Rank a band's entire discography (studio albums, live optional if you want)

[Bridge]

Well, people beat me to Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Skid Row, Motley Crue....but NOBODY has covered Ozzy's solo albums yet!   

I'm only doing Ozzy's studio albums...

BLIZZARD OF OZZ (1980)-- 5/10
Yes, that's right, a mediocre rating.  Firstly, the production sucks on this album.  Secondly, the songs on the album (while good) have been played to DEATH.  I am so sick of hearing "Crazy Train", "Mr. Crowley", "Goodbye to Romance", and especially "I Don't Know".  This is my least favorite Ozzy album and I rarely play it anymore.  All the songs sound better on the 1987 live album Randy Rhoads Tribute.  "Suicide Solution" does fucking rock though.  Randy Rhoads' guitar work on this album was the finest of his career, to be sure.

DIARY OF A MADMAN (1981)-- 7/10
The title song is my favorite Ozzy song ever, and most of the album is pretty strong as well.  "Little Dolls" and "Believer" lower the rating, but the rest of the album is pretty solid.  Farewell Randy Rhoads, RIP.

BARK AT THE MOON (1983)-- 8/10
One of my favorite Ozzy albums, a few weak moments like "Center of Eternity" and "Now You See it, Now You Don't", but the remainder of the album rocks.  The title song, "You're No Different", and "Waiting for Darkness" stand out among my all-time favorite Ozzy songs, and "Rock N Roll Rebel" is an underrated rocker that should've gone on to become a bigger Ozzy anthem.  A strong beginning for new guitarist Jake E. Lee.

THE ULTIMATE SIN (1986)-- 8/10
Song-wise, this was a solid album from start to finish.  The only thing that sinks its rating is the tame production.  But Ozzy's voice never, ever sounded better (before or after) than it did on this album, with the song "Killer of Giants" in particular being arguably Ozzy's greatest vocal performance ever.  This record gave Ozzy his first big MTV hit, "Shot in the Dark", and songs like "Lightning Strikes" and "Fool Like You" are standout tracks.  This was the final Ozzy album for guitarist Jake E. Lee, and the first Ozzy album for drummer Randy Castillo.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED (1988) -- 7/10
Very notable for being long-standing guitarist Zakk Wylde's first Ozzy record, this album was more of a hit and miss effort.  Songs like "Miracle Man", "Fire in the Sky", and "Breaking all the Rules" were very strong, while some of the others were just mildly good.  "Crazy Babies" (an MTV video favorite) had a catchy melody but was rather silly.  The remaster CD bonus track "The Liar" was as strong as any of the album's best songs.

NO MORE TEARS (1991)-- 10/10
Ozzy's greatest album ever, and one of the best rock n roll albums ever recorded.  Incredible sound and production, Ozzy's voice was ferocious.  Every song kicked ass, with the exception of the banal "Zombie Stomp".  But the other ten songs greatly overpowered that one miss; on this album, it's tough to even name songs as being better than the others, this is the ultimate fast-paced, hard rocking, feelgood Ozzy record.  The song "I Don't Want to Change the World" earned Ozzy a Grammy win.  Zakk Wylde and Randy Castillo gave their greatest career performances on this album; this would be Randy's last studio album with Ozzy.  He would appear on Ozzy's 1993 live album Live and Loud, and ultimately pass away in 2002.  Ozzy lost another Randy!  Longtime Ozzy bass player Bob Daisley also recorded with Ozzy for the final time on this record.

OZZMOSIS (1995) -- 7/10
A good record, but another hit and miss album; this is the point where Ozzy started shying away from commercialism, and making albums just for diehard Ozzy fans.  Strong songs like "I Just Want You", "Tomorrow", "Perry Mason", and "Old L.A. Tonight" are slightly tugged down by more modest songs like "Denial" and "My Little Man", and "Thunder Underground" is pure tedium.  This record, like the ensuing Ozzy records, took me some time to fall in love with.  Notable as being Ozzy's only studio album featuring Black Sabbath member Geezer Butler on bass (Geezer had also appeared on the live album Just Say Ozzy in 1990).

DOWN TO EARTH (2001) -- 7/10
Another hit or miss album that took me some time to really love.  Good songs like "Running out of Time", "Gets me Through", and "Dreamer" are found, but then there are mediocre tunes like "Black Illusion" and "No Easy Way Out" to be found.  The album's best song is "Facing Hell", which is one of Ozzy's most ass-kicking rockers.  Ultimately, this is another record strictly for Ozzy faithfuls, shown especially on songs like "Alive" and "Can You Hear Them?".  Both songs will be lost on the mainstream, but adored by Ozzy diehards.  This was current drummer Mike Bordin's first Ozzy album.

UNDER COVER (2005) -- 6/10
Meh, a cover album.  Decent, but like all cover albums, it's nothing special.  Notable in one sense that Zakk Wylde is absent; it's the only Ozzy album (live or studio) that he has missed since joining Ozzy in 1988.

BLACK RAIN (2007) -- 8/10
A super strong, solid outing from Ozzy that hasn't been received as it deserved to be.  But of course, it's also another record that will be appreciated more by Ozzy lovers than the general public.  This album features incredible musical outings such as the title song, "Countdown's Begun", "Here For You", "Not Going Away", the deliriously awesome "11 Silver", and of course, Ozzy's highest charting U.S. single ever, the #1 powerhouse rocker "I Don't Wanna Stop".  You really outdid yourself Ozzy!  Important note: the Japanese version features two bonus tracks, one entitled "Nightmare".  Incredibly, this song is better than anything on the U.S. release, and one of Ozzy's greatest songs of all time!

[von]

Great Ozzy summary. I generally agree. I might rate a couple just a bit more or less, but all in all you called it pretty well.

[freedom78]

Pink Floyd

Piper at the Gates of Dawn - 1967 8/10
Early Floyd is psychadelic Floyd, and only rarely resembles the sounds associated with their more famous works of the 1970s.  This is partially because of the presence of Syd Barrett, whose mark on the band is clear and deep, despite only having been with them for this first album (and some spot work on the second).  That said, this is a good album, and many fans think of this early psychadelic era as their best period.  The opening tandem of "Astronomy Domine" and "Lucifer Sam" is very strong. 

A Saucerful of Secrets - 1968 7/10
With the loss of their mad genius, Syd Barrett, the band struggles to find a sound on this album.  However, that same loss sparks the ascension one of the other great musicians of this band, Roger Waters.  The Waters influence on the band, most clearly seen in later compositions like The Wall, is still developing and limited, though it shows itself in brief flashes of greatness ("Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun") that seem odd next to songs that are more reminiscent of Magical Mystery Tour Beatles. 

More - 1969 5/10
A difficult album to rate, in that it was written to score a film and, if any limits can be imposed on Floyd, this one has been.  Again, flashes of future greatness, with Waters doing most of the writing, but possibly their weakest overall effort.

Ummagumma - 1969 6/10
Ummagumma is a two part album.  The first half, a set of new studio recordings, is among the oddest recordings Floyd have ever done.  The second half, their first live release, is magnificent.  It gets points for the great live material.  The studio stuff is forgettable. 

Atom Heart Mother - 1970 7/10
Ahh!  Now we're starting to get into some serious Floyd.  At this point, Floyd has distanced itself from the great, early Syd Barrett material, and is closing in on Roger Waters own greatness.  I think of this album as the band's last, great experiment, before really finding their sound.  Some "get" this album...most don't, as it can be rather inaccessible.

Meddle - 1971 9/10
A very strong album, closing with what many think is their best track, "Echoes," which comes in at over 23 minutes in length.  We're really starting to see a more cohesive Floyd at this point.  Gilmore has really found his own voice, with his guitar playing, Waters's writing is settling into that sound that is easily definable as being Pink Floyd, and the band is, generally, in very good form.  A great album that you won't likely hear on classic rock radio.

Obscured by Clouds - 1972 6/10
Floyd doesn't like to make things easy, I guess, so before jumping into what many consider their masterpieces, they took another trip down film-scoring lane.  While an improvement over their earlier efforts in this area, the scoring leads to a less than cohesive album...one dictated by the events in the film, rather than the thoughts of the band's writers...and it suffers for it. 

The Dark Side of the Moon - 1973 10/10
What can I possibly say about this album that hasn't already been said?  Waters definitely finds his voice on this one, and the album has an incredible flow to it.  Many of the tracks are staples on classic rock radio, and to that end it is overplayed and perhaps a bit overrated.  But so many of these songs are classics, in every sense, it's difficult to give it less than stellar marks. 

Wish You Were Here - 1975 9/10
Written as a tribute to their lost compatriot, Syd Barrett, this album remains one of Floyd's timeless classics.  Soaring guitars, strong lyrics, and great song writing all make this album one of the band's strongest releases.  Bookended by the epic "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," the second and third tracks depict a band's rise to fame in a cynical, profit driven industry, while the fourth track, "Wish You Were Here," plays almost like a what-if, unrequited love song, dedicated to their lost genius.  This also shows Floyd's ability to get a fully satisfying album out of only five songs. 

Animals - 1977 10/10
After writing what would become two of their truly classic albums, this album comes off as an "in-between" to most casual listeners, and as a hidden gem to most dedicated fans.  Another of those "I've never heard this on the radio" albums, this one has all of the things that have made Pink Floyd an iconic name.  Two very short, simple tracks, surround three magnificent, epic tracks, each with a very different feel to it.  I'm uncertain as to whether this has ever been confirmed, but many consider this album to have been based on the animal hierarchy set up in George Orwell's Animal Farm, and the presence of tracks entitled "Pigs," "Dogs," and "Sheep" certainly lends credence to that theory.  However, unlike Orwell's criticism of Marxism, this plays more as a general criticism of political blindness and the abuse of power.  A great album!

The Wall - 1979 10/10
Many consider this the band's true master work, and they can hardly be blamed.  Concept album?  Rock Opera?  I rarely use those terms, because many disagree about their meaning, but it could be considered either or both of the those, and Waters's song writing really shines on this album because he's able to tell a cohesive story, with all of its ups and downs, over the course of the album's 81 minutes.  While the band often alternates between Waters and Gilmore on vocals, here Waters impassioned singing, which truly seems tinged by madness, is on display.  He's not a great vocalist, and many of these songs are out of his range, but that makes his performance all the more convincing, as he portrays a man slowly going mad with paranoia, xenophobia, and cynicism.  As he reaches for notes he can't quite hit without sounding like it's the effort of a lifetime, the listener becomes more and more convinced of the story.   

The Final Cut - 1983 8/10
A true lost gem, this began (reportedly) as a Waters solo effort, but the band was good enough to play along.  This plays like The Wall, Pt. 2.  The story isn't the same, as this focuses on Waters's own experiences, having lost his father to WWII, but the style of the songs is very reminiscent of its immediate predecessor.  While this doesn't quite measure up to that album, it still has moments of true Floyd greatness (again, not the kind they play on the radio), with tracks like "The Post War Dream," "When the Tigers Broke Free," "The Fletcher Memorial Home," and "Not Now John."  When a casual (DSoTM, TW, WYWH) fan asks me for a recommendation, I'll usually point out that, if they liked The Wall, then this album is a natural follow-up.   

A Momentary Lapse of Reason - 1987 7/10
A broken album, in that it starts off great, and ends mediocre, it is no surprise as this is Floyd's first composition without the input of Roger Waters.  Strong points include "Learning to Fly," "Dogs of War," and "On the Turning Away."  Worth owning, if only for the first half.     

The Division Bell - 1994 8/10
David Gilmore's songwriting comes into its own on this album, which is their last to date.  Soaring and cerebral, the album suddenly lacks a lot of that cynicism and bitterness that was a hallmark of the Waters era, and takes on a more positive vibe.  Despite having lost their primary songwriter, this album still fits in fairly well with the rest of the band's discography, and still sounds very much like we expect Pink Floyd to sound.

If I were recommending albums to someone who owned nothing by this band, I'd recommend buying them in the following order, based on familiarity from radio play and accessibility:

Primary Buys:
Dark Side of the Moon
The Wall
Wish You Were Here

Secondary Buys:
The Final Cut
Animals
Meddle
Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Momentary Lapse of Reason
The Division Bell

Tertiary Buys:
Atom Heart Mother
A Saucerful of Secrets
Obscured by Clouds
More
Ummagumma

[randy marsh]

Metallica

Kill 'Em All - 8/10
Ride The Lightning - 8.5/10
Master of Puppets - 10/10
...And Justice for All - 9/10
Metallica - 8/10
Load - 7/10
Re-Load - 6.5/10
Garage Inc. - 9/10
St. Anger - 2/10

spot on dude?

Thanks.? ?

I'd give 9 to kill em all and 8 to justice.. and if theyd mix st. anger again with oldschool sounds id give it at least 6? oh yeah and they would also have to cut the songs a little bit shorter.

I just had to make my comment about that st. anger rating of yours after hearing the acoustic version of all within my hands, pretty fuckin cool

[novemberparadise23]

Pink Floyd

Piper at the Gates of Dawn - 1967 8/10
Early Floyd is psychadelic Floyd, and only rarely resembles the sounds associated with their more famous works of the 1970s.  This is partially because of the presence of Syd Barrett, whose mark on the band is clear and deep, despite only having been with them for this first album (and some spot work on the second).  That said, this is a good album, and many fans think of this early psychadelic era as their best period.  The opening tandem of "Astronomy Domine" and "Lucifer Sam" is very strong. 

A Saucerful of Secrets - 1968 7/10
With the loss of their mad genius, Syd Barrett, the band struggles to find a sound on this album.  However, that same loss sparks the ascension one of the other great musicians of this band, Roger Waters.  The Waters influence on the band, most clearly seen in later compositions like The Wall, is still developing and limited, though it shows itself in brief flashes of greatness ("Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun") that seem odd next to songs that are more reminiscent of Magical Mystery Tour Beatles. 

More - 1969 5/10
A difficult album to rate, in that it was written to score a film and, if any limits can be imposed on Floyd, this one has been.  Again, flashes of future greatness, with Waters doing most of the writing, but possibly their weakest overall effort.

Ummagumma - 1969 6/10
Ummagumma is a two part album.  The first half, a set of new studio recordings, is among the oddest recordings Floyd have ever done.  The second half, their first live release, is magnificent.  It gets points for the great live material.  The studio stuff is forgettable. 

Atom Heart Mother - 1970 7/10
Ahh!  Now we're starting to get into some serious Floyd.  At this point, Floyd has distanced itself from the great, early Syd Barrett material, and is closing in on Roger Waters own greatness.  I think of this album as the band's last, great experiment, before really finding their sound.  Some "get" this album...most don't, as it can be rather inaccessible.

Meddle - 1971 9/10
A very strong album, closing with what many think is their best track, "Echoes," which comes in at over 23 minutes in length.  We're really starting to see a more cohesive Floyd at this point.  Gilmore has really found his own voice, with his guitar playing, Waters's writing is settling into that sound that is easily definable as being Pink Floyd, and the band is, generally, in very good form.  A great album that you won't likely hear on classic rock radio.

Obscured by Clouds - 1972 6/10
Floyd doesn't like to make things easy, I guess, so before jumping into what many consider their masterpieces, they took another trip down film-scoring lane.  While an improvement over their earlier efforts in this area, the scoring leads to a less than cohesive album...one dictated by the events in the film, rather than the thoughts of the band's writers...and it suffers for it. 

The Dark Side of the Moon - 1973 10/10
What can I possibly say about this album that hasn't already been said?  Waters definitely finds his voice on this one, and the album has an incredible flow to it.  Many of the tracks are staples on classic rock radio, and to that end it is overplayed and perhaps a bit overrated.  But so many of these songs are classics, in every sense, it's difficult to give it less than stellar marks. 

Wish You Were Here - 1975 9/10
Written as a tribute to their lost compatriot, Syd Barrett, this album remains one of Floyd's timeless classics.  Soaring guitars, strong lyrics, and great song writing all make this album one of the band's strongest releases.  Bookended by the epic "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," the second and third tracks depict a band's rise to fame in a cynical, profit driven industry, while the fourth track, "Wish You Were Here," plays almost like a what-if, unrequited love song, dedicated to their lost genius.  This also shows Floyd's ability to get a fully satisfying album out of only five songs. 

Animals - 1977 10/10
After writing what would become two of their truly classic albums, this album comes off as an "in-between" to most casual listeners, and as a hidden gem to most dedicated fans.  Another of those "I've never heard this on the radio" albums, this one has all of the things that have made Pink Floyd an iconic name.  Two very short, simple tracks, surround three magnificent, epic tracks, each with a very different feel to it.  I'm uncertain as to whether this has ever been confirmed, but many consider this album to have been based on the animal hierarchy set up in George Orwell's Animal Farm, and the presence of tracks entitled "Pigs," "Dogs," and "Sheep" certainly lends credence to that theory.  However, unlike Orwell's criticism of Marxism, this plays more as a general criticism of political blindness and the abuse of power.  A great album!

The Wall - 1979 10/10
Many consider this the band's true master work, and they can hardly be blamed.  Concept album?  Rock Opera?  I rarely use those terms, because many disagree about their meaning, but it could be considered either or both of the those, and Waters's song writing really shines on this album because he's able to tell a cohesive story, with all of its ups and downs, over the course of the album's 81 minutes.  While the band often alternates between Waters and Gilmore on vocals, here Waters impassioned singing, which truly seems tinged by madness, is on display.  He's not a great vocalist, and many of these songs are out of his range, but that makes his performance all the more convincing, as he portrays a man slowly going mad with paranoia, xenophobia, and cynicism.  As he reaches for notes he can't quite hit without sounding like it's the effort of a lifetime, the listener becomes more and more convinced of the story.   

The Final Cut - 1983 8/10
A true lost gem, this began (reportedly) as a Waters solo effort, but the band was good enough to play along.  This plays like The Wall, Pt. 2.  The story isn't the same, as this focuses on Waters's own experiences, having lost his father to WWII, but the style of the songs is very reminiscent of its immediate predecessor.  While this doesn't quite measure up to that album, it still has moments of true Floyd greatness (again, not the kind they play on the radio), with tracks like "The Post War Dream," "When the Tigers Broke Free," "The Fletcher Memorial Home," and "Not Now John."  When a casual (DSoTM, TW, WYWH) fan asks me for a recommendation, I'll usually point out that, if they liked The Wall, then this album is a natural follow-up.   

A Momentary Lapse of Reason - 1987 7/10
A broken album, in that it starts off great, and ends mediocre, this one is widely considered to be Gilmore's own composition, and is the band's last studio effort with Waters.  Strong points include "Learning to Fly," "Dogs of War," and "On the Turning Away."  Worth owning, if only for the first half.     

The Division Bell - 1994 8/10
David Gilmore's songwriting comes into its own on this album, which is their last to date.  Soaring and cerebral, the album suddenly lacks a lot of that cynicism and bitterness that was a hallmark of the Waters era, and takes on a more positive vibe.  Despite having lost their primary songwriter, this album still fits in fairly well with the rest of the band's discography, and still sounds very much like we expect Pink Floyd to sound.

If I were recommending albums to someone who owned nothing by this band, I'd recommend buying them in the following order, based on familiarity from radio play and accessibility:

Primary Buys:
Dark Side of the Moon
The Wall
Wish You Were Here

Secondary Buys:
The Final Cut
Animals
Meddle
Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Momentary Lapse of Reason
The Division Bell

Tertiary Buys:
Atom Heart Mother
A Saucerful of Secrets
Obscured by Clouds
More
Ummagumma

i agree whol heartedly that The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, and Wish You Were Here are must buys           Wish you were here is only 5 songs but it contains maybe pink floyds most underrated song Have A Cigar

[IFINGLOVEGNR]

Can someone please do Scorpions

[Howard2k]

KISS


- KISS - 1974 Self titled debut.? Introduced some great KISS tracks like Black Diamond, Cold Gin, Strutter, 100,000 years.? ?Somewhat loose production, but overall a great release.? ?7/10.

- Hotter Than Hell - 1974.? Quick follow up, very rough sounding recording but the remastered version does sound quite a bit better.? Tracks like Got To Choose, Parasite and Watchin' You got plenty of fan following.? Great crunching drums and some great work from Ace. 7/10.? I've seen BBF wearing a HTH shirt in the past.

- Dressed to Kill - 1975.? Bit of a chance of sound.? Certainly a bit more polished with some poppier tracks.? This release spawned their biggest hit Rock n' Roll All Nite along with fantastic live track She.? ?7/10.?

- Alive! - 1975.? Often called the definitive live album, this release captures the intense energy of the live show.? Tracks like 100,000 Years with Peter's amazing and thunderous drumming (shame it faded so fast) are real stand outs.? ?Black Diamond, She and Cold Gin really rock hard, while Let Me Go Rock and Roll really demonstrates some of the musical talent of the band.? ?Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, grab your favourite intoxicants and let this CD blow you away.? 10/10.

- Destroyer - 1976.? Another classic release.? Detroit Rock City, King Of The Nightime World, God Of Thunder, Shout It Out Loud and the commercially acclaimed Beth all graced this one.? ?Much more polished than previous efforts, probably the bands first really well produced studio record.? ?Also Bob Ezrin's first real interaction with the band.? 8.5/10.

- Rock and Roll Over - 1976.? At this point the band had musically matured a little more and the tracks show a bit more of a base complexity and diversity.? ?Ezrin was gone and there was a bit less crunch and more pop to this one.? 6/10.

- Love Gun - 1977.? Back with some of the classic KISS sound.? ?Love Gun, I Stole Your Love and Shock Me, the latter which provided a great platform for the demonstration of Ace's skills in a live environment.? ?

- Alive II - 1978.? Follow up to the fantastically successful Alive! release.? ?At this point, KISS were probably at the peak of their popularity in the U.S.? ?Some additional studio tracks were tacked onto side II of the second LP.? ?Ace's rendition of Shock Me is fantastic.? ?8/10.

- Gene Simmons - 1978.? At this point - KISS released four solo albums on the same time.? ?Gene's release was a collection of celebrities in an eclectic mix of strange songs.? ?Katey Seagal and Cher both guest starred on this release.? ?A mixed bag.? 5/10.

- Paul Stanley - 1978.? Paul's CD is the most KISS-like of all of them.? With ballads such as Hold Me, Touch Me; and some great rockers on there too like Tonight You Belong to Me.? A solid release and very easy to listen to.? 8/10.

- Ace Frehley - 1978.? Ace was probably on drugs at the time, but this is a great record all the same.? Perhaps the drugs even helped.? ?Ozone, Snow Blind and New York Groove provide a solid rock foundation while Fractured Mirror allows Ace to demonstrate his guitar skills in this inspirational instrumental.? 8/10

- Peter Criss - 1978.? Peter shows us some of his pre-KISS background and it's not pretty.? ?Peter can deliver some great rock performances (dig up a live performance of Black Diamond from the 70s!) but he did some absolute shit too.? This album is full of shit.? Thanks Peter.? 1/10.

- Dynasty - 1979.? At this point, KISS are heading head long into Disco Rock.? This is a good release actually, I Was Made For Lovin' You turns out to be a great song.? There are some other hidden gems on there too like Magic Touch. 7/10

- Unmasked - 1980.? KISS continue their ride in bubble-gum land.? More disco, some real trash, but a few hidden gems too.? You're All That I Want is not bad.? 6/10.

- Music From The Elder - 1981.? The return of Bob Ezrin, but the band goes with a concept album.? ?Although it's seen a resurgence of popularity within the fan community, for the casual fan I don't think this offers much.? ? 3/10.? ?This is officially the debut of Eric Carr on drums, replacing Peter Criss.?

- Creatures of the Night - 1982.? KISS return to a straight ahead rock group. Vinnie Vincent played most of the guitar though Ace still appears on the cover.? ?Some great thumping rock tracks here, the title track along with I Love It Loud and War Machine are all great rockers.? 8/10.

- Lick It Up - 1983.? KISS are unmasked at this point, and this marks their first release sans make-up.? ?Despite Vinnie's personality issues, he contributed to some fantastic tracks here.? ?Lick It Up, On The 8th Day, A Million To One, Not For the Innocent and Exciter and all great tracks.? 9/10.

- Animalize - 1984. KISS have replaced Vinnie Vincent with Mark St John.? ?At this point Gene Simmons is a token member, doing other things.? Mark St John tries to show how fast he can play.? It's a disjointed and sloppy release.? 4/10.

- Asylum - 1985.? KISS pick up the 80s hair band rock torch.? ?Some good rock tracks (King Of The Mountain).? Who Wants to be Lonely is another good track.? But overall, plenty of filler and cheesy lyrics.? ?5/10.? ?Mark St John is gone at this point and Bruce Kulick is on guitar.?

- Crazy Nights - 1987.? At this point, as a band they are playing great live shows, but the studio release was still quite weak.? ?Crazy Nights was a catchy pop song that had some success in the UK.? Some total crap on this CD too though.? ?Bang, Bang, You?? No, No, No?? Both crap.? 4/10.

- Hot In The Shade - 1989.? Although the Crazy Nights CD was pretty weak, the tour was quite well accepted and highlighted to the band that it was time to get back to their roots and put out a good rock CD.? None of the 80s crap anymore.? ?This was not a bad attempt, but not quite there.? Nothing amazingly standout, but overall an improvement on previous releases.? 6/10.?

- Revenge - 1992.? At this point, they bought in people like Bob Ezrin to ensure that they got things back on track.? This is a very solid release and leaves the 80s fluff period behind.? The thunderous opening of Unholy sets the pace and songs like Take It Off, Heart of Chrome and Domino bring back the rock flavour to the band.? ?They also saw some commercial success with God Gave Rock and Roll To You (II) getting airplay. 9/10.

- Alive III - 1993.? The band was seeing something or a resurgence at this point.? ?The 80s were a distant memory but this CD allowed them to document the live KISS experience and the changes that had happened since 1978.? ?Not as bombastic as Alive! but not a bad release all the same.? ?7/10.?

- Carnival of Souls - 1997.? KISS were recording this CD when the reunion came up.? The end product is slightly unfinished, but worthy of release.? A marked departure from the straight ahead "rock" of Revenge, this has a more grunge influence.? ?On a KISS CD??? Yep.? ?Bruce's guitar work on Seduction of the Innocent is quite spectacular.? ?Jungle is a great rocker.? ?An interesting release, but they never toured to support the record due to the reunion with Peter and Ace. 7/10.

- Psycho Circus - 1998.? KISS are back with the original line-up.? Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.? And some of them even played on this CD.? ?Not a bad CD, a tad predictable.? ?The title track is great.? Within (a left over from Revenge/COS?) is also another great Gene tune.? ?7/10.

- Alive IV - 2003.? ?Well to the reunion period, but ironically Ace has left and Peter is on his way.? But Peter did make it for the recording of Alive IV in Melbourne, Australia.? ?This is KISS with an orchestra and the whole things works really well.? Songs like Black Diamond have always been fantastic live, but with an orchestral accompaniment the added depth is phenomenal.? I strongly prefer the DVD release to the CD release, but both are good.? 8.5/10.


Other notable releases:
KISSOLOGY Vol I and II are available now.? Vol I is spectacular and shows the rawness of the band in their youth.? Unbeatable.? Vol III comes out just before xmas.

[Howard2k]

It amazes me that some people DON'T own Dark Side of the Moon.   Amazing release. 

[Thorned Rose]

BON JOVI

Someone might of done this already, so if they have you get a second opinion. I know much about this band. One of the greatest of all times.

1984 - Bon Jovi
Here is the debut album, raw and got some nice early 80s hard rock on it. Runaway is the steal here, made the top 40. She don't know me was good too.

1985 - Farenheit 7800
This album is slightly better than the first one, has "Only Lonely" on this album, "In and Out of Love" is great too. I like this one better...

1986 - Slipper When Wet
As you can tell, this album is just awesome, one of the best ever. 2 #1 hits, and very good in general. It's a solid album. some over 10 million copies.

1988 - New Jersey
I like this album more than SWW. It's great. 2 more #1 hits here... and as you can tell the band did crank out 4 albums in 5 years. Awesome catalog. Great album

1992 - Band broke up, but got back together. This is a slight different taste to what we've been listening to before. They hit more ballads here. Bed of Roses, I'll sleep when i'm dead, keep the faith and my fav track, "DRY COUNTY" is here. Dry County is better than November Rain even.. I love it.

1994 - Greatest Hits
This included 3 new tracks and Bon Jovi's last SMASH hit. "Always"

1995 - These Days
One of the most overlooked album in this decade, it has lots of solid songs and great lyrics, my fav album by them. "My guitar lies bleeding in my arms" is great. I love this CD.

they toured and a big layoff.... jon released his 2nd solo cd here...

2000 - Crush
I'm sure all the sell out, "new" fans heard "It's My Life" and ate it up. "Thank You For Loving Me" is probably their best track to never make the top 10. Great song, charted in the 50's though.

2002 - Bounce
Another great album, underrated as hell too. "you had me from hello" is awesome, and "Bounce" is heavy as hell. Love it. Jon always writes good lyrics.

2005 - Have a Nice Day
This album is alright, I didn't like it too much. It has about 5-7 solid songs. "Who Says you Can't go Home" is good, but I didn't care too much for it. "Bells of Freedom" is the best song I think. Good album, but their worst IMO since 1985's album.

2005 - 100,000,000 fans can't be wrong
Box set, has lots of rarities, unreleased tracks, and the best version of "Last Man Standing". Also "Rich man in a poor man's house" or whatever it's called it on here. 50 songs here, nice buy and I love it.

2007 - Lost Highway
Now, I have problems with this cd. It's got a few nice songs, but it's just flirting with other genres too much. There's some songs I just skip. It is a good cd. I'm just wanting more of Bounce and Crush albums... I still will own every BJ album they ever put out, love them too much.

Overall:

I would say a nice 8.5/10 is good for them.

They have a live album too, and a unplugged album. Those are good too, didn't mention them though. This is a great band, and the only band from the 80s that goes platium, and platium in the modern era is = to 5X platium in the 80s with all the downloads.

THanks!

[IFINGLOVEGNR]

BON JOVI

"DRY COUNTY" is here. Dry County is better than November Rain even.. I love it.

C'mon

 

[justincrowe]

Sebastian Bach (post Skid Row):


Bring Em Bach Alive - 1999

this is mostly a live album, it was released under the band name Sebastian Bach & Friends. i have to say i don't usually like live albums, but this one is pretty good and energetic. recorded in japan, the material consists mostly of Skid Row tracks, executed well by Bach and the band. there's also 5 new studio tracks on here, out of which Rock N Roll and Superjerk, Superstar, Supertears stand out the most.

i'll give this album 7 out of 10.


The Last Hard Men - 2001

this was actually Bach's first post-Skid Row project, it was recorded in 96/97 but didn't come out until 2001. it's also his first and hopefully last foray into alternative rock. The Last Hard Men was a band and Bach only appears on about half of the tracks, he isn't even the only singer. i think all band members sang on this cd, although only Bach and Kelley Deal from The Breeders are worth mentioning. the songs go from decent to pure shit. this is my least favourite Bach cd by far, but i still find slower songs like The Most Powerful Man In The World and Play In The Clouds to be decent.

i'll give this album 4 out of 10.


Bach 2 Basics - 2001

this is a compilation of tracks from various tribute albums and such, that Bach has appeared on over the years. cover albums usually suck, but this one is ok. i guess it's because Bach can pull off and imitate almost anyone. if you had any doubt about his singing ability, check this record out. there's tracks from Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Rush, Kiss etc. the cd is extremely hard to find because it was never officially released and was only available through Bach's web site. my favourite tracks are Children Of The Damned and Jacob's Ladder.

i'll give this album 6 out of 10.


An Absence Of Empathy - 2005

this is where things started looking up for Bach again. the album was released under the band name Frameshift (this is guitar wiz Henning Pauly's project), and Bach was a session vocalist for this project and not a member of the band. never the less, the album is great. the genre is technical progressive rock, i guess. i wonder if Bach's love for Rush got him involved with this project?  tracks like Push The Button and How Long Can I Resist really showcase how good Bach can be when the material is good enough.

i'll give this album 8 out of 10. recommended.


Angel Down - 2007

what can i say about this album that hasn't been said already? a truly outstanding return to form from Bach. the current band is tight as hell and the songs are better than ever during Bach's solo career. i don't really dislike anything on the album but my favourite tracks would have to be Stuck Inside (featuring the mighty W. Axl Rose) and American Metalhead (a Painmuseum cover). i don't know yet if it's my favourite album of 2007, but it's certainly in my top 5 when the year ends.

i'll give this album 9 out of 10. highly recommended.

[WeHeldTogether]

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984):  The band's first album.  Contains a lot of funk/rock songs the band became famous for, but the band doesn't sound very solid as a whole (because of numerous lineup changes) and the production isn't all that great.  5/10

Freaky Styley (1986):  Produced by George Clinton from Parliament/Funkadelic.  It's a more funkier album than their debut and contains a lot of good songs.  This album however is mostly ignored by many, but the Sly Stone cover "If You Want Me To Stay" is great. 8/10

Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1988):  By this album, the Chili Peppers had fixed their lineup problems and were back to the original lineup of Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak on guitar and Jack Irons on Drums.  It's a lot heavier than Freaky Styley, but i really enjoy "No Chump Love Sucker" and "Behind the Sun" which was one of their first truly melodic, poppy-ish songs. 8/10

Mother's Milk (1989):  Before the recording of this album, Hillel Slovak died of a herion overdose, so John Frusciante took over on guitar.  Chad Smith also took over the drums position, because Jack Irons was so distraught he left the band.  The album pretty much uses the previous album as a starting point.  John Frusciante used Hillel's style instead of creating his own, but his guitar playing is still fairly good on the album.  The best songs i think are "Stone Cold Bush" and "Knock Me Down"  I think it could have been better.  7/10

Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991):  This is considered by many critics and fans to be RHCP's best album ever.  It is first and foremost a funk album, i believe, but instead of basing the album off of previous sounds, John Frusciante brings his own guitar style to the table and the band begins to create poppier (but definitely better) songs.  "Under the Bridge" and "I Could Have Lied" were more melodic and opened up the band to a much wider audience. 10/10

One Hot Minute (1995):  After John Frusciante became addicted to heroin and left the band, Dave Navarro was hired to replace him.  This does seem like a weird hire by the band, and it sounds like it on the album.  Also, Anthony Kiedis doesn't sound his best vocally, for whatever reason.  However, there are a few good songs, like "Tearjerker" about Kurt Cobain's death.  Some fans can really enjoy this album, but others hate it: im in between. 6/10

Californication (1999) By this point, John Frusciante was off heroin and rejoined the band.  This album arguably consists of their most popular songs, like the title track, "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside."  In addition to these songs, there are other jems like "Easily" and others. 9/10

i'll do the others later.

[Megaguns]

MEGADETH

Killing is my business... and business is good:  (1985)
HIGHLIGHTS- Mechanix, chosen ones,
6.5/10, reissue 7.5/10

Peace Sells But Whos Buying:   (1986)
HIGHLIGHTS- Wake up dead, My last words, Good mourning/black friday
8.75/10

So Far so good so what: (1988)
 HIGHLIGHTS- In my darkest hour, Set the world afire
7.5/10
 
Rust In Peace (1990) The DEFINATIVE 90s metal album, Every metal fan should own this one, absolute masterwork
HIGHLIGHTS- Tornado of souls, Hangar 18, take no prisoners
9.75/10

Countdown To Extinction (1992) excellent follow up with more of the same as RIP just more commercial.
HIGHLIGHTS- High speed dirt, ashes in your mouth, skin o my teeth
9.25/10

Youthanasia: (1994)
HIGHLIGHTS-the killing road, reckoning day, addicted to chaos,
7.25/10

Hidden Treasures (1995) Excellent compilation of b sides etc, Ties togethor better than expected
HIGHLIGHTS- Go to hell, breakpoint, diadems.
8.25/10

Cryptic Writings (1997)First attempt at mainstream success, A good mix of metal/ hard rock. Very radio friendly.
HIGHLIGHTS- she wolf, the disintigrators, fff
8.5/10


Risk (1999) A blatant attempt at mainstream, and failure on all levels
HIGHLIGHTS- Prince of darkness,
3/10

The World Needs A Hero (2001)A solid return to the classic sound. Marks the departure of Marty and it certainly shows.
HIGHLIGHTS- return to hangar, 1000 times goodbye
6.75/10

Rude Awakening (live)- (2002)Good set list, Should have officially released a live concert  during the menza/friedman era. (God bless bootlegs)
7.5/10

The System Has Failed (2004?)
 HIGHLIGHTS-blackmail the universe, something that im not, the scorpion.
8.5/10


United Abominations (2007) Back to the early 90s savage lyrics killer riffs.
HIGHLIGHTS- never walk alone, play for blood, washington is next.
9/10

[Orgasmatron]

The System Has Failed was better than United Abominations with the obvious exception of Washington Is Next!

BON JOVI

They have a live album too, and a unplugged album. Those are good too, didn't mention them though. This is a great band, and the only band from the 80s that goes platium, and platium in the modern era is = to 5X platium in the 80s with all the downloads.

THanks!

What do you mean by this? I can think of at least one other band that sold in platinum numbers.. Guns N' Roses!?

[WhatIsItMan]

HELMET

I won't give any 2 albums the same rating, that way I can rank them among themselves.  Helmet can't have any higher than a 7, because there are only 7 albums, but all of these albums rock.

Strap It On - This is some RAW rock.  Awesome time signatures.  Just bad ass.  6/7

Born Annoying - This is a compilation of early b-sides & such.  Not as good as Strap It On, but has some gems.  1/7

Meantime - This is their crowning achievement.  I used to think that every song kind of sounded the same on this one, but then someone told me that even if that's true - IT'S A DAMN GOOD SONG!  7/7

Betty - This is a great record, but starts leaning toward nu-metal.  5/7

Aftertaste - This album goes in the direction of what Helmet is today.  3/7

Size Matters - This is the comeback album, and it gets back to rocking.  4/7

Monochrome - Not as good as Size Matters, but still great to have a new Helmet album.  2/7

[WhatIsItMan]

NIRVANA
Studio albums

"Bleach" - This is their rawest one.  Great stuff.  1/4

Nevermind - Classic.  4/4

Incesticide - A compilation of earlier stuff.  Sounds more like "Bleach". 2/4

In Utero - Another classic.  3/4

[WhatIsItMan]

SOUNDGARDEN

Ultramega OK - Cornell's vocals are awesome on this.  2/6

Louder Than Love - This one is so underrated.  Preview of Badmotorfinger. 4/6

Screaming Life / Fopp - This is a compilation of 2 earlier EP releases.  Sounds more like Ultramega OK.  1/6

Badmotorfinger - Yes, this is their best album.  6/6

Superunknown - Their most commercially successful album.  I'm sure you know Black Hole Sun & Spoonman.  5/6

Down On The Upside - Wonderful record.  Not as successful as Superunknown.  3/6


TEMPLE OF THE DOG

Temple Of The Dog - Classic.  1/1


CHRIS CORNELL

Euphoria Morning - Picks up where Down On The Upside left off.  2/2

Carry On - Not as good as Euphoria Morning, but great nonetheless.  1/2


AUDIOSLAVE

Audioslave - How can you go wrong mixing Soundgarden with Rage Against The Machine?  We wouldn't find out until later...  3/3

Out Of Exile - This one was pretty disappointing for me.  This CD put me to sleep fast.  2/3

Revelations - This one was just bad.  Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against The Machine are on it, so that saves it.  1/1

[mrlee]

L.A Guns But with the original members only.

Self titled- A Strong and very sleazy debut from the guys. Some classic tracks on this like sex action, one more reason, electric gypsy. A Cool album, some great riffs and fun guitar solos.

8/10

Cocked And Loaded- My Personal favourite LA guns effort. With the badass lyrics and riffs to rip and tear, to the southern feeling ballad of jayne, to the KICK ASS i wanna be your man. Yet again phil lewis makes the album for me because i love how he sings, he has such charisma which goes well with the sleazy lyrics. The albums full of great guitaring and some cool experimentation also from tracii, especially malaria, really great strange solo in the middle where he uses that strange high pitched machine, reminiscent of jimmy page. Flat out ass kicking album!!! 10/10

Hollywood Vampires- Sees the band producing way more ballads to try and keep the success of ballad of jayne from the previous album. Annoyingly tbh, as i love there rock songs more. But crystal eyes is a great ballad, and over the edge of course you may have heard it in point break. The rock songs well, they are fairly good but they always have a semi acoustic guitar tone, its just not as heavy and doesnt grab you by the balls like the previous efforts did. Some lie 4 love is a great ac/dc sounding track, phils vocals yet again make the song for me. A decent album but fails to kick your ass like previous albums did. 5/10

Vicious Circle-  This album was released in 1994, vampires released in 1991. We all know how the music scene went over those years of change. So its by no surprise this album sees the band trying out different directions (strangely this album has crystal eyes on it also). HOWEVER the band actually pull off these different sounds pretty good. From the thrash metal style of killing machine (awesome song) to the very danceable beats of fade away and the extremely psychedelic chasing the dragon, however the album seems to fall short of quality after track 9 and stays a bit tame for my liking. A decent album regardless of the direction change. 7/10

After this phil lewis, the person that makes the band for me, is in and out and the line  up changes around it.

Producing substandard albums.  i havent heard tales from the strip, apparently its good, but i hear its tracii less.

you need phil and  tracii together for it to be LA GUNS.

[freedom78]

NIRVANA
Studio albums

"Bleach" - This is their rawest one.  Great stuff.  1/4

Nevermind - Classic.  4/4

Incesticide - A compilation of earlier stuff.  Sounds more like "Bleach". 2/4

In Utero - Another classic.  3/4

Just to clarify, is that four-out-of-four-out-of-ten?  So, 4/4 is good for what it is, but it only qualifies as 4/10, because they ruined music?  That's my understanding.

[Dead N' Bloated]

Metallica

Kill 'Em All - 7/10

Master of Puppets - 8/10

Ride the lightning - 7.5/10

...And Justice for All - 9.5/10

Black - 6.5/10

Live Shit - 9.8/10

Load - 9.9999/10

Reload - 5.5/10

Garage INC - 7/10

SN'M - 7/10

St Anger - 7/10


Pantera

Cowboys from Hell - 9/10

Vulgar Display of Power - 9/10

Far Beyond Driven - 9.999/10

The Great Southern Trendkill - 10/10

Live 101 - 8.5/10

Reinventing the Steel - 8/10