February 2015 – Classic Rock Review

Back In Black by AC/DC

Who would have guessed that out of the ashes of tragedy would rise the rock n’ roll classic, Back In Black? Recorded just a few weeks following the untimely death of their lead singer, AC/DC forged an indelible album of work whic, 35 years after its release, is the second best-selling album of all time worldwide (behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller). For the first time, we have put our Album of the Year up for popular vote, with three hard rock classics from 1980 nominated for this honor. Through January and February you have voted and your choice was overwhelmingly in favor of Back In Black as Classic Rock Review’s Album of the Year for the year 1980.

Formed in Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus Young and Malcom Young, AC/DC found significant success at home with the domestic release of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap in 1976. This led to an international record deal with Atlantic and continued momentum through the late seventies as the group toured extensively throughout Europe and the successful releases of the albums High Voltage, Let There Be Rock, and Powerage, the latter of which marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams. The group’s first major breakthrough came in 1979 with the album Highway To Hell, which was also the band’s initial collaboration with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange.

Highway To Hell reached the Top on the US album charts and the group was ambitious about following this up with an even more accessible heavy rock album. Unfortunately, vocalist Bon Scott would not see this realized, as he died after a night of heavy drinking in February 1980. After briefly considering retirement, the surviving members of AC/DC emerged with renewed determination in March of 1980 and various candidates were auditioned for Scott’s replacement. 32-year-old rock journeyman Brian Johnson was brought in when Angus Young recalled Scott citing admiration for the then-vocalist of the band, Geordie, years earlier. After locating Johnson, the singer successfully passed the audition for AC/DC, who were impressed by the fact that he didn’t try to merely mimic Scott’s style but reinterpret it with a soulful style.

After hiring their new front man, the band then immediately headed to the Bahamas to compose and record the new album. Despite riding out several tropical storms which knocked out the electricity, Lange and the band rehearsed and recorded the album in just seven weeks. The result is a direct, hard rock record with Johnson-penned lyrics about sex and parties driven by crisp riffs and direct, snare-centered beats by drummer Phil Rudd. While the album’s title and all-black cover was designed as a respectful tribute to Scott, the music itself was far from somber or mournful.

Back In Black by AC/DC
Released: July 25, 1980 (Jet) Produced by: Robert John “Mutt” Lange Recorded: Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, April-May 1980
Side One	Side Two
Hells Bells Shoot to Thrill What Do You Do for Money Honey Given the Dog a Bone Let Me Put My Love Into You	Back in Black You Shook Me All Night Long Have a Drink on Me Shake a Leg Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
Primary Musicians
Brian Johnson – Lead Vocals Angus Young – Guitars Malcolm Young – Guitars, Vocals Cliff Williams – Bass, Vocals Phil Rudd – Drums, Percussion

An ominous drone of bell tolls commence the album as a not-so-subtle memorial to AC/DC’s fallen member. “Hells Bells” acts not only as a tribute but as an ironic terminal from the previous Highway to Hell, which turned out to be Scott’s swan song. Johnson’s lyrics speak of his angst while trying to adjust to his sudden change of environment and pressure to deliver with his new band. Despite the doomy beginning, the song’s body is really more of an upbeat and intense party chant. Continuing the early album momentum, “Shoot to Thrill” is an interesting little screed with many of the group’s seventies-type grooves and an inventive use of space by adding variation in style rather than substance. This track’s final sequences features Angus Young’s whining guitar mimicking Johnson’s lead vocals as in an updated Page-Plant action.

The remainder of the album’s first side contains three of the most disposable tracks on Back In Black. “What Do You Do for Money Honey” has a great adolescent chant about a gold-digging woman but not much more substantively. “Given the Dog a Bone” is similar in temperament. Aside from the catchy use of call-and-response vocals, there’s really no “here” here, as the track’s riffs, beats, and lead sound just like those on other tracks of this album. “Let Me Put My Love Into You” does contain a nice thumping bass by Williams, which carries the slight riffs that gradually build and, given some room to breathe, Johnson’s voice really does soar here. However, this moderate bluesy track does have a hook which seems a bit forced.

One of the most famous count-offs in rock history commences the spectacular second side of Back In Black as Rudd’s hat ignites the title song with a fantastic marching beat. The track’s verses feature a quasi-rap by Johnson and the choruses build to a crescendo with the duo guitar riffs fantastic throughout this song of pure energy. The song peaked in the US Top 40 in 1981 but did not officially chart on the UK charts until 2011, over 3o years after its release. An even bigger hit, “You Shook Me All Night Long” has grown into the most indelible AC/DC tune. Malcom Young’s intro perfectly sets up this hard rock dance-oriented track, while the chorus hook and counter-riff work in perfect harmony. For his part, Angus Young adds one of his most potent guitar leads on this track which saw a whole new life when it was featured on the 1986 soundtrack Who Made Who. The slightly tragic and slightly morbid “Have a Drink on Me” is a sideways tribute to Bon Scott, starting with a cool blues slide before finding a steady rock beat. While still presented as an upbeat party screed, the song’s pre-chorus contains some ironic philosophy;

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, take it today, forget about the check we’ve got hell to pay…”

“Shake a Leg” contains a fantastic intro section, launching into a faux verse that ends with a majestic vocal screed by Johnson which leads into the actual song riff and launch. Everyone is at their absolute best on this track – the vocals seem to elevate to an even high plane of frenzy while Rudd’s drums are a steady prime mover in this song about movement. After a blistering guitar lead, Johnson reprises the intro over the multi modal exchanges of Angus and Malcolm Young’s guitars. After the frenzy comes “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”, a steady barroom blues which eventually builds into a fantastic rock track that works perfectly to conclude the album. Williams’ bass thumps as a heartbeat between the twin guitar riffs on either side of the mix on this song which reached number 15 on the UK singles charts, placing it higher than any track on the album.

Despite never reaching the top of the album charts in The US, Back In Black has been a charting phenomenon, re-entering charts several times throughout the decades, even as recently as 2014. The album has sold 22 million albums worldwide and set the group up for further success through the 1980s and beyond.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Blizzard of Ozz by Ozzy Osbourne

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Few rock and roll comebacks are as bizarre, but complete, as that of Ozzy Osbourne in 1980. Just a year after being fired from Black Sabbath, the superstar rock group that he founded and fronted since the late 1960s, emerging with the his fantastic debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz. The immediate success of this album was due in part to the emergence of guitarist Randy Rhoads who burst onto the rock scene with an aggressive and fresh approach to playing rock guitar with some classical elements.

Actually, this didn’t start as a true solo project for Osbourne. The Blizzard of Ozz was a “side band” the vocalist formed in 1978, while still a member of Black Sabbath. Osbourne abandoned the project to focus on recording Sabbath’s Never Say Die!, his final album with that band before being replaced by Ronnie James Dio. Osbourne, Rhoads and bassist Bob Daisley rehearsed at a live-in rehearsal facility along with a friend of Osbourne’s on drums. After auditioning several drummers, Lee Kerslake, formerly of Uriah Heep, was brought on as the group’s drummer just prior to recording this album.

The quartet entered the studio still billed as “The Blizzard of Ozz”, with the agreement that the album would be credited to the band with Osbourne’s name in smaller print. After failing to find a satisfactory producer, all four members took on production duties themselves. The approach used was similar to that on Van Halen’s debut album, with Rhoads’ guitars front and center as a complement to Osbourne’s familiar vocals. Most of the group members were surprised when originally seeing the album cover with “Ozzy Osbourne” in bigger print and “The” removed from the title Blizzard of Ozz, which would ripple into further issues among the musicians in years to come.

Blizzard of Ozz by Ozzy Osbourne
Released: September 20, 1980 (Jet) Produced by: Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley & Lee Kerslake Recorded: Ridge Farm Studios, Rusper, England, March−April 1980
Side One	Side Two
I Don’t Know Crazy Train Goodbye to Romance Dee Suicide Solution	Mr. Crowley No Bone Movies Revelation (Mother Earth) (The Night)
Primary Musicians
Ozzy Osbourne – Lead Vocals Randy Rhoads – Guitars Don Airey – Keyboards Bob Daisley – Bass, Vocals Lee Kerslake – Drums, Percussion

A long, sustained, anticipation-building, spacey gong sound swells in before being sliced cleanly by Rhoads rapid, deadened machine gun riff on the opener “I Don’t Know”. After two verses of this heavy bliss comes the surprising, flange-heavy middle bridge section which exits into a strong launch of Rhoads’ first lead of the album. The song has a mini epic feel during the multi-part bridge before the intro and verse section return for a final verse before the sudden and clever ending. “Crazy Train” contains one of the most famous intros in rock history as the thumping rhythms of Daisley and Kerslake are cut by Osbourne’s vocal effects before Rhoads steals the show with his indelible riff. The entire track is an exercise in the best of accessible hard rock – slightly doomy lyrics delivered clearly and melodically above air-instrument-worthy crunches and fills. Rhoads’ lead is short but rapid and potent with the lyrical content reflecting the ongoing Cold War and the ever-present fear of annihilation. Released as the album’s lead single, “Crazy Train” failed to reach the Top 40 but has long since become a rock radio staple and classic from the era.

A change-up that shows there’s much more to this album compositionally, “Goodbye to Romance” was the first track written for the album as a sort of ode to Osbourne’s departure from Black Sabbath. The beat is almost impossibly slow but there is enough variety in Rhoads multi-tracked textures and Daisley’s bouncy bass line through the first verses and choruses. The song really reaches a new level starting with Rhoads’ guitar lead, which seems to set a template for a decade plus of power ballads to follow. The song’s final verse takes an alternate approach both melodically and in intensity, before a calm synth leads the song through the outro. After three, five-minute-something tracks filled with passion and emotion, comes a slight respite in the classical acoustic solo of “Dee”, Rhoads’ short tribute to his mother. “Suicide Solution” is the closest this lineup comes to classic Black Sabbath in its pure darkness and doominess, complete with a long effects-laden section which caused much controversy in subsequent years. The song’s outro contains some slight Hammond organ and sixties-style psychedelic guitar effects, which make it an interesting listen.

The album’s second side is a bit more experimental. Inspired by a book about 19^th century occultist Aleister Crowley which Osbourne found in the studio, “Mr. Crowley” starts with deep synth section played by Don Airey. The verse breaks in with a strong hard rock phrase which falls somewhere on the scale between Led Zeppelin and Foreigner and, although impressive, Rhoads’ lead seems more like a technical exercise than an affirmative dispatch. The guitarist does make up for this later in the song with a fantastic, harmonized counter-riff that really elevates the track overall to the classic level. “No Bone Movies” is much more frivolous in its approach. A true band jam, this is the only song credited to all four core members of “The Blizzard of Oz” and the most interesting element is the bright, bluesy guitars, which sound like nothing else on the album. Almost a comic relief piece, lyrically the song is about constant self-vows to abandon pornography;

“Silver screen, such a disgrace, I couldn’t look her straight in the face, a blue addiction I live in disgust, degradation, eaten by lust…”

“Revelation (Mother Earth)” is the most intense and, perhaps, overall best song on the album. The track contains a chorus of heavy and delicate guitars by Rhoads along with a healthy dose of keyboards, synths and percussive effects. Osbourne also does a masterful job vocally, expertly portraying the apocalyptic desperation of the lyrics. However, the best part of this track is the extended instrumental section, which is led into by a heavy metal guitar and bass riff, passes through a fine classical piano and synth section by Daisey, and then returns to Rhoads’ riffing and one final, heavy outro with multi-tracked guitars and a complexity to the jam as fine as anything Deep Purple had ever done. After the depth of the previous track, “Steal Away (The Night)” concludes the album as a fun party song which gives everyone the opportunity to let loose musically. Here, Daisley and Kerslake really step to the forefront, which reminds everyone that Blizzard of Oz is really a band effort.

The album was a huge commercial success and is Osbourne’s top selling record, having sold over 6 million copies worldwide. However, there was some controversy as Daisley and Kerslake sued Osbourne (and eventually won) for unpaid royalties. In response, Osbourne re-released Blizzard of Oz with newly recorded bass and drum tracks in 2002. But fans grew to loathe this new release and the original version was reinstated as official in 2011.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Forgotten Rock Gems of the 1980s

Today we look at a Top 9 List of some forgotten gems from the 1980s. These are pop/rock songs which may have briefly entered the national charts or rotation on MTV, but have regrettably been lost in the inexactitude of music history. We countdown this subjective list from #9 to #1.

9. “A Fine, Fine Day” by Tony Carey, 1984

Tony Carey is the former keyboardist for the hard rock group Rainbow, who released a single solo record called Some Tough City in 1984. “A Fine, Fine Day” is a narrative track where the protagonist speaks of his uncle in organized crime to a fine musical arrangement lead by a blend of piano, organ, guitars, and a moderate rhythm.

8. “Got a Hold On Me” by Christine McVie, 1984

Often the one overlooked in Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie is an extraordinarily talented composer and performer. She released her self-titled album in 1984, with “Got a Hold On Me” on me as the lead single. A love song with the deeper theme of awakening to a fresher romance, the song really excels during the exquisite, multi-keyboard bridge section.

7. “Jokerman” by Bob Dylan, 1983

Bob Dylan was in a bit of a rough spot in the late seventies and early eighties when he emerged with 1983’s Infidels, which saw his songwriting return to classic form. The rich and complex lyrics are delivered with ever-growing intensity and complemented by the cool, driving bass of Robbie Shakespeare and the signature guitars of Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler, who also produced the album.

6. “Don’t Answer Me” by Alan Parsons Project

“Don’t Answer Me” is a cool and mellow breakup song by the Alan Parsons Project, which employs sixites-style rhythms under the ethereal vocals of Eric Woolfson. Accompanying the track, which comes from the 1984 album Ammonia Avenue, is the music video rendered in comic book style, which was recently highlighted in this article by our affiliate Comics, Movies and Games, which examines the pulp novel-style artwork in the video.

5. “So. Central Rain” by REM, 1984

“So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” was the lead single from R.E.M.‘s second album, Reckoning. The song has a distinct Southern folk rhythm accented by the twangy guitars of Peter Buck and lyrics inspired by news of excessive downpours in therr home region of Georgia while the young group was on their first national tour.

4. “Athena” by The Who, 1982

“Athena” is, ironically, a song that The Who really didn’t want to record due to its embarrassing real-life origin. However, lead composer Pete Townshend eventually won the band over and the song was a moderate Top 40 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The upbeat and funky song features some classic Who arrangement, including horns by John Entwistle, and was released on the 1982 album It’s Hard, the final studio album by the group for nearly a quarter century.

3. “Do It Again” by The Kinks, 1984

Near the very end of The Kinks’ incredible run of productive decades came one final, top-level gem aptly titled “Do It Again”. Released on the 1984 album, Word of Mouth. this infectiously catchy tune displays the core elements which made the group so popular and relevant for so long, primarily a garage rock rawness blended with sweet vocal melodies, profound lyrics, and just a touch of classical English folk.

2. “Damn Good” by David Lee Roth, 1988

This song, which was released on Roth’s 1988 album Skyscraper, is dominated musically by guitarist Steve Vai, who provides layers of finger-picked acoustic and pedal-sustained electric for this moody rock ballad. While lyrically, just a few years after his very messy and public “divorce” from Van Halen, David Lee Roth waxed nostalgic about his former band on the song “Damn Good”;

“Man, we was happy in our restless hearts it was heaven right here on Earth, Yeah, we were laughin’ as we reached for the stars and we had some for what it was worth, Those were good times, damn good times…”

1. “Kayleigh” by Marillion, 1985

OK, we cheated a little bit on this one because “Kayleigh” by Marillion was a massive hit in England. In fact, due the song’s popularity in the summer of 1985, there is an inordinate number of British women named “Kayleigh” who are now approaching their 30th birthday. Still, the song was largely ignored in America and it rarely makes any top retrospective lists. Released on the album Misplaced Childhood, this moderately paced track contains several neo-progressive elements packed into a succinct, three and a half minute, melancholy ode to regret and past love. A true classic which represents everything that was good in eighties music.

Honorable Mentions

“Train in a Distance” by Paul Simon, 1983
“Time” by Zebra, 1986 Read Review
“Johnny Hit and Run Pauline” by X, 1980
“Under the Rose” by Lizzy Borden, 1989 Read Review
“Feel It Again” by Honeymoon Suite, 1986

British Steel by Judas Priest

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British Steel was the album where Judas Priest finally found a mainstream American audience and launched the heavy metal band into stadium headliners. The album reached the Top 40 in the American album charts, while faring even better in the group’s home Britain. This orchestrated move towards a more commercial sound and away from the complexity of their earlier material, helped open the door for a new style of heavy rock which persisted throughout the new decade.

The origins of Judas Priest date back to 1969 when guitarist K.K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill began jamming to tunes by Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream and The Yardbirds and took their name from Bob Dylan’s song “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest”. Eventually the band moved away from blues rock towards heavier music and soon the group began opening up for top-billing acts in England. In 1973, vocalist Rob Halford joined as front man and the next year lead guitarist Glenn Tipton was enlisted just prior to the recording of the group’s debut, Rocka Rolla, in 1974. In the late seventies, Judas Priest migrated further towards a gritty metal sound with the studio albums Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class and Killing Machine and the critically acclaimed 1979 live album Unleashed in the East.

Long time drummer Les Binks quit in late 1979 and was replaced by Dave Holland just prior to the recording of British Steel. Produced by Tom Allom, original recordings began at Startling Studios in December 1979, but these were soon abandoned for a fresh start at Ringo Starr’s Tittenhurst Park studios in early 1980.

British Steel by Judas Priest
Released: April 14, 1980 (Columbia) Produced by: Tom Allom Recorded: Startling Studios and Tittenhurst Park, England, December 1979–February 1980
Side One	Side Two
Breaking the Law Rapid Fire Metal Gods Grinder United	Living After Midnight You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise The Rage Steeler
Primary Musicians
Rob Halford – Lead Vocals K.K. Downing – Guitars Glenn Tipton – Guitars Ian Hill – Bass Dave Holland – Drums

The music for all songs on British Steel was composed by Downing and Tipton, while all the lyrics were written by Halford. The infectious riff of “Breaking the Law” gets thing rolling, complete with sound effects and a primal, chanting hook. This opener (on the American version of the album) strongly signifies the group’s move into a simpler and less processed sound. This direction is further reinforced with the driving rhythm of “Rapid Fire” and the moderate crunch of “Metal Gods”.

The album’s first side concludes with two of its finest tracks. “Grinder” mixes deliberate guitar riffs with Hill’s steady, driving bass and a deep and raw hook by Halford which seems to forecast future acts like Metallica. “United” is an anthemic masterpiece with great sonic effects production-wise and the most melodic vocals on the album. Holland’s reverb-drenched drums seems ready for the arena while the rest of the instrumentation rests nicely in a dry but bright room.

The second side contains more diverse tracks. “Living After Midnight” is probably the most popular song from British Steel, which has sustained through the years due to its radio-friendly hooks and beats. This was the group’s first gold album in the U.S. due to its easily accessible portrayal of the rebellious spirit in the same vein as contemporaries like the group Kiss.

The fine, steady rocker “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise” patiently finds its way through the verse, chorus rotation with some very dynamic vocals by Halford, which he sustains as a highlight of the song along with a fine guitar lead by Tipton. “The Rage” is one of the most interesting tracks on the album, starting as an off-beat reggae phrasing by Downing and Hill before morphing into a Van Halen-style riff with doomy lyrics. Closing out the album, “Steeler” is an upbeat rocker which forecasts the group’s sound in subsequent years.

Following the success of British Steel, Judas Priest followed the same basic formula with 1981’s Point of Entry and 1982’s Screaming for Vengeance, each continuing the group’s rise in popularity. Three decades later, the group embarked on a 30^th anniversary tour by playing the album live in its entirety for the first time, proving the sustainability of this fine record.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Drama by Yes

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Yes entered the 1980s with a new lineup and a renewed compositional approach. 1980’s Drama, is the band’s tenth studio album but the first not to feature Jon Anderson as the front man, as Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group during rehearsals for this album. Soon, two members of the new wave group The Buggles, lyricist/vocalist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes were brought in to replace Anderson and Wakeman. While this naturally added some “modern” elements to Yes’s sound, the group simultaneously reverted back to their trademark early seventies approach, which overall made for an interesting and potent fusion.

During the mid to late seventies, Yes slowly morphed from a dedicated progressive rock band to offering more succinct fusion rock. Along the way, internal conflicts on the direction of the band erupted into shifts in the lineup. In 1973 drummer Alan White replaced longtime drummer Bull Bruford and, following the release of the controversial double LP Tales from Topographic Oceans, Wakeman left the band for the first time. 1974’s Relayer saw Yes move in a jazz fusion-influenced direction and was a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The group’s 1976 North American tour saw the band at the height of their popularity, playing sold-out stadiums with audiences as large as 100,000. Wakeman rejoined the group for their late 1970s albums Going For the One (another success) and Tormato (a commercial failure).

In late 1979, the band convened with producer Roy Thomas Baker to discuss their next album. A chasm grew over the musical approach between Anderson and Wakeman on one side and the rest of the group who wanted to return to a heavier sound. By March 1980, White, guitarist Steve Howe, and bassist Chris Squire began recording demos of instrumental material because Anderson and Wakeman were so disinterested in their approach. Horn and Downes Happened to be working in the same recording complex and, after Squire heard a demo of one of their new tracks, they were enlisted to joine this reconfigured version of Yes and recorded Drama.

Drama by Yes
Released: August 18, 1980 (Atlantic) Produced by: Trevor Horn and Yes Recorded: April–June 1980
Side One	Side Two
Machine Messiah White Car Does It Really Happen?	Into the Lens Run Through the Light Tempus Fugit
Primary Musicians
Trevor Horn – Lead Vocals, Bass Steve Howe – Guitars, Mandolin, Vocals Geoff Downes – Keyboards, Vocals Chris Squire – Bass, Piano, Vocals Alan White – Drums, Percussion, Vocals

Although filled with extended tracks, this album moves by quickly and is as solid and complete as their tremendous early seventies efforts The Yes Album and Fragile. Also, while all five members of this newly formed band and Eddie Offord are credited with production, the majority of the workload was handled by Horn alone. The opener “Machine Messiah” rolls in with an animated yet doomy heavy prog-rock progression and heavily distorted guitar riffs. After about a minute and half, it breaks into an acoustic and bass driven verse section, which sounds much more like traditional Yes for two verses. This extended track later launches into upbeat and eclectic musical sections with several short leads by Howe, one of which is introduced by Downes and Squire trading synth and bass licks.

“White Car” is an odd interlude, orginally started as a Buggles song, with choppy synths mixed with some traditional orchestra instruments. This minute and a half long track is unidirectional with single verse and chorus. “Does It Really Happen?” starts with a cool, funky bass riff by Squire which is built around by the rest of group. In essence, the song acts as a bridge between the seventies and eighties versions of Yes, with deep Hammond-style-organ chops mixed in with the overall clean funk and some tempo variations during entertaining verses. Ending side one, the song contains some philosophical lyrics;

“Time is the measure before its begun, slips away like running water…”

The most popular song on Drama is, “Into the Lens”, which started as a track intended for the second Buggles album called “I Am a Camera”. Squire’s bass rudiments in the intro are gradually joined by keys and guitars for a richer arrangement and experience. Vocally, this song is the first where Horn really distinguishes his style apart from that of Anderson’s and the track moves at a unique pace which is at once rushed and deliberative, really straddling the line between prog and pop like few songs before it. Ultimately, this track found its way back to The Buggles, who released it as “I Am a Camera” in late 1981 and nearly got a Top 40 hit.

Well treated by engineer Hugh Padgham, “Run Through the Light” starts with a slight, distant mandolin by Howe and vocals by Horn with deep reverb. Little by little, the instruments enter in the distance, never really coming completely to the foreground, making for an interesting sonic effect, especially with the multiple synth and guitar licks splattered throughout. The album ends with a high-end, traditional jam. “Tempus Fugit” starts with Downes’ choppy organ riff before launching into a complex patter by Squire’s flanged-out bass and complemented by a Howe’s reggae/ska guitar chop through the verses. Rapid, harmonized vocals lead to the ultimate lyrical hook of, “Yes”, reminding all that this makeshift super-group still carries the mantle of the classic band.

After touring together to support, Drama, this short-lived lineup began to disintegrate as members began to leave for various reasons. Ultimately, Howe and Downes were the last two left but opted to form a new group called, Asia, rather than continue to use the name, “Yes”. Ironically due to their commitment to their successful new band, these two were the only ones not included when Yes reformed in 1983 and recorded their commercially successful, 90125, albeit Horn’s participation was as producer after Anderson returned on lead vocals.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Gaucho by Steely Dan

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Steely Dan had a smooth and steady upward climb through their heyday in the 1970s, with an album-a-year released for six straight years and each gaining in popularity. The group’s seventh album however, 1980’s Gaucho, proved to be a laborious project which was plagued by personal, legal, and creative problems. When finally complete, the album is a quasi-concept of interrelated tracks with frank lyrical themes and simple (or at least simple for this band) rhythms and musical structures.

After the tremendous success of 1977’s Aja, the group’s core duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker decided to migrate from Los Angeles back to their native New York City to record a follow-up album with producer Gary Katz. However, their perfectionism in recording did not translate well for New York session musicians when recordings began in 1978. Despite using over 40 studio musicians during a year of intense recording, Fagen and Becker were still not satisfied and spent in excess of $100,000 extra just on innovative processing of the drum beats alone. Further complicating the process, the recording of a song intended for the album called “The Second Arrangement” was accidently erased in 1979 and had to be replaced by another track late in the process. The album’s mixing sessions were no less intensive, expensive, and time consuming.

While recording the album, the group’s label was involved in a merger, which caused some legal static and prevented Becker and Fagen from changing labels. Also during this time, Becker was hit by a car and broke his leg, resulting in extensive hospitalization. Becker also battled substance abuse and his girlfriend tragically died of a drug overdose in early 1980. Gaucho was finally released in November 1980, over three years after its predecessor.

Gaucho by Steely Dan
Released: November 21, 1980 (MCA) Produced by: Gary Katz Recorded: New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, 1978-1980
Side One	Side Two
Babylon Sisters Hey Nineteen Glamour Profession	Gaucho Time Out of Mind My Rival Third World Man
Primary Musicians
Donald Fagen – Lead Vocals, Keyboards Walter Becker – Bass, Guitars, Piano, Synths, Vocals Rob Mounsey – Piano, Keyboards Steve Khan – Guitars

The album opener, “Babylon Sisters” ,comes in with a cool, slow and deliberate rhythm with some embellishment by the electric piano of Don Grolnick. Subtle horns and reggae elements sneak in just prior to the commencement of the first verse, along with the famous “Purdie Shuffle” by drumming legend Bernard Purdie. The album’s lyrical pace is also set here with simple but profound lines like “here comes those Santa Ana winds again.”

“Hey Nineteen” is one of the finest sonic pieces ever, and where the group’s meticulous production really pays off. A simple but completely infectious beat is complemented with each subtle instrument finding its own space, while the lyrics lightly discuss the disconnect between a thirty-something and a nineteen-year-old trying to make a go but finding little in common. The song peaked at #10, making it the last major hit for Steely Dan. The first side ends weakly with “Glamour Profession”, a song with a close to moderate disco beat and slight funk and soul elements, but very little movement in its seven and a half minutes.

With the title track, “Gaucho”, the album gets back on track. Driven by a sax riff in the intro and interludes and great bass by Becker, who also later adds a potent guitar lead to conclude the song. Steely Dan was sued by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, for “borrowing” a bit from one of his songs. Fagen and Becker relented, making this the only song with a writing credit beyond those two. “Time Out of Mind” is poppy and catchy with a main chorus hook that builds nicely. However, the lyrical content is much darker with an unabashed celebration of one’s first experience with heroin. “My Rival” is almost like a movie or television soundtrack with storytelling lyrics of determination and interesting sonic qualities with an interspersing old-fashioned Hammond organ and modern square-font synth being used. The album closes with “Third World Man”, a slow and deliberate track which is darker than the other material on the album.

In spite of its tortured conception, Gaucho was another solid hit for Steely Dan, reaching the Top Ten in the US and winning the 1981 Grammy Award for its engineering. However, the turmoil of the preceding years proved to be the breaking point and the group disbanded in mid 1981 and did not release another album for almost two solid decades.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police

Buy Zenyatta Mondatta

Zenyatta Mondatta was the hinge album which fell right in the middle of The Police‘s short career as an active band. True to form, this third studio release by the group contains a fine balance between their reggae-influenced roots of their first two albums in the late seventies and the more complex new wave rock of their final two albums in the early eighties. The result is a work that achieved both critical and commercial success and solidified the group as deserving of a perch in the top echelon of rock groups.

Formed in 1976 as a budding punk band, the Police members experimented with elements of reggae and jazz. Copeland’s brother and record executive Miles Copeland III agreed to finance The Police’s first album, Outlandos d’Amour in 1978, which was driven by the international hit “Roxanne”, and brought the group to the US for the first time. In October 1979, the group released their second album, Reggatta de Blanc, which topped the UK albums chart and spawned more hit singles.

Co-produced by Nigel Gray, Zenyatta Mondatta, was recorded during a break in the band’s first world tour. The band members have expressed disappointment over the final output as it was “rushed” due to much pressure from the label. Further, the band could not record in their home country due to tax reasons and instead did so in the Netherlands. However, this rushed atmosphere may have added to the dynamic elements and overall energy of this record.

Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police
Released: October 3, 1980 (A&M) Produced by: Nigel Gray & The Police Recorded: Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands, July–August 1980
Side One	Side Two
Don’t Stand So Close to Me Driven to Tears When the World Is Running Down, Make the Best of What’s Still Around Canary In a Coalmine Voices Inside My Head Bombs Away	De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da Behind My Camel Man In a Suitcase Shadows In the Rain The Other Way of Stopping
Group Musicians
Sting – Lead Vocals, Bass, Synths Andy Summers – Guitars, Piano, Synths, Vocals Stewart Copeland – Drums, Synths, Vocals

With a dramatic intro to the song and the album, subtle synths lead to and eventually follow the guiding beat which lead to the album’s most indelible and popular track, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”. Expert instrumentation effect on simple riffs and beats complement Sting’s catchy melody which aligns with the guitar riffs. Lyrically, the song puts a new twist on the Lolita story, even going so far as to mention that story’s author, Nabakov. Fantastic rhythms bring in the dramatically simple but effective track “Driven to Tears”, on which Summers has a very short, screeching rock lead to add ever-more variety. this second song’s theme examines the divide between rich and poor.

“When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around” is repetitive in almost a dance-rock fashion, built on Copeland’s simple but potent beat beneath the melodic and frantic vocals of Sting. The ability to take this hypnotic three-chord progression and add subtle dynamics and vocal inflections to give the song a more substantive feel. “Canary In a Coalmine” has an upbeat ska/reggae backing to harmonized lead vocals. “Voices Inside My Head” has a disco beat with a funky bass and reverb effects on the guitar, which conjures images of David Gilmour on Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Eventually, this song takes a bit of an African feel with some chanting vocals and slight drum variations. The first side ends with “Bombs Away”, written by Stewart Copeland. Bright and upbeat music betrays the dire apocalyptic sarcasm of the lyrics, while musically Copeland’s rapid-hat shuffle is complemented nicely by the simple and rounded bass notes of Sting.

The gibberish hook of “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” is almost regrettable because the music is so well-formed on this track, perhaps the finest on the album, and Summers’ true highlight. The guitar riffs throughout are bright and catchy, with rich harmonic textures and tasteful use of electronic effects. Released as a single, the song became the first for the group to reach the Top 10 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. “Behind My Camel”, is the most controversial on the album as Sting refused to play on this instrumental composed by Andy Summers (who took on bass duties himself). Pure theatrical, droning, guitar-driven track is unlike anything else on the album and it surprisingly won the Grammy Award in 1982 for the Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

While the album is solid to this point, it does seem to lose some steam down the stretch. “Man In a Suitcase” reverts back to the pure reggae, upbeat and light, with exceptionally good bass throughout by Sting, including an incredibly long decay of a single note coming out of the bridge section. “Shadows In the Rain” is a more deliberative track, built with a simple bass and drum groove riff along with a couple of piano notes each phrase, while Summers’ guitar places some distant rock motifs. Copeland’s “The Other Way of Stopping”, starts with what sounds like a chorus of drums in the intro, finely highlighting the choppy skins of the drummer, which is really the only highlight of this closing instrumental, which means the album may have been about a track too long.

Zenyatta Mondatta was a worldwide hit, landing near the top of nearly a dozen national charts. More importantly, it launched The Police into the furious second half of their career which saw even more success in the near future.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Turn of a Friendly Card
by Alan Parsons Project

Buy Turn of a Friendly Card

Alan Parsons Project produced one of their more accessible albums with, Turn of a Friendly Card, a quasi-concept record which concludes with a sixteen-minute-plus title suite. The fifth album by the progressive group, this 1980 release contains a pleasant mix of melodic soft rock with multiple elements of funk and orchestral music put together by the group’s founders and composers, audio engineer Alan Parsons and keyboardist Eric Woolfson.

Parsons and Woolfson met at Abbey Road Studios in 1974. Parsons had worked there as an assistant engineer on several Beatles’ album and recently received accolades for his work on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Woolfson was working as a session pianist and signed on as Parsons’ manager, as he produced several successful albums through the mid 1970s. Eventually the duo decided to record a Woolfson composition inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe which became the Alan Parsons Project 1976 debut album entitled Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Now signed to Arista Records, the group released an album per year in the late seventies, with ever-growing popularity.

Turn of a Friendly Card focuses on gambling as an escape from the doldrums of middle age. The concept was sparked when Woolfson was sitting in a casino in Monte Carlo and observed the activities and sounds going on around him. He revised the album’s title from a song he had written in the 1960s, which fit well with this new concept.

Turn of a Friendly Card by Alan Parsons Project
Released: November, 1980 (Arista) Produced by: Alan Parsons Recorded: Acousti Studio, Paris, Late 1979–Mid 1980
Side One	Side Two
May Be a Price to Pay Games People Play Time I Don’t Wanna Go Home	The Gold Bug The Turn of a Friendly Card
Primary Musicians
Eric Woolfson – Piano, Keyboards, Accordion, Vocals Alan Parsons – Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals Ian Bairnson – Guitars David Paton – Bass Stuart Elliot – Drums, Percussion

The hit track “Games People Play” features Lenny Zakatek on vocals and contains a cool synth arpeggio complemented by guide piano, using some of the methods that Pete Townshend used through the seventies with The Who. The song is compelling and focused, yet melodic and catchy with philosophical lyrics that touch on stepping out during an empty nest syndrome. The interesting bridge section touches on prog rock effects, concluding with a fine guitar lead by Ian Bairnson. “May Be a Price to Pay” starts the album off with some majestic horn sounds provided by orchestral conductor Andrew Powell. The track then breaks into a moderate funk beat to introduce the verse sections which, sung by Dave Terry, introduces the quasi-dramatic theme of the album;

“Something’s wrong in this house today, while the master was riding the servents decided to play, something’s been going on, there may be a price to pay…”

The first track by the group to ever feature Woolfson on lead vocals, “Time” is one of the finest ballads by Alan Parsons Project. With Parsons adding backing vocals, this song actually features the voices of the group’s core duo and has expert arrangement. Starting with rotating piano and subtlety morphing to an acoustic-driven tune with great orchestral effects, “Time” peaked in the Top 20 in America, making it the group’s second most successful single, with deeply melancholy lyrics

“Goodbye my love, Maybe for forever, goodbye my love, the tide waits for me / Who knows when we shall meet again, if ever, but time Keeps flowing like a river to the sea / Till it’s gone forever, gone forevermore…”

Closing the first side is an interesting, multi-sectional but steady pop/rocker in the vein of Little River Band, called “I Don’t Wanna Go Home”. This track is wrapped up in a more moody, minor key piano section for the intro and outro. “The Gold Bug” is an instrumental which has a Western cowboy feel, with Parsons adding some human whistle over the duo tremolando acoustic guitars of Bairnson and David Paton during the intro. In the “song proper” of this instrumental, Parsons adds an echoed clavinet and autoharp, making this the one track where the group’s namesake performs the most musically.

“The Turn of a Friendly Card” is the extended title suite which closes the album and is split into five distinct section. The title section opens and closes the track with lead vocals by Chris Rainbow . It has a distinct English folk feel accented by Woolfson’s nice blend of piano and harpsichord. “Snake Eyes” theatrically returns to the modern era and into the casino which influenced the album’s concept as a pleasant rocker, albeit a bit tacky with the blatant casino sound effects. “The Ace of Swords” returns to the harpsichord, this time performed by Parsons, as a way to set the scene of the orchestral instrumental section where the rhythm section of bassist David Paton and drummer Stuart Elliot shine through with fine rudiments. “Nothing Left to Lose” features Woolfson’s second lead vocal and is a great acoustic ballad with a smooth chorus of backing vocals and a fine ‘button’ accordion by an unidentified Parisian session player. Lyrically, this section may be a bit too clichéd, which is its sole weak spot, but later on the track nicely transitions to a heavier rock instrumental section, making this the true highlight of the second side. “The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part Two)” concludes the album as a simple reprise of the first part of the suite with a great electric guitar lead by Bairnson and closing orchestration to finish the album on a high note.

Turn of a Friendly Card reached the Top 20 in the US, the Top 40 in the UK, and was a hit in various other countries throughout the world. The Alan Parsons Project would continue through most of the eighties with more commercial success on subsequent albums.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.

Remain In Light
by Talking Heads

Buy Remain In Light

Remain In Light is far from your typical rock album. In fact, a case might be made that it is not really a rock album at all. However, this widely acclaimed fourth studio album by Talking Heads is important in its creative approach and originality as well as a firm statement by the group that they were much more than a simple, New York, post-punk band. Remain In Light is filled with experimental African polyrhythms along with a series of samples and loops, all performed by the four group members and additional session musicians.

Talking Heads began as “The Artistics” in 1974 at the Rhode Island School of Design where three of its permanent members attended, including the couple Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, who played bass and drums respectively. Eventually the group migrated to New York City and played their first proper gig as “Talking Heads” at the famed CBGB in 1975. Over the next two years, the group gained a following which led to their signing with Sire Records. During each of the final three years of the 1970s, the group recorded and released Talking Heads 77, More Songs About Buildings and Food, and Fear of Music, each achieving higher acclaim and popularity. The most recent of these albums was produced by Brian Eno, who stayed on board for this fourth album.

Remain In Light was conceived when the members of Talking Heads wanted to make a more music and rhythm oriented album, in part to dispel notions of that the group was just a backing for frontman and chief lyricist David Byrne. Initial recordings were made in Nassau, the Bahamas, with instrumental sessions that experimented with the communal African recording methods. For his part, Byrne provided inspired lyrics from literature on Africa and re-invented his vocal style to match the free-associative feel of the compositions.

Remain In Light by Talking Heads
Released: October 8, 1980 (Sire) Produced by: Brian Eno Recorded: Compass Point Studios, Nassau & Sigma Sound Studios, New York, July–August 1980
Side One	Side Two
Born Under Punches (Heat Goes On) Crosseyed and Painless The Great Curve	Once in a Lifetime Houses in Motion Seen and Not Seen Listening Wind The Overload
Group Musicians
David Byrne – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion Jerry Harrison – Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals Tina Weymouth – Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals Chris Frantz – Drums, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals

While none of the compositions include chord changes and instead rely on the use of different harmonics and notes, the first side contains the more rhythmic songs with good sound loops, albeit excessively repetitive. The opener “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” is pure techno funk and never deviates from a 10-second sequence acting as a canvas for the vocals. “Crosseyed and Painless” is more dance-oriented than the opener and, although the chorus vocals are very melodic, this track is built predominantly as a club track. Lyrically this track discusses the paranoia and alienation of urban life. “The Great Curve” features layered, multi-part vocals over hyper rhythms and a rich horn section. The song and side ends with an interesting, droning, synthesiser-treated guitar solo by Adrian Belew.

The second side of Remain In Light features more introspective songs, commencing with most popular on this album and one of the most popular in the band’s career catalog. “Once In a Lifetime” has a refreshing refrain and is the most musically interesting thus far. While Weymouth’s basic bass pattern never changes, the other musicians play brilliantly, with Frantz adding good drum fills and guitarist Jerry Harrison laying down brilliant funk and rock guitar licks. For his part, Eno composed the vocal melody for the chorus after originally expressing reservations about the song. Released as the first single from the album, the song peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981.

“Houses in Motion” contains a spoken introduction and later fine chorus vocals, with the music a bit more interesting than similar tracks on the first side. Conversely, “Seen and Not Seen” is almost psychedelic, as Byrne speaks seemingly declarative statements above a clapping rhythm motif with many synth interjections. “Listening Wind” is almost a new wave pop song, features some Arabic music elements, while the closing track “The Overload” is a doomy rock track with haunting sound effects and somber, chanting verse vocals. This last track almost has a Pink Floyd quality to it, taking a different approach than any previous track on this album, but is also similar in its repetition as it slowly fades away into oblivion.

Remain In Light peaked in the Top 20 in the the US and was nearly as successful in the UK, eventually selling over a million copies worldwide. In order to replicate its thick rhythms, Talking Heads expanded to 9 stage members for the subsequent tour. Following this, the group went into an extended hiatus before returning for several more successful albums through the eighties.

Part of Classic Rock Review’s celebration of 1980 albums.