In contrast to last week’s 3+ hour show, a shorter one for you tonight. Short but cool, if “a little light on the Scott Peddle content” according to my Yelp reviews. The subject of friendship and the music that connects us was the topic for this hour. But then, as if summoned by the Live Stream gods…came a surprise.
** SPOILERS **
The very first official live stream FROM SAUSAGEFEST. Say hello to Seb, Dr. Dave, the Meat Man, Bucky, Tyler and the rest of the gang! To skip to this part of the stream go to 1:04:50 below.
Rob Daniels also joined at the end. Enjoy the show!
If all goes according to plan, I will be going live tonight at 6:30 PM E.S.T as a solo artist once again!
Unfortunately the weather is looking like storms all weekend, which can mess with the internet. If I am unable to go live tonight then I will reschedule the show.
This show’s theme is another one suggested by Superdekes: Friendship! Good friends, and all the great tunes that connect them. Music, and pals! The reason for this week’s topic is simple.
Today begins the 19th annual Sausagefest. I’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to stay isolated this year. While I am 100% confident that none of my friends will get sick, I am practising a stricter social distancing policy. 2020 is a seriously screwed up year, and this year I’m valuing family more than ever. If I want to spend time under the same roof as my parents at the cottage, and have them be comfortable with that, then I need to respect them by adhering to the same distancing as they are. If I want to be enjoying my “happy place” with them, then I need to respect that.
Because I cannot be with my friends today, I’ll be talking about them. My “Nostalgia Stream“, about my childhood best friend Bob, was one of the most popular shows I’ve done. He had a huge impact on me musically, but so did others. This time we’ll be talking about some of the other colourful characters in my crazy life, all centred around the love of rock and roll.
As before, when I’m done yammering on I’ll open it up for others to join in!
I have been told by someone younger and more knowledgeable about such things that shows like mine need a name. Apparently that’ll help with exposure. The following names have all been suggested. Please leave a comment with your favourite or a suggestion of your own.
LeBrain and Friends’ Rock and Roll Landfill
LeBrain Wave
LeBrain’s Chat Rock
LeBrain Meltdown
The LeBrain Drain
2000 Words or More With Mike Ladano
The Lebrain Eats A Worm And A Stick YouTube Hour*
Geezer Mike’s Rock Talkin’, Ball Walkin’, Super Shit Sandwich Show
Musical Thinking With LeBrain
Too Much Fuckin’ Perspective’ with LeBrain
Mike’s World With a Side of Meat and a Dash of Deke
Though they formed in 1979 and were already on their third album, I didn’t notice Europe until 1986. Even then, I managed to ignore their first few airings on MuchMusic’s Pepsi Power Hour. Host J.D. (John) Roberts made a big deal out of the fact that they were from Sweden, which I didn’t understand since Yngwie Malmsteen was also from Sweden and nobody mentioned that as the most interesting thing about him. Roberts warned us that Europe didn’t really sound like heavy metal but they were playing them anyway.
After the second or third run, the hook to “The Final Countdown” was stuck in my head and I decided that I liked the band. I asked for their album for Easter of 1987. What did I think about this new band from Sweden when the Easter bunny granted my wish?
Didn’t care for it much. The title track still had me hooked, and a song on side two called “Cherokee” was a sure-fire hit. The rest of it sounded like awkward filler. “Rock, now, rock the night!” What kind of chorus was that? I knew English wasn’t their first language but it didn’t hook me. Likewise “Stranger on the Track”, which I still envision as a guy running around on a 400 meter track & field course. Even the mighty “Ninja” slipped past me with lines like, “If I were a noble ancient knight, I’d stand by your side to rule and fight.” As for “Carrie”, it was just too soft.
But I was committed now; I had received this cassette tape as a gift and I had to give it a fair chance. “Ninja” did rock, and so did a song called “On the Loose” on side two. It was this song that rocked the hardest. It also featured some amazing shredding by guitarist John Norum, which turned me into a fan. That and his cool guitar strap.
By summer it was safe to say that I really liked the album. Once the big singles wore themselves out on me, I found favourites on side two. “Love Chaser”, “Heart of Stone”, “Time Has Come” and of course “On the Loose” were great songs. As I learned more about the band, I discovered that John Norum had already departed and been replaced by Kee Marcello, who was in the video for “Rock the Night”. But all anybody remembers about “Rock the Night” now is Joey singing into a ketchup bottle. the band miming their instruments on silverware in a diner.
Though clearly dated to a specific part of the 80s, The Final Countdown still stands as a thoroughly enjoyable album. Every song is fondly remembered. It’s brighter and more instantly appealing than its following Out of This World. Though they burned out by ’92, they have enjoyed a quality second era with Norum back in the fold. Who could have imagined that back in ’87?
When I was 15, I saw a band on TV called Brighton Rock. The song was called “We Came to Rock” and it was cool. Pop rock, not quite metal, but slick. Then I heard the outro! The singer was screaming like nobody I ever heard in my life! Who were these guys? I made sure I taped the video next time I saw it.
Brighton Rock were perhaps one of the best Canadian shoulda-been bands, with a singer who had serious ability, backed by musicians to match. Today, that incredible voice has been silenced.
I’ll tell you, Motley Crue should have snagged this guy when they had the chance. What a sound that could have been. Brighton Rock made three studio albums, an EP, a live CD and a number of singles and other miscellaneous tracks. They covered “Creatures of the Night” on Mitch Lafon’s A World With Heroes Kiss tribute, and did it justice by going completely different from the original. In 2019, Brighton Rock released what turned out to be their final song “End of Time”, a heavy rocker that now serves as an excellent capstone.
Gerry later went on to found Precision Records, the plant that pressed up my sister’s album Masked. Its reputation in the industry is excellent. Before that, his distributor Isotope Records supplied me at the Record Store with new product to sell. I never had the chance to meet him personally, but I’ve heard only good things. We occasionally spoke on social media, and he was happy to answer one of my vinyl-related questions for an article I was working on.
Rest in peace, Gerry. This one is hitting me very hard. Playing Young, Wild and Free now, I will remember you as “The Rock and Roll Kid”. Scream on Gerry.
JUDAS PRIEST – Screaming For Vengeance (Originally 1982, 2012 Sony 30th Anniversary Edition)
While people recognize British Steel as a platinum Judas Priest landmark, it was Screaming For Vengeance that went double platinum. It introduced Priest to the MTV generation and opened them up to bigger American audiences. But before we get to Screaming For Vengeance itself, a cornerstone Judas Priest album in anyone’s books, the “Special 30th Anniversary Edition” must first be addressed. The extra content is a full concert DVD, and four bonus audio live tracks from the same DVD.
To have Priest live at the US Festival is a wish fulfilled for many. The daylight show with full classic costumes (Rob decked in silver) is a nostalgia blowout. The band look lethal although drummer Dave Holland appears overwhelmed by the demanding tunes. The setlist isn’t half bad, with “Green Manalishi”, “Diamonds and Rust”, and “Victim of Changes” being highlights and filling the need for old classics. The bulk of the set is made up of more recent material from the three 1980s Priest albums thus far. Tempos are fast, cowbells are in the air, and Rob is at his confident shrieking best. The audio is great and the video is well reproduced. Owning this edition of Screaming really is a must since it’s the only official release of this show on DVD.
The re-imagined cover art is nice, fitting in with other Priest deluxe reissues (see images at bottom). In an unfortunate oversight, the clean and sharp original artwork is included nowhere inside this set. They did include the two bonus tracks from the previous remastered CD release, which we’ll get to after we discuss the album in full.
Screaming For Vengeance was a sudden change of style for the Priest, after two rather soundalike albums. Similarly the next album Defenders of the Faith would be cast from the same mold as Screaming. All these albums were produced by Tom Allom. Tempos were turned up, guitars sharpened, and as per the title, Rob Halford screamed. A lot. The refined 80s Priest was evident on the opening duo “The Hellion/Electric Eye”. The guitars are sleeker, the vocals processed and robotic. The riffs are just as sharp. Priest were going for the throat. This opening one-two punch was more punishing than any music I ever heard at that time. Though you could not claim it’s heavier than a Priest oldie like “Saints In Hell”, the production is louder and more in your face than ever before.
Drummer Dave Holland sprays a bloodbath of bashes at the start of “Riding on the Wind”, Priest speeding on the highway once again. With Rob in high register, this catchy tune is perfect for keeping the wind in your face. The first respite in terms of tempo is “Bloodstone”, though its glorious riffs need no accelerant. Halford’s scatting at the end is classic and a rare reappearance of his old sassy self from Hell Bent for Leather.
“(Take These) Chains” is one of the most immediately accessible tracks, a mid-tempo delight as Priest do so well. They end the side with a slow metal grind called “Pain and Pleasure”, drums soaked in echo. Rob alludes to an interest in BDSM again, but with music this heavy most people just headbanged and ignored. (In another sad oversight, the lyrics are not contained within this edition, but were reproduced on the previous CD remaster.) Don’t assume that because it’s a slow one it’s weak. “Pain and Pleasure” is a resounding an d memorable side-ender.
The second side opens with the sudden shock blitzkrieg of the title track. Speed metal turned up to 11, “Screaming For Vengeance” is over the top and almost self-parody. It’s one of Priest’s most overdriven blasts of might, but it also verges on mindlessness if not for a spirited solo section in the middle. But then in another jarring shift, the sleek mid-tempo groove of “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” rears its familiar head. When I was a kid, there was no question this was Priest’s “big hit”. It was the song everyone knew, and the music video was on constant rotation. Classic clip. The man pursuing Priest is meant to represent the tax man. When Rob essentially yells at him “no tax man, you will not take my money,” his head blows up. They used a little too much TNT on the mannequin, and so the tax man’s pants fell down in an added humiliation. Such is the power of heavy metal, folks. Got tax problems? Rock and roll right in that tax man’s face. Eventually his head will blow up. If you’re lucky the pants might also fall. This is what Priest have given the world!
“Another Thing Comin'” is a brilliant song. Radio super-saturation cannot dull its simply-constructed hooks. Its placement (second song, side two) is odd but that didn’t stop it to #4 on the US Billboard rock chart, nor did it impede the album rising to #17 on the Billboard 200.
The album begins drawing to a close, with an echoey tremolo effect on “Fever”, one of the album’s best cuts. Then the echo ends, and a clean guitar accompanies a plaintive Rob. Mid-tempo, powerfully built and loaded with hooks, “Fever” is a late-album winner. Then, three quarters in, Halford turns on the high voice and the song transforms into something else equally cool. Finally the echo-guitar returns to help bring the song to its dramatic end.
“Devil’s Child” is the last hurrah, a fun and heavy indictment of an ex-lover who’s “so damn wicked” and “smashed and grabbed all I had”. The album ends as suddenly as it begins; jarring transitions being a sonic theme on Screaming For Vengeance.
Tom Allom’s production is often maligned as inferior to the more raw and loose sounds of Priest on their 70s albums, and there’s certainly an argument to be made there. Screaming For Vengeance is not a warm album. It is cold, sharp and steely. It has a precise, digital undertone. But it’s also heavy, considerably more so than Point of Entry which preceded it. The cover art indicated that we were entering a new phase for Judas Priest; a simpler streamlined 80s phase but still deadly enough for the old fans.
The live bonus tracks included on the CD were not chosen willy-nilly. Instead of including the best hits from the US Festival DVD, they use tracks from a different show in San Antonio, and all from Screaming For Vengeance: “Electric Eye”, “Riding On the Wind”, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” and “Screaming” itself. Watch out for the squealing feedback! Finally the original bonus tracks from the 2001 CD are edition are tacked on so you don’t have to own two copies. These include a raspy, smoking “Devil’s Child” live from another concert, and a demo from the 1985-86 Twin Turbos sessions called “Prisoner of Your Eyes”. I hate when Priest use bonus tracks from the wrong era, but the Screaming For Vengeance reissues are the only place you can get this song. In a stylistic shift, this slick ballad sounds more like “A Touch of Evil” from Painkiller, but far tamer. (The guitar solos were overdubbed and tracks finished in 2001.)
Good special edition, but not great. As these things go I’m sure we can expect a better 40 anniversary edition. It won’t be long now.
GETTING MORE TALE #851: Freestylin’ 8 – Back to the Future
“May you have interesting times.” Have you heard that saying before? They call it the “Chinese curse” but there’s no evidence it originated in China. There is little doubt that today we are living in interesting times. Historic times, too. The days we are living through now are the days that your children and grandchildren will be studying in school. Remember asking your grandparents what World War II was like? Kids one day will be asking you about the great pandemic of 2020-2021.
In recent days we’ve seen some worthwhile attempts to get “back to normal”, specifically with entertainment. Concerts are a thing again, albeit most of them are different from the ones we remember. Drive-in concerts could help get us through this period. Live-streamed concerts have also started. Bands have used the downtime to jam, write, and record. It is reported that the Scorpions and the Cult are back in the studio working on new albums.
The landscape has also been devastated. Venues are closing at a blurry pace, with Rhapsody Barrel Bar being the latest local casualty in a dizzying series. When this is all over, I believe we will see demand for sports events, movies and concerts as if Covid never happened. In the meantime, people have to put food on their tables. There are no easy answers.
I’ll tell you one thing, though: I’m glad for once that I’m not a parent. I have enough to deal with. Talking to my folks the other night, my mom said “I don’t think I would have sent you back to school if this pandemic happened when you were kids.” I don’t think I would have wanted to go back. Right now all I can do is cross my fingers, say a prayer and hope that the kids going back now will be safe. In Canada, we just don’t know yet. We’ll be finding out soon enough.
It’s true that I have a lot on my plate. I don’t need to get into the work details — you all have problems, too. But here we are in late August and I haven’t missed a day (except for scheduled vacations of course). There were many times I didn’t think I could finish a whole day, but I did it. But the hard times are relentless. On August 14, Jen lost her grandfather, a proud Air Force veteran with the wisdom of a sage. Yet another loss for poor Jen, who nevertheless keeps on getting up and going at it every single day. This in the same year I lost my Uncle Don. It’s been hard on our family. My grandmother turned 96 and is just aching to get out of the house. She still lives in her own home but can’t go anywhere except out onto the driveway, due to the dangers of Covid when combined with her age.
I’ve talked about this a number of times already, but my 2020 was stressful well before Covid hit our shores and I decided to get some help. According to my records my first counselling session was February 7. I’m very lucky that I had good support already setup when lockdown began a little over a month later! All of this coincided with deep desire to delve back into childhood memories, and music. I’ve been focused on music I used to enjoy in my teens. Kiss has dominated. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Europe, Frehley’s Comet. Stuff from happy summers of the past.
It’s incredible how, in the correct mindset, these albums have created aural time travel for me. I don’t even have to close my eyes, but all the feelings and images and words from that time come back to me like pictures on a screen. When I listen to The Final Countdown, all I can think of is spring, 1987. With Frehley’s Comet, suddenly it’s July. The last time I played Frehley’s Comet, I was at the cottage. I yelled over to my sister (she’s two lots over to the left), “Hey! I’m playing the album you gave me for my birthday in 1987. What is it?” Without hesitation she yelled back, “Frehley’s Comet!” She remembered! That’s pretty cool.
You know what? These have been interesting times. I’ve been on my own personal journey, and it probably wouldn’t have taken the same path if it wasn’t for Covid. As shitty as 2020 has been (and make no mistake, this has been a shit show of a year) I cannot deny that it came with some personal good. The only thing better than discovering new music for the first time is rediscovering it with fresh eyes, ears and soul. Take it in anew. Relive the experience and rejuvenate.
The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol 2. (3 x 10″ EPs)
DVD – Live at Hellfest, Roger Glover and Bob Ezrin in Conversation
Whoosh!
Every Deep Purple album seems like the final album. Maybe this one is; maybe it isn’t. It feels like the band treat every album as seriously as if it was their last. The cover art and music of Whoosh! takes us back to 1968 and Shades of Deep Purple. The logo is similar, and there is a new version of the 52 year old first Deep Purple song ever, “And The Address”.
Opening with the lead single “Throw My Bones“, the album sets a mid-tempo pace from the start. This is a lush, catchy groove with hints of classical and funk. It began life during the Infinite sessions but was not finished until Whoosh! Purple pick it up a bit on “Drop the Weapon”, a non-preachy appeal for cooler heads to prevail. It has a similar vibe to the 1988 album Accidentally On Purpose by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover. The immediate riffs and hooky vocals are bound to make this a favourite.
“We’re All the Same in the Dark” has a cool groove and a jaw dropping funky Morse solo. Purple haven’t sounded this funky since Glenn Hughes was in the band. Airey and Glover give it some heaviness. “Nothing At All” sounds like a Morse composition, but his intricate classical-inspired interplay with Airey is sheer delight. This could be the best track on Whoosh!, and contender for one of the best songs of the entire Morse era. A massive chorus could help this one cross over on radio. Though it’s a far different song, “Nothing at All” has elements that recall “Never A Word” from Bananas. A regal-sounding crowning achievement.
“No Need to Shout” opens with the growl of a Hammond. “Just a bunch a crap, you’re talkin’ out your hat!” sings Ian on a song featuring rare female backing vocals. This is one of a few new Deep Purple songs that display a pissed-off attitude. “I got your message loud and clear, the meaningless ringing in my ear.” Add in a couple naughty words and you can tell Ian isn’t having any of it. Cooler though is “Step By Step”, a very different kind of song with perhaps some lineage with “Vincent Price” from Now What?! The haunting, ghostly quality of “Step By Step” sets it aside with a cascade of keyboard accents.
Purple start to boogie on “What the What” (a friendlier way of saying “What the Fuck”). While Don’s hammering the keys, Steve stabs out with some tasty guitar twang. If any song recalls “old” Deep Purple, it’s “What the What”, which could have been on 1973’s Who Do We Think We Are! But that album completely lacks the joie de vivre of “What the What”. Then Purple get heavy on “The Long Way Round” which just drives. The keyboard solo is out of left field but is a spacey masterwork to itself. There’s even a sly Black Sabbath callback — “I promised myself I would not get Trashed again.” Then the song dissolves into a beautiful, quiet stream of notes. This serves as a great lead-in to “Power of the Moon”, an excellent track previously heard on the “Throw My Bones” single. It stalks prey in the cover of night.
Another heavy growl unexpectedly opens “Remission Possible”, an absolutely smokeshow of fretwork. It’s a brief instrumental interlude just before the excellent “Man Alive”. This track, enhanced by orchestra, sounds absolutely massive. It has serious heft, but it’s not weighed down. Ian is writing about some heavy themes and it will take deeper analysis of the album as a whole to decipher them all. Roger Glover was very happy with Ian’s writing on the album, which takes a more contemplative tone without going heavy-handed.
The final side of vinyl begins with another instrumental, the aforementioned “And the Address” from Shades Of. Deep Purple have occasionally re-recorded old material with new lineups, such as “Hush ’88” and “Bludsucker”. This cut of “And the Address” has more momentum. The only guy present who played on the original is Ian Paice, but Don Airey is a dead ringer for Jon Lord. “And the Address” is one of the most enjoyable songs on Whoosh!, probably surpassing the original recording.
There’s still one track to go: the “bonus track” called “Dancing In My Sleep”. Safe to say it’s called a “bonus track” because it’s the most different of all the songs. It’s an Airey conception based on a cool little techno beat. Though it’s certainly not dance music, it does have one foot in that world and it’s a sheer delight to hear Purple stretch out into new territory 52 years into their game.
A seriously fine album this late in the career. An album so fresh that it is hard to rate so soon. But clearly a high point, with a band still exploring new ideas completely unafraid of what people might say. In fact, a band who still has something to say. Something worth listening to.
4.25/5 stars
But that’s not all of course. Go big or go home. Check out the rest of the box set’s contents in detail below.
The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 2
The previously released Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 1 came out in 2017. The concept behind the series is simple: pure live releases with no overdubs. Vol. 2 comes from a show in 2017 on the Infinite Tour in Rio. It is the big bonus in this box set, and present on a set of three beautiful 10″ coloured records. 72 minutes of live Purple — essentially, a double live album.
The opening thunder of “Highway Star” is robust on purple 10″ vinyl. How these guys can still blast through it full speed is unknown, but they do it. Mr. Gillan still gives it his all, which is not the same in 2017 dollars as it was in 1970 dollars, but still more than the average mortal his age. Mr. Morse and Mr. Airey give each version of “Highway Star” a different feel, while Mr. Paice in the back is the only original member left from the 1968 lineage. Sticking to Machine Head, Purple seamlessly go into “Pictures of Home”. The old familiar groove of Mr. Glover is comforting warmth from the emptiness, eagles and snow. Morse’s solo is a composition to itself, and then Airey gets to put his spin on Jon Lord’s classic organ solo. Then it’s an unfortunate side flip as the band goes back to In Rock with “Bloodsucker”. Gillian is more a verbal timekeeper than the screamer he once was, but the track is otherwise flawless and heavier than lead. A more mainstream hit, “Strange Kind of Woman” flows from that, and relaxes the groove a bit. Don Airey gets his first of two solos (this one organ) as the last track on this disc.
The action continues on transparent burgundy vinyl, and “Lazy”. Morse’s signature string bending is the star of this show. There are a couple different twists in this fresh version including a nifty Gillan harmonica solo. Then it’s the only new song of the set, “Birds of Prey” from Infinite. It’s weighty and worthy of its place. Steve Morse is the Captain on this flight. Gillan ends the track on a joke and then, after a side flip, introduces Don Airey’s keyboard solo including Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley”. This diverse and fun solo goes into “Perfect Stranger” (no “s”?) which has steadfastly remained in the setlist ever since its 1984 conception. Gillan is shaky but the Purple is solid.
The final vinyl, clear 10″ power, commences with “Space Truckin'” signalling the beginning of the end. “Smoke on the Water” is the penultimate moment, slow and groovy after all this blazing rock. Ian Paice has a couple nice moments on this one and Steve Morse’s stuttery solo is completely compelling. One more side flip, and Purple end the set with their first hit “Hush” and the “Peter Gunn” theme. Glover goes funky on this one with a bassline a little like “Another One Bites the Dust” in parts.
An entertaining and good live album, but one you won’t play often simply because Deep Purple have 846 live albums (exaggeration).
There is still more live material from the same tour in DVD form included in this box set.
Live at Hellfest
Next we have a double feature DVD: A live show from Hellfest in 2017, and an interview session with Roger Glover and Bob Ezrin. The Hellfest show has a much longer runtime with more new material. They open the show with “Time For Bedlam” from Infinite. Ian doesn’t even attempt to sing it in tune, but we’ll always cut the guy some slack for still getting up there and givin’ ‘er. The track has a “Pictures From Home” vibe, and the band look cool playing midday in shades. Into “Fireball”, Ian Paice leads the charge as if it was 1971. Don Airey has an Ozzy bobblehead on his keyboard! Then it’s “Bloodsucker”, powered by Paicey. “Strange Kind of Woman” is a nice melodic respite after a pair of piledrivers like that. Ian ends this one with a bizarre freeform spoken word beat poetry bit, but with Morse shredding next to him.
The Jon Lord tribute from Now What?!, “Uncommon Man”, is heartfelt, and a solid track from their current era. It sounds massive. As good in quality is “The Surprising” from Infinite, something of an epic, and performed with full gusto. Intricate symbol work by Paice.
After a brief pause, it’s on to Don Airey and “Lazy”. A high speed workout like that merits something slower to follow, so it’s “Birds of Prey” from Infinite, a steady groove with dynamics. Steve Morse’s solo takes center stage and it’s a melter. “Hell To Pay” picks up the pace. Not Purple’s most remarkable single, nor the best version, but nice to have in live form. Airey’s jammy keyboard solo on this track is stellar, just as the sun starts going down. Then he gets his own full-blown solo, with the Ozzy bobblehead there next to him during “Mr. Crowley”. Roger Glover just watches from the side as Don goes to town through familiar melodies and themes. The crowd eats it up smiling.
Don takes it into “Perfect Strangers” without missing a beat, and soon the rest of the band joins him. This version has some stellar Morse guitar trickery. The set is almost finished, with only “Space Truckin'”, “Smoke on the Water”, “Hush” and “Black Night” left to satisfy cravings for the classics. Even at the end Paicey still brings that thunder. “Hush” has the “Peter Gunn” theme attached, and “Black Night” brings the show to a massive finish.
It’s absolutely delightful watching Ian Paice play the drums, as he mouths along to every beat as if playing beatbox along to himself. It’s fantastic and an expression of pure joy.
It’s not over yet. The DVD has even more content.
Roger Glover and Bob Ezrin in Conversation
The DVD also includes the conversation with Roger Glover and Whoosh! producer Bob Ezrin. This is another full 70 minutes of content. Ezrin was involved with Purple from the jamming stage in Nashville and speaks in terms of “we”. One of the biggest takeaways from this interview is a piece of wisdom from the late Jon Lord as told by Roger Glover. Lord didn’t want to do more than two takes of a solo. More than that, and he starting thinking too much.
The pair discuss the lyrics, the songs, the title (nicked from Faulty Towers), the playing, and more. It’s lovely watching the pair just enjoy Steve Morse’s harmonics. “Like capturing lightning,” says Roger. Watching this portion of the DVD will enhance your enjoyment of the album. It’s fun knowing what parts of the songs turned on the musicians and producer. “Stretch out,” advised Bob. And so Purple interpreted that as stretching it out every way. “I wanna put the Deep back in Purple,” said Bob. The boys also praise Ian Gillan’s focus, from eating right to meditating. They even go back in time and talk about Glover’s joining of Deep Purple in 1969.
Ezrin particularly loved seeing magic unfold live before his eyes and ears, captured on tape. He is obviously a fan of Deep Purple as musicians and as people. Whether you can get into Ezrin-era Purple or not, there is real chemistry between band and producer.
You’ll probably only watch this conversation once, but you’ll be glad you did that at least. There is so much knowledge and history to absorb here that all fans are advised to give the whole thing a spin.
Summing up
The box set itself comes with a cool black T-shirt with the “strolling dissolving astronaut” graphic. This is the second album in a row with simple excellent art design for Deep Purple. The astronaut recalls the music video for “Knocking At Your Back Door” from 1984. He appears in numerous places in this set in different forms. There are three art prints (two 12×12 and one 12×6), and of course all this music! The vinyl copy of Whoosh! comes in a gatefold sleeve with credits and photos. It sounds phenomenal with plenty of bottom end. For lyrics, you’ll have to dig into the included CD copy.
Of course, if you don’t need all the extra live stuff and added goodies, you could just buy Whoosh! on CD, vinyl or download. It’s frequently said that the benchmark for Purple is Purpendicular. “Best album since Purpendicular,” fans often enthuse. Whoosh! could be the best album of the Ezrin era, and is a contender for best of the Steve Morse epoch. A serious fan will want the whole box with the three live 10″ discs. They are beautiful to look at and sound good on the turntable. Though the set is expensive, this is the kind of thing I’m willing to pay for.
Deke wins the lottery for making me laugh this week, with his surprise guest appearance by his buddy T-Bone on Friday’s live stream.
Going all out this time, Deke got a picture of T-Bone printed out at Walmart, taped it to a paper plate, taped that to a wooden spoon, and had “T-Bone” read his Favourite Concerts list on the show.
Recently I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed by Mr. Sebastien Munier for his brand new Geek VLOG series. (Long time followers may remember Seb from my short-lived Tyler & LeBrain series of podcasts.) His excellent new YouTube show features 10 questions for geeky friends. Thank you Seb for having me on, it was an honour and I hope everyone subscribes to your new show. I know I will continue watching.
Three (or four, or five, or six?) guests. Six lists. One unboxing. A marathon live stream like none before. Bear witness to the greatest Nigel Tufnel Top Ten list ever as we rhyme off our favourite concerts.
For the unboxing, go to 0:05:30 of the stream.
For the start of the lists, skip to 0:32:10.
Thank you Mom and T-Bone for your lists! Thanks to Meat, Mr. Books, and Superdekes for co-hosting. Special thanks to Rob Daniels for joining us at the end! And as always thanks to YOU for watching!
mikeladano.com 