Ahh, summer. The boys in Ugly Kid Joe were on the make with Teresa Roncon on the Power 30, in the warm rays of 1993. Their open flirtations with the host is unusual by today’s standards. If Teresa was irritated by Whitford Crane and Dave Fortman, she didn’t let on. Total professional.
Other subjects besides flirting with the host:
STEPH HONDE – Empire of Ashes (2020)
Steph Honde, the awesome singer/guitarist from France who has worked with Paul Di’Anno, Don Airey, Jim Crean, the Appice brothers and many more, is a man of varied musical tastes. You might recognize the names “Hollywood Monsters” or “Now Or Never”? In 2019 he recorded an acoustic album called Empire of Ashes that featured as its claim to fame, a full 23 minute version of “Supper’s Ready” by Genesis. It is a truly excellent album, intricately arranged and recorded with lots of space between the instruments. Honde made the album for himself, but in doing so, he created music for anyone.
Opener “Big Trouble” has a tropical acoustic vibe with breezy percussion. Honde’s baritone voice is inviting but his guitar playing is really impressive come solo time. You’ve heard him rip on electric before, but this is something completely different. Yet as good as “Big Trouble” is, the second track “The Only Way” is only better. It’s a passionate ballad based around a delicate piano line. Honde deserves credit for his vocals on this song. His French accent only adds to the aura.
Third, a different course is charted on “Gentle Shore”, which is a duet with Janita Jenny Haan from the band Babe Ruth. The contrast between the two voices is really sweet and effective. There’s a laid back, early Zeppelin vibe whether intentional or not.
One of the most inventive songs on the album is the acoustic cover of Deep Purple’s “Sail Away”, a complere 180 degree turn from the dark funky groove of the original. The rich voice of Honde is complemented by Jim Crean’s rasp. The two duet on a slowed down “Sail Away” in a completely different way from Coverdale/Hughes. Crean just kills it, singing Glenn Hughes’ lines but in his own instantly recognizable style.
“Sail Away” was a side closer for Deep Purple on Burn, and it feels like it holds that same role, even though Empire of Ashes is a digital release. That would make the title track “Empire of Ashes” the side two opener. It is another brilliant song, with a glint of piano offering some brightness. The chorus and solo are wonderful. There’s something warmly familiar about the chorus. Then, “Hearts Grown Cold” goes in a different direction. Musically soft but with powerful vocals. “You’re the one whose heart’s grown cold!” shouts Honde and it sounds like he means it. Soulful backing vocals join him partway through. The penultimate track “King For a Day” is a gentle climax (with a detour into Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse”)…before things get really crazy.
Faithfully covering all 23 minutes of “Supper’s Ready”? That is crazy! The electric guitars come out to play on this insane cover. Honde did the whole song, every little twist and turn, and every rhythmic challenge and labyrinthine lyric. The pure love of doing it comes through. It’s simply one of the most impressive cover tunes you’ll have the opportunity to hear, hands down!
Artist like Honde, who do it for the music and not the money on albums like Empire of Ashes, deserve the 52 minutes in your ears. If you consider yourself a fan of bands like Purple, Genesis and Floyd, then you owe it to yourself to check out Empire of Ashes.
4.5/5 stars
Part Twenty of the Def Leppard Review Series
Original Review: Slang 2 CD edition (1996)
DEF LEPPARD – Slang (CD Collection Volume 2 Disc 3) (Originally 1996, 2019 remaster)
“Too alternative!”, they moaned. “Doesn’t sound like old Def Leppard!”, they whined. But what choice did Def Leppard have?
The world of 1996 was not the same as 1992, when Def Leppard re-emerged after a long hiatus with Adrenalize. Leppard experimented wildly with their music on 1987’s Hysteria, but tended to stick to formula on Adrenalize. After the hardship of losing Steve Clark, we can forgive them for not trying to re-invent the wheel a second time. But by 1996, grunge had passed and the decade continued to move further away from classic hard rock and heavy metal. It was overdue for Leppard to re-invent themselves one more time. They owed it to themselves. But it was actually more natural that that.
Vivian Campbell was on board for his first real album with Def Leppard, only to find they were “moving the goalposts”! After making two painstakingly produced albums, it was time for change. The band desired a fresh start with Campbell, using no holdover music from the past. They wanted a more organic album, and part of that was Rick Allen incorporating acoustic drums back into his setup. They were going to try and express themselves a bit more, and take some serious chances. To hell with the critics, expectations, and old ways of doing things.
Regardless of how it sold, the final album Slang became a cult favourite for good reason.
Opening on a fade, the new Leppard begins different from any in the past. “Truth?” is a slow, exotic groove with background samples and loops. Not a stretch from “Rocket” in a technical sense, but completely different results. Deeply distorted chorus vocals are a striking shift from the past, but are just as fetching. An middle-eastern sounding solo nails the vibe, and drum loops offer more modern twists. The mix sounds just as dense as anything you hear on Hysteria, but with completely different elements. And fortunately Leppard haven’t forgotten how to write hooks, even if in a darker tone.
“Turn to Dust” takes the scene to India, with sitar and tabla. Tempos are still slow and deliberate. “Turn to Dust” has a bit more of the Def Leppard sound on the chorus, with Phil Collen singing backup, but the lyrics sure are different: “Sentence rape me, segregate me” is a stark turn from “Let’s Get Rocked”. But everybody was pissed off in the 90s. This one drones on with ample musical genius towards the end. Lots of strings and exotic instrumentation, backed by the grind of electric guitars.
The title track “Slang” is an immediate and fun change of pace. With a modern sound, it could have been a “Pour Some Sugar” for the 90s had it caught on. Beats and samples mixed in with an irresistible chorus make for a catchy concoction. It’s really the only upbeat song on the album, but a treat it is.
The ballad “All I Want Is Everything” was briefly previewed on the VHS release Video Archives, in an October 1995 acoustic performance at the Wapentake Club in Sheffield. That acoustic rendition did not really hint at the dark ballad on Slang. A simple but effective droning guitar part forms the backing, but the luscious Leppard melodies are delivered vocally and with guitar flourishes. It’s a different kind of ballad for Def Leppard, but no less stirring. It was a single, but underperformed compared to past Leppard hits.
Vivian’s “Work It Out” sounded more like a Crowded House song in demo form, poppy and quirky. Once Leppard wrestled with it, a different kind of track emerged. Duskier, heavier, with really dominating drums and surprisingly slinky bass from Rick “Sav” Savage. The final Leppard version is certainly superior to Viv’s demo in the long run though both have merit. “Work It Out” was another Slang single that should have done better.
One of the biggest album surprises (and perhaps most divisive) is the supple ballad “Breathe A Sigh”. Gentle tic-tic-tic R&B drum samples back a song that is mostly vocal with minimal instrumentation. Drums, piano, and understated guitar melodies should have guided this to a hit spot on the charts.
Flip the record for a darker turn of events. “Deliver Me” is more straight-ahead rock, but certainly not upbeat. This is heavy, foreboding and dangerous Def Leppard. Again, not without their knack for a melody. The quiet/loud dynamic is very 90s, but that doesn’t make it bad. The fact that Leppard always strove for a melodic foundation keeps it from falling into the morass of soundalike 90s rock.
“Gift Of Flesh” is another surprising twist. Blasting fast and loud, this track is the most old-school, but still dark like a cloudy sky. With lyrics like “scorch the Earth and torch the sky,” this is a more apocalyptic kind of rocker for the Leppard we were used to. But it does rock, and hard! You could bang your head to it even if you can’t rock rock ’til you drop.
Was Slang too ballady? “Blood Runs Cold” is the third such song, followed by a fourth called “Where Does Love Go When It Dies”. Joe Elliott really nails a killer vocal on “Blood Runs Cold”, which is very light and airey. “Where Does Love Go When It Dies” lightens the skies further. Acoustic strumming is a more traditional sound for Leppard. It’s a little more like the acoustic Adrenalize B-sides, with a minimal arrangement.
The last few Leppard studio albums had “album epics”: “Gods of War” on Hysteria and “White Lightning” on Adrenalize. Slang ends on an epic called “Pearl of Euphoria”. There’s a lot going on in this track, with guitar overdubs and drones. It’s a very Zeppelin-y song, but done in a modern way. It draws from the same worldly wells that Zeppelin often explored. Its fade-out alone is a minute long!
Unfortunately one of Slang‘s strengths, its adherence to the darker side of pop rock and hard rock, is also the factor that keeps it from hitting 5/5 stars like Hysteria. It doesn’t necessarily make you feel as great after hearing it. It does feel like you’ve heard something deeper and more profound, but not something that brightens your soul.
4/5 stars
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21. I Got a Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
If you’re a regular here, chances are that you are familiar with Polychuck! Check out the short clip below to see one of the cool new shirts he has for sale. Polychuck is currently supporting his new single “Hero” featuring Derek Sherinian. A modern progressive rock tune, “Hero” is an impressive showcase of songwriting and musicianship.
Polychuck will be on the LeBrain Train on Saturday April 23 at noon. Don’t miss it.
HELIX – “Don’t Get Mad Get Even” (1983 Capitol Records 7″ single)
Here’s a rarity for you, with a picture sleeve, even! “Don’t Get Mad Get Even” is one of Helix’s least-known singles. As a No Rest for the Wicked track, it has always been overshadowed by “Heavy Metal Love”. I saw the music video, which was filmed at the same time as “Heavy Metal Love”, just once. You never heard it on the radio. It’s only on one (out of print) Helix “best of” CD appropriately titled Deep Cuts. It wasn’t even on Over 60 Minutes With…, which focused on this period from Capitol Records. In short, it’s a forgotten track except among the faithful.
Written by Lisa Dalbello and Tim Thorney, “Don’t Get Mad Get Even” boasts dual strengths. First there is the guitar hook, as tasty as any on classic rock radio today. Second is the chorus, an exceptional one at that, the kind Helix are good at. Powerful, melodic, emphatic and rebellious! Add in some cool solo work and what you have is a lost Helix classic. It’s truly a gem that deserves another listen from strangers and fans alike.
Interestingly enough, in 1982 “Don’t Get Mad Get Even” was recorded by Canadian rock singer Lydia Taylor (1983’s Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards).
The B-side, “Check Out the Love” (credited to Helix as a band) is a little more well known than the A-side. It was on both Over 60 Minutes With… and a live album recorded in Buffalo, NY. I’ve probably heard ’em play it live on one of the many times I’ve seen Helix since 1987. One way or another, this is a solid Helix banger with a dirty guitar hook. The guitars on this song are just lethal, whether soloing or sliding. Brian Vollmer’s vocals are melodic with grit. It’s just the kind of song Helix are known for. Rough n’ tough, but memorable.
The picture sleeve is an added bonus. On the front, back row, that’s Greg “Fritz” Hinz, Brian Vollmer and Mike Uzelac. In the front, the guitar duo of Paul Hackman and Brent “The Doctor” Doerner. Every kid on our street thought Doctor Doerner was the coolest. You can see why — he just that “look”.
Thanks to pal Craig Fee for locating this and many other Helix singles for me.
5/5 stars
RECORD STORE TALES #979: Island Boys
Rarely in our travels have we come across a group that sucks as hard as the so-called Island Boys.
Devoid of talent, Franky and Alex Venegas are fraternal Florida twins with hair that looks like corn dogs sprouting from the scalp. Going by the names “Kodiyakredd” and “Flyysoulja”, the pair’s vacuous talents emerged in a track called “Island Boy” which essentially has only one part. Of course, today’s times being what they are, they became viral on TikTok, spawning parodies and comedic lookalikes. It’s not hard — just rip off your shirt, draw some ratty tats on your chest and face, stick some corn dogs in your hair and you’re an Island Boy.
Though endorsed by Steve-O, the Island Boys saw themselves booed off the stage in Florida when performing their semi-written song, which still needs some bridges, choruses and a middle 8. Instead of working on their craft, the guys keep making videos of them showing off cash, diamond grills, cars and swimming pools all while singing the same damn lines.
“I’m just an island boy,
And I’m trying to make it.
I’m just an island boy,
And I’m trying to make it.”
Then they rhyme “I’m gonna keep that gun” with “keep staring at the sun”. That’s about all there is to the song. Wash rinse repeat.
If you were trying to “make it” as the Island Boys are, you might start by finishing the damn song. Putting music to it. Finishing the words. Coming up with a damn ending. But nah.
Instead the Island Boys have multiplied and “signed” two new Island Boys! They call them 3rd Island Boy and 4th Island Boy. They have even less talent than the first two. 3rd Island Boy can barely speak, punctuating his slurs with “brrrrt” sound effects. He is otherwise unintelligible. The 4th Island Boy is almost worse, grinning and smiling when asked to rap, but not actually rapping.
You’d think, given the cash that they like to flash in their videos, that they could have hired a couple actual rappers or musicians. It seems the Island Boys hired their new members based on looks alone. Good news: the 4th Island Boy is planning on dying his hair to fit in better! Glad these guys have their eyes on the prize. Lotsa luck.
RECORD STORE TALES #978: Mötley Imposter
Has any band merrily skipped through drama like Motley Crue? Very few. From near death (Nikki Sixx) to actual death (Vince’s car crash), to all the women and parties, there are no bands like Motley Crue. The drama overshadowed the music on many occasions, especially during the “Pam and Tommy” years. One of the most bizarre Crue stories involved an imposter posing as Nikki Sixx.
The year was 1988 and his name was Matthew Trippe (reported in some articles as Matthew Von Trippe, getting his middle name John wrong). We briefly discussed the Trippe-y story back in Record Store Tales #656: The One They Call Dr. Feelgood. Matthew’s claim was that the real Sixx had a dibilitating car accident in 1982, and so a lookalike (Trippe) was hired to play bass and write music with the band, with no one in the audience being any the wiser. Trippe had tattoos similar to Nikki and dyed his hair black. The real Nikki Sixx was having his own issues, but being replaced in the Crue was not one of them. Kerrang broke the story in March of ’88, with lawsuits a-flyin’. Trippe wanted compensation for what he claimed were two or three years in Motley Crue.
You can hear all about the Trippe story tonight on Scotch on the Rocks, from the real expert – writer Brent Jensen. Long story short – the lawsuits went nowhere because there was only ever one real Nikki Sixx. Brent and I will have the whole story for you tonight, while presently I’ll take you on a somewhat different detour.
When this story hit all the rock mags, my regular publication Hit Parader ran with it as well. The idea of a fake Nikki Sixx wasn’t all that unbelievable. I had heard many stories about who really played on Kiss albums over the years. Was it Ace, was it Vinnie, or someone else? In the 80s these details were hard to come by and rumours flew. If Motley had a fake Nikki, it didn’t seem unbelievable. Kerrang ran the Trippe/Sixx story as if it were truth. Visual differences from early Nikki to present Nikki added fuel to the fire. But it was Vince Neil who was the subject of the imposter rumours in our neighborhood.
After reading the magazine, I approached my next door neighbour George to ask if he had heard the story.
“A Nikki Sixx imposter? No, I never heard that before. I thought you were going to say Vince Neil,” he said matter-of-factly.
I was surprised. “No, the magazine said Nikki Sixx. What’s up with Vince Neil?”
George got serious. His eyes sometimes fluttered when he talked serious.
There was a girl he liked. I don’t think she was ever his girlfriend, but he talked about her as if she was. She was a rocker girl and she loved Motley Crue, especially Vince Neil.
“Well,” he began, “Angie knows Motley Crue. There’s nobody in town who knows Motley Crue better than she does. And she swears that Vince Neil is not the real Vince Neil.”
Really? That’s a bombshell.
George continued. “She’s studied pictures of Vince, and there are some where she has said flat-out, ‘that is not Vince Neil’. And she would know.”
“This article says it was Nikki Sixx, not Vince,” I countered.
“Angie would know,” said George. “She loves Vince Neil and she insists that the Vince Neil today is not the same guy that was in Motley Crue before. If anyone has been replaced by an imposter, it’s Vince Neil,” he insisted.
“I guess we’ll see what happens next,” I concluded.
Of course the truth isn’t that confusing. Vince Neil has had a few plastic surgeries over the years. If George’s girl thought Vince looked different, that would be why.
As for Trippe, who died in 2014, he never came clean about his ruse. He did go down in history as the subject of a Motley Crue song called “Say Yeah”, which is better than he probably deserved!
“Get out, out of my face, get the fuck out of my face!”
With the London Quireboys back in the news these days, it’s a good time to resurrect this interview from the Metal Mike Show with Spike and Guy Griffin. The year was 1993 and the Quireboys were out supporting their newest album Bitter Sweet & Twisted. This is just a quick clip regarding opening for big bands such as The Stones, Bowie and Aerosmith.
Unfortunately this is the last clip I have on tape from the Metal Mike Show, a cool local rock program that helped compensate for the loss of the Pepsi Power Hour. Mike used to go to Sam the Record Man and talk to Al King about new releases. I think in the pilot episode, Rush’s Roll the Bones was brand new. So that gives you an idea of the time frame. Mike also talked to local bands like the Groove Daddies and big stars like Poison. Great show.
Anyway, here’s Spike and Guy: formerly the Quireboys!
Montreal’s Polychuck is a heck of a prodigy. He’s a megatalented singer / songwriter / shredder / teacher / mixed martial artist (!!) who does it all, and now he’s expanding his palette and progressing. Far beyond his first two EPs. When we spoke to Polychuck on the LeBrain Train last year, he expressed his desire to get more progressive on his upcoming recordings. By collaborating with former Dream Theater/Kiss/Alice Cooper keyboardist Derek Sherinian, he’s made a huge leap. Also playing on this track are drummer Philipe Landry and bassist Frédérick Filiatrault. With the added firepower, “Hero” has a fuller sound than previous Polychuck songs. It’s like the playing field just got a whole lot bigger.
So let’s get to it. Cut to the chase. Polychuck, who is of Ukrainian descent, says “Hero” is a cry for peace, directly about current events. In times of crisis, music helps sooth. In turn, crises often inspire great music.
“Hero” commences with steely rhythm guitar with a wicked tone. It bounces from heavy rocking to acoustic picking and an instrumental outro. When Sherinian comes in near the start, he’s instantly recognizable. His solo work here is lyrical, and the perfect compliment to the song. Not to mention Polychuck’s own lead work, which is both impressive and melodic. All the playing here is just awesome, period.
“Hero” is an impressive construction. It’s complex, with several different sections including one at the end that reminds me of the keyboard part in “No More Tears” by Ozzy. Importantly, all the sections work together like chapters in a story, and the flow is natural. Best of all, “Hero” never stops being great through its 3:26 length.
Support up and coming talent like Polychuck and buy “Hero”. If you love that Dream Theater vibe, you will absolutely dig it.
5/5 stars
Part Nineteen of the Def Leppard Review Series
Alternate review: “Slang” Souvenir pack single
DEF LEPPARD – “Slang” (1996 UK Mercury single)
Kobayashi Maru: The no-win scenario. By 1996 the musical landscape had drastically shifted. Five years of musical upheaval had left many bands in the dust, but Leppard were one of the few survivors. They simply could not rest of their laurels, and they knew that. Had Def Leppard come out with another soundalike album in 1996, they would have been accused of retreading the outdated and obsolete 1980s.
We knew Leppard were interested in a more organic way of recording after being locked in studios for so many years. Their interest in acoustic music was now expressing itself in songs like “Can’t Keep Away From the Flame”, a truly excellent if obscure Japanese Vault bonus track that was also included as a B-side from the new album Slang. If a track this solid was considered a B-side, you could imagine what the new album was going to be like. It was a positive sign. But the album wasn’t going to be acoustic. Where were Leppard headed this time?
A clue was revealed by the title track, released as a single in May 1996. Def Leppard had returned to experimentation. Just as Hysteria was different from Pyromania, now they finally had something just as different from Hysteria.
With hip-hop beats and a big guitar, “Slang” shocked the faithful. Rick Allen was starting to incorporate acoustic drums back into his kit and they sounded fresh and hot. All the old Leppard ingredients were shaken n’ stirred, and the new concoction was an acquired addiction. It’s an upbeat celebration of the new Leppard. They had indeed gone outside the box. They had to. And they did it with creativity and integrity whether you like it or not.
This UK single came with three acoustic bonus tracks, all recorded for the BBC. Continuing their acoustic side road, “Animal” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” fare well in acoustic form. Other acoustic versions were coming, on a limited 2 CD edition of Slang (which we will discuss when we get to that disc of CD Collection Vol 2).
The real treat of this single is the acoustic version of “Ziggy Stardust” (also included on CD Collection Vol 3). A brilliant take, in fact. Most bands sound like jackasses trying to cover classic Bowie. Not Def Leppard. Their acoustic version has just as much edge as an electric take would. Joe Elliott’s penchant for Bowie will become relevant a few years down the road, when we take a detour on a Cybernautic misadventure.
“Sugar” and “Animal” acoustic at the BBC remain exclusive to this single. Worth tracking down. Though ultimately there are other recordings out there, these are just as good and collectible as ever.
4/5 stars
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20. Slang
mikeladano.com 