I really wanted to like it, but...

It's probably for different people, but some times it's hard not to approach an album without certain expectations. As a fan that's fine, we should expect something from artists particularly when we are paying money for their product. Now for this album I was thinking of albums I not only expected to be good, but I also I really wanted them to be good. Even if the first listen or two didn't take with me these were albums where I kept listening hoping to find something to grab on to or hoping it would be grower. That does and has happened, but for this post I chose releases I tried to get into, but couldn't.

Ozzy-Bark at the moon
This was the most recent Ozzy disc when I first got into him. Ozzy was dressed as a wolfman so it seemed to have some cool horror elements. The title track is cool and Rock and roll rebel works, but much of the rest of the album is either too sappy or held back by heavy use of keyboards. I have tried over the years to revisit it and hope that I can get past the keyboards and the throwaway songs, but it has never happened.

Motley Crue-Theater of pain
I was big on the Crue going into this one. This was the most anticipated hard rock album of 1985. So I was in shock to hear the singles were a lukewarm cover and a ballad. Much of the rest album is more rock than hard rock and there seems to be filler than anything. I gave up a few months later, but have come back to it over the years repeatedly. I have to come to think it's okay which is better than what I thought in 1985, but it's still lacking in many areas.

Metallica-...And justice for all
I got into Metallica several years before, saw them the summer of 1988 and was all ready for this one to run me over. What came out was a drawn out, under-produced, watered down shell of the band I was expecting. Others flocked to right away. I gave up after just a few plays and didn't even give it much a chance until maybe four years later. My feelings were the same. Every few years I have tried it hoping that it was just different and not just weak. I came around on a couple of songs, but for me the thin production and plodding pace still keep me from getting into the album as a whole.

**I could probably make the list longer, but that's good for starters. Do you have any cases like this?

Lesser of two evils

Solo albums of the hard rock or metal variety tend to be more miss than hit for some reason. There are some good ones, but there are some poor ones as well. I picked two from this decade for today's battle as we get a Twisted Sister guitarist going up against a former Scorpions drummer. This one was a little different for me to judge because Ojeda used multiple singers and Rarebell used multiple singers and guitarists, but I tried my best to figure out a verdict. It is...

Eddie Ojeda-Axes 2 Axes (2006)

Versus

Herman Rarebell and band-I'm back (2007)

Vocals
For Ojeda's album he had Ronnie James Dio, Joe Lynn Turner, Dee Snider and himself handling the vocals. Rarebell handled vocal duties on about 1/3 of his CD and Stefan Erz handled the other 2/3. For Ojeda having RJD on your side is great because he sing the nutritional facts off a cereal box and it sound good so he's good here, but it's just one track. JLT is another singer who is usually always on, but hear the backing vocals are loud and come on often so he just sound alright on his one song. Dee Snider gets one song as well and unfortunately it's a clunky cover of Eleanor Rigby so he doesn't fair too well. Then Eddie had the bright idea to sing the bulk of the songs himself and it's largely just an assault on my eardrums and not only can he not stay in tune, but he fails to every really get in tune at all. Rarebell sings a few tracks and he is rather flat and lifeless, but not so much that it offends my hearing. Main singer Erz is a little nasal and thin, but for the most part hits enough to stay above water as a rock singer.
Point to Rarebell



Guitars
Of course Eddie Ojeda handles all of the guitars for his album. Rarebell has six (!) different guitarists with Jens Peter Abele, Winnie Thomaschewski, Host Luksch, Wiggi Raab and the Mystery Man all contributing. I always laughed at Ojeda's use of the nickname "fingers" because he just wasn't that good. I liked Twisted Sister, but other than Dee Snider's ability as a frontman they were a rather below average group of musicians who made it through on some attitude and energy. Ojeda's rhythms are extremely run of the mill here as well. He does take a few more chances on his solos and some are a joke and others turn out alright. The guys playing for Rarebell mostly play a little in the background and for the most part they do okay. Ojeda would be sketchy against one average guitarist, but he's just not consistent enough to beat multiple guitarists who never hit too many clunkers.
Point to Rarebell


Rhythm section
Chris McCarvill is the prime bass player for Ojeda although Ojeda does take over the duties a little and we get guest Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake) playing bass on one track. Former Twisted Sister drummer Joe Franco plays all the drums. On the other side the bass duty is handled byJens Peter Abele, Thomas Perry and Nauert and Rarebell himself handles the drums. The bass on alright on btoh sides, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Joe Franco is adequate, but I have always thought that Rarebell was the best guy to sit behind the kit for the Scorps and he still has enough here to pull it out.Point to Rarebell

Originality/Production
The instrumentals on Ojeda's album are certainly more original than are his songs with vocals, that's not saying a whole lot yet it is obvious. Rarebell's band hits on a lot of very ordinary ideas, but they do at times trying to stretch out create some different moods. The production on the Ojeda album is okay, but the production on the Rarebell album is fairly strong.
Point to Rarebell



Who rocks more
Despite some alright detail and production once again neither act would score high if this was a meter instead of a head to head contest. This was tough to figure out because both bands are just kind of there rather than displaying a whole of excitement or energy. If this was a pure technical skill then it would got to Rarebell, but it's about rocking. Rarebell's band does some alright songs that are sort of light hard rock, but then they should do some odd ideas that don't really do a whole lot except take up time. Despite losing the other categories I think that Ojeda's band keep enough of a consistent flow going to sort of equal being rock music.
Point to Ojeda


So Rarebell takes it 4-1 in a contest of two not so horrible, but not all that inspired selections. Rarebell had done a solo album before yet this one just comes across as a slightly messy jumble of okay background music. I guess the fact that Dee Snider doesn't want to do a new Twisted Sister material made Ojeda realize that the only way he would get to write anything new was to do his own album. He would have better off hiring one solid singer for the whole things though. Not the worst solo albums ever made, but far from the best for sure.