Customer Reviews

Hear 'N Aid

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ok let's list the many artists that took their time out to do something good!

Tommy Aldridge, David Alford (Rough Cutt), Carmine Appice (King Kobra), Vinny Appice (Dio), Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult), Mick Brown (Dokken), Vivian Campbell (Dio), Carols Cavazo (Quiet Riot), Amir Derakh (Rough Cutt), Ronnie James Dio (Dio), Don Dokken (Dokken), Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot), Brad Gills (Night Ranger), Craig Goldy (Giuffria), Chris Hager (Rough Cutt), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Chris Holmes (WASP), Blackie Lawless (WASP), Yngwie Malmsteen, Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Dave Meniketti (Y&T), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Vince Neil (Motley Crue), Ted Nugent, Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Jeff Pilson (Dokken), Donald "Buck-Dharma Roeser" (Blue Oyster Cult), David St. Hubbins (Spinal Tap),Rudy Sarzo, Claude Schnell (Dio), Neal Schon (Journey), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt), Derek Smalls (Spinal Tap), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Mark Stein (ex-vanilla fudge), Geoff Tate (Queensyrche) and Matt Thor (Rough Cutt)

Any questions?

I can't believe my eyes to see that Amazon has this CD. Been looking and browsing all over the place for it (mine's lost years ago), including Amazon, no result. Until now. OK, the 'Stars' is my all-time favorite song. Singers and guitar players show their talents and put it in Stars. The vocals (Dio, Geoff Tate, Judast Priest, etc.)are great, the solos (Yngwie, Dokken, etc.)are amazing, and they're mix seamlessly into an incredible song. I'd buy this CD only for Stars. Would rate this CD 5 stars if there's no other songs. Would be great if the tab is available.

What can you say about this other than "WOW!"? RJD wrote the title track with Vivian Campbell and that perpetually drunk-looking bass player of his. With backing tracks recorded by the DIO band (with a second drum kit handled by Quiet Riot drummer Franki Banali), it's a metal monster which sounds quite a bit like the DIO classic "Rainbow in the Dark". He invited MANY (not ALL) of the top metal merchants of the time (and some second- and third-tier players to fill the gaps in the choir) to perform vocals or participate in the nearly endless guitar solo.

The guitar solo is the STAR here, with many of the soloists giving literally the performance of their lives. Of course Yngwie, still a relative unknown at the time, blows them away, but George Lynch, Craig Goldy, Vivian Campbell, and even Neal Schon (?!) shred it up beautifully. Dave Murray and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden are invited to do what they do best and provide a harmony line for the chorus music. It's sad that they didn't actually solo, though. I would have infinitely preferred to hear their unique talents instead of Twisted Sister's guitarist or Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult. Not that there's anything wrong with those two, it's just that their performances don't quite match up to the blistering fretwork standards set by the aforementioned shredders. Yes, Neal Schon really lets loose and makes you wonder "What the hell is he doing in Journey?"

Vocal-wise you've got mostly Ronnie James God showing off his pipes, but he kindly shares the verses with Don Dokken, Kevin DuBrow, Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, and a few also-rans who all do an amazing job. Vince Neil was in the choir, but I'm shocked he wasn't given a verse lyric to sing, considering he was probably the most popular guy there at the time. Probably would have boosted sales as all the teenaged rocker sl*ts would buy it for his presence.

Other songs are included on this compilation, donated by bands who couldn't perform on the title track, but who cares. STARS is the main reason to buy this, and is worth every penny. This one song basically defines the heavy metal of the 80s (NOT glam, but the REAL metal).

What will happen if guitar heroes like Y Malmsteen, B Gilis, G Lynch, V Campbell, C Goldie, etc each has 4 bars to express their tricky licks ? STARS !!

Granted the lyrics are not shakespeare, and the five minute guitar solo may seem excessive, but the song "Stars" still reminds me why I fell in love with classic metal.
The vocals are great, the solos are super rockin', and face it, this song at the time(compared to "we are the world" and the "band aid$Q[Is this the song name?])is like comparing Slayer to Michael Jackson. I would give the song 5 stars if the lyrics were just a smidge better(it receives 4 stars for quality, but 5 stars for emotional attachment from when I was 11), and the album receives 3 stars as a whole(the contributing artists could have put out original songs, or unrecorded b-sides, instead of rushed live recordings of the songs besides Stars. All in all I feel as if I'm back in 85, before Poison and Warrant made metal a joke, when I listen to this album.

What the heck ???? Buck Dharma may not have been the flashiest in his lead but he probably did the most technically difficult solo and it was superb! Some people don't get his genius which can be subtle but powerful! He can stretch notes with the best of them but decided to show his own style. He is clearly one of the best guitar players that ever lived. Go out and see BOC or get their DVD "A Long Days Night" if you want to see some fret board shredding. And yes, "Stars" is a metal fans wet dream. From the vocals to shredding it totally kicks butt.

metal was great, it had melody and good singing and playing. The artists here were not fans only of metal so they could really shine as musicians. This was for charity and the songs are very well done. The list of artists is stellar and listening to this type of metal it's easy to see why it was so gigantic then in sales. It's great as compared to the endlessly same thrash and death metal scenes that almost noone listens to. Classic is the word for this type of metal and if they had brains they'd play this on the now almost dead metal channels. This was for charity and I am glad I have this on cd. Because they price on amazon.com now is awful. Just because it's out of print doesn't mean you should sell it for hundreds. Still the cd is awesome the era of music was awesome too.

A great snapshot of metal in 1983. Check out the cover, Dubrow standing in front next to Halford, Vince Neil and Neil Schon? Two years after this, Dubrow would not even be a gopher on this project. And who is the jack ass in the plad suit? Even two members of Spinal Tap in the mix. But the song rocks. Dio screaming "light, night, bright, all right" and the vocals from Halford, Tate, Dokken all easily recognizable as are the guitar solos fromLynch, Malmsteen, and Schon, the only clunker being the Night Ranger dork. The best thing on this album though is the smoking live "Up To the Limit" by Accept. The live "The Zoo" smokes too.

I stumbled upon "We're Stars" while watching VH1 Metal Mania. I think the title song is great and the performances are top notch while also being very nostalgic. The pre-chorus really blows my mind.

But am I the only one here that thinks this project was intended (at least partially) to take a stab at the self-righteousness of the offensive Live Aid? I mean, it's called "We're Stars" as if to say- "Hey- look at us...are you noticing that we care? Because we're stars and WE CARE!". And if you watch Blackie Lawless in the video (along with some of the other stars), it seems pretty clear to me that he thought it was very tongue in cheek. And Spinal Tap- need I say more?

I think it's great that Dio raised some money here, but I still say it was mainly a parody.

Once again, Kudo's to Amazon for having a copy for me...Damn good guitar work on the main song "Stars" from the likes of Vivian Campbell, George Lynch, Carlos Cavazo, and Brad Gillis.The other songs are also tasty tidbits from an era that spawned the best guitarists in rock.Being the rabid Yngwie fan, I would have paid full price just to have his 12 bar solo in my possession, but the album may be a bit pricey for anyone simply looking for "another metal compilation" album.This is a classic, and for a good cause (end world hunger) to boot. Now, if they could just find the accompanying video...