Album Oriented Rock (AOR)--A dying radio format.

[gilpdawg]

Originally Posted by Captain13

I am a Van Halen fan, minus Gary Sharrone, and although it took a while to get used to 5150, I did get used to it. I loved OU812 and really liked For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. VH changed, but they never lost the fun. And fun they were.

The album with Cherone was horrible, but live he was fantastic because he would sing songs from both eras, and Hagar didn't like singing many Roth songs.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[hairmetalfreek]

Wow this thread is long...I didn't read all 23 pages of it, so sorry if I repeat anything here.

Has anyone heard of ClassX? It's on the internet at http://www.classxradio.com and over the air (I think it's 88.3 and another spot in the 89's, can't think of the frequency off the top of my head), and they play AOR stuff from the 70s thru today. Bands you have heard of like Journey and Bad Company, and some off-the-beaten-path guys like New England and Snakecharmer.

As for Van Halen, I love everything with Roth, I like the Cherone album, but the only Hagar record I like is "Balance." There are songs here and there on the other Hagar albums that are okay, but overall I could do without.

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by hairmetalfreek

Wow this thread is long...I didn't read all 23 pages of it, so sorry if I repeat anything here.

Has anyone heard of ClassX? It's on the internet at http://www.classxradio.com and over the air (I think it's 88.3 and another spot in the 89's, can't think of the frequency off the top of my head), and they play AOR stuff from the 70s thru today. Bands you have heard of like Journey and Bad Company, and some off-the-beaten-path guys like New England and Snakecharmer.

As for Van Halen, I love everything with Roth, I like the Cherone album, but the only Hagar record I like is "Balance." There are songs here and there on the other Hagar albums that are okay, but overall I could do without.

Welcome to Redzone!

As for Classxradio, it was mentioned for the first time many months ago in this very thread. Since I do not live in the Cincy/Dayton area, I, for one, am glad that it was. IMHO, it is the best rock station on the Planet, with long playlists..just as AOR radio was before suits took over and rock radio became so full of sub-genres that one has to tune into at least four radio stations for the same variety of rock that one used to get from one AOR station.

As for the Van Halen III album, even though it's no masterpiece by any means and does not, IMHO, belong anywhere the top half of the Van Halen library, I still like it. Then again, I much prefer Fair Warning and Diver Down to 1984, so I'm definitely in the minority.

Again, welcome!

[hairmetalfreek]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

Welcome to Redzone!

As for Classxradio, it was mentioned for the first time many months ago in this very thread. Since I do not live in the Cincy/Dayton area, I, for one, am glad that it was. IMHO, it is the best rock station on the Planet, with long playlists..just as AOR radio was before suits took over and rock radio became so full of sub-genres that one has to tune into at least four radio stations for the same variety of rock that one used to get from one AOR station.

Thank you for the welcome...still getting my feet wet, I don't think I've posted at all in the baseball sections yet.

I DJ'ed for ClassX for a little while, first doing a Saturday afternoon shift and moving into a Saturday night "hair metal" show until I couldn't do it anymore because of work. I took the show to syndication and kept it going for another 2 years on other stations before handing it over to someone else because I was getting a bit burnt out producing and hosting it each week. I don't have anything to do with radio anymore, but still review albums on my personal blog and have really branched out with my tastes. If I was still doing the radio gig, I probably would have never heard of bands like Alabama Shakes, Two Gallants, or JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. Not really rock (well I guess Two Gallants is) but they are some of my favorite CDs right now.

ClassX is great. Another Cincinnati-area station that I've been listening to alot is "The Project" at 100.7. Because of that station, I have been introduced to Twenty One Pilots, Muse, and others that have been all but ignored in the Cincinnati market. It's Clear Channel, so I'm sure I'll get sick of it eventually, but for now the music is fresh enough to keep me listening.

[Revering4Blue]

Sit back and enjoy as we begin this edition of Lost AOR hits with a pair from the 90's.

Spacehog - Mungo City (1998)

This is the third of four hits for this band, best known for the 1996 smash hit "In The Meantime", which is still receives heavy AOR airplay today.

Vocalist/Bassist Royston Langdon was once married to Liv Tyler, perhaps his finest accomplishment.



Red Hot Chili Peppers - Breaking The Girl (1992)

Tame by the band's standards, I know. But it is extremely difficult to find a lost AOR hit by this band that doesn't contain NSFW lyrics. Nevertheless, I can listen to this band all day.

I'll also present the argument that, due to longevity and popularity on both Pop and Rock radio, this band can also claim the title as Generation Y's Beatles, along with Nirvana.




Paul Carrack - I Need You (1982)

Here is the long forgotten debut Top 40/AOR solo hit for one of our Redszone favorites. This track definitely has a Motown feel to it. A fond memory from the Fall of 1982 - my HS Freshman year.




Mike & The Mechanics - Over My Shoulder (1995)

While this track remains a favorite of many Paul Carrack / M&TM fans, it has virtually disappeared from Radio -- Lite FM, AAA and AOR stations -- and, much like the aforementioned Paul Carrack track, remains more prominent as background Grocery/Department Store music, sadly.

While it may not be as good as "Silent Running" or "The Living Years" - both of which, believe it or not, also qualify as lost AOR hits - it is well worth a listen -- again, if you are familiar with it, or for the first time.



Frida - I Know There's Something Going On (1983)

Frida is actually short for Anni-Frid Lyngstad, one of the lead singers for ABBA. This one hit wonder was produced by Phil Collins, who also plays drums here. Touring Genesis member Daryl Stuermer performs the guitar solo, just as he did on the Philip Bailey/Phil Collins smash 1985 Pop/AOR hit "Easy Lover".

IMO, this is a solid effort all around.



Vandenberg - Burning Heart (1983)

Arguably, I saved the best for last.

A few years before joining Whitesnake, guitarist Adrian Vandenberg's band produced two AOR hits from two separate albums. This was the first and, by far, the biggest -- Pop # 39 and AOR # 5.

Once you give it a listen, IMO, you'll soon discover why. I'll just flat -out state that, IMO, this the best Power Ballad ever. Feel free to disagree.

The highlights are, of course, an awesome A.V guitar solo and the vocals, ably manned by Bert Heerink.



As always, Rock On, Redszone!

Adieu from R4Blue.

[Captain13]

Why should GenY get the Chili Peppers and Nirvana? Aren't they more of a GenX phenomona?

Also, I can't come up with a better comparison for the Red Hot Chili Peppers than The Beatles. I really wish I could, but I can't. Their longevity aside, their influence on the writing and playing of hard rock, pop rock and just pop music in general is amazing. While never sounding "the same" they have their own sound. Many people have borrowed parts of the Chili Pepper vibe, but nobody has sounded like them. In many ways they are the best parts of Zep and The Beatles without the breaking up and dying. In other ways, I prefer Zep and The Beatles. All three are timeless and classic.

This is all kind of a revelation to me, I am not the biggest fan the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by Captain13

Why should GenY get the Chili Peppers and Nirvana? Aren't they more of a GenX phenomona?

Also, I can't come up with a better comparison for the Red Hot Chili Peppers than The Beatles. I really wish I could, but I can't. Their longevity aside, their influence on the writing and playing of hard rock, pop rock and just pop music in general is amazing. While never sounding "the same" they have their own sound. Many people have borrowed parts of the Chili Pepper vibe, but nobody has sounded like them. In many ways they are the best parts of Zep and The Beatles without the breaking up and dying. In other ways, I prefer Zep and The Beatles. All three are timeless and classic.

This is all kind of a revelation to me, I am not the biggest fan the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

That's actually a good question, as my claim/argument was in response to another thread in which a poster claimed that those who prefer Foo Fighters to Nirvana are a slap-in-the-face to Nirvana fans, just as if anyone were to claim that Wings were better than the Beatles, due to the opinion that Nirvana is to Gen Y what the Beatles are to Gen X.

It was also meant to stimulate discussion. Mission accomplished.

[Captain13]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

Nirvana is to Gen Y what the Beatles are to Gen X.

It was also meant to stimulate discussion. Mission accomplished.

This, I will buy. Except I'm not sure of Nirvana's [I]lasting[I] influence. The Peppers are probably a better choice.

[hairmetalfreek]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

...those who prefer Foo Fighters to Nirvana are a slap-in-the-face to Nirvana fans...

Not only do I prefer Foo Fighters over Nirvana...I love Foo Fighters and hate Nirvana. Grohl's voice and guitar playing are far superior to Cobain's, and the songs are flat-out better in my opinion.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by hairmetalfreek

Not only do I prefer Foo Fighters over Nirvana...I love Foo Fighters and hate Nirvana. Grohl's voice and guitar playing are far superior to Cobain's, and the songs are flat-out better in my opinion.

^^^This^^*...

[Captain13]

I just love this song, and I haven't heard it on the radio since the '90s.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds-Wrap it Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P3No5P4sFs

Just because I can

Sam & Dave-Wrap it Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTaxwnhUb-o