Thin Lizzy - Black Rose

1979

Apparently this is one of Thin Lizzy's most popular albums. There are a few great songs on here but overall this is actually pretty far down my personal list of favorite albums from these guys. The sound is distilled and to the point. The production here  One of their catchier albums. There's a lot of guitar ripping on here. There's no doubt this is a really good album. I think with repeated listens I'll come to appreciate this more.

Kiss - Dynasty

1979

   I think this is their most fully realized album.(Up to this point)  Strong songs all the way through. Great production. It's not balls out rock and roll like Alive. This record was made in a different era. Where obviously they we're influenced by the popular music of the day. Something that would end up being their downfall.

Van Halen - II

1979

I always felt that this was literally Van Halen II. Leftovers from the first album. That may be true, but it for sure seems like the missing link to Women and Children First. I've always loved this record since it came out.

Angel - Sinful

1979

Late 70's pop rock. Sometimes it's terribly bad in a high cheese factor kind of way. At their best they've got a Boston/Cheap Trick vibe happening, but sometimes it's not that good. Bay City Rollers keep coming to mind. This is a guilty pleasure type thing. it's not cool to like the Partridge Family or Styx. Is it? This album seems a bit ahead of it's time.

-Sweet/Runaways/Alice Cooper glam rock. The keyboard/synths kill are way overbored on the first song then they just kinda go away.

-Killer Bubblegum pop/rock record.

Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery

This is pretty lightweight even by ELO standards. Couple disco songs. A bunch of songs that sound like Wings rejects. Some songs that sound like a bunch of songs that Cheap Trick tried to do later on. Production is really good and makes this listen able just because it sounds so nice.

Several ELO records better than this one. Don't Bring Me Down is on here. It was a pretty big hit from what I remember. People who bought this album because they liked that song were probably pretty disappointed since nothing else on the record sounds anything like it.

Gravestone - Doomsday

Long expanded guitar rock jams that has more in common with Santana than Iron Maiden. Raw production. Semi tolerable guitar wanking. NWOGHM? Not really.

The Knack - Get The Knack

1979

The Beatles and The Cars have a dinner party on Cheap Tricks' ass. Super catchy sweet and not so innocent power pop songs.

One of my favorite albums ever.

Aerosmith - Night In The Ruts

When Night In The Ruts came out I didn't care for it so much. It wasn't as good as the ones that came before it. I'm listening to it right now and surprisingly I'm diggin' it. Doesn't sound much different than Rocks, or Draw The Line. It doesn't rock as hard as those though. Classic Aerosmith. I'm pretty sure it's all downhill for Aerosmith after this.