Super 8 Debut Albums Blogfest

Today is the Super 8 Debut Albums Blogfest, hosted by DiscConnected!

“On February 28, we're listing our all time eight favorite debut albums from artists where they hit paydirt the first time!”

Visit other participants from the list below and feel free to join in! This was a little more difficult than anticipated, but I finally came up with eight, great debut albums:

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

Released on July 24, 1990, Pantera brought heavy metal to a whole new level. Featuring Phil Anselmo's growling and screaming vocal style and Diamond Darrell Abbott's insane shredding, this disc was just brutal for the time. I thought Metallica and Megadeth were heavy but this took heavy up to 11. This band literally changed the sound of metal and it all started with this amazing disc.

Alice In Chains - Facelift

Another great 1990 release, Facelift was a huge debut. Even though they formed in Seattle, I never placed them in the grunge category. Alice In Chains is its own singular entity, with a sound that is unique and instantly recognizable. Wow, so many great songs on this one from "We Die Young" and "Man In The Box" to "Sea Of Sorrow" and "Bleed The Freak.” What I love most about this disc is that it feels as fresh as it did 20 years ago.

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Here's a debut that launched a band to superstardom. G N' R's first disc was a juggernaut selling over 28 million copies. While it had several tremendous hits ("Paradise City," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Welcome to The Jungle") its the lesser played tracks that I truly love ("It's So Easy," "Nighttrain," "Mr. Brownstone".) It's truly a shame that Axl Rose pulled a Charlie Sheen and ruined what could have been the greatest rock band ever.

Boston - Boston

Also known as the official college party album from 1976 through the 80's, this album is one long string of hits. This disc sold over 17 million copies and stayed on the Billboard 200 for 132 weeks. Tom Scholz, the mastermind behind the iconic sound of Boston created an album so epic that it's still in heavy rotation today on classic rock stations. "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," "Hitch a Ride," "Long Time" - these songs are iconic and stand the test of time.

Blue Murder - Blue Murder

I know what you're thinking - "who the heck is that?” Formed by John Sykes of Whitesnake fame, this debut disc is a stunner from beginning to end. With an epic sound and some of the finest guitar work you will ever hear, Blue Murder's debut album is amazing. If you like hard rock, then I encourage you to check out this gem.

Saigon Kick - Saigon Kick

If you're not a dedicated fan of hard rock, you may have never heard of this amazing band. Crunching guitar mixed with brilliant harmonies made for a spectacular debut. Saigon Kick has a unique sound and style that separates them from all the bands of the early 90's.

Dangerous Toys - Dangerous Toys

Some bands have longevity and some burn hot and fast. Dangerous Toys only released four discs but their first was truly special. Lead singer Jason McMaster and the boys made a debut album that still kicks butt. Laced with humor and innuendo this disc is a hard rock classic.

GTR - GTR

Super groups don't last long and this is no exception. Formed by Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve Howe (Yes), GTR only made one album but it's a classic. "When The Heart Rules The Mind," "The Hunter," "Here I Wait" - just one brilliant song after another. It's a shame they never made a follow-up but at least we have this gem.

Join in the fun or feel free to name a major debut album in the comments. Come on – I know you can think of at least ONE!

March Movie Preview!

It’s movie time again! All plot descriptions courtesy of the IMDB

4th -

RANGO
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant
The Plot: The story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.
Previews for this one are quirky and funny.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
Director: George Nolfi
Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt
The Plot: A rising politician (Damon) falls for a ballerina (Blunt), only to be stymied by mysterious forces keeping the would-be lovers apart.
Sounds mysterious.

BEASTLY
Director: Daniel Barnz
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen
The Plot: Manhattanite Kyle Kingson (Pettyfer) is young, wealthy, beautiful, and cruel, but he picks the wrong classmate to prank when Kendra (Olsen) casts a spell that turns him into everything he despises.
This was supposed to come out last summer – never a good sign.


11th -

BATTLE: LOST ANGELES
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan
The Plot: As a full-scale alien invasion threatens the Earth, in Los Angeles, a veteran Marine staff sergeant (Eckhart) leads his new platoon into battle with an uncommon enemy.
Have you seen the previews? Wow, this looks so cool!

BLACK DEATH
Director: Christopher Smith
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Carice van Houten
The Plot: Set during the height of the Black Death, a seasoned knight (Bean) and a young monk (Redmayne) travel to a village rumored to be unaffected by the pandemic.
Similar to Season of the Witch, but with Sean Bean, it’s got to be better.


15th -

On DVD-

The Fighter – Up for many Oscars!

Sharktopus – For those of you who missed this SyFy travesty last fall, please check out my Sharktopus Play-by-Play. You have been warned!




18th -

PAUL
Director: Greg Mottola
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen
The Plot: Two British comic-book geeks (Pegg and Frost) traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51, and with their unexpected new companion aboard their RV, they find themselves chased by federal agents -- as well as the father of the young woman the trio accidentally kidnaps.
Potential to be bad, however – it has Simon Pegg and Nick Frost! Those guys are awesome.


25th -

SUCKER PUNCH
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish
The Plot: A young girl is institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility.
Again, have you seen the previews? This looks kick-ass!


29th -

On DVD-
Tangled – Sweet movie. Should’ve been nominated for Best Animated Picture.


Don’t forget the Oscars are on Sunday night! I’m prepared for triumph and disappointment. Inception will get further shafted and How to Train Your Dragon will lose. And it will be WAY too long...


Monday - The Super 8 Debut Albums Blogfest!

What movies have caught your eye for March?

Double Tips!

Double tips today! No, not double dips. Double dipping is disgusting…

A to Z Challenge Tip

For those of you participating in the Challenge, I hope you’re following all of the hosts - Arlee Bird, Talli Roland, Jennifer Daiker, Candace Ganger, Karen Gowen, Jeffrey Beesler, Stephen Tremp, and me. From now until April, we’re all offering tips.

As the numbers swell, you might be wondering – how on earth will I visit all of those blogs in a day? The answer? You can’t! Not even Captain Ninja Alex can master that feat.

Can you visit about a dozen a day? That’s what this Challenge is all about – finding new blogger friends. Explore the list on a daily basis and visit a handful of the bloggers. Even with eight co-hosts, we can’t possibly visit every blog every day – which is why we are counting on YOU, the participants, to visit one another!

Now, if you DO manage to visit every blog every day, you will be forced to reveal your secret…

Fantastic Friday Writers – Research Tip!

I invite your to check out my Fantastic Friday Writers partners - Elizabeth Mueller, Anastasia V. Pergakis, J. D. Brown, and Deirdra Eden Coppel - for their take on this subject. I’m sure it’s better than mine!

Since research is such a broad subject, I decided to focus on the research I conducted for my book’s space fighters. And I’ll make it simple for you!

Go with fact –Military fighter jets most closely resemble my book’s Cosbolts. I researched plane design and flight, and even spoke to some fighter pilots. I wanted to convey the proper feel of flight and use the correct lingo.

Go with speculation – Since real space fighters don’t exist, I turned to the next best thing – science fiction movies and TV shows. Anything that showed fighters in action! I needed a good sense of movement, firepower, and the craft’s capabilities.

Between fact and speculation, I came up with the look, feel, and movement of my Cosbolts!

Anyone else use both fact and speculation?

And who’s ready for a good science fiction movie now???

Movies, Fests, and Stuff!

Thanks everyone for your awesome comments on Jeffrey’s guest post Monday! And thank you to Geof at The Man Cave for hosting me as well.

A couple movies for you…

Vanishing on 7th Street
Caught this on HDNet last week. It had some tense moments and an interesting premise but with no place to go. “Stay in the light” reminded me of Pitch Black. It could’ve (and should’ve) been so much more and I was a little frustrated in the end. The idea of a force so strong it can control the sun just made the plight of the characters seem hopeless. It wasn’t if they would vanish, it was when. Worth a watch, but Anderson’s Session 9 (filmed in a real abandoned insane asylum) is a far better film.

The A-Team
NetFlix rental. It’s preposterous, silly, over-the-top, ridiculous, noisy – and those are its good points! Let’s face it – if you went in expecting realistic action and drama, you chose the wrong movie. This movie is all about fun over-the-top action, a nonsensical plot, and the interaction of its four leads. And that’s where the movie really shines, as the four actors eat up the campy one-liners and buddy-buddy dialogue. A fun film and if the actors are willing, there will be a sequel.

Blogfests!

A to Z Challenge! You know I have to mention that one. We’re closing in on 300 participants.

Larry at DiscConnected is hosting the Super 8 Debut Albums Blogfest on February 28. I’ve signed up, so join the fun!

Hart at Confessions of a Watery Tart is hosting the Delusional Doom Blogfest! And you know Hart doesn’t do anything halfway. Not even naked.


Any other cool events? Movies? Nakedness?