0dayrox

Melodic Rock, AOR, Hard Rock, Prog, Classic Rock news

Category: REMASTER ROCK CANDY

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / SCANDAL

SCANDAL featuring Patty Smyth – Warrior [Rock Candy remastered +5] HQ *Exclusive*

Patty Smyth is one of the finest AOR female singers emerged during the ’80s, and his vehicle to stardom was the band SCANDAL. Rock Candy Records reissued their album “Warrior” from 1984 including as bonus tracks the very hard to find 5-track EP debut from the band appeared in 1982, all digitally remastered with a fantastic sound quality.
This is the story of a very successful chart storming band, but it’s also the tale of a band in disarray. Scandal’s debut album won massive acceptance from the American mainstream quickly elevating them to Rock&pop star status, a position enhanced by the allure of vocalist Patty Smyth and her smokey voice.
Lead off track and first single, ‘The Warrior’ (written by Nick Gilder and Holy Knight) was a top 10 hit, helping to define the band’s style and potential reach. Or listen out to ‘Only The Young’ a rare track written by Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain for JOURNEY’s hit album ‘Frontiers’, but never made it into the final tracklist due to the limited running time available at the moment…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / STEVE JONES

STEVE JONES – Fire And Gasoline [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded +1] HQ *Exclusive*

As requested, here’s in full quality the Rock Candy Records ‘Remastered & Reloaded” versions of the two ’80s albums by STEVE JONES. Here’s the second, “Fire And Gasoline“, released in 1989 and according to times, sporting a polished hard rock production.
As guests appear The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy & singer Ian Astbury (also co-writing & co-producing), plus Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose providing vocals.
I guess The Cult’s core members contribution is really accurate in “Fire And Gasoline”: overall, this album brings to my mind The Cult’s ‘Americanized album’ Sonic Temple…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / STEVE JONES / Uncategorized

STEVE JONES – Mercy [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] HQ *Exclusive*

As requested, here’s in full quality the Rock Candy Records ‘Remastered & Reloaded” versions of the two ’80s albums by STEVE JONES. Founding member of British punk pioneers the Sex Pistols, when the band disintegrated in 1978, the guitarist involved himself in a number of diverse projects but also faced some serious lifestyle issues. Relocating to the USA, amidst a period of serious drug dependency, he looked to a process of recovery by building a career as a solo artist.
Signed to MCA, his debut solo album “Mercy“, issued in 1987, showcased a new hard rock–minded guitarist. Choosing to focus on songs and melody, the record turned heads for an entirely different reason than the Sex Pistols…

DOKKEN / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

DOKKEN – Under Lock And Key [Rock Candy remaster] *HQ*

There’s a little discussion among fans about which is the best DOKKEN album ever – in my opinion, all their ’80s creations are great – but arguably “Under Lock And Key” it was the record that promoted them to an A-grade platinum attraction and one that resulted in the sort of kerb appeal shared by the likes of Ratt, White Lion and Mötley Crüe.
“Under Lock And Key” received a ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ treatment by Rock Candy Records, and the result is spectacular.
I read somewhere that this Rock Candy remaster is totally brickwalled. This guy needs to clean his ears or is getting old, as “Under Lock And Key – Remastered & Reloaded” sounds million bucks.
Forget the anemic previous CD editions of this great album (the vinyl still sounds better), and replace them with this Rock Candy dynamic refresh. It rocks bigtime.

CHEVY / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

CHEVY – The Taker [Rock Candy Remastered +3] *HQ*

Many of you asked to keep featuring Rock Candy Records releases to complete collections, so here’s rockers CHEVY only album 1980’s ”The Taker” that has been given the full-on bells and whistles of a remastered reissue by the Rock Candy crew with an interesting essay about the making of the album.
Evolving from an earlier band by the name of Cupid’s Inspiration, Chevy was the name they took on being “re-born” as a hard hitting hard rock act in the early mists of NWOBHM. They had the riffs, sure, though what set them apart from their luminaries was a more complex sounds that was tinged with a bit of Southern rock / blues (eg Point Blank, Outlaws or Blackfoot) and sometimes a sort of Wishbone Ash type vibe. Made for an interesting mixture and got them noticed.
If you were putting ”The Taker” neatly on a shelf of NWOBHM albums, it would be at the same “melodic” end as Praying Mantis & White Spirit, not at the “heavy end” with Iron Maiden and Saxon…

JOE LYNN TURNER / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

JOE LYNN TURNER – Rescue You [Rock Candy Remastered] (2021) *0dayrox Exclusive* HQ

As requested, here’s the recent Rock Candy Records remastered reissue of JOE LYNN TURNER‘s ’80s AOR solo album “Rescue You“. The sound obtained is huge, a proof the original recording / engineering / mastering is excellent.
In between stints with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Deep Purple and Yngwie Malmsteen, this sought-after singe put out this charting solo album in 1985.
Produced by renowned Roy Thomas Baker (Queen) and with a top notch back up band – Bobby Messano (Fiona) on Guitar, Bass, Backing Vocals, Alan Greenwood (Foreigner, Spys) on Keys, and Chuck Burgi (Rainbow) on Drums, JLT delivers a fantastic album which feeling and atmosphere is impossible to re-create nowadays.
You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

ATOMIC OPERA / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

ATOMIC OPERA – For Madmen Only [Rock Candy Remastered]

As requested, here’s the Remastered & Reloaded version by Rock Candy Records of “For Madmen Only“, the amazing debut CD from Texan quartet ATOMIC OPERA. Laying down a sound that was thick and boisterous but embedded with subtlety and intelligent progressive arrangements, the band mixed these musical elements with lots of melodies and traditional hard rock styling.
Originally issued in 1994, “For Madmen Only” looked set to make quite a splash, a breath of fresh air in the dark, depressive grunge era. Its solid and muscular sound garnered the attention of traditional metal heads but also appealed to those whose tastes craved a more contemporary fix.
Combining the aforementioned musical elements, ATOMIC OPERA also characterized their music with neatly arranged and orchestrated vocal choruses (all members contribute), forging their own white hot sound in the fires of prog rock, metal and hard rock…

BILLY THORPE / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

BILLY THORPE – East Of Eden’s Gate [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded]

This one was requested by some of you to complete collections, and certainly deserve a place in this website and into your collection: BILLY THORPE‘s Eighties album “East Of Eden’s Gate“ ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ by Rock Candy Records.
The name Billy Thorpe may not have made much of an impact in Europe and America, but in Australia he is a veritable legend, having carved out a highly successful career since the late Sixties in a seminal and raucous hard rocking band called The Aztecs.
By the ’70s he’d outgrown his home grown popularity and moved lock, stock and barrel to Los Angeles, recording a gold selling album helmed by producer Spencer Proffer (Quiet Riot), titled ‘Children Of The Sun’, that established him in the USA as a rising star.
“East Of Eden’s Gate”, originally issued in 1982, and again produced by Spencer Proffer who was riding high on the success he had producing Quiet Riot’s Metal Health, it’s not strange that Thorpe had an all-star cast that included QR’s drummer Frankie Banali and keyboardist Pat Regan, plus stupendous John Waite / David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick, Bill Cuomo (Steve Perry, Whitesnake), Danny Spanos …

707 / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

707 – The Second Album [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] (2017) *HQ*

Specialists at Rock Candy Records have ‘Remastered & Reloaded“ all-three first albums from American melodic rockers 707, one of the most distinctive sounds of any band emerging from the late ’70s. For their second LP, simply titled “The Second Album“, 707 considerably changed their musical delivery, to a more straight, mainstream AOR sound.
Enlisting the assistance of producer Jai Winding (Le Roux, Stephen Crane) and recorded in Los Angeles, the band’s sophomore album solidified 707’s potential, albeit with the loss of pianist Duke McFadden who left the band for pastures new.
Now reduced to a trio, this ‘new’ 707 showcased a noticeable forceful approach, something more in keeping with the AOR zeitgeist of the day and evoking comparisons this time around with Journey, Foreigner and Cheap Trick…

ALPHA CENTAURI / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

ALPHA CENTAURI – Alpha Centauri [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] (2018)

Regarded as cult classic, pioneer Pomp rock band, American combo ALPHA CENTAURI released their only LP in 1977, the self-titled “Alpha Centauri“, fortunately ‘Remastered & Reloaded’ for the first time by Rock Candy Records specialists, and it has been requested here.
As highly rated collectibles go, the ”Alpha Centauri” album has to be one of the most coveted records of all time. An independent release, it’s an album that spent years lurking in the shadows, heard by few but lauded quite rightly as a masterpiece of ’70s Pomp rock, embroidered with the all the moves and grooves of the great headlining acts of the day such as Styx, Angel and Head East.
The band’s style was a formidable blast of pompous energy, indeed…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / THE OUTLAWS

THE OUTLAWS – Bring It Back Alive [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] *HQ*

As requested and to keep completing the Rock Candy remasters collection, here’s the never featured elsewhere “Bring It Back Alive [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded]“, rockin’ hot live album from bluesy Americans THE OUTLAWS.
The MC say at the beginning of the concert; “PLEASE WELCOME THE FOUR GUITAR ARMY…’ never has there been a more fitting introduction for a band of such enduring stamina and total commitment to the art of guitar soloing. Yes, at places, there’s 4 electric guitars at the same time, as bassist Harvey Dalton Arnold occasionally pick up the 6 strings for a killer, massive riff mayhem.
The Outlaws were one of the premiere Southern Rock groups operating during the late 1970s, unleashing a superlative selection of US blues rural-tinged songs laced with lashings of deliciously executed lead guitar from not one… nor two… but THREE lead guitarists.
Aided and abetted by two (!) drummers and featuring guitar wizard Freddie Salem, this Rock Candy release boasts, for the first time, a fully reinstated twelve song quota (previous reissue were edited), including the definitive twenty-one minute version of their epic live centre piece ‘Green Grass And High Tides’…
You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / UFO

UFO – No Place To Run [Rock Candy remastered +4] *HQ*

Continuing fulfilling the many requests of UFO‘s classic era albums in the best remastering / reissue versions, now we have here 1980’s “No Place To Run“, the eighth studio album by the British hard rock institution. It was the band’s first to feature Paul Chapman, who replaced Michael Schenker on lead guitar.
Accepted UFO wisdom says the band were at their peak with Schenker in the line-up. But although the records were very good, on the road the guitarist was notoriously erratic. After going AWOL in 1977 on the eve of a major US tour supporting Rush, and walking out for good in November 1978, the band recruited old buddy Paul Chapman, from very good rockers Lone Star.
Hugely talented and reliable, the Welshman was exactly what UFO needed and with him everything went to another level. After a year of touring, Chapman and the band were revitalized and ready to make ”No Place To Run” – which with Schenker or not, is one of UFO’s best LP’s.
Few know that “No Place To Run” has been remastered by Rock Candy Records : the version we feature here including 4 bonus tracks.

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / RICK DERRINGER

DERRINGER – Sweet Evil [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] *Exclusive*

Few days ago we featured ‘The Complete Blue Sky Albums 1976-1978 [HNE 5-CD Box Set remastered]’, including all the LP’s from Rick Derringer’s own band DERRINGER. Among these there’s their 2nd album ”Sweet Evil” (1977), which is the more ‘commercial & catchy’ and sports a bigger production (Jack Douglas of Aerosmith / Cheap Trick is behind the boards).
Well, the LP has been remastered by Rock Candy specialists too, and some of you asked for their version. As we never featured ”Sweet Evil [Rock Candy remastered & Reloaded]” before, here you have it to compare – and complete your Rock Candy collection as well.
Released in a time when punk and new wave were consuming musical attention, ”Sweet Evil” is an under-rated recording from Derringer during the dazed ‘n’ confused ’70s. An album loaded down with warm summer night Camaro cruisin’ rock ‘n’ roll. This rock candy remaster is…
You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

CHARLIE / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

CHARLIE – Good Morning America [Rock Candy remastered]

“Good Morning America” by CHARLIE has been reissued by Rock Candy, and this is the first proper remaster made on this, one of the most underrated AOR albums from the early ’80s.
Charlie were actually key components of the second half of the seventies in the British melodic rock scene, trying to gain a foot hold at the height of punk rock during those years. The band released five albums that went quite unnoticed in UK, however, in the USA things were decidedly different as their precise style of AOR gained them significant traction on FM radio, which resulted in the band working almost exclusively for that market.
And this is clearly evident on Charlie’s sixth album “Good Morning America”, where the guys firmly decided to go for an American sound. By the time the Eighties had come around…

AVIARY / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

AVIARY – Aviary [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] out of print

As requested, here’s a favorite of us: the Rock Candy Records remastered & reloaded reissue of AVIARY self-titled album “Aviary”. While still listed at the label’s website, the CD is out of print.
In a few words, Aviary is one of the greatest AOR Pomp-Rock bands of all time, and this album, a Classic.
Of all the great Pomp acts that flourished during the late ’70s, perhaps none can rival Aviary in terms of ‘pomposity’. And here we can include the likes of Styx, Kansas, Trillion, Angel and Queen, but this five-piece from America called Aviary were, in many ways, the kings of the genre.
Grandiose, bombastic, pompous indeed, and completely impervious to fashion, the unique songwriting talent of vocalist Brad Love and the musical skills he and his fellow band members brought to this album still make it a very special work of beauty.
And a pillar in Pomp Rock history. A must in your collection…