#443 – Cheap Trick, ‘In Color’

In Color (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: September, 1977
Label: Epic
Genre: Rock, hard rock, power pop
Producer: Tom Werman

This is pretty classic rock-pop and it’s all pretty good. Hardly offensive (and if there’s a problem, that’s it) but it’s big-haired, blue-jeaned, eye-lined fun and it’s all completely polished and totally clean. If it reminds me of anything so far it’s KISS or Deff Leppard except they do it bigger and glammer, but sillier too – more of a glint in the eye. I’m sure the purists would kill me, but I would have liked some more cheese here because this is all a bit middling.

Top tracks: “Downed” (where Australia gets a mention <3) and the hit “I Want You to Want Me”.

#446 – MC5, ‘Back in the USA”

Back in the USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 15 January, 1970
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Rock and roll, protopunk, hard rock
Producer: Jon Landau

This was interesting. I was listening to this driving across WA and expecting some hardcore punk for whatever reason. Imagine my surprise when “Tutti-Frutti” explodes out as the opening track. Things then settle down a bit into a fairly frenetic but totally listenable punk-meets-homage to the 50’s. It’s all over in a flash but it’s a pretty good flash while it lasts.

Top tracks: “Shakin’ Street”, though it’s the most mainstream.

#454 – Alice Cooper, ‘Love It to Death’

Love It to Death (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 21 February, 1971
Label: Straight, Warner Bros.
Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal, glam rock
Producer: Jack Richardson, Bob Ezrin

Ha HA! Now THIS was unexpected!! (I wonder when I’ll stop saying that..). But like Def Leppard and Kiss beforehand, I was expected this to be a real drag – I’m just not a metal head. But, like before, my impression of metal, or at least this radio-friendly glam style metal, isn’t the reality. This is awesome music : it’s fun, it’s really funny, it probably was shocking at a point in time and it’s there where it’s nostalgic charm lies. Some lyrics are so over the top you can’t help but smile and think about all the moms in the 1970’s, clutching their tea-towels and looking worryingly at their kids’ rooms as this demon music played.

Top tracks: Definitely “The Ballad of Dwight Fry”. Absolutely ghoulish.

#489 – KISS, ‘Destroyer’

Destroyer (Kiss album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: March 15, 1976
Label: Casablanca
Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal
Producer: Bob Ezrin

It’s funny that I had thought ZZ Top previously were a bit of a joke, because I had always thought the same of KISS. A novelty band with big, but silly, rocksongs and makeup, but that’s it. But this was an awesome surprise. The songs are mostly overdone and some of the lyrics are downright laughable, but Destroyer is just so much freakin’ fun. And “Beth” is a beautiful ballad and roots the album giving it some real respect.

Top track: “Beth” is stunning, and “Great Expectations” is over-the-top orchestral splendidness.

This week: There’s something in the water… changes are a foot for both Andy and I…

#490 – ZZ Top, ‘Tres Hombres’

Tres Hombres (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: July 26, 1973
Label: London
Genre: Blues rock, boogie rock, southern rock, hard rock, rock and roll
Producer: Bill Ham

I had always thought ZZ Top were a bit of a joke, but this is great music – for me better than straight blues and basically almost just quintessentially 70’s American rock (which I suppose ZZ Top are).

I didn’t rate this so much at first, but it’s grown on me and I reckon I’d like to try and revisit it in a few weeks to see how I feel about it. On a random side note, I recently watched the movie Warrior, and have fallen in love with the band The National after their song “About Today” was played over the final scene and credits. Heartbreakingly beautiful song and an excellent band. I suspect it’s because of this project, but I’m noticing music more, listening more intently.