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.