Category: Pop Music

You Picked It!! – The Cars – ‘Heartbeat City’ – Album Review

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Alright…You Picked It! This one was really close as we almost ended in a tie, but one edged out the pack by one little vote. The one vote that made it not a tie was someone said that they wanted either one album or another that I should pick, so I always go with the first name on the choices. If I didn’t, we would’ve ended in a tie. The winner for this month’s picks ended up being The Cars with ‘Heartbeat City’ and I am real excited about this one. Here are the results.

  1. The Cars – ‘Heartbeat City’ – 8 votes
  2. Prince – ‘Purple Rain’ – 7 votes
  3. Genesis – ‘Invisible Touch’ – 3 votes
  4. U2 – ‘The Joshua Tree’ – 2 votes
  5. Bryan Adams – ‘Reckless’ – 2 Votes

Thanks to all for participating. The February choices will be up on Saturday! And the choices are all now from my collection and the next one will be some albums I have from the 90’s but probably not the ones you’d expect. Hopefully you can help me decide which one I should review.

THE CARS – ‘HEARTBEAT CITY’ (1984):

The Cars were now on their fifth studio album by 1984 and they made some changes with this one. Long time producer, Roy Thomas Baker, was replaced with some dude name Mutt…that is right…Mutt…Robert John “Mutt” Lange. I think you’ve heard of him before. Mutt had just come off Def Leppard’s album ‘Pyromania’ so he was one of the hottest producers around, plus he had done ‘Back in Black’ and “For Those About to Rock, We Salute You” by AC/DC, ‘4’ by Foreigner and ‘High & Dry’ by Def Leppard. Just a few massive albums. With Mutt signing on to do this album, he had to turn down Def Leppard’s next album ‘Hysteria’…but delay after delay allowed him to eventually join in and help with that mind blowing album.

But the Cars were different, they pure pop. They were not a hard rock band. The Cars also co-produced with the album as well. I do know that Mutt’s influence on here is huge and obvious at times as I can hear hints of his other work in these songs. This saw the band return to form and even see elements of their debut on here as well. It might be slick and polished, but is quite incredible too! If this isn’t their best album, it is pretty damn near close.

Continue reading “You Picked It!! – The Cars – ‘Heartbeat City’ – Album Review” →

Friday New Releases – January 13, 2022

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The second week of the year and we have a much larger selection for you this week. And one that I am actually interested in hearing and then will decide if I get. Let me know what you want to hear this week or what we may have missed and as always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great weekend!!

  • 81ihmfvhpTL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  VV – Neon Noir – (Heartagram Records): Former lead singer of the band H.I.M., Ville Valo is going solo and I am looking forward to hearing this as I have always loved his tone and I found H.I.M. pretty interesting so this will be first listen this week.
  • A1metz67q2L._AC_UY218_  Margo Price – Strays – (Loma Vista Recordings / Concord)
Continue reading “Friday New Releases – January 13, 2022” →

Friday New Releases – January 6, 2023

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Happy New Year and welcome to the first Friday New Release post of 2023. I hope this will be a great year for new music, but it is starting out with a whimper and I hope it goes out like a lion. We only have a handful of releases for you this week. Don’t worry, the next few weeks will have a lot more and some I am excited about. This week, nothing for me, but hopefully there is something for you to listen to as we kick off the year. Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you want to hear or what we may have missed this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend

  • 91WpPAyS6ML._AC_UY218_  Iggy Pop – Every Loser – (Gold Tooth Records / Atlantic Records)
  • 7122ay-Gb4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Olivia Newton-John – Greatest Hits Vol. 2/Deluxe Edition – (Primary Wave Music)
  • 91cVTAPIztL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Anti-Flag – Lies They Tell Our Children – (Spinefarm Records / Universal)
  • 61Z67N8WrHL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  L.A. Edwards – Out of the Heart of Darkness – (Bitchin’ Music Group)
  • 71TNgM+GFdL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  JVRA – Veracity – (J Vera Records)
  • 91yRtZrORxL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Kidd Keratic – To Be Loved E.P. – (Kidd Keratic)
  • 81mVBYUQm4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Gabriella Aplin – Phosphorescent – (Never Fade Records)
  • 81lCGdGMe6L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Doom Flower – Limestone Ritual – (Record Label & Doom Flower)
  • 818H5KYLIcL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Ouija Macc & Golden Bsp – Hideous – (Chapter 17 Records)
  • 815UPypFsCL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  RuPaul – Black Butta – (RuCo Inc.)
  • download-27  Javis Mays – New Beginnings E.P. – (JaMays Music)

December 2022 Purchases – Vinyl & Cds…& More…

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I can’t believe 2022 is about to be behind us. Man, that year flew fast. Well, we ended with one of the biggest hauls we have ever had here at 2 Loud 2 Old Music. There are 38 albums purchased or gifted this month alone!! That is insane. Several of these purchases will be part of the new Review Series coming in 2023 after the Scorpions are done of course. Thanks for stopping by each and every day, week or month and I hope you all had a wonderful year. And I hope next year is even better for you. Let’s get started on a review of the December 2022 Vinyl & Cds…

First up is another Kiss record. I bought the 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition Box Set but that doesn’t come with a vinyl. The 3-LP Deluxe Edition has such a pretty blue color vinyl, I had to have it as well. I didn’t make it in time for last months post as it should have but at least I have it now…

Then I picked up the new 4 CD Deluxe Edition 20th Anniversary Box Set of Robbie William’s debut solo album ‘Life Thru A Lens’. It has a remastered album, 2 bonus discs of rarities and a live show…Just perfect!!

Continue reading “December 2022 Purchases – Vinyl & Cds…& More…” →

What to Expect in New Music for 2023???

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2023 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums will come out in the year. Since today would normaly be a Friday New Release post, let’s look at the new releases coming our way in 2023. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.

Last year, there were a few artist I was hoping would release an album that might have or might not have released one.  It is always fun to hope for new music from these bands, but sometimes there are disappointments.  Here are the ones I was hoping to get new albums from last year and what actually happened…

  • Def Leppard – They’ve been writing…will we get the new album in 2022??  Or at least The Collection Vol. 4 which is the final in the series – We did get a fantastic new album called ‘Diamond Star Halos’ but no The Collection Volume 4!!!
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!! – We did get 3 Off the Soundboard releases and the Creatures of the Night Box Set, so that was at least a success!
  • Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!! – STILL NOTHING…But did get a Use Your Illusion Box Set…big whoop!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set, but will he get around to releasing it?? We did get a 10 song E.P. with highlights from the Rock Opera which was fantastic, but no full release yet of The Life & Times of Eddie Gage’
  • Poison – I think it is time for a new album! NOPE! They did the Stadium Tour with Def Leppard & Motley Crue…but nothing new and doesn’t look like there will be any time soon.
  • Will Hoge – His last one was 2020 so now is the time for another! And we got it!! It is amazing and called ‘Wings On My Shoes’
  • Billy Idol – He teased us with an E.P. in 2021.  A full album would be nice. Okay, No full album, but another killer E.P. I think I could take an E.P. a year.

Okay, are there albums I want to see this year from some of my favorite bands that haven’t been announced or in some cases even rumored?  Of course there are.  These are the bands I want new albums from this year…but it might not happen.

  • Def Leppard – Too soon for a new album, but give us The Collection Vol. 4!!
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!  At least give us another Soundboard LP.
  • Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!  Will we ever get a new album!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set for over 3 years and still nothing much, but will he get around to releasing the full Life & Times of Eddie Gage? I hope so.
  • Ace Frehley – It is time for a new album…no Origins, Vol 3…a new album!!
  • Bon Jovi – A new album WITH RICHIE SAMBORA!!!

From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2023, but no dates announced yet. The ones I would give a try will be highlighted in Blue. The ones with Dates Announced are at the bottom of this post. The list is building up nicely!!

Continue reading “What to Expect in New Music for 2023???” →

The Top Rock Albums of 2022

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I can’t believe we are through with another year. And what a year it was, It saw me complete my goal of one post for every day of the year and it saw me start and still not finish the massive Jeff Scott Soto Series. I still have about 6 months to go on that one. Crazy. It saw some struggles as I had a minor surgery but the two week recovery was hard and then I got sick and was miserable for another two weeks and that put a massive damper on my enthusiasm for writing. For October, I barely wrote anything. Thankfully, I keep ahead so it had no impact on my readers, you probably didn’t even notice, but for me, it was hard. But we are way past that now and all is good.

With the Soto series and the Scorpions series, I actually didn’t spend much time with new releases, but I did have a bunch that I liked and wish I spent more time with. So, we are going to go through the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2022 and of course there will be some honorable mentions, a worst of album and some of my favorite Non-Rock albums. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee if it is morning, or a beer if it is any other time of day…and enjoy!!

TOP ROCK ALBUMS OF 2022:

#10 – HALESTORM – BACK FROM THE DEAD: Lzzy Hale and the boys are back from the dead and they are rocking the hell out of you with this one. With the title track, then “Wicked Ways” and “The Steeple”, they showed they mean business and are carrying the torch for rock. Listen to this and you know Rock Ain’t Dead!! And if you want more great ones, I really like “Psycho Crazy” and the ballad “Raise Your Horns”…oh sooooo good!!

#9 – H.E.A.T. – FORCE MAJEURE: I thought there last album was amazing with Erik Gronwell on vocals, but Erik left and is now with Skid Row who also released an album this year. Original H.E.A.T. lead singer, Kenny Leckremo, returned and they released another stellar release. I like it way better than the new Skid Row…sorry Erik. Such stellar tracks as “Back to the Rhythm”, “Nationwide”, “Tainted Blood” and “Demon Eyes” to only name a handful.

Continue reading “The Top Rock Albums of 2022” →

You Pick It! – What Album to Review in January?

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You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month.  It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site.  See…simple! Now, if you want to cast more than one vote, comment on the Twitter and Facebook post and you could get up to 3 votes on your favorite pick.

There are no longer rules for my selections, maybe themes.  I’m just picking albums in my collection and this time they are all from my favorite era of music…The 80’s. We’ve done one with the 80’s rock scene now let’s go to the 80’s Pop scene and what was riding the charts. What are the 5 albums you ask?  I have them right here…

   U2 – ‘The Joshua Tree’

   Prince – ‘Purple Rain’

   Genesis – ‘Invisible Touch’

   The Cars – ‘Heartbeat City’

   Bryan Adams – ‘Reckless’

Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in January, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes. You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.

Thanks for participating!!

Friday New Releases – December 16, 2022

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Welcome to the last Friday New Releases post of 2022. The next two weeks there aren’t enough releases to bother posting so this is it. We will return on or about January 6, 2023 assuming there is enough releases that week. I am getting the Halestorm Deluxe Edition album for Back From the Dead, but that is it for me. What are you interested in this week? Let us know what that may be and what we may have missed. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

  • 814pgB+ZCWL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Halestorm – Back From the Dead (Deluxe Edition) – (Atlantic Records)
  • Cheap Trick – Live at the Whiskey 1977 (45th Anniversary 4CD Set) – (Real Gone Music)
  • 71vXZMaPclL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Frank Zappa – Waka/Wazoo – (Universal Music)
  • 61IiPaWGE5L._AC_UY218_  Seether – Disclaimer (Deluxe Edition) – (Craft Recordings / Concord)81u+BDbDNeL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_  Kansas – Another Fork in the Road: 50 Years of Kansas – (Inside Out Music)
  • 61VULrgOH9L._AC_UY218_  Bloodclot! – Souls – (Upstate Records / Blood Blast Distribution)
  • 81EZA01Q4LL._AC_UY218_  Jacquees – Sincerely For You – (Cash Money Records)
  • download-11  Marcotic – Mobile Home Rich – (Mobile Home Records)
  • 71Zqm2wM+rL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Percussor – Ravenous Despondency – (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
  • 81aKRtdmk7L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Circa Survive – Two Dreams – (Rise Records)
  • 61o2ZZ76wqL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Mimi Barks – Deadgirl – (Silent Cult)
  • 714jkOsMNTL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Mori Calliope – Sinderella – (Universal Music)

Friday New Releases – December 9, 2022

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Happy Friday! Fridays are always great since we get new releases and it is the start of the weekend. But this one might be the very last Friday New Releases as I’m done…well…I’m done for 2022! As there aren’t enough releases the next few Fridays to do a post. But it will be back in 2023!!! 2023?? Wow, is almost that time already…time flies. It is typical this time of year for releases to slow down as artists hold off on releasing if they can’t get it out early enough before Christmas. Now, between now and next week, if I find enough to do the 16th’s releases, I will do one. Cross your fingers, but if we do, that is for sure the last one for the year. For me, there is really nothing I need. Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you want to hear this week or what we may have missed. Have a great weekend.

  • 81y0NQ+oPIL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Journey – Live in Concert at Lollapalooza – (Frontiers Records)
  • 71tqnuY209L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  David Crosby – Live at Capitol Theatre – (Three Blind Mice / BMG Rights Mgt)
  • 8193-lYhq4L._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  Sabu – Banshee – (Frontiers Records)
  • 91GoZLs1cdL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Rob Moratti – Epical – (Frontiers Records)
  • 61FtpkrCQNL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Landfall – Elevate – (Frontiers Records)
  • 811JBZ8ayJL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  Nevena – Nevena – (Frontiers Records)
  • 813286Gw+lL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Tony DeCarlo – Dancing in the Moonlight – (Frontiers Records)
Continue reading “Friday New Releases – December 9, 2022” →

Matt Nathanson – Left & Right, Vol. 2 E.P. (Live at Newbury Comics, Live at Music Millennium) – Album Review

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For his Modern Love Tour, Matt Nathanson had a number of in store performances and like he did for his Some Mad Hope Tour, he recorded them. The first we reviewed awhile back was Left & Right, Vol. 1, but this one was a little different. Left & Right, Vol. 2 was actually a Record Store Day release from 2012 and yes, it was on CD only and not vinyl. There were only 3,000 released and I think is the easier of the two to find (and cheaper one), but that doesn’t make it any less.

The E.P. consists of songs taken from his performance at Newbury Comics in Boston, Mass on October 8, 2011 and from his show at Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon on October 23, 2011. Like the last, it is filled with acoustic songs from his current album and a ton of great banter with the crowd. This time around, Matt brought his good buddy Aaron Tap along to assist on the acoustic guitar and the banter and the two together are quite a comic duo.

After the introduction, we get Matt’s hilarious commentary as he talks about having to pee and then a woman wanting his autograph after he peed, but he denied her as he was late to the in store. And his horse joke didn’t go over very well. He is all over the place. The opening track is the title track of his new album he is touring on. The song “Modern Love” is already a great pop song in full electric version, but acoustically it seems more intimate and like Matt is bearing his soul. The harmonies of him and Aaron really take it to another level. It might be more beautiful here than the actual studio version, yes, it is that good.

Continue reading “Matt Nathanson – Left & Right, Vol. 2 E.P. (Live at Newbury Comics, Live at Music Millennium) – Album Review” →