STEPH HONDE – Covering the Monsters (2017 Musik records)
Steph Honde is a French guitar player, best known for his work with Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden) and Hollywood Monsters (including such players as Don Airey and Vinny Appice). He’s rocked with Jim Crean and Danko Jones. He can write and play multiple instruments. And he can sing!
Honde’s 2017 album Covering the Monsters takes on a diverse batch of rock and metal. He plays everything but drums, and does a damn fine job of it. What makes the real difference is a unique selection of covers. Saxon’s “Waiting For the Night” comes from 1986’s Rock the Nations, which garners a lowly 2.5/5 over at Heavy Metal Overload. Yet from a so-so record comes a stunning pop rock track! Honde’s vocals will divide listeners, but his playing should stun everyone.
“Turbo Lover” is a slick choice, and “Bring Your Daughter…To the Slaughter” unexpected. Vocal cords are shredded on “Bring Your Daughter” just like Bruce did on the original. There are also ballads. “Edie (Ciao Baby)” has to be one of the most underrated of the 1980s. It’s fun to just listen blindly awaiting the next track. Danzig’s “Mother” leads into Guns N’ Roses (“It’s So Easy”). Not just Danzig, but also Michael Graves (“Crying on a Saturday Night”). Love and authenticity are poured into each one.
The best track is the one you’d think would be toughest to cover — the epic ballad “Take Me for a Little While” by Coverdale-Page. Honde captured what makes it a powerful song.
We exeunt to some Nazareth (“Not Fakin’ It”), obscure Sabbath (“Zero the Hero”), a little Ramones (“Something to Believe In”) and epic Winger (“Headed for a Heartbreak”). It’s a very satisfying mix of song choices, though Honde really has to stretch for notes on “Zero the Hero”. Mission accomplished.
Great covers album, and that’s saying something, because covers albums are often not.
BLACK SABBATH – Cross Purposes ~ Live (1995 IRS CD/VHS set)
Part Two: the VHS video by Harrison Kopp
As Mike’s VCR is currently stored away, he will be joined by Harrison, who was naughty and downloaded a 720p copy of the show when someone had it up on YouTube, and therefore will be reviewing the video half of this box set.
The video version is a great snapshot of the band at this period. The quality is quite good for a VHS, only betraying its origins with any large expanses of black shown. It also features some innovative action shots to capture the band, which is much appreciated as, although Geezer is still head banging away as usual, Bobby generally fades into the background and, as Mike has pointed out in other reviews, Tony Martin’s frontman-ship involves either singing up front or shaking his thinning hair by the drum riser. As for Tony Iommi? Well he’s still the epitome of theatrical guitar playing.
The lighting is done well also, although the red occasionally gives the skin an overly pink tone. And for the first time, Geoff Nicholls is visible in the background of some shots, doing keyboards and backing vocals.
Puzzlingly, there is also a black and white filter used on a couple shots here and there, that really isn’t necessary. Those preceding niggles however, were only small nit-picks of a thoroughly enjoyable show to watch.
There are also three songs included on the video that aren’t on the CD and will be therefore be reviewed here. The first is fairly early in the set and is “Mob Rules”. Tony powers through verse after verse without fail. Although it inevitably falls short of the Dio renditions, it still deserved a place on the disc.
“Anno Mundi” is next. This is easily the best of the three. Tony Martin sings his heart out in an amazing performance of the only song from Tyr. This easily should have been on the disc as well. (They all should have.) On a side note, it’s really nice to see audience members head-banging and singing along to these Martin-era songs. Last of these is a decent rendition of “Neon Knights” that just can’t compete with Dio’s versions. A couple subtle melody changes here and there don’t help it either.
Still, despite a couple small missteps:
4.5/5 stars, and Tony martin’s finest hour with Sabbath.
BLACK SABBATH – Cross Purposes ~ Live (1995 IRS CD/VHS set)
Part One: the CD
Metal fans who recall the 80s and 90s will remember that Black Sabbath struggled to be relevant, in a time when they should have been dominant. While Soundgarden soared up the charts with a sound that could never have existed without them, Black Sabbath limped along, with new lineups annually. Singer Tony Martin has been relegated to the footnotes of rock — unfairly for certain — thanks to a successful Black Sabbath reunion with Ozzy Osbourne. Fans in the know appreciate the Tony Martin era, and the tunes it produced.
With a lineup featuring original members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, Sabbath rolled tape at the Hammersmith for a live video also featuring their newest drummer Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow) and longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls. They were on tour supporting Cross Purposes, their first since an aborted reunion with Ronnie James Dio. This video was released in 1995, packaged with a CD that was shortened by three songs.
Today we’ll review the audio, and tomorrow a guest will review the video.
Some context: in some circles, Tony Martin was seen as a Dio clone. Therefore, it was brave and somewhat cheeky for Black Sabbath to open the show with “Time Machine”, a song specifically recorded for the Dio reunion! The whole Dehumanizer era was dicey to begin with. Tony Martin supposedly recorded an alternate set of vocals for that album just in case it didn’t work out with Ronnie. Cheeky or not, Tony Martin was more than capable of covering Dio’s song, though with less of Ronnie’s unmistakable grit.
Back to Master of Reality, “Children of the Grave” is bloody sharp with Bobby on drums. Nothing against Vinnie Appice or Cozy Powell (or Eric Singer or Bev Bevan or Terry Chimes or Mike Bordin or Tommy Clufetos) but I think Bobby Rondinelli was absolutely perfect for Black Sabbath. His hard-hitting style really turned up the heavy, and he also adapted it to the old Bill Ward songs better than some of the other drummers did.
Sabbath churned out album after album, year after year, and they always played new tunes live. Cross Purposes was a remarkably solid album, probably due to Geezer Butler’s influence. “I Witness” was worthy of the Sabbath canon, fitting perfectly among the speed rockers like “Neon Nights”. Next in the set was “Mob Rules” which was cut from the CD for time, so we skip through to a pretty authentic and unabridged “Into the Void”. With Tony Martin in the band, Black Sabbath were able to do songs from any era. That’s due to his versatility and his ability to put ego aside.
“Anno Mundi” (from 1990’s Tyr) should be next but it’s axed for time and instead it’s straight into “Black Sabbath”, a song that makes fools out of most singers. And truthfully, nobody but Bill Ward can capture the random madness that is his original drum performance. Sabbath ’94 do OK.
Another track is edited out (“Neon Nights” of all songs; who chose these?) and an odd choice from Cross Purposes is left in: “Psychophobia”, a stuttering metal slab of anger. Aimed at Ronnie? You be the judge, when Tony Martin howls, “It’s too late now, it’s time to kiss the rainbow goodbye.” The groove is pretty unstoppable whatever the motivation.
The surprise plot twist is “The Wizard”, an Ozzy oldie that few singers have dared to attempt with Black Sabbath. First time in 24 years, according to Tony. The harmonica part brings it closer to the old blues that Sabbath began with, and Tony Martin does fine with his own take on it. Then it’s time for the Cross Purposes ballad, a killer “Cross of Thorns”, though one gets the sense of anticlimax after a track like “The Wizard”. It would have worked better early in the set, but it’s an example of the quality heavy rock songs that Sabbath were still writing. Martin’s voice cracks raw at times from pouring it all in, and Iommi’s guitar solo is one of his most melodically enticing.
Back once again to the past, “Symptom of the Universe” is a smokeshow, including the oft-skipped psychedelic groovy outro. It kills any version by any lineup except the original quartet, and that’s due to Tony Martin’s throat-destroying singing. Bobby Rondinelli gets a drum solo before “Headless Cross”; not the first time he’s had to play drum parts originated by Cozy Powell! “Headless Cross” is a rhythm-based song with or without Cozy. Geoff Nicholls helps out Tony Martin for the impossible notes in the chorus.
“Paranoid”, “Iron Man” and a downtuned “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” make for a fine conclusion, but “Heaven and Hell” was conspicuous by its absence on this tour. It was only played in form of a brief segue between songs.
The CD release is 71 minutes, so given time limits of the day, that was about as many songs as they could squeeze in. If you want to be creative, why not find the other three tracks and add them as a bonus CD? Until a complete deluxe edition comes our way, this will have to do for audio aficionados. Our bonus CD is 16:08 of more Sabbath, though at a noticeably lesser quality. Tony remarked that picking a setlist was near impossible, but that “Mob Rules” had a “fucking good place in this set”, so why not the CD? It’s a full-speed cruise that is over before you can break a sweat. “Anno Mundi” is a special treat, as it was only played on the UK tour dates. Another fine example of underrated Martin-era material that wasn’t given a fair shake, but at 6:20 it takes a lot of space. As for “Neon Nights”? “This is a fucking good track,” says Martin accurately. There’s a lot of speedy metal on Cross Purposes ~ Live, but two of the most important ones in “Mob Rules” and “Neon Nights” were not on the standard CD. Surely a better series of cuts could have been made.
Tomorrow a guest reviewer will have a look at the VHS. For the CD, the math is simple:
4.5/5 stars
– minus 1 star for the missing three songs equals =
Please welcome guest writer Robert Daniels, from radio’s Visions In Sound
ROCK AND RULE (1983 Nelvana)
“Oh what will the signal be for your eyes to see me…”
Back in about 1984 or 85 I remember watching TV one afternoon and stumbling on an animated movie. Interested, I stopped to watch. It had weird, trippy images and some scantily clad cartoon woman singing and a strange creature growling. My 14 year old mind was intrigued and then was completely blown when one of the animated characters said “Shit!” Cartoon characters were not supposed to swear!! Clearly this was a mistake. No, it was not a mistake, it was Rock and Rule. Although at the time I didn’t know the title and didn’t see the movie on TV again for a while. Rock and Rule was set in a post apocalyptic future where the street animals evolved into a human like society. MOK is an aging rock star trying to find a specific voice in the guise of a worldwide talent search. MOK hopes to unleash a powerful demon from another dimension, his dwindling popularity driving him to destroy the world in vengeance and immortalize himself in the process. After returning to Ohmtown he finds the voice he’s looking for in Angel, a singer in a local band along with friends Omar, Dizzy and Stretch. MOK invites her to join him and when she refuses he kidnaps Angel and forces her to sing to raise the demon.
This was the era of the edgy “adult” cartoon, Heavy Metal, American Pop, Wizards, Starchaser: The Legend Of Orin and others. I do remember getting into an argument with my Mom back in 1981 about not being able to see Heavy Metal. “It’s a Cartoon…it HAS to be for kids!!!”.
It would be several years later when I was in high school that I described the ending scene to someone and they said “Oh yeah, that’s Rock and Rule…” Bingo, I had a title and looked high and low for a copy on VHS. Nothing. I was obsessed to find Rock and Rule. Of course, in the late 80s early 90s there was no internet so the only thing I could do was continue to bug the people at Steve’s TV to try and find a copy. Again, nothing. Then one day out of the blue I got a call from Steve’s. They said they found a copy and would order it for me. “Great” I said, “How much.” “$129.99”. My heart sank, that was far too expensive for my blood. So the film continued to sit in the back of my mind for years.
“My Name Is MOK, thanks a lot”
Then one day in (about) 2003, I heard of a showing at the former Hyland theatre. A local Anime expert and film buff rented the then-empty theatre to show the a cut of the film.
Also Don Francks, the voice of MOK, was going to be there. I jumped at the opportunity.
The film was nothing like I thought it was going to be. First, it was produced by Nelvana Studios that I only knew for Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Droids and Ewoks, etc. All kids’ cartoons. It was also one of the first films I ever saw that listed “Songs by…” first above the main cast. This list included Cheap Trick, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, with a special performance by Earth, Wind and Fire. After the movie there was a Q & A with Don Francks, who I later found out provided the voices for such characters as Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget, Lackki from Captain Power and the un-credited voice of Boba Fett from the Star Wars: Holiday Special. I asked him if he based his performance of MOK on David Bowie. He said that he didn’t have any particular person in mind when he voiced MOK. I later found out that MOK’s full name was MOK SWAGGER a spin on Mick Jagger. However, the talent representation of The Rolling Stones’ lead singer objected and forced the producers to drop the character’s surname. It’s also interesting to note that David Bowie, Tim Curry, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and Sting were all considered for MOK but the budget of the film couldn’t afford them.
“I dunno about this, nobody seems to be buying these ‘I survived the MOK concert’ T-shirts.”
This year (2018) is the 35th anniversary of this masterpiece of Canadian animation. Rock and Rule is the first English speaking Canadian animated feature film entirely produced in Canada itself. Unfortunately the film sat in near obscurity for years after being shelved by distributor MGM and never got released in North America. The film did develop a cult following after being shown on CBC (who held the Canadian TV Rights), HBO and Showtime. Bootleg copies would show up at comic book conventions oddly enough with Ralph Bakshi being credited as director.
“She can sing, or she can scream!!!”
Much like Heavy Metal from 1981 music was a huge part of the film and also much like Heavy Metal the music got tied up in rights issues.
Back in about 2005 just before the release of the Rock and Rule DVD, I was actually in contact with someone from Nelvana Studios who told me that director Clive A. Smith, whose wife Patricia Cullen had also written the score, had the tape masters for the soundtrack in his garage and that he might be willing to let me have them for mastering. Unfortunately nothing came of this as I lost contact but it was the closest I came to producing a soundtrack release. In 2010 the film was released on Blu-ray and unfortunately has become quite expensive on the used market.
It was previously believed that no official soundtrack album had ever been issued for Rock and Rule. In fact, Deborah Harry mentions on a “Making Of…” documentary that she hopes the music gets a soundtrack release. However, as it turns out, a handful of film critics received a cassette tape featuring nine songs (“Hot Dogs and Sushi” and “Send Love Through” were omitted). All songs are extended from how they appear in the film and in familiar copies. “Born to Raise Hell,” “I’m the Man,” “Dance Dance Dance,” and “Ohm Sweet Ohm” have been officially issued on CD, along with an alternate version of “Pain and Suffering,” and “Maybe For Sure” (an alternate version of “Angel’s Song”).
Though a deliberate Google search will turn up a couple of versions of the soundtrack, this is the most common track list:
[2:46] 01. Born To Raise Hell (Cheap Trick – Album Version)
[5:14] 02 Angel’s Song (Deborah Harry)
[4:22] 03 My Name Is Mok (Lou Reed)
[2:11] 04. I’m The Man (Cheap Trick – Album Version)
[3:12] 05. Earth Wind And Fire – Dance Dance Dance
[2:49] 06. Ohm Sweet Ohm (Cheap Trick – Album Version)
[3:15] 07. Triumph (Lou Reed)
[1:28] 08. Hot Dogs & Sushi (Melleny Brown)
[3:28] 09. Invocation Song (Deborah Harry)
[3:41] 10. Pain & Suffering (Iggy Pop)
[5:56] 11. Send Love Through (Deborah Harry and Robin Zander)
[4:30] 12. Maybe For Sure (Deborah Harry)
[5:22] 13. Angel’s Song (Cassette Mix)
[3:29] 14. Invocation Song (Mono Cassette Mix)
[4:35] 15. My Name is Mok (Cassette Mix)
[3:42] 16. Pain And Suffering (Iggy Pop)
[0:52] 17. Triumph (Movie Mix)
[2:35] 18. Angel’s Song (Movie Mix)
[1:38] 19. Invocation Song (Movie Mix)
[1:49] 20. Pain & Suffering (Movie Mix)
[2:06] 21. My Name is Mok (Movie Mix)
[3:36] 22. Triumph (Mono Cassette Mix)
Rock and Rule falls into the category of “…what could have been”. Had MGM had more faith in the project and released it in North America it may have been a hit rather than the cult classic it would eventually become. If you haven’t seen it or are interested in a look at a piece of Canadian animation history check it out, you will not be disappointed.
A solid 4/5 stars. Dark, and yet at the same time fun.
LED ZEPPELIN – “Rock and Roll” / “Friends” (2018 Atlantic Record Store Day single)
The hype for Record Store Day exclusives is as strong as ever, but most of these releases are just empty cash grabs. Coloured vinyl reissues of this, that or the other thing…nothing will compete with a mint original. Sometimes you’ll see vinyl releases for albums that used to be exclusive to CD, but rarely will you be able to buy exclusive music.
Led Zeppelin saw to it that your Record Store Day dollars did not go to waste.
And as if you thought Led Zeppelin had “cleared the vaults” of unreleased material! Here’s two more unheard mixes. These cannot be found on the Zeppelin deluxe editions. If you’ve collected all those already, then prepare to add two more tracks to your collection. This is a pretty clear indication that Jimmy Page is not finished dusting off old tapes to sell.
There are no liner notes to explain when these mixes were done or by whom, but “Rock and Roll” was mixed at Sunset Sound. Alternate mixes are fun for a fresh sound on an old favourite. You can hear different nuances. “Rock and Roll” has a nice clear heavy sound and maybe a little more echo. “Friends” (from Olympic Studios) has a harsher sound, with the percussion part prominent in the mix. The old intro is trimmed off in favour of a clean start with the acoustic guitar.
The yellow vinyl is a gorgeous bonus. Add it to your Zep treasure chest.
4/5 stars
Thanks toMr. James for picking this up for me. You are a true gentleman, with a creepy Facebook avatar.
GUNS N’ ROSES have announced an APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION deluxe edition coming in June. While “Rocket Queen” will certainly be on it, it’s highly unlikely the interview track below will.
Fans of vintage Guns N’ Roses (what other kind are there?) should always be alert and eyes open for old singles. Whether CD or vinyl, some of those old Guns singles have buried treasure on them. One is “Patience”, released several months after the Lies EP from which it sprang.
Here’s some truth for you, and it’s rather strange. “Patience” simply sounds better with the crackle of vinyl. I can’t explain it but I sure can testify. Just a little bit. Just enough to transport you back in time to 1989 when people were spinning Lies on vinyl (or at least cassette tape) nightly. The delicate strum of acoustics accentuate one another, and hot-damn, it’s hard to deny the timelessness of “Patience”. The missus and I played it at our wedding reception and it was a highlight of the evening. Almost every couple dancing to it that night is still together. Magic, people! It’s real.
But no, the real treasure is on side two, and it’s not “Rocket Queen”. Don’t get me wrong! “Rocket Queen” is an amazing showcase and could still today be the best tune Guns have ever laid to vinyl. It’s heavy, it’s soft; it has a bit of everything. I’d put it in my top five. But you already have Appetite for Destruction, so you know this already. What you have probably never heard before is the second track on the B-side, a vintage interview (7:44 long) with the elusive W. Axl Rose himself.
Conducted in his apartment among his broken platinum albums, Axl is asked some point-blank questions. Did you know Duff had his own comedy version of “Patience” that could have come out at some time? Axl even dropped lyrics from a new Izzy Stradlin song still two years down the road. “Double talking jive, get the money motherfucker, ’cause I got no more patience…” He also revealed they had a lot of ideas…anything from “10 songs to 30 songs”. (Turns out, it was 30.)
Axl confessed that his violent streak comes from frustration and stress, and that he has always smashed his things. It’s clear that this guy, sitting at the very top of the rock pile, needed some mental health care. Bon Jovi, after all, didn’t smash his platinum albums. He even went as far as to warn psycho fans to stay away or deal with the consequences of getting in his face.
It’s an odd interview, and revealing. That’s why it’s a treasure worth seeking. A single like this is valuable to fans who need to know these bits of trivia and minutia.
There are two versions of this CD: a 2006 release on Aquarius, and a 2009 reissue on Unidisc. Don’t waste your time on the 2006 CD, which is made up of previously released material. Go for the 2009 disc, with three unreleased bonus tracks!
Sword (not The Sword) are a Canadian band from Quebec who released an impressive heavy metal debut album in 1986. They gained the attention of Motorhead who took them out on tour. They followed it in ’88 with Sweet Dreams, just as good as the first, but commercial success eluded the band. They toiled away on a third album, but eventually the band dissolved leaving only singer Rick Hughes. He returned in 1992 with Saints & Sinners, and a new hard rock sound, but that was fated to sell poorly too. It was inevitable after grunge hit.
Rick Hughes remained active as a singer in Quebec and in 2016, he released a Sword live album, Live Hammersmith, recorded in ’87 on the Motorhead tour. Then, unexpectedly in 2018, the original lineup reunited! They have already played live gigs and are recording a new Sword album. If you plan on catching up (and you should!) then check out the 2009 Best of Sword disc. Besides the three unreleased demos, you’ll get a dozen rockers and thrashers that will melt skin.
The first salvo of “Stoned Again” and “F.T.W.” are a pair of killers. They were the singles from the first album, well loved by Canadian fans of the Pepsi Power Hour. “F.T.W.” is a smokeshow, with a blistering gallop and brain-burning chorus. On the other hand, groove is all about “Stoned Again”, a surprisingly catchy number that is hard to forget. Strangely, their final single “The Trouble Is” (from Sweet Dreams) isn’t on here. “Life on the Sharp Edge” is also missing.
Omissions aside, The Best of Sword showcases the sound of the band with a lot of their best material. More serious and topical songs like “Land of the Brave” will appeal to the thinking metal head. Meanwhile “State of Shock” will rip skulls right off — be careful you don’t play it too loud!
The first of the bonus tracks, a song called “Get It While You Can”, might be a demo from the third album, before they transitioned into Saints & Sinners. It’s the most “hard rock” Sword song of all of them. It definitely sounds like a stepping stone to what would become the Saints & Sinners album. The other two tracks are demos of “Runaway” and “Stuck in Rock” from the first LP, with different lyrics.
Because the first two albums are out of print, The Best of Sword is an easy way to sample their tunes before that third album comes. Go for it — but only the full 15 track version.
MTV’s Unplugged series is responsible for some of the best live albums you’ll find. Certainly Kiss’ instalment is up there, and so is Alice in Chains’. It’s somewhat strange that Alice’s first live album was an acoustic performance, but they have always been a two sided band. At least in the early days, you could count on an acoustic EP between electric albums. Their Unplugged focuses on mellow(ish) moments from everything but their debut, Facelift.
“Nutshell” from Jar of Flies is a brilliant opener. It sets a dark, quiet tone that follows through the whole album. For this show, Alice added guitarist Scott Olsen to free up Jerry Cantrell’s hands to solo. The eerie quiet of the audience only adds to the tension. “Brother” from Sap is next; a showcase for the harmonies of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Their vocal blend was Alice’s most defining feature. The big single from Jar of Flies, “No Excuses” rounds out this trio. Once again the harmonies kill it. MTV Unplugged is an unforgiving format. They had to do it live. They could do multiple takes, but one of them has to be perfect. “No Excuses” is perfect, and just listen to the percussion work of Sean Kinney!
A number of album tracks, better known as heavy electric songs, are next. Right after a lil’ bit of “Enter Sandman”, Alice in Chains do the newbie “Sludge Factory” for the first time ever. Due to Layne’s health, Alice were unable to tour in ’95-’96. They played only five shows; Unplugged was the first. (The other four were opening for Kiss, who also had an Unplugged album in 1996.) “Sludge Factory” is a difficult song from a murky album. Though was well received, “Down in a Hole” from Dirt earns more shouts of familiarity. Layne clearly poured himself into the song.
“Angry Chair” is one of Alice in Chains’ heaviest songs; to hear it unplugged is strange but oddly appropriate. Instead of raging, it simmers. “Rooster” too is more peaceful, though an undercurrent of angst is always present. It’s a song about Jerry’s dad, a Vietnam vet. Sean Kinney’s marching band style drums give a slight military feel. Layne absolutely wails on “Got Me Wrong” from Sap, and if you want intensity then check out “Would?”. Even though the band hadn’t played live in ages, and despite Layne’s fragility, they were certainly as good as ever on MTV Unplugged.
A cluster of new material lies on the back end. “Heaven Beside You” was always (largely) acoustic, but live it has a swagger. For songs that were always challenging, “Frogs” is certainly one, and it is no less so unplugged. It is more about the atmosphere than the notes. “Over Now”, however, is a blast.
Alice finished the set with a new song called “Killer is Me”. Like many of their songs it has atonal qualities that make it a difficult pill to swallow. It has never been recorded in the studio, which makes the unplugged show that much more special.
Listening to MTV Unplugged, you can’t help but miss Layne. A fun side of him shone that night. “I just wanna hug you all!…but I’m not gonna,” he exclaims at the end. It is true that the band eventually found a way to carry on with William Duvall, and they have done so very well. But Layne…he was something special that only happens once.
Alice in Chains (known colloquially as Tripod) is a difficult album. It was difficult to make, and it’s hard to listen to. Singer Layne Staley was in the throws of heroin addiction, but what came out of it was a portrait of everything the band went through. It’s ugly, atonal, and occasionally brutally heavy.
Guitarist Jerry Cantrell stepped up with more lead vocals, while Layne harmonized. Lead track “Grind” is one example of this. Layne’s role on this song is limited but critical to the overall vibe. His distorted snarl is integral to what amounts to an angry, lead-footed song. “Brush Away” is more conventional, though Jerry’s droning guitar melodies keep it on the edge. It drones on even while the riff is going its own way. “Brush Away” is relentless but “Sludge Factory” takes it back to a slower grunge. A song like “Sludge Factory” is a perfect definition of grunge at its best. Who knows how the hell they came up with these ideas. Pairing a weird “woo ooo” vocal with the heaviest of riffs and an avante-garde solo is innovative indeed.
“Heaven Beside You” is one of the easier songs to listen to, though MTV had to censor it. “So there’s problems in your life, that’s fucked up, I’m not blind.” Jerry sings lead on this acoustic number that sounds like a bridge between the acoustic band of Jar of Flies and the electric one of Dirt. It has a bit of a winter chill, just like the lyrics suggest. Don’t forget though, that Alice in Chains really like to write fucked up music. “Head Creeps” is one of those tracks. It sounds like an audio portrait of heroin withdrawal. “No more time…just one more time.” But listen to Sean Kinney just killing it on the unorthodox drum patterns. They close the first side with an intense single called “Again”. Once more it’s heavy, atonal and not at all commercial: metal sludge with “doot doot” singing.
The second side is even darker. A slow “Shame in You” is beautiful but sounds like depression embodied in sound. “God Am”, though, is angry and bitter. The lyrics are clever, and the riff is a beefy stutter. “Can I be as my God am?” asks Layne in one of his most provoking songs. “I’m not fine, fuck pretending.” That may as well be the theme for the entire album. They were not fine, and they were not pretending. Despite this, musically Alice in Chains could not be touched by their contemporaries. Only Soundgarden could have been capable of playing music of this complexity.
Writer’s block seems to come up in the storming “So Close” and “Nothing Song”. “It’s the same old sit-down roll-around chewed-up pen,” says Layne in “So Close”. His humorous side comes out in “Nothing Song”, with a stream of consciousness lyric that veers from autobiographical to bizarre. It’s one of the weirdest songs on the album, and Jerry’s shrieking guitar is an absolute treat.
“Frogs” and “Over Now” end the album on a pair of slower-paced songs. “Frogs” simmers low and slow, but “Over Now” is an another acoustic one with a brighter center. Jerry sings what might be about as close as Alice ever got to a campfire singalong song.
When it was first issued, you could get Alice in Chains in two different coloured jewel cases. Most were yellow with a purple spine, but the very rarest ones were purple with a yellow spine.* Even the cassettes came in coloured cases — yellow, with a purple tape inside. Whichever you choose, prepare yourself for an album that will stubbornly refuse to open up to you on just one or two listens. It’s good, but not for the meek.
3.5/5 stars
* I’ve seen it, but never in good enough condition. The case is always scuffed or broken. Inspect before you buy.
SCORPIONS – World Wide Live (1985 Polygram, 2 record set)
The first waves of CD releases generally sucked. Double live albums like World Wide Live,Live After Death, Stages and Exit…Stage Left were edited down to fit on a single CD. One way to ensure you got the complete album (with great sound) was to just go and buy an original vinyl. That is still the best way to enjoy World Wide Live.
The Scorpions were at a peak in 1985. The Love at First Sting tour was one of the biggest metal shows of the decade, but the band hit a speed bump after. This double live album was culled from five shows (three in the US and two in Europe), and sequenced for impact.
“Coming Home” and “Blackout” are a pair of bruisers. One can detect vocal overdubs (sounds like two or three Klauses singing at once on the choruses) but they are largely unobtrusive. Surely most of the album must be live. You can appreciate why the Scorpions were (and still are) huge. Riffs slice from one side to the other, while Klaus Meine dive-bombs like a screaming Stuka. They also had the music. Love at First Sting produced a number of hits (all here). Nothing from the early (Uli Roth) days though, which means the album leans towards the streamlined-style Scorpions. Older stuff would have been nice, but also would have overlapped with their prior double live, Tokyo Tapes. None of that material was in their current set either.
This is a minor quibble. These are the ultimate live versions of classic tunes like “Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Make it Real”, “Coast to Coast”, “Big City Nights”, “Can’t Live Without You” and all the rest. The ballads (“Holiday”, “Still Loving You”) are awesome too, and stacked together so you can get the ballads out of the way and back to rocking again. Scorpions must surely be one of the definitive ballad bands in metal. These two are legendary.
Side 4 is pretty epic: “The Zoo”, “No One Like You”, and an extended “Can’t Get Enough” with Jabs solo. Klaus Meine has an endearing German accent; everybody loves when he tells California that they really know how to partaaaay! (This was immortalised by Sebastian Bach in Season 7 of Trailer Park Boys where he performs a killer Klaus impression.)
Your wisest course of action should be clear. Pick up both Tokyo Tapes and World Wide Live, on vinyl, and get all the best Scorpions tunes done up live. This is good stuff.
STEPH HONDE – Covering the Monsters (2017 Musik records)
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