DEEP PURPLE – “Throw My Bones”/”Man Alive” (2020 10″ Edel single)
As a general rule, I won’t listen to new Deep Purple until I have a physical product in my hands. These days that usually happens in the form of a new single. Deep Purple will be back with a new album Whoosh! produced by Bob Ezrin in August 2020. Until then, they’ve issued a three track single with one exclusive new song. How nice of them!
A huge thanks to John of 2 Loud 2 Old Music for gifting this vinyl. Certain new releases are difficult to find today (for obvious reasons), at least without spending money on huge markups by secondary sellers. Music friends are the best kind of friends — make one today!
A word about the cover art: love it! Though not identical, the new Deep Purple logo is strongly reminiscent of the original Shades Of Deep Purple logo from 1968. The astronaut is similarly retro. He even recalls the similarly-garbed “archaeologists” in the music video for “Knocking At Your Back Door”. And now, for the first time, the needle drops on the vinyl and we find out what the new Deep Purple sounds like.
“Throw My Bones” has one of those quirky Steve Morse guitar riffs but then it’s backed up by those lush Don Airey keyboards. This is one of the catchier songs that Deep Purple have written in the last few years. Morse’s solo is as breathtaking as usual, but the sparkling keyboards are what makes this song shine.
The second track is the non-album “Power of the Moon” which prompts the question: if this didn’t make the album, just how good is the album? Because this track is excellent. It’s different. Its quiet passages are mesmerising. Once again it’s Morse and Airey who really take it to another level.
Finally we have “Man Alive”, a song adorned with an orchestra. Under the deft guidance of Bob Ezrin, something powerful and dramatic hits the ears even though Deep Purple don’t really do “heavy” anymore. “Man Alive” is the song that detractors call the “environmental agenda song”. Hey, if Deep Purple can say something relevant to today and get you to think, that’s great. We don’t always have to hear about strange kinds of women from Tokyo. The lyrics are assembled intelligently and thoughtfully.
A lot of people bitch and moan about Ian Gillan. For the most part, it’s not the singer delivering the hooks in these new songs. Just as Steve Morse has had to adapt to his damaged right wrist to keep playing, Deep Purple have adapted to Ian Gillan’s age. The songs don’t blast like they used to; they breathe. Ian’s voice is multitracked to give it some thickness. Incidentally the vocals were recorded in Toronto, a city that Gillan has history with.
Longtime Purple fans who enjoyed Now What?! and InFinitewill enjoy these new songs just as much. The cool thing about Purple is that they have distinct eras. We might be in the tail-end of a Bob Ezrin era (and the whole saga in general) and with time, the Purple/Ezrin collaborations will be looked back on fondly. The Ezrin albums don’t sound like the Bradford discs, the Glover productions, or any of the others. They’re more subtle and show a band growing even in their later years. Whoosh! could be a nice capstone to a career. We shall see.
Sven Gali have not had an easy ride. Their debut Sven Gali was just a year too late to make them into the rock heroes they seemed destined to be. Had it come out in 1991, they would have had a massive hit on their hands. The second album Inwire (1995) was a reaction to the 90s alterna-metal scene. The band reunited in 2007, but tragedy struck when cancer killed founding guitarist Dee Cernile in 2012.
Against the odds, Sven Gali persevered and in 2018 added some heavy firepower to the lineup: Dan Fila and Sean Williamson of Varga. One by one, they began releasing new tracks. Now in 2020 we have the first new Sven Gali release in 25 years: an EP called 3.
Somewhat surprisingly, Sven Gali did not revert back to the hard rock anthemic sound that was the cornerstone of their debut album. Instead they picked up where they left off on Inwire, with four new songs produced by David Bendeth who also produced their debut. Incredibly it sounds like they haven’t missed a step. Even more incredibly, it’s some of their best stuff! Singer Dave Wanless has lost nothing. The band is still rounded out by original members: guitarist Andy Frank and bassist Shawn Minden.
The four songs all share melodic vocal hooks, heavy guitars and aggressive grooves. With the addition of Fila and Williamson, the band have rebuilt themselves into a beast heavier than before. Picking a favourite isn’t possible because this EP is not immediate. Like many favourites that stand the test of time, 3 will take some listens to fully absorb and love. Fortunately we have a whole summer ahead of us to do that. The EP has the depth and potential to become a bit of a classic. Even if Inwire wasn’t your thing, this EP is better. The songs are more focused, heavier, with more hooks. The vocal melodies sometimes veer into an old anthemic metal style, like on “Hurt”. By taking their time, Sven Gali were able to make sure they had four excellent tracks for this release.
Good on Sven Gali for sticking it out, and not resting on their laurels. Any band can get replacement members and reunite. Fewer still put out new music, much less on a physical media. Sven Gali have put together a slammin’ new lineup and a triumphant EP. You just can’t write this band off.
I was going to jokingly title this as REVIEW: Rock And Roll Children by Michael LeFevre. I assume it’s a great book, but I wouldn’t know. Somebody stole it from the Royal Mail and replaced it with a cheap notebook. $77 bucks gone.
After three days in paradise, returning to the stink of the city and the daily grind is depressing. It is a hard feeling to shake.
What makes it harder this year is the uncertainty. Because of Covid-19 there are no guarantees when we’ll be able to go back.
For three days, Covid was so far from our minds. No masks required when you’re isolated by yourselves in the woods. The only time I remembered Covid, it was too late. A neighbour was having car trouble and needed a lift to where he left his car on the highway. Without hesitation I told him to jump in and I drove him to his vehicle. Only on the way back did I remember Covid, and that we were not wearing masks in the car.
When I’m there in paradise, I’m up at the crack of dawn with a coffee in my hand, listening to the symphony of the forest.
When I’m back home, I can’t get up without hitting the snooze button a few times. The roar of traffic can be heard from the highway.
I hope you all are making the best of this summer as possible.
Instead of a Sunday Chuckle, I give you something better: this video (which has a couple chuckles in it) and three Max the Axe songs: “River Grand”, “Overload” and “Gods on the Radio”.
The video above is just a summation of our awesome weekend. Look for a cameo by Superdekes from our Live Streamin’ Weekend. I hope you were able to stay cool in this heat as I was! Sometimes people talk about the Top Ten Swims they’ve ever had in their lives. I may have had two of the top ten this weekend. You be the judge!
And thank you to John Snow of 2 Loud 2 Old Music for the birthday gift below. I promise I will review it soon!
Also a special Happy Birthday to my Grandma Dolly who turns 96 today!
We thought we were counting down the next 11 live abums of all time — Nigel Tufnel’s Next Top Ten, #12 to 22 — but I received so many lists from people new and old that we actually did plenty of 1-11 lists too. Confusing? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely!
You’ll find a tremendous variety of material in these lists, from several sections of the record store. Some truly out of the box lists here, and I hope you’ll be inspired to check out some of these albums.
I also did a new release unboxing from John T. Snow. To skip directly that, watch from 0:08:40 of the stream.
For the commencement of the lists, skip to 0:10:55 of the stream.
Attention Aaron: Go to 0:19:35 of the stream!
To see a neat video of underwater rocks that I was uploading as the stream began, check out 0:02:50.
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!
After some viewer feedback and discussion, I’ve decided to make some changes for the next streams. While I’m thrilled beyond words that this has become a popular thing, 10 lists is a record. I’d like to scale things back again to the earlier days of the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten lists. Five lists? Six tops? That’s a good number, and it’s perfect for the viewer to absorb. The featured lists would belong to the two co-hosts, and the rest to contributors. There have been so many list submissions from such a variety of people that I hate to have to exclude anyone at all, but I need to keep it manageable.
I’m not sure how to decide what lists to use if 10 people want to submit lists again. When I do a show on soundtracks (this is being planned) then obviously I need to feature a Rob Daniels list. It’s also a delight to get new names included, so first-timers have to be considered too. Suggestions on deciding these things are welcome.
We have time to figure it out. Deke is an eager co-host, and I love the Thunder Bay perspective that he brings to his episodes. He has some cool ideas that I am excited about, and next week’s show could be a completely different format. There have been plenty of list idea submissions too — I think we have at least 10 or 12 more to do. There will be other co-hosts in the second seat as well. Glitchy as it may be at times, Facebook Live continues to be the best platform for these live streams. (Fortunately for the non-Facebookers, I can get the Youtube video up the next day.) I’ll be continuing to use it in the foreseeable future. The screen sharing ability is terrific. If Zoom can be used to stream openly on Facebook (which has my biggest audience) then please comment below. Otherwise I’m going to use the Facebook Live screen-sharing ability for cohosting duties. It seems only certain mobile devices have this ability; you’ll know if you see a green prompt informing you that you can join the stream.
Leaner. Meaner. Streamer. Let’s keep this summer rocking.
As every rock fan knows, a list of 11 favourite live albums barely scratches the surface. Tonight check out LeBrain and Superdekes as we tackle the next 11 live albums on our lists! Join us as we go off the beaten track.
We have lots of lists from participants old and new. Deke and I have our hands full! Check it out tonight.
In most timelines and biographies, they’ll have you believe that the original lineup of Loudness had already peaked by 1987 and were creatively and commercially going downhill. While the commercial side of things was out of their control, creatively Loudness were still writing great songs. Though they did have one more EP in them, Hurricane Eyes is the final album of the original Minoru Niihara era of Loudness. It was recorded by Kiss and Jimi Hendrix producer Eddie Kramer with one track by Andy Johns. Though not as heavy or complex as Disillusion or noteworthy as Thunder in the East, it is thoroughly enjoyable from side A to side B. The commercial bent is obvious on some songs, but it doesn’t really blunt the impact.
Like most Loudness albums from the classic era, the band recorded lyrics in both English and Japanese and both versions of the album are included in this luxurious 5 CD box set. In Japan, the Loudness catalogue has been treated reverently but this is the beefiest of all their deluxe sets. Along with both versions of Hurricane Eyes (including minor musical differences), the set includes a disc of album demos, and another disc of alternate mixes and rhythm tracks. The fifth CD is a live set from the Hammersmith Odeon from 1986. Like any set of this nature, you’ll be listening to the same songs in four or five versions, but fortunately they stand up to such immersion.
Though Hurricane Eyes represents a peak effort to break into the American market, and some songs verge on Dokken homages, it’s a strong album loaded with hooks and enviable guitar theatrics & riffs. And regardless of some of the more radio-friendly material, it also boasts the thrash-like “S.D.I.”, a speed metal riff-fest that remained in the Loudness set list long after after Minoru was let go. The technical playing on “S.D.I.” is outstanding, and that’s laid bare for you to hear in the instrumental mix on Disc 4. The guitar solo is pure Eddie meets Yngwie. “S.D.I.” opens the English version of the album, but closes the Japanese. It works excellently in either configuration.
The English album continues with “This Lonely Heart”, a hook-laden hard rocker anchored by a solid riff and soaring chorus. Lynch and Dokken must have been jealous they didn’t write it because it’s right up their alley. The album title Hurricane Eyes comes from a lyric in “This Lonely Heart” but what you’ll remember mostly is that indelible chorus. Keyboards are poured into “Rock ‘N Roll Gypsy”, an obvious choice for a radio single. Though it didn’t hit the charts you can certainly hear the effort in it. On the Japanese version of the track, the keyboards are present but not mixed in as prominently. It’s the better of the two mixes, with more of that Akira Takasaki guitar up front.
“In My Dreams” is the first power ballad, with focus on the power part. Akari has some sweet anthemic guitar melodies in his pocket for this very Scorpions-sounding track. This gives way to another blitz of a song, though not as over the top as “S.D.I.” was. “Take Me Home” has similar urgency but more deliberate pace. “Strike of the Sword” is in similar metal territory with a fab Akari riff. The vocal melodies sound a little disconnected from the song though.
Don Dokken’s turf is revisited on “Rock This Way”, a mid-tempo ditty within hit territory. You could imagine this being written for the concert stage, so you can have a singalong chorus — “Rock this way!” Picking up the pace, “In This World Beyond” is a bit more complex though retaining an insanely cool chorus. The Loudness guys really developed an absurdly good chorus-writing ability by this point! But stick around to be strafed out of the sky by Akira’s machine-gun solo. “Hungry Hunter” returns us to mid-tempo rock ground, though it’s not their most remarkable song.
The American album ends with “So Lonely”, a re-recording of “Ares’ Lament” from 1984’s Disillusion, also in the closing position. Disillusion didn’t get a lot of attention outside Japan, and “Ares’ Lament” was a clear highlight. Though the structure is essentially the same, “So Lonely” is a tamed version” of the more traditional metal original. Keyboards are added, replacing the Akira-shred of the original. The chorus is beefed up and placed front-and-center. It suits Hurricane Eyes and though it’s merely a blunted version, it’s still quite excellent. It’s a demonstration of how you can take a song and tweak it into a different direction.
“So Lonely” isn’t present on the demo CD, presumably because they didn’t need to demo their own classic tune. Instead there are two tracks that didn’t make the album, but would be finished in the future: “Jealousy” and “Love Toys”. The 1988 Jealousy EP would see the first track released (but only in Japan). This is the most Dokken of all the songs, with one of those concrete riffs that George Lynch was prone to writing with ease. Maybe when Dokken broke up, Don should have given Akira Takasaki a phone call. The more frantic and metal “Love Toys” was revisited in 1991 with new lead singer Mike Vescera, for the On The Prowl album of re-recordings. Both tracks had potential in the unfinished demo stage. In fact all the Loudness demos on this disc are nearly album-ready. They’re rougher but also appealing for that same reason.
Disc 4, Behind the Hurricane Eyes is a hodgepodge of alternate mixes and rhythm tracks. The eight rhythm tracks (essentially mixes without vocals and solos) include another version of “Love Toys”. The mercilessly tight rhythm section of Munetaka Huguchi and Masayoshi Yamashita come to the fore on these tracks, as does Akira Takasaki as the riffmaster. “S.D.I.” is present on this CD twice, in rhythm track form and as a straight instrumental. You will be getting plenty of “S.D.I.” in this box set! You’ll also enjoy the brighter “Top 40 Mix” of “Rock This Way”, a really good remix that sounds perfect for the hits of the era. A mix of “So Lonely” with an earlier fade-out isn’t that interesting, but still desired by the collector. “Hungry Hunter” and “This Lonely Heart” are present in “old mix” and “rough mix” respectively. Differences are minor.
You could find yourself with a bit of ear fatigue after hearing so many versions of the same songs. Fortunately Disc 5 is a live set from the previous tour with none of the same songs. Buckle up. Opening for Saxon at the Hammersmith Odeon, Loudness went straight into “Crazy Doctor” from Disillusion after a glowing intro from Biff Byford. It’s right to the throat from the start and this CD has their full set. “1000 Eyes” from Lightning Strikes follows, the album for which they were touring. Loudness could have used some backing vocals live to beef up the chorus, but Minoru does a remarkable job on his own, givin’ ‘er all over the place. It’s also cool to hear Akira go from rhythm to lead so effortlessly live.
There is honestly something charming about someone who isn’t a native English speaker really giving their all to talk to an audience in English. Minoru is clearly happy to be in “London rock and roll city!” and the audience lets him know he’s welcome. The awesome “Dark Desire”, also from Lightning Strikes, follows and Akira lays down a mesmerising solo. Then a long dramatic intro opens “Ashes in the Sky / Shadows of War”, a highpoint of an already great set.
The big Loudness single in 1986 was “Let It Go“, a truly special pop metal song. This version opening for Saxon at the Hammersmith might be the best live recording if not the most energetic. Afterwards the late Munetaka Higuchi takes a drum solo (presumably to give Minoru’s voice a rest after this workout!). There’s a brief segue into Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, and Minoru introduces the band. That pumps up the crowd for Loudness’ biggest hit “Crazy Nights” complete with crowd singalong. “MZA!” After smoking through this one, Akira takes a blistering solo break. The set closes with “Speed” from their third album The Law of Devil’s Land. They saved the most aggressive song for last. Couldn’t let Saxon have it too easy, right?
Though hard to get, these Loudness deluxe editions from Japan are really beautiful to hold in hand. The thick booklet is printed on glossy paper, and though the liner notes are in Japanese, lyrics are provided in both languages. The rest of the booklet is stuffed full of tour photographs whose only language is rock and roll. Loudness certainly looked the part. The set also includes a little reproduction backstage pass, but the main feature is the music. Diehards are going to love it.
Cottages were not meant to have all the niceties of city living. No washing machines, no dishwasher, no cable TV, no telephones. At least that’s how it used to be. When we used to head to the cottage for a long two week vacation, we had to take our clothes to the laundromat. If we needed to make a phone call, we had to go over to my Uncle’s place who had a phone. If I was worried about missing some WWF wrestling, I had to set the VCR at home and hope it worked. (It usually didn’t — programming those simple machines was very finicky.)
We only got two TV stations at the cottage so pickings were slim. There was a station up in Lion’s Head and another in Wingham. You had to turn the TV antenna in the general direction of those towns to get a signal. I can recall that the two stations were exactly 90 degrees apart and almost in line with the cottage itself. If you wanted Lion’s Head, you turned the antenna aligned with the front wall. If you wanted Wingham, you turned it 90 degrees to match the angle of the side wall. All done manually by twisting a pole in your hands. Changing channels in the rain was something that happened too! On a particularly clear day, we could pick up a signal from Michigan across the lake. The old timers say that if the weather is just right, you could actually see the lights of Michigan from the shore of Goderich, Ontario — a trick of the refraction of light.
Between those two stations, we had very little television to choose from. The one show that we watched every single day was The Price is Right. I seem to remember watching Bob Barker and Barker’s Beauties after many morning swims, and just before heading back to the beach again.
One morning in ’87, we were watching a poor old guy named Fred up there on the Price is Right, and he was so uncomfortable. “You can tell he really doesn’t want to be there,” I said to my sister Kathryn. He ended up winning a bid and had to play a pricing game. He looked so miserable and confused up there. You just wanted the poor guy to lose and be out of his misery. But that also demonstrates how dull cottage life could be for a kid — one of the most memorable highlights of that vacation was a goddamn Price is Right episode! I can still remember Fred and his green hat!
The potential boredom of the cottage, and even the Price is Right, really sparked some creative moments. Two things you needed at the lake at all times: Some paper and pencils. With those, you could keep yourself entertained through days-long rain spells and cold snaps. The weather up there was colder and wetter than home, and you could find yourself stuck indoors with no respite.
Kathryn was always creative back then, which was shortly before she started playing music. She invented her own games. One of them was based on the Price is Right.
Do you recall that pricing game called “Three Strikes”? You reached in a bag and pulled out a chip. It could have a number, or a “strike” on it. Pull three strikes and yer out! Kathryn invented her own variation of that. She called it “Three Times”. Her version was far more challenging. She put more chips and way more strikes in the bag. It was unwinnable. But memorable. We still talk about her first prototypical game, “Three Times”. Not a triumph, but certainly a good effort.
Another of her creations was more original and ambitious. It was a Choose Your Own Adventure book. She drew upon real life experiences for its storyline. This book still exists; it is in a drawer at the lake. It is fully illustrated and bound.
Inside, on a street that looked a lot like ours, a little kid was taking their dog for a walk. A cute miniature Schnauzer, just like ours. Turn the page. You see a man approaching. Do you: 1) Turn and walk the other direction? 2) Turn and walk towards the man.
I’m not sure what the two endings say about my sister. In one, the man turns out to be your dad and walks with you. In the other, the same man kills you with a knife!
TRIUMPH – Never Surrender (1983 RCA, 2004 Universal remaster)
Triumph, the other Canadian power trio, scored multiple hits with their sixth album Never Surrender. “When the Lights Go Down” was a popular music video. “A World of Fantasy” was a concert staple. The title track is an absolute (pardon the pun) Triumph of epic songwriting and performance. It’s easy to hear why Never Surrender is so beloved.
Drummer Gil Moore opens the album with “Too Much Thinking”; steamhammer drums pumping hard. Rik Emmett comes in with a slaying riff while bassist Mike Levine, the glue, rolls out some determined bass grooves. Emmett’s talkbox solo is well constructed and extra cool. This riff rocker has the silhouette of topicality, with Reagan samples and lyrics like “Prophets of doom fearful of the violence, preaching to no one at all.”
Triumph ballads were often too brilliant for their own good. Not really “ballads” but more like melody-based compositions. “A World of Fantasy” is one such song, a real accomplishment and unmistakably Triumph. Triumph always had panache and they backed it with Rik’s strength as a guitar player. Rik’s voice, sometimes compared to Geddy Lee’s, was well suited to heartfelt rock like this.
Rik Emmett also takes the lead vocal on a battle cry called “All the Way”, preceded by a classical piece entitled “A Minor Prelude”. Get it? The guy is a tremendous and monstrously intelligent guitar player. Rik could have shredded circles with all the other lead guitarists, but that was not his focus. He realized that you can play really fast as much as you want, but less is actually more.
“All the Way”, which sounded like a battle cry, is actually followed by “Battle Cry”, vocalised by Gil Moore. It’s a slower, more determined metal track; the heavier side of Triumph. Rik’s crystal clear chords keep it from being too generic.
Back when albums had sides, the second half opened with “Overture (Procession)”, a short guitar intro backed by Levine’s synth. It sets the scene for the album centerpiece, “Never Surrender”, which itself is nearly seven minutes of pure undiluted awesome sauce. Constructed with distinctly different sections, “Never Surrender” was just a tad progressive and more than enough song for the average mortal.
Out in the streets inspiration comes hard, The joker in the deck keeps handin’ me his card. Smilin’ friendly he takes me in, Then breaks my back in a game I can’t win. Jivin’, hustiln’, what’s it all about? Everybody always wants the easy way out. Thirty golden pieces for the Judas kiss, What’s a nice boy doin’ in a place like this?
Gil Moore’s drums are sometimes considered simple, or basic. That may be the case, but are they not the perfect backbone on “Never Surrender”? Who can resist when Gil throws down a big, long drum roll from high to low? Hey, he might not be Neil Peart, but he works those songs! His fills here are just as essential as Peart’s in “Tom Sawyer”. Meanwhile, Rik’s guitar chords can only be described as shiny. One of the classiest players in rock can really do no wrong here, as he goes from funky chunky strumming to full shred, all within the confines of some damn catchy riffs.
As if that wasn’t enough, Triumph goes for round two on “When the Lights Go Down”. This time, the acoustic intro is swampy, but soon that riff will hit you square in the face. Gil Moore’s back on the microphone, so let’s not forget how hard it is to sing and play drums at the same time. They had to play this stuff live, and they did! This is just pure rock, four on the floor. “Let the party roll!” sings Moore in this paean to the concert stage.
Rik goes for the brightest of melodies on “Writing’s On the Wall”, a really “triumphant” sound, and great way to draw the album to a close. All that’s left is a soft guitar outro called “Epilogue (Resolution)”. This beautiful piece illustrates where Rik would go in his future solo career, decades down the road. Hints of jazz and classical pointed the way.
There are several songs that you don’t want to leave out of your life. Own Never Surrender.
DEEP PURPLE – “Throw My Bones”/”Man Alive” (2020 10″ Edel single)
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