20. Hã¤mophilie Symposion Hamburg 1989

The Most of Animals or The Most of The Animals is the title of a number of different compilation albums by Newcastle upon Tyne blues rock group The Animals. Although track listing varies, all feature only songs from 1964 and 1965. The title is derived from the name of their then producer Mickie Most. The first album was released in 1966 by Columbia (SX 6035). Most of the material had not featured on either of their previous two UK LPs. The album charted at #4 - their highest position so far on the UK album chart (both previous LPs having peaked at #6). It was their final album for EMI-owned Columbia before moving to Decca.

Australian quartet Buffalo's third long-player in as many years, 1974's Only Want You for Your Body found them honing their songwriting into far more focused and compact heavy rock nuggets, in a natural progression from first album Dead Forever's oftentimes trippy, post-psych meanderings and second album Volcanic Rock's even mix of lengthy jams and piledriving proto-metal. If anything, for what they lacked in terms of timelessly savage riffing (see Volcanic Rock's "Sunrise" and "Shylock"), new barnstormers like the leering "I'm a Skirt Lifter Not a Shirt Raiser," the comparatively well-behaved "Stay with Me," and the head-nodding chug-groove monster single "What's Going On" (which set a template abused by literally dozens of '90s stoner rock bands) were arguably more well-rounded band performances.

Now, here's a star-crossed album. Polydor rejected the first version of it, produced by Glyn Johns, and Eric Clapton was forced to cut it all over again with Tom Dowd. Then, a few dates into a U.S. promotional tour coinciding with its release, Clapton collapsed and was found to be near death from ulcers due to his alcoholism. Finally, it turned out to be the final record of his 15-year association with Polydor, which therefore had no reason to promote it. Nevertheless, the album made the Top Ten, went gold, and spawned a Top Ten single in "I Can't Stand It." And the rest of it wasn't too shabby, either.

Reunited with producer Walter Becker, China Crisis made perhaps their most Steely Dan-like album with Diary of a Hollow Horse. Pristinely recorded and brimming with jazzy sophistication, it includes some of the U.K. quintet's best-ever material, including "Sweet Charity in Adoration," a satisfying, complex pop song of the first order that features a lovely flute cameo from sessionman Jim Horn. Yet beyond the FM perfection lurk a few surprises. The group also teamed with producer Mike Thorne (Soft Cell) for a trio of cuts that are among the most simple and direct pop songs in the their catalog. In particular, "St. Saviour Square" and "All My Prayers" have straightforward rhythms and melodies that connect instantly, drawing passionate performances from singer Gary Daly and offering a nice contrast to the more subtle surroundings…

Leading his own bands in the late '70s and early '80s, Ian Gillan continued to embrace music that, not surprisingly, was heavily influenced by his former band, Deep Purple. And he never sounded more Purple-ish than he does on Mr. Universe, which isn't quite on a par with Purple's Burn but is stronger than many of the albums the outfit had recorded after Gillan's departure (some of which were quite disappointing). This is Gillan at his most aggressive and passionately rockin'. Those with fond memories of his work with Purple will appreciate the testosterone-driven energy of "Vengeance," "Roller," and "Message in a Bottle." Headbangers shouldn't overlook this one.

Neil Young established himself as one of the most influential and idiosyncratic singer/songwriters of his generation. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website describes Young as "one of rock and roll's greatest songwriters and performers". He was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice, first as a solo artist in 1995, and second as a member of Buffalo Springfield in 1997. From the beginning of his solo career in the late '60s through to the 21st century, he never stopped writing, recording, and performing; his official catalog only represented a portion of his work, since he kept countless tapes of unreleased songs in his vaults. This release includes live performances of Neil Young at the Canadian National Exhibition Grandstand, Toronto, August 18, 1988; Santa Cruz, November 2, 1987; The World, Nyc, April 19, 1988; Jones Beach, August 27, 1988; Auburn Hills, September 4, 1988.