ZZ Top - Live In Germany (1980)

Classic ZZ Top before they hit it big and started to get more commercial (read: lame)What is there not to love about ZZ Top?  With exception of a few albums in the 80's, not much.  This band has been rocking us for over 40 years and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.  The southern blues rockers from Texas are nationwide and global.  The band slowly built a following crossing over into Europe in the early 80's.  One of the band's first gigs was in Essen, Germany for the Rockpalast TV show.  Rockaplast was like Dick Clark (American Bandstand) with balls.  There were several great acts to perform on this show, and ZZ Top were one of them.  The first time this show surfaced in some 30 years, was last November with its release on DVD.  A mere 6 months later we now have the audio. 

Live in Germany is a historical record of the band before they broke through.  As seen and now heard on this release; you get a hungry band firing on all cylinders, on the brink of stardom.  The CD is good, but I believe the DVD was more entertaining.  The live show is raw and doesn't appear to be touched up in the slightest bit.  The bands sounds well, but their are times when the vocals are a little off key, but that is a live show for ya.  I don't think it was as noticeable on the DVD, as it is on the CD.  Also, the mix on the CD seems a little muddy, making it hard to hear the guitars at times.  Don't get me wrong, the CD is good, but I think the mix could have been better.  The CD includes a 16 song set of classics mixed with a few surprises.  Not a bad CD, but not a great one either.  The more recent live releases stand up a bit better than this one for me.

Bottom Line: ZZ Top in their prime before hitting it big.  This is a raw recording that will be essential for any ZZ Top fanatic.  The casual fan may be better suited with a more recent recording of the band, like the Live From Texas CD, from a few years back.

Standout Tracks: Jesus Just Left Chicago, Tush, Waitin for the Bus and Cheap Sunglasses.

- Ragman is thinking about growing out his beard...

Night Ranger - Somewhere in California

After over two decades, Night Ranger is back with a vengeance. One of their best albums in years.Night Ranger is back and sounding better than ever.  Who says bands don't get better with age?  It is really encouraging, when a band that has been out for 30 years can still put out relevant music.  Night Ranger has just released their 10th studio album Somewhere in California, and it could be their best in more than 20 years.  The band has gone back to basics, which made their first two records so strong, and just made a solid hard rock record.  The band had been a little off track over the last 10 years, with the more modern releases of Seven and Hole in the Sun, but the new CD brings them back to glory.

The CD starts off strong with up-tempo, anthemic Growin' up in California, which is a hard rocker that brings back the harmony guitars and the chunky rhythms reminiscent of (You Can Still) Rock in America.  It has a great chorus and an infectious melody.  The next track to catch my ear, was the track Bye Bye Baby, which is Night Ranger at their best.  It is another killer uptempo rocker with a chorus that will stick in your head for days.  The CD is classic Night Ranger.  It is like these guys turned back the clock and it is 1984 again.  Don't get me wrong, the CD doesn't sound dated, but it sounds as though the music could have been written 20+ years ago.  The songs are fresh and just plain rock.  And for all you ballad freaks, the band has penned their next potential big hit with the track Time of our Life.  It is a classic ballad that will sit nicely beside Sister Christian.  Night Ranger shedding the modern sound and going back to their roots, it don't get much better than this.

Bottom Line:  A solid return to form for a band that lost their way for a while.  This is the most consistent release from the band in 20+ years.  Solid hard rock with amazing solos; guitarists Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Standout Tracks:  Growin' Up in California, Bye, Bye, Baby (Not Tonight), End of the Day and Time of Our Life

- Ragman is proud to say that Night Ranger is back with a vengeance...

Madam Adam (self-titled)

Awesome debut from these newcomers. With the right marketing push, these guys could become a household name.It's funny how a name could literally make or break a band.  Once known as Red Handed, this quartet from South Carolina changed their name, tweeked the sound and became Madam Adam.  To be honest, when I heard the name, I initially thought I was listening to a bunch of trannies, but to my relief it was just a really cool alt rock band.  No, seriously these guys rock.  It has been awhile since I have heard a band that has kicked my ass from the first tune on the CD all the way to the end. This band is the real deal and their somewhat catchy/odd name may get them where they want to be a little quicker, by people saying "WHAT?!"

Madam Adam don't really bring anything new to the table, but what they do is write great songs.  As I said previously, this is a modern hard rock band with balls with songs that are melodic and catchy.  This band must have been influenced by some of the bands in the 80s because they clearly pay homage to them by beginning the CD with the instant sleaze classic, Sex Ain't Love.  It is a mid-tempo rocker that oozes melody topped off with a killer chorus. The great thing about this album is that it brings back that killer 80s pure hard rock sound, but mixed with a modern edge.  Think The Cars and Loverboy mixed with Papa Roach and Saving Able.  Sounds kooky, but trust me this band rocks.  With songs that you can sing along with and that stay in your head, this is a solid release from start to finish.

Bottom Line:  A solid release from some new kids on the block.  Great hook driven rock songs with a slight modern edge.  With the proper push, these guys could become a houshold name.

Standout Tracks: Fall From Grace, Sex Ain't Love, Time of Wounds and Art of Lying

- Ragman has a found a new group and he likes it!

Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising (Blu-ray)

Deep Purple have gone through many personnel changes over the years, but from the mid-90's on, they have been pretty stable.  During the 70's, it was a different story.  The band had several classic lineups, but one of the ones that gets overlooked, known as the Mark IV line up, included some of the biggest names in rock today.  Mark IV was an all-star line up that included David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Tommy Bolin, Ian Pace and John Lord.  On paper, this is was a super group, that would be a force to be reckoned with, and was.  This line up was short lived, but they did do some damage while they were together.  There is not much visual material available from this line-up, but thanks to the folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment, they were able to un-earth some rare footage of the band in the form of their new DVD/Blu-ray Phoenix Rising.

Phoenix Rising includes a very rare live recording, of the band right before they broke up.  This would also prove to be the last live film of Tommy Bolin.  Bolin passed away a few months later of a drug overdose.  The show was filmed on the last leg of their tour in Japan.  From what we are told, the archivers were only able to save 5 songs from the band's set that night.  The rest of the film was not salvageable.  The live portion of this DVD, is a 30 min show "Rises Over Japan", of a band looking a bit tired, but with still enough energy to put on a solid show.  It is great seeing Coverdale and Hughes performing in their youth.  It is also cool seeing the great Tommy Bolin perform, even though he was suffering through some ailments.  Killer show! This feature alone is a must for any Deep Purple fanatic.

It doesn't end there though, because there is also a killer 80 min. documentary included in this package.  The doc features interviews with some of the members reminiscing of the short lived line up.  There is also some footage included chronicling the band's show in Japan.  This is a very interesting look into a band that was going through some major changes, and still trying to keep it together.  A killer view for old and new fans alike.

Bottom Line: A look into a classic band, in one of their lesser known about eras.  This DVD is interesting in so many ways, because you get to see some of the biggest names in rock (Coverdale, Hughes), when they were virtually unknown.

-Ragman loves all of this nostalgia.  It makes him feel like a kid again.

Twisted Sister - Under the Blade (Remastered - Special Edition)

Twisted Sister have just completed remastering their entire catalog, with the latest and last being their ground breaking record Under the Blade.  Now that the band have completed re-mastering their back catalog, maybe we can get some new material from the band.  Well, I'm not going to hold my breath for that one, but a man can dream can't he?  That being said, the band re-released their debut, with a bang up package.  Not only does the CD sound better sonically, it includes all sorts of cool extras.

The newly re-mastered Under the Blade comes with the orignal recording as well as their orignal EP Rough Cutts (Available for the first time on CD).  The re-mastered version of this classic is a major improvement, from the original recording.  The sound is more in your face, and the songs sound more potent than ever.  This CD was the blue print for what Twisted Sister became.  It is a great CD.

The highlight of this package is the bonus DVD, which is a show the band did at the Reading Festival back in 1982.  This show was a defining moment in the band's career and it was captured on film.  This show was recorded just prior to the release of the Under the Blade, and it conveys how hungry these guys were.  I used to hear so many stories about how great these guys were back in the day, and now the proof is available in this package.  Another bonus on the DVD, is a current retrospective from each band member, recounting the festival as well as the recording of the first album.  A solid package from start to finish.

Bottom Line: A must for TS fans everywhere.  This is also a must for newbies wondering where metal came from.  TS at their hungriest.  A must buy.  Also, spoiler alert, make sure you watch the whole DVD to see a piece of metal history.  Nuff said.

-Ragman loves the vintage stuff; Now will someone properly release the US 83 festival in a box set.