They Do Make Them Like They Used To!

Everyday Demons - The Answer

Let's not beat about the bush - if this album had been released thirty odd years ago then these guys would be the biggest band on the planet.This is the meatiest hunk of 70's rock released since... well the 70's and better than most of the stuff that was on offer then as well. The Answer have taken their time putting this second major-label album together and it shows. Each song is beautifully constructed, wonderfully played, expertly paced and unashamedly crowd-pleasing - there are more hooks on here than at an angler's convention. Good grief... we even have exciting guitar solos!


All that sets The Answer head and shoulders above almost all the 'young' bands out there at the moment, but what really seals the deal is singer Cormac Neeson quite simply the best rock singer on the planet at the moment... and by a long way.

In an ideal world Everyday Demo would establish The Answer as a world-class act making millionaires out of the young Ulstermen in the process. Unfortunately though this is 2009 rather than 1979 and popular tastes have moved on. Regrettably it will probably only be ageing rockers like myself who will give this album its due. Remember one thing though, fashions are temporary whilst class is permanent - and this album is sheer class.

Rating: Essential

A Great Cup Of Joe!

The Ballad of John Henry - Joe Bonamassa

From the Zeppelinesque stomp of the title track to the deep-fried southern funk of closer As The Crow Flies Bonamassa's seventh studio album oozes class and quality. The production is superb, the mix is crystal clear, the musicianship is often breathtaking, the original songs are amongst the best he's ever written and the five cover versions are simply exquisite. Album by album young Joe (well... 31 is still pretty young for a blues belter!) keeps getting better - this is a great album.

Rating: Superior

Solid Gold Springsteen

Album Review: Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen

It seems that everything The Boss touches turns to gold and this latest nugget is nothing less than pure 24-karat. What makes Working On A Dream even more of an achievement is that the majority of it was recorded on the road and in just one or two takes. This is not run-of-the-mill formulaic stuff either - rather it is an exploration of moods, emotions and styles that rewards repeated listening. Take opener Outlaw Pete for example. A western fable weighing in at a full eight minutes that' s not afraid to risk sounding silly or contrived. This is a life-affirming album from a man who has lived and loved and lost and survived to tell the tale - and it is simply magnificent.

Rating: Essential

Saxon-force

Album Review: Into The Labyrinth - Saxon

Heavy Metal has always been a slightly ludicrous thing - and I say this as a fan. Few bands epitomise that more than Saxon - the band that allegedly inspired Spinal Tap. In fairness, Saxon are also a prime example of everything that is good about the genre; showmanship, musicianship, dogged determination and undying loyalty to, and from, their fans.

This 24th Saxon album remains as preposterous as ever but works best where the band stick to their well worn formula. Live to Rock and Slow Lane Blues vary little from classic tracks Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm Of the Law, but still engender as much excitement as the latter songs did almost 30 years ago.

That other Saxon staple, the historical anthem, is also catered for with Battalions of Steel and Valley Of the Kings but less successfully as, perhaps in an attempt to re-launch themselves post-Channel 4 documentary, they stray just a little too far into Dragonforce (Saxonforce?) territory. The speed riffing and overwrought twiddling a poor substitute for the slow-burning power of Dallas 1pm or The Eagle Has Landed.

Elsewhere things are fairly bland, although Demon Sweeney Todd isn’t bad. Hellcat though is dreadful but nothing can prepare you for Biff’s pathetic warbling on the acoustic blues of Coming Home – if you thought the half-time air guitar stunt from the Get Your Act Together documentary was embarrassing, think again!

Overall a disappointing effort when compared to the magnificent albums served up by other returning icons Whitesnake, Metallica and AC/DC but there is enough here to suggest that Saxon have still got what that takes and that whilst there is life left in the old warriors perhaps there is still hope of one last momentous album.

Rating: Good

The Black Ice Project – 90 days…

… or 3 months since release and Black Ice has firmly embedded itself as not just the album of 2008 but one of the greatest albums of its kind. The disc is still firmly lodged in my car CD player and is an almost constant accompaniment to short car journeys. Admittedly that is primarily a result of the ‘no downloads’ policy which gave me no option but to buy the album on CD, but the main reason I am still listening to it regularly is the sheer quality.

The band also seem to have realised that this a superior product as they now include 5 selections from the album in their live show – all of which seem to sit comfortably alongside some of the greatest, and most familiar, rock ‘n’ roll tracks ever written.

The Endys 2008

Time to look back over a memorable year for classic rock with the Annual Endlessly Rocking Awards.

Any year which sees the release of new albums from AC/DC, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Metallica, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Guns ‘n’ Roses (yes…Guns ‘n’ Roses!) amongst others can only be viewed as vintage one. Endlessly Rocking reviewed 27 albums in 2008 – just one was Poor, 11 were Good, 8 were Superior and 7 were Essential. Maybe the Zeppelin reunion at the end of 2007 sparked renewed interest, perhaps the age profile of the average classic rock fan meant that the time was right for a revival, whatever the reason, such was the consistent quality of music on offer that it has proved difficult to pick a clear winner in any of the categories - but here goes…

Album Of The Year

Black Ice – AC/DC: In a year filled with quality offerings from some of the biggest names in rock this triumphant return from an eight year lay off set the high water mark. Nothing terribly new or ground-breaking – just pure quality.

Band Of The Year

Black Stone Cherry: Metallica, AC/DC et al released their albums too late in the year to back them up with a significant amount of touring, Whitesnake don’t really qualify as a band and Maiden didn’t release any recorded material so, somewhat surprisingly in a vintage year for rock music, the field is fairly limited. That’s to take nothing away from Black Stone Cherry though – the four youngsters from Kentucky followed up an impressive debut album with the even more impressive Folklore & Superstition, then set about breaking the UK the old fashioned way with a support slot on the Whitesnake/Leppard tour followed by their own headlining tour later in the year. With a refreshing work ethic and influences as wide ranging as the Appalachians, their future looks very bright indeed.

Web Presence Of The Year

Metallica: The viral attack that preceded the release of Death Magnetic will probably form the cornerstone of future internet-age marketing. Add to that their on-going release for download of virtually every live show they’ve ever played and Lars and the boys have the interweb pretty much sewn up.

Rock Icon Of The Year

Axl Rose: Interesting that a man who has shunned interviews for the last decade or so should be named as the year’s ultimate rock icon but hell… he finally released Chinese Democracy – and defied everyone by making it bloody good!

Endlessly Rocking Reviews 2008

Essential

AC/DC – Black Ice
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
Rush – Snakes & Arrows Live
Thin Lizzy – UK Tour ’75
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad

Superior

The Black Crowes – Warpaint
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Joe Bonamassa - Live From Nowhere In Particular
Fish – 13th Star
David Gilmour - Live in Gdańsk
Judas Priest – Nostradamus
The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath
Muse – H.A.A.R.P. Live at Wembley

Good

Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Guy McCoy Torme – Evil Twin
Magnum – Wings Of Heaven Live 2007/08
Marillion – Happiness Is The Road
Van Morrison – Keep It Simple
Motorhead – Motorizer
Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring
Queen + Paul Rogers – The Cosmos Rocks
Seasick Steve – Started Out With Nothin…
Stone Gods - Silver Spoons And Broken Bones

Poor

Bryan Adams – 11 {I feel a bit bad about this now….11 isn’t poor – it just isn’t terribly good!}

Axl & The Long March to Democracy

Album Review: Chinese Democracy – Guns ‘n’ Roses

Let’s be clear – this is not a Guns ‘n’ Roses album, it is an Axl Rose solo album. With that out off the way we can now get on with deciding if it is any good or not. The answer is a resounding ….YES!

Whatever else he may be Axl remains a superb songwriter and a top notch rock singer. The endless stream of band ‘members’ in the last 14 years may make Chinese Democracy a trifle disjointed in places, and like it’s creator it is undoubtedly a few sandwiches short of a picnic in others, but this is a monster of an album that is worthy to carry the G’n’R name.
It’s long gestation period occasionally shows in the form of some, now out-dated, nu-metal touches but the quality shines through whatever eclectic mix Axl chooses to throw at us. Of course it would have been better with Slash on board but then what wouldn’t? A triumph – and as good as anything the rock world has come up with in the last 14 years.

Rating: Essential