Suddenly it happened to Chicago, they reached the toplists all over the world. From this album 4 singles were released and all reached top 20 on the Billboard and the album reached nr. 4 and nr. 1 in Sweden! I remember that the songs were played a LOT on radio. Even if the band had hits before, they were more of a jazz/fusion/progressive rockband than a popband. This album is a pure popalbum though, but with a lot of horns and a little jazzinspired, and the last to feature superb singer Peter Cetera. He created his own successful popcareer after Chicago. Today these 1980's popsongs might seem dated but I really really like them still. The incredible sense for melody and poppy power is significiant on the whole album and is one of the best popalbums of the 80's, that's for sure. Except for the 8-man strong band, there are many well known artists playing on the album, like Michael Landau, Jeff Porcaro from Toto and Richard Marx.

1)Stay the night (8,0)

2)We can stop the hurtin' (7,5)

3)Hard habit to break (7,5)

4)Only you (8,0)

5)Remember the feeling (7,5)

6)Along comes a woman (6,0)

7)You're the inspiration (8,0)

8)Please hold on (6,5)

9)Prima donna (7,0)

10)Once in a lifetime (7,0)

Score: 7,30

Peter Cetera-vocals and bass (b.1944)

Bill Champlin-guitars and keyboards (b.1947)

Chris Pinnick-guitars

Danny Seraphine-drums (b.1948)

Robert Lamm-keyboards (b.1944)

Lee Loughnane-trumpet (b.1946)

James Pankow-trompbone (b.1947) 

Walter Parazaider-woodwinds (b.1945)

Uriah Heep's 7th album was recorded in Munich, Germany. The members of the band had began fighting over different things; David Byron was drunk most of the time and Ken Hensley was jealous over the attention David was getting and Gary Thain's drug addiction was taking it's toll, and got worse when he was electrocuted on stage in Dallas during a show and later when he left hospital he in Sounds Magazine accused manager Gerry Bron of turning Uriah Heep into a mere "financial thing". Thain was fired and died of a heroin overdose in december the same year 1975. He was replaced by John Wetton from Family and King Crimson. The album is okey, not bad at all, but something is clearly missing compared to past albums and they had moved into a more commercial direction even though it's clearly Uriah Heep that's playing!

1)Wonderworld (7,5)

2)Suicidal man (8,0)

3)The shadow and the wind (5,0)

4)So tired (8,0)

5)The easy road (7,5)

6)Something or nothing (7,5)

7)I won't mind (7,0)

8)We got we (8,0)

9)Dreams (6,0)

Score: 7,17

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

Mick Box-guitars (b.1947)

Gary Thain-bass (1948-1975)

Lee Kerslake-drums (b.1947)

Ken Hensley-organ and guitars (b.1945)

Recorded at a remote cottage in Wales named Bron-Yr-Aur, Led Zep's 3rd (!) album moved towards folk and acoustic rock as well as the high energy hardrock they were known for. Since the cottage had no electricity or running water the composing became more acoustic and calm, as an opposite to the hard working they had just been through on a lengthy north american tour. The album reached nr. 1 in many countries like the U.S.A., Australia and U.K but were a dissapointment to many fans.

The drummer John Bonham drank himself to death in 1980, 32 years of age.

1)Immigrant song (8,0) 2-minute heavy uptempo song with Plant's trademark shouted vocals.

2)Friends (6,5) Somewhat strange intensive acoustic and violin-song.

3)Celebration day (8,0) Good driving slideguitar tune but a bit too monotone.

4)Since I've been loving you (8,0) A 7-minute sensitive slow heavy blues.

5)Out on the tiles (7,5) Messy, intense and heavy. Nice change of riff but rather monotone track.

6)Gallows pole (4,5) Monotone and messy banjo-hardrock. Why?

7)Tangerine (8,0) Very nice acoustic and electric short melodic song.

8)That's the way (5,0) Incredibly boring acoustic song.

9)Bron-y-aur stomp (7,0) Nice acoustic stomp.

10)Hats off to (Roy) Harper (6,0) Another acoustic. Intense and strange bluesy vocals.

Score: 6,85

Robert Plant-vocals and harmonica (b.1948)

Jimmy Page-guitars, banjo and bass on 8. (b.1944)

John Paul Jones (John Paul Baldwin) -bass, guitars, mandolin, organ and synthsizers (b.1946)

John Bonham-drums (1948-1980)

Bonnie Tyler's 5th and most successful album including the monsterhit "Total eclipse of the heart". The album went straight to nr. 1 on the british charts, the first album by a female to do so. It also reached nr. 4 in the U.S.A Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf-fame produced the album and if one compare Meat Loaf's and Bonnie Tyler's music they sound very very similar with it's pompous melodic arrangements, progressiveness and quite nice guitarwork. The album has some re-worked coversongs and I don't understand why. It seems unnescesary when there were so good songwriters involved in the album.

The very well known guitarrist Rick Derringer had prior to this album played with Weird Al Yankovic for some time. Pianist Roy Bittan is mostly know for playing in Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band.

1)Have you ever seen the rain? (6,0) Creedence Clearwater Revival-cover in a heavyrock-vein with screaming guitars and heavy rhythm. It was at a time when rock still could reach the charts!

2)Faster than the speed of night (7,0) Pompous Jim Steinman-arrangement but it could have been better.

3)Getting so excited (5,0) Embarresing uptempo pop-rocker aimed for the charts...

4)Total eclipse of the heart (8,5) Incredibly pompous and powerful ballad and one of the biggest hits of the 1980's. At the time it was still possible for a 7 minute-song to reach the charts!

5)It's a jungle out there (7,0) Pretty good pop-reggaesong.

6)Going through the motions (6,0) A Blue Öyster Cult-cover. Just a supermelodic rocksong.

7)Tears (7,5) Duet with Frankie Miller. A good powerful ballad with very good singing by two excellent singers!

8)Take me back (7,0) Written by former Bob Dylan-guitarist Billy Cross. A good powerful melodic rocksong in the vein of Steinman/Meat Loaf.

9)Straight from the heart (6,0) Bryan Adams-cover. Another powerful ballad.

Score: 6,67

Bonnie Tyler-vocals

Rick Derringer (Richard Zehringer) -guitars (b.1947)

Steve Buslowe-bass

Max Weinberg-drums

Jimmy Maelen-percussion

Larry Fast-synthesizers (b.1951)

Roy Bittan-piano (b.1949)

This is the 2nd album from british hard rockers Uriah Heep. From the beginning, like on this album, they put in some progressiveness as well as jazz-fusion in their music. This is partly why I like Uriah Heep's music so much. But they also made some really really good pure rock'n'roll-hardrock and both can be heard on this album. The 16-minute title track includes a 24-piece orchestra and this is one of the best collaborations between rock and orchestra I have heard! The name Salisbury comes from a military training field in England, that's why there's a tank on the cover. Personally I don't understand why they used that photo. The album reached nr. 1 in Finland and nr. 103 in U.S.A

The drummer Keith Baker had played on one single track on the last album but now got the full time job. He was also the original drummer for Supertramp in 1969-1970 (Supertramp were then called Daddy).

1)Bird of prey (7,5) Quite progressive song with many elements and a nice change of tempo at the end but Byron's singing here and there sounds strained to say at least...

2)The park (8,5) Very sweet and mellow song with great sensitive vocals. Very good!

3)Time to live (8,5) Great powerful short song.

4)Lady in black (8,0) Good melodic acoustic sing-a-long tune. A little too repetitive.

5)High pristess (7,5) A good hard rocker.

6)Salisbury (9,5) 16 minutes very progressive song that starts with organ and an orchestra, then hardrocking and then a long bass- and drumdriven jazzy part and the guitarsolo at the end is mighty and the orchestra, organ and background vocals melts together really nice. A trememdeous song!

Score: 8,25

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

Mick Box-guitars (b.1947)

Paul Newton-bass (b.1945)

Keith Baker-drums (b.1948)

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