Happy Friday. This is the last Friday New Release update of the year. The next two weeks might have some new releases but nothing on my radar.
This week’s list is very limited as well. The only one worth writing home about is the 40th Anniversary of Rush’s classic album 2112. Outside of that I might listen to the Bon Jovi live album (won’t buy it) and I will always listen to anything Tony Bennett. See if there is anything you are interested in hearing.
Rush – 2112 (40th Anniversary) – (Mercury Records): Hard to believe it has been 40 years since this album came out. Amazing. And I am getting old. It will be great to go back and listen to this amazing classic. If you have 20 minutes to kill, check out the video.
2016 is about to be over so it is time to look back on the year and see what amazing albums rocked my world this year. It was a great year indeed. This was the year I started this blog back in April and it has been a blast. I have listened to a lot of albums this year so I had stuff to write about and it really made the year special.
This list will be my favorite “Rock” albums of the year. All other types of music will be for a later post. I am going to leave this one to my favorite genre. It is a broad genre, but these are the albums that I consider to be ROCK!!
Also note, these are MY FAVORITES!! These are not the most popular or possibly even the ones that have sold the most. These are the albums that I connected with during the year and kept coming back to again and again. And without further adieu, here are the Top Rock Albums of 2016:
My #1 Album of the Year:
Hellyeah – UnDen!able (Eleven Seven Music): This album screams Rock & Roll to me! It is heavy and pounding with aggressive vocals and lyrics and was perfect for me when I got stuck in traffic and needed to vent a little. With songs like “Startariot”, “X”, “Scratch A Lie” and “Be Undeniable”, I was completely satisfied with this gem. Check out the review at this link to see what I thought in detail about the album.
I was in the garage getting down the Christmas decorations and I came across a box that strangely said…”Posters”. It dawned on me rather quickly that these were posters that I had when I was younger and posters from when I worked at the Sam Goody Music Stores.
I couldn’t get the box down fast enough to see what was in there. I was surprised at how many I still had after 25-30 years and what great shape they were still in. There were a few slight rips or tears and maybe a little discoloration, but all-in-all I thought they were in great condition.
We will start with those from my personal collection that actually hung on my walls when I lived at home in my parents house around 25+ years ago. First, you will notice the crystal looking candlesticks holding down the posters. They have been rolled up for quite some time and wouldn’t stay open, so I had to have some help.
If you know me, then you know I had to have either Def Leppard or Kiss on my wall. Actually, I had both. The Def Leppard posters were from High & Dry and Pyromania era live shows.
My Sunday Song #19 is from Michael Franti & Spearhead called “Good To Be Alive Today”. The song is a very poignant song for what is going on in the world today. It would be nice to wake up one day and everything was perfect and every one could say it is a good day to be alive.
I think that way everyday. No matter how bad things get, I feel a day above ground is better than a day in the dirt. If we all do our little part to make the world better, maybe someday it will be. For my kids sake, I hope so. During this Holiday Season, it would be nice if everyone does a little something to make this world a better place. I know my family will, I hope yours does too!
2016 has seen it’s share of tragedies with Musicians. I know each year there are a lot of musician’s that pass away, but for some reason this year seems to have taken quite a few from us. Now that the year is almost over, I have updated the list to include musicians that have passed away in the last few months. I started this back in April/May. Hopefully that will be it for 2016. Let’s hope 2017 doesn’t bring more of the same.
In memory of all the artist we have lost so far this year, here is a playlist so we can remember the gift of music that they left us that will live on forever.
David Bowie – January 10th, 2016: David Bowie just released his album, Black Star, two days earlier on January 8th (his birthday). He had so many great songs and it was really hard to choose. I chose “Modern Love” as that was the year I really started obsessing about music. The year was 1983 and his popularity was on the rise again. It was that song that made me know who he was and made me go look at what he had done in the past. Since that time, I have been a fan.
As we are getting closer to Christmas, there are not a whole lot of releases I am interested in and this week is one of those weeks where I am not running out to get or listen to any of them. Maybe there is something for you. It will give me a chance to start working on the Best of 2016 Lists which will be coming soon.
Neil Young – Peace Trail – (Reprise Records)
Sister Hazel – Unplugged from Daryl’s House Club – (Croakin’ Poet Records)
Tech N9ne – The Storm (Deluxe) – (Strange Music, Inc.)
J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only – (Dreamville)
Post Malone – Stoney – (Republic Records)
Nelson – This Christmas Too – (Stone Canyon Records)
On the follow-up to ‘Prayers for the Damned, Vol. 1’, Sixx:A.M. is back in a little over 6 months with the ‘Prayers for the Blessed, Vol. 2’. What I love about Sixx:A.M. is the consistency they have with the quality of songs and the album and this one is no different. There are not too many bands that are hitting on all cylinders like they currently are.
When the first song, “Barbarians (Prayers for the Blessed)”,kicks in you immediately know the band has picked up right where Vol. 1 left off. The heavy ass drums and guitar just screams ‘CRANK ME UP!!!’
The first single off the album is “We Will Not Go Quietly” and is more of what I have come to expect and salivate over. James Michael’s vocals are outstanding and you can’t complain about the greatness of DJ Ashba’s guitar work either.
On Black Friday, November 25th, it was Record Store Day. A day to celebrate independently owned Record Stores. Bands will release special edition or unique offerings to celebrate. I was in the middle of traveling to Atlanta from Charlotte and was not able to hit my local record store to show my appreciation.
However, on Saturday I did visit a record store in Marietta, Ga because there was one album I was eager to obtain. It was a special 2 LP release of The Wild Feathers ‘Live at the Ryman’. There were only 3,000 copies made and I can say I am one of the very proud owners of one copy.
This weeks My Sunday Song #18 is by my all time favorite band, Def Leppard. The song is off their latest self-titled album and is called “We Belong”. Def Leppard just released the new video in the last couple days while promoting their upcoming DVD which is called And There Will Be a Next Time – Live From Detroit. It is a DVD-Blu-ray/two-CD set which will be released On Feb. 10, 2017. They are taking preorders at Pledgemusic.com.
The Tracklisting is 17 songs and includes the following:
1. “Rocket”
2. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak”
3. “Switch 625″
4. Medley: “Hysteria” / “Heroes”
5. “Let’s Get Rocked”
6. “Pour Some Sugar on Me”
7. “Rock of Ages”
8. “Photograph”
I will be getting my copy for sure. Go get yours.
Now back to the song. This is the first song that every band member has a part in the lead vocals. That to me is the charm behind this great song and one of my favorite songs on the album.
I tried to look up the meaning behind the song, but really couldn’t find anything on it. In reading the lyrics it looks like it is about God. With lyrics like “You’re all that I am, You’re all that I see, The keys to the kingdom Are waiting for me” and “If you cast the first stone I will roll it away, I will kneel at your throne Hold my hands up and pray” are why I have the impression it is about his faith.
You can interpret it anyway you want, but this is my take away and why I wanted to showcase the song. To me, it screams I am not good enough to be loved by God and how can I be a part of His Kingdom.
I hope you get something out of it and enjoy. Let me know your thoughts on the song.
“We Belong”
Sometimes I feel I don’t belong here
Sometimes I just don’t feel
I feel so uninvited
A wound that never heals
I need a little shelter
Just for a little while
Sometimes I hide the sadness
Behind a painted smile
If you cast the first stone
I will roll it away
I will kneel at your throne
Hold my hands up and pray
I will hold back the tide
Push the oceans aside
Save the day
But I can be stronger
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I see
The keys to the kingdom
Are waiting for me
So don’t hold me back
Don’t hold me down
Just hold me and don’t let go
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I do
The end of the rainbow
Is waiting for you
So tell me I’m right
Cause this can’t move on
Not if we belong
Whatever happened to forgiveness
Are the words too hard to say
What happened to the answers
They disappeared along the way
I hide behind the madness
Still looking for the clues
And there’s nothing left to chance
When there’s nothing left to lose
And the voice in my head
Screams the words I believe
And the light in the dark
Is the air that I breathe
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I see
The keys to the kingdom
Are waiting for me
So don’t hold me back
Don’t hold me down
Just hold me and don’t let go
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I do
The end of the rainbow
Is waiting for you
So tell me I’m right
Cause this can’t move on
Back where we belong
As you cast the first stone
And I roll it away
And I kneel at your throne
These words that I say
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I see
The keys to the kingdom
Are waiting for me
So don’t hold me back
Don’t hold me down
Just hold me and don’t let go
You’re all that I am
You’re all that I do
The end of the rainbow
Is waiting for you
So tell me I’m right
Cause this can’t be wrong
Not if we belong
For those of you that don’t know, I have a page that is dedicated to album new releases. It gets updated every weekend and list out some of the more popular albums coming out or at least my favorite ones that are coming in the near future. It always has the last 2 weeks and then goes out as far in the future as I know about. Here is the list, but you can always check it out at this link…New Releases. If you are on my home page, there is a link as well so save my home page to your favorites.
The New Release list is not all inclusive and dates are subject to change at any time.
November
Nov 25th
The Weeknd – Starboy – (The Weeknd XO)
Heart & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Live at the Royal Albert Hall – (Heart General Partnership)
The Afghan Whigs – Black Love (20th Anniversary) – (Royal Cream LLC)
Icon For Hire – You Can’t Kill Us – (Icon for Hire)
Rush – 2112 (40th Anniversary) – (Mercury Records): Hard to believe it has been 40 years since this album came out. Amazing. And I am getting old. It will be great to go back and listen to this amazing classic. If you have 20 minutes to kill, check out the video.
Neil Young – Peace Trail – (Reprise Records)
Sister Hazel – Unplugged from Daryl’s House Club – (Croakin’ Poet Records)
Tech N9ne – The Storm (Deluxe) – (Strange Music, Inc.)
J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only – (Dreamville)
Post Malone – Stoney – (Republic Records)
Nelson – This Christmas Too – (Stone Canyon Records)
The Weeknd – Starboy – (The Weeknd XO)
Heart & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Live at the Royal Albert Hall – (Heart General Partnership)
The Afghan Whigs – Black Love (20th Anniversary) – (Royal Cream LLC)
Icon For Hire – You Can’t Kill Us – (Icon for Hire)
Kylie Minogue – Kylie Christmas (Snow Queen Edition) – (Firewheel LLP)
2 Loud 2 Old Music 