Blog Archives
TIM RIPPER OWENS – Play My Game
Tim Ripper Owens – Play My Game (2009, SPV/Steamhammer Records)
1. “Starting Over” … 3:33
2. “Believe” … 4:35
3. “The Cover Up” … 4:30
4. “Pick Yourself Up” … 4:32
5. “It Is Me” … 2:53
6. “No Good Goodbyes” … 3:35
7. “The World Is Blind” … 4:50
8. “To Live Again” … 6:00
9. “The Light” … 4:36
10. “Play My Game” … 4:43
11. “Death Race” … 3:29
12. “The Shadows Are Alive” … 5:35
Band:
Tim “Ripper” Owens – Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Bob Kulick, Bruce Kulick, Carlos Cavazo, Chris Caffery, Doug Aldrich, Michael Wilton, Jeff Loomis, Steve Stevens – Guitar
Marco Mendoza, Billy Sheehan, Dave Ellefson, Rudy Sarzo, James Lomenzo, Tony Franklin – Bass
Simon Wright, Vinny Appice, Ray Luzier, Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Produced by: Tim “Ripper” Owens, Bob Kulick, Brett Chassen
This is the debut solo album from ex-Judas Priest/ex-Iced Earth/current Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens and it’s a grower. On my initial casual listens, I wasn’t too impressed with it, but the more I listen to it, the more I’m liking it. It’s not an essential 2009 release, but it’s good and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Ripper.
Unfortunately, the sales on the album haven’t been too well. Not that I expected this album to get anywhere near Billboard’s top 100, but I figured it would sell a bit more than the reported 827 copies it sold in the first week of release. Ouch. Oh well, be proud, Ripper! You delivered a solid album. Hopefully, this will lead to even more down the line because I never understood why, after Priest, Ripper didn’t immediately fly solo. The closest he’s come to that is forming the band Beyond Fear, but I think just using his own name would’ve been more marketable (though apparently that’s not true anymore…).
I haven’t followed Owens’ career post-Priest, but to me, quite a number of these songs (“Starting Over” and “Believe” for example) sound like what he may have sung while keeping the seat warm for Rob Halford. “Play My Game” is my favorite track and it’s a pretty good tune to workout to.
Highlights: “Starting Over”, “Believe”, “Pick Yourself Up”, “It Is Me”, “No Good Goodbyes”, “To Live Again”, “Play My Game”
BLACK SABBATH – Mob Rules
Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (1981, Warner Bros. Records)
1. “Turn Up the Night” … 3:42
2. “Voodoo” … 4:32
3. “The Sign of the Southern Cross” … 7:46
4. “E5150″ … 2:54
5. “The Mob Rules” … 3:14
6. “Country Girl” … 4:02
7. “Slipping Away” … 3:45
8. “Falling Off the Edge of the World” … 5:02
9. “Over and Over” … 5:28
Band:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Tony Iommi – Guitar
Geezer Butler – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
Produced by: Martin Birch
Another great piece of classic heavy metal and a fine companion to the previous year’s Heaven and Hell.
It’s quite amusing when you consider the songs & style of the Ozzy era compared to the Dio stuff. Ozzy Sabbath was political and “evil”, while Dio Sabbath became more fantasy-based and even talked about the ladies a bit (“Country Girl”) and good time sounding songs like “Turn Up the Night” (though the lyrics are fairly dark).
Out of the four Dio Sabbath albums (counting Heaven and Hell’s The Devil You Know), I think this would be my favorite. Though the song “Heaven and Hell” may be the best song the Dio lineup ever did, songs like “Turn Up the Night”, “Voodoo”, “The Sign of the Southern Cross”, “The Mob Rules”, “Country Girl” and “Over and Over” are just too powerful and have really stacked this album to monstrous proportions of quality.
Highlights: One of the top heavy metal albums of all time, in my opinion. So everything is a highlight!
www.blacksabbath.com
www.heavenandhelllive.com
www.myspace.com/heavenandhelllive
HEAVEN & HELL – The Devil You Know
Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know [Exclusive Best Buy Edition] (2009, Rhino Records)
1. “Atom and Evil” … 5:15
2. “Fear” … 4:48
3. “Bible Black” … 6:29
4. “Double the Pain” … 5:25
5. “Rock and Roll Angel” … 6:25
6. “The Turn of the Screw” … 5:02
7. “Eating the Cannibals” … 3:37
8. “Follow the Tears” … 6:12
9. “Neverwhere” … 4:35
10. “Breaking into Heaven” … 7:03
Bonus Best Buy Exclusive DVD:
Making of The Devil You Know
Band:
Ronnie James Dio – Vocals
Tony Iommi – Guitar
Geezer Butler – Bass
Vinny Appice – Drums
Produced by: Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler
Dio-fronted Black Sabbath is back! Okay, not technically, but we know it’s true. When Ronnie James Dio reunited with Iommi, Butler and Appice (once again replacing Bill Ward who once again opted out) to record 3 new songs for the Black Sabbath: The Dio Years compilation and then go tour, I think most people knew (even if the band says they didn’t know) it was only a matter of time before a full new album came from this group.
It’s hard to believe in 2009, they’ve delivered classic heavy metal album that sounds like it just as easily could’ve been released in 1983. “Bible Black” is a great Dio Sabbath tune and my favorite on the record, but the band delivers with the gloomy, plodding heavy metal they are known for all. “Eating the Cannibals” is really started to grow on me, it’s one of the few songs on the album that is a fast-rocker through and through, which I’m actually a bit disappointed we didn’t get more of.
Due to the plodding nature of the album, I didn’t immediately take to some of the songs, but as I keep listening, I’m enjoying them more and more. Definitely a top release for 2009.
Of course, Ronnie’s voice is still great. The guy hasn’t stopped releasing music with one band or another since 1958 (!!!) and at 66 years old, his voice is showing no sign of weakness.
Highlights: All of it
www.heavenandhelllive.com
www.myspace.com/heavenandhelllive
