Tim Durling approached me about doing this Journey show…six months ago? A year? Two years? We have been waiting for this Journey album a long time, and a rocky ride it has been. Does this album live up to the hype? Tim and I are remarkably alligned on the new Journey album Freedom. Dig in.
My text review of Journey Freedom can be found by clicking here.
JOURNEY – Freedom (2022)
What a…well, Journey…it has been! First drummer Deen Castronovo was fired for…reasons we won’t get into. Steve Smith was brought back to replace him, until both Smith and bassist Ross Valory were fired for attempted takeover of the band? One way or another they ended up with Randy Jackson and Narada Michael Walden forming a lethal new rhythm section. Also added was second keyboardist Jason Derlatka. Now Deen is back and the album they created together, Freedom, is a special one compared to all the other post-Perry records.
This review is a little different. It is based off notes I made for an episode of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions. As such the format is a little different. Tim also provided all the photos!
Musically, Freedom is the strongest lineup since the classic Steve Perry era. With Narada on songwriting, there is a clear uptick in memorable material. 15 songs and a more satisfying listen than the last three or four Journey studio albums. Freedom actually feels like a three sided album, with five songs per side. Listen with that in mind and see if you agree.
1. “Together We Run” – Classic 80s sound with a catchy Jon Cain piano opening. Awesome chorus. The “Woah Woah Woah” part is excellent. Top it with a classic Schon solo. Arnel Pineda sounds more soulful than before. 5/5
2. “Don’t Give Up On Us” – This is the “Separate Ways” ripoff. Tell me you can’t hear it. It’s slowed down a tad, but similar. Good tune though! 4/5
3. “Still Believe in Love” – The first ballad. Narada’s really nailing that soul vibe on drums. Really soft/romantic but good. 4/5
4. “You Got the Best of Me” – Second single. Solid Journey style hard rocker. Narada nails this vibe too in a style reminiscent of Steve Smith. Chorus is stellar. 5/5
5. “Live to Love Again” – Jonathan Cain solo writing credit. A bit corny but not more so than other Journey ballads or Bon Jovi for that matter. 3/5
6. “The Way We Used To Be” – First single, so long ago! Darker, more ominous Journey, but absolutely killer. Takes a while to sink it. Works better on the album than as a single. Powerful, with great chorus. 5/5
7. “Come Away With Me” – Uncharacteristic hard rock groover. Randy Jackson for the win. Do I hear an homage to the first album on this one? Relentless song! 5/5
8. “After Glow” – Ballad #3. At least each ballad is different from one another, which is necessary on an album like this. Deen Castronovo on lead vocals. Very Steve Perry circa Trial By Fire. 3.5/5
9. “Let It Rain” – Woah! Completely different. Funk courtesy of Mr. Randy Jackson on bass. Solid unexpected funky groove going on here. Schon is mental! 4/5
10. “Holdin’ On” – Randy’s first co-write. Very much an homage to the first three progressive Journey albums. Time signature is nuts. 4/5
11. “All Day, All Night” – Randy Jackson is MVP for his bass pulse on this soulful, funky groove. Wicked song, An album highlight. Schon just punctuates the air with some chords while the bass carries the verses. Arnel in top voice on the screamin’ outro. 5/5
12. “Don’t Go” – Arnel’s first co-write. Like early 80’s Bon Jovi with an uplifting power chorus. 5/5
13. “United We Stand” – No quite a ballad, but a midtempo tune. Lyrics could be interpreted as about the division in the US. Not a highlight, just kinda sits there. 3/5
14. “Life Rolls On” – A song about aging and rolling with the changes. Begins as a ballad and transforms into a rocker. Nice organ on here by Jon Cain. 4/5
15. “Beautiful As You Are” – album closing ballad/rocker. Lovely acoustic closer. Understated and perfect until it goes rocker at the end. Arnel in top voice hitting the high notes. Homage to classic Journey at the end – “Anytime”? Walden kicking absolutely ass on the outro. 5/5
There is also a Japanese bonus track called “Hard to Let It Go” that we will check out at a later time.
Freedom is the first Journey since Trial By Fire that really intrigues you enough to go in for multiple listens. This lineup has it all and though health issues have gotten in they way of Randy and Narada touring, the album is a moment frozen in time when Journey had these two awesome veterans in the engine room.
4.5/5 stars
BLUE RODEO – Daze In America (1995 Discovery Records promo CD)
Blue Rodeo have a number of promo-only releases of great value to fans. There’s the The Live CFNY Concert for one. “Diamonds in the Rough” / Demos and Other Stuff….. is another. Perhaps the most superb of them was 1995’s Daze In America CD, including five live songs but never released to retail on any Blue Rodeo album or single.
The sextet were riding high with the triumphant Five Days In July album, a surprise hit recorded spontaneously in…well, five days. An utter masterpiece, Five Days in July produced numerous classics that endured in setlists for decades. “Head Over Heels” was one such track, an upbeat Jim Cuddy stomper with harmonica, mandolin, and the kitchen sink. It’s the kind of Blue Rodeo track that gets people off their seats. The version here is the studio cut, which is logical since it was one of the big singles they were promoting at the time.
“Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” is live in Omaha, and it emanates energy from the crowd. “This ain’t nothing new to me, it’s just like going home,” sings Greg Keelor. “It’s kinda like those sunsets that leave you feeling so stoned…” Crowd roars. Live, Jim Cuddy’s harmony line is more prominent. Blue Rodeo’s best song, hands down. And check out Bazil Donovan’s lyrical walking basslines and tell me he isn’t one of the best bass players in this great nation of ours! Yes, “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” is a freakin’ gem, where every facet matters, and elevates the song further.
Jim’s bluest ballad, “Bad Timing” is received by quiet punctuated with screams. If you see Blue Rodeo live, then you know this is a common reaction to Cuddy’s crooning, a country heartthrob if there ever was one. “Bad Timing” is sentimental, beautiful, and soothing in its own pain. The ultimate breakup song. It’s just bad timing, that’s all.
Casino‘s “Til I Am Myself Again” brings us back to one of those upbeat Jim songs that people love to dance to. Being seated during this song at a Blue Rodeo concert is not optional. Often a set opener, this one kicks! Laying back a bit, “Rain Down on Me” was another big hit, this time from Lost Together. The size of the chorus, a big huge cumulus, is one reason why it is so beloved. The pedal steel guitar solo by Kim Deschamps is outstanding. Then “Last To Know” is another Jim ballad, but with a monolithic chorus.
Ex-Andy Curran drummer Glenn Milchem is all over “Trust Yourself”, a real bolder-buster of a tune. It was always a bit of a jam, but live it just explodes from all its bounds. Then it descends in a two minute outro of solos and jamming. Blue Rodeo are one of the best live bands you’ll ever see, and this track shows why.
A great promo EP, somewhat rare, but worth the extra few bucks for these rare recordings.
5/5 stars
Part Thirty-Seven of the Def Leppard Review Series
DEF LEPPARD – B.Sides (CD Collection Volume 3 Disc 4) (2021)
It’s somewhat irksome that this disc wasn’t titled Rarities 5 to maintain continuity with the previous two box sets. Alas, this disc is titled B.Sides (probably so the artwork jives with the X album) even though it contains more rarities than just single B-sides. Quibble aside, let’s dive in with an important caveat: Many of the tracks on this disc are from the X era, which did not rate well in this series thus far.
Two inconsequential radio edits begin the CD: “Now” and “Long Long Way to Go”. In the case of “Now” that could be an improvement, though less than 10 seconds were chopped from the song. Credit due: when the song starts cooking after the first chorus, that guitar riff is pretty awesome. “Long Long Way To Go” suffers more in the radio edit context, losing 38 seconds, ending abruptly with a quick fade. A better version is still to come on this disc.
From there we move on to the Japanese and UK X bonus track “Kiss the Day”. This song is generally acclaimed by fans as a tune that would have improved the album in general. It has a riff to it, but then slows right down into ballad territory. It recovers on the psychedelic chorus but it’s a bit uneven. There’s a smoking solo worth noting in the burning ending section.
B-sides galore next! Some of these tracks were hard to collect at the time, at least in North America. “10 X Bigger than Love” from one of the “Long Long Way to Go” singles would have been awesome had it been on an album, but it’s too rock and roll for X. Leaving it off an album was a mistake. “10 X Bigger than Love” was considered a keeper by Joe but the other guys in the band didn’t like it as much. “Love Don’t Lie” is Joe’s demo version of the album track, previously released as one of the B-sides to the “Now” single. It doesn’t have the chorus production of the album version, but might actually be more interesting for that reason. Apparently they were going for a Seal vibe similar to “Crazy”. Close but no cigar.
The included demo of the ballad “Let Me Be the One” (another “Now” B-side) is so much more raw and genuine than anything on the X album. It should have just been released as-is! They didn’t have to muck it up for modern audiences. This one has so much more heart and genuinity. Joe’s Cybernaut friend (and Bowie’s bandmate) Dick Decent handled the difficult piano part. The rocker “Gimme a Job” (from the “Long Long Way To Go” single) is a pretty simple but gets the job done for a B-side. Why so simple? The other guys didn’t care for it, so Joe played everything — including the guitar solo! It might be a bit similar to a previous B-side called “When Saturday Comes”.
The last B-side in this chunk of songs is an acoustic version of “Now”, also included on the “Long Long Way to Go” single. Though it lacks that chunky riff section that we all love so much, it also lacks the digital bleeps and bloops from the original. Unfortunately, this acoustic version proves the song just isn’t all that great at its core.
The stripped down acoustic version of “Long Long Way to Go” does the opposite. This is a real rarity from the Japanese printing of the X album. A truly great song (though they didn’t write it), and this is really the definitive version. Easily superior. They didn’t have to go all-in with the production, and here’s more proof. This is the same recording, just with all the junk removed. Great to finally be able to get this version easily now. It should have been on the album and the other version released as a remix.
In another slightly irksome move, the CD jumps ahead in time here, only to jump back on the next song. Moving forward in time to the album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, it is the much demanded “Joe Only” version of “Nine Lives”. This valuable Japanese bonus track should have been more widely available from the start, so in-demend was it over the “Joe and Tim McGraw” version on the album. This is the song as it always should have been! Hard rocking, chunky, upbeat, and fun. Not a single bad thing about it.
Then back in time for the final X track: “Perfect Girl”. Much like the previously released download-only 11 song live set, you could grab this song for free from the official Def Leppard site. A big thank-you to Def Leppard for being so proactive and fan-friendly in the early internet days. “Perfect Girl” is a superior demo version of the song “Gravity” and has never been released physically until now. When we say it’s the “superior” version”, let’s just add that it’s less boy-band-y. It’s still not all that great, just…not as bad.
Finally, the last of the tracks is the other Japanese bonus track from Sparkle Lounge. This is a piano version of the album epic “Love”. Those who thought the album could have used a ballad will enjoy it. “Love” is notable as one of Joe’s best vocal performances and now you can hear it adorned only with backing piano. The album version will remain the go-to since it’s so big and bombastic, but this a nice Queen-like alternate version that the diehard fans will enjoy.
Though a bit X-heavy, this excursion into Leppard B-sides was a better listen than that album. Collecting them all was a pain in the behind, so having them all in one place (plus the one that was download-only!) is a brilliant solution. Wish it was “rarities” and was in stricter chronological order, but the disc checks off a ton of boxes for collectors.
3.5/5 stars
Previous:
Next:
38. Yeah! II
39. Yeah! Live
40. Mirror Ball – Live & More (Japanese import)
41. iTunes re-recordings
42. Viva! Hysteria (DVD & CD 1)
43. Viva! Hysteria (CD 2 & Bonus features)
44. Slang (2014 Deluxe bonus tracks)
45. “Helen Wheels” (from The Art of McCartney)
46. Def Leppard (Deluxe and Japanese versions)
THE BEACHES – The Professional (2019 Universal EP)
Fact: Toronto’s The Beaches put out consistently good music. On their 2019 EP The Professional, they teamed up with big namer Jacknife Lee for production. The band has grown a huge fanbase opening up for artists like Avril Lavigne, but the truth is they are better than most of the bands they open for. The Beaches have developed a signature sound early on. It doesn’t hurt that singer/bassist Jordan Miller has a unique, powerful voice.
Opener “Desdemona” boasts some sharp opening chords because the bass and drum groove takes us to the dancefloor. Jordan Miller goes falsetto for that vintage vibe. The guitars cut but don’t dominate. There’s a fun 80s vibe but with the modern clarity and production that fans demand today. It thumps!
More 80s vibes on “Fascination” which has an fast tempo Blondie direction. Short, sweet and upbeat. Synth drums open “Snake Tongue”, an understated angry pop masterpiece. Check out these lyrics:
I can’t say I lack for much attention,
‘Cause these creeps come in from all directions,
Getting in my face,
Every single day.
And these:
Stop sending me all your dick picks,
They are boring me to pieces.
Although the Beaches certainly don’t need my sympathy, that kind of behaviour pisses me off. Have some respect, dudes. Though the music is nothing but pure uptempo fun, the lyrics bleed reality and it’s awesome. You can hear why the Beaches are really resonating with kids today.
“Want What You Got” continues the 80s dance direction. The bottom end just booms. The chorus slays. Everything about this song rules. No weak links. There’s even a heavy breakdown midway through. This is a guilt-free ode to jealousy, and why not. When the chorus is this killer, who cares about deadly sins.
The final track “Lame” was a radio hit upon release. A bit of an anthem, with bite! 70s glam rock vibes all over. Loaded with attitude and soaring high on confidence, this track attacks!
The Beaches are only going to get bigger. They’ve been releasing music consistently, including the Future Lovers EP and live tracks on Youtube. Their next album will be huge, just wait.
5/5 stars
Catch the Beaches in Toronto TONIGHT!
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 8.5
KING’S X – “A Box” (1996 Warner Germany CD single)
In 2022, the “King’s” are returning, so today let us look back on some of their fine 90s output. 1996 was the year of Ear Candy, the progressive giants’ most commercially accessible album to date. It was produced by Canadian Arnold Lanni (ex-Frozen Ghost, Sheriff) and the songs were straightforward and hook-based compared to what came before and after.
Last year, we curated some King’s X lists with Martin Popoff right here, and he rated the single “A Box” in his top five. The version included on this single is an edit, over a minute shorter than the album cut, with the cut material being mostly outro. Dug Pinnick is always passionate but you can really feel him on “A Box”. “There is no room inside a box,” goes the chorus, and one has to wonder if this box is one to break out of, to retreat to, or both. The song gives voice to loneliness and anger, but also sings of “a place to run and hide, just a place to free your mind.” It is a ballad with strong lyrics, unforgettable melody, Ty Tabor’s signature guitar glow, and an absolutely wicked Jerry Gaskill drum sound, thanks to the magical knob-twiddling touch of Arnold Lanni.
One album cut is included, which is “Looking For Love” from Ear Candy, another one of its strongest tunes. This one smokes of anger and frustration. It also contains the key lyric, “I guess I lost my faith,” which is true. Dug was once Christian but left the church around Dogman. Yet it’s also melodically one of the strongest songs, which helps back up that killer Ty Tabor riff.
The non-album B-side is a rarity called “Freedom”. Unlike the album which was recorded with Lanni in California, “Freedom” came from a self-produced session in Houston. Sonically it does not fit with the boldly in-your-face Ear Candy, but it does offer another Ty Tabor lead vocal. It’s a bit more sparse and hard-hitting, but still boasts the patented King’s X harmony vocals on the chorus. There’s a cool melody buried in the outro too. Overall, it is not as strong as Ear Candy as a whole, but as a bonus track, it’s more than adequate. Ty’s singing will be the highlight for many fans as he really goes for it.
Great single, and thank you Martin Popoff for inspiring the purchase.
4.5/5 stars
KING’S X review series:
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
Part 8 – Ear Candy (1996)
Part 8.5 – “A Box” (1996 CD single)
Part 9 – Best of King’s X (1997)
Part 10 – Tape Head (1998)
Part 11 – POUNDHOUND – Massive Grooves from the Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music (1998 Doug Pinnick/Jerry Gaskill)
Part 12 – Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous (2000)
Part 13 – PLATYPUS – Ice Cycles (2000 Ty Tabor)
Part 14 – Manic Moonlight (2001)
Part 15 – Black Like Sunday (2003)
Part 16 – Ogre Tones (2005)
Part 17 – XV (2008)
Part Thirty-Six of the Def Leppard Review Series
Original Review: CMT Crossroads (2009)
Dedication (noun): The character trait of being so devoted to a project that you will watch the Taylor Swift & Def Leppard DVD one more time, even though you reviewed it once before and swore you’d never watch it again.
TAYLOR SWIFT & DEF LEPPARD – CMT Crossroads (2009 Walmart exclusive DVD)
You can blame Rick Allen’s brother for this DVD. How did pop country songstress Taylor Swift and Def Leppard hook up? Taylor was on tour with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill whose tour manager was Rick Allen’s brother. You might recognize McGraw from the song “Nine Lives” on Leppard’s last album Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. Swift expressed interest in doing an episode of CMT Crossroads with Leppard and eventually they made it happen. Lucky us.
The DVD starts immediately, no big long intro, with “Photograph”. In a democratic way of doing things, it’s a Def Leppard song to open, but Taylor Swift getting the first lines. Her smooth voice doesn’t sound right with Screamin’ Joe’s vocal lines, and takes some getting used to with these songs. You can’t really hear her fiddle player or acoustic guitarists on “Photograph” but they sure are having fun.
The concert is intercut with interviews that help bring the context to this odd collaboration. Taylor was born two years after Hysteria, but was exposed to Leppard’s music from birth. She had been wanting to do a show with Leppard for some time so she made it happen. It’s also fun watching her learn British slang.
Taylor’s “Picture To Burn” is…well, it’s a song about some guy who drives a pickup truck, it seems. No matter how much they try to convince us that Leppard and Swift are not all that different, they sure are. “Love Story” is more like a Leppard ballad and isn’t so hard to swallow. Finally we get to “Hysteria” which works remarkably well as a duet. Taylor’s vocals add rather than subtract. You can actually hear certain parts of her massive backing back on this as well, plinking here and fiddling there.
A blues jam about Taylor’s boy trouble is amusing. “Teardrops On My Guitar” is a nice song, a little more understated and quiet. Stage choreography seems important with so many band members on stage, and they all seem to have their places and times. Leppard’s ballad “When Love and Hate Collide” is one song that is the most transformed by the collaboration. It sounds at home in both worlds. Taylor reveals she’s long had an obsession with this hit. It’s very fun to see Joe give her the last line of the song too.
Taylor’s “Should’ve Said No” is upbeat and twangy. A little bit rock and roll, something a little more familiar. There’s a great march-like arrangement towards the ending, and then the drums start thumping and you know what that means. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” has never sounded like this before. Fiddles and double drums…it actually sounds pretty good. And that’s the closing song of what is a fun but definitely jarring set of hits.
The three bonus tracks are “Our Song” (written in 9th grade for Taylor’s highschool talent show), “Love” (new Leppard song), and “Two Steps Behind”. These Taylor songs really take some effort to digest when you’re a Leppard fan, until Joe starts singing at least. Giving her credit, Taylor sure knows how to command an audience, but it’s irritating to see Vivian ripping up the fretboard, but being unable to hear him in the mix. More interesting is “Love”, the only choice from Songs From the Sparkle Lounge. It really benefits from all the extra backing singers and musicians, becoming something really big and huge. The final bonus track “Two Steps Behind” has eight guitar players and a nice intro from Joe explaining how the song was written electrically in 1989 to become a hit acoustically later in 1993.
To Def Leppard fans at least, some of the best content might be contained in the bonus interviews. It’s clear Leppard had a new but genuine appreciation for Taylor Swift and how her songs are constructed. They discuss all the things they have in common with Taylor, such as age. Rick Allen turned 16 opening for AC/DC and Taylor of course released her first hit album at 16. Allen reveals his parents were supportive of him leaving highschool in order to tour with Def Leppard, but made him get a tutor. They understood that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Both artists discuss what it’s like to be pigeonholed into a genre be it “country” or “heavy metal”. But the coolest thing is the foreshadowing of Leppard’s new album Diamond Star Halos. “You know who else is a huge Def Leppard fan? Alison Krauss,” reveals Taylor. And in 2022 she too collaborated with Def Leppard.
In addition to the interviews, there’s a press conference with Joe, Phil and Taylor where they discuss their history with each others’ music. They are obviously having fun with their collaboration, even if you are not. One of the things Joe says is that they would love to work with Taylor in the studio any time anywhere. Rather than ask why this hasn’t happened any time in the last 13 years, let’s just be glad it hasn’t. This is a difficult DVD for the Leppard fan to finish in one sitting so let’s just be glad that’s all there is.
2.5/5 stars
Previous:
Next:
37. B-Sides
38. Yeah! II
39. Yeah! Live
40. Mirror Ball – Live & More (Japanese import)
41. iTunes re-recordings
LIVE – “Heaven” (2003 Universal CD single)
If the goal is to review “everything” in the collection, then we must dig deep. Sometimes you find things that you forgot you owned. Things you have not listened to in 19 years. Things you bought “for the collection” because they were cheap (staff discount). This single would have cost me about two bucks. Live were a good band once; Throwing Copper was a 90s staple. I remember giving the Birds of Pray album some store play, and I think it might have been OK but obviously I didn’t feel it enough to buy it or I’d still have it today.
Let’s check out the two track “Heaven” CD single, without remembering a single thing about it.
The opening vocals on “Heaven” are an immediate turn off. Nasal-y and annoying. The chorus is pretty good, lots of crunchy guitars, but it almost sounds like a parody of this kind of 90s rock. The production is excellent though; the drums really slam and the guitars cut through. This song gets a passing grade though it’s nothing special and the lyrics are kinda irritating.
I don’t need no one, to tell me about Heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don’t need no proof
When it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah
I liked when Live used to sing about living in a “Shit Towne”, but this is little too much limburger. Indeed, they did call the album Birds of Pray….
The B-side is a track called “Forever Might Not Be Long Enough”, and this is the “Egyptian Dreams Mix” of said song. Hard pass. The exotic loops that open are cool but then the dance beats kick in. No idea what the original sounded like and I have to wonder if I have ever played this CD before or if this is the first time.
Back on the shelf!
2/5 stars
– Off the Soundboard – Live at Donington (Monsters of Rock) (August 17, 1996 – 2022 Universal)
Third in the Off the Soundboard series, and we are gifted an original lineup show. Reunion era, we add with a caveat, but an original lineup gig nonetheless. This was a big one: Monsters of Rock in 1996. This gig is only 11 days after the Toronto show at which I saw Kiss, and the setlist is simply a shortened version of what we saw earlier.
Opening with “Deuce”, the reunited Kiss don’t sound vintage, but they do sound professional and hot. The immediately noticeable flaw in the mix is an overly prominent bass. Demon fans might love it! Frehley’s guitar brings that almost-out-of-control quality that we miss today.
The simplicity of the drumwork on “King of the Night Time World” reminds us that the Catman Peter Criss is back on drums. That’s all good. After hearing Eric Singer on the past two instalments of this series, the Catman’s looser feel is refreshing.
Then an F-bomb from Paul: “WOOO! How you doin’ Donington! You all ready to get a little fuckin’ nuts tonight? You want a little rock and roll?” Then it’s “Do You Love Me”, not usually one of those songs you go fuckin’ nuts on, due to its deliberate tempo. I could usually skip it, but this version is pretty good. That overloud bass makes it a bit heavier. The backing vocals are also quite good. “Dr. Love” has that patented Peter Criss pitter-patter on the drums that we can all admit we miss.
The Starchild seems to have a blast singing the word “Donington” over and over again just before “Cold Gin”. Gotta admit this is a great album for Paul’s stage raps! It’s Ace’s turn to shine, in that overdriven, on-the-edge style that nobody can copy. It’s like chocolate it’s so good. The Space Ace gets to sing a verse on his own, which is a perfect touch. An album highlight. Perhaps the best live version of “Cold Gin” available since the original Alive!
The original Kiss tear into “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N Roll” and Gene’s voice is a bit rough at first…as it should be, 100% live. There’s nothing like this song with Ace and Peter on drums. Again, perhaps the best live version since the original Alive! “Shout It Out Loud” is a bit more polished. But if you want heavy, look no further than the thunderous “Watchin’ You”. The vintage Kiss vibe is captured as they thump through this in a completely different way than they did four years earlier on Alive III with Bruce Kulick. Another contender for best live version available since Alive! Previously that honour went to the Alive III version. Simmons is, pun intended, a monster on both tasty bass fills and meaty vocals.
“Firehouse” is simple fun, but once again, the Space Ace adds something that other guitar players do not have, which is nothing against any of them. It is a matter of style, and the style that suits Kiss best.
Kiss turns the microphone over to Ace Frehley on “Shock Me”, which also doubles as his feature guitar solo. You can hear every mistake, and even they are perfect in their own, flawed diamond sort of way. This solo is pure smoke and fire, like a meteorite barrelling through atmosphere. Perhaps the best stage version of “Shock Me” out there, arguably surpassing Alive II.
Over to disc two, it’s finally time for “Strutter”. Paul’s stage rap is amusing if only because he says Kiss are having such a great time back together that they don’t know if it’s ever going to end. Ah, hindsight. This is a fantastic version only hampered by that overloud bass in the mix. Vocals are outstanding.
Simmons takes center stage for his “bass solo” and “God of Thunder”. A Simmons bass solo usually works best as a visual, not musical experience. (Animalize Live bass solo notwithstanding.) While you don’t necessarily want this stuff edited out of a live bootleg, it’s basically waiting for the song to start. Gene is extra-growly on “God of Thunder” and Frehley is hotter than hell. Stanley’s prominent backing vocals add an extra dimension. And Peter’s got that beat nailed down like a beast. He gets his drum solo on this track, a slow and tribal experience similar to, but not as energetic as, his Kiss Alive solo.
When Paul starts talking about size of his pistol, then you know it’s time for “Love Gun”. Drowning in bass, but fiery hot. Speaking of bass, “100,000 Years” is top notch too. Do you feel alriiiiight? Frehley’s soloing on the track is an essential ingredient. The closing trio of “Black Diamond”, “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll all Nite” are somewhat predictable, but it’s bizarre that we had to wait this long to hear Peter Criss sing lead on something. As for “Detroit”, easily one of the top five live versions on official release.
This set is pure electric vintage Kiss from 1974-1977, and nothing beyond. No “New York Groove”, no “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”. No “Beth” either. If you’re going to cut a track for time for the festival, “Beth” is one to cut. Though sometimes hampered by the bass heavy mix, it is possible that Live At Donington is the best Kiss live album since Alive II. The reunited lineup were certainly a lot better than I remember them being back in 1996, when I thought they sounded stiff. With hindsight, though Peter is steadier than before, Frehley still provides all that danger that is necessary in a live Kiss show. At Donington, the original Kiss brought it.
4.5/5 stars
THE FORREST WILLIAMS DEMOCRACY – “In Service of the Greater Good” (2022 single)
Anybody who ever dug Big Wreck (and there are lots of you) should be checking out The Forrest Williams Democracy. Williams was the drummer on the first two essential Wreck albums with the original lineup. After the band dissolved in 2002, Williams settled down into a family life. Rock and roll always beckons again, and in this case it came in the form of musician Scott Maybee. Together with original Big Wreck producer Matt DeMatteo, the new song “In Service of the Greater Good” was released twenty years after the original Big Wreck ended. So whatsit sound like?
The Forrest Williams Democracy has an uncanny knack for a Soundgarden aura, circa Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. A lot of that has to do with the vocals (shared between Maybee and DeMatteo). Powerful with range, but also subtlety. The riffs (and there are a few!) are heavy. And as for the drums? If you listen to this and the first Big Wreck, you can hear that it’s the same guy. The style, and the thump, remains. “In Service of the Greater Good” is a complex, multi-faceted heavy rocker, but also with the acoustics and added textures that you would hope for. Sabbath and Zeppelin are named as influences and you can hear both seeping through the speakers. You can sense the Bonham influence on Williams, but the Zeppelin also comes out clearly in acoustic sections. Meanwhile the lead guitar work would make Iommi smile.
“In Service of the Greater Good” is more than just the influences. There’s a lot going on here — some serious musical ambition. There was clearly no intent to just write some rock song for the summer. This is impressive stuff. The vocals are outstanding. The musically-inclined will enjoy all the changes and tempos, while the rest of us can just pump our fists when the heavy parts come! Great tune that has the feeling of an album side-ending closer epic. We hope an album will follow.
In the meantime, you can check out the Forrest Williams Democracy on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and Bandcamp. They also have shirts for sale. Hope more is coming.
4/5 stars
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