Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears – 1991 Xylophones and toys are scary. Let’s face it. Ever since Poltergeist we’ve known that. That’s how No More Tears starts out. The hyper-demonic “Mr. Tinkertrain” sets the table with a song from the perspective of a child abuser and the album never Continue Reading
Allen Lulu
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – Slaves and Masters
Deep Purple – Slaves and Masters – 1990 I’m so tired. It’s not because of a new baby or life or work. It’s because of the chore I have set out for myself. When it can be quickly become invigorated by, say, the resurgence to greatness by Black Sabbath on Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Black Sabbath – Tyr
Black Sabbath – Tyr – 1990 Nothing you have heard from Black Sabbath is really gonna prepare you for Tyr. What seems to be a concept album about Norse mythology is much more than that. The band denies any conceptualizing or thread but it seems so obvious. So what is Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Dio – Lock Up The Wolves
Dio – Lock Up the Wolves – 1990 This record explodes with power at the outset. “Wild One” is a barnburner and makes me just hope that the rest of the album can keep up with it. It’s more likely a testament to new guitarist Rowen Robertson than RJ, honestly. Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest for the Wicked
Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest for the Wicked – 1989 For the most part this record was co-produced by one of my favorite producers, Roy Thomas Baker, he of The Cars, Queen and The Darkness among many many others.Ozzy also has a new guitarist, kicking Jake Lee to the curb Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Black Sabbath – Headless Cross
Black Sabbath – Headless Cross – 1989 Building on the success of the surprise hit, The Eternal Idol, Iommi and Martin (and Brian May on a guest solo on “When Death Calls”!!!) come back harder, stronger and even more impressively on Headless Cross.It’s as though they decided not to try Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Black Sabbath – The Eternal Idol
Black Sabbath – The Eternal Idol – 1987 I do not like this new vocalist. Tony Martin sounds like a cross between Rob Halford and David Coverdale, incorporating the worst of both singers. Maybe he’ll grow on me. I dunno. The opening track, The Shining is certainly the most epic Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Dio – Dream Evil
Dio – Dream Evil – 1987 At this point I have to say: Whatever metal has transformed into, it’s not pretty, it’s not fun, it’s kind of boring. It’s the same thing over and over and over again. No wonder it was killed so easily by, well, musicians who wrote Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Whitesnake – Whitesnake
Whitesnake – Whitesnake – 1987 This is it for this part of the Listening Post. By this I mean that this corollary, this offshoot branch of the Purple Sabbath saga is ending here. There are many more Whitesnake records but my intention was never to follow them to their conclusion, Continue Reading
Listening Post: Purple Sabbath – Deep Purple – The House of Blue Light
Deep Purple – The House of Blue Light – 1987 Workmanlike, at best, this second record by the Mark II version of Deep Purple is actually my favorite of their post “Smoke on the Water” records. It’s no Fireball and it’s definitely no Machine Head but the band is in Continue Reading