The Best of 1983
It seems that in the course of my morning read, I stumbled onto one of those lists that sparks some sense of outrage on my part. And since I disagree with every entry in Andrew's top albums of 1983, I figure I'd just create my own.
Alcatrazz: No Parole From Rock N' Roll
Steeler: Steeler
(1983, of course, was the Year of Yngwie. Together with the following two years, he'd produce a remarkable string of album releases that saw him go from getting his visa to establishing his own band. Alcatrazz and Steeler, of course, were the pawns in that game. It's a shame Yngwie didn't see the merits of the Alcatrazz lineup. The material was solid for its day and time. Choicest cut: "Hiroshima Mon Amour")
Dio: Holy Diver
(Dio gets Ozzy-envy and by this year, managed to one-up his Black Sabbath predecessor. Vivian Campbell was a great guitarist when he wanted to be and fortunately, in the studio for this album was one of those times. Watching some of the live recordings out around this time and it's easy to see a guy bored with himself, though. I remember not thinking too highly of the guy who followed him - Craig Goldy - only to realize that his live performances of "Rainbow in the Dark" were far better live.)
Krokus: Headhunter
(Say what you will, but check the song list for this album. Easily the band's best work. Preferred cut: "Screaming in the Night")
Pantera: Metal Magic
(For those of you who weren't aware that Pantera went back this far, you're out of luck. For old-schoolers like me, this was one to savor. To me, this is the Pantera I knew growing up. Memory Lane Cut: "Latest Lover")
Ratt: Ratt
Quiet Riot: Metal Health
Def Lepperd: Pyromania
Motley Crue: Shout at the Devil
Accept: Balls to the Walls
("The Classics" as I refer to them. 1983 was a very, very, very good year for music. If you don't know a song off of each of these, you don't know music. Extra credit if you know the guitar solos. If I have to claim one lasting memory relating very tangentially to these albums, it's hard to top watching Lita Ford pantomime to to a very confused engineer behind soundproof glass to play the classic tune by Accept at some little guitar event after the Dallas Guitar Convention.)
Yngwie J. Malmsteen (w/ Alcatrazz): Hiroshima Mon Amour
Yngwie J. Malmsteen (w/ Alcatrazz): Hiroshima Mon Amour (Live)
I saw Yngwie (and his Rising Force) at Cardi's in 1984. Billy Sheehan and Talas opened. I saw Alcatrazz the same summer at Cardi's with Steve Vai playing guitar. He made Yngwie's solos look like something a 13-year-old beginner would play. It was crazy.
Jeff,
You saw two shows I'd have high atop my "Time Travel To-Do" list. I was all set to see the Yngwie/Talas show in Dallas back then but suffered due to a communication breakdown with my guitar teacher. I forget exactly how long I sulked after missing out on this one. Had the family moved back to Houston by this time, I'd have literally moved into Cardi's.
I tend to prefer early-Yngwie theatrics a bit more, myself. Maybe it's the way he just rips off Richie Blackmore and makes the end product a little better. I love the classics. Vai is his own animal and is a treat to watch in any setting. He's just about perfected the craft so far as I can tell.