CD Review: "Powerslave" - Iron Maiden

"Powerslave is the fifth studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on September 3, 1984. It is notable for its Egyptian theme displayed in the album art, as well in the title track's musical style. It contains a musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", which uses pieces of the original poem as lyrics, and is the longest song Iron Maiden have ever recorded at a length of 13 minutes and 38 seconds. The album is also notable amongst the band's albums as being the first album to feature the same lineup as the previous one. As of 2008, this is the last of the band's albums to contain an instrumental track: "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)." Powerslave is often considered one of their finest albums by fans and critics alike." - Excerpt from Wikipedia.org

I bought a cassette tape of this album in the early 90's and it became one of my regularly-played tapes. What I particularly like about it at was the infectious energy of the songs from the beginning to the last. What I learned later on that each track has it's own interesting tale to tell. Some of the notable tracks include:

"Aces High", a song about a WWII RAF pilot during the Battle of Britain in 1940 which marks the first time an air battle was fought in the British Isles, provides a jolting kickstart to the album's high-energy opening salvo.

"2 Minutes To Midnight", tells about that time in 1953 when the Doomsday Clock registered the closest ever to "midnight", representing catastrophic destruction. (Presently, the Clock is set at 5 minutes to midnight. The furthest it was set was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991).

"Flash of the Blade" starts off with a prominent guitar riff to accentuate the tale of dueling swordsmen. The awesome guitar solo showcases intricate lead guitar harmonies between Adrian Smith and Dave Murray, that Maiden is known for.

"Back In The Village" is another fast-paced number, based on the 1960's TV show "The Prisoner" which was said to be a favorite of Bruce Dickinson's.

"Powerslave" begins with high pitched scream followed by an ominous laughter. It tells about the demise of an Egyptian pharaoh. One of the album's best tracks.

"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is based on the poem with the same title by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This epic song used portions from the poem itself to complement the song. It's a commendable choice for the band to inject classic poetry to their album.

This album is generally hailed as one of the best ever, if not THE best, to be produced by Iron Maiden and I believe the recognition is rightfully bestowed.

Release: 1984

Tracks listing:
1. Aces High
2. 2 Minutes To Midnight
3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
4. Flash Of The Blade
5. The Duellists
6. Back In The Village
7. Powerslave
8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Band members:
Bruce Dickinson - vocals
Dave Murray - guitar
Adrian Smith - guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris - bass
Nicko McBrain - drums

Stone Gods To Release Debut Album "Silver Spoons and Broken Bones"

The Stone Gods, a new band formed from the ashes of defunct British rock goup The Darkness, is set to release their debut album on July 7, 2008. The album will be called "Silver Spoons and Broken Bones".

The group is composed of Richie Edwards (vocals/guitar), Dan Hawkins (lead guitar), Toby MacFarlaine (bass) and Ed Grahams (drums).

The Stone Gods have been quite busy since last year to record the new album and started promoting their new songs at the start of 2008:

"On February 25, 2008 an EP called "Burn the Witch" was released. It contained two tracks from the upcoming debut album and two non-album b-sides. According to the official Stone Gods website, the EP sold out within one day. It also reached #2 in the Radio 1 Rock charts.

On April 9, 2008, Stone Gods announced that the first single of the new album will be 'Knight Of The Living Dead' and was released on 23th June 2008.

On May 25, 2008, the band released 3 songs exclusively on iTunes. These songs, which will be on the album are 'Knight Of The Living Dead', 'Making it Hard' and 'Defend Or Die'.

On June 10, 2008, Stone Gods were supposed to start their 'Knight of the Living Death' tour in Liverpool, but due to health problems with Ed Graham, three dates were postponed. In order to continue the tour, Ed Graham is temporarily replaced by ex-Bush drummer Robin Goodridge."

I watched "Burn the Witch" and "You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight" in Youtube, and I gotta say, this lineup with Richie Edwards sounds way better (kick-ass is more like it!) for me than the falsettoes of ex-Darkness vocals Justin Hawkins, although I have to admit that I did enjoy "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" for a while. I hope they continue what they're doing, it's good to keep the flames of rock alive and burning.

Here's "You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight" from Stone Gods...


(Info taken from Wikipedia.org)

Van Halen Wraps Up Successful Tour

As the final date of the humongous Van Halen Tour ended last June 2, 2008, it was revealed that this was the most commercially lucrative tour for the band. Lucrative… in the tune of US$93 million! This is according to the band’s official website, Van-Halen.com.

What could possibly be even better for the band than having Eddie sober enough to play as prodigiously as he does? Van Halen followers know how bad his condition was during previous tours as a result of his severe alcoholism. But since he got better, possibly from regular rehab, so did his guitar playing. Another plus for the fans was that this was the first time in more than 20 years that David Lee Roth toured with Van Halen. I'm sure those who were alienated from the band when Sammy Hagar came embraced this welcome change.

I feel bad, though, for original bassist and longtime VH companion Mike Anthony. Now, he could only watch, after years of touring together with the Van Halen brothers. He was replaced by Eddie’s teenage son Wolfgang who seemed to have sufficiently filled the shoes left by Anthony.

There’s nothing like playing your own songs and getting big bucks for it. That’s why if I were Eddie, I’d keep my self sober and keep on rocking until I keel over and die.

Photo: Van-Halen.com

AC/DC To Release New Album This Year!

According to the band’s website, ACDC.com, the veteran rock group is set to release a new album later this year:

“The waiting is almost over! AC/DC fans can expect the band's next album of new material sometime later this year. The band are currently recording in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien and long time audio engineer Mike Fraser. This will be the band's first collection of new material since the release of Stiff Upper Lip in 2000.”

This is good news for loyal AC/DC fans all over the world. It’s been 8 years since their last album release that included new songs, so it’s about time! Man! This is longest time ever that the legendary band had in between albums. We can’t really blame them though. With the success they attained all these years, they can afford to lie low a little bit, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Photo: Wikipedia.org

CD Review: "Master Of Puppets" - Metallica

Metallica's 3rd full album "Master of Puppets", released in 1986, served as the breaking ground for this legendary thrash metal quintet to the public consciousness. James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett have been toiling in the underground scene for the past years and only after this were they truly appreciated by a wider audience.

This is also the last album recorded by Metallica with their well-loved bassist Burton before his tragic passing just a few months after the album's release.

It was a time when the most popular bands were led by hair metal groups like Ratt, Cinderella, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. Amidst the pomp and glitter of the 80's glam metal music scene, "Master of Puppets" provided a brutal awakening for hardcore heavy metal fans. They (including myself!) haven't heard anything like it before, at all.

All songs were clocking over 5 minutes, with the masterpiece title track well above the 8-minute mark. Each song bursting to the seams with killer riff after killer riff, to be punctuated with mind-boggling guitar solos. There were no typical song format at all. Pop hooks, catchy tunes? You can throw them out of the window because you won't find them anywhere near it.

But man! The energy and power in the songs as these four kids (they were still kids then) relentlessly bludgeoned their respective musical instruments with uncanny precision, can be felt. And that for me was one of the factors that made the album so special.

It was crazy.

Nowadays, there is much criticism aimed at the group from their old-school fans because of the "selling out" tag. But let's not forget, that there was a time when the mighty Metallica blitzkrieg once truly kicked ass.

This album is the undeniable proof.

Release: 1986

Tracks listing:
1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

Band members:
James Hetfield - vocals, rhythm guitars
Kirk Hammett - lead guitar
Cliff Burton - bass guitar
Lars Ulrich - drums

Dimarzio Pickups Review: HS-2 DP-116 and YJM DP-217

Yesterday, for some reason, I finally got my two, new and unused, Dimarzio single coils (an HS-2 DP116 and a YJM DP217) out of the box under my PC table and tried installing it in my trusty Yamaha Pacifica 112.

I put my old Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker (circa 1996) at the bridge, the HS-2 on the middle and the YJM on the neck positions. At last, my Yamaha Pac is now fully upgraded into a Dimarzio-powered axe!

When I plugged it into my Cube-60, I was amazed at how different it sounded NOW.

What was once a weak, uninspired tone for the stock Yamaha pickups were now more defined, fuller and more clear sound. I can't believe I waited that long before installing the two Dimarzio single coils pickups.

The cleans in the neck and middle positions were so crystal clear. Though not like the text-book glassy Fender tone many want to have, for me it was more than enough.

I noticed that the humbbucker at the bridge was louder and edgier that the 2 single coils and is more suited for metal/rock type of songs and guitar solos. This was expected as the Super Distortion has a higher output than the HS-2 and YJM.

What made me really happy was that the tone from the single coils were what I've been searching for so long for a clean tone. I was quite ecstatic over this.

I also took out my Epiphone LP Sunburst Plaintop to compare the sound. By the way, my LP is also Dimarzio-powered. It has a PAF Pro at the bridge and a Humbucker From Hell at the neck.

The PAF Pro a bit sounded similar to the Super Distortion at the neck, though less edgier and more laid back. But for the neck/middle position tones, it was a world of difference. The YJM and HS-2, hands down, sounded more defined and clearer to me than the HFH in the LP, which now sounded just a tad muddy COMPARED to the single coils. But LPs are supposed to be muddy at the neck, ain't they?

Looks like I got myself a new pet axe!

Banda Fantastica 2 - Various Pinoy Bands in Singapore

This is a review of a compilation album released by Pinoy bands in Singapore. This CD was given to those who attended the concert last Oct. 20, 2007 at Le Baroque Chijmes, Singapore. By the way, I’m not a professional musician. I do play guitar and love listening to music. But all I am now is a hobbyist. Having said that, I hope the bands whose songs I gave low ratings would take these comments constructively. Truly, I am amazed how these people can still make time from their busy schedules to make music. That is beyond a shadow of doubt an admirable display of the spirit of musicianship.

Here it goes!

1. “Tomorrow's Past” by Soundpedia
The song started quite well. It showed a lot of promise but went downhill starting on the first chorus. There are timing issues and there seem to be a sense of urgency in the voice that I can't understand why. Listening makes me feel very uneasy, which was compounded by the fact that the vox was sometimes off-key. I also felt a sonic clutter was going on with all the different things the bass, drums and guitars seems to be doing at the same time while there's singing going on. The backup vocals sounded off-key at times and doesn't synch well with the main vocals. The only thing that made it bearable was the lead guitar, which made me think that this could've been a better instrumental song.
Rating : 2 of 5

2. “Enemy Within” by Transient Attack
Energetic song with vocals similar to Soundgarden and guitar riffs sounding like Stone Temple Pilots, at least for me. It brought to mind images of moshpits filled with banging bodies, stagediving and such. The song was engaging and kept my interest the whole time. The recording was ok, all instruments are heard without one overpowering another. There were some instances, though, when I felt the timing was off. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it was noticeable. Nevertheless, I would say it's one of my favorite tracks in the album.
Rating : 4 of 5

3. “Song For You” by Cajooters
A fast tune that immediately reminded me of the song "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors. The recorded isn't as professional-sounding as some of the other tracks. The band played their song competently. It appeared they practiced well enough to sound tight, which is a good thing because some bands do have some considerable timing issues. However, the melody is quite redundant and gets tedious after a while because it doesn't have much to offer after the initial interest in generated at the beginning. It's one of the average tracks for me.
Rating: 3 of 5

4. “On A Coaster Ride” by Launchbox
One of the songs I like in the CD. Dig the rollercoaster sound effects at the end of the song! Timing and pitch here are perfect, this song thankfully has none of those obstacles. The vocals are particularly pleasant to the ears. The band is impressively tight and played the song very well, almost as if professional musicians did it. The song evokes a good feeling about it. It makes me want to hear it over and over again. It’s one thing I look for in a song, the way it connects with the listener. For me, this song connected. This is a song that would generally make me want to hear more and discover more about a band. Nice effort by Launchbox on this song.
Rating: 5 of 5

5. “Seize The Day” by Aftermath
I kinda liked the song. It sounded to me like a Neocolours song. It’s mellow and the melody is nice. However, there something missing or excessive about the song but I can’t point out what it is. Could it be that the groove of the bass guitar doesn’t mesh with the other instruments? I also notice some pitchy moments, specially the backup vocals. This is one song, however, that came through for me despite it’s flaws. Probably a better recording and more tight rendition would kick it up many notches higher than a “3”.
Rating: 3 of 5

6. "Funk'd Up" by Guitarded
A promising instrumental track that began quite well. I actually liked the first half of the piece. However, in the middle part until the end, the lead guitar sounded like it overdid the lead part. There was too much notes crammed in the aural space instead of feeling the flow of the catchy and foot-stomp-inducing beat of the song.
Rating: 3 of 5

7. “Angel of the Sea” by Pop Machine
First of all, intro music reminded me of The Cure’s similarly flanger-drenched intro in “A Forest” and bit like Seona Dancing’s “More to Lose”. Also, when the first lyrics sounded, it conjured a mental image of Robert Smith. Another thing, the “Angel” part of the chorus sounded like U2’s “Angel of Harlem”. Ok I had to get those out first. Now once you get past those New Wave references, you can see a tight band with a nice-sounding song with a good melody. It sounded very 80’s, I don’t know if they did it intentionally. It’s not a bad thing though. Some people, me included, dig this genre. Definitely one of the tracks that I like.
Rating: 4 of 5

8. "Island Jam" by Blues Junkie
Another instrumental track, this one reminded me of a typical Santana tune. It has a sound that gives a distinctive latin flavor. The drums solo in the middle part was noteworthy. Only remark is that the bass guitar solo sounded very weak. But it eventually built up when the other instruments came joining in. One of the tracks I like.
Rating: 4 of 5

9. "Best Love" by After Six
The recording is a bit weak. Actually, I couldn’t remember anything about it after the song ended. No hook. No catchy melody. No dynamics. I did remember the continuously droning drum machine-esque drum sound. And that sometimes the vocals becomes off-tune at different parts of the song.
Rating: 2 of 5

10. "Traces of Yesterday" by Winter Riot
I was really bothered by the time changes in the song. Usually I don’t have problems with multiple time changes in songs. But this one, I felt that the transitions weren’t that smooth and consistent as I would expect. Also, the melody for the chorus gets a bit repetitive at the end. Nonetheless, you have to give credit to the band for thinking unconventionally and making a complicated structure for their song.
Rating: 2 of 5

11. "Vanish" by Kernel Panic
A heavy, headbanging song that started well. But when the chorus started, the vocals started getting out of tune. The guitar solo was fantastic with a blistering run at the start. That was the highlight of the song for me. I wished the solo could have been a bit longer and louder about a notch or two. Another thing I noticed is that the rhythm section isn't consistent, sometimes the drums becomes slower and it feels like the the guitar is trying to keep up with it. This could be a reason why the songs couldn't get in a good flow. Recording seems adequate but could be better. The song is ok for me and could have been better if the band would just address these things.
Rating: 3 of 5

12. "Ikaw Lang" by Saint Trend
A slow number which is the only Tagalog track in the cd, it is a rock love song with a nice melody. Recording is exceptional and at par with some of the other well-recorded songs in the compilation. Another thing that gave the song it's wicked punch despite the syrupy lyrics was the remarkable guitar fills. The guitar player gave the right amount of guitar orchestration to liven up the sound despite its simplistic two-chord stanza progression as the end of the song approaches. Overall, a nicely-written song to listen to while driving on a lonely road at sunset. Another of my favorites.
Rating: 5 of 5

13. "Stay With Me" by Yellow Tea Lady
A pop love song with very nice melody. The intro got my attention with its clear, acoustic guitar riffs. But the vocals was even more engaging. This song hit a nerve somewhere within me. It felt like the singer was singing to me directly. The backing vocals provide additional body to the song in the right portions. Ok, there are some instances that I felt timing came a bit off and the vox a tad pitchy sometimes, but it still doesn't take away the song's magic. This song is one of those songs that I listen to multiple times without me getting tired of it.
Rating: 4 of 5

14. "Our Father" by Mr. Brosnan?
This song is a well-rounded rock offering with impeccable timing, well-placed fills and clear vocals. Recording was superbly done and actually sounded like it was mixed professionally. The guitar solo was impressive, the guitar player chose his phrasing really well. The band is extremely tight and constantly "in the pocket", so they say. The ending came a bit weak though, it felt like the song could have ended better with a bang. Despite that minor glitch, though, here's two thumbs up for Mr. Brosnan for coming up with a strong song. One of the cd's best tracks, it's my most favorite actually.
Rating : 5 of 5

-----------------------------------------

Mostly my comments became focused on timing and pitch. The thing is, one cannot focus on the song if these roadblocks are immediately encountered. I'm confident though that the bands would take these remarks constructively and will put out a better effort the next time.

Overall this is a commendable effort by our Pinoy musicians in Singapore who all have day jobs but still kept the musical fire inside them alive. Rock on! \m/ \m/

Here are links for those who want to download the songs:
http://www.purevolume.com/bandafantastica021
http://www.purevolume.com/bandafantastica022
http://www.purevolume.com/bandafantastica023
http://www.purevolume.com/bandafantastica024

Ten Random Tips for Guitar Beginners

Here are some of the stuff I did when I started playing guitar and began learning new songs years ago, most of which mostly happened to me along the way unintentionally. As a matter of fact, it's only now that I was able put them into words.

1. Always give time to play guitar daily
Constant playing will make the player more accustomed to their instrument of choice. For the ardent guitarist however, one does not even make a conscious effort to put in the mileage on their guitar. It just happens. In my case, it's the most natural thing, almost instinctive, to go to my room and pick up the guitar.

2. Complete songs from the beginning to the end
It would be a memory practice and the same time, every completed song would be an addition to your repertoire whenever the need to play presents itself.

3. Learn to sing while playing guitar
An aspiring guitarist may not have the pipes that could be considered gifted, but that is a moot point. Being able to sing while playing is almost like a default function for a guitar player. It's definitely a desirable skill to acquire specially if your goal is to be in a band, but even if you desire only to play by your lonesome, singing along with your guitar playing can be an enjoyable experience as well.

4. Use a metronome
I've heard many play the guitar without correct timing. It may be a bit acceptable when you're playing solo with a free form kind of music but when your objective is play in a band, then you're in for a rough sailing. It is imperative for band members to play in synchronous fashion. Otherwise it will be a sonic disaster. Practicing with a metronome early on will aid in the development of getting the proper timing.

5. Hang out with like-minded and guitar (or musically)-inclined people
Even if you're not in a band with musician friends, just being with them is extremely helpful. You guys could be discussing theory, practice routines, exercises or just about your favorites bands, either way you're totally immersing yourself into guitar and music.

6. Try mentally dissecting songs
This might also be considered a part of "ear" training. Try hearing the segregation of the different musical instruments playing in a given song. It's fun once you get the hang of it!

7. Learn from the masters
Most of the stuff we hear are just recycled music from an older period, but given a touch of individuality by players considered as legends. Page, EVH, Satriani, Vai, Lukather, Hendrix, May, Clapton, these are all guitar heroes depending on which genre one is inclined to listen to. Hear what they have to offer, it's a lot for mere mortals like us.

8. Make small goals, one at a time, to cover a bigger goal
Sometimes a song you're practicing or a technique you're trying to learn may look daunting. But if you cut it into smaller bits, then focus on each small part, it won't look and feel as difficult. Each small target accomplished will get you one step closer to the bigger overall objective.

9. Keep listening to music
When you always listen to music, you tend to have more musical inputs in your mind. This broadens you tastes and makes you want to learn more styles and genres.

10. Join a band
There's no better way to practice while having a good time! No amount of backing tracks, even though how accurate and life-like it may sound, can measure up to the energy that a live jam session with a band generates. If you haven't tried it yet, then you're missing a lot!

I'm not saying all of these will work for everyone, as one man's wine could be another one's poison, but it worked for me in terms of my personal goals concerning guitar-playing. I'm still learning up to now, there's no end to learning stuff because as they say, the more you know, the more you know that you don't know!


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Philippine Embassy Consular Section in Riyadh - a salute!

Amidst the negative publicity that government employees are known to project, there are some incidents that give a breeze of fresh air to dispel this notion.

Today an incident like that happened to me.

The past few days saw me travelling back and forth to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh because I needed to renew my passport. Unlike before when one can just wait for an hour or two before getting the much coveted document, I was informed this time that they had run out of booklets to use for the new passports.

"Just leave your old passport here so we can process it then call us after a day or two." I was told.

That was 2 days ago. When I called earlier today, I was happy to hear that my passport was finished and just waiting to be picked up. So after work, I went directly to the compound with the hopes of getting home immediately after getting the document.

But this didn't go smoothly as I initially expected.

I came at around 3:30pm, which is half an hour before closing time. All the other people that came after me already got their respective passports and left. The embassy staff looking for my passport can't seem to find it. 4:00pm came, the end of official working hours, but still no sign of my passport. After that, another staff came to help but still nothing. I even volunteered to go inside to help but apparently that's not allowed.

I was getting anxious. Half an hour has passed 4pm and still they can't find it. There are four people now looking for it in all the shelves and tables over and over.

Then a thought suddenly struck me.

There I was, looking inside from outside the counter, and seeing these people frantically looking for my passport as if there was no tomorrow. Is this for real? These are the people that are supposedly too self-absorbed and don't care about about the public they are serving. Yet they’re doing everything they can for this non-VIP person who’s the only hindrance for them to get out of the office. I was thinking that these guys could easily just dismissed me and tell me to come back tomorrow, but they didn’t! I know it’s their job but for me who had experienced one time too many the kind of demeaning and condescending treatment from other government agencies, this came as a complete surprise.

So after almost an hour after their regular working hours, one of them finally saw my passport. I was so relieved and noticed that they looked as relieved as I was. One of them apologized for the inconvenience I went through. After the smoke cleared, I felt very happy not just because I finally saw my passport, but also because of the unselfish effort that I saw unexpectedly from these people.

So to the staff of the Consular Section in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, I’d like to thank you again for your effort and may you continue to give the public the same selflessness that our country sorely needs at these times.

"Machine Head" - Deep Purple

Is there any rock dude who hasn’t heard of the immortal “Smoke On The Water”? For some it’s the most overplayed piece of crap in the history of music. For some, the intro is the ultimate guitar riff.

Luckily for Deep Purple, the album that included this classic isn’t just good for that one song. “Machine Head”, released in 1972 by this supergroup, is worthy of being called one of the most prominent rock albums in the development of the heavy metal and speed metal genre. For all guitar-inclined musicians all over like myself, it is a treasure chest of kick-ass riffs and a combination of classical-music-meets-blues inspired licks.

The album kicks off with the fast-paced “Highway Star”. One of their most recognizable songs, it boasts of complicated guitar and organ solos by Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord, respectively. It was so popular that Nintendo presented a version of the tune in their video game, Rock N’ Roll Racing. “Highway Star” is definitely one of my favorites. We used to jam this song in our cover band and everytime the solo part comes, I get goosebumps all over.

“Maybe I’m Leo” is a somewhat slower piece with a bit of groove going on while “Pictures of Home” begins with an emphatic display of mastery of the drums by Ian Paice. Like most of the songs in this release, both tracks have more that its share of fretboard brilliance by Blackmore and keyboard fireworks by Lord. But the latter has a little something that others don’t have – a rare bass solo by Roger Glover!

The next track, “Never Before”, is the shortest in the list. Aside from that, I felt that this is their weakest track. However, that would be a result of comparing it with the overall might of the other songs in this partuicular album. Compared to any lesser rock songs, this is defintely topnotch.

The last three songs closes the “Machine Head” experience with a loud bang. “Smoke on the Water” doesn’t need any introduction anymore. The next song “Lazy” sounds like a jam to me. It starts out with a Lord organ intro, then followed by an exchange of solos between him and Blackmore. We all know that Blackmore has been declared numerous times a guitar god, but Jon Lord wasn’t gonna make Ritchie walk all over him in this instance, or any other instance for that matter. Jon Lord is unquestionably one of the most talented organ player I’ve ever heard.

Finally the last song “Space Truckin’” has probably the most kick-ass intro riff in the whole set for me. This is the song that I really want to play with our group but unfortunately for me I’m the only in our band who likes it. I wonder why this never reached the same status as "Smoke on the Water". On the other hand, I think it’s better that way. With this scenario, there is a healthy balance between overly popular songs and tunes with less exposure that won't undermine the legacy of this brilliantly-crafted tour de force.


Release: 1972
Tracks listing:
1. Highway Star
2. Maybe I'm A Leo
3. Pictures Of Home
4. Never Before
5. Smoke On The Water
6. Lazy
7. Space Truckin'

Band members:
Ian Gillan - vocals, harmonica
Ritchie Blackmore - lead guitar
Jon Lord - piano, organ, keyboards
Roger Glove - bass guitar
Ian Paice - drums