Attila “Attila” … a 1970 Billy Joel Metal Album!
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#768 in the Series) is Attila, Attila Close the door. Make sure you lock it too, and then turn your speakers up to 10. Attila is an underrated masterpiece. Consisting of Billy Joel on organ, Jon Small on drums, this album has remained long out of print since its release in 1970. It still has not gotten a proper reissue. Some people love it, some people don’t. Billy Joel himself has called it “Psychedelic bullshit.” I am one of those people who enjoys this album, and it just might be one of the most underrated albums in progressive rock history, simply because not a lot of people know it. But, if you...
Montrose “Montrose”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#637 in the Series) is the Montrose debut release, Montrose. When was the last time you pulled this one out of the rack? Talk about an album that sounds as good in ’12 as it did in ’73. I’m truly amazed how timeless this one sounds. I’m betting that twenty years from now I’d be saying the same thing. I listened to this one about a year ago for the first time in a decade, at least. I couldn’t get over how much fun I had in reminiscing. The groove in “Space Station #5” really stood out. I think I played the darn song twice. Of course you still have the...
Rush “Caress of Steel”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#612 in the Series) is Rush, Caress of Steel Rush really started making a name for themselves with the 1976 release of their classic album 2112. That really started things going for them and it progressed another huge step forward a year later with the live release of All the World’s a Stage. Before that however they have three albums that laid the groundwork for what was to come, you had to get stuff for the live album from somewhere. The first album was simply called Rush. What’s that album know for? Quite simply, it’s known for being the album that didn’t include Neil Peart as a band member. “Finding My Way”...
Deep Purple “Made in Japan”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#568 in the Series) is Deep Purple, Made in Japan. 40 years ago today, Dec. 3, 1971, Frank Zappa was playing the Montreux Casino. That night, some stupid with a flare gun, burned the place to the ground… I think you may have heard about that…. One of the all-time, classis live hard rock albums is the perfect way to describe Deep Purple’s release, Made in Japan. The oddity of it all is that this album wasn’t even supposed to happen. Deep Purple had just released their super successful album, Machine Head in March of 1972. The support tour for that album brought the band to Japan. The Japanese wing of their label at...
Black Sabbath “Paranoid”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#292 in the Series) is Black Sabbath, Paranoid. Black Sabbath, Paranoid…… I don’t think I need to say much about this one now do I? This was one of the very first metal albums that I owned. I have a feeling that many of us can say that. Hey, and we turned out alright, didn’t we? I went to a rather conservative catholic high school in suburban Chicago. We had a bus driver that had hooked up a pair of speakers about half way back towards the ceiling. He looked like George Carlin. He used to blast the 8-track of this on the way to school about 8:00 in the morning. How cool was...
UFO “The Chrysalis Years (1973-1979)”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (# 553 in the Series) is UFO, The Chrysalis Years, (1973-1979). I am going to delay with the normal album review inroduction and substitute it with: IT’S ALL HERE! ALL YOU COULD WANT FROM THIS SEMINAL 1970’S HARD ROCK JUGGERNAUT. AND IT COSTS LESS THAN NINETEEN DOLLARS ON LINE! Now that I have that out of my system…… UFO was a great heavy rock band that my friends and I worshipped as teenagers in suburban Chicago. My first show was UFO at the Aragon Ballroom on October 10, 1975. This group had everything. UFO possessed the piledriving rhythm section of Peter Way (bass) and Andy Parker (drums). They featured serviceable short term...
Budgie “I Were Brittania I’d Waive The Rules”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#550 in the Series is) Budgie, If I were Brittania I’d Waive the Rules. Budgie was a Welsh loud rock band that recorded most of their catalog in the 70’s. I always liked them because their sound always had a unique vibe to me. A little metal here, a little blues rock there, a little prog-rock here, etc. I always loved bands that you just can not pigeon hole. They had about six definitive albums. It was not the best reviewed, nor the best accepted, but for some reason I was always partial to Brittania. The main reason was one song, one that I always loved. (Whenever I had parties I used...
Lucifer’s Friend “Lucifer’s Friend”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#482 in the Series) is the debut from Lucifer’s Friend. If ever a band fit the category “cult,” it’s Lucifer’s Friend. I guarantee 90% of casual rock music fans will respond “Lucy-who’s what?!” Unfortunately, they also join the long list of bands that never were quite able to surpass, or even equal, their debut album. It’s like the old adage- bands have twenty years to make their first album. They’ve got six months for the follow up. I can still remember the day I bought Lucifer’s Friend’s 1970 debut, some 38 years ago. (It wasn’t released in the US ‘til around ‘73.) I was actually buying The New York Dolls debut when a curious-looking...
Alice Cooper “Easy Action”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#480 in the Series) is Alice Cooper, Easy Action I’ve always had a soft spot for Alice Cooper. No, let me rephrase that—I’ve always been a diehard Alice Cooper fanatic! It all stems from AC being the first “real” band I ever saw, back in 1972 on the School’s Out tour. I was 13 years old, and alone. To say the event was life-changing would be an understatement. The seedy, yet exciting, world of rock n’ roll was now at my fingertips and in living color! Even better—there were no grownups to be found! But, first, let’s back up just a tad… Following their experimental and, quite frankly, bizarre debut album, Pretties For...
Aerosmith “Toys In The Attic”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#404 in the Series) is Aerosmith, Toys In The Attic. Well, it took 404 entries into our little project here, but we’ve finally gotten around to featuring Aerosmith. I many could say that they’re one of the State’s best bands. I know that’s easily debatable. One thing that I don’t think is debatable is that they are one of the State’s best hard rock bands. Me personally? I’m not the one to say much about who’s who in the hard rock genre. It’s not near the top of my list of favorites, but there was a period when I was into Aerosmith for a while. This was that period along with the albums...
