Sounds of CineMcCollough

It is Jay Dawg's turn to make his first selection in our double-album second season, and he is taking us back to the 1980s for a pair of huge British metal albums that came out four years and one arm apart - Def Leppard's "Pyromania" (1983) and "Hysteria" (1987). The band had had some minor radio hits before these two monsters, but hit the big time with songs like "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'" in the early 1980s, which built anticipation for the 1987 follow-up that became one of the biggest hits on radio and MTV, spawning SEVEN hit singles.

But which of the two albums do we think holds up the best in the 21st Century, and which tracks do we pick as the top ones? And where do we rank these two albums among all the 22 we have reviewed so far?

TRACKS: 10 (Pyromania) and 12 (Hysteria)
RUNTIME: 44:59 (Pyromania) and 62:32 (Hysteria)
CERTIFICATION: 10x platinum (Pyromania) and 12x platinum (Hysteria)

Having reached the secret ending point to season 1, the Sounds of CineMcCollough launches straight into SEASON 2 - where we will be taking on two albums by the same artist and rating the songs, comparing the two albums, and analyzing how the artists had changed from one album to the other.

Leading the way is our fearless leader, Lord Rob, who has selected for our first double-album comparison review the Australian pop-rock band INXS, and the band's two biggest albums - "Kick" (1987) and "X" (1990). The first was their true breakout album, the second the follow-up.

So which one did we think was better? Tune in and find out!

TRACKS: 12 (Kick) and 11 (X)
RUNTIME: 39:50 (Kick) and 41:42 (X)
CERTIFICATION: 6x platinum (Kick) and 2x platinum (X)

As we neared Halloween 2020, a year that was already scary enough, Butch decided to use his Diamond Album pick on perhaps the biggest selling studio album in the history of music, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, an album whose title track definitely evokes the spooky season.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, however, our podcast namesake Lord Rob had established a secret rule - that once someone picked this album as their Diamond album choice, it would end the requirement that each selected album must be certified diamond (selling at least 10 million in the United States). And unbeknownst to all of us, INCLUDING Rob, we made the decision that the podcast would follow the pattern of the previous episode and do TWO albums per episode by the same artist to allow us to compare and contrast.

But first, Thriller - an album that sold so many copies that it was the number one album of 1982 AND 1983, spawning a whole fistful of smash hit singles. Listen in as Butch, Rob and Jeremy give their thoughts and rank the tracks.

TRACKS: 9
RUNTIME: 42:21
CERTIFICATION: 34x platinum

We were about to make a selection of our next diamond album to review when news broke in 2020 of the death of Eddie Van Hale, which inspired us to do TWO albums in a single episode - bookending the David Lee Roth years of the band as a comparison piece. It would turn out to be a fateful decision, as this also (unbeknownst to us) would be the penultimate album review of season 1.

Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen died on October 6, 2020, leaving behind a tremendous hole in rock and roll. The band that shares his name had its debut album in 1978, which has gone on to diamond status. We paired that album with the band's 1984 album that shares the title of that year, which also achieved diamond status.

To honor the man, we undertook a marathon episode to review BOTH albums, track by track, and compare where the band was when it began to where it was when it hit its highest level of recognition and success.

Listen in as Jay and Rob and Butch compare notes on their favorite tracks, and determine which of the two albums they like the most!

TRACKS: 11 (VH1) and 9 (1984)
RUNTIME: 36:33 (VH1) and 33:22 (1984)
CERTIFICATIONS: both certified 10x platinum

And STILL Rob continues to be our maverick third member, continuing a dizzying swing through all eras and genres of music from our youth... this week he dips his toe into the music that defined the early to mid 1990s, with the biggest album of the grunge genre, "Nevermind" by Nirvana from 1991.

By the end of the 1980s, music had gone from polished pop to glam and hair metal and started dabbling into heavy metal --- but all that was going to change with the advent of grunge music, a darker, gritter, and rawer type of sound that captured, well, the angst and anger of kids living in the most privileged nation in the world.

But the narrator digresses. "Nevermind" was a galaxy-changing album - but will it hold up to the scrutiny that Butch and Jay will bring, and does Rob fully embrace it himself?

TRACKS: 13

RUNTIME: 49:07

CERTIFICATION: 13x platinum

Butch is back with another not-as-rock-rock album for his fourth pick, and went with one that is, while definitely not the biggest SELLING album, is from the biggest selling ARTISTS in modern music history, and is generally considered not only THEIR greatest album but also is in the discussion for greatest album of all time - Abbey Road (1969) by The Beatles.

The Beatles are so big to almost be a parody of themselves at this point - or, rather, they would be parodies of themselves if there was just one version of the band to consider. No, not different lineups of the band, but rather the band morphed and changed so many times, both stylistically and musically, that it becomes impossible to know which version of which to make such a parody.

Abbey Road, while not the last album released, was nonetheless the last album recorded, and is considered the goodbye album for the band before the four members went on to astounding success as solo artists.

But all those accolades - do they mean our fellas are going to LIKE the album? Might need to tune in and find out.

TRACKS: 17 (or 9 if the medley is counted together)

RUNTIME: 45:03

CERTIFICATION: 12x platinum

The merry go round has made another rotation and now we are back with with another Jay pick --- and he is going back to the 1980s for some Texas guitar rock - with beards - with ZZ Top's biggest hit album, "Eliminator (1983).

While this is the band's eighth studio album, it is often the one that many people of our age remember first, because it is the one that put the band in our face on MTV, and they sure did make a memorable impression, as did their music videos. Three big hit singles really cement the album in our memory, as did that spectacular hot rod on the cover.

Rob and Butch chime in with their thoughts as well - give us a listen!

TRACKS: 11

RUNTIME: 46:00

CERTIFICATION: 11x platinum

OK, we know from the picks so far that Rob is prone to leaping off the beaten path for 80s white guy album picks, and we know that Jeremy also showed that he can pull a surprising title when the occasion calls for it - but now, with Rob's third diamond album selection he TRULY surprises, as he went with "Can't Slow Down" - Lionel Ritchie's second solo album after leaving The Commodores and his biggest career achievement.

In Rob's defense, he was surprised to learn that a couple of tracks that he THOUGHT were on this album are, in fact, not present (one was on a soundtrack and one is on his third album). And it COULD have used those tracks, as the album only comes with eight of them. But with that said, this album has a surprising number of familiar songs and has a really nice flow to it. We were all generally surprised with what we heard during our listens.

But will you agree with us? Only one way to find out...

TRACKS: 8

RUNTIME: 40:56

CERTIFICATION: 10x platinum

Back to Butch for some more laid back and easier listening music... and for that he went straight to the well for some good ol' American comfort pop/rock music... Billy Joel's biggest charting album (and the only one in his massive catalog that reached diamond certification), 1977's "The Stranger."

This was Joel's fifth studio album, and for reference in his entire career he only released twelve studio albums, it is hard to say that he peaked with this album, even if sales-wise it was his biggest charting STUDIO album... in reality, by far his biggest success was the double-disc compilation album, which is among the highest selling musical products of all time, and encompasses this album. But what you have hear is an artist's early peak.

But will Rob and Jay agree with Butch's love for this album? Only one way to find out - press play!

TRACKS: 9

RUNTIME: 42:34

CERTIFICATION: 12x platinum

Back to the top of the order for round four of diamond album selections, and our heavy metal reliable host Jay has stepped off of his beaten path and picked a legendary album that is NOT a metal album - instead, we hop on a ferry and take a trip across to New Jersey for Bruce Springsteen's seventh studio album, "Born in the USA."

Yet another example of an album that shot a semi-niche artist straight into the arteries of American mainstream superstardom, Born in the USA was a singles machine, spawning hit charting singles for almost a year. It also worked in coordination with MTV to make a superstar out of the man himself. And though he has continued putting out albums, some popular and some less so, he'd never again reach the dizzying heights of where he was in 1984-85, and now must settle for living legend status.

So if we were surprised that Jay would pick the album, what will Rob and Butch think about it? Which of the numerous hit songs will be their favorite? Listen to our cast and find out!

TRACKS: 12

RUNTIME: 46:41

CERTIFICATION: 17x platinum