The three albums are often linked in some way, whether it's by genre or decade, but this link is simply self-titled debut albums from different decades. There are several albums to choose from so I may revisit this link one day but for now, I've chosen my three!
First up, we have a record which has been mentioned a few times on the blog and is easily one of the finest albums for the genre ever written.
1. Boston - Boston
Everything on this album is perfect.
From the amazing album cover to the production values, this is a classic and deserves a spot in the Rock & Roll Halls Of Fame (not the tacky one which every Rock star hates, I mean the ethereal one beyond this plain of reality). Album opener "More Than A Feeling" is probably the most iconic Classic Rock song of all time but anyone who's listened to the album will probably agree in saying it's not even one of the best tracks on it. However, it is a great song and a suitable introduction to the album. Each track stands out as being a well-crafted, beautifully written masterpiece and the whole album blends together without fault.
However, behind the upbeat Classic Rock music, the lyrics hint at something a bit more sombre. You could argue that one of the main themes for this album whether intentional or not is suicide as a means of reaching a better destination, as the album is littered with lines that could be interpreted in such a way ("I close my eyes and I slipped away", "you'll forget about me after I've been gone", "all I want is to have my peace of mind"). Hell, "Hitch A Ride" is full of them but that doesn't stop it from being an incredible track and my personal favourite off the album with an excellent guitar solo at the end*.
The main takeaway is that it's a versatile album. Want to listen to it whilst roaring down the highway? Stick "Smokin'" on and have a blast. Chilling in the house/doing some DIY? You want "Foreplay/Long Time" or "Something About You". Feeling relaxed? "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", provided you don't mind waking up a bit during the outro. It suits all moods and has more layers than your average Rock album, clearly the result of artists who took pride and care in their work. It's a shame the studio pressured them into pumping more music out, as the follow-up is OK but doesn't touch the greatness of the debut.
1. More Than A Feeling
2. Peace Of Mind
3. Foreplay/Long Time
4. Rock & Roll Band
5. Smokin'
6. Hitch A Ride
7. Something About You
8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight
ALBUM RATING - 10/10
Strong start, right there. Next up, we have a Hair Metal album from a band that probably deserves a bit more radio airtime than they're getting.
2. Winger - Winger
2. Winger - Winger
Whilst some tracks may give this record the illusion of another bland Hair Metal album, Winger is actually a bit more complex than that. Sure, all the hallmarks are there from sing-a-long choruses to lyrics about love and sex but there's something a bit more technical about the music than your average Poison or Motley Crue track. As well as boasting frenzied solos, the guitar and bass melodies in the verses pack more than a few basic chord sequences and the overall structure for each song is less formulaic than your standard Rock tracks.
Popular hits from the album include obligatory power ballad "Headed For A Heartbreak", thankfully shoved at the very end of the album to wind things down and "Seventeen", a catchy tune about a sexy teenager. However, one of the biggest problems with the album is the lack of variety. Kip Winger, whilst easily a talented vocalist and bassist, only had so much inspiration for songwriting as familiar riffs and sounds creep into the lesser known tracks, e.g. "Without The Night" using similar keyboard melodies to "Headed For A Heartbreak", "Hungry" and "Time To Surrender" containing the same chord transition during the chorus and "Poison Angel" treading dangerously close to opening with a sped up version of the "Seventeen" intro.
Fortunately, this means that if you like Winger's singles, you'll probably love the entire album. Sure, the tracks may share features that are easy to compare but they're all standalone tracks with more differences than similarities. It's a fine album for fans of Hair Metal who want something a bit more stimulating than "Talk Dirty To Me".
Damn Yankees were a supergroup from the 90s featuring the guitarist/vocalist from Styx (Tommy Shaw), the bassist from Night Ranger (Jack Blades), a drummer named Michael Cartellone and Ted Nugent, probably the biggest name out of the bunch and not for good reasons. In all fairness, it's not a bad debut. It also does the job of a good supergroup and sounds like a healthy blend of styles rather than just another vehicle for one member to write the same kind of music but without someone they didn't get along with in a previous band.
It's actually quite impressive that all the positive aspects of each band the musicians came from has been amplified here; the music's more polished than Ted Nugent's, more raw than Night Ranger and heavier than Styx. Granted there are some tracks that you can tell were written by certain band members ("Rock City" and "Piledriver" belonging to Ted, "High Enough" belonging to Jack and "Come Again" belonging to Tommy) but every band member has made their mark on each song. However, unlike music from their previous endeavours, the songs on Damn Yankees are quite homogeneous. You can listen to the album start to finish, enjoy most of it but then struggle to remember which title pairs with which song about ten minutes later.
The only track that stands out to me in a good way is the title track, "Damn Yankees". It's got catchy riffs and a chorus that announces their presence on the Rock scene with pride. However, despite standing out, it doesn't have the same repeat value as some of the tracks I've mentioned on this post by the two other bands. I would recommend this album if you like uncompromising Hard Rock and want something to dip into every five months or so but not if you want an album to stick in the car for your drives in and out of work each morning.
Popular hits from the album include obligatory power ballad "Headed For A Heartbreak", thankfully shoved at the very end of the album to wind things down and "Seventeen", a catchy tune about a sexy teenager. However, one of the biggest problems with the album is the lack of variety. Kip Winger, whilst easily a talented vocalist and bassist, only had so much inspiration for songwriting as familiar riffs and sounds creep into the lesser known tracks, e.g. "Without The Night" using similar keyboard melodies to "Headed For A Heartbreak", "Hungry" and "Time To Surrender" containing the same chord transition during the chorus and "Poison Angel" treading dangerously close to opening with a sped up version of the "Seventeen" intro.
Fortunately, this means that if you like Winger's singles, you'll probably love the entire album. Sure, the tracks may share features that are easy to compare but they're all standalone tracks with more differences than similarities. It's a fine album for fans of Hair Metal who want something a bit more stimulating than "Talk Dirty To Me".
1. Madalaine
2. Hungry
3. Seventeen
4. Without The Night
5. Purple Haze
6. State Of Emergency
7. Time To Surrender
8. Poison Angel
9. Hangin On
10. Headed For A Heartbreak
ALBUM RATING - 7/10
Finally, our last eponymous debut is from the 90s so you know it's going to be more disappointing than the previous two.
3. Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
It's actually quite impressive that all the positive aspects of each band the musicians came from has been amplified here; the music's more polished than Ted Nugent's, more raw than Night Ranger and heavier than Styx. Granted there are some tracks that you can tell were written by certain band members ("Rock City" and "Piledriver" belonging to Ted, "High Enough" belonging to Jack and "Come Again" belonging to Tommy) but every band member has made their mark on each song. However, unlike music from their previous endeavours, the songs on Damn Yankees are quite homogeneous. You can listen to the album start to finish, enjoy most of it but then struggle to remember which title pairs with which song about ten minutes later.
The only track that stands out to me in a good way is the title track, "Damn Yankees". It's got catchy riffs and a chorus that announces their presence on the Rock scene with pride. However, despite standing out, it doesn't have the same repeat value as some of the tracks I've mentioned on this post by the two other bands. I would recommend this album if you like uncompromising Hard Rock and want something to dip into every five months or so but not if you want an album to stick in the car for your drives in and out of work each morning.
1. Coming Of Age
2. Bad Reputation
3. Runaway
4. High Enough
5. Damn Yankees
6. Come Again
7. Mystified
8. Rock City
9. Tell Me How You Want It
10. Piledriver
ALBUM RATING - 6/10
Expect another post this week that may or may not involve video games.
* I know this sounds a bit forced but Brad Delp (lead vocalist) did actually kill himself over ten years ago and guess which song they played at his funeral?
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