Sadly missed by many rock fans including me!

Cozy Powell (Born Colin Flooks)
December 29, 1947 – April 5, 1998

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Cozy Powell was without of doubt, one of rock’s most respected and influential drummers. He mastered the drums at a young age, and by 15 he was one of the best players around. Over the years Powell has been in such bands as Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake and Powell, Black Sabbath, Michael Schenker Group, Jeff Beck Group, and when Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham died in 1980, Powell was considered to take his place until the band decided to call it quits. He drummed on over 60 albums and played on numerous other recordings as well.  Powell’s other passion was racing cars and motorcycles. He even drove for Hitachi on the UK race circuit for a bit. That love for speed would eventually kill him. Cozy Powell died on April 5, 1998 from injuries he sustained after crashing his car on the M4 Motorway near Bristol, England. Other factors might have been the bad weather and the fact that he was talking to his girlfriend on a cell phone. He was 50 years old.

This is the 3rd album from Arbete Och Fritid (Work And Sparetime). The band was formed in Uppsala in 1969 and played, as on this album, a mix of styles but always rooted in swedish folkmusic. Many songs are in fact pure folk music. They were mixing folk, jazz, rock and avantgarde and also folk music from many other european countries making the band a interesting and popular at the time. Bosse Skoglund and Tord Bengtsson were new in the band from the last album. Live they did not play songs, just blocks of music who could last for an hour, nor had they decided in forehand what to play. Surely an unique band but I have some difficulties in enjoying the messy and monotone kind of folk music they played.

Trumpetist and percussionist Torsten Eckerman died in 2013.

1)Gånglåt efter Lejsme Per Larsson, Malung (7,0)

2)Elazig-dans (2,0)

3)The european way (4,5)

4)Slavvals (2,0)

5)Halling efter Ulrik Jensestuen, Valdres (3,0)

6)Nidälven (2,0)

7)Petrokemi det kan man inte bada i (3,5)

8)Dagen lider (6,0)

9)Pols efter Steffen Henningsgård, Brekken (4,0)

10)Vägen till Nyvla (5,0)

Score: 3,90

Ove Karlsson-vocals, guitars, bass and cello
Tord Bengtsson-bass (b.1950)

Bosse Skoglund-drums (b.1936)

Torsten Eckerman-trumpet and percussion (1945-2013)

Roland Keijser-saxophone, clarinet, organ and flute (b.1944)

Another solo album by former Toto frontman Steve Lukather. This time he has focused on simple guitar riffs, sensetive vocals, melody and also progressive songs that gives the listeners something to listen to, not just sing along to. I like this album very much because of it's big and powerfull but also sensetive and variated songs. Steve must have listened to and gotten inspiration from Porcupine Tree, becuase I really hear some of Steven Wilson's progressiveness in some of the songs. The keyboardplaying is very typical 1980's Toto! An really really good album!

Keyboardist C.J Vanston has played with, among others, Prince, Celine Dion, Bob Seger, Tina Turner, Joe Cocker and 'NSync and is also a film composer based in  Hollywood. Percussionist Lenny Castro has played with MANY well known artists and is a studio musician.

1)Judgement day (8,0) Toto-influenced sound on this somewhat pregressive rock song.

2)Creep motel (8,0) Heavy bluesy number with some good guitar soloing by Lukather.

3)Once again (7,5) Nice ballad.

4)Right the wrong (8,5) Very good almost-a-ballad that sounds very much like Porcupine Tree in their more melodic moments.

5)Transition (9,0) Even more inspired by Porcupine Tree. A very good progressive almost instrumental.

6)Last man standing (7,5) Melodic and sweet song.

7)Do I stand alone (7,5) Very Bon Jovi-inspired up-tempo song.

8)Rest of the world (9,0) Gospel inspired balad. Very good indeed with much melody, attitude and feeling!

9)Smile (-) 2-minute guitar outtro.

Score: 8.13

Steve Lukather-vocals and guitars (b.1957)

John Pierce-bass

Lenny Castro-percussion (b.1957)

C.J Vanston-keyboards

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many many more

Mel Galley
March 8, 1948 – July 1, 2008

Mel Galley is best remembered as a guitarist for David Coverdale’s  Whitesnake.  Galley joined the band in 1982, contributing to their most fruitful years.  His guitar can be heard on such hits as “Here I Go Again” and “Crying In The Rain.”  Galley later had to leave the group due to a bad arm injury made worse by a botched surgery.  For a time, he likely could never play the guitar again, but was able to come back thanks to a device he had fitted over his hand.  Prior to his stint with Whitesnake, Galley played alongside Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes in a band called Trapeze. He also played on Phenomena's debut album in 1985 alongside Hughes and many other famous hard rock musicians. Galley died of esophagus cancer at the age of 60.

Another rock star to go to rock heaven... 

Lou Reed
March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013

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Lou Reed was a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter and musician who is as much remembered as the leader of the Velvet Underground as he is for the successful solo career that followed.  Influenced early on by rock ‘n roll , jazz, and rhythm and blues, Reed learned to play the guitar by mimicking songs he heard on the radio.  By the time he was in high school, Reed was already playing in a handful of bands.  While attending Syracuse University during the early ’60s, he hosted a radio program that focused primarily on doo wop, free jazz and R&B.  He later claimed that much of his guitar playing was influenced by jazz saxophonists like Ornette Coleman.  During the mid ’60s, Reed was living in New York City where he worked as a staff writer for Pickwick Records.  At one point, the label decided to form a group around Reed in an attempt to better pitch his songs.  That outfit, the Primitives, included a Welsh multi-instrumentalist by the name of John Cale. The two became fast friends and began building a group that would soon become the Velvet Underground which also includedSterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker.  On the behest of Andy Warhol, the group soon brought in German model and musician, Nico just in time to record their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.  Although the album was just moderately successful at the time, it is considered one of the most influential of the ’70s.  In fact, Rolling Stone cites it at #13 of all time.  White Light/White Heat followed and there would be three more until the band called it quits in 1970.  Two years later, Reed resurfaced with his debut release, Lou Reed, which was more-or-less new recordings of unreleased Velvet Underground tracks.  The album barely got noticed, but was thankfully followed quickly by the David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced Transformer, which reestablished Reed as one of rock music’s most important figures of the era.  Songs like “Vicious,” “Satellite Of Love,” and “Walk On The Wild Side” are as influential as any that came out of the ’70s.  Reed went on to record and tour through professional peaks and valleys over the next four decades which included a brief reunion of the Velvet Underground.  One fact that can’t be denied about Reed, is that his name is synonymous with what would become known as protopunk, a classification of groundbreaking  and often difficult to categorize musicians who many would later claim birthed punk rock – not because they were musically similar to punk rock, but because they continually challenged the norm.  It must also be noted that Reed was one of the greatest poets rock music has ever known.  In April of 2013, Reed received a liver transplant, and by all accounts was recovering, in fact, he later claimed on his website to be stronger than ever.  On October 27, 2013 however, he passed away in his home at the age of 71.   Cause of death was not immediately released.

Phenomena is a "supergroup" founded by Metal Hammer magazine Wilfried Rimensberger and record producer Tom Galley. This first album featured such hard rock greats as Glenn Hughes, formerly of Trapeze and Deep Purple; Tom Galley's brother Mel Galley who played guitar for Trapeze and Whitesnake; the famous hard rock drummer Cozy Powell who had played with Jeff Beck Group, Michael Schenker Group, Whitesnake, Gary Moore, Donovan, Rainbow, Bernie Marsden, Robert Plant amongst many others; Don Airey famous from many rock bands such as Colloseum II, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Rainbow, Ozzy Osburne and Michael Schenker Group and many more; Ted McKenna from The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher and Michael Schenker Group among others and Neil Murray who had played bass for Hanson, Colosseum II, National Health, Whitesnake, Graham Bonett, Cozy Powell, John Lord and Gary Moore; Richard Bailey from Alaska, Magnum and Whitesnake and John Thomas from Budgie.

I listened a lot to this album in the 80's and came to like Glenn Huges vocals a lot. The songs are very melodic, with simple riffs and choruses but very majestic and powerful. It's melodic hard rock but very very good! An album everyone should own. An AOR-classic.

Cozy Powell died in a car crash in 1998, Mel Galley died of cancer in 2008 and John Thomas died in 2016.

1)Kiss of fire (7,5) Very melodic and toned down start, good but not more than that.

2)Still the night (7,0) More power but not much more than a god refrain.
3)Dance with the devil (8,5) Driving heavy rhythm great powerful singing and a really good song!

4)Phoenix rising (9,0) Fantastic ballad with a superb keyboard intro and Hughes setting in followed by a strong chorus. Melodic and one the most memorable hard rock ballads of the 80's!

5)Believe (8,5) 6-minutes with the best AOR possible!

6)Who's watching you (8,0) Uptempo with a heavy bass riff.

7)Hell on wings (9,0) Great bass-line in this superb melodic hard rocker.

8)Twilight zone (8,0)

9)Phenomena (-) Outtro.

Score: 8,19

Glenn Hughes-vocals (b.1951)

Mel Galley-guitars (1948-2008)

John Thomas-guitars (1952-2016)

Neil Murray-bass (b.1950)

Ted McKenna-drums (b.1950)

Cozy Powell (Colin Flooks)-drums (1947-1998)

Don Airey-keyboards (b.1948)

Richard Bailey-

The noisy powertrio Blue Cheer's 2nd album wich were recorded both inside and outside; outside because they were kicked out of the studio because they played too loud! Sure one of the first bands to play a kind of hard rock and heavy metal that inspired generations to come. The album is very noisy, heavy and chaotic and also very inspired by Jimi Hendrix, like many others at the time. There is also melody in the music but I would not call this a very good album it's just too messy. In 2009 lead vocalist and bassist Dickie Peterson died of cancer.

1)Feathers from your tree (5,0)

2)Sun cycle (5,0)

3)Just a little bit (6,5)

4)Gypsy ball (6,0)

5)Come and get it (6,0)

6)(I can't get no) satisfaction (7,0) Rolling Stones-cover.

7)The hunter (6,5) Albert King-cover.

8)Magnolia caboose babyfinger (6,5)

9)Babylon (6,0)

Score: 6,06

Dickie Peterson-vocals and bass (1946-2009)

Leigh Stephens-guitars

Paul Whaley-drums

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Ralph Burns Kellogg-keyboards on 1.

On the 9th album by one of the 70's biggest rock bands, Uriah Heep have their moments but something is clearly not as it was. The songs are no longer as majestic and powerful, nor as lengthy as they were before. There are some good moments but they also leaned towards a more melodic radio rock-friendly approach which did not do much positive to the former "high and mighty" Uriah Heep, other than maybe selling-wise. The band had for the first time produced an album by themselfs and it was their most lightweight to date. Singer David Byron made his last album with the band, after being fired after the tour due to his alcohol problems that he had had for some time but got out of hand on the tour for the album. Also bassist John Wetton quit the band, he who replaced original bassist Gary Thain before the last album. Gary Thain was found dead in december 1975. He died of an heroin overdose. The rock-life can be hard...

1)One way or another (7,0) Terrible singing by John Wetton but an okey hard rock song.

2)Weep in silence (8,0) Wonderful powerballad but too sharp guitarsound.

3)Misty eyes (7,5) Partyly very good, partly cheesy half acoustic with a good a capella-part.

4)Midnight (7,0)

5)Can't keep a good band down (7,5) Simply a rock'n'roller.

6)Woman of the world (6,0) Stupid poppy song.

7)Footprints in the snow (7,5)

8)Can't stop singing (5,0) Too cheesy and poppy soul like song.

9)Make a little love (7,5) A good bluesrocker.

10)Confession (6,5) 2-minute vocal-piano ballad.

Score: 6,95

David Byron (David Garrick)-vocals (1947-1985)

Mick Box-guitars (b.1947)

John Wetton-bass, mellotron and piano (b.1949)

Lee Kerslake-drums (b.1947)

Ken Hensley-organ, piano and guitars (b.1945)