Advantages: Fantastic quality music,good range of the artists musical talent, THE BEST ALBUM COVER OF ALL TIME! Disadvantages: It isn't available on Hybrid SACD format as per Pink Floyd DSOTM, no CD TEXT on std release, otherwise none!
I first heard "Sheer Heart Attack" back in 1977, before I was starting to get into Queen big time. My then best friend had bought it the day before and popped it round. I only had an hour to check it out and...totally dismissed it! The only memorable thing for me at the time was the intro to "Brighton Rock" which sounded like a fairground.
An that's the way it stayed for another six months..
Now the story continues when I saw it available at my ... ...that very day. So I borrowed it, took it home listened to it again, then again,and again. How stupid I felt. I was blown away-there was no going back. since then I've owned it on Vinyl, Japanese Viynl and then as a Japanese CD as a replica of the Vinyl release c/w lyrics and Japanese text. Now released again in Japan as part of a general re-release of all the Queen albums featuring ART (Abbey Road Technology) as another remastering exercise. From ...
Advantages: Great concept album, excellent musicianship and variety Disadvantages: None
Welcome to My Nightmare was Alice Cooper's first solo album without the original members of the band. Released in 1975, it features Wagner on guitar whilst John Prakash and Tony Levin play bass on different tracks as do Pentti Glan and Johnny Badanjek on drums. Ezrin once again produces it and no doubt had quite a lot of influence.
The album is a concept album which takes you through the nightmares of a man called Steven. The musical style is quite ... ...even a bit of jazz getting a look in.
My personal favourites from the album are the title track, which I happen to find rather jolly "Welcome to My Nightmare", "Cold Ethyl" has a fun rock n roll quality to it, a great little solo near the end and is a perfect track to widen the story of "Refrigerator Heaven" from the Easy Action album.
"The Black Widow" is enjoyably progressive, displaying great musicianship and starts off with the voice of Horror ...
Advantages: Few extra minutes added to vinyl version Disadvantages: DVD has no concert footage
...allowed the band to stage Space Ritual in the first place.
Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a record of how good Hawkwind could be when they were all friends and their live shows were second to none. You will be disappointed if you want footage of the concert in question though.
If you want those few extra minutes of the concert that fade out on the vinyl version then buy this. You can always use the DVD as a coaster!
If you're happy ... ...remastered CD which is several pounds cheaper.
Available from all good record shops (and a few bad ones) and all the usual online suppliers. The RRP (if there is still such a thing) is about £15.00, but you may be able to get it for less. HMV have it listed at £12.99 (post free to UK addresses)
A track listing is on the product information so I'm not going to repeat that here.
For anyone who doesn't know what Hawkwind sound like, then they play ...
Advantages: Tie Your Mother Down! great rock Disadvantages: "Take my Breath Away" is a bit depressing
Queen showed that they are a group that can produce more than the one or two good albums when they release this album. Looking at this album, Queen show light rock and heavy rock, and they sound great when playing both. This album is on par With A Night At the Opera, although there isn't a song on it that is quite as good as "Bohemian Rhapsody".
"Tie Your Mother Down" is a great rock song which is many fans favourite, Queen play this song very well ... ...this song was featured, which is why most Queen fans will recognise this title. Brian May again demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the best guitar players of all time.
The album slows down with "You Take My Breath Away" and "Long Away", I find these songs are o.k. but "You Take My Breath Away" seems a bit depressing. These are not theuir best songs, and for me are songs that are easily forgotten.
The album hits it's peak with "The Millionaire ...
Advantages: A fantastic reminder of Queen in their ealier days, great cross section of their material, AWESOME version of "Brighton Rock" Disadvantages: Perhaps a little "too live" for some, reportedly and undeservedly "disowned" by three of the four band members, not the most polished sound but that adds to the realism IMOand recorded their show
...official Queen release of a live record which was done in 1979 if memory serves me correctly, recorded on the "Jazz" tour on mainland Europe around January 1979. According to memory, Brian May, their awesome guitarist, had said Queen set out to do a truly live album so off they went with the Manor Mobile and recorded several of thir shows. The album apparently had no overdubs or studio 'polishing' whatsoever-what you hear here is what was played ... ...here.Makes the most of the live format. Released as a single in 1979 but flopped.
'39-The B side to "You're My Best Friend brought to life with full band participation. Faithful to the original.
KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE-The rock theme returns with audience applause and furious guitar work from Brian. A superb rendition from the band of their first single. A highlight of the album.
DON'T STOP ME NOW-starts with Freddies intro and applause, and slow ...
Excellent performance, tonnes of steam, ventilated ironing board (*)
