip to Norway in 2012 on Flickr