Favorite cds from my collection

I was going through my cd player and taking out some cds that have been in there for a while that I really haven't felt like listening to for a while. When I was going through my cds to pick out new stuff to put in the player I was thinking I have a lot of cds that I will always like no matter how many times I listen to them and even if I'm sick of them I still love them. These cds will stand the test of time for me and I'll hopefully still be listening to them when I get older. If I ever get to the point of having my own kids and maybe grand kids I can turn them on to things I used to like even if they probably wont like it lol.

I have a decent sized collection so this list will not be small by any means so instead of just posting every single one that I like I will do this over time so everyone can discuss their feelings as well, whether you like it, hate it, or don't even know what it is.

I'm warning everyone now though, its not all "Metal".


This is where it all began for me. Hysteria was basically at the time the first "Metal" (I know its not considered metal now) band I was turned on to. For me, In 1987 There was no better band than Def Leppard. I worshiped Hysteria. It has everything that I love about music in it, its just one great song after the other. Ok towards the end it starts to fade a little but it didn't matter to me and to this day it still doesn't. Even though this album sounds completely out dated now I still have a lot of love for it. I couldn't even tell you how many times I had to replace it just from over playing it.

Moving on, Of course I had to seek out their other albums and I'm not sure which I ended up getting next, but which ever it was be it Pyromania or High and Dry, I loved those albums just the same and maybe a little more because it showed me a whole different side to the band that Hysteria doesn't even touch. Sadly they haven't topped these albums since. I tried to like Adrenalize but you could tell that they just weren't into it at the time. Then Vivian Campbell comes into the band who I had no idea who he was at the time(I wasn't so big into music then) and he completely ruined the band. It may not be even his fault but Steves presence has definetly been missing since he died and I haven't been able to like them the same since.




Moving onto Guns N Roses. When I first heard these guys I wasn't crazy about them at all. Everyone was so excited about them I didn't see the big deal. A friend of mine, at the time, played LIES for me and I still didn't like them. I was also kind of not into them cursing for some reason, what a stupid reason, again I was young lol. I don't know what it was that finally clicked with me, maybe it was Paradise City? I don't remember or it could have been Sweet Child either way I broke down and got the Appetite For Destruction cassette. After listening to it I found out what the buzz was all about. It was just one great song after the other. It was angry and loud something I really never saw myself liking but it quickly grew on me.

Use Your Illusions were completely different than Appetite almost a differen't band. the attitude was still there on some songs Get In The Ring, Right Next Door To Hell, You Could Be Mine etc. but the newer direction they were taking with November Rain, and Estranged opened up a whole new world again to me. Who would ever think the use of pianos in Rock or Metal music would even go good with each other. These songs were proof that it worked and it worked great. These albums to this day get spins from me they never get old. My friend and I still talk about how good they were too and how they just don't get old.

Ok so, so far it looks like I'm picking the easy albums that are no big surprises but I figured I'd start this off easy. Don't worry it will build up haha. Enjoy for now.

High and Dry is awesome. I still have my original vinyl of Pyromania and it's a nostalgic favorite. Hysteria has not aged well IMO but I liked it at the time.

Appetite is one of the best albums ever recorded. There, I said it. A game-changer in every way. I think the Use Your Illusion albums could have made ONE killer album but there is way too much filler. Still a great collection of tunes though.

thanks for sharing that

To elaborate, being I'm in that kind of mood

My intro was "On Through The Night" with Def Leppard. The coverart was pretty different and yet true to what was inside the jacket. "Big Guitar". I have a fun memory regarding the song "Rock Brigade". I'd walk down the railroad tracks across the Santa Anna River bottom to see this chick I had it bad for. When a few of us would be going over to party, the sound of our feet crunching on the aggregate was similar to the marching sounds at the begining of the song.

High n Dry is a very well written and well performed album. Everything that Def Leppard does well they did exceptional here. I saw them open for Blackoot this tour and noticed something "new" and "differen" during the show. There were tons of Betty's present and needless to say, nobody needs to be specific as to what girls do at concerts.

I was disappointed that Pete Willis was gone on Pyromania and it was obvious in not only the guitar work but obvious that things were changing. Still a good album for what it is.

By the time, Hysteria was released. The scens was over-saturated with melodic hard rock/metal and other bands were doing the Def Leppard thing better and harder than they were. My favorite song on this album is the title track. It was also my last hurah in purchasing anything by them.

The first two albums from Def Leppard are great. I like the song Wasted. Pyromania has some nice songs like Photograph too.

As for Guns n' Roses...one of my favourite bands ever, i even wear a Guns n' Roses T-Shirt at the moment
Appetite is awesome and a near perfect album (never could stand Anything goes) with a lot of great tracks. Nightrain is the soundtrack to my life, definitely the song i want to have run on my funeral and i even on a vacation in the USA bought a bottle of Night Train just because of the song (and regretted it the next day)
The Illusions are also great, some weaker songs, some crap (My World) but a lot of awesome songs (Civil War, Coma, The Garden, November Rain, Double Talkin' Jive, Pretty Tied Up...)

ShadowAngel wrote:

The first two albums from Def Leppard are great. I like the song Wasted. Pyromania has some nice songs like Photograph too.

As for Guns n' Roses...one of my favourite bands ever, i even wear a Guns n' Roses T-Shirt at the moment
Appetite is awesome and a near perfect album (never could stand Anything goes) with a lot of great tracks. Nightrain is the soundtrack to my life, definitely the song i want to have run on my funeral and i even on a vacation in the USA bought a bottle of Night Train just because of the song (and regretted it the next day)
The Illusions are also great, some weaker songs, some crap (My World) but a lot of awesome songs (Civil War, Coma, The Garden, November Rain, Double Talkin' Jive, Pretty Tied Up...)

The first two Def Leppard albums are "sacred" in my collection. From Pyro on, they get pretty iffy for me and the last album I have is Hysteria. They completely lost me after that.

GnR's Appetite For Destruction is an absolute monster of an album. After that...meh.

The next part of my

G-n-R was a breath of fresh air and the begining of the demise of that particular scene. Not to mention that it lasted for almost a deacde (or more) is ammazing in itself, as well as contribute to said demise. (IMHO)

The individual parts of the sum that made up Guns n Roses (aka band chemistry) is what made Appetite a killer kick @$$ album. It would of been way different if Gilby and Matt played on it than the way it was with Izzy and Steven. Izzy has such a unique tone and approach to his playing and Steven "swings" while Matt just pounds.

I enjoy G-n-R LIES casue I can jam on the live EP without having to play the vinyl. The acoustic stuff is pretty good as well.

I have both Illusion's and hardly listen to them anymore. When I do, it is usually back to back.

James B. wrote:

The individual parts of the sum that made up Guns n Roses (aka band chemistry) is what made Appetite a killer kick @$$ album. It would of been way different if Gilby and Matt played on it than the way it was with Izzy and Steven. Izzy has such a unique tone and approach to his playing and Steven "swings" while Matt just pounds.

I would say Guns n' Roses was great because the members came from different places and all brought their sound into it. Duff was more into Punk, while Axl was into Queen and Elton John. Slash and Adler were the 70's rockers and Izzy was somewhere between 70's Rock and 80's Glam (Hanoi Rocks especially) and that gave a interesting mixture that worked.
I think Gilby is a good musician, i enjoy some of his solo stuff and think that Tijuana Jail would've made a great GN'R song while Matt...technically he was a good drummer, but really calculating and without any soul. The drum solo he played during the Illusion Tour (i saw several bootleg videos) was the most boring thing i ever saw (even Vinny Appice is more exciting) and while i think that Sorum was good for some songs like You could be Mine or Garden of Eden, he never could pull of the AFD and Lies Stuff or Civil War, it always sounded weird, as you say, he pounds.

I think kicking out Adler was a big mistake, though after watching Farm Aid 1990, i can understand why they did it.

Next up we have:


I was never a huge Alice Cooper fan, until a few years back I decided to just see what the big deal was. One of my favorite musicians, King Diamond, is hugely influenced by him as well as Kiss. I figured if guys like them and Rob Zombie etc. are so influenced by this guy then I have to at least see what everyone loves so much. It didn't take me vary long to find out.
Billion Dolllar Babies is probably the best Alice Cooper album in his whole discography. That's not saying he doesn't have any other great albums but Billion Dollar Babies just has it all, it is on the other hand the last great Alice Cooper Band album. "Elected", "Hello Hurray", "Billion Dollar Babies", "Generation Landslide", "I Love The Dead" just simply amazing songs.
As far as Alice Cooper the solo artist goes Welcome To My Nightmare is his best work. I don't think he really topped this one story wise since. The releases after he kind of got spotty with his song writing and he experimented a lot with new and different sounds with later releases but some just do not work even for Alice Cooper where some of his stuff can come off embarrassing at times.
My other Alice Cooper album that I think is great is From The Inside. This one sounds extremely outdated but the story is quite good. Not as good as Welcome To My Nightmare but its close. Sometimes when I listen to that album I can actually feel like I'm in a nut house and what it must be like being in one. This album is heavily piano oriented. Just for the hell of it I looked up the album and I knew there was some sort of Elton John inspiration going on here and I was right [wikipedia: three former members of the Elton John band: lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone and bassist Dee Murray]. The song Inmates is great. "Weeere all craaaazy"


I didn't like Anthrax until John Bush took over as vocalist. I always like the song "Got The Time" and "Bring The Noise" but I just never got that excited about them until I heard "Only". Just the whole sound of that song made me have to get that album, and from that day on I was a huge fan. Sound Of White Noise never left my cassette player. My friend and I would listen to it every day on the way to and from school. I had one of those walkmans where it had 2 headphone jacks, I miss that thing haha. Charlie Benante quickly became one of my favorite drummers if not my favorite drummer. He can pretty much do anything and does. I wanted to play drums like he does and I would constantly practice to Sound Of White Noise.
Of course I had to see what else this band really had to offer and when I got "Spreading the Disease" it was like I discovered a whole new band because of the different vocalist and even the music was different, it was way more thrashy than later Anthrax became to be. Everyone says Among The Living is their best album...BULLS$(#@!. "Spreading The Disease" blows it away, its just one great song after the other.
"Persistence Of Time" they started to get a little more into the Heavy Metal category, but kept a few thrash elements here and there. A lot of people don't like this album for whatever reason, they are just insane. With songs like "Keep It In The Family", "Belly Of The Beast", "Brothers In Blood" they are just great strong classic songs.
Last year was a huge surprise with "Worship Music". I love every Anthrax release after the other, even Fistful Of Metal and I knew Anthrax would not dissapoint with a new album, but I wasn't sure where they were going with all the vocalist problems. I would still like to hear what Dan Nelson did first, but when Joey came back it just really gave this album even more anticipation. I had Joeys solo albums and even though he still sounded great those album were just terrible. When the first single came out "Fight 'Em Til You Can't" that was all I needed to hear to know that things were going to be ok. They kept the same style of music as they were doing with John and at times this could be compared to Sound Of White Noise. This was a great comeback album and maybe IMO probably the best comeback album from any band that I listen to. Its not classic thrashy Anthrax but its the Anthrax that got me into them in the first place and its a great album.

Starting from the top - the first 4 Def Leppard albums are all classic and I never get tired of them! Pyromania was a daily listen for me during 1983...... until I pick up Piece Of Mind, then it went down to a few days a week. I used to play "Die Hard The Hunter" over and over. Hysteria took a few listens to click - I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. The first time I heard "Pour Some Sugar On Me" I thought "Gee, they just re-arranged the cords for Rock Of Ages. 4 years and they couldn't learn some new chords?". But then it clicked and Hysteria is still a favorite! I got the first two quickly after I got Pyromania.


Guns N Roses - I never got into them, was never a fan. I hated Appetite and I still don't like it. I used to call them Guns N Posers. I didn't get how everyone liked them. The intro to Sweet Child still annoys me to this day! Of course now they are just the Axl Rose Solo Band. Rant over - if you like something, crank it up!


Alice - I recently started listening to more of his albums. I knew the 70's hits from AOR radio back in the day, but never went out and purchased his albums. I have a couple albums and need to add more....


Anthrax - My intro was Fistful of Metal. Being in 10th grade in1984 and at this point a full on headbanger, this album landed in my hands from a "trade records for the week" thing. Those of us over 40 probably remember trading metal albums with friends from school for the week to listen to a new band - you know "Hey, check out this new Anthrax album while I check out Mercyful Fate from you"

I thought it was good, but not great.... then Spreading came out!!!! And I agree with you, it blows away Among the living!!!!!!


Very cool thread - keep it up!!!!

I was 13 in 1983, and Def Leppard was the first band I got into that was not band my older brother and his moronic friends were already into. The first Def Leppard album I ever heard was 'Pyromania' thanks to MTV constantly playing their videos, and rock radio blasting out of the airwaves on a daily basis. Now adays chics listen to all types of metal, back when I was a kid, ferget about it. Def Leppard was the first metal band I know of, that girls were into.

My fav Def Leppard album was 'High n Dry' which I heard a year after buying 'Pyromania' and thought it was even a better album. 'Hysteria' was an album that I seemed to have waited for it be released, back then 4 years between releases was a lifetime, remember reading Hit Parader and other mags promising that soon the album would be released. At the time it was released loved the album, and have seen more then one stripper dance to 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'

I have to agree with James, G n R was a complete game changer, not that I knew that at the time. As much as I liked a lot of pop metal bands, most seem calculated and formulaic, not this band, they seemed real and ready to kick ass. Loved 'Appetite', I am personally very sick of it, and when I get in the mood G n R I usually reach for the Use Your Illusion albums, a bit overbloated but an interesting listen in terms of what happens to a band that got too much too soon, and a singer who believes their own hype.

Alice Cooper, huge hero of mine, have been a fan since I was 13, nothing I can add to what has already been said, except to say his lyrics are clever and feature clever word play, and is a better songwriter then he is given credit for.

High N Dry: my intro to DL in '81, one of the best rock albums ever.
On Thru The Night: Heard it about a month later, great NWOBHM album with pop flavor.
Pyromania: Summer of '83, nuf said. Chicks loved it. Still rocks but I tend to skip a few of the tracks.
Hysteria: hated it in '88, started to like it 20 years later. Still do but I'm sick of it now.

Guns N Roses: never bought into 'em. When they came out I was a big thrash-head and didn't waste my time on "bandana Rock" as I called it back then. I have more respect for them now but I just can't stand Axl Rose, then or now.

I don't have much Alice Cooper from the 70's - just a greatest hits album. Some day I will get them.

Sound of White Noise is one of my favorite albums of all time and "Only" is probably my favorite song ever. Persistence of Time really starts to show the direction the band was going to go with SOWN. I think it's a good album. I really like "In My World." Spreading is a classic and Medusa is just a blast. Joey sounds godly on this. Worship Music is great. A stunning return to form by a band that had lost all direction. It's in a similar vein as Persistence. In fact, I could hear John Bush doing all of these tracks. Joey sounds great though. "In The End" is incredibly epic. It's also great live.

3 great albums from Alice. Welcome to my Nightmare is awesome, so is Billion Dollar babies (great title song) and From the Inside is good too.
I actually prefer the later live renditions of Billion Dollar Babies to the original studio song

The only 70s Alice I have is Welcome To My Nightmare.

I remember seeing him perform it on an ABC concert program called something like ABC WorldWide Live. It was great, all the FX plus Vincent Price!

kmorg wrote:

Agreed!

I liked Anthrax but did not totally embrace them til 'Persistence of Time' which was a kick ass album from beginning to end, and I have to agree 'Sound of White Noise' is the best Anthrax album IMO

Casual Alice Cooper fan here......it was a concert thing more than anything else.

Dug on Anthrax in the begining, by "Persistence" I was losing interest. Remember being surprised with the Bush era stuff to an extent. The new one is good but not up to expectations. I am looking forward to another one w/ Belladonna.

The real "Black Metal" band HAR HAR HAR!.. seriously though they guys were just awesome at what they did when they came on the scene. "Vivid" may have a questionable song or 2 that make me cringe to listen to ("Glamour Boys" ) but in all its a great album. "The Cult Of Personality" never gets old for me.
Their second album "Times Up" they really grew as a band and wrote some heavier songs and even sent them into a darker direction in their song writing, "New Jack City" is a great example, even the title track "Times Up". It starts off heavy and pretty much doesn't let up from start to finish. Sure "Elvis Is Dead" is another one of those tracks I tend to skip, but when I was younger I loved it.
"Stain".....I remember when this was coming out I was hearing mixed reviews about it and I was also worried what might happen since their long time bassist left the band. When I heard the first single (I think) "Leave It Alone" I was pleasently surprised. Doug Wimbash(sp?) turned out to be a great replacement bass player and actually made the band more interesting with his style of playing. He was more experimental and it was definetly heard on "Stain". Once again the band seemed to get heavier with this album and it was a shame it was the last one they recorded for a few years. They lost the momentum way too soon and when they came back it was too late. Music has changed too much while they were away. "Collidoscope" was a horribly recorded album and "Chair In The Door Way" was a better release in the right direction just nothing hit me like the first 3 albums.


I always heard about this band but never looked into them until I heard Edguy do a cover of their song called "The Spirit". I read up about them and found that "On A Story Tellers Night" was a fan favorite. I quickly found out why. Its just great song after great song. Yea its kind of out dated sounding but in a good way. This is a great introduction album to this band. Sadly though I have since caught up on all their albums but I have yet to be blown away like I was with "Story Tellers".


I never heard of this band before until someone here mentioned them. I Honestly don't know how more people don't know about this band. How their songs were never on the radio is beyond me. "Tragic City Symphony" is just a really great Hard Rock album. Its somewhat reminds me of Def Leppard Pyromania era but more modern sounding. Surprisingly they have 4 other albums so they've been around for a while. "Tragic City" should have really broken this band but sadly it didn't and I believe they have broken up. It's a shame because I would have loved to hear a follow up.


I wasn't into Hardcore music at all and I'm still not. I'm not sure this band can really be considered Hardcore but I always associated them with Hardcore by the way they dressed at the time. BUT!, when I heard Davidian for the first time I was just blown away. So much anger, and so heavy. They just sounded like they would come out from my speakers and beat the living crap out of me for thinking they were a hardcore band because they were anything but that. They were just a really really heavy metal band. At the time I thought it couldn't get any heavier than Metallica, boy was I wrong! This is a great album from start to finish.
"Through The Ashes Of Empire" finally saw them returning to their original sound. For some stupid reason this album didn't come out in the united states til after a year it was released elsewhere. It was definetly worth the wait though. Some of the newer style is thrown in this album but I think it works and I was happy to hear them back to normal.
With "The Blackening" they really stepped it up and went full throttle with what they are known best to do, being angry, heavy and in your face. Months would go by where I couldn't get past the first track "Clenching the Fists of Dissent" because it was that good. I think this was everyones favorite album when it came out and theres no question why.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

"Vivid" may have a questionable song or 2 that make me cringe to listen to ("Glamour Boys" ) but in all its a great album.

I will always remember that song because of this damn video:



WTF?

I liked "Vivid" but I never dug any deeper into their catalog. I checked that album because of "Cult of Personality." Cool song!

Yea that video just made it worse. hahaha

Living Color? Wow, didn't see that coming!

kmorg wrote:

Living Color? Wow, didn't see that coming!

Yea there are going to be some bumpy rides along the way so hold on tight lol

Living Colour is great, I really don't care what anyone thinks. They could play circles around most of their contemporaries.