Don Van Vliet ( aka Captain Beefheart) released this hidden gem in music in 1969.  This album followed suit with his others and never really achieved mainstream success but it was incredibly influential for it’s sales many list it as a high influence and an encouragement of freedom in their music. It also gained the 58th slot in The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (continue reading…)

In 2004, after Axl Rose hadn’t produced a studio album in well over ten years, record company Geffen decided to release a Greatest Hits album. It was surrounded by controversy however, as Axel Rose tried to sue Geffen in an attempt to halt the album as he disproved of it and it’s track listings. The suing failed and probably had a reverse effect, by hyping up the album so much, and perhaps caused it to go triple platinum in America.

Well at least Geffen started in the right way, with some classic 1987 Slash. The first track is one that everyone knows and one that Rose would be hard put to find a reason to keep out of the album, “Welcome to the Jungle.”  This was the bands first major significant single, and Slash has said he considers it to be the first the band wrote together. It starts off brilliantly, showcasing Slash’s talent straight away, Rose’s voice is powerful  at the start of the song, and only really lightens for a moment in the middle. It’s a great listen, and a classic song, a brilliant opener. It’s hard to believe that the song was inspired by a hobo screaming at kids. (continue reading…)

As an old school Coldplay fan, I was a little apprehensive when it came to their new album. I was quite the Coldplay fan a while ago, but I had become bored of the same old Coldplay sound, and stopped taking any interest in them. So I was looking for one thing in this new album, and that was some range.  It has been (and I think still is) number 1. in the charts, so despite the apprehension I had high hopes. The album was surrounded by claims that it’s lyrics were more abstract and visual than before, on top of that one of the band members said he was a little terrified of this album. But on to track 1. (continue reading…)

Ah Hybrid Theory, the album that made American rock band Linkin Park. Perhaps it was the powerful lyrics and expression in its songs, maybe it was that Linkin Park’s Heavy Metal sound mixed with a synth was considered unique at the time, or it could have just been that millions of teenage kids wanted to scream along with a downtuned guitar, no matter which of the above you pinpoint to Hybrid Theory’s success there is simply no denying that it was huge. Let me define just big this album was, it outsold, Metallica’s, The Spice Girl’s and Lionel Richie’s best selling albums by give or take a couple of million each, . A feat which I doubt many other debut albums can come anywhere to claiming. (continue reading…)

It had been quite a while since Eminem had last released an album, and it wasn’t until after two years of releasing the The Marshall Mathers LP did Eminem finally decide to bring out his third and best remembered album amongst most fans, the one that sold 1 million copies in the first week. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to welcome you all to The Eminem Show.

The wait between albums proved to be irrelevant for Eminem as his album soared to the top of every chart within days. And, as a famous man once said, (continue reading…)

Now a little thing that sometimes must be taken into account when it comes to greatest hits albums is taste. Sometimes the artist or band might decide their favourite song over their most popular, or perhaps the problem is that the singles on the album were released in some countries but not others. The latter is the case with Queen’s Greatest hits album, as it has no universal track listing or even universal cover art, due to the fact that it was released three times. First there was the 1981 U.K release, then the 1981 U.S edition, which was followed 11 years later by the 1992 U.S edition. But I am going to deal with the first release of the album, the 1981 U.K edition. (continue reading…)

Back in Black was one of the first great albums of the 1980’s being released in late July in 1980. It’s easily AC/DC’s best selling album, entering the record books with an incredible 42 million sales worldwide. The second best selling album in history, (second only to Michael Jackson’s album Thriller which to this day has flattened all other competition with a massive estimate of 108 million copies sold worldwide,) Back in Black entered the U.K and Australian album charts at #1, reaching only #4 in the U.S charts, despite becoming the fifth best selling album in U.S history. (continue reading…)

Ah, Blonde on Blonde, as a new found Bob Dylan fan I must say I have been looking to reviewing this album immensely. So much to talk about with this legendary album sadly, so little time. But I will try my level best to fit all I can in this review. This album is widely recognized as Dylan’s best album and achievement. This thought was widely accepted soon after its release, which I assure you is no mean feat. (continue reading…)

The year was 1973 and the Irish Blues/Rock legend Rory Gallagher was really peaking as an artist. It was in this year, at the age of just twenty-five that he released his fourth studio album, Tattoo. This album was another in his rapidly growing collection, which proved him and his band’s talent, despite a constant change in drummers and keyboard-players. Rory himself wrote all the tracks on the album, with him on vocals and lead guitar and Gerry McAvoy as always on bass.

The tracks themselves were impressive, with many being included in Greatest Hits/Ultimate Collection albums, and other artists, due to Rory’s talent as a songwriter, have covered many of the tracks on the album, which also gave him many favourites for playing live on his tours. The most notable of these would probably be “Cradle Rock”, an all right song, but I thought it was a little dull and repetitive at times.

The album stuck to the Rory Gallagher that fans knew and loved by incorporating his signature blues/rock/jazzy sound. In particular the song “They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore” was a great jazz riff and had very catchy beat, and still stuck to his rock roots with a nice little guitar solo to finish it all off. “They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore” along with “20:20 Vision” are probably the more jazzier and light-hearted tacks on the album. While the rest seem to take a more bluesrock route. (continue reading…)

It was on a Monday on the 8th of November 1971, when Led Zeppelin released their fourth album. Usually, in a review, the name of the album would be given or mentioned, but Led Zeppelin chose not to have an official name or title for their album. Instead the four symbols pictured above (designed to represent the members of the band) were the only discernible markings on an otherwise blank album with the exception of a painting of an old man carrying sticks.

It starts off powerfully with Black Dog, the breaks in the instrumental pieces are different, experimental almost. The song has been noted as an influence by the biggest and most talented artists in Classic Metal and has been called a genre defining song. The lyrics are nice but Page steals the show with a wickedly original solo to cap off a great It keeps up with the same strong heavy feel in Rock and Roll, a truly great song. It has some mild similarities in some of the guitar work of Black Dog again Page adds a great solo but the keyboarding work of John-Paul give it a lighter jazzier feel. Definitely one of Zeppelins best.

A very different song comes in the form of The Battle Of Evermore. The lyrics are inspired and it has a lovely sound. The absence of any real drumbeat just gives it such a nice soft feel but the lyrics keep it powerful.

And then of course you have the legendary Stairway. Everything here is perfect and it more than deserves the title of most requested song on World radio ever. The lyrics are again inspired the guitar work sensational. Probably the greatest showcase of Zeppelins talent out there it shows great range within a single song. There really isn’t anything anyone can say about Stairway that hasn’t been said a thousand times, it’s a truly brilliant that just has to be heard.

The next is Misty Mountain Hop and it is so hard to be impressed with this song given the standard of the other tracks. It is a good song but it’s not as intense or powerful really. Four Sticks has some nice guitar work and is a step from Misty Mountain Hop and doesn’t exactly struggle too keep up with the intense pace of the likes of Black Dog.

Going to California is a lovely song. Sad, bluesy, it’s more like Evermore than any of the other tracks on the album it’s a good listen with nice written lyrics.

The album finishes off incredibly powerfully with When the Levee Breaks. The drumming techniques used are a breakthrough and have been sampled by many genres. The harmonicas powerful backward echo adds to a great riff ad Page singing in what kind of sounds like F minor. A Great song with every 12 bars having something new and the more you hear the more you realise how fantastic it was and the better it gets.

All in all a great album. Probably the only competition to Zeppelin I in my opinion.