Chief, that's some serious knowledge and appreciation - this is why I love this place so much - the (Heavy) breadth of experience and info to inform, guide and potentially stimulate a punt which may (or may not!) lead to a whole new vista of musical satisfaction. I only have Slave To The Grind but when passions run so deep, it would surely be remiss not to investigate further? Nice one.
I was always on the "no SR without Bach" train. The singers after him just didn't do it at all for me for various reasons, while the solo-shows were always good. That is until Gronwall entered the picture. The show last month was brilliant. He didn't only bring near-perfect vocals, but also a very positive energy. A winner on every level. At this point it would a major downgrade to get Bach back. He screams more than he sings these days, and his attitude is not good at all.
I saw Skid Row with Johnny Solinger. For a club level band they were incredible. One of those best band in the world that night scenarios.
Other stuff is definitely worth checking out, but Slave to the Grind is the gold standard so you probably won't come across anything you might like as much. The s/t is essential, to be sure--every track is a classic. Subhuman Race kicks things up even heavier than SttG, and the B-Sides Ourselves EP, while not essential, sees them tackle some fun covers by Ramones, Hendrix, Priest--maybe Rush too? I am blanking now, ha. Post-Bach, as you can gather, is less unanimous. I really couldn't get into their two earlier 2000s albums, Thickskin and Revolutions Per Minute. Not bad, but just not something I was super into. There were a couple of EPs later, United World Rebellion chapters 1 and 2. Those have some solid songs, but as EPs, the not so solid tracks take away a lot. The newest album, The Gang's All Here, is excellent. Others will have different opinions, of course.
Skid Row Studio album by Skid Row Released January 24, 1989 Recorded 1988 Studio Royal Recorders, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Genre Glam metal[1][2][3][4] heavy metal[5] hard rock[6] Length 39:28 Label Atlantic Producer Michael Wagener
I'm currently listening to Aerosmith's Gems, which I first listened to as part of the recent Aerosmith album by album thread. I can't think of a compilation that feels as much like a cohesive proper album as Gems. This thing just flows so well. I've listened to it so much since that first time. I listen to Aerosmith a lot anyway, but that thread definitely helped bump them into my #3 slot on the Spotify wrapped thing this year (with the Stones at #1, KISS at #2, Soundgarden #4 and Faith No More #5).
I've listened to every Skid Row album except for "The Gang's All Here", and I don't personally like any of them. So, I gave them a shot. As for getting over Bach, people go to a Skid Row concert to hear the songs that Sebastian Bach sang. 99% of the audience doesn't want to hear anything from "Thickskin" or "Revolutions Per Minute". If Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo want people to "move on" from Bach, then do like Van Halen did with Sammy Hagar and play mostly songs from the Johnny Solinger and Erik Gronwall era, and just do a couple of Bach era hits.
I like how everything is Bach's fault, but Rachel and Dave have been through enough members that they can't really claim that Bach is the only issue. A lot of people have worked with Bach on Broadway shows and tv series, you don't hear them complaining about "how difficult he is".
Definitely a good compilation and companion to the old red greatest hits album. The inclusion of Chip Away The Stone (studio) made it a no brainer purchase for me.
add in bachs current solo touring band has one guy thats been there over 15 years and another about a decade and and few former members that were there 10+ years
I'm still properly aggravated by them conspicuously advertising those reissues the "complete" performances when they're both still missing songs. Did anyone ever work out whether the reissues use the same mastering as the original two-disc set?
LB, I don't think either set was ever solar system slaying in terms of sound (not to slate old T. Wilson, Esq. in any way, I must emphasise) as Donnington throughout the 80s was generally a somewhat agricultural affair, certainly when stood in that particular auditorium of smelt so I'm not sure remastering any of it seems vaguely fruitful. That being said and as I've noted before, that first show ('83) always sounded far better on the radio (as well as the attendant Maxell!) so when it (they) appeared on CD, I bagged the set as a Dio completist, entirely unphased by sonic credentials.
From what I've heard, I'm not blown away by Dio at the Spectrum either. The live sound in indoor sheds was generally atrocious in the second half of the decade that I experienced. The sound systems then just weren't up to sports arenas, civic centers, and convention centers, unless your band's name was Iron Maiden. Maybe they just didn't give Claude Schnell enough resources.
Scorpions: Savage Amusement Still chugging through the Scorpions' discography. This one is pretty fun. Good clean guitar tones and some good harmonic elements. Vocals are amazing. Highly enjoyed this one. (From DROffline MkII) (Scorpions - Savage Amusement )
I love this album a lot. It was always going to be a tough task to follow-up Love at First Sting. While I would never say this album is better than ...First Sting, it’s such a solid album in my mind, and had a bit more groove to it than prior albums. As far as a batch of solid albums, I’d put Lovedrive through Savage Amusement up against the best of an equal number of back-to-back albums from most other metal bands. (Iron Maiden would be high on that list for me, too.) And look at those DR values! Ah, the he good ‘ole days.
I didn’t hear this album until years after it was released. I learned the intro synth part to Touch and Go and it’s about the extent of my keyboard skills along with the opening riff to Rush’s Subdivisions. Someone created the almost-exact synth sounds for a number of synth-dominant songs that you could load into a program like GarageBand and then play via your midi keyboard. My favorite from this album, though, is Step Aside. A cool little song.
Just listened to "Step Aside," now on to "Lay Down Your Guns." Unfortunately, my side 2 has a lot of surface noise. Two 80s ballads that shoud've taken off.
Aerosmith was my gateway into all things rock 'n roll and subsequently metal in about 1980 or so. I would have been around 13. My dad had just brought me home Kenny Rogers - The Gambler on vinyl. I thought it was the cats meow. A few days later I was scrolling through the radio on the family's hi-fi and heard Aerosmith's Walk This Way. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was like nothing I had ever heard before. A few days later, I took the bus to the local head shop after school and picked up the cassette of Toys In The Attic and the rest was history.
