Lowell George-Thanks, I´ll Eat It Here (1979)

Lowell George is undoubtedly one of the icons of American roots music. A singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, he rose to fame after his time with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and for leading the enduring Little Feat for almost a decade. Instrumentally, he was known for his skill with the slide guitar, but he also mastered other instruments such as the harmonica, saxophone, flute, and guitar. With Little Feat, he released a series of great works, including his self-titled debut album, and subsequent releases like "Sailin' Shoes", "Dixie Chicken", and "The Last Record Album", not to mention the double live album "Waiting for Columbus", a true classic of live recordings. It wasn't until the late 1970s that he decided to release his first solo album, "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here", showcasing his diverse musical style, alternating original songs with covers of artists like Allen Toussaint and Rickie Lee Jones. "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here" demonstrates the enormous range of Lowell George's musical sounds, as evidenced in the track "What Do You Want The Girl To Do", which confirms his New Orleans influences. His covers of Rickie Lee Jones' "Easy Money," Ann Pebbles' "I Can't Stand The Rain", and Jimmy Webbs' "Himmler's Ring" are brilliantly adapted to his eclectic and versatile style. His own compositions are also captivating, as demonstrated in the tracks "Two Trains" and "Twenty Million Things". For the recording of this album, Lowell George had enlisted the collaboration of some of the cream of the crop of West Coast music, including David Foster, Bonnie Raitt, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Price, Michael Baird, and Jim Keltner, among many others. After the album's release, Lowell George formed a band to promote it with a series of concerts across the United States, while simultaneously announcing the definitive breakup of Little Feat. But he barely had time to begin the tour; on June 29, 1979, he died of a sudden heart attack, leaving an irreplaceable void in American music. Later, a tumultuous tribute concert was held in his honor at the Forum in Los Angeles, featuring his band Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt, among others. In subsequent years, several tribute albums to Lowell George have been released, such as "Rock'n'Roll A Tribute Lowell George", featuring artists like Randy Newman, Eddie Money, and J.D. Souther, while other artists like The Black Crowes and Van Halen have made reinterpretations of his songs, and others like Christopher Cross dedicated songs to him, such as the famous and well-known "Ride Like The Wind".

The Dirty Blues Band-Stone Dirt (1968)

The Dirty Blues Band was a blues rock band founded in Riverside, California, in early 1967 by vocalist and harmonica player Rod Piazza. They released two superb albums, "Dirty Blues Band" (1967) and "Stone Dirt" (1968), which were highly acclaimed by fans of the genre. This legendary band consisted of guitarist Glenn Roos Campbell, organist Pat Malone, drummer John Milliken, bassist Less Morrison, and steel guitarist Robert Sandell, in addition to the aforementioned Rod Piazza. In 1967, under the Bluesway label, they released their first album, which fused blues with jazz elements and sounds of funk and soul, all underpinned by Piazza's energetic vocals and harmonica playing. That first album featured the blues-funk track "Checkin' Up On My Baby", the jazzy "New Orleans Woman", and magnificent covers of Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me To Talkin' ". A year later came "Stone Dirt", released by the same record label, which contained an irresistible repertoire including the boogie-blues "Bring It On Home" and "My Baby", the lilting blues (a John Lee Hooker cover) "It's My Own Fault", the rhythm and blues "I Can't Quit You Baby" and "Tell Me", the rock and roll "She's The One", and the hypnotic "Sittin' Down Wonderin' ". After this album, Piazza definitively disbanded the group and formed another similar one called Bacon Fat, with whom he released the monumental "Tough Dude" in 1971, another outstanding example of electric blues, which was duly reviewed some time ago on this blog.

Def Leppard-Pyromania (1983)

This is one of the essential heavy metal and hard rock albums of the 80s, an irresistible blend of metal, pop-rock flourishes, and catchy, utterly captivating sounds. “Pyromania” was the third album by the British band Def Leppard, produced by Mutt Lange and recorded throughout much of 1982 at Park Gates Studios in London. In this new release, the Sheffield band cleverly moved away from the forceful and aggressive hard rock sound of their earlier work, crafting a much more accessible and infectious album of great melodic heavy metal-pop songs. Appealing tracks like the energetic “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”, “Photograph”, “Foolin’ ”, “Rock of Ages”, and “Billy’s Got a Gun” brilliantly and effectively fused pop and metal. Meanwhile, tracks like "Too Late For Love" and "Comin' Under Fire" showcased another of the band's great strengths: creating seductive ballads and addictive mid-tempo songs. These, along with their previous work, were staples on FM radio stations around the world during the 1980s. A number two spot on the Billboard charts and over fifteen million copies sold worldwide confirm this as one of heavy metal's masterpieces.

Pot Liquor-Levee Blues (1971)

Pot Liquor was a short-lived band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who released several albums with a distinct boogie blues and southern rock sound during the early 1970s. Their initial lineup consisted of George Ratzlaff on keyboards and vocals, guitarist Les Wallace, drummer Jerry Amoroso, and bassist Guy Shaeffer. After their debut album, "First Taste", released in 1970, which was well-received in the southern states, they released "Levee Blues" a year later. Considered their best work, this album expanded their characteristic southern rock sound with elements of country, blues, and gospel. Ratzlaff's vocals and organ, along with the inclusion of a group of female backing vocalists, lend a unique gospel touch to the album's closing tracks. The lively tracks “Cheer”, “River Jordan”, “The Train”, and “Chattanooga”, along with the heavy, hypnotic blues of “Rooster Blues” and the magnificent covers of The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” and Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good”, are the highlights of an interesting but forgotten album of the best Southern rock. However, despite its quality and exquisite production, it failed to achieve the desired commercial success. Nevertheless, the band continued to perform concerts for quite some time throughout Louisiana, enjoying a good reception from the public, something that didn't do much to ensure the band's continuation, and Pot Liquor finally disbanded a few years later.

Rainbow-Down To Earth (1979)

After the album "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", Ronnie James Dio left Rainbow due to disagreements with Ritchie Blackmore (Dio would soon join the reformed Black Sabbath), so the guitarist had to hurry to find another vocalist to continue with his band. The chosen one was Graham Bonnet, an odd choice since he was a very different singer from Dio, with a less diabolical and heavy metal look than the little elf. At this point, Blackmore wanted to enter the new decade with a lighter, less baroque, and more American sound, hence his controversial choice, and Dio's epic voice didn't quite fit that direction. Along with Roger Glover, Don Airey, and Cozy Powell, this lineup recorded the album "Down to Earth", considered by many to be the group's last great work, without in any way diminishing the magnificent "Bent Out of Shape" with Joe Lynn Turner on vocals, released years later. The Glover-Blackmore duo composed all the songs except the hit "Since You've Been Gone", a Russ Ballard composition. The set list includes great tracks such as the superb "All Night Long" with its frenetic riff, making it a lively song and a classic for the band. It is followed by the dense "Eyes Of The World", the spectacular "Makin' Love", the bluesy "Love's No Friend", the addictive "Since You've Been Gone", the commercial hard rock "Danger Zone", and the accelerated "Lost in Hollywood", which close a spectacular album by Ritchie Blackmore and his band.

Megadeth-Youthanasia (1994)

By the mid-nineties, Megadeth were already immersed in the shift that marked their renewal of thrash metal towards a more accessible sound, without completely abandoning that style, but now firmly established within a more conventional heavy metal framework. If the band had already showcased their heavier side on the previous and surprising "Countdown to Extinction", on the following album, "Youthanasia", they went a step further, creating a much more accessible work, slowing down their breakneck speed and featuring more polished and melodic vocals. At that time, the band, led by guitarist Dave Mustaine, consisted of the same lineup as their three previous albums: Marty Friedman (guitar), Nick Menza (drums), and David Ellefson (bass). Before recording this album, the band was under immense pressure, due in part to the success of "Countdown to Extinction" and the almost Solomon-like decisions of their frontman, Mustaine, who maintained near-total control over the songwriting process. Ultimately, all members participated in every song on this new record. "Youthanasia" is a pivotal album in the band's evolution, featuring some great tracks, most notably the thrilling "I Thought I Know It All", the exhilarating "Reckoning Day", the dark "Addicted to Chaos", the commercially appealing "Elysian Fields", the splendid mid-tempo "A Tout Le Monde", and the heavy and powerful "Family Tree".

Majic Ship-Majic Ship (1970)

This is one of those albums that garnered more attention after the band had already broken up than when it was originally released in 1970 on the Bel-Ami label. This was due to the album's limited initial pressing, which meant that only a small audience could acquire this outstanding psychedelic rock release. Maji Ship consisted of singer Mike Garrigan, lead guitarist Phil Polimeni, rhythm guitarist Tommy Nikosey, drummer Rob Buckman, and bassist/organist Gus Riozzi. They hailed from New York City, where they formed in late 1966. However, despite their acclaimed concerts and several hit singles, it wasn't until 1970 that they secured a serious contract with Bel-Ami Records. This debut and only album is dominated by psychedelic rock, hard rock influences, and pop sensibilities, all wrapped in powerful, choppy, fuzz-driven guitar riffs and organ sounds. The powerful “Nightmare”, the vibrant instrumental “Cosmo’s Theme”, the exhilarating “Life’s Lonely Road”, and the jam version of Neil Young’s “Down By The River” are highlights of a release that deserved far more success than it received.

Wild Turkey-Battle Hymn (1971)

In 1970, bassist Glenn Cornick left Jethro Tull, with whom he had recorded the formidable albums "This Was", "Stand Up", "Benefit", and "Living in the Past", and with whom he had played from 1968 to 1971, being considered the best bassist to have ever been part of the legendary British band. In early 1971, he formed his own band, Wild Turkey, in which he moved away from the blues and progressive folk style of the group led by Ian Anderson. For this new venture, Cornick recruited vocalist Gary Pickford-Hopkins, drummer John Weathers, and guitarist Jon Blackmore. However, in the middle of recording their first album, Jeff Jones replaced Weathers on drums, who left to join Gentle Giant. Wild Turkey would go on to release two interesting albums that achieved little commercial success, but their debut was nonetheless a good example of the hard rock being made in the British Isles at the time of its release. "Battle Hymn", as this first album is titled, is a work geared towards the powerful sound of hard rock with certain progressive elements, as demonstrated in tracks like the biting "Twelve Streets of Cobbled Back" and "One Sole Survivor", the passionate "Sentinel", the commendable "Butterfly", the bucolic "To The Stars", and the melodic "Sanctuary" and "Gentle Rain". After this first album, the band released the modest "Turkey", which marked the end of the group's run. Later, some of its members went their separate ways, such as Cornick himself, who would end up joining the German band Karthago, while Gary Pickford-Hopkins would actively participate as a vocalist in Rick Wakeman's albums "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" and "The Myths and Legends Of King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table", among other collaborations, and finally Jeff Jones would end up joining the psychedelic and avant-garde rock group, Man.