Album Review: Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)

Over the years, much has been said about Eddie Van Halen's proficiency with the ax. Some say he is the reincarnation of Hendrix, some say he's better than Hendrix, some say he's the best thing since Hendrix, and some invariably say he's nowhere near as good as Hendrix. Whatever position one holds, there is a common point for agreement - Eddie Van Halen is an innovator. And like Jimi, many a teenager idolized him and wanted to follow in his footsteps. And I was one of those teenagers. Take the debut album from Van Halen, the self-titled, Van Halen, or Van Halen I as it sometimes referred to as. It introduced young boys to two things - the need to make a fool of yourself as you twirl your arm around and around playing air guitar, with the windows wide open for the neighbors to see, and premature arthritis. The legendary guitar solo "Eruption" had the same inspiring influence on young minds as professional wrestling; the difference being that Eruption didn't kill or maim its imitators. Nor did it attract lawsuits like Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution" supposedly did.
But air guitar solos aside, the rest of the album shows that it isn't just a record filled with songs wannabe guitar heroes can show off to. "Running With the Devil", the Kinks' classic "You Really Got Me", and the random and quirky "Ice Cream Man" make this the quintessential rock/pop metal album. My personal favorite, the very metallic, "I'm the One." A

Album Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute (1995)

The distinct, funk influenced sound of the Chilis has always been popular amongst Generation Xer's and alternative rock aficionados - the songs are well crafted, the lyrics are typically no nonsense and the band image is bold, distinct and out there as per usual. Small wonder, then, that the 1995 album, One Hot Minute, comes across as being a charismatic package that delivers the sound most Chili fans expect to hear from them. None of that radical "Metallica going Hard Rock with the Load album" kind of treachery, just that bass-driven Chili funk that'll rock your socks off when they're not dangling from your wedding vegetables. This album, and the Chilis in general, help define what was good about music in the 1990s. From "My Friends" to "Aeroplane", to the boisterous "Coffee Shop", One Hot Minute really is hot - even hotter than Dave's Tobasco Sauce. Oh, and don't forget about "Pea." A-

Dave's List of The Greatest Van Halen Albums

In recently learning of Van Halen's possible intention to release the new album sometime in February 2012, me, as an avid Van Halen fan since 1999, have decided to list rate VH's studio albums in order from best to worst. And here it is:

1. Van Halen (1979)

The album that got schoolboys into pretending they're something they're not in their own bedrooms by swing their arms around and around on their beds, the debut album from the band who nearly called themselves "Rat Salade", proves to be a fantastic start for the legendary Pasadena band. With the air guitar classic "Eruption", the associative "Runnin' With The Devil", the greatly improved "You Really Got Me" and the humorously bold "Ice Cream Man", this album is bound to give any aspiring hard rock/metal guitarist arthritis.

2. 1984 (1983)

An ambitious foray into the use of synthesizers paid off handsomely with this underrated gem, which would prove to be the last David Lee Roth album before Sammy Hagar took the helm. Spreading the VH message with numbers like "Jump", "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher", you'd be best to get this album before the scourge of political correctness claims the album cover.

3. 5150 (1986)

Who said Sammy Hagar sucked? People who don't like change, that's what. And change is inevitable. Mr. Hagar proved himself more than worthy on this energetic, and sometimes-faster than-light record. Crank up tracks like "Get Up", "Good Enough" and wind down with "Why Can't This Be Love?" and "Love Walks In", and your outlook on life should invariably change for the better. If not, consider getting your ears checked.

4. Diver Down (1982)

"Yes, I like this album, very much so", said Dave, despite being immersed in a sea of boos from fellow VH enthusiasts. Why? Because "Oh, Pretty Woman" is awesome. And so was Roy Orbison. "Dancing In The Street", another cover, as well as "Big Bad Bill", show that something that could potentially go so wrong can sometimes turn out so right.

5. OU812 (1988)

Not too bad. Not too brilliant either. But certainly good enough.

6. Balance (1995)

A surprisingly respectable album, with songs like "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" and "Amsterdam", you could easily do worse, especially at a time when bands of VH's vintage tend to show strong signs of having burnt out. Actually, they did - 3 years later.

7. Women and Children First (1980)

Loss of Control! Loss of Control! Yeah, it ain't too bad.

8. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)

Duh, I like the pretty album cover. It looks like a rare edition basketball card. Oh, and I like "Top of the World", "Judgment Day", and "Right Now" the best. And the naughty word that the title spells out.

9. Van Halen II (1979)

"You're No Good", "DOA", "Spanish Fly" "Women In Love" and "Beautiful Girls" are all very good songs, in my opinion. In fact, based on this fact, it should be placed higher on this list. But I find the album lacks all-around charisma, thus I don't listen to it as much as i really should. But I do, nonetheless.

10. Fair Warning (1981)

A couple of respectable songs on this album, otherwise you have the most overrated album in the Van Halen discography. "Unchained" certainly makes it worth pressing the play button for.

11. Van Halen III (1998)

Van Halen - Sammy Hagar - David Lee Roth = Van Halen + Gary Cherone. Could be much worse - then again, could be much better as well. Van Halen has excluded this from their own discography, they think it is that bad apparently. Buy it anyway.

Album Review: Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Volume One (1988)

Put two of Britain's best musicians together, add rock 'n roll's greatest vocalist and folk music's greatest songwriter, and throw in Tom Petty just for the hell of it, and what do you get? A rather surprising combination packaged into one supergroup. The Traveling Wilburys isn't meant to be taken seriously - of course, they're serious about making music, they just don't take the process of making it seriously. This results in an equally surprising gem - Traveling Wilburys Volume One, a collection of bold, eccentric, daring and ambitious numbers that works extraordinarily well. No other band could get away with it - many have no doubt tried, and stopped right at the point where people started throwing tomatoes at them. And that's when they've read out the song list. Songs like "Handle with Care", the Orbison-centric "Not Alone Anymore", the Dylan-esque "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" and the ever popular 'End of the Line" are all delightful reflections of the laid back nature and relationship between Dylan, Orbison, Petty, Lynne and Harrison that made this otherwise outlandish project work brilliantly. It's an unfathomably good thing they re-released this baby. A

Album Review: Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave (2010)

The late great Johnny Cash, sadly, has been gone from us around eight years now, and even in death his voice still draws in a crowd thanks to the contract he signed with Rick Rubin's American Recordings label. Many of his greatest triumphs, many will say, come from this unusual collaboration with Rubin and Cash. To date, a total of six albums have been produced since 1994, many of them garnering critical appraisal, including the salubrious 2002 offering, American IV: The Man Comes Around. Of course, some of them don't quite rate as highly as IV . For me, Ain't No Grave is something that fills the space in my CD collection better than it fills my time. It simply doesn't hold my attention. Bar the likes of the title track, "Redemption Day", and "Aloha Oe", the songs are just too mellow to be fully appreciated. Tedious is another word that comes to mind, but that is probably too strong a word to describe them. My verdict - stick to the others and you can't go wrong. B-

Album Review: Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)

My faith in old-school thrash metal and its inherent superiority to the likes of nu-metal and rap-metal makes my eyes water in sheer ecstasy whenever I listen to a masterpiece such as Metallica's 1984 effort Ride the Lightning. Revolutionary in numerous aspects, including, of course, the establishment of that sound Metallifans 'round the world have grown to know and love, and fulfilling the prophecy that the Metal Militia in Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich and Burton would indeed conquer the land, Lightning proves that, despite often being confined to the back-burner in favor of Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All, it is still one bad-ass son-of-a-bitch that ranks amongst the genre's greatest. Where would we be without the likes of "Fight Fire With Fire", "For Whom The Bell Tolls" or "Creeping Death?" I dare not to ponder such a possibility. Oh, and it makes for better t-shirts and posters than its predecessor, Kill 'Em All, as well. Truly magnificent. A

Album Review: Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)

Between 2003 and 2008 Metallifans around the world including myself eagerly awaited what invariably would've been a better album than the disastrous St. Anger. And indeed it was. The snare drum got taken down a peg, the songs were better written, and guitar solos once more made their return. And they brought back the traditional Metallica logo, albeit in computer generated form. On the whole, 2008's Death Magnetic is a good album, but not like "Justice" was; I don't listen to it nearly as much as their eighties and early nineties stuff, and perhaps this is due to the crappy sound quality, the exceedingly long song durations (which worked better on previous albums) or the fact they've still retained the bouncing grooves, all of which hold this record back from greater recognition. The highlights of this album? "The Day That Never Comes", "All Nightmare Long", "Cyanide" and the instrumental "Suicide & Redemption", "The Judas Kiss" and "My Apocalypse." And the dud? "The Unforgiven III." This version is, in my opinion, far inferior to the previous two. B+

Album Review: Phil Collins - ...But Seriously (1989)

It may be seen in certain music snob circles that to appreciate Phil Collins and all his works is punishable by either scaphism, being made to join the Navy and subject to flogging around the fleet or hanging, drawing or quartering. Or by being forced to admit to the world that you still live with your mother, and despite being 35, have to be home by half six and in bed by eight. Well, I'm 28, flatting, and go to bed at 4 in the morning. And given the size of the New Zealand Navy, being flogged around the fleet would ultimately mean being slapped on the wrist with a wet shoe lace. Oh, and I do like Phil Collins' music. A lot, actually. I partially credit him for introducing me to popular music at an early age back in the mid-eighties, long before the Spice Girls or the Backstreet Boys came along and buggered things up big time. Any music critic who says the Spice Girls were the best thing since sliced bread should be crucified upside down, in my opinion.

Now, I've been listening to Phil Collins well before 1989's ...But Seriously. But this particular album I hold dearly above many other records on account of the fact that there are so many good songs on it, including ones that got bugger all to zip radio coverage. And just like the low profile songs, there's bugger all bad songs here as well. From "Hang in Long Enough", to "Another Day in Paradise", this is an album that I would play if the stop and fast forward buttons on my CD player were shagged. My verdict - a better album than what most critics would call it, and possibly one of Phil Collins' best. A

Album Review: Judas Priest - Ram It Down (1988)

The stereotypical sound of heavy metal for me in the eighties, and that very stereotypical sound I also loathed in the eighties, belongs to no other than Brummie metal legends Judas Priest. The album outwork, the dual guitar format and Rob Halford's brilliantly operatic screaming is what would come to mind whenever I heard of the music that, at the time I despised just as much as a fundamentalist King James Only pastor would have. Nowadays, however, it is a different story; I think heavy metal rocks, and Judas Priest are epic. From the breakthrough British Steel to their 1990 masterpiece Painkiller, Judas Priest defined metal more so than Black Sabbath ever did. But like all epic trendsetting bands they did have their weak spots, such as 1988's Ram It Down. Granted, there are a couple of good songs on here, such as the powerful "Ram It Down" and the appreciable "Heavy Metal", but it is also marred by the likes of a cover version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", which might have sounded like a good novelty thing, but in practice has proven nothing but to prove that this cover attempt simply didn't work. The album is certainly not rubbish, and is listenable, but it is far from being a highlight of their career. Stick to the likes of "Ram it Down", "Heavy Metal" and perhaps "I'm a Rocker" and "Monster of Rock." B

Album Review: The Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back (2005)

I don't have any particular right to like this album at all. It reeks of all the makings of a horrible album, and in truth it probably is. But damn it, I like it. In continuity with all things 'Darkness', I still admire the desperate attempt at looking and sounding retro, and the image that comes with being something one actually isn't. And they've also done a good job in sounding like Queen after a kick in the nuts. In fact, the only thing they've really stuffed up on here is the inclusion of track 10, "Blind Man." It is truly awful. In fact, my advice would be to avoid it like you'd avoid a woman with a conspicuous bulge in her jeans. But having said that, it is otherwise a worthy successor to their debut album, Permission to Land, which sounded more like Def Leppard and AC/DC than this one does, which as mentioned earlier, tends to lean more toward 1970s Queen. And the most worthy tracks? "One Way Ticket", "Knockers", "Dinner Lady Arms", in my opinion. But I'll let you decide which is best. A-

Album Review: Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

Continually reneging on my promise that I could never take up a certain genre of music or listen to a specific artist, I can now openly admit to enjoying the fruits of the genre known as 'grunge'. Back in the early nineties, I hated grunge just as much as I hated heavy metal back in the late eighties, and I held the rest of the emerging alternative rock scene with equal disdain. However, after the process of maturation that comes with a increasingly diverse musical palette, I inevitably and invariably find myself indulging in the masterpiece that is Nirvana's Nevermind. Sounding a lot like Neil Young, but only of course, when he's angry, this collection of Gen-X ballads has finally struck a chord with me. My personal favorite is "In Bloom", but don't let that distract you from other top-notch numbers, such as the anthemic "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come As You Are" and "Polly." And the worst you could possibly do here is decide to wear flannel. A-

Album Review: Van Halen - Balance (1995)

One of only three 90s studio albums from axe-master Eddie Van Halen and his band, Balance comes across as being a mixed bag of sorts. Supposedly a downgrade in sound from their lightweight metal roots, this hard rock number could hardly be considered soft. It still sounds delightfully Van Halenish, which is always a plus, but it is also tarnished by the likes of "Strung Out" and the drum/percussion instrumental "Doin' Time", both of which are short, odd and essentially serve no purpose apart from being fillers. Don't get me wrong, it really does sound like effort has been put into this record, but it also seems like Hagar's best is well and truly behind him. "Can't Stop Lovin' You", "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" and "Amsterdam" are my top three. "Not Enough" is worthy of some attention, but I can't see anybody getting all lovey-dovey about it. B

Album Review: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

Five tracks, consisting of three normal length songs, and bookended by "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" severed in two, Pink Floyd's often unjustly ignored 1975 album is by far the band's crowning effort. A synth-laden progressive rock masterpiece, it is also a favorite of one half of Pink Floyd themselves. The infinite, synth driven tribute to the late Syd Barrett "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", whilst taking forever to digest, rewards the listener in the end with its pedantically precise aural construction. The anti-music biz "Have a Cigar", oddly the only single released off this album, and voiced not by Waters or Gilmour, but by Roy Harper, is set in the middle and bordered by the synthesized "Welcome to the Machine" on it's left and by the simple, acoustic affair that is "Wish You Were Here" on the right. Forget about "Dark Side of the Moon", which is what you buy mostly to try to be 70's cool, and buy this, one of the finest albums in the history of prog rock. And yes, I myself once asked which one was Pink. A

Album Review: Joe Perry - Have Guitar, Will Travel (2009)

A bland, but not horrible, 'deafen yourself with Philips screwdrivers' kind of album, the latest offering from Aerosmith's Joe Perry can only be described (to the best of my ability) as being marginally interesting, which is a bit like saying your grandma's '86 Corolla is still good for drifting in. And that is, of course, when Joe is on a roll - something that now and then stops me from nodding off, which for the most part is why I try to avoid listening to the album in stifling heat. And I certainly wouldn't drive a car with this album on, unless I had lost the will to live. Hang on, why am I complaining? I got this album for free. And frankly, let's hope it stays that way. Stick to listening to Aerosmith, people, if you want to hear Joe Perry at his finest. C

Album Review: Groove Armada - Black Light (2010)

My first foray into investing in a proper electronic album is both an interesting and disappointing one. Groove Armada's 2010 effort, Black Light, is a step in the right direction musically, in part because of its influential roots in the likes of New Order, David Bowie, and Roxy Music. And I'm happy to say it contains tracks that give me goosebumps, which for me, is the gauge of a good song. After listening to it playing in the music store and subsequently asking who it was, I eventually bought it, albeit at a hefty price of 27 bucks. Which for me nowadays is a lot of money to be spending on music. And alas, much of it was essentially a let down; certainly not crap, just not what I was expecting. Still, I'd much rather listen to this than the drivel produced by the likes of LCD Soundsystem. And if you were to ask me what songs on this album I would recommend, I would most certainly recommend, "Paper Romance", "Cards to your Heart", & "Shameless", featuring the ever-so-cool Bryan Ferry. Which reminds me - wait 'til I get my grubby little paws on Olympia. B+

Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne - Under Cover (2005)

Production wise this album is adequate, and Ozzy with his trademark vocals sounds as good as he always does, however the album's Achilles heel lies in its concept. It just doesn't sound right when Ozzy Osbourne tries to cover the Beatles' "In My Life", or "All The Young Dudes" with the same level of finesse of the originals. And when initially reading the track listing, I could quite easily visualize listening to some potentially great covers - "Rocky Mountain Way" and "Sunshine of Your Love" show some of this potential, but still fail to fully meet expectations, especially so with the former. But the latter is most certainly one of the highlights on this album, and truth be told should've been released as a single rather than the flaccid "Mississippi Queen." Despite the inclusion of several guest musos and it's competent production, this album I'm afraid isn't a strong point of Ozzy's. Low points come from his hero Lennon, "Working Class Hero" and the slightly better "Woman."  B-

Album Review: Bruce Springsteen - The Rising (2002)

My favorite album of the 80s is Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen. And why? Because I love nearly every song on the record, and the ones that I don't love I like. There is not one single filler on this album. And until I can find something to top it, an unlikely event at this rate, it will remain my personal favorite. 18 years after its release, The Boss once more proves he's still got the touch with his 2002 effort, The Rising. Coupled with his E-Street band, Bruce demonstrates that getting on doesn't necessary mean getting old. "The Rising" sends the same chill up my spine as "I'm on Fire" did when I was merely four years old, and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" reminds me of what made "Born to Run" the great song that it was and still is. "Lonesome Day", "Into the Fire" and "Nothing Man" are worthy mentions. The rest are, well, average. But not bad either. My verdict -not on par with the legendary "Born in the U.S.A., but still much better than the rubbish produced by many post-2000 artists. B+

Album Review: Michael Jackson - Invincible (2001)

In the late 70s, Michael Jackson, the child star of the Jackson Five, was once again a star in the making, and this time it was on his own terms; in the 80s he was by far the world's biggest and most popular pop star, putting out top-selling albums such as Thriller and Bad, and becoming a household name and a familiar face to young, aspiring pop music fans everywhere (including me). However, in the 90s his star began to fade and an ill-deserved reputation of being a child molester would, until his death tarnish his public image badly. In 2001, he released his final, proper studio album in six years, called Invincible. Never to be the best-seller that Thriller was, and after listening to the album a dozen times and putting aside my bias toward modern music in most of its forms, the album most certainly has its charms and that perfectionist aura characteristic of most MJ albums. It is well made, it sounds good, and most importantly, it still sounds like Michael. Tracks like "Heartbreaker", "Heaven can Wait", "Threatened" and "You Rock my World" all do it for me, and are worth playing at least ten times each. As for the rest of the album, I wouldn't regard them as being fillers - some of them are good enough for relaxation purposes, which, all in all I guess, makes for an adequate album. B+

Album Review: Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man (2000)

Johnny Cash made fantastically good country music, so good that someone like me who usually can't stomach the stuff thinks it's some of the best music ever made. He had a good voice, he could cover a song, he could even write one when he fancied it. And he was prolific, making many albums, writing many songs and covering dozens more to good effect. And he came out with some of the best Gospel and Christmas music you'll ever hear too. But since no one is perfect, including him, he also came out with some career low points as well, and I'm sad to say that American III: Solitary Man is unfortunately one of them. Not a bad album as such, there is a good sense of competence to this album, and tracks #1, #2 and #4 are great, but the rest of the album is in ways a desert wasteland - flat and desolate, yet just short of completely dull. "Country Trash" is a bold, slightly un-PC high point, and "Mary of the Wild Moor" is just aggravatingly melancholic. The others, such as "The Mercy Seat" and "Would You Lay Me Down (In a Field of Stone)" sound like they are about to hit the climatic gravy stroke, but never quite seem to get there. Sadly, an album of mostly fillers. B

Album Review: Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)

Johnny Cash's final record whilst alive is proof that being past what many may perceive as being your vocal prime doesn't bar you from making a respectable album. And many music lovers, Cash fans and (some) critics all universally agree - American IV: The Man Comes Around is one of his most triumphant efforts. His voice may not be what it once was, and some may have to adapt to its gravelly, slightly depressed texture, but after listening to it from start to finish, I'm certainly pleased with my investment. And yes, Trent Reznor's "Hurt" is on this album, at #2. But don't forget about the rest of the record. "Bridge Over Troubled Water", originally by Simon & Garfunkel, still holds (albeit to a lesser degree) that emotional resonance that the original projected, and "Tear Stained Letter" is a reminder that Johnny can still sound like Johnny, even if, as I've mentioned 10,000 times before, his voice is no longer up to it. "The Man Comes Around" also proves that he can still write a song well. "Personal Jesus", "I Hung My Head" and "Danny Boy" all beg to be listened to. So having said that, go ahead and do so. A