IF, IN 1989, you’d wanted to bet your house on a band becomin’ BIG,then The Throbs would have been the obvious choice. Rising up from the gutters of lower Manhattan, these four musicians came together to prise rock‘n’roll from the cold dead clutches of corporate strangulation. That they didn’t entirely succeed is not the point; that they (nearly) died trying, very much is…

Drawing inspiration from The Stones, The Dolls and The Underground (Rolling, New York and Velvet, respectively), The Throbs specialised in spiking old-fashioned rock‘n’roll with liberal helpings of psychedelia; their hair piled high, their paisley shirts slashed to the waist, and wearing enough mascara to paint the town black, they were the perfect (drinking) partners for a city short on sleep.

Once under the wing of studio veteran Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd), they set about cutting their one and only album in what sounds like a hash-filled Turkish harem, with sitars & baglamas giving exotic support to the deeply rock‘n’ roll guitars. What’s more, critics – on both sides of the Atlantic – were quick to heap praise on the results, hailing The Throbs as the ‘new Guns N’Roses’; however, the band’s untempered enjoyment of the rock star lifestyle would ultimately lead to friction with their label (Geffen) and a premature demise.

One things’s for certain, though; ‘The Language Of Thieves And Vagabonds’ – all late nights, lost love and Little Richard on guest keys! – is very much a wrinkle-free release, having stood the test of time remarkably well. A PG (Pre-Grunge) classic? You betcha!

24-bit remastering from original source tapes, 4,000 word story of the making of the album, previously unpublished photos, all spread out over a super 16 page full colour booklet.
 
Track listing: ‘Underground’, ‘Come Down Sister’, ‘It’s Not The End Of The World’, ‘Dreamin’, ‘Honeychild’, ‘Rip It Up’, ‘Ocean Of Love’, ‘Only Way Out’, ‘Sweet Addiction’, ‘Ecstasy’, ‘Strange Behaviour’

Bonus tracks: ‘Rainbow’, ‘Strange Behaviour’

THERE’S ONLY so far you can go with three junkies and one alcoholic…”

This, legend has it, is a direct quote from the manager of the Sea Hags – a man at the end of his tether having watched one of the most hotly-tipped hard rock bands of their time throw themselves off the edge of the world.

Hailing from San Francisco, the Hags brought a certain (alcoholic) swagger to the late ’80s, with one foot in the vapour trail of Guns N’ Roses and the other in the classic pre-punk attack of the New York Dolls. With producer Mike Clink at the helm, the man who had chastened Axl, Slash & Co. into delivering one of the all-time great hard rock debuts, this one-off wasn’t without its fair share of drama; personnel were replaced, songs heavily scrutinised and instruments re-learnt, but the end results not only speak for themselves, but continue to shout from the rooftops almost 20 years down the line.

What we have here is the glorious culmination of nearly a decade of struggle – the kind of record that should have catapulted the four musicians to seriously giddy heights. They had a major deal (with Chrysalis), ‘name’ supporters in the industry (i.e. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who produced an early demo), plus critical acclaim from the media that mattered, but a very public fight with a variety of interesting yet largely illegal substances would ultimately drag them under.

Chrysalis, it is said, postponed the release of this record so that certain members could complete a spell in de-tox, yet ultimately it would all count for nought; the band barely managed to stumble through one short tour before the aggregate pressures of frontline rockin’ proved too much for weakened frames to bear. Then tragically, in 1991, bassist Chris Schlosshardt was found dead from a heroin overdose, forever sealing the fate of the Hags and making this record not just a powerful, passionate statement, but a poignant one too.

24-bit remastering from original source tapes, 4,000 word story of the making of the album, previously unpublished photos, all spread out over a super 16 page full colour booklet.

Track listing: ‘Half The Way Valley’, ‘Doghouse’, ‘Too Much T-Bone’, ‘Someday’, ‘Back To the Grind’, ‘Bunkbed Creek’, ‘In The Mood For Love’, ‘Miss Fortune’, ‘All The Time’, ‘Three’s A Charm’, ‘Under The Night Stars’

Bonus tracks: ‘Dog House’ (demo), ‘Half Way The Valley’ (demo)

WHEN DEEP PURPLE finally collapsed under a blanket of fatigue and insurrection in mid-1976, all bets were off as to which members would fly phoenix-like from the wreckage.

Fully loaded with talent, Purple was a breeding ground for a significant amount of lofty and successful spin-off projects, including Whitesnake, Rainbow and Gillan. But it wasn’t until 1982, following a couple of low-key solo projects, that bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes would resurface with a unit that would (quite rightly) stop the rock world in its tracks…

Teaming up with highly respected guitarist Pat Thrall (previously a member of jazz fusionists Automatic Man and the whiskey-snortin’ Pat Travers Band), the duo joined forces and names under the ‘Hughes/Thrall’ banner – an early-’80s collaboration that would go on to deliver an album (this one) that has seen its  ‘legendary/all-time great’ status increase by leaps& bounds as the years have rolled by.

Full-bloodedly produced by the seasoned (and equally legendary) Andy Johns, a sometimes gun-totin’ Brit whose credits also  include Free, Led Zeppelin & Van Halen, the record received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception on release, basking in clear-cut melodies, razor-sharp guitar chops, edgy production and some of the best songs this side of a Journey or Foreigner album. The icing on the cake? Why, Glenn Hughes, of course. The voice of rock has never sounded so downright confident and so well-matched to the material. Every song, every phrase, every lick – pure manna from hard rock heaven!

Track Listing: ‘I Got Your Number’,'The Look In Your Eye’, ‘Beg, Borrow Or Steal’, ‘Where Did The Time Go’, ‘Muscle And Blood’, ‘Hold Out Your Life’, ‘Who Will You Run To’, ‘Coast To Coast’, ‘First Step Of Love’. Bonus tracks: ‘Still The Night’, ‘Love Don’t Come Easy’.

LIKE MOST teenage musicians, brothers Danny & Ernie Gold dreamed of forming a band, signing a major deal and recording with an A-list producer. Well… in their case, the dream was to come true – the result of hard work & raw talent. Not only that, but in this eponymous debut, they successfully created one of the AOR scenes most respected releases OF ALL TIME!

Formed in Long Island, New York, Preview’s live reputation and ‘classic’-sounding demos had almost every A&R man with an ear for a hook knocking down their door – including industry legend John David Kalodner, who duly signed the guys to Geffen. JDK selected Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, etc.) to work with the five in the studio, and – with finishing touches supplied by Grammy-winning producer David Thoener – the results were pure gold; 10 tracks of sublime melodic goodness. AOR magic, indeed!

Despite significant Top 40 airplay, a tour with Pat Benatar plus support from a music biz dream-team, ‘Preview’ failed to set the charts ablaze, at home or abroad. Today, however, the record finds itself on a high pedestal – revered by lovers of melodic hard rock and a veritable totem for those who like their vocals soaring and their tunes finely-wrought.

Track Listing: ‘All Night’,'Open Up Your Heart’,'So Blind’, ‘Running Back’, ‘Never Hold Back’, ‘Red Lights’, ‘Can’t Stop This Feeling’, ‘Love Finds A Way’, ‘Can’t You See’, ‘It’s Over’.

THE HARD rock minefield is littered with the bodies of fallen comrades; brave souls who played hard and died young, all in the name of liberty and the power of rock. 25 years on, a handful of names have now become the stuff of legend. Balance is one of them…

Formed in the early ’80s as a veritable mini-super group, the membership draws from such diverse musical backgrounds as the Blues Magoos, Wiggy Bits, Speedway Boulevard and Brand X. Guitarist Bob Kulick in particular had developed a seasoned resume that included work with Meat Loaf, Paul Stanley, Kiss and more, proving himself a safe pair of hands, either holed up in the studio (Lou Reed) or out there on the boards (Alice Cooper).

Securing a deal with the CBS Records-backed Portrait label, this East Coast outfit scored successfully at AOR radio with ‘Breaking Away’ (from their self-titled debut album), but by the time ‘In For The Count’ was recorded they had redefined their musical ambition, diving deeper into the world of hard rock with  spectacular results. Not only are the vocals – courtesy of Peppy Castro – wonderfully expressive, but they’re matched blow for blow by the guitar work of Kulick, both men giving of their best to take the music of Balance into an area not traditionally touched on by the AOR names of the day… 

For lovers of high pedigree hard rock, these recordings (co-produced by Tony Bongiovi, cousin of Jon Bon Jovi) occupy truly legendary status.

Track Listing: ‘In For The Count’, ‘Is It Over’, ‘Slow Motion’, ‘Undercover Man’, ‘On My Honor’, ‘Pull The Plug’, ‘Bedroom Eyes’, ‘We Can Have It All’. Bonus Tracks: ‘Ride The Wave’, ‘She’s Alone Tonight’.

WHEN IT comes to Southern Rock, there can surely be no finer credentials than the name Van Zant.

Of course, the most noted member of the clan was, and always will be, Ronnie (erstwhile singer with the hallowed Lynyrd Skynyrd), and encouraged by their big bro’s uncompromising talent, younger siblings Donnie and Johnny were also to hitch their wagon to the burgeoning Southern scene – the former as frontman with .38 Special and latter with his own outfit, the Johnny Van Zant Band.

Signed in 1980 to Polydor Records US, Johnny was quick to team up with legendary producer and original Skynyrd A&R man Al Kooper, and the result was the blistering debut you have here. Tapping freely into his Southern roots, not to mention Skynyrd’s fiery guitar-fuelled legacy, Johnny’s music proved a hot burrito of fuel-injected riffing (courtesy of twin lead guitarists Robbie Gay & Eric Lundgren) plus the kind of down home back porch rocking reminiscent of the best works of Skynyrd, .38 Special, Marshall Tucker and The Allman Brothers Band.

Look out for ‘Standing In The Darkness’, a poignant and touching outing based upon a poem that many have taken to be a tribute to the late Ronnie Van Zant; surely one of the finest closing tracks on any Southern Rock album…

24-bit remastering from original source tapes, 4,000 word story of the making of ‘No More Dirty Deals’ all spread out over a super fold out poster style booklet.

Track listing: ‘No More Dirty Deals’, ‘Coming Home’, ‘634-5789′, ‘Put My Trust In You’, ‘Only The Strong Survive’, ‘Hard Luck Story’, ‘Stand Your Ground’, ‘Never Too Late’, ‘Keep On Rollin'’, ‘Standing In The Darkness’.

 THE LATE ’80s produced a plethora of melodic rock acts from North America – none more special than Diving For Pearls.

Led by supremely talented frontman Danny Malone, this NYC-based five- piece forged one of the finest records of the era (this one) at a time when the likes of Bon Jovi, Winger, White Lion & Whitesnake were receiving platinum trophies as a matter of course.

Fêted by the critics and embraced by American radio programmers, the DFP album made an immediate impact and looked set to take the band to the top of the AOR mountain. However, despite healthy international interest plus sales at home of nearly 250,000, a series of promotional hiccups and marketing blunders left this David Prater-produced project floundering, forcing the band to abandon any dreams of melodic rock supremacy.

Failed potential aside, the ensuing years have been increasingly kind to DFP, with many revaluating their debut (a Kerrang! Top 20 Album in 1989) as quite possibly one of the most overlooked works of a time when great hooks, savage guitars, enthralling song structures and expressive vocals ruled the world with a rod of (velvet-coated) iron.

24-bit remastering from original source tapes, huge story of Diving For Pearls liner notes, tons of additional photos and memorabilia spread out over a 16 page full colour booklet. First time on CD and featuring 5 bonus tracks!

Track listing: ‘Gimme Your Good Lovin’, ‘Have You Forgotten’, ‘I Close My Eyes’, ‘New Moon’, ‘Never On Monday’, ‘You’re All I Know’, ‘Mystery To Me’, ‘I Don’t Want To Cry’, ‘Keep Your Love Alive’, ‘The Girl Can’t Stop It’. Bonus tracks: ‘Dear Prudence (demo), ‘I Close My Eyes’ (live), ‘Gimme Your Good Lovin’ (live), ‘The Girl Can’t Stop It’ (live), ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ (live).

 THE HARD rock highway is littered with those who could/should have made it if only Lady Luck had been smiling in their direction; none more so than Orange County four-piece Storm, who first whipped up the proverbial gale in 1979 with a self-titled album for MCA that fell unceremoniously by the wayside while others shot to fame & fortune.

Down but not out, the band retrenched and reshuffled their line-up (still helmed by Jeanette Chase & Lear Stevens), making way for a second assault some four years down the line. This time, the label was different (Capitol) and the music even more confident in execution and strident in style – moving from quirky pop rock origins through to a bigger, beefier sound fusing a love of Queen and the Sweet with out‘n’out hard-hitters like Led Zeppelin & Van Halen.

‘Storm II’, originally released in 1983, although failing to propel the band to worldwide success, earned impressive critical appraisal amongst the hard rock cognoscenti (it was hailed by Kerrang! as an overlooked work of brilliance), becoming a collector’s favourite and a yardstick by which many a similar work has been measured.

24-bit remastering from original source tapes, huge story of Storm liner notes, tons of additional photos & memorabilia spread out over a 16 page full colour booklet and six previously unreleased bonus tracks!

Track listing: ‘Settle Down’, ‘Runnin’ From You’, ‘Come Home’, ‘Hand In Hand’, ‘Anything For Your Love’, ‘Play With Me’, ‘Pez’, ‘Take Me Away’, ‘ So Long’. Bonus tracks: ‘Play With Me’ (demo), ‘Anytime’ (non LP demo), ‘If It’s True’ (non LP demo), ‘Dangerous’ (non LP demo), ‘So Long’ (demo), ‘Pez SS’ (demo).   

In 1978 Ted Nugent unleashed one of the greatest double live albums of that decade - a highpoint in a career that had started when young Ted was the leader of cult 60’s Detroit act The Amboy Dukes.’Double Live Gonzo!’ celebrates the mid 70’s glory years perfectly; urged into action by thousands of rabid fans, the wildman slashes, thrusts and harpoons his way through 11 of his most celebrated moments, with call-of-the-wild classics including ‘Stormtoopin’’, ‘Stanglehold’ and ‘Cat Scratch Fever’.

Fully remastered, 1st time on a single CD, huge fold out poster booklet featuring archive photos and memorabilia, essay written by Derek Oliver.

Track listing: ‘Just What The Doctor Ordered’, ‘Yank Me, Crank Me’, ‘Gonzo’, ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, ‘Great White Buffalo’, ‘Hibernation’, ‘Stormtroopin’, ‘Stranglehold’, ‘Wang Dang Sweet Poontang’, ‘Cat Scratch Fever’, ‘Motor City Madhouse’.

   

Have no doubt, this is Nugent at his self-confessed ‘growling, angry, uppity, defiant, animal-sounding best, knocking six shades of sugar out of songs and riffs that ought to have a proud place in every rocker’s collection…not to mention, rifle holster.      

Fully remastered, full colour booklet featuring archive photos and are memorabilia, 4,000 word essay by geoff Barton including new inteview with Ted about the making of the album.

Track listing: ‘Wango Tango’, ‘Scream Dream’, ‘Hard As Nails’, ‘I Gotta Move’, Violent Love’, ‘Flesh And Blood’, ‘Spit It Out’, ‘Come And Get It’, ‘Terminus Eldorado’, ‘Don’t Cry (i’ll Be Back Before You Know It Baby’).

Issued in 1978 ‘Weekend Warriors’ saw Ted Nugent in typically bullish mood - out to take few prisioners (but plenty of scalps!). As Amerca’s No 1 hard rocker with the live attendance figures to prove it, he could easily have rested on his laurels by just going along with the flow, but much to the surprise of fans & critics alike, he chose to take the opposite path - bringing in a new backing band and penning some of his most tightly structured material to date.

Simply ‘Weekend Warriors’ was the album that expertly solidified the MCM’s (Motor City Madman’s) reputation as not only one of the world’s greatest showmen, but also one of the savviest songwriters to shoot a flaming arrow.

Fully remastered, enhanced original artwork, 4,000 word essay by Geoff Barton including a new interview and rare archive photos and memorabilia.

Track Listing: ‘Need You Bad’, ‘One Woman’, ‘I Got The Feelin’, ‘Tight Spots’, ‘Venom Soup’, ‘Smokescreen’, ‘Weekend Warriors’, ‘Crusin’, ‘Good Friends And A Bottle Of Wine’, ‘Name Your Poison’.

Originating from Orange County on the outskirts of Los Angeles, vocalist Jeanette Chase led a four piece band rich in both melody and muscle: a band intent on honing and refining their mainly British influences (including Queen, Led Zeppelin and Sweet) to the very sharpest of points.

In 1977 they signed to ABC-Dunhill. Sadly however, it wasn’t long before the label was crumbling beneath their feet, and it wiould be a further two years before the debut Storm album was unleashed via MCA to enormous critical acclaim.

In the event the record made no lasting commercial impression, although its status as a cult classic has continued to flourish. Today it stands as a hard rock milestone, laced throughout with precision and class.

Fully remastered, 4,000 word essay by Stephen Allen, full involvement from the group members, previously unseen photos and 5 bonus tracks.

Track listing: ‘I Want You’, ‘Tell Me That You Love Me’, ‘What Do You Like’, ‘Game’s Over’, ‘You Pity Me’, ‘Ain’t That The Way’, ‘Wake Up’, ‘Young Young’, ‘Shoot On Sight’, ‘Hyperdrive’, ‘Machine Gun’. Bonus tracks: ‘I Want You’ (demo), ‘What Do You Like’ (demo), ‘Ordinary Dreamer’ (non LP demo), ‘Dyin’ Breed’ (non LP demo), ‘Halff Lover’ (non LP demo).