Joe's Garage is a three-part rock opera recorded by American musician Frank Zappa in September and November 1979. Originally released as two separate studio albums on Zappa Records, the project was later remastered and reissued as a triple album box set, Joe's Garage, Acts I, II & III, in 1987. The story is told by a character identified as the "Central Scrutinizer" narrating the story of Joe, an average adolescent male, from Canoga Park, Los Angeles, who forms a garage rock band, has unsatisfying relationships with women, gives all of his money to a government-assisted and insincere religion, explores sexual activities with appliances, and is imprisoned. After being released from prison into a dystopian society in which music itself has been criminalized, he lapses into insanity.
Gothic metal is a fusion genre combining the heaviness of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. The genre originated during the early 1990s in the United Kingdom originally as an outgrowth of death-doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. Lyrics are generally dark and introspective with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.
Trouble in Paradise is the seventh album by American composer Randy Newman. It spawned local anthem "I Love L.A.", and minor hit, "The Blues," a duet with Paul Simon.
Live Around the World is a live album by Meat Loaf, released in 1996 to capitalize on his two recent successes, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Welcome to the Neighbourhood. The album was recorded at various times between 1987 and 1996. The album is limited to a release of 250,000 copies worldwide.
Fischer-Z are a British rock group and main creative project of singer, guitarist and poet John Watts. In 1982 Watts temporarily dissolved Fischer-Z and started a solo career under his own name. John Watts has gone on to release both solo and Fischer-Z projects. The original line-up consisted of Watts, Steve Skolnik (keyboards), David Graham (bass) and Steve Liddle (drums).
Under the Gun is the twelfth studio album by the American country rock band Poco. Released in July 1980, Under the Gun was the followup to Poco's breakout album Legend.
Blue and Gray is the thirteen studio album by the American country rock band Poco, released in 1981. The album is a theme-based record, similar to Desperado by The Eagles, only the theme on this record is the American Civil War. The band scored minor chart success with "Widowmaker". The colors in the title refer to United States Army and Confederate States Army uniforms of the period, respectively.
Disorder are an English street punk band that formed in the Bristol area of England in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups to this day. Disorder are a band who aligned with politically charged punk bands.
Hot Water is the sixteenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in June 1988 by MCA 42093 and was produced by Coral Reefer Band members Michael Utley, Russell Kunkel, and Ralph MacDonald. The album was engineered and mixed by Jay Rifkin. The album was Jimmy's first album recorded at his new studio in Key West, Florida called Shrimpboat Sound. The LP continues Buffett's use of a wide variety of musical instruments than was typical for Buffett's earlier works, notably horns and percussion. Buffett shaved off his trademark mustache for the album.
Going Deaf for a Living is a 1980 album by Fischer-Z. This was the second album by Fischer-Z featuring the "classic line-up". The guitar on this album was made more prominent, after their rather keyboard prominent debut. This album, as well the following Red Skies Over Paradise, are considered by fans as the best work to be produced by Fischer-Z. The album featured the singles "Room Service", "Crazy Girl", "Limbo" and the most popular "So Long", which hit #72 in the UK singles chart, #15 in Australia and #26 in the Netherlands.
Red Skies over Paradise is a 1981 album by Fischer-Z. This was the last album released under the classic line-up, despite the departure of keyboardist Steve Skolnik. This album featured many songs about politics and several references to the Cold War, the album title and cover in particular. The album received positive reviews from fans and encouraged band leader John Watts to pursue a solo career, thus ending Fischer-Z until its revival in 1987. Two of these songs were used in Deutschland 83.
Reveal is an album by the new wave rock band Fischer-Z. In the summer of 1981 John Watts split up with his group, Fischer-Z, on the grounds that his art could not evolve within the context of the band. Prompted by the encouragement of the well-received Fischer-Z album, Red Skies Over Paradise, Watts soon embarked on a solo career, releasing his first solo album, One More Twist (1982), followed quickly by his second, The Iceberg Model (1983). Watts toured extensively and even produced a mini-album for Zulu artist Busi Mhlongo. He released an album entitled Quick Quick Slow under the name The Cry in 1984.
Destination Paradise was the sixth studio album by Fischer-Z. The album saw a change of record label, and another completely different line-up, still with John Watts as the original member. The album featured several lyrics of John Watt's acute observations of political events. Following the release of the album, Watts as usual, toured and promoted the album extensively, which reportedly helped to garner a new generation of fans, and Destination Paradise has been regarded as a "dynamic and cinematic" album.
Stream is the eighth album by Fischer-Z. The album contains the single "Protection", which explored the dark area of child exploitation. Following the album, John Watts concentrated on his solo career again, making this the last album by Fischer-Z, before its slight revival again in 2002.
Ether was an experimental music project by John Watts, released under the name Fischer-Z. After releasing two successful solo albums and one album of remixes, since the last Fischer-Z album, Stream, John Watts had started to take an interest in creating big beat music. After creating a whole big beat style album in 1999 entitled Bigbeatpoetry, Watts carried on in a similar style for Ether. He recorded a number of songs, featuring only his guitar and voice, and then put them over cut-up beats as a rhythm track. Watts had also added a filmic touch to the project, he travelled throughout Europe and post-9/11 New York City to find musicians at random and record them using his laptop, in their homes and on the street. Sarah Vermeersch filmed & edited the process into a road movie. Ether was further released as a John Watts solo album, including the road movie DVD and a CD of tracks from the Ether album that appeared in the movie.
Round Trip is the third studio album by power pop/new wave band The Knack that was released by Capitol Records in 1981. It received generally unfavorable critical reviews, but it reached #93 in the Billboard 200 and also contained single "Pay The Devil ". "Boys Go Crazy" was issued as the single from the album in Australia. It was also issued as a follow up single to "Pay the Devil" in the U.S. and was expected to be "chart bound" on the Hot 100, but it did not chart. The band broke up a few months after its release, with their label dropping them due to failed expectations. They remained disbanded until a 1986 reunion.
L Is for Lover is a studio album by Al Jarreau, released in September 1986 on Warner Bros. Records. It reached #30 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, #9 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart, and #17 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Wedding Album is a studio album by Leon Russell and his then wife, Mary Russell, otherwise known as Mary McCreary. It was the first album released on Leon Russell's record label, Paradise Records, which was distributed by Warner Bros. Records. Leon and Mary Russell are also credited as producers of the album, with the exception of the final track, "Daylight", which was produced by its writer, Bobby Womack.
Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 is the third greatest hits collection by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap. It was released in 1991 by RCA Records. The album's only single, "L.A. to the Moon," peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
John Watts is a British musician and multimedia artist. He was born into a family of singers on 27 December 1954 in Frimley, Surrey. Watts began his career as a mental health worker having studied clinical psychology before finding success as a musician with his band Fischer-Z. He currently lives and works in Brighton, UK.
