Classics Back at the top of their game

[youkeepmewaiting]

In my opinion over the recent year/two years i think some of the classic artist and bands and produced some of the best material of their career

The last Iron Maiden album in my opinion is just fantastic, great riffs and vocals from Bruce. They have evolved musically so much in my opinion, much more order to there songs now and generally seem clever and writers

Scorpions new album "Humanity", people who dont hgave this album, buy it! Its produced by the legend Desmond Child, and most songs have been co-wrote by him. This IS the best album of their career without a doubt.

Elton Johns latest album was very good, some amazing track, notibly "The Bridge", some of Eltons best work on this/

Ian Hunter, "Shrunken Heads". Im not sure how many Americans, or even Britains will know of him but at nearly 70 he wrote the best album of his career this year, a true legend of the business. His newest album was voted the 5th best album of the year by Classic Rock magazine.

Europes latest album is very good, and has a much different feel than there previous albums, almost a grunge feel tto it. Very different album but well worth a listen, and of course the previsouly mentioned tribute to journey, "forever travelling".



- Some dissapointments though

Dream Theatre and Rush, didnt do it for my this year, great musicianship nondoubt about it . . but where are the songs?!

Your thoughts and opinions?

[ProgRocker53]

Dream Theater's newest release was a bit lacking.

Rush put out an AMAZING new album, I actually think it's their best since "Roll the Bones." I love every song on there.

Bruce Springsteen certainly put out a great release, I haven't stopped listening to it yet.

I haven't gotten to check out the new Eagles album yet but that's certainly on my slate..

Porcupine Tree have been around for quite some time and put out their best statement yet in "Fear of a Blank Planet," it's a good album with possibly their best song ever.... "Anesthetize"

[*Laura]

Scorpions new album "Humanity", people who dont hgave this album, buy it! Its produced by the legend Desmond Child, and most songs have been co-wrote by him. This IS the best album of their career without a doubt.

Agreed.I love "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "Humanity"...Actually,the whole album is very tight.
I think even the band is extremely pleased with the material;Klaus Meine said that IF there would be a good time for him(and the band) to retire,this would be the best time,after this album! They truly consider it the peak of their careeer.

Europes latest album is very good, and has a much different feel than there previous albums, almost a grunge feel tto it. Very different album but well worth a listen, and of course the previsouly mentioned tribute to journey, "forever travelling".

I agree on this one too.In the last years I've been very interested in Tempest's solo work...Kinda left Europe behind.Funny,I've read that little tidbit about their time in San Francisco on Lombard Street and the song they wrote with Journey in mind...and I had to hear the album! What a surprise! The more I listened to it the more I loved it.Each song is different,I love the various moods and feelings that every song has...A surprisingly mature,inpired album.My favorites are "Always the Pretender", "Forever Traveling" (lol,loved it form the first listen) and then the last track,forgot the title,something with "Blues".


As for Dream Theater,I was a huge fan.Stopped listening after "Train Of Thought".For some reason they began tireing my ears....Like you said,great musicianship,they are perfect and all but where's "Another Day"?or "Surrounded?"...

[youkeepmewaiting]

Scorpions new album "Humanity", people who dont hgave this album, buy it! Its produced by the legend Desmond Child, and most songs have been co-wrote by him. This IS the best album of their career without a doubt.

Agreed.I love "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "Humanity"...Actually,the whole album is very tight.
I think even the band is extremely pleased with the material;Klaus Meine said that IF there would be a good time for him(and the band) to retire,this would be the best time,after this album! They truly consider it the peak of their careeer.

Europes latest album is very good, and has a much different feel than there previous albums, almost a grunge feel tto it. Very different album but well worth a listen, and of course the previsouly mentioned tribute to journey, "forever travelling".

I agree on this one too.In the last years I've been very interested in Tempest's solo work...Kinda left Europe behind.Funny,I've read that little tidbit about their time in San Francisco on Lombard Street and the song they wrote with Journey in mind...and I had to hear the album! What a surprise! The more I listened to it the more I loved it.Each song is different,I love the various moods and feelings that every song has...A surprisingly mature,inpired album.My favorites are "Always the Pretender", "Forever Traveling" (lol,loved it form the first listen) and then the last track,forgot the title,something with "Blues".


As for Dream Theater,I was a huge fan.Stopped listening after "Train Of Thought".For some reason they began tireing my ears....Like you said,great musicianship,they are perfect and all but where's "Another Day"?or "Surrounded?"...

You should take a listen to Octavarium, that had some good songs, notably, "walk beside you", that you will definitly like.

[*Laura]

As for Dream Theater,I was a huge fan.Stopped listening after "Train Of Thought".For some reason they began tireing my ears....Like you said,great musicianship,they are perfect and all but where's "Another Day"?or "Surrounded?"...

You should take a listen to Octavarium, that had some good songs, notably, "walk beside you", that you will definitly like.

See,I had a similar experience with Journey.I didn't like Red13 at all so "Generations" didn't tempt me....However,after reading some opinions about "Better Life" my curiousity was piqued.Well...ok,the album didn't grow on me too much,but there are a few good songs on it.

So yeah...maybe I'll listen to Octavarium...why not?

[G.I.Jim]

You forgot Toto's "Falling in between". That's one of the best albums I've ever heard! Whoever produced/engineered that album did an amazing job. There's so much going on, with so many tracks...Just blows my mind! I'm ready for a follow up, but something tells me David Paiche (hope I spelled that right) won't be on it.

[ProgRocker53]

You forgot Toto's "Falling in between". That's one of the best albums I've ever heard! Whoever produced/engineered that album did an amazing job. There's so much going on, with so many tracks...Just blows my mind! I'm ready for a follow up, but something tells me David Paiche (hope I spelled that right) won't be on it.

I left off Toto's newest album because it's been awhile since it was released. Either way, it's a SPECTACULAR album! Unlike many other bands who only regress with age, TOTO released their best work nearly thirty years into their career as a band. I love it, certainly one of my favorites of all time.

[NealIsGod]

Dokken need to retire. That Christmas song was definitely their peak.

[Rip Rokken]

In my opinion over the recent year/two years i think some of the classic artist and bands and produced some of the best material of their career

The last Iron Maiden album in my opinion is just fantastic, great riffs and vocals from Bruce. They have evolved musically so much in my opinion, much more order to there songs now and generally seem clever and writers

Scorpions new album "Humanity", people who dont hgave this album, buy it! Its produced by the legend Desmond Child, and most songs have been co-wrote by him. This IS the best album of their career without a doubt.

Europes latest album is very good, and has a much different feel than there previous albums, almost a grunge feel tto it. Very different album but well worth a listen, and of course the previsouly mentioned tribute to journey, "forever travelling".

- Some dissapointments though

Dream Theatre and Rush, didnt do it for my this year, great musicianship nondoubt about it . . but where are the songs?!

Your thoughts and opinions?

Haven't heard the new Iron Maiden, but wouldn't mind.

The Scorpions album was amazing, but I'm not sure I agree that it's their best ever. Desmond Child is a good "hit" writer, for sure, but there is one danger with him... His candy coated hooks tends to carry the faint odor of cheese. In music, cheese and candy are actually in the same food group. I'm not saying the album is cheesy at all... it's great! But you can tell Desmond Child wrote some of the hooks... He has little signature things he does which are really musical guilty pleasures to my ears... all the sudden key changes in a chorus (think Alice Cooper's "Poison" for example). I did once own Desmond Child's solo album "Discipline", and really only liked the first track on it (think it was called, "The Price of Loving You") -- it also had those key-changes in the chorus. Anyway, I forget the song on the new Scorps album he does this with -- it's a mid-paced song, and it may be "Love Will Keep Us Alive", but it's very Desmond Childy. I do absolutely love this album, though -- very listenable.

Europe -- AWESOME!

Dream Theater -- haven't heard it. Loved their earlier albums, bought one stinker, and never gave them another chance. Maybe I should, but probably not today.

Rush -- I agree. This album had to grow on me, but it took a little longer than it should. Still, it's far from my favorite. I miss the Rush of the late 80's-early 90's, when they were putting out albums like "Grace Under Pressure". The last Rush album I really, really dug was "Counterparts", and they really hit the ball out of the park on that one. They've been gravitating back more to their original sound since then, but in my opinion are also dispensing with memorable hooks and melodies as well. If I look back and can't remember much about the music on an album, having only just listened to it a few months ago, that says something.

[Rip Rokken]

Dokken need to retire. That Christmas song was definitely their peak.

Dude, Don Dokken will be cranking them out from his wheelchair, with every bit as much attitude as he has now, plus a good dose of crustiness! When I'm 75, I'm expecting to see, "Dokken: Live from Long Green Center in Baltimore, MD"

(LCG is a retirement home there)

[AR]

The Scorpions album was amazing, but I'm not sure I agree that it's their best ever.

Agreed. It is very good release. However, I'll take Blackout or Animal Magnetism personally. Still really good though, especially at this stage of their careers. 3 and 1/2 stars.

[mikemarrs]

my favorite was savage amusement