Another month has gone by. In the most recent couple of months I've been listening to less extreme records, and even when I did seek aggressiveness, the tendency was to pick the more nuanced releases: well produced, technically apt and lyrically intelligent. Aside from surfing the high tide of new releases, and witnessing a couple of great and unique live acts, ASTERISM and SALEMS LOTT, March's most played albums were a mix bag of milestones, originals and overlooked albums. Here is the top five most played albums:
BBM (Bruce Baker Moore)
Around the Next Dream
1994
CD, Virgin, CDV 2745
BBM (Bruce Baker Moore) is the name of the short-lived power trio formed in 1993 by long-established artists, bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Gary Moore (both of whom had collaborated previously on Moore's "Corridors of Power" album) and drummer Ginger Baker. They released just one studio album, entitled "Around The Next Dream", which was released on the Virgin's record label. It reached #9 in the UK Albums Chart in the summer of 1994. Much of the work was written by Moore with contributions by Bruce and Baker. The album cover featured a picture of Baker. The band went on a short UK tour to coincide with the album's release and also played a handful of rock festivals on the continent, before disbanding. "Around The Next Dream" is an overlooked blues rock album.
HEROES DEL SILENCIO
Senderos de Traición
1990
CD, EMI, 7957522
1990's "Senderos de Traición" was a successful release for Héroes del Silencio, "combining Celtic guitars and metal rhythms." The songs "Entre Dos Tierras" and "Maldito Duende" are still among the most popular from the band. The tour for this album was called Senda like the song of the same name, on the album. It took the band to North America and to various European countries including Germany and Belgium; winning several gold discs on their way. According to frontman Bunbury, the tour represented the band's golden times. "Senderos de Traición" stayed in the album charts of countries like Spain, Switzerland and Germany. Rock en español!
QUEEN
Sheer Heart Attack
1974, 2011 digital remaster
SHM-CD, Universal, UICY-75015/6
The third studio album by the British iconic rock band Queen, "Sheer Heart Attack" was released on November 8, 1974 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Digressing from the progressive themes featured on their first two albums, this album featured more pop-centric and conventional rock tracks and marked a step towards the "classic" Queen sound. "Sheer Heart Attack" was the first Queen album to hit the US top 20, peaking at #12 in 1975. The album has been acknowledged for containing "a wealth of outstanding hard rock guitar tracks". Retrospectively, it has been listed by multiple publications as one of the band's best works and has been deemed an essential glam rock album. Coincidentally, "Sheer Heart Attack" is my favorite Queen studio release.
THE CIRCLE
At Your Service
2015
2xCD, MBD 7531
The Circle is a hard rock band consisting of rocker Sammy Hagar, Van Halen's long-time bassist Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham on drums and Vic Johnson on guitar. The group released the double live album "At Your Service" on May 19, 2015. The album includes mostly music from Hagar's vast catalog, originally recorded solo, or with Montrose and Van Halen, with additional cuts originally recorded by Led Zeppelin, via Bonham's connection. Great live renditions of popular songs with obligatory drums, bass and guitar solos planted within the tracks. A live DVD of this album was released in December 2015.
VOODOO CIRCLE
Broken Heart Syndrome
2011
CD, AFM Records, AMF 317-2
Voodoo Circle is a German hard rock/heavy metal band founded in 2008, as a project of Silent Force guitarist Alex Beyrodt (currently also playing with heavy metal band Primal Fear) who had the idea to re-think his personal vision of music, making songs more based on his early influences, such as Whitesnake, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple and Rainbow. The band has gained some critical and commercial success with their 2011 sophomore album, "Broken Heart Syndrome." Beside Beyrodt, the album feature the British vocalist, David Readman, best known as the vocalist of hard rock band Pink Cream 69, bassist Mat Sinner, drummer Markus Kullmann and Jimmy Kresic, on keyboards.
© 2019 by Emil Chiru
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