BULLETBOYS - Rocked & Ripped

 

Well, we won't spend much time talking about this album. The first thing that i can say after a couple of listenings is that this album sucks, actually i don't know if this is a real album or a demo. Production is deplorable, is not dynamic and it seems that every instrument and voice go their separate ways while sometimes sound is saturated.
The selection of songs to cover is real good but the final product is real bad just take a listen to Faithfully, sure this is a very difficult to version song cause is almost perfect but when you start to listen this "amateur" piano and Torien screaming instead of singing, as he does in Living On A Prayer, you only want to shoot your head. I'll See You In My Dreams version is a piece of shit bigger than a castle and Broken Wings... i could never believe that such a fantastic song could sound so bad. The only two versions that aren't crap, though add nothing, are Free Fallin' by TOM PETTY and Balls to The Wall by ACCEPT.

In summary, it would have been a better decision not to release this album.

Best Tracks (in order of preference):

None

This album is worth of 0.2 out of 5 ROCKS!!!

01. Dr Feelgood (Mötley Crüe cover)
02. Livin' On A Prayer (Bon Jovi cover)
03. Take Me Home Tonight (Eddie Money cover)
04. Faithfully (Journey cover)
05. Ball To The Wall (Accept cover)
06. Free Fallin' (Tom Petty cover)
07. Renegade (Styx cover)
08. Falling In Love (Scorpions cover)
09. Fuckin' Perfect (Pink cover)
10. The Rover (Led Zeppelin cover)
11. I'll See You In My Dreams (Giant cover)
12. Colder Weather (Zac Brown Band cover)
13. Rehab (Amy Winehouse cover)
14. Broken Wings (Mr Mister cover)
15. Tiny Dancer (Elton John cover)
16. Smooth Up In Ya (Re-recorded / Remastered)

ALICE COOPER - Welcome 2 My Nightmare (Release: Sep 13, 2011)

 

Here we go with the latest album by one of the eminences of Rock, ALICE COOPER. After 26 yeras he bring us the second part of welcome to my nightmare and let me say that though the album maintain the formula of the original one this second part has its own personality. The most important in this album is that no track sounds the same to another, this album goes from Hard Rock to electronic even touching some dixie and surf pop and endorsing this you'll like to know that Ke$ha appears at guest vocal... doin' a great job.
The album opens with I Am Made Of You, a perfect opener but a difficult to describe cut you just have to listen to it and i'm sure you'll get haunted by this song. Vocoder has been overused by many artist but here gives the perfect dark touch. Caffeine is an straight song built on electric guitars with some backing vocals ala Sympathy For The Devil. And now we jump to what is the first single, I'll Bite Your Face Off. This cut could perfectly be signed by AC/DC, you just have to take a listen to guitars and even the chorus but with break with piano and with some proper lyrics by Alice. What Baby Wants with a very marked guitar riff have some electronic touches and features Ke$ha as guest vocalist, this song is one of the highlights and could remind to Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson or even Black Cat by his sister Janet.
The only ballad in the album is Something To Remember Me By, very beautiful song in the vein of Alice ballads but with some Beatlesque flavor.


In summary, a very diverse album with some cuts that make it worth have it.


Best Tracks (in order of preference):

I Am Made Of You

What Baby Wants

Something To Remember Me By

I'll Bite Your Face Off

This album is worth of 4.4 out of 5 ROCKS!!!

I'll Bite Your Face Off official video:

 

THE LOST GEM:

 

Back in 1989 we find this album by short-lived band from New Jersey, DIVING FOR PEARLS. Produced for Epic By David Prater this album is pure Melodic Rock full of catchy choruses and built on keys and smooth guitars with the high octave voice of an awesome Danny Malone. Their sound reminds of URGENT or ALIAS but with more prominent drums. The opener was the first single too Gimme Your Good Lovin', is a funny and easy to listen cut with a precious bridge leading to a catchy chorus but this song strangely failed to reach the charts. Another highlight of the album is the mid-tempo New Moon a track with some DEF LEPPARD flavor but with keys and backing vocals that give a warm touch and with Danny Malone once again showing what a great singer is specially in the last part of the cut. The only ballad is I Don't Want To Cry a perfect produced cut with some sound elements typical of the 80's and with beautiful choruses reinforced by guitars and Danny Malone shining above the music.
The rest of the album keeps the same vibe full of great and fantastically produced tracks but there's one that is the absolute highlight of the album You're All I Know. For me, one of the best AOR songs i've ever listened. Elegant and smooth, could be described as an in-crescendo song 'cause it grows until the guitar solo followed to a break that leads to a magnificent final built on stratospheric keys and backing guitars with some plucking and Danny Malone reaching astonishing octaves. Everybody who loves AOR should have this song, and at the risk of repeating, pay special attention to the last part of the track that is soulful with magical emotional keys.

In summary, a masterpiece of AOR.

Gimme Your Good Lovin' video:

                           

NEWS:

Sony Legacy to release JOURNEY's Greatest Hits 2, tracklisting will be:

1. Stone In Love

2. After The Fall

3. Chain Reaction

4.The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)

5. Escape

6. Still They Ride

7. Good Morning Girl

8. Stay Awhile

9. Suzanne

10. Feeling That Way

11. Anytime

12. Walks Like A Lady

13. Little Girl

14. Just The Same Way

15. Patiently

16. When I Think Of You

17. Mother, Father (Live In Houston 1981) 

The album will be out in USA November 1.

All songs in the album are from Steve Perry's era and after the sales failure of their latest effort, Eclipse, this could be the first sign for one of the most desirable reunions in music world, Steve Perry and JOURNEY.

NEWS:

New single by DARYL HALL called Talking To Myself is here. It's a cool funny song with some 80's vibe with some reminiscent of Kiss Of My List. The full album entitled Laughing Down Crying will be out September 27. Great song that you can listen here: http://soundcloud.com/user3122226/daryl-hall-talking-to-myself

NEWS:

For those who enjoy Alternative Metal or whatever you want to call it, the latest single by EVANESCNCE is called What You Want and is out now debuting at #68 on Billboard.                                                         No video yet but you can listen this song here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4oBp7GZtvo

ROULETTE - Better Late Than Never

Here we go with this kind of compilation by this band. ROULETTE is a band formed back in 85' releasing an album entitled Fool For Your Love in 88'. In 90' they changed their name to CHERRY RED and signed with CBS for an album that never was released, just a single called Only The Strong was edited. Time passes and in 2008 was released a compilation under the name Better Late Than Never with tracks from the first album and from the never released one... and three years later we have the remastered edition. Well, this is proper 80's rock album, full of keys, catchy choruses and well produced though provably you will need more than one listening to get into this album. The album opens with Only The Strong that is one of the highlights and could have been a hit but, though Thomas Lundgren is a good singer, i believe that a singer with a higher range would fit better with this track. The song opens with an a cappella intro that could have been avoided but grows into a fantastic song with a precious guitar solo. Run Girl is totally 80's with funny mood and keys everywhere while Better Late Than Never comes with heavier guitars and more early 90's production. The only ballad is called Evangeline, another highlight with beautiful chorus but once again is missing a higher octave singing. Lundgren vocals are rough and powerful and the weight of his voice is noticed in backing vocals all through the album so mellower backing vocal are missing. The album comes with two bonus tracks Waiting For The Heartache and I Do, in fact, the second one is one of my favorites . I Do is built on guitars and some kind of Hammond so because of the rawer sound fits better with Lundgren's voice.
The rest of the album keeps the 80's vibe full of keys that sometimes are a little strident.
In summary, this band have some similarities with NETWORK or RED DAWN but with more middle 80's sound.

Best Tracks (in order of preference):

Only The Strong
I Do
Evangeline
Run Girl
City Heat
Reachin' For You

This album is worth of 3.9 out of 5 ROCKS!!!