Alkaline Trio - From Here To Infirmary

Alkaline Trio – From Here To Infirmary

Vagrant Records

4 Stars

Alkaline Trio are a punk rock band that don’t really sound like anyone else completely, they are punk, they are alternative rock, they are even a bit pop. From Here To Infirmary is the bands third album and first on punk rock label Vagrant Records and has a big hard rock sound but the punk rock basics are there and the songs are equal parts great rock n’ roll fury and amazing lyrics a trend that will stay with this band.

It’s hard to find anything bad to say about Alkaline Trio and this album works well for a lot of audiences. If you are on the edge of musical preferences and dabble in the punk scene but largely prefer mainstream alternative rock this album will work for you. This is the first album that I heard by the band and it kept me interested and wondering what was coming next and thankfully I was able to get more because the band had already released their next album Good Mourning.

Your best start here would be Private Eye, Stupid Kid, Crawl, Armageddon and You’re Dead which contains one of my favorite lyrics of all time “Cause if assholes could fly, This place would be busier than O’Hare” it’s a little crude but totally fits the mood of Alkaline Trio.

Suggesting other bands like Alkaline Trio is a little difficult sometimes I think maybe a little MXPX is in there but for me they always just sound like Alkaline Trio and if you like alternative rock played fast like good old punk rock with vocals that aren’t too over the top and have a sing along quality you need to get into Alkaline Trio and this album is a good place to start.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Iron Maiden - Virtual XI

Iron Maiden – Virtual XI

1998 CMC International Records

1 Star

Virtual XI (Virtual Eleven) is Iron Maiden’s eleventh studio album an second to feature vocals by Blaze Bayley. This album is terrible. This is Iron Maiden’s worst selling album ever. It’s full of weird keyboards the guitars aren’t anything special or new and Blaze Bayley should not have been the singer for Iron Maiden. The only thing I like about this is the album cover.

I can’t even stand to listen to it while I review it. Don’t buy this unless you just have to have everything and even then you could pretend it’s not a real album but a Virtual one.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Iron Maiden - Best Of The Beast

Iron Maiden – Best Of the Beast

1996 Raw Power

5 Stars

Best Of The Beast is Iron Maiden’s first greatest hits (best of) album and unfortunately I do not have the two disc limited edition which includes a lot of the songs every Maiden fan needs to have including the Live After Death version of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.

There is not a lot to say about this album besides it’s a wonderful introduction to Iron Maiden and would be the perfect starting point for any new fan (and maybe all they ever need). If you don’t have all of Iron Maiden’s albums already this is where to start

Normally I’d give you a to start with song list but you should get all of these songs

1. "The Number of the Beast"

2. "Can I Play With Madness"

3. "Fear of the Dark" (Live)

4. "Run to the Hills"

5. "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter"

6. "The Evil That Men Do"

7. "Aces High"

8. "Be Quick or Be Dead"

9. "2 Minutes to Midnight"

10. "Man on the Edge"

11. "Virus"

12. "Running Free" (Live)

13. "Wasted Years"

14. "The Clairvoyant"

15. "The Trooper"

16. "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

This 77 minutes and 53 seconds of heavy metal thunder will rock you every single time you play it.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Iron Maiden - A Real Dead One

Iron Maiden – A Real Dead One

1993 Capitol Records

3 Stars

Live albums are usually hit or miss and on this album I think Iron Maiden missed. It’s not bad it just is not really special. The songs were not recorded from one show and they faked the crowd noise to run the songs together as if it were one concert. A lot of the hits are here and they are played well but just don’t have that wow factor that makes you want to play it a million times on your stereo when the studio versions of this are far better.

Iron Maiden have released a lot of live albums at least ten so far although A Real Dead One has been combined with A Real Live One to give us A Real Live Dead One. The best thing about this live album is the album artwork and the awesome Iron Maiden Family Tree poster that is included.

I don’t suggest this album unless you are an Iron Maiden completist and have to have everything. I do however suggest getting their first live album Live After Death.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
2006 Reprise Records
5 Stars

Emo rock opera is how I would describe the third album from My Chemical Romance. This album tells the story of a person dying of cancer. The album tells the sad tale at a rapid pace and with a catchy alterno-pop sound that grabs from emo, punk, rock, 1970’s era Queen and all that made the 1990’s alternative scene work. The first time that I listened to The Black Parade it blew me away and I instantly thought that it was going to be the album of the year for sure but only reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart and only Welcome To The Black Parade reached number one on the Hot Modern Rock Chart.

For an album that is loaded with songs that deal with depressing subject matter it makes you want jump and dance and even feels kind of good. This album keeps you interested from start to finish with songs that have many different layers with excellent musicians backing up the amazing lyrics. It may sound strange but an album that is filled with so much sadness in the end sounds really fun and almost happy.

I suggest you listen to the entire album in one sitting to get the best experience of The Black Parade it will rock you from start to finish. The best tracks on the album are DEAD!, This Is How I Disappear, Welcome To The Black Parade, I Don’t Love You, Cancer, Mama, and Teenagers and don’t forget the hidden track Blood.

This band needs no other to be compared with but I think if you like Queen, concept albums or rock operas you will enjoy The Black Parade.


Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

L.A. Guns - Hollywood Vampires

L.A. Guns – Hollywood Vampires
1991 Polydor Records
4 Stars

The third album from L.A. Guns is an excellent but darker sounding twist for the band. On Hollywood Vampires the songs still have that sing along quality that Cocked & Loaded expressed so well but this time out there was more mainstream success with three singles charting in the US and UK. Some Lie 4 Love, Kiss My Love Goodbye and It’s Over Now. This album is loaded with great guitars and the trademark raspy vocals by Phil Lewis that made L.A. Guns a unique sounding band in the metal era.

Ironically It’s Over Now is one of the biggest hits in the career of the band and would be the last mainstream hit the band would have to date. The band would start falling apart in the next few years. Eventually the band would split so much that there are now two bands being called L.A. Guns since 2005.

Hollywood Vampires is among the last of the great 1980’s heavy metal albums as musical styles changed and fans moved on to more alternative sounds in the 1990’s. as with Cocked & Loaded this album has lots to offer but starting out you’ll want to hear Over The Edge, Some Lie 4 Love, Kiss My Love Goodbye, Crystal Eyes, It’s Over Now, Dirty Luv and I Found You.

Fans of Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Faster Pussycat, Love/Hate, and Ratt would enjoy this album.


Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden – Piece Of Mind

1983 Capitol Records

5 Stars

Iron Maiden is arguably the greatest heavy metal band of all time and on their third album The Number Of The Beast they proved not only to be considered among the greatest band they produced what is thought of by many as the best heavy metal album of all time. This album featured first time lead vocals by Bruce Dickinson and classic metal guitars by Adrian Smith and Dave Murray that would influence every band claiming to be a metal band from that point forward.

In 1982 The Number Of The Beast came out and found itself being protested and the band being accused of being Satanist. The band often uses dark imagery in their songs but the lyrics of the song The Number Of The Beast were inspired by a dream bass player Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: The Omen II. This dream was a nightmare and scared him and things that scare you sometimes make the best art and so the song was created. Iron Maiden are not Satanist they pull inspiration from horror films, television shows, books, biblical references and even other songs by other bands. They are fairly harmless they just want to scare you a little bit.

I did not acquire the album for many years after its release because as a ten year old child you really didn’t have a shot at getting your parents to buy you an album called The Number Of The Beast that featured a monster (band mascot Eddie) and a devil on the cover. Honestly the album scared me back in those days a friend of mine had it on vinyl and we’d go to his house and scare ourselves listening to it. Kids always want to be scared and I remember winning a poster of the album cover at a local festival and I put it on the wall inside my closet because it scared me but I still liked it and wanted to look at it every now and then . . . plus my parents didn’t know I had it and it probably wouldn’t have went over well.

Of the eight songs on the album two of the greatest heavy metal songs ever written appeared one being the previously mentioned The Number Of The Beast and the amazing Run To The Hills. You will want this whole album if you want to know metal at its best but for those of you on a budget and buying tracks from iTunes or some other download service you’ll want to be sure to get Hallowed Be Thy Name and The Prisoner. Newer versions of the album contain either one or two bonus tracks.

If you like any heavy metal band that has ever made its existence known then you probably should own this album.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

L.A. Guns - Cocked & Loaded

L.A. Guns – Cocked & Loaded
1989 Vertigo Records/PolyGram Records
5 Stars

L.A. Guns comes out on their second album with Guns blazing. The sound is bigger guitar solos are on fire and memorable songs fill these fourteen tracks. The band establish themselves as a solid member of the 80’s heavy metal elite with a top 40 album and brilliant rockers’ and an amazing power ballad in The Ballad Of Jayne that anyone who listened to rock radio or is a fan of 1980’s heavy metal couldn’t help but remember.

L.A. Guns had found themselves in the game with the big boys of the time and finally had freed themselves of the relationship with Guns N’ Roses. The songs on this album are catchy sing along anthems that although didn’t rip up the charts did get rock radio play and certified Cocked & Loaded as arguably one of the best mainstream heavy metal albums of 1989.

Where to start is a tough call because there is goodness in the entire album but if I were to send you to iTunes with a limited amount of songs I’d recommend Rip and Tear, Never Enough, The Ballad Of Jayne, Magdalaine, 17 Crash and the CD only track I Wanna Be Your Man.

Fans of Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Faster Pussycat, Love/Hate, and Ratt would enjoy this album.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns

L.A. Guns – L.A. Guns

1988 Vertigo Records/PolyGram Records

3 Stars

L.A. Guns is the band that combined with Hollywood Rose to form the original lineup of Guns N’ Roses. L.A. Guns are a gritty hard rockin’ Los Angeles heavy metal band that who although had great songs couldn’t breakthrough to longtime mainstream superstardom. On the L.A. Guns debut album Tracii Guns wails on his guitar as Phil Lewis raspy vocals lead you through eleven dirty glam metal rockers.

The album is full of songs worthy of any band in L.A. during the 1980’s metal scene but although the band released videos for One Way Ticket, One More Reason, Sex Action, Electric Gypsy, Bitch is Back, and Cry No More in 1988 but mainstream radio did not pick up on any of these singles. Fans of heavy metal new of L.A. Guns and the relationship to Guns N’ Roses but this album sadly went unnoticed until the release of their second album Cocked & Loaded.

The only problem with the L.A. Guns album is that there is no real anthem no real hit song that towers above the others or makes them stand out. If you want to rock this album will rock you but it won’t have you singing in the shower or in the halls of local high school but they will find the right formula on their sophomore album Cocked & Loaded.

I have rated this album 3 stars but it is a very high three stars and is almost a 4 star effort.

You will want to check out the songs that were released on video first One Way Ticket, One More Reason, Sex Action, Electric Gypsy, Bitch is Back, and Cry No More.

Fans of Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Faster Pussycat, Love/Hate, and Ratt would enjoy this album.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Moist - Creature

Moist - Creature
1997 Arista Records
3 Stars

In 1997 Moist return on their third album right where they left off with a hard rockin’ huge sound. This time out the singles didn’t find the radio as easily but the album is still strong and will rock your 1990’s socks off. The album had four singles released and they all did well in Canada but US charts were not finding them this time around.

If you are looking for a song that you heard on the radio back in the 90’s you aren’t going to find it here unless you are from Canada or were lucky enough to have the music video channel MuchMusic. This album is for true fans of the band and those who just want to kick back with some rockin’ tunes.

Leave It Alone, Resurrection, Tangerine and Gasoline were the singles released and would be a good place to start.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Moist - Silver

Moist - Silver

1994 EMI Records/Chrysalis

4 Stars

Moist present a hard rockin’ huge sound on Silver. The time was right for a band like Moist, the alternative scene was in full swing and Canada was long overdue for new rock n’ roll heroes. Moist gave them that for a little while with two huge alt rock hits and an album that rock’s from beginning to end. David Usher’s vocals are big, Mark Makowy’s guitars are big, Jeff Pearce’s Bass is big, Paul Wilcox’s drums are big, and Keith Young’s Keyboards are just right and that equals a big album. Seriously though this album was as strong as any other early 90’s alternative rock band and should not be overlooked.

Push and Silver are the two big hits on this album and will rock anyone who is a fan of 1990’s alternative buzz band rock but check out Into Everything for a slower paced rocker this album won’t disappoint.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Jesus Jones - Doubt

Jesus Jones - Doubt

1991 SBK Records/Food Records

5 Stars

Jesus Jones succeeds with something that normally sends off red lights and alarms in my head and still made it work. Jesus Jones took alternative/indie rock threw in dance beats and a bit of techno and made something kind of wonderful. The songs on this album are what really brings this all together the lyrics are not just throw away dance songs they work without the dance beats. These songs would sound wonderful done acoustically or just straight rock versions but the added techno dance elements are not annoying and allow for a good dance party . . . an indie dance party.

The entire album is great with one huge hit Right Here, Right Now taking them to number 2 on the charts. You’d do well to seek out this album out songs to start with International Bright Young Thing, Right Here Right Now, Welcome Back Victoria, Trust Me, Blissed and Real, Real, Real.

If you like Jesus Jones you may want to check out Plan B, EMF and Pop Will Eat Itself.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Rooney - Rooney

Rooney - Rooney

2003 Geffen Records

4 Stars

Rooney = alternative rock, indie pop, Beatlesesque rock n’ roll. This album is one of those sit back and chill great at a party kind of albums. The songs are catchy and poppy but feel like they belong as the soundtrack to a movie like Juno or Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist pretty much anything with Michael Cera in it. Rooney is not loaded with hit songs but it won’t leave you wanting more either.

Shakin’ the biggest hit on this album is a sing along alternative rock gem that feels like a drive with the windows down on a summer day with a few good friends. Daisy Duke is another great power pop song and could have easily found its way onto a Weezer album. Sorry Sorry is a get up and dance apology song that you won’t soon get out of your head and may be the best song on the album.

This album is well worth your hard earned cash if you love Weezer, The Beatles, and The Cars you will want to check out this album. Start with Shakin’, Daisy Duke, Sorry Sorry and That Girl Has Love.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

theSTART - theSTART (EP) a.k.a. Death Via Sattelite

theSTART – theSTART (EP) a.k.a. Death Via Satellite

2002 New Black Recordings

5 Stars

This CD has been released through New Black Records as theSTART but was re-released later through Nitro Records as Death Via Satellite which includes the video for the 1234. Wikipedia says that the CD was released by Smallstone Records before Nitro but it is only credited as New Black Recordings on the CD.

theSTART are an alternative rock band with punk rock and new wave roots and on this six song EP they rock with fast paced guitars, throbbing bass and thundering drums but what stands out is the voice of Aimee Echo which could only be compared to an early Gwen Stefani. Aimee and the boys rip into their six song effort and leave you wanting for more. Death Via Sattelite, Big Shot and the 1234 are the biggest will leave you bouncing off the walls while Los Angelos, High Flyer and Trinity will set the tone a bit darker. This is a one of a kind band and they should not be missed.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Peabody - Heroine

Peabody – Heroine

1996

4 Stars

Peabody returned in 1996 with a bigger rock sound. This did not hurt the New Orleans based band one bit. The entire band stepped up and gave us a band that evolved from the soft spoken band that recorded Lost In Old Rivers to an energy laden force to be reckoned with. Karen Protti’s voice although sounding bigger is just as beautiful and seductive as she has always been. With Steven Dennis playing more rockin’ guitars the drums by Chris Bailey and bass by Jimmy Legnon stepped up and made this album sound huge and wonderful. Throw in some strings and brass and this is an album not to be missed.

Tell Him, Wouldn’t You, Heroine, Where’s The Time? and Two Reason’s Why are great starting point’s but this entire album is not to be missed. A band that should have been able stand next to the Cranberries in rock n’ roll history is our little New Orleans secret . . . spread the word its never too late.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Peabody - Lost In Old Rivers

Peabody – Lost In Old Rivers

1994

4 Stars

New Orleans based Peabody is a local 1990’s gem. Playing alternative rock behind Karen Protti’s wonderful heartfelt vocals this is a band not to be missed. Lost In Old Rivers has a mellow feel but the band Steven Dennis (guitars), Lou Carollo (Bass), Chris Bailey (Drums) show you that they can rock on Lower Line. This album simply just feels good and fits in quite well along with other female led 1990’s alternative rock bands. Fans of bands like The Cranberries, Belly, and Sixpence None The Richer should not be without Peabody in their collection.

Songs to start with You’ll Never Know, Lower Line, Selfish Self and Colors Never Seen. This album is complete from start to finish and it is a shame that the band never broke through to the mainstream . . . but then again having them as our little secret is kind of nice too.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

2004 Reprise Records

4 Stars

Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge My Chemical Romance’s breakout album that proved this band would be a force to be reckoned with. This album is alternative, it is emo, it is punk it is so many things and the songs are great. The biggest single would be the fast paced Helena along with I’m Not Okay (I Promise) being an underrated but charting single My Chemical Romance became a recognizable name amongst music fans.

This album combines its emo roots and punk rock attitude with wondrous pop sensibility without being cheesy throwaway radio rock. My Chemical Romance will rock you and even if you want to be sad about the emo lyrics the pace and the rockin’ style of Three Cheers will make you bob your head and shake your booty and leave you wanting more.

Try out Helena, Give ‘Em Hell Kid, I’m Not Okay (I Promise), Thank You For The Venom and the wonderfully titled It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Death Wish.

This band needs no other to be compared with but I think if you like A.F.I. you will enjoy My Chemical Romance and vice versa.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

The Sort – Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements

The Sort – Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements

2008 Black Bag Records

4 Stars

The Sort is an alternative rock band with indie and punk roots with pop sensibility in their sound. Lauralam Thomas’ vocals are wonderful providing an exciting sing along vibe. The band has a heavy but not brooding sound and the vocals tower over the sound. The guitars shine and provide the party while the bass and drums bring the sound that makes you want to move. You could as easily dance around your living room or a mosh pit with this album. Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements is consistent and wonderful from beginning to end. There is not a bad song on the album but at the same time this isn’t typical radio fare it’s the kind of CD you rock out with your friends at a party or on a long car ride.

Although all the songs are great check out Found, Minus One, Mistletoe and Thursday to get you started.

Fans of Veruca Salt will love this band.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

All - Pummel

All – Pummel

1995 Interscope Records

5 Stars

West Coast punk rock with a pop edge, this is one of my favorite punk rock albums of the 1990’s. Almost every track is sing along anthem that I find myself singing because its stuck in my head all day. Weather they are signing about love, lost love, or trying to make a name for yourself by being a “Straight, normal, hetero guy” All rips and shreds out the greatness. With a slight touch of Emo Punk on Stalker and This World this album brings the album together as not just another happy sounding pop punk record.

Fans of All should check out The Descendents.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

All - Dot (Single)

All – Dot (Single)

1992 Cruz Records
4 Stars

Six minutes and nineteen seconds of countrified west coast punk rock. This is a three song little treasure highlighted by a great cover of A Boy Named Sue written by Shel Silverstein and originally sung by Johnny Cash. The song Dot is found on All’s 1992 album Percolator. This CD is really a fun little find and should be sought out for six minutes and nineteen seconds of punk rock joy.


Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Lillian Axe - Psychoschizophrenia

Lillian Axe – Psychoschizophrenia

1993 I.R.S. Records / Grand Slamm Records

3 stars

Lillian Axe return with an album that is a bit heavier and seems to be infuenced more by some of the alternative rock that is coming out in the early 1990’s. The music here is not bad it just doesn’t provide anything really amazing. The heavier sound just isn’t heavy enough. Ron Taylor’s vocals are as always clear and easy to sing along with and if there is a moment that makes this album worth buying is the beautiful ballad The Needle And Your Pain a stripped down acoustic song about saving a loved one from their addictions.

Crucified and Sign Of The Times are two of the heavier songs worth checking out along with the ballads The Needle and Your Pain and The Day I Met You. You would probably do best just borrowing this album from a friend.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Lillian Axe - Poetic Justice

Lillian Axe – Poetic Justice

1992 I.R.S. Records / Grand Slamm Records

3 stars

Poetic Justice finds Lillian Axe stepping down to indie lable I.R.S. Records. This album is good but finds itself lacking that special something that made their previous album Love And War so great.

There are still moments of heavy metal big hair wonderfulness. Let’s start with the cover art of the less than amused grandmother with a battle axe in hand this may be one of the funniest album covers ever. Strong points are the songs True Believer, Living In The Grey, See You Someday, and gem of the album No Matter What. The rest of the album just isn’t strong enough to make it essential.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Lillian Axe - Love and War

Lillian Axe – Love And War

1989 MCA Records

5 Stars

Lillian Axe arrived on the scene a little too late to be heavy metal superstars but on this there second album they provided 10 tracks of pure 80’s heavy metal sing along anthems that every fan of that time should have in their collection. Complete with big guitar solos by Steve Blaze and powerful raspy vocals by Ron Taylor this CD rocks form start to finish. Lillian Axe didn’t climb the charts like a lot of other metal bands from the 1980’s but I promise you that you are missing out on a classic album that not a lot of people know about.

This album is loaded with great songs but does not seem to be available on iTunes at this time but if it someday does become available you will want to download as starters All’s Fair In Love And War, She Like’s It On Top, The World Stopped Turning and My Number.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy (Single)

Marcy Playground – Sex and Candy (Single)

1998 Capitol Records

5 Stars

Sex and Candy a huge hit for Marcy Playground which reached number 8 on Billboard’s Top 100 contained two bonus tracks on the single The Angel Of The Forever Sleep and Memphis. Both of these songs could have and should have been included on the Marcy Playground album. Sex and Candy was that great fun song that you could even find PTA moms singing along with their kids but The Angel of the Forever Sleep and Memphis are beautiful acoustic ballads that should not be missed. Memphis is also available on the album Leaving Wonderland . . . in a fit of rage.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Marcy Playground - Shapeshifter

Marcy Playground – Shapeshifter

1999 Capitol Records

5 Stars

Marcy Playground continued there trippy heavily acoustic sound on Shapeshifter but had little success outside of the hit It’s Saturday. The album is still a wonderful ride. Only two singles were released from this album It’s Saturday and Bye Bye and an in an interesting twist the band included the videos for four songs on the enhanced CD. All three singles from the Marcy Playground album Sex and Candy, Sherry Frasier, and Saint Joe on the School Bus and something quite odd the video for the wonderful song Comin’ Up From Behind which is at present only available on the Cruel Intentions Soundtrack and was not included as a regular song on this album.

This album is full of great songs that just as the previous album unfortunately suffered from their Alice in Wonderland-esque trippy lyrics. If anything Marcy Playground provide fun songs that tell great stories. If you are buying your music digitally don’t miss out on It’s Saturday, Bye Bye, Secret Squirrel, Wave Motion Gun, and Sunday Mail but you might want to get the entire album its well worth it.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Marcy Playground - Marcy Playground

Marcy Playground – Marcy Playground

1998 Capitol Records

5 Stars

From the first sound of the guitars on Poppies this CD is an instant classic. Marcy Playground are the guys who brought the world Sex and Candy which reached number 8 on Billboard’s Top 100 but they are much more than that one hit wonders the songs on this album had heart and soul and often a sense of history made into cool alternative rock perfection. Saint Joe On The School Bus and Sherry Frasier were released as singles Saint Joe did well on the charts but of its 12 tracks this album seems like it would have had more singles. I believe it suffered from its trippy Alice in Wonderland imagery but the lyrics are completely wonderful and full of imagination and creativity.

Start your Marcy Playground adventure with Poppies, Sex and Candy, Saint Joe on the School Bus, A Cloak of Elvenkind, Sherry Frasier and The Vampires of New York. It would be a shame for you to not buy the entire album it is well worth every second.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.

Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.

Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

Iron Maiden – Piece Of Mind
1983 Capitol Records
5 Stars

Iron Maiden returns in 1983 with another strong heavy metal classic. Some say that this is a better album than The Number Of The Beast. The charts were kinder this time around with Piece Of Mind reaching number 70 on Billboards Hot 200 albums chart while their previous album only reached number 150. Radio singles also charted much higher.

The band stayed with their formula of getting song themes from movies and books using horror as the backdrop for the tales told in their music. An interesting influence would be Greek mythology on Flight of Icarus one of the bands biggest singles. Along with biblical references and nightmare imagery this album is almost a part two to The Number Of The Beast album.

This album features more of the classic Iron Maiden sound featuring fast paced guitars, and thundering bass and drums that are all completed with soaring vocals by Bruce Dickinson. You will definitely want to have this in your heavy metal collection and tracks I suggest that you start with are Flight Of Icarus, Die With Your Boots On, The Trooper, Where Eagles Dare and Revelations.

Some versions of this album contain bonus songs or multimedia videos on enhanced CD’s.

If you like any heavy metal band that has ever made its existence known then you probably should own this album.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin P. Johnson all rights reserved.
Album art and song titles and lyrics are used as fair use for review purposes and will be removed at the copyright holders request.