Feature Photo courtesy of Mick Sweda – Photography by Daniel Gray
After hammering away within the rock game for over forty years, Mick Sweda has shown time and time again that as far as good old-fashioned, bluesy, yet heavy licks go, few do it better. With a single-cut in hand, Sweda made waves in the ’80s with Carmine Appice’s King Kobra before taking his show on the road, landing with the BulletBoys. And while the former was titanous, the latter band—especially their self-titled 1988 debut—was downright iconic regarding late-stage hair and glam metal.
King Kobra and BulletBoys aside, Sweda has kept busy via a myriad of projects, the best of which has come via his tasty solo career, which features records such as the aptly titled Songs in the Key of Cool. And so, when you think of the ’80s and early ’90s guitar icons, remember that there’s far more to the puzzle than Slash, as Mick Sweda did his best to aid in pushing guitar-driven heroics beyond the scope of outright shred, injecting heaping doses of blues and riffage into the equation.
Looking back, Mick Sweda dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to recount the ten albums that changed his life but prefaced it by saying, “Obviously, this list changes at any given time, but, in this moment, these are the albums that altered my life. And very close to this list are the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks and Starz by Starz.”
# 10 – Cheap Trick by Cheap Trick (1977)
With a uniquely fierce purposefulness and beautifully haunting melodies, this record screams at you and then seduces you with its visceral and raw production style. Sounding more like a band with spontaneous yet telepathic connectivity, you’d never know that they had played the circuit as much as they did. Nothing here is tired and played out; the lyrics range from broken to baleful, creepy to caustic, and then from sultry to compassionate. This perfectly recorded album is packed with pure emotion from every player, and it resonates, bringing me back forevermore.
# 9 – Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1973)
I have no idea what initially made me become a super fan of ELP, but this record had to have more to do with it than any other. Majestic, dark, challenging, and still so musical, every note was embedded in my head and is still to this day. And there are a lot of them. I was intrigued by the vast array of sounds, which were relatively new to my ears then. They were my first concert at 14, an experience I’ll never forget. For someone who had yet to play an instrument or even to think it possible, this record became part of my psyche and paved the way for much of the weirdness and humor I love to bring to my playing. And “Toccata” really pissed off my parents.
# 8 – 20/20 by 20/20 (1979)
Years ago, I ended up at an in-store these guys threw and asked one of them a question about something in one of their songs; maybe an E Chord with G# in the bass was throwing me off, not sure. But the guy pointed down the table at his bandmate and said, “I don’t know, I think he plays it.” It was my introduction to a careless rock attitude, and I wasn’t sure if it was too cool or just rude. Regardless, I love this record from start to finish. It’s pretty much the preeminent power pop record for me. Lots of AC-30 tones with melodies that imprinted themselves on me immediately. It’s not the tightest band to have ever played together, but the record wins with its simplicity, sublimely crafted arrangements, and tasteful harmonies. Sometimes, records I’ve loved to have then burst on the national scene, and I felt a dull sense of loss. That never happened here. This gem is still mine, all mine.
# 7 – Welcome to My Nightmare by Alice Cooper (1975)
Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. Oh, and Bob Ezrin. Not much else needs to be said. My band BulletBoys took a meeting with Mr. Ezrin, thinking he might produce our first album. I was elated at the thought until he said, “BulletBoys, BulletBoys… yeah, we’ll have to change the name right off.” That notwithstanding, his early productions are many of my favorites. This record has it all: great guitar tones and playing a very gloomy, tragic, and mesmerizing concept and orchestration that is some of the best in rock and Vincent Price. Campy and rollicking, tender and vicious, I listened to it initially on an 8-track. I still remember the fade-out/fade-in program change interruptions. Technology, bless you.
# 6 – Din of Ecstasy by Chris Whitley (1995)
Chris was a very unique gift to music, one who is emulated by many, with good reason. His style is utterly his own but so bewitching that one can’t help trying to find the magic in those tunings and fingerings. Din of Ecstasy is probably not what his record company wanted to hear then, and the album title is absolutely descriptive of the contents. Rife with beautiful feedback accents and pads, notes, and changes that dance around his vocal, it is a masterpiece of sadness, loss, and solitary musings. “Narcotic Prayer” brings tears nearly every time, but the entire album is a journey I am all the better for taking.
# 5 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John (1973)
Timeless songwriting, a band for the ages, background harmonies you just have to sing along with all coalesce to make this double album go by in an instant. “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” is a sensational combination of gentle majesty and searing authority and remains one of my favorite compositions of all time. The guitar interplay alone is intoxicating to me. “Funeral,” “Candle in The Wind,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and “Grey Seal” are all on one CD for a momentous listen. And “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” goes without saying as an anthem for all time. And this is just one of Elton’s many sonic conquests. Davey nailed the tone and feel for Elton’s tracks precisely every time.
# 4 – One Size Fits All by Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (1975)
I’ve had a fondness for humor and irreverence from an early age, and when combined with music, those elements can make for a potent blend of mischief, truth, preposterousness, and whimsy. This record radiated through my high school years and became a rallying point for my local band of brothers. But not only did we memorize the often completely nonsensical lyrics, but we gave our own meaning to them, bonding us in a small world that only we understood and cared about. Zappa’s playing is also at its best on this record with, for its day, great prowess and a tendency toward more melodic choices and phrasing. As expected, there are moments of unbelievable musical passages, and Frank’s fondness for rhythmic dynamism is ever-present. One of the most enjoyable musical romps ever.
# 3 – Cosmic Messenger by Jean Luc Ponty (1978)
This record was once described to me as “porno music,” and though it hurt to admit, I couldn’t argue the point. That said, this is a monster record played by monster musicians. I used to put it on as much as I could when I worked in record stores, and I don’t think I ever sold one, but it was a joy to experience. Another record permanently embedded in my psyche, note for note, was for years the music that I played while traveling to play hockey games, a true superstition. The band is exceptional, and Jean Luc Ponty really has his effects dialed in. The songs are perfect settings for everyone to showcase their talents. A little too much cowbell in one track is the only thing I’d back down a bit.
# 2 – Wired by Jeff Beck (1976)
Oh man, I’m sad talking about this. What hasn’t been said about this magician? A sensational follow-up to Blow by Blow, this record took me beyond that stunning record and into a world I wasn’t expecting or prepared for… always the best kind. Loose and delectably punchy yet fitting together like nothing he’d done to that point. Jan Hammer never used a patch I didn’t like, and somehow, mimicking the guitar with his passages never steps on Jeff Beck or throws shade on him—another fantastical journey with someone whose otherworldly talent I will always be in awe of.
# 1 – A Farewell to Kings by Rush (1977)
I had studied the record before seeing them in Niagara Falls, but I did not expect the revelations I experienced at that show. Having only seen Rush twice, I’d say that they accurately reproduced the songs live, mostly as they were recorded. And I couldn’t have been happier. Tender, blistering, discordant, melodious… it’s all here. I once took my copy to a party of much older and more reserved acquaintances and, after a few seconds, heard someone yell, “What the hell is this?” I knew I was listening to Genius then and there. I’ve always appreciated Alex Lifeson’s ability to venture into fresh note choices and chaotic phrasing, and though he might be a bit more controlled here, it’s plenty to keep this one of my all-time listens.
Mick Sweda Of The BulletBoys: 10 Albums That Changed My Life article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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