“A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector stands as inarguably the greatest Christmas record of all time. Spector believed he could produce a record for the holidays that would capture not only the essence of the Christmas spirit, but also be a pop masterpiece that would stand against any work these artists had already done. He succeeded on every level, with all four groups/singers recording some of their most memorable performances. This is the Christmas album by which all later holiday releases had to be judged, and it has inspired a host of imitators.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“Sheer visceral force is one thing, but originality is another, and the still-amazing thing about Van Halen is how it sounds like it has no fathers. Plenty other bands followed this template in the ’80s, but like all great originals Van Halen doesn’t seem to belong to the past and it still sounds like little else, despite generations of copycats. Listen to how “Runnin’ with the Devil” opens the record with its mammoth, confident riff and realize that there was no other band that sounded this way” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“There may be no better place to hear how both punk and prog rock informed the New Wave of British Heavy Metal than Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut. Often overlooked and overshadowed by the glorious Bruce Dickinson years, it’s easy to forget that Iron Maiden was itself a game-changer when it appeared on the scene in 1980. That year also saw important albums from Motörhead, Saxon, and Angel Witch, but Iron Maiden vaulted its creators to the head of the NWOBHM pack, reaching the U.K. Top Five and establishing them as an outfit with the talent to build on Judas Priest’s late-’70s innovations.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“More than ever before, the band’s songs on Pyromania are driven by catchy, shiny melodic hooks instead of heavy guitar riffs. Robert John “Mutt” Lange’s buffed-to-a-sheen production — polished drum and guitar sounds, multi-tracked layers of vocal harmonies, a general sanding of any and all musical rough edges, and a perfectionistic attention to detail — set the style for much of the melodic hard rock that followed. Leppard’s quest for huge, transcendent hard rock perfection on Pyromania was surprisingly successful; their reach never exceeded their grasp, which makes the album an enduring (and massively influential) classic.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“After turning some heads with his debut, Billy Squier truly arrived with 1981′s Don’t Say No, which kicks off in spectacular fashion with the triple opening salvo of “In the Dark,” “The Stroke,” and “My Kinda Lover” — all of which become staples at rock radio. The album is a near-perfect example of early-’80s melodic hard rock, and even less enduring (but hardly inferior rockers) such as “You Know What I Like” and “Lonely Is the Night” keep up the intensity.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“1984′s In the Eye of the Storm, is a remarkable work of explosive creativity. Hodgson wrote, sang, arranged, and produced In the Eye of the Storm, but the real kicker is the fact that he played every instrument himself, with a few exceptions such as drums and fretless bass guitar on a few cuts. As a result, In the Eye of the Storm is easily the best synthesis of pop and progressive rock since, well, prime Supertramp.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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“With “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs,” they had their greatest set of singles since the heady days of Tres Hombres, and the songs that surrounded them weren’t bad either. The songs alone would have made Eliminator one of ZZ Top’s three greatest albums, but their embrace of synths and sequencers made it a blockbuster hit, since it was the sound of the times. Yet it sounds like a mechanized ZZ Top thanks to the unflaggingly accurate grooves. Then again, that’s part of the album’s charm — this is new wave blues-rock, glossed up for the video, looking as good as the omnipresent convertible on the cover and sounding as irresistible as Reaganomics” (Source: AllMusic.com)

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“Truest Inspiration is the sixth studio album by The Northern Pikes released in 2001. This was their first album of new music since they reformed in 1999 after a 6 year break.

Following the release of Neptune in 1992 and the subsequent live album called Gig in 1993, the band decided to disband. During their time apart, Jay Semko and Bryan Potvin each released a solo album. However, in 1999 Virgin Records asked the band members for their input on a “greatest hits” package. The band decided to do a short promotional tour following the release of Hits and Assorted Secrets 1984-1993, but found themselves enjoying the more relaxed independence of making their own schedule that they continued touring.

After a live album called Live released in 2000, the band decided to record a new album in the latter half of 2000. No longer signed to Virgin Records, the album was released independently by the band’s Square Dog management group.” (Source: Wikipedia)

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“Musical collaborations can be a dicey proposition. The blending of two styles and sounds can lead to the cancellation of the aspects of each that make them interesting and unique in the first place, which in turn leads to an inferior record. Iron & Wine and Calexico decided to tempt fate and hook up in 2004 and In the Reins is the result. The record manages to blend the best aspects of the two groups and comes off a winner in all respects. You get Iron & Wine’s melodicism, emotional depth, and literary grace backed by Calexico‘s desert-bleached C&W orchestral splendor.” (Source: Allmusic.com)

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Nat “King” Cole – The Christmas Song (1963 -2005-)
Holiday | M4A 256 Kbps | 95,9 Mb

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