A good, but overly cautious debut album.

KISS had worked out these songs to perfection by the time they recorded this album. Everything was there, the only problem was the producers Kerner & Wise who took the balls away from the songs and had the band play it too safe in the studio. The Rock 'n Roll energy of the 1973 Eddie Karmer demos is gone, replaced by slow tempos and weak guitar tones.

That being said the songs themselves are still quality and there are some great recordings ... read more

Deadly blast of hungry youthful Rock 'n Roll.

Ratt's debut EP is loaded with fantastic songs, raw and heavy with catchy choruses. It's every bit as good as Out Of The Cellar, showing all the band's strengths. The guitar tones are nasty, Warren DeMartini and Robbin Crosby were one hell of a duo, crafting countless memorable riffs. The drums are full of energy, propelling songs like "U Got It". Stephen Percy's voice fits perfectly with this dirtier sound. ... read more

Humble Pie had a unique approach to this double album, making each side something different.

You get to experience their exciting Rock 'n Roll on side 1, their R&B roots on side 2, ballads on side 3 and powerful live energy on side 4. This makes the album a bit uneven but none the less interesting. It's a good representation of what made the band so great all in one package. You can find better examples of everything this album represents on their other releases but it is nice ... read more

Maid In Japan is a very fun set of high energy J-Rock tunes that verge on Pop Punk.

This is BAND-MAID at their lightest but they still sound like a decently hard rocking band. The songs are catchy and fun with a lot of pep behind them. Saiki sounds great out the gate and Miku's vocals fit this style perfectly. She sounds excellent on the album's highlight "Big Dad". As this is a set of songs that were written for the band all their trademark quirks that began to develop ... read more

For something released just over 30 years after Ace Frehley's original solo album, Anomaly isn't too bad.

It takes a dip in quality for the second half of the tracklist but everything sounds pretty good throughout. The album kicks the door down with a heavier opener and has a really great four song run. "Outer Space" is what you want out of Ace and it's a catchy song to boot. "Fox On The Run" always sounded like it could of been sung by Ace and sure enough ... read more

The first five songs on this album are unbelievable and peak Iron Maiden. It starts with such a kick, showing off at the time new drummer Nicko McBrain perfectly on "Where Eagles Dare". This beautifully sequences into "Revelations", one of the best songs the band ever wrote. It does a lot in five minutes, keeping things interesting and exciting throughout. The opening riff is awesome, the arpeggio verse is cool, the solo sections are excellent, it's just an incredible ... read more

The final form of the 3+3 era of the Isley Brothers.

After 11 albums with mega highs and minor lows the band gave us one last remarkable effort before they splintered in half. Chris Jasper is to thank, as always, for his songwriting and musical contributions. He creates vivid moods with his synth layers, complimented by Ernie Isley's smooth rhythm work and soaring leads. Ronald Isley never faltered throughout his multiple decades of singing and his voice is good as ever on this album. ... read more

Confident, groovy and sensual.

Go All The Way is the Isley Brothers' second strongest offering after their career defining masterpiece Go For Your Guns. Original indeed as an Isley, Jasper, Isley project we have the best of Chris Jasper's songwriting on display. The album perfectly balances the groovy tunes that make you want to dance with bedroom albums of love and longing. The album only strays for it's last song The Belly Dancer which, while fun, is notable much weaker than ... read more

Uneven but fun.

Out of the 12 albums released by the 3+3 line-up Grand Slam is the most underwhelming. It gets off on the wrong foot with the opening one two punch of "Tonight Is the Night" and "I Once Had Your Love" which sets a slow love making tone. This would be fine if they were good songs, but they aren't. Both feel half baked and they aren't even sung with much passion. The Isleys with the brilliant Chris Jasper were usually excellent at these types of ... read more

One of the very few greatest hits albums I listen to.

I enjoy the Eagles pre-Hotel California albums but aside from On The Border they are not the strongest as full records. There are some hidden gems but when all the hits are compiled as one you get an unbelievable vibe. This is the sort of album you put on after a long night. You feel the music soothe you as soon as Take It Easy kicks in. This is the sort of music that warms your soul, there is this tone to the Eagles music that is ... read more

The Real Deal doesn't see the Isley Brothers at their most creative but it's still a very enjoyable record with it's share of highlights.

After the Disco and string heavy arrangements of Inside You this album sees the Isleys in a more electro funk driven direction. It's the prototype for Between The Sheets in many aspects although it doesn't quite reach the same heights. In some aspects this album takes different elements from Showdown to Inside You, it has a lot of ... read more

The Isley Brother

At first glance Spend The Night looks like nothing special. Each Isley Brothers' album following Between The Sheet had less and less members until it was finally down to Ron Isley. Much like Chris Jasper was the rock that kept the 3+3 line-up consistently amazing, Angela Winbrush makes Spend The Night an enjoyable listen. Ron Isley's perfect voice is always a delight, he is still in fine form on this album and he's backed up by pretty solid material. The ... read more

I love the Stones but I'm still not certain how I feel about this album.

It kicks off with their single most iconic song, "Gimme Shelter". It's every bit as amazing as it's cracked up to be on every listen. It has that end of the world type feeling and a burning urgency. This is followed by a very slow Country Blues song "Love In Vain" that takes all the momentum and excitement coming out of "Gimme Shelter" and squashes it. "Country Honk" ... read more

Yes, the New York Dolls were massively influential and this is a milestone album but is it still good for modern ears?

Absolutely.

The spirit of Rock 'n Roll is timeless and the youthful live in the studio energy always comes through regardless of the time period. This album is at it's best when the plays it loose with lots of piss and vigour. Personality Crisis is a perfect opening song, coming out the gate with powerful guitars and snotty vocals full of attitude. This is ... read more

A perfectly listenable record with good production and a few strong songs.

Talk Of The Town is an easy choice for my favorite Pretenders song, it's an urgent and catchy tune with a great guitar part. Birds of Paradise. Message of Love and The English Roses are also quite good. The rest of the album just sort of exists, nothing is bad nor overly good.

The Isleys sounded like they were running on fumes with 1981's Grand Slam but they got the wheels turning again the following year with Inside You, setting them on course to the 3+3 lineup's fantastic last effort, Between The Sheets.

Before you even drop the needle on the Isley Brothers' Inside You your eyes gravitate towards Chris Jasper on the cover, standing out among the disco cowboys with his action hero stance, his arms bulging from carrying the album with his ... read more

Ratt had a lot going for them as a band with some of the best riffs ever written and catchy melodies to go with them. Dancing Undercover begins with a lot of promise, seemingly like another excellent album from the band.

"Dance" is a strong opening song, "One Good Lover" is a fantastic Ratt song with a great riff and "Body Talk" is a monster with it's attention grabbing arpeggio opening and fast tempo. It would be the best song on the album if not for ... read more

Two words that don't describe this album are "great" and "awful".

Down For The Count is a full blown 80's Glam effort from Y&T. It has all the production glitz and glitter with big backing vocals and heavy reverb. Occasion synth moments creep in to mixed results.

This album has a few good moments in the beginning including the absolutely fantastic "Anytime At All", the clear highlight. "All American Boy" is good fun and "Face Like ... read more

Pure excess.

For the most part Tha Carter III is a fantastic record that is completely carefree. Wayne starts to peel off crazy lyrics that you have to think about for a second to realize what he means. You can go to any song and find atleast one clever or hilarious line. This results in very high highlights and some rather questionable decisions.

Comfortable is my favorite song on the album, Kanye's beat is absolutely pristine and Babyface's hook is super smooth. It's made ... read more

Lil Wayne at his best.

This album is pure class, it's aged remarkably well thanks to the fresh beats and Wayne's unique flow. There's a nice amount of variety to make the hour and 17 minute tracklist worthwhile. There are highlights all throughout, the few skits add to the album and create smooth transitions.

Fireman is explosive with hype, it was offputting on first listen but it quickly became a favorite. The beat is so hype and explosive but Wayne keeps his cool and raps ... read more