| 1981 Band |
Votes |
Album |
Connors' Comments |
| Iron Maiden |
11 |
Killers |
Jun18. Well, I really like this LP. I prefer this vocalist and this hard rock sound more than their metal shredding later on. Other than the title track, this is very strong. Jul19. Enjoyed this play through too. I like the short album length and songs are not too long either. It's probably not quite a 4/5, but keeping that so I can separate some of these Maiden albums and I feel this will be near the top for me. 4/5 |
| ACDC |
11 |
For Those About To Rock |
Jun18. OK, so playing this through, I actually did not know a lot of this LP. I discovered some 'new' ACDC tracks that I probably have not heard since the 80s. Some good hidden gems here on top of a killer title track. Jun19. Added C.O.D to my H100, but nothing to change my mind on rating. 3.5/5 |
| Midnight Oil |
7 |
Place Without A Postcard |
| Black Flag |
7 |
Damaged |
Jun18. I know this is influential, but it doesn't get me in as much as Minor Threat. I can't connect with a lot of the lyrics. Love Gimme x3 and Rise Above and like Six Pack and TV Party. Rest is good to average. 3.5/5 |
| Ramones |
7 |
Pleasant Dreams |
Jun18. So, not their best, but still very good to these ears. Some fun tracks on here along with favourite KKK Took My Baby Away. 3.5/5 |
| The Police |
6 |
Ghost In the Machine |
| Ozzy Osbourne |
6 |
Diary of a Madman |
Aug20. I love the chugging riff that drives Over the Mountain. It has a few little guitar flourishes throughout to keep it interesting too. A good start to the album. Flying High Again has a little too many 80s cliches, but it is a fun track and I love the rhythm of the song. You Can't Kill Rock and Roll goes a little too far towards the soft rock of the 80s for me. It is not a song that needed to go for 6 minutes, despite some great playing by Rhoads. How good is the bass behind Believer? A positive-message song over probably the darkest sounds on the album: interesting. Little Dolls has a similar pace and rythm. Tonight is the piano-driven ballad. I actually don't mind most Ozzy slow songs I have heard and this is up there too. Again, Rhoads shines. S.A.T.O starts to build into a finish to the album, but then the first half of the title track keeps you waiting, slowing right down, with only short moments of heaviness. Of course this all changes for the haunting build-up into the solo, then it finishes with a choir of vocals over the heavier guitars. Not bad, but not a song I would want on repeat. From the start, I was liking this more than the previous album, but it just doesn't build. Both albums fire their best shots early. I'm going with the same rating, as they are hard to split. 3.5/5 |
| Motley Crue |
5 |
Too Fast for Love |
| The Cure |
5 |
Faith |
| Def Leppard |
5 |
High and Dry |
| The Rolling Stones |
5 |
Tattoo You |
| The Angels |
4 |
Night Attack |
| Rush |
4 |
Moving Pictures |
Jan20. 1st listen. This is probably my first full play through this iconic album, but I have given Tom Sawyer a few spins in the past. It has never done much for me, but I liked it more on this listen. Remove the synthesizers and it is a pretty good song with some amazing drumming. In fact, the drumming really seems to be a feature of this album. YYZ has some funky moments with cool guitars and drums, but the synthesizers come in to ruin it in parts too. I like the guitars of Limelight but not much else. Witch Hunt also has some interesting distorted guitars, and of course, fantastic drum fills. Overall, I can see why musos might love this, but for me it needed trimming and some good songs had too much going on - especially synthesizers that were not needed. 2.5/5 |
| Van Halen |
4 |
Fair Warning |
Feb21. 'Mean Street' is a down and dirty rocker to kick things off. I like it. 'Sinners Swing!' has a fun stomp to it. 'Hear About It Later' is the kind of sound David Lee Roth explored on his solo stuff and is not a bad song at all. There is more of a hard rock vibe on this album. A lot of the songs have a harder edge, in playing and lyrics. 'Unchained' is a good representation of this change in tone. 'Push Comes to Shove' almost has a funk vibe to it (reminds me a little of The Police). 'So This Is Love?' is more like their stuff from first couple of albums and has a great rhythm. Not a fan of the synthesizers making appearance on last couple of tracks, but 'One Foot Out the Door' is still a raucaus song to end the album with. This feels like a pretty well-rounded album and evokes that horrible word in music, 'mature'. A lot of the party vibe is lost, but the songs seem a little stronger for it. I am also enjoying, that at this stage, Van Halen have not felt the need to push album lengths out. A neat, focussed effort. 3.5/5 |
| Wipers |
3 |
Youth of America |
Jun18. Can see early sounds of grunge here. Did not appeal to me as much as previous LP, but strangely, I liked the 10 minute song best. I can see this growing on me though. 3.5/5 |
| The Cramps |
3 |
Psychedelic Jungle |
| Minor Threat |
3 |
ST EP |
Jun18. Man, it would have been awesome to have been in the dives these guys played in at the time. Brutal, but smart at same time. 4.5/5 |
| Venom |
3 |
Welcome to Hell |
| The Exploited |
3 |
Punk's Not Dead |
Mar21. I know of this band and recognise a few song names, but I can't believe I have not sat down and listened to their albums at any stage. Somewhere between the Sex Pistols and the hardcore to come, I really enjoy this. Oi! punk at its inception. The warbling bass is prominent right from the opening 'Punk's Not Dead' - their cry to arms that has survived the ages. The chant of 'I hate cop cars!' in 'Cop Cars' is a bit of fun. The cops get a bit more stick later in 'S.P.G' and 'Son of a Copper' too. 'Free Flight' speaks to the living on fear of nuclear war and has a great beat to it. Almost a Buzzcocks feel around the chorus. There are other anti-war/army sentiments on here to, like 'Army Life' and 'Blown to Bits', both of which have cool riffs. Keeping the stuff ups and banter in the recording of the latter made me laugh. I did not think 'Sex & Violence' would be my song and all, but how it builds is brilliant. Simplicity at its best, but probably did not need to go so long ;). We get the band chant song on 'Exploited Barmy Army'. Songs like this would always be great live. 'Ripper' has some cool buzzsaw guitars. The last few songs are not their best, but the 'I Believe in Anarchy' is a good two-finger salute to finish with. 3.5/5 |
| Echo & the Bunnymen |
3 |
Heaven Up Here |
| Blue Oyster Cult |
2 |
Fire of Unknown Origin |
| Devo |
2 |
New Traditionalists |
Mar22. Okay, even more synthesziers and now drum machines, despite having a very cool drummer: way to lose me. Nothing really interesting going on in the first two songs, though they would probably be easy to listen to pop songs. 'Pity You' has the best guitar sound so far, but is overshadowed by a bunch of really annoying electronic sounds. 'Soft Things' has a cool vocal melody to it and not a bad song overall. Same with 'Going Under'. 'Beautiful World' has an overall catchy melody to it too and we get some guitar. The pick of the lot here, though 'Enough Said' is not a bad song to finish with either. So, there are some cool lyrics and some fun melodies on here, but overall, it is just not a style of music I enjoy. For all their attempts to sound different, using too many similar beats and constant synthesizers actually makes this album blend together into a long electronic journey. Great, if that is your bag. I was just waiting for the guitars to pop back in and some cool drum fills. 2/5 |
| Gang of Four |
2 |
Solid Gold |
| The Go-Gos |
2 |
Beauty & The Beat |
Aug20. Kicks off with the popular and very fun, Our Lips Are Sealed. Then there is a run of some okay songs before We Got the Beat picks things up. A pretty cool song. Then we have a Cramps-like beat in and also a repetitive, slightly painful keyboard in Fading Fast. Automatic keeps up with the Cramps style, but has some of the best guitars on here, even though the vocals are not. From there we get some sweet pop to finish the album, of which Can't Stop the World is the best. Some lyrics such as Skidmarks On My Heart were… odd. In all, three good songs among a lot of average, but not bad pop (dare I add rock). 2.5/5 |
| Sunnyboys |
2 |
ST |
Jun18. I really like some parts of this, but the slower tracks (esp keys and vocals) remind me of boring Doors songs. The upbeat ones (of which there are more) are great though, especially Alone with You - great track. Will need more listens. 3/5 |
| Killing Joke |
2 |
What's THIS For…! |
| Black Sabbath |
2 |
The Mob Rules |
Mar20. Early on and I already like the sound of this more than the last album. It just sounds punchier - maybe it's the production? But Dio sounds more settled and doesn't seem to pull of as many vocal cliches here. A better mix of the old and new. It starts with Turn Up the Night which does continue the sound from Heaven & Hell, but I do like the rumbling riff and pace of the song. I was going to state how Iommi seemed influenced by bands like Van Halen here; he has some solo work reminiscent of those early 80s bands, but the shredding also sounds timeless in parts too. The classic, slow riffs return on this album, starting with Voodoo. The Mob Rules is a cool song. I am sure Slipping Away sounded like the 'new sound' at the time. Skip the first minute and a half of Falling Off the Edge of the World and you have a solid Iron Maiden sounding track. There are parts here I liked, but not a lot after the title track. Still, I prefer this over last album. 3/5 |
| Mission of Burma |
2 |
Signals, Calls, and Marches |
| The Who |
2 |
Face Dances |
| Men at Work |
1 |
Business as Usual |
| Hanoi Rocks |
1 |
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks |
| The Kinks |
1 |
Give The People What They Want |
| Gun Club |
1 |
Fire of Love |
Jun18. Yep, if you love the Cramps you'll probably love this. I'm not into psychobilly-cow-punk. Lots of songs about sex stuff. Not for me. Some good sounds in opening track. 1/5 |
| Elvis Costello |
1 |
Trust |
| P.I.L |
1 |
Flowers of Romance |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse |
1 |
Reactor |
| The Residents |
1 |
Mark Of The Mole |
| Cabaret Voltaire |
1 |
Voice of America |
| Bauhaus |
1 |
Mask |
| Australian Crawl |
1 |
Sirocco |
| Budgie |
1 |
Nightflight |
| Siouxsie and the Banshees |
1 |
Juju |
| The Scientists |
1 |
The Scientists |
Feb23. It is bands like this I started my Twitter site, #7RockLists, for. I had seen Kim Salmon at some festivals in the 90s and was probably told he played in earlier important Aussie bands, but it was not until Twitter discussion that I found a lot more about this band. They are certainly popular with the WA crowd. Being able to actually find their music (thanks to the Internet) is also a plus. From these discussions I have thumbed the first and last tracks on this ST album (also known as 'The Pink Album'). 'Shadows of the Night' is an impressive start with its garage-rock stylings. It is almost as if the band were playing some 50s rock 'n' roll through a shitty amp. I love the fuzzed-out sound. 'Girl' did not do much for me, but "I Am Looking for You' is a bit of fun and sounds like it was recorded in somone's lounge, especially the drums. There is an underlying pop influence on tracks here and that comes to the fore in 'That Girl'. This one is just a little too sugary for me, but sure mixes things up. 'High Noon' is a rollicking track evoking a wild west showdown. 'Teenage Dreamer' has a more spacey and psychedelic feel to it, especially the guitars, which I think is a hint to the direction the band apparently took. And it name drops The New York Dolls, so bonus points there. 'Another Sunday' can be added to the lexicon of songs about being bored out of your brains. This reminds me a lot of Green Day's 'Longview' and their whole attitude around that time of their career. I wonder if they listened to The Scientists at any stage? 'Walk the Plank' brings back the garage-rock sounds with a fair injection of punk snarliness to boot, and then has a chorus not unlike someone like The Turtles. Brilliant. 'Larry' is cool too. "They say that he was normal, but that they couldn't stop him watching sci-fi.' Love it. Not often the case, but this album seems to be just getting better the longer it goes. The bass in 'Making a Scene' sounds like it was underwater or recorded in a cardboard box, but I like it. I really like the vocals in this one and it even has the stop-start thing that I love. 'It'll Never Happen Again' opens with a fantastic riff and then the vocals are perfect for this feel. What a cracking song. This should have been a huge hit. I really wish I had paid more attention to Kim Salmon in the 90s now. I don't have a lot I love from the early 80s, but I have found a gem of an album here. 4.5/5 |
| Saxon |
1 |
Denim and Leather |
| The Tubes |
1 |
The Completion Backwards Principle |
Jun18. Was interested in checking these guys out when I read about them, but little here got my attention after the opening track. 1.5/5 |
| Agent Orange |
1 |
Living in Darkness |
Jun18. I only knew Everything Turns Grey (thanks to Lagwagon), but really liking this whole LP now. 4/5 |
| Wall of Voodoo |
1 |
Dark Continent |
| Pyschedelic Furs |
1 |
Talk Talk Talk |
| Tom Petty |
1 |
Hard Promises |
| Iggy Pop |
1 |
Party |
| Minutemen |
1 |
Joy |
| Neil Young |
1 |
Re-ac-tor |
| The Birthday Party |
1 |
Prayers on Fire |
| Grace Jones |
1 |
Nightclubbing |
| The Church |
1 |
Of Skins and Hearts |
| Dead Kennedys |
1 |
In God We Trust, Inc |
| KISS |
1 |
Music from "The Elder" |
| Toto |
1 |
Turn Back |
| Foreigner |
1 |
Four |
| The Cars |
1 |
Shake It Up |
| Judas Priest |
1 |
Point of Entry |
Oct20. After a few listens, there is not much I disliked about this album. It is good hard rock and Rob reigns in the vocals to suit. There is some good riffing scattered throughout. On the otherhand, not a lot really stood out either, and it lacks an overall heaviness to it. I liked the opening track and the only other track to get my attention and look up was Thunder Road on initial listens. I like Desert Plains too, but it was the bonus live version that drew my attention to it. Solar Angels has a decent brooding sort of beat. Troubleshooter reminds me of a slower ACDC track. In all, pretty good, just not the great songs to elevate it above other albums. 3/5 |
| Rose Tattoo |
1 |
Assault & Battery |
| Joan Jett & the Blackhearts |
1 |
I Love Rock'n'Roll |
| Jim Steinman |
1 |
Bad for Good |
| Adam and the Ants |
1 |
Prince Charming |
| The dB's |
1 |
Stands for Decibels |
| X |
1 |
Wild Gift |
| The Replacements |
1 |
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash |
| Thin Lizzy |
1 |
Renegade |
| Split Enz |
1 |
Waiata |
| ZZ top |
1 |
El Loco |
| Dokken |
1 |
Breakin' the Chains |
| Minor Threat |
0 |
In My Eyes EP |
Jun18. Awesome title track and finishes with a cracking cover. 2 tracks in between aren't bad either. 3.5/5 |
| Stiff Little Fingers |
0 |
Go for It |
Jun18. Without the 2 singles released prior to this LP (later put on the rerelease), this lacks a bit of punch. Still, some solid rock/punk songs with a little reggae influence and 80s jangle. Not as good as previous LPs but could have been. 3/5 |
| Ian Hunter |
0 |
Short Back 'N' Sides |
Jul19. For the most part, pretty boring 80s poprock with some crappy keyboard sounds, but some songs are okay. Maybe saved by Mick Jones' collaborations? Can hear some of his influence in parts that are a bit B.A.D-like. Worth more listens. 2/5 |
| Descendents |
0 |
Fat EP |
Oct19. Wow, some really short songs here; 5 songs in under 5 minutes. It's like they weren't even ready to record but did anyway. The food songs get a fair bit of attention, but I liked Hey, Hey - seemingly a more serious song for these guys. Mr Bass is a rumbling song that sounds 80s hardcore. A very fun, short album. 3.5/5 |
| Whitesnake |
0 |
Come An' Get It |
Oct19. I know there is a connection b/w this band and Deep Purple. I don't know if that is limited to Coverdale being in both (I think). But there sure are some shared sounds here, especially the guitars and keys riffing along together. I always pictured Whitesnake as more of a glam/hair band. Some of their lyrics certainly are in that vein, but their sound (here at least) is more 70s rock. I love the boogie organ on Hot Stuff for example. Lonely Days, Lonely Nights is middle of the road, repetitive rock. I was pretty sure I would dislike Wine, Women an' Song but it is probably the best song on here. Opens with fun piano before settling into a fun, upbeat jive. Child of Babylon isn't a bad rock song reaching for (but never getting there) the heights of Led Zeppelin. I found the songs clearly written to be hits a bit bland, but found enough among the other songs to be pleasantly surprised. 3/5 |
| Discharge |
0 |
Never Again EP |
Feb 21. So there were a few very influential punk/hardcore EPs and LPs this year. This one comes in at 3 songs and seems a bit short. It is a good introduction of what was to come on their debut LP the next year. Cracking buzzsaw guitars and jack-hammer drumming that had a whole subgenre named after it, it seems. The title track only gets better as it goes and leaves you wanting more (which is prefereable to me than including everything and going for too long). 'Death Dealers' has a great central riff and awesome solo. The last song is the weakest here. I like this style of shouted vocals too. At just 3 songs it is hard to rate this too high. If only it had the non-album single 'State Violence, State Control' that came out after this, it would have been a perfect 4 song EP. 3/5 |
| Discharge |
0 |
Why? EP |
Feb 21. One EP from this year has 3 songs and then this one has 10, though all songs are under 2 minutes. This certainly has an anti-war theme to it. All songs fly by with the well-known D-Beat rhythm. They go past so quickly it is hard to reflect on standout songs. 'Does the System Work?' or 'Ain't No Feeble Bastard' were probably my two picks. The late guitars and drum fills on 'Mania for Conquest' are worth going back for another listen. The start to 'Ain't No Feeble Bastard' reminds me of the bass-heavy intros of bands like Pennywise. The whole rumble and feel of this song does make it a highlight. The shredding in 'Is This To Be?' is pretty cool. All other songs here based on a cool riff and rumble. 'A Look at Tomorrow' certainly grew on me because of its core riff. I felt that the reprise version of 'Why?' wasn't needed at the end though. 3/5 |
| D.O.A |
0 |
Hardcore '81 |
|
| Garland Jeffreys |
0 |
The Escape Artist |
|
| Bad Religion |
0 |
Bad Religion EP |
Nov 22. As I got into these guys in the 90s and they are still going strong, it still astounds me they were releasing this in 1981. Their title track, 'Bad Religion', is a very good song that typifies everything they stand for and obviously has an anti-religion stance. It made its way into my Top 70 Bad Religion songs list. Their political lyrics are on show early too in songs like 'Politics'. 'Sensory Overload' was an early favourite and makes mention of 'social suicide', a song title they would later use. This was the only other song I thumbed from this EP. 'Slaves' has a cool chant too it, 'Drastic Actions' has a low-fi, stacatto riff and closer, 'World War III' flies by in under 1 minute to round out a very good debut. 3.5/5 |
