It's A Wonderful Night For Oscar - 2017

So, being off work for a much longer amount of time than I thought I would be (intercostal nerve problems) I've been able to watch a lot more movies than I normally would.  For that reason, I feel a little more confident in my picks for Academy gold this year.  Hopefully I will be able to help those doing Oscar pools or other events tailored for Sunday night's show.  So, with further ado, my picks:

BEST PICTURE

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell Or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester By The Sea

Moonlight

What Will Win: La La Land.  Everybody is in love with this musical throwback to Hollywood's Golden Age, and, for the most part, they should be.  I really enjoyed La La Land, after the first 30 minutes or so.  The story really gains some traction after that point and I found myself getting invested in the outcome of the movie's two main characters.  The final scenes are absolutely stunning, and fun, and sad, and everything...I just wish it could have been that way right from the start.

What I'd Pick: Moonlight.  Speaking about being invested in the characters, I was totally rapt with ALL the characters in this film.  Taking place through three stages of a young man's life, I'm sure it may be hard for some to take, but not for me.  The story, the actors' performances and the ending has stuck in my mind for many weeks now.  It was beautifully filmed, and the director wasn't scared to have long, silent pauses which were necessary and, at times, emotionally brutal.  I saw eight of the nine nominees (stayed away from Fences), and I liked them all, but none more than Moonlight.

BEST ACTOR

Casey Affleck - Manchester By The Sea

Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling - La La Land

Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington - Fences

Who Will Win: Denzel Washington.  As I mentioned, I haven't seen Fences, but the Academy seems to love giving awards to movies that are very character driven.  Denzel was the winner of the SAG Award earlier this year, and he hasn't won an award for acting since 2001 (Training Day).  For one of the best actors of our time, that's too long. 

Who I'd Pick:  Ryan Gosling.  And there's is a good chance he will win, but the Denzel factor may be a little too strong.  Gosling, who I always thought was quite wooden until I saw The Nice Guys and then La La Land, really does a great job.  Not only in the dancing and singing scenes (not to mention his great attention to detail learning to play the piano!) but for those moments in between. 

BEST ACTRESS

Isabelle Huppert - Elle

Ruth Negga - Loving

Natalie Portman - Jackie

Emma Stone - La La Land

Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

Who Will Win:  Emma Stone.  I have always liked Emma Stone, from her small role in Superbad, to her breakout role in Easy A, she has always been easy to like.  She was nominated two years ago for Birdman but didn't win, but this is her turn.  She has been praised by almost everyone who has seen La La Land, winning multiple awards, and I can't see why she wouldn't win an Oscar as well.

Who I'd Pick:  Meryl Streep.  I didn't see the other three performances in this category (sorry) but of the two I did see, Meryl is still the best.  I didn't even want to see Florence Foster Jenkins, but her performance turned me right around (and I'd like to mention Hugh Grant was fantastic as well and should have been nominated).  She was hysterically funny at times and made me well up at others.  When people say Streep is the greatest actress ever, they may just be right.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali - Moonlight

Jeff Bridges - Hell Or High Water

Lucas Hedges - Manchester By The Sea

Dev Patel - Lion

Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals

Who Will Win:  Mahershala Ali.  And he really should.  His was one of many fabulous performances in Moonlight.  He won the SAG Award and Golden Globe so winning the Academy Award doesn't seem like a stretch.  The character of a gangster with a heart isn't new to movies, but Ali brings a strength and a softness to his character that sucks the viewer right into his world.  It truly was an outstanding performance.

Who I'd Pick:  Same.  But, if I were to choose my favourite performance of the five men nominated, my vote would go to Michael Shannon.  He was fantastic as the sickly investigator in what I feel was a very underrated film, Nocturnal Animals.  His only other nomination came in 2009's Revolutionary Road.  But he could have garnered awards for The Runaways as the creepy Kim Fowley, Take Shelter as a man who thinks a big storm is coming,  or The Iceman as real life hit man Richard Kuklinski.  For me, he is the best character actor in Hollywood!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Viola Davis - Fences

Naomie Harris - Moonlight

Nicole Kidman - Lion

Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams - Manchester By The Sea

Who Will Win:  Viola Davis.  For the same reason I think Denzel will win.  Movies that come from plays are very character driven, not a lot of action, but lots of emotional stretching.  Again, I have not seen the film, but there are many accolades coming in for her portrayal.  She has been nominated for Oscars two other times (for The Help and Doubt), but I think in this instance, the third time will be a charm.  Plus, she won both the SAG Award and the Golden Globe for this role.

Who I'd Pick:  Octavia Spencer.  This was difficult for me.  I loved all the other performances in this category, but Spencer's role in Hidden Figures was quietly powerful.  Her portrayal of the real life NASA employee Dorothy Vaughan who played along with the "rules" of women, especially black women, knowing their place in world that wasn't ready for people like her to succeed.  But succeed she did, not with her words, but with her actions.  And when she finally started earning the respect she so rightly deserved, her humility made the audience want to get up and applaud her.  A really great performance.

BEST DIRECTOR

Denis Villeneuve - Arrival

Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge

Damien Chazelle - La La Land

Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester By The Sea

Barry Jenkins - Moonlight

Who Will Win:  Damien Chazelle.  He created a world that has been missing from movies for a very long time.  He also came up with impossibly complicated shots that worked beautifully.  I mentioned that I wasn't too impressed with La La Land for the first half hour or so, but the opening scene had to have been one of the most complicated set ups I've ever seen.  Now, I know some camera tricks were used to edit the scene, but it didn't take away from the marvel of the production.  He did a great job visualizing his words to the screen.

Who I'd Pick:  Barry Jenkins.  So, what do we know about Barry Jenkins?  Not a lot!  He made one other feature film before Moonlight called Medicine For Melancholy that was praised by many festivals around the world.  For his second feature Jenkins masterfully told the story of Little/Chiron/Black, a man who grows up in the projects.  Jenkins used silence and long pauses to perfection in Moonlight, making the viewer take time to feel the emotions not only inside the character, but inside themselves.  It is a wonderfully, and carefully, directed film that everyone should see.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Taylor Sheridan - Hell Or High Water

Damien Chazelle - La La Land

Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou - The Lobster

Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester By The Sea

Mike Mills - 20th Century Women

Who Will Win:  Damien Chanzelle for La La Land.

Who I'd Pick:  Lanthimos & Filippou for The Lobster.  I haven't seen The Lobster, but the creativity of just the outline of the film makes me think those who saw it won't soon forget it.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Eric Heisserer - Arrival

August Wilson - Fences

Allison Schroeder & Theodore Melfi - Hidden Figures

Luke Davies - Lion

Barry Jenkins & Tarell Alvin McCraney - Moonlight

Who Will Win:  Eric Heisserer for Arrival.  This might be a stretch, but a movie that meant absolutely nothing to me in the first hour, only to drop my jaw in the last hour deserves to win!

Who I'd Pick:  Same.  My second choice would be for Jenkins and McCraney for Moonlight.

For the rest of the award categories, I'll just pick my choice of who should win.  Keep in mind, I didn't see a lot of the nominations for Animated Film or Foreign Film so I'm just gonna pick the best sounding ones!

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Kubo And The Two Strings

Moana

My Life As A Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

My Pick:  Finding Dory!  or, I guess, Moana.

BEST FOREIGN FILM

Land Of Mine (Denmark)

A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

The Salesman (Iran)

Tanna (Australia)

Toni Erdmann (Germany)

My Pick:  A Man Called Ove from Sweden, because of their recent trouble with deadly Muslim attacks!

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Mica Levi - Jackie

Justin Hurwitz - La La Land

Dustin O'Halloran & Hauschka - Lion

Nicholas Britell - Moonlight

Thomas Newman - Passengers

My Pick:  Justin Hurwitz for La La Land.  If I'm wrong here, I'll be wrong everywhere else!

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" - La La Land

"Can't Stop The Feeling!" - Trolls

"City Of Stars" - La La Land

"The Empty Chair" - Jim: The James Foley Story

"How Far I'll Go" - Moana

My Pick:  "City Of Stars" from La La Land, although I would love to see "Can't Stop The Feeling!" win because I love that song!

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Bradford Young - Arrival

Linus Sandgren - La La Land

Greg Fraser - Lion

James Laxton - Moonlight

Rodrigo Prieto - Silence

My Pick:  Linus Sandgren for La La Land.  The ever-moving camera flows beautifully through the whole film, probably the greatest reason I liked it so much.

BEST FILM EDITING

Joe Walker - Arrival

John Gilbert - Hacksaw Ridge

Jake Roberts - Hell Or High Water

Tom Cross - La La Land

Nat Sanders & Joi McMillon - Moonlight

My Pick:  Tom Cross for La La Land.  The cinematography wouldn't be as great as it was without the smooth editing.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo And The Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

My Pick:  The Jungle Book, only because of the buzz around it's special effects.

Ok, I think that's all I'll do.  Let me know what you think in the comments.  Agree, disagree, whatever.  Either way, I think it's been a pretty good year for movies.  Enjoy Sunday night!

I Got The Music In Me - Part III

Some more great albums below:

THE KINKS

In 1964, British bands started to make their way into America.  The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, all big bands that made a huge splash during that time.  The Kinks were also among the groups involved in The British Invasion, mostly because of one of their most popular songs, "You Really Got Me".  Ray Davies and his younger brother Dave started to play guitar as a result of hearing some of their older sister's records during the birth of Rock N' Roll.  They gathered a couple of friends, Pete Quaife (bass) being one, and started playing as the Ray Davies Quartet.  As time went on they changed the band's name a couple of times; The Ramrods and The Ravens.  Mick Avory soon came on as the drummer.  Just prior to recording their first single, a cover of "Long Tall Sally", they changed their name once more to The Kinks, in reference to their "kinky" fashion sense.

I always thought The Kinks came on the music scene in the 1980's, when I saw the video for "Come Dancing" on MuchMusic (Canada's MTV).  I had no idea that they broke out 20 years before, but I started to listen to their old stuff.  "You Really Got Me", "All Day And All Of The Night", "Lola".  To me they sounded like a cross between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; pop driven with a good helping of soul.  Of their early records I would find myself going back to The Kinks Kontroversy.  The first song on the album, "Milk Cow Blues", is a cover of an old Blues man, Sleepy John Estes, and is great!   All the other songs are Ray Davies' originals.  "Gotta Get The First Plane Home" sounds like a Beatles song (which is a good thing!), "Till The End Of The Day" is fabulous, "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" is a song I first heard Van Halen do without knowing it was written by Davies.  One of my favourite Kinks song, "Dedicated Follower Of Fashion", is also on the album. If you haven't listened to The Kinks' early stuff, do yourself a favour and get on that!

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  24 (1964-1993)

Grammys:  None

Highest Charting Single:  6 ("Tired Of Waiting For You" - 1965)

                                             ("Come Dancing" - 1983)

KISS

So, I'm about six years old, 1978 or so, and I go to visit my cousins.  My older cousin Dave is getting into a band called Kiss.  I remember him showing me some magazines and albums with these scary looking dudes in makeup.  I had no idea what songs they played at this point, but I knew I loved what I was seeing!  And that's precisely how Kiss became HUGE; a gimmick.  Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have known each other forever, playing in a band in the early '70's named Wicked Lester.  They decided to leave that band and form their own creation.  They found Peter Criss (drums) from an ad in Rolling Stone magazine.  Ace Frehley (guitar) was the last piece of the puzzle, hired after an audition in 1973.  When Criss said he had been in a band called Lips, Paul Stanley suggested something similar to call this new band, Kiss.  Everyone liked the idea of having the "SS" at the end of the band's name, thinking it would really stand out and get people interested in the band.  The first couple of gigs, the band wore little to no makeup (eyeliner was used), but soon they decided to wear full face makeup, and didn't take it off again for another 10 years.  Probably the biggest mystery in the history of music was the question "What do these guys look like?".  It was brilliant marketing that drew millions of fans to buy all the albums and merchandise they could get their hands on.  

As a band, Kiss is, at best, mediocre.  But they certainly know how to create rock anthems that please their fans.  "Rock And Roll All Nite" is their biggest hit and no matter how many times you hear it, which is a lot, you still sing along.  "Strutter", "Deuce", "Cold Gin", even their disco song "I Was Made For Loving You", all big hits.  But their 1976 album, Destroyer, is chock full of rockin' goodness.  "Detroit Rock City" starts it off with that beautiful bass line.  "God Of Thunder" is probably top three of my favourite Kiss tunes.  The fabulously crowd pleasing "Shout It Out Loud" is always fun to sing along to.  And then, when you least expect it, Peter Criss sings "Beth", a wonderfully written tune showing Kiss' softer side.  Kiss is not the best band in the world, far from it, but they can always be counted on for a good time.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  24 (1974-2012)

Grammys:  None

Highest Charting Single:   7 ("Beth"/"Detroit Rock City" - 1976)

LED ZEPPELIN

One of the most revered bands in rock, Led Zeppelin took old Blues songs and made them heavy and electric.  They also created a few pretty good songs on their own.  I remember buying the Led Zeppelin Box Set, on cassette, when I was about 18.  I listened to those four cassettes all the time, as Led Zeppelin quickly became one of my favourite bands.  Jimmy Page met Robert Plant and asked him to sing in a new band he was creating.  Plant agreed and asked if his buddy John Bonham could play drums.  John Paul Jones, who knew Page from their session days, asked if they had a bass player yet.  Page said no, and Jones joined the new band.  In the ten years from 1969 to 1979, Led Zeppelin were the biggest band in the world!  Who knows how long they would've gone if not for the untimely death of Bonham in 1980.  The band decided to break up, saying they couldn't go on without one member.  

I love all of Led Zeppelin's albums, so it's hard to choose just one.  I know a lot of people would choose Led Zeppelin IV (or the untitled album, or Zoso) and why not??  That album has "Stairway To Heaven" and "Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll".  But for me, Led Zeppelin II makes me happy every time I listen to it.  It starts with, what I consider, one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock in "Whole Lotta Love", a hard rockin' cover of a Willie Dixon tune.  There is the beautiful tune "Thank You", Robert Plant hitting every heartbreaking note perfectly.  Then "Heartbreaker" into "Living Loving Maid".  "Ramble On" was my favourite Zeppelin song for a while, and then John Bonham's brilliance on "Moby Dick".  It all ends with other take on a Willie Dixon tune, "Bring It On Home", with that great Page riff.  Just fantastic!!

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  9 (1969-1982)

Grammys:  1 (Best Rock Album "Celebration Day" - 2013)

Highest Charting Single:  4 ("Whole Lotta Love" - 1970)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD

I have a soft spot for Southern Rock.  Don't know why, just do.  The Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, Skynyrd, I can listen to it all day.  The beginnings of Skynyrd took shape in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964 when Ronnie Van Sant and a group of friends got together, calling themselves My Backyard.  After name changes to The Noble Five and One Percent, Van Sant decided to make a commitment to one name.  He got inspiration from a gym teacher at his high school that always gave "long hairs" a hard time.  His name was Leonard Skinner.  Playing upon that, they settled on Lynyrd Skynyrd.  When they recorded their first album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, they already had a huge fan base from their live shows.  They were an instance success, especially after "Free Bird", a tribute to Duane Allman, hit the air waves.  In October of 1977, the band chartered a plane to Baton Rouge, that would end up crash landing in Mississippi.  Ronnie Van Sant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines (Steve's sister), and some crew perished.  It would be another ten years before Skynyrd played together again, with Ronnie's brother, Johnny Van Sant, taking over as lead singer and songwriter.  Although the band still had great success in concerts, they never reached the heights of the band before that fateful day.

It's the first album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, that is number one in my heart, and it has a lot to do with the albums last song, "Free Bird".  For me, it's Ronnie Van Sant's finest hour.  And if you've ever heard the band jam on that song in concert (go to YouTube) you'll see how the band can stretch out the music for up to 20 minutes.  It's just awesome.  But beyond that classic song, you also have "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man" and "Poison Whiskey", all great songs.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  14 (1973-2012)

Grammys:  None

Highest Charting Single:  8 ("Sweet Home Alabama" - 1974)

MARVIN GAYE

I first heard Marvin Gaye in 1982 or so.  The single (and video) to "Sexual Healing" had just been released and was on heavy rotation.  I knew I liked the song, but had no idea that I was listening to, what many consider, the finest voice in music.  As I started to listen to more and more of his early stuff I fell in love with that silky soul voice.  Those early records with Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston are absolute perfection!  But the records he made in the '70's are almost beyond compare.  I remember the day Marvin Gaye died.  It was all over the news on TV and the radio.  Shot by his own father on April 1, 1984.  But it was no April Fool's joke.  Possibly the greatest singer of our time was dead.

Listening to Gaye's earlier albums was a real treat for me.  I Heard It Through The Grapevine, That's The Way Love Is, Let's Get It On...all fabulous.  But the best of them all, and possibly one of the best albums ever released, was What's Going On, released in 1971.  The album came about at a time where America was trying to re-find itself after the Civil Rights Movement of the '60's.  The title song, "What's Going On", is a brilliant reflection of the times.  "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" carries on the theme.  "Right On" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" are also big idea songs that come out beautifully.  "Save The Children", a song of hope in a time that there seemed to be none.  What's Going On became a mirror to the terrible things going on in the world and with Gaye's velvet voice as the preacher, it's just fantastic.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  17 (1961-1982)

Grammys:  2 (Best R&B Instrumental "Sexual Healing" - 1982)

                      (Best Male R&B Vocal "Sexual Healing" - 1982)

Highest Charting Single:  1 ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - 1968)

                                             ("Let's Get It On" - 1973)

                                             ("Got To Give It Up, Pt.1" - 1977)

MEGADETH

From Marvin Gaye to Megadeth, nobody can tell me I don't have an eclectic taste in music!  Megadeth came about when Dave Mustaine got booted from Metallica for excessive substance abuse.  He almost immediately had ideas of starting his own metal band to compete with Metallica.  He found Dave Ellefson to play bass, Kerry King on rhythm guitar and Lee Rausch to drum, leaving Mustaine as lead guitarist and singer.  Their goal was to play faster than any metal band around.  After their demo circulated through the proper channels, they were signed to Combat Records.  Before cutting their first album, Rausch was replaced by Gar Samuelson on drums and Chris Poland joined as a second guitarist.  Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good was a success in the heavy metal circles of the mid '80's, and solidified Megadeth as one of the fastest and technically sound thrash metal bands of the era. 

There are songs that I like on just about every Megadeth album; "Mechanix" from their debut, "Peace Sells" from Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?, "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" from Rust In Peace.  But I always came back to their fifth album, released in 1992, Countdown To Extinction.  I felt it was the most well-rounded album, as if they took a lot of time and care to how the entire album, from start to finish, flowed.  "Symphony Of Destruction" is Mustaine at his best.  Not the best singer around, but he really wails on this tune.  "Foreclosure Of A Dream" is slow, then fast, then slow, and filled with great lyrics.  The title song, "Countdown To Extinction" has all the doomed imagery you need in a good metal song.  But the album's best, and maybe my favourite Megadeth song, is "Sweating Bullets", a song of paranoid schizophrenia that has a great hook.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  15 (1985-2016)

Grammys:  None

Highest Charting Single:  71 ("Symphony Of Destruction" - 1992)

METALLICA

Lars Ulrich, in 1981, took out an ad in a Los Angeles newspaper saying he was a drummer looking for a metal band to jam with.  James Hetfield answered the ad, and Metallica was born.  Dave Mustaine answered another ad placed by Ulrich for a lead guitarist.  Bassist Ron McGovney came along for the band's first live performance in 1982.  Cliff Burton soon replaced McGovney because Hetfield and Mustaine felt McGovney wasn't contributing anything.  After Mustaine was booted (see above) Kirk Hammett joined.  This quartet would play together for a few years until Burton was tragically killed in a crash involving the tour bus in 1986.  After more than 40 people auditioned, Metallica hired Jason Newsted to replace Burton.  In 2001, Newsted decided to leave Metallica for, what he called, "personal reasons".  In 2003, Robert Trujillo got the new bassist job after a long audition process.
I really enjoy the Metallica albums of the '80's, especially Kill 'Em All and Master Of Puppets, but I picked their 1991 album, Metallica (or The Black Album) as my favourite.  I remember buying this CD when I was 19 and I listened to it all the time.  The song off the album that got the band the most popularity was "Unforgiven", the song off the album that I like least.  "Enter Sandman" got a lot of play as well, but I think thats a stronger song.  The meat of the album for me are the two songs "Sad But True" and "Wherever I May Roam", two great songs that show off the band's skill, and Hetfield's vocals.  "Nothing Else Matters" slows the pace down for a bit, but it's followed quickly with a head banging "Of Wolf And Man".  Even though this is Metallica's "breakthrough" album where they gained many fans they never had before, it's anything but a sell-out.
Band Stats
Studio Albums:  10 (1983-2016)
Grammys:  8  (Best Metal Performance "One" - 1989)
                       (Best Metal Performance "Stone Cold Crazy" - 1990)
                       (Best Metal Performance, Album "Metallica" - 1991)
                       (Best Metal Performance "Better Than You" - 1998)
                       (Best Hard Rock Performance  "Whiskey In The Jar" - 1999)
                       (Best Rock Instrumental "Call Of Ktulu" - 2000)
                       (Best Metal Performance "St. Anger" - 2003)
                       (Best Metal Performance "My Apocalypse" - 2008)
Highest Charting Single:  10 ("Until It Sleeps" - 1996)

MICHAEL JACKSON

When he was six years old, Michael Jackson began singing with his brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito and Jermaine, already known as the Jackson Brothers.  A year later, he began singing lead vocals and the band's name was changed to the Jackson 5.  In 1969, the brothers signed with Motown and became one of the biggest music acts in the world.  But Michael would achieve even more success after he left his four brothers.  He actually released a few solo albums before leaving his brothers, but when Off The Wall came out in 1979, the whole world knew M.J. would be the biggest star in the music galaxy.  There are a few names that come to mind when the conversation of most beloved singer/band comes up; The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson!  I remember exactly where I was when I heard The King Of Pop died.
Michael Jackson has released a few great albums; Off The Wall is fantastic with songs like "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Rock With You" and "Off The Wall".  Bad is a great album as well with the songs "The Way You Make Me Feel" (one of my faves!), "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and "Dirty Diana".  But the first album I listened to nearly every day when I was 10 or 11 years old was Thriller.  There is no denying the impact this album had on the music industry, or the album buying public.  We actually had two copies of it in our house; one for me and one for my sister.  It has sales of over 32 million in the U.S. alone!!  "Beat It", "Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing"....I mean, come on!  All are classics and all will be remembered to be contained on the most popular album ever, Thriller!
Band Stats
Studio Albums:  10 (1972-2001)
Grammys: 13 (Best Male R&B Vocal "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - 1979)
                       (Best Male Pop Vocal, Album "Thriller" - 1983)
                       (Album Of The Year "Thriller" - 1983)
                       (Producer Of The Year "Thriller" - 1983)
                       (Best Recording For Children, Album "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 1983)
                       (Best R&B Song "Billie Jean" - 1983)
                       (Best Male R&B Vocal "Billie Jean" - 1983)
                       (Record Of The Year "Beat It" - 1983)
                       (Best Male Rock Vocal "Beat It" - 1983)
                       (Best Music Video, Long Form "Thriller" - 1984)
                       (Song Of The Year "We Are The World" - 1985)
                       (Best Music Video, Short Form "Leave Me Alone" - 1989)
                       (Best Music Video, Short Form "Scream" - 1995)
Highest Charting Single: 1 ("Ben" - 1972)
                                            ("Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - 1979)
                                            ("Rock With You" - 1980)
                                            ("Billie Jean" - 1983)
                                            ("Beat It" - 1983)
                                            ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - 1987)
                                            ("Bad" - 1987)
                                            ("The Way You Make Me Feel" - 1988)
                                            ("Man In The Mirror" - 1988)
                                            ("Dirty Diana" - 1988)
                                            ("Black Or White" - 1991)
                                            ("You Are Not Alone" - 1995)

MOTORHEAD

I got into Motorhead late in life.  I knew of them, but never really listened to there stuff, except for "Ace Of Spades" which is easily the most popular song.  Ian Kilmister, known as Lemmy to everyone, was fired from his band, Hawkwind, in 1975 for being arrested for drug possession in Canada.  The last song he wrote for his old band was "Motorhead".  Lemmy decided to steal that name for his new band.  He got Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums) to join the band.  After just 10 shows they were supporting Blue Oyster Cult.  Wallis and Fox didn't work out so well, so in came "Fast" Eddie Clarke on guitar and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.  This trio would play fast, hard and loud and became hugely popular on the metal scene.  Other band members would come and go, but these guys were the originals.

I'll be honest, I haven't heard all the Motorhead albums.  I focused more on their albums from the '70's and '80's, their prime years.  I have noticed that a lot of Motorhead's songs can be interchangeable.  The bass line from Lemmy doesn't change all that much, and their speed is usually the same as well.  But with Ace Of Spades, I found more of a range of music, and it's all good!  The title song is their most famous, and possibly their best, but there is also "Fast And Loose", "(We Are) The Road Crew", "Jailbait" and "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch", all great cuts.  You may not like Motorhead songs, but you have to respect the speed and ferociousness of their music.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  22 (1977-2015)

Grammys:  None

Highest Charting Single:  Never charted in the Hot 100

NIRVANA 

They weren't around for very long, but Nirvana's impact on the way we listen to music was almost revolutionary.  Their music defined an entire genre, Alternative Rock.  In early 1987, Kurt Cobain and friend Krist Novoselic wanted to start playing music together after Novoselic listened to a tape Cobain made of his songs, calling himself Fecal Matter.  They recruited drummer Aaron Burkhard and began playing songs off that tape.  When Cobain and Novoselic decided to move, they lost contact with Burkhard, and, after many others, named Chad Channing as their drummer for the newly named Nirvana.  The trio recorded their first album, Bleach, which was very well received in the punk circles in Washington state.  Channing soon left the band (he didn't feel he was asked for input often enough).  After another revolving door of drummers, Dave Grohl was introduced to the band, and Nirvana was complete.  That is until that fateful day, April 8, 1994, when Cobain died from a self-inflicted shotgun blast.

They only made 3 studio albums before Cobain's death.  It is easy for me to say Nevermind is my favourite, even, probably, in my top 10 faves of all time.  It was released when I was 19, the perfect age to have an outlet for my own fears and anxiety of my future.  When I put Nevermind on, all of the things that stressed me out were beaten away by driving drums and wailing guitars.  And I certainly wasn't the only one who needed this album; it has sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone (over one million in Canada).  It all started with the anthem of misguided youth, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", a monster hit that was coupled with a great video.  But the angst doesn't stop there.  "In Bloom", "Come As You Are", "Lithium" (one of favourite songs by Nirvana), "Drain You".  Even the slower songs work.  I know a lot of folks think this album is all doom and gloom, which I get.  But it was doom and gloom in a time that some of us needed to know that doom and gloom was everywhere.
Band Stats
Studio Albums:  3 (1989-1993)
Grammys:  1 (Best Alternative Album "MTV Unplugged In New York" - 1995)
Highest Charting Single:  6 ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" - 1992)

OTIS REDDING

When I first started to get into Soul music and Rhythm and Blues, I listened to a few artists to get me going; Sam and Dave, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding.  Otis was an immense talent who's life was cut short in plane crash on December 10, 1967.  He was only 26 years old, yet he had become one of the greatest singers, and performers, of his time.  Born in Georgia, Otis started singing in church at a young age.  He took guitar and piano lessons, then at age 10 took drum and singing lessons as well.  When he was 17, Redding got his break when he won a talent show put on by a local radio station, where he sang Little Richard's "Heebie Jeebies".  By 1962 he recorded and released his first single, "These Arms Of Mine", which became a huge hit, selling more than 800,000 copies.  On that fateful day in 1967, the whether was poor and, despite pleas from James Brown and others, Otis and his band, The Bar-Keys, took off into the night.  The plane crashed into Lake Monona in Wisconsin.  Only one person survived.  The crash happened just three days after recording what most would call Otis' most popular song, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay".

I absolutely love listening to Otis Redding!  I put him on a short list of the best singers ever.  I have downloaded most of his records, but I always liked his tribute to music that made him famous, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul.  His take on Aretha's "Respect", on Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", on Smokey Robinson's song made famous by The Temptations "My Girl", all sound just great out of Redding's mouth.  But the album would be considered a classic if it contained just two songs; Redding written "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and Cooke's "Shake".  Two fantastic songs!  If you want to start listening to 1960's Soul, this is the album that'll make you fall in love with the genre.

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  10 (1964-1992) *posthumous albums included

Grammys:  2 (Best R&B Song "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - 1968)

                      (Best Male R&B Performance "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - 1968)

Highest Charting Single: 1 ("(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - 1968)

OZZY OSBOURNE

Ozzy Osbourne, the lead singer of Black Sabbath, was dismissed by his band in mid-1979.  The band had just finished a tour for their album Never Say Die!, and getting back to the studio to record again.  But constant arguing, and excessive drug use, caused the three other members of the band to fire Osbourne.  They replaced him with Ronnie James Dio, and Osbourne went out on his own.  He wouldn't sing with Black Sabbath until 2011 when the band reunited (less drummer Bill Ward) to cut a new album and go out on tour one final time.
Ozzy's first album without Sabbath was released in 1980, Blizzard Of Ozz.  For me, it's easily Osbourne's best solo album.  Ozzy's backing band consisted of Rob Daisley on bass, Lee Kerslake on drums, and the remarkable Randy Rhoades on guitar.  The biggest hit off the album would definitely be "Crazy Train", but there is so much more, including the song that got the most attention in the press, "Suicide Solution".  The song was said to be the reason a young boy killed himself in 1984.  The parents of the boy sued, but the judge deemed Osbourne, and the band, was protected by First Amendment rights.  Beyond that, the album's first song, "I Don't Know" is a great introduction to Rhoades' power on guitar.  "Goodbye To Romance" was Ozzy's slower song, which is good, but is a song that was the beginning of more slow tunes by Ozzy, which most of his fans didn't appreciate.  The spooky "Mr. Crowley" is great, and the album's last song, "Steal Away (The Night)" gets the pulse going again.
Band Stats
Studio Albums:  10 (1980-2010)
Grammys:  1 (Best Metal Performance "I Don't Want To Change The World" - 1993)
Highest Charting Single:  28 ("Mama, I'm Coming Home" - 1992)

PEARL JAM

Once again, albums that came out around the time I was in my late-teens, early-20's have stuck with me my whole life.  Pearl Jam's albums are no exception.  Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were playing in a band called Mother Love Born in the late '80's with a singer named Andrew Wood, who died of a drug overdose just months before their debut album was released.  Soon after Gossard began jamming with a friend, Mike McCready, and he, Gossard and Ament got together to make a demo tape in search of a singer and a drummer.  Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer at the time, Jack Irons, gave the tape to a buddy of his.  The buddy was Eddie Vedder, who wrote some lyrics to go with the demo, and recorded his vocals on top.  When the demo was returned, Vedder was immediately hired. Dave Krusen was brought along as drummer and their new band, called Mookie Blaylock (their favourite basketball player) began to perform.  They soon changed their name to Pearl Jam, thank God, and went on to sell millions of albums.

Their debut album, released in 1991 (when I was 19), was titled Ten, Mookie Blaylock's number.  Although I own seven of Pearl Jam CD's, I think the impact that Ten had on the "grunge" scene at the time makes it the one I like best.  Along with Nirvana's Nevermind and Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Pearl Jam's debut album helped to create a new genre of music, specifically coming out of the Seattle area, that teenagers grabbed onto in the early '90's.  The albums had great hit singles in "Even Flow", "Jeremy" and "Alive".  But the songs that weren't on regular radio rotation were fabulous as well.  "Once", the opening song, gave us all an example of Vedder's power as a singer.  "Porch" gave us some speed and great lyrics.  But the true gem of the album is the song titled "Black", written by Gossard and Vedder.  It's slower than the other songs on the album, but conveys so much feeling with the great lyrics and quiet performance from Vedder.  It is one of my favourite songs.

Band Stats

Studio Albums: 10 (1991-2013)

Grammys: 1 (Best Hard Rock Performance "Spin The Black Circle" - 1995)

Highest Charting Single:  2 ("Last Kiss" Live - 1999)

THE POLICE

Stewart Copeland was an American drummer playing with a British band in 1977.  At some point he met and exchanged phone numbers with a singer/bassist called Sting, so called because he often wore a yellow and black striped shirt.  When Copeland's band broke up, he and Sting got together with guitarist Henry Padovani to form The Police.  They played pubs and opened for acts popular in London at the time.  Sting was invited to play with a band known as Strontium 90.  The band's drummer was unavailable to play so Sting suggested Copeland.  Already playing with Strontium 90 was guitarist Andy Summers.  Sting still had ambitions of playing in his own band.  He approached Summers about playing with him and Copeland.  He said "yes" and The Police started writing and recording songs.  Some of them became kind of popular.

Their first album, Outlandos d'Amour, was released in 1978, and its my favourite of their, albeit, small selection of albums.  Even though their last album, Synchronicity, was far more popular, it's their debut that makes me happiest.  The very first song on the album, the introduction to the band, is my absolute favourite of theirs, "Next To You".  (Side note: when I saw them in concert about 10 years ago on their reunion tour, I began to leave after their encore.  They came out for another encore and played "Next To You".  I started dancing and singing in the tunnel!).  One of their most popular songs, "Roxanne", is also there.  Other great tunes on the album include "So Lonely", "Can't Stand Losing You" and the speedy "Peanuts".  If you only know The Police because of Synchronicity, you're missing out! 

Band Stats

Studio Albums:  5 (1978-1983)

Grammys:  5 (Best Rock Instrumental "Reggatta de Blanc" - 1980)

                      (Best Rock Performance, Group "Don't Stand So Close To Me" - 1981)

                      (Best Rock Instrumental "Behind My Camel" - 1981)

                      (Best Rock Performance Album, Group "Synchronicity" - 1983)

                      (Best Pop Performance, Group "Every Breath You Take" - 1983)

Highest Charting Single:  1 ("Every Breath You Take" - 1983)