Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker-Hooker N´Heat, Live at The Fox Venice Theater (1981)

Canned Heat always owed a debt to the great legends of the blues, hence their numerous covers of mythical bluesmen such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson II or Guitar Slim among many others. In mid-1970, the band wanted to pay tribute to one of the great bluesmen, John Lee Hooker, by inviting him to participate in their new album, which would eventually be titled "Hooker N' Heat". Released in 1971, it would be the last album to feature guitarist Alan Wilson, who passed away months before its release. Ten years later, singer Bob "The Bear" Hite wanted to honor his deceased former bandmate by organizing a concert at the Fox Venice Theater in Los Angeles. In addition to Canned Heat themselves and the Chambers Brothers providing backing vocals, he once again enlisted John Lee Hooker, among other guest musicians. At this concert, the spotlight was on the two vocal heavyweights (Hooker and Hite), whose sweaty performances, backed by the talented band composed of drummer Fito de La Parra, pianist Ronnie Barron, and guitarist Mark Skyer, delivered a repertoire brimming with blues feeling and boogie rock. The swaggering "Hell Hound", featuring Hite's commanding vocals and Hooker's sublime guitar, leads into the delightful blues numbers "The House of Blue Lights" and "Open Up Your Back Door". Hite, on the other hand, makes a majestic entrance with the medley "Let's Work Together"/"Going Up the Country". Meanwhile, John Lee Hooker maintains his commanding presence with his indomitable voice and stirring guitar in the fiery laments "It Hurts Me Too" and "It Serves Me Right to Surf".

Queen-Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

Following in the footsteps of their previous album "Queen II", the band led by Freddie Mercury and Brian May would release their third work entitled "Sheer Heart Attack" just six months later. An album that marks the beginning of the transition from grandiose glam rock to hard rock and glam art rock, a style that would be further solidified in the monumental "A Night at the Opera" released a year later. Driven by Brian May's original and energetic guitar style, Freddie Mercury's operatic vocals and piano, and the powerful rhythm section of John Deacon and Roger Taylor, this became their most scorching album as well as their most eclectic offering. Visceral hard rock exercises like "Brighton Rock", "Now I'm Here", and "Stone Cold Crazy" are juxtaposed with solemn songs such as "Dear Friends", the vaudeville-esque "Bring Back Leroy Brown", the generational anthem "In the Laps of the Gods...Revisited", the semi-progressive "Tenement Funster", "Flick of the Wrist", and "Lily of the Valley", and the commercially successful "Killer Queen". With all of these tracks, they propelled the album to meteoric heights. stardom, especially his triumphant entry into the North American market thanks to the impactful hits "Now I'm Here" and "Killer Queen".

Black Sabbath-Master Of Reality (1971)

In 1971, Black Sabbath released their third album, "Master of Reality". Despite its refined production, it continued down the path of gloomy and hypnotic heavy metal, albeit with a more elegant tone and much more accomplished and mature compositions. Recorded during a tumultuous period for the band, with hard drugs taking their toll on all its members, this new release continued to showcase their dark and satanic side, their constant allusions to drug use, and their anti-establishment messages a theme that, on the other hand, attracted thousands of fans to all their concerts, including the controversial Hell's Angels. In fact, they open this album with one of the anthems of cannabis, "Sweat Leaf", followed by the dark "After Forever", the grandiose and sinister "Children of the Grave", the instrumental interludes "Embryo" and "Orchid" (the latter a pleasant acoustic piece), the heavy "Lord of This World", and the powerful heavy rock tracks "Solitude" and "Into the Void". Tony Iommi's legendary and raw guitar riffs drive each and every song included here, which, supported by the excellent bass and drum lines and Ozzy's omnipresent vocals, would once again create, as had already happened with their first two releases, another classic masterpiece of the metal genre.

The Moody Blues-Keys Of The Kingdom (1991)

The Moody Blues' first album of the 1990s marked a return to their most melodic and refined sound, a far cry from the synthpop rock of their earlier 1980s work. For this new release, singer and flautist Ray Thomas rejoined the band, while the core members remained: Justin Hayward (guitars and vocals), Graeme Edge (drums), John Lodge (bass), and Patrick Moraz (keyboards). They were joined by half a dozen guest musicians, including Andy Duncan, Guy Barker, Anne Dudley, Paul Bliss, Jamie Talbot, and Tony Visconti. Composed of brilliant melodic pieces with grand arrangements such as "Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back)", "Is This Heaven?", "Lean On Me (Tonight)", "Shadows On The Wall", "Celtic Sonant", and "Never Blame The Rainbows For The Rain", while the pop-rock track "Say What You Mean (Part I & II)" is the only vestige of their more recent past. On the other hand, with the rhythmic "Magic", "Once Is Enough", and "Say It With Love", The Moody Blues made it clear beyond any doubt that after four decades of career, thirteen albums released, and millions of records sold, they could still rock with force and overwhelming power.

Trees-On The Shore (1970)

Founded amidst the explosion of British progressive folk, Trees were a band that had to endure constant criticism from the British press, who labeled them mere clones of other contemporary groups like Pentangle and Fairport Convention. Their career lasted barely four years, during which they released two commendable albums, "The Garden of Jane Delawney" and "On The Shore", both released in 1970. Formed in 1969, their original lineup consisted of Celia Humphris (vocals), Barry Clarke (guitars), David Costa (guitars), Bias Boshell (bass), and Unwin Brown (drums). The charm of this lineup lay primarily in Celia Humphris's magnificent voice, underpinned by excellent musicianship, showcased in rich and expansive instrumental passages and the precise, serene, and tranquil atmospheres. Their first release was based mainly on traditional folk with subtle nods to avant-garde sounds. In their second release, the band shifted their style towards more psychedelic elements and a sound closer to rock than traditional folk, making it a more eclectic and varied work than their debut.