HELIX – “The Devil is Having a Party Tonight” / “The Tequila Song” (2017 clear red picture single)
It’s been love for Helix and I since…many years! Since Record Store Tales Part 2: Gimme An R, at least. As such, I may be a little biased when it comes to this band. Maybe. I truly believe their music deserves much more attention from the rock community, particularly the recent albums which are always excellent. Helix mainman Brian Vollmer maintains a reputation as the hardest working man in Canadian heavy rock. 2017 sees the release of not just a new Helix single (and a lavish one at that), but also his second solo album Get Yer Hands Dirty.
Helix today is Vollmer on vox, Daryl Gray on bass, Fritz Hinz kickin’ the drums, and newer members Kaleb “Duckman” Duck and Chris Julke. The inner sleeve is signed by all five members, which is just the kind of cool personal touch Helix are known for. Also noteworthy, all but Hinz wrote the single A-side “The Devil is Having a Party Tonight”. That makes it the first Helix song in years written solely by band members. “The Tequila Song” on the B-side is composed by mainstay collaborators Gord Pryor, Steve Georgakopoulos and Vollmer.
Great tunes, these are, both party songs. Each is a little heavier than you might usually expect from the Helix band. “Devil” is possessed by a heavy-as-a-tombstone riff, and some exotic guitar noodlings that recall the good stuff from the metallic 80s.
I think “The Tequila Song” is even better. I was known to drink tequila from time to time in my younger days, but I gotta say that Helix have written a better song about tequila than Sammy Hagar ever has. Stomp to that riff as you “lick it, bang it, suck it, tequila!” Even if you’re the designated driver, you’ll find the chorus infectious and party-ready.
Want a copy? You know where to go – Planet Helix.
4.5/5 stars
That’s a great album cover and I like the translucent red vinyl too.
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Me too, the photos don’t do it proper justice.
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That sounds like a great Halloween song, I think I’ll play it to death over the next two days.
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Right on! That’ll make ’em happy!
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As an absolute 100% Helix newbie, what 3 studio albums are best to start off with in a) your personal opinion and b) general fan concensus and c) general critic concensus?
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As in, if we did it for Tull and me not you, it would look like
A) TAAB, SFTW and Broadsword
B) TAAB, Aqualung, Stand Up
C) TAAB, Aqualung, Minstrel (actually Im not sure on that last one)
But you get my drift.
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I follow.
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A) No Rest for the Wicked, Back for Another Taste, and Breaking Loose
B) No Rest for the Wicked, Walking the Razors Edge, and Back For Another Taste
C) No Rest for the Wicked, Walking the Razors Edge, and Wild in the Streets
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A nice slice of vinyl, Mike… that track is pretty good too, even if the video is pretty nasty. As for a tequila song and Sammy Hagar, I would bet even Terrorvision have written a better song about tequila than he has!
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Hahaha anybody could write a better one than this!
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I need this and his solo album.
To cut down on shipping I guess I’ll have to see them live.
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That’s one way! I still have to get the solo CD.
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I referenced you in class the other day Mike when discussing the pros/cons of wikipedia – saying that it’s great for band pages, like the Helix one, where you can bet it was a fan with a keen attention to detail that made the page!
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Absolutely! But there are two drawbacks to that.
1) It hasn’t been maintained by anyone else since.
2) It might be a little too detailed, even.
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What a lovely thing – definitely heavier than I expected too.
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I like when old fogies only get heavier as they get older.
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That certainly applies to me!!
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OK, this rules. What a cool thing! And did the whole band sign your copy for you?
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The whole band signs every copy for everybody.
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I can’t help but to think of Ricky when Helix is mentioned. https://youtu.be/udgm0-oNtng
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Rush have lyrics about how trees talk to each other, how different parts of your brain work and outer space bullshit.
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lol
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