Top 10 Albums of 2016 Part 5 (Final Part)

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Chaunukah/Happy Yule/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy New Year/etc.! By now I imagine you guys know the drill with this. I'm taking the last week that I will be posting this year to list what I feel were the 10 best albums to come out this year. 2016 had some pretty good stuff released, so I'm looking forward to posting two of them a day till the end of the week after which I will be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays. These albums will not be listed in any particular order because as I've said in the past, it's a pain trying to place all of them. All that aside, let's wrap this up!

2. Blue and Lonesome, by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones seem to have gotten back to their roots on this newest album of theirs, and by getting back to their roots I mean WAY back to their roots. Blue and Lonesome is an album comprised entirely of covers the Stones did of old blues songs that they all know and love. Songs that gave them their original inspiration as young lads to pick up instruments and make the songs that we know and love from them.

Recorded in a matter of only three days it has tunes from many of the greats, like: Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, Buddy Johnson, and so many more. You can definitely tell the guys are having a good time playing these songs and adding their own spin to them. It kind of feels like you're listening to them feeling like kids again in those early days when fame and glory were just a pipe dream and all they really wanted to do was play the blues.

 
1. Memories in Rock, by Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Now I know I said I wasn't going to actually rank these albums in any particular order, but for those of you that know me did you really think that there would be a new Rainbow album this year (even though it was just a live one) and I WOULDN'T put it at number one? After almost two decades of playing almost exclusively Renaissance music Ritchie Blackmore for a few shows decided to make a big triumphant return to rock with a brand new band.

Memories in Rock features many great classics from Blackmore's career in Deep Purple, Rainbow, and beyond. I think what I like best about this album aside from hearing Ritchie Blackmore finally playing these songs again is the new vocalist he got, Ronnie Romero. The man is still his own vocalist but there are moments when he is singing the Ronnie James Dio era Rainbow songs and he sounds hauntingly spot on. It's spooky in a good way. He definitely does them justice. Can't recommend this album enough.


Writer's Moment:

That's a wrap for 2016! As I've been saying for the past couple of weeks I will now be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays and relax. After the way 2016 has treated me (and all of us for that matter), I think it's a well deserved break. I will be returning January 2nd to resume business as usual. I hope you have enjoyed this week's list and everything I have put out this whole year. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued readership and support. It means the world to me, even if my audience is a small one. That said, from Young Ears, Fresh Perspective to you, have a Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate if you celebrate) and a Happy New Year!

Top 10 Albums of 2016 Part 4

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Chaunukah/Happy Yule/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy New Year/etc.! By now I imagine you guys know the drill with this. I'm taking the last week that I will be posting this year to list what I feel were the 10 best albums to come out this year. 2016 had some pretty good stuff released, so I'm looking forward to posting two of them a day till the end of the week after which I will be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays. These albums will not be listed in any particular order because as I've said in the past, it's a pain trying to place all of them. All that aside, let's continue!

4. Revolution Radio, by Green Day

Green Day has always been at their core a punk rock band, but with their most recent release Revolution Radio, it's about as back to basics raw pure punk as you can really get. There were times listening to this where I had to make sure I wasn't listening to The Sex Pistols or another old school 70's punk band. From the moment you hit the play button until the end it's balls to the wall rock n' roll with a real message.

I think what I appreciated about this album more than the last couple of albums they have put out (including the trilogy) is that they got back to their roots. Like WAY back to their roots. Don't get me wrong, highly produced albums like American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are still good in their own right, but it was really cool of Green Day to remember that they are first and foremost a punk band and to put that on tape with a real message and direction.

3. Heavy Crown, by The Last in Line

When metal god Ronnie James Dio died in 2010, it struck a heavy blow to the metal community at large. Gone was one of the most extraordinary and iconic voices and song writers to ever bless the musical world with his presence. In the past couple of years however, original members of Dio's solo band: guitarist Vivian Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and drummer Vinny Appice got back together as a group with new vocalist Andrew Freeman to form a new band to pay tribute to Ronnie and the music they made as well as also making new music. The result: Heavy Crown.

If you're looking for something that is a good throwback to the days when metal had that certain crunch and thunder that you just don't hear any more, this is definitely the album for you. It is a HUGE nod to the past while still pushing forward and sounding fresh in some respects. Freeman doesn't try to be Ronnie, but at the same time he fits the mood of the band and the music flawlessly. Definitely one of the best metal albums to come out recently.

Top 10 Albums of 2016 Part 3

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Chaunukah/Happy Yule/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy New Year/etc.! By now I imagine you guys know the drill with this. I'm taking the last week that I will be posting this year to list what I feel were the 10 best albums to come out this year. 2016 had some pretty good stuff released, so I'm looking forward to posting two of them a day till the end of the week after which I will be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays. These albums will not be listed in any particular order because as I've said in the past, it's a pain trying to place all of them. All that aside, let's continue!

6. The Stage, by Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold have always been a rather creative band. More so than a lot of the metal community might give them credit for. To be fair, when you have such a plethora of radio hits out there it can be a bit difficult to be taken seriously among the metal community considering how much it prides itself in being not consumer friendly. That said however, A7X has quite a few technical tricks up their sleeves and they let them all out to play on their current record The Stage.

The Stage is probably Avenged Sevenfold's most exploratory and creative albums to date. No radio hits whatsoever. This is all them just letting their creative side out to play and really digging in. The songs are incredibly long and feature some extraordinary writing and musicianship. One of the best tracks is over 15 minutes long and even features a monologue from astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. If you love prog metal, this might actually be worth your time to listen to.

5. Dystopia, by Megadeth

This brand spanking new Megadeth cut was the first to feature the band's current line-up of Dave Mustaine on vocals and rhythm guitar, David Ellefson on bass, Kiko Loureiro on lead guitar, and Chris Adler on drums. It is definitely a return to classic thrashy form for the band since the more commercial sound 2013 release Super Collider. Probably because that album didn't do all that hot with the fans and critics alike.

If you go in expecting what you have heard out of Megadeth's more thrashy albums in the past decade or so you're going to get what you expect. It's no Rust in Peace, but it still has some good thrash metal on it. The writing and musicianship are pretty solid. Plus, the fresh blood in the band definitely brings the music new life. I would definitely recommend picking this up if you're in the mood for a loud, angry, crashing, banging, and shredding good time.

Top 10 Albums of 2016 Part 2

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Chaunukah/Happy Yule/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy New Year/etc.! By now I imagine you guys know the drill with this. I'm taking the last week that I will be posting this year to list what I feel were the 10 best albums to come out this year. 2016 had some pretty good stuff released, so I'm looking forward to posting two of them a day till the end of the week after which I will be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays. These albums will not be listed in any particular order because as I've said in the past, it's a pain trying to place all of them. All that aside, let's continue!

8. Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, by Metallica

After making their fans wait eight long years, the kings of thrash metal finally put out their 10th studio album. With this album, Metallica don't exactly knock on the door politely. In true metal fashion they come crashing in guitars pummeling, drums and bass thundering, etc. They will rock your house or wherever you are to the ground in this most recent release of theirs.

Hardwired...to Self-Destruct is a definite return to form for Metallica. Each song on this two disc nearly 80 minute ass whooping is a throwback to an earlier incarnation of the band's sound while still pushing forward and trying to do something different with it. In my opinion, it is both the album's greatest strength and weakness. That said, if you're looking for some good kick-ass straight up Metallica you're going to find it here.

 7. Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016, by Jack White

After the extensive tour that Jack White did for his 2014 studio album Lazaretto and then writing, recording, and putting out a new album with his side project The Dead Weather last year I'm not surprised that he wasn't in the mood to jump back in the studio and put out a new solo album this year. That said, Acoustic Recordings features a pretty cool selection of tunes throughout all of Jack's recording career including stuff from: The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and plenty of his solo stuff as well.

I like that it features some never before heard tracks as well as some more stripped down or differently mixed tunes of his that we have heard. Honestly, some of the tunes I've listened to most often were the ones that were just different versions of already released tunes. I'm always a big fan of listening to a song I really like in all of the ways that it exists. If there is an acoustic version of something I love with different sounding vocals, you bet I want to get on that. Definitely worth looking into for anyone following Jack White.

Top 10 Albums of 2016 Part 1

Happy holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Chaunukah/Happy Yule/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy New Year/etc.! By now I imagine you guys know the drill with this. I'm taking the last week that I will be posting this year to list what I feel were the 10 best albums to come out this year. 2016 had some pretty good stuff released, so I'm looking forward to posting two of them a day till the end of the week after which I will be taking the rest of the year off to enjoy the holidays. These albums will not be listed in any particular order because as I've said in the past, it's a pain trying to place all of them. All that aside, let's get started!

10. Hollow Bones, by Rival Sons

Rival Sons have kept right on schedule with giving their growing fan base that old school big thundering blues tinged rock n' roll they ever so desperately crave. It has everything a Rival Sons record needs: catchy fuzzy guitar riffs, howling passionate vocals, and a grounding and pounding rhythm section. From start to finish this album will pick you up and pound you into the ground, though the last track will be rather sweet and kind to you to make up for it.

This album shows the band pushing forward and exploring a little bit more, though at the same time it sounds a little bit more like their old stuff than their previous record Great Western Valkyrie did. The only thing I have against this record is that it's too short. It's only 9 songs long. It's a great record, but I feel they could have done more with it. Regardless, it's still worth picking up. If nothing else, it's that extra bit of injection of pure rock n' roll that we all clearly need to get through this year.

9. Resonate, by Glenn Hughes

Veteran rocker Glenn Hughes has done a LOT in his 4+ decade career. Despite all the music he has made over the years though he has almost never made the same record twice. However, at the same time anything he makes regardless of the genre/musical direction has that unmistakable Glenn Hughes signature sound to it. Hughes's most recent studio effort Resonate is definitely a prime example of this.

Resonate is a lot heavier than any of the solo stuff he has ever put out. However, it has that certain raw unchained fuzzy thunder and grind to it that was very much the prevalent sound in his previous band California Breed. The difference here though is that this album goes in a much darker and somewhat heavier direction than that album. If you're a fan of Hughes or are just looking for something awesome to blow out your speakers with, this record ought to do it.

Metallica's James Hetfield Gives Latest Statement on Former Band Mate Dave Mustaine

The burning feud between thrash giants Metallica and Megadeth went on for decades until only within the past decade or so was it finally laid to rest and the fences mended between Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine and his former band mates in Metallica. These days Metallica front man James Hetfield has some interesting things to say about his former band mate that are a stark contrast to what he would have said not all that long ago.

In a recent video interview with Bild Musik, Hetfield was asked to react to a bunch of different photos as they popped up. When one of Mustaine popped up, he says:

“An old friend of ours for sure and he has done very well for himself in Megadeth. And after him getting kicked out of Metallica he went on to have an amazing career. Dave is an amazing guitar player, great songwriter and he has done some amazing stuff in his band.”

I'm not surprised that Hetfield is singing the praises of Mustaine these days considering they have buried the hatchet and have a profound mutual respect for one another. However, it's always nice to get a reminder here and there that the feud is over. Seeing all these long standing musical rivalries end is kind of a heart warming thing because it goes to show you that time really can heal any wound. 

Maybe if we're really lucky next year we'll get that Big Four tour that Mustaine has been pressing for recently. Would be cool to see the largest four bands in all of thrash metal get together to do something on such a massive scale and make the most metal tour to ever happen happen for the fans who have waited for something like this for the past three decades.

Writer's Moment:

For those of you who did not already know, next week will be the last week of blog posts from Young Ears, Fresh Perspective for the year. The week will be a five part list of the Top 10 Albums of the Year rather than the regular posts and features that I run. After next Friday's post I will be taking the rest of the year off to relax and enjoy the holidays, returning January 2nd to start the new year refreshed.

Throwback Thursday: Please, Please Me, by The Beatles

The Beatles while they admittedly took years of hard work to get where they got became unarguably overnight sensations when they put out their debut LP Please, Please Me in 1963. You couldn't go anywhere without at least hearing something about that British band that just got huge and was making young girls all over the world wet themselves. Rightly so, because this album was only the beginning for what would be one of the most celebrated careers in all of music history.

Please, Please Me though half covers features quite a few of the band's earliest hits, such as: I Saw Her Standing There, Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, and more. This is early Beatles in its purest form. It is that perfect blend of bubble gum, blues, and rockabilly. You can hear that the band is having a lot of fun playing these songs. You can hear the smiles through the recordings. I've honestly never heard a record that sounded happier overall in more than just the music itself than this one.

I Saw Her Standing There is the epitome of early Beatles awesomeness. The lyrics are definitely not the most profound they ever wrote, but it's just such a fun uptempo song that you don't really care. You're too busy jumping and dancing around with the biggest smile on your face to give a crap. The vocal melody is enchanting and the rhythm is absolutely grooving.Great tune to put on at a wedding or even just a regular party if you feel like putting on a throwback that will get people up and moving.

Twist and Shout is probably one of the most beloved songs from this record. Even if you haven't heard it while watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off you probably still know it as one of the most fun songs to jive to. It is the bubblegummiest of the Beatles' bubblegum era stuff. Supposedly when they recorded it John Lennon had worn out his voice so much and was so sick that he was able to get the vocal tone that he did. It was all done in one take. Needless to say, he did not want to do another. I'm glad he didn't because otherwise we never would have gotten that awesome sound.

While Please, Please Me is nowhere near the pinnacle of The Beatles' accomplishments, it was one hell of a way to start off their career with a bang. It shows them from the very beginning, at their truest roots before they evolved into the politically and socially meaningful mouths of a generation that within only a few years they would become. This is just four mop tops in suits with smiles having a darn good time making some of the best remembered rock n' roll to ever be put to tape.

Please, Please Me, by The Beatles receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. I Saw Her Standing There
2. Misery
3. Anna (Go to Him)
4. Chains
5. Boys
6. Ask Me Why
7. Please Please Me
8. Love Me Do
9. P.S. I Love You
10. Baby It's You
11. Do You Want to Know a Secret?
12. A Taste of Honey
13. There's a Place
14. Twist and Shout

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Please-Me-Beatles/dp/B01929HNF4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481875614&sr=8-1&keywords=Please+PLease+Me