Top 100 Heavy Metal and glam rock acts from the MTV era - it's still real to me (1 Viewer)

[plinko]

One more Megadeth blast ---- Paranoid cover rules all

 

[MindCrime]

We should also mention Infectious Grooves here too.  It was a major part of their evolution into a bass heavy funk punk band.

Therapy

I was just about to post that, you beat me to it. Good stuff

 

[Todem]

If I never hear another Guns and Roses song again......I would not bat an eye.

However You can’t help buy tap your foot and whip your head back and forth when you hear Appetite For Destruction. A perfect record.

And they never.....ever came close to that again. And that is why they are insanely overrated. 

I also loved Velvet Revolvers first record (the 2nd one was hot garbage). Excellent album.

Oddly enough....my all time favorite tune from them is from Use Your Illusion II

Civil War

 

[foxco]

6. Guns N' Roses

Some might think they should be even higher.  

Thought they had a shot at being #1 based on Appetite, witch to me is THE 80's hard rock album. Talk about an implosion. 

Saw them at Giants Stadium in NJ in the early '90's with a band that hasn't been named yet. That band was excellent. Guns 'N Roses not so much, Axle stopped the show early, just kinda left.  Caught them a couple of other times and they were good. 

Think Lies is awesome, Illusion 1 & 2 overdone but still a few gems -- Yesterdays is awesome, just a great all around song. 

 

[zamboni]

And they never.....ever came close to that again.

Essentially the Zebra of heavy metal/glam rock. @Doug B

 

[MindCrime]

Raise Your Hands still makes me think of  Spaceballs

Every Freaking Time!!

 

[Raging weasel]

Thought they had a shot at being #1 based on Appetite, witch to me is THE 80's hard rock album. Talk about an implosion. 

Saw them at Giants Stadium in NJ in the early '90's with a band that hasn't been named yet. That band was excellent. Guns 'N Roses not so much, Axle stopped the show early, just kinda left.  Caught them a couple of other times and they were good. 

Think Lies is awesome, Illusion 1 & 2 overdone but still a few gems -- Yesterdays is awesome, just a great all around song. 

Sounds like the same tour I saw them on. It was almost a 2 hour break between bands before GnR came on,apparently because Axl wasnt even in the building. The songs sounded ok but there was no flow-big pause between each one. There was also a piano,drum and 2 guitar solos and they played You Could Be Mine twice

 

[MindCrime]

Cut from Appetite and given to another band.. it's almost like a B-side if you close your eyes!

Whoa… I was working at an independent record store at the time and would get all the news from labels on new bands, etc… Wildside was “The Next Big Thing”… until there wasn’t a metal scene left by the time their debut album was releases in early 92. I still like that album.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I thought GNR would be #1, but I can see why they're not.

I'm still a fan of SCOM and Paradise City but over time I think my favorite track off Appetite is Nighttrain. Think About You and My Michelle as well.

They did a ridiculous (didn't even know the words) but pretty catchy version of Jumping Jack Flash while in studio at that time.

Off the UYI albums I like Breakdown, You Could Be Mine, November Rain, and Coma.

Lies is dumb but I'm still okay with Patience.

Spaghetti Incident? Chinese Democracy? What's that?

Velvet Revolver was good - Sucker Train Blues, Slither, Fall to Pieces, Set Me Free, Just Sixteen

The one Slash solo tune I like is Back To The Moment.

 

[zamboni]

Spaghetti Incident? Chinese Democracy? What's that?

They could have easily condensed those two into one album and called it Lo Mein.

 

[MindCrime]

6. Guns N' Roses

Loved GNR, but agree that Appetite has been worn out for me over the years. In part because there are really no “non radio” tracks on the album, so its all been played to death.(Ok- maybe “Think About You” or “Anything Goes” would qualify as “deep cuts”, but I’m sure both of em can be heard on Boneyard)

I also don’t buy the “UYI should have been one album, it would be great” stuff because I have gotten into probably every song on those albums at one point or another in the last 30 years. Estranged is possibly a top 20 all time song for me.

Could have been higher on the list and I wouldn’t have minded at all, but the burnout factor is so great because Appetite was just so F’n good.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Estranged is possibly a top 20 all time song for me.

Oh yeah, that's one I should have included.

 

[beer 30]

7. Bon Jovi

They wanted to be huge, they knew they needed a little help, and they got the help they needed, from producer Bruce Fairbairn and songwriter Desmond Child to be specific.  Sometimes you just need that little extra push.  They were the biggest band in the country, for a moment, and they sustained.

Seamlessly bridged the gap between heavy metal and pop - not my words but I'm on board.

The first half of their first tape was bangers, to my young ears, particularly Runaway (is this like Twisted Sister for chicks?) and Shot Through The Heart

7800 isn't a good record.  In And Out Of Love

Slippery When Wet, it was OK, should have kept the original cover - grrrl you were so close!

Let It Rock
You Give Love a Bad Name
bunch more hits, we know em

Bad Medicine, 
Lay Your Hands On Me
Bad Medicine

say what you will, the first two tracks on each of those are some punchy leadoffs

JBJ had a solo hit, and Keep The Faith was OK

I saw them in London, with my friend's pregnant wife on this tour  

I had to think about who opened and remembered it was godforsaken ROCKHEAD 

NUMBER ONES:

You Give Love a Bad Name
Livin' on a Prayer
Bad Medicine
I'll Be There For You
Blaze of Glory 

So they're at least as good as five Nelsons

@scorchy on Bad Medicine  WITH FEELIN

Jon helped out a lot of younger "local" acts, besides the obvious ones my personal fave is cute-lady fronted Saraya

(Sandi Saraya was briefly married to ...... drumroll ...... Tesla's Brian Wheat!  )

These guys were the #### for me. Between them and the Crue, I wore tapes out. Saw them 3-4 times during the endless Slippery When Wet Tour, it was an amazing 2-2 1/2 year run. I still crank all their stuff.

Nice pull on Saraya. Had forgotten them but bought their tape. They rocked.

I turn off Hair Nation anytime anything post Pyromania comes on for Def Lep anytime GNR comes on...I run for the hills....I can’t take them anymore. Talk about a career off one album. 

Bon Jovi.....yeah burnt out on them too. Had more than my fill and the shelf life has expired for me for the most part. 

I did see them several times in the 80’s heyday and the shows were amazing. First off.....they were a  great live band and Jon was a premier front man. Two....the very hottest girls were everywhere at Bon Jovi shows.....loved it. 

This, JBJ was a fantastic front man and Richie Sambora was his perfect second. The whole band was just tight and the chicks came out of the woodwork to see them.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

What can be said about GnR.  Appetite is just perfectly calibrated to tap into my lizard brain and make me want scream and break ####.  And while the hits are great, I'm probably more likely to rock out to It's So Easy or Night Train.  Just pump it straight into my veins.  

And while I'm glad that Axl seems to have matured (because really why leave big pots of money unclaimed), I agree with what Courtney Love said in the 90s.  We really miss rock stars like Axl.  Just dumb, irresponsible dudes living recklessly and making big, dumb, irresponsible music.  Because that feels like a pretty essential part of rock and roll.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

Cut from Appetite and given to another band.. it's almost like a B-side if you close your eyes!

I can aaaallllmost hear what you're talking about....but I think this song is a microcosm of what the "GnR" sound is(and isn't), to me anyway.  That ain't Saul on lead, and you know it instantly. 

There's just something about his gimmick that is unmistakable.  First time I ever heard Slither on the radio was before I'd even heard about VR being a thing.  The second that intro really kicks in, no one familiar with GnR with ears didn't go "Is...is that Slash? *pauses to listen a second*  Yeah.  That's Slash."
 

I'm still a fan of SCOM and Paradise City but over time I think my favorite track off Appetite is Nighttrain. Think About You and My Michelle as well.

Throw in Rocket Queen and Mr. Brownstone as stuff I'd put ahead of most of the more "popular" tracks from AfD.  Way, way better than Jungle, SCoM, or (especially) Paradise City....which is just a garbage freakin' tune to me. Insta-skip/channel changer.
 

This, JBJ was a fantastic front man and Richie Sambora was his perfect second. The whole band was just tight and the chicks came out of the woodwork to see them.

This is ultra true and should not be discounted.

 

[Doug B]

Essentially the Zebra of heavy metal/glam rock. @Doug B

 
Speaking of ... are they on this list? I guess not quite metal enough. Zebra was one of those bands around here, though. Just about all the guys that liked Ratt, Crue, Priest, etc. liked Zebra, too.

There's another, much (much) larger act that is the same way -- not (usually) metal, but loved by a lot of metal fans in the 1980s.

 

[zamboni]

 
Speaking of ... are they on this list? I guess not quite metal enough. Zebra was one of those bands around here, though. Just about all the guys that liked Ratt, Crue, Priest, etc. liked Zebra, too.

There's another, much (much) larger act that is the same way -- not (usually) metal, but loved by a lot of metal fans in the 1980s.

I think Zebra might be too fringe-y for this countdown. They seemed to have a more regional following, primarily in their dual home bases of New Orleans and Long Island (although I was living in LA when they first hit the scene, so maybe they’re more widespread that what is typically reported).

Trying to figure out the other band you mentioned.

 

[Tick]

Some TripItUp Def Leppard tidbits 

I have a vintage Def Leppard pyromania shirt that I’m told is worth quite a bit 

seen them live three times, and they execute damn near flawlessly every time 

I watched a guy pull about 30 concert tees from a claw machine one time - he got one with every quarter. He must have hacked the machine or something… it was amazing to watch at the time. Most of them were Def Leppard shirts, all black. It would have been after Hysteria (when they came to town), but my memory says they were Pyromania shirts.

 

[Gr00vus]

my favorite track off Appetite is Nighttrain.

Same.

I also like Out Ta Get Me. The rest of the album (and the rest of their catalog for that matter) I don't hate, but also don't really ever need to hear again.

 

[Tick]

Pyromania is a perfect album. Every track is good or great. Photograph is in my top 10 al time songs, and maybe top 5. 

Hysteria is admittedly worn out these days and PSSOM should be sent to the Old Song's Home where it can enjoy Who's The Boss reruns until the end of time But in it's day the album was a great synthesis of rock and pop. Women, Animal, and Hysteria are still listenable.

But yes, the early stuff is the best. Wasted is one of my DL favorites. Then there's Hello America, Rock Brigade, and Rocks Off of On Through The Night. The best of High 'N Dry, IMO, are Let It Go, You Got Me Runnin', and Bringin' On The Heartbreak/Switch 625. You're a DL fan if you know those last two must be played together, not separately.

I had Hysteria on cassette, and I remember always fast forwarding through the Hysteria side so I could listen to the Animal/Rocket/Sugar/Women side.

 

[FairWarning]

I think Zebra might be too fringe-y for this countdown. They seemed to have a more regional following, primarily in their dual home bases of New Orleans and Long Island (although I was living in LA when they first hit the scene, so maybe they’re more widespread that what is typically reported).

Trying to figure out the other band you mentioned.

I remember Zebra on MTV, 2-3 videos.

 

[Tick]

It's a good choice.

I traded another tape for it.. and I can't remember what right now, this was the kind of pointless crap I thought I'd remember forever like Super Bowls (also forgotten)

It might have been Don Henley

It was J.Geils Band.

 

[beer 30]

There's just something about his gimmick that is unmistakable.  First time I ever heard Slither on the radio was before I'd even heard about VR being a thing.  The second that intro really kicks in, no one familiar with GnR with ears didn't go "Is...is that Slash? *pauses to listen a second*  Yeah.  That's Slash."

I was just about the same, heard the song someplace and it was, "hey that's SLASH!!!"

I recently came across the nugget and listened to it cover to cover in one sitting. I haven't done that with an album since college. Slash ft. Myles Kennedy - Made In Stoke That kind of venue is the most excellent way to see groups.

 

[plinko]

I thought about Zebra but left them in the Triumph camp .. some sort of no-mans land .. double shout-out though 

 

[plinko]

The Velvet Revolver track I like - Messages

Weiland was a gifted dude

 

[beer 30]

I thought about Zebra but left them in the Triumph camp .. some sort of no-mans land .. double shout-out though 

Wow, you're right (at least about Triumph). I think I own everything they did but they don't really fit in this category although it feels like they should but they just don't.

Zebra, other than the top 40 stuff, never did it for me.

Tell Me What You Want

Who's Behind the Door

 

[jamny]

I think Zebra might be too fringe-y for this countdown. They seemed to have a more regional following, primarily in their dual home bases of New Orleans and Long Island (although I was living in LA when they first hit the scene, so maybe they’re more widespread that what is typically reported).

Trying to figure out the other band you mentioned.

Great live band. Used to go see them on Long Island at a club called Cheers, in Deer Park. They always packed the house.

 

[Doug B]

I thought about Zebra but left them in the Triumph camp .. some sort of no-mans land .. double shout-out though 

Evilgrin blessed Triumph as metal FWIW   

 

[Doug B]

Trying to figure out the other band you mentioned.

Think about the t-shirts the metalheads back in school used to wear in the 80s. Almost all centerline metal acts, but maybe a handful of bands from other genres. Among that handful would be Zebra ... but one of the other bands in that handful is a really huge act.

 

[zamboni]

I thought about Zebra but left them in the Triumph camp .. some sort of no-mans land .. double shout-out though 

Evilgrin blessed Triumph as metal FWIW   

Ah - should have picked up that it was Triumph you were referring to. Or was it?

 

[Doug B]

Ah - should have picked up that it was Triumph you were referring to. Or was it?

No, it wasn't.

Triumph wasn't big among the heads in school for some reason. Definitely no Triumph T-shirts.

 

[zamboni]

Ah - should have picked up that it was Triumph you were referring to. Or was it?

No, it wasn't.

Triumph wasn't big among the heads in school for some reason. Definitely no Triumph T-shirts.

Thinking Rush then.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

Thinking Rush then.

Ain't a single thing about this that is the slightest bit "metal."

Also, what the holy horse####er is THIS?  (Although, I suppose that gets them into the "glam" conversation, if the definition of "glam" is used as loosely as humanly possible.  Geddy....eeesh.)

 

[zamboni]

For some reason I always got Zebra mixed up with Stryper.

While chewing on a pack of this.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Ain't a single thing about this that is the slightest bit "metal."

Also, what the holy horse####er is THIS?  (Although, I suppose that gets them into the "glam" conversation, if the definition of "glam" is used as loosely as humanly possible.  Geddy....eeesh.)

Holy ####, those pics.   

 

[zamboni]

Ain't a single thing about this that is the slightest bit "metal."

 

Classic pose. The Foo Fighters went with that get-up when they performed at Rush’s RRHOF induction:

https://youtu.be/s710HFRflp4

 

[zamboni]

To this day my favorite DC song is from his short stint with Deep Purple. Richie Blackmore, Jon Lord and Coverdale really did Burn.

Famous clip from the California Jam in 1974

Glenn Hughes was also badass as co-vocalist and on bass.

You find some amazing things going down the YouTube rabbit hole

Finally some hope for the future

 

[plinko]

I forgot to link Bon Jovi's Moscow set.  They start playing at around 3:00, JESUS JON.   I was going to try and do them all.. I don't think anybody gives a crap.. I am trying to get 5 stars though

 

[=Smackdown=]

I’m a huge Zebra fan. Seen them at least 10x in smaller venues like Lamores Brooklyn and Lamores East. Randy Jackson great on guitar and has killer vocals.

Never understood why they were only popular on Long Island and New Orleans. Still go see them when they come around locally.

Not sure if they belong on this list but comparing them to Stryper is a travesty.

Bears

 

[UncleZen]

Used to see Zebra all the time in Jackson, MS. I always figured they would make it big but they just never got over. Another band around at that same time was Lilian Axe. I liked them a little better but they were another band that just never quite hit their stride. 

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Put me in the GNR should be higher camp, but they are a Top 5 All Time* band for me (not based on talent or influence or anything like that, just personal preference).  I mean I even like Spaghetti Incident…in fact I don’t think there’s a bad song on that album

ive seen them live a few times, but in the later years.  Last time was maybe 5 years ago at LCA and the acoustics sucked (we were 2nd to last row in the building)

my favorite time seeing them though was probably back in 2006.  It was me, my wife, my buddy, and a different buddies wife (both their spouses were not interested in going).  Anyway we tailgated in the parking lot and the girls asked who was opening, it was Sebastian Bach and also the Suicide Girls.  I guess it was billed as a burlesque show, so the girls were expecting like Moulin Rouge or something and wanted to go in and watch.  Instead they were treated to barely clothed girls being walked around on dog leashes to the Stooges I Wanna Be Your Dog and pouring chocolate sauce all over each other

*1. Pink Floyd

2. Tool

3. Metallica 

4. Guns N Roses (3 and 4 can flip depending on my mood)

5. White Stripes

 

[raidergil]

16. Tesla

Well these guys don't have much baggage, just hard working 'Murkin rock n rollers.  And while they're no L.A. Guns they're pretty damn excellent!  Mechanical Resonance was a perfect debut.

EZ come
Modern Day Cowboy
Little Suzi's on the up

Heaven's Trail
The Way It Is
Love Song

The Great Radio Controversy was a little softer, 4 stars say I, gave them their biggest hit and had them on a tear, when they released an acoustic live album in late 1990 - with a real hit and everything - that made a historical impact.. and for a couple of years you couldn't walk down the street without tripping over a tossed out MTV Unplugged CD.

A year later, the third album, Psychotic Supper - it wasn't bad but wasn't as good, and the rest was history for us here, and I won't always keep pushing newer stuff, but they have also put out quality tunes in their older years.  
 

Tesla is one of my favorite bands & a top 5 of the era for me.

Love the straight ahead, no glam rock, double guitars and Jeff Keith’s scratch-a** vocals. And songs about current events/politics instead of sex, drugs, RnR. Hell I learned about Nikola Tesla decades before Elon Musk made people aware of him.

Very rare I miss them coming through. One of those times was their 1st tour opening for Leppard in 86. I was in a college farm town without a car. My younger sister saw them at an old school general admission show in Rochester. She met a couple of the guys as they were just hanging in the crowd after their set watching Leppard. She said they were just down to earth & like rest of the fans.

I saw them on “5 Man” tour at Ritz in NYC and Don Dokken came onstage to sing a song with them (too many beverages & years to recall the song).

Jeff Keith looks strung out or something (never was a pin up), but they’re still touring & recording solid music.

My favorite “deeper cut” on Mechanical Resonance is Cover Queen.

 

[Doug B]

Used to see Zebra all the time in Jackson, MS. I always figured they would make it big but they just never got over. Another band around at that same time was Lilian Axe. I liked them a little better but they were another band that just never quite hit their stride. 

Lillian Axe was another one that wore out the small-venue circuit in New Orleans. They did eventually get picked up by MCA for two albums.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Used to see Zebra all the time in Jackson, MS. I always figured they would make it big but they just never got over. Another band around at that same time was Lilian Axe. I liked them a little better but they were another band that just never quite hit their stride. 

Saw Zebra and Lillian Axe many times at the rock clubs in Houston. Always like Liilian Axe a lot better. The lead singer from one of my buds early bands wound up singing for them way after their prime.

 

[DJackson10]

7. Bon Jovi

They wanted to be huge, they knew they needed a little help, and they got the help they needed, from producer Bruce Fairbairn and songwriter Desmond Child to be specific.  Sometimes you just need that little extra push.  They were the biggest band in the country, for a moment, and they sustained.

Seamlessly bridged the gap between heavy metal and pop - not my words but I'm on board.

The first half of their first tape was bangers, to my young ears, particularly Runaway (is this like Twisted Sister for chicks?) and Shot Through The Heart

7800 isn't a good record.  In And Out Of Love

Slippery When Wet, it was OK, should have kept the original cover - grrrl you were so close!

Let It Rock
You Give Love a Bad Name
bunch more hits, we know em

Bad Medicine, 
Lay Your Hands On Me
Bad Medicine

say what you will, the first two tracks on each of those are some punchy leadoffs

JBJ had a solo hit, and Keep The Faith was OK

I saw them in London, with my friend's pregnant wife on this tour  

I had to think about who opened and remembered it was godforsaken ROCKHEAD 

NUMBER ONES:

You Give Love a Bad Name
Livin' on a Prayer
Bad Medicine
I'll Be There For You
Blaze of Glory 

So they're at least as good as five Nelsons

@scorchy on Bad Medicine  WITH FEELIN

Jon helped out a lot of younger "local" acts, besides the obvious ones my personal fave is cute-lady fronted Saraya

(Sandi Saraya was briefly married to ...... drumroll ...... Tesla's Brian Wheat!  )

Bon Jovi is a guy I liked when I first started listen to this stuff. Really like The Slippery When Wet album and as has been mentioned her Jon got Cinderella their first record deal and their first tour of being an opening act for him. 

Not a huge fan of the newer stuff the last 10 yrs as it sounds too mainstream radio friendly 

 

[DJackson10]

6. Guns N' Roses

Some might think they should be even higher.  Putting out the best record of a whole major music era is something, but not enough, not if your pointless/endless, not-even-cute shenanigans - not to mention the high bar that record set lol - helped stick a fork in that genre.

But I love Axl, and I think he, like Sebastian Bach, is a good dude who was young, a little aggro and got caught up in the moment

The rest of the band and particularly Slash got all strung out and things unraveled.  Lucky no one died.  I'm glad no one died!

Welcome to the Jungle - first single, 90% sure I saw this the first time it was on MTV (late-ish on the Ball).. like wow from first listen
Rocket Queen
@scorchy on Sweet Child
Tom Breihan on Sweet Child

Patience

You Could Be Mine feat Ahnold
Don't Cry feat Shannon Hoon   well, someone died from that poison

Use Your Illusion's cost and overall bloatedness feel like the product of a young artist with unlimited resources being left to his own devices.  

Lots could have been handled much better.

I might see them live again someday, now that they're old and grabbing that cash.

!SCHEDULE!
Tomorrow #5
Saturday #4
SUNDAY I AM OFF THE GRID
Monday #3
Tuesday = #2 and 1, that's the plan anyway
 

Saw them Live on the Not in This Lifetime Tour. Told myself if Slash and Duff and Axl ever got back together and it was great. When I saw them I wish I am close to as good physique wise as Duff is. I'm not gay by any means but that is one good looking body for a dude his age and I want to know his secretes. 

Fun facts: Urban legend has it that Axl Rose got his name from an oral sex name

Rocket Queen a former bandmate GF said the moans are what Rose record of her and him having sex. 

Back in HS senior year we had a Senior Project. Individual project where we wrote a 12 page page with a work cited, cover page and prolog and thesis on a topic in the world. Or we could do an internship of some kind at a job we liked. A panel of 4 teachers, parents, alumni etc were chosen for each to give a 15-20 min time speeches and going over docked you points. People like myself either with IEPs (Individual Education Plan) or in Special ED could pick our panel. I got to pick my panel and given I hate public speaking I chose the 4 people I was comfortable speaking in front of. One was one JR English teacher, 2nd was my IEP teacher who was incredible good looking (Which helped), My Senior English teacher who was one of the main teachers in charge of the whole project and my last person was my Special Ed Math teacher for 2 yrs. Anyway I did my topic on Bipolar Disorder since my uncle had it. Interviewed my Uncle and then Aunt at the time and 2 professionals in the field. I had to come up with examples of others and their effects. I was going through my huge GNR phase and during my GNR phase I found people saying Axl may have Bipolar. He became my example of not officially diagnosed but shows signs of it person. It was really interesting learning about Axl's child hood or lack there of among other things

In case anyone is wondering I aced the project. I also helped start my HS in a program of finding better ways to deal with people with mental disorders among other things which was a big step back when I was in school as many schools had very little resources for students like that. So in away GNR helped me in school 

 

[Quint]

Evilgrin blessed Triumph as metal FWIW   

Not gonna argue any rankings in this thread [yet]. 
 

That said, Rik Emmett is WILDLY underrated as a singer and guitarist. 
 

But Canada, amirite? 

 

[J R]

Speaking of ... here's the guy DeMartini replaced in Ratt.

A LOT of guys went through that band at one time or another. Heck, Michael Schenker gave Ratt a whirl when Robbin Crosby had to go to rehab for a while.

In that hair metal book of interviews mentioned early, Lee has a funny masturbation story from those early Ratt days. Something like, he shows up to practice with one of the guys but he's jerking off, so he turns to step out but the dude's like, come on in I'll be done in a sec. That sounded like a Ratt story to me.

 

[J R]

Gotta admit I'm a bit surprised VH didn't even crack the top 10.  Intrigued to see how the rest of the rankings play out. 

Subtracted points for Hagar.

 

[J R]

Think Lies is awesome, Illusion 1 & 2 overdone but still a few gems -- Yesterdays is awesome, just a great all around song. 

Illusion 1 & 2 could be trimmed to 1 really solid album except would everyone agree on the songs? It works great for the mp3 age, where everyone can cut it down to their own picks.