Clive Burr (Iron Maiden) 1957-2013
You were awesome. I have no words.
http://mssociety.ca/en/ MS Society of Canada
http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ UK Multiple Sclerosis Society
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/iron-maiden-clive-burr/ A recent article about Maiden’s charity work with Clive, and MS
“I am the modren man…”
STYX – Kilroy Was Here (1983 A&M Records)
I was just 11 years old when I first heard of Kilroy.
Allan Runstedtler at school had it first. He was always talking about it…this cool song called “Mr. Roboto”. This album where the songs all told a story. It had robots in it, it was an album with pictures and a story…not unlike those Star Wars story soundtracks we used to listen to. In hindsight it seems obvious that Kilroy Was Here was my gateway drug to rock music.
I went over to Allan’s house, with my little Fisher-Price mono tape deck, as he put Kilroy Was Here on the hi-fi. I hit “record” and we all quietly left the living room…so as to not disturb the open air recording. Only once did we step downstairs, but this was only to flip sides on the LP and cassette.
You can see why it was so appealing. The robots didn’t look that dissimilar from the childhood classic film The Black Hole, plus there were robot vocals on the song, but it wasn’t guitar heavy or threatening. It was catchy though, “Mr. Roboto” being the song that hooked us in. We had the lyrics completely memorized (the handy lyric sheet was a revelation to us) and could sing any part of the song by heart.
With the benefit of hindsight, “Mr. Roboto” todays sounds quaint, a harmless boppy synth radio hit nothing like the Styx that emerged onto the scene over a decade earlier. Dennis DeYoung’s vocals are all spellbinding as ever, the man as identifiable on this as he was on “Lady”. Where’s the guitars from Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young? I’m really not sure. There are a few things here and there, fuzzy buzzy melodies that might well be guitars. Only once in a while in the course of a 5-minute-plus song can you really hear any sort of instrument that wasn’t programmed or played with keys!
Tommy’s “Cold War” was another upbeat one we liked as kids, and yes you can hear some guitar in the intro and chorus. There’s even a solo! Otherwise, it’s just a dreadful synth pop piece, with loads of those annoying synth-claps and other assorted sounds that are supposed to sound like percussion. Tommy plays a character named Jonathan Chance on this album, and “Cold War” reads like a manifesto from that character.
The album came with a story, so it was quite easy to break it down and figure out what was happening. It’s a dystopian tale, and the setting is…”the future”. Dr. Righteous (James Young) has risen to power, using a clever manipulation of media and government. Rock N’ Roll music…is banned! Robert Kilroy (DeYoung), a legendary rock musician, is jailed for a murder he did not commit. But Jonathan Chance (Shaw), a young rebel hoping to bring back Rock N’ Roll, is using Kilroy’s image and music as a rallying cry for his cause. One night Kilroy escapes prison, and disguises himself as a “Roboto”, the labor robots pervasive in this future world.
Got all that?
Drummer John Panozzo is credited as a character named “Col. Hyde”, and bassist Chuck Panozzo as “Lt. Vanish”. I have no idea who those people are supposed to be. There was a minifilm that went with the album and tour, and opened the live shows. It’s incredibly funny and campy, the Styx version of the Star Wars Holiday Special.
“Don’t Let It End”, a DeYoung ballad is a song we always skipped as kids. I played the ballads maybe once the whole time I owned the album! But it’s actually a pretty good tune, and you can see why it was a hit. This is followed by “High Time” with DeYoung, introducing the character of Dr. Righteous:
“I flip the switch on my laser video,
And there’s the man staring back at me,
He starts to speak in a voice so righteous,
About the sins of society”
It’s a fun song, upbeat, very showtune-y, with DeYoung having a chance to cut loose a bit. It’s alright, and it sounds like the horn section are real horns, not some synth.
JY gets to be the one to bring the rock on “Heavy Metal Poisoning”. In this song, Dr. Righteous takes to the airwaves with the ironically hardest rocking song on the album.
What the Devil’s going on?
Why don’t you turn that music down,
You’re going deaf and that’s for sure,
But all you do is scream for more!
We were always amused by Dr. Righteous using heavy metal music as his musical vehicle to attack heavy metal music, and wondered if there was a hidden message there? Something about hypocrisy. Righteous complains that rock and roll will lead to sex and drugs, while punishing his guitar with some seriously heavy riffing and a smoking solo. Unfortunately, some goofy keyboard bits detract from the song and keep it from being a pure heavy rocker.
“Just Get Through This Night” is a ballad we skipped as kids, but in retrospect this is a great dramatic ballad. Tommy wrote this one, a long, atmospheric meandering 6 minute piece that would have been too long to hold our kiddie attention span anyway. Even though it didn’t do anything for us as kids, it stands as one of the bright spots on an album that so often just gets too goofy. Tommy’s guitar solo, recorded backwards, is a highlight on this song.
Our second-favourite song was next: “Double Life” written and sung by JY. It’s certainly one of the highlights on the album, a menacing, dark stomp with the synths this time supporting rather than fighting the song. No idea how this fits into the story, but who cares!
Tommy’s final ballad, “Haven’t We Been Here Before” is kinda skip-worthy, although it’s nice when Dennis accompanies him on the chorus. There’s also a nice harmony guitar solo, but loaded down with effects, blunting its edge. Fortunately, the album ends with “Don’t Let It End (reprise)” which is actually a reprise of “Mr. Roboto”, but with Tommy singing and more guitars. The album ends on a bright note, as Jonathan Chance seemingly takes the mantel of rock leadership from Kilroy, vowing to keep Rock N’ Roll alive! Then Dennis comes in, doing his old rocker schtick, sending up Elvis, Little Richard and many more, and that’s the album. Great finish.
I think if we were to discuss this album in 1983, I would have raved and rated it 4/5 stars. I also probably would have overused the words “awesome” and “cool-a-mundo”. That was 30 years ago…man. That’s a long, long time. Listening to it now…
2/5 stars
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HIBAKUSHA – Hibakusha (2004)
Way back in 2004 we were selling this album in our stores on consignment. One of my co-workers said, “You have to buy this. These guys are incredible. They’re like a local Rush.” Intrigued, I played the album and put it aside for myself to buy later.
For reasons unknown (probably too much music to buy and not enough money to buy it with) I didn’t buy the first and only release by Hibakusha. It is only now, in 2013 that I have finally acquired this album. Uncle Meat had come over to do our recent video, and he reminded me how great this album is.
This truly is a great, world-class album. You can hear the Rush influences in the lead vocals, the complex rhythms and drum patterns, and the impeccable musicianship. You can tell Hibakusha had listened to their fair share of the Holy Trinity in their formative years, particularly the later groove-oriented Rush circa Counterparts. This exists simultaneously with a modern edge; a drony cloud of simple melodic elements that grounds the whole thing. It shines like a new car, one you can’t wait to drive over and over….
Uncle Meat pointed out that there aren’t any real guitar solos until the final track! And it’s a explosive solo at that. The role of the lead guitar here seems not to solo, but to shower down melodic hooks. “The Moped Song” is a great example of this. It is a mid-tempo melodic tune with a repeating guitar hook where the solo would go.
Elsewhere, “Is It Concern?” quiets things down, until the chorus explodes with impassioned vocals. “Televangeline” is a massive, rhythmic machine barreling forward unstoppable. The album is loaded with great songs, great playing, terrific vocals, and memorable melodic lines. Drums crash, fleeting fingers ride the groove from fret to fret…there isn’t a dull moment on this album.
“Masquerade” might be the best summation of the Hibakusha sound in one song. It begins deceptively gently, before turning into in a light bass-driven groove. Then out of nowhere comes a colossal stuttering riff straight from the Burke Shelley of Budgie school of thought. The wailing Geddy vocals seal the deal.
My only beef about Hibakusha is the dreadful cover art. It just screamed “indy” and failed to stand out. There is absolutely no way I would have picked this album up off the shelves just by seeing its cover. The cover does nothing to indicate what’s inside.
Hibakusha were Paul MacLeod (formerly of Skydiggers) on vocals and guitar, Cory Barnes (guitar and vocals), Mark McIntyre (bass) and Gord Stevenson (drums). Even though I was almost a decade late, I’m glad I finally picked up this disc. It had been a long time since I last heard it, and I am treating it as a happy reunion.
Great album. Don’t hesitate to look for it online, it is easy to find.
5/5 stars
Part 2 of a 4-part series on early Def Leppard singles!
DEF LEPPARD – The Def Leppard E.P. (1979 Bludgeon Riffola)
I’ve been slowly, slowly working towards a complete Def Leppard collection. This is one of the last items from the early years that I still needed — The Def Leppard E.P. This is a 7″ single, 33 1/3 RPM however, and never have these recordings been released on a Def Leppard CD. This first EP had Frank Noon on drums. He was just a fill-in, and a month later Def Lep replaced him with a 15 year old Rick Allen.
I have been wanting this one since I was a young fella. Def Leppard was a band I was obsessed with back in highschool. They are in fact the band that really kicked off my collecting, as I described in one of the first Record Store Tales. “Ride Into the Sun” was the B-side to the “Hysteria” single, and it has long been a personal favourite of mine. What I found out later was that this B-side was actually a re-recording of one of the very earliest Def Leppard songs, pre-On Through the Night!
The self-produced 1979 version of “Ride Into the Sun” is a bit different, not as fast or heavy, and containing a different pre-chorus. It’s still a great, fun Def Leppard song from their brief “NWOBHM” period. “Getcha Rocks Off” is a Van Halen-style shuffle, a cool tune that really cooks, with hot solos and a couple smoking riffs. This recording was briefly available on Lars Ulrich’s NWOBHM compilation album. A heavier live (?) version of this song is available on the On Through the Night album.
Side B was taken up by a 7:50 epic track called “The Overture”. This song too was re-recorded by Tom Allom for the debut album (that version is just called “Overture”). Perhaps this song is as close as Def Leppard has ever been to a metal band. It riffs solidly along with some primitive dual guitar hooks. There are ample solos, pounding drums, and different sections and tempos. It’s like Def Judas Maiden. Or something.
The edition I bought is MSB001 of which 15,000 copies were made. This edition unfortunately did not come with the picture sleeve. The original cover was spoof of the His Master’s Voice logo, with a leopard instead of a dog.
I’m glad to finally have this Def Lep collectible. It’s been a long time waiting.
4/5 stars
Happy Anniversary!
One year ago today, I launched LeBrain’s Record Store Tales & Reviews. It’s been a blast. Keep on keepin’ on!
ALICE COOPER – Alice Does Alice (2010 iTunes EP)
It seems the latest thing to do these days is re-record your old classic hits and sell them again. Alice’s reason for doing so was that they needed new multi-track recordings for use in the Guitar Hero video game. I think only one was ever used, which is “No More Mr. Nice Guy” (Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock). The Alice Cooper 6 Pack download for Rock Band is mostly live tracks, not the versions that Alice released on Alice Does Alice.
According to the official Cooper site, these re-recordings were produced by Bob Ezrin. Ezrin, of course, helmed the originals. That must be why these new versions sound so authentic. Yes, part for part, note for note, they’re pretty much the same. Just with Alice’s voice older and wiser, and today’s sound quality. But of course you can’t duplicate a classic, no matter how hard you try nor who you work with. It’s impossible. It’s catching lightning in a bottle. So, these versions will always remain inferior to the classic, magical originals. They’re just too nice, clean and neat.
I will say though, it’s pretty amazing how close these are to the originals. The drums don’t sound the same, they’re thuddier and more modern, but the guitar tones are remarkably similar. All the strings and horns are there too, and they do benefit from the sonic clarity of today’s technology. Kudos to Ezrin and the players for capturing this. (Because this is an electronic release with no physical version, there’s no credits.)
Tracklist:
According to sickthingsUK, six tracks were actually recorded. The sixth was “Poison”, which of course was originally produced not by Bob Ezrin, but by Desmond Child. The track remains unreleased in 2013.
3/5 stars
This review is for Sebastien!
THE CAPTAINS (2011, directed by William Shatner)
Who else but William Shatner should do a documentary on all the major Star Trek captains and the people who played them? Shatner obviously knows the rigors of a weekly TV series, and the impact that Star Trek has on a career. With that in mind, Shatner boards a Bombardier jet to speak with Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, and Chris Pine.
William Shatner is excellent as an interested, intelligent interviewer. Just watch him with Patrick Stewart. Listen to his questions, as he probes. These are some of the best, deepest Star Trek interviews you will ever see. Shatner clearly has a talent for conversation. This is a remarkable side of the man that has carefully crafted a later image as a funny guy. The only place he awkwardly stumbles is with Avery Brooks. Brooks, also a very intelligent man, chooses to answer many of his questions by tinkling away at a piano. That must have been strange….
If you are a fan of Star Trek, old generation, next generation, any generation, then this movie is recommended. It will certainly help you get to know and appreciate these great actors who played the captains. William Shatner accomplishes this with an appropriate mix of humour (watch how he meets Kate Mulgrew) and feeling. Mix into that some wonderful footage of him clowning around at conventions, too.
Great film. Shatner’s best directorial offering.
4/5 stars
Thanks Aaron for hooking me up with this CD.
THE ROLLING STONES – Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967 London/Decca)
It would be lazy for me to compare this album to contemporaries of the band. It would also be lazy to use the old outdated “psychedelic” adjective to describe this music. I can think of numerous other adjectives: challenging, rewarding, inventive, chaotic, grimy, majestic.
Andrew Loog Oldham had quit his post as the band’s producer and manager, leaving the Stones to their own devices. It sounds as if they explored every possible indulgence (musically and otherwise).
Their Satanic Majesties Request takes some of the musical expeditions that The Rolling Stones had completed on Between The Buttons (think “Ruby Tuesday”), and turns that on its head. Mix in ample supplies of chemicals and a total fearlessness, and a belief that what they were doing was total brilliance, and what you get is Their Satanic Majesties Request. This album surely must have convinced parents that Satan himself was possessing the hi-fi.
Light on guitar, rhythm and blues, Their Satanic Majesties Request is still among the best Stones albums if you can penetrate its purple smokey haze. Doing so will reveal an album constructed in layers, and peeling back these layers will release melodies and instrumentation that will keep you enthralled for years, as you keep coming back to this album. Is that Mick asking, “Where’s that joint?”
I’m fond of the opening track, “Sing This All Together”, which sounds (at times) like a cross between the Beatles and a James Bond theme. I’m sure some fans were wondering, “Where’s the guitars?” They’re on there, used sparingly but effectively. “Citadel” has guitars; grimy, dirty guitars, chugging out distorted chords under Mick’s dreamy melodies. This one reminds me of early Alice Cooper, who I am sure was influenced by this album.
Bill Wyman sings lead on “In Another Land”, the watery vocal track sounding like it was recorded in another land. “2000 Man” is as catchy as anything else the Stones produced, with neat lyrics that must have seemed so forward-thinking in 1967. I love the guitar melody, and how it sounds like a completely different song on the choruses. “She’s A Rainbow” is a perfect pop song, as brilliant as “Ruby Tuesday” if not moreso due to Charlie Watts’ relentlessness. Meanwhile, “The Lantern” happily meanders along, amidst what sounds like out-of-tune guitars and horns. Likewise “Gomper” wanders about, loads of sitar invading the eardrums, and lots of other stuff I can barely identify.
“2000 Light Years From Home” is a good one, loaded with Brian’s mellotron, again sounding perpetually out of tune. Fortunately Charlie keeps the song moving forward, his timing always perfect. Then, “On With the Show” brings us back in time to a simpler age, Mick affecting an accent for this fun retro piece.
While every song has melodies and instrumentation coming out the wazoo, it surely is “Sing This All Together (See What Happens)” (not to be confused with “Sing This All Together”) that is the centrepiece of this bizarre journey into the unknown. 8 1/2 minutes long, and never really going anywhere, some might consider this a waste of vinyl. On the other hand, those that have studied free improvisation will get inspiration out of this bizarre arrangement.
Brian Jones continued to experiment with multiple instruments including sitar (hey, it was the 60’s). Guests include Lennon and McCartney, Steve Marriot and Ronnie Lane, Nicky Hopkins, and future Led Zeppelin bassist / keyboardist / string arranger John Paul Jones.
The original LP featured a lenticular cover gimmick, as well as a maze inside that can never be solved. How quaint!
Next time somebody comes up to you and says, “Yeah, this new band that I like, they sound really Stones-y,” then respond by playing “Sing This All Together (See What Happens)” and ask if this is what they meant. Watch the looks on their faces.
In the end, the Stones decided to return to their blues rock sound on Beggars Banquet, which was probably the best way to continue to have a viable career.
4/5 stars
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DEF LEPPARD – “Hello America” / “Good Morning Freedom” (1980 Vertigo/Phonogram)
“Hello America” was the third of three singles from Def Leppard’s debut album, the first two being “Wasted” and “Rock Brigade”. Like many kids in the late 80’s, I first heard the song “Hello America” on Def Leppard’s video anthology, Historia. It was a weird video, with Rick Allen’s drums up front and the band in behind! Nobody would ever say that this was one of Def Leppard’s all time best songs, but it’s catchy with a driving riff. Joe Elliot hadn’t really found his voice yet. This is standard hard rock, but not outstanding. The guitar solo by Steve Clark is quite excellent.
Please note, Leppard’s first single for “Wasted” had an alternate recording of “Hello America” on the B-side. This is not that version. This is the standard album version.
The B-side, like the A-side, was produced by (Colonel) Tom Allom who had also produced Judas Priest’s British Steel around the same time. “Good Morning Freedom” was not on the On Through the Night LP, however. This is an exclusive track. Just over three minutes long, “Good Morning Freedom” is a good song, much in the same vein as the rest of Leppard’s music at the time. “Good Morning Freedom” (parsed as “Goodmorning Freedom” on the vinyl itself) is very New Wave of British Heavy Metal in style. It almost sounds like an Iron Maiden B-side from the same period. The track boasts a driving rhythm, rock-solid riff, but also another shaky Joe Elliot lead vocal. Not an outstanding song, but most definitely collectible. The tune is credited to Elliot, Clark, guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick Savage. It’s notable for its Rick Allen drum intro.
Not a bad single, comes with a picture sleeve, and rocks harder than their later material.
3/5 stars
Def Lep playing “Good Morning Freedom” in Vegas as part of Viva! Hysteria
Not an actual still from the movie. But close!
RECORD STORE TALES Part 178:
The Kooky Movie People and the Unfortunate Emails
In early 2004, a guy I knew from my University days came into the store. He was making an indy movie with some locals, and he asked me if I’d be willing to donate a gift certificate to help raise funds for the movie. The store would get their name in the credits.
Knowing my bosses would never go for it, but wanting to help the guy out, I bought a $10 gift certificate myself and donated it to the movie. He was very grateful and psyched. He loaned me a DVD of a movie they had made the previous year, a very very low budget fantasy thing. It was, in a word, awful. Lord of the Rings, this was not!
Next thing I knew, he had put my email address on a mailing list for these movie people. I started receiving drafts of what generously might be called a “script” for some kind of spy drama.
I quietly read the emails as they arrived, somewhat amused by the sheer lack of any sort of story, but more interested by the internal strife. It seems the cast and crew had no faith in their writer/director, and didn’t understand the plot of his movie, at all. The highlight of this exchange was recorded in my journal. This is the email, word for word, that I received on May 5 2004.
Date: 2004/05/05
08:24
THERE ARE NO HOLES IN THE SCRIPT!!!!!!!!!!
It is the result of months of rewrites. I am not responsible for your lack of comprehension.
If you do not get the subtext of Dimitri’s quest for redemption, if you do not see how many times MacPherson throws misinformation Rick’s way, if you do not see the fact that Dimitri is NOT LIKED by any of the western cops, if you do not see that Marie is a surrogate sister for dimitri on his quest, if you do not see that Simon is only a catalyst, if you do not see that the whole waterseed subplot is just that and the resolution is NOT part of the storyline, too damned bad.
At this point, I actually started feeling guilty about my voyeuristic enjoyment of these emails. I asked them to remove me from their mailing list. The next day, I recorded this in my journal:
Date: 2004/05/06
06:27
When I asked to be removed from their mailing list, they sent me a bunch of emails saying, “No wait! Don’t go! The script is good!” And I had to reply, “I’m not even INVOLVED with your movies. I just donated $10 in gift certificates and suddenly I’m on these mailing lists.” Though, admittedly, I will miss their ridiculous emails.
The guy from my University days came in to collect the DVD he had loaned me, and never came into the store again. I don’t know if the film was ever made, and I don’t know if our store ever got its name in the credits.
In fact, I don’t think it would have been a good thing if the store did get its name in the credits.
NEXT TIME ON RECORD STORE TALES:
Part 179: Paul Stanley’s autograph…
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