When was their peak?

[Geoff]

 

I've only heard I.C.U. but from those ratings it looks like they don't have a killer album in their discography

Actually just had a quick skip through. Geoff's rating for 5 easy pieces is about right - only a couple of really good tracks on that. Cool from the wire is too low tho. I reckon that could easily hit mid 80s and is a very good album.

 

 

I was going to give that 'Cool from the wire' one sneaky little bonus point as it does deserve to be in the 80's.

 

For me, 79% and 80% is a very good score. The album is not perfect, but it is essential to any hard rock collection, in my honest opinion.

[Nightrain]

I haven't rated that but I think I might agree on the high 70 for that one bordering 80

[Dark]

Ok what about Asia and Bang Tango?

 

Did Asia peak on their debut and Bang Tango on Dancin' On Coals?

[lettard]

Personally never liked any of em dude

[Glen]

Ok what about Asia and Bang Tango?

 

Did Asia peak on their debut and Bang Tango on Dancin' On Coals?

Of course Asia peaked on their debut. The album is an aor classic.

[Dark]

Yeah they never quite captured that magic again did they?

 

There's no love for Bang Tango around here then?

[Geoff]

Yeah, that Asia debut was far and away the best I heard from them, and that's not a lot because they became too bad to listen to. But until 1990 when they were still okay, the debut was definitely the best.

 

As for Bang Tango, I don't mind the guys but a band like that never had a peak, imo. Only ever average at absolute best.

[Glen]

I like the debut and Dancin on Coals. Not classics but very good imo

[Dark]

Interesting, i loved them back in their day but i must admit i only have two tracks of theirs in my fav's list. So who's next?

[Gibbo]

How about Twisted Sister? Ozzy Osbourne? Blue Oyster Cult?

[Glen]

No interest whatsoever in Twisted Sister or BOC,

 

Ozzy is very simple -

 

'81-83 - Bizzard / Diary / Bark.

 

Everything since has been inferior.

[Dark]

How about Twisted Sister? Ozzy Osbourne? Blue Oyster Cult?

 

Twisted Sister has to be Stay Hungry, i loved I Wanna Rock when it came out! and We're Not Gonna Take It got played to death for years afterwards.

 

With Ozzy the debut was such a strong album (Mr Crowley and Crazy Train are great). I'm not sure whether anything that followed topped it. However we could separate out a commercial peak with Shot in the Dark or No More Tears being contenders?

 

Did Blue Oyster Cult peak with Agents of Fortune due to Don't Fear the Reaper? I don't know their discography as well as the first two.

[Dead Planet]

Ozzy....The Ultimate Sin was his peak for sure

 

Twisted Sister....Stay Hungry is the only release worth owning IMO

 

BOC....Fire of Unknown Origin is the best thing they ever did and is one of my top 3 releases of 1981

[Dark]

Ozzy....The Ultimate Sin was his peak for sure

 

Is that commercially, creatively or both?

[Dead Planet]

 

Ozzy....The Ultimate Sin was his peak for sure

 

Is that commercially, creatively or both?

 

 

I don't pay attention to the commercial side of these things because often the commercial side of most bands is crap....The Ultimate Sin is my favorite and I believe most creative but that is just my personal opinion....

[Dark]

Interesting, apart from Shot in the Dark i can't remember any of the other tracks on The Ultimate Sin but it has been years since i heard it. I would have thought the Randy Rhodes era would have been chosen by everyone but obviously not.

[Jez]

Musically, I agree with Glen that the best Ozzy albums are the Blizzard debut, 'Diary' and 'Bark', some good albums afterwards 'No More Tears' especially, but not as good as these three.

 

Blue Oyster Cult definitely hit their peak with the brilliant pairing of 'Cultosarus Erectus' in 1980 and 'Fire Of Unknown Origin' in 1981, both must have albums imo.

 

Twisted Sister...It's got to be 'Stay Hungry', but the only album I occasionally spin by them nowadays is the 'Under The Blade' debut which still has a certain charm.

 

Asia...the debut is still a thing of beauty and their finest hour for sure, but don't forget 'Astra' which is excellent too. A couple of the John Payne era albums are well worth seeking out too, namely 'Aria' and the brilliant 'Aura'

[Dark]

So did Ozzy peak as a solo artist or as a member of Black Sabbath?

 

Personally i prefer his solo stuff and the tracks i've favourited by Sabbath are from albums after Ozzy's departure.

[Glen]

Solo....by a long long way imo

[Dead Planet]

So did Ozzy peak as a solo artist or as a member of Black Sabbath?

 

Personally i prefer his solo stuff and the tracks i've favourited by Sabbath are from albums after Ozzy's departure.

 

I think it is pretty much a draw....I love the Black Sabbath catalog and all Ozzy's solo stuff up to NRFTW...of course commercially it would be his solo releases...

[Dark]

Maybe i'm a bit too young to really appreciate Ozzy period Black Sabbath.

[Dark]

Ok what about Poison and Tigertailz?

 

Two bands that peaked early on their first two releases?

[Geoff]

Tigertailz - it'd be hard to argue anything but 'Bezerk,' in terms of commercial "success" as well as, arguably, their creative peak. I do prefer the debut, though.

 

As for Poison, I think you could argue that all three of their first albums offered some kind of peak. I guess 'Open Up and say ah' is their commercial peak, but imo the weakest of those three albums. Like Bon Jovi's 'Slippery When Wet,' the big songs are all classics, but the rest isn't as good as their other stuff. Basically impossible to pick between 'Look what the cat dragged in' and 'Flesh & Blood' as they're polar opposites. So I won't choose and just say that both albums were peaks in their own right.

[Glen]

Flesh & Blood is their best album imo, but Open Up is their commerial peak.

[Dark]

Tigertailz - it'd be hard to argue anything but 'Bezerk,' in terms of commercial "success" as well as, arguably, their creative peak. I do prefer the debut, though.

 

As for Poison, I think you could argue that all three of their first albums offered some kind of peak. I guess 'Open Up and say ah' is their commercial peak, but imo the weakest of those three albums. Like Bon Jovi's 'Slippery When Wet,' the big songs are all classics, but the rest isn't as good as their other stuff. Basically impossible to pick between 'Look what the cat dragged in' and 'Flesh & Blood' as they're polar opposites. So I won't choose and just say that both albums were peaks in their own right.

 

It's been years since i listened to either Tigertailz or Poison so i'll give them both a spin soon. I remember loving both the first two Tigertailz albums and the first three Poison releases back in the day so i'll agree with you i think for now Geoff.