Black Rose (UK) - Walk It How You Talk It (1987)

Country: UK
Year: 1987
Line-up: Steve Bardsley (vocals, guitars), Pat O'Neill (guitars), Gary Todd (guitars, keyboards), Mick Thompson (bass), Barry Youll (drums)

Track Listing:

1.   Shout It Out   2.   E.Z.L.Y.   3.   Honestly Love You   4.   Don't Fall In Love   5.   Party Animal   6.   Want Your Love   7.   California U.S.A.   8.   Walk It How You Talk It   9.   Bright Lights Burnin'

Fletchanator's comment: There are two hard rock bands called Black Rose - one from Denmark and this UK outfit. This band started out with the name Ice in the late 70s, before changing their name. They were NWOBHM early on, including on their debut album (not available on CD). But by the time their second album rolled around in 1987, they had softened their sound to be more melodic, incorporating keyboards and radio-friendly hooks. Even singer Steve Bardsley had changed his singing style, softening the gravelly edge and hitting more high notes.
This album is extremely hard to find on CD - it sells on eBay for hundreds of dollars. But is it any good? Well, yes it is. I really, really like this album and have played it a lot over the years. It reminds me of a mix between Quiet Riot and High 'N Dry-era Def Leppard - melodic but not overly glammy. It's good stuff - check it out because you're unlikely to ever get hold of the CD!

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Black Sabbath - Seventh Star (1986)

Country: UK
Year: 1986
Line-up: Glenn Hughes (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitars), Dave Spitz (bass), Eric Singer (drums), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)

Track Listing:

1.	In for the Kill	3:42
2.	No Stranger to Love	4:30
3.	Turn to Stone	3:29
4.	Sphinx (The Guardian)	1:11
5.	Seventh Star	5:21
6.	Danger Zone	4:27
7.	Heart like a Wheel	6:37
8.	Angry Heart	3:07
9.	In Memory	2:38
10.	No Stranger to Love (alt version)	4:01

Fletchanator's comment: What's this? A Black Sabbath album on House of Hairspray? Surely this is a mistake, right? Well, if you're unfamiliar with this album you might think that, but if you know this album you know that it fits into the theme of this blog perfectly. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Black Sabbath's melodic hard rock album.
Initially recorded as a Tony Iommi solo album, this one ended up having the Black Sabbath name slapped on it by the record company, who naturally wanted to cash in. Boy did long-time Sabbath fans get a shock when they gave this one a listen for the first time expecting something akin to the Ozzy-fronted doom metal or the Dio-fronted power metal, or even the heavy metal of Born Again with Ian Gillan. Instead what they got was a sometimes-bluesy, sometimes-glammy hard rock album, with former Deep Purple singer Glenn Hughes behind the microphone. At times this gets downright AOR-ish, such as with the song No Stranger to Love.
If you've never heard this album, you need to hear it. Forget the Black Sabbath name, this is just great mid-80s hard rock, sounding like Dokken or Y&T in places (see the song Danger Zone). And whether he's chugging out gloomy metal riffs or more radio-friendly guitar work like here, Tony Iommi is one of the greatest axemen of all time. Plus you get current-KISS drummer Eric Singer on the skins and Dave Spitz (who has played with Great White and White Lion) on bass.

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Adrenalin Kick - Bad Reputation [1991]

Country: UK

Year: 1991

Line-up: Mick Pritchard (vocals), Dave Cooke (guitar), Adre Kania (guitar), Darren Richardson (bass), Mac (drums)

TRACK LISTING
1. DeHumanize
2. She's Got Me Runnin'
3. Get Up
4. Turn Me On
5. Rough Stuff
6. Beware the Stranger
7. Million Miles
8. All I Want
9. Cold, Tired and Hungry
10. Bad Reputation

Fletchanator's comment: This album is pretty damn hard to find - I've seen it sell on ebay for $50. English rockers Adrenalin Kick put out just this one hard rock album (they sold out and released an industrial metal album in 97), which reminds me in parts of a heavier Warrant (especially the vocalist and the over-used gang vocals). Nothing spectacular and the production is subpar but again it's worth a listen.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Shooting Gallery - Shooting Gallery [1992]

Country: Finland/UK

Year: 1992

Line-up: Billy G. Bang (vocals), Andy McCoy (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass), Paul Garisto (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Restless
2. Teenage Breakdown
3. Nature Of My Business
4. Don't Never Leave Me
5. House Of Ecstacy
6. Little Bit Of Magic
7. I Mess Around
8. Striptease
9. Brown Eyed Girl
10. Devil Calling
11. Leave Me Alone
12. Dandelion

Fletchanator's comment: I've been looking for this album on CD for a few years, and would you believe I found it in the discount bin at a music store? This is the only album by Shooting Gallery, a band most noted because it featured former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy (you'll find Hanoi Rocks' Two Steps from the Move on this blog). It also features former Kill City Dragons singer Billy G Bang (their only album is also on this blog). Unfortunately this doesn't live up to the greatness of Hanoi Rocks, in fact it's not even better than Kill City Dragons. It's sleazy hard rock like those two bands, but doesn't reach the heights of either. Still, it's pretty good and definitely worth adding to your collection if you don't already have it.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Andy Taylor - Thunder [1987]

Country: UK

Year: 1987

Line-up: Andy Taylor (lead guitar/vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Patrick O'Hearn (bass), Mickey Curry (drums)

Track Listing
1. I Might Lie
2. Don't Let Me Die Young
3. Life Goes On
4. Thunder
5. Night Train
6. Tremblin'
7. Bringin' Me Down
8. Broken Window
9. French Guitar

Fletchanator's comment: From the land of bizarre collaborations comes this, the first solo album by Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, with support from former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. The result? A slice of pure AOR/hard rock. Weird, I know, but apparently Taylor had been wanting to make this kind of music for a while, and quit Duran Duran when their musical direction started drifting from what he wanted to perform. Thunder is solid AOR with some harder rock overtones.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Kill City Dragons - Kill City Dragons [1991]

Country: UK

Year: 1991

Line-up: Billy G. Bang (vocals), Steve Von Saint (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass)

Track Listing
1. I Don't Want (Anything From You)
2. That Ain't No Lie
3. Devil Calling
4. Fastest Way Down
5. King Of The Cats
6. L'il Suzy
7. Stepping Stone

Fletchanator's comment: This was the only album recorded by UK glam sleazesters Kill City Dragons. Formed by American guitarist Steve Von Saint, a veteran of the LA scene who had played with future members of LA Guns and Faster Pussycat. KCD adopted the sound of the LA sleaze bands, with some English hard rock influences. The vocals vary between the raspy style of Tom Keifer/Brent Muscat and a more clean delivery. Nothing great, but it's fairly rare and an above average sleaze rock offering.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Johnny Crash - Neighbourhood Threat [1990]

Country: UK/USA
Year: 1990
Line up: Vicki James Wright (vocals), August Warchell (guitar), Christopher Stewart (guitar), Andy Rogers (bass), Stephen Adamo (drums)

Track Listing
1. Hey Kid
2. No Bones About It
3. All The Way In Love
4. Thrill Of The Kill
5. Axe To The Wax
6. Sink Or Swim
7. Crack Of Dawn
8. Freedom Road
9. Halfway To Heaven
10. Trigger Happy
11. Baby's Like A Piano

Request of: Mau

Fletchanator's comment: The one and only album by Johnny Crash, a band that featured former Tokyo Blade singer Vicki James Wright. The sound is pure LA sleaze rock in the style of LA Guns and Dirty Looks.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Wild Horses - Stand Your Ground [1981]

Country: UK
Year: 1981
Line up: Brian Robertson (vocals / guitar), Neil Carter (guitar / keyboards), Jimmy Bain (bass), Clive Edwards (drums).

Track Listing
1. I'll Give You Love
2. In The City
3. Another Lover
4. Back In The U.S.A.
5. Stand Your Ground
6. Axe
7. Miami Justice
8. Precious
9. New York City
10. Stake Out

Fletchanator's comment: This is old school rock from UK band Wild Horses, the second and last album they put out. Singer Brian Robertson was formerly a guitarist for Thin Lizzy (he played during the band's biggest years, on tracks like 1976's The Boys Are Back in Town). Bassist Jimmy Bain was in Rainbow for a couple of years with Ronnie James Dio and Ritchie Blackmore in the mid-70s. Those two bands - Thin Lizzy and Rainbow - are probably a good reference point for Wild Horses' sound. It's straight forward 70s-style rock.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Fastway - Trick or Treat soundtrack [1986]

Country: UK
Year: 1986
Line up: Dave King (vocals), Fast Eddie Clarke (guitar), Charlie McCracken (bass), Jerry Shirley (drums)

Track Listing: 1. Trick Or Treat

2. After Midnight

3. Don't Stop The Night

4. Stand Up

5. Tear Down The Walls

6. Get Tough

7. Hold On To The Night

8. Heft

9. If You Could See

Fletchanator's comment: Okay, so this isn't strictly glam metal. Fastway, a British band who released their first album in 1983, were more NWOBHM in terms of look and sound. But you can't get more cheesy than a hard rock band doing the soundtrack to a B-grade horror movie, which is what this is. Trick or Treat is a movie about a dead rocker who uses backwards messages on his records to return from the dead... or something like that, it's been a while since I've seen it. But it's pure 80s cheese with a great rockin' soundtrack. Gotta love it!

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)