The Occasional Cozmo Recommendation Thread

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I have no idea.  My guitarist gave it to me.  From a quick look around online, it appears that it's probably a bootleg.

[bl5150]

If it came from C.C. Deville then surely it's legit ? 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

No, no, he's the singer!  He just plays guitar on a handful of songs.  My guitarist is a slender guy with long straight jet black hair.  He gets compared to Satan a lot, for some reason. 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I got to wondering what happened to the guys from Roxy Blue.  Turns out, the guitarist, Sid "Boogie" Fletcher is now a dentist:

https://www.dental1memphis.com/#!about/cipy

Singer Todd Poole, has a new band in Memphis, called 714.  I checked out some of the songs and I gotta say, they're not bad.

https://714memphis.com/videos.php

Interestingly, "Beautiful Tonite" and "World Breaks Down" would not at all have been out of place on a second Roxy Blue album.

[El Barto]

OK, Bozo reporting!

Coz, Saxon is a great band. I'll make the same recs for you as I did for J-Boy.

The first would a box set of their first 6 albums called Saxon: The Carrere Years (Carrere was their label in those days)
https://www.amazon.com/Carrere-Years-1979-1984-Saxon/dp/B0079043T8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_aud?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392407459&sr=1-1&keywords=saxon+the+carrere+years

It contains their first 6 albums plus a Live Album
Saxon
Wheels Of Steel
Denim & Leather
Strong Arm Of The Law
Power And The Glory
Crusader

The first four have a fairly raw production. I liken the jump from Strong Arm to Power And The Glory like going from Highway To Hell to Back In Black, if you follow.

If you can swing the Box set, I'd get that. If not, the two to get would be P&G and Wheels Of Steel.

After Crusader (released in 84), they struggled through the rest of the 80's and I lost touch with them. It wouldn't be until Lionheart was released in the early 00's that I would reconnect with them. In fact their last half dozen albums have been excellent, including Sacrifice, which may be the best of the bunch.

I would also recommend :
Heavy Metal Thunder:Eagles Over Wacken
https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Metal-Thunder-Eagles-Wacken/dp/B007G8SET8/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392407302&sr=1-7&keywords=Saxon

It is their Wacken performance of a couple years ago, and has a great cross section of their entire career.

I think Saxon would be a great find for you. They are a legendary metal band.

Enjoy, brother!

Oh and BTW, Yuengling will start being distributed up here in March!!

The Wacken DVD is awesome. It pleases me greatly that Saxon is so highly regarded in Europe; those guys deserve it. They're essentially headliners emeritus at Wacken nowadays (2 weeks will be their 9th). It's too bad they have such a small fanbase here, but that's not altogether bad for those of us that are among the few. We saw them late last year at HOB and it was a fantastic show. The 800 or so that were there were all diehards and unbelievably enthusiastic. The band actually seemed pretty surprised by the reaction, particularly when Nigel Glockler was introduced (his first show back in Dallas). That always makes me happy.

As for your first six recommendation, sound of course. However I'd probably start any list with Power; quite possibly one of my top-ten albums and certainly their masterpiece.


edit: looks like I was referring to a different Wacken DVD. The one you linked to is highlights from 07, 09 & 12. I've got a DVD of a full Wacken show, but I'm not sure which one (not '12). I'm guessing 09, but there doesn't seem to be an official release of that one. It's got Fritz Randow on drums and the giant eagle lighting rig.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU6j31nrLMs

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I DID actually get around to checking out those albums.  Good stuff all the way around, really.  That characteristic early 80's lack of polish is evident and not too off-putting.  I will say, that it's not stuff that I'd likely listen to in regular rotation all the time, at least not without giving each a few more listens, to really get into them more.  But again, pretty good stuff.

That said, I've decided I want to kinda go through the alphabet of bands I want to check out more of and really commit to hearing more good music.  The other day, I listened to Anthrax's Spreading the Disease album.  Holy shit was that a fantastic album!  No sure who I'll check out for each letter, but I'll figure it out as I go along.

I believe Britney Fox may be up next. 

[bosk1]

I believe Britney Fox may be up next. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XOWYe9TgaU

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Oddly, I knew what that was going to be before I clicked it.  Classic.

[bosk1]

  If there is anyone who would have known what that was before clicking it, it would be you.

[El Barto]

That said, I've decided I want to kinda go through the alphabet of bands I want to check out more of and really commit to hearing more good music.  The other day, I listened to Anthrax's Spreading the Disease album.  Holy shit was that a fantastic album!  No sure who I'll check out for each letter, but I'll figure it out as I go along.

I believe Britney Fox may be up next. 

As I've mentioned in the past, Spreading the Disease was a seminal album for me. One of the 10 or so that were the most important in setting my interests, right up there with Back in Black, Women and Children First and Stained Class.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Sweet.  It could easily become a staple of my library.  One thing I've always liked about them is that their sound is extremely tight.  Every note seems like it's hit with surgical precision.  And the guitar tone isn't a fuzzy mess, it's a very "contained" sounding distortion.  I hear what I'm referring to in my head, but have a hard time articulating it.

[TAC]

Spreading The Disease is an awesome album, as is Power & The Glory!

Coz, for the B's have you ever checked out any Blackfoot?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Not really.  I know Highway Song and Train, Train, like most people, but that's pretty much it.  Highway Song plods along too much for me.  Train, Train is pretty decent.  Now if those two songs are NOT indicative of how much MORE Blackfoot rocks, then I could be interested.  If those are pretty average examples indicative of everything else, I would likely pass.

[hefdaddy42]

Highway Song is just a poor man's Free Bird.

Train, Train is an OK song.

[TAC]

Highway Song is just a poor man's Free Bird.

I would agree with that, for sure.

[Lowdz]

Spreading The Disease is an awesome album, as is Power & The Glory!

Coz, for the B's have you ever checked out any Blackfoot?

Love STD and TP&TG. Don't mind Blackfoot either.

[bl5150]

Spreading The Disease is an awesome album, as is Power & The Glory!

Coz, for the B's have you ever checked out any Blackfoot?

Love STD and TP&TG. Don't mind Blackfoot either.

Ditto -  STD made the runners up in my current Top 50.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

So in the past few weeks, I've checked out a bunch of old albums that I never got around to listening to, some I've heard a million times.  Here's the update:

Black n' Blue - s/t:  Not bad, a solid meh.  Decent first effort, but it hasn't inspired me to want to check out anything that came after, but maybe their subsequent were better.
Britny Fox - s/t:  Excellent Cinderella clone, and for obvious reasons, of course.  Good album, but where Tom Keifer's voice is tolerable, after a while, Dean's voice gets a little irritating.
Cinderella - Night Songs:  Like a lot of these bands, I've know all the hits, but never took the time to listen to the full albums.  It should come as no surprise that this one is a winner.
Def Leppard - Pyromania:  I know I've heard this whole album before, but not enough.  It was time to really give it a good listen and of course, it's killer.  Such amazing classics.
Extreme - Pornograffitti:  In my CD player right now.  Probably will be for weeks.  This whole album is just freakin' amazing.  Killer riffs, hair rasing solos, and unbelievable harmonies.  On my zillionth listen.
Firehouse - s/t and Hold Your Fire:  Both excellent albums, that I only knew the major hits from.  Seeing them at M3 in recent years made me want to check out their old albums.  Good stuff.
Marty Friedman - Dragon's Kiss:  Out of control shred fest, like Becker's Perpetual Burn (Another I listened to recently).  Love it.  Makes me feel 18 again, hearing stuff like this.
Giant - Last of the Runaways:  Good album, fairly straightforward for me, not sure what all the hype has always been.  Maybe I didn't listen to it right.
Hurricane - Take What You Want:  I could definitely listen to more of this.  I'm On to You was my (and most peoples') only experience with this band, but this is a pretty good album.
Impellitteri - Stand In Line:  REALLY nice.  Especially with Graham Bonnet on vocals.  They do a great cover of one of my faves, Since You've Been Gone.  Awesome guitar work all over.
Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye:  Outstanding album.  Really just amazing all over.  I'd seen this and countless others in old Shrapnel ads and just never got around to them.  Glad I did.

So yeah, a good lot of listening, and it helps that I've moved into a new office, where I can listen to stuff a little more freely while I'm working and not bother anyone, so that's good.  I'm thinking I make make a shot at listening to a bunch of the other old Shrapnel releases I never got to hear.

[jingle.boy]

Firehouse>Hold Your Fire.

They did a couple of decent albums in the 90s too.

And Pornograffitti is 

[Big Hath]

And Pornograffitti is 

so much this

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

After your post about it in the album intros thread, I had to go dig the album out.  So much win.

[hefdaddy42]

I saw Firehouse perform in my hometown before they were Firehouse.  They were called White Heat, and performed all the songs from the s/t.  Apparently they had to change their name shortly before the record came out, somewhat like DT/Majesty.

Oh, it was a great show, BTW.

Agreed about Pornografitti.

[TAC]

I saw Firehouse open for Tesla/Great White in 1989. They were lumped into a bunch of bands that I could not get into. Just seemed to have nothing to offer that I couldn't get anywhere else or better.

[Lowdz]

Firehouse>Hold Your Fire.

They did a couple of decent albums in the 90s too.

And Pornograffitti is 

didn't hate anything after HYF. They just lost it. First two were gold though. Some duff tracks on both but plenty of highs.

Pornograffitti is awesome. So many different types of songs yet it all just works. Made my top 50.
Nuno 

[King Postwhore]

I was lucky enough to see Extreme on the Pornograffitti, III Sides & WFTP tours.  All ass kicking shows!

[TAC]

I was lucky enough to see Extreme on the Pornograffitti, III Sides & WFTP tours.  All ass kicking shows!

I just could not get into Extreme.

[King Postwhore]

Did you see them live Tim?  Whole different ball game.

[TAC]

Did you see them live Tim?  Whole different ball game.

Yeah, I know. I saw them at Great Woods open for DLR and Cinderella in '91.
I was glad I saw them, and they were OK.

But I more then remember them having this great live reputation around here way before they were signed. I knew a kid that would help load equipment when the played The Living Room.

They just weren't playing my kind of hard rock.

[King Postwhore]

That I understand but you know me, music whore.  I love many style of music which really brought me to DT.

I played a ton of Jimi Survivor today as well as the first 5 albums of The Outfield since the man writer, lead guitarist passed away a few months ago.

[TAC]

I heard that. I think The Outfield's drummer played on an Alice Cooper album along the way. Last Temptation, maybe.

Both bands way too poppy for me.

[King Postwhore]

Would it make you feel better to know my cousin. *Cough* all the Priest albums for me so I'm looking forward to diving into them again beside the 2 disk I got.  It's hard to go back and buy ever single album you owned as a kid.

[TAC]

AKA the Guitar Cozmo Festival

https://bravewords.com/news/extreme-cinderellas-tom-keifer-sebastian-bach-dokken-faster-pussycat-stephen-pearcy-and-many-more-confirmed-for-riki-rachtmans-cathouse-live-at-irvine-meadows

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Oh.

Holy.

Shit.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Enuff Z'Nuff is putting out an album with some unreleased songs.  Three songs have been released already, with Donnie on vocals.  Sofa king good.

Rockabye Dreamland
She Makes it Harder
Good Luv

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Also, I'll readily admit that I'm probably the one and only fan of Enuff Z'Nuff on this board, and I'm okay with that.