January 26, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JUDAS PRIEST...Defenders Of The Faith  (1984)

Defenders Of The Faith was released 30 years ago this month in 1984.  It reached number 18 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  The ninth studio album from Priest is rock-n-roll in-your-face metal mayhem from the metal gods.  The opening track, 'Freewheel Burning,' sets the tone.  The rest of the album follos and is recommended.  The highlights are 'Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,' 'Love Bites' and 'Jawbreaker'
(Vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 26
Corky Laing from Mountain is 66; Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen is 59; Charlie Gillingham of the Counting Crows is 54; Tom Keifer from Cinderella is 53; Chris Hesse from Hoobastank is 40;

ON THIS DATE
1974 Ringo Starr is at number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart with You're Sixteen
1977 Fleetwood Mac's former guitarist, Peter Green, is committed after he had shot at a delivery boy
1977 The Clash sign a recording contract with CBS Records
1995 The Rolling Stone magazine names Soundgarden Best Metal Band in their '95 Music Awards
2001 Several fans were injured and one dies in a mosh pit at a Limp Bizkit concert in Sydney, Australia
2005 It is announced that Ryan Vikedal is no longer with Nickelback
2011 Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil pleads guilty to a Las Vegas drunk driving charge from the previous summer and is sentenced to fifteen days in jail
2014 At the 56th Grammy Awards:  Best Rock Album...Led Zeppelin "Celebration Day", Best Rock Song..."Cut Me Some Slack" Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear, Best Metal Performance...Black Sabbath "God Is Dead?", Best Rock Performance...Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"