Four on the Floor – 1978.

So, it looks as though I do indeed intend to go through the years with what I think are the better albums of the years in a chronological sense of order, so here goes with 1978. Musically my life moved into overdrive, the previous five years had been the odd album and a lot of singles, I was on a budget, I also listened to a lot of music that my brother brought home, some people are going to moan that I have missed certain albums, but if you do a trawl through the previous Four on the Floor’s you will probably find the albums you are looking for there.

Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous 8.5/10.

People probably think that the score for this should be higher and if I done this a few years earlier, it probably would be, however certain members of the band and Tony Visconti have let information out that has certainly took the shine off it just a little for me, it’s still a killer album with a great set list and a fantastic glossy sleeve, the number of times this album has got me and friends into trouble because of playing this album very loud, it was very nearly the band at their peak (sorry but Black Rose is their peak for me) the heady days of youth, oh to be so carefree again. It did well in the charts and was a platinum seller in the Uk it seemed to be on the charts for ages!

ELO – Out of the Blue 9/10.

Their best album ever, a double album on near perfect song after song of classical pop oriented music, when you consider Jeff Lynne had writers block at the start of production, then woke up one sunny morning and wrote Mr Blue Sky in 15 minutes and the rest of the double album poured out over the next two weeks, the first time I saw “Mack” as an engineer on an album and the possibly the first time a fire extinguisher was used to make a Tarzan call on the track Jungle! I have never played this album in bits, I always play the full album straight from start to finish, its glorious, its probably what the Beatles would have done if they had stuck around a bit longer, oh and who produced those tracks that were released after John Lennons death, yes Jeff Lynne a confirmed Beatles fan, this album confirms all that you need to know, at this point it was an album that I thought every household owned, usually in Blue vinyl.

Queen – Jazz 8.5/10.

I’m not aware of lots of fans liking this album, I do, and there are some very nice pieces here, why the low score for the album, I thought bringing back Roy Thomas Baker, didn’t add anything, to the album that’s my opinion, yes it was a return to those super charged backing vocals on certain tracks, the album has everything you need metal Dead on time, ballads In Only Seven days and some novelty pop songs Bicycle Race, what knocks points off the album in the long run, the dodgy poster for all of the pubescent teens, if I never hear Fat Bottomed Girls again it wont be too soon, its simply been played to death, and the Roger Taylor penned More of that Jazz, I like how the track starts however the edited mix tacked on at the end of it with all of the songs is grating, Queen did a number of things before others this was just a little too soon with the technology available, but these are my only issues it’s a good album with just a few minor issues, I’m a Queen fan and I do like it, some others did as well as it went platinum in the UK.

Jeff Wayne – The War of the Worlds 8/10.

I know I’m going to get crap for this one, it’s a huge cast of top people from the 70’s a great story narrated by Richard burton with a deluxe album cover and booklet with artwork telling the story, so why the poor score compared to the others, simply because I might play it once a year if I’m lucky, unlike the others in this review, I don’t think its aged well, but what do I know, again another double album great performances and awesome sales it sold 15 million copies world wide in the first two years of release worldwide, I do still like it but it always seems like a chore to play it, some bits grate, unlike Out of the Blue which still holds all of its magic, this in parts feels just a little dated, maybe the ever ongoing Christmas tours and showings of the various casts have knocked the shine off it, I don’t know, but I know it’s the least likely to be played of the four!

And there we have it the next one will another Four on the Floor blog but of newer releases, I’m simply waiting for the new Cheap Trick album to be number 4 of the batch of reviews, until then stay safe stay alive and Toodles!