MARILLION–Christmas 2020 (2020Racket Records CD single)
For those who love the numbers (hands up, both of you), here are some Marillion 2020 statistics for you:
This is the third Marillion single in 2020, after the “Easter” and “Made Again” home recordings.
This is the sixteenth Marillion Christmas CD. A full list of them can be found at bottom.
This year it’s a simple two-track CD single, instead of a live album, and it’s better that way. Not that a double live CD isn’t a fine way to spend Christmas, but this just feels more…Christmas-y.
Both tracks are produced by Michael Hunter. “All I Want for Christmas is You” features jingle bells, and the full band givin’ ‘er. Nice to hear Marillion just rocking! This is what I want to hear this Christmas — a party. Ian Mosely doesn’t get to pound a simple one out like this much anymore. This is good time Marillion Christmas dance party track — and there are not many of those! They even managed to squeeze in a so-cool Steve Rothery guitar solo without losing the fun.
For the sentimental type, enjoy a lovely “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Hard to believe Marillion haven’t covered this one yet, but they have now! They do it with piano, keyboards and light accompaniment. It’s done just the way you want to hear it, around the fire after the kids have been tucked in. Listen for Steve Hogarth’s Christmas message at the end.
Two Christmas songs done so perfectly that even a Grinch-like curmudgeon can enjoy them. What else do you want for a free Christmas CD?
Five studio albums, one live and an EP to boot: Definitely enough music to justify your first solo Greatest Hits. For added value, Kim included a bunch of new and unreleased music. With 15 songs and over an hour of music, Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits is an easy buy for fans and collectors. For new fans it’s not quite ideal, for reasons we’ll get in to.
Long time fans will remember that Kim’s prior band Max Webster issued a greatest hits called Diamonds Diamonds with two new songs. This album follows suit with two brand new tracks recorded for this set. “No More Walking Away”, co-written by Pye Dubois, is an electric ballad with stunning guitar tones. This is in the same lane as some of Kim’s previous ballads from Rockland or Aural Fixations; very much a “later Kim” sound. Long time fans will love hearing Peter Fredette on backing vocals. The other new song, “Rainbow”, is a straight-on hard rocker. With Andy Curran on lyrical duties, “Rainbow” is just good time Kim rock as you have grown to expect it. It goes without saying that his guitar playing is tremendous. The chorus goes all the way to the clouds. “I’m bringin’ you back your rainbow,” sings Kim and you better believe it.
In addition to the new songs, this time Kim also included two re-recordings. This is unfortunately where first-time buyers are going to be let down. One of Kim’s biggest career hits was undoubtedly 1986’s “Patio Lanterns” from Shakin’ Like a Human Being. This compilation includes a new arrangement, which is actually quite cool. It’s twangy and has lots of guitar play. But that’s not the version that old folks remember from highschool — not even close. The tempo they used to dance to is gone. This version, excellent as it is, unfortunately is only for people who already own the original. The other re-recording is the less sacred “Lager & Ale”, originally from Akimbo Alogo. The vocal line is slightly modified, but this one shouldn’t upset too many people. The Akimbo original remains the best version.
What else is to be found on this disc? We have the opening and closing bits called “Transcendental Soda” and “Hare Soda”, which are simply snippets from the live intro to “Go For Soda”. Nothing too special, but elsewhere you’ll find some cool stuff. “Expedition Sailor” is credited as “The Other Version” which is a remix from the music video, long unavailable to regular folks like us. This fine ballad was a decent hit back in 1989-90 so it’s nice to own that elusive video mix.
That’s it for the special stuff listed on the back, but there are two hidden surprises within. Between “Rainbow” and “All We Are” (the live version from I Am A Wild Party) you will find 30 seconds of a demo. This is a demo for “All We Are”, and the tape could even date back to the Max Webster days since that’s when he wrote the tune. That’s gold. What a cool way to introduce “All We Are”. The other surprise is evident by the track times. Hit single “Rocklandwonderland” is missing the fade out, and runs out to its actual end. It just ends — the guys just stop playing. Really cool unlisted bonuses here.
As for the rest, it’s the hits! All singles (though some only for radio), except for “Lemon Wedge” which was a hit with the fans. Though it doesn’t suit everybody’s needs, Greatest Hits still plays well and scratches some of those big Kim itches.
GETTING MORE TALE #870: You Can Be My Lemon Wedge, and I’ll Be Your Tequila (Part One of a two-part review of Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits)
The leaves turned colours, and were starting to decorate the ground. I had been working at the Record Store for over a year. I was well over my first relationship that went south, and was now seemingly hard at work wrecking the second. Everything started lovey-dovey in the summer. The first two months were bliss. It started to sour in September and October. “People are always on their best behaviour at the start,” she used to say in regards to “new love”. Now that things were going bad, was it my fault? It had to be. What was I doing wrong? It was in this emotional environment that Kim Mitchell released his first solo Greatest Hits CD in 1995.
As things started to go south, I anticipated that I’d need some new Kim music to get me through. This compilation had two new songs, one rare remix, two re-recordings, and some surprising bonus music. Decent value for a hits set. “Ooh, it’s a messy breakup,” sang Kim on the new track called “Rainbow”.
The relationship was hitting the rocks and taking on water, and so the arguments were increasing. Making things more uncomfortable, she was hanging out with my ex from the first bad breakup. A lot. I didn’t have a lot of experience, but that was weird, right? They talked a lot. It was obvious to me that she wasn’t happy with the way things were going and I was in no way prepared to deal with this added twist.
In October we went out on our last movie date: Virtuosity, a terrible Denzel Washington sci-fi thriller featuring Russell Crowe as the killer. I didn’t pick it. I haven’t seen it since.
I was the driver that night. Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits was in the tape deck. I purchased the CD (and still own that copy) but I recorded everything to tape so my music was always mobile.
I will tell you one thing I remember: she hated the song “Lemon Wedge”. I wasn’t keen on it either, but it was a very popular tune with old school Max Webster fans. It’s different. T-Rev at the Record Store absolutely loved it; it was one of his jams. “Lemon Wedge” is funky, horn-laden and mental. Not at all like “Patio Lanterns”. I was more indifferent to it. I was puzzled that it was included on Greatest Hits at all, instead of one of the songs from Itch that I thought were better. But I don’t skip songs; I play albums all the way through. We’re heading home from this shitty movie and on comes “Lemon Wedge”.
You can be my lemon wedge, And I’ll be your tequila. I just wanna have a dance, And I just wanna feel ya.
“This song is terrible! Why do you listen to this?” I didn’t think it was worth explaining that I don’t skip tracks. That wouldn’t help.
Then, as if on cue, I made a wrong turn in the car. I have a terrible sense of direction and didn’t know my way around town like she did. She was really mad at me now, so I pulled over into a parking lot on Fairway Road. Then I sat there and just took it. This in turn frustrated her even more.
“You never stand up for yourself!” she complained. “Whatever shit people say, you just go with it! You can’t just keep bending over all the time! You need to grow a backbone and start sticking up for yourself!”
I wanted to, but I was afraid of getting dumped again, so I preferred not to argue. Getting dumped was no fun and I was not eager to do it again. But I got her point.
“Well, I like that Kim Mitchell song,” I lied in a half-assed rebuttal. She was not very impressed with my comeback.
My head was spinning. This was supposed to be a movie date. How did it turn into this lecture about me growing a spine? I can relate to the episode of Big Bang Theory where Penny dumps Leonard. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he said before she walked out. But that isn’t what she wanted.
“I’m pretty sure it’s already over,” said Leonard with the wisdom that I was lacking.*
It really was curtains; all over except for Kim’s singing. There were a few more arguments, but it was toast after Halloween. I can’t remember what our last argument was about, but she was hanging out with my ex again and wasn’t answering her phone. The ex was in fact the final “Lemon Wedge” that pushed us apart for good. And it’s good that it happened for reasons that are obvious to anyone who is not me in 1995.
Instead of trying to win her back like I did with my last doomed relationship, I moved on decidedly. I deleted my electronic contacts so I wouldn’t be tempted to email her. I selected a variety of rock albums that I tailored to my listening needs. She was into a lot of current music – Dance Mix ’95, the new Smashing Pumpkins, Lisa Loeb. I chose to dive deep into classic British hard rock, the stuff she wasn’t into. Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath. Ozzy had a new album out and so did Iron Maiden. There was plenty of music that didn’t remind me of her.
For a variety of reasons, that relationship took some time to get over. She married the next guy, which is exactly what also happened with the previous ex! I was the guy people go out with before the meet the one they were going to marry. So I did a lot of re-evaluation, both personal and musical. I really wanted to like that “Lemon Wedge” song just because she hated it so much, but I couldn’t force it to happen. You either like “Lemon Wedge” or you don’t. I wish I could say it was my favourite song in the world because of this story. Unfortunately not every story can be about your favourite song. Some are just about the music that was playing at the time.
Full CD review tomorrow.
* Ironically, Kaley Cuoco otherwise known as “Penny” was in that awful Denzel movie as a child actor.
IRON MAIDEN – Nights of the Dead – Legacy of the Beast – Live in Mexico City (2020 Parlophone)
I feel a bit like a jackass reviewing this, because so many people I know caught this tour, or at least one of the recent tours, and I’ve never seen Maiden live. I only have these live albums to go by. But what I like about Iron Maiden is that they take the time to document almost every single tour since the Bruce reunion era began. (Only three tours did not receive a live album.) The Legacy of the Beast tour was in support of a video game, and featured a sort of “legacy” setlist, heavy on the old classics with a small smattering of more recent material. This prevents too much crossover with the prior live album, The Book of Souls – Live Chapter.
Without going track by track, I can tell you that Nights of the Dead was pieced together from three shows in Mexico City, much like Live After Death in Long Beach and Hammersmith. Even so, Bruce’s voice only tends to get stronger as they go further down the setlist. By “Hallowed” and “Run to the Hills”, it sounds like the man is just warming up!
The setlist is a delightful mix of hits, deeper cuts and the odd recent classic. “Where Eagles Dare” from Piece of Mind whips the throng into immediate hysteria. “Revelations” from the same LP has a certain contemplative gravity that it brings to any live album, and hearing it here is sheer nostalgic delight. Two Blaze-era songs return to the set in “Sign of the Cross” and “Clansman”, both lengthy epics. Enhanced by the three-guitar lineup and the Air Raid Siren, can we say these versions challenge the originals for supremacy? Though it wasn’t written for Bruce, “Sign of the Cross” has more dynamics with him at the microphone — he adds a few high notes for embellishment. Not to mention the depth that the third guitar adds to a song that was always a bit thin sounding.
Reunion era Maiden is cut back, leaving only “Wicker Man” and the always welcome “For the Greater Good of God”. Both deserving songs. Stuff like “Wicker Man” (and the earlier “Flight of Icarus”) really pump up the adrenaline levels by keeping it short, sharp and unshackled.
Then you have the stuff that you have to call “the hits”: songs like “Aces High”, “2 Minutes to Midnight”, “Trooper”, “Beast”, “The Evil that Men Do”, “Iron Maiden”, “Fear of the Dark” and “Run to the Hills”. These are the Maiden standards; a serving of essentials that everybody has connected with at some point in their life. Some of them float in and out of setlists, and some always remain.
A word should always be said about the packaging and artwork of any Iron Maiden album. The Mexican-themed Eddie can be found in a couple pieces of art inside and out. Manager Rod Smallwood wrote the included liner notes, explaining that the live album came to be when the world came to a halt due to Covid-19. Yay Covid? Joking aside, Smallwood’s notes are always informative to read while rocking along to the CD. There is even a mini 2021 tour poster (let’s hope!) included, with the Trooper version of Eddie surrounded by iconic imagery from prior Maiden artwork. Icarus, the mushroom cloud from “2 Minutes to Midnight”, a crashed Spitfire…have a look. Finally, a sticker sheet is an added bonus though most of us will be keeping the stickers intact, I reckon.
Perhaps it’s just giddy glee that there’s a new Maiden live album to cap off this year, but Nights of the Dead is so good that I wouldn’t change a thing.
Picking a favourite episode among the 41 (!) shows we’ve done is a bit like picking a favourite child. Impossible to do! But I took a real shine to this week’s instalment: the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Iron Maiden Deep Cuts.
Each of us had our own personal criteria to determine if a song was a “deep cut”. For example, I chose no songs from Live After Death, or any leading tracks from an album. Harrison the Mad Metal Man decided that he would include no single A-sides, and no songs that were played live…ever.
As an added bonus to this episode, we brought back Geoff from 1001albumsin10years. The Graph Alchemist himself had to be involved, to track all these crucial Iron Maiden songs. In particular I wanted to see what albums were dominant. Geoff then went above and beyond the call of duty by bringing us a four-way Venn diagram showing all the songs that the panel had in common. Ever seen a four-way oval Venn before? You will!
These four lists were all graphed and included in the episode’s statistics.
We also had three “bonus lists” that we ran right at the top of the show. These bonus lists were submitted by:
Reader KK
The Mighty Holen
Michael the Box Set Wizard
Finally this episode also marked the debut of the brand new LeBrain Train theme song by T-Bone. So good that I played it three times. Everybody loves the song and video — let me know what you think too.
Best show ever? Definitely top five.
Shoot, do I have to do a Nigel Tufnel Top Ten LeBrain Trains now?*
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike Ladano
Episode 41
It had to happen eventually: the return of Harrison the Mad Metal Man, and our first Iron Maiden list show! It’s the Iron Maiden Deep Cuts this time, a subject sure to generate tons of discussion. Of course, B-sides are fair game, as are Blaze Bayley cuts!
No spoilers but I can tell you that Harrison is being very stringent about what certifies as a “deep cut”. However, this is a “no disqualifications” episode, so nobody will be getting killed by Eddie tonight.
Iron Maiden’s gonna get ya no matter how far.
The Nigel Tufnel Top Ten lists (concept by Uncle Meat) are always a pleasurable diversion, especially when we keep track of the stats! To that end, Geoff from 1001albumsin10years will be back tonight to bring us more graphs! We also hope that the Meat Man himself will be joining the fun with his hard-laboured list.
We have not had Harrison on the show since May, when we counted down the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Judas Priest albums.* Because of the time difference between Canada and Australia, Harrison and I did the last show in the morning here. He also had an awesome moustache. This time we’re doing it at the usual 7:00 PM E.S.T. (He can be the one to get up early this time.) Will the moustache remain?
* The last time Harrison was on also happened to the first show broadcast from the cottage. A very special show for me because of both location and guest.
LEATHERWOLF – Endangered Species (1984 Tropical Records / 1985 Heavy Metal America)
Leatherwolf carry on today but their origins are found on a humble indi debut from Heavy Metal America records back in 1984. The Florida band’s original lineup boasted lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri, who was finding his feet here on the first album. His voice was enviable; the fact that he could play guitar led to a gimmick called the “triple axe attack” long before Iron Maiden were able to execute the concept themselves.
Opening track “Spiter” takes influence from the aforementioned Iron Maiden as well as the thrash scene on the west coast. Its blast of metal power serves to open the album with gusto. The title track “Endangered Species” has a cool layered riff that is almost buried beneath the heavy production. This is a busy band, with drummer Dean “Drum Machine” Roberts keeping all limbs in a flurry. A great vintage heavy metal track here, just begging for a recording less flat and brittle. Plenty of hooks and ideas packed into five minutes.
“Tonight’s the Night” isn’t as memorable, though Olivieri sure gives the vocal his all. I can’t but laugh at “The Hook”. “Hey honey, looking for a date?” Songs about the world’s oldest occupation oh so often veer into cringe territory. This is no “Charlotte the Harlot” though that seems to be the intent. “Keep your eye out for the hook!” sings Michael. The quiet section in the middle is pretty cool and there are multiple nifty riffs, but the song is a clanker.
Side two begins with acoustic guitars, a needed change of tone, and soon it’s back to hammering riffs. “Season of the Witch” isn’t half bad. As usual one riff just isn’t enough. An amped-up Beast-era Iron Maiden seems to be the primary influence. “Off the Track” has a shouted chorus that passes for a hook. Not bad, but somehow incomplete like its parts weren’t fully assembled. A slower tempo and sonic effects make “Kill and Kill Again” an effectively heavy change of pace. A lot of Maiden in the faster outro, though. Then accelerate into “Vagrant” which is further into the thrash side, but the production renders the guitars too tinny and without depth. Fortunately the album closes on title track “Leatherwolf”, a mighty strong Priest-like street fight.
Though they still remained a heavy metal band with three lead guitarists, Leatherwolf added considerably more commercial elements such as ballads and keyboards by the time of their major label debut. Michael Olivieri would tone down the screamy side of his style, which is used excessively here. The band had a lot of room to grow, but their youthful exuberance helps make up for it. There are a few worthwhile tracks that may have a place in your collection, and any fan of the heavier side of vintage metal will enjoy a spin.
Thank you to T-BONE for this awesome new theme song and video for the LeBrain Train!
This is a wonderful surprise, and complete with lyrics. All we need to do is get it in the right file format and this will be the intro clip to the LeBrain Train each week! Thank you T-Bone for going above and beyond the call of duty!! (He must really have enjoyed being on the show.)
HAREM SCAREM – Change the World (2020 Frontiers Japanese import)
One of the greatest melodic rock bands in the world is Canadian and 30 years since their inception, they still got what it takes. Pete Lesperance, Harry Hess, Creighton Doane and Darren Smith can be counted on to deliver some great professional singalong tuneage every time. Not every album has been brilliant (some people don’t like the Rubber era, I’m not big on Voice of Reason) but with their latest Change the World, Harem Scarem is back on top.
The upbeat title track opens the celebration with chiming guitar notes wrung from the neck. “You and I are gonna change the world,” sings Harry with an uplifting melody. Pete’s got his back with hooky guitar fills. A track like this could have easily come from peak period HS, like 93’s Mood Swings. “Aftershock” has a little more bite, but the same kind of killer chorus. For those unfamiliar, expect thick, heavily layered choruses with all four guys singing multitracked backing vocals. It’s like Def Leppard with more balls. Yet it’s also their own song because Harry Hess’ voice has not changed one iota. It’s just as powerful as it was on 1985’s Blind Vengeance debut, only better! “Searching For Meaning” hearkens back to the pop sensibilities of Rubber, but richer in tone and with a heavier slam.
Things go darker on “The Death of Me” without losing the edge. It’s not about defeat, it’s about keeping up the fight. “I know you won’t be the death of me!” An apt tune for 2020. “Hit the panic override!” urges Harry. Keep calm and carry on!
The piano comes out for the first ballad “Mother of Invention”. The vocal arrangement here is quite nice though the song isn’t all that memorable. The bass-driven “No Man’s Land” is more unique, and has one of those choruses that is so hard for forget. Then head for space on “In the Unknown”, a softer burner of a track that launches into the stratosphere, fuelled by killer hooks. This is Harem Scarem’s bread and butter.
If you think a song with a title like “Riot In My Head” should be faster and more intense, then you got your wish. The riff sounds as if lifted from a classic 80s racing song. Great track, as is the ballad “No Me Without You”, with its slight nods to the Beatles. It’s back to the racetrack with “Fire & Gasoline”, an absolute smoker of a song. There’s a classic Lesperance guitar solo to savour and a bangin’ beat to bash your head to. The standard album then concludes on “Swallowed By the Machine”, another defiant fist pumping rocker. Get psyched with lyrics such as “We all have dreams, we all have doubts, be careful which you feed, and don’t get swallowed by the machine.” A rip-roaring guitar workout a-la Nuno Bettencourt takes it to another level. Talk about ending the album on an up!
Of course, those who go the extra mile and purchase the Japanese CD get the extra track, an acoustic recording of “No Man’s Land”. It’s an interesting alternative though not as impressive as the original. Still a cool little coda, and still ending the album on an up note.
For a humble band from Canada that a lot of people aren’t even aware of, Harem Scarem have a remarkably huge discography. There are more peaks than valleys, but Change the World is definitely evidence that this band has more to give. One of the finer rock records of 2020.
MARILLION – Christmas 2020 (2020Racket Records CD single)
mikeladano.com 