DEF LEPPARD – On Through the Night(1980 Phonogram)
A bright young Mike in grade 11,
During the glorious 80’s,
Needed new music to feel like heaven,
To woo some lovely young ladies.
In 1980 Def Leppard came out,
With the LP On Through the Night,
It is heavy with screams and plenty shouts,
It makes me feel alright alright alright.
“Hello America”! It’s the “Rock Brigade”!
I played these singles on my ghetto blaster,
Unpolished – but the tunes made the grade,
Heavy ones like “Answer to the Master”.
Producer was Tom Allom of Judas Priest fame,
A heavy raw album he did record,
Leppard had not yet joined the hit game,
No big tricks on the electronic soundboard.
“It Could Be You” rocking out to this one,
Reckless abandon with axes ablaze,
“Wasted” blasts you like a shotgun,
Nothing left to see but a smokey haze.
Sophistication will not be found anywhere,
Maybe a little on the closer “Overture”,
Loud guitars drums blasting and long hair,
For your metal sickness this is the cure.
On Through the Night straight into battle,
Leppard hit the launching pad hard,
With the New Wave of British Heavy Metal,
The Lep became leaders of the new guard.
The story continues today as Leppard survive,
Still prowling the concert stage all over the world,
Fans clamour to hear these old song lives,
And so on Viva Hysteria, “Wasted” was unfurled.
This is but the seed that would grow into a beast,
The mere beginning of something great,
Pick up this record at the very least,
You will find it is very difficult to hate.
AEROSMITH – Nine Lives (1997 Columbia, European version)
By popular demand, here is a look at Aerosmith’s Nine Lives, an often overlooked and sometimes forgotten record overshadowed by bigger hits.
Aerosmith were in trouble. In 1995, after completing a massive amount of work to support Get a Grip and Big Ones, drummer Joey Kramer suffered a nervous breakdown. It was a traumatic experience for the musician, who had conquered his drug demons long ago and thought he was otherwise healthy. Aerosmith went ahead with new producer Kevin Shirley, replacing longtime collaborator Bruce Fairbairn who was busy with Van Halen, The Cranberries, and INXS. A session drummer (Steve Ferrone) filled in, with the intention that when Joey returned, they could finish the album with him. Kramer did return, perhaps stronger than ever, and re-recorded all of Ferrone’s drums himself. According to Joey, it made all the difference to him, to make the album sound like Aerosmith.
Although the first single, “Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)” was pretty blasé, the album itself is very strong. I liked it all but immediately, bought it, and then bought it again when I found the European version with the bonus track “Falling Off”. The domestic version was “enhanced” for PC use, with some kind of game where you could play along to Aerosmith songs. I never even tried that, and I ditched the original when I found the European version. I found it in Calgary, Alberta, of all places.
A raucous opening is what you need to set the scene, and “Nine Lives” fits the bill. That’s Joey on drums alright, as he has this steady, heavy beat that is quintessentially Joey Kramer. There’s Tyler, vintage sassy and welcoming you to the party. Over on guitar, Brad Whitford and Joe Perry are sounding brilliant thanks to some crunchy, crisp production from Kevin Shirley. As always Tom Hamilton on the bass isn’t afraid to play all over the neck without getting in the way. In other words, for all appearances, Aerosmith were as strong as ever.
Listening to the dreadfully titled “Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)” again reminds me that I never disliked the song. It was only the title (and the video directed by Michael Bay) I found silly. Otherwise it’s a fine example of horn-enhanced mid-tempo 90’s Aero-rock. It has a sleezy grind to it, but it’s not particularly distinguishable from any similar songs on past Aerosmith records. It’s what they do, and although there are plenty better tunes, I suppose there is an Aero-niche that needs to be filled and here it is. Another thing they had to do was the sappy ballad with strings and so here is “Hole in My Soul”, another single. I think track 3 is a little early for ballad.
I remember walking into a record store with T-Rev one afternoon (I think Sunrise) and they were playing an early pre-release promo of “Taste of India”. I intensely dug the heavy groove, and the exotic spices thrown in. “Holy shit,” I said to Trevor, “this is really good.” He wasn’t as enthusiastic, but I think the groove here is impossible to resist. For latter-day Aerosmith, “Taste of India” represents one of those peaks, kind of like tunes such as “Kings and Queens” were for the early years. It’s adventurous and I’m a sucker for those guitars that sound like sitars. There is also sārangī on this track, performed by Ramesh Mishra who was a student of Ravi Shankar. I will return back to my original point though — the heavy groove here is the key. It’s all about that unstoppable steamroller of a rhythm. You don’t hear Aerosmith groove this heavy very often anymore. Back when I was at the Record Store, I did a brief paragraph review of this record for our store newsletter. I praised the song then too, and my enthusiasm has not diminished in the slightest.
“Full Circle” is an interesting track, a ballad that sounds a bit like something you’d sing in a big group on New Year’s Eve. “Time, don’t let it slip away, raise your drinking glass, here’s to yesterday.” It sounds a bit like an old Beatles ballad, interpreted by Aerosmith. It’s just a stunning little track, different from a lot of the Aero-noise that filled later albums. But “Something’s Gotta Give”, and we need an adrenaline-filled Aero-ass-kicker next. “Something’s gotta give! Does the noise in my head bother you?” Tyler’s harmonica solo is scorching hot, I’m sure his lips were burning. Then it’s a smokey, jazzy (with muted trumpet) intro to “Ain’t That a Bitch”. I don’t think I’d wanna call this a ballad, but maybe a slow Aero-burner? Using the word “ballad” sells the song short because it has more to it than that, even though there’s those strings again! Then the horns return for the “The Farm”, an inessential but dramatic song. This is about where the break between side 1 and side 2 would come, so I consider this song to be an apt side closer.
Aerosmith kick it into gear and “Crash” for a breakneck blaze of a song. Perry’s solo is incandescent. Kramer’s there in the back, locked into Tom Hamilton driving this big beast called Aerosmith forward as fast as it will go. Tyler’s screaming “I’m losing my mind, losing my mind, losing my mind!” while the boys in the back are jamming hard. The second half of this song is truly as good and wreckless as Aerosmith can get. Just top drawer rawk n’ roll.
So of course they bring you down from that “Crash” with a ballad, called “Kiss Your Past Goodbye”. This is by the books, and strictly just an off-the-shelf stock Aero-ballad. There is a lull in the album right about here, as it stalls towards the end. Another single, the pretty dreadful “Pink”, takes up a solid 4 minutes of your listening time. I had a customer at the Record Store, the “Barefoot DJ”, a really annoying fucker who was persistently looking for this damned song. But he refused to pay $11.99 for the Aerosmith album it was on, so he didn’t get it. Sucked to be him, I guess.
Joe Perry redeems the album (on the European version only) with his song “Falling Off”, for which he handles lead vocals. It’s nothing special, but it has an old-style rock integrity to it that centers us back to where we should be with this album. Fortunately it’s followed by another strong song, “Attitude Adjustment” which has a hint of a twang to it. It’s still nice an’ heavy, which you will have noticed by now is a continuing theme on this album. Sure there are lots of ballads, but also lots of kinds of heavy. “Attitude Adjustment” is rhythmically hard-edged, and Joe Perry’s slide guitar always hits you square right in the guts.
“Fallen Angels” brings the ballad count to four. However, this ballad has integrity. It is a long ballad, adorned with strings and all the fixings, but it also has the feeling and drama that preceding ballads lacked. The exotic sounds of India return to close the song and the album, going “Full Circle” as Aerosmith said earlier.
Lastly, I think Nine Lives has some of the best album artwork of any Aerosmith album in the CD age. I know that the original cover art with the snakes and the dancing cat was offensive to some of the Hindu faith. They then issued an alternative, revised version for retailers who wanted it, and it was just as cool anyway. Each page of the booklet features artwork that “pulls back” further giving you a wider perspective of the actual scene. This culminates with a zombie Aerosmith on the last page. The best thing about the revised cover art is that it adds one more picture to this sequence of “pulling back”. Now you can see the zombie Aerosmith are just a picture on a T-shirt on the same cat, who is strapped to a circus knife throwing wheel! I wouldn’t mind getting that version of the CD (cheap) just to have the final picture in the sequence.
This version of Nine Lives has 14 songs. If you think of an album in old-school terms, you realize that’s about four or five songs more than you used to get on a record. If you trimmed a few of these songs off, as if you were releasing a vinyl album in the 1970’s, imagine how tight it could have been. With the ballady filler, I’d give it:
DEF LEPPARD – Official 11 track live mp3 collection, download only (2000-2001)
We at LeBrain HQ have always loved being able to shed some light on music that is so rare, that you just can’t find out much of anything about online anymore. It seems one of most obscure categories of rare music are official downloads from long ago that were never physically released, and long since taken down. 15 years isn’t a long time ago, but did you know that in 2000-2001, Def Leppard gradually put up 11 live tracks to download from their official site? This was long before they had any sort of live album out whatsoever.
These official live recordings were selected by the band, and were released over a period of several months. They were not available for long. They were taken down by the time Leppard changed their site over to promote the X album in 2002. Taken together, I assembled them in order of release into a a full length live album by Def Leppard — unofficial, yet official just the same!
The first song released was the old acoustic standby “Two Steps Behind” (San Antonio, Texas, 2000). Joe begins by announcing that they were recording the show, and that this particular night was also the “official opening evening, at it were, of our brand new website, www dot defleppard dot com. And that’s the reason we’re recording it, because we’re gonna put it on the web. Worldwide, you guys are going worldwide!” That certainly explains things! The recording itself is quite excellent, rich and clear. You also know there are no overdubs, because chords are missed and the songs goes on. To me this is the ideal form of live recordings: official, but with a loose “who cares” attitude in regards to fixing mistakes later on.
An older classic, “Women” (Salem, Oregon, 2000) has similar sonic qualities. It’s also quite bass heavy which is a nice change of pace for this band. There had already been a B-side live version of “Women” out there for a while, recorded in 1987 for the video In the Round – In Your Face. This version however has the currently lineup with Vivian Campbell, and a Joe Elliot who hits all the screams at the end. This would have to be my go-to live version when I want to hear one.
The first then-new Def Leppard song to get the live release treatment was “Demolition Man” from Euphoria. This one, from Denver, Colorado in 1999, sounds faster than the album version. On an album of mostly so-so songs, “Demolition Man” at least had some velocity to it, unremarkable as it is. It’s over and out quickly enough.
“When Love & Hate Collide” (Tokyo, 1999) is the second ballad released in the collection. Although you could get an acoustic version on the bonus disc (Acoustic in Singapore) to Slang in 1996, this was the first full-on electric live release. This version has some heft to it, and once again I would say this is the go-to version to listen to.
Def Leppard have been playing The Sweet’s “Action” for so long now, that you may as well consider it a built-in part of their set. This was the first live version made available (London, 1999). Like “Demolition Man”, it seems faster and much heavier live. Joe’s voice is sounding pretty ragged at the end — as it should be after a performance like that!
The hit song “Animal” from Hysteria was not readily available in live form, at least on an audio format. They did it unplugged for Acoustic in Singapore, and there were a couple VHS videos out there too, but nothing on vinyl or CD. This more recent version (Nashville, Tennessee, 2000) is as reliable as any other. It’s clear that even though the Euphoria album was shaky, the tour behind it was anything but.
Def Leppard started putting the instrumental scorcher “Switch 625” live again on the Slang tour. It was welded onto “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” for a High ‘N’ Dry medley, just like it was on album. This Montreal recording from 1996 is incredible. Even the ballad has some serious crunch and scream to it. Would you like some feedback? Here you go, turn it way up. Campbell nails the solos on “Heartbreak”, but it is “Switch 625” that is the pièce de résistance. Just listen to Rick Allen, but don’t leave your jaw on the floor! At the end, Joe says “Ladies and gentlemen, the best drummer in the world, Mr. Rick Allen!” Then, a moment later you can hear Joe say, “He is,” to affirm the man’s awesomeness. These two were released as one solid 8 minute 12 second track. Then, from the same 1996 show in Montreal is another special track. Is it “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”?
“Mama take this gin from me, I can’t drink it anymore, Where’s the sink, I gotta pee, Looks like I’m checking into Betty Ford…”
In another moment of “I’m really glad they didn’t cut that,” Joe needed to fill a minute while Phil Collen went to pee! They left it in. Joe then turns the microphone over to Phillipe for his song “Miss You in a Heartbeat”, performed acoustically. Phil does the lead vocal and also the acoustic guitar solo, while it is quite possible that Joe himself went to pee.
“Rock! Rock! Till You Drop” is the only song fromPyromania to be released as part of this series. By the opening tapes, it sounds like it was the first song of the set in Cardiff, Wales in 1999. As such, Joe’s got a lot of screaming to do, but he does a good job. What an opener that must have been! You have to give these five guys credit for putting a lot of energy into their live performances. There is a lot of singing, soloing, and riffing to do, and they don’t make it easy for themselves!
The final two songs of the set were recent Euphoria songs, from the Tokyo show in 1999 once again. The ballad “Goodbye” is just boring as hell. You gotta get out there and promote the new album and single, but this was never a good album or single. It was a weak attempt to write another “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”. Thankfully they saved the best Euphoria song for last, which was “Paper Sun”. I like when Def Leppard get into that “Gods of War” / “White Lightning” space, and that is what they did with “Paper Sun”. (It also has shades of “Women”.) Unfortunately these last two recordings, being new songs and all, feel a little more stiff. The band weren’t as familiar with them obviously, but I think you can hear it. Still, what are the chances of Leppard ever playing “Paper Sun” live again? Slim to none, I’d say. So who’s complaining? Not this guy.
Since this time, Leppard have put out plenty of official live product. There’s the excellent double live Viva! Hysteria, with loads of rarities. There’s Mirrorball, a double album representing a standard modern Def Leppard concert set. There was even a bonus live disc added to the deluxe version of Pyromania. None of those releases have “Demolition Man”, “Goodbye”, “Paper Sun”, “Miss You in a Heartbeat”, or “When Love & Hate Collide”. That makes this collection pretty special, to this day.
4.5/5 stars
We at LeBrain HQ want to hear from you if you know any more about these tracks. Any information gleaned such as actual recording or release dates will be happily added to this review. (Comments regarding trades will be deleted.)
IRON MAIDEN – The Book of Souls(2015 Parlophone, collector’s book edition)
I have a new hero. His name is Bruce Dickinson.
Bruce has not only beaten cancer back to that dark hole from which it came, but he takes command on Iron Maiden’s new opus The Book of Souls.
Even though he only has writing credits on four of the 11 tracks here, his impact is massive. With lungs of iron, Bruce propels everything. For the first time (possibly) ever, I feel that the most important band member is not leader Steve Harris, but the singer himself.
Right from the opener “If Eternity Should Fail”, Bruce is center stage. He wrote this complex number himself. It boasts one of Maiden’s most memorable choruses yet, and musical twists and turns that return us to Powerslave. Meanwhile, there is a hook that reminds me of Bruce’s solo song “The Ghost of Cain”, from Accident of Birth.
We took a good look at the lead single, “Speed of Light” a couple weeks back. Maiden often write a fast, heavy blazer to go with a new album, and that’s “Speed of Light”. Even though it is the single, it is far from the strongest song. Written by Bruce and Adrian Smith, it is certainly a good Iron Maiden track, but in comparison to the monuments of metal that surround it, “Speed of Light” feels like a brief diversion from the epic metal moments at hand. Adrian’s solo, however, is delicious.
“The Great Unknown” (Smith/Harris) opens softly, but even so there is a menacing tone to Bruce’s voice and the underlying instruments. With a slow, thrusting riff, “The Great Unknown” soon lurches forth, a killer metal march for the ages. Bruce pushes his voice to the very limits, giving it all and then some. As with many of the songs on The Books of Souls, I hear hints and echoes of past Maiden epics. This is not a lack of originality, more like a signature — familiar but always different. “The Great Unknown” ends on the soft note with which it began.
What is an Iron Maiden album without a Steve Harris bass intro? He and producer Kevin Shirley captured a wonderful bass sound on this album. “The Red and the Black”, another epic, is the only Harris solo writing credit. It has a riff that takes me all the way back to Killers, but then it is gone, and it’s onto another riff…and another…and another. At 13 minutes in length, this is one of those trademark Harris songs. Time changes galore, loaded with hooks. You can draw parallels to many epics from the past, but to do so takes away from this one. “The Red and the Black” is a proud achievement, a passionate metal song as only Iron Maiden can really do. Adrian Smith handles one of the guitar solos with a huge splash of wah-wah, and that is simply a thing of beauty. In sum, if you took a little bit of everything that makes Iron Maiden great and unique, then all those ingredients are in “The Red and the Black”. Bass outro, and that’s that.
A semi-shorty (5:52) is in the next slot, a fast riffer called “When the River Runs Deep” written by Steve and Adrian. This one is hard to compare to any past Maiden tracks, as it occupies a space all its own. Adrian Smith sometimes brings in riffs that sound like something other than Iron Maiden, and I think that’s “When the River Runs Deep”. Adrian takes another wah-wah solo, but not to be outdone is Janick Gers who throws down an edgy solo of his own. As far as Iron Maiden goes, this song is guitar solo nirvana.
A 10 minute epic always makes a good closer when you’re Iron Maiden, so the title track “The Book of Souls” (Gers/Harris) is last for disc one. Gentle acoustic guitars and keyboards emulating pipes tell us that this is previously uncharted territory. Then “The Book of Souls” trudges forth, with a beat not unlike “Mother Russia” from No Prayer for the Dying. There’s far more to the song than that, however. Soaring lead vocals (Bruce only seems stronger!) just ice the cake. All three Maiden guitarists shine on this, but Janick and Adrian have some solos that just play off each other so well. You want those trademark Maiden guitar melodies? How about galloping riffs? Nicko McBrain killing it on the drums? Maiden deliver, in top notch style, everything and then some more.
Bruce and Adrian co-wrote “Death or Glory”, opening side two with frenetic drums and riffing. Going for the throat, The Book of Souls has more fast riffs per minute than any Maiden album in decades. In five brief minutes, you are blasted against the wall, bounced off the floor, and nailed to the ceiling. Don’t hurt your neck from all the headbanging. This time, the guitar spotlight is on Dave Murray for an intense, dramatic solo.
“Shadows of the Valley” (Gers/Harris) sounds a lot like “Wasted Years” at first, but only briefly. If anything, “Shadows of the Valley” recalls Dance of Death-era Iron Maiden. Although this song is not as powerful or memorable as others on the album, it does contain some seriously incredible instrumental moments.
One of the most heartfelt and powerful songs on the album is the shortest. “Tears of a Clown” is a thoughtful moment about Robin Williams. The poignant lyrics are to the point:
All alone in a crowded room, He tries to force a smile, The smile it beamed or so it seemed, But never reached the eyes, disguise, Masquerading as the funny man do they despise.
I found this to be one of the compelling songs. Of all the bands to commemorate Robin Williams, I did not expect it to be Iron Maiden. But they did it in such a way that it completely fits.
Dave Murray and Steve Harris might not have known that Bruce already has a solo song called “Man of Sorrows”, but it doesn’t matter much since Maiden’s song is called “The Man of Sorrows”. Musically this sounds much like X Factor-era Maiden. Bruce takes it to a higher level than that. Dave himself has a nice slow bluesy solo at the end that is just pure gravy.
The biggest surprise, the biggest song, and the biggest challenge has to be “Empire of the Clouds”. Written solely by Bruce and coming in at almost 20 minutes, it is unprecedented in the Maiden canon. Never before have the credits “Bruce Dickinson – vocals, piano” been written inside one of their albums. For the first time ever, the piano is a part of Iron Maiden’s makeup. Maiden have used orchestras before, and the strings return as well. “Empire of the Clouds” is a peak accomplishment, something that they (and Bruce) can proudly proclaim, “we did that”. The piano is a natural fit, in the way it is used to make an epic song even more dramatic. Aviation has been one of Bruce’s favourite lyrical subjects for a long time, but “Empire of the Clouds” might be his first song about airships. You can trust him to instill it with all the drama and heaviness that you expect from Iron Maiden.
Even though 92 minutes have elapsed, The Book of Souls does not particularly feel longer than A Matter of Life and Death or The Final Frontier. Like those two previous records, The Book of Souls is going to have to be digested long-term, returned to again and again to fully absorb and appreciate. This is an album in the true sense: best appreciated in sequence, as a single work. There’s an intermission in the middle for you to change CDs and take a break, but I recommend diving right back in once again.
With Bruce’s very serious health scare, and the increasing age of the band, there is always the chance that this could be the last Iron Maiden album. Of course, some said that about The Final Frontier as well. It seems that ever since Brave New World in 2000, Iron Maiden have set to top the previous album each time. The cumulative effect of that is that they had a hell of a lot to live up to on The Book of Souls.
Mission accomplished.
5/5 stars
Disc 1
1. If Eternity Should Fail (Dickinson) 8:28
2. Speed Of Light (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:01
3. The Great Unknown (Smith/ Harris) 6:37
4. The Red And The Black (Harris) 13:33
5. When The River Runs Deep (Smith/ Harris) 5:52
6. The Book Of Souls (Gers/ Harris) 10:27
Disc 2
7. Death Or Glory (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:13
8. Shadows Of The Valley (Gers/ Harris) 7:32
9. Tears Of A Clown (Smith/ Harris) 4:59
10. The Man Of Sorrows (Murray/ Harris) 6:28
11. Empire Of The Clouds (Dickinson) 18:01
For the official KeepsMeAlive review by Aaron,click here!
WILLIAM SHATNER – Seeking Major Tom(2011 Cleopatra)
Why? Why do I keep doing this to myself? I spend hard-earned money on something I knew would be shit. I knew it! Didn’t I?
The hype was palpable in the air. Two of my favourite worlds collided — heavy metal and Star Trek. Captain James T. fucking Kirk, doing sci-fi rock classics, with luminaries of the art such as Ritchie fucking Blackmore, Zakk fucking Wylde, Dave fucking Davies and many, many more. It’s almost as if it was a compulsory purchase.
I…wished I had…resisted. (notice the Shatner-like pauses?)
You know how many times I have listened to Seeking Major Tom? Once.
Let’s go in for round two. Let’s see what happens.
Did I mention this is a double album? This is a double album. The original versions of a lot of these songs are deeply ingrained in our hearts and memories. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Learning to Fly”, “Iron Man”. I have a lot of feelings invested into these songs, and deep respect for every musician playing on the album. There is even a mini Ozzy Osbourne band reunion on Iron Man, as Zakk Wylde and Mike Inez reteam once again.
Shatner first teams up with Nick Lalensi of the Strokes for “Major Tom (Coming Home)”, and musically it’s perfect, and very Strokes-like…Bill’s vocals take some getting used to. Not bad though! He’s not attempting to sing, it’s a spoken word performance. It’s performing the lyrics as if it was poetry. For “Major Tom”, it actually works kinda brilliantly. The original “Space Oddity” is next, and this one features one Ritchie Blackmore and his lovely wife, Candice Night. Candice adds melody enough with her backing vocals, and Bill makes his style work on the song. Blackmore is the real star here, and it is too bad his electric guitar is low in the mix. He takes a solo where there would normally be saxophone.
I’m actually surprised by how listenable this is! Bill manages to evoke emotion with his monotone, which is remarkable to me.
I’m not familiar with the U2 song “In a Little While” at all. The space connection here is that astronaut Frank De Winne once read the lyrics live from the International Space Station, beaming his vocals to a U2 concert, recorded for the DVD U2360° at the Rose Bowl. Bill is joined by an unlikely guest, Lyle Lovett, but once again I am surprised by how well this works. Lyle’s still got it, I’ll tell you that much! This segues into a reprise of “Space Oddity”, and then the Steve Miller favourite “Space Cowboy”. Brad Paisley and Steve Miller himself (he still plays brilliantly) join Bill on this one, which…well, it crashes and burns in the atmosphere. Bill takes on the persona of a drunken cowboy (?) and it’s just a bit too weird.
“Space Oddity” returns once again, but this time, we’re going “Space Trucking” with Ian Paice and Johnny Winter…acoustically. “Come on! Come on, let’s go Space Truckin’!” invites Bill, coming across more as a creepy old guy than the kind of person who drives a space truck you’d feel comfortable jumping into. Just wait until he screams, “Yeah, yeah yeah yeah!” No, no, no, no. “Rocket Man” (Elton John), featuring progressive rock veteran Steve Hillage, works much better. Hillage creates sounds similar to the “space whale” call from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Bill’s interpretations of old classics work better when he’s not hamming it up. Much like his acting. And ham it up is exactly (predictably) what he did with “She Blinded Me With Science”, featuring Bootsy Collins. Since the original is so goofy, this works plenty well. Reggae veteran Toots Hibbert lends some credibility to the Police classic, “Walking on the Moon”. This is pretty good too! The ever-excellent Peter Frampton drops by for “Spirit in the Sky”, a song I usually find irresistible due to the vocal melody. Unfortunately that melody has been gutted, and without it, there’s not much left in terms of a song.
The first (and last) time I listened to this album, I remember being repulsed by “Bohemian Rhapsody”. You can picture it, can’t you? It’s terrible. “I’m just a poor boy,” whimpers Bill, and it’s awful. “Mama,” he cries, and I’m crying too.
Thankfully, Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine” (with Wayne Kramer and Carmine Appice) is a lot better than that. It actually rocks pretty heavy, and Bill finds the right tone for his vocals, no problem. This is noisy goodness and quite possibly the best track on the disc. A segue back into “Major Tom (Coming Home)” leads into a Sheryl Crow original called “Mrs. Major Tom”. This is a very nice piano based ballad, showcasing Sheryl’s powerful pipes. It’s a sequel of sorts to “Coming Home”, about what happens if he doesn’t come home. Bill doesn’t even appear on this one, strangely enough! It closes the first disc on a somber but very classy note.
I don’t know where Bill heard The Tea Party, but that’s who he’s covering on “Empty Glass”, featuring Michael Schenker. This track was from The Tea Party’s final album before breakup, Seven Circles, which I own but can’t remember at all. I should revisit it soon, because “Empty Glass” (which references Major Tom, a Starman, ground control, and Diamond Dogs) is damn good and heavy. “Lost in the Stars” is from the 1949 musical of the same time. The dusky, sparse piano accompanies Bill’s deep speaking voice perfectly. Still mellow but in tune with the Pink Floyd original is “Learning to Fly”. The only thing wrong with this version is that there is nobody who sounds like David Gilmour, and his guitar hook is such an important part of the original classic. Bill sounds perfectly at home, and the musical background is sturdy enough.
The Kinks’ Dave Davies helps Shatner out on guitar, for the Byrds’ “Mr. Spaceman”. It has that campy feel that doesn’t particularly work well. It’s amusing, but a novelty. “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring (known for that chorus of “When the bullet hits the bone), rocks. Warren Haynes from the Allman’s kicks every ass in the room on his extended guitar solo. There is then a Shatner original called “Struggle”, written with his producer Adam Hamilton (ex L.A. Guns). This soft dramatic piece seems vaguely familiar, like a U2 outtake, and is very good in fact.
Winding things down, Sabbath’s “Iron Man” featuring Ozzy’s old band members Zakk Wylde and Mike Inez is an easy one to screw up, and Shatner does so gloriously. He sounds appropriately Dalek-like on the opening line, “I am Iron Man!” but he attempts to sing the song. I repeat: he attempts to sing the song “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath. This goes about as well as you would expect. Zakk backing him on lead vocals only creates an irritating cacophony. The album ends on a very different note: “Planet Earth” by Duran Duran. Not having any particular attachment to the original, I quite liked this one. Hamilton plays some killer disco bass on it. It sounds like “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”.
Going into this for the second time, I fully expected the album to suck again. The truth is, it doesn’t. It sure didn’t click with me the first time, but it is truly not a bad album. Metallica made a double album with vocals like this once; I think it was called Lulu. From this two disc set, you could extract one good solid CD of enjoyable William Shatner interpretations. So, given that:
THE SEX PISTOLS – Filthy Lucre Live (1996 Virgin Japanese import)
Late to the punk rock scene in ’96, I threw Filthy Lucre Live on the speakers in-store. Impressed by their canon of catchy, simple guitar rock, I decided I was a fan and bought a double disc version of Never Mind the Bollocks. I still think the reunited 1996 band were valid and put out a worthwhile document of that tour. I was fortunate to finally stumble upon the Japanese version with additional B-side bonus tracks, from the concurrent “Pretty Vacant” live single. It was brand new and cost only $20 at the 2013 Toronto Musical Collectibles Record & CD Sale.
Recorded on 23 June, the album was released only a month later. Even though a big money reunion tour isn’t very punk rock, a one month turnaround isn’t bad! The backing vocals however sound so clean that I wonder if some very un-punk overdubs happened in that time. I don’t know. I do know that the vocals of Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook deliver the hooks required while Johnny Rotten rants with full-on vibrato. Either way it sounds brilliant.
Scorching through “Bodies”, the Pistols in ’96 kicked many competitors in the ass. “Seventeen”, with its classic chorus* of “I’m a lazy sod!” lacks some of the edge it used to have in the 70’s, but I don’t think the thousands of people singing along minded too much.
“New York” rocks sloppily, and Johnny Rotten delivers his voice with that vibrato…almost distracting, almost unnerving, but strangely catchy. His vocals have become more exaggerated and dramatic over the years and I like these renditions of the songs. Steve Jones’ sloppy guitar riffs are mixed too low, or perhaps mixed that way to hide a multitude of feedbacky sins? Who cares. “No Feelings” slams just as hard either way.
“Don’t be naughty…I’ve done you no wrong,” Johnny scolds the crowd before diving into “Did You No Wrong”. One song is much the same as another, but that hasn’t stopped AC/DC either. “We’re not that fucking bad after all, are we?” sneers Johnny. Do I detect some pride? “God Save the Queen” is early in the set, but as venomous as ever.
Through “Liar”, “Satellite”, and the cover of “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone” the set drags a bit. “Holidays in the Sun” brings back that excitement and reckless abandon. “Submission” is next, another riffs as simple and memorable as “Holidays”, and do I detect a touch of “Where Have All the Good Times Gone” by the Kinks there at the end?
“Pretty Vacant”, “EMI”, “Anarchy” and “Problems” close the set for a memorable end. Even though I don’t think they ever really gave two shits about the music, there was a lot of good music. John Lydon is a parody of himself, and he knows it and embraces it. He’s become a grumpy, angry elder statesmen of punk and Filthy Lucre Live is representative of that version of him. Either way, it’s an enjoyable departure from the same old versions.
The Japanese CD comes with some B-side bonus tracks. “Buddies” is what sounds like an audience recording of “Bodies”. I guess for that raw punk authenticity? “No Fun” is also present, a Stooges cover to add to the count of classic punk rock.
4/5 stars
*I’m aware that Johnny Rotten would likely kick me in the ass for calling his music “classic”. He’d probably also disagree with many more of my words, but I love that crazy guy.
I’m in a unique position for someone who was a newborn when this album came out. By happenstance, this was my first Queen album. My mom bought it for me. She bought it at the store that I would one day spend over a decade working myself. This just happened to be the one she picked.
A few weeks prior, I had been immersed in the latest issue of one of the big guitar magazines. Queen were out there doing press for Innuendo, and this magazine did a run down with Brian May of the entire Queen discography. I read it over and over again. I knew the pop hits, but what of these other songs they were talking about? “Stone Cold Crazy” had to be awesome for Metallica to cover it. And this tune “Bohemian Something”…by the description alone I needed to hear it.
And then, only a month or two later, I was hanging out with my friend Andy watching music videos in the basement. My mom came downstairs. She had been up watching the news.
“Hey guys, sorry to interrupt,” she said, “But Queen just made an announcement. Freddie Mercury has AIDS.”
“Oh no,” Andy and I said almost simultaneously. The rumours were that he was very, very sick. Although Brian May denied it only months before, fans feared for the worst. Freddie hadn’t toured since 1986. He looked gaunt, frail, in the most recent photos. We were both saddened to know the rumours were true. The very next day, Freddie Mercury died.
That’s my story where it comes to the first Queen album. It is an intensely personal love for me.
I was surprised how raw it sounds. Yet although the guitars are rough by comparison to later Queen, the layering of vocals and instruments has already begun on “Keep Yourself Alive”. It is one of the most brilliant Queen rockers of all time. When I first heard this song, I recognized some gallop that was later ripped off by Iron Maiden. Roger Taylor (credited as Roger Meddows-Taylor) even gets a drum solo! First single, first song — drum solo. Why not? Brian’s layered guitar solos point the way to where he would go with the instrument. It’s worth noting that Queen get a co-production credit. I’m sure they had a lot to do with the way they wanted to hear the instruments and vocals.
“Doing All Right” begins as a tender piano ballad, but it soon goes into an acoustic section, before finally going fully electric and amplified. The voices of Freddie, Brian and Roger have a distinct sound that is Queen. Roger’s voice in particular gives it an edge. All “Doing All Right” lacks is the intense focus that Queen would later acquire.
Queen’s first serious epic was “Great King Rat”. Freddie wrote the song himself, and a complex number it is. Vocally, melodically, and lyrically, it is a killer. Brian’s wah-wah solo in the left speaker is an eargasm, but it’s fascinating to hear him playing against himself in the right speaker. There’s a flamenco inspired part that hints towards a similar section on “Innuendo” many years later. This song is dazzling in its resplendent luminosity. Another Freddie song, “My Fairy King” follows, and shows of his operatic side. Fingers dancing on the piano keys, Freddie leads the way through various tempos and textures. There is nothing simple about it. And so closed the first side of the first Queen albums.
Another Freddie epic opens the second side, which is “Liar”. I always assumed “Liar” had to be a Brian song because of the heavy guitar riff, but it is a sole Mercury credit. Roger’s drum work is stunning, but it’s Queen — everybody’s stunning. Since we haven’t mentioned him yet, It should be noted that John Deacon (credited as Deacon John) is Queen’s secret weapon on the bass. Not only is he always dead on, but he composes catchy bass lines that are subliminally absorbed into your cranium. You’re not always aware of Deacon when you’re listening, but when you focus on the bass, you realize he’s always very melodic. That’s probably important when Brian is laying down such heavy chords!
The acoustic guitar comes out again for “The Night Comes Down”. It’s a pleasant ballad, nothing outstanding, somewhat lacking in focus in favour of atmospherics. But is it possible that Queen invented punk rock with “Modern Times Rock ‘N’ Roll”? Unlikely. Still, there isn’t a better word to describe it. It’s less than 2 minutes, direct, heavy and blazingly fast. Taylor wrote it and sang it with his sandpaper raspy voice. The only think un-punk about it is Brian May’s very rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo. In no way is this a Queen classic, but I think it’s pretty fascinating.
Queen got some heavy groove going on with “Son & Daughter”. “The world expects a man to buckle down and to shovel shit”, wrote Brian in the lyrics that Freddie sings. Uncharacteristically Queen! It’s heavy, short and to the point with great hooks. Then comes “Jesus”, the story of Christ’s birth and performing of miracles. Certainly this is unusual subject matter for a rock band like Queen. Although it begins dramatic and hymn-like, it has a very heavy middle section with blazing May guitars; too many to count! To me, this song proves that God loves rock and roll.
Queen closes with a preview for the next album, an interesting twist that you don’t see often. “Seven Seas of Rhye…” is a short instrumental previewing the main piano hook. Of course, “Seven Season of Rhye” as a full song on Queen II became a classic. On Queen I it’s a curious but good closer.
Every good CD reissue should have bonus tracks. The 1991 Hollywood CD issue of Queen has three, while the cassette only had one, which was “Mad the Swine”. This is an odd little song, an acoustic hippie track that you can sing along to but probably don’t want to. “Corny” is an appropriate word. Better is a remake “Keep Yourself Alive”. The band tried out different instrumental bits on this version, especially noticeable in Roger’s busier drum part. The vocals are also glossier and better defined. The tapes were lost and then re-surfaced in time for the 1991 reissue. I think it’s likely a track like this would have eventually been released as a B-side, had the tapes not been lost for so long. It’s a great and very interesting version that can co-exist along with the original.
The unfortunate thing about the 1991 reissues were the inclusion of useless remixes. If it were a vintage remix from an earlier period that’s one thing. But these are 1991 remixes, done for the express purpose of creating bonus material for reissues. The artistic value in them is questionable. That said, “Liar” is pretty faithful to the original, but with mixing board tricks to draw attention to different parts. There are some unheard guitar parts as well, which are fascinating. Of the 1991 remixes, this is one of the better ones. (Don’t even get me started on Rick Rubin’s remix of “We Will Rock You” with Chad Smith on drums and Flea on bass. That atrocity was even released as a Queen single. But I digress.)
That’s the last track on the CD. I know what you’re thinking now. “But LeBrain,” you are saying to yourself, “Isn’t there a more recent reissue with more bonus tracks? Aren’t you going to tell us about those, too?” Yes, there is a more recent version (2001, on Universal) with more bonus tracks (six total). No, I’m not going to talk about that today. Reason being, I don’t have it yet. But Christmas is coming.
AC/DC – Rare…Rarer…Rarities(Flight records bootleg CD, year unknown)
Rare…Rarer…Rarities, huh? Indeed, this is a bootleg CD that includes rarities that most fans don’t have on an official release. The pretty comprehensive Backtracks box set, which came out later, covers most of these songs…but not all.
Most of these tracks are either single B-sides or songs that were exclusively released on the Australian versions of albums. Until Backtracks came out, those songs were very hard to find in North America. The only one I had was “Rock in Peace”, from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. I couldn’t believe my luck in scoring the Australian CD of that album.
There are, however, two songs that none of us are likely to ever own an original physical copy of. These two tracks alone make the bootleg CD purchase worth considering, since they are AC/DC’s first single from 1974, featuring original singer Dave Evans. Most fans have never heard anything with Dave Evans singing. These are ripped from an original 7″ single.
“Can I Sit Next to You Girl” is a song every AC/DC fan knows, because this golden oldie was re-recorded on T.N.T. (1975). Bon Scott’s cheeky delivery made all the difference in the world. Dave Evans is just some guy, asking to sit next to you. Bon was Bon fucking Scott asking to sit next to you…who do you think gets the girl? This early single was issued in the summer of ’74, and it has a completely different, much more laid back intro. It’s not nearly as heavy as it would later become. Evans does have a fine vibrato, I must say!
Every single has a B-side, and “Rockin’ in the Parlour” was AC/DC’s first. It’s much more “rock and roll” than you expect from AC/DC, but it’s catchy and melodic. Angus and Malcolm have yet to fully develop their styles, but you can certainly tell its them. You can hear for yourself, that Dave Evans was not the lyricist that Bon Scott was. “She said, ‘I got some booze, around at my place, so come along and have some fun!'” Sorry Dave, but that just won’t cut it when the band is AC fucking DC.
The rest of these songs are all in print today, so they can be acquired on official AC/DC releases. “Love Song” (High Voltage) shocked me on the first number of listens. Is this AC/DC’s one and only ballad? I guess so! “Oh Jean, Oh Jean!” sings Bon, seemingly heart broken. Once you get used to it, and accept the fact that there are no other AC/DC songs that sound anything like it, you might enjoy it. I know that I do, from time to time.
I’m not sure what makes “She’s Got Balls” and “Little Lover” qualify as rarities. As far as I can tell these are the album versions. Next! “Stick Around” (High Voltage) is a cool tune, a laid-back AC/DC rocker with lots of space between the instruments. You can hear the air sizzle! The riff is about as simple as it gets: two chords. But they are the right chords! “High Voltage” is slightly longer than the album version, and this is also on Backtracks.
“School Days” is a Chuck Berry cover, one of very few covers AC/DC recorded. Chuck Berry is the prototype of AC/DC anyway, so this version fits like a glove. Hail hail rock and roll, indeed! This was originally on T.N.T., but you can get it on the Bonfire box set too. The aforementioned “Rock in Peace” is a shorty, heavy with that AC/DC stomp and the same damn riff they’ve been playing for 40 years.
AC/DC have always had tongue firmly in cheek, but “Crabsody in Blue” is probably the jokiest song they ever recorded. A slow blues similar to “Ride On” deserves to have some down-and-out lyrics. Bon takes that to a descriptive extreme!
“Oh, and when they start to bite, Then it’s time you saw the light, For an appointment. Before you start to scream, That’s when you apply the cream, Blues ointment.”
Only Bon Scott can really write a lyric about venereal disease. Nobody else seems quite as qualified.
“Carry Me Home” was the heavy and instantly likeable B-side to “Dog Eat Dog” (1977). Using his speaking voice to full effect, Bon proves to me why he is one of rock’s all time greatest frontman. His animated vocal performance here is something that very few singers can pull off. (Ian Gillan is one such singer — think “No Laughing in Heaven”.) Then, “Down on the Borderline” is Brian Johnson’s only showing on this CD. This was the B-side from “Moneytalks” (The Razors Edge), but it sounds little like that album. Sonically and vocally, it resembles Blow Up Your Video, right down to the muddy finish. I have no doubt it was recorded for that album.
“Fling Thing” is AC/DC’s take on “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”, which they cheekily credited to Young/Young! It sounds like quite a party was going on during the recording, which falls apart after a mere two minutes! This was originally the B-side to “Jailbreak”. The final song is “Cold Hearted Man”, which was recently dusted off for the Iron Man 2 soundtrack album. It was on Powerage (1978) first, and a dark prowler it is.
A lot of people like to joke that all of AC/DC’s songs sound the exactly the same. This CD of also-ran’s has proven otherwise, and “Cold Hearted Man” is a perfect closer for a solid collection of rock.
By special request of reader Wardy, it’s Epic Review Time!
SAVATAGE – Edge of Thorns(1993 Edel & 2002 Steamhammer)
Sava-fans were shaken. Even though 1991’s Streets: A Rock Opera was a complete artistic triumph, singer and co-founder Jon Oliva quit the band. Side projects and home life had become priorities. He would not, however, ever truly leave Savatage. Even though he was no longer the singer, Jon Oliva co-wrote every track with his brother Criss and producer Paul O’Neill. He even personally selected his replacement, Zachary Stevens, and tutored and coached the new young singer. He also continued to play all the piano parts in the studio, although this time he would not tour. It was certainly an unusual situation, but also an ideal one. Fans knew that Jon was not really gone, and they easily embraced Stevens as the new frontman. Oliva had stated that Savatage needed a voice like Zak’s in order to continue. He knew his own voice was not commercial enough to get on the radio. With Stevens they had a shot.
The press glowed with reviews, praising the new direction of the band. They had successfully combined the later piano-tinged Savatage that wrote complex operatic songs and ballads, with the earlier riff-driven metallic Savatage. Stevens was praised for his voice, and comparisons to Geoff Tate, James LaBrie and Ray Alder were tossed around. I found a copy of Edge of Thorns in Michigan, and it was with great anticipation that I ripped the shrink wrap off the cassette and placed it in my Walkman.
Anyone who has heard the now-classic title track “Edge of Thorns” can’t forget the haunting piano that descends at the beginning of the album. At this early stage, Stevens was very much singing like a progressive rock singer, and throwing in screams at key moments. His range and power here are impressive, and very different from the Mountain King’s style. “Edge of Thorns” was a great choice for an opening track and new singer. Not only is it one of the most immediate songs that Oliva/Oliva/O’Neill had yet composed, but it also combines both sides of the band. The soft piano intro reflects Streets, but then it kicks into overdrive with a riff, heavy bass and dramatic guitar solos. It possesses the pure rock drama of “Gutter Ballet”. It is the whole package.
I have always been drawn to the words.
I have seen you on the edge of dawn, Felt you here before you were born, Balanced your dreams upon the Edge of Thorns, …but I don’t think about you anymore.
I don’t think about you…anymore, Anymore…
But clearly, he does, and intensely so.
“He Carves His Stone” begins as if a ballad, but the patented snake-y Criss Oliva guitar riff drags us back to the metallic origins of the band. The combination of riff and chorus are a winning one. More intense is the borderline thrash metal of “Lights Out”, a smoking track that shows what Zak Stevens can do with the rougher side of his voice. Hang on tight and shout along to the chorus, because this one is a ride.
Back to the dark, dramatic side that Savatage do so well, it’s “Skraggy’s Tomb”, a brilliant song bursting with ominous heaviness. Just let it assault your skull, don’t fight it. Fear not — “Labyrinths” is a quiet piano piece, with Jon accompanied by Chris on guitar. This cascades in traditional Sava-fashion into a fully-blown dramatic intro similar to “Gutter Ballet”. It is a suitable and essential part of the song it is attached to, “Follow Me”, the side one epic.
His whole life was written, Written there inside, The new weekly Bible, His modern TV Guide, Every night he stares back at the screen.
There is no way to sum up the pure excellence, drama, and chills that “Follow Me” delivers. Zak’s vocals make it accessible enough, the power is undeniable. “Follow Me” is among the greatest songs of the Zak Stevens era. A quiet piano piece appropriately titled “Exit Music”* works as an outro. Together with intro and outro, “Follow Me” is almost 10 minutes of pure Savatage adrenaline, with a Criss Oliva solo that still gives me chills.
The second side opens exotically with “Degrees of Sanity”, and Savatage fans know that sanity of one of Jon Oliva’s favourite lyrical subjects! Criss’ guitar parts are lyrical and enticing. Slowly it chugs, building and building. With Criss firmly at the helm, the ship steers through craggy riff after craggy riff until it gives way to the next song, also clearly dealing with sanity: “Conversation Piece”. The subject person of the song thought he had been doing better, lately. “I haven’t thought about you for a while,” he claims. But even so, he has not let it all go yet. “I keep your picture hidden a file, of favourite one-act plays. Like pieces of myself, cut off in desperation, as offerings to thee. I’ll leave them on the shelf, they’re good for conversation over a cup of tea.” The melodramatic lyrics of Savatage have always appealed to me (I don’t know what that says about me). Thanks to Stevens’ impassioned delivery, you can feel every word, while Criss Olivia chugs behind. Remind me not to visit for tea!
Delicate is “All That I Bleed”, a pretty piano ballad with a rocking conclusion. Demonstrating the versatility of his voice, Stevens sings smooth and light, until the end. Perhaps it is all coincidence, but the songs do seem connected. Both “All That I Bleed” and “Conversation Piece” deal with a letter and difficult emotions. I like to think of the two songs as alternate endings to the same story — one in which the person does not send the letter (“Conversation Piece”) and one where he does (“All That I Bleed”). Regardless, “All That I Bleed” has everything you would want in a ballad. Had in come out in 1989 it would have stormed the charts and MTV would have played it non-stop. 1993 was a very different year from 1989, but Savatage had never expressed any interest whatsoever in musical trends (the mis-step that was Fight for the Rock notwithstanding).
“Damien” appears next, a choppy heavy rock tune with bouncy piano doubling the guitar riff. Following this fine song is the even finer “Miles Away”, a melodic heavy rocker that is easy to like. It has a brightness to it, and Steve “Doc” Wacholz kicks the drums right in the ass. Unexpectedly the album closed with a quiet acoustic song, “Sleep”. It feels like a sunrise after the stormy night, and perhaps that’s the intention.
There are plenty of bonus tracks on different editions of Edge of Thorns. I can only review the bonus tracks I have, which are:
“Shotgun Innocence”, originally a Japanese bonus track. This is a glossy hard rock song with an emphasis on melody. Though certainly heavy enough, its direct rock vibe doesn’t fit the mood of Edge of Thorns, which I’m sure is why it was saved for a bonus track. Good song though, and it certainly shows off the pipes of young Mr. Stevens.
“Forever After”, the second Japanese bonus track. Probably the weakest song of the batch. It sounds a bit like an unfinished Ozzy outtake, circa the Jake E. Lee period.
“Conversation Piece (Live in rehearsal 9/24/1994)” is recorded really poorly, but the sweat and rawness are captured. Since it is live in rehearsal, and it is known that Doc Wacholz did not tour, I assume this is with Jeff Plate on drums. That would also have to be Alex Skolnick from Testament on guitar. This track is on the 2002 Steamhammer/SPV remastered edition.
“Believe (Acoustic)” is part of a series of acoustic versions Savatage did for another batch of reissues. This is Zak Stevens’ version of the closing ballad from Streets, but with acoustic guitar instead of piano. It is a fascinating alternative version, but the original always kills me. This is on a German printing on Edel records.
As fate would have it, this would be the final time Jon and Criss would make music together. On October 17, 1993 Criss was killed by a drunk driver with seven prior DUI’s. Rather than let this crush him, Jon survived by pouring himself into music. Savatage would not die, even if with half its heart ripped out. Edge of Thorns remains Criss Oliva’s capstone, and a bright apex it is.
5/5 stars
*The really interesting thing about “Exit Music” is that it is entirely piano. Therefore no “official” members of Savatage appeared on it!
IRON MAIDEN – “Speed of Light” (2015 BMG single/T-shirt bundle – Best Buy exclusive)
“Only at Best Buy“ — the words chill me to the bones.
I don’t know what the deal is with Best Buy exclusives in Canada. When Tenacious D’s movie Pick of Destiny came out, I found the Best Buy edition no problem, just up the street. Bonus disc and all, easy peasy. Didn’t even know such a thing existed until I found it at Best Buy.
Only a few years later, it became impossible to find Best Buy exclusives at Best Buy. Using Tenacious D as the example again, the Best Buy edition of Rize of the Fenix has two bonus tracks. I had to buy it on eBay, so you know it was an inflated price. Same thing with the last Black Sabbath album. Best Buy had a bonus track called “Naïveté in Black” which happened to be one of the best songs. Had to buy it on eBay. Paid too much.
A few weeks ago, Best Buy announced they were getting an exclusive on the new Iron Maiden single “Speed of Light” from the forthcoming double album The Book of Souls. It came with a T-shirt. But I wanted the single just as much. That’s where Stone from Metal Odyssey came in!
First of all, I’m gonna tell you to follow Stone in some way, shape, or form. (WordPress/Twitter) He read my plight regarding Best Buy items here and took pity. I called my closest Best Buy — all CDs have been removed from their inventory. So Stone bought two copies and sent me one, asking nothing in return. (I will return the favour — just name it man!) To say I appreciate this gesture is am understatement, which is why I’m being more long winded than usual for a one track CD single!
“Speed of Light”, written by the duo of Dickinson/Smith, is true to Iron Maiden, and it sounds fucking brilliant. We know all about the new double album, with plenty of long bombers. “Speed of Light” is just a hair over five minutes, a very concise song for any Maiden album. When Adrian and Bruce write together, you can count on a catchy riff and hooks. “Speed of Light” delivers, and Bruce’s singing is just as powerful as ever, cancer be damned. His voice is virtually unchanged since Brave New World, 15 years ago. The air raid siren is intact. And this album will be the fifth with this Maiden lineup, the longest lived in its history. Impressive.
Most impressive.
A highlight of “Speed of Light” has to be Adrian’s solo. The three Maiden guitarists (Janick Gers and Dave Murray being the other two) all have their own distinct styles, which is a major boon to a band like Maiden. Adrian is the one who thoughtfully composes his solos, and then lets them rip. This one is brief but has his stamp all over it.
Sometimes Maiden take on a 70’s vibe. “The Angel and the Gambler” is one such moment, but I think “Speed of Light” also has one foot in the 70’s. Just a hint, an insinuation, at the beginning. Otherwise, “Speed of Light” is purely a modern Maiden metal moment. It would have fit comfortably on The Final Frontier, although I would caution against inferring the sound of the new album from just one single. It is probably one of the more straightforward moments on The Books of Souls, but we’ll find out for sure on September 4.
One last comment: fuck you, cancer! You just got beat by Bruce Dickinson!
QUEEN – Queen (1973, 1991 Hollywood reissue)
mikeladano.com 