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Week Ending:
8 June 2024

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Album Of The Week

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TheBigBlack


Joe Satriani Logo

Flying In A Blue Dream

Joe Satriani - Flying In A Blue Dream (1989)

[Rock]

United States

Rating - 4 Stars

There is a lot of evidence that just because you are an exceptional guitar player doesn't necessarily mean you can write a song, and this evidence is usually found on the solo albums of great guitarists. Like any great artist is aware, knowing what to put where and how much of it to use is what makes or breaks the work. Sometimes great guitarists see their art as the lead-line or the shred, forgetting about the rest of the song, and those leads alone are not enough to carry repeats listens. Satriani has been guilty of this many times in his career, but on this album he found the perfect balance. From the moment the ethereal strums of the album's title track begin, the listener is transported to another place. That opening song nails the reason why the whole album works so well - the guitar line serves the song, rather than a song backing a guitarist. Track after track Satriani effortlessly (is there any other word to describe his playing?) weaves his leads and rhythms together like a patchwork quilt of ideas and styles and sounds. There is blistering pseudo metal on 'Can't Slow Down' and the track also gives us our first taste of something new to the guitarist's repertoire - vocals. Audiences were divided at the time, as it is safe to safe Joe's real voice can't quite sing like his guitar voice can, but it does create a welcome variation. 'Headless' and 'Strange' mix things up even further, whilst 'The Bells Of Lal (Part One)' works nicely as experiment in controlled feedback. 'The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing' and 'Day At The Beach (New Rays From An Ancient Sun)' show off his insane level of finger tapping mastery, whilst 'Back To Shalla-Bal' is an all-out sonic assault. Whilst the variation in styles is one of the album's strong points, it doesn't always work, with tracks like the banjo-heavy 'The Phone Call' a better addition to the cutting room floor than the album (with or without vocals). Older fans will feel right at home with 'One Big Rush' and 'The Forgotten (Part Two)', showing off the more traditional 'guitar album' style. At just over an hour, the album hangs around long enough not to outstay it's welcome, and many of the songs are just long enough they don't lose their freshness. Although the majority of fans will still vote Surfing With The Alien from two years prior his best album, Flying In A Blue Dream often has the honor of being called a close second, and one listen should explain why.


Core Discographies: New Additions

These are new releases available in the Core Discographies this week.

Remember, Core Discographies accepts Requests. Click HERE to request your favourite album to be included.

Click on any links below to see release details.


United States MP3
Available FLAC
Available
Drama

Marty Friedman
Drama

[Album]
17 May 2024
Heavy Metal

'Drama' is the fourteenth solo studio album by Marty Friedman.

Martin Adam Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist of thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until 1989, as well as his solo albums and tours. Friedman has resided in Tokyo since 2003, where he has appeared on over 700 Japanese television programs such as Rock Fujiyama, Hebimeta-san, Kohaku Uta Gassen and Jukebox English.

Performer(s):

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman - Guitar [Member]

Australia MP3
Available FLAC
Available
Gravity Stairs

Crowded House
Gravity Stairs

[Album]
1 May 2024
Rock

'Gravity Stairs' is the eighth studio album by Crowded House. The band produced the album with Steven Schram, with frontman Neil Finn stating that the band wanted to maintain a "dreamy quality" on the record yet be more "lyrically direct". The cover art is a pastiche of The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver drawn by Nick Seymour.

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members included Finn's brother Tim who was in their former band together Split Enz, sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Seymour being the sole constant members. Crowded House have sold over 15 million albums worldwide. In November 2016, the band was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame.


Australia MP3
Available FLAC
Available
Invaders

Regurgitator
Invaders

[Album]
26 April 2024
Alternative Rock

'Invader' is the eleventh studio album by Regurgitator. It is a self-produced and includes collaborations with Indigenous Australian rapper JK-47 and Indigenous author and academic Tyson Yunkaporta.

Regurgitator are an Australian alternative rock band from Brisbane, Queensland, formed in late 1993 by Quan Yeomans on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards; Ben Ely on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals; and Martin Lee on drums. Their second album, 'Unit' was certified triple platinum and won five categories at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998.


United Kingdom MP3
Available FLAC
Available
Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]

Motorhead
Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]

[Album; Compilation]
20 April 2024
Hard Rock

'Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]' is a compilation by Motorhead. It is a reissue of the band's 1984 compilation 'No Remorse' for it's 40th anniversary, featuring alternate versions and demos of most of the original compilations tracks, along with some other songs were alternatives were not available.

Motorhead were an English hard rock band formed in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motorhead, most of their best-selling releases feature drummer Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor and guitarist 'Fast' Eddie Clarke. Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The day after his death, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell both confirmed that Motorhead had disbanded.


Core Discographies: This Year's Releases Coming Soon

These are new releases coming to Core Discographies soon.

All new releases are available.

Digital Library: Tagged Releases

These are new releases completed in the Digital Library this week.

Digital Library Links: Digital Library

Click on any links below to see release details.


Australia
MP3
Complete
FLAC
Complete
Gravity Stairs

Crowded House
Gravity Stairs

[Album]
1 May 2024
Rock

'Gravity Stairs' is the eighth studio album by Crowded House. The band produced the album with Steven Schram, with frontman Neil Finn stating that the band wanted to maintain a "dreamy quality" on the record yet be more "lyrically direct". The cover art is a pastiche of The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver drawn by Nick Seymour.


United States
MP3
Complete
FLAC
Complete
Drama

Marty Friedman
Drama

[Album]
17 May 2024
Heavy Metal

'Drama' is the fourteenth solo studio album by Marty Friedman.

Performer(s):

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman - Guitar [Member]

United Kingdom
MP3
Complete
FLAC
Complete
Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]

Motorhead
Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]

[Album; Compilation]
20 April 2024
Hard Rock

'Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]' is a compilation by Motorhead. It is a reissue of the band's 1984 compilation 'No Remorse' for it's 40th anniversary, featuring alternate versions and demos of most of the original compilations tracks, along with some other songs were alternatives were not available.


Australia
MP3
Complete
FLAC
Complete
Invaders

Regurgitator
Invaders

[Album]
26 April 2024
Alternative Rock

'Invader' is the eleventh studio album by Regurgitator. It is a self-produced and includes collaborations with Indigenous Australian rapper JK-47 and Indigenous author and academic Tyson Yunkaporta.


Digital Library: New Additions

These are new releases added in the Digital Library this week. These will be tagged at a future date.

Digital Library Links: Digital Library

Click on any links below to see release details.


Crowded House
Gravity Stairs

[Album]
1 May 2024
Rock

'Gravity Stairs' is the eighth studio album by Crowded House. The band produced the album with Steven Schram, with frontman Neil Finn stating that the band wanted to maintain a "dreamy quality" on the record yet be more "lyrically direct". The cover art is a pastiche of The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver drawn by Nick Seymour.


Marty Friedman
Drama

[Album]
17 May 2024
Heavy Metal

'Drama' is the fourteenth solo studio album by Marty Friedman.

Performer(s):

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman - Guitar [Member]

Motorhead
Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]

[Album; Compilation]
20 April 2024
Hard Rock

'Remorse? No! [40th Anniversary Edition]' is a compilation by Motorhead. It is a reissue of the band's 1984 compilation 'No Remorse' for it's 40th anniversary, featuring alternate versions and demos of most of the original compilations tracks, along with some other songs were alternatives were not available.


Regurgitator
Invaders

[Album]
26 April 2024
Alternative Rock

'Invader' is the eleventh studio album by Regurgitator. It is a self-produced and includes collaborations with Indigenous Australian rapper JK-47 and Indigenous author and academic Tyson Yunkaporta.


Marty Friedman
Loudspeaker

[Album]
2006
Heavy Metal

Performer(s):

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman - Guitar [Member]

Marty Friedman
Music For Speeding

[Album]
2004
Heavy Metal

Performer(s):

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman - Guitar [Member]

Location(s):


TheBigBlack's Last.FM Listening History

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