Christopher Long
V13
Satellite Beach, FL, United States
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Past articles by Christopher:
Led Zeppelin - “Physical Graffiti” [Retro Album Review]
Released on February 24, 1975, via Swan Song Records, Physical Graffiti, the sixth studio set from Led Zeppelin, marked the apex of the band’s impressive eight-album… → Read More
Heart - “Bébé le Strange” [Retro Album Review]
Released via Epic Records forty years ago this week (February 14, 1980), Heart’s fifth album, Bébé le Strange, was an instant Top Ten smash. It remains… → Read More
Angel - “Live Without a Net” [Retro Album Review]
It was “do or die” when Casablanca Records released Angel’s Live Without a Net in February 1980. Forty years later, the double-live set remains a celebrated… → Read More
Ramones - “End of the Century” [Retro Album Review]
It has been argued over the years (by me) that the Ramones weren’t a punk band. Despite a well-defined image — blue denim jeans and black leather jackets, buzz saw rhythms, neck-break tempos and solo-less songs about being sedated, going mental and getting well, the Ramones actually were a beautifully created, brilliantly disguised, guitar-fueled pop band. Their music was street-smart —… → Read More
Slaughter - “Stick It to Ya” [Retro Album Review]
The summer of 1990 — the last gasp of arena rock glory. Among the menagerie of aerosol-sprayed anthems igniting radio and MTV airwaves — “Cherry Pie,” “Unskinny Bop,” “Same Ol’ Situation” and “Fly to the Angels” — the irresistible power ballad from newly-minted poster boys, Slaughter. It’s a crazy story — a real life rock and roll fairy tale. In 1986, former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent… → Read More
The Pretenders - “Pretenders” [Retro Album Review]
Released officially via Real (UK) and Sire Records (US) 40 years ago this month, Pretenders, the debut record from The Pretenders was a brutal slab. 40… → Read More
Rush - “Permanent Waves” [Retro Album Review]
Permanent Waves (Mercury), was an important, transitional Rush record when it was released 40 years ago this week (January 14, 1980) — a platinum-selling monster that,… → Read More
“Adventures of a Metalhead Librarian: A Rock N’ Roll Memoir” by Anna-Marie O’Brien [Book Review]
She wouldn’t know me if I splashed my steaming latte onto her faded, ripped Megadeth t-shirt accidentally while bumping my way through the crowded line at Starbucks. Oh, ma’am, I-am-SO-sorry! Yet, I feel like she’s become my new best friend. SPOILER ALERT: I don’t cast spoilers! While I confess openly to being an avid non-fiction reader, I don’t know the luxury of having an abundance of free… → Read More
The Kinks - “Low Budget” [Retro Album Review]
The landmark Kinks album, Low Budget, buzzed with crisp, relevant social commentary when it was released forty years ago this week via Arista Records. The 11-song… → Read More
Dio - “The Last in Line” [Retro Album Review]
From friends and fans to industry colleagues and fellow bandmates, he seemingly was loved by everyone with whom he was connected. In fact, few prominent rock music artists have been as respected and admired universally as the late, great Ronnie James Dio. His first major label rock outfit, Elf, dropped three less than impressive-selling LPs. However, during the band's early '70s run, personal… → Read More
Alice Cooper - “Pretties for You” [Retro Album Review]
Long before the epic anthems, platinum albums and sold-out concert tours — before the boas, guillotines and outrageous urban legends, Alice Cooper merely was a peculiar unknown band, peddling a peculiar debut record. Wanna feel old? That LP was released 50 years ago this week on Frank Zappa’s Straight Records label. Yikes, can you believe it? Formed during the mid-‘60s in Phoenix, Arizona, the… → Read More
In Conversation with DOLL SKIN: Drummer MEGHAN HERRING Dishes on the Band’s New Record and Upcoming Summer Tour
It was ungodly early, the ass crack of noon. Yet, there she was, waiting patiently. Seemingly a bit bleary and weary from the previous night’s gig, the petite, budding rock badass appeared incognito. Donning a street-smart black leather jacket, she hid behind jet black shades with her shaggy, fire engine red coif tucked back under a tattered black ball cap. “I’ve got your decaf iced mocha… → Read More
Faith No More - “The Real Thing” [Retro Album Review]
WHAT WAS I THINKING? It’s an often painfully embarrassing question we ask to ourselves during personal moments of retrospective self-examination when we look back at the clothes, trends, music, and friends that once consumed us. Possibly the most shameful era being the 1980s. For many, much of the allure of that neon-colored, spandex-clad, hair-sprayed era now has lost its luster, or at least it… → Read More
KISS - “Dynasty” [Retro Album Review]
The scent of Monica’s perfume was intoxicating. I still can recall vividly how that delightful fragrance stood out from the undeniable aroma of local reefer, blended with the bouquet of fresh Budweiser that hung in the air. It was an end-of-the-school-year “hoo-ha,” attended by nearly 100 kids I knew from Satellite High. Monica looked adorable in her surfer shirt and painter’s pants, accented by… → Read More
Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Second Helping” [Retro Album Review]
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s sophomore set, Second Helping (MCA), oozes ALL thriller and NO filler. 45 years on, it remains a timeless testament to one of rock’s most… → Read More
The Offspring - “Smash” [Retro Album Review]
Although The Offspring continue to enjoy massive success, Smash (Epitaph) still stands tall after 25 years as arguably the band’s quintessential set — a self-contained “Best… → Read More
Ratt - “Out of the Cellar” [Retro Album Review]
35 years later, for die-hard fans of ‘80s arena rock, Out of the Cellar (Atlantic), the first full-length seduction from Ratt, remains massively memorable. And rightfully… → Read More
L.A. Guns - “The Devil You Know” [Album Review]
When L.A. Guns dropped its eponymous 1988 debut record, it became clear in short order that the brash young Hollywood-based band oozed what many of their contemporaries lacked — dirty, street-smart authenticity. Buzzing with brazen urgency, the gold-selling set featured such noteworthy, penicillin-charged staples as “Sex Action,” “Electric Gypsy” and “Hollywood Tease.” Fueled by the… → Read More
Van Halen - “Van Halen II” [Retro Album Review]
Released 40 years ago this week (3.23.79) via Warner Bros., Van Halen’s Van Halen II has remained fresh — from its crisp-looking, classic cover to its… → Read More
Mötley Crüe - “Mötley Crüe” [Retro Album Review]
Celebrating a milestone anniversary, the eponymous 12-song collection from Mötley Crüe (1994, Elektra Records) demanded to be taken seriously. 25 years later, it stands tall and… → Read More