Bad Company

Artist: Bad Company

            This self-titled debut album by British rock band Bad Company is a hallmark of 1970s classic rock. Released in 1974, this album peaked at number one on Billboard charts in the US, and has gone on to sell over five million copies to date.  While initially only two songs from the album were released as singles, “Can’t Get Enough” and “Movin’ On,” as time has passed, "Rock Steady", "Bad Company" and "Ready for Love" have all become rock-radio classics.

            Like many other great records that I have -and will- review here, this album never fails to conjure up memories of summer time. When “Movin’ On” plays from the radio, I just can’t help turning it up. This is especially true when my buddies and I have been working long hours into the hot summer night –when we’d really like to be relaxing. We all get a little extra energy to push us through the rest of the night.

            While I will only give this album a four out of five rating, I feel I should take the time to explain. Although this album is for sure a ‘classic album,’ and one that I thoroughly enjoy, it has gained much of its popularity and status over the passing decades since its release. This probably has a lot to do with people’s associations of its songs and good times. However, that is not to say that this record is not deserving of its praises. Paul Rogers’ voice is among the best in rock ‘n’ roll, and every one of the eight songs on this album oozes with great vibes.

Rating: 4/5

Rocks

Artist: Aerosmith

This fourth studio offering from the ‘Bad Boys from Boston” really rocks. Of the album’s nine songs, three were Billboard top 100 singles. This album was also one of the first ever to go platinum only a month after its release, in 1976. It has gone on to sell 4 million copies over the years.

Rocks ranked #176 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and for good reason too. This album is widely regarded as the best Aerosmith album, and captures the band at the pinnacle of their career for most fans. This record is the standard by which all subsequent albums released by the band are judged. Additionally, this album has been cited as one of the most influential among more recent artists; most notably Slash, of Guns and Roses.

Joe Perry is one of my personal favorite guitarists. He is the reason I picked up the instrument at such a young age. I remember very clearly the feeling of pride and accomplishment when at age eleven I could play along with this record all the way through. I’d put the CD in the player, strap on my guitar, turn up my Marshall, and envision myself onstage with America’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.

Rating: 5/5

Van Halen

Artist: Van Halen

This is one of the greatest hard rock albums ever released. The first power chords of the opening song “Runnin’ with the Devil” immediately evoke images of summer parties, cruizin’ around with friends, and crankin’ the stereo up so loud that the cops come knockin’ on your door.

The album features a total of four hit singles. “You Really Got Me,” “Runnin’ with the Devil,”  “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love” are still played daily on classic rock radio across the nation. Selling 10 million copies, this is one of the most successful debut rock albums. Produced by Ted Templeman, this album’s success laid the groundwork for the release and popularity of subsequent Van Halen records. Rock music changed forever with the release of this album in 1978.

This album also had a significant impact on the guitar playing community. Suddenly, players began trying to play as fast as possible, and imitate Eddie’s trademark two-handed-tapping. The ensuing trend of flashy guitar players dominated 80’s hard rock and metal, but few of these other bands had the talent and song writing capabilities of Van Halen. Despite Edward’s technical virtuosity with the guitar, his music is still commercially viable and listenable on a large scale.

This is one of my personal favorites, and it sees regular rotation in my CD player. As a guitar player, I grew up trying to cop Ed’s riffs and style listening to this record. I especially like “Feel Your Love Tonight.” This song really allows you to hear that famous EVH ‘brown sound’ he’s so famous for; and I really like the looser feel of this song, especially how the rhythm is altered slightly during the bridge.

The album closes with “On Fire” after only 35 minutes of play time. While this is a short record by any comparison, in an interview, Edward said that the band made a conscious effort to keep the time short to allow the vinyl record to be cut in a way that preserved the ‘crispness’ of the VH sound.

Rating: 5/5