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.
ZZ TOP – Raw – ‘That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’ Original Soundtrack (2022 BMG)
In 2019, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill was still alive, and filmmaker Sam Dunn brought us the critically acclaimed documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. The film was cherished for a number of reasons, not least of which was the music, old and new. A big part of the film was seeing the modern-day ZZ Top jamming away on their classics. And it was clear they lost nothing.
With Dusty gone, it’s appropriate to release his final recordings as the soundtrack to the documentary. As the title boldly states, this is ZZ Top raw, playing live in the studio, as only they could. 12 tracks; nothing beyond Eliminator. Every song a classic.
Going back to the first album, “Brown Sugar” opens with some amp hiss and seriously bluesly licks from Billy Gibbons. Raw yes, but also crisp and clear with plenty of bottom end. These are not simple re-recordings, nor are they vastly different re-imaginings. They are just 12 tracks of ZZ Top playing hard and heavy, backed with modern equipment and techniques. The groove flows right through the speakers like jelly. Sonically the tracks are heavier simply because of the modern equipment, though they are still…you guessed it…raw! Dusty’s bass on “Just Got Paid”…oh man. Track after track of familiar rock will hit your ears, satisfying your need for that dirty greasy blues that ZZ Top peddle in. Jamming solos, rolling bass and luscious blues licks await within.
As far as surprises go, there are not many, but it is fun to hear “Legs” done in this raw settling. The sequencers are there but back in the mix. It’s much more rocking. Interesting to hear no backing guitars when Billy is soloing. “Gimme All Your Lovin'” benefits similarly from the raw treatment. No sequencers here, just guitars, drums and bass. No loss either. A slow jam version of “Thunderbird” is another treat. Finally, it’s a blast to hear Frank Beard playing hard on the surf rock of “Tube Snake Boogie”.
From rockers, to blues rockers and just plain ol’ blues, this album contains a nice cross section of songs from 1971 to 1983. Arguably, the essential years. While not essential itself, ZZ Top Raw should make your purchase list. It’s an excellent set of recordings, of some of the best ZZ Top songs, with modern fidelity and of course, the last of Dusty Hill. You loved it when you saw ZZ Top jamming these tunes in the film. Now you can own the soundtrack. So get on it!
4/5 stars
Thanks to John T. Snow for kindly gifting this copy!
We haven’t reviewed many actual Def Leppard singles in this review series. Why? Because we reviewed the CD Collection box sets in detail instead, which do an excellent job of collecting all the albums and B-sides from specific eras. This picture disc for “C’Mon C’Mon” from Songs From the Sparkle Lounge is one single for which the B-side has yet to be issued in box set form.
The B-side in question is a live version of “Rocket” from an unknown place and time. What we do know is this: It’s not a pipsqueak edit version from a live album. This is a full-on 10 minute recording with all the extended bells and whistles.
Opening with the usual backwards vocals (“We’re fighting for the gods of war” in reverse), “Rocket” is a Rick Allen vehicle. It’s endurance. The drums are a main feature, but Screamin’ Joe Elliott doesn’t take a back seat to anyone. Still, by the 3:30 mark it’s the Rick Allen show. Soon he’s accompanied by Rick Savage on bass, before the guitar solos begin. Phil Collen goes first followed by Vivian Campbell, in a call & response series of licks. Together the two weave notes and squeals into a tapestry of cool, with Vivian going full metal into speed and tapping.
Around 7:50, Joe surprises the crowd by going into “Whole Lotta Love”. “You need coolin’, baby I ain’t foolin’,” with guitars that replicate what Jimmy Page might have done had he been on stage that night. Back into “Rocket” for the finale, the whole thing works from start to finish as if it wasn’t 10 minutes long but maybe half that. A valuable B-side for your collection, just spectacular stuff.
The A-side is hit or miss. “C’Mon C’Mon” was in the vein of that “Pour Some Sugar” sound, ultimately derived from Gary Glitter. It’s…well, to overuse a phrase, “it is what it is”. Def Leppard are always going to have this kind of song in their repertoire. It’s not bad, just nothing new. Performance-wise, Rick Allen is once again a champion. The guitars have a really sweet crunch. It’s a great sounding single, just an unnecessary direction to keep toiling away at.
3.5/5 stars
Next: Leppard goes country with…yes, we’re at that point now…with Taylor Swift.
36. CMT Crossroads (DVD with Taylor Swift)
37. B-Sides
38. Yeah! II
39. Yeah! Live
40. Mirror Ball – Live & More (Japanese import)
41. iTunes re-recordings
Good morning, Harrison and Mr. 1537! One of you will remember these from the 80s and one of you will not! Still you must agree, pricetag aside, this is a pretty beautiful Lego set. The Atari 2600 is coming August 1 for $240 USD (ouch)! The dimensions closely match that of the original console. It comes with three iconic cartridges made of Lego, three mini dioramas representing art for these video games, and a little shelf to store the cartridges. The front of the console opens up to reveal another mini diorama, of a kid playing Asteroids in their bedroom. It even comes with an incredible joystick made of Lego.
You can insert a cartridge into the console, flip the switches, and plug in the joystick. If it wasn’t for the price, I’d want this in a heartbeat. Check this video by Balazs from Racing Brick for a detailed preview.
– Off the Soundboard – Live in Virginia Beach (July 25, 2004 – 2022 Universal)
Some might question the logic of releasing a 2004 live release with the Stanley/Singer/Simmons/Thayer lineup in the official Kiss bootleg series. Necessary? We already have live material from this lineup, such as Kiss Rocks Vegas. Fans could be forgiven for skipping this, the second instalment of the Off the Soundboard series of releases. (It’s a little late now, but it would have been cool if Kiss numbered these releases!)
Opening with a sluggish sounding “Love Gun”, Paul Stanley is in good voice. The cracks were beginning to show but there is no comparison to the Paul of today. If you want vintage Paul, this is not the album for you. If you want Paul before things went to hell, this is just fine. Gene goes second with “Deuce”, also sounding a big sluggish. Eric Singer is busy on drums, which will be either to your taste, or not.
It’s Tommy Thayer who fails to thrill in the night. Something about his solo work here just falls short of lighting the spark. It’s one of those things that’s not quite right, on the quantum level. Your brain knows the solos, knows how they usually sound, and that’s with fire and a touch of reckless abandon. Say what you will about Tommy Thayer, but nobody uses the word “reckless” to describe his playing. Ace Frehley, on the other hand, had a song called “Reckless”. You see where we’re going here. It’s that touch of professionalism that these solos don’t need. Tommy is welcome on backing vocals, where he helps thicken things up with Eric, such as on “Lick It Up”.
There are a few tracks here that are played live less often, which is one reason to pick up the disc. “Makin’ Love”, “Tears Are Falling”, “Got to Choose”, “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” and “Unholy” are fun when you get ’em, though “Unholy” always sounds a bit awkward live (Thayer butchers the solo). One of the best of these tunes is “Got to Choose” which benefits from the backing vocals of the newer Kiss guys. Creepy as it may be, “Christine Sixteen” is always fun, but Gene doesn’t need to keep augmenting the song with things like “I like it!” And check out the sly Mott the Hoople melody in “God Gave Rock and Roll to You”!
We could all probably do without “I Love It Loud” at this point. “War Machine” can be tiring. As much as we love Eric Singer, he does overplay some songs. “Shout it Out Loud” has a few fills that just don’t need to be there. Yet somehow, “Psycho Circus” is refreshing and “King of the Night Time World” is never a bad thing.
There are two lengthy “jammers” on this album that make for good listenin’. “100,000 Years” and “She” both steam on with the familiar Kiss instrumental bits that you know and love. “Do you feel alriiiiiight?” screams Paul, and damn, he could still really sing. Vocally, Kiss were really good at this stage. Gene was kickin’ ass, Eric and Tommy were the solid backing, and Paul was still 90% there.
This lineup hadn’t been together long, and the members sound more comfortable in their roles today. You won’t be reaching for Virginia Beach 2004 often when you reach for a live Kiss album. It’s a good setlist for the most part though, and it’s good to have for that reason. The sonics are also pretty decent, though obviously short of live album standards. It’s an official bootleg, not Alive XIII. You can hear every flaw and mistake, and that’s a good thing. When you listen understanding that this is indeed 100% live, with Paul Stanley jumping around and his guitar banging erratically, then you realize, shit, Kiss are a pretty damn good live band! A lot of the set sounds like the billionth time they’ve played the songs…but they don’t sound bored doing it. There’s not a lot of that looseness, but plenty of excitement.
Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my 50th birthday gone awry. Jen is feeling better, though besides a fat lip, she now sports a nice black eye. Could have been worse.
I’m still Covid negative so I’ll take that as a win. The cold that I do have is not so bad, and though I am back at work, I have not been able to do a full day yet. But that will improve.
After Jen felt better from her fall, we opened some gifts. She got me some cool Marvel and Star Wars figures, but the music is the best part.
First up was the new Black Crowes EP, 1972. This six-song covers EP is getting rave reviews and I cannot wait to hear the Rod Stewart cover “You Wear It Well”. This EP is in anticipation of new material from the reformed band. There’s even a photo of the new lineup (including returning bassist Sven Pipien) which is a packaging touch I always appreciate. I have been skeptical of the Crowes’ current reunion, but putting out new music with this lineup alleviates most of that. Dig it!
And then we have the massive Black Sabbath Technical Ecstasy box set! This is one of my favourite Oz Sabbath albums. Actually one of my first, after Paranoid. The box includes the full album, the album remixed, some outtakes and a live show from 1977. The live show looks especially cool, with “Gypsy”, “Dirty Women” and “All Moving Parts” in the setlist. “Electric Funeral” is even included. The bizarre cover art has always struck me as Asimovian. Think The Gods Themselves.
Thank you Jen. What a day for you. You sure know how to buy gifts though.
Then I unboxed the massive parcel sent to me by Thor in Denmark. It was heavy. I didn’t know what to expect. It was obviously packed full. Even so, nothing broke in transit! Everything arrived in great condition, but there was so much stuff inside, we need to do a complete inventory.
First, there’s Anthem: Ultimate Best Of Nexus Years Japanese import with obi strip intact. Thor actually wrote an excellent review of this album with all the details. Bassist Naoto Shibata played on one of my favourite Loudness albums, so this is a total enhancement for my collection. It’s a double disc with a different singer on each disc, from two eras of the band. He rated it 4.95/5!
Then we have Red, Hot and Heavy by Pretty Maids, a band he considers the most underrated in metal. I don’t know this one, but it’s from 1984 so I think I’m going to like it.
Finally we have a self-titled album by Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, who I had to look up. This is a 1994 debut album by a critically acclaimed Danish band. Says a review on the Wikipedia page, “It all heavily oozes Led Zeppelin and Seattle.” Sounds good to me.
It may take a while for me to get to Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, considering Thor also sent me the motherlode of a band I first heard in the 80s, D-A-D, originally known as Disneyland After Dark. They too hail from Denmark, and I have praised their 1989 American debut, No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims, with a 4.5/5 star review.
Well, Thor went overboard. And by that, I mean Overmuch! Look at all this D-A-D glory! Thanks to him, I must now be the proud owner of the best D-A-D collection in Canada. Let’s go through everything one by one.
No Fuel Left For the Pilgrims (1989). This is the super rare original version of the CD, with the original name, before the change to D-A-D. Not only is the cover different, but so is the mix on four tracks: “Sleeping My Day Away”, “Point of View”, “Rim of Hell” and “Girl Nation”. On the international CD that I have, these four tracks were remixed by Chris Lord-Alge. You can hear the slight difference, mostly in terms of levels in the mix.
Good Clean Family Entertainment You Can Trust (1995). A single disc compilation with live and studio cuts, and loads of single artwork inside.
Psychopatico (1998). Double live. Their first live release besides a 1990 live Japanese EP. 17 tracks total.
The Early Years (2000). Double compilation! Includes their first two studio albums, plus their debut EP called Standin’ On the Never Ever, and 17 rare or previously unreleased bonus tracks.
Scare Yourself Alive (2006). Another double live! Two gigs from 2005 included. Minimal overlap between the two discs.
DIC·NII·LAN·DAFT·ERD·ARK (2011). Studio album. Check out that Super Audio CD case! Looks like I have all their studio albums now, as you shall see.
A Prayer For the Loud (2019). Their most recent studio album.
And, best of all…
The Overmuch Box: Twenty Five Years of D-A-D (2009)! This includes all their studio albums up to 2008, completing my collection! The albums are:
Standin’ On the Never Ever (1985 EP)
Call Of the Wild (1986)
D-A-D Draws a Circle (1987)
No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims (1989 US version)
Riskin’ It All (1991)
Helpyourselfish (1995)
Simpatico (1997)
Everything Glows (2000)
Soft Dogs (2002)
Scare Yourself (2005)
Monster Philosophy (2008)
Bonus album: Behind the Seen (Rare, unreleased & B-sides 1984-2009)
There’s still a bit of D-A-D out there to acquire, such as that Japanese EP, but surely not much. To be honest I never expected to get any more D-A-D beyond the Riskin’ It All album (which is supposedly lethal). But…holy shit people! That’s enough D-A-D to take years to digest.
Thor’s generosity cannot be understated! This is awesome stuff. You never see their music around in Canada, and I simply assumed I’d never have them. I love the price tags from a store called Moby Disc – great name! To have this much D-A-D, including the early stuff I only read about, and both versions of No Fuel, I’m just blown away. Truly overmuch! This is a band that has been special to me for a long time, because I can remember sitting in Bob Schipper’s basement when that music video came on. He went nuts for it. Just loved it. Just like I loved that big guy! Nothing but great times.
Thank you Jen, thank you Thor, and everyone who wished me a happy birthday.
Well, it happened. After two and a half years of no illnesses whatsoever, this boy finally got sick a couple days before his 50th birthday. Not Covid, thank fuck. Just the cold that seems to be going around “like wildfire” according to our pharmacist. Sunday night it hit like a ton of bricks and I was in bed by 5:30. Monday I was coughing with a sore throat and spent the entire day in bed, a couple hours here and there aside. Tuesday I was well enough to go back to work. Dead tired though.
And so, this 50th birthday that was supposed to be a simple movie night with the parents is now a night at home by ourselves. Can’t bring this cold into their house. Additionally, because I didn’t go into work on Monday, I cancelled my planned day off on Friday. Just not enough time left in the week to get everything done. We were supposed to do a 50th birthday celebration at the lake but that won’t be happening.
As miserable as I felt, it’s nice to get the birthday messages. Because I can, I’ll boast a bit about the celebrity birthday wishes. I’m always a little shellshocked when guys like this wish me a happy birthday:
Brent Jensen, the author and podcaster who always makes my skin vibrate
Mike Fraser, world-class producer and mixer extraordinaire
Brent Doerner, Helix guitarist
Greg Fraser, Brighton Rock and Storm Force axe-slinger
Michael Willerding, former drummer for Russian Blue and Feel
Rik Fox, original W.A.S.P. bassist who messaged all the way from Facebook jail
Even though I feel like I need an extended
[cut]
That is the exact moment while writing this post on a snack break that my cell phone rang.
Same old, same old, same old. The mall called. My beautiful wife had a seizure. This time, she fell flat on her face and cut her lip. She looks absolutely brutal right now. It hurts my heart.
Had to leave work early. I’m exhausted. She’s pretty sore.
Let’s focus on the good. Trying to focus on the good.
OK, the good:
Happy birthday wishes from all my friends and relatives
Surprise birthday pizza and pasta from our pharmacist, Vu
Surprise birthday parcel from Thor, aka Thunder Blackmore (it’s just cool getting a text message that says “You have a parcel from Thor”)
Jen is safe
I was going to do a big unboxing of Thor’s parcel but I am dead tired now. I need rest. And what says “you’re 50 years old now” better than a nap?
It can only get better from here. Happy 50th, to me.
DEF LEPPARD – Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (CD Collection Volume 3 Disc 3) (Originally 2008, 2021 remaster)
Finally! Three misfires in a row (Euphoria, X, Yeah!) and Def Leppard finally had a new album that rocked and was worth listening to again. While imperfect, the badly-titled new album Songs From the Sparkle Lounge really felt like an actual effort this time. With the exception of one credit on one song, everything here was written by Def Leppard and only Def Leppard. And — hallelujah! — no ballads. What a refreshing turn of events. A lot of the album was written and recorded on tour. It seemed like Def Leppard were really listening to the fans who said “We’re tired of pop and ballads. Please, write us a rock record again like you used to.”
We mostly got it.
Of course, in the press Leppard exaggerated as they often did, comparing the album to High ‘N’ Dry, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin. And so, the fans knew not to get their hopes up too high. The album rocked, but not like that. The standard version of Sparkle Lounge was a tight eleven tracks, just under 40 minutes. No bloat. But let’s get to the elephant in the room first.
When discussing this album, dissenters often point to track 2, the first single “Nine Lives” as the main offender. As a collaboration with Tim McGraw, it reeks of terrible offences committed by Bon Jovi earlier in the decade. In order to find new success, too many rock bands went to Nashville for fresh names and influences. Fortunately, Japanese fans were able to buy a version of the album including the song without Tim McGraw, and just Joe Elliott ripping the lead vocals. That is definitely a preferred experience. McGraw’s voice makes it sound…not like Def Leppard! The two worlds simply do not mesh. Fortunately “Nine Lives” is not a country song, but a hard rocker with a slight twang in the electric guitars. It’s actually a pretty good song, when you edit Tim out. So there’s that.
However, opening Songs From the Sparkle Lounge is a song you can only describe as “real” Def Leppard! Combining the loopy vibe of the Slang era with the riffiness of Pyromania, “Go” is out of the gates on the right note. It slams. Heavy, modern, guitar-heavy and hooky without pandering to trends. It merely combines some of Leppard’s best and heaviest ingredients in a modern way. The only critique would be the title. “Go” is a word that Leppard overuse. “Go”, “Let’s Go”, “Gotta Let It Go”, “Let It Go”…just too much “going” on!
After “Go”, you have to sit through the Tim McGraw song before we’re back to tunes with integrity. The glam rock “C’Mon C’Mon” was in the vein of that “Pour Some Sugar” sound, ultimately derived from Gary Glitter. It too was a single (to be discussed next time) and sits comfortably in the Hysteria-style box. Not exactly like AC/DC and Led Zeppelin as Joe claimed, but not a bad track if a bit too much like a sequel.
“Love” written by Rick Savage was an important tune and surprisingly the longest at 4:17. It’s the one that they called “not a ballad” and you can get where they were coming from. Yes there’s a soft acoustic intro but the song is bigger and more dramatic than the average ballad. A big heavy chunky section rises towards the end. The acoustic version on the Japanese release could fairly be pigeonholed as a ballad, but the standard album cut it more like Leppard meets Queen. Freddie and the boys seem to be the biggest influence on “Love”, especially vocally.
Phil Collen wrote “Tomorrow” which is one of the most pop of the tunes, sort of in an Adrenalize mold. The chorus is solid and there’s a nice guitar part to bite into. Not a highlight but not a throwaway. Just a good hard rock tune that sounds great in the car come chorus time.
Vivian Campbell contributed the low groove of “Cruise Control”, whose bassline is the main feature, rolling and churning beneath the song. Interesting tune with some truly great and adventurous guitar playing from Viv. Playing for feel and not speed. But the band reverts to their standard form again on the uptempo rocker “Hallucinate”. Though the hooks sound like you’ve heard ’em all before, they’re all welcome to return on this great track.
Another solid song, “Only the Good Die Young”, boasts some mellotron that always seems to recall the Beatles. Not a constituent part of the average Def Leppard rocker, but an enhancement that works well here. Joe ever references a “diamond in the sky” so it’s probably not coincidence. A good tune made better by stepping just slightly outside the box without destroying the box.
Joe’s “Bad Actress” is by far the hardest rocker on the album, going full speed ahead to a place that Leppard had not gone in many years. Pure heavy and reckless rock, pedal to the metal, just givin’ ‘er as much as there is in the gas tank. This, yes this, is what fans had been begging for! Something that really drives but still sounds like Def Leppard. Something that wouldn’t have sounded too out of place in the early years. Finally, we got “Bad Actress” out of them!
The penultimate track “Come Undone” slows it back down to a deliberate 90s pace. Decent album track, but might have been considered filler in an earlier age. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those easy to forget second-last album tracks.
Fortunately, Leppard saved the best track for last: “Gotta Let It Go”, which rocks so hard on the chorus that it might just rip your head off. This Vivian contribution opens with deceivingly soft drum programs before absolutely exploding on the epic chorus. It’s a brilliant slice of songwriting from the Irish rock wizard, and the way the lead and backing vocals overlap on the chorus is just the kind of thing Def Leppard do so exceptionally well. An absolute triumph that leaves a sweet taste in the mouth when the album is complete. This kind of closer invites repeat listens.
Sparkle Lounge ends as it began: rocking.
Fortunately for Def Leppard, a young American fan of both them and Tim McGraw was hitting brand new heights in her fresh solo career. At just 19 years old, she was born while Def Leppard were still the biggest rock band in the universe. So, leaning even further into country music, Def Leppard would gain a lot of attention from a new younger crowd thanks to their big fan Taylor Swift. It seemed a strange move for Leppard to make while they were just starting to rock again, but we’ll discuss the Swift collaboration in a future instalment.
Though Songs From the Sparkle Lounge does contain some fillers and some cuts that fail to stick in the memory, there are no outright “deletes” except arguably the McGraw track. It doesn’t even fit with the vibe of the album. The Leppard version should have been in the main album sequence, with the McGraw version as a bonus track and single in special markets. Guaranteed, this album would be better remembered if that was the case.
A big thanks to Marco D’Auria and special surprise guest Martin Popoff, for schooling us on Mystique! From Hamilton Ontario, Mystique were a metal band with a riffy progressive rock bent. Though they later evolved into a more hard rock sound, their metal side seems to be what has stuck with fans and collectors over the decades. Their highly sought physical product commands high prices for original copies. In this interview we covered:
The starting point, and Martin’s role in the genesis of the film
Mystique, their sound, image, and rare releases
Exclusive clips from the documentary film Mystique: Standing on the Firing Line
Rare memorabilia
The Hamilton music scene
The future
See what the fuss was all about in Standing on the Firing Line: the Mystique documentary! The film will be premiering in September:
The Westdale 1014 King Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 1L4
Friday September 16, 7:30 PM
The band will be there, memorabilia will be on display in a “Mystique museum” of sorts. Martin Popoff will be on hand and Marco will be introducing the film in person. Tickets are still available. Get your tickets by clicking here.
Additionally, we made the difficult announcement that this episode will be the final LeBrain Train. Two and a half years ago, a pandemic changed everything about the way we interact socially. Now the world is changing again and I need to re-prioritise certain things in my life. I spent a lot of Friday nights in front of a screen talking to you, laughing with you, sharing with you and surviving a pandemic with you. Now I’d like to spend Friday nights looking at sunsets with Mrs. LeBrain.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege doing this for two and a half years, and I thank you all for making it possible!
Thank you to Meat, Harrison, Tee Bone, Kevin, Sarah, John, Geoff, Aaron, Marco, Tim, Rob Daniels, Robert Lawson, Max, Dr. Dave, Dr. Kathryn, James, J, Lana, Erik, Thussy, Dranovous, Michael Morwood, Mike Slayen, Brian, Brent, T-Rev, Scotty, Mom, and anyone I may have forgotten for coming on the show and bringing your own special sauce to the mix. And of course, to Chris Sarre who I could never get to agree to come onto the show, but was still part of the heart and soul of it anyway.
I love you guys. Truly I do. Towards the end of the show, we played a brand new Tee Bone song called “The Last Train”. It is a collaboration with Dr. Kathryn Ladano on bass clarinet. I think it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done.
The Last Train…wow that’s hard to believe. See you somewhere out there, some time, eventually!
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & Harrison
Episode 114 – MYSTIQUE – Standing on the Firing Line with Marco D’Auria
Canadian Filmmaker and Contrarian Marco D’Auria is back on the LeBrain Train tonight to discuss his new film Mystique: Standing on the Firing Line! Mystique was a progressive metal band that formed in Hamilton Ontario in the 1980s. They released a single, a demo, and an EP which today are highly valued collectables. Their image might have been more hard rock/hair metal, but their music was far more challenging than their look. Unfortunately the band never released their 1989 album, which was recorded but never properly mixed. Now Marco is bringing Mystique back to the attention of the metal masses with this documentary which will debut in September.
Harrison and I will be peppering Marco with questions about this band, their discography, and his film. It is something he is very proud of, and from what little I have seen so far, he should indeed be proud!
Marco will also be doing a giveaway! In other words – catch this one LIVE. This will be a special show, and we have more surprises up our sleeves. Clips from the film (including unreleased music) and more will be going down tonight. Seriously, don’t miss it. You know how we do things here. We like surprises. Expect surprises.
THE FORREST WILLIAMS DEMOCRACY – “In Service of the Greater Good” (2022 single)
– Off the Soundboard – Live in Virginia Beach (July 25, 2004 – 2022 Universal)
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