The alternative rock era was still in its early stages, but it was destined to take over the music world in the 1990s. Otherwise known as the "grunge" movement, bands like Nirvana, Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains were just a few that were some of the key players in that game. However, in what seems to be rock 'n roll's biggest achillie's heel - drug abuse - reared its ugly head and took the life of Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone, in 1990. As a tribute to their fallen friend, the remaining members of Mother Love Bone teamed up with their fellow commrade and Rock God Chris Cornell and formed Temple Of The Dog. Their self-titled release followed shortly after his death that same year, and also featured another friend and upcoming singer, Eddie Vedder. The brilliance exemplifed on Temple Of The Dog sparked interest in creating a new band with Vedder and the members of Mother Love Bone, it resulted in what we know today as Pearl Jam.

     Before deciding on the band name "Pearl Jam", which I must say is an awesome title for a band, they were briefly known as Mookie Blaylock, who was a professional basketball player back in the day. Indeed, Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten, is also the number of Blaylock's jersey. Anyway, the newly formed Pearl Jam was destined to take the grunge world by storm with their debut record. While Nirvana had released Nevermind that same year and was creating a whirlwind for the business, Pearl Jam's Ten would stabilize, solidify, and legitamize the grunge sound as one of the greatest forms of rock 'n roll in its illustrious history. It is simply put, a masterpiece, no other way to say it. I often use the word "iconic" in some of my reviews, and this is certainly an iconic album. From beginning to end, it is one of those few albums that is continuously strong throughout without any weak spots whatsoever.

     Ten is book-ended with a brief instrumental piece known as "Master Slave" and within that framework are eleven brilliant tracks. Many of them dealing with some very heavy issues like depression, death, love, violence, and childhood truama, as well as others, but while it delves into such material, it doesn't take away from the music at all, as it is quite radio-friendly, but still packs a might punch nonetheless. It is one of the most listenable and familiar sounding albums out there today, and the reason for that is it was so wildly popular back when it was released. The success of Ten propelled Pearl Jam to the top of the music scene and made them arguably the most popular band of the decade, perhaps even more so than Nirvana. Personally, I always felt they were better than Nirvana in many ways, because PJ had such a richer and warmer sound than its contemporaries. In any case, Pearl Jam quickly became a household name, and Ten earned its place as one of the most influential albums ever.

     Another great thing about Pearl Jam is that their sound was so much more balanced than any others in the grunge scene. They weren't quite as heavy as the greats like Alice In Chains or Soundgarden, and not quite as punky as Nirvana, and this likely made PJ more appealing to the mainstream audience. Again, this isn't to say that their work is at all compromised because of that, it is, if anything, a nod to their genius. It is their natural ability to sound as they do, and they just do it so well. They are all supremely talented musicians and songwriters, and that is obviously essential. Vedder is a strong lyricist and songwriter in his own write and has himself a very profound voice with tremendous emotional depth. The rythym section is very lively, and the guitar work is flawless and perfectly punctuates each song nicely.

     I could go on and on and start breaking down each song, but that would be verbose, and ultimately uncessary. The album simply speaks for itself, and it deserves a home in everyones collection. It is one of the greatest albums ever made, and I'm sure you have heard many of its tracks before because they have been so popular. If not though, you have certainly heard at least a glimpse of their undeniable influence on the rock scene. Once again, it is a masterpiece.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"Once"

"Evenflow"

"Alive"

"Why Go"

"Jeremy"

"Oceans"

"Garden"

"Porch"

-Kurt L.

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     Van Halen's legendary frontman David Lee Roth departed the band soon after the album 1984 was released, which was the last VH album to feature Roth as the vocalist. VH carried on and regrouped with the well-established Sammy Hagar, and the band then continued on to record some stellar albums. Roth however tried his hand as a solo-act, bringing his brand of wild and loose antics to his own work. Roth, otherwise known as "Diamond Dave", had a fairly decent solo career, but his best work was often considered behind him. His first solo record, Eat 'Em And Smile (1986) was terrific! It featured guitar great Steve Vai and was a major success. His follow up, Skyscraper (1988) was on par with its predecessor in many ways, but perhaps was not quite as consistent - though it still featured Steve Vai on guitar. The 1990s were not very kind to Roth's solo career as those efforts were pretty poor. A Little Aint Enough (1991) and Your Filthy Little Mouth (1994) showed a significant decline in musicality, and the latter album was particularly bad. DLR Band in 1998 showed improvement, but it wasn't until 2003 when Roth released Diamond Dave, that he showed a determined and focused effort.

     Diamond Dave is easily Roth's best album since Eat Em And Smile, because it plays to many of Roth's strengths, but also, he takes new and interesting risks, but the choices pay off rather than hamper his work. Many of the songs here are covers, some lesser known, some mainstream, but all are pretty darn good I must say. The first three tracks, "You Got The Blues Not Me", "Made Up My Mind", and "Stay While The Night Is Young", are dymanite and are indeed are some of his best songs yet. The musicanship on this album is terrific and Roth has found perhaps his best band yet (aside from Van Halen of course).

     There may be no big presence of an Eddie Van Halen or a Steve Vai on guitar, but as I alluded to just before, the musicianship is amazing. The guitar work is excellent, as is the rythym section - it is nuanced and very well-developed. There are a few scattered original tunes on Diamond Dave as well, including the pop/techno-ish/rock song "Thug Pop", which is one of the albums highlights. It also features a fine cover of "Ice Cream Man", which Van Halen covered way back in the day on their first record in 1978.

     The album isn't entirely perfect either as it features some covers that aren't particularly engaging, like the Jimi Hendrix "If 6 Was 9" cover. In any case, all the songs show a valiant effort, one that is commendable, and deserves the proper credit.

     Diamond Dave is a return to form for David Lee Roth after a decade-plus of disappointing solo records. Any Van Halen fan should treat themselves to this album as you will surely enjoy it. For a broader audience, it has a certain charm that is sure to capture your attention and ultimately entertain. Above all, Roth is a fantastic entertainer, and this album showcases his many talents.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"You Got The Blues Not Me"

"Made Up My Mind"

"Stay While The Night Is Young"

"Thug Pop"

"Ice Cream Man"

"Bad Habits"

"She's Looking Good"

-Kurt L.

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     This album marks a triumphant return to the roots of blues, where B.B. King made his name a household one. His career has spanned a entire lifetime and has reached many generations, and still to this day, well into his 80s, is recording some fine music. However, in 2008, he cut his best record in a decade with One Kind Favor. And as I said, it was a return to the roots, where B.B. is his best. In fact, not only is it his best album in the past ten years, but one of my personal favorites he has ever made.

     One Kind Favor is not simply a return, but also a departure from the work he has done as of late. Many of his other recent works have been filled with musical guest stars, glossy productions, and sometimes even some reduced guitar work from King himself. 1997s Duece's Wild was a guest star album, as was 2005's 80, where King celebrated his 80th birthday. 2003's Reflections was a very glossy number, with a very modern sound, and while it was a pretty good album, I didn't like the fact that King didn't seem to have too many leading guitar solos, they were mostly performed by a bandmate. These are the primary reasons as to why One Kind Favor is just that good. It isn't hindered by anything, and gives you exactly what you expect to hear: B.B. singing and playing the blues.

     I love the sound of this album. It has been stripped down to the basics. Not only that, but it has a very nostalgic sound to it as well. It has this warm sort of sound not heard on records of today. It almost sounds like an old vinyl record playing on your turntable, but yet, is cleaned up just enough to sound modern. This sounds like it could have been recorded in 1955, but obviously it was recorded in 2008. Surely, it sounds much more like a throwback, but if anything, I feel that sound comes natural to King when he is playing the basics of blues. The accompanying musicians are terrific as well. They are all quite skilled in their respective crafts, and sound like one cohesive unit behind King. They also provide many nuances throughout the entire piece that really bring more life into the songs.

     King himself sounds fantastic. I am blown away when I listen to how good he sounds here. At age 82, he sounds better than he did on Reflections (2003). His voice continues to be as booming and as expressive as ever, convincingly, and emotionally conveying the blues to his audience; songs like "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and "I Get So Weary" really showcase the raw power of his tremendous voice. His guitar work is also just as thrilling as ever. His signature sound is kept in tact after all these years, and is just as captivating.

     Another interesting thing about this album is that King seems also quite world-weary about his age and place in life. Still going strong thankfully, but at age 82 during the time of release, a song like "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" may appear to be macabre, but it isn't. I think King understands these things, but he definitely doesn't dwell on them, and I feel he appreciates the life he has been blessed with - throughout all of his ups and downs. In fact, this album embodies the struggles of life through the blues, but also its sweet embraces as well, and the jovial King comfortably guides us the entire way keeping our spirits high.

     I've always been a big fan of B.B. King and this album was a pleasure to listen to, and one that I have and will listen to again and again for the years to come. It is one of my favorite King albums, and certainly his best in the past several years. It is albums like this that continue to cement his name as the true, bonafide, undisputed King Of The Blues.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"

"I Get So Weary"

"Get These Blues Off Me"

"How Many More Years"

"Waiting For Your Call"

"Midnight Blues"

-Kurt L.

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     The first of its kind! An Ethos Video Review of the Quiet Riot discography. Enjoy and thanks for watching!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaeecFPt_2w

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     Storming back to the scene and making a triumphant comeback, British heavy-metal act Iron Maiden aimed its sights at recapturing the scene. Billed as the first album of the "21st Century Maiden", Brave New World was an amazing comeback and marked the first time the entire band reunited since 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. With the addition of third guitarist Janick Gers, the band was complete and here they made a greatly layered album with a flurry of mind-blowing guitar solos and some truly aesthestic moments.

     Iron Maiden has been recording music for over twenty years and by the time Brave New World was released, it had been exactly two decades since their debut album. If anything, I think, like a fine wine as they say, has this band gotten better with time. They only sound more professional, and tighter, and have benefited from the more modern ways of record production. The sound now is much more refined and entirely cleaner than some of Maiden's earliest works. Of course, a production can only do so much for a band as they must actually perform well on their own - which they do! I've always respected Iron Maiden's ability to not simply write great songs, but compose these metal masterpieces - they are so intricately layered. Songs like "Dream of Mirrors", and "Brave New World" are perfect examples of this. The albums best track, "Ghost of the Navigator", is another terrific example of their composition prowess.

     Another wonderful element of this album, and for Iron Maiden's career, is their ability to remain consistent. Brave New World is a defining example of this career long consistency that they are so blessed with. There is not really one dud on this entire album as they all seem to have something to offer one way or another. It really is a treat to listen to. The musicianship itself is very strong as well throughout, and the timeless pipes of Bruce Dickinson sound as strong here as they ever have before.

     I like this sort of "21st Century Maiden" because they not only made a comeback, but made one with a vengence, and with a mission to take back the metal world. They have accomplished so much and gone through a few ups and downs along the way, and it makes this newer album all the sweeter. There is a definitive brand of focus that is unmistakable here on Brave New World.

     I highly reccomend this album to any heavy metal fan, and I think any fan of rock music would really appreciate it. I'm not sure how broad an audience this particular album could reach, but I would say that Iron Maiden certainly has a lot more range than some of its contemporaries, and while this album has some heavy moments, it executes every moment with that aforementioned focus and a sense of grace. Also, it also gives you a great bang for your buck as it is a lengthy 67 minutes without ever feeling too long. Brave New World is one of their best efforts, and for this critic, it is my personal favorite in the Iron Maiden discography.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"Ghost of the Navigator"

"The Wicker Man"

"Brave New World"

"Out of the Silent Planet"

"Dream of Mirrors"

-Kurt L.

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     It is amazing how the entire mainstream career of Quiet Riot is based on a cover song – “Cum on Feel the Noize”, originally by the band Slade. Sure, for most of the 20^th century, it seemed that many great artists launched their careers on songs other people wrote, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it just feels different when a rock band does so in the contemporary environment - such as it is for Quiet Riot with their 1983 mainstream phenomenon Metal Health; a wildly successful “heavy metal” album that launched the somewhat stagnant careers of the band into the stratosphere. Quiet Riot had already been making a few records back in the late 1970s (two of them released in Japan), but finally in 1983, they got their moment in the sun.

        Unfortunately for Quiet Riot, this is as far as the band got. While they had been recording regularly until 2006 with their last album Rehab, the mainstream rock scene has totally forgotten about this hair-metal act. This would be the first and last album of theirs to come even close to selling six million records, and of course even topping the Billboard Top 200 charts. It was a very impressive display for the fairly obscure band, as they embodied many of the elements of “rock star excess” and flaunted it with a carefree attitude. And that is one of the strengths of Metal Health, it has plenty of attitude - it is a rock solid (no pun intended) record.

        Since the release of Metal Health, Quiet Riot have been reduced to being “one-hit wonders”, with that one hit being the aforementioned “Cum on Feel The Noize”, which is, I must say, a great, great rock song, with tons of energy and a terrific carefree demeanor. However, I have always felt that Quiet Riot was much better than the record sales showed, especially in their later works. They, as musicians, are far better and much more captivating than that of their contemporaries like Poison, Ratt, Tesla, Dokken, or Twisted Sister. Quiet Riot is not a perfect band by any stretch, but boy do they have some rockin’ tunes! Looking at Metal Health alone, it has plenty of memorable songs. Aside from the hit-single that I mentioned, the title track is also a heavy metal classic, as well as the sweet ballad “Don’t Wanna Let You Go”, one of the band’s best efforts. “Love’s A Bitch” is actually a great song, with a terrific vocal performance by lead singer Kevin DuBrow and some thrilling guitar work by Carlos Cavazo. Some songs, like “Slick Black Cadillac”, are just kind of dull and uninspiring filler. However, there’s a pretty solid bunch of songs, albeit some of the tracks have some corny lyrics, but overall, it’s actually fairly strong.

        Quiet Riot never had a follow-up album that was nearly as successful, but musically, they did improve, while still stumbling a bit here and there. The band features a core of talented musicians, I’ve already mentioned DuBrow and Cavazo, but also, Frankie Banali, the band’s drummer, is one of the best rock ‘n roll drummers out there.

        Metal Health is indeed a 1980s heavy metal, arena rock, hair metal classic that embodies the time perfectly, and is still a lot of fun to listen to today. I would hope that in the annals of rock history, they will be given a little more credit because they did, down the line, make some pretty darn good albums, but, I know that they will forever be remembered for this one. If you’re a fan of the genre, then Metal Health is for you, but considering how popular it was, you may have heard it already, and maybe you even owned it once before.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

“Cum on Feel the Noize”
“Don’t Wanna Let You Go”
“Metal Health”

“Love’s A Bitch”
“Battle Axe”

“Breathless”

-Kurt L.

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     Not many rock bands have much success after changing lead singers, as they are generally closely linked with the identity of the entire group. However, with Van Halen, it was a different story because they were arguably as, or more, successful when Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as the front man in 1985. They were producing more number one hits and hot selling records throughout the 1980s and well into the 1990s, but the big blow came in 1996. Eddie Van Halen, the legendary guitarist, notoriously known for a rather flippant and disgruntled demeanor, reared his ugly side when hiring back “Diamond Dave” [Roth] in ’96, while Hagar was still a member of the band. It led to disaster as Hagar left in a huff and Roth’s second tenure was short-lived as he and Eddie nearly got into a fist fight back stage at the MTV Music Awards that year. Following this mess, they were singer-less. They went having two of the more popular and beloved rock vocalists of the past 35 years to having no one. Where would they go from here?

        In 1998, the band had already recruited Gary Cherone, formerly of Extreme fame (does the song “More Than Words” ring a bell?), as their newest lead singer, and finally they released their only album together entitled Van Halen III. It is my belief that the “III” here stands for the third incarnation of the group – first with Roth, then with Hagar, and now Cherone. You could also interpret the “III” as meaning this a third-rate album - saying that this album infers, “three is a crowd,” would be apt as well. Cherone, doing his best to impersonate Sammy Hagar, has some decent chops as a singer, but for the most part sounds misguided, misused, and totally out of place here. Alex Van Halens’ drums sound epic, but too bad the songs are uninspired. And as always, Eddie’s guitar work remains wildly impressive, but there is no anchoring songwriter to showcase it properly.

        This album is garbage. While it may have some few redeeming qualities, and there are very few, to the albums’ merit it features a couple of good songs. “From Afar” is definitely the best song on this album, and it is legitimately a great song – as is “Fire In The Hole.” I suppose one way to sum up this album is that it is ultimately frustrating. It has some brilliant moments, for instance, the pair of great songs, and the production sounds good too, but, the utter lack of focus and consistency is very disappointing. Many of the tracks run way, way too long: “Without You” is two to three minutes too long, “What I Want” is a bad song, and wears out its welcome very quickly. Also, there are some absurdly long songs like “Once” which clocks in at nearly 8 minutes, and I simply wanted it to end. Often throughout the album I had wondered how much better it could have been if Sammy Hagar were at the helm – this album would have been salvaged I think, because he would have acted as that established songwriter and would have helped trim the longer parts, cleaned up some of the broken ideas and melodies, and would have totally incinerated any source tapes with the recording of “How Many Say I” on them.

        That brings me to my next point, “How Many Say I” is easily one of the worst songs I have ever heard. It is an embarrassment to the band’s legacy. First off, Eddie Van Halen is singing lead on it, and just from that, you can tell it’s a mess. Another is that when Cherone and Eddie harmonize it sounds worse than scratching your nails against a chalkboard – it is horrendous! It is definitely hard for one song to bring down an entire album because you can simply skip over it and move on to the next track, but “How Many Say I” epitomizes the very spirit, or rather, the lack of heart that surrounded the recording of this album. It’s no wonder why in 2004, when Van Halen reunited with Hagar, and released the greatest hits compilation - The Best of Both Worlds, there were no tracks included from Van Halen III on it. Also, to further distance themselves from this disgraceful record, Van Halen didn’t even include it on their discography in the liner notes of that greatest hits package.

        Van Halen III was the very last full length studio album released by Van Halen to date. It is for this fact that with each passing year, I become more repulsed by it because it was indeed their last effort as a band. Sure, they released a few new songs with Hagar in 2004 that were quite good, but it was only a tease as there were only three of them. You can tell when an album is bad when the very band itself who made it tries to completely ignore its existence. That is a shame. Avoid Van Halen III at all costs.

        Abysmal.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:

"From Afar"

"Fire In The Hole"

-Kurt L.

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     Chris Cornell has had a rather storied and successful career. He broke out during the "grunge" alternative rock era with the band Soundgarden. He had a side project entitled Temple of the Dog, which captured the true heart and soul of that era. He embarked on a solo career after Soundgarden broke up in 1997, and then returned to the band scene with Audioslave in 2001 launching yet another string of successful albums. After parting ways with the Rage Against The Machine clan that primarily made up Audioslave in 2007, Cornell carried on with his solo career and in 2008 released an appropriately titled album Carry On; it was a fine return to his solo work after his first brilliant solo outing Euphoria Morning in 1999. Then in 2009, he released Scream. To say the least it was a dramatic departure from his twenty plus year career as a rock icon. From the outset, take a look at his newest album cover pictured above where he smashes the guitar...that should tell you what's going on here. He is making the transition from Rock God to Pop Sensation.

     For many hardcore fans, Scream may be a disappointment. Though, I consider myself a hardcore fan of his and I have always been marveled by his range as an artist. He can grind the heaviest rock better than anyone as he did in his early years of Soundgarden and throughout his tenure in Audioslave, or sing the sweetest and soulful of ballads in his solo work. He has incredible vocal range as well as songwriting range too, just take a listen at the song "Say Hello 2 Heaven" on Temple of the Dog. Anyway, back to Scream, it will certainly shock you from the very first track entitled "Part of Me." I remember when I first popped this CD into my stereo and I remember saying out loud, "Wow!" It was a surprised "wow" rather than an impressed exclaim. However, I was won over very quickly because this is Chris Cornell doing essentially what he has always done - he has always tried to do different things in the music world. He has always consistently reinvented his sound with each passing album in one particular way or another. It is an impressive feat for any artist, and Cornell has done it with such success.

     The album itself is actually quite good. In collaboration with famed pop producer extraordinaire Timbaland, Cornell has created a truly solid pop outing. It has plenty of synthesizers, and those very sonic sounds of any modern pop album. Many of the tracks have the artificial drum machine, but some like "Climbing Up The Walls" have the real deal. It is a very interesting blend of Cornell's rock prowess and Timbaland's influence and mastery of pop.

     Perhaps one of the best elements of this album is that Cornell took influence from the 1960s era in that at the end of each song, it immediately carries into the next track. The entire album, and each of the thirteen tracks, link with one another seamlessly and it is a pleasure to the ears. The transitions at the ends of each song is really a treat, and some of the best transitions come at the end of "Take Me Alive" leading into the single "Long Gone." The other awesome transition from is "Other Side of Town" into "Climbing Up The Walls." It really encourages the listener to actually sit down and enjoy the album as a whole without skipping around, or at least listening to several tracks in sequence. I would hope Cornell continues with this concept in the future and that other artists might catch on to this classic idea. And speaking of tracks, perhaps the best one is "Enemy." It is instantly a Cornell classic and one that embodies all of the facets of this album.

     It is definitely a fine addition to Cornell's already incredible resume as he pens yet another strong album. I was a little skeptical at first, but I welcomed and trusted his instincts and I felt rewarded for doing so as I was treated to a very good finished product. I highly recommend it to those naysayer's out there who think Cornell doesn't have the pop-chops, but he does. Sure, he is better as a bonafide rock singer as he has always been, but he has made the transition to pop very smoothly. Will he continue to be a pop sensation? Well, if the hidden track at the very end of the album called "Two Drink Minimum" is any indication, he'll be returning to his best form soon enough.

     For now, enjoy his newest foray in the music world, and let's hope he continues to make great music.

"Enemy"

"Long Gone"

"Climbing Up The Walls"

"Scream"

"Two Drink Minimum" (Hidden track)

"Time"

"Never Far Away"

-Kurt L.

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