navybsn

Yeah, if I had a choice...
Hard agree
They were everything I wanted when I saw them in August. I was too young to see them in the 80's, but I can imagine that they killed.
Parliament - Mothership Connection
New Order - Republic
New Order - Power Corruption and Lies
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures 

ANATO is the classic album. I still get a kick out of Bohemian Rhapsody, though I don't listen to singles, playlists or best ofs to try not to get saturated. The song is ubiquitous but you shouldn't come across it too often these days. However, I understand the curse of the "overplayed classic" like We're Not Gonna Take It, Thunderstruck...or something by a pop band/artist. Honestly my mind is blank trying to think what they probably play at baseball games....because I've never been to a baseball game.
I take serious issue with "Queen was largely a singles band." It's true that even from the beginning they were obsessed with choosing the right single for best chart placements etc, but those decisions came after the album was made. The pacing and variety of moods of early Queen albums is incredible. You wouldn't call Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath a singles band. Queen wasn't either. It's all in the deep album cuts baby.
Queen I, II and SHA do have a common thread. The first albums both close with different versions of Seven Seas of Rhye, while SHA starts with a seaside theme intro to Brighton Rock (a seaside town), so there is a nice segue and continuity. 
I bang on about this "ebb and flow" thing of albums from time to time (ok, constantly). It occurred to me yesterday that Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (the original Australian version, not the idiot Atlantic issue compiled by some American suit) is probably my favourite AC/DC album. It just tells a great story with lots of moods. Much more successful albums like Highway to Hell or Back in Black have very strong songs but sound more manufactured/formulaic. 10 songs, 3 to 4 minutes each, next platinum record please.
It's why I like concept albums. Which I realise isn't everyone's cup of tea.
 
 

I saw Fate on December 15th 1984 at the 3,200 seat Capitol Theatre in Passaic NJ. They were in the #2 slot sandwiched in between openers Exciter and headliners Motörhead. I didn't really know where I was going not being a native Jersey boy and not having GPS or anything back then obviously, just a paper Hagstrom map. So we got there a little late and missed some of Exciter's set, probably just caught the last 4 songs. But we were there in our leather jackets, on the edge of our seats ready to rock for all of Fate. Would have been better in a hall without seats, but what are you gonna do? Moshing hadn't really caught on as the norm yet in '84 at metal shows, stage diving and moshpits were still a fairly new thing for us metal kids at that point, even though the punks had already been doing it for years by then. I wouldn't even attempt to rank all the bands I've seen over the years in any kind of an order, but needless to say Fate killed it. We left completley satisfied, it was quite a memorable show. I saw Youtube video of the current tour that a bunch of my friends have gone to see in various cities across the country, by all accounts it seems that 66 year old King and Co. have still got it. The only complaints I heard were about them having to sit through Kreator. 
 
Emblaze - Emblaze the Elevations, death metal US/Finland
 

....easily one of the ten best bands I've seen live....and they sound just as good if not better now than back in the 80's....the KING's voice is better than ever in my estimation.....

Man I can't believe you put work over metal!
 
I am to the point where I do the bare minimum and think work can just go get fucked.  As long as I collect a pay check, I don't care.  Life's too short to stress  over work if you can avoid it.

Had tickets to see them Wednesday, but pulled a work conference at the last minute and had to sell them. Saw them in August (great show) but you never know when they will come around again. I'm in NOLA, where there are always shows... except the week I'm here.

Mortuary - Blackened Images
Obituary - Slowly We Rot - Live & Rotting

MERCYFUL FATE - Melissa
 

Metalian -  Beyond the Wall
Underrated Canadian speed metal
 

Thanks to your tireless efforts, I finally got more than a comp. It was worth it! Surprised how much I like Queen I and II. I agree from a critical standpoint, ANOTO is a classic album, but I've heard Bohemian Rhapsody so many times, I'm sort of  over that song. The other issue for me is Queen was largely a singles band and no one album has all the songs I like. Sheer Heart Attack is probably my favorite in terms of being metal adjacent. I like listening to I, II and Sheer Heart Attack in one long extended play session. They flow together for me. I did own Jazz in high school and pound for pound for a good all around hard rock album is pretty bad ass. 

Italy, yep, and I 100% agree about Japan. I have been there I think 5 times for various reasons and will go again. It is in our timezone too, so although it's a long trip we don't get jet lag. And of course I've been to Scotland and the Czech Republic and they are both really worth a visit. I have been fortunate to do a lot of travel (not as much as the daughter though). I used to co-ordinate trips with conferences but I got over that some years before I retired. Going to conferences is largely a waste of time and resources and spoils a good holiday.
 
Travel is not compulsory and is indulgent and environmentally damaging - I hope less so as technology develops. But my life has been enriched by my travel and I don't regret it.

No, he's That guy... you know the one 

NP: Darkthrone - Astral Fortress
This morning: Drudkh - All Belong to the Night
Heiden - Země beze mě
Next up: Kampfar - Til Klovers Takt
 

NP: Darkthrone - Astral Fortress
This morning: Drudkh - All Belong to the Night
Heiden - Země beze mě
Next up: Kampfar - Til Klovers Takt
 

NP: Darkthrone - Astral Fortress
This morning: Drudkh - All Belong to the Night
Heiden - Země beze mě
Next up: Kampfar - Til Klovers Takt
 

No, he's That guy... you know the one 

Yep, daytime highs dropped about 50 degrees from about 70 to barely 50 and windy. Went boatin' today in the rapids. It was pretty chilly I must say. But tons of fun.
Dead Cross/II
Darkthrone/Astral Forrest
Queen/A Night at the Opera
Queen/A Day at the Races
Queen/ Jazz
 

At which time Decibel mag will release their top list for 2023.

MC5 - Live In Bremen, Germany
 

Great album.
Np: Circle of Ouroborus - Autuala - trying to decide which of the 3 CoO albums will top my EOTY list. Probably all 3...
Worm - Bluenothing 

Less swingy here but still an annoying drop from sunny upper 60s to rainy mid 40s. Looks like we'll finally be getting consistent overnight freezes starting tomorrow. It's been unseasonably warm and tbh I was digging it.
NP: Killing Joke - Night Time

Also, I missed all the Paradise Lost (+MDB & Anathema) talk a few pages back. Interesting that Greg & Nick have started a new electronic side project called…wait for it…HOST. The one song released (Tomorrow’s Sky) is actually kinda interesting. 

This is very much Thatguy approved.

Drudkh - All Belong to the Night. 4 songs over 45 minutes. Really enjoying this. 

Fuck...at the very least, definitely tax that church