Category Archives: Classic Rock

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre

Bad Company – Bad Company (Album Review)

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Bad Company – Bad Company (Island/Swan Song – 1974)

When I think of the term “supergroup”, Bad Company are one of the first bands that spring to mind. With their 1974 self-titled debut album, they absolutely lived up to that billing. The British group featured two former members of Free and their unfussy, soulful rock picks up where Free left off but in a more feelgood, riff-based, rock ‘n’ roll mode courtesy of ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs. And Ralphs ensured they achieved mega success by penning the ingeniously simple single Can’t Get Enough, a cruising and carefree radio staple. Not to be outdone, vocalist Paul Rodgers chipped in the album’s masterful title track, a thoroughly stirring mix of ghostly atmosphere and outlaw manliness. Other highlights include the priapic proto-Whitesnake Rock Steady and a sublimely classy remake of Mott’s Ready For Love. Bad Company were having too good a time to infuse the album’s ballads with anything near the emotional heavy load that Free conjured but tracks like The Way I Choose have proven to be growers over decades of listening and are great vehicles for Rodgers’ smooth vocals. The whole album sounds ballsy and beautiful, especially Ralphs’ creamy guitar tones. Bad Company is the cool, confident and timeless sound of talented musicians revelling in a newfound personal and creative chemistry. When I think of the term “classic rock” Bad Company is one of the first albums that springs to mind.

HMO salutes Mick Ralphs who recently passed away, aged 81.

(Bad Company 2CD deluxe edition from 2015)

You can get this album and more on this box set too!

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Song Reviews

Alice Cooper – It’s Hot Tonight (Song Review)

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“Damn Hot Tonight”

1977’s Lace And Whiskey is not one of my favourite Coop albums by any means but the album opener It’s Hot Tonight is one of my most beloved tracks of his. It’s got an extremely ballsy opening riff and a ton of swagger, coming across every bit as scorched and steamy as the title suggests. Maybe it’s just because of the album title and artwork but I always get a hot city noir vibe from it too. The first time I ever saw Cooper live was in Glasgow on an unusually hot night and I was thrilled when he launched into this. Seeing the great man strut his way through a huge-sounding version of this in a packed, sweaty Barrowlands was just brilliant, a peak concert-going moment for me.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Song Reviews

Gillan – No Easy Way (Song Review)

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“You are so lovely, you are so beautiful”

There’s no easy way to shake off sorrow but listening to this classic Gillan tune, from 1980’s thumping Glory Road album, is guaranteed to blow away the blues. Gillan were a monster band and on No Easy Way they are at their boisterous, swaggering best. Guitarist Bernie Tormé runs riot all over this, unleashing a chaotic torrent of guitar to kick things off and then livening up the whole track with all sorts of howling bends and bombs. “Let it all pass by” is a bit of classic Ian Gillan life philosophy and he’s on brilliant rock ‘n’ rolling form here too. The sweet way he sings the quiet middle section is a wonderfully heartwarming bit of emotional connection.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry (Song Review)

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“Expect no sympathy”

He’s more known for his iconic image and abilities as an imposing and phenomenally entertaining frontman but let’s hear it for Dee Snider, the singer. Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry, the opening track from their 1984 album of the same name, is an upbeat, bare-boned rocker and paean to bloody-minded perseverance (something these New Yorkers knew all about). But it would ring hollow without Dee selling it like he does. He gives it his all, especially during the pre-chorus that pushes his voice to the top of its range where it’s at its most exciting and emotive. Fired up by his impassioned delivery, Stay Hungry becomes rousing and empowering. A superb album opener that leaves you hungry for more.

Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews

Trouble – Bastards Will Pay (Song Review)

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“Fight ’em with peace and love”

Trouble’s self-titled 1984 debut (also known as Psalm 9) is one of the crucial early doom metal masterpieces, notable for its crushing guitar tones and the sincerity of its biblical imagery. But for all its timeless God-fearing doominess, what I really love about Trouble is how evil-sounding and aggressive it is. On Bastards Will Pay the Chicago band bash out charging and crunchy riffs from hell and Eric Wagner delivers anti-war lyrics with righteous intensity. It’s hippy stuff on paper but not with Wagner at the mic. When he hollers “you fuckin’ bastards are gonna pay” you just know they will. In this world or the next.

Black Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Genre, Hard Rock, HMO Blog, Progressive Rock

HMO Diary: 12th January 2025

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I had me a real good time recently, getting 2025 off to fun start by listening to lots of The Faces and Van Halen.

The Faces At The BBC is one of the best box sets I’ve bought for a while, I’ve been enjoying it immensely. The fact that The Faces were ace live isn’t exactly news because the Five Guys Walk Into A Bar… box set already did a great job of documenting that, but these BBC recordings are a soulful, rocking revelation all the same.

You don’t need me to tell you how good the first two Van Halen albums are, but I’ve been listening to them cause I’ve been enjoying Alex Van Halen’s Brothers book. Actually it’s the audiobook I’ve been enjoying because I liked the idea of hearing him reading it. It’s a thoughtful, detailed and moving memoir and Alex hasn’t been an outspoken figure for many years so it’s a treat to hear him reading the story.

All this brings me to the topic of my plan for 2025: I want to read more.
Continue reading HMO Diary: 12th January 2025 →

Black Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Genre, HMO Blog, Progressive Rock

HMO Diary: 24th December 2024

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I’ve not had my typical run up to Christmas this year. Usually I’d be enjoying wintery walks to and from work while listening to all my favourite Christmassy rock: 80s stuff from bands like KISS, Whitesnake, Magnum, Van Halen etc… but my knee has been knackered for a couple of weeks so I’ve been using the car. This has disrupted my Christmas listening mojo quite dramatically and I’ve ended up more in the mood to revisit my favourites of 2024. Great stuff, but not very Christmassy! Bah humbug.

So, what are my top five of 2024?

Continue reading HMO Diary: 24th December 2024 →

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Song Reviews

Dream Theater – Wait For Sleep (Song Review)

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“Where images and words are running deep”

I wouldn’t exactly say Wait For Sleep is a standout track on Dream Theater’s 1992 album Images And Words. It’s just a wee piano/vocal ballad sandwiched between two prog metal powerhouses, Under A Glass Moon and Learning To Live, and works like a theatrical segue between them. But it’s a wonderful song that stands out all the same. Its lyrics provide a lot of inspiration for the album’s artwork as well as providing its title and it seems like a central track thematically with its pondering on life, death and grief. But, most importantly, Wait For Sleep is just bloody lovely. A cosy winter warmer that adds a crucial dash of tender humanity amidst the fearsome technical prowess either side and contributes to the total experience that only truly great albums have.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM

Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry (Album Review)

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Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry (1981 – Vertigo)

With sought-after producer Mutt Lange cracking the whip, Def Leppard transitioned from plucky NWOBHM up-and-comers to genuine big-league challengers with their second album, 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry. The surging Let It Go, the taut Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) and the tough ballad Bringin’ On The Heartbreak all pointed towards the band’s subsequent mega-success. But the whole album was full of songs like You Got Me Runnin’ and Lady Strange which inexplicably remain deep cuts despite being in the top-tier of the band’s discography. Although it wouldn’t be the album to catapult the Leps to fame, High ‘n’ Dry is the most consistently and credibly hard-hitting record of their career: lean and mean British metal with gleaming production, anthemic harmony choruses and a slew of killer guitar riffs and heroic soloing from the album’s M.V.P.s Steve Clark and Pete Willis.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, HMO Blog, NWOBHM, Progressive Rock

HMO Diary: 1st December 2024

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It seems like I buy more box sets these days than anything else. Especially as we get nearer to Christmas there seems to be a tempting set or two released every week. Just yesterday I got the new box set reissue of Porcupine Tree’s 2007 career-peak Fear Of A Blank Planet. Loads to take in here: the album, documentary, bonus tracks, radio sessions, live stuff etc… So far, I can say that the album sounds superb, the documentary is very interesting and the packaging is very deluxe.

But all this box set activity has got me casting my mind back to a time when a box set purchase was just an annual treat, if that, and what my earliest box set purchases were.


Might as well start at the beginning so I looked out the oldest one I’ve got: Iron Maiden’s The First Ten Years. Released in 1990, my copy is not much to look at any more as it’s missing the lid but it’s still a worthwhile 10CD set of the band’s classic singles. And as a bonus it has the entertaining Listen With Nicko spoken word series from the band’s drummer Nicko McBrain. Possibly the first metal podcast ever? Anyway, I stuck on the first disc which features the Running Free and Sanctuary singles, the highlight of which was a barnstorming live version of Drifter.

The Maiden set is sadly bereft of any reading material which is a shame as one of my favourite features of a box set is a good book. That got me rummaging around for my copy of Free’s Songs Of Yesterday box from 2000. This was a very good box set for the time, comprised almost entirely of unreleased recordings and alternate versions. But it sprang to mind because it also had a particularly good book and I’ve had a great time today reading that and listening to the first two discs of the set. Phil Sutcliffe had written an excellent history of the band for Mojo magazine in the late 90s and expanded it here for the box set. It’s a fascinating read about a talented, tortured band.

It’s been a fun weekend of listening and reading with a wee bit of nostalgia too. I think I’ll be giving Cheap Trick’s Sex, America, Cheap Trick from 1996 a whirl next. Got any recent box set purchases or any memories of your first ones? Pandora’s Box? Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B? The Misfits? All belters.