Mike d: November 2018

The "101" or "101 Live" was probaly one of the most important and influence live albuns from the 80's (another was "life after death" from Iron Maiden, but that is different subject), with the original 4 band together. After some albuns Alan Wilder leaves and the band was never the same. Anyway, DM contribution to music is important, since match the new wave and electronic sound with a certain type of rock and live concerts. With the hard rock boom in the end of the 80's again Depeche Mode was in a great form, and even with Grunge, the band never loss his mojo, since the albums and live performances were always great and with a high crowd. And the more important is that today still rocks with arenas full of people of different ages, and the band keep on going, on and on, and there's no signal of a stop in the future. Probably are the best electronic pop-rock band and is influence in millions of fans and of course, other bands, from the music type but also like rock and hard rock ones, is a reallity. Also, the live presentations were a big thing back in those days, with the Pasadena concert to be the major blast, with a live record and than VHS thing (then Cd and DVD, i think). So, this band is a significant part of my music background, but in this days i hear a few of their songs, especially the new material. To bad that they dont reunite all at least for a final tour (maybe in their final days).

Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence

Depeche Mode- Just can't get enought

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

Depeche Mode - Strange Love

Depeche Mode - It's no Good

Depeche Mode - Heaven

Depeche Mode - I Feel You

Depeche Mode - Home

Depeche Mode - Everything Counts

A question of time

Heros - Sessions Version

https://www.youtube.com/?hl=pt-PT&gl=PT

Rock today is very different to the one made 20 or 30 years ago, and no, i'm not talking about music. Industry have is weight in making bands big but today all that have a direct relatioship with music, know that is very different, and is much more difficult to make names like Stones or The Beatles. But there's great rock bands with nice music and that play in only little rooms, but since they are not a radio hit or a blast with young people only a few know about them. With internet, the cd and the rise of stuff like Hip Hop, the level of the new bands, is never so big like was Ac/Dc or Guns and Roses, and probably never will be. Probably is back to basics (a name from a great Sebastian Bach album), like Metallica made in the early 80's, with record and tour, and the rest is a big interrogation, because today we can see bands in cinemas or the virtual ones like Gorilaz (that only today they do life real concerts).
Besides that, the expression "rock is death" came from Kiss bass player Gene Simons (at least in more recent times), who was thinking in the 70's and 80's were industry were less sofisticated then today, and the profit was much more high (is possible that in percentage of profit also there´s a significant variation to the today numbers). For example, Kiss don't want to record another album since for Simons "people make the download ilegally", but when they do, the fame of the band is not getting bigger? Of course we can ask if Kiss doesn't have enought money, but for exemple the last Chickenfoot albuns wasn´t paid for the record sales (that was low). And that is a crap and gives a sensation that today is better to make a home album or in a private own studio that send the musicians to "Abbey Road" (i know is closed, just to check a point of view). Probably what he have today is that band's are "not so big" or "famous" as they were before, and that´s true, due to a number of reasons (like the soul or hip hop visibility that exists today). But rock is still on going, and probably will go foverer. This is only 12 examples of is vitallity.

Hinder in 2007, had this great "Use me", made with a lot o sex, drugs and Rock and Roll. Still active today with a different front man, is true that only have made a EP with original songs, but is not bad comparig with the crap that we see today.

One of the best bands in world today and that never stop, give us the prove that Australia is not only Ac/Dc. The question is how they are not bigger? A mistery, since some big australian bands are in the end of their times. But rock music is well served with Airwaves.

Hot metal only in the 80's? No, hair metal lives with Steel Phanter, who is a comedy group but the music and quality is all there. And they play in medium places, make everybody laught and are technically very good. Yeah, hair metal is not dead.

Love them. What a band and with some great players, specially vocal, guitar players and drums. True that they are in batch 2, and also a pause since Todd have is hown group, but i bellive that Nelson will came back and they will do great music again.

One of the best super groups that today play live and make great music, with 3 genius and lots of mojo. Why they only play in little and medium places? I'dont care, they still great anyway, probably forever (what a nice thought).

Super groups? How about this one with Anthony. Satriani, Chad and Sammy, that give us a par of albuns and a great live record. And this guys have full time bands and projects, but still made music for us. God bless them.

Dead "fucking" Daisies, that´s a rock and roll band. Yes, they are veterans and the line up is always to change, but they do great music. I hope to see them soon. Famous bands like Kiss are calling them to make the opening act, and were the first rock band to play in Cuba (there is a great documentary about that in youtube).

Another power trio. True that Theory of a Dead Man are in bussiness for many years, but they are a medium recognised group, especially to the more underground listeners. A cool band with a lot of potencial to be big, someday.

I like them. I'm listening Saliva for many years and they still have that power to rock the house, and shake the glasses. I know that sometimes this fusion types of rock and other kind of music are difficult to listenig, but in my opinion there's great sound and one cool way to get new rock fans.

How, so cool. Another of the projects of Portnoy and Shean (Sons of Apollo), who is very active since he left Dream Theather, and give us another awsemone demostrations of is technical capacity. And again, rock is alive and again this is the proof.

More two great bands. one with new people and the other with a trio of veterans that are playing for many years. Hughes, Bonamassa and Boham make a powerfull rock blues group with a unique sound. More a powerfull prove that rock is much alive and kicking.