Customer Reviews

Knockin on Heaven's Door

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I picked up a cassette of this album at a podunk West Virginia flea market back in the 80's. I played the tape so much it wore out!! I have been checking occasionally to see if it's ever been issued on CD, and found some copies available on Ebay, and even bid up to $40 bucks for a copy....which I still lost? Anyway, here it is, this is a CD I have waited over a decade for...and it was well worth the wait. This is just great hair metal, with catchy lyrics, excellent guitar work, and pounding rhythms that great hair metal is known for. Heaven actually sounds a good bit like Dokken, but don't take themselves too seriously. All of the songs have a pop-metal feel, that is perfect for cranking up on a hot summer day. "Show on the Road" kicks off the album, and is one of my favorite tracks. The chorus is catchy and you will be singing along after the first listen. This is true with "Wink of an Eye" as well. "Burn" and "Keep the Fire" are great hair-metal anthems, and will immediately put you in an 80's frame of mind...(Man I miss this kind of music!!!). Heaven's cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is really good, and I feel it's the best hair metal version of Dylan's classic (Heaven beat GnR's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" cover by a few years). Buy this CD for the original album, the extras contained here don't really add much to the disk. The unreleased track, and live stuff is decent musically, but there is like a "pop" or "crackling" noise overlaying most of the extra tracks. It's almost like the master recording came off of an old LP??!!! It's not bad on a car stereo, noticable, but not bad, but on an Ipod, it will drive you crazy! With that said, don't let the poorer quality extra stuff deter you from picking up this lost classic!!

I am basing this review off the original vinyl album, which I just burned to CD.

We bought Heaven based on the MTV clip of Knocking On Heaven's Door. We liked that song well enough, and the band didn't have the typical poufy hair of the average hair metal band. They seemed more working class, and this album fits that description well. I understand they started off sounding more like AC/DC than hair metal, and you can still hear those influences in each cut. I'd venture to say this is AC/DC hair metal. However, what keeps this from being strictly hair metal is not only the songs, but the lack of that hair metal snare drum sound. Since I was never all that crazy about hair metal, these guys mix it up enough to make things interesting.

There is not a bad cut on the album, and to tell the truth, I like their version of Knockin' On Heaven's Door much better than the GNR version, or for that matter, the Bob Dylan version. It is by far, the best interpretation of that song ever recorded, as far as I'm concerned. The rest of the songs are working class rock with maybe a touch of glam to them, but still not enough to detract from their roots.

Good stuff and highly recommended.

I originally bought this cassette back when cassettes where out numbering anything else.I have to say that their version of Knockin' On Heaven's Door is one of the best verison played my a metal band bar none (yes even better than G&R).The bonus tracks on the album are a wonderful surprise as well.I'm glad I finally have this one on compact disc and if you like really good 80's metal this album will not let you down.

Wow, I had this on cassette and have been looking forever to find Heaven on CD and wasn't able to until now. They sound even better on CD and have been doing some research and even forgot about Where Angels Fear To Tread and recently had gotten that and WOW I missed it big time. If anyone is an 80's metal fan please, please, please pick up Knockin On Heaven's Door and Where Angels Fear To Tread!!!!!!

Back around 1986, a friend of mine dubbed this album to tape for me. I remember listening to it, being quite impressed, and thinking, "why can't all albums be like this? Every song is catchy and memorable and there is no filler." I finally found this on CD and when it arrived, I was a bit fearful that what I was about to hear would not live up to what I remembered. I need not have worried. In fact, this re-issue contains a savory bonus studio track called "Rock On". "Wink Of An Eye", "No Turning Back", "Keep The Fire", "Without Your Love" are simply brilliant. But you will not be disappointed with any of the studio tracks on this disc. That being said, I must say I was disappointed in the live bonus tracks. The lead singer's voice does not come across so well when heard live. The songs are from material on their previous and next releases and frankly, they don't come close to matching the quality of the effort on Knockin' On Heaven's Door. I actually purchased their next album, Where Angels Fear To Tread, and unfortunately my opinion was validated. But forget all that! This is the album you want despite the price!

One of the best albums of the 80's,unfortunately it fell though the cracks There is not a bad track on the CD and in my opinion the tittle track is the best version of this song,i really wish Alan fry would get the band back together,this is my most favorite album of the 80's 10 out of 10 It rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1985's Knockin' on Heaven's Door was the third album from Australian melodic hard rockers Heaven. Heaven was one of those bands that should have been huge in the 80's but for some reason never gained any real attention.

For this album, the band moved even farther into glossy, radio-friendly rock territory. They had more in common with the Sunset Strip hair metal sound than the old AC/DC / Rose Tattoo style barroom rock. They still sounded great though, reminding me of bands like Twisted Sister and Legs Diamond. Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a melodic, catchy and always rockin' album. The title track (a Bob Dylan cover) is the obvious standout, but songs like "No Turning Back" and "Keep the Fire" are also highlights.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door is a totally enjoyable 80's rock/metal album that should have been much better received. At this point though, its appeal is going to be limited to fans from back in the day and serious 80's rock collectors.

NOTE: The "reissue" of Knockin' on Heaven's Door adds an additional half-dozen live bonus tracks. It's the first time the album has been pressed to CD, but as best I can tell it is not an official release, but rather a high quality bootleg. There is also a Russian bootleg circulating that only includes the nine album tracks. Keep this in mind before purchasing, especially at a "collector's" price.

growig up in the 80's was great and live to tell about it. for years now I have been collecting HTF rock cd's I have over sixteen hundred but one that was poping up in my mind was this band but could not think of the name so after years of trying to figure out who these guys were I find a lp in some old record store here in Las Vegas and came home and did my amazon thing and now yes! finally got it. wow cool brings back my hollywood days.Thanks I got the last laugh now.

this album release in mexico in 1987 but i never see again after my compadre put in your old turnatable, this is a great surprice because this forget album for all (not for me) is in
circulation again ,great performed by the group great memories came to me .enjoy

Wow - I've been trying to find this for years. It was my favorite cassette tape in the 80's. Now it's my favorite CD. FINALLY - someone making CD's out of the great old cassettes.