📀 Album of the Week
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📌19 September 1995

Dream Theater
📀 A Change Of Seasons
#ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock #HardRock #HeavyMetal

30 years ago Dream Theater from Boston, #USA released their first EP, even though with its 57-minute length it could be considered a proper album.

Side A contains the 23-minute titletrack, an incredible suite which is not only my favorite #DreamTheater, one if my favorite pieces of music ever ❤️‍🔥

Side B is a fantastic collection of live cover songs performed at a fan club concert on January 31, 1995, at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.
Songs covered are of #EltonJohn, #DeepPurple, #LedZeppelin, plus "The Big Medley" containing excerpts of #PinkFloyd, #Kansas, #Queen, #Journey, #DixieDregs, #Genesis.

In this album:
#JamesLaBrie – vocals, production
#JohnMyung – bass, production
#JohnPetrucci – guitar, production
#MikePortnoy – drums, cover concept, production
#DerekSherinian – keyboards, production
#19September

🎧Listen to A Change Of Seasons 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
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📌24 September 1975

Rush
📀 Caress Of Steel
#ProgressiveRock #HardRock

50 years ago Rush from Toronto, #Canada released their 3rd studio album.

Caress Of Steel is considered a landmark album in #Rush career, as they definitively moved from their early blues-based Hard Rock sound towards Progressive Rock.

Surprisingly this album has always been poorly rated by most of the critics who consider it a low point in Rush discography.
To me is a fantastic album, the final suite "The Fountain of Lamneth" is one of my favorites Rush ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#GeddyLee – vocals, bass
#AlexLifeson – 6 and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, steel guitar
#NeilPeart – drums, percussion, lyrics, spoken word on "The Necromancer"

#TerryBrown – co-producer, engineer, arrangements
#24September

🎧Listen to Caress Of Steel
👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌18 October 1985

The Cult
📀 Love
#HardRock #GothicRock #AlternativeRock

40 years ago The Cult from Bradford, #UK released their 2nd studio album.

Love marked the band's commercial breakthrough, also thanks to their signature singles "Rain" and "She Sells Sanctuary".

Every song in here is a gem, my favorite #TheCult along with
👉 Sonic Temple ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#IanAstbury – vocals
#BillyDuffy – guitars, backing vocals
#JamieStewart – bass, keyboards, strings, backing vocals
#NigelPreston – drums

Additional personnel
#MarkBrzezicki – drums
#SimonKliney – synthesizers
The Soultanas (#MaeMcKenna, #LorenzaJohnson, #JackieChallenor) – backing vocals
#18October

🎧Listen to Love 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌November 1975

Crack The Sky
📀 Crack The Sky
#Rock #HardRock #ProgressiveRock #PowerPop #ProgressivePop

50 years ago Crack The Sky from West Virginia, #USA released their self-titled debut album.

The album was critically acclaimed as "best debut of the year" but failed commercially due to distribution problems.

#CrackTheSky never enjoyed the success of contemporary American bands such as Kansas, Styx, Steely Dan, though they toured US opening for all of them.

They remain one of the best hidden gems of the 1970s, and this is fantastic album ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#JohnPalumbo – vocals, keyboards, guitar
#RickWitkowski – guitar, percussion
#JoeMacre – bass, backing vocals
#JimGriffiths – guitar, backing vocals
#JoeyDAmico – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians
#MichaelBrecker, #RandyBrecker, #DavidSanborn — Horns
#GeorgeMarge — Woodwinds
#TomJones — Trombone

🎧Listen to Crack The Sky
👉 here

📀 👉 This album is 40 years old today 🤘

#22November #VeniceRocksRoom

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📌#27November 1985

Rocky IV
📀 Soundtrack - Various Artists
#Rock #HardRock #AOR #Funk #Soundtrack

40 years ago the soundtrack of #RockyIV was released along with the film.

🎧What's your favorite song in it (if any)?👇

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📌2 December 1985

Demon
📀 Heart Of Our Time
#HardRock #ProgressiveRock #NeoProg #AOR

40 years ago Demon from Staffordshire, #UK released their 5th studio album.

Heart Of Our Time came out few months after 👉 their previous album, which already showcased #Demon evolution of sound and style as compared to their early 👉 New Wave Of British Heavy Metal years.

This is an absolute hidden gem for a band that surely deserved more recognition🤘

In this album:
#DaveHill - vocals, effects
#JohnWaterhouse - guitars
#GavinSutherland - bass
#JohnWright - drums, percussion
#StevenWatts - keyboards, synthesizers

Additional musicians
#KeithAndrews "Archie" - bass
#LeslieAnkrah, #SylvieGatrill - backing vocals
#2December

🎧Listen to Heart Of Our Time 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌24 January 1986

Ozzy Obourne
📀 The Ultimate Sin
#HeavyMetal #HardRock

40 years ago Ozzy Osbourne from West Midlands, England, #UK released his 4th studio album.

The Ultimate Sin was the highest charting and best selling Ozzy album at the time.

The album is generally poorly rated in Osbourne's solo discography and even Ozzy himself was never much proud of it in retrospect.
Nevertheless this is one of my favorites from him, also thanks to the wonderful work of guitarist Jake E. Lee, here at his last studio appearance with Ozzy🤘

In this album:
#OzzyOsbourne – vocals
#JakeELee – guitars
#PhilSoussan – bass
#RandyCastillo – drums

Additional performers
#MikeMoran – keyboards
#24January

🎧Listen to The Ultimate Sin
👉 here

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📌28 January 1986

Black Sabbath
📀 Seventh Star
#HeavyMetal #HardRock

40 years ago Black Sabbath from Birmingham, #UK, released their 12th studio album.

Seventh Star came out 3 years after the previous 👉 Born Again and was originally intended as the first solo album of guitarist Tony Iommi.
#BlackSabbath in fact did not officially disband, but Iommi put the band on hiatus since at the time he was the only remaining original member.
The record company pushed Iommi to still use the Black Sabbath monicker, that's why the album was published as "Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi".

Despite being negatively recieved by critics and generally poorly reviewed, this is a great album ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#TonyIommi – guitars
#GlennHughes – vocals
#EricSinger – drums
#DaveSpitz "The Beast" – bass
#GeoffNicholls – keyboards

Additional musician
#GordonCopley – bass
#28January

🎧Listen to Seventh Star 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌March 1986

Vanadium
📀 Born To Fight
#HeavyMetal #HardRock

40 years ago Vanadium from #Milan, #Italy, realeased their 4th studio album.

If you love 70s Hard Rock and 80s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, this is a great record for your ears!
My favorite #Vanadium and undoubtedly one of the best #ItalianMetal in the 1980s 🔥

The song "Never Before" is a #DeepPurple cover.

In this album:
#PinoScotto - vocals
#SteveTessarin - guitar
#MimmoPrantera - bass
#RuggeroZanolini - keyboards
#LioMascheroni - drums

🎧Listen Born To Fight 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌31 March 1976

Led Zeppelin
📀 Presence
#HardRock #RockBlues

50 years ago Led Zeppelin from London, #UK released their 7th studio album.

Presence was recorded while Robert Plant was recovering after a serious car accident earlier that year, the title came from the strong presence the group felt as they worked together.
The album debuted at n.1 in US charts, though it did not sell like their previous works.
This is generally not considered among #LedZeppelin highlights, which for me means that is "only" a great album🤘❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#JohnBonham – drums
#JohnPaulJones – bass
#JimmyPage – guitars, production
#RobertPlant – vocals, harmonica
#31March

🎧Listen to Presence 👉 here

#TopGun, released on #15May 1986.

👉 Review Top Gun Soundtrack here

📀 Album of the Week
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📌17 May 1976

Rainbow
📀 Rising
#HardRock #HeavyMetal

50 years ago Rainbow from
Hertford, England, #UK released their 2nd studio album.

Leader Ritchie Blackmore had dismissed the band that recorded the 👉 debut album and hired Hard Rock veterans for this.

Recorded at Giorgio Moroder's Musicland studios in Munich, Rising is unanimously regarded as a landmark album in Heavy Metal history, cited as an influence by virtually every band that came in the following years.

The two final 8-minute suites "Stargazer" and "A Light in the Black" are among the most epic compositions of the genre ❤️‍🔥

Legendary🤘

In this album:
#RonnieJamesDio – vocals
#RitchieBlackmore – guitar
#TonyCarey – keyboards
#JimmyBain – bass
#CozyPowell – drums

With
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra – strings, horn
#FritzSonnleitner – concert master
#17May

🎧Listen to Rising 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌21 May 1996

Soundgarden
📀 Down On The Upside
#AlternativeRock #HardRock #Grunge

30 years ago Soundgarden from Seattle, #USA released their 5th studio album.

Down On The Upside is the last Soundgarden album before breaking up.
The band in fact split in 1997 after completing the world tour to reunite only in 2010.

This album is generally regarded as a low point in #Soundgarden discography, too long and "experimental" as compared to their previous works.

I've always considered this album at the same level of
👉 Superunknown instead, totally love it ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#ChrisCornell – vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin, mandola, Rhodes piano
#KimThayil – guitar
#BenShepherd – bass, mandolin, mandola
#MattCameron – drums, percussion, Moog synthesizer

Additional musician
#AdamKasper – piano
#21May

🎧Listen to Down On The Upside 👉 here

There's no time for us
There's no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams
Yet slips away from us?

There's no chance for us
It's all decided for us
This world has only one
Sweet moment set aside for us.

Who wants to live forever?

👉 Queen, 2 June 1986

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📌9 June 1986

Cinderella
📀 Night Songs
#HardRock #GlamMetal

40 years ago Cinderella from Philadelphia, #USA released their debut studio album.

Founded in 1983, the band was noticed by Jon Bon Jovi at a concert. He became a fan and was crucial for #Cinderella success: he got his record label to sign them, he contributed to the recordings of the album and called the band to support the Slippery When Wet tour.

Night Songs sold 3million copies in the US only, Cinderella became one of the leading bands of the Glam Metal era along with Mötley Crüe and Poison, before the explosion of Guns'n'Roses.

One of my #HairMetal favorites ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#TomKeifer – vocals, guitar, piano
#JeffLaBar – guitar, vocals
#EricBrittingham – bass, vocals
#FredCoury – drums (credited but does not play)

Additional musicians
#BarryBenedetta – guitar
#JeffParis – keyboards
#JodyCortez – drums
#JonBonJovi, #TonyMills, #BillMattson – – backing vocals
#9June

🎧Listen to Night Songs 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌7 July 1986

David Lee Roth
📀 Eat 'Em And Smile
#GlamMetal #HardRock

40 years ago David Lee Roth from Indiana, #USA released his first full-length album.

Following the great success of 👉 his debut release, for Eat 'Em And Smile "Diamond Dave" hired extraordinary musicians: guitarist Steve Vai who co-wrote most songs, drummer Gregg Bissonette and bassist Billy Sheehan who brought in his signature song "Shyboy".

The result is a great album that challenged 👉 Van Halen's 5150 of the same year🤘

The album contains 2 cover songs, "Tobacco Road" by #TheNashvilleTeens and "That's Life" by #FrankSinatra.

In this album:
#DavidLeeRoth – vocals
#SteveVai – guitars, horn arrangement
#BillySheehan – bass, backing vocals
#GreggBissonette – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians
#JeffBova, #JesseHarms – keyboards
#SammyFigueroa – percussion
The Waters Family – backing vocals
The Sidney Sharp Strings
#JimmieHaskell – arrangements
#7July

🎧Listen to Eat 'Em And Smile 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌24 September 1986

Boston
📀 Third Stage
#HardRock #AOR #ArenaRock

40 years ago Boston from Boston, #USA, released their 3rd studio album.

Third Stage was supposed to come out in 1980 but a long dispute between the band and the record company postponed the release.

Recorded over 6 years at Tom Scholz' s Hideaway Studio, Third Stage went straight to n.1 in US charts along with the first single "Amanda".

This album along with the 2 previous 👉 Boston and 👉 Don't Look Back certified #Boston as the leading band in AOR / Arena Rock scene.

Pure class, let's celebrate this wonderful band ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#BradDelp – vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
#TomScholz – guitar, bass, grand piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, theater organ, drum editing, "guitar 'violin', rocket ignition, thunderstorms, unidentified flying objects"
#GaryPihl – co-lead guitar
#JimMasdea, #SibHashian – drums
#24September

🎧Listen to Third Stage 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌16 October 1976

Thin Lizzy
📀 Johnny The Fox
#HardRock #RockBlues #HeavyMetal

50 years ago Thin Lizzy from Dublin, #Ireland released their 7th studio album.

Johnny The Fox came out few months after 👉 Jailbreak, it's a loose concept album mainly written by Phil Lynott while recovering from a bout of hepatitis.

Easily my favorite #ThinLizzy🤘

In this album:
#PhilLynott – bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
#ScottGorham – lead and rhythm guitar
#BrianRobertson – guitar
#BrianDowney – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
#FiachraTrench – brass and string arrangements
#PhilCollins – percussion
#KimBeacon – backing vocals
#16October

🎧Listen to Johnny The Fox
👉 here