Midlife Metal Crisis - Top Ten Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #6 Judas Priest - British Steel

The Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #6 Judas Priest -British Steel (1980)

There are many albums by Judas Priest that could have been included in this list. I'm particularly partial to Turbo which I know everyone else hates but I bought it when it came out and loved it. It came between Screaming for Vengeance and British Steel, I opted for this one as its more solid as an album and represents a point where I think Heavy Metal tried to go a bit mainstream and get the commercial hooks into the songs.

Living After Midnight was their first single with a video directed by Julien Temple (Great rock n roll swindle, Absolute Beginners).




Breaking the Law, the second single is probably their most recognisable song. Simple riff, easy to play and simple chorus. Even the Mighty Boosh covered it (albeit a folk version for their Glam Folk episode). Also featuring another Temple video.

  

The final single was United. Here is a live version from the BBC in 1980

Of course now Rob Halford is openly gay and he has spoke at length about how it was a challenge hiding his sexuality through his time with Judas Priest. Although I sincerely doubt that anyone was actually surprised when he came out in the 90's. If anyone was they seriously need their Gaydar recalibrating.

 

 

Bad Heavy Metal Cover Versions

Cover versions are rarely good, every band or artist puts their own twist on it and it either works or it doesn't. This post was inspired by a chat in the pub on Saturday regarding the pure awfulness of the Metallica cover at the end.

Twisted Sister covering the Leader of the Pack will brighten anyones day. Its campness amplified through a wonderfully cheesy eighties video:



When Chuck Berry recorded Johnny B Goode in the Fifties it is a well known fact that the sound he wanted for it was not possible with the technology available. This would only become available in the late 1980's and it would fall to Judas Priest to record a definitive version that Berry himself would be happy with:



Back in the 80's, before they sued their fans, before they tried to be Bon Jovi and before they took a Therapist on Tour with them. Metallica recorded some kick ass covers. Am I Evil, Blitzkrieg and the Garage Days Ep were all fantastic. The best tunes from the Justice for all period were not the album tracks produced by the Drummer where funnily enough all you could hear were the drums, they were the covers on the B sides. Their version of Budgie's Breadfan is immense. So when it was announced in the late nineties they would re-release all these tracks on a double album fronted by an entire album of brand new covers it sounded a credible prospect. What follows is probably the worst cover version ever ( and there is version of smells like teen spirit by Miley Cyrus on the internet)

Ryan Adams at Sheffield City Hall, April 27, 2012

There's something special about a one man (or woman) acoustic show and it takes a special kind of artist to pull it off successfully. Something Ryan Adams did in spectacularly last night at the Sheffield City hall. He really was on top form, sounded great, his voice was in top form and the set was a great selection for someone with a staggering 16 studio albums(including Whiskeytown) under his belt with favourites played and for me a real treat with an Alice n Chains cover (Nutshell) for an encore. Essential for these shows he managed to mostly shut the people up who shouted out and the morons who still believe they will get a good photo from row Z with a camera phone using a flash. Set list is up already on Setlist Fm so many thanks to whoever did that. For those wondering,Mr Cat was a piano imrov about long evenings listening to Soft Rock giants Jefferson Airplane/Starship with his cat before launching into a piano reworking of New York, New York.

Special mention too for Jason Isbell of Dive By Truckers fame who was a fantastic surprise as support.

The evening was almost ruined by being trapped in the Q car park in Sheffield with a dodgy ticket machine that would only let one car out every 5 minutes and everyone getting more and more irate (well maybe just me but I have anger management issues lately). What is it about these places that would rather piss everyone off than risk letting one car out without paying.

Edit this setlist | More Ryan Adams setlists

Midlife Metal Crisis- top 10 Heavy Metal albums of the 1980's #8 OzzyOsbourne - The Blizzard of Ozz

The Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #8 Ozzy Osbourne - The Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

In 1979 Ozzy was sacked from Black Sabbath, the band stated issues with substance abuse being the main reason for his departure but an ongoing feud with Guitarist Tony Iommi was generally linked to the sacking.
In hindsight both would go on to do their best records in years, the last couple of Sabbath albums were nothing spectacular and the last tour they did had them accused of being tired and uninspiring compared to their support act Van Halen.
Black Sabbath would recruit Ronnie James Dio and Produce Heaven and Hell to great acclaim. Ozzy hired experienced pros in Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep) on drums, Bob Daisley (Rainbow) on Bass and Guitarist Randy Roads (Quiet Riot). The resulting album Blizzard of Ozz would go on to sell over 6 million copies and cement Ozzy's comeback as one of the biggest rock stars in the world. I Don't know, Crazy Train, Suicide solution and Mr Crowley would go on to become permanent fixtures in Ozzy's live set and millions of budding young guitarists would attempt the Crazy Train riff.





The line up would go on to produce another great album in Diary of a Madman before the rhythm section was sacked and replaced. The resulting lawsuits and counter suits about song writing credits and royalties by Kerslake and Daisley over the years would lead to the ultra petty replacement of their bass and drum parts on the 2002 reissues of the albums.

Daisley and Kerlake (left)  would be airburshed out of 2002 re-release

Star of Osbournes fist two albums and genuine guitar hero Randy Rhoads' career was tragically cut short when he died at the young age of 25 years old in a plane crash whilst on tour in early 1982. Afraid of flying he agreed to go up in the plane with the tour bus driver and hair stylist to take a few photos. The pilot started to buzz the tour bus which the rest of the band were on and misjudged the manoeuvre, clipping the wing on the bus and crashing the plane killing everyone on board.




 Ozzy would go on to produce a series of lacklustre follow ups throughout the eighties that never really hit the same heights as his debut. I finally got to see him live in the nineties supporting the truly woeful album Ozzmosis which featured a track called 'Old LA tonight' an album he suspiciously played no tracks off. He would finally become less famous as a rock star than he was for being the shambling idiot shouting SHARON and picking up dog shit in the reality TV show The Osbournes.

Ozzy was always a target for the ridiculous religious groups which seemed to dominate the US politics of the 1980's with his pantomime horror movie imagery, drunken antics and songs called 'suicide solution'. Osbourne has been unsuccessfully sued twice for people supposedly committing suicide due to the song. It never had that effect on me, although I might be persuaded if someone tried to put Ozzmosis on again.

Midlife Metal Crisis- top 10 Heavy Metal albums of the 1980's #9 Faith No More - The Real Thing

The Story so far...
A CD player failure has left me with the choice between sitting in silence or playing my eighties heavy metal records. The top ten of which I am revisiting, only albums from the eighties will be considered.

The Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 1980's #9 The Real Thing - Faith No more (1989)

'The Real Thing' was Faith No More's third album, they had previously released 'We care a lot' and 'Introduce yourself' with vocalist Chuck Mosley. Interestingly Courtney Love was in the band briefly in the early eighties, but it was when they replaced Chuck Mosely with Mike Patton the band really began to up their game. The previous album was ok but only really had a couple of stand out tracks (the title track and a re-recording of We care a lot). That was all to change in the summer of 1989 when the Real Thing was released. The first single released was 'From out of nowhere'. Pattons voice, the heavy stomp and prominent keyboards made a new and exciting sound that blasted away the hairspray and make up of the Glam metal bands such as Poison and Warrant that seemed to be everywhere at the time.






The album was well recieved by the music press and was selling well, then in January 1990 'Epic' was released and the band just took off. Top ten in the US, Top thirty in the UK and number 1 in Australia. It is still their most recognisable track and standard staple on Rock compilations ever since. With Epic, Faith No More have been accused of creating the Rock/Rap monstrosity of Nu Metal but to blame them for Limp Bizkit is unjust and unfair, Epic rocked the sound of scary rock discos worldwide and deserves it's place in Rock history.



  The last single from the album was Falling to pieces.   

The singles apart, the album races along at a heavy pace. Finishing with Woodpecker from Mars, a stonking instrumental that would get live outings. If you were posh and had a CD player you were treated to a couple of extra tracks. The most interesting of which was a perfect cover version of Black Sabbaths Warpigs. I never had a CD player at the time so would listen in envy as my friends album continued for an extra ten minutes. Warpigs was played live for years, this version is from Live at Brixton which followed the Real Thing.





Faith No More would go on to produce more fantastic albums throughout the nineties until finally the back stabbing and in-fighting got to much and they called it a day in 1998. Their biggest hit in the Uk would be an "ironic" cover version of the Commodores I'm Easy, which they had been playing live for while and I fucking hate. They recently reformed for a lucrative festival tour last year featuring the final not original line-up. There are also approximately 25 best of compilations of varying quality available. Stick with the albums they are cheap enough.

Brighten your Friday

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Gary Moore

RIP Gary

I think I wore out you 80's power pop Wild Frontier and your blues stage led me to some truly great music.







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Strokes new single - free

Strokes in quite interesting sounding tune shock!

The Best of the Best

Ben "What's your favorite band"
Alan Partridge "The Beatles"
Ben "Really, I love the Beatles, whats your favorite album"
Alan Partridge "Hmm tricky one, i'd say....... the best of the Beatles"

I've never really been a fan of the best of compilation for a band or artist but I will admit that sometimes they have their uses. The thing I hate the most about the best of compilation is the new tracks, uninspired fillers tagged onto an artist or bands most popular works for pure capitalism reasons. Why would a fan of x, y or z buy an album with content that they already own without some kind of incentive. That incentive for the most part is a mediocre and instantly forgettable effort that they have shat out on demand.

They know this too, but only a few admit it. The best admission of this was in Ozzy Osbourne's liner notes for "the Ozzman cometh", a best of compilation from 1997. The additional tracks on this compilation were actually quite interesting with early demos of Black Sabbath numbers that sounded as if they came from the bowels of hell. The new track "back to earth" however was a stinker, Ozzy's comments for the extra track explain that it was a cast off from the Ozzmosis (an album I had the misfortune to buy) and he didn't understand why it was on here. Brutal honesty that only a drug addled Brummie heavy metal legend could get away with.

But there are exceptions to the rules and some best of collections are essential, I'm going to list the top 5 most worthwhile best of compilations to pick up.

Neil Young - Decade

The decade in question is 1966 to 1976, arguably the best ten years of anyones career ever. this collection includes the hits, misses and unreleased tracks.compiled by the man himself and originally released as a triple album, Decade is the template for all box sets and anthologies to follow. There was a single Cd greatest hits release recently but it does no justice to the mans career.



Guided by Voices - Human Amusements at Hourly Rates

Robert Pollard was the driving force behind American underground champions Guided by Voices who can be reasonably described as pretty prolific during their time. Quality control however, was never on GBV's radar and their back catalogue can be a minefield for the newcomer or casual listener. Human Amusements at Hourly rates cherry picks the power pop, Beatles inspired psychedelic majesty of GBV on one cheap as chips disc. This really is a must own!



Bob Marley - Legend

Originally released in 1984, Legend all but ignored the early releases of the Wailers to concentrate on Bob Marley's later chart friendly output. I'd argue that you can discover the older stuff at your leisure, the immediate accessibility of Legend is what has contributed to almost 3 million copies sold in the UK alone. Legend is the party savor for the music snob, there is a pretty good chance you will find this at most house party's and there is normally little resistance to replacing whatever cheese is on the stereo.



The Doors - The best of the Doors

Everybody goes through a Doors phase(do they still?). Mine was a result of the Oliver Stone film in 1991. I swallowed up everything, every album, Soundtrack and live box set. Then listening to An American Prayer, an album of Jim Morrison's poetry set to music by the Doors, you have what an alcoholic calls a "moment of clarity". God this is shit! Cringeworthy GCSE  poetry aside, the Doors did record some great tunes and they are all collected here in this 1985 set. All you need. Seriously.



Beastie Boys - The Sound of science

This 1999 collection of Beastie Boys tracks features Greatest Hits, B sides and unreleased material. Sequenced together this double album fits perfectly and they even begrudgingly include tracks from the generally disowned Licence to ill Days. Altogether this is proof of the three shouty white blokes contribution to the Hip Hop Genre with great liner notes and artwork.



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The revolution will be mediocre

When we have children we have a specific idea of how we want them to be and behave when they grow up. In my case, one of the most important thing for me is that my kids grow up with decent musical taste, I couldn't stand it if they didn't. I couldn't face it if my children had the Tesco taste of the average Briton. To this end I have always attempted a subliminal strategy when introducing my kids to music. I never blocked the S Club or Britney phase but i did try and introduce slowly some decent taste into my daughter and later my son. For example she loved the Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, so much so that she accompanied me to see the Lips on the Yoshimi tour at the Manchester Apollo. I don't think I need to tell people how spiritual an experience seeing the Lips live can be and I am pleased that She keeps the t shirt from the show .

At least she can have the rare opportunity to have a cool first gig, Most have a really shit embarrassing first gig, either that or they are lying. My fist gig was Transvision Vamp at the Manchester Apollo,I think we''ll leave it a t that. We have all met someone who says there first gig was the Smiths or The Stone Roses at Blackpool. Lying Bastards all of them.

So i did the best I could to ensure she had a good start in musical life. She has repaid that great start with a penchant towards mediocre, laughably dull American pop punk bands.

I should have seen it several years ago, that uncomfortable day when my 10 year old little girl brought her pop girl magazine or whatever it was called home and on the cover was Green day. What the fuck are they doing on the cover of a child's pop magazine, they are the same age as me, it was just weird. I did have a grudging respect for the band that appeared to be the only band who had released an anti Bush statement in the American Idiot album but I struggled to keep a place for that as they just got bigger and bigger.

Music is historically the way teens rebel, from Rock n roll, Teddy Boys, Mods, Rockers straight through to punk, Goths and Rave. That's just how it happens, the trouble is that when you are into music and its usually you who introduces your teen to a new band or scene how are they going to rebel? I rebelled when I was young with Thrash metal and loud punk, lots of swearing and angry lyrics. I always thought I was so cool but in reality my Mum enjoyed some of the bands I used to blare out.

My teen is rebelling with crap music. Safe American pop punk. Her favourite band is All Time Low.  She has attempted on many occasions to try and get me to listen to them and I know that deep down she just want smy approval but the snob in me can't give it. They arouse no feelings at all. No hate, no love, no feeling at all and sometimes that is worse, just Meh. I know that the right thing to do is just say "oh yes love, they are pretty good, can I lend the album?"  but I can't. She might tell someone that her Dad likes them.

Go on I dare you



Critical acclaim for All Time Low:

"OMG!! JACK is soooo hot!<3 i like thi? s version better!!" - darksunshine1995

"I <3 Jack n Alex!!!!! <3 they r? sooo cute" - OneHotAngel19

"alex and jack are fucking? sexy! i love this band!!" - iluvyou1998ily

Shh

We were at the eels gig on Saturday night at the Manchester academy. A fine gig I might add with E and the band in fine form. We did however, experience one of the many things that irritate me at gigs. There are a lot of things that irritate at gigs and I assume these are general gripes such as tall people standing in front of you, sweaty people touching you, over priced band merchandise and Scandinavian prices for beer. These are part and parcel of the gig going experience.

One thing that is getting more irritating as I get older though is talking at gigs. I don't mean shouting in-between songs or even saying something to your mates. I mean stood there chatting like you're in the pub completely oblivious to the fact there is a hush over the crowd as a softly played song is performed. If your disinterested in the artist then fuck off to the bar.

Seriously, it's not cheap to see a band live these days and that is one of the consequences of downloading music, legal or otherwise. In the twenty first century it is the touring which makes the artist the money and I accept that.

Eels tickets were I think £20 each plus booking fee(another rant for another day) so almost £50 for the two of us. That's a lot of money. If you paid that to go to the theatre you wouldn't stand some fucking moron behind you talking throughout. So why do we put up with it at gigs. Who are these people?

Maybe I'm noticing it more as I'm getting older and the bands I am going to see are quieter. In 1992 I saw napalm death, in 2010 I saw the low anthem, who it has to be said had an impeccably behaved crowd. You could hear a pin drop. There isn't this problem at classical concerts. You have paid to hear someone perform, let them perform and listen to the music. I'm pretty sure Damien Rice stopped a gig once because people were talking. Now I'm not a big fan of his music but I can understand his frustration, he pays a lot of attention to detail and his songs are quite emotional. If all he can hear is some berk going on about the mpg of his new Beemer you'd get frustrated.

I recently got the new big star box set and on the last disc there is a live concert recorded from around 1974/5 in the background you can hear people talking. All the way through, completely disinterested in this legendary band performing. So it's not a new thing, just something I don't think we need to put up with.

Eels last Saturday night, I didn't film this by the way.

Manchester Music Mania vote

An email from my Mum at Chethams School of music has pointed me in the direction of this poll to find out Manchesters favourite song of the last 5o years. The winning song will be put in a time capsule on the new building. Unfortunately I couldn't get any one to guarantee that if I voted for the M people that all copies of the song would be buried in the ground never to be heard again so I voted for Joy Division.

Jeremy

Yes I know there are more important things going on in the word than the closure of a digital only radio station that caters for a niche audience but I don't care it's my radio station. This is footage from the BBC Director General's appearance on Newsnight where he was savaged by Jeremy Paxman, who I have to say has balls of steel to make his boss look like a twat on national television. This footage has been cut together with footage from the Thick of it by some clever bastard.



This on I love as Adam Buxton (of Adam and Joe fame) offers the director General out for a fight on Channel 4 news.

On my radio

I have always been a defender of the BBC. I admit that I do not watch or listen ot a lot of its output, especially that aimed at the teh majority market, soap operas, dancing programmes, etc. I do enjoy the fringe output that the BBC produces the latest gem is that of Charlie Brookers Newswipe programme which I don't feel could have been made anywhere else but the BBC. Stewart Lees comedy Vehicle last year was my favourite programme. I don't really find the appeal of anything that is broadcast on BBC 3 but hey ho each to their own. Apparently not though as rumours are abound today that the radio stations 6 music and Asian Network are to be axed. I don't listen to Asian Network so I can't comment but the axing of 6 music using the argument that the commercial sector should provide this kind of output is just outrageous. Yes it wen through a rough patch when George Lamb was on in the morning but those dark days are over and the station is a pleasure to listen to the majority of the time and provides a service that is not available anywhere else on that medium. There is no national radio station for serious music fans that wish to escape the dross that is current popular music. Except 6music. It will be a disgrace if this is axed. They wouldn't dream of axing radio 3 and if Radio 3 was a digital only station it would have similar listening figures. SAVE 6 MUSIC

Winterlong

Its that time of year again. Here are my favourites of the year in the world of entertainment. In no particular order.

top 5 albums

Eels - Hombre Lobo
A lo fi concept album about a werewolf. Fantastic. Long live the dogfaced boy.



The Joy Formidable - A balloon called moaning
We have tickets for their tour in March. Catchy hooks, great energy, a brilliant self produced debut. Their singles are available for free download from their site or myspace



Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Some people hated this and I have to admit that you have to be in the mood for it but when it hits the right spot it's majestic.



White Denim - Fits
A spectacular find recommended by the 17 seconds blog. I can't make up my mind what I like the most, the thundering bass lines or the best use of the wah wah pedal for decades.



Big Star - No 1 Record (2009 remaster)
A sad state of affairs for 2009 albums when one of my top five is a remaster from 1972. I don't normally get sucked into re-buying albums I already have but the Big Star remasters are absolutely amazing.



Top 5 films

Moon
An enthralling film using predominantly one actor.It also incudes the best use of the Chesney Hawkes song 'I am the one and only' to appear in film this year.



Let the right one in
Swedish Vampire flick that is getting raved about everywhere. Creepy and disturbing, I was still thinking about it days later.



In the Loop
Like the big screen version of On the buses but with more profanity. Malcolm Tucker has taught me all new kinds of swears this year.



The Story of Anvil
What happens when you don't get famous. A pioneering eighties Heavy Metal bands european tour and album journey in film. A heart warming tale about friendship that brought a tear to my eye.



The Wrestler
What happens after the fame. Micky Rourke as Randy the Ram is perfect and the closing song is one Springsteen's best for years.



top 5 tv

Dollhouse
Its been cancelled already while it's just hitting its stride. Imprints, Actives, mystery, seduction, fantastic fight scenes and Eliza Dushku. It's divided our Hadfield house but I love it.



Glee
Singing and dancing cheesy AOR songs and Show tunes set in an American High School full of beautiful people. I should hate it but they have struck TV gold with this one. Sue Sylvester is up there with Malcolm Tucker for TV greatness. It's not really on in the UK yet but will be huge next year.

"You think this is hard? Try being water boarded. That's hard!"

And thats how Sue C's it



Fringe
Fringe is more than the new X files, the cast are great and the stories are always baffling and gory. Walter the crazy scientist is great, and Olivia Dunham is another strong female lead from creator JJ Abrahams.



Red Riding
The best thing on UK TV this year. Also included in one episode is the best actor in the world right now Paddy Considine. The dark stories of murder and child abuse in West Riding over 10 years was a real TV moment in a mediocre reality soaked year.



Battlestar Galactica
It finished this year in one ofthe most satisfying TV endings ever. They managed to recrreatethe trick of  the Wire and The Sopranos by managing to treat viewers with respect and actually end the story arcs without making a half arsed attempt at it.



Most baffling success of the year:
Michael Macyntyre
"I made some pasta last night for my wife, I didn't cook it for long enough and it went hard. Don't you hate that." Fuck off you painfully unfunny Twat

Punka

It hasn't gone unnoticed at the House of blue lights that George Lamb is now off 6 music in the daytime and has been replaced with the lovely Lauren Laverne. The work radio has been re-tuned and has been a pleasure this week. No bells, whistles, air horns or moronic 'banter' just some good tunes and good interviews. Long live Laverne.

Lets Talk About it

I'm off today feeling sick and sorry for myself. Catching up with some blogs and new music, I got these from the excellent 17 seconds blog. They are making me feel a little better.

True love will find you in the end

I must admit to being a late convert to the music of Daniel Johnston, I'd always known of him and probably heard the odd song over the years but I'd never really sat down and listened. That's the key with Johnston, you have to sit and listen. First you just hear badly recorded and out of tune guitars and then it suddenly hits you. Whether it is 'True love will find you in the end' or 'living life'. He looks a bit worse for wear on some of his more recent live shows on you tube but the love and emotion shine through with one of some most reverential crowds at his shows I've ever seen. It's only been this year that I 'saw the light'. The Late great Daniel Johnston is a great place to start, if you can't feel the magic at first the second disc has all the songs covered by famous fans.

This is my favourite:


And a cover:


I also finally got round to seeing the film the devil and Daniel Johnston, it had been on my to do list for a while. A very compelling film, even if you don't like his music it's well worth watching.

Manchester Girl

Vic Mcglynn (ex 6music presenter) is fronting a podcast filled with new music from Manchester entitled - live from Manchester. Its free and well worth a download, it's good to hear her dulcet tones back presenting music. I think she's been off galavanting around the world or something like that.

I just can't take it anymore

I've managed to get a copy of the new Lemonheads album a week or so before it comes out and it's superb. I was initially disappointed when I find out Evan Dando was doing another Lemonheads album as his solo stuff is so good in all it's Gram Parsons inspired glory. This new album though might as well be a solo effort, a covers album where he covers Gram Parsons, GG Allin, Leonard Cohen and others. The Gram cover is just great and there are guest vocals by Liv Tyler on the Cohen cover. There is also an electro clash cover of Arling and Cameron's Dirty Robot with Kate Moss on vocals which has me undecided between tosh and genius. I haven't made up my mind yet. Either way it's a great album.