1st Press Japan Yngwie Malmsteen Pocp Trilogy

Odyssey is the fourth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 8 April 1988 through Polydor Records. The album reached No. 40 on the US Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for eighteen weeks, as well as reaching the top 50 in five other countries. As of 2017 it remains Malmsteen's highest-charting release on the Billboard 200. Steve Huey at AllMusic gave Odyssey two stars out of five, calling it "a more subdued, polished collection seemingly designed for mainstream radio airplay", but that it "shows little difference in approach from Malmsteen's previous output". He praised Joe Lynn Turner's vocals and Malmsteen's guitar work, but remarked that the latter sounds "constrained and passionless" due in part to his recovery from a near-fatal car accident in 1987.

Malmsteen's playing on the follow-up to the epochal Rising Force is slightly more raw and aggressive, but the most notable difference is the addition of lyrics on many of the songs. By his own admission, Malmsteen isn't much of a lyricist, and his frequent use of occult and pagan imagery (demons, Vikings, and so on) isn't as effective at producing a dark, gothic mood as his compositions and guitar playing are. Still, those aspects of the album are vital and stimulating, making Marching Out a worthwhile listen.

Considered to be one of England's best drummers, and very much in demand for rock and pop records, Cozy Powell was almost legendary for a heavy-hitting style that could be made to work with many kinds of rock music, whether for the thundering pop productions helmed by Mickie Most, Black Sabbath, Emerson, Lake & Powell, or even his own solo work (notably "Dance with the Devil," which was a major English hit in 1973.) Powell began his professional music career in 1965 with the Sorcerers, eventually winding up working with Jeff Beck after Beck left the Yardbirds. In 1971, Powell formed Bedlam, but eventually abandoned this project to produce singles such as "Dance with the Devil."

Nothing's Changed is the second solo studio album by Joe Lynn Turner. Joe Lynn Turner is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. He is known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow and Deep Purple. During his career, Turner fronted and played guitar with pop rock band Fandango in the late 1970s; and in the early 1980s, he became a member of Rainbow, fronting the band and writing songs with guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore and bassist, and producer, Roger Glover. After Rainbow had disbanded (the first time) in March 1984, he pursued a solo career, released one album, Rescue You, and then later did session work, singing background vocals for the likes of Billy Joel, Cher, and Michael Bolton. On the advice of Bolton, Turner began recording jingles for radio and television.

"I Will Not Go Quietly" and "The Wind Cries Mary" are just two of the highlights from this stormin' album which includes Don Airey, Bernie Marsden and Mario Parga in the line-up with Graham, Cozy and Ray. Formed in 1987, Forcefield’s ever-changing line-up brought together the mainstays of some of the biggest 80s rock bands. The original members were Pete Prescott, Ray Fenwick and Cozy Powell. Amongst guitarist Fenwick’s credits were The Spencer Davis Group, Fancy and The Ian Gillan Band, while drummer Powell had been a key figure in bands of the calibre of Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Whitesnake and is widely regarded as an all-time rock great. Prescott completed the line-up fresh from a stint as lead vocalist of Sergent.

Still Waters is the twenty-first studio album by the pop group the Bee Gees, released on 10 March 1997 in the UK by Polydor, and on 6 May the same year in the US by A&M. As if they finally realized that they couldn't quite compete with contemporary musical fashions any more, the Bee Gees moved firmly into "mature" territory with Still Waters. However, they are canny enough to realize that they shouldn't abandon the frothy disco that made them superstars in the late '70s – they should merely temper it with measured rhythms and tasteful melodies. Consequently, nothing on Still Waters is infectious, but it is pleasant, and while only a handful of singles stand out – "I Could Not Love You More" is a sweet ballad – it is still a fine, professional effort from these consummate professionals.

The second of three straight iconic Iron Maiden albums, Piece of Mind marks the debut of what many regard as the definitive Maiden lineup, with the arrival of new drummer Nicko McBrain. McBrain's ability to duplicate the complex patterns of the guitar and bass riffs gives the band a seamless ensemble unity. Even Steve Harris, whose busy basslines were never exactly groove-oriented, has never felt more integrated into the overall sound. Perhaps part of that feeling comes from the less frantic pace; the average tempo has slowed somewhat from the preceding album, and the hold-over punk influences still present there have been completely eradicated. Instead, we get a few moodier, heavier pieces (especially "Revelations") that make the album darker-sounding overall.

Memorial Beach is the fifth album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released in 1993. The album was recorded primarily at Prince's Paisley Park studios outside Minneapolis in the U.S. Memorial Beach featured three UK Top 50 singles for the band, "Move to Memphis" (released as a single in 1991, almost two years before the album), "Dark is the Night" and "Angel in the Snow". While the album did not chart on the U.S. Billboard 200 and would be the band's last to be released there, the single "Dark Is the Night" peaked at #11 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, their last U.S. charting to date. Q magazine listed the album as one of the 50 best albums of 1993: "If ever a band deserved reappraisal on the back of an album then it was a-ha!"

All credit to Gary Moore for having the courage to leap into the relative unknown with A Different Beat. It is indeed greatly removed from anything he had released prior to 1999. Perhaps it was the new-found freedom from the guitarist's contract with Virgin that fuelled the change of direction–that and Moore's obvious affinity with outfits along the lines of Apollo 440 and Fatboy Slim (to whom "Fatboy" is a tribute). There's still opportunity for some trademark axe solos, thankfully, and hearing Moore's fretwork gymnastics over contemporary dance beats is a totally unique experience. Most impressive are "Lost in Your Love," given an impassioned vocal and instrumental performance, and the blissed-out "Surrender," the other end of the emotional scale entirely.

Recorded over three nights in August 1972, Deep Purple's Made in Japan was the record that brought the band to headliner status in the U.S. and elsewhere, and it remains a landmark in the history of heavy metal music. Since reorganizing with singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover in 1969, Deep Purple had recorded three important albums – Deep Purple in Rock, Fireball, and Machine Head – and used the material to build a fierce live show. Made in Japan, its selections drawn from those albums, documented that show, in which songs were drawn out to ten and even nearly 20 minutes with no less intensity, as guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord soloed extensively and Gillan sang in a screech that became the envy of all metal bands to follow.