Songs My Parents Never Let Me Play
Mar 27 '00 (Updated Jul 22 '00)
There are nearly as many types of metal as rock. Speed metal, glam, (or hair) metal, pop metal, death metal, etc. Although my taste in metal leans more toward the hard rock genre, here are 10, of my all time favorite metal CDs. Again, these are my favorites, and I wouldn't dream of imposing my middle-aged tastes on yours truly! Arranged roughly by decade, they are:
Black Sabbath: We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll
I first heard Ozzie, Geezer and the gang back in early 1970, with the debut album, Black Sabbath. Although the themes were pretty dark, the oddly engaging vocals, grunge three chord rhythm and acrobatic guitar solos were just amazing. Paranoid was another classic, British guitar based rock album. This best of
collection makes sense if you can only bring one album: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, Paranoid, Iron and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath are all included here, plus at least one song from the other three early (good) albums.
Deep Purple: In Rock
This album is so totally different from the first DP release. Just compare a song like Hush to Ian Gillian's killer solo on Child In Time. I wore this album, then cassette, then CD out at least twice in each format. Other choice tracks: early speed metal on Speed King and notable crunch on Blood Sucker. Gillian also sang lead in the original stage production of Jesus Christ, Superstar. There were many later permutations of DP, with my favorite guitarist, Tommy Bolin, featured on Come Taste The Band.
Blue Oyster Cult: Don't Fear The Reaper-Best Of
No, I'm not ashamed of collections, if you get the right ones. Way back when, these monsters of rock and roots metal, emerged from a college in Long Island, NY. Often billed as the thinking man's heavy metal group, the original line-up featured two music critics. All the biggies are here: Don't Fear The Reaper, Burnin' For You and Godzilla.
Horror guru Stephen King adores this band, and it had a featured part in the 70's flick, Stoned Age.
Aerosmith: Aerosmith/Get Your Wings/Toys
More hard rocking heavy metal, these bad boys have had many imitators throughout the years. This neat 3 CD release of seminal Aerosmith, was pre-rehab, and features both Tyler and Perry on every track. My personal favorites, Lord Of Your Thighs and Mama Kin, (later covered by Guns N' Roses), are accompanied by plenty of other tasty tracks: Dream On, Same Old Song And Dance, Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion.
AC-DC: Back In Black
Strange combination of thrash-like speeding guitars, thundering drums and bass, and performed with punkish brio, and yet totally different. The first group roster included Bon Scott, through 1979. I miss his manic energy, and almost picked Highway To Hell, on the strength of such tracks as the title one and my favorite, Girls Got Rhythm. For some reason, this album demands to be played loud, and still packs quite a punch after all these years. Hells Bells, Given The Dog A Bone and the classic, You Shook Me All Night Long, make this the CD I'll pack for the desert island.
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush: Dragonfly, The Best Of
Unable to shake facile media comparisons to Jimi Hendrix, Frank Marino was the creator of one of Canada's three best hard rock/metal trios. In concert, this man brings new meaning to the term air guitar. While Marino's putting finishing touches on a new release for 2000, I find myself playing this album, which combines live and studio material recorded between 1976 and 1982. One song sounds like it should have been on the Heavy Metal sound track, Requiem For A Sinner, and other worthy cuts include:
Jive Baby, Dragonfly, Johnny B. Goode*, I'm A King Bee*, Sister Change and Juggernaut. (* Denotes live version.)
Def Leppard: Hysteria
British glam metal rockers, DL created a series of pop-inflected metal, (sounds like an oxymoron, right?), in the 1980's. After Pyromania, it was uncertain if the band would ever play on: drummer Rick Allen lost an arm following a terrible car accident. It seems necessity truly is the mother of invention, as Allen convinced vocalist Joe Elliot and crew, he could play using one arm and a foot controlled drum kit. Blessed with the exacting production skills of Mutt Lange there were five or six chart-happy tunes, among them Rocket, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar On Me and Hysteria. And who could forget those videos?
Motley Crue: Decade Of Decadence
Too many good albums to chose from, so here's 10 years of bad boys Vince Neil, (actually a very nice man when not imbibing), Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee. Taking up where Kiss left off, the Crue prided themselves in controversy. Tattoos, big hair, leather and motorcycles were some of the tamer accoutrements. My favorite's the heavily hooked Dr. Feelgood, and you'll also find
Shout At The Devil, Smokin' In The Boys Room, Girls, Girls, Girls, Wild Side, Kickstart My Heart and Anarchy In The U.K.
Guns N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction
When I think of this L.A. glam metal-punk hybrid, I think of Ted Nugent's Snakeskin Cowboys. Hungry, cynical and oh so talented, this is (Bill) Axl Rose (Bailey) with Slash, Duff, Izzy et al. The 90's dawned with every guy trying to recreate Slash's opening Sweet Child O' Mine arpeggio, and visions of Axl, (sans Lithium, art imitating life?) in a strait jacket, thrashing about during the Welcome To The Jungle video. They've had some good, some fair follow-ups, but this is prime GNR. Sometimes under-rated songs: It's So Easy, (note Rose singing in his natural register), Mr. Brownstone and my pick, the sleazy cheesy Rocket Queen.
Mother Love Bone: Apple
Metal, circa 1990, on the fertile Seattle doorsteps of both grunge and alternative. Could have picked Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam, et al. Remants of this amazing band later became Pearl Jam. Borrowing from Jim Morrison, Boy George and other decadent poseurs, lead singer Andrew Wood, was another visionary fire fly, destined for self-destruction. I have the too-short video, and bought the CD on the strength of one cut, Capricorn Sister, but other worthy contenders include Stardog Champion, Holy Roller and Star Gazer. Stone Gossard on guitar.
Stowaways:
White Trash: White Trash
Twisted Sister: Stay Hungry
Warrant: DRFSR
Bullet Boys: Bullet Boys
Tesla: Mechanical Resonance
Extreme: Pornograffiti
Great White: Once Bitten
Megadeth: Rust In Peace
Quiet Riot: Randy Rhoads Years
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