1981: An Epic Year in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

You know how people sometimes ask you, "If you were able to go back into time, what time period would go to?" Well, I know what time I would go to. Hell, I know what YEAR I would go back to. That year would be 1981. As a whole year, it had the most solid group of albums to come out that year. Many classic records came out that year, from Ozzy's follow-up to "Blizzard" in "Diary of a Madman" to Motorhead's classic live record "No Sleep 'til Hammersmith." Many bands made their debuts that year, like Motley Crue, Venom, and Kix. Many bands were starting to become big off of the albums released at this time, like Riot, Def Leppard, and Accept. Many legends were still making killer records at this time, like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Rush. The year was a pivotal year for hard rock, heavy metal, and well, shit, just music in general. New wave was starting to become the "it" thing, punk was slowly fading away, and AOR was starting to become the "heaviest" rock on radio (nothing against any of those kind of bands, like Journey and Foreigner, for whom I'm huge fans of.) But, hard rock and heavy metal were still reigning and still kicking tons of ass. This was evident through all the albums that were released that year. So, because of all the kick ass albums released that year, 1981 has been my favorite year in all of music. Way too many great albums were released, and it's hard to put together the top 10 best albums of that year, but god damn it, I'm going to do it anyway. So, here she blows!

1. Motley Crue - "Too Fast for Love"

My second favorite Crue record and one of THE best debut albums of all time. At the time, nothing was as dirty and raw as this record. This album would steal your girlfriend AND your booze, fuck the girlfriend, drink all the booze, and then do a line of coke on your kitchen sink, and then leave. THAT'S how dirty, sleazy, and raw this record was. The album, as a whole, is a killer sounding metal record, with elements of punk and glam incorporated in there. Many classic tunes are on this record, from the immortal opening track "Live Wire" to the title track (songs still played live to this day). But, it is the album tracks, to me, that really make the album, from the sleazy "Piece of Your Action" to their first power ballad, "Merry-Go-Round." I highly recommend this album to anybody that is a fan of hair metal, punk, or just hard rock and heavy metal in general. 30 years on and this album still rocks harder than a lot of the shit being put out today.

2. Ozzy Osbourne - "Diary of a Madman"

How the HELL can you follow up a classic debut solo record like "Blizzard of Ozz"? Well, my friends, you get HEAVIER, DARKER, AND CRAZIER, that's what. This is exactly what the Ozz man did on "Diary of a Madman." This album was my first taste of Ozzy, and my god, was it a tasty little treat. Kicking my ass right off the bat with "Over the Mountain" was the perfect way to start off the record. I was hooked the rest of the way. From his ode to the cannabis in "Flying High Again" to the song that I still have no idea what it is about, but still rocks like a motherfucker, in "S.A.T.O.", every single song on here kicks major ass. But, two songs that really stick out to me are the two epic songs on this record, "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" and the title track. "You Can't Kill..." is one of my top 5 favorite Ozzy songs and is such an anthemic tune that still holds up very well today. The title track is the most adventurous track Ozzy had done at the time and really shows off guitarist extraordinaire Randy Rhoads' classical skills, and has one of the most epic endings I have ever heard, EVER! My second favorite Ozzy record and one of my favorite albums of all time. Check this shit out, MEOW!

3. Def Leppard - "High 'n' Dry"

When people think Def Leppard, they think poppy, anthemic tunes that the girl next door was listening too, along with listening to her Duran Duran records. When I think Def Leppard, I think a hard-rocking AC/DC-esque band on roids that really smoked live and could drink a lot of dudes under the table in the early 80s. I prefer the early Lep over anything they released from 1987 and on. I do like the stuff they put out around that time, but man, their first 3 records are the only records of theirs I consistently listen to. My favorite of the 3? No doubt about it, it would be "High 'n' Dry." I got my first taste of this record when they released a double-disc best of album and included the whole first side of this record, along with "Mirror, Mirror." I was in awe of those songs, and could not believe that this was the same Def Leppard that would release "Love Bites" and "Animal." I started listening to those tracks over and over again, and then just decided to buy the damn record. One of the best side As to a record EVER, it kicks off with "Let It Go," a raunchy little number with a killer riff. Then, their is "Another Hit and Run," which is, in my opinion, their heaviest song they have put out, EVER. The socially-conscious lyrics were a bit surprising, but still, the song hit me in the gut pretty damn hard at the time (I was in middle school when I got this record.) "High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)" is just a great party tune, and I feel would be awesome to put on at ANY party. Then, there is "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," their biggest hit at the time and one of their most recognized songs. It was one of the first power ballads, along with one of the first music videos on MTV, and for a power ballad, it rocks, especially coming from a band that would make some rather sappy sounding ballads in their future. "Heartbreak" leads right into guitarist Steve Clark (RIP)'s tune "Switch 625," a rockin' little instrumental that closes side A with a bang. Side B also rocks fucking hard, with some great songs like "Mirror, Mirror" and "Lady Strange" (one of my favorite Lep songs). For people really looking more into Lep besides "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Photograph," I highly suggest you check out this album and prepare to get your ass kicked.

4. Rush - "Moving Pictures"

Oh Rush, how much I love and adore you and your progressively heavy ways. One of THE coolest bands ever, and nothing can get much cooler than this record right here. Their best record, in my opinion, this is the album they are known for. This is their "Back in Black." Again, another album with a killer side A, so it kicks your ass right off the bat. Of course, so many people know their little diddy about a man that goes by the name "Tom Sawyer." That song is going to be immortal and live on even when we are all long gone. Killer drumming on that tune, along with every other tune on this record, by sir Neil Peart, a drumming god who deserves every bit of hype he gets. But, the other members are just as godly, with Geddy fucking Lee slapping that bass, stomping them pedals, and smacking those keyboards like a fucking boss, sometimes at the SAME TIME (I've seen it) and Alex Lifeson pounding out riff after riff on this record, along with some killer solos, like the one on "Limelight," which closes out side A. The songs in between "Sawyer" and "Limelight," "Red Barchetta" and "YYZ", one being about epic car chases in the countryside and the other being a sick little instrumental, are still radio hits and amongst Rush fans' favorite songs. Side B is just as killer a side as Side A, with the epic "The Camera Eye" leading the way (their last "epic" song for a long time). "Witch Hunt" is a creepy little tune, with some haunting synth driving the song. They whipped out that tune randomly when I saw them a few years back, and it was quite kick ass to hear them play that tune. "Vital Signs" is also a synth-driven tune, but has a Police-meets-hard rock kind of feel to it. It is a great way to close off what is a Rush masterpiece and one of the best records in hard rock and heavy metal.

5. Van Halen - "Fair Warning"

They were quite the party band at the time, but with "Fair Warning," it seemed as if the party was slowly ending. This album was a hell of a lot darker than their past 3 albums, which were like keggers in vinyl form. The music seemed a lot darker and heavier, but honestly, it did not stop them from making tunes that were filled with swagger and grit. "Unchained," Sinner's Swing!", and "So This is Love?" still had that VH swagger to it that the band had then become known for, but it was tracks like "Push Comes to Shove" and "Saturday Afternoon in the Park" that threw people for a loop, with synths and jazz-like hard rock. Yeah, it was their darkest album, but just like every Roth-era VH record, it kicked fucking ASS. This was an album that took me a couple listens to really get into this record, but the more I listen to it, the more I dig it, and it has since become my second favorite VH record (next to their first record, which cannot be beat, EVER).

6. Iron Maiden - "Killers"

Maiden is a band I have come to love more and more as years went on. My first taste of their music was a cassette of "Live After Death" I bought as a kid at a garage sale. I loved that tape, but really loved a track called "Wrathchild." I found what album it was on many years later, and found out that Dickinson was NOT singing on it at first, but it was Paul DiAnno, a gritty, no-nonsense, kinda punky lead singer that sang on their first two records (highly influential records in the world of metal, I'd say). The second record, "Killers" is the album that contained "Wrathchild" and when you couple that with the instrumental album opener, "The Ides of March," you get one of the most epic songs of all time. Early Maiden was kind of a punk-metal hybrid, with touches of the epicness that Maiden would later become known for, and this album was THE perfect example of the punk-metal hybrid they were known for at the time. Songs like "Another Life," "Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "Innocent Exile" ripped and roared like a mother and featured stellar playing from all instruments. This is, by near and far, my favorite record by Maiden. All the way through, there is a grittiness, heaviness, and rawness to the record you cannot find on any other Maiden record to come after.

7. Black Sabbath - "Mob Rules"

To me, between Ozzy and Dio, Dio was the best voice in Sabbath. The shit Ozzy put out with Sabbath was killer stuff, but with Dio, they were on a whole other planet, and they were kicking ass. The second album released with Dio, "Mob Rules," was quite the dark and depressing album, lyrically. 2 of the tracks, "Falling Off the Edge of the World" and "Over and Over," deal with depression, while "The Sign of the Southern Cross" is as heavy and dark as you get with Sabbath. Slab on the opening one-two punch of "Turn Up the Night" and "Voodoo," along with the barn-burner of a title track, and you got yourself one hot piece of Sabbath. I do like "Heaven and Hell" better, but this album is definitely a close second as a favorite of Sabbath's. Highly recommended for Dio fans and metal fans, in general.

8. Motorhead - "No Sleep 'til Hammersmith"

I have talked about this album once before, and I shall talk about it again, just not as much. Simply, this album is lewd, crude, loud, fast, drunk, sloppy, decadent, and kick ass. All of Motorhead's greatest tunes are on this record, and you should pretty much own the god damn record. If you want an album that will make your lawn die and your parents scream in fright, this is the record to do so. By near and far, my favorite Motorhead record.

9. Judas Priest - "Point of Entry"

Again, another album I have talked about on this blog. Actually, I have talked about this album numerous times. Do not really need to repeat myself here. It is EXTREMELY underrated and should be recognized as one of Priest's greatest accomplishments. Next to "British Steel," this is one of my favorite Priest records. All killer, absolutely no fucking filler!

10. Riot - "Fire Down Under"

I had a hard time choosing between this record and Raven's "Rock Until You Drop." But, I had to choose this record? Why, you ask? This fucking record is one hell of a party, and is also sorely underrated. Hell, this BAND is sorely underrated. The first three records by this band are hard rock masterpieces. But, I'm not talking about the first three records here. I'm talking about this bad ass record. Every single song on this record kicks major ass, with the title track, "Don't Hold Back," "Outlaw," and "Don't Bring Me Down." But, the last track threw me for a loop when I heard it, titled "Flashbacks." Basically, it is a guitar-feedback-filled track with, you guessed it, flashbacks in the band's career included, in the form of news clips, audience recordings, and interviews with the band. Rather odd track, but still very cool. If you like straight-ahead kick ass hard rock, I suggest you check this album out. No duds here, bromigos.

Bonzo Brad's "Wishes He Could Have Included These Albums in the List" List:
AC/DC - "For Those About to Rock...We Salute You"
Accept - "Breaker"
Billy Squier - "Don't Say No"
Blackfoot - "Marauder"
Kix - "Kix"
Krokus - "Hardware"
Raven - "Rock Until You Drop"
Sammy Hagar - "Standing Hampton"
Saxon - "Denim and Leather"
Ted Nugent - "Intensities in 10 Cities"
Triumph - "Allied Forces"
Tygers of Pan Tang - "Spellbound"
Venom - "Welcome to Hell"
Whitesnake - "Come An' Get It"
Y&T - "Earthshaker"

Bonzo Brad's Ultimate 1981 Party Playlist:
Motley Crue - "Too Fast for Love"
Ozzy Osbourne - "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll"
Def Leppard - "Another Hit and Run"
Rush - "Red Barchetta"
Van Halen - "Sinner's Swing!"
Iron Maiden - "Innocent Exile"
Black Sabbath - "Voodoo"
Motorhead - "The Hammer (Live)"
Judas Priest - "Troubleshooter"
Riot - "Don't Hold Back"
Accept - "Son of a Bitch"
Raven - "Nobody's Hero"
Y&T - "Knock You Out"
Krokus - "She's Got Everything"
Whitesnake - "Wine, Women, An' Song"
AC/DC - "Night of the Long Knives"
Kix - "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"
Ted Nugent - "My Love is Like a Tire Iron"
Billy Squier - "Too Daze Gone"
Sammy Hagar - "There's Only One Way to Rock"
Blackfoot - "Rattlesnake Rock N' Roller"
Venom - "Witching Hour"
Saxon - "Never Surrender"
Tygers of Pan Tang - "Gangland"
Triumph - "Fool for Your Love"

Now, boys and girls, break out your denim and leather, high tops, and mullets, and go get fucking nostalgic to this kick ass, metallic, hard rockin', panty-droppin' music! Party on everyone!

Bonzo Brad

Bonzo Brad's Concert Review: Motley Crue/Poison/New York Dolls, July 2nd, Noblesville, IN

First off, hello, it's been awhile kids since I've posted something on here. I'm gonna start doing this a little more often than I have been.

Second, happy day of birth to 'Murica. Gonna celebrate by masturbating to Rambo movies while eating cheeseburgers and listening to Ted Nugent.

Now, onto the concert review. This past weekend, I attended what was, to me, the greatest fucking show I have ever seen/been to. Not only was the weather perfect, the atmosphere was interesting and kick ass. The bands were all top notch and on top of their games, and most importantly, I had a fucking killer time with my buddies that went with me.

I always seem to think that every concert I've gone to is better than the last, but I feel now that I can actually stop saying that, because, well...this one definitely took the cake.

First up on the stage was the New York Dolls. This band has been highly influential on the glam scene and the punk scene, but never really heard of. So, it was a shame really that not a lot of people seemed to dig the Dolls, despite them being in top form musically. But, I can see how people were wanting these guys off the stage: they simply weren't putting on a "show." They had the chops, but they didn't have the moves. Plus, the crowd at the show wasn't really a Dolls crowd, and where the Dolls were playing at (Verizon Wireless Music Center, a damn near 25,000 capacity "shed.") wasn't their kind of venue. Plus, singer David Johansen's onstage banter came off a little weird and goofy, with people not quite getting what he was trying to say, especially when he started talking about the German Pope randomly (wonder what he was on that night though...) Basically, the Dolls perhaps weren't the best opening act for the bands that were to follow. But, despite all that negativity, they were kick ass musically, evenly mixing in newer material with their classics like "Looking for a Kiss," "Trash," and "Personality Crisis," their closer. If only more people knew of this highly influential band, maybe people would've "got" it. If it wasn't for the Dolls, those fucks wouldn't even HAVE a Crue or Poison to look forward to.

Next up on stage was the one and only, Poison. With a damn near all white stage complete with 25th anniversary decorations, the band launched into "Look What the Cat Dragged In," and the party officially began. Bret Michaels, looking healthier than ever, was stompin' and struttin' all over the stage the whole night. Hell, he even whipped out a harmonica for "Your Momma Don't Dance" (my favorite song of the night, surprisingly) and "Unskinny Bop." C.C. Deville was as over the top as ever, even getting a time to shine in the middle of the set with a shredtastic guitar solo that incorporated some of the score from Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Rikki Rockett was also quite over the top, spinning his sticks every chance he got. He even got a chance to solo too before "Unskinny Bop" started that also saw him playing while chugging some good ole JD (classic). This band is simply a party, and they know it too. They were having a good time, and so was I and the rest of the damn near sold out crowd. The band played every hit they had, but surprisingly missed "I Want Action" in their setlist. Other than that, the band kicked ass and were full of energy, closing with their two best songs, "Talk Dirty to Me" and "Nothin' But a Good Time."

Then, the moment of truth was finally coming. The anticipation was setting in for the Crue. THIS is what I was waiting for the whole night. Boy, did things begin with a BANG, and I mean that in the most literal way. I was sitting with my buddies in the lawn waiting for them to come on when all of a sudden, a big bang and a flash of fireworks went off, and the show began! No intro or anything. No warning. Just, BAM! Kicking your ass right away with "Wild Side," a killer and unexpected opener, I'd say. The stage, man oh man, what a stage! Shittons of lights, fire, amps, and pyro to go around! I'd have to say that they were beating KISS at their own game it seemed like. It seems like when Motley puts on a show, they put on a SHOW. The setlist was fan-voted, and they voted well, playing everything you would expect them to play, along with including some surprises, for me at least, in "Smokin' in the Boy's Room," (one of my favorites of the night), "Too Young to Fall in Love," "Primal Scream,"  and "Too Fast for Love." "Home Sweet Home" definitely had the biggest sing along of the night, with T-Bone coming from behind the drums to play the signature piano intro to the song. What was cool about that song was that the band met at the piano and put their hands in like a football team about to pull off the big play. It was nice to see the guys really having fun on stage and enjoying each other. Nikki and Vince were goofing off the whole night, and it made me smile to see that on stage. I never would've thought that'd happen on stage for them, EVER! But, it's good to see, 30 years on, that none of them have killed each other. Now, the show aspect, was beyond amazing. The best show I have ever seen, and I know it won't be topped. They had enough pyro to make KISS' show look like a 5th grade musical. The lights were trippy, bright, and crazy. Shittons of lights were all over the stage. The weather was also quite the contributor to the show, with the heat lightning making things so much cooler during the show. The band also had two dancers/backup singers on the stage that were mighty fine...with what they were doing, that is, and that was...being slutty and sexy, a typical Motley girl, and I tell ya, Brad likey! Then, there came my favorite part of the night...the 360 drum rollercoaster. This thing was the most wicked fucking thing my two eyes have ever witnessed. While T-Lee played along to some dubstep music, his ass was going round and round and round. Then, T-Lee dragged an audience member's ass out of the audience to come and take a ride on the coaster. I'm pretty sure the dude was too drunk to realize that he was riding the most kick ass coaster EVER! I know that I will never see such a thing ever again. No other drummer can even remotely do the crazy shit Tommy Lee does. The man is ever so innovative and is one of the best entertainers you can ask for. There was also quite a bit of blood during this show, either coming from Nikki's mouth, or coming out of buckets thrown into the audience. The coolest part of the night though was at the very last note of the very last song of the night, "Kickstart My Heart," heat lighting struck right when that last note was hit. There was no way in hell that could have been planned whatsoever. Like my friends and I were saying after the concert, the gods were watching and knew it would be even more of a kick ass show if they contributed to it.

So, basically, this show is and will be the best show I have ever seen, and it will more than likely stay that way. I will never have a night full of decadence, babes, fire, blood, crazy ass lights, drum rollercoasters, heat lighting, trashy women, and kick ass rock n' roll ever again like the night I saw Motley Crue, Poison, and the New York Dolls. I bet your ass wishes you were there now...

Here's a video of the Crue playing "Kickstart" at the show! May not be best quality, but fuck, this song ruled that night!

Cheers you fuckers, and have a happy 4th,
Bonzo Brad

Come an' Get It: The Whitesnake Hardly Anyone Knows...

I know what you might be thinking. Whitesnake Brad? Everyone knows Whitesnake, or at least "Here I Go Again." But, did anyone know that it was a remake of the original version that the earlier, and in my opinion, better incarnation of Whitesnake recorded in 1982 for their "Saints 'an Sinners" album? Probably not. It is pretty sad that people do not know that Whitesnake actually started in 1978 as a backup band to David Coverdale. It eventually turned into a actual band by the time they recorded 1979's "Lovehunter." The early incarnation of Whitesnake was a super bluesy hard rock band. They had the flow of a bar band, but the chops of an arena rock band. The albums they released from 1978 to 1984 were ridiculously good. They did not have one bad record during that time period. My personal favorites are 1980's "Ready 'an Willing" and 1981's "Come 'an Get It." Those records are bluesy hard rock at its sleaziest and finest. They can do rave up bar tunes like "Wine, Women 'an Song" and "Black and Blue." They can groove like a mother on "Ready 'an Willing." They can be melodic like on "Don't Break My Heart Again" and "Come 'an Get It." But, simply, they can flat out rock your balls off on "Sweet Talker" and "Hit 'an Run." The incarnation of Whitesnake that was around from 1978 to 1984 was so much better than the Whitesnake that everyone knows. You know, the one with the over-produced, sappy songs and cheesy music videos. Sure, the version of Whitesnake everyone knows had some great moments, like the remakes of the songs the earlier version of Whitesnake had recorded (Crying in the Rain, Here I Go Again) and the killer hard rock tunes in "Bad Boys" and "Still of the Night." But, that version just does not live up to the Whitesnake that was around earlier in time. They tried too hard to fit in with the times. It was more like David Coverdale and his back up band again. It is a shame no one knows about the bluesy, hard rockin' Whitesnake of the early 80s. I feel like that incarnation of Whitesnake should be getting more recognition than the one with the primpy hair, wanking, bass licking, and over production. The guys in the 1978-1984 incarnation of Whitesnake were super talented and really could PLAY. Especially Micky Moody, their guitarist from 1978 to 1984. That man, to me, is one of the greatest blues-rock guitar players no one knows. He could wail on that slide guitar and pour ever ounce of emotion into his guitar solos. Then, there is 2/5ths of Deep Purple in that incarnation, along with Coverdale. Ian Paice and Jon Lord are monsters on their respected instruments (drums and keyboards) and really were able to flex their musical muscles in Whitesnake from 1979 to 1982. Bernie Marsden, the other guitarist and back up vocalist, really shined brightly on his axe with his stellar rhythm playing. Neil Murray is the underdog of the lineup, keeping it together on the bass. Then, there is David Coverdale, one of THE best vocalists of all time. His sleazy growl could really give people chills, and his sexy, bluesy wail could make the ladies really hot and bothered. The way he strutted around on stage and held his mike stand showed that he was in control of the stage and he made sure you thought so. The man is simply THE frontman and is definitely one of the best. It is a friggin' shame this lineup gets no love whatsoever. It's always the lineup from 1987 on. Now, I gotta tell you, the Whitesnake lineup of today fucking smokes! It's the closest they have gotten back to their bluesy, hard rock roots. But, they will never, and I say NEVER, make music as good as they once did from 1978 to 1984. That music shall remain timeless and sleazy. Hopefully, one day, the early years of Whitesnake will be getting some love, and lots of it.

Classic Lineup:
David Coverdale: Vocals
Jon Lord: Keyboards
Neil Murray: Bass
Micky Moody: Guitarist
Bernie Marsden: Guitarist, Backup Vocals
Ian Paice: Drums

Classic Album:
1980's "Ready 'an Willing", by far. Many great moments, from their first US charting single "Fool for Your Loving" to the grooving title track. "Sweet Talker", "Ain't Gonna Cry No More", and "Black and Blue" are standouts too. This record is quite hard to find, it seems. But, get your grubby little hands on this record if you can, somehow, someway.

Killer Song:
There are many great tunes from this lineup, but one that always gets me all psyched is "Hit 'an Run" from 1981's Come 'an Get It album. The fucking riffing on this tune really excites me anytime I hear it and gets me pumped, especially that slide guitar on this tune. The talk box guitar in the breakdown of the song, courtesy of Mr. Marsden, is way better than anything Peter Frampton ever tried to do with the damn device. The rhythm section really holds it down on this tune, with Ian Paice driving this tune with his kick ass drumming. It is sleazy blues at its finest, by far.

Enjoy and hopefully you learned a little something about a band that has more to them than music videos with a chick dancing on car hoods and cheesy ballads. Until next time motherfuckers,

Bonzo Brad

The Top 5 Killer Underrated Albums by Classic Artists

Many classic artists have vast catalogs full of grand music. But, some of that music is sometimes overlooked or just simply shat on. It's a plain shame that this happens because a lot of these artists have some very killer albums in their catalogs besides the classic albums everybody wants to listen to. I have decided to pick, by personal opinion, the 5 albums that, to me, are extremely under appreciated in the hard rock and heavy metal community. So, here we go fuckers!

1. Aerosmith - "Night in the Ruts"

Aerosmith is a very extremely legendary band, known for everything from their bluesy hard rock to their excesses. It was around the time that this album was released that the band started to fall off the wagon due to the drugs and partying. But, it honestly did not stop them from making killer music like most people say. A lot of people look at this album like a piece of shit, because for some reason, they do not think Joe Perry played on this record at all, but he actually did play on 5 of the songs on this record. They also think this album is shit because they felt the drugs effected their songwriting and therefore, the songs on this record are rather weak. That is DEFINITELY not the case. I bought this record at a garage sale for 2 bucks when I was 8 years old. I remember knowing that I did not have this Aerosmith record, and since it was Aerosmith, I was buying it no matter what. I only knew one song off of that album, "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", due to its inclusion on 1980's "Greatest Hits" record that I had, but I would soon find out that their is a hell of a lot more to the record than that damn song. This record simply kicks ass and rocks like a mother most of the way through (save for the last song on the album, the weak ballad "Mia"). From the swaggering "Cheese Cake" to the funky "Bone to Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)", this album is chock full of Aerosmith gems. It is a bit hard to find, but I'm sure your local record store has it in some form, somewhere. I suggest to you all to check this record out. It simply is a killer underrated record, and the most underrated record of all time, in my opinion.

Bonzo Brad's Killer Tracks: "No Surprize", "Chiquita", "Cheese Cake", "Three Mile Smile", "Bone to Bone (Coney Island White Fish Boy)"

2. AC/DC - "Flick of the Switch"

Holy HELL! I must admit, I blew off this album myself for awhile for some odd reason. Now that I finally listened to record, I kick myself in the head every damn day wondering WHY I blew this record off and thought it wouldn't be good at all. The truth is, this album rocks and rolls all the way through and also features some of THE best riffage by Sir Angus Young, the schoolboy from hell. The album has such a raw, reckless sound to it compared to the last couple albums they had put out, 1980's "Back in Black" and 1981's "For Those About to Rock", that were quite slickly produced by Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, Foreigner). Those albums really kick ass too, especially "Back in Black." But, this record, man oh man, it is a dirty motherfucking record. The album was the last for awhile to feature drummer Phil Rudd, who was fired from the band midway through recording the record. He did complete the drum parts on this record though. This album is perhaps the rawest album they have made with Brian Johnson, and the more I listen to it, the more it becomes one of my favorite AC/DC records.

Bonzo Brad's Killer Tracks: "Guns for Hire", "Landslide", "Deep in the Hole", "Badlands", "Bedlam in Belgium"

3. Ted Nugent - "Intensities in 10 Cities"

Sweaty fucking Teddy. He is simply a guitar god and a fucking maniac. Yeah, I definitely don't agree with his politics, but the man is simply a killer musician and one hell of a hard rocker. He has many great albums and is honestly one of the more under appreciated artists in the music world. He just loves having a good time and going crazy like many fun people, but unfortunately, in the music world, some people don't believe in fun. ANYWAYS! This record simply kicked my ass listening to it. I did not know what to expect of it because well...I never knew it existed until about December of last year. Once I knew of this record, I decided to check into this record and see what it was all about and holy shit! This record smokes! A live album with all new songs on it was something that was quite adventurous at the time (1981), but Uncle Ted pulled it off with the only way possible: making the songs as "Gonzo" as possible. The songs were definitely very "Gonzo." Just loud slabs of raucous and righteous rock and roll in overdrive. I can't believe that this record is not even talked about when it comes to Sweaty Teddy's best work, because it is certainly one of his top 3 best albums, along with "Cat Scratch Fever" and his self-titled record. Very hard to find record, but you can get it on i-Tunes for sure!

Bonzo Brad's Killer Tracks: "Put Up or Shut Up", "My Love is Like a Tire Iron", "Heads Will Roll", "The Flying Lip Lock", "I Take No Prisoners"

4. Judas Priest - "Point of Entry"

Yeah, yeah, I know. I have mentioned this album before here on this site. In fact, the first thing I wrote about on this site was this album. Why? Because this album simply kicks ass and no one even talks about this record. Hell, people talk about "Turbo" more than this record, and "Turbo" is quite weak compared to this record! Yeah, this album was a little slicker and commercial than the previous record they put out, 1980's "British Steel", but this album is still hard rockin' and heavy as hell. There are so many killer moments on this record and not one weak spot at all. What people find to be the weakest spot on the record, "Turning Circles", is actually quite a good fucking song. Very catchy and great guitar work from Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. I will never understand why this record does not get talked about much, but I know, in my heart, that this album will be one of my favorite Priest records. Hopefully, they play a couple tunes off of this album on their farewell tour this year!

Bonzo Brad's Killer Tracks: "Heading Out to the Highway", "Don't Go", "Desert Plains", "Solar Angels", "Troubleshooter"

5. KISS - "Rock and Roll Over"

Well, well. My boys in KISS. It was quite tough to choose between this album and 1974's "Hotter Than Hell", but, this record really is a killer hard rock record full of KISS KLASSIKS. Yeah, people know "Calling Dr. Love" or "Hard Luck Woman", but no one ever knows what ALBUM they are from. Well, boys and girls, this is it! But, those songs are not the only ones on the record. This record, well really, the rest of the record, has so many killer hard rockin' tunes about women, rock and roll, and plenty of underage sex. The album definitely has plenty of swagger to go around and killer heavy, bombastic production thanks to the excellent Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Anthrax, Led Zeppelin). When people talk KISS, they think "Alive!" or "Destroyer", but god damn, this album is definitely right up there with those two. A very underrated KISS record, in my opinion.

Bonzo Brad's Killer Tracks: "I Want You", "Take Me", "Ladies' Room", "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em", "Makin' Love"

Honorable Mentions:
Van Halen - Van Halen II
Motley Crue - Theatre of Pain
Scorpions - Animal Magnetism
Anthrax - State of Euphoria
Def Leppard - On Through the Night
UFO - Obsession
Cheap Trick - Dream Police
Dio - Sacred Heart
Megadeth - So Far, So Good, So What!
Whitesnake - Come an' Get It

Enjoy these great underrated albums and please check these out! They are definitely worth it.
Cheers fuckers,
Bonzo Brad

Rats in the Record Shelves: Some Obscure 70s Heavy Metal Albums

 Axis. A very underrated band.

Lately, I have been trying to find new music to listen to and check out. So, I decided to dig real deep and find some really obscure stuff, and I mean REALLY obscure stuff. Shit I never even knew existed. So, the best way I did this was simply type in "obscure hard rock and heavy metal albums" in Google. Then, I decided to go by decades, like 70s and 80s, and I had a lot more luck finding some albums. In fact, I found lists of about 100 obscure albums or so. The decade that stuck out to me the most was the 70s. There were some pretty killer records released around the 70s that no one has even heard about. So killer that people would have a hard time finding them in record stores. So, I decided to go and download a lot of these records. A lot of what I heard was really fucking cool stuff. I couldn't believe some of this music has been obscure. So, I have decided to share with you all a handful of albums that really stuck out to me out of the several that I downloaded. So, here we go children!

Dust - "Hard Attack"

When I saw the cover of this album, I thought, how METAL is this record going to be?! Well, the first song, "Pull Away-So Many Times," kinda threw me for a loop with the intro. I was starting to think this might have been some CSNY-esque band, which wouldn't have been bad, but I was thinking...you know...METAL, especially with that cover. But, the song kicked in and I started thinking, "THIS is what I was looking for." Really classic heavy metal/hard rock record from the 1972. Kind of has a Cactus feel to it, but with darker and more fantastical lyrics. The drums are thunderous, the guitars have a nice bite to them, and the bass is rumbling. I found out that two of the members in this band, Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, would go on to produce KISS' first two albums (heavy metal classics!). Standout tracks include "Learning to Die," "All in All," "Ivory," and "Suicide."

Elf - "Elf"

 No, this is NOT the soundtrack to the kick ass Will Ferrell holiday flick. This happens to be Ronnie James Dio's first "professional" band's record. The cover, well, Jesus Christ, that shit is scary (happens to be Dio on the cover. Holy Hades!) I knew once I heard that Dio was on this record that it would be kick ass, and that is exactly what it was, just...not the music I expected. It is very boogie, blues, southern rock oriented music, but very hard rockin', to say the least. The album just boogies and woogies all the way through. This was the first record to feature Dio (many people think it was the Rainbow records, but that was certainly not the case.) Dio is definitely in fine form, like always, on this record and it is quite fun to hear him sing these bluesy, boogie tunes. The instrumentals kick ass too on this record, with the drums sounding quite pummeling and the guitars have that nice twang in overdrive feel to it. Any fan of Dio's work will love this record. Standout tracks include "Hoochi Koochie Lady," "Sit Down Honey (Everything Will Be Alright)," "I'm Coming Back for You," and "Gambler, Gambler."

Axis - "It's A Circus World"

My man and one of my drumming influences, Vinny Appice. Bad ass all around, and a thunderous drummer. Little did I know though that he had some projects he did before Black Sabbath. He played with Rick Derringer (an under appreciated artist, in my opinion. Killer tunes.) and also had a band after his work with Derringer. That band is Axis, and, from my knowledge, they only had one record, and that record is "It's A Circus World." Many, many solid tunes on this record. Honestly, not one bad tune on the record. Very thundering hard rock from these boys. Gives people a taste of what is to come with Appice in Sabbath. Standout tracks include "Busted Love," "Train," "Armageddon (my favorite," and "Cats in the Alley."

Hairy Chapter - "Can't Get Through"

Now, on to some cool, heavy shit. This little obscure classic comes from Germany, where there seem to breed cool fucking metal (Accept, Scorpions, Michael Schenker, need I say more?). It is a very adventurous, yet heavy record. Of course, around the time the album was released (1971), Sabbath was starting to hit it big, so this album can definitely be compared to Sabbath, especially in heaviness. But, this record has a lot more musicality to it, in my opinion (nothing against Sabbath though, one of my favorite bands.) 5 tunes on this record, but all of them are very fucking rad heavy metal tunes. It's like if Alice Cooper, Zeppelin, and Sabbath had a threeway and came up with this little concoction. Standout tracks include "Can't Get Through," "It Must Be the Officer's Daughter," and "You've Got to Follow This Masquerade."

Hard Stuff - "Bulletproof"

Another obscure early 70s metal gem. This album has riffs written all over it. I love the guitar work on this record. It can be very funky on end ("Jay Time" and "The Provider (Part One)") and rock n' roll with garage attitude on the other ("Taken Alive" and "Time Gambler"). But, these riffs can be very all over the place and in your face. So heavy and so distorted. The vocals on the record remind me a lot of the singer of The Guess Who, which is not bad at all. Really killer heavy metal album that hardly anyone knows about, but should know about. Standout tracks include "Sinister Minister," "No Witch at All," "Monster in Paradise," and "Mr. Longevity (RIP)."

Ram Jam - "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram"

I know what you might be thinking. The band that sings "Black Betty" Brad? Really? Yes, really. And no, this album does NOT have "Black Betty" on it. This is Ram Jam's sophomore album and, from my knowledge, their last album. But, this album is way better than "Black Betty" and is definitely a kick ass heavy metal/hard rock album with just a little bit of southern-esque flavor thrown in. But, from listening to this album, I do not think of Ram Jam as a southern rock band anymore. This album shows that they are far from being such a thing. This album simply kicks your ass all the way through. No need to say more. Standout tracks include "Gone Wild," "Pretty Poison," "Hurricane Ride," and "Turnpike."

Atomic Rooster - "Death Walks Behind You"

Some more early 70s metal for you! This band is definitely some kind of Sabbath/Yes hybrid, and I really dig it. I feel like this band was sort of a precursor of the whole prog-metal thing that would start to happen in the 80s with bands like Fates Warning, Queensryche, and others. But, also, it kind of has a doomy feel to it that I feel would be a big influence on a lot of the stoner metal bands of the 90s, like the Melvins and Kyuss. Basically, this band should have been as big as Black Sabbath or Yes! This album is absolutely marvelous and I'm pretty positive that a lot of this album has been influential on metal somehow, someway. Standout tracks include "Vug," "Sleeping for Years," and "Gershatzer."

Lucifer's Friend - "Lucifer's Friend"

Last, but certainly not least, is one last early 70s metal gem (what a time for heavy metal!). The name of this band alone is quite metal. But, who knew French Horn in a metal song could sound...metal? Well, I found that out listening to this album and the opening song, "Ride in the Sky." This band reminds me a lot of Uriah Heep if David Coverdale sang for them instead of David Bryon. It also, obviously, reminds me of Sabbath if they had incorporated Hammond B-3 into their sound. For how early this album came out (1971), this is quite the heavy metal record. I feel like if "Paranoid" was not released the same year, this would have been one of the definitive heavy metal albums of that year, or ever. But, unfortunately, that did NOT happen. Standout tracks include "Ride in the Sky," "Keep Goin'," "In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie (what a title!)," and "Baby You're a Liar."

Honorable Mentions:
Electric Sun - "Earthquake"
The Boyzz - "Too Wild to Tame"
The Godz - "Nothing is Sacred"
Talas - "Talas"
Bloodrock - "Bloodrock"
Target - "Captured"
Heavy Load - "Full Speed at High Level"


Hopefully, you go onto Youtube to check out some of these albums, or perhaps go buy and or download these albums for your listening pleasure. Trust me, these albums are very much worth it.

Peace and cornbread,
Bonzo Brad

35th Anniversary Tribute to My Favorite Album of All Time: Aerosmith's "Rocks"

Easter, 2001. I was at my grandparents' house hunting for Easter eggs. I come in to find a basket of some goodies on my grandma's couch for me from "the Easter bunny" (of course, not real, like Santa and Slash.) Inside this basket was the album that would rock my world and make me a loyal Aerosmith fan..."Rocks." I was very stoked that day I got that album because it was one of their albums I did not have in my collection yet (I had "Toys in the Attic", "Get Your Wings", and their "Greatest Hits" record.) Another reason I was stoked was because it had my favorite Aerosmith song (and still my favorite to this day), "Back in the Saddle", on the album. But, little was I to know what kind of record this was going to be. I put it on my Discman (yeah, THAT long ago. I'm fucking old.) and first off was "Back in the Saddle." With it's dirty groove, killer riffing, and primal vocals, it really grabbed my 10 year old balls and shook 'em all up! And boy, it felt great! But, after that song, I was about to get my ass handed to me much more...in fact, it would be eight times more since "Saddle" that my ass would be handed to me. "Last Child," well, I definitely heard that many times before, and it wasn't a huge favorite of mine as a kid because I found it to be too funky. But, as I grew older, that song was as sexy and funky as ever...and I LIKED IT. It is such a sleazy song that just moves you and grooves you all the way through. Then, "Child" leads into a song that really kicked my ass hard, and it was my first time hearing this tune...the tune, you may ask? "Rats in the Cellar." Apparently, the song is supposed to be somewhat of a followup to "Toys in the Attic." But, it is apparently about a drug dealer, which I honestly don't know how, lyrically, it can be a followup to "Toys." Musically though, I can definitely see why it would be a followup to "Toys." Such a high energy, hard rocking tune with a killer ending too that has a real nasty riff to it. It is still one of my favorite Aerosmith tunes to this day. Then, there is "Combination." That riff is as dirty, sleazy, and righteous as you can get. I fucking LOVE this riff. Honestly, I LOVE this song. When I first heard it, obviously, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about. "Walkin' on Gucci, wearing Yves St. Laurent. Barely stay on, because I'm so god-damn gaunt." I had no clue what that meant. But, again, as I grew older and really looked at lyrics and understood what they meant, I realized that they were talking about having enough money now to get their rocks off, and more importantly, to get loaded as fuck (which, in their heyday, they did on a regular basis.) I loved how on that tune, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler sang together, which made it that much better. The music on that song is just killer, with a dirty groove that is raw and real. Next up is "Sick as a Dog." One of the two ballads on the record, although this song is more upbeat than the other. The lyrics, well, I was quite surprised to hear that they were about Tyler's first meeting with Mick Jagger, which did not go so hot. I thought that another thing that was cool about this tune was that the band members, save for Joey Kramer (an extremely underrated drummer, in my opinion.) and Brad Whitford, their rhythm guitarist. Tyler played bass and sang, obviously. Tom Hamilton, their bassist, played guitar and bass. Perry also played guitar and bass. Those guys would play a certain instrument during one part and then another at another part (don't know the exact parts off the top of my head at the moment.) It really is a beautiful song with a rocking end that leads into the 2nd most kick ass song on the album..."Nobody's Fault." Starting out with drugged-out drones of guitar, fading in and out, and then...the song kicks in full force with a heavy fucking riff courtesy of Mr. Whitford (who seemed to have wrote more of the heavier tunes for the band.) The lyrics were about an apocalypse of sorts, and are sung in anger by Tyler, whom you would think would have been a victim of the apocalypse, the last man standing. The song is easily Aerosmith's heaviest, and is my second favorite tune of theirs. Then, there is "Get the Lead Out," a number that would get you on the floor and grooving. The nasty ass riff, courtesy of Joesph Perry, is one of his best. It just drives that whole damn song, which is as dirty and sexy as ever. Even if it is their weakest song on their record, it still kicks ass. "Lick and a Promise" is a tune about life on the road and has some killer drumming from Kramer. The song is typical Aerosmith: killer riffing, primal screaming, and grooves all around. Last, but not least, is the best Aerosmith ballad ever (don't you DARE fucking say "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," cause I would certainly not want to miss kicking your ass) in "Home Tonight." Seriously, what a beautiful song it is, again, about being on the road for so long and  missing your lady or family at home, but knowing you will be seeing them real soon. Featuring Perry on steel guitar, the music is very nice and elegant and can really move me. I always get goosebumps listening to this song, especially the ending. After that song ended, my ten year old ears did not know what to do or what to think. But, I KNEW after hearing that album that I had never heard anything like that album before. The album was so raunchy, raw, dirty, sexy, and nasty. The record had swagger written all over it, and still does. No band could have as much swagger as Aerosmith, and no other album could have as much swagger as "Rocks." This album is celebrating its 35th anniversary this month, which is nuts to know it has been out that long! It is definitely an album that does not sound the least bit dated, which is even more amazing. This album has been favorited by people like Slash, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, James Hetfield of Metallica, Dan Spitz of Anthrax, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and even Kurt Cobain. Every metal and hard rock best of list includes this record very high on the lists. In fact, Rolling Stone (a magazine that is not so hard rocking and metal) voted this as the 176th best album of all time out of 500 albums. Needless to say, this album has been highly influential in the hard rock and metal community. It has been quite influential to me for sure, solidifying my love for Aerosmith, along with their 70s catalog, which is by near and far, my favorite era of the band. The drugs, the debauchery, the madness: it was all in that era of the band. What better album to hear that debauchery and madness than "Rocks," the album that rocked my ten year old world and still does to this day.

Album Info:
Released: May 1976
Recorded: February-March 1976 at the Wherehouse, Waltham, Mass. and the Record Plant, NYC.
Length: 34:31
Label: Columbia
Producer: Aerosmith and Jack Douglas
Billboard Hot 100 Highest Position: 3
Singles: "Last Child" (Billboard: 21)
              "Home Tonight" (Billboard: 71)
              "Back in the Saddle" (Billboard: 38)
Cerification: 4x Platinum (RIAA-USA, February 26, 2001)

Musicians:
Steven Tyler - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Bass on "Sick as a Dog."
Joe Perry - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Co-Lead Vocals on "Combination", Bass Guitar on "Sick as a Dog", 6-String Bass Guitar on "Back in the Saddle."
Brad Whitford - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar on "Last Child."
Tom Hamilton - Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar on "Sick as a Dog", Backing Vocals on "Home Tonight."
Joey Kramer - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals on "Home Tonight."
Paul Prestopino - Banjo on "Last Child"

Fun Fact:
This album was one of the first albums to ship platinum when it was released.

Choice Cuts:
ALL OF THE DAMN ALBUM IS GREAT. No song is better than the other. My personal favorites? "Back in the Saddle", "Combination", and "Nobody's Fault."

Do yourself a favor and check out this record as soon as you read this. This album is the most bitchin' album to ever be released. Peace and Cornbread,
Bonzo Brad

The Start of the Shit You Hear Today Called Grindcore/Metalcore/Shitcore, etc. : Napalm Death

Lately, I have been trying to find some classic heavy metal albums to listen to and download. I'd find some lists online, and there was one album that kept popping up on these lists, mostly the best 80s metal albums list: Napalm Death's "Scum." I was not quite sure what to think of the band and album based on just the names of the two things alone. But, I figured, what the hell? I'll give this band a shot like I would do any other band.

Well....I downloaded the record and saw that one, this album had nearly 30 songs on it and two, the majority of the songs were under a minute long, save for a couple songs that were over two minutes long (the longest song being nearly four minutes long.) I was like, shit, this must be the most ridiculous music I will ever hear, and boy howdy, was that the case. All I kept thinking the whole time listening to this record was, "This is what started all the (blank)core shit." The music was fast and brutal, and the lyrics were not understandable whatsoever. It was just heavy, crazy, fast music that was, at the time, very extreme and never heard before. But, the one thing that stood out for me that actually made this record somewhat tolerable and not too shabby was the music and instrumentals. It was pretty much taking what the thrash bands were doing at the time, along with the music of Sabbath and Maiden, and just turning it on it's head and pushing it farther out than it already was and making it more extreme. It wasn't just "chug, chug, chug" like the majority of the so-called "metal" bands today. It actually had riffing going on along with some chugging, but the riffing was at hyperspeed. It was like Slayer on steroids and speed. The vocals I could give two shits about. I'm not the hugest fan of the low, growling singing that is not distinguishable. That's just not my bag. I would like to, at least, SOMEWHAT understand what is being said. That was not the case with this band and, in particular, this album. No understanding of the singing and lyrics whatsoever. But, in all honesty, I'm glad I gave the album and the band a chance. I can see why this is such an influential record in the metal world, because it pretty much set the groundwork for the shit today. But, at the same time, it can be a bad thing that this album is so influential on extreme metal bands today, since a lot of the extreme metal bands today are, for lack of a better word, shit. Very cookie cutter to me. Then again, there could be some bands out there today that I haven't heard that I'll discover and may dig. But, this band and this album are way more tolerable than some of the extreme metal today simply because of the instrumentals. It's just full of energy, power, and speed, along with a shit ton of brutality. The extreme bands out today, to me, cannot hold a candle to Napalm Death. Like most music, especially metal and hard rock music, the music of yesteryear is way better than the music of today, and that "older" stuff is Napalm Death. If you are a metal fan in general, you should check out this band just to check them out.

Information:


Classic Band Members:
Lee Dorian - Vocals
Jim Whitely - Bass
Bill Steer - Guitars
Mick Harris - Drums, Vocals

Classic Album:
"Scum"

Classic Tracks Off of "Scum":
"Instinct of Survival"
"Siege of Power"
"Success?"

Take it easy dudes. Until we meet again,
Bonzo Brad