Top 10 Favorite Concerts

I've been to many concerts over the years and some concerts stand out just because of the number of quality bands that played together, some stand out because of the quality of the headliner and some just stand out for personal reasons.  I've compiled a list of my favorite concerts through the years.

10. Ozzy Osbourne (1982)  One of Randy Rhoads last performance with Ozzy before his tragic death.  We knew we were seeing something special but never really fully appreciated it till years later.

9. Operation Rock N Roll Judas Priest/Alice Cooper/Metal Church/Dangerous Toys/Motorhead With a line up like this how could you not enjoy it.  Judas Priest has always been a force live, Alice Cooper put on a great live show, Metal Church is another personal favorite who didn't disappoint and Dangerous Toys and Motorhead. Five quality acts for 1 show made for a memorable weekend.

8. Tool.Messhugah (2001) - Tool's live shows are legendary so I went based on what I heard from Lateralus and Sober.  It was perhaps one of the most amazing shows from an audio/visual experience that I've ever been to.  Sitting thru Messhugah was, uh, painful but seeing Tool for the first time was oh so sweet.

7. Clash of the Titans Slayer/Anthrax/Megadeth/Alice in Chains - What was interesting about this tour was that all 3 bands did headlining sets yet very night a different band rotated the closer spot. I remember thinking Alice in Chains was an odd choice of openers and quite honestly were a bit disappointing live. The other 3 bands though it was a chance to one up each other on a nightly basis so all 3 bands had to bring there "A" game or risk getting blow off the stage.  Megadeth and Anthrax put on killer shows, but Slayer...they just took the energy to a whole nother level!!! The intensity and anticipation was unprecedented for a live act and they delivered.  From the opening of Hells Awaits the band just obliterated the audience with The Anti Christ, War Ensemble, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Jesus Saves, Dead Skin Mask, Seasons of the Abyss,  Mandatory Suicide and closing with Angel of Death.  I have never been to a show as intense as since before or after seeing Slayer live.

6. Rush/Eric Johnson (1991)
Rush is the consummate professional bands.  They've made some great live records and have a ton of great material to choose from so the real question is how could they pull if off live. Those questions were soon answered.  The sound at the Palace was fantastic even from our vantage point, the visual presentation was even better and Eric Johnson opening made for a night that will be remembered for a long time.

5. ProgPower USA III - That's pretty  bad when you have a line as amazing at Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Angra, Threshold, Silent Force, Edguy, Pain of Salvation and Devin Townsend and you only make a list at # 5 of all time best shows.  Yes it was an amazing show, to have a collection of talent in one venue in one weekend was amazing and as always the ProgPower family was incredible to hang with.  The only reason it didn't rank any higher is I wasnt' as familiar with all the bands but it was still in incredible weekend and really opened my eyes to how much great music I was missing out on at the time. All of the bands performed very well especially Edguy.

4. Metallica/Machine Head (2010) - Having seen Metallica at the Monster's of Rock really left a bad taste in my mouth for a long time.  The venue was an absolute shithole for concerts, the acoustics were so bad where we sat that everything sounded distorted.  This for me was big on 2 front, one it was a chance for redemption for a band I've always revered since Kill Em All and two, it was the #1 bands on my wife's bucket list of bands she wanted to see.  The concert and days surpassed all expectations for both of us. Metallica put on a fantastic show, playing for over 2 hours, we were about 3 rows from the front, so close you could see the sweat dripping and the band put on a great show.  While it may not have been the best live show I've ever seen the experience itself and the fact that I got to share it with my wife made it one of my concert highlights that I'll never forget.

3. Bloodstock UK 2003 - 2003 was a pretty good year for festivals.  First the BW&BK show in Cleveland and then later that year Bloodstock UK in Derby England.  This show was so memorable in many ways.  I've always wanted to go to a European metal show so when Saxon & Nightwish were announced as headliners I saw this as a no-brainer.  I got a ticket, a hotel, and had even done an interview with Power Quest before the show for my zine.   My time in England surpassed all expectations.  I flew in on Thursday and somehow managed to make it to a pub to catch Power Quest and My Soliloquy doing a pre-show warm up gig together.  Steve Williams and his bandmates were so welcoming and cordial, I got to meet up and hang out with them after the show.  The rest of the weekend was just as amazing.  I met up with  group of people who kind of took me under their wings being I was the foreigner there and we just had such an amazing time.  Steve and the band greeted me Friday as if I were a long lost friend as well.  The bands were as memorable also  Power Quest, Masterplan, Edguy, Paradise Lost, Biomechanical were all fantastic and Nightwish put on a worthy show of any headliner on Friday, but the weekend belonged to Biff Byford and Saxon and they just ripped through a set that was as powerful and tight as any band I've ever seen.  I've never been back to England  but my 1 and only trip and this concert left an amazing impression that I'll never forget.

2. ProgPower USA 8 2007- This weekend had it all. An amazing performance from Freak Kitchen on Thursday night, a bevy of bands that included After Forever, Primal Fear, Threshold, Firewind, Pagan's Mind, Communic, Raintime and one of our favorites Sonata Arctica.  Im a veteran have going to Progpower shows however this was my wife's first show so I was very excited to share the experience with her. The whole weekend was a completely amazing experience she got to see and feel what everybody talks about. Progpower is like a family reunion with 1400 of your favorite cousins. Everyone is so warm & friendly and there were some unforgettable moments such as Pagans Mind whose set blew me away and Freak Kitchens performance that had everyone laughing and headbanging all night long. Most of the band were fantastic and getting to see Sonata Arctica together for the first time topped it off. We made some new friends and reacquainted with some old ones in what was the 3 funnest days we had up to that point in our relationship.

1. BW&BK 6 Pack 1 2003 - Three bands from this show would likely have made the list individually had I seen them separately but the fact that they all played together at the Odean Theater in Cleveland made this weekend even more special.  The bands played to a packed house and featured 12 bands over 2 days.  The line up was a who's who in the metal world which included Force of Evil (essentially Mercyful.  Fate minus King Diamond), Eidolon, Cage, Falconer, Elegy, Jag Panzer, Kataklysm, Evergrey, Beyond The Embrace and closing Friday nights show was Nevermore. Wolf played an amazing set Saturday while trying to shed their Iron Maiden clone stigma but it was the last two bands that had fans talking for years to come.  Trouble was the 2nd to last band of the night and just ripped through an absolutely blistering performance that was so good that Messiah Marcolin commented after Candlemasse's first song, "How the hell do you follow up that performance.  Candlemass did an amazing show in their own right but this weekend belonged to Eric Wagner and Trouble, There have been very few shows as good as trouble through the tears and to see Trouble and Candlemass on the stage back to back was an unforgettable experience. 

Honorable Mention: 
Black Sabbath w/Ronnie James Dio - Toledo Sports Arena
Kiss (with makeup) - Toledo Sports Arena
Prog Power VI - Therion, Stratovarius, Manticora, Orphaned Land, Circus Maximus, Angra, Conception
BW&BK 6 Pack 2 - Katatonia, Primal Fear, Gravedigger, Doro, Brainstorm, Dismember, Flotsam & Jetsam
Lollapalooza 2 - RHCP, Ministry, Soundgarden, Ice Cube, Jesus & The Mary Chain, Pearl Jam, Lush
Chicago Powerfest - Katagory V, Ion Vein, Imagika, Twelth Gate, Tad Morose, Silencer, Archetype, Morgana Lefay
Deep Purple/Emerson Lake & Palmer/Dream Theater - Pine Knob Music Theater

 

Top 10 Favorite Live Albums

The Live Album.   Back in the 70's the live album reached it's peak of popularity.  I don't know if it was the technology or lack there of but something just seemed to be missing on many a bands studio performances.  The live album seemed to rekindle that magic and launch or in some cases jump started many a career back in the 70's.  Albums from Kiss (Alive), Cheap Trick (Live At Budokan), Peter Frampton (Frampton Comes Alive), Judas Priest (Unleashed In The East), Bob Seger (Live Bullet) all released extremely successful live albums.  This list isn't meant to be a truly comprehensive live best of so please don't give me "where's The Who Live At Leeds or how could you leave out Rolling Stones - Get Your Ya Ya's Out. I've listened to a lot of albums through the years and this is MY list of my favorite top 10 live Albums.

So what do I look for in a live album? I expect to see a performance so stellar that it makes you feel like your front row at the concert. I want something that builds on the original release and makes it sound better.  I'm not looking for the pitch perfect sound or a guitarist that hits every note flawlessly.  I'm looking for a performance that captured the energy and excitement of the band in a live setting and set them apart from other bands.

Without further ado, I give you MY Top 10 Favorite Live releases.


1. UFO - Strangers In The Night (1979)
Reveled by many as one of Michael Schenkers most stellar moments, UFO takes the success the band built with Lights Out and captured lightning in a bottle. Every track on here is tight, incredible and Michael's guitar work was at it's peak.  It was later revealed that This Kids and Mother Mary were studio recordings with live audience taped over but regardless, other tracks such as Doctor Doctor, I'm a Loser, Lights Out, Rock Bottom and To Hot To Handles show a band in rare form.   Many consider Strangers In The Night as one of THE best live albums of all time and it's hard to argue

2. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East (1979)
Judas Priest and Rob Halford had released 5 albums up to recording Unleashed in the East and it was this album that started Judas Priest triumphant ascension to the top of the metal world.  Talk about capturing the energy and excietment of a concert.  Rob Halfords stellar vocals were the centerpiece of this release and not to be outdone the dual guitar attack of KK Downing and Glen Tipton really stood out on tracks like The Ripper, Exciter, Green Manalishi the unforgettable Diamonds & Rust.  Judas Priest was just getting started to wreak havoc on the metal work and it all started in Tokyo.

3. David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk (2008)
With live Pink Floyd Albums such as Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse many PF fans are probably saying WTF?  I chose David Gilmour's Live at Gdansk because it is far and away one of his best performances captured on CD.  Gilmour's isn't the most technical guitarist on the face of the earth but I dare you to name one that plays with more emotion and passion.  Every note of every songs sounds so heartfelt.  Live at Gdansk is a sonically impressive album that not only featured David Gilmour, Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright and many other well know members who played with Pink Floyd and David Gilmour but also the Polish  Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra.  David Gilmours passionate playing is matched by his stellar vocals who at 60 still sounds incredible.  This release featured a real mix of old Pink Floyd, later era Pink Floyd and some solo material.  Among the standout tracks were the psychedelic Astronomy Domine, Time, Comfortably Numb, High Hopes, A Great Day For Freedom, Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamonds.   In my opinion many of the newer "Live" releases don't do justice to the originals but Live At Gdansk not only surpasses all expectations but blows them out of the water.


4. Rush A Show of Hands (1989)
I'll be honest, it's so hard to pick a Rush live album that wasn't deserving of a high finish. All three eras are well represented in All The Worlds A Stage, Exit...Stage Left, and A Show of Hands.  What really won if for me was the fact that I saw Rush during this phase and in my opinion it was there most solid era.   Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart got more sound out of a 3 man band than most bands could get with 5 or more players. Start to finish every track from the era that was Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire are represented in fantastic and flawless performance. One of the rare cases where live might have been as good as the studio in terms of performance.

5. Slayer - Decade of Aggression
You have never experienced complete and utter mayhem until you've been to a Slayer show.  The sheer energy, power and anger of thier live show is unparalleled and this CD did a fantastic job of capturing that energy.  Listening to Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Jesus Saves just makes you want to start a mosh pit in the living room.  Even their slower songs such as Dead Skin Mask and Expendable Youth show a viciousness that only Slayer could pull off.   Slayer is probably in the top 5 of all the live concerts I've seen and this disc masterfully captured that intensity in every way, shape and form.


6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For From The Road (1976)
The unmistakeable sounds of Southern Rock never sounded so good.  Lynyrd Skynyrd early career featuring 4 wildly successful albums that forever entrenched them as a major player in the rock world.  Their 3 guitar attack further established their live show as a force to be reckoned with and One More From The Road was their pedestal to show the world what a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert was about.  Reeling through hit after hit with reckless abandon Skynyrd shreds it way to the finale which has become an icon in southern rock lore, Freebird.  Make no mistake, Lynyrd Skynyrd career may have been cut short but they made an indelible mark that will never be forgotten.



7. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Budapest Live (1984)
This will one that will have many scratching there head and saying "huh?".  Manfred Mann has made a living out of taking other peoples songs and giving them his own little flair.  Budapest Live captures Manfred Mann performing all the songs on one albums that he made popular.  Spirits In The Night, For You, Davy's On The Road Again, Lies On Through The 80's, Blinded By The Light, Redemption Song, among others. There's even one original that he wrote (Transkei) and a tune that Bob Dylan wrote just for him (Mighty Quinn).   A beautiful performance of a rare collection of songs by the master of remakes himself.

8. KISS - Alive 2 (1977)

Kiss Alive was hailed as a breakout album for the band who had released 3 albums up to that point but garnered very little airplay.   Rock and Roll All Night changed all that for KISS and they never looked back ripping through successful albums such as Destroyer,  Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun before taking a hiatus for the solo albums.  Those 3 albums provided the impetus for many of the songs for Alive 2 and going back through the catalog to pull the best of from the 1st three albums.  This was KISS in all there glory ripping thru songs line Detroit Rock City, CHristine Sixteen, Love Gun, I Stole Your Love and under appreciated Hard Luck Woman.  KISS has always been known as a live band and this release captured them at thier peak. 

9. Saxon -  The Eagle Has Landed (1982)

I never understood why Saxon didn't appeal to more metal heads in the US.  Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, Denim & Leather and Crusader were all incredible albums in there own right and when it came time for the band to do a live album they pulled all the best songs from the 1st three listed.  Biff Byford is a powerhouse live and every track is a toe tapper beginning to end.  This release was #5 on the UK charts in 1982 and for good reason.  It was an outstanding release that showcased Saxon at their best.  

10a Uriah Heep - Uriah Heep Live 

OK it's my list and I going to cheat.  I'm including 2 releases at #10 because one is an EP.  Now back to the list.  Every talked about Deep Purple being the consumate live band and I'm sure in their hey day they were but in my opinion one band that took their music to a completely different level on stage was Uriah Heep.  David Byron had a powerful voice and the band never got the credit they deserved outside of it's two "one hit wonders", Stealin and Easy Livin.  This release was a fantastic showcase for some of their best material including the opening track Sunrise, Sweet Lorraine, Traveller In Time, Easy Livin, the hypnotizing Gypsy, Look At Yourself and on the remastered version is a live version of Stealin.  In my opinion one this was one of the most overlooked live releases by a UK band.  The energy and music is as good as any other band on this list. 

10B - Riot - Live (EP)

In my opinion Riot were probably one of the most underappreciated metal bands to come out of the US in the 80's.  Rhett Forrester had a unique and powerful voice and Mark Reale was a fantastic guitarist.  The band really seemed to hit thier peak with Fire Down Under and Restless Breed and this EP was a teaser of what the band was capable of.  Sadly this wasn't even the best of the material they had to choose from but it was still an incredible live EP that showed a glimpse of what this very talented band could do.  The album was never released on a CD till it was re-issued as the bonus tracks on Restless Breed and even now I'm not sure if that is in print any longer.  

Obscure Rock Songs

Obscure Rock Songs

I'm a big fan of lists...one of my favorites that I like to pull out every now and again and listen to is obscure rock songs.  By this I mean songs that were either one hit wonders or even songs that didn't get a lot of air play compared to a bands other songs.  This list is nothing but a personal favorite so here we go in no particular order

New England - Don't Even Wanna Lose Ya
GTR- When The Heart Rules The Mind
Shooting Star - Last Chance
Michael Bolton - Fools Game (Back before he did ballads he actually rocked out)
Rossington Collins Band - Don't Missunderstand Me (in the aftermath of the Lynyrd Skynyrd tragedy came this debut which featured the very southern rock sound of Skynyrd
Pat Travers Band - Snortin Whiskey (Mr Boomboom Out go the lights best song imo)
Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe
Billy Thorpe - Children of The Sun
707 - I Could Be Good For You, Megaforce
Saga - On The Loose
Planet P Project - Why Me
Axe - Rock And Roll Party In The Streets
Max Webster - Battlescar
Bob & Doug McKenzie - Take off (incredibly dumb but catchy song featuring Geddy Lee from Rush)
Frida - I Know There's Something Going On (Featuring Phil Collins on drums)
Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue
RTZ - Turn THis Love Around (Band that featured Boston Members Brad Delp & Barry Goudreau)
Barry Goudreau - Dreams (from Boston Guitarist solo album)
Orion The Hunter - So You Ran (Another Boston offshoot band that featured Brad Delp & Barry Goudreau)

Some videos from these songs

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman

I've always been an Ozzy fan going back to the days of Black Sabbath.  His first solo album had some excellent work but he really put together a classic with on his sophomore release which would be, sadly, Randy Rhoads last work...ever.   Ozzy has gone on to release many other CD's with other guitarist but none have ever held a candle to this classic that turned out to be Randy's swansong.