I did another taping with Tim Durling on early Saturday morning, my favourite time on my favourite day. The subject: a band that just announced the title and tracklisting of their new album Freedom: Journey!
It’s been a crazy time for Journey, with plenty of lineup upheaval and uncertainty. Tim and I address all this while going through our favourite Journey rarities from the catalogue. We discuss every Journey lead singer: Greg Rolie, Robert Fleischmann, Steve Perry, Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto, and Arnel Pineda. Enjoy this chat as we gear up for the next chapter of Journey!
Scorpions are back with their new album Rock Believer! The excellent title track, an uplifting ballad-like construction of anthemic quality, must surely be one of their best songs from the past two or three decades. From the vintage-looking artwork to the mighty Teutonic rock melodies of the Scorpions, it is clear that Klaus and the gang are back. Unlike some past records like Humanity: Hour 1 and Comeblack, praise this time is fairly unanimous. It’s clear this band still has “Gas in the Tank” as they “Knock ‘Em Dead” in 2022! Have a great weekend and as we absorb the new album; enjoy the fabulous title track! Are you a Rock Believer?
An unprecedented episode with six killer lists and a mystery to boot! Top Five Ballads. As an added twist, tonight we added a secret guest to the panel, and the rest of the guys had to guess who this person was on their list alone! Although I was worried they would guess the guest quite easily, that isn’t how it went down.
Unfortunately this episode was also Chris Sarre’s least favourite show due to the big reveal, and he says he will never watch again! Everyone else seemed to love it and I think we will try this again some time.
Thanks to everyone for hanging out tonight, it was a show I’ll remember a long time.
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & Friends
Episode 99 – Top Ballads…Remastered
On July 3 2020, we did the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Ballads on the LeBrain Train with six sets of lists. And it was great! We had lists from Meat, Harrison, Holen, Darr, and Len Labelle. Unfortunately due to Facebook Live and a bad internet connection, I find this show impossible to watch today. Harrison and I have been trying to talk Meat into doing a “remastered” version of the show in the new Cinco De Listo format for a long time, and we finally twisted his arm. The new panel tonight:
“X”? That’s right. This week’s show is not just a list show. There will be a sixth panel member, and that member’s voice and likeness will be obscured for the whole countdown. It will be up to the others to figure out who “X” is, and they have five songs with which to do it.
I love a mystery and I’m really looking forward to this! Tune in tonight for six lists of awesome ballads, and a little Friday evening mystery too. Where’s Mulder when you need him?
Please enjoy one of Canada’s greatest bands, live or in the studio: Blue Rodeo! Pay special attention to master bassist Bazil Donovan, the elegantly complex slide work of Kim Deschamps, and ex-Andy Curran dynamo Glenn “Stumpy Joe” Milchem on drums!
Hosting the Juno Awards on this night was Roch Voisine. Though they were nominated for three awards including Group of the Year (which they lost to the Rankins), Blue Rodeo went home empty-handed.
This was, in my humble opinion, the best lineup the band has ever had. I was fortunate enough to see them in this incarnation on the Tremelo tour in ’98.
Jim Cuddy – vocals/guitars/mandolin Greg Keelor – vocals/guitars Bazil Donovan – bass Glenn Milchem – drums Kim Deschamps – pedal steel James Gray (RIP) – keyboards
The first new physical music from Guns N’ Roses since 2008’s Chinese Democracy has finally arrived in the form of an EP! Good enough; we’ll take it. Beggars (and hangers-on) cannot be choosers. Considering how scarce new Guns music has been since the early 90s, the new Hard Skool EP almost feels like manna from the gods.
To the disappointment of some, the two new songs are slightly old: Chinese Democracy outtakes that have been reworked with Slash and Duff McKagan. The duo have writing credits on “Hard Skool” along with Axl Rose and former members Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Tommy Stinson and Paul “Huge” Tobias. Formerly known as “Jackie Chan”, this song comes closest to capturing the classic Guns vibe – think Illusions era GN’R. Slash imbues the riff with his trademark snakelike style, and Axl is in full-scream mode on the powerful chorus. The cowbell brings us back to the 80s a bit, but the experimental solo section is more modern.
The other new/old song “ABSUЯD” is much more Chi-Dem, and more divisize. Formerly known as “Silkworms”, it was largely enjoyed by those who knew it from live bootlegs but thought it should have been on the album. The keyboard intro has been axed, the riff emphasized and the lyrics slightly modified. The main hook “What can I do, with a bitch like you?” has been replaced with a refrain of “Absurd!” The words are otherwise just as angry. “Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard!” bellows Axl on the opening line. “Parasitic demons sucking acid through your heart!” I wonder who this was written about? Vocally, Axl’s in the faux accent he utilized on “Down on the Farm” and you’ll love it or hate it. Interestingly former keyboardist Chris Pitman, who was credited with songwriting on the original “Silkworms” version, no longer has a credit. It is now credited to Axl, Slash, Duff and Dizzy. Presumably the Pitman parts were chopped. At the time of its writing, Pitman said: “It ended up being this incredible track that sounded like Guns N’ Roses 10 or 15 years in the future. It was so far removed from our other songs that we had to put it in this other place. Concept-wise, it didn’t fit with Chinese Democracy. We hope we will have other songs that match that kind of futuristic sound. It’s a really exciting track because it morphs into this crazy sound, but it was out so much in the other direction that we have to let time catch up with it.” While that was true of “Silkworms”, the version known as “ABSUЯD” is more guitar-oriented.
The live songs commence with “Don’t Cry”. Slash and rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus sound great together on this, but Axl struggles when the singing gets high at the end. It’s a demanding song, and 1991 was a long time ago. “You’re Crazy” on the other hand is really good. Using the slower Lies arrangement, but played on electric, this version is like brand new. A real cool addition to your GN’R library.
The third live track is exclusive to the 7″ vinyl: “ABSUЯD”. Not only do we get new songs on this EP, but we already get one in a live version. Guns started playing “ABSUЯD” live in 2021 as a surprise before it was released on iTunes. Axl’s voice is pretty strange here, sounding a bit muppet-ish. (The screaming portion sounds like tape.) This live track will take some getting used to. It’s not that Axl’s voice is bad just…different than what you’re used to.
The 7″ vinyl came with a sticker while the cassette and CD versions come with no extras. The CD is packed in a slipcase, and the cassette in a cassingle cardboard sleeve. This got crushed a bit in the mail; a jewel case would have been better.
The cover artwork includes an interesting visual clue. On a school locker door, the classic Guns N’ Roses logo is stickered overtop a graffiti style logo reminiscent of Chinese Democracy. Almost a metaphor for what these new songs are.
It’s encouraging that Guns N’ Roses have finally released something new, even if the songs are just reworked tunes from 20+ years ago. Perhaps they’re clearing the decks before working on truly new material. It’s all but certain that we will see more, and hopefully a longer release next time. While some moments on the live tunes are shaky, and the new tunes were not as warmly received by some, the Hard Skool EP is wonderful to hold in hand. New physical music from GN’R! About time.
4/5 stars
All cautions made Every chance was given No effort spared to save what we had All in good faith I would not hesitate To extend myself and lend you my hand
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
As tempers fade And lies forgiven No cause embraced could break what we had In its place A storm is lifting I would’ve thought you could be more of a man
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
Here they were again! A #1 album. Adrenalize eventually sold three million, no small feat during the peak of the grunge era. A step down from Hysteria, but a success. And after yet another devastating loss. Choosing to record without replacing the fallen Steven Maynard Clark, it was up to Phil Collen to handle all the guitar work. He rose to the occasion and the quartet emerged from their years of toil with an album they were satisfied with. And they figured out how to do it on their own, without Mutt Lange tending to every detail.
It all begins with Joe asking the musical question: “Do you wanna get rocked?”
“Let’s Get Rocked” didn’t break any new ground nor did it need to. It served it purpose of putting Leppard back on the charts. But it also highlighted something missing. Where were the riffs? “Let’s Get Rocked” is decidedly unriffy. It relies on a bass groove and guitar pyrotechnics, but the razor sharp riffs of the past are seemingly missing. That didn’t stop it from hitting #1 in the US during a year when bands like Def Leppard were getting dumped by their labels.
One of the most poppy of the new tunes, “Heaven Is”, hits the second slot running. A little of that Steve Clark is present, but this one’s main feature is the melodically constructed vocal melodies. The thick chorus harmony proved that Leppard had learned Mutt’s tricks. Lange did help co-write most of the tracks, but his meticulous studio touch was no longer needed in a producer’s capacity. This time, Leppard produced with Mike Shipley. Mutt was “executive producer”, which pretty much means “quality control”.
The first stumble of album the was second single “Make Love Like a Man”. This cowbell-inflected mid-tempo rocker would have been B-side material five years earlier. Listen carefully for Phil Collen’s “Cockney rhyming rap”.
Fortunately side one is redeemed by one of Def Leppard’s greatest ballads. Demoed during the Hysteria sessions, “Tonight” was the darkest Leppard ballad to date. The standout Rick “Sav” Savage guitar structure is the foundation for a damn special song. There’s Joe utilising his screaming voice a little bit on the chorus. It used to be his trademark, but here reserved only for moments of great expression.
The first side concludes on the Steve Clark tribute “White Lightning”. The brilliant Collen intro is designed to emulate Clark’s trademark guitar drones on “Gods of War”. Tesla tried a similar trick on their own tribute called “Song and Emotion”. In this track, Elliott warns of the dangers of addiction. “You wanna dance with the devil, you gotta play his game.” Clark’s demons are starkly laid out in the words, and the seven dramatic minutes of music are as epic as any of Leppard’s most ambitious moments.
Remarkably, side two opened on another top tier Leppard track. “Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)” boasted an odd title, and some of Leppard’s catchiest music. Call it a ballad? Sure, why not. It’s somewhere in between ballad and rock tune, but every minute that it’s playing is a minute of the best of Def Leppard. Something about its pulse; its uplifting chime. The undeniable chorus is the icing.
Next is the ode to monogamy called “Personal Property”, not essential Leppard. We do love the part when Joe threatens/screams, “You wanna stay healthy man? Take my advice! You better hit the road Jack, and don’t come back.”
A decent, but syrupy throwaway ballad with the overlong title “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” is the weakest of the three here, but that didn’t stop it from being chosen as a single and going top 10 in Canada and the US. It’s just nothing special given the quantity of superior ballads in the past (and future). Following that is the most pop track of the batch, “I Wanna Touch U”, a bouncy good song if vastly removed from “Wasted” and “Ride in the Sun”.
The 10th and final track is the new version of the familiar “Tear It Down”. This born rocker has been polished up and produced just right for album release. Which do you prefer? The final Adrenalize rendition, or the raw B-side from ’87?
Like Hysteria before, Adrenalize came complete with a number of important B-sides. Perhaps the most crucial of these was a track that could have been a throwaway, but “Two Steps Behind” turned into Leppard’s first acoustic song. This opened doors to entirely new worlds for the band. We will take a closer look at these B-sides when we arrive at the appropriate discs in the CD Collection Volume 2 box set.
With an album completed, released, and on the charts, there was another challenge ahead. Def Leppard were a two guitar band. Phil Collen did admirably well, playing all the guitars on the album. Live, they’d need someone both capable and dedicated. What are the odds of finding the exact right match?
Adrenalize did what it had to do. It kept the band alive and viable. Hysteria was a period of exponential musical growth for Def Leppard. If they couldn’t repeat that kind of experimental innovation this time out, they’d have to give it a shot next time. And they would.
The final ofmythreeepic Rik Emmett interviews in the VHS Archives.
August 1990: It was the Magic Summer Tour and the Perfect Gentlemen were opening for New Kids On the Block at the CNE in Toronto. That was the big news. With all that teenage hype looming outside the big glass MuchMusic windows in the form of young girls, in walked Rik Emmett with his first solo material since leaving Triumph in 1988. Nobody knew what to expect!
Interviewer Steve Anthony is his usual goofy self and loosens Rik up with a few joke questions about New Kids, Perfect Gentlemen and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, before diving into the big ones.
Topics discussed:
What artistic expression was he not able to fulfil in Triumph but now can as a solo artist?
The new album Absolutely and the response from Triumph fans and the music industry.
The writing process.
Hair production.
The Judas Priest trial.
His (awesome) new six piece band.
Being a guitar player vs singer/songwriter.
The new song and video “Big Lie”.
That’s it for my Rik Emmett treasure from the Archives, I hope you enjoyed them.
The other night, Tee Bone was making the artwork for next week’s LeBrain Train episode, Top 5 Ballads. I asked if he could add in a picture of me playing acoustic guitar. It started there, turned into “me recording my acoustic ballad album on the beach”, and it simply grew and grew!
mikeladano.com 