2017 has been a decent year for my
favorite music. Most of the releases that’ve come out have been pretty good but
nothing really worth going crazy over. As always, I will analyze what I’ve
gotten this year both new and old.
New albums
Black
Star Riders
Heavy
Fire
Rating:
****
FAVORITE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Whereas
my favorite album of last year was called Blackstar,
my favorite from this year is by the hard rockers in Black Star Riders. As
their third album, Heavy Fire is
another impressive release from the Thin Lizzy spin-off band. The songs on here
all sound like tunes that the late Phil Lynott might’ve churned out if he were
still around. Heavy Fire is an
interesting follow-up to 2015’s The
Killer Instinct, which sounded like the band were trying to make a sound
for themselves. With this new album, they’re back to the Lizzy sound- although
with some different variations. While I still feel their debut is their best, Heavy Fire is still a great album.
Highlights:
When the Night Comes In, Dancing With the Wrong
Girl, Who Rides The Tiger, Letting Go Of Me
Steel
Panther
Lower
the Bar
Rating:
*** ½
Glam
metal jokesters Steel Panther released their fourth album this year. Compared
to their first three albums, Lower the
Bar falls on the weak side. As to be expected with the band, they are
showing no signs of changing anything when it comes to their lyrical content.
There are some good songs on here during the first half but it’s the album’s
second half that drags it down. Still, you can’t help but appreciate these guys
for trying to make some retro sounding music.
Highlights:
Anything Goes, Poontang Boomerang, I’ve Got What You
Want, That’s When You Came In
Alice
Cooper
Paranormal
Rating:
****
After
nearly a decade of conceptual and themed albums, shock rocker Alice Cooper went
back to basics this year with Paranormal.
Alice hasn’t made a basic, no frills rock album since 2005’s Dirty Diamonds. With that in mind, this
album may sound strange at first but it is a grower. Some of the songs feature
the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper band, which is always nice
to hear.
Highlights:
Genuine American Girl, Fireball, Paranoiac
Personality, Fallen in Love
Accept
The
Rise of Chaos
Rating:
*** ½
As
their fourth album with Mark Tornillo, Accept have released another “balls to
the wall” metal album. Of the four new albums, The Rise of Chaos is easily the weakest of the bunch. With the
exception of some changes in the band’s line-up, nothing much has changed in
Accept. Along with this being their fourth album with Tornillo, it’s also the
band’s fourth album with producer Andy Sneap. While not a bad album, The Rise of Chaos isn’t anything
special. Should the band make another album, it’s probably time for a different
producer.
Highlights:
The Rise of Chaos, Die By the Sword, Worlds
Colliding, Carry the Weight
Quiet
Riot
Road
Rage
Rating:
*** ¾
It’s
been a decade since Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow passed away. Despite
drummer Frankie Banali vowing the band’s end, Quiet Riot would eventually
reform in 2010 with the Banali and the band’s last line-up all back in. Since
2010, the band have been through several different lead singers. For their
first full-length studio album since 2006’s Rehab,
the band are now fronted by former American
Idol finalist James Durbin. While many might be skeptical about a new Quiet
Riot album without the late DuBrow, Road
Rage manages to be an enjoyable album. The production isn’t the best but
the songs presented on here are all good- with Durbin’s vocals fitting in just
fine.
Highlights:
Freak Flag, Can’t Get Enough, Renegades, Roll This
Joint
Black
Country Communion
BCC
IV
Rating: ***
½
Five
years after their split, Black Country Communion are back with their fourth
album. BCC IV, like the albums before
it, is an old-school hard rock sounding album. Glenn Hughes still sounds great
after all of these years and the band sounds very tight. Still, this isn’t the
most memorable album. It’s a good album but I’d be lying if I said I can
remember all of the songs from the album. For what it is, it’s good.
Highlight:
Over My Head, The Crow, Collide
Reissues
Paul
McCartney
Flowers
in the Dirt
Original
album rating: *** ½ to ****
Bonus
disc: ***
After
a two year delay, the Paul McCartney Archive Series continues with 1989’s Flowers in the Dirt. Considered a
comeback for McCartney back in the day, the album features memorable tunes such
as “My Brave Face” and “Put It There.” As always, the remastering is top notch.
Compared to the other entries in the series, I can’t say this is one of my favorites.
While Flowers is a very good album, I
find myself not really caring about the bonus disc. Nevertheless, I enjoyed
going back to this album.
The
Beatles
Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (50th Anniversary 2 CD edition)
Original
album rating: *****
New
remix rating: ****
Bonus
disc rating: ****
FAVORITE
REISSUE OF THE YEAR
Sgt. Pepper dazzled music listeners when
it was released in 1967. For its 50th anniversary, Apple and EMI
have gone all out with a reissue campaign for this classic album. The two disc
version of the reissue is surprisingly well done. The set features a new remix
of the album created by Giles Martin, along with a disc of outtakes. Martin’s
new mix of the album can be best described as a cross between the mono and
stereo mixes, which is nice to have but we really didn’t need this. Personally,
I find myself more interested in the second disc- which features an outtake for
each of the album’s eleven tracks, sequenced in the original album’s order. For
an album that’s been heard oh so many times, it’s fun to hear an alternate
version of a classic album. Along with a booklet filled with insightful liner
notes, you really get your money’s worth.
Archival releases
Riot
The
Official Bootleg Box Set Vol. 1 (1976-1980)
Rating: ****
FAVORITE
ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Taken
from the estate of the late Mark Reale, The
Official Bootleg Box Set is a box set devoted to the live career of hard
rock band Riot. This impressive six disc set features a little over four hours
of music. While the audio/sound quality might not be the best, this set is
being released more so for historic significance. With this set, the focus is
on Riot and their career before and during the time they released Rock City and Narita. The second volume (which I already have) was scheduled to
be released at the end of this year but it has been moved to early January.
Movies/DVDs
Alice
Cooper
Welcome
to My Nightmare: Special Edition
Rating: ****
Eagle
Rock re-released Alice Cooper’s 1976 concert film Welcome to My Nightmare on DVD earlier this year. While the movie
was released before in 2002, this new DVD also includes the 1975 TV Special The Nightmare- which has never been
released on DVD before. It’s nice to have two interpretations of one album on
one DVD, especially the TV special. While there are no special features, at
least this is back in print.
Rest in Peace
Pete “Overend” Watts- bassist for Mott
the Hoople
Geoff Nicholls- keyboardist for Black
Sabbath
John Wetton- bassist for Family, King
Crimson, Uriah Heep and Asia
Chuck Berry
Chris Cornell- singer for Soundgarden
and Audioslave
Gregg Allman- co-founder of the Allman
Brothers Band
Anita Pallenberg- partner of Brian Jones
and Keith Richards
Walter Becker- co-founder of Steely Dan
Fats Domino
Malcolm Young- rhythm guitarist and
co-founder of AC/DC
