Not all great bands make it, and Feel was a great band. Formerly Russian Blue, Feel were active on the Toronto rock scene in the early 90s. When things went grunge, they adapted their melodic rock to the times. The result was dark, not-quite-mainstream hard rock that could appeal to both sides of the aisle. Their album This (get it? Feel This?) had a number of memorable tracks. They also released a home video for lead song “I Become You”.
The video arrived personally autographed by all four band members; a nice touch. In addition to being a top quality song, “I Become You” is also a slick looking, well-edited music video. It utilises tricks like slow and fast motion, still photos, and plenty of camera movement. The result is a briskly paced video with a band always in motion. The guitar solo segment is particularly good. Feel were television ready, if only the chips had fallen differently. Frontman Joe Donner had the chops and certainly appeared ready to be the next rock sensation.
4/5 stars
Make sure you watch the video to the end, as I added some bonus content! In 1993 Feel released a sampler cassette called A Taste Of…. I included the “Introduction” track at the end of the video, as it has a sampling of the album and even an unreleased riff that didn’t make it. Check it out and let me know what you think of Feel!
QUEENSRŸCHE – The Verdict(2019 Century Media 2 CD “Masterpiece Edition”)
The Todd La Torre era of Queensryche is now three albums deep. There’s no more mucking around. When drummer Scott Rockenfield went on personal leave, they didn’t let that stop them from writing and recording The Verdict. La Torre, a capable drummer in his own right, took on the challenge quite seamlessly.
So what’s the verdict on The Verdict?
The first Todd album (2013’s Queensrÿche) was safe and too brief. The second (2015’s Condition Hüman) was a lot to digest. The Verdict may have struck a better balance. They’re still exploring their own brand of metal, bringing in a few new sounds without departing from their core direction. They sound more comfortable in their own shoes. Don’t expect a progression into new musical territory. That’s not what The Verdict is. It’s a full-force metal album with nuance, complexity, and plenty of guitar harmonies. That’s what Queensryche do now. The writing is sharpened, and the songs sound assembled with care.
The album requires a few listens to sink in. The immediate standout here is a track called “Light-Years”, a song written by bassist Eddie Jackson who seems to come up with amazing songs out of the blue. Regal, riff-laden metal with bravery and hooks. This song should surely go down as a future Ryche classic. (Jackson also wrote “Propaganda Fashion” and co-wrote a bunch of others.) Another impressive song is the ballady “Dark Reverie” contributed by Parker Lundgren. Todd really kicks it in the ass with his outstanding vocals. The longest track “Bent” is dark and epic. The only real weakness on this album is a lack of diversity, which they seem to be trying to avoid lest they end up with another Dedicated to Chaos.
The balance is clear. The complexity of Condition Hüman is tempered by sharper hooks and melodies on The Verdict. They’ve cranked out a lot of music over the last six years and they’re sounding more confident today. Speaking of “a lot of music”, the consumer has choose between the standard single 10 track CD or the double “Masterpiece Edition” with rarities and new recordings.
For many fans, this will be their first chance to own the songs “46° North”, “Mercury Rising”, and “Espiritu Muerto”. To get those, you had to buy the (previously reviewed) vinyl box set version of Condition Hüman. Fans will also be thrilled by the four live songs from 2013’s Queensrÿche. One of them, “Eyes of a Stranger”, could only be found on the (previously reviewed) Japanese version. These, of course, all feature Scott Rockenfield on drums, his only appearances in this set.
The percussion on the two new recordings is handled by touring drummer Casey Grillo. If he ends up a permanent member one day, nobody can say, but these are his very first recordings with Queensryche. They are acoustic versions of “I Dream in Infrared” (from Rage for Order) and “Open Road” from (Queensrÿche). Both are quite excellent. It would be cool to get more of these acoustic renderings. (Geoff Tate did four on his Queensryche’s Frequency Unknown album.)
The “Masterpiece Edition” (9000 copies) comes packed in a nice big box similar to the one from 2013’s Queensrÿche. Additional goodies inside include an iron-on patch, a Verdict fridge magnet, and bottle opener. Now your kitchen can finally be complete. Just extra fluff, really — buy it for the songs.
This revisit is due to your Heavy Metal Overlord, who told me that Permanent Vacation is his favourite go-to album for reunited Aerosmith. Due to the tremendous respect (and fear) I have for HMO, I decided that I needed to give it another listen.
My conclusion after hearing it again is that I had it dead wrong in my album review. Yes, there are a couple filler songs. “St. John” and “Girl Keeps Coming Apart” still don’t resonate with me. But, man, there are some bangers on Permanent Vacation. I didn’t remember how awesome “Heart’s Done Time” really is. I forgot about the cool Beatles cover “I’m Down”. I didn’t give due credit to the terrific title track. But most important of all is “Magic Touch”. Is Joe Perry playing a whammy bar in the beginning? What a song. Could it be the best song on the album? It certainly has a chorus that goes on for miles.
Permanent Vacation, as an album, might be overshadowed by its own singles “Dude”, “Angel” and “Rag Doll”. But I’ll be damned if “Angel” doesn’t still make the hair on my arms stand up to this day.
I’ve been unfair to Permanent Vacation. It’s far better than I thought it was.
Do you love TV ads for old records? Do you enjoy country crooners? Check out this TV spot for The Best of Don Williams! (“The gentle giant!”) In stores now!
The video tape is actually my dad’s. The Don Williams ad was recorded when he was taping The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn. (Also on this tape: Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) and Last of the Mohicans (1936).) Finding the Don Williams ad was pure chance. The reason I have this VHS tape is very special. When my Grampa Ladano died, we found an old 8mm film in his house. We converted it to VHS around 1984, at a video store in Stanley Park Mall. It’s an old film from 1946 and it has my dad, grandfather and grandmother on it. I never met my grandmother – she died when my dad was a little boy. So the video tape itself is very special and now my Grampa is digital forever.
GETTING MORE TALE #749: Do You Wanna Get Rocked? Def Leppard Box Set Volume Two announcement
In October of 2017 I was contacted by a gentleman who is involved with box set releases. A long time reader, he said! Flattery will get you everywhere with me. He was working on an interesting box set project, and he asked for a favour.
Normally I say “no” to any request to share music from my personal collection. This, however, was different. For historical interest, he asked me if he could have the 11 official live songs that Def Leppard released in 2000 and 2001. These were offered for free from the official Def Leppard website at that time. Rare stuff like “Demolition Man” and “Paper Sun”. They disappeared online shortly after. None of these versions have been released anywhere else…until now.
Coming June 21 2019 is the Def Leppard box set called Volume Two. Included in the set are seven of these tracks, from my own personal collection! The band themselves didn’t have them anymore, but fortunately I did. They selected the ones they wanted on the upcoming box set.
I’m told I’ll be thanked in the credits. This is an absolute thrill for me — the biggest release I’ve ever been thanked in. (See Brent Doerner for the other “thank you”.)
Since then I’ve chatted on and off with the gentleman about all sorts of upcoming releases, and wishful thinking. I’m pleased to report that there are some people out there involved with these box sets who still have the passion for the music. He too has the fire! For that reason I had to send him the songs. Now almost two years later they’ll be released officially again, this time permanently. I’m proud to be a part of that. Like he said, it’s historical. Hystoria!
The songs of mine that are included are:
“Bringing On the Heartbreak”, “Switch 625” & “Miss You In a Heartbeat” from Montreal
“Demolition Man” from Denver
“When Love & Hate Collide”, “Paper Sun” and “Goodbye” from Tokyo
See below for the full track list from this incredible box set. Pre-order yours today.
CD ONE – ADRENALIZE
Let’s Get Rocked
Heaven Is
Make Love Like A Man
Tonight
White Lightning
Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)
Personal Property
Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad?
I Wanna Touch U
Tear It Down
CD TWO – RETRO ACTIVE
Desert Song
Fractured Love
Action
Two Steps Behind (Acoustic Version)
She’s Too Tough
Miss You in A Heartbeat
Only After Dark
Ride into The Sun
From the Inside
Ring of Fire
I Wanna Be Your Hero
Miss You in A Heartbeat (Electric Version)
Two Steps Behind (Electric Version)
CD THREE – SLANG
Truth?
Turn to Dust
Slang
All I Want Is Everything
Work It Out
Breathe A Sigh
Deliver Me
Gift of Flesh
Blood Runs Cold
Where Does Love Go When It Dies
Pearl of Euphoria
CD FOUR – EUPHORIA
Demolition Man
Promises
Back in Your Face
Goodbye
All Night
Paper Sun
It’s Only Love
21st Century Sha La La La Girl
To Be Alive
Disintegrate
Guilty
Day After Day
Kings of Oblivion
CD FIVE – RARITIES VOL 2
Tonight (Demo Version 2)
When Love and Hate Collide (Original Demo)
From the Inside – B-Side
Two Steps Behind (Acoustic) – B-Side
She’s Too Tough (Joe’s Demo) – B-Side
Miss You in A Heartbeat (Phil’s Demo) -B-Side
Tonight (Acoustic – Sun Studios Version) – B-Side
S.M.C. – B-Side
Hysteria (In the Club in Your Face – Bonn)
Photograph (In the Club in Your Face – Bonn)
Pour Some Sugar on Me (In the Club in Your Face – Bonn)
Let’s Get Rocked (In the Club in Your Face – Bonn)
CD SIX – RARITIES VOL 3
Armageddon It (Live in Singapore)
Two Steps Behind (Live in Singapore)
From the Inside (Live in Singapore)
Animal (Live in Singapore)
When Love and Hate Collide (Live in Singapore)
Pour Some Sugar on Me (Live in Singapore)
When Love and Hate Collide – B-Side
Can’t Keep Away from The Flame – B-Side
Truth – Original Version
Move with Me Slowly – B-Side
Work It Out (Original Demo Version) – B-Side
CD SEVEN – RARITIES VOL 4
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak (Live in Montreal)
Switch 625 (Live in Montreal)
Miss You in A Heartbeat (Live in Montreal)
Work It Out (Live in Montreal)
Deliver Me (Live in Montreal)
When Saturday Comes – B-Side
Jimmy’s Theme – B-Side
Burnout – B-Side
Immortal – B-Side
World Collide – B-Side
I Am Your Child – bonus track
Demolition Man – Denver
When Love and Hate Collide – Tokyo
Paper Sun – Tokyo
Goodbye – Tokyo
All I ever wanted to do is write rock reviews! But I can’t anymore, because I’ve been “Disqualified Forever” by “WASPfan”…at least as far as Motley Crue goes. This is a real shame since I haven’t reviewed Dr. Feelgood yet. I guess now I never will?
What got me disqualified? My review of Motley Crue’s awesome 1994 album with John Corabi. WASPfan prefers Vince Neil’s solo debut Exposed, which is fine since it’s also a great album. My scores for both are only half a star apart. Read on!
You have got to be kidding me! Vince Neil/Exposed was a much better album than Motley Crue/Motley Crue. I’ve owned this album for 20 years and have yet to be able to get through it in one listen. Is there some good music, yes. But you can almost hear the impersonation of Vince Neil the way certain songs are sung.
Dude, Vince Neil couldn’t sing the way Corabi sings on Motley Crue if he had a voice transplant. There is simply no comparison between the two singers, at all. Apples and oranges!
I have always thought the Crue should re-record this with Vince on vocals, just to show people what could have been. Motley Crue thought they could pull a Van Halen, and the fact is they couldn’t. They got a singer who’s defining moment in Metal History will be failing at replacing Vince Neil, and this comes from someone who owned, and loved, The Scream album before Corabi ever joined the Crue.
Hey man, be nice. Corabi was also in Ratt.
If Corabi had “it” he wouldn’t be on tour right now with the gimic [sic] of singing the Motley Crue/Motley Crue album from start to finish. He’d be headlining in his own band, singing his own songs. This album, while good musically, barely rates 3 out of 5 stars. To put Theatre of Pain and Girls, Girls, Girls below this album should disqualify your opinion on all things Motley now and forever.
Now that I have been disqualified, I plan on taking up a new hobby. Visit me here for all the latest on nude cycling, coming soon!
It’s been a while since we’ve been “Just Listening” to an album here, but this one’s always good for a revisit. The last truly great Aerosmith album was 1997’s Nine Lives. I stand by that, because it’s a killer album. We reviewed it back in 2015, so if you’re looking for a more in-depth analysis, check that out. Today we’re just appreciating an album that is too often overlooked for the strengths it has.
The heavy stuff was heavy enough, and the ballads had balls. Songs like “Nine Lives” and “Taste of India” are juggernauts. Drummer Joey Kramer really took them to the next level, which is remarkable since he was sidelined for part of the making of the album. His partner in rhythm, bassist Tom Hamilton, is also on top of things with his lyrical bassline meanderings. You’ll rarely find a better guitar tag team than Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, but Steven Tyler’s words are also noteworthy. The guy is a poet with a dirty mind, and Nine Lives has some of his better lyrics. “‘Cause love is like the right dress on the wrong girl, You never know what you’re gonna find.”
Most people think of Pump or Get a Grip as the last decent Aerosmith. Although it didn’t have as many great singles, Nine Lives is actually a better album than Get a Grip. It has less filler, and rock fans don’t really care about singles anyway. The fact is, from beginning to end, Nine Lives is just a smoother ride.
Tommy Shaw’s second solo album What If didn’t have a big hit like Girls With Guns. It did have some solid if lesser known songs. Production wise, the edges are a little sharper.
Hot opener “Jealousy” boasts a cool sax solo, and a memorable chorus beefed up with soulful backing vocals. Second up, “Remo’s Theme” is from the movie Remo Williams, a forgotten film with a decent lead song. Unfortunately the drums have that electronic gate that indicates samples, but fits the 80s vibe of “Remo’s Theme”. It sounds like a Miami Vice episode waiting to happen.
Shaw goes for the dusky nightclub scene with “Reach for the Bottle”. Songs can paint pictures, and this one is made for drinking. The electro-funk of “Friendly Advice” however just reeks. Musicians would slap me and point to it as a high point of sheer playing ability, but I’m holding my nose over here. It gets better on “This is Not a Test”, still lodged deep in the 80s but in a good way. The subject matter is right out of 1985: the threat of nuclear war! This was a popular subject in the 80s, just ask Ozzy.
The second side opened with “See Me Now”, an inspirational energising tune, carefully composed like…layers of gouda on a cheese sandwich. Dig? It tastes good, but too much is probably not good for you. “True Confessions” is similarly a pop guilty pleasure. God that drum sound is awful! Moving on, “Count on You” has a Floydian (80s of course) ballad vibe, with more of that tasty sax. “Nature of the Beast” is another ballad with terrific melodies and more of them drum samples. Finally “Bad Times” ends the album with a “good time” song. Loads of saxophone, upbeat hooks, and less obtrusive drums.
What If is not a bad album, but some the production gets to way too clunky on some tracks. When it’s played closer to rock and roll, the basic instruments, it works far better.
MuchMusic’s Michael Williams asked Angus Young about his famous “school suit”. Circa Blow Up Your Video. Much split up the interview into several pieces. When I find them all, I’ll upload them. For now, enjoy Part I.
mikeladano.com 