Top 10 of 2012 - The Editor's Take
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 12:01AM Today, we continue our posts regarding the albums we personally think are the best of 2012.
10. Rival Sons - Head Down. What classic rock should be... by a modern band!
09. Charm City Devils – Sins. Straight up Glam from Baltimore. Charm City Devils deserve fame. "Man of Constant Sorrow" is a stand out.
08. Attack Attack – This Means War. The new one from the Columbus, Ohio metalcore band. Not as good as the band's self-titled album, but still darn good and way heavier.
07. Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth. Classic arena rock. No album could have lived up to the hype or expectation, but A Different Kind of Truth filled a void in our current commercial music landscape. It's not 1984 anymore, and that's okay. Van Halen has evolved and we can too.
06. The Darkness – Hot Cakes. Poppy Glam. High notes. Tons of energy. Hilarious videos. What's not to love? "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us" is a stand out track.
05. Scorpions – Comeblack.Re-recordings of classics and covers, too. For Scorps fans, this is a great album. Plus it marked a turning point: with this release the band let their fans know that full retirement wasn't really happening after all.
04. Europe - Bag of Bones. Don't ever doubt the vocal prowess of Joey Tempest.
03. Kix – Live in Baltimore. A strong live album by one of my favorite bands. Plus, Live in Baltimore puts Kix back on the map... and back in the studio. Rarely does a live album capture the true energy of a given concert... but this album does that in droves.
02. Aerosmith – Music From Another Dimension. New music from my favorite band. This album doesn't get the top spot because of the sappy ballads. The rockers rock, though, and that's all we need from our bad boys from Boston.
01. I See Stars – Digital Renegade. My most-listened to, favorite album of the year bar none. This album would actually go into my "desert island" collection as well. I See Stars happens to be my favorite metalcore band, largely because of Digital Renegade. The songs are epic. The videos are epic. The guest stars (Cassadee Pope and Danny Worsnop) are epic. I can't say enough good things about this album. No, it's not Glam, but there are melodic breakdowns. Plus, I don't listen to Glam 24/7. If I did, I'd go crazy. Stand out tracks: "Electric Forest," "Filth Friends Unite" and "Endless Sky."
Honorable mention: Adler: Back from the Dead. This album is incredible, but it hasn't been out very long hence it's place below the top 10. I highly suggest you buy this one - you'll love it.
Reader Comments (106)
10) MOTLEY CRUE "Sex", July 17, 2012. This ROCKS! Glad Nikki saved it out of the pile that's normally wasted on SIXX A.M., etc.
9) DE LA CRUZ "Rockin' All Night", Unreleased demo left off their forthcoming March 2013 album release, "Street Level". If this is what was left off, just imagine what the rest of the album sounds like! Thanks for the heads up, Allyson!
8) VAN HALEN "She's The Woman", February 7, 2012. Apparently written for their 70's demos that got them their first record contract, this song is dang near as good as the rest of their best stuff. So glad we finally get to hear it officially, in all it's glory!
7) FOXY SHAZAM "(It's) Too Late, Baby", January 24, 2012. Huh-uh-lo-oh! This has been out for almost a year and only now do I find it, thanks to Kenny Ozz! I can't stop listening to their album, "The Church of Rock and Roll", from which this song is taken. In fact, I just listened to this song 5 times in a row. I probably would list this song and the album way high on my lists had I not just bought the album last night on Kenny's tip. However, that should tell you something about just how great Foxy Shazam is!
6) HARDCORE SUPERSTAR "One More Minute", November, 2012. From their new album, "C'mon, Take On Me", due out February 27th, 2013! Thanks for the heads up, Kim. These guys continue to OUTROCK nearly everyone else out there!
5) MISS CRAZY "Make It Go Away", December 7, 2012. Oh, man, this just BURNS with a capital "B"! This just made it in time for 2012, having just been released a couple of weeks ago with their incredible new album, "Grip".
4) WILDSTREET "Easy Does It", January 24, 2012. Killer song. Killer band. This being released almost over a year ago, this makes me worry they might not put out a new album. Let's keep our fingers crossed this band stays alive!
3) CRASH DIET "Cocaine Cowboys", December 2012. From their forthcoming 2013 album, "The Savage Playground". If this is any indication, what an EPIC album that will be!
2) BLACK VEIL BRIDES "In The End", December 2012. Talk about EPIC, this is the absolute musical definition of that description. From their soon-to-be deemed equally epic 2013 album, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones", a title for a concept album if I ever heard one. "Wretched and Divine" is due out January 7th.
1) KISS "Hell Or Hallelujah", July 3, 2012. An incredibly catchy song delivered with the hooks, riffs, leads and chops worthy of any truly great KISS anthem! This song is right up there with the greatest 70's KISS classics. Even Paul Stanley's sly production nods to their 70's heyday. Without question, THE BEST song of 2012! Too bad KISS's latest album, "MONSTER", from which this single is taken, doesn't stack up.
In fact, I'm already going to boldly predict Black Veil Brides, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones" will be album of the year!!!
As for your list, I am blown away, dude! Cyanide 4, Julian Angel's Beautiful Beast, Sister Doll, and bands I should have kept track of like Diemonds, who I found out about here, Sister Sin, and one of my all time faves, Crazy Lixx -- All KILLER! No FILLER!
Thanks to you, my "Best of 2012" Playlist just got a whole lot better!
I haven't been able to stop listening to ADKOT and on somedays, I think it rivals all their other albums. Until, of course, I come back down to reality and listen to VH1 or WACF in their entirety.
That being said, allow me to rank the songs off of ADKOT: In the top 10 (well 13) order. (no jokes, no hidden agenda...just my perspective:
13) honeybabysweetiedoll: should've been a DLR solo cut in the 90's
12) Outta space: Nice to go there on occasion, just don't stay there
11) Beats workin': If that's what you think! This is a job, too. We all got "work" to do.
10) Bullethead: Might have been my least favorite song, but has the line, "I got a different kind of truth, which makes up for the unoriginality of the song.
9) China Town: China Town can be any town: Little Italy, LA, Chicago, New York, Lower Saucon, etc... When Dave sings, 'This is my town", I come to life.
8) Big River: The opposite song of "beats workin'" We all got crosses to bear (or rivers to cross0.
7) You and Your Blues: One of the truest songs on the album from a VH perspective. Head nod to Dave for his LZ and RS influenced lyrics. Actually, big props all around on this song.
6) Stay frosty: My kids LOVE this song and I played it a lot this summer on my back porch after dinner when I made them ice cream sundeas. No wonder they love this song. I conditioned them like pavlov's dog. Dave went from singing, I'm the ice cream man", to encouraging others to "stay frosty". Now, dave "gets it" just a little more.
5) The trouble with never: never doesn't exist. If you think so, try listening to the song 40-50 times.
4) As is: some things just are. kind of reminds me of the serenity prayer.
3) She's the woman: To me, "She's the woman" = "I Married well" ...and I did. 'nuff said
2) Blood and Fire: There are so many ways to interprest this song and I love every one so far...we came through blood and fire, we get through blood and fire, we go through blood and fire, we made blood and fire...endless possibilities. But..."look at all the people here tonight!". Thanks dave!
1) Tattoo: bar none, the most underratted VH song. sure, it's not unchained, Rinnin, panama, jump, everybody wants some, DOA, or feel you love...but after a 28 year hiatus of a full length album and trying to get those mindset in sync with each other, it's a masterpiece from beginning to end.
In fact, if I had my list to do over, I would probably squeeze it on, and perhaps higher than some of the others. If there was such a thing as radio anymore, I actually think "Tattoo" would have been a Top Ten Hit!
One thing I'm sure to appreciate again, when giving the album another spin, is that Eddie's still got it in spades when it comes to his guitar playing.
He still blows every living guitarist away in terms of original sound, bar none, except for maybe Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, which is really saying something when you consider what major influences they are to him, whether he'd admit it or not.
BUT!!! If you sanctioned yourself away to listen to it in its entirety, from beginning to end. I have just one piece of advice: (it's a simple request. won't cost anything. it's more of a way of life than a mindset) my advice, nikki: stay frosty
peace/rock on
Kinda reminds me of when I saw AC/DC off "Powerage" only playing for 45 minutes when opening for Savoy Brown at Painter's Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland in 1978.
By then everybody in their right mind in Maryland, thanks to DC 101, 98 Rock and even WGTB, Georgetown University's exemplary College Radio Station (before the Jesuits shut it down), had all of their albums up to that point, spending their last hard earned steel mill (or equivalent) cash on even the imports, just to get a hold of them.
They came out guns a blazing, proceeded to completely blow the doors off the place and left the audience on the verge of rioting, chanting "AC/DC! AC/DC!" over Savoy Brown's first song.
Too bad for Savoy Brown but it was made clear, Savoy Brown should have been opening for AC/DC, though in all reality, even at this relatively early stage of AC/DC's career they did not even need an opening act and had enough material to fill 2 to 3 hours, easy.
Christian, if you so desire it would be great to see your list of Best Songs of 2012.
Hear! Hear! Black Veil Brides!
p.s. Fletch, I am about to peel off the Gucci slippers, recline in my Charles Eames Lounge Chair, put my feet up on the matching ottoman, crank up the Sennheisers and let Eddie take me away. I will report back here post haste.
I( do think that is a fundamental difference of ours- both professionally, philosophically, and basically. (oppss, my syntax was off again]]]]]];]]
Okay, Fletch! I just listened to "A Different Kind of Truth", from beginning to end, not once, but twice!
Totally and unequivocally, absolutely "UNFRICKIN'" believable! I can see why your list consisted of nothing but this album ten times.
Just think, if we didn't know it was Van Halen, we would all be in shock! I took approached this whole "listening party of one" as though I didn't know anything about the album -- who it is or it's context and all I can say is, it's a total frickin' MONSTER!
Eddie V just BLAZES on this.
Now, you would probably consider it blashamy to even want to tinker with this gem but I do have a couple of minor, albeit VERY minor, critiques of the record...
1st, I would have just slightly changed the track order -- just switching the first two songs -- leading with "She's The Woman" and then following with "Tattoo".
The other thing is the production. Johm Shanks is obviously no slouch (Fleetwood Mac, etc.) but these guys really should have gotten Ted Templeman back. As it is, it's a bit thin and tinny. The only other thing I would like to have heard is a little less of Roth's Frank Zappa impressions.
I am a little sick right now (Only right now? Hahaha!!!), so it was kinda trippy listening to this album and feeling like Zappa came back from the dead to comment on Eddie's guitar virtuosity.
These are the things I suspect Templeman would have taken care of in a snap, giving Eddie's guitar the sheen and lustre it deserves.
Regardless, these are nitpicks. It is easily one of "The Top 10 Greatest Albums of 2012" and I prefer it over any of the Van Hagar output.
I would love to see them go back at it again in 2013 but that's probably a pipe dream.
As I said before, you don't have to own the CD to validate it's greatness.
I actually own (foolishly) 16,000+ CDs but also rely on iTunes, YouTube and various other pseudo clandestine means of obtaining music.
Since we've all embarked on this extraordinary journey to find "The Best of 2012", I, too, have discovered more stuff that gives me pause to rejigger the lists...
For instance, how the hell did we overlook Wig Wam's new one, "Wallstreet". Totally KILLER!
I told you I was coming back
confused? let me explain...
She's the woman = I married well
bryn mawr = there's work to be done (and do)
I believe we've found our collective roads...happy trails
and, when "you're" up for a beer with me...call me.