DEEP PURPLE – Bombay Calling – Bombay Live ’95 (2003 iTunes)
There are very rare circumstances under which I will pay for a download from iTunes. I’ve made my case for physical product here over the years many, many times. When it’s a band that I obsessively collect, like Deep Purple, I make an exception. Bombay Calling is an interesting live release. It says “Official Bootleg” right there on the cover art, but I’m not really sure what constitutes an official bootleg anymore. I look at this as the soundtrack to a DVD that Deep Purple released in 2000, also called Bombay Calling. That’s essentially what this is — the audio to Bombay Calling, the DVD. In contains the entire show.
This concert was recorded on April 18 1995, which eagle-eyed fans will realize is well before thePurpendicular album. Bombay Calling was recorded not long after “the banjo player took a hike” and Purple carried on without Ritchie Blackmore. Joe Satriani stepped in for a short while, but it was Dixie Dregs guitar maestro Steve Morse that took the Man in Black’s place permanently. This concert was recorded at the very start of Morse’s tenure, and features a few songs they would drop from the set a year or two later. It also features a brand new tune they were working on called “Perpendicular Waltz”, later changed to “The Purpendicular Waltz” on the album.
There is one earlier concert available from this period, which is Purple Sunshine in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, exactly two weeks prior. That one is truly is an official bootleg, taken from audience sources and released on the 12 CD box set Collector’s Edition: The Bootleg Series 1984-2000. The setlists are slightly different. When they hit India for this concert, a new song called “Ken the Mechanic” (retitled “Ted the Mechanic”) was dropped, as was “Anyone’s Daughter”. They were replaced by long time favourites “Maybe I’m a Leo” and “Space Truckin'” from Machine Head.
Special treats for the ears on Bombay Calling include Steve Morse’s incendiary soloing on “Anya” (which would be dropped from the set in 1996). His feature solo leading into “Lazy” is also excellent, and of course very different from what Ritchie used to do. Jon Lord’s keyboard solo is among the best I’ve heard, and even features a segue into “Soldier of Fortune” from Stormbringer. The solo segments that Deep Purple did often allowed them to play snippets from songs from the David Coverdale period of the band, and this one was unexpected and brilliant.
I love a good, raw live performance captured on tape, and Deep Purple don’t muck around. This one is kind of special, coming from that transitional period when Steve Morse was just getting his feet wet. Considering how different he is from Ritchie Blackmore, this smooth switcheroo is quite remarkable. The band had changed, but into something just as good. How many other groups can make that claim?
3.5/5 stars
Since you can’t take a picture of a non-physical product, here are pictures of the 2 CD set that I burned from the iTunes download!
Out of the Cellar was my first Ratt album, acquired in a trade from next door neighbour George. Considering how big Ratt were at the time, I expected it to be better. In the 80’s, I felt like Out of the Cellar was a handful of singles padded out by filler. I haven’t played the whole album in years (at least five), so this review is coming from a fresh perspective. Dusting off the CD, I note on the credits the name of producer Beau Hill — never one of my favourites.
One of the aforementioned singles, “Wanted Man”, opens the album on an up note. The cowboy motif has been popular in hard rock at least since David Lee Roth wore buttless chaps. Tough, slow and menacing is “Wanted Man”. Everything about it is classic hard rock. Finger-blurring solos, thick backing vocals (courtesy of Juan Crocier mostly), and a big chorus are all it takes in the world of Ratt. “Wanted Man” has always been a high point from Out of the Cellar, and it remains just as cool today.
“You’re in Trouble” kinda smells funny, as rock songs with funky bass often do. Great chorus, but the rest of the song fails to generate any sort of fist-pumping. This is easily forgotten since the third track is the big one. “Round and Round”…what is it about this song? It’s still irresistible today. Why? Everything clicks. It is the perfect formulation of Robbin’s riffing, Warren’s picking, and Steven’s sneer. Bobby and Juan keep the pulse tough and punchy. It’s just one of those magical songs from that era that still has the goods.
Moving on, “In Your Direction” is suitable for an album track. Ratt referred to their sound as “Ratt N’ Roll”, because according to them, it was their own sound unlike other bands. That may be so, but unfortunately Ratt N’ Roll is pretty limited as far as genres go. If you cross “Wanted Man” with “You’re In Trouble”, you get something like “In Your Direction”. Ratt albums have always suffered from too many soundalike songs. Smoking solo though — very Eddie-like. “She Wants Money” is pretty good. These old melodies are coming back, as are old memories. “She Wants Money” is one of the strongest non-singles on Out of the Cellar.
Frustratingly, “Lack of Communication” is a good song that lacks a good chorus. “Lack of communication, back off!” Something’s not clicking there, which is too bad because the rest of the song was really decent. What we need now is another single. “Back For More” was always outstanding for a Ratt song. The acoustic intro was the only soft moment, on an album composed 100% of rockers. “Back For More” is punchy and memorable, a pretty great example of Ratt N’ Roll because it doesn’t sound too much like the other songs.
Stormy guitars and cool Pearcy vocals keep “The Morning After” rocking ’til dawn. “I’m Insane” ain’t too bad, another nondescript pedal-to-the-metal Ratt N’ Roller. “Scene of the Crime” is another fairless faceless Ratt song, which closes the album. It’s a fairly limp ending, and there’s nothing about the production that really aids or abets the album.
Listening to Out of the Cellar today is much the same as it was in the 80’s. It has enough high points to give credit where credit is due, but given the chance to listen to it or a “best of” CD, you’re going to go with the compilation. It’s too bad Ratt couldn’t have tightened up some of these songs a bit first, in the writing stage.
MAX WEBSTER – High Class in Borrowed Shoes(1977 Anthem)
It’s only the second Max Webster album, but the band were so tight and perfect that they got three radio classics off it. “Diamonds Diamonds”, “Gravity” and the title track are all three radio staples, and “On the Road” a live classic that Kim Mitchell occasionally plays unplugged. Every fan has a favourite Max album, and I think I probably know a couple who would put High Class in Borrowed Shoes as numero uno.
The album opens with the impressive “High Class in Borrowed Shoes”, a blaster that sounds to me like a Canadian Van Halen! Max had tamed some of their wackier tendencies (“Toronto Tontos”, anyone?) and focussed their chops. Not that the new Max (now featuring legendary drummer Gary McCracken) was normal by any definition. Just listen to the lullaby-like “Diamonds Diamonds”. Great song, but very different for a rock band. Its dreamlike mood is heightened by the surreal lyrics by Pye Dubois. Not to mention there are only six lines to the words!
“Gravity” would make my top five Max tracks in a heartbeat. “What do I know? I sat under a cloud. I looked up, afraid to look down.” Kim sounds like a little boy speaking the words, to great effect. The chorus is a big one, backed by a Kim’s riffing. I have no idea what this song is about, but to me the line “Forget that fear of gravity, get a little savagery in your life,” says everything. Don’t be afraid to take chances. As Pye’s friend Neil Peart once said, just roll the bones. That’s what it means to me, anyway.
Proving he has always been capable of tender ballads, “Words to Words” is one of Kim Mitchell’s first. The keyboards of Terry Watkinson keep it just a little left of center, but Kim’s acoustic work is impeccable and excellent. Pye Dubois’ lyrics are magical and stirring. It’s hard to overstate just how quality this song is. However ballads are usually best followed by scorchers, and that’s “America’s Veins”. Killer solos, smoking drums, and a chorus built for the concert stage: it’s here in one complete package.
“Oh War!” is an incredible monument of rock. AC/DC did a song with a similar vibe called “Little Lover”, but “Oh War!” is a completely different animal. The gonzo solos are more in the “Z” section of the rock aisle, as in “Zappa”. And check out the words! “‘Cause I say fuck you instead of thank you, your choice under your breath.” Yes, that’s what Uncle Kim, Canada’s favourite king of the summertime, just said! OK, so it wasn’t going to get on the radio with those words…but damn, it should have been. This song could have been almost as big as “Battle Scar” had it been.
I have a tape here of Kim Mitchell doing “On the Road” live in the MuchMusic studios, acoustically, on their Intimate and Interactive show. This is what you might call “campfire rock”, but that sells it far too short. “On the Road” is more than a song that would sound good played live around a fire, it has genuine soul that you can feel. It’s an incredible song, and once again, I wonder why Max Webster wasn’t friggin’ huge. “Rain Child” is next in line, which I would describe as a slow burner. Terry Watkinson’s keys take center stage, never intruding. “Rain Child” is a classic album track, and perfect for winding down the album.
Max Webster went mad on the last track, “In Context of the Moon”. This is the second of four “Moon” songs on the first four records: “Coming Off the Moon”, “Beyond the Moon”, and “Moon Voices” are the others. “In Context” can’t be described easily, because it spans many styles and tempos in just five measly minutes! How?! You have to play this one a few times just to get everything that is happening. It’s certainly one of the most challenging pieces of music Max have recorded. The four musicians must have rehearsed the shit out of this one. Anyway, at all times, it smokes. Whether it’s the bright intro guitars, or the metal riffs that follow them, or the sheer madness (including bass solo) that ensues, “In Context of the Moon” is always riveting. It’s just non-stop even though by the time you get to the end of it, you’ll wonder how you got there!
Final note: My good buddy T-Rev, who has guest written here a couple times before, met Gary McCracken after he moved to Sarnia. He was working at Fastenal when in came a guy to pick up an “order for Gary McCracken.” T-Rev pondered a bit before enquiring, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but were in a band called Max Webster?” Yes, he had. It was that Gary McCracken, and he was cool. I love little stories like that. Gary McCracken was Trevor’s biggest influence as a young drummer!
Popoff’s awesome book
There is nothing more to be said in just a single review. For the whole enchilada, get the book from martinpopoff.com! And be sure to get High Class in Borrowed Shoes for your collection.
1986 was the year it all went down. If you were a Van Halen fan, it was time to choose.
Of course, nobody really had to choose between Van Hagar and David Lee Roth. It’s not like every fan had only $10 to spend on albums that year. Fans did choose anyway, and even today almost 30 years later, we still argue about who’s best: Diamond Dave or the Red Rocker?
No matter who you sided with, there is no question that David Lee Roth stormed into 1986 with a killer new band and album.
Steve Vai! That’s enough right there to make for an incendiary band — just ask David Coverdale. Before Little Stevie Vai was a household name, he had earned the respect of Frank Zappa who hired him on after Joe’s Garage. He made his Zappa debut on Tinseltown Rebellion, before being snagged by Graham Bonnet in 1985 for Alcatrazz’s Disturbing the Peace. In that band, he had the unenviable task of replacing a Swedish guitar player you may have heard of called Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Needless to say, Steve Vai was already experienced in filling big shoes by the time David Lee Roth made contact.
Billy Sheehan! A lot of people think he’s the world’s greatest bass player, period. Eight finger lead bass, baby! Three albums with Talas didn’t do much in terms of sales, but the material was strong enough that one song was re-recorded for the Roth album.
Gregg Bissonette! Once you learn how to properly spell his name, you will recognize Bissonette on loads of album credits. Joe Satriani come to mind? How about Spinal Tap? For your information, Gregg Bissonette is still alive, and is still the current Spinal Tap drummer.
Combine those three virtuosos with the greatest frontman of all time, and you have best new band of 1986.
Van Halen’s 5150 came out in March, going to #1. That’s a hard act to follow. Eat ‘Em and Smile, however, ending up standing the test of time. I would argue that even though it’s not Van Halen, it’s still the best Van Halen album since 1984….
As if to say “Eddie who?”, the album opens with Steve Vai’s trademark talking guitar. I’m talkin’ about-a-“Yankee Rose”! Here’s the shot heard ’round the world indeed. Lyrically, musically, and instrumentally, this song truly is the spiritual successor to classic Van Halen. David Lee was still in prime voice, and does he ever pour it on! Sassy as ever, Roth sounds exactly how he should: the showman in the rock and roll circus. And let’s not forget Billy and Gregg. Sheehan’s slinky bass on the outro is space age groove.
“Shyboy” is an atomic bomb. Billy brought in this song from Talas, but there is no question that Dave’s version is vastly superior. I have no idea how Vai makes his guitar create these sounds. When he goes into syncopation with Billy on the fastest solo of all time, your head may be blown clean off. Please, do not attempt to listen to “Shyboy” in the car, without testing it at home first. As Steve’s guitar flickers from left to right, Billy’s bass is the fastest, baddest groove on record. “Shyboy” is of such high quality that I do not think any self-respecting rock fan can live without it. Virtually every trick that Steve had at the time was in this one song.
One thing that was special about Van-Halen-with-Dave was their fearlessness in doing odd covers, such as “Big Bad Bill” or “Oh Pretty Woman”. Dave took that with him, and included oldie swing covers like “I’m Easy”. Horn laden and with Steve’s expert licks, it should be no surprise that they nail this one. It’s much in the spirit of Dave’s solo EP, Crazy From the Heat, only better.
Perhaps the most outstanding song on Eat ‘Em and Smile would be “Ladies Nite in Buffalo?” Dave has always said he loves disco and dance music. This is the most perfect melding of that world with rock. Vai is rarely so funky, and there is no question that Dave has the vibe right. Smooth and steamy, “Ladies Nite in Buffalo?” is a tune perfectly in synch with activities of the nocturnal persuasion. Who else but Dave would be perfect to deliver this message?
“Goin’ Crazy” was a great track to make into one of Dave’s typically high flying music videos. It’s party rock time, with a tropical vibe. “Goin’ Grazy” worked particularly well when Dave re-released it in Spanish, as “¡Loco del calor!”. I used to consider this tune a bit of a throwaway, but it has certainly endeared itself over the years. Another meticulously perfect Vai solo doesn’t hurt, and Billy’s bass popping helps end side one on an up note.
Now there is a story here that needs to be told. Billy Sheehan was in Canadian progressive rock band Max Webster for “about three weeks” according to lead singer Kim Mitchell. Upon joining Dave’s band, he introduced them to Kim Mitchell’s solo track “Kids In Action”, which they decided to cover. Bill called Kim up to ask him for the lyrics, because they couldn’t quite make them all out. Kim supplied the words, and Dave recorded the song. However, it was dropped at the 11th hour, for another cover — “Tobacco Road”. David Lee Roth’s version of “Kids In Action” has yet to be released or even bootlegged. Not that I am complaining about “Tobacco Road”, another old cover! Yet again, the reliably awesome Steve Vai just sells it. There is no question that the whole song just smokes, but getting to hear Stevie playing this old blues? Pretty damn cool.
That’s nothing. You thought “Shyboy” was fast? Check out “Elephant Gun”! Billy’s fingers didn’t fall off, but mine would have. “I’ll protect you baby with my Elephant Gun”, claims Dave. Nudge, wink! Steve Vai’s been known to write blazing fast songs, and “Elephant Gun” is so fast it’s almost showing off. Wisely though, things get slow and nocturnal once again on “Big Trouble”. That’s a title Dave recycled from an old unused Van Halen song. (That song became “Big River” on A Different Kind of Truth.) Steve’s guitar melodies and solo on this are particularly celestial. Roth uses his speaking voice, spinning a tale as only he can. “Bump and Grind” is a perfectly acceptable album track, a sleaze rocker as only Dave can do. If I am interpreting the lyrics correctly, Dave is a dance instructor in this one. “Shake it slowly, and do that Bump and Grind”.
Much like “Happy Trails” ended Diver Down on a jokey note, Dave ends his first solo album with a cover: “That’s Life”, the song that Sinatra made famous. Coming from the guy who did “Just a Gigolo”, we know he can do that kind of thing very well. The first time I heard the album years ago, I shrugged and said, “Another one?” Now, older and fatter, I sez it’s all good! Zop-bop-doop-zooby-dooby-doo indeed. Funny thing though. When I think of Diver Down, I think of a fun but fairly shallow album of half covers. When I think of Eat ‘Em and Smile, I don’t question the integrity of it. I don’t know why I seem to hold that double standard.
In this writer’s humble opinion, Eat ‘Em and Smile was David Lee Roth’s finest moment as a solo artist. It was not nearly as well known as 5150, OU812, or any of Van Hagar’s albums, and that is almost criminal. The talent in this band, pound for pound, outweighed anybody else going at the time, including Van Halen. Shame they couldn’t make it last.
What an odd album this is, considering where the Scorpions went a decade later. Young kids from West Germany finding their musical feet, Scorpions seemed to be a psychedelic band at the start. Their major asset was the 17 year old guitar prodigy Michael Schenker. Throughout Lonesome Crow, it is Schenker’s sparing solos that hint that Scorpions may in fact be a rock band. Throwing down the wah-wah hard, Schenker hadn’t found his direction yet either, but the talent was clear.
Also obviously gifted was 24 year old singer Klaus Meine. Although his thick accent probably didn’t help gaining international appeal, he sure could wail. The one single scream on opening track “I’m Going Mad” revealed that perhaps there was a rock star here in cocoon form.
Some fans have developed great love for Lonesome Crow over the years. When I first found the album in 1990 (a cassette reissue at a Zellers store), I thought at the time that it was perhaps the worst album I had ever bought. My stance has softened considerably over the years, as I’ve managed to penetrate its foggy haze. I have friends who have offered great praise to Lonesome Crow after ingesting certain intoxicants.
There are indeed some stellar musical moments. The song “Action” for example boats a jazzy walking bassline and some stellar playing. Bassist Lothar Heimberg only ever appeared on this one Scorpions album, and the bass is one of the biggest noticeable differences to later Scorpions records. You just don’t hear busy, walking basslines like this on the rest of their catalogue. Drummer Wolfgang Dziony (also on his only Scorpions album) accompanies him appropriately.
Klaus should grow this beard back.
The factor that makes Lonesome Crow difficult to penetrate is the tendency towards long, meandering (often directionless) psychedelic rock jams. “I’m Going Mad” (though it has no vocals for almost 2 1/2 minutes) is pretty instant, and “In Search of the Peace of Mind” has its moments too. Other songs like “Inheritance” are head-scratchers. One of the most interesting (but also difficult to penetrate) songs is the 13 minute title track. I’m sure a more seasoned band could have trimmed the fat a bit. In general, the album has several flashes of brilliance, but you have to slog through long meandering slow jams to get there. Producer Conny Plank, he of many Krautrock releases, allows the Scorpions to run wild with their imaginations.
Lonesome Crow isn’t a bad album. One reason it’s unlike other Scorpions records is that they broke up shortly after. When a new Scorpions formed, the only members remaining from this album were Klaus and rhythm guitarist Rudolph Schenker. Michael Schenker was noticed by UFO, who snagged him from the fledgling Scorpions. When the band folded, Klaus and Rudolph joined Dawn Road featuring another smokingly talented guitarist named Uli Jon Roth. Dawn Road was then renamed Scorpions, and together the new lineup began embarking on a harder rock and roll journey. With Roth’s help, and a growing songwriting duo of Klaus and Rudolph, great things were ahead.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #419: Things Customers Do that Annoy Retail Workers
A few days ago, I saw this “20 Things Customers Do that Annoy Retail Workers” via George Takei’s daily (hilarious) Facebook posts. It is so true that it hurts! The memories it brought back…shudder. I could relate to almost every single one. The list was generally about clothing stores, but many of the points were wide-ranging. Here are my favourite parts from the list that applied to us, with my own notes from the front lines of the Record Store!
1. Asking “Do you work here?” That used to drive me nuts. Our boss used to make us wear these ugly STAFF tags. It was like wearing a big hanging sign around your neck, it was so humiliating. And still we’d get these questions!
5. “Tell you that an item that you sell is cheaper in another store.” I’m not sure why people felt the need to do this at my store. Their tone didn’t make it seem like they were trying to help. Especially that one lady who told me, “Walmart has this cheaper than you. HAH!”
7. “Try to return products which have been damaged by misuse”. Ugh! Someone in my store sold a brand new, sealed copy of Hit Zone 2 to a lady whose kids clearly used it as a skating rink. When she returned it, she was furious! “Do you always sell CDs that don’t work?” she asked me in a huff. I said no, I’m really sorry, but we can exchange it for you. Then I looked at the CD! I had never seen a brand new CD that had been so quickly destroyed. I did the exchange, but then I made her open up the new copy at the counter, inspect it, and sign her receipt saying she had seen the CD in perfect condition and it could not be returned. She was just abusing the system.
8.“Spend half an hour browsing the when the store is trying to close.” I can add my own note to this one: “And then leave without buying anything.”
10. “When they hand you a $50 or $100 bill, and while you’re checking it they say ‘I just made that myself’”. I know you think you’re really original, coming up with that line, but half the people that hand me a $100 bill say it. The other half got really pissed off when I said “We don’t take $100 bills.” (We had a sign that said so at the counter. One employee named Chris liked to say, “Don’t make me tap the sign again.”)
12. “Parents that allow their children to run rampant”. This was one sure-fire way to ruin my day. There’s nothing like watching a kid destroy your store, while the parent is browsing Limp Bizkit yelling, “Calm down!” Obviously, the kid doesn’t calm down, and so he moves on to another section to destroy. One youngster tore down my entire country section – put the whole thing in one gigantic pile on the floor. The dad just said, “That’s not too bad, you’ll have that back together in no time.” Thanks for the help.
14. “Complain about the prices. News flash, I don’t set the prices!” Self-explanatory. As manager I had the ability to offer you a discount. However, being annoying and complaining constantly would not get you a discount. Being polite would. Turns out we gave very few discounts….
18.“You look like you need something to do.” Usually said by someone carrying in a box of 400 CDs for sale, which will take me the rest of the morning to look at. Thanks for the joke asshole, and so help me God you better not have more Limp Kizkit in here.
20.“So that means it’s free, right?” That was probably funny the very first time somebody said it, when a price tag fell off the item they were buying. Probably. But that was also probably in ancient Greece and it hasn’t been funny since!
“1980 will be a year long remembered. It has seen the end of Max Webster, and will soon see the end of Led Zeppelin.” — Darth Vader
All good things must indeed come to an end. If there was one band — just one band! — out of the Great White North that truly deserved better things, it was Max Webster. Much like their soul mate, Frank Zappa, Max Webster had successfully inserted humour into complex progressive rock songs. The big difference was that Max tended to keep it to guitar-bass-keyboards-drums. Their musicianship was unimpeachable. Much like Bubbles shouted out “Geddy Lee! Neil Peart! Alex Lifeson!” to emphasize the awesomeness of Rush, I shout “Kim Mitchell! Terry Watkinson! Gary McCracken!”
Maybe it was the skinny balding front man in the tights, the weird but deep lyrics, or the goofy keyboards. One way or another, Max Webster never saw the success that their friends Rush did, and Universal Juveniles would be the last Max record. Genius keyboardist Terry Watkinson was out of the band, although he did play on the album. Kim Mitchell folded the band mid-tour after the record, unable to hack it any longer.
Kim’s smoking chops open “In The World of Giants”, perhaps the world that Rush occupied and Max failed to enter. Max sound stripped back, with minimal piano and keyboards. What a song though. Surely “In the World of Giants” is one of Max Webster’s most breakneck rock songs, albeit with the complexity of riff and licks that you would expect. At the same time, do I sense a certain amount of fatigue, between the grooves?
There’s no detectable tiredness on “Check”, which will wake you right the fuck up! There’s nothing like a good, joyous, loaded-with-all-the-guitar-fixin’s Max Webster romp. Want some shredding? “Check this out!” At only 2 1/2 minutes, “Check” is all it needs to be — in and out, the mission of kicking ass all complete. Yet Max Webster was not about simply rocking, so “April in Toledo” brings some funk. The classic refrain of “I wanna run to Niagara, I’ll cry and cry in the dark” is joined by gleeful guitars, to create the picture perfect mixture of Max confection perfection. I’m still sitting here scratching my head wondering how Kim got that weird guitar sound in the solo so perfect, but I’m soon distracted by another awesome chorus.
“Juveniles Don’t Stop” is a Max party anthem; not as memorable as “The Party” itself, but still good to crank with some cold ones. Don’t get too loaded though — you don’t want to miss the double barrelled blast that is “Battle Scar”. What could be more epic than a duet with Rush vocalist Geddy Lee? Oh, how about doing the whole song with Rush — a double trio! That’s two bass guitars opening the song. That’s Neil Peart and Gary McCracken providing the dual beats. (You sure can tell when it’s Neil doing a drum roll, that’s for sure!) That’s Alex Lifeson accompanying Kim Mitchell in a legendary guitar team-up. Geddy Lee, in peak voice, provides the vocal chills necessary to top off such an epic alignment. Truly, “Battle Scar” is not just an important song for Canadian rock, but a track that any serious rock fan should seek out and own. You simply owe it to yourself to do so.
There’s some sneaky understated goodness in “Chalkers” but I find it to be one of the less memorable tracks. It’s notable for containing the phrase “universal juveniles” in the lyrics, lending it for the album title. “Drive and Desire” is a bigger song, a sizeable rocker with a nice bluesy vibe. McCracken’s drums on this one are purely delicious. Even better is the slow mournful “Blue River Liquor Shine”. It foreshadows some of the songs on Kim’s excellent solo EP, Kim Mitchell. A proud achievement, “Blue River Liquor” does indeed shine with Max classics of the past.
“What Do You Do With the Urge” is a wreckless Max party rocker, just in time to set us up for the final Max Webster song — the last one ever, sadly. “Cry Out for Your Life” lurches like a wounded soldier crawling to the warmth of safety. Loads of Max class abound, but there does seem to be less glee, less shimmer. Perhaps the end was inevitable. Although Kim and the gang turned in another jaw dropping Max Webster record, something was wrong and it sounds somewhat forced at times.
Kim Mitchell had tremendous success with his solo career in Canada. Anthems such as “Go For Soda” have been immortalized in our memories, and on our TV sets. Who can forget the moment in Season 7 of Trailer Park Boys, when Bubbles goes to “rock a piss”, and Ricky responds, “You go rock a piss, I’m gonna get ‘er going with the Mitchell!” Then: Bubbles peeing to the tune of “Go For Soda”, bopping his head in time with the music! Just classic. On the more sentimental side, Kim appealed to the adults in the crowd with “Patio Lanterns” and “Easy To Tame”. He really aimed to please everybody….
…Except the fans of old, goofy Max progressive rock. Universal Juveniles is its capstone.
I may not know much about new music (the genre), or much about playing an instrument, but I appreciated the listening instructions enclosed within the liner notes from Stealth’s debut album:
“…listen is intended as a moment in time for contemplation. The listener chooses the length based on various points within the experience. The album is intended to be heard as one track but can be divided based on your desired length of listening experience.”
It sounds intimidating, but listen is surprisingly accessible. The title is very apt. I decided to go all-in. The album is almost an hour, divided into nine unnamed segments.
Considering that Stealth is composed of percussionist Richard Burrows and bass clarinettist Kathryn Ladano, I was surprised the music was so smooth. Judging by a previous project both were involved in (a quintet called Digital Prowess), I expected Stealth to be a lot more random and schizophrenic. Plus, Kathryn Ladano and I share the same last name — she’s my sister. So I know a little bit about the nutso kind of music she normally liked to perform. Let’s just say that I saw Digital Prowess play Frank Zappa’s “The Black Page #2” in front of a crowd including a few seniors who may have wondered what the hell was going on.
That’s not to say Stealth isn’t challenging, but I think much instrumental music is challenging by its nature. There are some factors here that take the edges out a little. Richard Burrows performs a dual role: adding steady beats to help keep you up with what’s going on, and using percussion to create melodies and other special moments. Meanwhile, Kathryn Ladano creates interesting and rarely heard sounds from just a wind instrument, all the while maintaining a balanced accompanying role with the percussion. At no point do the two instruments interfere with each other. Sometimes you may have to ask yourself, “Is that sound I just heard percussion, or did she do something crazy with the bass clarinet?”
Improvisation similar to “point f” on the CD
The music evokes scenes in the mind. At times it’s a jazzy, gripping spy drama, at others a slow moving tour at dawn…you can imagine many images to go with this music, and I think that’s part of the point. The liner notes state clearly that listen is an interactive experience. It’s fairly seemless though can hear where the intended breaks take place. I think most listeners would want to break it down into bits, maybe half an hour at a time.
But like I said, I was fearless and went all-in for the hour. I found the album to be an excellent, always interesting journey. The duo format works splendidly and I hope Stealth re-convene for a second album. The percussion and bass clarinet are never up front as feature instruments as they are here. Lead bass clarinet? Turns out it’s a pretty versatile instrument once you’ve spent a couple decades squeezing noises out of the beast. There are noises called squeaks that are not considered “proper” in classically trained circles — they are considered mistakes. Kathryn Ladano has turned squeaks into music by mastering them, just as Ted Nugent has done the same with guitar feedback. As for Richard Burrows, my only wish is that the liner notes should have spelled out the different instruments he’s playing because there are a lot of different percussion sounds on the album. He’s excellent, and I especially like what I call his “jungle drums” on “point i” of the CD. Really enjoyable.
I’ve stated my bias up front, but I do truly believe that listen is a praise-worthy work. Sonically it’s deep, and very well recorded. Check it out and buy your copy by contacting the artists via kathrynladano.com. Coming soon to Amazon and iTunes.
This is the sixth and final part in a series on singles from Def Leppard’s Adrenalize era, including hard to find B-sides! This is a bit of a “bonus” review, since this song wasn’t actually on Adrenalize!
DEF LEPPARD – “Two Steps Behind” (1993 Phonogram)
From a B-side to an A-side in its own right, “Two Steps Behind” has seen more releases than most Def Leppard songs. Sure, it’s significant that it was Def Leppard’s first acoustic song, but it’s really not that exciting. When Arnold Schwarzenegger comes a-knockin’ and says “I need a rock band to give me ballad for my new movie” in that threatening Arnie voice of his, nobody’s going to refuse him.*
However it unfolded, “Two Steps Behind” was selected for the Arnie turd, Last Action Hero in 1992, next to bands such as AC/DC, Alice in Chains and Megadeth. In comparison to the aggressive contributions from them, Def Leppard’s track seemed hopelessly behind the times. It still charted in the US, going to #5. It was spruced up with strings courtesy of Michael Kamen, and was given a high-budget music video.
This single falls between two albums. Visually, the cover art recalls the prior Def Leppard singles with its yellow and red lego, but features the photographic style that the Retro-Active singles would sport. Since it cleans up a few B-sides from the era that didn’t carry over onto Retro-Active, I’ve decided to include it here.
The first B-side is a “warts and all” acoustic version of “Tonight”. This was later released on the deluxe Adrenalize as the “Sun Studios version”. In many regards, it’s as good as the original. Perhaps it’s even better, with its sparse but rich sound. Without the layers of a typical Def Leppard recording, the song breaths like never before.
The final track on the single (and this series!) to discuss is “S.M.C.” which is still unavailable anywhere else. Unfortunately it is only 1:14 long. Written and performed solely by Collen, it is a pretty acoustic instrumental track. Jaunty and light, it sounds classical in vibe. Leppard fans would be well advised to seek out this single, to add this brief guitar workout to their Leppard libraries.
4/5 stars
* I’m not sure that this is exactly how it played out, but it could have!
Part five in a series on singles from Def Leppard’s Adrenalize, including hard to find B-sides!
DEF LEPPARD – “Tonight” (1993 Phonogram CD singles)
LeBrain HQ has two different “Tonight” singles in the library, each with its own B-sides. Things get murky when we start looking at singles released in different territories, but each CD features the same great A-side. Although the lushly layered harmony vocals that lead off the track sound overly sweet, that’s not indicative of the song itself. “Tonight” is the sparsest ballad on Adrenalize, and also the toughest. Original guitarist Steve Clark had a hand in writing it, so perhaps he supplied some of the memorable guitar hooks. As far as the Adrenalize album went, “Tonight” was a highlight in a mixed bag of songs.
The US single has “She’s Too Tough” as its second track, but we already looked at that song (originally released by Helix but written by Joe Elliot) last time. Skipping to the end, we get a live version of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” from the 1992 club tour. This was from Bonn, Germany and is also available on the deluxe Adrenalize. I don’t think “Sugar” has ever particularly worked well live.
Onto the UK single, there are some more interesting B-sides. For Def Leppard fans, one of their most memorable appearances had to be the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992. As part of their set, Brian May came out on stage to play “Now I’m Here”. What a great version of a Queen song perfectly suited to Def Leppard. With Brian May on stage it doesn’t get much more authentic. From Bonn once again comes “Photograph” performed live. This is probably the best of the recordings from Bonn.
Unusually for Def Leppard singles of this period, every single track is available elsewhere. “She’s Too Tough” was on the single for “Heaven Is”, and all the live songs were later reissued on the deluxe Adrenalize. Therefore, collectors can breath a little easier. If you don’t have “Tonight”, you probably don’t really need it. If you do, at least the two singles combine to form an excellent listening experience.
DEEP PURPLE – Bombay Calling – Bombay Live ’95 (2003 iTunes)
mikeladano.com 