Savage Distortion

JACKSON'S HARD ROCK AND METAL MELTDOWN RECORD GUIDE

Accept

German Metal band featuring Teutonic dwarf with giant voice, Udo Dirkschnieder.

Heyday: 1979-85

Must Have: 'Restless and Wild' (1982)

Also Recommended: 'I'm A Rebel' (1980), 'Breaker' (1981)

For the Hearty: 'Accept' (1979), 'Balls to the Wall' (1984)


AC/DC

Seminal Aussie Hard Rock act featuring SG toting spasmodic dwarf, Angus Young. AC/DC would survive the death of front man Bon Scott in 1980 to deliver the biggest selling Hard Rock album of all time, 'Back In Black'.

HeyDay: 1976-present.

Must Have: 'High Voltage' (1975), 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' (1976), 'Let There Be Rock' (1977), 'Powerage' (1978), 'Highway to Hell' (1979), 'Back in Black' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'If You Want Blood......You've Got It' (Live - 1978), 'For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)' 1981

For the Hearty: 'The Razor's Edge' (1990), 'Live at Donnington' (1990)


Aerosmith

Aerosmith is a Boston based blues band that helped define American Hard Rock in the 1970's. Obviously Rolling Stones influenced, Aerosmith would create a second act for themselves out of the ashes of their drug induced early eighties crash and burn. Too bad that in doing so they became over-exposed bloated super stars and proceeded to churn out radio friendly crap.

HeyDay: 1973-1979, 1988-present.

Must Have: 'Aerosmith' (1973), 'Get Your Wings' (1974), 'Toys in the Attic' (1975), 'Rocks' (1976), 'Draw the Line' (1977), 'Live Bootleg' (1978)

Also Recommended: 'Night in the Ruts' (1979)

For the Hearty: 'Done With Mirrors' (1985)


Angel

Conceived as the 'anti-Kiss' in the mid seventies, Angel consistently churned out mediocre Rock records to overwhelming indifference. Angel was adept at writing songs that were simultaneously catchy and forgettable. Guitarist Punky Meadows provided a splash of much needed cool, but unfortunately his guitar was largely inaudible beneath the blaring cheese of Gregg Giuffria's army of synthesizers.

HeyDay: 1980

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Live Without a Net' (1980)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data.

Angel Witch

New Wave of British Heavy Metal standouts, Angel Witch sadly never panned out, leaving us with only one glorious album.

HeyDay: 1980

Must Have: 'Angel Witch' (1980)

Also Recommended: N/A

For the Hearty: N/A

April Wine

Canadian Hard Rockers April Wine released a slew of records in the seventies before gaining a wider audience briefly in the late seventies and early eighties highlighted by the success of the song 'Sign of the Gypsy Queen'.

HeyDay: 1981

Must Have: 'The Nature of the Beast' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'Harder.....Faster' (1979)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data. They have a mess of LPs I'm not familiar with....yet.

B.T.O.




Another Canadian act, B.T.O. emerged from the ashes of the Guess Who in the early seventies with huge radio success built upon the hits 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet', and 'Takin' Care of Business'.

Heyday: 1973-76

Must Have: 'Bachman-Turner Overdrive II' (1973), 'Not Fragile' (1974)

Also Recommended: N/A

For the Hearty: N/A


Bad Company

Formed in 1974 by former members of Free, Mott the Hoople, and King Crimson, Bad Company hit the charts big time with their self titled debut. Chart domination throughout the seventies, however, could not save the band from self destruction by the end of the decade.

HeyDay: 1973-79

Must Have: 'Bad Co.' (1974), 'Straight Shooter' (1975)

Also Recommended: 'Run With the Pack' (1976), 'Burnin' Sky' (1977)

For the Hearty: 'Desolation Angels' (1979)


Blackfoot

Southern Rock road monsters Blackfoot, led by guitar whizz and future Lynyrd Skynyrd member Ricky Medlock, never broke huge, but managed to leave us with some blistering Rock records. Blackfoot also had the unique feature of having a great deal of Native American blood in the band, hence the moniker.

HeyDay: 1978-1981

Must Have: 'Strikes' (1979)

Also Recommended: ' 'Tomcattin' (1980), 'Marauder' (1981)

For the Hearty: 'Vertical Smiles' (1984)

Black Sabbath

It is widely held that Black Sabbath invented Heavy Metal. Hailing from Birmingham, England - Metal Ground Zero, Sabbath laid down the template for all to follow. After firing Ozzy in 1979, Black Sabbath went on to release two stellar albums with Ronnie James Dio in the early eighties before turning into sheer rubbish by mid-decade.

HeyDay: 1970-1975, 1980-1982.

Must Have: 'Black Sabbath' (1970), 'Paranoid' (1970), 'Master of Reality' (1971) 'Vol. 4' (1973), 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' (1974), 'Sabotage' (1975), 'Heaven and Hell' (1980), 'Mob Rules' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'Never Say Die' (1978)

For the Hearty: 'Technical Ecstacy" (1976)

Blue Oyster Cult

Long Island natives Blue Oyster Cult carried the banner of American Hard Rock in the seventies. Their success culminating in 1976 with the single 'Don't Fear the Reaper', B.O.C. was unable to maintain consistency, and after another hit album, 1981's 'Fire of an Unknown Origin', the band fell apart and disbanded after a viewing of Spinal Tap in 1984.

HeyDay: 1972-78, 1981.

Must Have: 'Blue Oyster Cult' (1972), 'Tyranny and Mutation' (1973), 'Secret Treaties' (1974), 'On Your Feet Or On Your Knees' (Live 1975), 'Agents of Fortune' (1976), 'Spectres' (1977), 'Fire of an Unknown Origin' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'Some Enchanted Evening' (Live 1978) 'E.T.I. Live' (Live 1982)

For the Hearty: 'Cultasaurus Erectus' (1980)


Budgie

Hugely influential on the NWoBHM scene, Budgie was never successful in America, but left a stamp on the British Metal scene.

HeyDay: ???

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Never Turn Your Back on a Friend' (1973)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data.

Cheap Trick

This band of mid-westerners actually began their career touring American military bases in Germany before finding success in America on the back of strong albums and constant touring in support of American Hard Rock giants Aerosmith and Ted Nugent. The sky-rocketing success of their 1979 live release 'At Budokan' was followed by one stellar studio effort, 'Dream Police' before succumbing to commercial pressures which prompted a generic sound to their eighties product.

HeyDay: 1978-1980

Must Have: 'Cheap Trick' (1977), 'In Color' (1977), 'Heaven Tonight' (1978), 'At Budokan' (1979), 'Dream Police (1979)

Also Recommended: N/A

For the Hearty: N/A



Alice Cooper

With his original band, Alice Cooper found his stride when he signed to Warner Bros. in 1970 and began work with producer Bob Ezrin. Massive success was followed by massive excess, which was followed by 'going solo' in 1975. More success and excess followed until Alice suffered an alcohol induced breakdown in 1978. A brief period of creative highs coupled with commercial lows was followed by a wholesale sell-out Hair Metal style in the late eighties.

HeyDay: 1971-1977

Must Have: 'Love it to Death' (1971), 'Killer' (1971), 'School's Out' (1972), 'Billion Dollar Babies' (1973), 'Welcome to My Nightmare' (1975), 'Goes to Hell' (1976) 'From the Inside' (1978) 'Flush the Fashion' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'Special Forces' (1981), 'Zipper Catches Skin' (1982)

For the Hearty: 'Easy Action' (1970), 'Lace and Whiskey' (1977), 'The Alice Cooper Show' (Live 1978), 'DaDa' (1984), 'Brutal Planet' (2000)



Deep Purple

One of the most prolific Hard Rock acts of the seventies, Deep Purple not only gave us a boat load of product, but their revolving door membership populated the Hard Rock landscape well into the eighties.

HeyDay: 1971-74

Must Have: 'Machine Head' (1972)

Also Recommended: 'In Rock' (1970), 'Fireball' (1971), 'Made In Japan' (1972)

For the Hearty: 'Who Do We Think We Are' (1973), 'Burn' (1974), 'Stormbringer' (1974), 'Perfect Strangers' (1984)

Def Leppard

Shining stars of the NWoBHM, Def Leppard released a promising debut followed by one of the greatest Heavy Metal albums of all time, 1981's 'High n Dry', only to completely lose the plot on their third record, the massively successful 'Pyromania'. 'Hysteria' followed amid tragedy, and more tragedy followed amid total commercialization and MTV domination.

HeyDay: Depends upon who you ask. Jackson says 1980-1981.

Must Have: 'High n Dry' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'On Through the Night' (1980)

For the Hearty: 'Pyromania' (1983)

Dio

Ronnie James Dio's first professional musical escapade came in the form of a single released in 1959, thus he's always been an elder statesman of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Discovered fronting the aptly named Elf by Ritchie Blackmore in 1974, he was lured by Ritchie to help found Blackmore's post Deep Purple effort, Rainbow. By 1978 Ronnie and Ritchie weren't getting along, and Black Sabbath nabbed him to take Ozzy's spot. Tony Iommi and Ronnie could only manage two studio and one live release before Dio was prompted to leave that band to form his own in 1982.

HeyDay: 1984,85.

Must Have: 'Holy Diver' (1983)

Also Recommended: 'Last In Line' (1984)

For the Hearty: N/A

Foghat

British band Foghat found success in the mid-seventies by delivering decidedly American sounding blues based Hard Rock. As is unfortunately the case most of the time, success led to mediocrity and obscurity.

HeyDay: 1974-78

Must Have: 'Foghat Live' (1977)

Also Recommended: 'Energized' (1974) 'Fool for the City' (1975)

For the Hearty: 'Stone Blue' (1978)

Girl

Never successful in their own right, Girl is most notable for providing Phil Collen to Def Leppard and Phil Lewis to L.A. Guns.

HeyDay: The gig where Collen was spotted by the Leppards.

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Sheer Greed' (1980), 'Wasted Youth' (1982)

For the Hearty: N/A

Heart

Prior to their career as MTV dominating vixens, Ann and Nancy Wilson, along with guitarist Howard Leese broke on the American Hard Rock scene in the mid-seventies on the back of strong compositions like 'Magic Man' and 'Barracuda'. Heart not only broke the gender barrier in the male dominated world of Hard Rock, but they also founded the fertile Seattle Rock scene.

HeyDay: 1976-1980 (Jackson ignores their mid-eighties MTV years)

Must Have: 'Dreamboat Annie' (1976), 'Little Queen' (1977)

Also Recommended: 'Magazine' (1978)

For the Hearty: 'Dog and Butterfly' (1978), 'Bebe Le Strange' (1980)

Helix

More Canadians, Helix never broke huge, but managed to deliver some damn fine Hard Rock in the early to mid-eighties. Polished but not cheesy, at least initially, Helix had everything but luck. Jackson believes the blame can be laid on singer Brian Vollmer's missing incisors.

HeyDay: 1983, 84.

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'No Rest For the Wicked' (1983)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data

Humble Pie

Mostly known for launching the career of Peter Frampton, Humble Pie was dominated by singer/guitarist Steve Marriott, and managed to produce a few strong albums before Pete left and Steve fell into fatal substance abuse.

HeyDay: 1970-74

Must Have: 'Performance Rockin' the Filmore' (1971)

Also Recommended: 'Rock On' (1971)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data

Iron Maiden

Along with Def Leppard, Iron Maiden stand as one of two NWoBHM bands that outlasted the scene. Led by bassist and main songwriter Steve Harris; impossible complex arrangements gave way to a more commercial sound by the late-eighties, but despite that fact and multiple line-up changes Iron Maiden is still going strong thirty years on. All hail the Maiden. Up the hammers!

Must Have: 'Iron Maiden' (1980), 'Killers' (1981), 'Number of the Beast' (1982), 'Piece of Mind' (1983)

Also Recommended: 'Maiden Japan' (Live 1981)

For the Hearty: 'Powerslave' (1984)



Jethro Tull

Despite an arty progressive approach, Jethro Tull, led by singer/flautist Ian Anderson delivered one of the most enduring Hard Rock records in the canon, 1971's 'Aqualung'. After releasing far too many records and flirting with obscurity Tull manged to beat out Metallica for the first ever Metal Grammy in 1989. Anderson still leads Jethro Tull around the world's sports arenas while hes' not managing his salmon farming empire.

HeyDay: 1970-76

Must Have: 'Aqualung' (1971), 'Thick as a Brick' (1972),

Also Recommended: 'Benefit' (1970), 'Too Old to Rock n Roll: Too Young to Die' (1976)

For the Hearty: 'Stand Up' (1969), 'War Child' (1974)


Judas Priest

The blue-print for modern Metal, Judas Priest grabbed the baton from fellow Birmingham natives Black Sabbath in the late eighties as they went on to lead the Metal wave of the early-eighties before succumbing to formulaic cookie-cutter albums in an effort to embarrassingly keep up with the very bands they had inspired in the first place.

HeyDay: 1976-1982

Must Have: 'Sad Wings of Destiny' (1976), 'Sin After Sin' (1977), 'Stained Class' (1978), 'Hell Bent for Leather' (1979), 'Unleashed in the East' (1979), 'British Steel' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'Rock a Rolla' (1974), 'Point of Entry' (1981)

For the Hearty: 'Screaming for Vengeance' (1982), 'Defenders of the Faith' (1984)





The Kinks

In an early eighties interview, Kinks guitaris Dave Davies was asked what he thought about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. He replied that it wasn't called Heavy Metal when he invented it.

HeyDay: 1964-67, 1970, 71, 1977-84.

Must Have: 'Lola versus the Powerman and the Money Underground Part One' (1970), 'Misfits' (1977), 'Low Budget' (1979), 'One for the Road' (Live 1980), 'Give the People What They Want' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'The Kink Kontraversy' (1965), 'Muswell Hillbillies' (1971), 'Sleepwalker' (1977), 'State of Confusion' (1983)


For the Hearty: 'Kinks' (1964), 'Kinda Kinks' (1965), 'Face to Face' (1966), 'Something Else by the Kinks' (1967), 'The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society' (1968) 'Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)' (1969), 'Everybody's in Showbiz' (1972), 'Word of Mouth' (1984)



Kiss







NYC based Kiss brought the level of specatcle in Rock concerts to new heights in the seventies while simultaneously merchandising themselves into ridicule. Re-inventing themselves as a Hair Metal band in the eighties did little to improve their reputation, and a reunion with Ace, Peter, and make-up in the late nineties confirmed the notion that without the strong songwriting of their early carrer, the specatcle was all that was left to market.

HeyDay: 1973-1978

Must Have: 'Hotter Than Hell' (1974), 'Dressed to Kill' (1975), 'Alive' (Live 1975), 'Destroyer' (1976), 'Ace Frehley' (Solo Album 1978)

Also Recommended: 'Kiss' (1973), 'Rock and Roll Over' (1976), 'Gene Simmons' (Solo Album 1978), 'Alive II' ("Live" 1978)

For the Hearty: 'Love Gun' (1977), 'Paul Stanley' (Solo Album 1978), 'Dynasty' (1979), 'Unmasked' (1980'), 'The Elder' (1981), 'Creatures of the Night' (1982)

Kix

A tax write-off for Atlantic Records, Kix never manged to sell a lot of records until their bandwagonning late eighties period, but their first three records are a unique blend of Hard Rock and New Wave/Punk featuring infectious melodies, monster riffs, and tounge in cheek song writing.

HeyDay: 1980-91

Must Have: 'Kix' (1980), 'Cool Kids' (1983), 'Midnite Dynamite' (1985)

Also Recommended: 'Blow My Fuse' (1988)

For the Hearty: 'Hot Wire' (1991), 'Live' (Live 1993)




Krokus

The only known Swiss Hard Rock band, Krokus made up for their lack of talent with exuberance and persistance. As derivative as their sound was (Bad Company meets AC/DC), Krokus flourished briefly in the eraly eighties when anything with a goodly amount of chunk-a-chunk was viable.

HeyDay: 1979-84

Must Have: 'Hardware' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'Metal Rendez-Vous' (1980)

For the Hearty: 'One Vice at a Time' (1982), 'Headhunter' (1983)


Led Zeppelin

Inventors of the preening androgynous vocalist (Plant) and gun-slinging guitar player (Page) template, Led Zeppelin released ground breaking record after ground breaking record in the seventies until excess stalled the machine and killed the drummer - the greatest Hard Rock drummer of all time, John 'Bonzo' Bonham. Still, the legend endures.

HeyDay: 1969 - present (Led Zep Bro!)

Must Have: 'Led Zeppelin' (1969), 'Led Zeppelin II' (1969), 'Led Zeppelin III' (1970), 'Led Zeppelin IV' (1971), ;Houses of the Holy' (1973)

Also Recommended: 'Physical Graffiti' (1975), 'Presence' (1976)

For the Hearty: 'The Song Remains the Same' (Live 1976), 'In Through the Out Door' (1979), 'Coda' (1982)




Loudness (ラウドネス)







Pronounced 'roudness', Japan's answer to Krokus left little enduring mark on the Hard Rock landscape.

HeyDay: A couple of weeks in 1985.


Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Thunder in the East' (1985)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data



Lynyrd Skynyrd









Expanding on the concept of Southern Rock begun by the Allman Brothers, Northern Floridians, Lynyrd Skynyrd brought their brand of Swamp Music all the way up the charts with smash hits like 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Freebird' in the seventies before a tragic plane crash took the lives of band members Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant. More death followed, Allen Collins in 1990, Leon Wilkeson in 2001, and the recent loss of Billy Powell (keys, 1953-2009) leaves Gary Rossington as the lone surviving Street Survivor. Rest in peace, Billy.

"Sweet Home Alabama
Play that dead band song" - Warren Zevon 1980 ('Play It All Night Long')


Must Have: 'Pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd' (1973), 'Second Helping' (1974), 'One More From the Road' (Live 1976), 'Street Survivors' (1977)

Also Recommended: 'Nuthin' Fancy' (1975), 'Gimme Back My Bullets' (1976)

For the Hearty: N/A



Frank Marino/Mahagony Rush







Canada's answer to Jimi Hendrix, Frank Marino was a mainstay of the American Hard Rock scene in the seventies before falling into obscurity in the eighties.

HeyDay: 1974-1982

Must Have: 'Live' (Live 1978), 'Tales of the Unexpected' (1979)


Also Recommended: 'Mahogany Rush IV' (1976), 'World Anthem' (1977)


For the Hearty: 'What's Next' (1980), 'The Power of Rock & Roll' (1981)


Metallica

Founders of the Thrah Metal scene of the mid-eighties, Metallica, led by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich moved to San Francisco in the early eighties at the behest of original bassist Cliff Burton before conquering the world via constant touring. In 1991 the Bob Rock produced self titled album took the world by storm. Success went straight to the twin cerebellums of Hetfield and Ulrich, and the band predicatbly went straight down the crapper. It nothing to do with haircuts.

Must Have: 'Master of Puppets' (1986), 'Metallica' (1991)

Also Recommended: 'Ride the Lightning' (1984)

For the Hearty: 'Kill 'em All' (1983), '.....And Justice for All' (1988)



Molly Hatchett

Skynyrd had it's reprecussions. Apparently there were some more good ole boys in North Florida with Gibsons that wanted in on the action.

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Molly Hatchet' (1978), 'Flirtin' With Disaster' 1979)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data




Montrose

While not nearly as old as Ronnie James Dio, Sam Hagar has an impressive resume as well. Ronnie Montrose's eponymous Hard Rock outfit managed at least two quality records before Sammy left to embark on a solo act. Ronnie went on to form Gamma, who's output was so underwhelming that they do not appear in this Record Guide.

HeyDay: 1973, 74.

Must Have: 'Montrose' (1973)

Also Recommended: 'Paper Money' (1974)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data



Gary Moore

A brief stint in Thin Lizzy in 1974, followed by a flirtation with Prog Rock (Coliseum) and another tour of duty with Thin Lizzy (1979's 'Black Rose') had primed this Irish shred master for a solo carreer that began with a blistering string of LPs before a serious study of the Blues dominated his work in the late eighties.

HeyDay: (as a solo Hard Rock/Metal mercahant) 1981-85

Must Have: 'Corridors of Power' (1982), 'Victims of the Future' (1983)

Also Recommended: 'Gary Moore' (1982)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data


Mötley Crüe

It seemed like a joke, but somehow I knew they weren't joking. That was my take on the cover of the first Motley Crue album when I got it in 1981. Who knew? Crue Motto: If you can't beat 'em, kill their drummer.

HeyDay: 1981-???

Must Have: 'Too Fast For Love' (1981), 'Shout at the Devil' (1983)

Also Recommended: N/A


For the Hearty: 'Theatre of Pain' (1985), 'Girls, Girls, Girls' (1987), 'Dr. Feelgood' (1989)



Motörhead

Thre is no Hard Rock or Metal act more important than Motorhead, and there's no one person who embodies the spirit of this Record Guide more than Lemmy. The band most likely to depreciate property value; all anybody needs to do is slap 'Ace of Spades' on the turntable and drop the needle. It makes it's own sauce.

HeyDay: Eternal

Must Have: 'Motorhead' (1977), 'Golden Years' (Live EP 1979), 'Ace of Spades' (1980), 'No Sleep 'til Hammersmith' (Live 1980), 'Another Perfect Day' (1983)

Also Recommended: 'Overkill' (1979), 'Bomber' (1979), 'Iron Fist' (1982)

For the Hearty: 'On Parole' (1975), '1916' (1991)

Mott The Hoople

Searching for a sonic idendity throghout their first four albums, Mott the Hoople disbanded in 1972 only to be given a second life by David Bowie, who produced their fifth record and wote the hit title track 'All The Young Dudes'. A few albums later Mick Ralphs left to form Bad Company and shortly after Ian Hunter went solo with Mick Ronson in tow, but those few albums left a legacy that's influential to this day. Ask Mick Jones; without Mott you'd have no Clash.

HeyDay: 1972-74

Must Have: 'All the Young Dudes' (1972), 'Mott' (1973), 'The Hoople' (1974)

Also Recommended: 'Mad Shadows' (1970), 'Brain Capers' (1971)

For the Hearty: 'Mott the Hoople' (1969), 'Wildlife' (1971), 'Live' (Live 1974)



Nazareth

Hailing from Scotland, Nazareth's 'Hair of the Dog' is a masterwork, certainly one of the top ten all-time best Hard Rock LPs. The preceeding three Lps had been produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, but when Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton took the production in hand for 1975's 'Hair of the Dog', the band was propelled into the stratosphere. No subsequent effort met the mark, but the band manged to release quality material until the mid-eighties.

HeyDay: 1973-1981

Must Have: 'Hair of the Dog' (1975)

Also Recommended: 'Razamanaz' (1973), 'Loud n' Proud' (1974), 'Rampant' (1974), 'Close Enough for Rock n Roll' (1976), 'Expect No Mercy' (1977), 'No Mean City' (1979)

For the Hearty: 'Playin' the Game' (1976), 'Malice in Wonderland' (1980), 'Snaz' (Live 1981)


Ted Nugent







Michigan native and renown outdoorsman Ted Nugent has managed to stay relative in recent years for all the worst reasons, but his mid-seventies output remains a benchmak to this day.

HeyDay: 1974-1978

Must Have: 'Ted Nugent' (1975), 'Free for All' (1976), 'Cat Scratch Fever' (1977), 'Double Live Gonzo' (1978)


Also Recommended 'Call of the Wild' (w/ Amboy Dukes, 1973), 'Tooth, Fang, & Claw' (w/ Amboy Dukes - 1974)

For the Hearty: 'Weekend Warriors' (1978), 'State of Shock' (1979), 'Scream Dream' (1980)


Ozzy Osbourne







Kicked out of Black Sabbath in 1979, Ozzy nearly got lost in the haze of indulgence. 'Discovered' living in squalor in Los Angeles by Sharon Arden, daughter of Sabbath Manager Don Arden, Ozzy became her project, her ticket, and her romantic and domestic partner. On the back of guitar whizz kid Randy Rhodes, Sharon and Ozzy built a metal machine that is still operating twenty-five years after the untimely death of Randy.

HeyDay: 1980 - present

Must Have: 'Blizzard of Ozz' (1980), 'Diary of a Madman' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'No More Tears' (1991), 'Tribute' (1987)

For the Hearty: 'Speak of the Devil' (Live 1982), 'Bark at the Moon' (1982), 'Ultimate Sin' (1986)



Queen







One doesn't consider intellectuals to be Hard Rock Star material, but that didn't stop this British quartet from conquering the world in the mid-seventies. Running the gammut of musical styles, but always keeping Hard Rock as it's base, Queen used the studio as a musical instrument, and with the help of producer Roy Thomas Baker, delivered Smart Rock that fell short of pretention, mostly due to Freddie Mercury's ability to pull off just about anything.

HeyDay: 1974-1988

Must Have: 'Sheer Heart Attack' (1974), 'A Night at the Opera' (1975), 'News of the World' (1977)

Also Recommended: 'Queen' (1973), 'Queen II' (1974), 'A Day at the Races' (1976), 'Jazz' (1978)

For the Hearty: The Game (1980), 'The Works' (1984), 'A Kind of Magic' (1986)


Quiet Riot







Ozzy Osbourne nicked guitarist Randy Rhodes and bassist Rudy Sarzo from this L.A. based Hard Rock outfit. Undaunted by what must have seemed a crippling loss, wig meister and big mouth vocalist Kevin Dubrow managed to get Rudy back, and with a new line-up went on to release the first ever Metal record to reach number one on the Billboard charts. The fact that they sucked ass did little to stop teemimg millions form buying their 1983 release, 'Metal Health'. The cat was out of the bag by the next album, and Quiet Riot was seen to be a shitty as they were.

HeyDay: 1983, 84.

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Quiet Riot' (1977), 'Quiet Riot II' (1978)

For the Hearty: 'Metal Health' (1983)



Rainbow







Unable to effectively dictate his rule over Deep Purple, Strat Master Ritchie Blackmore took his leave of that band to form one in his own image. Wisely recruiting the greatest Heavy Metal vocalist of all time, Ronnie James Dio, Blackmore founded Rainbow in 1975. By 1984 he was back in a re-formed Deep Purple.

HeyDay: 1975-1979

Must Have: 'Rainbow Rising' (1976), 'Long Live Rock and Roll' (1978)

Also Recommended: 'Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow' (1975), 'On Stage' (Live 1977), 'Down to Earth' (1979)

For the Hearty: 'Difficult to Cure' (1981)



Ratt






Seminal Los Angeles Hair Metal act Ratt began their career as a Judas Priest cover band. Their full length debut, 1984's 'Out of the Cellar', produced by noted Judas Priest helmsman, Tom Allom, set the charts on fire with the catchy but still rockin' single 'Round and Round', but by 1986 we all wished that they had stuck to covering Priest.

Must Have: 'Out of the Cellar' (1984)

Also Recommended: 'Ratt EP' (1983)

For the Hearty: 'Invasion of Your Privacy' (1985)



Raven







Like Rush on meth, Raven were sonically different from thier NWoBHM counterparts, but much like most NWoBHM bands they were pretty much over by 1984. Regardless of their big flash in a small pan aspect, Raven left us with some truly breathtakingly exhuberant records before falling into shit.

HeyDay: 1981-83

Must Have: 'Rock Until You Drop' (1981), 'Wiped Out' (1982)

Also Recommended: 'Crash Bang Wallop' (EP 1982)

For the Hearty: 'Live at the Inferno' (1984)


Riot







This Brooklyn based Hard Rock oufit inexplicably chose some sort of Asian marsupial for their mascot, which is probably why thier initial success was limited to Brooklyn and Japan. In the early eighties vocalist Rhett Forrester replaced Guy Speranza, a move which vastly improved the band's sound. The subsequent release, 'Restless Breed' stands head and shoulders above the rest of the band's output. Sadly, Rhett was murdered in Atlanta during a robbery in 1994.

Must Have: 'Restless Breed' (1982)

Also Recommended: 'Rock City' (1977)

For the Hearty: 'Narita' (1979), 'Fire Down Under' (1981), 'Born in America' (1984)



Rose Tattoo

Australian blues based Hard Rock band Rose Tattoo could be considered AC/DC's little brother band, being managed and produced by the same Vanda/Young team. Featuring the slide guitar of Pete Wells, and the throat of Angry Anderson, Rose Tattoo recorded three very influential but commercially unsuccessful records before dissolving into obscurity.

HeyDay: 1978-84

Must Have: 'Rock and Roll Outlaw' (1978/1980), 'Scarred for Life' (1982)

Also Recommended: 'Assault & Battery' (1981)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data

Rush

Rush's legacy is easily as large as the vast tundra of their native country, Canada. Rush successfully merged the intricacies of Prog Rock with the monster riffs of Hard Rock into a brand whose multitude of faithfull consistently line up to see them live and buy their records. Indeed, Rush enjoys the support of the most dedicated fans in all of Rock.

HeyDay: 1974-1986 (Rush fans will argue my cutt off date)

Must Have: '2112' (1976), 'Permanent Waves' (1980), 'Moving Pictures' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'Fly By Night' (1975), 'All the World's a Stage' (Live 1976), 'A Farewell to Kings' (1977), 'Hemispheres' (1978), 'Exit....Stage Left' (Live 1981), 'Signals' (1982), 'Power Windows' (1985)

For the Hearty: 'Rush' (1974), 'Caress ofSteel' (1975), 'Grace Under Pressure' (1984)

For the Rush Geek: Everything else.



Saxon







Saxon emerged as a fore-runner of the NWoBHM in the early eighties, but their zeal to succeed coupled with a willingness to compromise found them keeping up with the Ratts in the mid-eighties, sealing their doom in sheer suckdom.

HeyDay: 1980-83

Must Have: 'Wheels of Steel' (1980), 'Strong Arm of the Law' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'Denim and Leather' (1981), 'Power and the Glory' (1983)

For the Hearty: 'Saxon' (1979)



MSG (Michael Schenker Group)







Michael Schenker, mad genius of the six string, began his career in his brother Rudy's band, the Scorpions, before Joining UFO in 1974. His tenure with UFO has left a legandary and lasting mark on the Hard Rock landscape. In 1980 Schenker struck out on his own, initially releasing strong records before losing the plot in the mid-eighties.

HeyDay: 1980-84

Must Have: 'Micheal Schenker Group' (1980), 'MSG' (1981)

Also Recommended: 'One Night at Budokan' (1982), 'Assault Attack' (1982)

For the Hearty: 'Built to Destroy' (1983)



Scorpions







Germany's favorite sons of Metal have been around forever, and will probably expire on stage many years from now. Their carrer has spanned style changes, line-up changes, and technological changes, but one thing has remained unchanged. They fucking rock the fuck out.

HeyDay: 1975-84

Must Have: 'In Trance' (1975), 'Tokyo Tapes' (Live 1978), 'Lovedrive' (1979), 'Animal Magnetism' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'Fly to the Raibow' (1974), 'Virgin Killer' (1976), 'Taken By Force' (1977), 'Blackout' (1982)

For the Hearty: 'Lonesome Crow' (1972), 'Love at First Sting' (1984)


Slade






Huge in England during the early to mid-seventies, Slade is mostly known in America for having penned all of Quiet Riots hit songs.

HeyDay: 1971-76

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Slayed' (1972)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data



Starz





Part of the Leber/Krebs satble of seventies Arena Rockers, Starz had trouble getting noticed behind stable mates Aerosmith and Ted Nugent, but managed to produce some fine albums before packing it in at some point during the early eighties.

HeyDay: 1976-79

Must Have: 'Violation' (1977), 'Coliseum Rock' (1978)

Also Recommended: 'Starz' (1976)

For the Hearty: 'Attention Shoppers!' (1977)



Status Quo







Along with Uriah Heep and Black Sabbath, Status Quo were the basis for Spinal Tap. After an early hit in the groovy sixties with 'Pictures of Matchstick Men', Status Quo trudged on through the seventies as Anthem Rock merchants, surviving not only to open the Wembly Live Aid show, but to somehow marshall themselves past signifigant drug issues and virtual obscurity. Status Quo are still a viable act in England to this day.

HeyDay: 1967, 1972-78

Must Have: 'Rockin' All Over the World' (1977)

Also Recommended: N/A

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data



Sweet







Glam Rock progenitors The Sweet coupled serious musical ability with gleeming imagry to great success in the early to mid-seventies before addiction to alcohol and SSL consoles took the wind out of their sails.

HeyDay: 1971-78

Must Have: 'Desolation Boulevard' (1974), 'Give Us a Wink' (1976)

Also Recommended: 'Sweet Fanny Adams' (1974)

For the Hearty: 'Off the Record' (1977), 'Level Headed' (1978)



T. Rex







Marc Bolan transformed his fairy-tale folk vibe into a Hard Rock behemoth, riding the Galm Rock boom of the early seventies to the stratosphere and straight into obscurity, followed by a brief come-back, and a tragic death all in a matter of eight years. Teaming with producer Tony Visconti, Bolan created three classic Hard Rock albums, and several chart busting singles.

HeyDay: 1970-73

Must Have: 'Electric Warroir' (1971), 'The Slider' (1972)

Also Recommended: 'Tanx' (1973)

For the Hearty: 'T. Rex' (1970), 'Zinc Alloy' (1974)



Triumph







This Canadian Hard Rock trio gained notoriety based on their stellar live show, but their recorded output was nothing to sneer at, until the mid-eighties, then the sneering began in earnest.

HeyDay: 1976-83

Must Have: 'Just a Game' (1979), 'Allied Forces' (1981)


Also Recommended: 'Progressions of Power' (1980)


For the Hearty: 'Rock and Roll Machine' (1977), 'Never Surrender' (1983)



Thin Lizzy





Irish natives Thin Lizzy, led by bassist/singer/writer Phil Lynott were the most successful of a handfull of bands that kept Hard Rock alive in Britain during the seventies. Lynott's poetic charm and tough guy attitude provided the perfect frame to hang their Gaelic influenced Rock upon. Bad luck and drug addiction kept Thin Lizzy from true world domination, but they left a legacy of influence that crosses genres and has sustained to this day.

HeyDay: 1972-84

Must Have: 'Vagabonds of the Western World' (1973), 'Jailbreak' (1976), 'Bad Reputation' (1977), 'Live and Dangerous' (Live 1978)

Also Recommended: 'Nightlife' (1974), 'Fighting' (1975), 'Johnny the Fox' (1976), 'Black Rose' (1979), 'Thunder and Lightning' (1983)

For the Hearty: 'Chinatown' (1980), 'Renegade' (1981)



Twisted Sister







Severly talent deprived, Twisted Sister survived the seventies as a bar band until the world was ready for them. In the early eighties, as Metal was sweeping the music world, Twisted Sister was in the right place at the right time, for a couple of years anyway.

HeyDay: 1984

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Under the Blade' (1982), 'Stay Hungry' (1984)

For the Hearty: 'You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll' (1983)



Tygers Of Pantang






Most notable for spawning the career of future Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes, Tygers of Pan Tang rode the NWoBHM wave long enough for Phil Lynott to steal Sykes, but not before releasing some above average Metal records.

HeyDay: 1980-83

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Spellbound' (1981), 'Crazy Nights' (1982)

For the Hearty: 'Wild Cat' (1980), 'The Cage' (1983)




UFO

London based pshycadelic blues band UFO transformed themselves into one of the most influential acts of the seventies with the addition of guitar wunderkind Michael Schenker in 1974. After a string of amazing records, Schenker left in 1979. UFO continued into the eighties with guiarist Paul Chapman. While their initial post-Schenker LPs were decent, 1980's 'No Place To Run' actually being stellar, the band fell into bad habits, crappy records, and history.

HeyDay: 1974-1981

Must Have: 'Force It' (1975), 'No Heavy Petting' (1976), 'Lights Out' (1977), 'Obsession' (1978), 'Strangers in the Night' (1979), 'No Place to Run' (1980)

Also Recommended: 'Phenomenon' (1974)

For the Hearty: 'The Wild the Willing and the Innocent' (1981)


Uriah Heep







The unlikely blend of Steppenwolf and Pink Floyd actually payed off in the early to mid-seventies for Uriah Heep despite consistant critical lambasting. A revolving door line-up coupled with your basic loss of plot found the band floundering in the late seventies. In the early eighties, sole remaining founding member, guitarist Mick Box, led a revamped Heep to record two above average records that sound nothing like early Uraih Heep, with the exception that they rock.

HeyDay: 1970-75, 1982-84

Must Have: 'Demons and Wizards' (1972), 'The Best of Uriah Heep' (1976)

Also Recommended: 'Salisbury' (1971), 'Look at Yourself' (1971), 'Magician's Birthday' (1972), 'Uriah Heep Live' (Live 1973), 'Sweet Freedom' (1973), 'Abominog' (1982), 'Head First' (1983)

For the Hearty: 'Very 'eavy, Very 'umble' (1970), 'Wonderworld' (1974), 'Return to Fantasy' (1975)



Van Halen







Eddie Van Halen set the guitar world on it's ear in 1978 with the release of the first VH album. Eddie's magic fingers teamed with 'Diamond' David Lee Roth's considerable charisma and Michael Anthony's angelic harmonies; Van Halen was unstoppable. For a while at least. Complacency had caught up with them by 1982's 'Diver Down', and Roth left after the commercial monster '1984'. Roth was replaced with Sammy Hagar, and more success followed, but Van Hagar was not Van Halen anymore. The edge was gone.

HeyDay: 1978-81

Must Have: 'Van Halen' (1978), 'Van Halen II' (1979), 'Women and Children First' (1980), 'Fair Warning' (1981)

Also Recommended: N/A

For the Hearty: 'Diver Down' (1982), '1984' (1984)




Whitesnake

When Deep Purple fell apart in 1976, vocalist David Coverdale, along with keyboardist John Lord and Drummer Ian Paice, formed Whitesnake with guitarists Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden. Albums followed, band members came and went, and finally, in 1984, Deep Purple reformed with Coverdale's predecessor, Ian Gillan, leaving Coverdale the sole former Purple Whitesnake memeber. Recruiting began, more records followed, then a video with a chick and car, and the rest is history, except that Coverdale is back in 2009 with yet another Whitesnake line-up. To thier credit, it sounds like Whitesnake.

HeyDay: 1978-88

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Ready an' Willing' (1980), 'Live....In the Heart of the City' (1980), 'Slide it In' (1984)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data

Wishbone Ash







Whishbone Ash is most notable for influencing Thin Lizzy an Judas Priest with their twin lead guitar style.

HeyDay: The Seventies.

Must Have: N/A

Also Recommended: 'Argus' (1972)

For the Hearty: Insufficient Data



ZZ Top







This Texas Trio is unfortunately mostly known for their beards, a car, and a few videos. They should be more widely known for blistering Heavy Blues, and some of the most amazing guitar playing, courtesy of Billy Gibbons, and stinky grooves ever witnessed.

HeyDay: 1974-85

Must Have: 'Tres Hombres' (1973), 'Fandango' (1974)

Also Recommended: 'Degüello' (1979), 'Eliminator' (1983)

For the Hearty: 'Rio Grande Mud' (1972), 'Tejas' (1977), 'El Loco' (1981)

MSG - "ROCK BOTTOM" - 1981




This live performance of the UFO classic features the best MSG line-up: Paul Raymond (keys), Cozy Powell (drums), Ted McKenna (bass), and Gary Barden (vox). Schenker rips, of course. Barden apparently skipped the phone call to Phil Mogg for the lyrics. He made up his own which include the rhyme "Las Vegas Sands" and "don't understand". I don't think he understood Phil's lyrics. I don't think asking Michael would have been much of a help. I also don't think Michael gave a half a shit about what lyrics Gary sang, or Phil for that matter.

NEW SIDEBAR ADDITIONS



It's my pleasure to introduce you all to a new blogger, my niece Jessica. Her thing is Fashion Photography. The link can always be found on my sidebar. I hope you dig it.

I've started a new blog as well. It's a home for my longer travel posts.

WHO THE HELL IS LOUISE FAZENDA?

After years of misunderstanding Phil Mogg (UFO) I decided to do some lyric research, specifically the last line of the second verse of 'Out In The Streets' (Force It - 1975).
The line that follows "Your comic book impersonations".

I always thought he said something like: "useless memorendo to dream on", knowing I was probably wrong, mostly because 'memorendo' isn't a real word.



My first two searches brought up: "Your wish for cinders embers to keep".
Now, I wouldn't put such imagery beyond Phil, bit it smelled wrong to me.

My third search brought me: "Louise Fazenda and Buster Keaton", which falls in line with the "comic book impersonations" of the previous line.

It felt right, but I broke out the vinyl for corroboration, and it was a solid match.

It turns out that Louise Fazenda, like Buster Keaton, was a silent film star.



It turns out that some UFO lyrics actually do make sense.

Then there's this one from 'Rock Bottom' (Phenomenon - 1974):

"Shadow earth is closin' in above her lamps in your street
Lucifer goes walkin' down for you to meet"

That seems kosher, but I had trouble reconciling these two results for 'Mother Mary' (Force It - 1975):

1)
"Try to make some changes really on the line
Given your religion, never ever time
All the jokers laughing, queens upon the floor
Don't misunderstand it, baby needs some more

Lovin' up some ransom, weapon and a gun
Just your education, hard to understand
Will the teenage lesion make a mark on you
Make a big tome status, then we run them through"

2)
"Try to make some changes really on the line
Given your religion, never ever time
All the jokers laughing, queens upon the floor
Mothers understand it, baby needs some more

Woh held up to ransom, quick hand and a gun
Just your education, hard to understand
Will the teenage legend make a mark on you
Make the big tome status, a pen will let him through"

I think it's this:

"Try to make some changes, really on the line
Given your religion, never ever time
All the jokers laughing, queens upon the floor
Mothers understand it, baby needs some more

World held up to ransom, quick hand and a gun
Just your education, hard to understand
Will a teenage legend make a mark on you
Make the big time stainless, and we're runnin' through"

At any rate, Phil keeps you guessing, decade after decade........

LIVE MUSIC WEEKEND

ANOTHER 'GREATEST SONG EVER'

Mothersbaugh's got a gift.

UNSERE BAYERISCHEN LIEBLINGSGETRäNKE

Granted, not all the beverages are specifically Bavarian, indeed some of these moments occurred in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region, but you get the idea, right?

DAS DEUTCHES VINYL


Sam Cooke - The Man And His Music





Two discs - twenty-eight tracks of magic courtesy of Sam Cooke. Great score.


Marillion - Misplaced Childhood





Yes, I already own this one, but I found the European gate fold version, and my copy from 1984 has seen better days, hell, I need a new 'Clutching At Straws' as well.


Thin Lizzy - Remembering Part 1




A compilation of early stuff, this find does not fill the need for a vinyl copy of 'Vagabonds.....'


Can - Limited Edition




An excellent example of the rare find I had hoped for in Munich. Score!


Earth Wind & Fire - The Best Of





Big Party Record. I gotta say, the Legal Diva is doing a great job expanding the funkier side of the vinyl collection.


Electric Sun - Earthquake





Uli's first post Scorpions effort, it doesn't quite stand up to 'Fire Wind' (the second), but it's pure Electric Sun, which is to say it's pure Uli, complete with less than stellar cover art courtesy of his wife. That never works. I'd never seen this record before, hadn't known it existed.

Score!


UFO - The Best Of





Ok, that's not the album cover, that's the cover of the first record. I bought a compilation of their first two studio LPs and the live one that were made before Schenker joined in '74. The record I bought is so far out of print, and so unwarranted, so unnecessary that no image of it appears on the web.

Score!


The Staples Singers - Unlock Your Mind




This tiny thumbnail is all that represents the album image (on the web) of this stellar 1978 release by the most soulful act of the 70's. Up bup! There is no argument.

Score!


Reggae Gold (2008) - Various Artists





Nice ....uh....cover. There's some hot tracks on this soon to be party staple. I'm particularly fond of the Damian and Stephen Marley colabo.


Nas - Illmatic





Not new, but still fresh. Jackson digs the Nas. Thanks baby.


Wishbone Ash - Argus





This is what I was looking for. This is exactly the kind of record I was seeking. Wishbone Ash is sorely under-represented in the collection. Score!


REM - Out Of Time




Needed it for the collection. Mike hates 'Texarkana'. Dot, not Mills or Stipe.


All in all, we spent over an hour in Optimal, could have spent more time and money, but we dragged ourselves out before we did too much damage to our bank account.

PHOTOS

A complete collection of our Germany photos can be found here, and at long last, our Cruise photos are up as well. You can also view photos of Our Gang, NYC, and Central Park.

Enjoy

.......IT'S A LONG WAY BACK TO GERMANY


Ah, Deutchesland, the place of my birth, my home for the first two and a half years of my life, my home again for my 8th grade year, and finally, blissfully, magically the site of the Wilson Family Christmas 2008.

The Legal Diva and I flew out of Newark on the clearly superior Lufthansa Airlines on December 18th, landing at Franz Joseph Strauss Airport, Munich late morning on the 19th. We picked up Veronica, our rented VW mini-van, and made our way to downtown Munich to the Sheridan Le Meridian, our base camp for the first half of the trip.


After a brief nap we made our way to the Munich Christkindermarkt, a lovely holiday evening stroll, where we took in the sights, and had some wurst and gluhwein.








The next day we were off for an over-nighter in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a magically preserved medieval walled town in central Germany. Veronica handled the road well amid less than desirable driving conditions.




Rothenburg is unbelievable, situated on the Romantic Road, it certainly lived up to it's billing. We strolled, shopped, dined superbly, made some new friends, consumed many fine brews, and generally had a splendid time. Savage Distortion recommends Rottenberg highly despite the tourist-centric vibe.







Day three brought us back down the Autobahn to Munich where we met up with the General and Mrs., who had just completed a serene cruise up the Danube. We had a lovely dinner with them, followed by a leisurely stroll through the Christkindermarkt back to the Sheraton.




The following day we were joined by Rod, Karen, Julia, and Jackson's Godson, Tyler. After they settled in at the hotel, we all went for a walk through the - that's right, you guessed it - Christkindermarkt. We stopped to watch the Glockenspiel do it's spiel, then had lunch at the Rathskeller.







Exhausted travelers were brought back to the hotel, napping ensued, followed by yet another pass through the Christkindermarkt, the ever growing in population center for the Munich gift buying crowd, on our way to the Hofbrau Haus for what turned out to be one of the top three meals of the trip. The Hofbrau Haus does not disappoint, complete with oompah band in lederhosen, huge beers, and fabulous food.







Day five brought us Fred, The Gotham Gal, Jess, Emily, and the J-Man......and another jaunt through the Christkindermarkt. The Legal Diva and I, having Markt'd ourselves out, decided to split off in search of vinyl. After some investigation, and some ancillary shopping during which the ill-fated smoked meats were purchased - more on that later - we located Optimal. Oh Joy! Me made quite the haul, purchased selections will be the subject of a separate forthcoming post.



That night the entire Wilson clan descended upon Alpenraum for a lovely multi-course family holiday dinner.






Afterward, Rod, Karen, Julia, the Legal Diva, and I hit a local sports bar, thus founding Team Nightlife, whose semi-nightly meetings would provide much jocularity over the ensuing days.




December 24, Christmas Eve, and it was off to Garmisch for the General and Mrs., Rod's gang, and the Legal Diva and myself, while the Fred crew hoped a flight to Berlin.

The two car caravan, the mini minivan convoy, cruised the Autobahn through Bavaria into the Alps. Driving into the alps is a magical moment. The word splendor was invented for such moments, and as the clouds cleared, and the Alps jutted out, well...., let's just say Jackson figured on the high probability of a higher power, of divine creation.





We checked into the Atlas Post Hotel, and had lunch, a great lunch, another of the top three meals, before leisurely exploring the beautiful town of Garmisch, nestled in the Alps, truly one of the most gorgeous locations on the planet.









Our Christmas Dinner, another multi-course affair, was provided by the Atlas Post Hotel. I'd like to say that you can't buy memories like these, but obviously you can, as we did, but those moments are rare, and I'm blown away with gratitude and thankfulness for all of my blessings.




Christmas morning we exchanged gifts, not the least of which was the joy of each other's company in the most magical (that word again) of settings.









More strolling through Garmisch-Partenkirchen, soothingly quiet on Christmas Day, brought us up to dinner-time at Gasthaus Frauendorfer in Partenkirchen which pulled out all the stops, including an accordion player and two lederhosen clad slap-dancing German youths, as well as another delightful meal.







It started to snow as we ate.





Himmel.


After dinner, Team Nightlife descended upon Peaches for drinks.




Every family vacation has it's ups and downs. Chevy Chase based his career on that dichotomy, and the Wilson Family Bavarian Christmas was no exception.

Day eight dawned glorious and bright, the Alps gleaming in the sun as we embarked on a day trip to nearby Neuschwanstein, the last and most fabulous and famous of Mad Ludwig's Bavarian Castles.




The drive brought us briefly through the Austrian Tirol, postcard perfect scenery at every glance, to Neuschwanstein, which was, as it turns out, a mad house of tourism due to it's being the only game in town operating on the day after Christmas.



An endless queue for a horse drawn carriage up the mountain to the Castle in freezing weather caused a little drama, and a lot of frozen toes, but it was well worth it. The place is just plain breathtaking.







Upon returning to Garmisch, the Legal Diva and I opted for a dinner on our own at the Australian Lounge. Somebody needed a burger, somebody else was craving wings. Our server turned us on to VB (Victorian Bitter), a great Australian beer. Apparently nobody down under actually drinks Fosters, and VB is really Australian for beer, mate.






After dinner, Team Nightlife returned to Peaches for a second round.






A wise decision to spend day nine just meandering around Garmisch-Partenkirchen was made. We shopped, strolled, and ended up lunching at GlasHaus on schnitzel and soup - the third of the top three meals.




















A nap was followed by another fine dining opportunity with the family, and Team Nightlife sans Julia capped the evening back at the Australian Lounge.







All good things must come to an end, and on day nine we said goodbye to Garmisch and made our way back to Munich via a wee drive through lovely Oberammergau.








Our last night with the family was spent at the Sheraton Airport Hotel, which provided us with many fine beverages and another lovely meal.








At breakfast, a fantastic breakfast, we said goodbye to our departing family before spending our last day in Deutchesland in bed after a brief side trip buying an extra suitcase for all the crap we bought.






The front end of our flight was the single greatest airport experience we've ever had. The Lufthansa folks were great, very accommodating, which put into stark contrast our arrival at JFK where we were abused verbally by the US Customs Asswipes, had our smoked meats jacked, and were basically greeted back into the US with a hearty Fuck You.


Yeah, Merry Fucking Christmas to you too, Jackson.........