Amar Caballero

Babe Ruth's sophomore effort, proves the band can step outside their comfort zone and take risks. Different genres and styles are featured here. If you can sink your teeth into music that has a rock edge tinged with classical and Latino leanings, all wrapped up in a thin coating of R&B, this album delivers the goods.

First Base

First Base was British hard rock group Babe Ruth's biggest success, both in terms of popular and critical acclaim. This LP defined an interesting junction between hard rock and progressive rock. The two driving forces behind this album were guitarist Alan Shacklock, who wrote most of the material, and vocalist Janita Haan, who came out as the perfect balance between Janis Joplin and Robert Plant. Highlights include the powerful rock number "Wells Fargo".

Sign in Please

Despite their long-haired, pretty-boy image and the occasional hot guitar solo, Autograph was one of the more mainstream hard rock bands associated with the L.A. metal scene. And though it spawned only one hit (the MTV favorite "Turn Up the Radio"), their 1984 debut, Sign in Please, is a solid collection of hook-heavy tunes.

Revelations

It's easy to assume that the Rage Against the Machine/Soundgarden supergroup has finally turned into an actual working band -- either that or the group is working hard to get to the end of their contract so they can go their separate ways. Here, the two are integrated fully into a distinctive sound, one that's tight and focused, one that's aggressive but not overly heavy. By putting emphasis on rhythm, Audioslave displays an overt funk and soul influence here, which is a surprise...

Out of Exile

Unlike the first record, Out of Exile sounds like the product of a genuine band, where all four members of the band contribute equally to achieve a distinctive, unified personality. It's still possible to hear elements of both Rage and Soundgarden here, but the two parts fuse relatively seamlessly, and there's a confidence to the band that stands in direct contrast to the halting, clumsy attack on the debut.

Audioslave

I've always been a Soundgarden fan, yet I wasn't never really was hip to the Rage Against the Machine. Out of curiosity, I got this album. Not bad, yet not the greatest music I ever heard. Former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell sounds great and RATM's Tom Morello's guitar playing in sensational. So what's there not to like? Just couldn't put my finger on it...

Quinella

The group's only release for Columbia is a superb piece of Southern rock, timeless in its lyrical sensibilities, which are all voiced in a smoothly raspy manner by lead singer Ronnie Hammond. Barry Bailey's and J.R. Cobbs's guitars grind and crunch along, and Paul Goddard's and Roy Yeagers's bass and drums provide a rock-hard foundation to this celebration of Southern manhood. This may ARS's most hard rocking album yet! Sad to say, it was the last release from the band for a decade....