Archives: Reviews

The X Factor

When Bruce Dickinson left the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden in…

Christopher Thelen

April 28, 1997

11

Long-time readers of "The Daily Vault" know I often wax nostalgic about…

Christopher Thelen

April 27, 1997

Abraxas

Too often these days, I'm seeing bands from the Woodstock generation being…

Christopher Thelen

April 26, 1997

Rhythmeen

The Texas trio better known as ZZ Top realized something a few…

Christopher Thelen

April 25, 1997

Live From The Fall

The live album is one of the hardest pieces of material any…

Christopher Thelen

April 24, 1997

Sex Packets

Long-time readers are probably thinking, "Gee, Chris's been doing a lot of…

Christopher Thelen

April 23, 1997

Run With The Pack

Way back when I got into Bad Company in my high school…

Christopher Thelen

April 22, 1997

Greatest Hits, Etc.

Whenever I need a quick scapegoat to blame some of my musical…

Christopher Thelen

April 21, 1997

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy is a group that not only is one of the…

Christopher Thelen

April 20, 1997

Mellow Gold

It has been a tough few days here at "The Daily Vault."On…

Christopher Thelen

April 19, 1997

Body Count

If you want to start an argument amongst people, here's a quick…

Christopher Thelen

April 18, 1997

T-r-o-u-b-l-e

Travis Tritt is having a personality crisis.His thoughts may be in the…

Christopher Thelen

April 17, 1997

Avalon

No longer really a rock band, on Avalon Roxy Music deliver an…

Scott Floman

April 16, 1997

Tales From Topographic Oceans

If you're looking for a little sunshine in the form of music…

Christopher Thelen

April 15, 1997

American Pie

This is my father's fault...When I was a little boy, my dad…

Christopher Thelen

April 14, 1997

Amanda Marshall

Running this site has proven to be a strain between Mrs. Thelen…

Christopher Thelen

April 13, 1997

Hound Dog Taylor And The Houserockers

What would make an artist so special that someone would found a…

Christopher Thelen

April 12, 1997

Nuthin’ Fancy

Southern boogie-rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has gone from one of the leading…

Christopher Thelen

April 11, 1997

Boy

Sometimes, after a band has hit the point of superstardom, it is…

Christopher Thelen

April 10, 1997

Being You

In all my years of reviewing music, I've discovered some of the…

Christopher Thelen

April 9, 1997

Load

The kings of speed metal have officially abdicated their throne.That may have…

Christopher Thelen

April 8, 1997

Whitney Houston

I usually like debut albums because most of the time, they show…

April 7, 1997

In-a-gadda-da-vida

C'mon, you knew it was only a matter of time before I…

Christopher Thelen

April 6, 1997

Mr. Happy Go Lucky

If there is any artist who could benefit from a greatest-hits collection,…

Christopher Thelen

April 5, 1997

Natty Dread

Reggae is very much an acquired taste - you may not like…

Christopher Thelen

April 4, 1997

Neurotic Outsiders

Featuring one of the most interesting combinations of musicians assembled in recent…

Bill Ziemer

April 3, 1997

Led Zeppelin

After leaving The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page busied himself with session work (rumor…

Scott Floman

April 2, 1997

Nobody Said It Was Easy

There are times that bands appear from out of the blue, produce…

Christopher Thelen

April 1, 1997

Rock Of Ages

The Band has always been an acquired taste, as well as a…

Christopher Thelen

March 31, 1997

Grace Under Pressure

When I was a writer for HitsWorld, I managed to piss off…

Christopher Thelen

March 30, 1997

Trial By Fire

The old saying is true: the more things change, the more they…

Christopher Thelen

March 29, 1997

Fairweather Johnson

Prior to the release of their second album, the members of Hootie…

Christopher Thelen

March 28, 1997

Exile In Guyville

When Liz Phair first gained the attention of the record-buying public, she…

Christopher Thelen

March 27, 1997

Goddess Blues

Some people who are regular readers of this site may think I'm…

Christopher Thelen

March 26, 1997

Tonight’s The Night

You would think that my admitting once that I was wrong about…

Christopher Thelen

March 25, 1997

Hollywood Town Hall

It's time for another episode of "Mr. Thelen Changes His Mind," that…

Christopher Thelen

March 24, 1997

Appetite For Destruction

Let's talk politcal incorrectness today. We all have had experiences of doing…

Christopher Thelen

March 23, 1997

Boston

How do you give one of the most successful albums in music…

Christopher Thelen

March 22, 1997

E Pluribus Funk

Have you ever had what I call a "it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" moment? Maybe it…

Christopher Thelen

March 21, 1997

Get The Knack

Before I read all about it in the National Enquirer or some…

Christopher Thelen

March 20, 1997

Live A Paris

It seems to me that I'm the only one who's interested in…

March 19, 1997

So What

Joe Walsh got his start at a guitarist for the James Gang,…

Bill Ziemer

March 18, 1997

Children Of The Future

It would be too easy for me to review any of Steve…

Christopher Thelen

March 17, 1997

Fly On The Wall

Back when I was a teenager, I used to go to a…

Christopher Thelen

March 16, 1997

Back On The Bus, Y’all

The late '80s brought some of the best music in the acoustic…

Christopher Thelen

March 15, 1997

Three Snakes And One Charm

The Black Crowes are a band that's best left doing what comes…

Christopher Thelen

March 14, 1997

Bleach

When Nirvana broke through the American market in late 1991 with their…

Christopher Thelen

March 13, 1997

All Eyez On Me

Note: The following review was originally written in December 1996 for publication…

Christopher Thelen

March 12, 1997

Madman Across The Water

Reviewing music is not always the picnic some people may imagine it…

Christopher Thelen

March 11, 1997

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

It sometimes amazes me to look at bands who have become megastars…

Christopher Thelen

March 10, 1997

Love It To Death

According to legend, Vincent Furnier became Alice Cooper after a Ouija board…

Bill Ziemer

March 9, 1997

Revolver

(Editor's note: This review was written when I listened to my old…

Christopher Thelen

March 8, 1997

Learning To Flinch

To the uneducated like myself, Warren Zevon is a one-hit wonder. His…

Christopher Thelen

March 7, 1997

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Back in 1991, when Van Halen released their ninth album For Unlawful…

Christopher Thelen

March 6, 1997

Copper Blue

After the demise of the Minneapolis punk band Husker Du, lead vocalist/guitarist…

Christopher Thelen

March 5, 1997

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

It may surprise some people that The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy…

Christopher Thelen

March 4, 1997

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

(Editor's note: The cover art featured above is not the original artwork…

Christopher Thelen

March 3, 1997

Mind Bomb

When I was in college, I dated this girl who was very…

Christopher Thelen

March 2, 1997

Dozin’ At The Knick

Since the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, fans of the Grateful…

Christopher Thelen

March 1, 1997

Sailin’ Shoes

Sometimes, discovering greatness takes more than one look.The first time I ever…

Christopher Thelen

February 28, 1997

Bastards

You can call Motorhead anything you want - call them loud, call…

Christopher Thelen

February 27, 1997

Sticky Fingers

Sometime during the late 1960's, The Rolling Stones began calling themselves "The…

Bill Ziemer

February 26, 1997

American Recordings

In an age where country has almost the same flavor as rock…

Christopher Thelen

February 25, 1997

True Blue

For Madonna, 1986 was a year of transformation. She had survived the…

Christopher Thelen

February 24, 1997

My Aim Is True

Blessed are the geeks, for we shall inherit the earth. Who knew…

Christopher Thelen

February 23, 1997

Dance Into The Light

Phil Collins has a lot of nerve.After a public divorce from his…

Christopher Thelen

February 22, 1997

Pyromania

What the hell has happened to me?When I was younger, I loved…

Christopher Thelen

February 21, 1997

Glow Within

Sometimes, uncharted areas are the best to explore.Friction, a four-piece band from…

Christopher Thelen

February 20, 1997

Radio City

Alex Chilton is a victim of his own early publicity, or so…

Denise Henderson

February 19, 1997

The Violin Player

There are too many Asians playing violins.And don't bother contradicting me because…

February 18, 1997

Perfect Strangers

Formed in England in 1968, Deep Purple has gone on to become…

Bill Ziemer

February 17, 1997

Idlewild South

So how vast is the now-legendary Pierce Memorial Archives, you ask?Put it…

Christopher Thelen

February 16, 1997

Aenima

I remember the first time I ever heard Tool - I was…

Christopher Thelen

February 15, 1997

Love Stinks

Ah, Valentine's Day. The possibilities of items to review seems endless. The…

Christopher Thelen

February 14, 1997

Hall Of The Mountain King

Today's entry definitely falls into the "forgotten bands" category. Formed in Florida…

Bill Ziemer

February 13, 1997

Tubular Bells

One of my earliest memories is going out shopping with my mom…

Christopher Thelen

February 12, 1997

Boys For Pele

Tori Amos is not a happy woman these days.When she first came…

Christopher Thelen

February 11, 1997

Live At Leeds

How do you improve an album that wasn't that good to begin…

Christopher Thelen

February 10, 1997

Emancipation

Since he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, what should one…

Christopher Thelen

February 9, 1997

Tragic Kingdom

Sometimes, it doesn't pay to listen to your wife.Thanks in part to…

Christopher Thelen

February 8, 1997

Morrison Hotel

Reviewing bands that have achieved cult status is the worst.You may find…

Christopher Thelen

February 7, 1997

Brave And Crazy

When I was in college, a friend of mine (who I haven't…

Christopher Thelen

February 6, 1997

Faster Pussycat

A reader from Australia recently wrote to me with a suggestion for…

Christopher Thelen

February 5, 1997

Thick As A Brick

What is this, concept album week? Yesterday Bill Ziemer looked at Queensryche's…

Christopher Thelen

February 4, 1997

Operation: Mindcrime

Every once in a great while you stumble across an album that…

Bill Ziemer

February 3, 1997

Change Everything

Uh, oh...I'm a rock critic, meaning I'm supposed to be a king…

Christopher Thelen

February 2, 1997

Outrider

If any one guitarist defined rock and roll, it was Jimmy Page.…

Christopher Thelen

February 1, 1997

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

Over 15 years since they first burst forth onto the L.A. punk…

Christopher Thelen

January 31, 1997

Paranoid

Whenever I find myself having a hard time deciding what should grace…

Christopher Thelen

January 30, 1997

Candy-O

Sometimes, being a music reviewer is a difficult job. How can you…

Christopher Thelen

January 29, 1997

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith's third release, Toys In The Attic, was the album that vaulted…

Bill Ziemer

January 28, 1997

Underneath The Stars

Underneath the Stars is a promotional single that may never see the…

January 27, 1997

Little Queen

Yesterday I looked at Queen's News Of The World, an album which…

Christopher Thelen

January 26, 1997

News Of The World

Sometimes, one overlooks the obvious.Thanks to sports teams around the world playing…

Christopher Thelen

January 25, 1997

Flowers Of Evil

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you like something,…

Christopher Thelen

January 24, 1997

Suck On This

I probably won't win over Les Claypool and crew with what I'm…

Christopher Thelen

January 23, 1997

The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect

Todd Rundgren - genius or madman?According to some members of the Bob…

Christopher Thelen

January 22, 1997

Astro-creep: 2000

Sometimes it seems hard to take a band whose album title (truncated…

Christopher Thelen

January 21, 1997

Junta

Since the mid-1980s, the alternative quartet Phish has been struggling to make…

Christopher Thelen

January 20, 1997

Don’t Tell A Soul

The saddest thing in the music business is the site of groups…

Christopher Thelen

January 19, 1997