BON JOVI – “This House is Not For Sale” (2016 Island single)
THE GOOD: Decent song, a little bit of rock, some tasty guitar work from Phil X, very much another Bon Jovi singalong for the working man.
THE BAD: More of the same. We’ve heard Bon Jovi do this exact kind of song many times over the last 15 years. Apparently the addition of Phil X hasn’t injected much new into the sound.
THE UGLY: It’s nice to see Phil X and Hugh McDonald on the cover art…but why did it take 20 years to finally put a picture of Hugh on the cover?
The new Bon Jovi album This House is Not For Sale will be out October 21. It’s far too early to judge, but the lead single doesn’t indicate that much has changed in Jovi Land. If you liked their last bunch of albums (basically everything from Have a Nice Day to Burning Bridges) then you’ll enjoy “This House is Not For Sale”.
25 million copies sold. Seven hit singles. A two year world tour. All done under the most difficult circumstances. Def Leppard’s Hysteria is one of rock’s greatest triumphs.
Although the album was released in 1987, the Hysteria story really begins on December 31, 1984. Drummer Rick Allen lost control of his speeding Corvette, and was thrown from the vehicle due to improper use of seatbelts. His left arm was severed. Doctors attempted to re-attach the arm, but infection set in and it could not be saved. It would be understandable if people thought Rick’s career in music was finished. While many artists from Django Reinhardt to Tony Iommi had dealt with physical disabilities, nobody had ever seen a one-armed rock drummer before.
Undaunted, Allen began working on a way around his disability. The band never considered a future without him, and were disappointed by “ambulance chasers” looking for a gig. Rick Allen wasn’t about to allow himself to go down or dwell in his misery. With an electronic kit triggered by his feet and right hand, Allen eventually regained his ability to not only play drums, but play live. This resulted in an inevitable stylistic change. Allen’s drumming style became more staggered, with emphasis on bigger, spaced out snare hits. His electronic kit was no crutch: singer Joe Elliott said he could play it “and make it really sound terrible”.
The next album was supposed to be a big deal. It was Phil Collen’s first Def Leppard LP as a writer, and Rick’s chance to prove he wasn’t out. Unfortunately, when the band started to record, producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange was not available. Instead the band began to work with Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf), but were underwhelmed by the results they were getting. Leppard’s ambition was not just to make another album, but to make something seriously good, memorable and special. Something with the potential to be as big as Pyromania was. Steinman was let go and the band started working with Nigel Green with no progress being made.
The band were taking so long, and suffered so many setbacks and delays, that eventually Mutt Lange was available again, and together they finally began work on the new Def Leppard LP. Co-writing every song with the band, Mutt provided the focus and intense discipline. The stated goal, following the template of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, was to make an album with 12 potential singles.
The long story of this difficult album (false starts, illnesses, studio problems) is only overshadowed by its success. But it took a while to get there.
The first single “Women” did well enough, but failed to kickstart the mega album sales needed to recoup the losses. “Women” was an odd choice for a first single: a slow robotic rock track, with a killer comic book-based music video. It was incredible just to see how Rick Allen played drums with his new setup. Apparently, video directors asked how they should shoot Rick? The band answered “Just the same as you would any other drummer.” It was simple as that.
“Women” introduced the new Def Leppard groove. A simple one or two note bass line, layers upon layers of vocals and chiming guitars, but none of the full-speed-ahead New Wave of British Heavy Metal that Leppard were founded on. The year was 1987 and Def Leppard were on the cutting edge. To get those chiming bell-like chords, Mutt had them recorded one note at a time! This is very apparent on “Animal”, the second single. It too was mildly successful, but not enough to push the album into orbit. Listen to the guitar chords and you will hear something that sounds more like chimes than strings. This is down to the incredibly detailed and overdubbed recordings. “Animal” was a stellar pop rock track, and a fine example of what Hysteria sounds like.
Refusing to give up, a third single was dropped: the ballad title track “Hysteria” and possibly the finest song on the album. The fact that these singles were not the hits the band hoped for at the time has not diminished them. Today they are all concert classics, radio staples, and beloved fan favourites. Leppard even re-recorded the song in 2013 for release on iTunes. (While the re-recorded version is impressive, it is impossible to exactly recreate the magic on this album.)
Finally, the success that the band and record label were waiting for happened. The track was “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and the North American version of its music video showcased the band’s stunning live show. Def Leppard were playing “in the round” to rave reviews. “Pour Some Sugar”, a retro glam rock tune with a contemporary sound, was a summer smash hit. It was cool, it was catchy, and Joe’s verses almost sounded like rap, although really they had more in common with Marc Bolan of T-Rex.
On a roll, nothing would stop Def Leppard now. Though the goal was an album with 12 potential singles, Hysteria eventually yielded seven. Most rock bands were lucky to squeeze three out of a hit album. Though the album was now becoming a bonafide hit, some critics and fans lamented the death of the original Def Leppard. Others embraced their pop success. The raw edgy guitars were gone and replaced by bright, precise parts working as a whole, in a gigantic pop rock juggernaut. Joe wasn’t screaming out every line, but actually singing now. It hardly matters. With the success of Hysteria, Def Leppard had embarked on a whole new journey and have rarely looked back to their origins.
The singles carried on, through the rest of 1988 and into 1989. “Love Bites” was fifth up, which originated as a country ballad that Mutt wrote and the band Leppardized into something different. It was a hit for the autumn of ’88, a slightly dark ballad for the fall. The victorious glam rock of “Armageddon It” was next, simple and pleasant enough for radio and video, and another huge hit. These were songs that had pep, but wouldn’t frighten mom and dad.
The seventh and final single was a surprise choice: “Rocket”. On album, “Rocket” was 6:37 long, and featured a long experimental middle section. The ambitious mid-section featured loads of NASA samples and sound effects, all backed by the African inspired drum loops of Rick Allen. The song was based a drum beat by Burundi Black, brought in by Joe Elliott, played by Rick Allen and looped. Eventually lyrics were added, inspired by the glitter groups of the 70’s that Leppard grew up with. Lange also used backwards vocals for some of the hooks. The line that opens the track and repeats through the song is the chorus from “Gods of War”, backwards: “Raw fo sdog eht rof gnithgif er’ew.” It was a sharp track to be used as a single, but that unforgettable beat was beyond question. It was remixed and brought down to 4:25 for the single release.
It is unfortunate that Mercury stopped at seven singles, because they could have released at least nine. Many fans had counted on a “Gods of War” release, certainly before “Rocket”. “Gods of War” had become a fan favourite for those who bought the album, and it could have been used as a “serious” themed single towards the end of the album’s life. Dark in tone but more epic in quality, it really could have been a valiant single. It has since become heavily associated with late guitarist Steven Maynard Clark, who was responsible for much of its guitar thunder.
The final track that shoulda woulda coulda been released as a single was the album closer, “Love and Affection”. As good as any of the actual singles, “Love and Affection” had its own charm and hit potential. It’s long been one of my album favourites, just under “Hysteria” and “Gods of War”.
Rounding out the LP are “Run Riot” and “Don’t Shoot Shotgun”, two rock tracks that help keep the album afloat. Neither are clearly as brilliant as the hits, but both solidly get the job done with guitar thrills. Finally there is “Excitable”, the only song I’ve never particularly dug. It strikes me as gimmicky and very 80’s, much like “Social Disease” by Bon Jovi. Too reliant on sound effects and gimmicks. So out of 12 tracks, only one was really a dud. That’s not bad by any measure.
So Hysteria rode the charts, recouped its costs, and then some. The tour in the round was legendary and resulted in a live video In the Round: In Your Face. Def Leppard were, for a short while anyway, the biggest rock band in the world.
Obviously, Def Leppard have continued to suffer ups and downs since Hysteria. Steve Clark died. Rick Savage has Bell’s Palsy. Vivian Campbell fought cancer. Yet they have continued to soldier on, never topping Hysteria of course, leaving it as the magnum opus that it is.
The album inspired a book and a movie. An album of Hysteria’s stature deserves a killer deluxe edition too. This one is nearly perfect.
As discussed in greater detail in Record Store Tales Part 4: A Word About B-Sides, this album and its singles really clicked with the collector in me. Def Leppard prepared a number of B-sides for Hysteria, and perhaps because these were not produced with Mutt, they all have a harder edge. “Tear It Down” was a speedy but basic rock track considered good enough to include on the next album, and so it was. The B-side version remains its superior, because it is tougher than the one on Adrenalize. “Ring of Fire” was even heavier, clearly too heavy for what Hysteria became. Along the same lines is “Ride into the Sun”, an old track from Leppard’s first EP, re-recorded here and in fine form. “Ride into the Sun” is a stellar track and perhaps should have received some acclaim. Even though the song has been remixed and reissued on other things, it remains a rarely heard gem. Yet the most impressive B-side was probably “I Wanna Be Your Hero”. This B-side from the “Animal” EP has the Hysteria vibe and sound. It easily could have replaced “Excitable” as an LP track, but if it had perhaps Hysteria wouldn’t have sounded as diverse. Dig that false ending!
This deluxe edition includes all the live B-sides and almost all the bonus tracks associated with singles for the album, and then some. “Women” is a live classic from the home video. Anyone who has seen it will remember this version and Joe’s intro. “We got everything we need! We got the band, the crowd, the lights, the cameras, the action! There’s only one thing that we ain’t got…” Women! (I doubt that, Joe!) “Elected”, the live Alice Cooper cover, was recorded during this period but released in 1993 on the “Heaven Is” single.
From the same gig as “Elected” came a lively cut of “Love and Affection”, which was also utilised as the album’s Japanese bonus track. It’s very rare to hear this song done live, and definitely rare to hear a great vintage version done live. Then there’s a so-so “Billy’s Got a Gun” (same gig again), and a fascinating “Rock of Ages” medley. This medley seamlessly captures some bits of classic rock tunes within itself: “Not Fade Away” (Buddy Holly), “My Generation” (The Who), “Radar Love” (Golden Earring), “Come Together” (The Beatles) and “Whole Lotta Love” (Zeppelin). This is all done to the tempo and style of “Rock of Ages”, and quite well, too. When this was originally released on the “Rocket” single, there was no mention of the medley part. It was a total surprise when Leppard broke into these other songs, some of which I’d never heard before.
Leppard released a few remixes during this period too. Extended versions of “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar”, “Armageddon It”, “Rocket” and even “Excitable” all come from 12” singles. What’s missing is the single edit of the “Rocket”, the short version of the “lunar mix” . The single mix of “Pour Some Sugar” is also missing, but that track is on so many albums including the five-million-selling Vault, so we’re not going to worry about it. These extended remixes are, not surprisingly, pretty much for the fans and collectors.
Finally, and most importantly, is the last B-side “Release Me”. This track was initially released on the “Armageddon It” picture disc single, but not credited to Def Leppard. Much like their later acoustic B-sides credited to the Acoustic Hippies from Hell, “Release Me” is credited to Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol’ Boys. Engelbert Humperdinck is responsible for the most famous version of “Release Me”, but Stumpus Maximus is definitely responsible for the most twisted. Featuring Def Leppard’s roadie Malvin Mortimer on lead vocals and the rest of the band goofing around, “Release Me” is a hoot. Mortimer breaks all known sound barriers with his screaming (and burping) of the lyrics. I was absolutely confused beyond belief upon hearing this for the first time, since I didn’t catch on to this actually being Def Leppard in disguise. They absolutely fooled me; I thought whoever they were, Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol’ Boys absolutely sucked! For the time it was a novelty release, but it’s now a wonderful tongue in cheek finale to this great deluxe edition.
Some, including renowned rock journalist Martin Popoff, have dismissed Hysteria as lifeless and dismally underwhelming sell-out pop. Keeping in mind where they came from (High ‘n’ Dry, Pyromania) there is no question that Hysteria was a clear and intentional turn towards the mainstream. Where Def Leppard rose above a simple pop foray is in the detail and care given to the recordings. With Mutt Lange keeping his eye on the goalposts, he drove Leppard not to make an album without a soul, but one that offered flawlessly assembled guitar based songs. The passion and heart can still be heard; they are not buried. It’s a unique combination of studio sterility with Leppard’s brand of glam rock, and nobody (not even Leppard) have been able to duplicate the magic of Hysteria.
You might not “need” the full-on deluxe edition, but considering the quality of the B-sides and live material, you’d be positively missing out.
The crappy Walmart at Stanley Park Mall continues to yield treasure to those looking for it.
My weekend was already filled with some golden toy scores. I picked up the Transformers Titans Return Galvatron figure at Toys R Us yesterday, and the Star Wars Black Series 6″ droid collection too. These were small triumphs, but the real treasure awaited me today at Walmart. On clearance!
I’m trying to get at least one of every character in the Star Wars Black Series 6″ figures. As of today, I’ve done it. The last one dropped into my arms. Two weeks ago at that Walmart, it was General Hux. Today it was the ever elusive Resistance pilot Ello Asty! I’d never even seen one before. I was so excited that I fumbled and dropped the box! Small dent in the bottom left corner is my price, but since the toy was $19.99 on clearance, I’ll suck it up.
I also found a few more Titans Returns figures today to go with Galvatron, but there is no question that Ello Asty is my real jackpot today. Since Ello Asty’s name was inspired by the Beastie Boys (Hello Nasty, get it?) we’ll leave you with some “Intergalactic” to get back to the subject of music.
Well now don’t you tell me to smile, You stick around I’ll make it worth your while, Got numbers beyond what you can dial, Maybe it’s because I’m so versatile.
When speaking of Aerosmith “classics”, fans often skip over the 80’s or 90’s and talk singly about the 1970’s. This is unfair to 1989’s Pump, a bonafide classic indeed, a rebirth, an all-too-brief twinkling of Aerosmith turning back the clock and smoothly kicking your behind. Sure, Permanent Vacation brought them back from the dead and provided three surprise hit singles. But that album wasn’t as laser-focused as Pump.
Teaming up for a second time with the late great Canadian producer extraordinaire Bruce Fairbairn, Aerosmith (and co-writers) cooked a short and sweet batch up. 10 songs, all to the point and done “just right”. That’s how Aerosmith albums were in the 70’s, and Pump is as close as they have ever been able to touch that magical golden era.
Incidentally, if you’re curious about how this album was made, there was an excellent behind the scenes doc called The Making of Pump that was out on VHS. The band were clearly riding a wave of energy, it was palpable in the studio. There was some conflict but it all seemed productive. There was a surplus of songs. Titles such as “Looking Up Your Old Address” and “News For You Baby” were dropped in favour of stronger songs — the 10 on Pump.
“Young Lust” and “F.I.N.E.” have always seemed to work as a supercharged pair. The band sound young, therefore “Young Lust”! Joey Kramer on the skins propels the whole thing forward, aided and abetted by Tom Hamilton’s unmistakable bass slink. Whitford and Perry — locked on to target, supporting and boosting each other’s licks. And Steven Tyler, always the centrepiece, keeping the attention focused on the hooks. “I got a brand new record, and I gotta play,” he sings, and you have to believe it. When Aerosmith have all five members firing at peak performance, then you have one hell of a lethal weapon.
We don’t need to address “Love in an Elevator”; it’s all been said. All you really need to focus on when listening to this overplayed radio staple is the musicianship. All these years later, it’s still smoking hot. Hamilton’s bass rides that riff like a surfer.
Aerosmith weren’t a preachy band, but they were pretty open about their drug usage and recovery. “Monkey On My Back” was their first real statement about this subject.
“I made believe the devil made me do it, I was the evil leader of the pack, You best believe I had it all and then I blew it, Feedin’ that fuckin’ monkey on my back.”
The reborn Aerosmith infuse it with all the energy and greasy groove required to make their point. They’re a better band without the powders; deal with it!
“Janie’s Got a Gun” is another track we don’t need to delve into deeply. It was an innovative and daring track for the time; a real statement from Tyler. He fought hard for his lyrics. “Put a bullet in his brain” was changed to “Left him out in the rain” on some edits, which robs the song of its shocking impact. In my opinion, the real moment people started to pay attention was that line. And incidentally, this is one of the best songs to watch come to life on the Making of Pump video. From the initial work on the song with writer Jim Vallance to the punching in of final vocals, you can watch the creative process like a fly on the wall.
A brief but impressive acoustic bit called “Dulcimer Stomp” was used to open side two, right before another hit single, “The Other Side”. I always appreciated that they included “Dulcimer Stomp” in the music video, even though it’s not part of the single version. “The Other Side” is probably the safest track on the album, the only one without some kind of edginess. It does boast some popping horns, a Bruce Fairbairn production trademark. Bruce is one of the players in the horn section, dubbed the Margarita Horns. “My Girl” is similarly simple and to the point, although later plagiarized for not one but two songs on 2012’s Music From Another Dimension! Much more interesting is the heavy duty “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even”. Swampy, even including didgeridoo, this is one of those Aero-blasts through the blues that Perry and Co. do so well. Just as awesome is “Voodoo Medicine Man” which is probably the most…ominous…Aerosmith track ever recorded. It is different and groove-heavy. Deeply impressive heavy rocking happening here.
Closing out with the ballad “What It Takes” was a classy move. Unlike some other ballads this band has had hits with over the years, “What It Takes” has a sincerity and authenticity that has kept it from ageing badly. The country tinge of “What It Takes” foreshadows Steve Tyler’s current solo direction, but in 1989 this was just slightly different for the band. Listen for a callback to “F.I.N.E.” from side one, and a hidden bonus track. There’s an unlisted track of acoustic instrumental jamming, an outtake from the sessions, at the very end. Even incidental bits like “Going Down” and “Dulcimer Stomp” are given their own titles on the CD, but this last jam is left a surprise.
This rare limited edition version of Pump comes in a “leather case”. There is an outer slipcase, and an inner digipack. It was manufactured as a promo and then later sold as a limited release at retail. It’s cool and looks sharp, but there is nothing else exclusive about this release. It’s a cool find if you happen upon one in your travels, but sticking with the zillions-selling regular CD edition will do you just F.I.N.E. fine.
OZZY OSBOURNE – Ozzmosis (1995, 2002 Sony remaster)
It is fair to say that Ozzy’s solo recording career post-No More Tears is not considered as classic as the music from before. Admittedly it was a confusing time. Ozzy finished his “No More Tours” tour while all the talk was about a Sabbath reunion that never happened. Retirement wasn’t in the cards, so Ozzy re-teamed with a few former members of his band: Zakk Wylde on guitar, and Geezer Butler on bass. Joining the band behind the drums was a pre-Journey Deen Castronovo. Ozzy sat down to write with a number of talents including Steve Vai, and eventually produced the “post retirement” album Ozzmosis.
Ozzmosis was considered by some fans to be inferior to No More Tears, although song for song, No More Tears isn’t as great as people seem to remember it. Ozzmosis has a heavier, more bass-centric sound and certainly boasts at least four Ozzy classics in its grooves. Osbourne has gone on record as preferring the demo versions of some songs better than the album tracks, but Ozzmosis boasts a hell of a heavy sound.
Ozzy was also struggling with his public image. He didn’t want to be seen at the bat-biting madman anymore. I suppose that’s why we see songs like “Perry Mason” on Ozzmosis. Not a bad track, it was chosen as lead single. But the subject matter? Not sure why, but:
“Who can we get on this case? We need Perry Mason, Someone to put you in place, Calling Perry Mason.”
Certainly a far cry lyrically from “Bark at the Moon”, but musically it’s still Ozzy prowling in the shadows, warning you of the dangers. It’s delightful to hear Geezer’s trademark slinky bass all over it. (I have often said that Ozzy’s best solo band, post-Randy, had Geezer and Zakk.) Ozzy was sufering from some vocal issues at the time, but “Perry Mason” isn’t one of the songs you can tell this from. Only Ozzy Osbourne & Co. could make a song about Perry Mason this cool.
“Perry Mason” would be one of the four album classics. Also up there is “I Just Want You”, which he wrote with Canadian songsmith Jim Vallance. Ozzy was rightfully proud of this heavy ballad. Rick Wakeman provided keys, classy and absolutely perfect. At times he’s playing synth parts that sound like mellotron, at others like a big fat Hammond organ (bigger than Orlando Bloom’s wang). At all times, it is awesome. Zakk Wylde plays an effects-laden solo that sounds underwater, but in a good way. It’s haunting and not robbed of its power. He utilises this “watery” sound on a number of tracks on Ozzmosis.
Standing with these songs is “See You on the Other Side”, another fab ballad from the dark side. Ozzy’s preferred demo version (with sax solo) can be found on his Prince of Darkness box set. There’s nothing wrong with this version though, haunting as it is. It was written by Ozzy, Zakk, and Lemmy Kilmister, who helped Ozzy out with the words.
The fourth and final classic is the album closer, “Old L.A. Tonight”. As one of Ozzy’s piano ballads, it has been largely forgotten over the years. The piano and Zakk’s very emotive playing only amplify what Ozzy’s singing. Zakk’s solo is one of his finest. Why some things become hits and not others, I don’t always understand. “Old L.A. Tonight” is superior in almost every way to a track like “Mama I’m Coming Home”, or “So Tired”. This is one of the tracks that does reveal cracks in the Ozzman’s voice, as he reaches for very high notes and quavers. I can’t hit the notes he’s hitting, though.
You’ll notice that of the four album classics, three are ballads, and that’s a problem. Yes, even as far back as “Changes” or “Planet Caravan”, Ozzy has been a master of the art of the heavy ballad. His core audience tends to buy albums for his heavy metal songs, and the heavy material on Ozzmosis is lacking. Few of those songs really congeal into something solidly memorable. The album sounds heavy on effects, and while that strategy worked on the four classics, it tends to choke and strangle the other songs, inhibiting Ozzy’s voice with a nasal muffler. It’s surprising how much time he spends singing higher than what sounds comfortable, and that too is a weakness.
Sony tacked on two bonus tracks for this 2002 reissue — a rip off, and I’ll explain why. The album includes two B-sides: “The Whole World’s Falling Down” and “Aimee”. (That makes two songs about Ozzy’s kids on this CD, including “My Little Man” about Jack.) There were however four B-sides released for this album, and two are not included for no good reason. Missing are “Living With the Enemy” and “Voodoo Dancer”, but fear not. None of Ozzy’s B-sides this time out were really keepers. “Aimee” isn’t bad, but Ozzy has done much better stuff for his B-sides in the past. Songs like “You Said It All”, “Don’t Blame Me”, and “Liar”.
Zakk Wylde didn’t do the tour for this album, even though he co-wrote and played on it. Zakk seemed to be trying to establish himself separate from Ozzy at the time, and so Ozzy toured with Joe Holmes who had finished up a stint with David Lee Roth. (Though Ozzy stuck with Holmes for five years, I never thought he sounded right playing the Ozzy or Sabbath material.) After a brief leg, Ozzy fired Deen Castronovo and re-hired his previous drummer Randy Castillo. Ozzy made a backhanded statement about Castronovo being a talented session drummer, and that’s what he should continue to do. Ouch.
It’s a mixed bag, but when you hit a gem in the grooves of Ozzmosis, it is worth the price of purchase. Shame about the stinky cover art.
WINGER – II – In the Heart of the Young (1990 Atlantic)
Another awful album cover; another Winger album! The ambitious follow-up, still sonically mutilated by producer Beau Hill, was several steps forward and a few steps backwards at the same time. The year was 1990, and while most bands were starting to toughen things up and go a little heavier, Winger turned on the tap marked “syrup”.
Truly awful is “Can’t Get Enuff”, which Winger admitted took about five minutes to write, when he decided they needed to “make a video about sex”. Because that’s never been done before. Nor has a song called “Can’t Get Enough” (spelled correctly). There is nothing new or necessary here; the talented band are neutered by programmed rhythms and cheesey, generic lyrics. Not good enuff, although the second tune “Loosen Up” is better. There could have been some rock and roll groove with “Loosen Up”, but the plastic and thin production removes its teeth.
Keyboardist Paul Taylor, who left the band after this tour, wrote the ballad “Miles Away” by himself and it hits all the bases that a power ballad needed to hit: Big chorus, sad keyboards, and sappy lyrics! “Miles Away” never quite felt like it fit on the album stylistically, but it’s actually a decent ballad. It’s well written and arranged, but so pigeonholed to its time.
I hate synth horns, therefore I hate the single “Easy Come Easy Go”. There is no substitute for real horns. Keyboards are quicker and easier, but there is no comparison to the real thing. Thankfully Winger did utilise real horns on “Rainbow in the Rose”, the first of two epics on the album. Where “Can’t Get Enuff” was written in minutes, “Rainbow in the Rose” took a year to compose and arrange. Its complexity is admirable, but a better producer could have given it the finish it deserved. It’s a shame that with a complicated track like this, you can barely hear what drummer Rod Morgenstein is doing. He’s one of the best in the world, but he’s buried under keyboards. When you do listen to what he’s doing, it’s quite incredible work. As for the song? The chorus kills!
The second side was more of the same, including another epic at the end. “In the Day We’ll Never See” was Winger’s attempt to write more serious lyrics, and that’s all well and good. With a peppy riff and serious tone, it’s a good enough song for a car tape. Reb Beach’s anthemic guitars are the highlight. Another side; another ballad — “Under One Condition” sounds like a Warrant song, although that’s probably being unfair. Warrant could never play like Winger.
Side two has a slew of annoying songs in the middle. “Little Dirty Blonde” is as putrid as it sounds, but let’s face it folks, it’s not as bad as Kip Winger rapping. The story goes that they wanted to get Tone Lōc to do his thing over “Baptized By Fire”, but that didn’t happen so Kip rapped it himself. It’s as annoying as you expect. One of the most impressive moments on the album is just a short instrumental break, sounding like speedily tapped guitar and bass, right before “Baptised By Fire”, but it’s over too soon before MC Kip takes over. “You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner” improves the outlook mildly, annoying title aside. That leads to the final epic track, “In the Heart of the Young”. Like “Rainbow in the Rose”, this is a more ambitious arrangement, done with skill and care. Once again, focusing on Rod Morgenstein allows you to hear the complexities within. The melodies are strong and Kip’s singing is under-appreciated.
Winger were on to something with the more progressive material. Where they lost fans was with the dumbed down sounds of songs like “Can’t Get Enuff”, and they paid for it during the grunge onslaught down the road.
When Winger started out, they really played down to their audience. Kip Winger was a classically trained musician. Reb Beach was already a virtuoso guitar player whose talent can’t be under-stressed. Keyboardist Paul Taylor had been around the block a number of times, including a stint with Kip Winger in the Alice Cooper band. Most impressively, drummer Rod Morgenstein is best respected for the rock fusion combo Dixie Dregs. To hear guys with that background singing a song that goes, “She’s only seventeen, Dad says she’s too young but she’s old enough for me,”…well it’s just embarrassing.
I call bullshit, Mr. Clarence R. Winger. He’d been studying classical music since the age of sixteen. You know he could do better if he wasn’t trying to write cliche rock lyrics.
Musically, Winger (the debut album) isn’t half bad. In fact it’s more than half good! The opener “Madalaine” is cheesey rock, but it’s above the bar due to the intense guitar shreddery of Mr. Beach. It was an era when it was OK to just get up there and tap tap tap away. There is some musical integrity contained herein, but it’s not in the lyrical department. The single “Hungry” begins with a string quartet (only 22 seconds’ worth), arranged by Kip. See? Flashes of the talent within, but cloaked behind a typical rock power ballad with one of the most overused titles in the genre. Good songs both…but written down to a specific audience by guys who can do better.
Chief offender “Seventeen” wouldn’t be half bad if it had a different title; any title. Call it “Buttermilk”. Instead of:
“She’s only seventeen (seventeen), I’ll show you love like you’ve never seen, She’s only seventeen (seventeen), Dad says she’s too young but she’s old enough for me.”
Change that to:
“I love my buttermilk (buttermilk), Makes my pancakes as smooth as silk, I love my buttermilk (buttermilk), Mom says it’ll make me fat, stop that buttermilk!”
See? My lyric had depth that theirs doesn’t. It’s light and shade. Yes, buttermilk will make your pancakes extra tasty, but what of the health costs? I could go on and on about the brilliance of my lyric vs. Kip Winger’s. But I won’t. You get the point.
Shredding musicianship aside, “Seventeen” is not a good song.
“Without the Night” works well enough as a Bon Jovi-esque power ballad. What should have been deleted, because they already had enough original material, is a cover of Jimi’s “Purple Haze”. This is dreadful, overplayed, oversexed, with the only saving grace being a guitar battle with Reb Beach on one side and Dweezil Zappa on the other. Two monster players going at it is right on. Kip Winger “ooh ahh-ing” all over “Purple Haze” is blech. Just focus on Reb and Dweezil, and try your best to ignore Clarence.
The original LP had a side break here, and I think that’s a good idea. I need to take a moment to get some fresh air. Something stinks in here….
“State of Emergency” has a little progressive complexity to it, some chops and lyrics that are not about seventeen year old girls, so that is good. “Time to Surrender” shreds impressively over a slow Ratt-like riff. All considered, “Time to Surrender” is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Sadly, “Poison Angel” is the worst. This one could have been dropped. “Hangin’ On” is good enough, again boasting some impressive playing from Reb Beach. The key to listening to Winger is to focus on the instrumentation.
The most impressive track is the ballad “Headed for a Heartbreak”. Cheesey, yes. But listen for a moment, to the arrangement, and to the playing. It’s a hit power ballad, yes…but there are progressive complexities to the arrangement. Listen to Rod Morgenstein’s drumming. His patterns are not simple rock cliches. Too bad it’s so hard to hear what he’s doing. Winger has a brittle production, thanks to schlock-meister Beau Hill, ruiner of many an album. Over-processing and harsh gating on Rod’s drum sound gives the album a plastic feel. Some tracks such as “State of Emergency” should have more heft, but it is lost. “Time to Surrender” needs less gloss. The album has hardly any bass, and the thing about that is that Kip Winger is actually a pretty good bassist (not to mention singer).
The CD only bonus track (oh 1988, I miss you so) is a short rocker called “Higher and Higher”. It’s a better track than the similar-paced “Poison Angel” and should have swapped places with it. There’s also one other interesting little track to be found. Another short rocker called “Out for the Count” made an appearance on the soundtrack to Karate Kid III. I picked that up at a Zellers store, I think, on a clearance sale around 1992. It was an odd find, but being a collector I grabbed it for the one track. (Also on the CD is “48 Hours” by a band called PBF, better known as Pretty Boy Floyd!) Swap “Out for the Count” for “Purple Haze”, and the Winger album would have been far stronger.
It’s really hard to boil this down to a simple number rating. I’ve come up with an equation based on your valuing of playing and songcraft,
Where x = a scale from 0-5 on how much you value shredding,
and y = a scale from 0-5 on your importance of song craft,
Only 25 years late, I have finally acquired the Cult’s Ceremony CD, thanks to my kind and generous reader Wardy. I somehow missed this album all those years, even though I own all the singles. There are some songs here that are completely new to me. Ceremony received mixed reviews when it was released, as it represented the band’s furthest move away from their roots, into commercial radio rock. Let’s see how accurate that is.
It starts sounding more like some lost Deep Purple album, with big organ and jammy sounds. Richie Zito co-produced this disc, and the band got a sharper sound out of the studio than they did with Bob Rock last time. Sonically, Ceremony has more impact, more heft, more oomph than the big and echoey Sonic Temple. The “Ceremony” in question on the title track is the rock arena, as the Cult had definitely become arena rock. They had also been reduced to a core duo. Jamie Stewart and Matt Sorum were gone, and the Cult used session musicians during this period. Charlie Drayton (bass) and Mickey Curry (drums) helped the band achieve what sounds like a very sincere crack at this kind of rock. Accessible it is, but the Cult didn’t really sell out. Check out the frantic “Wild Hearted Son”. Like the sound of a stampede of horses across the plains, “Wild Hearted Son” does not let up. I think I lot of fans were disappointed that the new Cult sound wasn’t more esoteric, but that doesn’t make it bad.
Just as relentless as “Wild Hearted Son” comes the “Earth Mofo”. One thing I had never really paid attention to before was the bass. Drayton’s get some great bass chops. The production of Ceremony leaves a lot of space between the instruments, so you can hear them. Those who find Sonic Temple overproduced may dig on this, so give “Earth Mofo” a spin. That’s nothing though compared to the powerful “White”. Epic in scope, “White” is a massive groove with layers of acoustic instruments a-la Zep.
I didn’t see the tender sound of “If” coming, just piano and Ian’s crooning. Not after all that heavy hitting rock. But then “If” also explodes into something bigger, anthemic and memorable. I’m starting to think that if Ceremony got a bad rap back in ’91, it’s because people weren’t paying proper attention.
“Full Tilt” is a great name for a rock song. Riffed out with generous helpings of rock sauce, “Full Tilt” was reported to have knocked a picture of at least one journalist’s wall.* Just wait until the afterburners ignite in the last minute of the song. Strangely, the very next track is the acoustic ballad “Heart of Soul”; a good song indeed but not as great as “Edie (Ciao Baby)” was. Back to the rock, “Bankok Rain” lacks the charisma that the rest of the tunes seem to have in common, though there is certainly nothing wrong with it’s staggering riff. By the end you won’t care, because the whole thing burns like fire and gasoline until all the fuel is spent.
A fascinating Cult song is “Indian”, a basic acoustic song with cello accompaniment. As Cult ballads go, this is definitely a peak moment. Ian infuses more passion into one line than most singers can do in a whole song. Unexpectedly, the album moves right on to another ballad, “Sweet Salvation”, which is actually less a ballad and more a soul song. It’s powerful, as are all these songs in their own ways. Ian Astbury breaks out the Morrison poetry jams to kick off the ending track, “Wonderland”, a riff driven slow broil.
That’s the album, and it’s hard to gauge where it sits among the whole Cult catalogue. Certainly, this and Sonic Temple are brother records. They are stylistically more similar than Cult albums tend to be. Ceremony possesses track after track of scorching rock music. Does it make as strong an impression as the bombastic Sonic Temple? Not quite. By stripping the production to a more sparse and live sound, perhaps the Cult sacrificed the nuances. Ceremony gleams shiny with amped up guitars and drums aplenty. It is hard to find fault. It is still a fine album.
3.5/5 stars
* That’s a true story, but I can’t remember what magazine I read it in. The reviewer said, quote “‘Full Tilt’ knocked a picture off my wall.”
If you’re not familiar with Jim Crean, that’s OK. You probably know of his famous friends. Crean sings lead with the Appice Brothers (Carmine and Vinny) for their Drum Wars live shows. Both brothers appear on his solo CD, Insatiable, along with other stars such as Phil Lewis (LA Guns), Mike Tramp (White Lion), Tony Franklin (The Firm/Blue Murder), Phil Naro and more. But it doesn’t matter how many guests you fill your album with if you don’t have the tunes. Crean has not only the tunes, but also the voice.
In a way the weirdest track is the intro by Don Jamieson from That Metal Show. He pronounces “Appice” differently for each brother. Carmine is “Appeece” and Vinny is “Appicee”. Very odd. The title track “Insatiable” features Vinny, but the song does not address the pronunciation controversy! If you’re a fan of 80’s sunset strip rock, then “Insatiable” is for you, like Faster Pussycat but fed a steady diet of heavy metal. Crean has range and rasp, and the result is the kind of rock that people miss today.
Vinny might be best known for his stint in Dio and Black Sabbath with Ronnie James. With the late Jimmy Bain on bass, Appice and Crean re-created Dio’s “Caught in the Middle”. Having original players and writers on it lends it a credibility that most covers can’t match. Best of all, Crean can pull it off! Singing Dio is, to put it mildly, not easy. Crean pulls it off with confidence and ability, just as he does with his own original tune “Touch”. Not to exaggerate, but “Touch” has to be one of the best songs to come out in 2016: killer mid-paced rock, besides the riffs and that voice! Another fine cover, L.A. Guns’ “Over the Edge” is performed with assistance from Philip Lewis. A more obscure choice from 1991’s Hollywood Vampires, it’s a powerful slow rock track with a Zeppelin-y groove. Guitarist Steve Major also needs to be singled out for a fine performance on this one (and all the tracks).
The most star-studded song is the lead single, “Can’t Find My Way”, a Mike Tramp cover. Mike sings on it, as does Phil Naro, with Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine on drums. (Tony and Carmine make it 2/3rds of the original Blue Murder, minus only John Sykes.) This ballad is a bit slow, a bit long, but kicks in for the chorus. I actually prefer Jim’s original material. “Follow Your Heart” is one such original, this one featuring ex-Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson. It has a distinct Dio-ish vibe, aided and abetted by Vinny’s incomparable drum sound. The final three originals (“Shut Your Mouth”, “Turn it Around”, and “Miss Me”) are all very strong hard rock songs. Crean wrote all his originals himself. What a talent. Such a voice, with sharp songwriting chops. This guy has more talent in his pinky than CC Deville has in his entire body.
Two bonus tracks close it out, both covers: Mr. Big’s rockin’ “The Whole World’s Gonna Know”, and “Magic Touch” by Kiss. Sharp fans will recall that Crean contributed “Magic Touch” to Mitch Lafon’s Kiss tribute CD, A World With Heroes. If you missed that now sold-out CD, you can at least get Jim’s version of the song here. “Magic Touch” is, of course, great. It always was, but now here’s a chance to hear it without the disco (Kissco?) trappings. As for “The Whole World’s Gonna Know”, Jim’s version may surpass the original.
Added Can-Con bonus: Much of the album was recorded in Toronto, just a stone’s throw away from Jim’s base in Buffalo, New York.
Added extra bonus: My copy included a DVD with the “Can’t Find My Way” music video.
If you like hard rock with integrity the way they used to make it, then this album is for you. If you buy one new release this week, make it Jim Crean’s Insatiable.
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