Reviews

REVIEW: Arkells – Blink Once (2021)

“Blink Once is about resilience. It’s about grieving with loss and fall outs and finding your way back. The making of the album began before the pandemic, but the material seems to hit harder after everything we’ve been through over the past 18 months. These songs are about finding comfort in your family, community and music.” – Arkells

 

ARKELLS – Blink Once (2021 Universal)

Blink Once is the album on which you can definitively say the Arkells transitioned from a rock band to a pop band.  Historically this is the kind of move that earned my wrath, but I’m a lot more chill about it now.  Opening your ears to new kinds of music can’t hurt you, and you may in fact find that you like what your eardrums are beating into you.  When you already love the singer, the drummer, and the other musicians, it’s a lot easier to make that leap.

And Max Kerman is one hell of a singer.

Rather than review in track order, I thought I’d start with what I think is the best song and the clear highlight of Blink Once.  The single “All Roads” is stunning.  Just have a look at its music video, shot by drone over a local landmark:  the Devil’s Punchbowl in Hamilton Ontario.  The band members all make appearances as the drone flies overhead and then zooms down for their closeups.  It’s a remarkable video fitting a very special song.  (I forgive Max Kerman for being in his shorts-and-gym-socks phase.)

You couldn’t name a price,
You couldn’t buy me off,
Don’t need to read my mind,
There’s only one thing that I want,
All roads will lead me to back you.

Don’t let the opening bloops and blips of programmed music fool you.  Once the guitars kick in, the song takes off just like the drone in the video.  Soaring through the clouds on muscular wings of melody, “All Roads” is nothing short of a masterpiece.  “All Roads” sounds like a #1 pop hit from 1988, with the production values of today.  Those “huh!” backing vocals are absolutely from the 80s.  It’s cinematic, as if it came from one of the great romance movies of the decade.   This song is huge and impossible to forget.

Incidentally, I like the production on the lead vocals.  It’s as if you can hear the room that Max is singing in, instead of being uber-bright and clean.

Fortunately, the album is stacked with memorable material.  The opener “Liberation” boasts catchy verses over programmed beats and synths, but then breaks into a chorus that sounds Caribbean in original.  After this, a massive drum beat maintains a tenuous link with rock music.

One of the big singles was “You Can Get It” with American Doc-boot-stompin’ singer and rapper K.Flay (Kristine Flaherty).  She has an interesting breathy style, but this is the song that requires the biggest listener adjustment.  The horn section helps, as does the entertaining “Wheel of Fortune” music video.  Really, it’s all about the horn section.  Live, I’m sure that “I don’t give a fuck, tell me what you want, you can get it!” part is fun to sing along to.  On album, it’s all the horns!

One of my complaints about the prior album Rally Cry was that didn’t have any truly sad tear jerkers, emotional songs that just make you break down.  Blink Once returns to that territory with “Strong”.  This is a song I can relate to — staying strong for members of your family.  “Here’s the rules:  stay strong for me, and I’ll stay strong for you.”  Most poignantly, as I remember the summer of 2018 (that summer that never was):  “Summer is here but it’s sleeping away, why would we want to miss a good day?”  Chills, tears, you name it:  they’re all here.

A short acoustic interlude of “Liberation” called “Little Moments” makes you wish for a full-on acoustic version.  This transitions to a necessary party song called “One Thing I Know”.  A good time piano bopper with samples and loops, like many Arkells songs, the chorus is as big as the sky is wide.  A more beat-driven song called “Truce” follows, with slinky horns again delivering the hooks.  The lyrics are as relatable as always:  “We both say that we fucked up, can we call a truce?”

One of the more interesting songs is “Nobody Gets Me Like You Do”, which seems to relate lyrically to other songs.  The line “I’ll follow you down any road” recalls “All roads will lead be back to you”.  The words “But you’d tell me straight if I fucked up,” bring us back to the previous song.  Most importantly, it’s another melodic summer champion, gliding on mighty wings of pop music.  The saxophone solo is right out of 1985.  You can almost visualise the sunglasses, colourful tee-shirts under white suits, and deck shoes (no socks).  Another album highlight.

“Swing Swing Swing” is one of the only album mis-steps.  It starts with what sounds like studio outtake chatter:  “OK I wanna try to do one of these kinds of songs where people are like, happy and dancing, but everyone’s like really fuckin’ sad when they listen to the lyrics.”  That they accomplished, with the line “a long winter learning how to be alone again” giving you an idea.  Musically it’s another horn-driven R&B style pop song, but not one of their best.  The awkward reference to the Beatles’ “Let It Be” seems forced in an attempt to seem cool.

Fortunately, “No Regrets” puts the album back on track.  A dance beat is accompanied by synth and, yes indeed, more unforgettable Arkells melodies.  The chorus is huge, and just enough to remind you that this album has some great pop songs on it.  Brilliant disco-like strings add to the whole and bring it up to another level.

“Years In the Making” was previously heard on 2020’s Campfire Chords, the acoustic “lockdown” album.  Here is it fully dressed with horns and programming.  The acoustic version might the superior one for purists but there is little wrong with the Blink Once recording.  The choice is yours.

Another brief interlude called “What the Feeling Was Like” talks of hardships, but the closing song “Arm In Arm” is all about overcoming them.  “Not gonna lie I’ve been fucked up.  Not gonna lie it’s been a long year,” sings Max.  And indeed, 2020 was a little fucked up, and it was a numbingly long year.  The music is bright, with those necessary “woah-oh-oh” Arkells backing vocals.  It feels like triumph.

That’s not the actual closer:  An outro sample of a string section from “Reckoning” alludes to the next album, when Max says “Blink Twice…”  Truly, it’s a two-album set, but we’ll get there next time.

If you’re into iTunes, check out a completely different version of “All Roads” called the “Night Drive” version.  They even made a music video for it.  It’s not a remix, but a completely different recording.  A completely different mood.  It doesn’t have the impact of the original, but it is a very cool supplemental.

Blink Once seems split between three directions:  Extremely upbeat happy pop songs, kinda corny and semi-successful R&B forays, and a really sad ballad.  At times it feels like these directions don’t mesh.  It was a weird time.  We needed upbeat music like this at that time.  We were all dealing with a lot of shit.  This is an album to pick you up on a bad day.  Mostly, anyway.

4/5 stars

 

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: Arkells – Jackson Square (2008)

Welcome to Arkells Week!  We will be completing the Arkells Album Review Series this week, and diving into one of their EPs!  Four days, four reviews, for you!  By all means, not a complete series yet – Arkells have expensive EPs I am still in need of and am hunting for.

ARKELLS – Jackson Square (2008 Dine Alone)

Confirmed:  The Arkells were already brilliant from starter’s gun.  Their remarkable debut album Jackson Square (they had an EP before this under the name Charlemagne, that has since been partly reissued as the Arkells Deadlines EP) displays a formidable band with a strong handle on writing great songs.

Jackson Square (the name of a neighbourhood they used to frequent in Hamilton) opens with the slamming “Deadlines”.  First it’s Nick Dika’s bass rumbling through, then Tim Oxford goes hard-hitting on a drum into.  Singer Max Kerman’s lyrics are his first in a career-long attack on the guys in the suits.  “They’re sitting up in the board room, and you sit like a fly on the wall.  You can hear the man in the suit say we don’t have time to stall.  We got deadlines to meet.”  Musically it’s one of the Arkells heaviest tracks and the bass is just omnipresent.

Immediately things lighten up with “Pullin’ Punches”.  A fast punky beat is crossed with a pleasant guitar melody.  There’s a reference to Kingston, Ontario, home of the Tragically Hip.  Again, drummer Tim Oxford gets singled out for his inventive beat.  Max Kerman even references Elton John’s “Your Song” in lyric and melody, in a clever way.  See if you catch it.

The big single was called “Oh, The Boss Is Coming!”  A heavy blues rocker about getting busy on the job, it was also the Arkells first of many comedic music videos.  For using the office safety video tape to record one of their jams, the band are called into the boss’ office!  They are tasked with creating a new safety in the workplace video by Monday morning!  Mostly, it’s fun to observe just how young they were!  Musically, this track recalls the Zeppelins of yore.  Nick’s bassline certainly recalls some of John Paul Jones’ of the past.

Arguably the Arkells’ best song in these early days was the Beatles-Meets-Arkells bop of “Ballad of Hugo Chavez”.  The piano line by Dan Griffin recalls some late era 60s hits, while the “hey hey hey” refrain is pure Arkells.  Though not mixed prominently enough in the song, there’s also the Arkells first horn section to enjoy.  This laid-back classic is a singalong favourite.

Things get fast again on “Tragic Flaw”, a punchy little number.  A melodic chorus keeps it in Arkells-land, but musically there’s a lot of cool stuff going on here with the bass, drums and keyboards.  Guitarist Mike DeAngelis always holds down the fort with catchy little guitar lines, which he does here on the outro.  “Tragic Flaw” flows straight into “No Champagne Socialist”, a harmonica-inflected slow burner.  Again the bass and drums really dominate the mix, but the harmonica work gives it a bit of a Black Crowes vibe.

A soft ballad called “Abigail” boasts a really strong chorus, while the verses simmer under the soothing throb of bass.  A stunner of a song from the early days that perhaps foreshadowed some of the powerful, dramatic songs the band would later write.   Then it’s time for an anthemic blast called “Heart of the City”.  A prototype for later Arkells powerhouses, the chorus is an absolute banger.  A great song for singing along to, pounding your fists, in the house or in the car.  (Especially the car.)

The ballad “I’m Not the Sun” has a lovely, but sad sound.  It has one of Mike DeAngelis’ biggest and best guitar solos, recalling the tone of Neil Young.  This powerful song is a slow burner, but burn it does.  This suddenly transitions into “The Choir”, which has a completely different feel.  It bubbles under, but has a heft to it.  These early songs all have a lot of weight, even the lighter “John Lennon”.  “I’m John Lennon in ’67,” goes the chorus, and you just can’t help but bop your head along.

A final song, “Blueprint”, turns up the tempo and brings back the horns.  This is a blast of a song, pedal to the floor and off to the races.  Those “hey hey hey” refrains firmly cement it as an Arkells song, but what a way to close an album!

Two observations about this album in general.  A couple songs aside such as “Oh, the Boss is Coming!”, Max doesn’t really belt it the way he later would.  As a singer he was still finding his voice and perhaps didn’t have the confidence he would later display.  Second, the production on this album is very powerful but basic.  Later Arkells albums would have many more layers of vocals, keyboards and effects.  That’s not a strike against Jackson Square; just an observation.  There’s a sonic power to this album that the others don’t have.

4/5 stars

There is a double vinyl reissue of this album with a live EP that is still on my wantlist. The Charlemagne EP is a holy grail item.

 

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: ZZ Top – Tejas (1976)

ZZ Top – Tejas (1976 Warner)

Billy Gibbons described the sixth ZZ Top album Tejas as “transitional”.  Modern technology was creeping its way into the recording studio, but ZZ Top were still as bluesy and greasy as ever.  Their palette was becoming more colourful, if anything.  Not just the browns of desert landscape and beer bottles, but a broadening spectrum of shades.

Opening with fan favourite slow groove “It’s Only Love”, we are off to a stunning start.  The high twang of the guitars contrast with the low thump of Dusty Hill’s bass, but it is the chorus most of us remember best.  Frank Beard’s drums clank along creatively, and the band are cooking.  Vocals are shared between Billy and Dusty.  Three quarters in, the song shifts into something a little more tense, with a brilliant harmonica solo.

Things sound a little more familiar on the bouncing “Arrested For Driving While Blind”, a solid blue boogie.  Listen to Frank shuffle while Billy effortless rips out one of his patented smokers.  The grooves turn gently relentless on “El Diablo”, a nocturnal desert tale, with adventurous chord changes and rolling guitar work.  Once again Dusty Hill creates a backdrop of low thunder.  This ain’t blues, but a sci-fi hybrid.  Likewise, “Snappy Kakkie” is not at all standard, nor is it a bizarre Frank Zappa workout.  Yet it has certain adventurous and challenging elements that lend it a foot in many worlds.  At the end of the day, that hook of “Say hey Snappy Kakkie!” keeps you coming back.  The pace picks up on “Enjoy and Get It On”.  This track is a serious deep cut; a nice little greasy blues blitz at the end of side one.

“Ten Dollar Man”, with Dusty on vocals, is a ripper.  As Frank Beard deftly taps out the beats, Dusty and Billy get down to the business of cooking.  A menacing track with plenty of head-bopping potential.  Then you better solder your head on straight, for “Pan Am Highway Blues” rips!  ZZ Top are never content to just play the blues.  They have to throw a few tricks in the bag, and they do, but this song is focused more on the highway and the gas pedal.  Billy takes advantage of the studio tech to overlay a few nice slide guitar lines.

Dusty takes the mic on “Avalon Hideaway” which features some tasty, pounding Frank Beard fills.  The lead solo by Billy might be the best part, but the slightly funky vibe really makes it a mover.  Beard is a busy drummer without sounding busy.  “She’s a Heartbreaker” is a classic pop/country/rock/Top tune.  The croonin’ melody of the chorus is a classic that will go down as one of ZZ’s best in their vast catalogue.  “She’s a heartbreaker, she’s a love taker, but she can break a heart and take all the love she needs…”  There’s a hint of violin just to nail that hoedown vibe.  As far as Top tunes go, this one’s a masterpiece of musical fusion.

Tejas closes on a brilliant instrumental, “Asleep In the Desert”, which allows Billy to play both electric and acoustic, slow and easy, as the sun sets over the oasis and the sounds of the night begin to emerge…

Many ZZ Top albums can be considered among their best in the catalogue.  In 1976, there was concern that ZZ Top was going too far country.  Obviously in hindsight, that wasn’t the case, and we can appreciate Tejas for what it was.  Because none of its songs were included on 1977’s Best Of ZZ Top, Tejas abounds in great deep cuts.  It’s not the kind of album you buy and get all the hits you remember.  It’s something far better.  It’s an album you buy and learn a bunch of brilliant songs you might not have heard before.  It’s a must.

4.5/5 stars

The 8-track release shuffles the track order, but no songs are split between tracks, which is always nice.  “El Diablo” coming in second changes the vibe of the listen a bit.

 

 

The Best and Worst of 2023

2023:  what a year!  I have personally not experienced highs and lows like this since back in 2018.  We’ll get into that in a minute.  For now let’s talk music.

It was interesting to see both the Beatles and the Stones back on the charts.  What year is it, anyway?  Last I saw this happen, it was 1995.  The Beatles Anthologies were coming out one per year, and the Stones had their latest CD Stripped on the Top 40.  It was my second Christmas at the Record Store.

There were a number of new releases that I never got to in 2023, either due to time or budget or both, including the Beatles and Stones.  I saw some people writing lists of their top 50 albums of 2023.  My 2023 haul was much smaller.  However, as usual, I do have a Top Five of banger albums that you absolutely need to own.  Not stream – own!  People who have Spotify accounts have been posting lists of their most streamed songs.  That’s nice, but I don’t stream and I don’t just listen to songs – I listen to albums.  Good songs, bad songs, the whole album without skipping.  CD, vinyl, and cassette were all played and enjoyed here in 2023, with no apps tracking what I heard.  Too bad!  Support the artist in a real way, and buy physical product!  They say CD is making a comeback.  Let’s see what happens in 2024.  As for 2023, here are my lists!

Top Albums of 2023:

#5:   Sven Gali – Bombs and Battlescars

#4:  Neal Schon – Journey Through Time

#3:  Arkells – Laundry Pile

#2:  The Defiants – Drive

#1:  Extreme – Six

 

Still need to get:  Winger – Seven

Top albums I discovered in 2023, but released earlier:

#5. Arkells – Blink Once

#4. Mystique – Black Rider

#3. Arkells – Michigan Left

#2. Night Ranger – High Road

#1. Arkells – Morning Report

#1 single of 2023:

The Forrest Williams Democracy – “The Optimyst”.

Hoping for a new physical EP in 2024!  Check out this amazing uplifting track, because bad times will get better!

OK, so I guess I stream a little bit.  2023 was the year of the Arkells here at Ladano HQ.  There are a lot of great Arkells live performances on YouTube, and some cool music videos as well.  Here’s what YouTube had to say about that in 2023.

Top 3%.  Heh.  Cool!

Worst album of 2023:

Def Leppard – Drastic Symphonies

 

 

 

Sorry, Def Leppard.  It has been a long and winding road with you, but this has not been a good year for us.  I have not truly enjoyed a new Def Leppard album since 2015.  This isn’t our first dry spell.  I felt similarly negative towards you after Euphoria and X, but this latest album has only warranted two listens.  I’m actually sorry that I bought it.  This is one of the rare cases where I can justify skipping an album.  (Think This Left Feels Right by Bon Jovi.)

I think it is possible that Def Leppard and I are through.

For me, 2023 will be the year that I learned to better trust my gut.  I think we all know what I’m talking about here.  Mistakes were made, and I chose to trust someone, over the screaming alarms in my head.  She still generates massive hits and views, to this day eight months after the fact, but the cost was my happiness.  I cannot apologise enough for foisting this person upon the community that I love.  It was not worth it.

On the other hand, my instincts told me that Jex Russell is good people.  I credit Jex for helping me keep Grab A Stack of Rock going last summer during the most painful of months.  The Friday afternoon shows were a true joy.  His enthusiasm and friendship redeemed 2023.  And of course, Harrison was there too, as always, helping me keep the ship afloat with his incredible art and willingness to go live even when he didn’t care about the bands we were discussing.  He even got to do a dedicated Blaze Bayley episode, and it was one of our most successful ever.  Amazing!  We had so many wonderful friends who guested in 2023, bringing light to my days and nights.  Friends, old and new.  Thank you.  Thank you to everyone who helped me in this year.  You know who you are, but what you don’t know is how much I needed you.

Jen had her struggles and nearly broke her jaw, but she keeps getting up and getting back in the saddle.  Jen is my real #1.  You’ve never seen someone fight so hard.

Rest in peace to Uncle Paul.  I will wear your hat with pride at your beloved Lorne Beach this summer at the cottage.  You will be with me in spirit.

We survived it all.  Here we are.  Allons-y.

In 2024 we look forward to new Judas Priest (Invincible Shield), Ace Frehley (10,000 Volts), Bruce Dickinson (The Mandrake Project), and maybe even Guns N’ Roses.  Now where have I heard that before?

Please join me in 2024 as I continue to review music from my humongous collection, live stream with friends, and hopefully have a laugh or two.  I’ve been knocked down, but I get up again…

Happy 2024, one and all!

 

REVIEW: The Defiants – Drive (2023)

THE DEFIANTS – Drive (2023 Frontiers)

Like a top-fuel funnycar, Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello made a stunning comeback in 2023 with The Defiants’ new album Drive.  They had a lot to live up to, after the luminous Zokusho in 2019.  Could they come up with another batch of songs, just as strong?  In short, yes.  In long, read on.

Right from the get-go, opener “Hey Life” is a wrecking ball.  Van Romaine on drums absolutely slays this song with ease.  In the first few seconds, you’re hammered by Priest-y riff and blistering guitar fretwork.  “Hey Life” isn’t all flash; it boasts strong melodies and an adrenalized performance by the Defiants.  “Hey life! Get out of my way tonight!” blasts Paul Laine at maximum lung power.  He remains one of the best in the business.

With some anthemic “woah-ohs!”, the second number “Go Big Or Go Home” does exactly what it says on the label.  “Gonna rock this town like we already own it!”  There’s a simple but very effective guitar riff backing this melodic stomper.  Thinking about it, the difference between the Defiants and all the bands that try to do what they do with traditional melodic rock, can’t touch their songs, and a big reason is the strength of the Defiants in writing structurally sound guitar parts.  Every lick, every crunch, every single note needs to be exactly where it is and how it is.  “Go Big Or Go Home” is a prime example.

Now, if I were a card player, I’d gamble that “19 Summertime” would be a hard rock anthem for the sunniest of seasons.  I would be correct.  There are some tasty 80s keyboard highlights behind that staccato guitar part.  Sounds like a vintage lost Europe song from somewhere between Out Of This World and The Final Countdown.  Therefore, we can pinpoint “19 Summertime” to the summer of 1987.  Then, “What Are You Waiting For” has the same teenage panache that Bon Jovi made his mint with back at the same time.  It’s another awesome, good time anthem that transports you back in rock history.

“Miracle” is the first ballad, and it’s a nice one at that.  It’s not a softy, but fully armed with guitars and keys.  It sounds a lot like Adrenalize era Def Leppard.  Things switch around on a scorcher called “Against the Grain” that has a Bon Jovi vibe via the Crush album, but way harder edged.  Lots of opportunities to pump fists here.  The tough chorus sounds great in the car.  “Against the grain, they say left we go right, someday you gotta realize, it’s the way you gotta live your life.”  Another solid track called “So Good” slows things down to a nocturnal prowl, while retaining all the anthemic melodic qualities.  There’s some shimmery guitar fretwork here and a cool organ backing.

A completely different feel enters the scene on “Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”.  A light guitar picking brings in what starts as a softer opening, until the chorus pounds the power once again.  This song is a triumph of songwriting perfection.  The guitar solo here is also a remarkable performance unto itself.  It sounds like a hit from decades past, but also much more than just that.

Another dusky number, “Another Time, Another Place” has a driving beat and understated power.  “The Night To Remember” then turns up the heat!  This is the kind of song that Def Leppard should be writing today, but seems to have forgotten how.  There are many highlights on this album, and they seem to be clustered at the start and end of this album!  “The Night To Remember” is top notch.

Going back to the “don’t get in my way” theme of the album opener, the closer bookends it with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now”.  It’s a tough little chunky number that kind of sounds like you’ve known it all your life.  The guitar blitzes on this one are exemplary and serves to help close the album on a suitably dramatic note.  Drive has a feeling of a journey, coming back home at the end to the place you began.

Released at the right time in history, Drive would have been a multi-platinum smash remembered in the same breath as Hysteria and Slippery When Wet.  “Another Time, Another Place” indeed.  Truth.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Guns N’ Roses – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 single)

GUNS N’ ROSES – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 Geffen 7″ single)

The band that once took 15 years to release a new album hasn’t been doing too shabby of late with new releases.  “Perhaps” we should say new/old releases (see what I did there?) because all four of the new songs released by Guns N’ Roses since Chinese Democracy have been re-worked outtakes from that era.  Since Duff McKagan and Slash have returned to Guns, we’ve had four new tracks:  “ABSUЯD” & “Hard Skool” were released on a previous single, and now we have “Perhaps” and “The General” to go with them.

The “G” side of this new single contains “Perhaps”, which is immediately reminiscent of Use Your Illusion era Guns, via the prominent piano line.  Of any song released since, “Perhaps” sounds the most like a song that would have come out on a new GN’R album in 1995.  Slash’s guitar solo sounds perfectly vintage, but it’s Dizzy Reed on piano, whose flourishes recall “November Rain”, that brings it all back to the glory days.  “Perhaps” wouldn’t have been a big hit in the 90s, but it certainly would have been a solid album cut.

On the “R” side is “The General”, a song we’ve heard whispers about from those in Axl’s inner circle.  This track is the most disappointing, without any notable hooks.  It sounds more of the Chinese Democracy era, and is purely B-side material.  It has a haunting quality that might come from Axl’s love of Alice Cooper, but it’s anything but memorable and the technical flourishes don’t do it any favours, except to obscure the lack of catchy melody or riff.

One good song, one throwaway.  That makes the score pretty clear.

2.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – “Afterglow of Ragnarok” (2023 single)

BRUCE DICKINSON – “Afterglow of Ragnarok” (2023 BMG 7″ single)

In 2024 we will be graced by a new Bruce Dickinson platter, his first solo album since Tyranny of Souls in 2005.  He’s back with Roy Z, and a forthcoming concept album called The Mandrake Project.  This single is billed as a “prequel”.  It comes with a beautiful, full colour comic book insert, installed in the middle of the gatefold.  The story will be fully revealed next year, but this is a project that Bruce has been working on a long long time…

Witness:  The B-side “If Eternity Should Fail”, a demo version of a song that Iron Maiden re-recorded on The Book of Souls.  It’s not the first time Maiden have lifted a song from Bruce’s solo compositions!  He remarks in the liner notes that the song is radically re-imagined on the final Mandrake Project album, but that the keyboards on this demo actually made it to the Maiden version!  Bruce on keys, Roy Z on bass and guitar.  It’s really not that different at all!  The drums are most noticeable.  Presumably this is a drum machine.  Roy’s bass work is pretty cool too.  It introduces the character of Necropolis, who will feature on the album.

The A-side, “Afterglow of Ragnarok”, is promising.  Drums thunder, in cavernous hugeness. Downtuned guitars provide a metallic gutpunch, with a riff that is as solid as any in Bruce and Roy’s impressive history.  The chorus is another demonstration of power and melody.  A Bruce classic, this will be.

Looking forward to The Mandrake Project, we are.  Bruce’s solo work has often rivalled Maiden in quality, not to set expectations too high.  This single is a positive omen.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Extreme – Extragraffitti (1990 Japanese EP)

EXTREME – Extragraffitti (1990 A&M Japan EP)

This little EP, exclusive to Japan, is almost like a miniature “greatest hits” for Extreme.  Of the six songs, five were singles.  You might say “It’s not a greatest hits if it doesn’t have ‘More Than Words’ on it, and that would be a valid point, but that breakthrough ballad hadn’t been released as a single yet in November 1990.

Opening with the current single “Get the Funk Out”, we are off to a good start.  This track works most excellently as an opener.  That bass rolls in, before the guitar riff starts to rip.  Once the horns kick in, your face is thoroughly melted.  This EP focuses on fun.  There’s nothing here that’s a drag.

An edit version of “Decadence Dance” is unblunted.  It’s mostly just the intro stuff that’s missing anyway, and that belonged on the concept album from which it came.  The bonus here is you get Paul Geary’s cymbal count-in instead, which you can’t hear on the Pornograffitti album.  So dance to the beat of the decadent drummer, and get rocked.  This is one of Extreme’s best bangers, a full-on Van Halen romp with hooks and flash…as you like it.

Back to the self-titled 1988 debut album for the next three tracks.  A remix of “Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)” may have more bass, edge and clarity.  It’s not a radical remix.  Nuno’s guitar fills jump out nicely.  The first Extreme album was a mixed bag of material, with none of it reaching the upper echelons like the second record.  That said, “Mutha” was probably the best track of the bunch, and the most like what came later.

“Little Girls” only loses about 20 seconds, so you’re fine with this version.  Again, it’s the opening missing.  This song is notable for some remarkable harmonica playing by Rapheal May.  Really impressive stuff here, just as superb as Nuno’s guitar work.  The lyrics, however, can’t be saved.  They were never good, even by 1988 standards.  “Incestual blood is thicker than water,” has to be the worst words that Gary Cherone has ever penned to paper.  Roll up your windows if you intend to sing along to this song.  Shame the band is so hot.

The album version of “Kid Ego” is here unaltered, it’s just not that interesting of a song.  The groove plods along in a lazy, 1980s way that every single band was doing.  It sounds like every band had their metronome set to the same time.

The B-side “Nice Place to Visit” has been released in a number of places, such as the “More Than Words” single in 1991, but first it was the B-side to “Little Girls”.  As an outtake from the so-so first album, this song is also so-so.

The final track, and the only one exclusive to this CD, is a message from Extreme!  These messages from band members were fairly common on Japanese EPs and singles by Western bands.  It is geared specifically for the Japanese fans, and it’s adorable hearing their deep Boston accents.  This message is fairly light.  Nuno talks about their goals as a band, and Gary assures the fans that they will see them real soon.  Apparently, the Japanese fans also sent the neatest, tidiest mail.

Good EP for its time.  There’s even a sticker inside.

3.5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Sven Gali – Bombs and Battlescars (2023)

SVEN GALI –  Bombs and Battlescars (2023 Music In Motion Entertainment)

Look at me, in the eyes! When I say “Sven Gali is back,” I’m meaning it! The Canadian Quintet revitalised themselves with the 3 EP in 2020, and took their time with their next full-length (their first since 1995).  They recruited Coney Hatch bassist/singer Andy Curran for some of the production duties, picked a Triumph song to cover, and hit the road playing well-received shows in 2023.  Bombs and Battlescars is the name of the record.  Of note, the late Dee Cernile is credited with co-writing several tracks, and the album includes some unreleased demos from the before-fore times.  Let’s have a listen.

One thing for certain:  don’t expect Sven Gali to suddenly revert back to the sound of their self-titled debut.  This is a much heavier, more pounding and frankly more satisfying Sven Gali.  Opener “One Gun” slams with a more viscous brutality, but singer Dave Wanless is still the same.  If I wanted to hear the sound of ’92 again, I’d play the original purple platter by Sven (recently reissued on coloured vinyl).  I want the sound that satisfies the “me” of today – and I’m as frustrated as Sven Gali sound on “One Gun”.  The snaky guitar solo is just icing on the cake.  “I’m losin’ faith!” proclaims Wanless, and I believe him.

A steady chunky groove introduces “Coming Home”, a headbanger with a dark Metallica vibe.  Dan Fila and Shawn Minden lay down this beat that just boils.  The lead guitars are like liquid adamantium, but beneath it all churns a volcanic pressure cooker.  This is possibly the highlight of the new songs, a memorable track that demands to be cranked.  Car test it for good measure.  (The band is rounded out by guitarists Andy Frank and Sean Williamson.)

The Triumph cover is, appropriately, third in line.  “Spellbound” suits Sven Gali surprisingly well, but they don’t play it straight.  They’ve thrown the track into the darkest night, but let the chorus light the way.  Guitar textures are added.  This song should make the longtime fans very happy.  It’s Triumph, but presented as heavy as possible.  Listen to Fila annihilate his drums!

Darkness dominates on “Life Inside”, a dusky dirge with some pretty cool guitar work.  The atmospheric “Monster” resists being called a “ballad” but it’s the slowest moment in the journey thus far.  “Monster” just kills, not straightforward or easy to categorize.  It’s moody and doesn’t let up.

“Hang Me Out” is the first of the unreleased demos, and there’s something nostalgic about that.  You can hear an audible shift in sound, and “Hang Me Out” definitely has a mid-90s vibe.  There are twists and turns in the music that bring you right back.  Then the wah-wah pedal comes out for the relentless guitars on “Hogs”.  The funky groove here definitely brews nostalgia, but this track should have been released long ago!  By the end of it, you’ll be shoutin’ “HOGS!”  The 8th track “All” goes for speed and groove while the guitars ring in chaotic perfection.

Finally, a record needle drops and the acoustic guitars come out for the closing ballad and classic in the making:  “Nothing New”.  As much as Sven are known for rocking, some of their big hits were ballads (like “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”).  “Nothing New” is a lovely, stripped down ballad with sweet melodies and the purity of acoustic music.

Ultimately the demos are just as entertaining as the rest of the album.  They make you wish they’d come out ages ago.

Well done to Sven Gali on Bombs & Battlescars, a blazing comeback with a surprisingly tender ending.

4/5 stars

Get your copy on vinyl & CD, plain or signed!

 

REVIEW: Elf – Carolina County Ball (1974)

ELF – Carolina County Ball (1974 Line Records)

Before the Rainbow there was Elf.  It was basically the same band – Ronnie James Dio on lead vocals, Mickey Lee Soule on keys, Gary Driscoll on drums, and Craig Gruber on bass.  The one and only difference was Steve Edwards on guitar, who would have no place when Richie Blackmore came knocking a year later.  Their second album, Carolina County Ball, was produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover.  It’s fair to say that Dio hadn’t found his niche yet.  With Mickey Lee Soule, Ronnie co-wrote every song, but was seeking a bouncier Guess Who direction at this point in time.

It sounds like Mardi Gras on the opening title track, with clarinets, trombones and trumpets accompanying the band on this “boogie-woogie Friday night”.  Soule shines, ticking the keys with delicate intent.  Heavy metal, this is not not!  Not even close.  There’s a guitar solo but it’s a secondary feature.  Only at the end does the song pick up the pace.  It’s actually a great tune, but anyone expecting dungeons and dragons had better head back to their gamesmaster for a new dice roll.  Expect boogie.

“L.A. 59” opens like an old bar room, with a piano taking up all the space.  The opening figure sounds like it’s emulating a train, which is probably a good guess.  “Get me back to L.A., 59!” sings Ronnie, sounding a bit more like the mighty mite he would become.  “Hello, hello sunshine!”  Upbeat, with the guitar taking up more of the song this time.  A great upbeat tune to start your day.

A little bit of a funky swing emerges on “Ain’t It All Amusing”, demonstrating the talents of the rhythm section in particular.  Driscoll was no slouch and Gruber had no issue filling the bottom end with interesting vibes.  This fun song really is about rhythm with a pinch of funk.  It sounds a lot like Deep Purple Mk I, especially with the long percussion break that ends it.

“Happy”, which is ironically anything but, is a bit filler-ish.  It’s Elf playing in a smokey nightclub and it’s all a bit repetitive.  “Annie New Orleans” picks it up, with another Elf piano boogie-woogie.  Whitesnake have also done songs of this nature in their early days.  Then the awkwardly titled “Rocking Chair Rock ‘N’ Roll Blues”, which is a ballad more or less.  It boasts a nice guitar solo and a laid back sound, but it’s going to have some reaching for the skip button.  They shouldn’t, because three minutes in, a new riff arrives and transforms the song into another rockin’ boogie-woogie.  Listen for some of Driscoll’s fun cowbell work on the back end too.

The one title that grabs everyone’s eye is “Rainbow”.  Don’t get too excited.  It doesn’t sound anything like Blackmore’s Rainbow; more like a a third rate tribute to The Band.  The boogie-woogie is starting to wear a little thin, and same-samey now.  “Do the Same Thing” is more like it.  It sounds like a prototype to Rainbow’s “If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N’ Roll”.  This allows the players to shine a bit more.

The album goes out on a cringey ballad called “Blanche”, with Dio singing about “Rainy days, rainy days” in a voice quite unlike the power he would later master.  This is little more than a silly album outro; nothing to be taken seriously.

Every album and every band will have its defenders, but Elf was the least of Dio’s four main bands over the decades (counting Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell as one band).  Carolina County Ball lacks focus, and Glover doesn’t provide any punch in the stale production.  The album rests on the songs and performances alone.  Fortunately the band could play, though they seemed uncertain about who they wanted to be.

3/5 stars