Yes I love rock and hardrock but I also have a passion for pop from the 80's. One of the hitmachines of that century was Limahl and his band Kajagoogoo which I liked very much. This album though, is very very boring and actually crap. Only the world wide hit The neverending story, is somewhere near the class of the music he made with Kajagoogoo. The music on this album can be discribed as disco/synthpop with a soulfeel.

1)Don't suppose (5,0)

2)That special something (5,5)

3)Your love (4,0)

4)Too much trouble (5,0)

5)The neverending story (7,0)

6)Only for love (5,0)

7)I was a fool (5,5)

8)The waiting game (1,0)

9)Tar beach (5,5)

10)Oh girl (4,0)

Score: 4,75

Limahl (Christopher Hamill)-vocals and keyboards (b.1958)

De Harris-guitars and keyboards

Tim Palmer-percussion

This, the 3rd album from USA:s 38 Special, consists of more stadiumorientated melodic adultrock than it's two former albums. Although they stayed true to their southern rock-roots they also managed to create big hit-songs. I really like this album, it has some killer songs.

Larry Junstrom was one of the founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd with whom he played between 1964 and 1972. he joined 38 Special in 1979, the same year this album was released.

1)Rockin' into the night (7,5) Heavy and melodic rocksong. Killer singalongrefrain.

2)Stone cold believer (8,0) Very simple but effective riff, good singing and good attitude in this slow rocker. I like it!

3)Take me through the night (7,0) A sentimental calmer song with nice guitarsolo. Okey, but it could have been better.

4)Money honey (7,5) Midtempo honkeytonkrocker variating between slow and faster. Nice melody, vocals and piano played by Billy Powell from Lynyrd Skynyrd.

5)The love that I've lost (9,0) Absolutely great southern rocker! Great singing, guitarplaying and melody!

6)You're the captain (7,5)

7)Robin Hood (7,0) Instrumental.

8)You got the deal (7,0)

9)Turn it on (8,5) Rock'n'roll!

Score: 7,67

Donnie Van Zant-vocals (b.1952)

Don Barnes-vocals and guitars (b.1952)

Jeff Carlisli-guitars

Larry Junstrom-bass and guitars (b.1949)

Jack Grondin-drums

Steve Brookins-drums

+

Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)-piano

Terry Emery-piano

Dale Krantz (Lynyrd Skynyrd)-background vocals

The second album by melodic hardrockband Boston sold 4 million copies in the first month and the title song reached nr.4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. The band had felt that the album was'nt finished and that it was too short but the record company released it anyway. And this is the problem with this album, it sounds much like their debut album which is a great album, but the songs are half-finished, they could have been som much better with some more work.

Brad Delp committed suicide in his home in 2007.

Barry Goudreau had to leave the band after he released a solo album in 1980. After that he has recorded with some smaller bands through the years.

Fran Sheehan did not play on any more Boston-albums. He left while recording the next album in the early 80's. He has after this played with Sammy Hagar but no longer plays bass professionally since he hurt his hand in a bike incident.

Sib Hashian also left the band in the same time as Sheehan. He played on Barry Goudreau's album in 1980 and like Sheehan played with Sammy Hagar in 2003. He has every now and then played with the other members of Boson on occations.

1)Don't look back (7,0) Good main riff and refrain but they should have developed them more.

2)The journey (-)

3)It's easy (7,0)

4)A man I'll never be (7,5) A long, nice, melodic and powerful ballad.

5)Feelin' satisfied (7,0)

6)Party (7,5)

7)Used to bad news (7,0)

8)Don't be afraid (7,0)

Score: 7,14

Brad Delp-vocals (1951-2007)

Tom Scholz-guitars (b.1947)

Barry Goudreau-guitars (b.1951)

Fran Sheehan-bass (b.1949)

Sib Hashian-drums (b.1949)

With this album Wishbone Ash went in a heavier direction. The songs are more uptempo and contains more distorted guitars than before, and I like that. They also have some progressive elements in their music. Before they were kind of low key and in my opinion boring but this album is more my style. Actually I like it quite a lot. For example Stand and deliver is a fantastic song.

1)You see red (7,5) A nice slowtempo song with a good bassline, guitarsolo and catchy refrain.

2)Baby the angels are here (7,5) Same as above but without the refrain but with more feeling.

3)Ships in the sky (8,0) Beautiful intro and great Simon and Garfunkel-like singing and very melodic.

4)Stand and deliver (8,5) Very much Barclay James Harvest about this heavy and slow song with variations in tempo. Great mainriff. Truly great song!

5)Anger in harmony (5,0) A halfboring song that changes tempo to a heavy blues in the middle but it doesn't get better because of that. Misplaced guitarplaying.

6)Like a child (7,0) Nice melody and a capella-singing. Beautiful solo but a little too soft.

7)The way of the world (8,0) Fantastic melody in singing and guitarplaying with a cool bassline.

8)Stormy weather (7,0) What could have been a fantastic closer is destroyed by endless soloing.

Score: 7,31

Laurie Weisfield-vocals and guitars (b.1952)

Andy Powell-vocals and guitars (b.1950)

Martin Turner-vocals and bass (b.1947)

Steve Upton-drums (b.1946)

On this album Rush continued their prog-rockmission with their not-very-heavy rocksongs with lot of tempochanges, weird passages and sudden stops and starts leading the songs forth and back again in a roller-coaster ride. Synthesizers were used more than before, probably since everybody else were beginning to use them in those years. Unfortunately the songs don't have much power and heaviness. I find the songs too light and almost poppy. The arrangements are good but it could have been so much better with some more substance. A typical Rush-album.

1)A farewell to kings (7,0) Acoustic intro and then a midtempo song with some breaks for guitarsoloing with pumping bass. Okey song but nothing special.

2)Xanadu (7,0) 11 minutes long. Typical Rush-progressive rock with a lot of variation but it's lacking some power. It gets very tame.

3)Closer to the heart (7,0) Too short song that has a good melody and is more of a normal rocker.

4)Cinderella man (7,0) Nice melodic refrain in this song that sounds just like the other ones on the album.

5)Madrigal (7,0) A short song.

6)Cygnus X-1 (6,0) 10 minutes with a Darth Vader-like spoken intro. The song lacks melody and is very chaotic. Rush have made way better music than this album.

Score: 6,83

Geddy Lee(born Gary Lee Weinrib)-vocals, bass, guitars and synthesizers (b.1953)

Alex Lifeson(Alaksandar Zivojinovic-guitars and synthesizers (b.1953)

Neil Peart-drums (b.1952)

The southern rock/country-band Outlaws was formed as early as 1967 by Hughie Thomasson and some others. Frank O'Keefe came in in 1968 and Monte Yoho in 1969. They had then made two albums but none of them were released. In 1971 Henry Paul together with Monte Yoho and Frank O'Keefe formed the band Sienna, which soon changed their name to Outlaws. This, their debutalbum is a mix of rock and country, containing three guitarrists and they sure used the guitars in the best possible way in their different types of songs and in their southernrocksstyle guitarduelling and fantastic soloing. The songs are among the best southernrock/countryrocksongs I have ever heard and this albums is one that I often listen to, it's a perfect partyalbum!

This is one of the best albums I have ever heard!

Hughie Thomasson died in his sleep of an heartattack in 2007.

Billy Jones comitted suicide in 1995.

Frank O'Keefe also died in 1995.

1)There goes another love song (8,5) Superb uptempo countrrocker.

2)Song for you (8,5) Starts with guitarduelling going into twinguitarplaying and a solo before the superb a capella singing ang guitarsolinging again. Incredible!

3)Song in the breeze (9,0) Absolutely great singing by Paul and the guitarplaying and a capella-singing are just fantastic in this melodic countryrocker.

4)It follows from your heart (9,5) A sweet ballad with exellent melody and sensitive and incredible singing. Great solo at the end.

5)Cry no more (8,0) An uptempo rocker.

6)Waterhole (7,5) A fast countryrocker with as fast guitarduelling! Instrumental.

7)Stay with me (8,0) Another countryrocker. Very melodic and a capella-singing.

8)Keep prayin' (9,0) Paul and Jones sings this heavy uptempo boogierocker. Just incredible sense for melody both in singing and guitarplaying!

9)Knoxville girl (8,0) Uptempo countryrocker.

10)Green grass and high tides (10,0) The absolutely best song that I have ever heard! 10 minutes of absolute and pure pleasure. The best partymoodlifter you can ever think of as the song builds up and to end with furious guitarduelling!

Score: 8,60

Hughie Thomasson-vocals and guitars (1952-2007)

Henry Paul-vocals and guitars (b.1949)

Billy Jones-vocals and guitars (1949-1995)

Frank O'Keefe-bass (?-1995)

Monte Yoho-drums (b.1952)

On this Quo-album the band took a slightly different direction by playing some more melodic rock. Some songs are okey, but only the ones that are played in the "old" way. The melodic ones are... well, not so good. Also a couple of really bad ones is featured on the album.

1)Again and again (8,0) A good rockin' opening with a strong refrain and nice guitarsoloing.

2)I'm giving up my worryin' (5,5) Poppy and melodic. Not very fun.

3)Gonna teach you to love me (6,0) Not very good start but when it starts to rock it's Status Quo-boogietime again.

4)Someone show me home (6,0) An okey ballad. Very melodic and almost cheesy, but they get away with it.

5)Long-legged Linda (8,0) A furious rocker about a 16-year old performer at the Whisky-a-go-go in L.A Very good partysong!

6)Oh! What a night (7,0) Boogierocker with a melodic refrain and female background vocals.

7)Accident prone (4,0) Discodrumming and very melodic. This is not good...

8)Stones (4,5) Stupid and bad poppy song.

9)Let me fly (7,5) Back to what Quo does well; boogierock'n'roll.

10)Like a good girl (7,5) Rock'n'roll!

Score: 6,40

Rick Parfitt-vocals and guitars (b.1948)

Francis Rossi-vocals and guitars (b.1949)

Alan Lancaster-bass (b.1949)

John Coghlan-drums (b.1946)

Andy Bown-keyboards (b.1946)

This is the 2nd album from Great Britains Grim Reaper. They were known as a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and Grim Reaper sure was metal compared to many of the other bands from the era that played more melodic stuff. This album has some good songs but they still suffered from being a little amateurish and also the production ain't the best. There were better things to come though.

1)Fear no evil (7,5) Pure fucking metal. An okey and intense opener.

2)Never going back (7,5) Driving, raw rhythm and aggressive vocals but too repetitive.

3)Lord of darkness (Your living hell) (6,5) I like the amateurish raw power of the songs even though they are not the best I've heard.

4)Matter of time (7,0) Uptempo rocking metal.

5)Rock & roll tonight (6,5) It gets a little too much with the same kind of songs and the annoying rhythm guitar-sound.

6)Let the thunder roar (6,0) Same same...

7)Lay it on the line (6,0)

8)Fight for the last (7,0)

9)Final straw (6,0) Totally crazy father-son talk-intro.

Score: 6,67

Steve Grimmett-vocals

Nick Bowcott-guitars

Dave Wanklin-bass

Mark Simon-drums