Various Artists [Classic Axe]
Here's a really nice double compilation album revolving vaguely around the theme of lead electric guitars in Hard Rock / Metal music, concentrating on the Seventies and Eighties, lots of variety, and quite a number of tracks that might not be obvious contenders, and also seemingly obvious omissions too, but the David Lee Roth track is out of place, plus it's immensely awful, the 36 tracks were compiled by Stuart Fryer, what was he thinking?.
This compilation was made in 2002, the main thing which attracted me to the discs were the front cover, a great concept [by Nick Purser], showing the back of a denim jacket, covered in metal studs [i think possibly photoshopped], it's nice and symmetrical, and wonderfully original too, of course the music's great too.
Out of all of these tracks, it was tracks 3-4, 8, 14, 18-21, 24, 30 & 35 are the best, with tracks 3, 8 & 18 that really affected me the most, here's a short synopsis of these songs,
3 Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town, a real classic track, one of my very favourite power songs, wonderful guitar chords, intelligent background vocals, it has an excellent intro [0:00-0:24], and when Phil Lynott comes in, his vocals are just so powerful and pure, they almost startle me, the verses are actually better than the chorus, there's a nice little 'spread the word around' bridge before the third verse [2:11-2:35], and here's one of the choicest moments of the whole song, a third verse!, it really makes the whole song work on a tremendous level, i really like the lyric 'that jukebox in the corner blasting out my favourite song',
8 Rush - Spirit Of Radio,
18 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell,
3 Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town, a real classic track, one of my very favourite power songs, wonderful guitar chords, intelligent background vocals, it has an excellent intro [0:00-0:24], and when Phil Lynott comes in, his vocals are just so powerful and pure, they almost startle me, the verses are actually better than the chorus, there's a nice little 'spread the word around' bridge before the third verse [2:11-2:35], and here's one of the choicest moments of the whole song, a third verse!, it really makes the whole song work on a tremendous level, i really like the lyric 'that jukebox in the corner blasting out my favourite song',
8 Rush - Spirit Of Radio,
18 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell,
