After Free got their world wide hit All right now and played the Isle Of Wight festival in front of 60 000 people the band recorded this album in a very short time. It's very low-key and laid back compared to the earlier albums and it was not a very big success, and I understand why. There is no hit-songs and the music is just too mellow and soft to move me, with a few exceptions.

1)The highway song (6,0)

2)The stealer (8,0) Here you can hear how Bad Company would sound like a few year later. Slow, simple and effective.

3)On my way (5,0)

4)Be my friend (7,5)

5)Sunny day (4,0) Sad and boring song.

6)Ride on a pony (7,0)

7)Love you so (8,0) A beautiful ballad.

8)Bodie (6,5)

9)Soon I will be gone (7,0)

Score: 6,56

Paul Rogers-vocals (b.1949)

Paul Kossoff-guitars (1950-1976)

Andy Fraser-bass (b.1952)

Simon Kirke-drums (b.1949)

Ronnie Montrose
November 29, 1947 - March 3, 2012

Ronnie Montrose was an American guitarist who, since the early 1970's, has built a reputation as one of hard rock's leading players.  Montrose was playing in a band called Sawbuck in when he was offered the chance to play with Van Morrison.  He can be heard on Morrison's Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic's Preview.  Within a year or two, he was in the Edgar Winter Group before starting his own band, Montrose, in 1973.  The group, which included then-unknown Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, went on to release such hard rock staples as "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock Candy."  Their self-titled debut sold over a million copies and has been called the first American heavy metal album.  Montrose later formed Gamma who is perhaps best known for "Fight To The Finish" and "Meanstreak."  As an in-demand session player, Montrose played on records by the likes of Gary Wright, Boz Scaggs, the Beau Brummels, Nicolette Larson, Herbie Hancock, and the Neville Brothers.  Montrose continued to record, tour , and produce well into the 2000s.  On March 3, 2012, Ronnie Montrose died of prostate cancer.  He was 64.

This album by americans Mastodon is not so progressive as their other albums, but more stripped down. They have got good reviews of the album and reached nr.10 on the Billboard-list. I have never understood the greatness of this band, and I don't understand it with this album either. It must be one of the worst albums of 2011. Even though the production is superb and the drummig out of this world it does not change my opinion. This is a band that it has become popular to like, it doesn't matter what the kids think of the music, they are just cool to listen to. Tragic. Also, in the DVD that comes with the album there is a interview with drummer Brann Dailor about the album, and I must say that he seemed...well, stupid and immature. But the video with the Muppet show-like dolls is just great! Really fun stuff!

1)Black tounge (6,5) Short and intense start.

2)Curl of the burl (8,0) Superb superheavy riff and a steady heavy rhythm.

3)Blasteroid (6,0) Intense song and evil vocals in the refrain.

4)Stargasm (5,0) Symphonic and big arrangement but there's not much happening, no melody, no heaviness. It just goes on and on in chaos.

5)Octopus has no friends (4,0) Same as above. Seems like they just write songs and lyrics just for the sake of it and to fill the album out.

6)All the heavy lifting (5,5) More or less as above but with some interesting things happening.

7)The hunter (5,0) Boring.

8)Dry bone valley (7,5) Reminds a lot of Alice In Chains and I like the driving rhythm and as always, the furious drumming.

9)Thickening (5,0)

10)Creature lives (2,0) Meaningless song.

11)Spectrelight (6,0)

12)Bedazzled fingernails (5,0)

13)The sparrow (3,0)

Score: 5,27

Brent Hinds-guitars and vocals (b.1974)

Bill Kelliher-guitars (b.1971)

Troy Sanders-bass and vocals (b.1973)

Brann Dailor-drums and vocals (b.1975)