Warrior soul

Nice package, nice offer, so I got it. I would not have bought it otherwise.
You're my family and heaven I see are the best songs in the record, but honestly, I would have been deceived if I had bought it normal edition at the highest price.
My edition with bonus cd, a sticker and additional booklet is a nice addition though i find the music a bit weak... :-(
I can only recommend it to real doro fans.

nice Doro pictured!

7/10 nice to have

2008 best songs

New Ones

Alice Cooper - Vengeance is mine, Salvation
Motley Crue - Saints of Los Angeles, Face down in the dirt
Journey - After all these Years, Where did i lose your love, What i needed
Bryan Adams - Oxygen, Tonight we have the stars, Back to you
Whitesnake - All i want all i need, Can you hear wind blow
Children of Bodom - Banned from Heaven, Bloodrunk
Asia - Never Again
SIXX AM - The heroin diaries

Old Ones

Tierra Santa - La cancion del Pirata (I y II)
Snowblind - Possession , Chasing the Dragon
UFO - Back into my life
Hammerhead - Don't cry your life away
White Lion - Road to Valhalla
Bryan Adams - I was only dreaming
Asia - Only time will tell, the smile has left your eyes

Billion dollar babies

I do not have the expanded 2cd version this time! shame :-(
It is a great record, but mainly because there are the following hits, which justify the purchase:
Hello hurray, elected, billion dollar babies and no more mr nice guy.

Billion dollar baby Rubber little lady, slicker than a weasel Grimy as an alley, loves me like no other lover Billion dollar baby Rubber little monster, baby I adore you Man or woman living couldn't love you like me baby

These titles are awesome enough. The rest it more or less forgettable (maybe with the exception of i love the dead, yes).

I remember buying the record, more than 15 years ago. I did not know it was such good, although i already had a best of in k7.

10/10 classic status

Hysteria

This one is believed by many as a classic. Even people who do not like hard rock/metal consider this one the best of their discography. It is true, this one made Def Leppard take off, but does not mean it is the best... however it is good enough.
Women, rocket, animal, love bites, hysteria, gods of war ...

I always prefered pyromania to this one, and my favourite is high n'dry.

Thanks to JL who brought it to me directly from Japan, yes, another japanese record.

If you are not sure if you can go to hard rock, this one is a good start.

10/10 classic status

The ultimate Sin

Out on the streets I'm stalking the night
I can hear my heavy breathing
Paid for the kill, but it doesn't seem right
Something there I can't believe in
Voices are calling from inside my head
I can hear them, I can hear them
Vanishing memories of things that were said
They can't try to hurt me now
But a shot in the dark One step away from you
Just a shot in the dark Always creeping up on you

and

If none of us believe in war Then can you tell me what the weapon's for? Listen to me everyone If the button is pushed there'll be nowhere to run

This record is not only 2 songs, but these two are most obsessive to me ... specially the first, which I consider Ozzy's best performance ... enough for getting a record from Ozzy.
I actually consider Dio's best vocals and songwriting, but these 2 songs are just incredible for me ... I just wanted to own them :-)

8/10 nice to haved

2007 Best Songs

New Songs

Girl with Golden Eyes
Humanity
Vendetta
When we were younger

Discovering Old Songs

Everytime i die
I am not afraid
24x7
The wraigth of the rings
Chasing the dragon
Magdalaine

2006 ...

Broken Soul
Without you
No chance to live


2005 ...

If i die tomorrow
die dead enough
king of 1000 years

The best of both worlds (VH)

It is the same title for another compilation I have. Now this is VH turn. And in a similar case as Marillion, each world had a different singer. I am not a big fan of compilations because unless they are package-cared they normally suck, but founding this a real steal ... I said, ok!
What's in there?36 songs, 3 new ones which are forgettable, but most all of the classics in there... a few lines and covers to support it, well, not bad...
I would have included light up the sky, although I'll wait is a nice surprise ... and I miss of course mine all mine, and I would have included catherine ... wow ... i would have had better ideas for a memorable package (as time3, pandora's box, life and crimes, vagabonds-kings, warriors-angels ...) ... maybe next time...

8/10 nice to have

Princess Alice and the broken Arrow

I waited anxious to this one after hearing 'On a storyteller's night'.
I think it reached my expectations quite good. I mean, you can never count on surpass that masterpiece...
When we were younger and you'll never sleep are instant classics, and amongst these ones, titles as dragons are real, and Your lies -which went to obsession inside my head- rocks powerfully.
Time for ballads, inside my head, and mid tempos as eyes wide open or like brothers we stand.
I would say a quite nice effort from this timeless band, and I would love to see them live ... let's cross fingers..
It brings a dvd that I still have to watch carefully. Not indispensable but you have to have it if you love great music :-)

9/10 nice to have

Hour I

i was wondering if this one could top unbreakable. and i am happy to say it is not as god, but not worse as it. so happy to have two great consecutive records from the germanics

we were born to fly, the marvelous humanity, love is war, love will keep us alive, the future never dies ... it is packed with great songs although the first one, Hour I is a bit weak for my taste

good record, strange cover, it could only be a ufo or scorpions record :-D

of course my edition is the japanese one :)

9/10 great record

Come to the light

this is the solo record from Rob Bendelow, main guitar player and main composer from Saracen. I've never met anyomen who knew this band ... so sad. Since Heroes being one of the 5 records i would brought to an island, this one is a decent and nice record, but unfortunately it does not have the magic i was jonesing for.

just to have some enjoyable listenings but nothing extra...




7/10 nice to have

songs

omega: the dark, the prophet, the child, shadows of the past (such a melody only found in dh!!)






hammerhead: don't cry your life away







iron maiden: piano tribute






queensryche: empire, chasing blue sky, real world
6x am: heroin diaries, life is beautiful, girl with golden eyes, tomorrow
diamond head: skin on skin, this planet and me
udo: 24x7
helloween: heaven tells no lies, fallen to pieces, as long as i fall, can do it
children of bodom: everytime i die, kissing the shadows, touch like angel of death, mask of sanity
bob catley: middle earth

rod stewart: some guys have all the luck, young turks, downtown train, have i told you lately, maggie may

Strangers in the Night

What can you say when you are talking about the greatest live record of all time? I use to like songs in studio, since you can listen to the song at its best, but this record is incredible. The live versions here are outstanding ...
I wanted to have the lyrics -and not only has the lyrics, but the comments in the whole concert :-)) - in such a record, so I had to had the japanese version.

Yes, without a doubt the greatest record live ... however when Michael heard the version of Rock bottom he said 'poor poor rock bottom' ... well maybe the author was too exigent, to me is reaches perfection: let it roll, what a solo!!, doctor, doctor, the incredible love to love, the powerful lights out, rock bottom, out in the street, natural thing, shoot shoot, ... this natural record is really too hot to handle :-D ... a superb collection of songs ever best performed.

You do not know what you are missing if you still do not know it ... thanks again JL for bringing it to me directly from Japan :)

Classic status, beyond any classification.

Keeper of the 7 Keys (Part 1 & 2)

This is for collectors :-)
Everybody knows the Keepers, right?
This is a special japanese edition that holds both records. Hard to get, only at high prices, or buy it at Japan or have the best of the friends to bring it for you :-) . Many thanks again JL :-D
As you can see its cover it is combination of 2 covers, being the cover of part 2 the one that appears at the window behind the keeper...
Could any collector be happier :-))
I will not review this special one, because I understand there is no need, and this one will be one of the cornerstones of my collection.

These records inspired a whole generation that I could not understand in my first listenings, around 92 ... but time heals everything and my taste improved hopefully to enjoy of this master opus.

It is so nice ... :-D

Legends

Not only is in records like Middle Earth where you appreciate how good is Gary Hughes as a composer, but being also able to produce 3 impressive hymms within the 4 first songs of this record.
The one dedicated to Elvis 'the pain', to Dracula 'shelter from the night' and to Marilyn 'tender is the night'.
Not only the music is good, but with Gary Hughes you can expect nice&not-easy lyrics but always A1 :-)

These 3 songs rate the record until 9 out of 10 ... the others songs, too late, carpe diem, ... not bad, not as incredible as the others make the lasting point to rate another perfect record from the team Burns-Catley-Hughes

Great songs need great melody, great voice, great punch and great solo, and of course the glue that fits them like a glove.

10/10 excellent

Middle Earth

Haunting record ... spectacular. Each song is tremendous ...
But truth has to be told, it is not as 'easy' as The Tower...
It was at 3rd listening that I was able to get all the power of the melodies, so I went from the nearly only song I liked The Wraith of the Rings, powerful, to understand each of them.
Marvellous choirs in The Fields That I Recall and City Walls, nice duet in Against the Wind.
I love also Stormcrow and Pilgrim and the nicest voice in Galadriel's theme ...
To finish with a rocker, this gallant band of manic strangers and the mellower fellowship.
So few records you are able to listen from the beginning until the end, but I was able to do it after a 3rd listening -as I did with Tchaikovsky 6th Symphony- and now I love it to death ;)
I have read too many bad reviews about this one ... ok, I can not help it, but forgetting this record in the shelf would be criminal ... after 3 listenings it seems i have know the songs for life
did I tell this record is based in LOTR?
Very honourable mention to Gary Hughes, great composer, and to Bob and the rest of the band for the great work.

10/10 spectacular

Angel of Retribution

I would not have bought this one if there was not for the following things:
-It was from the Angel of Retribution Tour, and I was there ... This can not be explained but I like to have the records of the concerts I went to ... I still miss a lot :-)
-It is a special edition with a DVD with 7 songs and a Rockumentary.
-It was really cheap.

It is the come back, not really classic songs, but not bad songs:
I specially like Judas is rising, Worth fighting for and Angel.
A strangely long epic Lochness is a nice one, but strange in Judas catalogue. Hellrider is good also.

So that was the deal...

8/10 nice to have

Hollywood Vampires

Good record that I had somehow forgotten ..
It has 3 outstanding songs: Crystal eyes (I still love you), over the edge and it's over now. Absolutely classics, indispensables ...
The rest of the record is average, dirty Luv, I found you (a mellow ballad), some lie 4 for love, ...
Always lived at Guns n'Roses shadow, never enough ;-) appreciated LA Guns delivered great songs and great melodies in very good records ...
Maybe they did not have the management Guns had, or the publicity ... but they remain a cult band instead of massive
some like it ...
Tracii and Phil teamed nicely producing great songs.

8/10 great to have

Cocked and Loaded

Second record of LA Guns. Interesting? Yes! Indispensable songs: Magdalaine, never enough, wheels of fire and of course, the ballad of Jayne, the first song that made my girlfriend cry ... I specially love the first two, Magdalaine is obsessive and never enough is really catchy ... Not to mention the funny video they made, with girls in black and white from the 50s getting crazy for the band :-)

These songs justify enough a purchase if not too expensive. Also you can expect a half naked girl with a loaded gun... ouch!
Malaria, showdown, 17 crash ... good songs but not as great as the first above mentioned ...

With Hollywood Vampires the matured a bit more, but I guess, they still are a bit sleazy, and as I always say, as long as they make good songs... who cares!!

8/10 interesting to have

Defenders of the Faith

What a monstrous achievement!
I have no words to describe it. The best is to list all the songs:

• Freewheel Burning
• Jawbreaker
• Rock Hard Ride Free
• The Sentinel
• Love Bites
• Eat Me Alive
• Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
• Night Comes Down
• Heavy Duty
• Defenders Of The Faith
• Turn On Your Light
• Heavy Duty/Defenders Of The Faith (live)

For me it was unbelievable that no song from this record went on Angel of Retribution Reunion Tour ... :-( ... maybe the sentinel is the one i like most, probably because of the duel of solos in the middle of the heavy metal future ... but any song here is a classic Priest!
As long as you like heavy metal, you'll love this one ... no doubt.
How could they forgot to add 'turn on your light' into the original release ... even the members can't understand it these days ...

Without a doubt the best Priest release.

10/10 classic status

Aeronautics

I am somehow obsessed by this record. Specially the 4 first songs. They are absolutely instant classics and can hear them time-after-time. Total melodic metal.
This digipack edition comes with single back to my life, a nice way to try to make metal popular.
Jorn's voice is majestic and composition -I guess by the whole group (comanded by Roland)- brilliant.
The team was fantastic and a shame they got separated to get new mk II ... alas! I had also good vibrations from drummer Uli, who did a very good job in Catch the Rainbow, a tribute.

Crimson rider, back to my life, wounds, i'm not afraid ... impressive. I had to bought it ...
This edition is somewhat special, coming with 7-songs bonus disc :-)

10/10 indispensable, I am the baron of the sky!!!

songs

Nikki Sixx - Life is beautiful ... watch the video ... same feelin' than if i die tomorrow
UDO - Tears of the clown, Vendetta, Borderline
Masterplan - Crimson rider, I am not afraid, Wounds, Back to my life
Megadeth - Washington is next
Scorpions - Humanity, We were born to fly, the future never dies, Love is war
Magnum - You'll never sleep, When we were younger, inside your head, Your lies
Saxon - If i was you
Paul Stanley - Live to win
Pride of Lions - Defying gravity, gone

LA Guns - Magdalaine, City of Angels, One more reason, One way ticket, It's over now, Over the edge
Manowar - Return of the warlord, Swords in the wind
UDO - 2 Faced women
Bob Catley - Dreams, the pain, Tender is the night, Scream, Wraigth of the rings
Blitzkrieg - blitzkrieg
Magnum - On a storytellers night, how far jerusalem, before first light ...

Ghost of a Rose

I love japanese records and more when they are a real bargain...

I love Ritchie as a guitar player, I have all Rainbow LPs and other several records, and with his new band teaming with nicest Candice voice you cant help but finding 3 or 4 songs really awesome in each record.

Way to Mandalay and record title are here the best ones, and also quite interesting is Joan Baez's Diamond and Rust.

9/10 nice to have

World service

I would have never paid attention to this one if it was not because Brian Tatler played in it... his name appears only as songwriter and I do not know how much he'd played. There is one song that's worth the record Red sun blue moon, the rest is not bad but is not good, so this one I would recommend only to DH fans as me...

Although you can enjoy the listening as well.



7/10 dh fans only

A time of changes

I really need to dig in carefully within these two. First time of changes was the record who make their print in NWOBHM.

Second record (phase I) is a nicest 2CD compilation.

Blitzkrieg is the name of the song, same of the band which represents typical HM NWOBHM feeling.

You can say the same with Holocaust's HM Mania, DH's Helpless, PM Cheated, Grim Reaper's See you in Hell, Witchfynde's Give 'em Hell, Angel Witch's Angel Witch ... songs with attitude ... and as long the attitude's in there, and as well songwriting skills you have these immortal ones (free radio of course :-) )

Still to make a proper listening...

8/10 great to have

loose worth songs II

return of the warlord from manowar' louder than hell. this song is just outstanding and it really means heavy metal, heavy and melodic, with great solos, great riffs and great songwriting.



swords in the wind again from manowar' warriors of the world. great ballad, invoking god of war odin. truly epic and very nice, with power.
now you can see that eric not only can sing, but he does really well, and composition is not a weak point in this song. vikings days are pictured in this one.


i'm not afraid from masterplan' aeronautics. i liked the record the first time i heard it. but after a second listening i got haunted, specially by 4 tracks, one of these is this one. i can't get enough of this one. haunting chorus and powerful lyrics. a monster.



astronomo from barilari selft titled record. this is a cover from rainbow's stargazer. lyrics in spanish. but it is a real good damned tribute, since rata blanca sounds like rainbow. cool.




tears of the dragons tears of the dragons from jr blackmore's between darkness and light. this is actually a great discovery. i really did not imagine he could sound as well as his father. he deserves recogntion for this record. a great one



nobody's fool from cinderella's night songs has been to this day the only song i liked from this record. again it is not a ballad but a mid tempo with energy and obsessive rythm. this is an old one, but i song i can get enough of. just this one. fortunately, cinderella has better records :)




no stranger to love from tony iommi 7th star record. great solo, great riffs from tony and majestic voice from glenn hughes. another song i can't get enough of. black sabbath talkin' about love? commercial? who cares, as long as the song rocks!




dreamer from ozzy's down to earth. strange, somehow i relate this record to rainbow's, but had nothing yo do. ozzy is not a singer that i love. few songs are able to impress me. this one is a mellow ballad which i find quite interesting





shot in the dark from ozzy's ultimate sin is the greatest song he has ever done, singing in the right key ... i mean, the version megadeth did of paranoid sounded a million times better. but this song is just hypnothic for me, it has more to do with the rythm than the melody, but anyway, the song is awesome. it was the first song that made me re-think my wrong concept of ozzy. :-)


julia (acoustic version) from axxis. somehow obsessed by this song, a peaceful acoustic very melodic. melancholic piano & acoustic ballad. very nice.






the last note of freedom is a song for david coverdale. the song was written, he went and sang. the song is great, the solos are brilliant, and david's voice just fits like a glove, a very nice discovering from the past thanks to internet.

No parole from RNR

I guess this is another very underrated record ... :-(
One of the best voices of the heavy metal scene in the 80s. Ccolorful & powerful. Did I say I have the japanese record? :-)
But not only the voice from Graham Bonnet shines, but all together: composition, guitars (Yngwie Malmsteen) & arrangements: all the band
too young to die, too drunk to live , island in the sun, general hospital, jet to jet, starcarr lane (which I never understood what was for ...) the ballad suffer me, and the superb Hiroshima, mon amour, a song which expreses the no-more-wars feeling. Truly impressive.
The voice is heavy and it has a wide range as Rob Halford's, but i would say even more acute. Not as majestic as Ronnie James Dio, but great and powerful. In my opinion Graham Bonnet deserves to be in this elite of the greatest singers.
The guitar sounds as thunder but with feeling and melody. I've heard that this was the best work from Mr. Bonnet, well it may be true, since it is a fantastic work... I can only recommend it :-)

10/10 indispensable

Agent provocateur

I will fight tooth and nail, count on me i will not fail you ...
we can't be strangers, you mean too much to me ...

Rocks!. Yes, it was the foreigner factor ;-)
Often accused as Journey ... too many ballads...
Tooth and nail, that was yesterday, the famous I want to know what love is -I guess everybody knows, but me, I had to buy this record to know it :-S-, a love in vain, 2 different worlds ...
They knew how to rock, and to be softer, Foreigner deserves a place in the kingdom of heart breaker ballads, power ballads and medium tempos. They are the ones who can dispute Journey the highest place in AOR
Agent provocateur and 4 are the best records from this band, but in the others you still will find four or five great songs per record.
This one I got as a gift from my girlfriend (love & kisses), and it was a great surprise :-)

9/10 a must buy

Heaven and Hell

I did never like Black Sabbath. Until i knew that Ronnie James Dio played too. Then I bought this record, because a friend of mine told me: "you're gonna like it". "Sure?" I answered, "Not a doubt" he replied.
It only has 8 songs and there was no f**ckin' booklet, just the words:

The world is full of kings and queens
Who blind your eyes and steal your dreams
It's heaven and hell

Which later I recognized in the title track. The album is a monstruous achievement. 4 awesome outstanding songs:
heaven and hell, neon knights, children of the sea and die young, maybe my favourite, but it is hard to tell.
The other ones are good ones, but these four are known to every metal head proud to be.

The riffs came from Tony Iommi, but they seem to be out from hell, Ronnie James Dio's voice was majestic and powerful, and composition and lyrics just fit in.

10/10 brilliant.Timeless.

a tale that wasn't right

Here I stand all alone
Have my mind turned to stone
Have my heart filled up with ice
To avoid it's breakin' twice

Thank to you, my dear old friend
But you can't help, this is the end
Of a tale that wasn't right
I won't have no sleep tonight

In my heart, in my soul
I really hate to pay this toll
Should be strong, young and bold
But the only thing I feel is pain

It's alright, we'll stay friends
Trustin' in my confidence
And let's say it's just alright
You won't sleep alone tonight

With my heart, with my soul
Some guys cry you bought and sold
They've been strong, young and bold
And they say, play this song again

The Tower

This is a great record. And the japanese version that I have, makes more even happier since it has the bootleg extra cd, Live at the Gods. This is a nice way to make a record not great, but outstanding.
The first time I heard Bob singing in Storyteller's I saw a great singer. When I saw Once and future king, I saw in Gary a great composer.
Then, 2+2 makes a great record. Gary composes and plays, Bob sings. Though the record seems a solo work 'a la Rod Stewart', the band is behind, giving quality to the record. so Vinny Burns, Gary Hughes and Bob Catley are the artists who make worth your money for this release.
Dreams and Scream are my instant favourites, but all the songs should have honourable mention, since it is a very complete record. The addition of the bonus record, makes added value to my collection :-)

10/10 brilliant