The Scorpions - Blackout. This might be the best side of any one rock album released in the first half of the eighties. Five monster songs are on Side One: the title track Blackout, the utterly monsterful Can't Live Without You, followed by (There's) No One Like You, then You Give me All I Need, and finally - Now! During the first half of the eighties - we had Pyromania. And Bon Jovi's breakout debut album (my personal fav of theirs). Yet Aerosmith put nothing out worth noting her during this period of time. What am I missing from say 1980 - 1985? It seems like the the early eighties (when I was in college), was the advent of the MTV era - and we had Duran Duran, Flock of Seagulls, Thriller, Stevie Nicks' great solo albums, the Thompson Twins, the Fixx, Toto, blah blah blah. But during these six years (80-85) who was putting out the hard stuff? More on that later, but back to the Scropes. What a completely unique band they were. In 1979 they won Playboy magazine's award for Best artwork of the year for their Lovedrive album cover - which I don't own. Rats. I really need to get that one. There is a great song on that album - called Loving You Sunday Morning. And a huge thank-you here to my neighbor and fellow musicologist Jim for donating this record to my collection.
I agree with your thoughts on side one, but check out Arizona on side two, it's probably my favorite track on the album.
ReplyDeleteRegarding hard rock in the 80-85 timeframe, Motley Crue was bringing it with Too Fast For Love and Shout At The Devil, as was Judas Priest with British Steel, Point of Entry, and Screaming For Vengence.
Jim, thanks. I knew there were some things in that half decade I was missing...good references.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rush had "Moving Pictures" during this time frame along with some other "softer" releases...
ReplyDeleteSpencer