Bonfire

[Geoff]

So Glen & Nightrain, I need to know. Which 3 songs from 'Point Blank' did you leave out of your rating of the album?

 

For the record, if I removed 'Gimme some,' 'Your back' and 'Who's foolin' who,' which were my 3 lowest rated songs, I'd rate 'Point Blank' 95% instead of 93%. For, the record.

[Glen]

So Glen & Nightrain, I need to know. Which 3 songs from 'Point Blank' did you leave out of your rating of the album?

 

For the record, if I removed 'Gimme some,' 'Your back' and 'Who's foolin' who,' which were my 3 lowest rated songs, I'd rate 'Point Blank' 95% instead of 93%. For, the record.

 

not rated it yet.

 

Whatever I leave off I cant see it hitting 95%....we'll see, I havent played it in an age so looking forward to spinning it.

[Glen]

The bottom 2 is 'Whos Foolin' and 'Youre Back'....the next is a tie so doesnt matter.

[Mullethead]

The bottom 2 is 'Whos Foolin' and 'Youre Back'....the next is a tie so doesnt matter.

I'm surprised you guys don't like these songs. There are a couple that are way worse. Who's Foolin' Who was released as a single I believe.

[Geoff]

 

The bottom 2 is 'Whos Foolin' and 'Youre Back'....the next is a tie so doesnt matter.

I'm surprised you guys don't like these songs. There are a couple that are way worse. Who's Foolin' Who was released as a single I believe.

 

 

As I said elsewhere, I don't dislike any song on this album. Everything is excellent. But even if there are 15 sexy ladies, there are 3 that are the least sexy of the sexiness. So I'm intrigued now. What are your bottom three on this album?

[Glen]

 

 

The bottom 2 is 'Whos Foolin' and 'Youre Back'....the next is a tie so doesnt matter.

I'm surprised you guys don't like these songs. There are a couple that are way worse. Who's Foolin' Who was released as a single I believe.

 

 

As I said elsewhere, I don't dislike any song on this album. Everything is excellent. But even if there are 15 sexy ladies, there are 3 that are the least sexy of the sexiness. So I'm intrigued now. What are your bottom three on this album?

 

 

An acoustic ballad is never likely to be high on my favs - Who's Foolin Who is a perfectly acceptable song, but that's it.

 

Youre back is fine as well, but its the most basic straight ahead rocker on the disc....still scoring a very good 8.5/10

[Geoff]

The funny thing about 'You're back' is if you listen to 'Strike back' off their 'Strike X' album... They ripped themselves off crazy obvious. But yeah, I like the song too, a lot.

[Glen]

My main 'issue' (if you can call it that) with Point Blank is that whilst it is a great album and I like virtually every song, there are very few truly killer songs.

 

Lots of great straight ahead hard rock songs which score nicely between 8.5-9.25 but very few outright killers.

 

2 other things with bother me slightly as I listen through. One is the vocals - perfectly acceptable, but hey he aint the best vocalist in the world (I think a classic example is Price of Loving you - vocally the Bonfire version is ok, but let's face it the Desmond Child version is miles better vocally - he kills it on that track). Second is the production.....a bit muddy in places and always sounds like they were recording in a massive warehouse - it doesnt bother me that much but its still there in the back of my mind.

 

Verdict : great album, but not as great as I remember and prob wont be top for '89.

[Geoff]

Wow, to each their own, but the reason I love this album so much is because of the abundance of killer songs. 'Look of love,' 'Say Goodbye' and 'Know Right Now' are all easy 10's without even a question mark about it. Many other delights, but they're my truly killer songs on the disc.

 

The first time I ever heard Bonfire was on a Hard N' Heavy video - 'Hard on me' was their single. And I remember being a little put off by the vocals, back when I was fresh and only had a dozen or so CDs in my collection. But I came around pretty quick, on quite a lot of the European vocalists in the 80's. Totally agreed their no vocal experts, but it never bothered me for the quality of the music. Listening to Casanova's debut yesterday, I felt the same thing. Coming in fresh you could very easily be put off by Voss' vocals, but in time I grew to actually love them.

 

The thing about Lessman and 'Point Blank,' is imo, he never sounded as passionate in the rest of his career as he did on 'Point Blank.' The guys did everything in the world to crack the US market with that disc, and never was his passion for his craft ore evident, and that, to me, matter a lot more than a finely tuned but emotion-void voice. Again, in time, I grew to love his voice on that disc. Adds to how ballsy it is for a commercial hard rock disc too.

 

As for production, I think that is probably the most long-standing critique people have levelled at that disc. I can understand it, but again, it's not like it's badly produced. It never bothered me at all, and to make too much of an issue of that production would be a bit of a grasp at straws, imo.

 

Anyway, I just love the disc and know it'll be one of my all-time faves when all is said and done.

[Glen]

Look of Love - 9.0

Say Goodbye - 9.5

Know Right Now - 9.25

 

All great songs but can't score a perfect 10 imo with the production and vocals. Just my opinion.

 

I did score one song a 10 though - Never Surrender.

 

Now that is a KILLER track..........the intro alone deserves a 10 lol.

 

Probably the best inspiro rocker ever ;-)

[Mullethead]

Ok I need to first rank their albums because my list will be different I'm sure.

 

1. Fireworks (There is not even a close 2nd)

2. Knock Out

3. Point Blank

4. Free

5. Rebel Soul

6. Strike X

7. Fuel To the Flames

8. Double X

9. Feels Like Coming Home

10. Don't Touch the Light

11. The Rauber

12. Branded

 

 

As for Point Blank, love the album. I understand the production issue as it is not bad by any means but not as clear as their later releases. I have to say the biggest mistake, huge mistake with the album is they did not include Sword & Stone, arguable their best song EVER. Not to mention, had the whole album had that sound & production it would have given Fireworks a run for number one.

 

My bottom 3 songs for PB are fairly easy and assuming we are not including the ridiculous instrumentals.

 

1. Youth Patrol

2. Gimme Some

3. Freedom Is My Belief.

 

Had these been left off the album would have been shorter (not a bad thing here). They strike me as table scraps that would be used on a "re-issue" 20 years later to make it cool but not a great idea for the original release.

 

I love "Bang Down the Door", "Look of Love", "Price of Loving You", "Never Surrender" etc.

 

A great album indeed but not their best.

[Geoff]

I did score one song a 10 though - Never Surrender.

 

Now that is a KILLER track..........the intro alone deserves a 10 lol.

 

Probably the best inspiro rocker ever ;-)

 

100% agree. Well, not with the score. I think I gave it 9.5, but apples with apples. I think it's a magnificent song, and I agree - by far the best inspiro rocker ever. That song alone makes me really, really scratch my head about Bonfire's 2nd part of their discography. There are some HORRID songs talking about clapping for Germany and raising hands for Germany and not feeding animals and stuff. They just turned into the corniest, most horribly lyricized (you know it's a word) band ever. What happened? Aren't you meant to get wiser with old age?

 

But huge respect to the band for making 'Never surrender' such a killer song without getting corny.

 

And Jarred, your bottom 3 is outrageous. Well, the entire post is, to be honest, but 'Youth patrol' and 'Freedom is my belief' in the bottom 3? On paper both do look silly, I admit it. But as songs, both are brilliant, imo. 'Youth patrol' has about the biggest chorus on the entire disc.

 

As for having having 'Free' at 4th spot in their discography. My tip? Instead of typing "4. Free" you should just have written, "please do not take anything in the post seriously as I am speaking nonsense."

 

Then again, in all honesty, placing 'Knock out' above 'Point Blank' is probably even better proof of that. To each their own, but I don't think one single other person on this entire planet would agree with you on that, and it's for very, very good reason.

[Nightrain]

I agree with Jared on 'Freedom' and 'Youth patrol', that two also were my bottom list of the album but 'Gimme Some' is a straight 9.5 from me, now that's the beauty of providing fans with great number of tracks, some you like, some you don't, but in the end everybody loves the album, I guess that's the 7TH HEAVEN strategy

[Mullethead]

 

I did score one song a 10 though - Never Surrender.

 

Now that is a KILLER track..........the intro alone deserves a 10 lol.

 

Probably the best inspiro rocker ever ;-)

 

100% agree. Well, not with the score. I think I gave it 9.5, but apples with apples. I think it's a magnificent song, and I agree - by far the best inspiro rocker ever. That song alone makes me really, really scratch my head about Bonfire's 2nd part of their discography. There are some HORRID songs talking about clapping for Germany and raising hands for Germany and not feeding animals and stuff. They just turned into the corniest, most horribly lyricized (you know it's a word) band ever. What happened? Aren't you meant to get wiser with old age?

 

But huge respect to the band for making 'Never surrender' such a killer song without getting corny.

 

And Jarred, your bottom 3 is outrageous. Well, the entire post is, to be honest, but 'Youth patrol' and 'Freedom is my belief' in the bottom 3? On paper both do look silly, I admit it. But as songs, both are brilliant, imo. 'Youth patrol' has about the biggest chorus on the entire disc.

 

As for having having 'Free' at 4th spot in their discography. My tip? Instead of typing "4. Free" you should just have written, "please do not take anything in the post seriously as I am speaking nonsense."

 

Then again, in all honesty, placing 'Knock out' above 'Point Blank' is probably even better proof of that. To each their own, but I don't think one single other person on this entire planet would agree with you on that, and it's for very, very good reason.

 

The songs on Knock Out are better and the album overall with less songs is better. The guitars are outstanding on that album as well. The biggest crime they committed on that album was making the Stroke their first single. Not a terrible cover but not a single of any kind imo.

 

As for PB, yeah they will always be my bottom three because they are a bit corny today and don't hold up well for me. Again, just my opinion.

 

Free, I don't understand why people dislike it so much. Production is top notch and some very catchy songs. I have always been a fan of it but then again, I like a curve ball every once in a while.

[Geoff]

The songs on Knock Out are better and the album overall with less songs is better. The guitars are outstanding on that album as well. The biggest crime they committed on that album was making the Stroke their first single. Not a terrible cover but not a single of any kind imo.

 

As for PB, yeah they will always be my bottom three because they are a bit corny today and don't hold up well for me. Again, just my opinion.

 

Free, I don't understand why people dislike it so much. Production is top notch and some very catchy songs. I have always been a fan of it but then again, I like a curve ball every once in a while.

 

 

If you can find a single other person on the planet to agree with that first statement, I will transfer ownership of my home into your name. Sorry mate, I know use the opinion card all the time, but even the guys in the band would tell you straight out that those songs were 100% inferior to 'Point Blank.' The bird outside your window - yep, that one. You see him. He could tell you that. I truly don't know what you're hearing, but then again, isn't there some ridiculous thread where you're single-handedly saying the production on Trixter's 'Hear' is garbage when every single other person is advising you that it's not... because it's just not. No amount of "imo"s can change a fact sometimes.

 

I dunno mate. I know you go after all these Jap releases, so I assume you have some horrible alien version of 'Hear!' in your collection, as well as some phantom edition of 'Knock out' that no one else in the world got.

 

As for 'Free,' it's not a complete trainwreck. It is probably the most well produced Bonfire album, but when the songs are shit that counts for shit. It's not that you don't mind the album that I can't understand. It's just the fact that you rate it 4th in their entire discography which I cannot comprehend. There's just no way it's on par with the majority of their discography... imo, of course.

[Mullethead]

 

The songs on Knock Out are better and the album overall with less songs is better. The guitars are outstanding on that album as well. The biggest crime they committed on that album was making the Stroke their first single. Not a terrible cover but not a single of any kind imo.

 

As for PB, yeah they will always be my bottom three because they are a bit corny today and don't hold up well for me. Again, just my opinion.

 

Free, I don't understand why people dislike it so much. Production is top notch and some very catchy songs. I have always been a fan of it but then again, I like a curve ball every once in a while.

 

 

If you can find a single other person on the planet to agree with that first statement, I will transfer ownership of my home into your name. Sorry mate, I know use the opinion card all the time, but even the guys in the band would tell you straight out that those songs were 100% inferior to 'Point Blank.' The bird outside your window - yep, that one. You see him. He could tell you that. I truly don't know what you're hearing, but then again, isn't there some ridiculous thread where you're single-handedly saying the production on Trixter's 'Hear' is garbage when every single other person is advising you that it's not... because it's just not. No amount of "imo"s can change a fact sometimes.

 

I dunno mate. I know you go after all these Jap releases, so I assume you have some horrible alien version of 'Hear!' in your collection, as well as some phantom edition of 'Knock out' that no one else in the world got.

 

As for 'Free,' it's not a complete trainwreck. It is probably the most well produced Bonfire album, but when the songs are shit that counts for shit. It's not that you don't mind the album that I can't understand. It's just the fact that you rate it 4th in their entire discography which I cannot comprehend. There's just no way it's on par with the majority of their discography... imo, of course.

 

I will just respond with I disagree

 

And yes, I still hate the sound of Hear. Always have, always will.

[Geoff]

 

And yes, I still hate the sound of Hear. Always have, always will.

 

 

So does that mean you hate the sound of every other well produced hard rock CD too? Because I can't tell the difference...

[Mullethead]

 

 

And yes, I still hate the sound of Hear. Always have, always will.

 

 

So does that mean you hate the sound of every other well produced hard rock CD too? Because I can't tell the difference...

 

Nope, only albums where the cymbals distort because of terrible mixing/production

[AlphaMale]

I just thought the songs on "Hear" weren't as good as their debut. The production didn't bother me.

[Geoff]

One is the vocals - perfectly acceptable, but hey he aint the best vocalist in the world (I think a classic example is Price of Loving you - vocally the Bonfire version is ok, but let's face it the Desmond Child version is miles better vocally - he kills it on that track).

 

Just want to check - you're just talking about the vocals, hey? We both acknowledge that the Bonfire version of this song absolutely destroys, slaughters and manhandles the DC version in every single way, shape and form? Was listening to DC today and I like his AOR / pop rock version of the song, but I much prefer the huge hard rock version of it that Bonfire offer.

 

On a side note - 'Gift of life.' Was a song. So impactful...

[Geoff]

I just thought the songs on "Hear" weren't as good as their debut. The production didn't bother me.

 

Nor does it bother one single other person on the entire planet...

 

except Jared.