Beanie Books

Album Review Band: Softengine Album: We Created The World Year: 2014 Softengine is a Finnish alternative rock band that represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with their song "Something Better". They released their debut album We Created the World in October 2014.  They look like a boy band and these guys are all youngsters but this is a great debut album. Nearly every song is really good. It does lack a huge song that you can’t get out of your head but consistency counts too. The songs tend to build in complexity and intensity to a big chorus. Sound like something you might hear about The Killers, huh? Softengine compares to them or maybe 30 Seconds To Mars. The singer’s voice reminds me of Brendon Urie of Panic At The Disco! If you like those bands, surely you would like this. Here is the list: 1.              Our New Age  ★★ 1.    ...

Album Review Band: Bad Company Album: Fame and Fortune Year: 1986 The new singer of Bad Company, Brian Howe, is a dead ringer for Lou Gramm of Foreigner. It would be hard to believe that Mick Ralphs (Guitar) and Simon Kirke were not intentionally trying to mimic Foreigner on this. The album was produced by Foreigner producer Keith Olsen and Foreigner's Mick Jones was the executive producer. So, instead of comparing this album to previous Bad Company albums, try comparing it to Foreigner’s “Agent Provocateur” or “Inside Information”. This album stacks up quite well with those.  Side note: when Gramm left Foreigner, Howe would have been a much better replacement than Kelly Hansen. Four three star songs is pretty solid. If you like mid-80s AOR rock, this album is for you. Here is the list: 1.               Burning Up ★★★ –   Best song on this album and the one that sounds the most like t...

Album Review Band: Dustin Lynch Album: Where It’s At Year: 2014 I am not really a country fan but stumbled into this one on my local library web site. This is a great album. The first seven songs are all very good. It falls off a bit from there but every song is good with the exception of the final two. The only question is why isn’t Lynch bigger than the likes of guys like Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. Here is the list: 1.              Hell Of A Night ★★★★ -  Best song on this album but does bear some similarity to Jason Aldean’s “Gonna Know We Were Here” (not that I care). 2.              To The Sky ★★★ 3.              Halo ★★★ 4.              After Party ★★★ 5.          ...

Album Review Band: Deep Purple Album: Slaves and Masters Year: 1990 Slaves and Masters is not usually given its due, folks.  For this album, Ritchie Blackmore dumped Ian Gillan from the band and brought in his old chum from Rainbow, Joe Lynn Turner. The album sounds just like a Turner-era Rainbow album more than a Deep Purple album. The first three songs are all really good - King of Dreams (easily the best song on here), The Cut Runs Deep, and Fire In the Basement. It does go downhill a bit from there but the rest of the songs are pretty good. Well, that is with one exception - Love Conquers All, a turd love ballad that is the only song that I skip when I play this album. Fortuneteller is the best song on the back half.  Turner is on record saying that they were trying to get a pop-rock hit out of this album and it shows. Many other bands (most notably Aerosmith) tried the same thing in this era with varying results. If you like the Joe Lynn Turner versio...

Album Review Band: Pat Benatar Album: Crimes of Passion Year: 1980 People forget how spectacular Pat Benatar was. This is her second album and probably her best. The songs you know are great of course but there are no duds on the album.   Here is the list: Treat Me Right  ★★★★ Great song to start off. You Better Run  ★★★ ★ Definitely  an improvement over the  original  by The Young Rascals. Never Wanna Leave You  ★ ★ Hit Me With Your Best Shot  ★★ ★ ★★ This is Pat Benatar's most well-known song. Hell Is For Children  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Holy Crap! This song is awesome but check it out live. Little Paradise   ★★ Worst song on here and it is pretty good. I'm Gonna Follow You   ★ ★ ★ Wuthering Heights   ★★ ★ Originally a Kate Bush song that Benatar just kills.  Some say this is the best song on the album but they are wrong. Prisoner Of Love   ★★ ★ Surprisingly catch tune. Out-A-Touch ...

Album Review Band: Loverboy Album: Get Lucky Year: 1981 I totally dismissed Loverboy in the beginning. I liked their songs but the guy's butt on the album cover led me to believe that this music was just not aimed at me. I wonder if this cost them some fans.  Then, in 1988, I saw them in concert with Dokken (who I was really there to see). They rocked the house, of course. I saw them as older and fatter men in 2015 and they still are killing it. Anyhoo, there is only one turd on this album. Their follow-up albums were all pretty much decent. thus, this album was clearly their high point.  When you have two five star songs and three other four star songs, you know we are talking about a classic.  Here is the list: Working For The Weekend  ★★★★ ★ This is their signature song that everyone knows. When It's Over  ★★★ ★ Jump  ★★ ★ Gangs In The Street  ★★ ★ ★ This song is great but the lyrics have to be a joke. Mike Reno was probab...

Album Review Band: The Cars Album: CandyO Year: 1979 True story...my parents did not give us any money when I was a sapling. So, my brother and I used to collect aluminum cans to earn some dough. We lived near an apartment complex that had several dumpsters so we started dumpster diving for cans. We also found some treasure. For example, one day, I found this The Cars CandyO on 8-track in a dumpster. Someone threw out this gem? I know...hard to believe, right? Anyway, I would never have purchased it but it turned out to be a favorite. I played the crap out of it which may have enhanced my rating for each song I suppose. There are no bad songs...not a clunker to be found. It is probably not as good as The Cars' debut but it is not far off. Here is the list: Let's Go  ★★★★ This one got the most radio play but still a four-star song to me. Since I Held You  ★★★★ ★ I may be the only person in the world who would rate this a five-star song. It's All I Ca...

Album Review Band: Bad Company Album: Straight Shooter Year: 1975 Some people think that Bad Company’s second album, Straight Shooter, is better than their debut. They are wrong. First, like their debut, there only eight songs which is pretty weak from a "super group" such as this. On second thought, maybe they only had four four really good tracks and had to add four filler songs just to get to eight. Methinks they should have spent more time in the studio. Also, the lyrics are mostly garbage. Aside from that, Paul Rodgers is pretty awesome and there are a couple great songs. The rest are mostly decent tunes with a turd thrown in there (Anna). Bad Company's best songs have a heavy guitar crunch that is pure kick ass and there is enough of that here to say it is a nice sophomore outing. Here is the list: Good Lovin' Gone Bad ★★★★ Obvious classic and best song on the whole dang thing. Feel Like Makin' Love ★★★★ Who does not love a good powe...