Heaven and Earth

A friend of mine told me he liked the cover art. What about the music?
this is a project from Stuart Smith. What is a project? It is, usually, the concept of a guitar player and some singers contribute in several songs.
Most notable singer is Joe Lynn Turner, who does specially well in Shadow of Tyburn tree, and the title record, heaven & earth...
Richie Sambora makes a great intervention in another great song, with feelin', Deep Purple cover, When a blind man cries, also singing. Richie has a really nice voice who always has lived at Jon's shadow ... at least he knows to play greatly guitar.
The rest are just average songs, but there are quite a lot of well known rock musicians, so I would say this is worth your money ...

8/10 great to have

grandes canciones

i can't remember exactly why i bought this record, ... i hadn't heard mujer amante yet but i knew it sounded like rainbow, and i had heard astronomo, being barilari's spanish version of stargazer, so i had to try out.
it is not a record i use to listen to but it is a great compilation, that is for sure.
a great double cd, lyrics in, and nice booklet.
and the music also, it sound like rainbow. it has excellent songs, amongst them: the famous mujer amante, noche sin sueño -nice instrumental-, el sueño de la gitana, por que es tan dificil amar, the story of la leyenda del hada y el mago, really really great, capricho arabe ...
also, as a bonus it has 4 videos in the second cd. well, this is really nice. a nice surprise.

i love buying cds, but without knowing that they will be soo good. highly recommended for all rainbow fans. though i prefer the music in english, rata blanca are able to sing really well

10/10 brilliant compilation.

nine lives

the last record i bought from aerosmith. not a brilliant one... well i guess i exige always most to the well known bands.
i like very much: falling in love, taste of india, and yes, i like the -bonus- ballad i do not want to miss a thing... yes, so comercial... ok, but i like it.
the ballad hole in my soul is a great one, also, but i prefer the old ones as what it takes, cryin' or crazy ... special mention to angel

so this is a strange record. ia m supposed to like more songs from this super band, but ... i really do not dig in into most of the second part of the record. shame

7/10 just nice to have

destination anywhere

second solo record for jon bon jovi. a peaceful one, with, maybe, a soul smile ...
curiously, the track that i love most is the heaviest one, or i think so. it is carried full of emotion, anger and resignation at the same time. it is the track that puts this record in the map, and maybe help his personal ghosts. August 7th, 4:15 came unfortunately from a tragedy, and i guess jon put his soul into it. great song, sad loss. maybe it reminds me to praying mantis naked, another great song from a sad loss.
the other song i dig in is midnight in chelsea. it is nice, peaceful.
the rest of the record still has to be discovered ... time to time

7/10 very nice to have

Mr Moonlight

When I first heard it, I saw it was no more classic Foreigner ... :-(
but ... there were pretty damn good songs: White lie, rain, under the gun, hand on my heart, and overall the one which haunts me most: running the risk, where Lou sings his heart off, a passioned song with feelin'...
So it is true, no more classic songs, but a Foreigner record can not be bad. The team Lou-Mick was a powerful one, and sadly will not be in the next studio record, which might exit out by middle year ...

8/10 very nice to have

The very best and Beyond ... Foreigner

A great compilation with 3 new songs, 2 of them outstanding: With heaven on our side and prisoner of love. Lyrics included, but just for the new songs
This is a great way of making a greatest hits.
Nearly all of their hits are here:

Cold as ice, feels like the first time,
hot blooded, double vision,
head games, rev on the red line,
urgent -please see that saxo solo! amazing-,
waiting for a girl like you, that was yesterday, I want to know what love is...

Just missing: Long long way from home, starrider... but you can not ask for more in one CD only. I would not have minded to be a 2cd compilation.

Composition teamed Jones/Gramm is perfect, Lou's voice is also full of feeling and power.

Did I say I love Foreigner... without a doubt with Journey, the kings of aor, heart- breaking/ breathing ballads who also rock with power.

10/10 brilliant

The day i went mad

This actually deceived me. It is long since I do not listen to it.
Only liked the title track, which is a poor.
Not classic rockers, not classic ballads... a record to forget, in my humble opinion, and I have nearly all of his.
But truth be told, this one I do not like it.
Even that most of the record is written by (his wife?... not sure about this, I would have to check...), and I know some of the songs written by Jo, I like them, but the ones in this record, unfortunately not...

5/10 just for gb gans

Let the wild run free

This one as the other one.
Best ones: let the wild run free, Jimi Hendrix's the wind cries mary and In a perfect world.
Of course, a f**king booklet with nothing in it, no lyrics, no photos, just the credits.
None of the songs composed by Graham Bonnet (why?), and 4 or 5 songs i can not stand for, but somehow, the ones mentioned save the record.

I guess it is also rare and hard to find ....

7/10 nice to have

To Oz and back

This one was of course because of Graham.
anyway it had many great players, drummer Cozy Powel, Ray Fenwick and Jan Akkerman at guitars ...
Compositions are mainly from Ray, it is not a bad record, but not what I would consider typical hard rock.
Anyway a couple of songs i really love: Always and Desire. These are truly superb. In Desire, Graham voice's shines at maximum.

Hard to find. Very rare.

7/10 nice to have

handbags & gladrags

this is the 3rd rod stewart big hits in a row. It is a double cd and i bought it also because it was not expensive and seemed a nice collection
but the songs, and there are a lot, are not my favourite

what i die for are his ballads, his all slow and heavenly produced, which send you to a special place full of sensuality and love ... :-) ... ultimate intimate romance

7/10 not special, just nice to have

if we fall in love tonight

another best of the ballads from rod. the new ones were absolutely fantastic.
if we fall in love, for the first time, when i need you sometimes when we touch, awful love (+ bryan adams + sting) ;-)
have i told you lately, broken arrow, plus some other classics ...

all for intimate moments with a good company and time to spend on

very very very nice slow ballads ... enough said

by the way, the version i have is the 15-songs promo

10/10 brilliant

the best of rod stewart

this was my first rod stewart record, and it was a best of, since the price i got for it was a steal.

favourites are maggie may (of course), you wear it well, da ya think i am sexy? -the first time i heard it i could not dig in-, downtown train, the first cut is the deepest, tonight's the night ...

i do not like rod stewart rock songs but exceptions, but i find unique his style and voice for these slow slow heart breathing ballads

so strange in my hard rock/aor/heavy metal discography, but i like it :-D.

the booklet is poor amd lyrics are missing ... :-(

9/10 brilliant

Dream Evil

Dream Evil was the confirmation ronnie would make great songs instead of great records. do not get me wrong, i love Ronnie James Dio, even went to see him on tour (the last in live) and I really love his records, but the most complete he did was the last in line. Then he is able to make 2 or 3 outstanding songs per record, but that is not enough from all of us who love him since his Rainbow and Black Sabbath history...
The best songs here are dream evil, night people, and the epic ballad All the fools sailed away, which by the way is not enough well-known song. This 7-minute epic ballad is outstanding, and it should get more recognition than it had.

7/10 nice to have

Sacred Heart

After getting The Last in Line, Sacred Heart become a bit deception. However, Sacred Heart contains one of the greatest rock songs that ronnie ever penned: RNR children. Also there are 2 great songs: sacred heart and hungry for heaven... but sincerely, for the rest of the song i could not dig into them.
King of rnr, even dedicated to Ozzy was not my cup of tea, so the rest. Finding the last in line so melodic from the beginning till the end, this one was just deception.
Anyway it will get high punctuation since it has really outstanding classic songs.

8/10 nice to have

Infinite

The cover art, as most of Stratovarius record is absolutely great. The music is not good, but i expected it even better.
Best songs are the single and first one hunting high and low, with a somehow strange and funny video.
The other one I really love is a million light years away .
The rest of the songs are just average, maybe millenium gets a more hypnotic rythm, but it just does not convince me completely.
This one is a limited 2cd version which included 2 bonus songs, which are not great but give the whole package a bonus value.

7/10 nice to have

Visions

Visions is a great record. It is the first one from Stratovarius that i bought.
The style is something in between heavy metal and speed metal, but highly melodic.
Songs as Kiss of Judas -maybe dedicated in the video to Galileo, just maybe-, black diamond, forever free, and the ballads before the winter -with really nice harp accords - & coming home are amongst the best ones. Worth to make a listening.

The song visions reflects, as well as the cover, Nostradamus prophecies.

9/10 great to have

back to the innocence

this is a mellow record. a great one. signed by one of the best aor composers.
so you can expect the melodies with an intimate touch. not as intimate as for a lifetime. i would better say personal more than intimate. i mean, they are not as majestic as in journey, but more personal.
i bought it long time ago, maybe 10 years ago. and i have to recognize it is long since i do not hear it, but this does not mean i do not like it.
best songs: something sacred, full circle, distant shores and little river

no great pretensions, but great music

8/10 nice to have

chosen ones

the best of from stratovarius, apparently a list 'chosen' by the fans.
lyrics are in there, and i bought it basically because i wanted one song, and it won't be a bad idea to have the best of from hte previous records i did not own ... sadly i think different right now. i think very few records best of are really nice ones.
this one is something in between, though i have to admit it has very few listen and it is almost intact, yes absolutely intact.
some of the songs are great

8/10 nice to have

out in the fields

another very best of, not the ballads one ... but the hits.
not a bad one. a double record, one bonus disc
out in the fields -one of the best songs, with feelin' teaming up with main lizzy man, this one is a great rocker and gives title to this compilation-, empty rooms, over the hills and far away, the loner -one of the best solo melodies in a song, forgotten because the commercial success of still got the blues-, military man -again a song with phil-, wild frontier, friday on my mind and the perennial still in love with you. this song is fabulous, though i prefer it with phil's voice, of course, as well as parisienne...
i can't stand about the live version of parisienne walkways. sorry. i can't. the studio version is sooo perfect. said it again?
the bonus record is mostly packed with live renditions. this is a cool way for a hits record.
lyrics in ;-)

9/10 nice to have

very best of meat loaf

this is how to make a correct compilation.
they lyrics are in, nice photos and 2 new songs. a double record.
it is not nothing really special, but is more than we were used to.

so that is why i find it a correct best of.
the songs also make it, so are nearly all bat out of hell, bat out of hell II, dead ringer for love ...

the songs are great, no doubt

9/10 great to have

best of white lion

another best of i am ashamed of.
never again buy this 'record company' greatest hits. no matter what price.
no lyrics, no special packaging/booklet, and of course missing the songs completely...

for me road to valhalla, fight to survive, el salvador from the first record are indispensable ... and are not here :-S
and also poor living version of lady of the valley is not acceptable either. their first acoustic accords are ... not ... in

so ... :-S ... thank god internet arrive to save us from the ashes ... :-)

6/10 how not to make a compilation.

bare bones

a soft record ... with a jazz smile
i just listened to it a couple of times
not exactly the style i was wishing for, but the music was good, just not slightly different: big difference

i prefer jonathan into the big aor world, in which, his tunes shine brilliantly and majestic, with feelin'

7/10 a different point of view. nice to have

Double Platinum

If you buy this one is because:
-you are a die hard ... then it is ok
-you know nothing about Kiss ... go buying alive records instead.

This is how a compilation must not be done.
Nothing special.

The music is great, the package is poor.

7/10 I wish I had not bought it

the ballad of jayne

this single was cheap, so i bought it because i remember this was the first song made my girlfriend cry...
it is an emotional ballad ... dedicated i think to jayne mansfield.
i have seen the video, but i do not like it as much, but for the song, i think it is not good, it is great.
it belongs to la guns ballads, as crystal eyes and it's over now, which i really like

9/10 brilliant

Appetite for Destruction

After listening the illusion records, I remember I was told this one was superior ... could not believe it, so I made a listening. From the first listening I understood the concept that I call 'dirty rock' and was a bit heavy for me then ... too much noise :-S ... But without a doubt the record was melodic and powerful, just was dirty, very very dirty ... soon I knew why this was so high acclaimed.
Instant classics for me were Welcome to the jungle, night train, i think about you, sweet child o' mine, paradise city ...

It is a great record, it does not have fillers. However the illusion records are great too... just slightly different, since they are very much more polished than this one, but the spirit is there.

I remember preferring this cover as well to the uncensored one, which was much more rawer.

10/10 classic status

Use your Illusion II

There was a time when I thought the II was better than the I. Not anymore. Both are great. Maybe second is mellower ... but, as I already said ... who cares

Stranged, you could be mine, civil war, don't cry, 14 years, yesterdays, get in the ring, and dylan's version knocking on heaven's door ... all great songs.

The riffs from stranged are really impresive ... and as November rain or Coma ... it is not easy to get a 9 minute song so good all the time!!

The strange play Guns did was to disappear from the world and leave millions of fans starving for such kind of great records :-( ... shame ... They could have been as huge and legendary as Led Zeppelin, Kiss...
they had an enormous potential, but did not take profit of it. A real rnr life ...

10/10 brilliant

Use your Illusion I

This record is somehow special for me since was one of the first ones i bought ... in k7... yesterday I got the cd version. Guns n'Roses opened the whole spectrum of hard rock/heavy metal bands for me. And the illusion records were key for me that time. I also began listening to the radio ... and I finally found that I prefered this music to the radio music :-)
All the tracks are good enough, or I have listening to them so many times that I am not impartial ;-)
But they shine specially coma, november rain, don't cry, back off bitch, right next door to hell, double talkin' jive ...

Guns n'Roses was a phenomenon. They just were not another band. It is true, that the marketing campaign it was done helped a lot to get world wide known... but I think it was well deserved. And there was a time that you could not get a magazine without seeing them in the cover ...

10/10 brilliant

Underground

This one I bought it because it was Graham Bonnet, and I just 'needed' to have all his records. But it is not a good one. The melody is lost, compositions are strange ... well not my cup of tea... nothing to do with the greatest Alcatrazz records, assault attack, stand in line, down to earth ... :-(
The wind cries mary and lost in hollywood are amongst the best track, and I prefer the Rainbow version of lost in hollywood.
At least the booklet is nice, and the lyrics are included ... wow ... and the version I own is the japanese one.

5/10 just for graham fans

lego

for lego fans, my (& kids) lego collection

http://legadodelego.blogspot.com/

Here comes the Night

Ok, this one is not a heavy metal or hard rock. This one is a cover/tribute from Graham. And most of them are ... well, to say it better I would divide them into 2 groups, the rythmical ones, which most of them I do not like ... :-( , and the soft and long melodic ones, which are the ones i am most into.
Don't, here comes the night, change is gonna come, the classic only one woman, I go to sleep, look, don't touch ... so there is still a bunch of really great songs, more for a passionate night than to rock n'roll all nite ;-P

Curiously, one of the ones I like most is a song from his wife Jo Eime (look don't touch).

One of the best voices in metal to ballad service. Interesting.
The pain for me is that he has composed lots of great songs, but somehow Graham sings more than compose ... is this good? Well, it is not bad, but his really style, for me, are the songs he has written ... and I love them :-)

7/10 nice to have