2015 has been another interesting year
for classic rock and heavy metal music. Some good albums and even good movies have
been released this year. As I have done in the past, I will review each music
related thing I’ve purchased from this year of 2015.
New albums
Black
Star Riders
The
Killer Instinct
Rating: ****
Black
Star Riders came back this year with their sophomore effort, The Killer Instinct. While their name
may not sound familiar, the band’s origins should be as this is the reunited
Thin Lizzy under a different name (although of the five members, guitarist
Scott Gorham is the only one who was in the Phil Lynott-led Lizzy). While I
personally enjoy All Hell Breaks Loose more,
that doesn’t make The Killer Instinct a
bad album at all. It is a very strong effort from the band. Listening to this
album, it sounds like the guy are trying to drift away from making Lizzy
sounding songs and are now trying make a name for themselves. Even though some
of these songs may not sound like Thin Lizzy songs, it has a lot heart. It’s
safe to say Mr. Lynott would be proud.
Highlights: The Killer Instinct,
Soldierstown, Finest Hour
Ringo
Starr
Postcard
from Paradise
Rating: ***
½
Earlier
this year, Ringo Starr was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame for
“musical excellence.” While many have been scratching their heads over this,
Ringo deserves it. While his solo career isn’t up to par with his bandmates’,
Ringo is a trailblazer as he is still touring and making new music. What really
matters is that he’s having fun. Postcards from Paradise proves this
point. Personally, I feel this is Ringo’s most consistent since Liverpool 8. The album has a strong reggae
vibe, which I like. While the album isn’t an instant classic, it’s just a fun
album.
Highlights: You Bring the Party Down,
Island in the Sun, Rory and the Hurricanes
Iron
Maiden
The
Book of Souls
Rating: ****
FAVORITE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Iron
Maiden came back this year with not only their first studio album in five years
but their first ever double album. I have to admit I was skeptical about this,
given I wasn’t too crazy about The Final
Frontier. However, I gave this a listen and I was pleasantly surprised.
Maiden are in fine form on this album. Each of the album’s 11 tracks have
something different to offer, each tackling different themes. Musically, it’s a
splendid 90 minute journey. 35 years after the release of their self-titled debut,
Maiden still have it.
Highlights: Tears of a Clown, The Red
and the Black, Speed of Light, Empire of the Clouds
Alice
Cooper/Hollywood Vampires
Hollywood
Vampires
Rating: ***
½ (3.75-ish)
Albums
consisting only of cover tunes aren’t original. Alice Cooper, however, take on
the covers album in a clever way. Hollywood
Vampires is an album that’s dedicated to the deceased members of the
drinking club of the same name, as well as other fallen comrades of Alice.
While most of the songs on here are faithful to the originals, there’s
something about this album that makes it appealing. The album boasts a slew of
guests, including Paul McCartney, Joe Perry, Joe Walsh, Dave Grohl, Slash and
even actor Johnny Depp. Listening to this album, you can tell a lot of work
went into it and it really is a labor of love.
Highlights: Itchycoo Park, Come and Get
It, Raise the Dead, Dead Drunk Friends
Keith
Richards
Crosseyed
Heart
Rating: ***
It
has been ten years since the Rolling Stones have released a new studio album. While
the band have confirmed they’re working on a new album, the band’s guitarist
and co-founding member Keith Richards decided to release his third studio
album. Released 23 years after Main
Offender, Crosseyed Heart is a
fun bluesy rock n roll album. While the album isn’t bad, it isn’t anything
special. Richards sounds good and there are some good songs on here. The other
thing worth noting is that this is the last album that Stones saxophonist Bobby
Keys played on, as Keys passed away in December of last year.
Highlights: Trouble, Amenisa, Goodnight
Irene
W.A.S.P.
Golgotha
Rating: ****
Six
years after their last album, W.A.S.P. are back with a brand new studio album.
The album, Golgotha, is a natural
sounding heavy W.A.S.P. album- featuring songs dealing with religious imagery.
It’s no secret that lead singer Blackie Lawless is a born again Christian and
has made this known throughout the last few years. Some fans are turned off by
this. Personally, I don’t mind it. I think this is a great album and you can
tell a lot of work went into this. It’s well worth listening to.
Highlights:
Last Runaway, Miss You, Fallen Under, Golgotha
Rankings
1. Iron
Maiden- The Book of Souls
2. Black
Star Riders- The Killer Instinct
3. W.A.S.P.-
Golgotha
4. Hollywood
Vampires- Hollywood Vampires
5. Ringo
Starr- Postcards from Paradise
6. Keith
Richards- Crosseyed Heart
Archival releases/reissues
The
Doors
Other
Voices and Full Circle
Other Voices rating: ***
½
Full Circle rating: ***
After
years and years of waiting, diehard Doors fans can finally own legit CD copies
of the band’s two albums made after Jim Morrison died. The albums have been
newly remastered by longtime Doors producer/engineer Bruce Botnick and the
booklet includes new liner notes from Rolling
Stone’s David Fricke. There’s only one bonus track- “Tree Trunk,” which was
released as the B-side to “Get Up and Dance” from Full Circle. While these two albums are certainly not as good as
the first six with Morrison, they are honest efforts from the then three
surviving members of the Doors. After owning vinyl rips for a couple of years,
I’m happy to see these out.
Other
Voices highlights: Eye of the Sun, Tightrope Ride,
I’m Horny I’m Stoned, Hang On To Your Life
Full
Circle highlights: Get Up and Dance, Verdilac, The
Mosquito, Piano Bird
Paul
McCartney
Tug
of War and Pipes of Piece
TOW rating: ****
TOW remix: ***
TOW bonus disc: ***
POP rating: ***
½
POP bonus disc: ***
The
Paul McCartney Archive Collection continued this year with the reissues of
1982’s Tug of War and 1983’s Pipes of Peace. Both albums were
remastered and given a second disc of bonus tracks. For Tug of War, McCartney decided to remix the album. To make things
more frustrating, the original mix is only included with the pricey deluxe
edition. So with Tug of War, you’re
getting a new mix of the album and the bonus disc in the standard edition.
Personally, I prefer the original mix. After pre-ordering mine from Amazon, I
was given a free MP3 version of the 1993 remaster- which is now replacing my
copy of the 1988 CD issue. The original mix is warmer while the remix is too
loud, with McCartney’s voice up front. The remastering on the remix is top
notch but I don’t feel like it adds anything new. The bonus disc is nothing
special as it consists of mostly demos that don’t sound too different from the
versions on the album. Surprisingly, I find Pipes
of Peace to be the better reissue. While I’m not crazy about this album, I
do have a new appreciation for it after listening to the new remaster. Tug of War is the better album but I
feel that of the two reissues, Pipes of
Peace has more to offer: the remastering is strong and some of the material
on the bonus disc is worth checking out.
Frank
Zappa
The
Roxy Movie
Rating: ****
FAVORITE
ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Frank
Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were scheduled to play a couple of shows at
the Roxy Theater in December 1973. The band were being recorded for a future
live album and concert film TV special. The album, Roxy & Elsewhere, was released in 1974. The concert film,
however, remained in the Zappa vault for years. Minutes into recording, there
were technical difficulties in the filming of the concert. As a result, the
audio and the video were not synchronized. While Zappa’s team had filmed all of
the shows, it was too pricey and time consuming to edit it properly. Four
decades later, the Zappa Family Trust has finally released what Zappa fans have
considered to be the holy grail of Zappa on film: The Roxy Movie. Is it any good? It sure is. However, the camera
angels in the movie are sometimes too close and the picture is blurry in other
cases. Still, this is a wonderful concert film. Considering the circumstances,
this is damn good.
Also included with the DVD is a CD of
the movie’s audio mix, which is nice to have.
Movies
Well
Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back: The Quiet Riot Story
Rating: ****
In
1983, Quiet Riot had hit it big time when they released their best-selling
album Metal Health. Only three years
after the passing of singer Kevin DuBrow, drummer Frankie Banali decides to
reform Quiet Riot with their last line-up and a new lead singer. What unfolds
is a series of events- some flat out hilarious. Well Now You’re Here was a Kickstarter funded documentary and I’m a
backer myself. I’m impressed with the final product. While this doesn’t cover
everything about Quiet Riot, it should be enough to spark interest in the band.
Keith
Richards: Under the Influence
Rating: ****
Keith
Richards is arguably one of the greatest rock stars to have ever set foot on
this planet. From his drug busts to his antics, many believe that Richards is
lucky to be alive. Richards’ story has been told many times before. So what
makes this documentary different? While it does give us insight to his life and
career, the documentary dives deep into Richards’ musical influences and
heroes. This documentary was filmed around the same time Richards recorded his
studio album from this year, Crosseyed
Heart. It is fun to listen to Richards speak and crack a joke here and
there. He truly is a unique character.
If you subscribe to Netflix Instant, you
can stream it from there as it is considered a Netflix original.
RIP
Kim Fowley- singer/songwriter and
manager of the Runaways
Sam Andrew- Big Brother and the Holding
Company guitarist
Daevid Allen- founder and leader of Gong
Andy Fraser- bassist of Free
AJ Pero- drummer for Twisted Sister
Cynthia Lennon- first wife of John
Lennon
Chris Squire- bassist and co-founding
member of Yes
Gail Zappa- wife and later widow of
Frank Zappa
Steve Mackay- saxophonist for the
Stooges
Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor- drummer
for Motorhead
Scott Weiland- singer for Stone Temple
Pilots and Velvet Revolver
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