Alcatrazz – Breaking the Heart of the City: The Best of Alcatrazz 2017, 3 CD

2017 three CD collection from the hard rockers. Few frontmen can claim to have had such a lengthy and far-reaching career as Graham Bonnet. He found what was possibly his greatest success replacing Ronnie James Dio in Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow for 1979’s Down To Earth. He formed Alcatrazz with a formidable, but relatively young 20 year old Swedish guitarist named Yngwie Malmsteen. Bonnet and Malmsteen formed an impressive songwriting partnership, with songs such as ‘Island In The Sun’ and ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ on the band’s debut offering, No Parole From Rock ‘N’ Roll. ‘Jet To Jet’, ‘Kree Nakoorie’, ‘Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live’, ‘Starcarr Lane’ and ‘Suffer Me’ are also included. When Yngwie left in 1984 to pursue a successful career as a solo artist fronting his own Rising Force, Alcatrazz not only lost a key songwriter, but also a musician who would turn out to be one of the most influential lead guitarists of the decade and beyond. Although a relative unknown at the time, it was a stroke of genius when future David Lee Roth and Whitesnake guitarist Steve Vai joined the band. Signing to EMI’s US subsidiary Capitol Records, Disturbing the Peace was released in 1985, led by the single and MTV favorite ‘God Blessed Video’. Also included from the album are ‘Mercy’, ‘Will You Be Home Tonight’, ‘Wire And Wood’, ‘Desert Diamond’, ‘Painted Lover’ and ‘Skyfire’. Possibly of the most interest to fans of Alcatrazz, and especially Yngwie Malmsteen, is the third disc comprising of previously unreleased 1983 rehearsals and writing sessions, giving a unique insight into the composition and arrangements for the No Parole… record.

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Island in the Sun
2. Jet to Jet
3. Hiroshima Mon Amour
4. Kree Nakoorie
5. Too Young to Die, Too Drunk to Live
6. Starcarr Lane
7. Suffer Me
8. Night Games
9. Since You Been Gone
10. Desert Song
11. Evil Eye
12. All Night Long
13. Lost in Hollywood
14. General Hospital (Instrumental Demo)
15. Incubus (Instrumental Demo)
16. Big Foot (Instrumental Demo)
17. S.O.S. Yngwie Malmsteen Audition)

Disc: 2
1. God Blessed Video
2. Mercy
3. Will You Be Home Tonight
4. Wire and Wood
5. Desert Diamond
6. Painted Lover
7. Skyfire
8. It’s My Life
9. Undercover (Remix)*
10. From 12″ TBS
11. Ohayo Tokyo
12. Dangerous Games
13. Blue Boar
14. Witchwood
15. Double Man
16. Night of the Shooting Star
17. Set Me Free (Live Rehearsal Vocal Take)
18. No Imagination (Live Rehearsal Vocal Take)
19. Jimmy Waldo (Instrumental)
20. Blue Boar (Instrumental Rehearsal Demo Take 4)
21. Double Man (Instrumental Rehearsal Demo Take 2)
22. Rider (Instrumental Rehearsal Demo Take 3)

Disc: 3
1. Incubus (Take 1)
2. Incubus (Take 2)
3. Kree Nakoorie (Take 1)
4. Kree Nakoorie (Take 2)
5. I’m Not Down
6. Big Foot (Take 1)
7. Big Foot (Take 2)
8. Jet to Jet
9. Kree Nakoorie (Take 3)
10. Star Carr Lane
11. Too Young to Die, Too
12. Drunk to Live
13. General Hospital

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