Dio - A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993

Dio - A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993. Rhino Records, 2016.

When you look up the term "heavy metal," there should just be a picture of Ronnie James Dio. In my opinion he probably has the best metal voice ever. Sadly, Ronnie passed away in 2010 of stomach cancer. But what a legacy he left. He fronted the bands Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell (basically Black Sabbath under a different name), and of course, Dio. This collection contains the first six Dio studio albums: Holy Diver (1983), The Last in Line (1984), Sacred Heart (1985), Dream Evil (1987), Lock up the Wolves (1990), and Strange Highways (1993). Holy Diver is probably one of the ten best metal albums ever created. Vivian Campbell got his break as the original guitarist for Dio, playing on the first three albums. Vivian would later join Whitesnake and eventually replaced Steve Clark in Def Leppard, and continues to play with Def Leppard today. Drummer Vinny Appice has played with numerous acts, including Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell. Bassist Jimmy Bain also played in Rainbow, among others. He passed away in January 2016.

Some bands, as the years go on, change their sound; Dio isn't one of them. They are pure metal all the way. This is a collection that will see a lot of use in the coming years.

Bob & Doug McKenzie - Great White North

Bob & Doug McKenzie - Great White North. Polygram/Mercury Records, 1981.

How's it going eh? Everybody's two favorite Canadians made an album. And it's glorious. The McKenzie brothers started off on SCTV, a Canadian SNL type skit show, which also helped launch the careers of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, and others. Two years after this album, perhaps one of the greatest achievements in cinematic history, Strange Brew, was released. It's an absolute masterpiece.

I'm listening to this on Christmas Eve because of the McKenzie brothers' wonderful rendition of the "Twelve Days of Christmas." Most of the album is just the brothers talking to each other, about back bacon, beer, donuts, coffee sandwiches, Star Wars, and other very important things. But the song "Take Off," featuring none other than the great Geddy Lee of Rush, is also on the album. You're going to want to check that out if you haven't already heard it.

I found this album at COAS in Las Cruces, and it's one of the most exciting finds I've had to date. Not that it's rare or anything, I just have always loved this album (I've had it on CD for years) and love to find my favorite albums on vinyl. Plus, as you can see, the inside sleeve doubles as an issue of "The Daily Hoser." Hard to beat that.

The Jeff Healey Band - See the Light

The Jeff Healey Band - See the Light. Arista Records, 1988. Canadian Pressing.

This was my thrift store pickup today. Jeff Healey was a blues/jazz guitarist who became blind at one year old. He began playing the guitar at the age of three and developed a unique style of playing the guitar on his lap. Unfortunately, Jeff passed away in 2008 at the age of 41. While not one of the more famous blues guitarists, Healey did leave his mark during his career. This album produced one of two American Top 100 hits for the band, "Angel Eyes," and is a good, solid blues rock album.

Fans of the Patrick Swayze film Roadhouse may recognize Jeff, as he and his band were the house band for the bar in the movie. While not on this album, he also did a great cover of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Healey, along with B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, were my first introduction to blues music and it's become one of my favorite music styles - of course, there wouldn't be rock and roll without the blues.

Merle Haggard - The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard - The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard. Capitol Records, 1972.

"The Hag" passed away on April 6, 2016, on his 79th birthday, yet another legendary musician lost this year. Merle was born in California, a son of Oklahoma migrants looking for a better life amidst the Great Depression. This connection to Oklahoma would bring about his biggest hit, "Okie from Muskogee," but he kept true to his California roots as well, as he, along with Buck Owens, helped establish the "Bakersfield Sound," which artists like Dwight Yoakam have helped keep alive. Haggard, after struggling to get a music career going, spent time at San Quentin Prison, where he joined the prison band after Johnny Cash put on a concert at the prison. It didn't take long for Haggard to become a star after his release.

This album has some of his biggest hits, including "Okie from Muskogee," "Mama Tried," and "The Fightin' Side of Me." This is real country music. In an era where country has strayed from its roots, you could always count on Haggard to keep it true. His last album was another collaboration with Willie Nelson, "Django & Jimmie." Not a bad way to end a legendary career.

Primus - Primus & The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble

Primus - Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble. Prawn Song Records, 2014.

Call this my Gene Wilder tribute, I suppose. One of the most talented actors I have ever seen in film passed away this year - the star of some of my favorite movies: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and of course, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one I read countless times growing up, and I've seen the movie about as many times. When I heard Primus was doing a song-for-song remake of the soundtrack, in classic Primus style, I knew I had to have it. The vinyl comes in (what else?) chocolate, and of course, there were five golden records as well. The prize? Hanging out with Les and boys because you just won free Primus concert tickets for life. As you can see, mine did not contain golden vinyl. This is seriously one of the best musical projects ever - if you like Primus, and you like Willy Wonka, it's a must have. It's trippy, weird, and all that you would think it would be.

Tribute to Glenn Frey

Various Artists - Miami Vice: Music from the Television Series "Miami Vice." MCA Records, 1985; Eagles - Their Greatest Hits, 1971-1975. Asylum Records, 1976; Eagles - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. Asylum Records, 1982.

Glenn Frey was another music great we lost in 2016. Glenn was best known as one of the founding members of the Eagles, and had a successful solo career as well. Several of his solo songs are featured on the Miami Vice soundtrack, including "Smuggler's Blues" - he appeared in an episode of the show with the same title. His other contribution to the soundtrack is "You Belong to the City." The album also features songs by Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Grandmaster Melle Mel (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five), "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins (love this song, especially the drums), and of course, one of the best TV theme songs in history, written and performed by Jan Hammer.

Of course, like I said, Glenn Frey is best known for his work with the Eagles. These two greatest hits albums are a good showcase of the some of their best work - I don't care how overplayed "Hotel California" is, that will always be one of my favorite songs. They will go down as one of the great American bands.

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain. Warner Bros. Records, 1984.

I was thinking back the other day about the entertainers we have lost in 2016, particularly in the music industry. Two musical giants, Prince and David Bowie, both passed away this year, both leaving legacies that will live forever. It's hard to fit either one of them into one genre or style, as they both experimented musically over the years. As of yet I don't have any Bowie on vinyl and this is the only Prince album I own on wax. This is probably Prince's most well-known album and is the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. I know it's probably cliché, but "When Doves Cry" is my favorite Prince song, and "Let's Go Crazy," "Take Me With U," and "Purple Rain" all come off this album as well. I just love the guitar intro to "When Doves Cry" and it's just such a good song, even if it may be his most popular. I think Prince was never really given the respect he deserved as a guitar player, but the dude could play, and that's evident on this album. Word is that there may be posthumous releases coming out of Paisley Park for years to come. Oh, and in the words of Charlie Murphy: "Prince can ball."

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack. Elektra Records, 1974.

How do you define a band like Queen? Simply put, you can't. They are a genre of their own. Sometimes they sound like a metal band, other times they sound like an orchestra. Amazing is what they were. Freddie Mercury probably has the best rock voice of all time. Brian May is not only an accomplished guitar player but also an astrophysicist. Oh, and by the way, he and his dad built his guitar at home.

Like a lot of people my age, my first exposure to Queen (other than "We Are The Champions" and "We Will Rock You") was from Wayne's World. "Bohemian Rhapsody" became an anthem once again nearly two decades after its original release. I'm still nowhere near knowing all of Queen's music, but eventually I'll get there. I bought this album at COAS Books in Las Cruces, one of the largest used bookstores in the Southwest. If you want a book, they probably have it. Their record selection isn't the greatest, but occasionally you find a gem like this one.

Other than "Killer Queen" and "Stone Cold Crazy," I hadn't heard any of these songs prior to buying this album. My first impression of this album was that it is heavy. You can definitely hear why they've been an influence to countless hard rock and metal acts. One of my favorite Metallica covers is their version of "Stone Cold Crazy," and the original is just as heavy. This is just a great album from a great band that really has no comparison.

Cinderella - Long Cold Winter

Cinderella - Long Cold Winter. Mercury/Polygram Records, 1988.

My first love in music was the thrash and hair metal my brother listened to in junior high and high school. I've embraced other genres and styles of music as the years have gone by, but this stuff will always be what I go back to. I've distanced myself from many of the hair bands of this era, as it got way out of control near the end. Cinderella, however, is one of the "hair" bands that will forever be a favorite. They had a bluesier sound to them than most of the bands of that era, particularly on this album and on 1990's Heartbreak Station. Tom Keifer's gritty, raspy voice fit that sound perfectly. This album just rocks, I don't know how else to put it. There is of course the mandatory ballad of that time period, "Don't Know What You Got ('Till It's Gone)" which became one of their biggest hits. "Fallin' Apart at the Seams," "Gypsy Road," "Long Cold Winter," and "If You Don't Like It" are my favorite tracks, but I can listen to this front and back and not want to skip a song. Long live hair metal!

Side note: When I was in elementary school, we had button day once a year, where we would wear all the buttons we could (think flair from Office Space). I had a little Cinderella button and I wore that with pride.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River. Fantasy Records, 1969.

Creedence Clearwater Revival is the band that sparked my interest in classic rock. I bought Creedence Clearwater Revival - The Concert on CD in the early 90s and played that thing over and over again. "Fortunate Son" is one of my all-time favorite songs, and probably sparked an interest in protest music that continues today. That song came from the album Willy and the Poor Boys, which I don't have on vinyl. Green River, however, might just be CCR's best album. The title track and "Bad Moon Rising" are two of their biggest hits, and the album is solid all the way around, with "Lodi," "Commotion," "Tombstone Shadow" and "Wrote a Song For Everyone" all great songs. CCR has influenced countless acts through the years, and John Fogerty has one of the most distinct voices in rock music. It's unfortunate that the band has been unable to reconcile after their split in the early 70s (John's brother Tom Fogerty has passed away since then) but their legacy will almost certainly stand the test of time.

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Pearl Jam - Vitalogy. Epic Records, 1994.

For me, Pearl Jam was one of those coming of age bands. I previously mentioned that I really began to get into music just as grunge was taking hold. One of my all-time favorite albums is Pearl Jam's debut, Ten. It's one of my desert island albums. I'm still working on getting that one on vinyl, but I have several other PJ records, one of which is Vitalogy. This album was originally released on vinyl with the CD coming two weeks later. Keep in mind, it was released in 1994. Vinyl was pretty much a dead format by then and CD was king. Perhaps Pearl Jam knew something - that vinyl might fade away but it would never truly die, and in fact has staged a remarkable comeback and is now once again the most popular physical format for music.

I've previously mentioned the digging component of collecting records; the anticipation of not knowing what you might find; the disappointment when you come away with nothing; and the thrill of finding something amazing. This falls into that latter category. This is an original pressing, from 1994. Albums on vinyl from the 1990s can be hard to find (particularly mid to late 90s - if they were even pressed at all), although there are more copies of this one floating around out there than a lot of other albums. I think another fun aspect of collecting records is remembering where you found certain albums. I often hear people talk about where they bought their first record, and what it is. Or they have stories connected to other albums. That's just not something you often hear about CDs. I honestly can't tell you where I bought my first CD. But I do remember buying the 45 to Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine" at Musicland in the Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls. That was probably the only record I had as a kid that strictly belonged to me. So back to Vitalogy - I found this at a Salvation Army in Las Cruces, New Mexico for 50 cents. 50 cents! It was one of those moments when my first thought was "what's wrong with it?" Checked to see if the record was in the sleeve. Yep, it's there. Is it scratched beyond recognition? Nope, it's flawless. Why is this here? There has to be something wrong with it. Nope. Perfectly good condition, just sitting there. A big smile comes across my face, I pay my 50 cents and walk out feeling like I'd stolen it. Like someone is going to run out and tell me the cops are on their way. It's still by far the best find I've had in a thrift store. Probably always will be.

As for the album itself, it's certainly not one of my favorite PJ albums. They were a bit more experimental on this one than on their previous two, Ten and Vs. But it does have some great songs on it, my favorite being "Better Man" and one of the great odes to music on vinyl, "Spin the Black Circle." "Not for You" is another one of my favorite PJ songs. It's certainly fitting that "Spin the Black Circle" is on this album, and cheers to Pearl Jam for their attempt at keeping vinyl alive. It seems to have worked.

Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct

Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct. Blackened Recordings, 2016.

Yes! Finally, Metallica has put out the album fans have been waiting for. Death Magnetic was somewhat a return to form, but in my opinion this album stands heads and shoulders above that one. Metallica is, and always will be, my favorite band, but they've certainly been polarizing figures among fans since the Black Album came out in 1991. They strayed from their thrash roots on Load and Reload, and many fans went nuts. I actually really enjoyed both albums, especially Load. "Until It Sleeps," "Hero of the Day," and "Mama Said" are three of my favorite 'Tallica songs. That being said, you won't find any acoustic guitar on this album - it's nothing but fast, loud and straight-up metal. Apart from the first three singles, which are all very solid songs, my favorite tracks from the album are "Now That We're Dead," "Confusion," and "Here Comes Revenge." Honestly, though, there's not a song on here I don't like. This is one I will be spinning again and again. The drums sound so much better than the last two albums, although in typical post Cliff-Burton Metallica, the bass is hard to hear, except on "Spit Out The Bone," where Rob is given a chance to show what he can do. Metallica will never return to the days of Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets (perhaps my favorite album of all time), but that's okay. They have evolved as a band and done things that many people outright rejected (St. Anger and Lulu with Lou Reed in particular), but they've proven here that they can still bring it.

Reckless Kelly - Sunset Motel

Reckless Kelly - Sunset Motel. No Big Deal Records, 2016.

This is the latest addition to my collection, since my preorder of Metallica's new album won't arrive until tomorrow. Reckless Kelly has roots in my home state of Idaho - brothers Willy and Cody Braun began their singing career with their father in Muzzie Braun & The Boys, but are now based in Austin, Texas. It's hard to put a genre label on a band like Reckless Kelly - Americana, alt-country, Texas country, Red Dirt, it doesn't really matter. Whatever you might call it, it's just good, solid down-to-earth music. I suppose you could just label it country, but it certainly doesn't fit into what passes for country music these days. Reckless Kelly does a good job of producing a mix of fast-paced and slower, stripped down songs, and that formula doesn't change on this album.

This is by far the most elaborate packaging of any record I own. This is yet another reason I love vinyl - the packaging is a work of art in its own right. Sunset Motel features a picture of the band, a postcard, sketches, a motel key fob, and a road map. You just can't get that with other formats. 

AC/DC - Rock or Bust

It's been awhile since I've done anything with this blog. The itch to write about things I love, particularly music, has hit again. I have immersed myself over the last 4-5 years in collecting vinyl records. I've always loved records, but they were a dying format by the time I became old enough to really get into music. Most of my childhood experience comes from the albums my parents listened to. As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate much of their music, but at the time it was just that - "their" music. It wasn't "my" music. I was 10 years old when the Seattle grunge scene exploded, and that became the soundtrack to my middle school and high school years, along with the metal and hard rock my older brother had so kindly exposed me to. As the years have passed, my musical tastes have changed somewhat and expanded to include many different genres and styles. My philosophy is if I like a song, I'll listen to it, regardless of genre. That being said, most music put out today does nothing for me. In all honesty, I rarely listen to new music unless it's by an artist or band I am already acquainted with. Occasionally I'll come across new acts, but they're rarely ones played on the radio. Anyways, back to records. Collecting records has allowed me to broaden my horizons and listen to artists I probably would have never picked up on CD or digitally. That is one of the things I love most about digging for vinyl - you never know what you might find in that thrift shop, or flea market, or garage sale. 

My goal with this is to go through my collection and share pieces of it. I probably won't post every record I own, at least not in order. I'll share new ones as I pick them up. I might just feel the need to pull a certain album off the shelf and spin it. I hope whoever, if anybody, that reads these will enjoy them and perhaps find some new music to listen to. First up - AC/DC - Rock or Bust. Columbia, 2014.

This is the latest album from the boys Down Under - and possibly the last with Brian Johnson. Due to hearing issues he has been replaced with...Axl Rose. I know, it kind of makes me gag too. I loved Guns N' Roses back in the day but Axl in AC/DC? Come on. So perhaps this album will go down as Brian's last stand. My favorite AC/DC will always be the stuff with Bon Scott, but they've put out some great albums with Brian Johnson as well. I wasn't sure how I would like Rock or Bust because I wasn't a huge fan of their last few albums before this one, but I absolutely love this album. The title track and "Play Ball" are your typical AC/DC rockers, simple yet so much fun. My favorite track from the album, however, is "Dogs of War." AC/DC is not really known for writing songs about war or anything remotely political, and "Dogs of War" is certainly no "Disposable Heroes" or "Symphony of Destruction," but it stands out to me because it is a different subject material from what they typically write about. As of yet I don't have any Bon Scott era albums on vinyl, so this one and a few others will have to do for now.