VINNIE VINCENT INVASION – Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986 Chysalis)
Where oh where did Vinnie Vincent go? The mercurial ex- guitarist with genius level skill resurfaced after 1983’s Lick It Up with his new band, the Invasion. Ex-Journey singer Robert Fleichman did the self-titled debut album but was quickly replaced for the music videos and tour with an unknown named Mark Slaughter. Rounding out the band were Dana Strum and Bobby Rock on bass and drums.
As I sat there listening to this album for review, a reader told me: “I could never get into VV Invasion.”
My brief response to him is my review:
Dude…it’s comical. Vinnie just goes full shred to the point of stupidity. Like seriously stupid: like some idiot just hammering as fast as he can, like a kid whacking off or playing video games. And then he gets the singer to go as high as possible. It’s shrill. You can hear the songs have good riffs, but virtually every song has something to it that ruins it.
GUNS N’ ROSES – Use Your Illusion I&Use Your Illusion II (1991 Geffen)
In my review for Guns N’ Roses’ smashing debut Appetite For Destruction, I stated that “Appetite is great, but Illusions are better”. A strong and controversial statement. How could I say such a thing?
Use Your Illusion I and II are a case of “Bigger, Better, Faster, More!” Consider:
1. “Bigger”
Certainly in terms of length, Illusions are far bigger: 2 hours and 32 minutes compared to 53 minutes for Appetite. I concede that the Illusions albums have far more filler than Appetite. Given that the grand total of awesome material on Illusions still exceeds the length of Appetite, I think “Bigger” is a given. They made us wait and wait and wait, but they made it worth our while. You can’t always say that for Guns N’ Roses.
2. “Better”
Guns N’ Roses’ lineup was “new and improved!” in 1991. Original drummer Steven Adler was given the boot due to severe issues with substances, replaced by Matt Sorum, who they knew from The Cult. I won’t argue that Matt Sorum is a “better” drummer than Steven Adler, because they are too different. Regardless of this, Sorum was able to expand Guns’ rhythmical pallette. He could play things Adler could not at the time, such as “You Could Me Mine” and “Double Talkin’ Jive”. As for the core members, each of them expanded their own talents on these albums. Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin were now lead vocalists on a few tracks. Slash’s guitar playing grew exponentially. Izzy blossomed as a songwriter with some of Guns’ most diverse material. And Axl Rose really got into the piano, contributing a ton of it, and even the techno influence that would later evolve into Chinese Democracy. His vocal stylings also expanded, with more use of his lower voice. Everybody had gotten…better.
3. “Faster”
It’s possible that “Right Next Door to Hell” is the fastest Guns track ever recorded. “Perfect Crime” and “Garden of Eden” also qualify.
4. “More!”
Guns expanded their official lineup to a six piece with the arrival of keyboardist Dizzy Reed. They also had plenty of special guests: Alice Cooper*, Michael Monroe, and a guy named Shannon Hoon from the then-unknown Blind Melon. Hoon appeared in the “Don’t Cry” music video. Steven Adler was even on “Civil War”, one of the earliest tracks finished. How’s that for more? Not enough? Throw on some orchestras, then.
Of course the weakness to this argument is the old saying that “less is more”, and that theory holds water. Ultimately, it comes down to taste. Do you prefer the nuclear assault of Appetite, or the complex stew of Illusions? Fortunately, you don’t have to choose. You can buy and love them all.
We reviewers, however, are not afforded such luxury. We are expected to rate these things and answer tough questions about why. I cannot deny how I feel about the Illusions albums. I think II tops I, but from first listen, these albums were very special. The ambition, the indulgence, and the time paid off on these albums.
Breaking it down, there are numerous top tier bonafide classics on Use Your Illusion I and II. I think if you boiled the album down to these basic original tracks (colour coded by original album), you’d have a hard time beating it.
Proposal:
Dust N’ Bones
Don’t Cry
Bad Obsession
Double Talkin’ Jive
November Rain
The Garden
Coma
Civil War
14 Years
Breakdown
Pretty Tied Up
Locomotive
Estranged
You Could Be Mine
And look…that’s enough for a perfectly awesome single CD. It doesn’t even include the excellent covers “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Live and Let Die”, both hit singles for Guns. It also excludes dumb but fun stuff like “Get in the Ring”. You know you and your buddies have recited the words. Don’t lie to me!
I always choose to listen to these albums in full, in sequence. I find that to be the best way to go, as they intended it to be.
Appetite showed the world that rock and roll could still be dangerous and loud. The Illusions albums immediately proved that Axl was a hell of a tortured genius. However it’s not a one man show. The dominant songwriter is Izzy Stradlin, with 11 credits on most of the best material. His singing added a Keith Richards rasp to the band’s repertoire as well.
You don’t have to agree with my rating, but I feel that all of the above really overshadows the filler on Use Your Illusion. Some of the material I consider filler were singles. “Dead Horse” and “Garden of Eden” were both hit music videos. The sheer bloat and indulgence of this set was a sharp and delightful contrast to the first waves of back-to-basics grunge bands. It kept Guns on the charts for years.
In a 1991 M.E.A.T Magazine interview, Slash stated that after Appetite, every band in the world copied their style. He challenged bands to try and copy them this time. “To copy us, you’d have to be us.” Slash was correct. Nobody could touch Illusions.
5/5 stars
* The story behind the Cooper cameo is that Axl has originally sung all of “The Garden” himself. He sang it in a very Alice Cooper voice, and there was concern it was too close for comfort. So they called up Alice (who they worked with before on “Under My Wheels”) and Alice just nailed “The Garden”.
GETTING MORE TALE #595: Fighting for Kenner and Ivy
Sorry for the lack of musical content in this instalment of Getting More Tale, usually a series of stories about music. In lieu of a music story, I’ll include my Top Five Tracks About Fighting for a Good Cause at the end!
Kenner has Autism. And Ivy is a Black Lab. Ivy calms Kenner’s anxieties and helps him cope with school and socializing. Outside of school, the two are inseparable. At school however, Ivy isn’t allowed to be with Kenner. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board says that Kenner doesn’t need a service dog. Kenner’s doctors, psychologists, therapists, parents and the Lions Foundation say otherwise.
Kenner’s parents, Craig and Amy. have been fighting with the WCDSB for over three years to get them to allow Ivy to attend school with Kenner at St. Kateri Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener. The fight has now escalated to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, where the Fee’s have had to invest thousands of dollars into lawyers and their charges, out of pocket. While the WCDSB has, what seems to be, unlimited taxpayer resources to pay for their lawyers.
Kenner was denied his basic human right to have his service dog in class with him. Allow me to share a little bit about what I know of Kenner, because I see quite a few people are misinformed about this situation.
Ivy is not a therapy dog, as some sources have stated. She is a service dog, trained and matched by the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Some bystanders have asked, “What about kids who are afraid of dogs?” An excellent question, and I think Kenner’s supporters have offered a lot of great suggestions about that. The truth is, if you have ever met a service dog, you know that they basically just…lay there! That’s part of the training. Second, having a service dog in a school would be a rare and valuable teaching experience. I was terrified of dogs as a kid. I’d run and they’d give chase! Ivy would not do that, because she is a service dog. If I had the chance to meet a dog like Ivy as a kid, it really would have helped me get over my fear of dogs earlier.
Another legitimate question has been about kids with allergies. Supporters have suggested solutions to these problems too. None of them are unsolvable. I’m terribly allergic myself. If there happens to be only one class for Kenner’s grade, make sure the classroom doesn’t have carpet flooring, and keep Kenner on the opposite side of the room as any kids with allergies. Ensure that teachers have a supply of each child’s allergy medication — Reactine, Visine, whatever. Why is every other child’s needs more important than Kenner’s? Allergies are real, but so is autism. And the results Kenner has seen because of Ivy are extraordinary. I know a little bit more about the situation than I can talk about, but I can say this.
I’ve seen Kenner, with Ivy at his side, give an amazing speech in front of hundreds of adults. I couldn’t believe it. Seeing that knocked me out; he made me see what potential can be unlocked. He’s a gifted young man. He deserves to be able to go to school and be at his best. The Catholic school board keeps talking about how they assess each kid on a case by case basis. It is interesting to note that they don’t have any service dogs in any of their schools in Ontario. A child in Burlington is currently fighting the same battle as Kenner Fee, for the same reason. He too has autism. I wonder if the Catholic School Board is fighting this so hard simply because it’s easier than doing the work to accommodate. Currently, the Board is denying Kenner his basic right to fulfill his potential in school. They say he gets good grades without Ivy. That may be true, but he is truly exceptional when he is with her. I have seen this and I admire the little guy.
This is an expensive fight. A GoFundMe page has been set up.
Even if you can’t donate, every comment helps! I know for a fact that Kenner is blown away by the amount of support he’s seen. “I didn’t know so many people cared about me!” he said after a recent service dog protest. He loves to know he has support so feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll make sure his parents get them!
DO NOT READ IF YOU INTEND TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES, BUT HAVE NOT STARTED YET!
Two weeks ago, I began watching Game of Thrones from the beginning for the first time. Everyone at work is into it, so I finally took the plunge. Of course, it’s impossible to completely avoid spoilers. I know there are dragons, White Walkers, and so on. However I’ve remained gleefully spoiler free on most key happenings. I am two seasons into the show, now midway through the third.
The other day at work, I was talking about how much I’m enjoying the show. I mentioned some characters I didn’t like, such as Joffrey, Theon and “Kingslayer” Jaime Lannister, the greatest swordsman in the realm.
One friend asked, “Jaime Lannister, is that the one-handed guy?”
As a half-Italian, part-German, part Scottish guy, I was born with a fuse. Sometimes that fuse can go off. Nothing makes me angrier than when my wife, who has epilepsy, is told to “fuck off” because of her need to be away from flashing lights. We’ve written extensively about epilepsy and our experiences, good and bad. We are very open about it, happy to answer questions and eager to educate. So when I hear that my wife had a seizure at the mall because of flashing lights and a guy who told her to “fuck off” and “stay indoors”, I feel like I could explode!
Here’s what happened. Our wedding anniversary is August 31. We had a nice dinner booked at Borealis, our favourite local eatery. Jennifer went out to the mall that afternoon to get some things we needed for the weekend. At the Walmart checkout, there was a child with those shoes that have flashing lights in the heels. I don’t understand the need for those shoes. At night, sure, I get it. In a brightly lit Walmart, they’re a hazard to people prone to seizures. An actual hazard as real as a slippery floor.
My wife asked the closest lady if that was her child. She said “No.” But it actually was her child. Jen covered her eyes as the kid danced around the checkout aisle with the flashing heels. She asked the lady to tell her when the flashing stopped so she could uncover her eyes. The lady said it stopped. She opened her eyes and the kid was still dancing and the shoes were still flashing. She covered her eyes again. She was getting upset. Suddenly the lady’s husband showed up out of nowhere and began berating my wife. He told her to “mind your own business”, that she should “fuck off”, and “stay indoors” if she had a problem with the shoes.
And so, she had a seizure in the checkout. She doesn’t remember anything after paying for her things. She remembers telling the cashier that she was probably going to have a seizure. The next thing she knew is that the paramedics were there and she was in an ambulance. I will give Walmart and the mall credit for being proactive about this. They know my wife (unfortunately from past seizures) and they have my phone number on file. They called me immediately.
I took Jen home and she had a good rest. We didn’t have our dinner out that night. But we had a great dinner in, and a lovely anniversary at home. We went out the following night instead.
Here’s the kick in the nuts. At the exact time I got that phone call from the mall about my wife, I read the story about how our friend Kenner Fee, who has autism, will not be allowed to bring his service dog to school. It was a painful one-two punch.
The anger simmered in me. I came home and keyboard-warriored my way around Facebook, to the ignorant trolls on the Kenner Fee threads. I wrote a few zingers, and before I knew it, two hours had gone by. But by the end, I wasn’t angry anymore. It might not have been the healthiest method of anger management.
I think there are two really healthy ways to let the anger out. They are music, and being physically active.
I like to kill two birds with one stone. My favourite thing is to put on something fast and heavy. Metallica works as a go-to. Testament, even Sabbath, they all work. Hit play, turn up the volume. Then I just fucking thrash. Air drums, air guitar, headbanging, whatever. Just physically moving with the tunes. Air drums work fantastic for this. Lipsynching helps. Or, sing along if you’re not too self-conscious.
“And I want my anger to be healthy” — Metallica
I remember when I was younger, there was this one girl named Tracy that I really liked. But she just kept me hanging along for months. One night she had a friend of hers crank call me, pretending to be somebody from my history class that liked me. I fell for it and got crushed. And I was pissed off.
The music that came in handy that time was Motley Crue. “Primal Scream” might have been their heaviest tune at the time. The lyrics were in sync too. “You just got to scream! And shout! Let that mother out!” And I believed that. Sometimes you do have to let that mother out.
Whatever you do, do it healthy! I recommend a solid soundtrack of heavy metal to go with it.
The closest “record store” when I was a young kid wasn’t a “record store” at all. It was a now-defunct department store called Zellers. Located at Stanley Park Mall, they were a mere 10 minute walk from home. If we were looking for new tapes to listen to, Zellers would be the natural first stop. It was a bit of a needle in a haystack situation because I didn’t know the names of a lot of bands or albums. For example, there was a cool band from Japan on MuchMusic. They had a killer heavy metal track called “Crazy Nights”, but I couldn’t remember the name of the band. I scoured the racks at Zellers until I found what I assumed was the right group: “Wang Chung”. Never mind that “Wang Chung” doesn’t actually sound like a Japanese name, but what did I know at that age? I definitely didn’t know that the name of the band was Loudness, and the album I was looking for was called Thunder In the East! It’s a good thing I figured that out before putting Wang Chung on my Christmas list.
Bob and I spent a lot of time browsing records at Zellers just out of convenience of location. It was there that I first saw the band known as Poison. “They look like girls don’t they?” said Bob. “Yeah,” I responded, secretly deciding that Rikki Rockett was the hottest. But they were men! That first Poison album cover turned me off the band for a time. I considered them a sub-Motley Crue.
What finally turned me on to Poison was actually a highschool Battle of the Bands. It seemed every highschool band learned “Talk Dirty to Me” in 1987. The track had a vaguely old-timey rock and roll feel and that appealed to me. It was like old Kiss.
I gradually got into Poison, by taping their videos off MuchMusic. It is quite possible that their videos were the most action packed of the era. They were highly choreographed, but so much fun. There is no shame in admitting that when Bob and I got our first guitars, we were more interested in doing stage moves than playing. Poison (and also Cinderella) were the prototypes for many of our moves. A few guitars hit a few ceilings because of Poison. I had to have a faux-snakeskin guitar strap, with strap locks, of course, for those over-the-shoulder-throws.
The Poison video I liked the best was a ballad called “I Won’t Forget You”. It was tour footage from the stage and off, and it was less choreographed. It had a guest shot by none other than Paul Stanley! If Paul appeared on stage with Poison, then they had to be good. Right?
It was obvious from their videos that Poison were a flashy band, bent on entertainment or death. My musical perception wasn’t strong enough to detect that the band weren’t the greatest musicians, but they did have good songs to my ears. Every video they made was fun and catchy as hell. Poison were pretty easy to get into, and they were everywhere.
The music video turned out great, and one day I hope to transfer it to a format you can upload to Youtube.
I’m not sure how many kids back then could have claimed they used Poison for a school project, but we did and we kicked that project’s ass! Add Poison to the list of bands I used for school presentations and essays, including Iron Maiden, Queensryche and Judas Priest. Poison’s music might have been vacuous, but they served their purpose. Even today, I still get those feelings that say “I Want Action”! Poison are intertwined with my childhood, permanently, and that’s not a terrible thing.
DIO – Magica (originally 2000, 2013 Niji deluxe edition)
Although Ronnie James Dio was a very vivid songwriter, he only made one true concept album. Magica was intended as a trilogy, but only the first part was completed before Dio’s death in 2010. Magica was released in 2000 as a story of aliens, heroes, villains and magic. Dio’s new band consisted of returning champions Craig Goldy (from the Dream Evil album) on guitar, drummer Simon Wright (Lock Up the Wolves), and original bassist Jimmy Bain. The album, co-written by Dio and Goldy, was considered a triumph in its time. It is a strong return to old-style quality metal after 1996’s questionable Angry Machines CD. This deluxe edition collects the album and all related tracks together in one place.
Without getting into too much story detail, “Discovery” introduces aliens that serve as a framing story. Alien explorers have found the ancient planet of Blessing, but are confused by the written records they find. “Flesh can NOT be mutated into stone, and re-morphed back to the body once again. Continue the investigation with special attention given to one word: MAGICA.”
“Lord of the Last Days” is a dramatic and metallic start. Dio’s slow grooves bring the melody and power of the riff to the fore. “I love the night, so many shadows,” he sings as the villain character Shadowcast. A segue brings us to the single “Fever Dreams”, a song so good that it was performed live in 2001 by Deep Purple with Ronnie as guest. Goldy’s choppy riff is the stuff of metal dreams. Fans who thought Dio strayed too far from the old school before were very pleased.
The music speeds up and becomes more menacing on “Turn to Stone”. Evil has made its move! “Turn to Stone” is classic Dio music, very much in line with Dream Evil (1987). Goldy turns in some killer solo work here, before we move on to the robotic “Feed My Head”. The album loses momentum on the long “Eriel”, and the truth is that the story gets too hard to follow without reading along with the liner notes.
Some smoking soloing introduces “Challis”, a memorable rocker that brings the album back on track. The songs work best when backed by good old riffs. “Challis” is quintessential hard rock Dio, but Dio also has a tender side. The album’s ballad “As Long as it’s Not About Love” is long but exemplary. Then it’s a celtic sounding jig on “Losing My Insanity”, before it transforms into something heavier and almost Sabbathy.
The deluxe edition of Magica contains the original Japanese bonus track, an instrumental called “Annica”. This is on CD 2, but for the most authentic listening experience, you should move it back to where it belongs, on the first disc between “Losing My Insanity” and “Otherworld”. This guitar piece really shows off Craig Goldy’s style and tone. Then “Otherworld” is the climax of the story, good triumphing over evil, and a nice dramatically heavy track.
The alien framing story returns with a reprise of “Lord of the Last Days”, indicating that the tale is not over. Far from it.
The final track on the original album has been moved to CD 2: Dio reading “The Magica Story”, also included inside as text. This is 18 minutes of some of the dullest narration you’ve ever heard. Finishing it once is a challenge, listening to it regularly as a part of the album is madness. Instead, skip to “Electra”, the only song they finished for Magica 2 (or 3). “Electra” was the last single that Dio released in his lifetime, as part of a box set called Tournado. It sounds like a part of Magica, perhaps indicating the next album would have been darker. It’s sad but gratifying to know that the last song Dio put out was a good one.*
Five rare live tracks round out the set, all songs from Magica never released on anything else. Live, the band featured Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric in Jimmy Bain’s place. “Fever Dreams” is particularly good, a little bit faster than the original. “As Long as it’s Not About Love” has more passion in the live setting. Most fans have not had the chance to hear live versions of the Magica songs before this package came out.
When Magica was originally released, I was lucky enough to get the Japanese version right away. I was hoping for something more like old Dio, and less like Angry Machines. Judging from my time in the Record Store, I think many Dio fans lost interest in the band after Angry Machines. One of my old customers, Glen, was turned around by Magica. I recommended it to him, and he loved it. Now, I’m recommending it to you.
25 million copies sold. Seven hit singles. A two year world tour. All done under the most difficult circumstances. Def Leppard’s Hysteria is one of rock’s greatest triumphs.
Although the album was released in 1987, the Hysteria story really begins on December 31, 1984. Drummer Rick Allen lost control of his speeding Corvette, and was thrown from the vehicle due to improper use of seatbelts. His left arm was severed. Doctors attempted to re-attach the arm, but infection set in and it could not be saved. It would be understandable if people thought Rick’s career in music was finished. While many artists from Django Reinhardt to Tony Iommi had dealt with physical disabilities, nobody had ever seen a one-armed rock drummer before.
Undaunted, Allen began working on a way around his disability. The band never considered a future without him, and were disappointed by “ambulance chasers” looking for a gig. Rick Allen wasn’t about to allow himself to go down or dwell in his misery. With an electronic kit triggered by his feet and right hand, Allen eventually regained his ability to not only play drums, but play live. This resulted in an inevitable stylistic change. Allen’s drumming style became more staggered, with emphasis on bigger, spaced out snare hits. His electronic kit was no crutch: singer Joe Elliott said he could play it “and make it really sound terrible”.
The next album was supposed to be a big deal. It was Phil Collen’s first Def Leppard LP as a writer, and Rick’s chance to prove he wasn’t out. Unfortunately, when the band started to record, producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange was not available. Instead the band began to work with Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf), but were underwhelmed by the results they were getting. Leppard’s ambition was not just to make another album, but to make something seriously good, memorable and special. Something to surpass Pyromania. Steinman was let go and the band started working with Nigel Green with no progress being made.
The band were taking so long, and suffered so many setbacks and delays, that eventually Mutt Lange was available again, and together they finally began work on the new Def Leppard LP. Co-writing every song with the band, Mutt provided the focus and intense discipline. The stated goal, following the template of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, was to make an album with 12 potential singles.
The long story of this difficult album (false starts, illnesses, studio problems) is only overshadowed by its success. But it took a while to get there.
Disc One: The original album (Hysteria)
The first single “Women” did well enough, but failed to kickstart the mega album sales needed to recoup the losses. “Women” was an odd choice for a first single: a slow robotic rock track, with a killer comic book-based music video. It introduced the new Def Leppard groove: A simple one or two note bass line, layers upon layers of vocals and chiming guitars, but none of the full-speed-ahead New Wave of British Heavy Metal that Leppard were founded on. The year was 1987 and Def Leppard were on the cutting edge.
To get those chiming bell-like chords, Mutt had them recorded one note at a time! This is very apparent on “Animal”, the second single. It too was mildly successful, but not enough to push the album into orbit. Listen to the guitar chords and you will hear something that sounds more like chimes than strings. This is down to the incredibly detailed and overdubbed recordings. “Animal” was a stellar pop rock track, and a fine example of what Hysteria sounds like.
Refusing to give up, a third single was dropped: the ballad title track “Hysteria” and possibly the finest song on the album. The fact that these singles were not the hits the band hoped for at the time has not diminished them. Today they are all concert classics, radio staples, and beloved fan favourites. Leppard even re-recorded the song in 2013 for release on iTunes. (While the re-recorded version is impressive, it is impossible to exactly recreate the magic on this album.)
Finally, the success that the band and record label were waiting for happened. The track was “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and the North American version of its music video showcased the band’s stunning live show. Def Leppard were playing “in the round” to rave reviews. “Pour Some Sugar”, a retro glam rock tune with a contemporary sound, was a summer smash hit. It was cool, it was catchy, and Joe’s verses almost sounded like rap, although really they had more in common with Marc Bolan of T-Rex.
On a roll, nothing would stop Def Leppard now. Though the goal was an album with 12 potential singles, Hysteria eventually yielded seven. Most rock bands were lucky to squeeze three out of a hit album. Though the album was now becoming a bonafide hit, some critics and fans lamented the death of the original Def Leppard. Others embraced their pop success. The raw edgy guitars were gone and replaced by bright, precise parts working as a whole, in a gigantic pop rock juggernaut. Joe wasn’t screaming out every line, but actually singing now. It hardly matters. With the success of Hysteria, Def Leppard had embarked on a whole new journey and have rarely looked back to their origins.
The singles carried on, through the rest of 1988 and into 1989. “Love Bites” was fifth up, which originated as a country ballad that Mutt wrote and the band Leppardized into something different. It was a hit for the autumn of ’88, a slightly dark ballad for the fall. The victorious glam rock of “Armageddon It” was next, simple and pleasant enough for radio and video, and another huge hit. These were songs that had pep, but wouldn’t frighten mom and dad.
The seventh and final single was a surprise choice: “Rocket”. On album, “Rocket” was 6:37 long, and featured a long experimental middle section. The ambitious mid-section featured loads of NASA samples and sound effects, all backed by the African inspired drum loops of Rick Allen. The song was based a drum beat by Burundi Black, brought in by Joe Elliott, played by Rick Allen and looped. Eventually lyrics were added, inspired by the glitter groups of the 70’s that Leppard grew up with. Lange also used backwards vocals for some of the hooks. The line that opens the track and repeats through the song is the chorus from “Gods of War”, backwards: “Raw fo sdog eht rof gnithgif er’ew.” It was a sharp track to be used as a single, but that unforgettable beat was beyond question.
Hysteria had two more tracks as good as the singles, although they were not. “Gods of War” became a fan favourite, and easily could have been an eighth single. Dark in tone but more epic in quality, it has since become heavily associated with late guitarist Steven Maynard Clark. He was responsible for much of its guitar thunder. The final track that could have worked as a single was the album closer, the ballady “Love and Affection”. As good as any of the actual singles, “Love and Affection” had its own charm and hit potential. It’s long been one of my album favourites, just under “Hysteria” and “Gods of War”.
Rounding out the LP are “Run Riot” and “Don’t Shoot Shotgun”, two rock tracks that would have been highlights on a lesser album. Neither are clearly as brilliant as the hits, but both solidly get the job done with guitar thrills. Finally there is “Excitable”, the only song I’ve never particularly dug. It strikes me as gimmicky and very 80’s, much like “Social Disease” by Bon Jovi. Too reliant on sound effects and gimmicks. So out of 12 tracks, only one was really a dud. That’s not bad by any measure.
Hysteria rode the charts, recouped its costs, and then some. The tour in the round was legendary and resulted in a live video In the Round: In Your Face. Def Leppard were, for a short while anyway, the biggest rock band in the world.
Disc Two & Three: B-Sides and Remixes
As discussed in greater detail in Record Store Tales Part 4: A Word About B-Sides, this album and its singles really clicked with the collector in me. Def Leppard prepared a number of B-sides for Hysteria, and perhaps because these were not produced with Mutt, they all have a harder edge. The four key must-have B-sides were all exclusive studio tracks, and the first four on the second CD of this set.
“Tear It Down” was a speedy but basic rock track considered good enough to include on the next album, and so it was. The B-side version remains its superior, because it is tougher than the one on Adrenalize. The most impressive B-side was probably “I Wanna Be Your Hero”. This B-side from the “Animal” EP has the Hysteria vibe and sound. It easily could have replaced “Excitable” as an LP track, but if it had perhaps Hysteria wouldn’t have sounded as diverse. Dig that false ending! Next, “Ride into the Sun” is a remake of a track from the original 1979 Def Leppard EP. The 1987 update is heavier and far better, a truly impressive upgrade. Finally “Ring of Fire” was even heavier than that, clearly too heavy for what Hysteria became.
The second disc features all the radio edits done for Hysteria‘s singles. Even to collectors, this is padding. Only one radio edit seems to hit the nostalgic notes, which is “Women” with a fade out ending. Incidentally, the only single from Hysteria that didn’t get a single edit was “Animal”, already short at 4:04.
Most important is the cover version of “Release Me”. This track was initially released on the “Armageddon It” picture disc single, but not credited to Def Leppard. Much like their later acoustic B-sides credited to the Acoustic Hippies from Hell, “Release Me” is credited to “Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol’ Boys”. Engelbert Humperdinck is responsible for the most famous version of “Release Me”, but Stumpus Maximus is definitely responsible for the most twisted. Featuring Def Leppard’s roadie Malvin Mortimer on lead vocals and the rest of the band goofing around on each others’ instruments, “Release Me” is a hoot. Mortimer breaks all known sound barriers with his screaming (and burping) of the lyrics. I was absolutely confused beyond belief upon hearing this for the first time, since I didn’t catch on to this actually being Def Leppard in disguise. They absolutely fooled me; I thought whoever they were, Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol’ Boys sucked! A hilarious novelty.
Disc two concludes with an 18 minute radio special from the BBC, going through Hysteria‘s songs with Joe Elliott. The third disc consists of remixes and live B-sides from the period. Extended versions of “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar”, “Armageddon It”, “Rocket” and even “Excitable” all come from 12” singles. A welcome inclusion is the single edit of “Rocket”, the short version of the “lunar mix” . This was excluded from the previous 2 CD deluxe of Hysteria. The video mix of “Pour Some Sugar” is still missing, but that track is on so many albums including the five-million-selling Vault, so we’re not going to worry about it. These extended remixes are, not surprisingly, pretty much for the fans and collectors.
The live B-sides feature the fascinating “Rock of Ages” medley. It seamlessly captures key riffs of classic rock tunes: “Not Fade Away” (Buddy Holly), “My Generation” (The Who), “Radar Love” (Golden Earring), “Come Together” (The Beatles) and “Whole Lotta Love” (Zeppelin). This is all done to the tempo and style of “Rock of Ages”, and quite well, too. Then it’s a lively cut of “Love and Affection”, which was also utilised as the album’s Japanese bonus track. It’s very rare to hear this song done live, and definitely rare to hear a great vintage version done live. Finally there’s a so-so “Billy’s Got a Gun” (same gig). One live B-side is missing, though you can understand why, it is still annoying. “Elected”, the live Alice Cooper cover (same gig again), was on the 2 CD deluxe edition. It was recorded during this period but released in 1993 on the “Heaven Is” single. Because it’s not from a Hysteria single, it was dropped from this box set. Too bad.
Disc Four & Five: In the Round In Your Face (Live)
When I was a young fella, massively into Def Leppard, In the Round In Your Face (taped in Denver over two nights) was the very first live home video I ever bought. To finally, finally have a proper audio edition…there are no words to express the happiness! It always should have been a double live album release and not just a video, but hindsight is always 20/20.
The legendary set consists of hits from Hysteria, Pyromania, and “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” from High N’ Dry. From the unforgettable Clint Eastwood “Dirty Harry” intro, to the final song “Photograph”, it’s non-stop fun. Though today there is plenty of live Leppard available, nothing tops vintage Joe Elliott screaming like a kid. Aside from a flawless track selection, highlights of the concert include Phil Collen’s new acoustic intro to “Heartbreak”. “Gods of War” is heavy and powerful. “Too Late For Love” gives me chills. Of the newer songs, “Women” is notable for being included as one of the B-sides for “Rocket”. Instead of putting it on the previous disc, it was left intact here, with the concert it came from. Of course, we mustn’t forget what really makes this concert special. Steven Maynard Clark didn’t survive to do another tour with Def Leppard, and this would be the last live recording with him on it.
DVD Disc One: Visual Hysteria
This disc is a new compilation of video clips, the first four of which are previously unreleased. Leppard have three Hysteria-related appearances on Top of the Pops: “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “and “Rocket”. These lip-synced television appearances are almost comical as people scream for a band miming a hit song. The showmanship of Steve Clark, in his billowy white pants, is sorely missed. What a rock star! On “Animal”, frontman Joe Elliott appears to have pulled a Derek Smalls and stuffed his trousers. Note Phil’s ahead-of-the-times Metallica shirt during “Sugar”. Unfortunately “Rocket” fades out early. Though these videos are old and washed-out, it’s a hoot to have them. Leppard lip-sync again on a familiar video of “Sugar” from the Brit awards.
Music videos were a huge part of the marketing for Hysteria, and a key component to its success. Each one is here, including both the UK and US versions of “Sugar”. These videos bring back such a nostalgic glow. I remember seeing “Women” for the first time, thinking how amazing it was that Def Leppard were back. I also thought about how brave Rick Allen was. He didn’t try to hide his injury. The slow-mo effect of “Hysteria” brings back a lot of memories, as does “Love Bites”. It was a huge hit video in Canada, during a very cool autumn.
DVD Disc Two: Classic Albums
Of all the Classic Albums series DVDs, this was one of my most frequently played. It is now reissued as part of the 30th anniversary box set, a perfect place for it. In case you didn’t know, Classic Albums is a fantastic series of documentaries that go back to the original master tapes. Hysteria is one of many albums they have covered.
Hysteria is such a rich, textured, thick album with a long story so this DVD is an obvious slam dunk. The only thing it lacks is Mutt Lange’s knowledge (a notorious recluse). Otherwise, the band go back to the beginning with the early demos. “Animal” was sparse but remarkably recognizable while still in demo form, down to the false ending. “Rocket” is deconstructed so you can hear the drum orchestra that was laid down, while Joe Elliott talks about how it was inspired. The backing vocals of “Gods of War” are laid out bare, virtually every single word sung and recorded separately! That’s the kind of album this is.
Along with that, Joe, Phil and Sav also perform bits live in the studio. This helps to illustrate the individual parts further. It is revealed to “Love Bites” was brought to the band by Lange as a country song; you can hear the roots on this DVD. Rick Allen is there to discuss his accident, an obviously emotional moment. Steve Clark is discussed too, and current Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell is on hand to talk about the numerous guitar parts that he inherited and has to play live.
My favourite feature of this DVD is actually in the bonus material. It’s the chapter that covers the first shows that Leppard played after Rick Allen’s accident. Originally, Jeff Rich from Status Quo was tapped to play a second drum kit alongside Allen on stage, just in case Allen got tired, slipped out of time, or couldn’t finish the show. There were so many variables that nobody knew what would happen during what really amounted to Allen’s comeback shows. Well, for one show in the middle of nowhere, Jeff Rich was late. If he had turned up on time, maybe Rick Allen would never have found out that he could play a full Def Leppard show on his own. Allen did the show with no help on the drums, and he nailed it. Rich told Allen that his work was done; Allen did not need any more help. And that was it!
The books and packaging
This iteration of Hysteria comes with four individual books and a poster suitable for framing. The Big Book of Hysteria is the main event. Adorned with pictures and full credits, this tells the story of the album from the band’s point of view. There were details in this book that even I wasn’t previously aware of. Why did Rick Savage play guitar on “Hysteria”? What was the original planned 10 track running order of the album? You’ll find that in this book. There is also a track by track rundown of the album by the band.
Next: Ross Halfin’s Portraits of Hysteria. This photo book has many of the classic pictures you will remember from this period. I had several of these as posters on my wall. Halfin was responsible for all of them!
A lovely miniature reproduction of the 1988 UK tour book is complete with cut-outs and even more Halfin photos. Tour books are large affairs, and this being a small reproduction, the text is hard to read. Especially for us old enough to have an original North American tour program in the house.
Lastly, and perhaps most lovely, is the Discography book. Inside are photos and release details of every obscure version ever released of Hysteria, all its singles and more. It’s exhaustive and assembled with consultation from a fan expert.
All seven discs, books and poster are packed in a nice looking, compact box. Each disc has its own gatefold sleeve with yet more memorable pictures inside. They nest inside a cardboard tray with the Union Jack printed on it. Perfect!
Conclusion
I’ve had Hysteria five times now. The first was a gift for Christmas of ’87. I upgraded to CD when I was working at the Record Store. I bought the 2006 2 CD deluxe edition, the DVD of Classic Albums, and Hysteria on 180 gram vinyl. I hope this 30th anniversary box set is the last time I have to do so. I can’t imagine what could entice me to buy it again. A 5.1 surround sound mix? Please, rock gods, don’t do that.
I love Hysteria. But let’s hope this is the last of it.
It’s a song that is a recurring theme for Kiss in the 1980s. It’s a down and out song: Asylum failed to live up to commercial hopes and the band only toured in North America. Paul Stanley was still firmly in control of Kiss. His partner Gene Simmons was now a record label mogul. He signed Loz Netto and House of Lords. Meanwhile, Paul observed bands like Bon Jovi who once opened for them, now eclipsing their success.
Kiss chose producer Ron Nevison for their next album tentatively titled Who Dares Wins. Nevison had recently produced big hits for Heart and Ozzy Osbourne, and Kiss aimed to follow along. The new music was the most commercial they’d written since 1980’s Unmasked. Big name songwriters participated on all but two songs. Much to the chagrin of Kiss fans, keyboards were brought on heavily for the sessions. Paul had been writing on keyboards for the first time. (In concert, keys were played offstage by Gary Corbett.)
The album was renamed Crazy Nights, preceded by first single and video, “Crazy Crazy Nights”. From the first “Woo!”, it’s far too bright and shiny. It’s one of those “gosh, this is so inspiring!” tunes that you’re embarrassed to like. “They try to tell us that we don’t belong, but that’s alright, we’re millions strong.” The awkward change to a higher key at the end is annoying as Paul hits absurd notes. Bruce Kulick’s guitar playing is exemplary, a showcase of true technical mastery, but not the kind of playing associated with classic Kiss.
A pretty stinky song called “I’ll Fight Hell to Hold You” is a mish-mash of mismatched parts and very high notes. It inspired my neighbor George to say, “If a song this poor made the album, can you imagine the songs that didn’t?” Gene wrote about 25 songs for Crazy Nights. Shudder. “Bang Bang You” is pretty weak too, keeping things in “park” rather than “drive”. It’s also the second time Paul referrs to a previous Kiss song in the lyrics. This time Paul states that he’s gonna “shoot you down with my Love Gun, baby.” On “Crazy Crazy Nights”, Paul stated that we “Love It Loud”. Reminding fans of better songs from more nostalgic times?
Bruce Kulick gets a smoking guitar into on Gene’s first track, “No No No”. Every trick in the book is thrown down in a mere 45 seconds. The track is a sudden fast thrash into heavier territory. However it’s track 4, and it’s Gene’s first song? That’s problem numero uno. The second issue is Gene’s newfound smooth singing style. The demonic growl is gone, and Gene adopted a clean voice that does not really sound much like Gene Simmons. He continues that style on “Hell Or High Water”, a pretty good tune in fact.
Things go a ridiculous extreme on “My Way”, another one of Paul’s “inspirational” tunes. “I’m gonna talk like I talk, walk like I walk, My Way.” Sinatra this is not. What sinks it are the stupidly high notes that Paul hits. Paul Stanley was simply one of the great voices in rock, bar none. He could do things that few people this side of Freddie Mercury could do. But just because you have a car that can go 200 mph doesn’t mean you have to keep it floored. Save it for when it counts.
Side two commences with another atrocity, “When Your Walls Come Down”, which never would have been in consideration for a better album. Consider that Eric Carr wrote a number of ideas for this album that weren’t used, like “Dial L For Love”. That unfinished song had a Van Hagar vibe that was on trend, and potentially better than crap like “When Your Walls Come Down”.
The first Kiss ballad since “I Still Love You” on Creatures of the Night (1982) is “Reason to Live”. A weak ballad is of little interest, and the music video surprised some by having Bruce Kulick on stage playing damn keyboards! Paul and his buddy Desmond Child are responsible for a song we’d rather forget.
Simmons returns with a great number called “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Cliche title aside, this understated dusky prowler has melodic qualities in common with some of Gene’s better material on Unmasked. Another decent song, Paul’s “Turn On the Night” is a hokey but good enough anthem for the 80s. It’s co-written by Diane Warren, who later scored it big with a little song called “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing“. It will be too bright for some fans, but it’s a tasty pill if you can swallow it. Paul has always had a way with a chorus. Bruce’s solo is another standout. “Turn On the Night” is actually pretty good. The music video seemed to be a continuation from “Reason to Live”. The blonde woman that torched Paul’s car seems to be now sabotaging a Kiss concert on a roof top? I’m very confused.
Crazy Nights ends with a fart, a pretty low-grade Simmons tune named “Thief in the Night”. On a better produced album like Creatures, a song like this could have smoked the competition. On a plastic, thin album like Crazy Nights, it completely misses the gut.
It’s probably unfair to lay the blame for Crazy Nights at the feet of Paul Stanley and Ron Nevison. If Gene wasn’t out trying to discover the next big band, and was actually focused on Kiss, could they have gotten it together? The fact is that Kiss are at their best when running full steam. It’s always been a partnership between Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as the primary writers. Crazy Nights represents a point at which these partners were working like broken cogs.
It’s a damn shame.
Today’s rating:
1.75/5 stars
Uncle Meat’s rating:
0/5 steaks
Meat’s slice: For this Meat’s slice, we include an actual commentary, as Uncle Meat listened to the album in real time.
Uncle Meat: This first shit tune…sounds like a wrestling entrance.
Mike LeBain: Totally. It’s of the time.
UM: It’s shit.
ML: You couldn’t even give this 0 steaks.
UM: It’s Warrant…It’s Poison…It’s shit.
ML: You’d have to go to rotten ground beef for this. And that’s…fuck what’s his name…
UM: And that key change is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!! So awful.
ML …Ron Nevison produced.
UM: This is shit.
ML: Enjoy my friend. It gets pretty silly later. Wait until you hear My Way. Mark my words. Reemember: MY WAY. I’ll walk like I walk, talk like I talk, My Way…
UM: If I end up taking a walk and killing a 48 year old Chinese woman…It’s on you my friend.
ML: I realize that. It’s right here in permanent Internet records.
UM: Well…first absolute shit tune is over…and it’s rated dung.
ML: Second song is worse.
UM: The shit storm is over Randy… Oh no it’s not Mr Lahey…because here comes song 2. I’m using that in my review of this album…
ML: HAHAHAHAHAH
UM: I’m so glad I shaved my head two days ago…or I would be lighting my hair on fire. Bang Bang You…just about to start. I see it’s a Desmond Child vehicle. Grrrr This is so garbage…hot steaming garbage. I dont know if I can do this whole album.
ML: HAHAHAHAHA Bang Bang You… You have to finish it now.
UM: I hate this.
ML: You can tell this is the period when Gene wasn’t around anymore.
UM: My bum is embarrassed for my ears right now.
ML: You think this is bad, I invite you to play Hot in the Shade.
UM: OK…fuck man…it’s only song 4 of this one…hold it now.
ML: I’ll shoot you down with my love gun baby.
UM: I’m not guaranteeing I’m getting through this one.
ML: You can’t walk away now.
UM: And…I might just review the first 4 songs…and say… ok…I’m done…don’t care about the rest…goodbye. Goodbye. That would make a point.
ML Nope you HAVE to play MY WAY. I need you to hear track 6.
UM: Who is singing No No No? Kulick?
ML: Gene.
UM: Doesn’t sound like him.
ML: He doesn’t sound like him on any of the album.
UM: Oh…ok…he sounds different.
ML: Nevison forced him to drop his normal voice.
UM: Passable.
ML: Barely.
UM: Kinda reminds me of Skyscraper by David Lee Roth.
ML: Same era. Very plastic and keyboardy and samply on the drums.
UM: Better than the first 3. Eric carr’s only writing credit. Does Kulick or Carr sing any tunes?
ML: Nope just Gene or Paul. Eric was promised a song and didn’t get one which made him very bitter. Apparently he stopped speaking to Paul around the next album.
UM: I mean on any album.
ML Eric sings two. He sings Beth on Smashes and Thrashes. And Little Caesar on Hot in the Shade. Bruce sings one. I Walk Alone on Carnival of Souls.
UM: Ok…that’s weird.
ML: Funny thing there: Both guys sang their first original Kiss songs on their LAST Kiss albums. In Fact Bruce’s song is the last song on his last Kiss album.
UM: Neat.
ML: In the current band Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer both have two lead vocals each.
UM: Hell or High Water is…boring…not offensive like earlier. Sounds like Tesla.
ML: But you can hear his voice is smooth not rough.
UM: I just wrote down one line now in the first minute of My Way. “Bon Jovi can fuck right the fuck off already”. Oh man this smells. It’s like actual runny sharts are oozing throught this speaker. OK… Reason to Live is on a new shelf of shit. Holy Fuck. Of course…Desmond Fucking Child. What a shit hat. It sounds like St. Elmos Fire meets Michael Bolton working out in a shit gym. OK…I’m done it’s off…I can’t do anymore…no fucking way. Done.
Crazy Nights is the last album reissued in the Mercury CD remasters series. No album more recent than this has been remastered and reissued.
GUNS N’ ROSES – Appetite For Destruction (1987 Geffen)
The first time I ever heard of Guns N’ Roses was from a rock magazine. There was a picture of this weird looking lead singer with spiky red hair, and his name was “Axl”. I immediately decided I didn’t like whoever he was, because he looked absolutely hammered, a complete mess. And what kind of name was “Guns N’ Roses” for a band anyway?
MuchMusic began spinning their first video, “Welcome to the Jungle”, but only on the Pepsi Power Hour. After a couple plays, I liked it. I took Axl off the “banned” list and taped their video. I asked my friend Scott if he liked Guns N’ Roses. “They suck!” he answered. A few months later, another video hit the airwaves and it was even better. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” came out during the year of Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, but wasn’t like either band. I loved the tune; this band had potential! Before I knew it, school was out for the summer.
A funny thing happened on summer break. Guns N’ Roses became huge. When I returned to school in the fall, guess what band Scott was suddenly in to? Guns N’ Roses.* Everybody was. And nobody believed me that I liked them first. “You probably don’t even know the words,” said one kid.
That was 30 years ago. Jesus Murphy…30 years!
I could yammer on and on about Appetite for Destruction. For example, we could discuss these subjects:
How Guns went against the grain but changed the game.
Mike Clink’s sharp anti-80s production. (Did you know Paul Stanley wanted to produce Appetite?)
The iconic album cover.
Slash’s immense influence on guitar players, including making the Gibson Les Paul the guitar to play again.
The under appreciated songwriting of Mr. Izzy Stradlin’.
The unstoppable rhythm section of Duff “Rose” McKagan and Steven “Popcorn” Adler.
That Duff McKagan is uber-talented and his backing vocals are a crucial part of Guns’ sound.
The single-minded, focused and unified direction of Appetite.
How their ample use of the “f word” drove the censors crazy.
Cowbell.
Riffs.
The all-important role of lead singer and frontman W. Axl Rose in their rise to stardom.
How Axl and Slash became the Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for a new generation.
That ten thousand bands followed in their wake when the sleazy side of the Sunset Strip became the hottest new trend.
We could talk about all those things until we’re blue in the face; each one would make for a fine subject for an article in their own right. Or, perhaps I could talk about some of my more controversial opinions:
That Appetite is great, but Illusions are better.
The best song is not one of the singles, but in fact the last track, the sprawling “Rocket Queen”.
Even Appetite has filler, in this case “Anything Goes” and “Think About You”.
That Izzy was the most talented member.
I could do that, or I could even go through Appetite track by track. It would be cool to analyze the riffage, anger and rock power of tracks like “It’s So Easy”, “Nightrain”, “Out Ta Get Me” and “You’re Crazy”. We could discuss that Guns groove that is the basis of the legendary “Mr. Brownstone”. The simmering , biting intensity of “My Michelle”. We could, or you could click on any of the numerous articles from rock magazines that do the same thing.
Maybe yammering about Appetite isn’t as important as the memories associated with it. I’ve shared this story before, but my favourite memory of this album goes back to highschool. When the album hit it big, virtually everybody I knew had a copy. One guy named Anand liked studying to Appetite. He had strict parents. One day he was down in the basement doing his homework with “Out Ta Get Me” playing. His kid brother kept coming around to bug him, as kid brothers do. He hung around long enough to learn the words to “Out Ta Get Me”, and returned upstairs. When the parents heard the kid singing “They’re out to get me! I’m fucking innocent,” Anand got grounded. (He got grounded a lot, though.)
Appetite for Destruction has sold 18 million copies in the US, with another few million sold overseas. It’s one of the select albums to go Diamond (1 million copies) in Canada. That’s a lot of people with memories of Appetite for Destruction (even though about five copies were actually bought by myself). I’m not the only one with stories. So how do I go about reviewing Appetite for Destruction?
Like anything else, I guess: on a scale of 5:
4.5/5 stars
* Scott responds: “In my defence, I heard ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ first, and wasn’t into the power ballad thing. It was when I saw the video for ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ that I changed my opinion, and after getting the album — the imported banned cover — that I became a huge fan. I didn’t jump on no band wagon!”
VINNIE VINCENT INVASION – Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986 Chysalis)
guitarist with genius level skill resurfaced after 1983’s Lick It Up with his new band, the Invasion. Ex-Journey singer Robert Fleichman did the self-titled debut album but was quickly replaced for the music videos and tour with an unknown named Mark Slaughter. Rounding out the band were Dana Strum and Bobby Rock on bass and drums.
DEF LEPPARD – Hysteria (2017 Universal 5 CD/2DVD 30th anniversary edition)
Disc One: The original album (Hysteria)
My favourite feature of this DVD is actually in the bonus material. It’s the chapter that covers the first shows that Leppard played after Rick Allen’s accident. Originally, Jeff Rich from Status Quo was tapped to play a second drum kit alongside Allen on stage, just in case Allen got tired, slipped out of time, or couldn’t finish the show. There were so many variables that nobody knew what would happen during what really amounted to Allen’s comeback shows. Well, for one show in the middle of nowhere, Jeff Rich was late. If he had turned up on time, maybe Rick Allen would never have found out that he could play a full Def Leppard show on his own. Allen did the show with no help on the drums, and he nailed it. Rich told Allen that his work was done; Allen did not need any more help. And that was it!
ML:
ML:
mikeladano.com 