Sabbath bloody sabbath (Black Sabbath) (LP 564 - 565)

Black Sabbath Reunion (CD, Sony Music, 1998) ***

Black Sabbath 13 (CD, Vertigo, 2013) ****

Genre: Metal 

Places I remember: Both came from JB Hi-Fi Palmerston North. 13 came out while I was living back in Hawke's Bay after our China adventure.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: War Pigs (Reunion); Loner (13)

Gear costume: End Of The Beginning, God Is Dead? (both on 13)

Active compensatory factors: The mainly live Reunion double album doesn't disappoint (the two studio tracks tacked on to the end are actually really good too).

That's as long as you forgive Ozzy the repetitious and tedious between song patter (variations on 'louder', clap your ****** hands and the f-bomb attack in particular all gets rather silly). I've deducted a star for that because it grates after a while.

The real stars on both CDs are Tony, Bill and Geezer; they make an almighty racket for three blokes. Especially Tony Iommi. What a great riff man he is. 13 is mostly awesome because of him.

There are highlights aplenty on the live set and I do have a soft spot for material from Masters Of Reality and Paranoid - easily their best albums.

War Pigs kicks things off the set spectacularly - Ozzy sings a line and allows the audience to sing the next line of each couplet. It works well!

13 is a great reunion album (albeit without Bill Ward). Their powers are not diminished with age and the more the years go by, the more stars I'll be adding to this. The first three songs in particular are all classics!

Where do they all belong? I can't see them doing another studio album. If I'm right, then remember them this way.

You have to believe it (CatarocK 5) (LP 563)

CatarocK 5 Disorder (CD, Madcatz, 2003)   **** 

Genre: Alternative rock 

Places I remember: A music shop in the CentralWorld mall in Bangkok. Jacky and I were visiting Bangkok for the first time in 2003, I wanted some local music so the shop owner played me this CD by aThai band and I was gobsmacked!

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: #5

Gear costume: Don't believe it, you have to believe 

Active compensatory factors: Why is this in the alternative rock section? Well, it's all in Thai and the style of music is either hard core metal (as in the selections above) or catchy pop. I know. But it all works brilliantly.

And even better, it transports me back to that visit to Bangkok 18 years ago (because we were flying on Thai airways to London and on to Edinburgh we had a few days stopover in Bangkok).

[P.S. I also love the Parental Advisory 'sticker' on the front cover - proclaiming 'Not For Fight']

Where do they all belong? At the time I did get a couple of other CDs but they've been culled along the long and winding road.

Because I should (Dan Auerbach) (LP 562)

Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid (CD, Nonesuch Records, 2009) ***

Genre: American pop/ rock 

Places I remember: Donated copy from the Hope family 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Prowl

Gear costume: My Last Mistake

Active compensatory factors: I enjoy The Black Keys like I enjoy The White Stripes, in that I think I enjoy the idea of them (drums and guitar minimalism) a little more than I do their music. It's good but I kind of don't quite see what the fuss is all about.

This was Dan's first solo album and although he rounds it out with plenty of supporting musicians, it still sounds a lot like The Black Keys to me.

My other slight problem with it is its length: 14 songs but it feels like more for some reason.

Given that, there are some good songs here: the Led Zepp-esque Heartbroken, In Despair and Because I Should are other favourites.

Where do they all belong? A stand alone album (along with El Camino, my only Black Keys one), as in I haven't any great need to buy more of his solo albums.

Boppin' the blues (Ricky Nelson) (LP 555 - 561)

Ricky Nelson Ricky (CD, MCPS, 1957) *****

Ricky Nelson Ricky Nelson (CD, MCPS, 1958) **** 

Ricky Nelson Ricky Sings Again (CD, MCPS, 1959) ****

Ricky Nelson Songs By Ricky (CD, MCPS, 1959) ****

Ricky Nelson More Songs By Ricky (CD, MCPS, 1960) *** 

Rick Nelson Rick is 21 (CD, MCPS, 1961) *** 

Rick Nelson Album Seven by Rick (CD, MCPS, 19) ***

Genre: Rock and Roll 

Places I remember: The Warehouse (Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Down The Line (from Ricky Nelson); One Minute To One (Songs By Ricky)

Gear costume: Poor Little Fool (from Ricky Nelson); Travelin' Man, Hello Mary Lou (both Ricky is 21)

Active compensatory factors: Ricky was certainly prolific, and extremely talented, but definitely poorly served by album titles. Yikes! These display a severe lack of imagination!

The debut establishes the classic Ricky sound - relaxed, smooth, assured, dreamy! It's 63 years old (like me) and still sounds terrific!

The quality is really high throughout these first four albums. I've struggled with the ratings to be honest -  Ricky Sings Again has many of the hits and Lonesome Town is on there as well but there are a couple of slower songs that sound like they were made for the slow dance segment at the senior prom, so four stars for these albums is about right for the first four.

By 1960 Ricky was looking to branch out into other areas so strings and less rock'n'roll arrangements enter the picture. There are still diamonds amongst each album but the all around entertainer was starting to replace the rock and roll kid.

Where do they all belong? I've already blogged about his albums with the Stone Canyon Band (here and here) that I have on vinyl, and so I have only Garden Party to go on CD to complete the Rick Nelson collection. It's worth the wait! 

Play with me (Jeff Beck) (LP 550 - 554)

Jeff Beck Group Rough and Ready (CD, Sony Music, 1971) ****

Jeff Beck Group Jeff Beck Group (CD, Sony Music, 1972) *** 

Jeff Beck Blow By Blow (CD, Sony Music, 1975) ***

Jeff Beck Wired (CD, Sony Music, 1976) ****

Jeff Beck with The Jan Hammer Group Live (CD, Sony Music, 1977) ****

Genre: British pop/ rock 

Places I remember: HMV East Croyden

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Situation (Rough and Ready); Blue Wind (Wired) 

Gear costume: Going Down (JBG); Freeway Jam (Blow By Blow)

Active compensatory factors: Having just read Rod Stewart's autobiography I have a different take on Jeff's peculiar personality. Is it the truth? Who knows, it's certainly Rod's version of the truth 

(see what I did there?). 

He's definitely a restless musician - never sticking with a bunch of musicians for very long. Woody and Roddy only lasted  for two albums (Truth and Beck-ola) and were gone for 1971's Rough and Ready. Then that band (including Max Middleton and Cozy Powell) only lasted for two albums, and so on.

This five album package in  the Original Album Classics series by Sony Music) certainly shows Jeff's ruthless methodology from 1971 to 1977.

That's not to mean the music suffers though. His guitar heroics are on display in a variety of settings over these five albums, and it's actually the period of his that I like the most. 

The second incarnation of Jeff Beck Group makes a much funkier, jazzier sound than the blues/ hard rock of the Rod Stewart version.

First 'solo' album, Blow By Blow, is an instrumental album (pesky lead singers are dispensed with from here onwards) and allows Beck to experiment with jazzier guitar styles. It's a transitional album from the rock of the Jeff Beck Group towards the full on jazz fusion sound of Wired and Live.

Max Middleton and Jan Hammer deserve special mentions - both hold their own on keyboards and are not overshadowed by Beck's guitar pyrotechnics. Instead they shine and create their own distinctive sounds to complement Beck.  

Beatle fans note: Blow By Blow and Wired are both superbly produced by George Martin.  

Where do they all belong? Truth and Beck-ola have their moments but haven't aged as well - I've gone for a cheapo best of (featuring Rod Stewart) compilation. It cherry picks the best moments from Rod and Ron's time with Jeff (and includes, of course, Hi Ho Silver Lining).

Just add water (Dave Dobbyn) (LP 548 - 549)

Dave Dobbyn Hopetown (CD, Sony Music, 2000) *** 

Dave Dobbyn available light (CD, Sony Music, 2005) ****

Genre: NZ pop/ rock 

Places I remember: The Warehouse

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: accoustomed to the light (from available light and yes - all lower case)

Gear costume: welcome home (available light) 

Active compensatory factors: These albums don't include any big hits as such although they both Top 10'd in NZ's album charts at the time of release.

What they do do is show Dave's range and maturity as a writer after all the radio friendly hits.

What I particularly like is the effortlessly relaxed vibe they both have. Hopetown includes various ex Th' Dudes members and both have Neil Finn popping up from time to time (more so on available light). Bones Hillman and Bic Runga also appear on available light. Point being - these guys know each other well!

Where do they all belong? The greatest hits compilation A Slice Of Heaven - 40 Years Of hits, is a great place to start. It has 21 tracks of Dave Dobbyn's quirky brand of pop, and includes Th'Dudes and DD Smash - all killer!

So hard (Cold Chisel) (LP 545 - 547)

Cold Chisel The Last Wave Of Summer (CD, Mushroom Records, 1998) ****

Cold Chisel No Plans (CD, Warner Bros, 2012) ****

Cold Chisel The Perfect Crime (CD, Universal, 2015) ****

Genre: Australian pop/ rock 

Places I remember: The Warehouse (over the years these reunited Cold Chisel albums have turned up in their sale bins and I've gobbled them up)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Yakuza Girls (TLWOS); Too Late (No Plans); The Backroom (TPC)

Gear costume: Red Sand and Water Into Wine (TLWOS); 

Active compensatory factors: What a band! Don Walker writes some great songs that appear effortless (check out The Backroom); Ian Moss is an excellent guitarist - perfect for Cold Chisel and a great writer as well (check out Too Late and Red Sand); and then there's Jimmy Barnes who gives his all, every time!

These reunion albums sit proudly alongside East and Circus Animals in my collection. Their quality really is that high!

Where do they all belong? There are a couple of Cold Chisel albums I don't own yet, including their latest, Blood Moon. It's had some great reviews so I'll look out for that one from now on.