1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #8 The Crickets - The Chirping Crickets (1957)

THE CRICKETS - THE "CHIRPING" CRICKETS (1957)

Track Listing – standout tracks in bold

1. Oh Boy
2. Not Fade Away
3. You've Got Love
4. Maybe Baby
5. It's Too Late
6. Tell Me How
7. That'll Be The Day
8. I'm Looking For Someone To Love
9. Empty Cup (And A Broken Date)
10. Send Me Some Lovin'
11. Last Night
12. Rock Me Baby

The debut album by Buddy Holly and the Crickets and sadly the only one featuring Buddy Holly that was released during his lifetime. It’s hard to really appreciate just how important this record is to the history of music. In just over 20 minutes you get the hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Oh, Boy!", classics like "Not Fade Away," "Maybe Baby," and "I'm Looking for Someone to Love." Those tracks alone rank near the best rock & roll songs of the 1950s. Perhaps EVER. They are prime examples that all you need is a great riff, a chorus that you can sing along with and you have the perfect rock and roll song.
In the history of rock and roll this ranks right up there with Elvis’ debut release. Without Elvis breaking down the barriers - there would have been no way for Buddy Holly to have gotten his music onto the radio and therefore no way the Beatles debut lp – heavy with Buddy Holly influences – ever gets made. This makes “Chirping’ one the most important lp’s ever made. Hands down!!

Ron Wood Divorce

RON WOOD DIVORCE:
Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood has recently been using his lower head to do his thinking for him. He has left his wife Jo of 23 years for a 20 year old, an affair Wood has not tried to hide. You could question the judgement of the 20 year old, as Wood is 61, has had major drug and alcohol problems which Jo helped him through, he's all wrinkled and probably smells like cigarettes all the time. Ah, but Ronnie is in the Stones, they make lots of good music therefore lots of good money. He's old but loaded!! Case closed.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 30:
Dewey Martin from Buffalo Springfield is 66; Bill Rieflin from R.E.M. is 48; Robby Takac from the Goo Goo Dolls is 44;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #7 Frank Sinatra - Song's For Swinging Lovers (1956)

FRANK SINATRA – SONGS FOR SWINGING LOVERS

Track Listing (standout tracks in bold

1. You Make Me Feel So Young
2. It Happened in Monterey
3. You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
4. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
5. Too Marvelous for Words
6. Old Devil Moon
7. Pennies from Heaven
8. Love Is Here to Stay
9. I've Got You Under My Skin
10. I Thought About You
11. We'll Be Together Again
12. Makin' Whoopee
13. Swingin' Down the Lane
14. Anything Goes
15. How About You?

1955's In the Wee Small Hours was ballad heavy and downright depressing - this is the exact opposite. The other side of the coin as it were.
Here - Sinatra and Nelson Riddle delivered a up-tempo collection consisting of pop standards, ranging from "You Make Me Feel So Young", "Pennies From Heaven" and "I've Got You Under My Skin."
Sinatra sings with force and joy. . The band swings hard and sets up a momentum from the first few notes and stays consistent throughout. In an era that was being taken over by Elvis and rock and roll – Frank still managed to stay at the top of his game for this album.
I really enjoyed it and it’s hard not to tap your foot along.

New Releases

UPCOMING ABSOLUTE ROCK NEW RELEASES:
September 30 - Roy Orbison...The Soul Of Rock 'N' Roll (4 CD Box Set); Megadeth...Anthology: Set The World Afire; Jake E. Lee...Runnin' With The Devil; U2...Under A Blood Red Sky; U2...Live At Red Rocks (DVD); Roy Orbison...A Black And White Night (blu-ray); Melissa Etheridge...A New Thought For Christmas; Todd Rundgren...Arena; Johnny Winter...Black Cat Bone: The Anthology; The Grateful Dead...Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 (w/DVD); John Kay and Steppenwolf...ARock And Roll Odyssey (DVD);
Rocktober 7 - Bob Dylan...Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8; Oasis...Dig Out Your Soul; The Police...Certifiable (2 CD/2 DVD, blu-ray/2 CD or 3 LP's); Brian Setzer Orchestra...Ultimate Christmas Collection; Korn...Live On The Other Side (blu-ray); Gary Moore...Bad For You Baby; The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete (CD release);
Rocktober 14 - Chris Isaak...Chris Isaak Christmas (DVD); B.B. King...Collector's Edition; Blackfoot...Live In Kentucky (DVD); Canned Heat...If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get out of the Kitchen: Live; The Byrds...The Byrds Slipcase (Box set);
Rocktober 21 - AC/DC...Black Ice; A Flock Of Seagulls...Space Age Love Songs (CD release); Paul Stanley...One Live KISS (DVD); Kiss...Kiss Ikons (Box Set);
Rocktober 28 - Queen and Paul Rodgers...The Cosmos Rocks; Jim Croce...Have You Heard Jim Croce Live; The Byrds...Playlist:The Very Best of The Byrds;
November 4 - Hinder...Take It To The Limit; Canned Heat...Boogie House Tapes, Vol. 3: Recorded Electrically;
November 11 - Stephen Stills...Just Roll Tape: April 26th,1968 (LP record);

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 29:
Jerry Lee Lewis is 73; Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad is 60; Mike Pinera from Blues Image, Iron Butterfly and was once the guitarist for Alice Cooper is also 60; John Payne from Asia is 50; Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool from Primus is 45; Brad Smith from Blind Melon is 40;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #6 Duke Ellington - Ellington At Newport (1956)

DUKE ELLINGTON - ELLINGTON AT NEWPORT

Track Listing (standout tracks in bold
Disc: 1
1. Star Spangled Banner
2. Father Norman O'conner Introduces
3. Black And Tan Fantasy
4. Duke Introduce Cook & Tune
5. Tea For Two
6. Talk About The Festival
7. Take The A Train
8. Duke Announces Strayborn's A Train & Nance/Duke Introduces
9. Part I -Festival Junction
10. Duke Announces Nance & Procope
11. Part Ii-Blues To Be There
12. Duke Announces Nance & Procope
13. Part Iii-Newport Up
14. Duke Announces Hamilton,Gonsalves & Terry/Duke Introduce Car
15. Sophisticated Lady
16. Duke Announces Grisson & Tune
17. Day In,Day Out
18. Duke Troduce Tune(S) And Paul Gonstaves Interludes
19. Diminuendo In Blue And Crescendo In Blue
20. Announcements,Pandemonium
21. Pause Track

Disc: 2
1. Duke Introduce Johnny Holges
2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
3. Jeep's Blues
4. Duke Calms Crowd,Introduces Nace & Tune
5. Tulip Or Turnip
6. Riot Prevention
7. Skin Deep
8. Mood Indigo
9. Studio Concert
10. Father Norman O'connor Introduces Duke Eillington To
11. Part I- Festival Juncion
12. Duke Announces Soloists:Introduxe Part Ii
13. Part Ii-Blues To Be There
14. Duke Announces Nance & Procope,Introduces Part Iii
15. Part Iii-Newport Up
16. Duke Announces Hamilton,Gonsalves & Terry/Pause/Duke Introd
17. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
18. Jeep's Blues
19. Pause Track

This review is not actually of the album put out in 1956, but the 1999 complete concert re-issue. BUT this album is actually too much of a good thing. I had never really ever listened to Duke Ellington, and this forty tracks long "tour de force" is probably not the album you should start with!!
I DID like the album for about the 1st half - but then I had definately had enough.
I felt exhausted after the disc finished and need not to listen to Ellington for a LONG while. Now don't take that wrong, the band is amazing, it's a historical document and I do GET IT - it's just not for me.
Still, there are some really nice tracks here, and deserves a listen. But I should have listened to the way the album was released way back in the 50's. I would have definitely enjoyed it much more.

September 27

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 27:
Randy Bachman from Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 65; Meat Loaf is 57; Greg Ham from Men At Work is 55; Stephan Jenkins from Third Eye Blind is 44; Brad Arnold from 3 Doors Down is 30;

September 26

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 26:
Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos is 54; Al Pitrelli, who has been a member of Asia, Alice Cooper's band, Megadeth, Blue Oyster Cult and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, is 46;

Top 10 CD's/Downloads

TOP 10 ABSOLUTE ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK:
1. METALLICA...Death Magnetic
2. KID ROCK...Rock 'N' Roll Jesus
3. BUCKCHERRY...Black Butterfly
4. SLIPKNOT...All Hope Is Gone
5. AVENGED SEVENFOLD...Live In The LBC & Diamonds In The Rough
6. STAIND...The Illusion Of Progress
7. DISTURBED...Indestructible
8. JOURNEY...Revelation
9. 3 DOORS DOWN...3 Doors Down
10. LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM...Gift Of Screws

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 25:
Mike Luce from Drowning Pool is 37;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #5 Fats Domino - This is Fats Domino (1956)

FATS DOMINO - THIS IS FATS DOMINO

Track Listing - (standout tracks in bold)
1. Blueberry Hill
2. Honey Chile
3. What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You?)
4. Blue Monday
5. So Long
6. La-La
7. Troubles of My Own
8. You Done Me Wrong
9. Reelin' and Rockin'
10. Fat Man's Hop
11. Poor Poor Me
12. Trust in Me

Fats Domino is an icon. And he has his own 'sound'. Still, this was not particularly an attention grabbing album. Although it has the classics "Blueberry Hill" and "Blue Monday" and a few other standout tracks it simply just seemed to plod along. Fats' great trademark piano playing comes through very nicely.
I suppose for whatever reason the music just didn't 'click' much with me. I totally recognize it's significance and superb quality - so I am probably just missing something. Again, it was 1956 and I can imagine how huge an impact this music was filling the airwaves causing parents to yell in terror!

September 23

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 23:
Bruce Springsteen is 59;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #4 Louis Prima - The Wildest! (1956)

LOUIS PRIMA - THE WILDEST!

Track Listing (standout tracks in bold
1. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
2. (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby
3. The Lip
4. Body And Soul
5. Oh Marie
6. Basin Street Blues/When It's Sleepy Time Down South
7. Jump, Jive An' Wail
8. Buona Sera
9. Night Train
10. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You

What a fun album!!! This album makes your ass shake all the way through! Familiar songs were Just a Gigolo, (as covered note for note word for word by David Lee Roth) and Jump, Jive an' Wail, which was later covered by Brian Setzer. If you know those covers - well the rest of the album is pretty much in this same vein. Upbeat, happy, and makes you want to dance - if you do that kinda thing anyway.
This has an infectious quality to it that makes it VERY listenable.
I must admit, I had never heard of Louis Prima before listening to this album, which made this all the more such a pleasurable suprise.
While not the greatest vocalist in the world, Louis Prima is an entertainer getting the most out of his band on these tracks. It's raunchy mix of gibberish, sax turned up high in the mix, this rocked as hard as anything released at the time.

New Releases

UPCOMING ABSOLUTE ROCK NEW RELEASES:
September 23 - The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete (LP record); Heart...Heart Presents A Lovemonger's Christmas; Jackson Browne...Time The Conqueror;
September 30 - Roy Orbison...The Soul Of Rock 'N' Roll (4 CD Box Set); Megadeth...Anthology: Set The World Afire; Jake E. Lee...Runnin' With The Devil; U2...Under A Blood Red Sky; U2...Live At Red Rocks (DVD); Roy Orbison...A Black And White Night (blu-ray);
Rocktober 7 - Bob Dylan...Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8; Oasis...Dig Out Your Soul; The Police...Certifiable (2 CD/2 DVD, blu-ray/2 CD or 3 LP's); Brian Setzer Orchestra...Ultimate Christmas Collection; Korn...Live On The Other Side (blu-ray); Gary Moore...Bad For You Baby; The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete (CD release);
Rocktober 14 - Chris Isaak...Chris Isaak Christmas (DVD); B.B. King...Collector's Edition; Blackfoot...Live In Kentucky (DVD); Canned Heat...If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get out of the Kitchen: Live;
Rocktober 21 - AC/DC...Black Ice; A Flock Of Seagulls...Space Age Love Songs (CD release); Paul Stanley...One Live KISS (DVD); Kiss...Kiss Ikons (Box Set);
Rocktober 28 - Queen and Paul Rodgers...The Cosmos Rocks;
November 4 - Hinder...Take It To The Limit; Canned Heat...Boogie House Tapes, Vol. 3: Recorded Electrically;
November 11 - Stephen Stills...Just Roll Tape: April 26th,1968 (LP record);

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 22:
David Coverdale from Deep Purple and Whitesnake is 57; Joan Jett is 50;

September 21

Don Felder

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 21:
Don Felder, formerly with The Eagles, is 61; Philthy Animal, formerly with Motorhead, is 54;

September 20

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 20:
Chuck Panozzo from Styx is 61; Gunnar Nelson and Matthew Nelson are 41; Rick Woolstenhulme from Lifehouse is 29;

September 19

10cc

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 19:
Lol Creme from 10cc is 61;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #3 Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs Of Life (1956)

LOUVIN BROTHERS - TRAGIC SONGS OF LIFE

Track Listing: (standout tracks in bold
1. Kentucky
2. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight
3. Let Her Go, God Bless Her
4. What Is Home Without Love
5. Tiny Broken Heart
6. In the Pines
7. Alabama
8. Katie Dear
9. My Brother's Will
10. Knoxville Girl
11. Take the News to Mother
12. Mary of the Wild Moor

While definitely not my cup of tea, this is some collection of numbers that span the dark end of the emotional spectrum from nostalgia to heartbreak all the way into murder. While on the surface some of these songs may seem exaggerated, Charlie and Ira bring an honest sound to the tunes. It wouldn't be hard for an album like Tragic Songs of Life to seem either morbid or comical, instead, these are 12 stories of the tragedies that touch every life, and there's a compassion in their performances that's moving. That said - this was still a tough listen and hard to sit through all of as their voices tend to just grate on the nerves.

TOP 10 ABSOLUTE ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK:
1. METALLICA...Death Magnetic
2. KID ROCK...Rock 'N' Roll Jesus
3. SLIPKNOT...All Hope Is Gone
4. STAIND...The Illusion Of Progress
5. DISTURBED...Indestructible
6. JOURNEY...Revelation
7. DAUGHTRY...Daughtry
8. 3 DOORS DOWN...3 Doors Down
9. SAVING ABEL...Saving Abel
10. LINKIN PARK...Minutes To Midnight

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 18:
Kerry Livgren from Kansas is 59;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #2 Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)

ELVIS PRESLEY - ELVIS PRESLEY

Track Listing: (standout tracks in bold)
1. Blue Suede Shoes
2. I’m Counting On You
3. I Got A Woman
4. One-Sided Love Affair
5. I Love You Because
6. Just Because
7. Tutti Frutti
8. Trying To Get You
9. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)
10. I’ll Never Let You Go
11. Blue Moon
12. Money Honey
Quite simply - THE birth of rock and roll.
There was NOTHING in the history of popular music up to that time like Elvis Presley. In stark contrast to Frank Sinatra and the other crooners of the era - one can see how revolutionary these recordings actually were! This was as startling a debut record as any that has ever made, representing every side of Elvis' musical influences except gospel -- rockabilly, blues, R&B, country, and pop were all here in an explosive and seductive combination. Elvis Presley became the first rock & roll album to reach the number one spot on the national charts, and RCA's first million dollar-earning pop album. No doubt about it - this a great album!
In one lp pressing - music was changed FOREVER - and the statement "before Elvis there was no rock n roll" was born.
And is on display in the tracks on this album.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 17:
Fee Waybill from the Tubes is 58; Chuck Comeau from Simple Plan is 29;

September 16

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 16:
B.B. King is 83; Kenney Jones from the Small Faces, the Faces and The Who is 60; Ron Blair from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is also 60; Richard Marx is 45;

Richard Wright of Pink Floyd/New Releases

RICHARD WRIGHT FROM PINK FLOYD DIES:
The world of rock 'n' roll is in mourning today, as one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, Richard Wright, has died of cancer at his home in Britain. He was 65. The family and the rest of the band did not want to release any other information at this time.

UPCOMING ABSOLUTE ROCK NEW RELEASES:
September 16 - Pete Best...Haymans Green; Lindsey Buckingham...Gift Of Screws; David Gilmour...Live in Gdansk (CD & DVD); Buckcherry...Black Butterfly; Avenged Sevenfold...Live in the Lbc & Diamonds in the Rough (W/Dvd); Jeff Ament...Tone; Taproot...Our Long Road Home;
September 23 - The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete; Heart...Heart Presents A Lovemonger's Christmas; Jackson Browne...Time The Conqueror;
September 30 - Roy Orbison...The Soul Of Rock 'N' Roll (4 CD Box Set); Megadeth...Anthology: Set The World Afire; Jake E. Lee...Runnin' With The Devil; U2...Under A Blood Red Sky; U2...Live At Red Rocks (DVD);
Rocktober 7 - Bob Dylan...Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8; Oasis...Dig Out Your Soul; The Police...Certifiable (2 CD/2 DVD, blu-ray/2 CD or 3 LP's); Brian Setzer Orchestra...Ultimate Christmas Collection; Korn...Live On The Other Side (blu-ray)
Rocktober 14 - Chris Isaak...Chris Isaak Christmas (DVD); B.B. King...Collector's Edition; Blackfoot...Live In Kentucky (DVD); Canned Heat...If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get out of the Kitchen: Live;
Rocktober 21 - AC/DC...Black Ice; A Flock Of Seagulls...Space Age Love Songs (CD release); Paul Stanley...One Live KISS (DVD); Kiss...Kiss Ikons (Box Set);
Rocktober 28 - Queen and Paul Rodgers...The Cosmos Rocks;
November 4 - Hinder...Take It To The Limit; Canned Heat...Boogie House Tapes, Vol. 3: Recorded Electrically;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #1 - FRANK SINATRA - IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS (1955)

FRANK SINATRA - IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS (1955)
Track Listing: (standout tracks in bold)
1. In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning
2. Mood Indigo
3. Glad To Be Unhappy
4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
5. Deep in a Dream
6. I See Your Face Before Me
7. Can't We Be Friends?
8. When Your Lover Has Gone
9. What is This Thing Called Love
10. Last Night When We Were Young
11. I'll Be Around
12. Ill Wind
13. It Never Entered My Mind
14. Dancing On The Ceiling
15. I'll Never Be The Same
16. This Love of Mine

The first album to play in the epic 1001 albums is this low key Sinatra collection "In the Wee Small Hours" a collection of ballads arranged by Nelson Riddle. It's a blue, melancholy album, Sinatra sounds like a lonely, broken man. It truly is a depressing album. While admittedly not my kind of music for the most part - his singing is pretty good - and this is a good representation of the music that was put out in the 50's in the time "BE" - that being "before Elvis". In reading about the album I found that the sessions were a personal reflection of the heartbreak of his doomed love affair with actress Ava Gardner, and the standards that he sings form their own story when collected together.
After listening to this - it really does let you feel how shocking the arrival of Elvis onto the musical scene really was!

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 14:
Steve Berlin from Los Lobos is 53;

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

A couple years ago, I received this book as a gift. I am a music fan and an obsessive one when it comes to certain bands and artists. I have always wanted to expand my knowledge, my taste, and my collection. For a long while now, I have been pondering this book and the idea of listening to every single record in this book. I started collecting some of the ones I didn't have and decided I am going to do it at some point. Well as I'm not getting any younger - now is the time to give a go and listen to all 1001 records in their entirety!! Even the Eminem, Korn, Limp Bizkit records listed. Those just might kill me.
There are records in the book that I have heard bits of and maybe even most of the record but not the whole thing. In the book, there are several artists that I have always wanted to check out and hear but never got around to and many I have never even heard of!! I will go in order of the book - which is chronological by year - and I will try to give a brief review of each one.
I'm looking forward to it! Hope you enjoy the ride as well - and leave some comments along the way.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 13:
Dave Mustaine from Megadeth is 47; Zak Starkey is 43; Steve Perkins from Jane's Addiction is 41;

September 12

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 12:
Gerry Beckley from America is 56; Neil Peart from Rush is 56; Larry LaLonde from Primus is 40;

Top 10 CD's/Downloads

TOP 10 ABSOLUTE ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS:
1. KID ROCK...Rock 'N' Roll Jesus
2. SLIPKNOT...All Hope Is Gone
3. STAIND...The Illusion of Progress
4. DISTURBED...Indestructible
5. 3 DOORS DOWN...3 Doors Down
6. JOURNEY...Revelation
7. SAVING ABEL...Saving Abel
8. SHINEDOWN...The Sound Of Madness
9. THEORY OF A DEADMAN...Scars And Souvenirs
10. LINKIN PARK...Minutes To Midnight

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 11:
Mickey Hart from The Dead is 65; Tommy Shaw from Styx is 55;

Metallica - Death Magnetic ***1/2

I've spent the last week listening to the band’s new record “Death Magnetic,” which comes out Sept. 12. Following 2003's “St Anger” - which let's be honest - wasn’t a very good record - this album surely had to be better right?
Only time will tell if "Death Magnetic" will rank as one of the best Metallica records - but it's pretty dang good! Or was "St. Anger" so BAD that almost anything HAD to be better?
You can hear lots of echoes of their first four albums (not to mention one echo from the kindler, gentler 90's on “The Unforgiven III”). “Death Magnetic” features few songs sounding like they were written around a vocal hook, which was how Metallica got on MTV so much in the 90s - so don't expect anything like "Enter Sandman" or "Nothing Else Matters". The difference from “St. Anger,” is that the riffs, while still heavy, aren’t crashing about searching for a place to settle within the songs - and never quite finding it. The songs have better structure and just sound well - better. For that i'm sure we can thank the guiding hand of producer Rick Rubin.
Metallica is back to powering fast, central riffs, then building to some great solo's from Kirk Hammett - which there were NONE of on "St Anger"
But don’t get too excited. While better than “St. Anger” the songs again seem so intent on proving Metallica still brings the thunder that something is occasionally out of place. There’s barely a vocal hook in sight - something the band could pull off more than capably on the early records, even if it was shouting a few words to pass for a chorus. Somehow it just doesn’t work so well anymore. But James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich may have been so pleased at how well the band sounds the first time in the studio with bassist Robert Trujillo, they just didn't care about hooks and choruses. The whole band sounds tight. Some of the songs sound like they came from jams, which isn't a bad thing - including the instrumental “Suicide & Redemption,” which built slowly into layers of blistering Hammett.
And, I have to say, while it’s nice to hear Metallica get back to what they do best instead of experimenting. The songs are epics again. Hetfield is no longer struggling with his personal demons lyrically, getting back to yelling about mangled flesh, death and stuff!!
Metallic is on the right road again FINALLY to making another great album in their future - of which this is hopefully the first step.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 10:
Joe Perry from Aerosmith is 58; David Lowery from Cracker is 48; Stevie D. from Buckcherry is 42; Robin Goodridge from Bush is 42;

September 9

Iron Butterfly

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 9:
Doug Ingle, formerley with iron Butterfly, is 62; Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics is 56; Paul Durham from Black Lab is 40;

New Releases

UPCOMING ABSOLUTE ROCK NEW RELEASES:
September 9 - A Flock of Seagulls...Space Age Love Songs (LP Record Release, CD Rocktober 21);
September 12 - Metallica...Death Magnetic;
September 16 - Pete Best...Haymans Green; Lindsey Buckingham...Gift Of Screws; David Gilmour...Live in Gdansk (CD & DVD); Buckcherry...Black Butterfly; Avenged Sevenfold...Live in the Lbc & Diamonds in the Rough (W/Dvd); Jeff Ament...Tone;
September 23 - The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete; Heart...Heart Presents A Lovemonger's Christmas; Jackson Browne...Time The Conqueror;
September 30 - Roy Orbison...The Soul Of Rock 'N' Roll (4 CD Box Set); Megadeth...Anthology: Set The World Afire; Jake E. Lee...Runnin' With The Devil; U2...Under A Blood Red Sky; U2...Live At Red Rocks (DVD);
Rocktober 7 - Bob Dylan...Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8; Oasis...Dig Out Your Soul; The Police...Certifiable (2 CD/2 DVD, blu-ray/2 CD or 3 LP's); Brian Setzer Orchestra...Ultimate Christmas Collection; Korn...Live On The Other Side (blu-ray); The Doors...Perception (Box Set);
Rocktober 14 - Chris Isaak...Chris Isaak Christmas (DVD); B.B. King...Collector's Edition; Blackfoot...Live In Kentucky (DVD);
Rocktober 21 - AC/DC...Black Ice; A Flock Of Seagulls...Space Age Love Songs (CD release); Paul Stanley...Live To Win (DVD);
November 4 - Hinder...Take It To The Limit

September 7

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 7:
Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders is 57; Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is 55;

September 6

Roger Waters

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 6:
Roger Waters, formerley with Pink Floyd, is 65; Scott Travis from Judas Priest is 47; Kevin Miller from Fuel is 46;

September 5

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
Brad Wilk from Audioslave is 40;

Top 10 CD's/Downloads

ABSOLUTE ROCK TOP 10 CD'S/DOWNLOADS:
1. SLIPKNOT...All Hope Is Gone
2. KID ROCK...Rock 'N' Roll Jesus
3. STAIND...The Illusion of Progress
4. DISTURBED...Indestructible
5. JOURNEY...Revelation
6. 3 DOORS DOWN...3Doors Down
7. B.B. KING...One Kind Favor
8. THEORY OF A DEADMAN...Scars And Souvenirs
9. SAVING ABEL...Saving Abel
10. LINKIN PARK...Minutes To Midnight

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 4:
Martin Chambers from The Pretenders is 57; Kim Thayil from Soundgarden is 48;

August 3

Grand Funk Railroad

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR AUGUST 3:
Donald Brewer from Grand Funk Railroad is 60; Todd Lewis from the Toadies is 43;

September 2

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 2:
Jerry Augustyniak from 10,000 Maniacs is 50; Sam Rivers from Limp Bizkit is 31;

New Releases

UPCOMING ABSOLUTE ROCK NEW RELEASES:
September 2 - Candlebox...Alive In Seattle; The Smithereens...B-sides The Beatles; Jefferson Starship...Jefferson's Tree of Liberty; America...Soundstage: America Live In Chicago; Yes...The Director's Cut (DVD);
September 9 - AC/DC...No Bull: The Director's Cut (DVD);
September 12 - Metallica...Death Magnetic;
September 16 - Pete Best...Haymans Green; Lindsey Buckingham...Gift Of Screws; David Gilmour...Live in Gdansk (CD & DVD); Buckcherry...Black Butterfly; Avenged Sevenfold...Live in the Lbc & Diamonds in the Rough (W/Dvd); Jeff Ament...Tone;
September 23 - The Pretenders...Break Up The Concrete; Heart...Heart Presents A Lovemonger's Christmas; Jackson Browne...Time The Conqueror;
September 30 - Roy orbison...The Soul Of Rock 'N' Roll (4 CD Box Set); Megadeth...Anthology: Set The World Afire; Jake E. Lee...Runnin' With The Devil;
Rocktober 7 - Bob Dylan...Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8; Oasis...Dig Out Your Soul; The Police...Certifiable (2 CD/2 DVD, blu-ray/2 CD or 3 LP's); Brian Setzer Orchestra...Ultimate Christmas Collection; Korn...Live On The Other Side (blu-ray); The Doors...Perception (Box Set);
Rocktober 14 - Chris Isaak...Chris Isaak Christmas (DVD); B.B. King...Collector's Edition; Blackfoot...Live In Kentucky (DVD);
Rocktober 20 - AC/DC...Black Ice
November 4 - Hinder...Take It To The Limit

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 1:
JD Fortune from INXS is 35;