“The object of being an artist is to stir the minds of men…Unless you’re saying something musically, lyrically, or you’re touching people emotionally somehow, you are not an artist. You are a factory that makes records.” — Blackie Lawless
Erica Ehm was never gun shy about her distaste for W.A.S.P., yet she helmed the best interview I’ve ever seen with frontman Blackie Lawless. It’s not a shorty either, so grab a beverage.
Blackie was doing press for W.A.S.P.’s “get serious” album The Headless Children. He was invited to co-host the Pepsi Power Hour (live!) in 1989. Erica wasn’t about to throw softball questions, but it’s quite clear that Lawless wins her over. Blackie is remarkably forthright, with a dash of humour. He also picked the tunes for the show, and you’ll find out what songs he chose and why.
The myriad subjects discussed:
What “Headless Children” means
What led to Blackie’s change of lyrical direction
The P.M.R.C.
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II and Chris Holmes
Being shot at
The Who’s reunion tour
Responsibility
Helix
Horses
Nazis
and much, much more.
The Headless Children is the main focus, and for good reason. It’s an amazing record, and a terrific interview.
MuchMusic introduced me to Sword when they premiered the white hot “F.T.W.” back in 1987. When Rick Hughes stopped by the Pepsi Power Hour a few months later, I was ready to record!
With sometimes-host Christopher Ward, Rick discussed touring with Motorhead and what Lemmy’s really like. He also touches on the long awaited second Sword album, on-stage injuries, and what the metal scene was like in Montreal at the time.
Check out this smashing live interview with the always cool Rick Hughes!
I am fortunate, oh so very fortunate, that I still have my old VHS tapes. Watching them again, over 30 years down the road, has been the closest I’ve ever come to real time travel. These tapes were my childhood! I sat in the basement, remote control in hand, recording as much music as possible from, well, MuchMusic!
The Pepsi Power Hour was in its infancy, with J.D. Roberts in the hosting chair. One by one, each video rolls out in the order I recorded them. In many cases that means the order in which I first heard them!
The good fortune that I even have these tapes goes further, back to my parents. They had pay TV, meaning we had MuchMusic when it first began, not when it became free in the late 80s. They bought a VCR and pretty much let me monopolise it when the Power Hour was on. Even though it was the middle of the big “Satan scare”, they let me watch the Power Hour, unlike the Dolphs, the weirdo neighbours across the street. They didn’t even let their kids watch Dr. Who. Here I am watching Ronnie James Dio slaying people with his sword in “Holy Diver”. A few clips earlier, a bathing suit clad teacher was dancing on desks in a Van Halen video. Then there was Kiss. Were they really “Knights in Satan’s Service”? My mom asked me that question, but she didn’t stop me from watching. That couldn’t have been easy, considering the subject matter of “I Love It Loud”.
So I kept recording videos, and stored the tapes safely, as if knowing that 30 years down the road I’d be wanting them again. Iron Maiden came up frequently on the earliest tapes, and I can’t help thinking of my dad.
The only Iron Maiden videos my dad liked were “Aces High” and “The Trooper”. He approved of the lyrics and explained them to me in historical context. I knew all about the Battle of Britain long before I hit the age that they teach you about it in school. I knew the Charge of the Light Brigade, what a “Cossack” was, and where it happened. That’s because of Iron Maiden and my dad! He used it as educational material. He really seemed to like those lyrics.
Today, my friend Tom who is a teacher uses rock music in the same way — to teach.
“Aces High” was always a personal favourite. Not only was it a great song, but also a great video. The single had some of the best cover art you could find on a Maiden vinyl. “Aces High” received many spins, on the turntable and the VCR alike. At that age, my sister was like a little shadow, and copied me with everything. We watched videos together. We also went to the same school. In one class, she and her friends were asked about their favourite songs. My sister said “Aces High” but they wrote down “Ace Is High”. Come on, people! It’s not that kind of song! She was in the 4th grade.
Now I sit, watching my tapes, reliving old memories fresh and new once again. What a lucky guy I am.
I found this ad in the commercials as I was fast-forwarding a tape. In 1987, MPI Home Video released The Beatles movie Help! on VHS for the first time. But wait, there’s more! Order now, and get Sixties Headlines for free! Regular price: $74.95? Holy shit! The 80s were expensive!
I was going to put this video online myself, but a more complete version already exists. No point in duplicating it, but I still wanted to make a post for it. I had this in my VHS collection on one of my 1985 tapes.
I didn’t know what show this was from, since it came from the “Balasz Tapes” recorded off my next door neighbour. I watched and treasured it, because it was the only video I had of Peter Criss as a kid. My only Catman footage. Not to mention it was Kiss! Kiss in makeup too, and there wasn’t much of that in the mid-80s.
This was from a TV show called 3-2-1 Contact, and it’s a pretty cool demonstration of what goes in to putting on a Kiss concert.
George used to complain about one detail. The sound tech shows how he can use a harmonizer to create the Gene Simmons “God of Thunder” monster voice. “He does that with his own voice!” protested George. As for me, I’m more upset that the sound tech thinks it was Darth Vader who says “My the Force be with you”.
From way back on the Dynasty tour, check out this really cool Kiss clip.
QUIET RIOT – One Night in Milan (2019 Frontiers Deluxe Edition CD/DVD)
James Durbin made me a believer.
On paper, the current Quiet Riot shouldn’t be my thing. A band with no original members and a frontman from one of those singing contest shows? No thanks. Except it’s actually good. After years of flailing around with different replacement singers, Frankie Banali finally hit gold when he got James Durbin. Wisely, Frankie chose to do a live album with him.
One Night in Milan is a terrific live CD/DVD set, aided and abetted by a singer who is 100% into it. Durbin has charisma and the frontman chops, but importantly, he’s not trying to be Kevin DuBrow. He still uses the striped mike stand, but otherwise Durbin is his own person. His range is out of this world, and though his voice may grate on some ears, he sounds terrific to this listener. The whole lineup, including Alex Grossi on guitar and veteran Chuck Wright on bass, has gelled.
Quiet Riot get points for doing the opposite of what most bands do. They didn’t ignore their 1990’s albums! “Whatever It Takes” (from Down to the Bone) and “Terrified” (from “reunion” album Terrified) sound awesome live. “Terrified” in particular has been a long time coming, a true hidden classic from a forgotten era. On the other hand, there are only two songs (“Freak Flag” and “Can’t Get Enough”) from their newest album Road Rage. There’s only so much room on a live CD, and it’s otherwise stuffed with stone cold Quiet Riot classics. It’s cool to hear deeper cuts like “Condition Critical”, “Thunderbird” and “Let’s Get Crazy” live.
The DVD, featuring all the songs from the CD, is even more convincing. Banali continues to thunder like no other drummer, a true phenomenon. There’s more stage talk included, and Banali introduces “Thunderbird” performed live for the first time ever with piano. Durbin is always the focus on stage, although Wright and Grossi are both mobile, entertaining performers.
If you’re just not into Quiet Riot without Kevin DuBrow, that’s fine and you should stick to what you like. However it’s safe to say that James Durbin has saved Quiet Riot from becoming a pointless parody of itself. With James center stage, this band has a future again.
I always liked this interview clip. Jeff Pilson seemed so friendly and enthusiastic. Don, meanwhile, didn’t even know how many songs were slated for the Back for the Attack album! I think he forgot “Mr. Scary”.
Back for the Attack wasn’t out yet, so Laurie Brown asked Dokken about Under Lock & Key. Check it out!
This public service announcement from Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider mostly likely aired on an episode of Toronto Rocks’ Midweek Metal Mania show, the prototype for the Power Hour. It’s probably from 1984 or 85. I don’t know its exact origin because this comes from one of the “Balasz Tapes” — stuff originally recorded by next door neighbour George and then taped by me in one of our childhood recording sessions.
It’s lower quality because it’s a tape of a tape, but I think it’s still pretty cool.
By now you know that “Rogu” is my favourite new American Dad character. I decided to set him up as my desktop background at work. The result is suitably freaky.
MuchMusic’s Laurie Brown took over the Pepsi Power Hour in 1988, and for me personally, a lot of their best shows were from her era.
This interview with the young rockers named Duff McKagan and Slash (from some band called Guns N’ Roses) is definitely an anachronism. Cigarettes lit, the guys seem fairly sedated though refreshingly authentic. Their naivete is interesting in hindsight. They clearly did not see themselves becoming the mega-phenom that they are. “Guns N’ Roses is five kids, who pretty much don’t have a whole lot of influence on the rest of the world, as far as we know.”
Duff and Slash offer insight about their early years, getting signed, and touring with Iron Maiden. It’s quite obvious they are not having a good time with Iron Maiden! Laurie also asks them about the original cover to Appetite For Destruction. “We didn’t see any rape thing going on,” insists Duff. “Her bra fell off, what?” laughs Slash. Slash mockingly relents. “OK, alright fine. We were generally promoting rape…I mean come on.”
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