Top 10 Albums of 2017 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. 2017 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!

1. Wembley or Bust, by ELO

On June 24th, 2017 ELO showed just how age hasn't slowed them down and how amazing they still are after multiple decades by doing a tremendous performance at Wembley Stadium in England. In order to commemorate this grand show they recorded everything and released it all on a double album as well as a video home release titled Wembley or Bust back in November.

Wembley or Bust features a slew of the band's most beloved songs from the past 40+ years. You wouldn't think that Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy would still be able to play and sing the way they did back in their heyday any more, but amazingly enough they can. They sound just as fantastic as ever and they are backed by a bunch of talented musicians who are able to bring all of the songs to life the way they're meant to be.

2. Waiting on a Song, by Dan Auerbach


The Black Keys have been on a break for quite a while now, but that hasn't stopped front man Dan Auerbach from working on new songs. Back in June he decided to release his second studio solo album titled Waiting on a Song. The album features his songs with him backed by a bunch of local Nashville talent that are legends in the area. This album is the best material of about 200 songs that they wrote and recorded together over a period of several months.

Waiting on a Song sounds virtually nothing like The Black Keys, though it does retain some of the familiar key elements of Auerbach's style. Honestly, I think that's a great thing. There is no point in doing a solo album if it's just going to sound like your band's material. The sound ranges from 60's pop rock to country to funk to so many odd combinations of things in between. It is definitely a unique treat to the ears.

5 More Essential Guitar Albums

A while back I did a post on what I felt were five essential guitar oriented albums. I listed some great and important ones, but I think it's time I went back and talked about a few more. There are so many great ones out there that it would be a crime not to give them their proper moment in the spotlight that they so clearly deserve. That said, here are 5 more essential guitar albums.

The Blizzard of Ozz, by Ozzy Osbourne

When Ozzy got kicked out of Black Sabbath, his life was in shambles. He had nothing really going for him and had all kinds of drug and alcohol problems to boot. When his manager and now wife Sharon Osbourne gave him a foot up the ass to get his own band going, he found a young guitarist by the name of Randy Rhoads. Rhoads was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. The man could do neo-classical riffing and shredding like nobody's business in a way that still very much fit in with heavy metal but at the same time took things to new heights. Their first album together The Blizzard of Ozz showed the world just what you could do on an electric guitar if you stepped outside of the pentatonic box.

Appetite for Destruction, by Guns N' Roses

This album is a MUST for any guitarist looking to play hard rock with blues focus. I know for me this is the album that made me realize that rock n' roll was what I wanted to do with my life. Izzy Stradlin and Slash were the ultimate guitar duo in their day. With Izzy's iconic riffs and Slash's finger blistering yet melodic solos it was almost impossible for their debut album Appetite for Destruction to not be a smash hit.They took what was great about classic rock, blues, and punk and turned it into something, sleazy, yet grand.

Passion and Warfare, by Steve Vai

In the last essential guitar albums post I made I talked about Joe Satriani, who just so happened to be Steve Vai's guitar teacher. Vai took his knowledge of the axe and went into different territory. His big breakthrough solo album Passion and Warfare showed that you could have all the flash of 80's shred while at the same time doing something technically proficient and challenging with it. It is layers upon layers of fascinating guitar work that in a way takes you on a journey.

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, by Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore is pretty much the original when it comes to mixing elements of classical, medieval folk, blues, and rock n' roll together. It has so many tasty medieval riffs and solos that were like songs in themselves. This was another album that in the mid-70's showed that more could be done with rock n' roll than just playing the blues at a faster tempo and heavier sound. It ranges from hard stomping rockers to sweet, melodic ballads. There is a lot to learn from here.

Back in Black, by AC/DC

This is another important album to have if you're looking to play hard rock with a blues bent. There are so many big iconic riffs that any beginning guitarist should learn in order to either jam just for fun or to play in their first band. Plus, the solos are a great thing to learn as well because they take a lot of the bare basics of rock soloing and just put them in a bit of a flashier light. They aren't that difficult when you get down to it. That said, despite the simplicity Back in Black became a hell of a lot more than the sum of its parts.

Throwback Thursday: "The Razor's Edge", by AC/DC

In the early 80's AC/DC enjoyed an explosion of popularity when they brought in singer Brian Johnson to replace the late Bon Scott. The first two albums they did with Johnson, Back in Black and For Those About to Rock were tremendous hits and to this day are still considered classics. After those two albums however the majority of the 80's were kind of a dry spell for the band. Their popularity waned and not many people cared for the music they were putting out. By the end of the decade AC/DC knew they had to do something before they faded away altogether. They answered the call with their 1990 hit release The Razor's Edge.

The Razor's Edge is sort of a return to form of sorts because the production on it is a LOT more crisp, defined, and filled with the right kind of punch in the way that albums like Back in Black and For Those About to Rock were. It's that big, ballsy AC/DC sound that everyone knows and loves. The record features hits like Thunderstruck and Moneytalks, both of which have been kept in AC/DC's live repertoire and are still considered essential material all these years later.

The idea of AC/DC doing a Christmas song always seemed kind of ridiculous to me because I never associated the warm, wholesome, fuzzy feeling of the holidays with the big, sleazy, rocking nature of their music. However, with Mistress for Christmas they managed to not only pull it off, but pull it off well. With the right set of lyrics and some sleigh bells in the background they made a song that in my opinion no Christmas season is complete without.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about Thunderstruck? This is one of AC/DC's most iconic songs of all time. It's an essential part of any live set of theirs and has often been used in sports arenas for games of all kinds all over the world. That quick lick lead guitar with the roaring fist pumping backing chorus of "THUN-DER!" is enough to get any crowd excited and on their feet. With this song AC/DC essentially invented the concept of the arena rocker.

The Razor's Edge as a whole still isn't AC/DC's best album by any stretch of the imagination, but I can appreciate what it did for the band. With a few great songs it managed to bring the band back from the brink of being forgotten and catapulted them back into the mainstream spotlight. I can't say that I'm a big fan of much of what they did up until 2008's Black Ice, but at least now they were solidified enough as one of the big main rock acts to keep them around for years to come because of The Razor's Edge.

The Razor's Edge, by AC/DC receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Thunderstruck
2. Fire Your Guns
3. Moneytalks
4. The Razor's Edge
5. Mistress for Christmas
6. Rock Your Heart Out
7. Are You Ready
8. Got You By the Balls
9. Shot of Love
10. Let's Make It
11. Goodbye & Good Riddance to Bad Luck
12. If You Dare

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Razors-Edge-AC-DC/dp/B00O75RO26/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1513326847&sr=8-1&keywords=ac%2Fdc+the+razors+edge

Star Wars Characters Sing Hanson's "MMMBop"

Normally I don't care for including the likes of a cheesy pop group on this blog, but this video was so ridiculous and funny that I couldn't not share it with you all. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon somehow managed to splice together a cleverly arranged video of characters from Star Wars singing along to the chorus of Hanson's MMMBop (which can be seen in the video above).

Quite frankly I find it to be extraordinary and hilarious that someone took the time to go through all seven of the main Star Wars films in order to find the right sounds to make this video happen. I guess even old school media is finally starting to get on board with the kinds of things that most people seem to like these days.

I'm hoping more ridiculous stuff like this starts getting aired on TV. It might start encouraging me to pick up the remote and watch a bit more often instead of just going to YouTube for my silly videos. That said, this definitely has me even more stoked to go see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi when it comes out this weekend.

Muse to Release More Singles Before Another Album

I

t's been over two years since Muse's last release Drones, which of course would give people the fairly logical notion that the band will in the near future be putting out new material. Well, yes and no. There is no album coming just yet, but they will be recording and releasing a few singles until then.

In a recent interview with KROQ at the Almost Acoustic Christmas show (which can be viewed in the video above), front man Matt Bellamy says:

“We’re mixing a new track right now. It’s called Thought Contagion and it’s gonna come out in the new year. We’re going to give it to you like in January or something, or February. It’s a great track – rocking, heavy.”

When asked about plans for a future album, Bellamy says:

 “I think next year we’ll do like two or three more songs like this, and then the album might be like later next year or early ’19, something like that."

Honestly, I kind of understand why Muse might be dragging their feet with a new album right now. They might not have enough quality material to go in and do a full length album. It could also be the fact that singles are more profitable because not many people want to buy full length albums any more if they buy them at all. Just putting one song out at a time is a good way to get attention. Regardless, hopefully what we will be given to tide us over will rock and the album whenever it does come will be well worth the wait.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #146

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Carol of the Bells, by Steve Lukather featuring Steve Vai

I think this was a pretty cool collaboration between two phenomenal guitarists. I know the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version is the more famous one, but I think this one is still DEFINITELY worth your time and attention. With these two guys playing on the same track, it's got to be pretty good wouldn't you think? Anyway, give it at least one play when you have a moment. It's a neat take on a classic carol.

2. Heavy Metal Christmas, by Joe Satriani

Satch did something pretty cool with Silent Night. He starts off with main melody of the song in his signature style, but then he goes off into a prog rock odyssey with it and closing with the melody once more. You might not think it would be that interesting, but it actually is. It kept my attention the entire time because I wasn't expecting it to go the way it did and I was wondering just what was going to happen next.
 

3. Oh Come All Ye Faithful, by Twisted Sister

I have LOVED this version of the song since I first heard it. Twisted Sister brought its classic 80's rock n' roll rebel look and attitude to this song and made it epic. I didn't think you could do such a thing with a Christmas carol (especially a religious one) and turn it into something so loud, pounding, and rocking. It just goes to show you that just because you believe in and worship Jesus it doesn't mean you have to be wimpy and lame about it.

4. Rain Drops on Christmas, by Buckethead

This is a whole album (though a short one) rather than just a song, but I felt the whole thing was worth posting because all of the songs work and flow together so well. You wouldn't think that Buckethead being the creepy Halloween centric guy he is would be able to pull off something with such a rich, genuine, magical Christmas vibe but in this work of art he manages to do just that. For those of you who might be apprehensive about giving him a try, this might not be a bad way to get a first look.

5. Mistress for Christmas, by AC/DC

This has always been one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs of all time. I never would have expected AC/DC to do a Christmas song because it just isn't their style. However, this tune shows that not only could they do one but they could do it well. It's cranked to 11, speaker busting, and sleazy as all hell; so pretty much everything you would expect from AC/DC. They manage to do all that AND keep it festive. Not an easy thing to accomplish.

Writer's Moment:

This will be the final week of posting for this year.After this coming Friday I will be done for 2017. I will be taking the rest of the year off to spend time relaxing and enjoying the holidays with my friends and family. I will be returning on January 3rd to get back to business as usual. In the mean time though, I will be posting every day now through Friday with my annual Top 10 Albums of 20XX posts to let you know what I thought the best releases of 2017 were!

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #145

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Psycho Killer, by The Talking Heads

This has always been one of my favorite songs by The Talking Heads. The subject matter is rather gruesome and frightful, but at the same time I can't help but get into the groove of it and like it anyway. Personally I think that is the mark of a true artist. When you can take such a horrific subject matter and get people cheerfully moving, grooving, and singing along to a song about it then you truly have a respectable level of talent.

2. Creep, by Radiohead

I've posted the Postmodern Jukebox version of this tune before, but I feel it's time to give the original its due credit. It is a truly remarkable song that I think many of us (myself DEFINITELY included) can relate to to some degree or another. The way it goes from soft to harsh and then back again is lovely. It gets the emotions it means to portray across flawlessly. I know I still shed a tear or two when I listen to this in the right mood.

3. Black Hole Sun, by Soundgarden

Losing Chris Cornell this year was definitely a heavy loss for not just alternative rock, but music in general. The man had an incredible level of talent and soul. This might be one of his most overplayed songs, but it has earned the right to be. Even if we have all heard it a million times, it still has the same profound impact with each listen. On a side note, I remember the first time I saw the video. I was legitimately freaking out thinking I was tripping balls even though I was completely sober.

4. (Don't Fear) The Reaper, by Blue Oyster Cult

MORE COWBELL! This is the song that made the cowbell the well recognized and beloved instrument in modern pop culture that it is. Personally though I've always loved it more for the dark atmospheric vocals and lyrics. When I was a kid I would always feel completely drawn in and enveloped when the song would come on the radio. The whole rest of the world would fade away and I would just be focused on analyzing the lyrics and finding my own meanings in them.

5. The Boll Weevil, by Leadbelly

Leadbelly is one of those blues men from the delta blues movement that sadly seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people these days. The song he is playing here is an old folk song that has taken many forms since its inception in the 1800's, but his arrangement of it is the one that many other artists who have covered it over the years have referred to when performing it - myself included. It's surprisingly good for getting the audience energized when played right.

Writer's Moment:

This is going to be my last week of regular posts for 2017. Next week there will be another 5 Songs post, but then all of that week there will be a post every day until Friday highlighting what I feel are the 10 best albums of this year. After that I will be taking Saturday, December 23rd until Wednesday, January 3rd off in order to spend time with my friends and family during the holidays. Enjoy the last week of regular posting of 2017!