OZZY OSBOURNE – The other albums: a look at the studio albums beyond the Blizzard

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Some time ago I’d featured the first 2 BLIZZARD OF OZZ albums as a ‘classic pair’ of albums, and for me those 2 albums – whether you want to classify them as band albums (as I do) or as OZZY OSBOURNE solo albums are above anything else Ozzy did beyond BLACK SABBATH.

So, my ‘best of’ Ozzy list would include almost all of those tracks before anything else. This ‘best of the other albums’ is my selection of favorite Ozzy tunes beyond Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman. really, the next 2 albums with Jake E Lee were his next best albums for a long time, and I really started losing interest after No Rest For The Wicked, aside from Ozzmosis (which I like), it’s all pretty much downhill for me. But (back up a bit), there was also the Mr Crowley live Ep, with the excellent non- album track “You Said It All”, and prior to the next solo album was the double live Speak Of The Devil (or Talk Of The Devil in some countries). Loved Speak Of The Devil at the time, it’s still my favorite Ozzy live release, even if it is all Black Sabbath songs! Brad Gillis sounded amazing on this. A shame it was such a tough period for Ozzy, and that Brad couldn’t continue (he would have great success with a number of excellent Night Ranger hits and albums). So, this article ended up being an overview of those Ozzy studio albums beyond the original band…

Bark At The Moon

Ozzy’s first album with Jake E Lee. Also here are Tommy Aldridge and Don Airey, who’d remained from Ozzy’s touring band since the death of Randy Rhoads. Rudy Sarzo had left, a combination of Ozzy needing Bob Daisley back to write songs, and Rudy’s feelings of still being there after the loss of his friend. Before the album was done Tommy would be fired and Carmine Appice was brought in to finish/fix the album’s drums and then tour. This is told in Carmine’s interview with The Metal Voice some years back.

I remember buying Bark At The Moon in March of 1984 at a small record shop in Niagara Falls. The store had a Ticketron outlet, and I had to go to get a refund for a cancelled Saga concert (February 29!), so with that I purchased Bark At The Moon (and a Styx album). I played this album to death for the first few weeks, and liked pretty much everything on it, except for sappy ballad “So Tired” (who thought this would be cool on an Ozzy album!?)

Side one was near perfect, the title track / first single was outstanding at the time, and even the keyboard heavy “You’re No Different” is one of the best here, followed by “Now You See It, Now You Don’t”, and the classic “Rock N Roll Rebel”. With Ozzy being an easy target for religious groups who would set up protests at his shows, “Rock N Roll Rebel” was an excellent and fitting anthem in response to critics. As much as I was a Randy Rhoads fan, I loved Jake E Lee’s sound on the 2 albums he did, very different to Randy, but the guy played heavy and creative. A shame he got fucked over and left the Ozzy fold. Side two was very good, though I spun it far less. “Centre Of Eternity” (titled “Forever” in some countries) was a fast paced rocker to open that side, but then things grind to a halt with the ballad “So Tired” – piano, strings, like WTF! I was never a fan of Sabbath’s “Changes”, and this was worse. Things picked back up with “Slow Down”, a decent rock tune. And the album ended with on a high note with another favorite, “Waiting for Darkness”.

Bark At The Moon (for me) is the next best album released under the Ozzy name in the catalogue, but a lot of that credit goes to Jake and Bob, along with Max Norman. I think this album lacked a certain ‘band’ magic that the previous 2 albums possessed, as well as some sort of Epic track ala “Revelation (Mother Earth)” or “Diary Of A Madman”.

The ‘werewolf’ idea that featured in the title track (single & video) was interesting at the time, as there’d been a number of ‘werewolf’ films in 81-82, most notably “An American Werewolf In London’, and (later, 85) “Teen Wolf”). Michael Jackson’sThriller came out a year prior to Bark At The Moon, and the video (produced by the same guy who produced American Werewolf In London). Ozzy did an interview on Canadian TV in 84-85, and was asked about Michael Jackson and Thriller, and he replied “boring to both, but when asked about the video, Ozzy sighed and said “Ok”. (I have this on an old VHS tape somewhere). The video shoot for the “Bark At The Moon” would use the same make up artist who had also worked on American Werewolf in London and the “Thriller” video! “So Tired” was released as the 2nd single & video, where a shattering mirror sent Ozzy to hospital with glass in his throat. Frankly, either single B-side (“Spiders” and “One Up The B Side”) would’ve been better on the LP, IMO. The non-LP tracks would appear on the 2002 re-mixed reissue on the album.

It took a few years before Ozzy’s next album, but The Ultimate Sin was released in early 1986.

The Ultimate Sin album was originally intended to be called Killer Of Giants, according to the press back then. The cover featured artwork by fantasy illustrator, Boris Vallejo. Fortunately, he still had Bob Daisley around for the early stages of this album to co-write songs with Jake E Lee. Daisley later recalled that he’d tried to get Ashley Howe in to produce the album, as Howe had produced the 2 Uriah Heep albums that Bob was on (Abominog and Head First). But as Daisley didn’t carry on to play on the album, that idea wasn’t pursued and Ron Nevison was hired to produce. During the mid 80s, Nevison was producing commercial rock albums for Heart, Survivor, Triumph, and Jefferson Starship. Bass player Phil Soussan, ex Wildlife was hired to play on the album and tour, while Mike Moran (ex Ian Gillan) played keyboards. I remember picking this LP up when it came out, in a shop in Hamilton. Played the heck out of it. I thought (and still think) Jake E Lee was even better on this album, with many creative riffs and solos, some cool intros… Jake’s performances are THE best sounding thing about this album! But I can’t say that I dig it as much overall now due to the production / sound, and a couple of songs. New drummer Randy Castillo does a decent job, but can’t help but think that it’s ironic that after Diary of A Madman, Ozzy (Sharon) was quick to dismiss Lee Kerslake, and then went through at least 3 of them over the next few albums. However, the 2 side openers made for decent singles – the title track and “Lightning Strikes”, but there’s a few even better cuts here, notably “Never” (the best, IMO), “Fool Like You”, “Never Know Why” (despite revisiting the ‘rock rebel’ theme again), and “Killer Of Giants” (kind of a return to that “Diary Of A Madman” epic feel with the acoustic guitar). Not so big on “Thank God For The Bomb” and the cover of “Shot In The Dark” (a blatant attempt at doing something mainstream / commercial, which just doesn’t fit here). Co-credited for the hit “Shot In The Dark” was Soussan, as the song was originally recorded during his Wildlife days, but there’s more to this song, as John Sloman (ex Lone Star, Uriah Heep) lays some claim to the songs origins in his book (Lost On Planet Artiface), as the bass player also worked briefly with Sloman in the singer’s post-Heep band Badlands (Not to be confused with Jake E Lee’s post-Ozzy band!) Soussan in more recent years is part of the Dio alumni band Last In Line.

Before the next studio album there was the release of the Randy Rhoads live Tribute album, which was most welcome to hear Randy playing live. But now I can’t help but wonder why they haven’t released something else, particularly from the original ( Blizzard of Ozz band) on their first UK tour, following the first album’s release.

No Rest For The Wicked came out in ’88, and this was the last Ozzy album I picked up close to release date. Bob Daisley was back on bass, along with ex Uriah Heep keyboard player John Sinclair (though credited fully, neither would be pictured on the album’s inner sleeve). Randy Castillo was back, and new young guitarist Zakk Wylde. For the most part I really liked this record; it had 4 standouts (favorite cuts) for me – the single “Miracle Man” (mocking Jimmy Swaggart – “now Jimmy he got busted, with his pants down”), “Bloodbath In Paradise”, “Breaking All The Rules”, and the softer “Fire In The Sky” (which started life demo’d as “Valley Of Kings” when Sinclair & Daisley were in Uriah Heep, 1982). The rest is not bad, but those ones I was happy with and played repeatedly. I liked Zakk’s sound here, and he came up with some big riffs and solos, and the overall sound & production is a big improvement over the dated sound of The Ultimate Sin. Sinclair contributed a classic intro to “Bloodbath In Paradise”, and then contributed largely to the piano based ballad “Liar” – which was a non-LP track, along the excellent “Hero”. I’m guessing both of the latter tracks were left off the LP to keep it heavy, with cuts like “Devil’s Daughter”, “Tattooed Dancer” (which is spelt wrong on the back of the LP!), and “Demon Alcohol”. I think after revisiting these albums, No Rest For The Wicked was/is much better than I remembered, and I’ll put it slightly above the previous one.

Following the release of No Rest... Bob Daisley was gone again, and in came Geezer Butler for the tour. Gone are the ridiculous glam outfits of The Ultimate Sin era, with everyone looking more ‘rock n roll’, in leather and denim. 1990 saw the release of the 6 song EP – Just Say Ozzy (recorded in the UK, November of ’89). This featured 4 tracks from No Rest For The Wicked, plus 2 Black Sabbath classics. Not a bad release, but where’s the rest of the show?

Now this is where I kind of got off the Ozzy train. Growing less enthused about many of my favorites from the early 80s (really, I think the ’80s bands golden era was pretty much over), by then… I had moved on, or more so – back(!), discovering and picking up more ’70s band’s like Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, and Uriah Heep. I continued to pick up the next few Ozzy releases, but was not in much of a rush.

The next album was No More Tears, and I got to confess I never liked the title track, or the sound of this (ok, the bass intro is cool). Between Zakk’s sound, the production here, and new writers, etc… Ozzy (musically) was sounding like other metal acts of the time. There was also a few softer cuts here (ballads). For me there was no huge standout tracks, though if I had to pick a favorite it would be “Desire”. Bob Daisley played on this album, but was not in the songwriting credits. Ozzy co-wrote a number of songs with Lemmy (Motorhead), as well as Wylde and Castillo. I know this album was a huge seller and got lots of press at the time, ya know – because it was supposed to be Ozzy’s final album and tour, but for me it’s a ‘nice’ listen, just not very memorable. This was followed up by the Live & Loud release. I played this and the even worse Live At Budokan very few times. Again, wasn’t a fan of the sound at this point, nor did I care to hear Ozzy dropping F-bombs between songs, and the Budokan album has got to be the worst album cover in Ozzy’s catalogue!

Now, 1995’s Ozzmosis I actually thought was an improvement. Despite the move towards mainstream with more outside writers, I really liked the single “Perry Mason”. An interesting subject for a song, the fictional defense lawyer created by writer (and lawyer) Erie Stanley Gardner, and who then became the title character of the American tv show that ran for nearly a decade from the late 50s to 60s. But this is a powerful song, heavy, dramatic, that leads off the album. .Ozzy tells it so well. Geezer Butler on bass, Dean Castronovo on drums! This album also includes the singles “See You On The Other Side”, and “I Just Want You”, which was co-written by Jim Vallance, best known for his years of co-writing with Bryan Adams. It’s kind of a heavy ballad, highlighted by Rick Wakeman’s keyboards and a great vocal from Ozzy. Ozzmosis also included heavier favorites “Denial” and “Tomorrow”. The track “My Little Man”, was co-written with Steve Vai, which is interesting as Bob Daisley later recalled that he, Vai, and Ozzy got together a year earlier to this album and started working on a project, which was abandoned. Ozzmosis was Ozzy’s highest charting album in the US then.

The Ozzman Cometh was the career spanning (mostly post-Sabbath), released in 1997. Shameful that Bob Daisley’s name was spelled wrong throughout. There’s a few different early versions of Sabbath classics, as well as “Paranoid” live from the Randy Rhoads period. Their was one ‘new’ track, “Back On Earth”, which was from the Ozzmosis sessions, and has a keyboard intro/pattern, not too different to “I Just Want You” . A decent song, and single.

It would be 6 years from Ozzmosis to the next studio album, 2001’s Down To Earth. Despite having another odd cover, I thought this one is the last good Ozzy studio album. Some excellent tracks in “It Gets Me Through”, “That I Never Had”, and the ballad “Dreamer” ( a vast improvement on “So Tired”) A number of these songs were co-written with guitarist Joe Holmes, who played live with Ozzy following Ozzmosis. Interesting that Down To Earth went Top 10 in Canada and the US.

After all those Ozzy albums I was pretty done, and I’ve picked up things over the years – not because I expected much or liked what I heard before release. 2007’s Under Cover album (who the Hell wants to hear Ozzy doing a bunch of cover versions!?), then Black Rain, which I thought was forgettable at the time. I never bought it then, and only have it now because I found it for $3 at a flea market a few years ago. Scream came out in 2010, and not as forgettable as Black Rain. In retrospect I never gave this one a lot of time then, but revisiting it, Scream is better than I remembered. Really, at the time I picked up in part because it came with the t-shirt, and didn’t expect much! But I like the lead off track “Let It Die”, as well as the single “Life Won’t Wait”, the (somewhat) title track “Let Me Hear You Scream”. Gus G on guitars, Adam Wakeman on keyboards.

The last 2 Ozzy releases – Ordinary Man (2020) and Patient Number 9 (2022), I bought these at some point, perhaps as a completist and was expecting something with all the guests on these albums, or was easily swayed by all the suck-up reviews. Either way, a few listens and I just don’t care.

In retrospect I dig the ’80s Ozzy era even more so, and wouldn’t miss much else beyond No Rest For The Wicked (well, maybe Ozzmosis). It also makes me want to go back and fill in the gaps from the ’80s with live recordings and some singles (those non LP cuts). I’ve still got binders of Ozzy press clippings and magazine articles from the 80s, and early 90s, that I’ll have to scan some day.

RUSH – ‘Grace Under Pressure’: the last classic Rush album!?

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Well, the box set for RUSH’s 1984 album Grace Under Pressure has been announced. For me Grace Under Pressure is the last in the line of classic RUSH albums, before I started losing interest. I’d also say it’s probably one of the band’s most underrated. The Grace Under Pressure Tour was the first Rush show I saw, Maple Leaf Gardens Sept 21, 1984. I saw the Power Windows tour as well, but beyond “Big Money”, not much of that album stuck with me, and I didn’t get excited about Rush again ’til the mid ’90s albums.

Grace Under Pressure followed 1982’s Signals, which saw the band use more keyboards, less guitar, more so less big riffs, more of a lighter guitar sound, where the guitar was not as forceful or heavy sounding, but leaving space and toned down for the band’s new direction for the ’80s. But Signals was the 3rd in a trio of my favorite Rush albums – Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures before it, all seeing the band producing shorter songs, more direct, without the lengthy progressive tracks, full of energy, and classics that remain FM rock staples. And Signals followed that, for the most part. “New World Man”, “Chemistry”, as well as “Subdivisions” and “Analog Kid”, which were 2 of the band band’s best, and at the time, a new fresh sound, that still sounded like Rush. Grace Under Pressure came out a year and a half later, and another great album; featuring 8 songs, most of which either got some radio play at the time, and all of which were played live (at some point) throughout the tour. This album, like the 3 before it, had a good flow from song to song, “Distant Early Warning”, “The Enemy Within”, “The Body Electric”, and “Between The Wheels” stand out (for me), but really, there’s nothing here I tend to pass over. However, as much as I like this album, and those 4 mentioned tracks, one thing I have never been able to claim is there is that huge Rush favorite here, a trademark tune, the one that stands out for me as perhaps “Freewill”, “Spirit Of Radio”, “Limelight”, or “Subdivisions” do. I’d be curious if anyone else sees it similarly, Or what is THE biggest track on this album?

Now, as for the box set…. I passed on the Signals box, mainly because there was nothing new to listen to in it, ie a live show from that tour. This Grace Under Pressure box announced includes the full recording from the band’s September 21st , 1984 show at Maple Leaf Gardens (the one I was at). So, it includes the missing tracks that were cut from the Grace Under Pressure Live CD that came out years ago. There’s also a remix of the album by Terry Brown, who didn’t originally produce this album, as well as a new remastered version of the album, a blu-ray of the Toronto show, and a Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 5.1* stereo mix of the album (I’ll be honest, I’m not up on such technology, so this is kinda irrelevant to me), plus videos mixed in Dolby TrueHD 5.1″. And then there’s all sorts of visual and print material, such as new art, prints, photos, book, press release, liner notes, poster, etc… Not sure Why this whole thing required new cover-art!? I would love to add this box set, but with the price (!!!) at present ($438 on Amazon, Canadian, for the CD version, and 545 for the vinyl version), I don’t foresee this anytime soon in my future. What I really want is the live recording, (and maybe the 2025 remaster). A shame with these sets that some of these pieces aren’t made available separately. Not sure if they will be down the road, but for those of us who more so just want to hear the music, and are willing to pass on the extras, that would be a great option.

Check out:

RUSH ‘GRACE UNDER PRESSURE’

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, 2-Cd deluxe set

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The debut album featuring the legendary ARTHUR BROWN, 1968’s Crazy World Of Arthur Brown will be out (a re-press) in 2 CD deluxe version in April. The album, and it’s single “Fire” were both massive hits that year, with the single being #1 in the UK & Canada, and #2 in the US, and the album going top 10 in all 3. It also included a cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You”. On keyboards was Vincent Crane, who also co-wrote most of the songs, and would go on to perform ATOMIC ROOSTER. Arthur Brown still performs “Fire”, complete with his fire hat! The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown was produced by Who producer Kit Lambert, along with Pete Townsend. Original cover art by David King, who also designed covers for The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and Badfinger.

For more info & pre-order – https://www.cherryred.co.uk/the-crazy-world-of-arthur-brown-2cd-deluxe-edition

DISC ONE
The Original Album Remastered
1. Prelude Nightmare 
2. Fanfare Fire Poem 
3. Fire 
4. Come And Buy 
5. Time Confusion 
6. I Put A Spell On You 
7. Spontaneous Apple Creation 
8. Rest Cure 
9. I’ve Got Money 
10. Child Of My Kingdom

DISC TWO
Bonus Tracks
1. Devils Grip 
2. Give Him A Flower 
3. Music Man (Stereo Mix) 
4. Fire (First Version Previously Unreleased) 
5. Prelude Nightmare (Alternate Mono Mix) 
6. Fanfare Fire Poem (Alternate Mono Mix) 
7. Fire (Alternate Mono Mix) 
8. Come And Buy (Alternate Mono Mix) 
9. Time – Confusion (Alternate Mono Mix) 
BBC Session April 1968: 
10. Brian Matthew Interview 
11. Fire Poem Fire 
12. Come And Buy 
13. Nightmare (From The Soundtrack Of The 1968 Film ‘The Committee’)

New tracks – John Corabi, Mount May, Kaasin, Zepter, Creye, Joel Hoekstra…

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Here’s a few excellent new tracks, from new (and upcoming) releases to check out!

After decades of fronting and collaborating with some of rock’s most iconic acts, JOHN CORABI steps fully into his own with ‘New Day,’ his first full-length solo album of original material…. “‘New Day’ is a positive, upbeat song with a message of enjoy life!!! Stop whining and complaining about how unfair life is, and enjoy the ‘little beautiful things, life offers’ and make the changes you need to make your life better!!! Change happens WITHIN…”

JOHN CORABI:
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Helsinki blues rock band MOUNT MARY has a new single, “Hallowed Ground”, co-written with legendary rock manager / producer Alan Niven (Guns n Roses, Great White…). “Eventually Maria sent me some of her music. It supported a remarkable voice. The character of the voice represented the character of her soul. When she asked if I might think to compose with her, it was an invitation that even an old recluse, like myself, could not refuse. As I sit atop my Arizona desert mountain, I am now connected to her spirit frequency- to a Queen of the Forest, a Finnish Mother Earth. I have something of a dubious past – Motley Crue, Don Dokken, Berlin, The Angels, Clarence Clemmons, Havana Black, Chris Buck of Cardinal Black, Great White, Guns n’ Roses – and Mount Mary is as inspiring as anyone to me. There’s magic in Mount Mary.”

Mount Mary : https://linktr.ee/mountmary

Norwegian Hard Rock group KAASIN will release the sophomore album The Underworld via Pride & Joy Music on April 24th. KAASIN was founded in 2020 by guitarist Jo Henning Kaasin, formerly of Come Taste the Band.  Kaasin is widely respected for his collaborations with internationally renowned artists such as Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow). Together with bassist Ståle Kaasin (Humbucker, 2020Vision), the foundation of KAASIN was laid with a clear ambition: to create contemporary hard rock with a classic spirit and a strong sense of identity. https://www.facebook.com/kaasinmusic

Austrian NWOBHM band ZEPTER have a new video for the single “The Lords”. Anyone interested in classic metal should check these guys out. “Some specific NWOBHM bands which have inspired us are early Maiden (everything from »The Soundhouse Tapes« up until »Killers«), Saxon, Witchfinder General, Dark Star, Raven, Saracen, Angel Witch and Satan.” MATTHIAS MADER

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585764231240

Joel Hoekstra’s 13 has a new album coming out at the end of the month titled From The Fade. About the album Joel commented: “The songs were built from the guitar riffs up.  Most of the riffs were written during the time I was filling in with Accept, so there is a heavier edge to this album overall.  That being said, the album still would be more accurately described as melodic hard rock, not straight-up metal”.

Hoekstra said: “’The Fall’ is built on riffs and melodies that stem from two early influences that I often fail to mention in Queensryche and Dokken. It’s a straight ahead melodic, hard rock track with a powerful foundation laid out by Vinny Appice and Tony Franklin, a killer keyboard solo from Derek Sherinian, a stunning vocal performance from Girish Pradhan and Jeff Scott Soto’s tastefully executed backing vocals!  Hope ya like it!”

JOEL HOEKSTRA’S 13:
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Swedish hard rock powerhouse CREYE have a new single “Left In Silence”, taken from the upcoming new studio album, IV Aftermath, to be release April 24, on Frontiers Music Srl. 

The band comments, “Left In Silence” is about what happens when people drift apart and stop truly speaking and listening to each other. The song captures that quiet aftermath, when communication fades and only silence remains. As the first release from our upcoming album, it kicks open a new chapter for the band – powered by fresh energy, driven by the original vision, and focused on pushing our sound forward without losing what made us who we are”.

CREYE:
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URIAH HEEP – Beautiful Dream, compiles albums and rarities from 1975-77.

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To be released April 24, HNE (Cherry Red) has compiled another bunch of URIAH HEEP albums, along with their extra tracks (see remasters), as they did with the previous release The Shadow And The Wind: 1973-1975. This one, titled after a Return To Fantasy track, features the last 2 to include original singer David Byron and bassist John Wetton, and the first 2 that feature replacements John Lawton (vocals) and Trevor Bolder (bass). A strange period for Heep, particularly in North America where their popularity and sales declined with each album, while in other parts of the world they had a few hit singles from the Lawton albums.

Return To Fantasy, from ’75 was a huge seller in the UK, perhaps in part to the addition of the well known John Wetton, and features the classic title track, as well as the favorites “Devil’s Daughter” and “A Year Or A Day”. The band undertook a major world tour at the time, but the album didn’t fare well over here. High And Mighty sold even worse, with the band self-producing. I really like this album, it sounded new and fresh, but it didn’t feature a global single, and the band toured it in North America well before it’s release. But songs like “One Way Or Another”, “Weep In Silence”, and “Can’t Keep A Good Band Down” are favorites among old fans, a shame this one came and went so fast, and often considered one of the band’s weakest. Heep carried on, with a long list of candidates to replace David Byron, before choosing John Lawton (Lucifer’s Friend) to record Firefly, released in early ’77. It was a solid album, featured the ballad “Wiseman”, a hit in Germany, as well as fan favorites “Sympathy” and “The Hanging Tree”. This was quickly followed towards the end of the year with Innocent Victim, a more varied album, which featured “Free Me”, a lighter pop song, which became a big hit in various European countries, as well as Australia, but that did not carry over to North America, with the album (in a different sleeve here) just breaking Billboard’s Top 200. Innocent Victim did feature a huge favorite in “Free N Easy”, the hardest & fastest rocker the band had done in years. It also featured a few fine tracks written by American writer Jack Williams (a friend of Ken Hensley’s), most notably “The Dance” and “Choices”. As with many Heep albums, particularly during this whole period (75-77), there were a number of good songs left over from each album session. Arguably, a few if these would’ve improved each album at the time (such as “River” from Innocent Victim), included here.

Even though I have everything here (as do many Heep fans), a collection of the rest of the Lawton era recordings (including, Fallen Angel, Live In Europe 1979, and the unreleased 4th album) would be a welcome collection, as would a set of the Peter Goalby era albums (along with perhaps the Live In Auckland recording?) But, oh well. An interesting (and odd) package cover, featuring a blend of the 4 album covers.

For more info and tracklisting –

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/uriah-heep-beautiful-dream-1975-1977-4cd-box-set

The Story Behind The Album Cover: MARK FARNER’s Closer To My Home, w/ John O’Brien.

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Here is another album cover, which was created by American artist John O’Brien. I’d featured John a few years ago discussing an April Wine cover, and again a few weeks ago, discussing the 2 Great White covers he was responsible for. Somewhere in there John mentioned a Mark Farner cover. And silly me for not even knowing Mark released an album in 2024, titled Closer To My Home. I loved Grand Funk, got the LPs, put together a little newsletter at some point in the 90s, and featured one of their album covers in a previous post a few years ago. So, upon John mentioning this latest album, I got a day later, and it is a great listen, and highly recommended to any Grand Funk fans; after all Mark wrote and sang most of the band’s greatest material in the 70s. *Check out John’s details of the Closer To My Home cover art, as well as the links below. *Thanks again to John for his time (and images) discussing his work and an excellent cover.

More recently you did the cover for Mark Farner’s Closer To My Home. How did that one come about? 

Marks manager, Obi Steinman recommended me for review. The previous year I completed a project with Obi for Felix Cavaliere, “THEN AND NOW”, it went quite smoothly from concept to completion. So thankfully he had faith in my creative process and final product, since we had never met personally.

Can you tell anything about the photo chosen for the front cover? Do you where it was taken, significance?

The image was based on the heritage of Marks roots in the Midwest to be a part of the communication.

I spent a lot of time researching the perfect barn and location which I could add the American Flag which was one of my concepts. I finally found it online in a series of personal images by Ken Heins. The barn angle was perfect and the sky went from an uplifting blue to having an overhanging ominous darker presence. While not being a professional photographer, he captured the location, mood and angle that I needed to modify and portray the communication. It is great to go direct to a photographer, especially someone who shoots for personal reasons. He was great to deal with on securing the image and all usage rights.

I love the big bright lettering of Mark’s name, the layout… a very patriotic cover. Did Mark have a lot of input or suggestions? 

Like many things the simplest direct communication is the best. In one sentence Obi stated the project was to reflect “Marks Heritage, Origin, Rock & Roll Legacy, Values and American Pride”. He is a true Rock & Roll Patriot. A variety of comps were proposed for discussion but, as discussed previously the Barn image with the flag summed it up visually. As far as typography chosen, I wanted to play off of Marks history and Rock & Roll energy. Some solutions related to GF to closely, but he gritty red type communicated the power and intensity he delivers. “Midwest American Rock & Roll” to be sure.

The American Eagle was used for some comps as well as for the record label direction. It was determined that it would best be utilized on the back cover as well as a label on one side of the album.

I submitted suggestions for limited release of the album in Red, White & Blue as well as classic Black.

The initial release is Red Vinyl and some were signed by Mark personally, which were available on his website listed below.

I assume this is the only Farner (Grand Funk) cover you’ve done(?)

Yes, the only one. Who would have thought I would get to work on Marks first solo studio album in 18 years, featuring the 55th Anniversary re-recording of “I’m Your Captain (Closer To Home).  The project produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Mark Slaughter, and co-produced by Mark Farner. A definite alignment in the stars for me to contribute to the visual communication.

It is also fun as I get to submit comps for merch such as T-Shirts for consideration. These are but a few versions with regard to the printing process of 3-5 Color for pricing considerations.

How familiar were you with him (and Grand Funk)?  

Any teenager in the 70’s was aware, as everyone was at the time of GF. Blasting “Grand Funk Live” in my bedroom and hearing various songs played live by cover bands at Junior High School dances. It was a very loud year in 1970 when that album released. Ironically, it was released on Capitol Records, the future company I was to work for from 1983-1989 in the Art Department. Some synchronicity to be sure.

A special thank you to Obi Steinman for his support on projects.

LINKS:

John O’Brien – www.artministry.com

Mark Farner website for updates and merch. – www.markfarner.com

HONEYMOON SUITE – ‘The Singles’, RSD vinyl reissue

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Record Store Day Canada is proud to announce that legendary Canadian rockers Honeymoon Suite have been named the official Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors for 2026. To celebrate their role as Ambassadors, the band will release a special, Record Store Day exclusive version of their hit-packed compilation The Singles, issued on Limited Edition Translucent Red Vinyl and only available at independent record stores across Canada.

This exclusive collector’s item features some of the biggest songs in Canadian rock history, including “New Girl Now,” “Burning In Love, ” “Wave Babies,” “Stay In The Light,” “Feel It Again,” and “What Does It Take” (from the One Crazy Summer soundtrack). It also includes the band’s hard-hitting contribution to the Lethal Weapon soundtrack.

“We are thrilled to be the Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors for 2026, ” says Honeymoon Suite’s lead guitarist and songwriter, Derry Grehan. “To me, vinyl isn’t just a format; it’s how I fell in love with music in the first place. There’s a magic to holding the jacket, reading the liner notes, and dropping the needle that you just can’t replicate. We’ve always been a band that lives for the fans and the music, so getting to champion independent record stores, the place where that magic still lives, is a huge honor us.”

“We are so excited to have Canadian music legends Honeymoon Suite representing us as RSDC Ambassadors in 2026,” says Ryan Kerr from Record Store Day Canada. “With an arsenal of great music under their belts, The Singles album is hotly anticipated by fans coast to coast. Honeymoon Suite’s catalogue represents some of the greatest and most memorable music in Canadian history, so we are proud to be working with them to bring that music to fans through our country’s incredible independent record stores.”

Adds Noble Musa of Microforum Vinyl, “Pressing The Singles title for the Record Store Day Canada 2026 Canadian Ambassadors Honeymoon Suite is so meaningful to us! Seeing this record grace stores nationwide and giving fans the opportunity to hear timeless hits in an analog format is why we do what we do.”

Formed in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Honeymoon Suite has been a driving force in Canadian rock for over four decades. With over a million units sold worldwide, their music is woven into the fabric of the country’s rock history. From their self-titled debut to the multi-platinum The Big Prize and Racing After Midnight, the band delivered an undeniable string of radio anthems that defined an era.

The Singles Tracklist

A1. New Girl Now
A2. Burning In Love
A3. Stay In The Light
A4. Wave Babies
A5. Feel It Again
A6. What Does It Take

B1. Bad Attitude
B2. Lethal Weapon
B3. Love Changes Everything
B4. Lookin’ Out For Number One
B5. Still Lovin’ You
B6. Long Way

LINKS:

https://www.honeymoonsuiteband.com/

REVIEW: Honeymoon Suite – The Singles (1989)

ASIA – new single/video from ‘Live In England’

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Having seen this version of the band in 2024, and hearing both singles, I am pretty excited for this release, and what is to come later. An excellent line-up, and I can’t help notice how Harry Whitley sounds like John Wetton at times. Check out the press info and video below. To pre-order Live In England, check HERE.

Legendary English rock supergroup ASIA released their new live version of “Only Time Will Tell,” taken from the upcoming live album ‘Asia – Live In England,’ out on March 13, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. The single arrives alongside an official live video, available below.

Geoff Downes commented on the new rendition of “Only Time Will Tell”: “This was the second single from the first album in the USA, but on this side of the Atlantic, the label chose this as the first single, due to the trumpet fanfare intro and themes, which became a kind of 1980s perennial sound technique. ‘Only Time Will Tell‘ has always been a favorite to play live, as each member has a distinctive part to play.”

LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/asiatheband/

https://www.instagram.com/asiatheband/?hl=en

LOU GRAMM – new album ‘Released’ coming in March.

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Cherry Red released the Lou Gramm‘s ’80s solo material in 2021, as Questions And Answers (The Atlantic Anthology 1987-1989). Prior to that the last release of ‘new’ music from the original FOREIGNER singer was 2009’s Lou Gramm Band CD, which is well worth finding. This upcoming collection, strangely titled ‘Released‘, comes out March 27 through Cherry Red Records/HNE (UK). Check out details & tracklisting below in the press info.

Both Released and 1987’s Ready Or Not are being reissued on color vinyl through Friday Music, for details click on the titles.

The first single from Released is an instantly likeable upbeat 80s pop-rock track title “Young Love”, which features Vivian Campbell on guitar.

Released is the long-awaited new solo album from legendary vocalist Lou Gramm, best known as the iconic voice of Foreigner. Arriving in March 2026,​the album presents ten original songs written by Lou alongside former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon, capturing the classic AOR sound that has defined Lou’s career while delivering a powerful sense of rediscovery and completion. 

Lou says: “My new album ‘Released’ is a collection of unreleased songs that were recorded in the 1980s during the production of my 2 previous solo albums. These are powerful, heartfelt songs with a great vintage sound taken right from my old multitrack tapes. This new album was a long time coming and it’s a real nostalgia trip. When I pulled these songs out of the vault, I knew I had to finish them for my fans around the world, so they can experience what I did when I first heard them after all these years. It means a lot to me to finally see this album released, to be taken back in time when I hear this music again, to remember working with all these great musicians, and to feel that my catalog is now complete.”

Produced by Lou Gramm himself, Released features appearances from an outstanding cast of musicians, including Tony Franklin on bass for “Long Gone” and Vivian Campbell on guitar for the opening track “Young Love”, alongside long-time collaborators such as Lou’s brother Ben Gramm on drums. The result is a collection that feels both timeless and deeply personal, rooted in the era that made Lou one of rock’s most recognizable voices.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Lou Gramm emerged from a highly musical family before forming Black Sheep, whose two albums for Capitol Records have since become cult favourites. A pivotal meeting with Mick Jones in 1975 led to the formation of Foreigner the following year, launching a career that produced a run of multi-platinum albums and hit singles. Foreigner famously became the first band since The Beatles to see their first eight singles reach the US Top 20.

Alongside his work with Foreigner, Lou enjoyed major solo success with Ready Or Not​(1987), featuring the hit “Midnight Blue”, followed by Long Hard Look (1989), which included “Just Between You And Me”. Now, with Released, Lou delivers his third solo studio album, completing a vital chapter in his solo catalogue while standing proudly alongside both his earlier solo work and his defining recordings with Foreigner.

The album also includes “True Blue Love (Unplugged)”, originally appearing on Long Hard Look, and follows recent high-profile collaborations with Foreigner connected to the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. Lou Gramm will be touring throughout 2026 in support of Released, with dates announced in March.

TRACKLISTING

1 Young Love 
2 Lightning Strikes 
3 Walk The Walk 
4 Long Gone 
5 Heart And Soul 
6 Long Hard Look 
7 True Blue Love (Unplugged) 
8 Deeper Side of Love 
9 Time Heals The Pain 
10 Word Gets Around

Formats
Digital Album
Dolby Atmos Album
CD (HNE Recordings / Cherry Red Records)
Vinyl (Friday Music)

LINKS:

https://www.lougrammofficial.com/

https://www.instagram.com/LOUGRAMMGRAM

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CREATURES – an interview with Brazilian metal band

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CREATURES recently released their second album, Creatures II, to follow up their debut in 2021. The 4-piece band from Brazil is heavily influenced by ’80s hard rock and heavy metal bands like Judas Priest, Ratt, Ozzy, Dokken….and although I see no mention, lead vocals definitely remind me of Lizzy Borden. Creatures II features a new line-up, with the band lead by guitarist/songwriter Mateus Canteleano, who has answered my questions below. Bandmembers also included their ‘top 10’ album lists, as well as influences.

CREATURES consists of Mateus Cantaleäno, Marc Brito (vocals), Ricke Nunes (bass), and Sidnei Dubiella (drums). *Check out Creatures II, the interview, and the links below.

Can you guys tell me a bit about the band coming together and direction? 

Mateus Cantaleano:
Basically, this lineup came together around 2022, a few months after the release of our first album, which was recorded only by me and the former singer, Roberto. After the release of the album, people started getting in touch with me asking about live shows, and since Roberto had moved to Canada, I invited Marc—at first just to sing the first shows—and CJ to play drums. The last one to join the band was Ricke, who became part of the band in 2023. We created a really strong connection not only musically, but also in our personal lives, and this naturally became the official lineup of the band.

What are some of the yours (bandmembers) favorite bands, musicians, influences that you grew up on? 

Mateus:
For me, it was and still is bands like Judas Priest, Dokken, and Scorpions. As guitarists, I’d say Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, and George Lynch.

Marc:
Halford, Jon Oliva, Udo, King Diamond.

Ricke:
Rush, Geddy Lee, Billy Sheehan, Juan Alderete, Felipe Andreoli, Bob Daisley, Jeff Pilson, Juan Croucier.

Are you able to give me a ‘top 10’ of favorite albums (each)? 

Mateus (Top 10):

  1. Defenders of the Faith – Judas Priest
  2. Under Lock and Key – Dokken
  3. Trilogy – Yngwie Malmsteen
  4. Icon – Icon
  5. Taken by Force – Scorpions
  6. The Final Countdown – Europe
  7. Bonded by Blood – Exodus
  8. Down to Earth – Rainbow
  9. Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne

Marc (Top 10):

  1. Defenders of the Faith – Judas Priest
  2. Invasion of Your Privacy – Ratt
  3. Phantasmagoria – The Mist
  4. Absolut Country of Sweden – Anti Cimex
  5. Gutter Ballet – Savatage
  6. Tower of Spite – Cerebral Fix
  7. Ordem e Progresso – Azul Limão
  8. Floodland – The Sisters of Mercy
  9. Anything – The Damned
  10. Into the Pandemonium – Celtic Frost

Ricke (Top 10):

  1. Moving Pictures – Rush
  2. Ready to Strike – King Kobra
  3. Second Heat – Racer X
  4. The Ultimate Sin – Ozzy Osbourne
  5. Angels Cry – Angra
  6. Icon – Icon
  7. Back for the Attack – Dokken
  8. Welcome to My Nightmare – Alice Cooper
  9. Lean into It – Mr. Big
  10. Leftoverture – Kansas

What is the metal scene like in Brazil? What sort of venues and shows have you been playing? Any major festival shows or guest slots ?

Mateus:
Like I always say, I think Brazil in general is more focused on extreme/thrash/death/black metal bands and scenes, but we do have a small resistance within the traditional metal and hard rock scene. It’s not very big, but it’s loyal. Most of our shows here are as guests or opening slots for bigger bands—most of the time from other countries—or at festivals with local Brazilian bands. Sometimes we headline, and they are usually good shows in terms of audience.

A lot of excellent songs, such as Dreams, Devil in Disguise, Beware The Creatures, Nothing Lasts Forever…. This album doesn’t really slow down (til the last track).  Any antidotes or stories behind some of the tracks? what stands out for you guys (individually)? and how much of this will the band be performing live on the road?

Mateus:
Thank you! Well, something curious is that I usually compose the full songs alone at home, record a complete demo with everything, and then pass it on to the band. Each member takes their part, studies it, and adds their own identity individually. Since Marc doesn’t live in the same city as us, we never rehearsed or played the songs together as a band before recording the album—it was all a surprise. Also, balancing our jobs and personal lives, it took us a few months to record everything, but we were extremely satisfied with the result. For me, the standout tracks are “Beware the Creatures” and “Nothing Lasts Forever.” They’ve always been two of my favorites and still are.

Creatures II is a great production, with some riffs, intros, harmonies….Can you tell us about the making of the making of this album, as far as how aware you were about making it a ‘big’ sounding album? and what you (if) you had any 80s records or productions in mind that you might’ve strived for? 

Marc:
It took many, many hours of vocal recording on consecutive days, and there came a point where I was literally lying on the floor during every break between takes, even if it was just for a few seconds, lol.

Mateus:
Well, like I said, it took a lot of work, days, and energy to record this album. We put the best of ourselves into it, and we’re very lucky to count on our producer and mixing engineer, Arthur Migotto, who has all the technical knowledge to bring out everything we were aiming for. We also tried to keep everything as analog as possible—real amps, real pedals, real drums—to sound as close as possible to what we like to listen to.

How does Creatures II compare to the first album (or differ)?

Mateus:
First of all, I’m the one who recorded both albums, so this time we had almost a completely new band recording it. Over these four years, I’ve also greatly improved my knowledge of music, my skills as a guitar player, and mainly as a songwriter. I think the songs are much more mature on this album. Having a full band recording it this time—people who were already used to playing together and performing shows—also made a huge difference for the better. Musically, the new album goes into a darker territory, and I also think we have more heavy metal (and a little less hard rock) influences on this one.

Can you tell me about the albums artwork? Who created it? The ideas behind it, etc..? 

Mateus:
I developed the concept, and the artwork was made by a guy named Velio Josto, who had already worked with a considerable number of heavy metal bands that we like. We were aiming for something simple, something that mixed all that heavy metal and horror aesthetic that we’ve always liked and embraced. I think it turned out great.

What’s coming up for Creatures in the near future? Any possibility of shows in North America? 

Mateus:
Well, we have a few shows ahead. We’re going to play our first Creatures II show in a few weeks and do some more shows in Brazil. In April, we’ll play our first show outside Brazil, at the Keep It True Festival in Germany. We’ll actually be the first Brazilians ever to play this festival in its entire history, so this will be a historic moment for us!

About a show in North America, we would absolutely love to do it! I hope we can make this possible in the near future! 🙂

LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/creaturesheavymetal
https://www.instagram.com/creaturesheavymetal
https://creaturesheavymetal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.hrrecords.de/
https://highrollerrecords.bandcamp.com/

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