IRON MAIDEN – Virtual Lights Strikes Over France (1998, bootleg CD)
This awkward title was a disc I was really looking forward to playing. I snagged it in early 2000 at a record show in London, Ontario. I remember wanting to look at the discs before I bought it, because cheap bootlegs on CD-R’s were becoming more common. I wanted to make sure this was an actual factory pressed CD, not a CD-R, and the seller pretended she didn’t know what a CD-R was!
I like the Blaze-era Maiden albums and I was eager to have a live document of those years of some kind. A quick glance at the back cover reveals this concert to be an excellent choice. Not only do they play 7 of the 8 songs from Virtual XI, but there are three bonus tracks from 1996’s X Factour as well. All in all, an excellent cross section of Blaze material, with a smattering of Bruce and Paul.
Upon first listen, however, I was horrified! Blaze is shockingly tuneless! The rumours of his voice being shot during the Virtual XI tour seem to be confirmed. Judging by his recent solo output, his voice is much stronger today. But in 1998, something was clearly very wrong. He misses notes more often than he hits them on this one. Neither Blaze nor Steve Harris have really elaborated on the why’s.
Gratefully, the 1996 recordings are much stronger. Blaze’s voice here was album-quality strong. These three tracks are truthfully the only thing on this disc that I can stand listening to. The rest is just tunelessly bad.
I remember getting this for Christmas of 1994. “Blown away” about sums it up.
Is Dogman their best album? No, but it sure was a shock to my system when I first heard it. Back in the 1990’s, I skipped the previous (self-titled) album and picked this up based solely on the strength of the killer first single “Dogman”. I could not believe the song — groovy, basic, heavy, angry but loaded with soul and melody. Just like King’s X in general, but “Dogman” upped the heavy and downplayed some of King’s X whimsy.
When I got the album Dogman, one thing surprised me — not one song was sung by Ty Tabor! Except for the bridge on “Dogman”, all lead vocals were handled by Doug Pinnick. This was disappointing to me as I like bands with two lead singers. I never heard why Ty doesn’t sing on it, but I adjusted. Truthfully every song on Dogman is a winner, and are suited to Doug’s vocals. In hindsight, it fits the direction.
I mean, this band is so freakin’ talented! From the sheer unique sound of this band, mixing progressive rock with heavy metal and soul, mixed with the Beatles and so much more…you can’t see enough good things about King’s X. I love Doug’s bass, I think he’s playing 8 or 12 string in spots. But what makes this band unique is Doug’s voice. Nobody else has that.
Doug’s lyrics are quite obtuse (I don’t know what “Tide, underside my pillow, willow, whoa-oh, thundering” means) but the way he sings it sure sounds like he has something to get off his chest. “Passionate” might be one way to describe these songs. At the same time there are slower songs like “Flies and Blue Skies” that I won’t call a ballad, but have that ballady vibe.
Highlights: The title track, “Shoes”, “Cigarettes”, “Pillow”, “Pretend”, “Fool You”, “Go To Hell”, “Complain”, and…hell. All the rest.
I really like “Cigarettes”…it’s just mournful. “Shoes” is more upbeat and grooving, although still with dark undertones. Really, the whole album has darker undertones than previous King’s X releases. And that’s just fine. It was 1994. What are you gonna do?
Lowlights: None. There are no weak songs. Maybe just the live version of “Manic Depression” (Hendrix). I liked that they tacked on a live cover at the end of the album, it’s just not my favourite Hendrix tune by a good margin.
Notably, this is King’s X first album without Sam Taylor producing. It was crushingly produced for the 1990’s by Brendan O’Brien.
While I’m qualified to talk about Helix, I’m not qualified to talk about what this single means to a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. For that reason, I’m handing this one over to Mrs. LeBrain!
HELIX – “All I Want For Christmas is the Leafs to Win the Cup” (2012 Helix Records 7″ single)
Helix has their Heavy Mental Christmas – This is the carol I will sing to my great-grandchildren…
All I want for Christmas… Is the Leafs to win the CUP. That is a present worth fighting for.
From my earliest memories I have been “torontomaplegirl”. This song sings to everything that I am. The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the longest droughts in professional sports, but their fans, oh their fans will be loyal until the end of time.
We load up in cars and airplanes to watch them play in other cities because it is impossible to get decent seats at their Bay Street home. We decorate our homes with a Maple theme and select our cars and clothes in that delicious royal blue that sets us apart. (I convinced LeBrain that we wanted a blue car that I have since named Dougie Carmour.)
“Go LEAFS Go” are the first words we teach our children, and Brian Vollmer has them wonderfully placed throughout the song’s chorus. He makes a quick reference to the hundred year old rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens in a cute way – advising that a Habs jersey would be an unpleasant gift during the Christmas season. He also references 1967: the last year that the Stanley Cup was in the place it belongs. (I have kissed the Stanley Cup on 1967 during a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994, hoping it would bring the glory back to Toronto – we made it to game 7 of the western conference finals that year.)
The song is available in two places. It can be found on the new Helix Best Of CD covering hits from 1983 – 2012. Available for the serious collector is a vinyl single, autographed by Brian Vollmer in green vinyl. It has a heavy mental “Jingle Bells” on the other side. In future releases, the vinyl will be released in different colours. I am patiently awaiting the Maple Leaf blue coloured single to make it into the LeBrain family home. [The vinyl release also comes with a download code in case you can’t play vinyl — nice touch. – LeBrain]
Now we just have to get working on my Thanksgiving gift wish of firing Gary Bettman so we can get this lockout bullshit taken care of.
4/5 stars
Below: Helix sells the single, album and T-shirt as a bundle
Way to leave the closet door open behind you while taking a photo of yourself, LeIdiot!
HELIX: Best Of 1983-2012 (Anthology, 2012 Helix Records)
Just in time for the hockey season — or not? — here comes Helix with a brand new single called “All I Want For Christmas Is the Leafs to Win the Cup”. It’s on 7″ vinyl, but in case you can’t play vinyl, you can still get that track on their brand new anthology as a bonus track. I’m going to let Mrs. LeBrain review the single. Let’s talk about the anthology.
The packaging is a bit skimpy, but Brian Vollmer autographs every copy that you order from his site, so that makes up for the lack of a booklet, in my opinion. I’ve always been about owning a physical product, and if a CD doesn’t have a booklet to flip through, an autograph helps make up for that.
A lot of people (if you’re reading this, say hello!) don’t care about owning a physical product; to them it’s all about the music. So let’s talk about the music.
Helix have lots of hits compilations out there available, but nothing that covers this range of material. I’m really fond of the albums that Helix has made in more recent years. Vagabond Bones and The Power of Rock and Roll are both up there among the band’s best work, and one of my favourite Helix albums ever is B-Sides. I’d recommend those albums to anyone who enjoys rock and roll in the gritty, honest and catchy style that Helix specialize in. So it’s nice to have material from those three albums in one place.
There are familiar hits here as well, including “Running Wild in the 21st Century”, the ballad “Good To the Last Drop”, and the recent remake of “Heavy Metal Love” from the Power Of Rock and Roll album. You’ll also notice other big ones: “Wild In the Streets”, “Deep Cuts the Knife”, and “Rock You”. These are re-recordings, I assume because Capitol/EMI owns the originals. I think an original version is always superior to a re-recording. But you can understand the reason for it. A brand new song written by the duo of Brian Vollmer and Sean Kelly called “Axe To Grind” rounds out the album.
Personal favourites: The heavy and grooving “Danger Zone”, from B-Sides. The undeniably catchy “Get Up!” (seriously, you won’t get this song out of your head). “You Got the Love That I Like”, another modern and heavy one from B-Sides. The slick and fast “Animal Inside”, from Vagabond Bones.
Omissions: I would have loved an acoustic track from Helix’ excellent Smash Hits…Unplugged CD.
Unlike a lot of hits packages released this time of year, Best Of 1983-2012 is a really good and justified compilation. Helix has had a hell of a lot of good music in recent years. Even for fans like myself who have the albums already, hearing a good compilation like this really highlights some recent triumphs.
No “Tom Sawyer”? No “Subdivisions”? No “2112”? This baffling compilation had zero involvement from the band, and should probably be avoided. There are plenty other Rush comps — official Rush comps, longer and with better variety of tracks — to satiatate your need for the holy trinity.
I do give whatever exec put the track list together credit for including ancient classics like “The Necromancer” and “Circumstances”…but this set of obscure album tracks mixed with singles makes little sense. It will only disappoint those looking for a good one CD Rush collection with all the songs they know. And real Rush fans don’t need to buy discs like this.
It all started with an interview with Q magazine. The spark was only the slightly mischievous question, “How do you feel about the fact that, already, Oasis have attracted a reputation for being rock’n’roll animals?”
What followed was, possibly, the greatest train wreck interview in all history, which luckily was recorded and released by a label called “Fierce Panda” under the name Oas*s.
I really have nothing else to say. I’ll let Noel and Liam say it all. Just buy it. You need this. Some highlights:
Liam: You get into situations…
Noel: No…you think it’s rock’n’roll to get thrown off a ferry, and it’s not.
Liam: I don’t think it’s rock’n’ roll.
Noel: You fucking…that was your quote, you prick! That was your quote!
Liam: No it weren’t! No it weren’t! No it weren’t!
My favourite:
Noel: Do you know John Lennon?
Liam: Do you know him?
Noel: I don’t, but do you?
Liam: Yeah.
Noel: Well, you must be pretty old. How old are you? 21?
Liam: No. About a fucking thousand-and-five fuckin’ one.
5/5 fucking stars
Please note: “a fucking thousand-and-five fuckin’ one” is not an actual number.
MOTLEY CRUE – Theater Of Pain (1985, 2003 Motley Records remastered edition)
Crue’s third was a mess, a smokey muddy mess of an album that served only to confuse and disappoint those who were enthralled with Shout at the Devil. The Crue, now wearing ridiculous striped (stryped?) jester suits had dropped the chromium metallic sheen of Shout, and replaced it with nothing but a notable lack of direction.
Theatre of Pain was one of the most anticipated albums of the ’85, and one of the most biggest disappointments. Yes, “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” is a fun jokey novelty, but it is also a novelty cover. “Home Sweet Home”, billed by the band as their “Dream On”, is not really. Broken down, it is a cliche-ridden proto-ballad, the type of thing that every L.A. band has done at least once. And usually, better. I mean, think about it — you can name better ballads by Bon Jovi or Cinderalla, can’t you? I can.
There is precious little metal on this album, the terrible “Use It or Lose It” being the only foot on the gas pedal, but itself also being nothing more than a grade C song worthy of most bands’ album outtakes. There is absolutely nothing on this album that would have made the cut on the great Shout at the Devil. Even a track like “Louder Than Hell”, one of the better songs, was demoed for Shout and dropped; the band obviously lowered their standards.
The mix is muddy, an alcoholidaze of robotic drumming and lifeless, uninspired vocals. You can hear the wasted band barely trying. Or, rather, trying as hard as they were capable given the chemicals. If a major band released this today as the followup to a beloved classic, it would be a career-ender. Not so with the Crue, as the 80’s were much kinder.
Bonus tracks on the remastered edition are laughable. Did we really need three versions of “Home Sweet Home”? The vaults must be a lonely place indeed. Tommy’s sleepy “drum piece” is worthy only of the skip button.No standout songs, terrible mix, and dull performances aside, the one guy who swims to the top is Mick Mars, who plays several solos that rise above.
1.5/5 stars
1. City Boy Blues
2. Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room
3. Louder Than Hell
4. Keep Your Eye on the Money
5. Home Sweet Home
6. Tonight (We Need a Lover)
7. Use It or Lose It
8. Save Our Souls
9. Raise Your Hands to Rock
10. Fight for Your Rights
11. Home Sweet Home [Demo Version]
12. Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room [Alternate Guitar Solo-Rough Mix
In general, I hate covers albums. I remember spendling something like $25 on an Yngwie Malmsteen covers album a long time ago. I came out of that experience $25 lighter for an album I’ll never listen to again. I swore I’d never buy another covers album by a metal band unless I knew I wouldn’t be wasting my money.
Then I started reading about Stryper’s covers album. Stryper? A covers album??
But I was reading good things. Then finally the trusted Tommy Rose posted his Amazon review, and I ordered the album that night. Sold!
The Covering is a damn fine slice of metal, my friends. The cynical must remember that Stryper neither fit in with mainstream Christian rock, nor the mainstream of metal. They have always been outsiders and a lot of their cringe-inducing 80’s music (I’m looking at you, In God We Trust) was due to record company pressure and outside producers. At their hearts, they’ve always been headbanging heavy metal loving Christians, and The Covering proves it.
Featuring the entire classic lineup (Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Tim Gaines, Oz Fox) for the first time in ages, The Covering is the Stryper album to get even the most hardened cynic back into the band. Not that this is the first time, I think Reborn was a damn fine record (check out “Passion”). This however is Stryper at their most accessible and pummeling.
It’s next to impossible to pick favourites, because so many of these songs are ingrained into our collective minds. I found “Breaking The Law” to be absolutely great fun! Stryper’s style and Priest’s style mesh well. Less successful was “Highway Star”. Stryper’s angular, blocky playing doesn’t really complement our memories of Blackmore’s smooth riffing. However a nice fat organ playing Jon Lord’s original arrangement keeps the song from straying too far.
“Blackout” (Scorpions) was interesting because Michael Sweet’s enunciation echoed Klaus Meine’s ever so slightly without becoming parody. I can only surmise that this is due to Sweet knowing that song inside and out, backwards and forwards. “Over the Mountain” (Ozzy Osbourne) was another highlight, as Stryper just nail that Randy Rhoads riff and keep pummeling. “On Fire” (Van Halen) was a pleasant surprise. Oz Fox plays Eddie’s harmonics perfectly, proving he’s got the goods. Not to mention Sweet can hit David Lee Roth’s screams without trouble. (Also without the grit, but that can’t be helped, nobody has David Lee Roth’s grit.) And of course who else could sing Robert Plant’s part on “Immigrant Song”? “Immigrant Song” also features Tim Gaines playing John Paul Jones’ bouncy bass part just perfectly. I’m not too keen on the production in spots, but all I need to do is hear Gaines playing that bass line and I’m back on board!
I can honestly say that, for me, there are only two lowlights to this album. I’ve never been a fan of “Set Me Free” (Sweet) and “Carry On Wayward Son” (Kansas). Yngwie covered “Wayward Son” on his covers album if I remember correctly, and I’ve just never been a fan. “Set Me Free” is one I’ve been sick of for a long time, after hearing numerous covers from Vince Neil and Helix over the years.
Finally, we have the new original Stryper song “God”. Stryper have always felt like they have not been taken seriously as Christians because they have recorded secular music, but “God” is as blatant as it gets. Not to mention it is an absolute ball-crusher. If you don’t know it’s coming next, your first thought as a listener is, “What classic riff are they covering here?” But it’s not a classic riff — it is their own original one, and it’s a great riff to complement this great song. The vocal harmonies soar and hopefully this is a harbinger of what Stryper have in store down the line. The solos are also to die for.
The packaging for this album is great, in digipack, and featuring page after page of comic book artwork.
If you have never bought a Stryper album before, or if you haven’t checked out the band in years, this is the album to get your juices flowing again. Pick it up. Although it is a covers album, it was one of my favourites of 2011.
TRIUMPH – Live At Sweden Rock Festival (2012 CD/DVD, Universal)
In 2008, after over 20 years apart, Rik Emmett joined Mike Levine and Gil Moore on stage. The original Triumph was back, as if time stood still. All that animosity, gone, poof! and in its place is a stellar live album.
They only played that one gig, but at least it was smokin’. What’s incredible is that Rik Emmett retains most of his range, even if Gil Moore’s is more limited. It was always Rik that sang the high parts, and most singers just can’t do it 20 years later. Rik can! And of course I don’t need to tell you anything about his guitar playing. Some consider him to the be the greatest that Canada ever produced, and his playful but solid axework here helps to show why.
He even throws a bit of the “Hocus Pocus” (by Focus!) riff in the middle of “Rock & Roll Machine”! Rik hasn’t forgotten to rock, and as usual Triumph is backed up by a second guitar player (Dave Dunlop) for some extra heaviness to the riffs.
But Rik also plays a lot of licks that are more along the lines of the jazz stuff he does today, a great mixture of his old style and his modern style. Gil and Mike are still Gil and Mike, they’ve barely changed at all. Their playing is as good as they’ve ever been. I wonder how much the band rehearsed for this show? They sound as tight as they did on Stages. (Mike says they practiced a lot!)
Setlist is below. Let me point out two things: No ballads! The closest you get is “Magic Power”. Second…”Blinding Light Show”! ‘Nuff said!
1. When The Lights Go Down
2. Lay It On The Line
3. Allied Forces
4. Never Surrender
5. I Live For The Weekend
6. Blinding Light Show / Moon Child
7. Rocky Mountain Way
8. Magic Power
9. Rock & Roll Machine
10. Fight The Good Fight
The included DVD duplicates the show, but for your eyes and ears! There’s also some cool behind the scenes footage (fans, soundchecks, etc.) and a press conference. Basically, everything you’d want out of a package like this.
I don’t want to understate how much I like this album. Prior to this, my favourite Triumph album was always Stages, their first live album from 1985. Live At Sweden Rock is now my #2 Triumph album. No overdubs, no fixes, this is just pure live Triumph, all killer no filler (or ballads), and they are as good as they ever were, I swear to God.
It is difficult to recall a better debut album than this 1976 masterpiece by the four-headed enigma known as Max Webster. Kim Mitchell (vocals/guitars), Mike Tilka (bass), Terry Watkinson (keys) and short-tenured drummer Paul Kersey, along with lyricist Pye Dubois, seemingly emerged fully-formed with this immortal classic. Right from the feedback kicking off “Hangover”, this album feels like it was custom designed for awesome sauce.
When I first heard it, I recall finding the album artwork mildly disturbing and the music jittery and off-putting. That was first listen. Then, Trevor bought it (and numerous others) for me for my birthday one year. THANKS T-REV!
It only took two more listens to appreciate this album for what it is: A paradoxically funny yet progressive masterpiece that runs the gamut from bizarre to blues to rock to country to campfire,with poetic lyrics to match. From the seemingly out-of-control “Hangover” to the mournful “Lily”, this album really does have it all.
Of note: This album was produced with Terry Brown, who helmed many Rush classics.
Like Frank Zappa’s bastard children, Max Webster emerged from Sarnia Ontario, perplexing and rocking audiences from coast to coast. Despite the diversity in sounds and challenging arrangements, this band was not short on melody and managed to create catchy songs out of the most absurd material, such as “Toronto Tontos”. Yet this is balanced by songs like the groovy “Here Among the Cats”. Regardless, it’s impossible to get either song out of your head. Mitchell’s soloing on “Here Among the Cats” is stunning, by the way.
You can’t understate how important, groundbreaking, and fantastic this album is. Just listen to the upbeat “Blowing The Blues Away”, or “Only Your Nose Knows” for a taste of the best music that Canada has ever put up for offer. “Summer’s Up”…”Coming Off the Moon”…not a bad song in the bunch. I understand that there are deluxe Max editions available now. I think I might pick one up and see how they are.
I think I’ll start with Max Webster! (Note: Don’t tell Mrs. LeBrain, but I did order it from Amazon a few moments ago.)
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