MARTIEN:
This was the year I met my wife Claudia (still married by the way) and it was also the year of the fantastic World Cup in Spain. The Dutchies did not qualify for this World Cup but there were a couple of outstanding soccer thrillers during that tournament.
I will never forget matches like Argentina – Italy (1-2), Argentina – Brazil (1-3) or even better Brazil versus Italy (2-3) with three goals from Paolo Rossi. In the finals the Azzuri beat the 'horrible' Germans with 3-1!
"1982 was the year of the second Anglo-Saxon
invasion".
In the music business 1982 was the year of the second Anglo-Saxon invasion, bands like Human League,
O.M.D., Spandau Ballet and ABC almost created a new sound, a new sort of main stream pop rock.
A song like 'Don't You Want Me' became a huge hit which I as a rock lover even played on my record player. American radio stations were 'dominated' by tracks like: I Love Rock and Roll (Joan Jett), Centrefold (J.Geils Band) and Abracadabra (Steve Miller).
My favourite rock singles were Rosanna (Toto), Eye Of The Tiger (Survivor), Open Arms (Journey) and Heat Of The Moment
(Asia).
The latter being the first single of the amazing debut album of super symphonic rock group Asia. The band consisted of Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer and their first album with amazing songs like: Sole Survivor, One Step Closer and Wildest Dreams did overtime on my record player.
The music business and record companies still had to suffer, mainly due to the blank tape.
"Punk was
dead, new wave was over and no one seemed to care about rock or innovation of the music business".
Punk was dead, new wave was over and no one seemed to care about rock or innovation of the music business as rock was still dominated by bands like Foreigner and REO Speedwagon.
Fortunately there were great albums by Rush (Signals). Their twelfth album featured a lot of synthesizers and a couple of outstanding songs like e.g. Subdivisions, Chemistry, Digital Man, and The Analog Kid, proving that the three Canadians still belong to the best of the world.
"how fanatic can you be,
right??".
I even went to New York (2 and 3 December) at the Madison Square Garden to visit their Signals Tour. A year later I also saw this tour in Germany (4 times), Belgium (Brussels), Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and 4 times at Wembley Arena,
London (17,18,20 and 21 May), how fanatic can you be, right??
Meanwhile in England metal band Iron Maiden introduced a new singer, namely Bruce Dickinson and the first album with his vocals 'The Number Of The Beast' was a spot on album.
Classic Maiden tracks like 'Run To The Hills', 'Hallowed By Thy Name' or the title track still belong to their nowadays set list when they play live. It is also my favourite Maiden album ever.
"their resounding farewell of one the greatest metal bands
ever".
Another musical highlight of 1982 was the CODA album of metal pioneers Led Zeppelin as it was their resounding farewell of one the greatest metal bands ever. The astonishing album contained eight previously unreleased songs and tracks like Ozone Baby and Darlene still stand the test of time!
Personally I do not think that this year was a very special year, musically speaking that is, but the Rush Tour is still something I cherish for very long times to come. Best newcomer and surprise of this year was John Cougar Mellencamp with his album American
Fool.
URBAN: 'I'm waiting in my cold cell, when the bell begins to chime. Refecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time.
Cause at five o' clock they take me to the gallows pole. The sands of time for me are running low.
When the priest comes to read me the last rites, I take a look through the bars at the last sights, Of a world that has gone very wrong for me.
Can it be that there's some sort of error. Hard to stop the surmounting terror. Is it really the end, not some crazy dream.
Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming, it's not so easy to stop from screaming, The words escape me when I try to speak. Tears flow but why am I crying? After all I'm not afraid of dying. Don't believe that there never is an end.
As the guards march me out to the courtyard, Somebody cries from a cell 'God be with you'. If there's a God then why has he let me go?
As I walk all my life drifts before me, Though the end is near I'm not sorry. Catch my soul, it's willing to fly away.
Mark my words believe my soul lives on. Don't worry now that I have gone. I've gone beyond to see the truth.
When you know that your time is close at hand. Maybe then you'll begin to understand. Life down here is just a strange illusion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Hallowed By The Name. Yeah, yeah, yeah! "Hallowed By The Name".
------------------------------
'I left alone, my mind was blank. I needed time to get the memories from my mind. What did I see, can I believe? That was I saw last night was real and not just fantasy.
Just what I saw, in my old dreams. Were they relfections of my warped mind staring back at me. Casue in my dreams, it's always there. The eveil face that twists my mind and brings me to dispair.
The night was black, was no use holding back. Cause I had to see, was someone watching me? In the mist, dark figures move and twist. Was all this for real, or just some kind of hell.
666 the number of the beast. Hell and fire was spawned to be released.
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised. As they start to cry, hands held to the sky. In the night, the fires burning bright. The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done.
666 the number of the beast. Sacrifice is going on tonight.
This can't gon on, I must inform the law. Can this still be real or some crazy dream. But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes. They seem to be mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes.
666 "the number of the beast". 666 the one for you and me.
I'm coming back, I will return. And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn. I have the fire, I have the force. I have the power to make my evil take it's course.
---------------------------
White man came across the sea, Brought us pain and misery. Killed our tribes, killed our creed. Took our game for his own need.
We fought him hard, we fough him well. Out on th eplains we gave him hell. But many came, too much for Cree. Oh will we ever be set free?
Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes. Galloping hard on the plains. Chasing the redskins back to their holes, Fighting them at their own game. Murder for freedom, a stab in the back. Women and children and cowards attack.
Run to the hills, run for your life. Run to the hills, run for your life.
Soldier blue in the barren wastes, haunting and killing for game. Raping the women and wasting the men. The only good indians are tame. Selling them whiskey and taking their gold, Enslaving the young destroying the old.
Run to the hills, run for your llife. "Run to the hills", run for your life
--------------------------
All credit to Steve Harris and Iron Maiden. The songs, the album, the legacy. 'The Number Of The Beast' - one of the most influencial metal albums of all time. Simply put a milestone in and of purest metal.
Choose a year:
[ 1982 ]
[1980] [1981]
[1982] [1983]
[1984] [1985]
[1986] [1987]
[1988] [1989]
Alan,
Bandi, Kimmo, Martien, & yours truly, Urban of RockUnited.Com have been spending weeks,
months, wading
through a bunch of weird looking artcovers and albums of the eighties!
Indeed, not an easy task, tracking back in space and time, especially
since some of us were almost still in diapers (sticky) at the early
days of this era of grand and fantastic music. Check out the left-side
border for our yearly write-up in 'black', and this is RockUnited's official
'Best-Of-Album Chart of 1982', calculated from the individual charts. No live-ones, EP's or
compilations are included, merely studio albums. You can find them all and
complain about our personal taste (or rather the complete lack of it) further down this page!
This is merely our humble and tiny celebration of the hairmetal days or
daze for that matter. Enjoy or not - this is the eighties: 1982.
THE ALBUMS OF
THE YEAR: 1982
40.
Raven - Wiped Out
39. Venom - Black Metal
38. Diamond Head - Borrowed Time
37. Robert Plant -
Pictures At Eleven
36. Golden Earring - Cut
35. Hanoi Rocks - Oriental Beat
34. Anvil - Metal On Metal
33. Sheriff - Sheriff
32. Frank Marino - Juggernaut
31. Led Zeppelin - Coda
30.
Spys - Spys
29. Hughes/Thrall - Hughes/Thrall
28. Mama's Boys - Plug It In
27. Twisted Sister - Under The Blade
26. Heart - Private Audition
25. Eddie Money - No Control
24. Status Quo - 1+9+8+2
23. Motorhead - Iron Fist
22. REO Speedwagon - Good Trouble
21. Vandenberg - Vandenberg
20.
38 Special - Special Forces
The
strange transformation from southern rock to AOR continued throughout the
entire eighties. This one had the hit, 'Caught Up In You', which probably
had all the hillbillies running for the hills. The sound is suger-sweet
AOR and hardly what the average 38 Special fan wished for at the time. You
could still find some southern rock tho'.
19.
Balance - In For The Count
''I'm in for the count, so don't count me out. Whenever you doubt over and over and over and over. I'll show you again'. Slightly heavier than their debut and perfectly balanced with lots of keyboards, vocal harmonies, and loud guitars. The title track is an all-time AOR anthem. Guitarist Bob Kulick would join Meat Loaf's band and Balance split up.
18.
Accept - Restless And Wild
''Restless
and Wild' is considered by many folks (including yours truly) as a real
milestone in heavy metal. The opening track, 'Fast As A Shark', basically
the first real 'Speed Metal' anthem and definitely the most influencial
one. Produced by Dieter Dierks with mixing duties by Michael Wagener.
Released in Europe in 1982, the year after in U.S.
17.
Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes
Ritchie Blackmore continued to express his love for AOR music on the 1982 release by Rainbow. This one had even more 'Foreigner' inspired songs than ever. Quite the success on the other side of the pond (USA) while U.K. found 'the man in the hat' a bit strange by now. 'Stone Cold' was the hit song (also featured in the game: GTA Vice City Stories).
16.
Rush - Signals
'Signals' ended their long collaboration with producer Terry Brown, who had been there since the start. Brown said no thanks to their explorer lust and wished to continue with the old prog sound. Rush dabbled with reggae (Digital man) and overall shorter and catchier songs. 'New World Man', became a radio hit and peaked at #21 on the US chart.
15.
Manowar - Battle Hymns
Wimps, posers, and unworthy non-believers, are franky put, better off leaving this album alone. Manowar's first effort had narriation on 'Dark Avenger' by film director, writer, actor, producer, legend, Orson Welles (Citizen Kane). Also included are the 'Death Tone', 'Metal Daze', and the track simply titled, 'Manowar'. True
Metal!
14.
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance
'I'm made of metal, my circuits gleam. I am perpetual I keep the country clean' (Electric Eye). 'Screaming For Vengeance' was the 8th studio album by the Gods of Heavy Metal. The song, 'You've Got Another Thing Comin', made it for them in America as it received lots and lots of air play. The album reached #11 in the UK and 17 on billboard 200.
13.
Y&T - Black Tiger
The
sort of unique vibrato in Dave Meniketti's voice, and his stunning guitar
sound, should provide for more sales than what Y&T actually managed to
produce in the eighties. The lack of record company backing perhaps? Black
Tiger, yet another solid effort by the band. Still, a little less
impressive than previous LP's. Special tip and hit, 'Forever'.
12.
Rick Springfield - Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet
The
1982 album by Rick Springfield - yet another success story... in the
states. He never quite managed to get Europe on his side though. Not that
any of this bothered Rick as the album went platinum in USA and produced
three top-40 singles. 'Don't Talk To Strangers' (peaked at #2), 'What Kind
of Fool Am I' (#21), 'I Get Excited' (#32).
11.
Gary Moore - Corridors Of Power
The
'real' solo debut by the former Lizzy guitarist. Not quite as 'aggressive'
guitarwork as in his 'Thin days though. Gary reduced his solos to make
sure it also had melodic build ups and attractive lines. It features the
rhythm section of Ian Paice (Deep Purple) and Neil Murray (Whitesnake).
Plus killer tracks such as 'Don't Take Me For a Loser'. Great!
10.
Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova
The
multi-talanted Canadian released his self-titled debut in Jan, '82. Aldo
play most everything himself as well as produced the whole she-bang. The
towering single, 'Fantasy', put him over the top as it climed to #23 on
the Billboard 200. The album peaked at #8. Excellent guitar/keyboard
driven rock, a formula Bon Jovi copied a year later.
9.
Magnum - Chase The Dragon
The
first Magnum album to feature the classic artwork of Rodney Matthews. The
first to feature new keyboardist Mark Stanway. 'Chase The Dragon' was
already recorded back in '80. However, there was a two year delay until
the release in March, '82. Several tracks are still live favourites today
'The Spirit', 'Sacred Hour', etc. Pompous stuff.
8.
Kiss - Creatures Of The Night
Easily
their heaviest effort since '77 and 'Love Gun'. The drums are way louder
and heavier than on any previous album. Kiss knew they had to please
their metal fans after a couple of poppy sounding albums. 'Vinnie' Vincent
Cusano was brought in to help out with songwriting. Featuring, 'I Love It
Loud'. Their last LP with make-up (until the reunion).
7.
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
...and
it's all Sylvester Stallone's fault. Sly heard their single 'Poor Man's
Son' and requested a theme song for his movie Rocky III. If only he knew
about all damage caused by headbanging rather than boxing. The song
topped the US billboard chart for six weeks and won a Grammy award for
best rock performance. The album peaked at #2.
6.
Toto - IV
"IV"
was awarded six Grammy awards, including album of the year, producer of
the year, and song of the year (Rosanna). The song was named after
keyboardist, Steve Porcaro's old girlfriend, the famous actress, Rosanna
Arquette. Three singles reached top-10 in the states with 'Africa' as
their one and only #1 hit (that's 1 more than most acts).
5.
Whitesnake - Saints & Sinners
Probably
their most underrated release and overall a RockUnited.com favourite.
Featuring song and dance numbers such as 'Young Blood, Rough 'An Ready,
Bloody Luxury, Victim Of Love', and the original versions of both 'Crying
In The Rain' and 'Here I Go Again'. Clearly the catchiest and most U.S.
friendly effort by the Moody/Marsden line-up.
4.
Asia - Asia
A
super-group formed
from the ashes of a bunch of old 70's Prog-Rock acts. (Emerson, Lake &
Palmer, Yes, Family, Uriah Heep). Thus why 70's folks expected this to be old
skool prog, and ended up rather disappointed by the radio friendly sound.
The album reached #1 on the US chart and sold extremely well due to the
hit single, 'Heat Of The Moment'.
3.
Scorpions - Blackout
'Kick
your ass to heaven with rock 'n' roll tonight'. This platter features 'Dynamite' and tons of
explosive stuff. Scorpions breakthrough in the states as it reached top ten at billboard 200. Klaus Meine
had vocal problems and demos were recorded with the at the time unsigned,
Don Dokken. Klaus came throu tho' and Scorps' recorded a classic LP.
2.
Night Ranger - Dawn Patrol
Guitarist
Brad Gillis quit his spot as replacement to Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
for this AOR/Pomp band. Originally named 'Ranger' and first issues were
already printed when they discovered a country band with the same name.
Re-named after the Jack Blades song, 'Dawn Patrol', turned out to be their
first and best effort. Marvelous melodies.
1.
Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
'White
man came across the sea. Brought us pain and misery'. We all know the
words, we all know the beat. To air-drum along to 'Run To The Hills' is
mandatory knowledge. This is one of the most influential metal albums of
all time. Maiden's first effort to top the UK charts. The first to feature
Bruce Dickinson. The first CD to buy if you're starting out as a
metal fan today. (all album comment nonsense
by: Urban)
INDIVIDUAL LISTS OF 1982 *Personal Stuff* | |
|
Urban (Wally):
1. Iron
Maiden - Number of The Beast 11.
Manowar - Battle Hymns 21. Y&T
- Black Tiger |
Alan:
1. Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast |
|
Martien: 1. Rush - Signals
|
Kimmo: 1. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
|
|
Bandi: 1. Toto - IV
1982: Songs of the year: Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills Michael
Jackson - Billie Jean |
Urban
(Wally): POP/Rock albums of the year: 1. Michael Jackson - Thriller Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age of..
|
|
|
|
