DIO – The Last in Line (originally 1984, 2010 Universal deluxe edition)
Ronnie James Dio used to consider the second albums he did as inferior to the first ones. Second Rainbow wasn’t as good as the first; same with the second Sabbath, according to Ronnie. Is that also true for The Last in Line compared to the legendary Holy Diver?
Comparing the two is much like splitting hairs. The two albums are so close in style and quality that it really doesn’t even matter.
A better opener than “We Rock” is hard to find. The blitz of drums and riff was custom made for bangin’ on the stage. It’s unusual to hear a song where the drums are a major hook, but Vinny Appice has a way of doing just that. He gives you the urge to air-drum every time he throws down a fill.
Dio had an interesting pattern for his albums in the early days, up to Dream Evil (1987). The albums always began with something fast. In the song two position: always the title track! (The title track of each album always had a few lines of lyrics printed in the album sleeve too!) And so it is with “The Last in Line”. The soft and ballad-y opening lures one into that “safe place”…before Dio lets it loose. One of his best and most memorable music videos went with “The Last in Line”, absolutely one of the legendary man’s most notable songs. Its reputation is well earned, as all the pieces are in the right and you never get tired of hearing it.
We’ll know for the first time, if we’re evil or divine, we’re the last in line!
With the first two tracks being so legendary to Dio fandom, it’s easy to understand how the next batch often get lost in the shuffle. “Breathless” lacks for nothing. Vivian Campbell’s solo spot is blazing stuff, and the song is memorable enough for head banging. Accelerating into “I Speed at Night”, hooks are sacrificed for tempo. It’s quintessential 80s heavy metal when speed was such an important thing. Not a bad tune, but one with only a single purpose — banging thine head.
“One Night in the City” takes the time to allow the hooks to percolate through. Vinny and bassist Jimmy Bain lock into a mid-paced groove while Ronnie lays down one of his typically emotive melodies. Though it simmers on a back burner, “One Night in the City” is hot just the same. “Evil Eyes” is also a high quality tune, and if it’s familiar that might be because an earlier version was a B-side, included on the Holy Diver deluxe edition. Naturally, the album version is more polished, but as for which is better, that’s up to the listener. Then there is “Mystery”, arguably Dio’s most “pop” single. Not such a bad thing, after all Ronnie James Dio also did right by “Love is All” from the Butterfly Ball.
We are lightning, we are flame, and we burn at the touch of a spark.
“Eat Your Heart Out” is the only stumble, but it’s soon paid back with “Egypt (The Chains are On)”, a Dio epic in true metal fashion. Who doesn’t love a good plodding metal epic about Egyptian legends? It’s a second or third tier metal motif! Ronnie brings his own metal melodrama to the fore.
The Last in Line is already a great album, certainly up to the quality of Holy Diver with equally memorable material. This carries over to the bonus CD included in the deluxe edition. Four single B-sides from the era are included. They are live versions of “Eat Your Heart Out”, with “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow in the Dark” (all originally from Holy Diver). The only two B-sides missing are “Stand Up and Shout” and “Straight Through the Heart” live at Donington 1983, from “The Last in Line” 12″ single. These tracks however can be found on the 2010 CD release, At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 .
Finally we have Dio’s entire set from the 1984 Pink Pop festival. Naturally there is some overlap with the previous live tracks: “Holy Diver”, “Rainbow in the Dark” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers”. This is offset by a smattering of Rainbow and Black Sabbath classics: “Stargazer”, “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Heaven and Hell”. The audio is quite good and Jimmy Bain’s bass has a nice full thump to it. The Last in Line is one deluxe you’ll want to add to your collection
I will be going LIVE at 12:30 AM (ET) Saturday morning with Robert Daniels on VISIONS IN SOUND. Tune in on your dial to 98.5 or internet to CKWR! If you’re in the UK, why not wake up with us and some cool soundtrack music?
May was Star Wars month on Visions In Sound, but now it’s June and it’s also the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars parody Spaceballs! We will be spinning music and discussing this comedy classic. Jason Drury and I will help Rob with the celebration. Join Us THIS Saturday 12:30-2:30am (ET)
SPACEBALLS – The Soundtrack (1987 Atlantic)
Hello, baaaaabay!
Composer John Morris has a long career working with Mel Brooks. The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles…all that was John Morris. He is also responsible for the “Spaceballs Main Title Theme”, which is intentionally cheesy complete with laser beam sounds. Any spoof of Star Wars should also spoof the music, and the title theme suits that role. It sounds 50% Star Wars, and 50% The Last Starfighter. It’s rousing but not at all serious, and a fine indication of the kind of movie that Spaceballs is. The film wasn’t so well received back in 1987, but today it is fondly remembered. Mel Brooks is even considering a sequel.
Kim Carnes and Jeffrey Osborne provide the love ballad “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own”. I enjoy Kim’s rasp, always nice to hear, but I couldn’t tell you what scene in the movie this goes with (and I’ve seen the movie 100 times at least.) You can safely skip this one. Berlin have a cool track called “Heartstrings”, produced by none other than Bob Ezrin! This one is worth a listen.
The “Spaceballs Love Theme” is a violin piece composed Morris and performed by Gerry Vinci. It too has a hint of corniness, but it could also fit into just about any Hugh Grant rom-com. Also by Morris is “The Winnebago Crashes”, the point in the film in which our heroes crash on the desert planet. This is an action packed centerpiece, with drums pattering away and horns ablaze. This is melded with a tension-filled “The Spaceballs Build Mega Maid”. Too bad these bits had to be edited together for the album.
“Spaceballs” by the Detroit Spinners is a hoot. This is pure 80s soundtrack music. Who you gonna call? You’re in the right ballpark anyway. It’s fun, and funny. The Pointer Sisters have “Hot Together”, and it sounds just like the Pointer Sisters. Disposable 80s pop but fun in the moment. In a similar vein is “Wanna Be Loved By You” by a group called Ladyfire. If you miss the days of the Bangles and Bananarama, then you’d dig Ladyfire.
Of course the Spaceballs movie had a lot more music than this. It’s clear that this CD is just a cross-section with an emphasis on pop, which would have been the selling point for most. Those who have seen the movie know there were two more big songs. One was “Raise Your Hands” from Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. That’s not on the CD, but Van Halen’s “Good Enough” is. Fans will recall that this song is playing as Barf (John Candy) and Lone Star (Bill Pullman) enter the space diner, just before John Hurt’s chest explodes and gives birth to an Alien. It’s good to know that Eddie Van Halen’s axe will still be wailing away in the distant future. Van Hagar were perfect music for the sleazy diner and it’s nice to get one rock song on this CD.
There is also a 19th Anniversary Edition available, expanded with all the cues and alternate takes too. Still no Bon Jovi though….
JON BON JOVI – Destination Anywhere– The Film (1997)
Directed by Mark Pellington
I bought this on VHS when it first came out. I watched it once, put it away for a decade, and finally sold it at a garage sale for 50 cents. Why? Because this is one of the most boring pieces of vanity projects ever foisted upon the loyal. You can see all the JBJ fanboy-esque reviews on Amazon: “The Destination Anywhere film is perfect…something to have if you are a true Bon Jovi fan. Good movie plot too…enjoy!”
True Bon Jovi fans need not apply except for “the collection”. Let’s please be objective.
This vanity project was very loosely based on the Jon Bon Jovi solo album of the same title. As such, the music from that movie acts as the soundtrack. The music is the best thing about this film. Sure, the actors are all great — Kevin Bacon, Whoopi, Demi — but there’s no script here worth filming.
Jon Bon (“Jon”) and Demi Moore (“Janie”) are struggling with alcoholism and the death of a child. A dark film, Destination Anywhere mostly just follows Jon around town while he tries to figure things out. The characters he runs into offer various pieces of advice, but there are no epiphanies. The film sadly falls flat, sitting there purposeless, and smelling like something that Jon thought would elevate his movie career. It didn’t, and I think that’s the proof in the pudding.
HELIX – Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge (1984 Capitol, 2009 Rock Candy reissue)
If you’re from Canada, then chances are you already know how to properly respond when somebody requests of you to “Gimme an R!”
You give them a fuckin’ R!
To quote Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, “Helix was a wicked concert. Fuck I sold a lot of dope at that concert. They had good lyrics, like ‘Gimme an R, O, C, K,’ and then the crowd yells ROCK really loud. Now that’s a fuckin’ concert.”
Bob Halligan Jr. wrote it, but Helix made it legendary. In turn, “Rock You” put them on the map. It’s pure arena rock: “Don’t just sit there, come on get up and move!” With a riff, a catchy tune and a shout-along chorus, “Rock You” was custom built for 1984. The Pepsi Power Hour gave it regular play, and the boys toured relentlessly. Helix’s rep as a down n’ dirty hard rocking band was secure. The music video scared away my neighbor, David Dolph, a kid from across the street whose very Catholic parents wouldn’t let him listen to rock music or watch Dr. Who. Instant street cred!
“Rock You” opened Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge (their fourth LP) with a punch. “Young & Wreckless” followed with a kick in the ass. This chugging rocker is all about a good time. Strangely enough, this track somehow frequently ended up on Kiss bootleg CDs. Bootleggers most likely confused it with Kiss’ own “Young and Wasted” from 1983’s Lick it Up. Needless to say, if you find a Kiss bootleg claiming to have an unreleased song on it called “Young & Wreckless”, it’s not Kiss. It’s Helix. And it kicks ass.
“Animal House” is a Helix concert classic, a bar-bustin’ rocker with a sweet slide guitar licks from Brent “The Doctor” Doerner. He and gui-partner-in-crime Paul Hackman formed a formidable and underrated duo. They supplied Helix with a seemingly bottomless well of riffage and tasty guitar hooks. Meanwhile lead howler Brian Vollmer was in peak voice, driving the whole thing home. Next up is “Feel the Fire”, basically a re-write of “Heavy Metal Love” from 1983’s awesome No Rest for the Wicked LP. Though the songs are similar, both kick equal amounts of ass, so we will allow some self-plagiarism. The first side was finished off with a real sledge: “When the Hammer Falls”. It’s a real headbanger in the classic sense, fast and loud.
“Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'” kicked off the second side, a Crazy Elephant cover that became one of Helix’s most notorious music videos. There was a TV version and a uncensored cut with full frontal nudity. One of the girls in the video was an underage Tracy Lords. Whoops! Meanwhile, a 13-year-old me couldn’t take my eyes off the TV! (A classmate of mine called Ian Johnson was known for his tall tales, and took credit for giving Helix the idea for the video!) “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'” was one of those instantly catchy songs that seemingly everyone dug, and check out Doerner’s killer solo.
The shot with Doctor Doerner kicking the lightbulbs is possibly the coolest of all time.
Helix want to tell you what turns them on in “My Kind of Rock”, but I think it’s the biting riffs. Not a bad tune, but Helix have done better. That’s just filler before the ballad “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want”, a cover of A Foot in Cold Water. Helix’s take is remarkably true to the original. It’s considerably softer than anything else on the album, but that’s the function of a ballad on a rock album. Vollmer’s performance helped make it a Helix favourite that’s still played live in concert. Another track called “Six Strings, Nine Lives” is the only tune that should have been excised. Good chorus, but without a song to go with it. One of the best Helix originals was saved for the closing position: “You Keep Me Rockin'”. Dark and edgy, it’s a heavy and memorable tune to end Helix’s best selling LP.
Walkin’ the Razor’s Edge is a good record, but as is so often the case with the “big hit” albums, it’s not their best. No Rest for the Wicked is the one to seek out for the “all killer, no filler” experience. Razor’s Edge has some essential cuts, but a couple fillers too. If you’re thinking about picking this up, the wisest purchase would be the 2009 reissue by Rock Candy. This remastered disc contains rare photos and liner notes including an interview with Brian Vollmer. It also has three must-have bonus tracks: Live versions of “Young & Wreckless”, “Rock You” and “Animal House” from the uber-rare promo EP Live at the Marquee. Since Helix were (and are) known for their blitzkrieg live shows, these tracks are well worth having on CD.
– Creatures of the Night(1982 Casablanca, 1985 Polygram reissue, 1997 Mercury remaster)
The internal problems with Kiss continued full-bore into their next album, the surprisingly powerful Creatures of the Night. Ace Frehley was on the cover, and in the music video, but like Peter Criss before him, he didn’t play a note. In the midst of recording with new producer Michael James Jackson (Red Rider), they were also auditioning new guitarists to replace the Ace.
As a result of the embarrassing failure of their concept album fiasco Music From the Elder, Kiss had little choice in what to do next. If they had any hope of survival as a musical entity, they had to return to rock. What may have come as a surprise given their recent history including two pop “Kissco” albums was that their new music was really, really heavy. Kiss were unleashed and went full-bore heavy metal.
Aiding and abetting this: drummer Eric Carr was unchained on Creatures of the Night. His drum sound, inspired by the massive slam of Zeppelin’s John Bonham, was completely off the hook. These are by far the biggest sounding drums on any Kiss album. Also helping the band get heavier: a new songwriting partner. Vincent Cusano wrote and played on several tracks on Creatures. His talent was evident to all.
In fact there is a school of thought today regarding Mr. Cusano, later redubbed “Vinnie Vincent”. A large vocal group of fans proclaim today that “Vinnie Saved Kiss”. And that theory does hold some water.
Other contributors to the LP included Canadian writing team Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Adam Mitchell and Mikel Japp also wrote with Paul and Gene. Guitarists Robben Ford, Steve Farris and Adam Mitchell lent chops and solos to the album. One guy who Gene claims came to the studio, but did not play, was one Eddie Van Halen. According to Gene Simmons, Eddie came down and poured his heart out complaining how miserable he was in Van Halen…and then asked to join Kiss. Believe it…or not?
The incendiary title track “Creatures of the Night” is powerful and instantaneous enough to be used as a concert opener. The metallic chug was new to Kiss, but not alien to them. This anthemic Paul Stanley rocker had the goods. Kiss were back, and in a big way. Just listen to those opening drums! It’s as if Kiss knew that Eric Carr still needed a more suitable introduction, and they gave it to him.
Creatures is notable for one major “first”. It was the first of many Kiss studio albums to only feature two lead singers, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Gene’s debut on Creatures is the incredible “Saint and Sinner”, heavy but low-key and based on a killer verse melody. “Get me off this carousel, you can do as you please…you can go to hell,” sings an angry Demon. And that’s Vinnie, absolutely smoking with a brilliantly melodic guitar solo. What a player…but only when he can control his instincts to play too fast.
Paul turns up the sex on “Keep Me Comin’” (har-de-har har!), a sleazy Kiss rocker with a heavy Zeppelin groove. While not quite filler material, “Keep Me Comin’” and another Paul track called “Danger” are definitely on the lower rungs of this album. “Danger” is the prototype for a kind of speed metal Kiss rocker that Paul threw on all the albums from this point to 1985.
One of Paul’s best songs, and longest lasting in concert, was the ballad “I Still Love You”. This is one heavy ballad, but Paul’s singing is completely over the top. Again, it’s more like a heavy Zeppelin blues ballad. A track like this proves why Paul is considered one of the greatest hard rock singers of all time. Not too many can do it like Paul on “I Still Love You”…and that’s Eric Carr on bass, by the way. Gene doesn’t play bass on most of Paul’s songs. Jimmy Haslip (ex-Blackjack featuring Michael Bolton and future Kiss member Bruce Kulick) and Mike Porcaro took over bass duties on “Danger” and “Creatures” respectfully.
As for Gene, Creatures really sounds up his alley, with tunes like “Rock and Roll Hell”, “Killer”, and “War Machine” suiting his dark persona. And what tunes these are, particularly “Rock and Roll Hell” which simmers with a midnight intensity. The song rides the basic bassline with not much in the way of additional crunch, into chorus time. The interesting thing is the song is actually a thorough re-working of an old Bachman-Turner Overdrive song written by Jim Valance. In fact, Valance claimed that Simmons only insisted on reworking the song in order to get writing royalties. Either way, “Rock and Roll Hell” just burns like an ember. Then in another interesting twist, the song was later covered by Ace Frehley (Origins Vol. 1)! A Kiss cover of a Kiss song he never played on.
“Killer” reeks of Vinnie Vincent. One of the key guitar riffs sounds quintessentially Vinnie, and kind of similar to his later solo track “Boyz Are Gonna Rock”. It’s a brilliant track, right up Gene’s alley, with intense speed and hooks. The female backing vocals in the outro are a surprise. “War Machine” on the other hand sounds purely Gene, even though it’s a co-write with Valance and Bryan Adams. Something about it personifies the “monster plod” sound that Gene specializes in. It’s apocalyptic Kiss metal for your nightmares. It’s strong and relentless.
The single was, of course, the overplayed “I Love it Loud”, which in turn was transformed into a killer music video featuring Ace Frehley miming Vinnie Vincent’s guitar. “I Love it Loud” is insanely catchy and unshakeable during its first several listens. After that, it’s too simple to maintain interest too long. It’s kind of baffling how this song has remained in set lists well past its sell-by date, especially when tracks like “Killer” and “Saint and Sinner” are not.
In 1985 this album was reissued with new non-makeup cover art. On the cover they replaced Ace Frehley, who never played on the album, with Bruce Kulick…who never played on the album. Three songs were remixed: “Creatures of the Night”, “War Machine”, and “I Love it Loud”, but only “Creatures” was included on the 1985 album. The remixed “I Love it Loud” was later issued on a compilation, and the remixed “War Machine” has yet to be released. The remixes by Dave Wittman generally toned down the awesome drum sound, weakening the experience overall.
Vinnie Vincent joined the band officially after Creatures was recorded, and was given his own makeup design: The “Ankh Warrior”. A strange choice for a new character; perhaps Kiss were plain out of ideas or just didn’t care. It’s the only Kiss makeup design to never be seen on an album cover. Then, Kiss embarked on their first American tour in years, the 10th Anniversary Tour. It featured a stage with a tank for a drum riser. “Killer” indeed!
Today’s rating:
4.5/5 stars
Uncle Meat’s rating:
2.5/5 steaks
Meat’s slice:When Creatures of the Night was released in 1982, Kiss had been on the back burner for me for a couple years. Obviously still loved the classics, but 12 year old Meat was starting to become a huge fan of Heavy Metal music. Two different friends of mine and I were discovering new music together. Albums like Ace of Spades, Maiden Japan and Saxon’s Denim and Leather were the gateway drug for me on my way to being addicted to Heavy Metal. So when Creatures came out I recall being so into it, primarily because this was a “Heavy Metal” Kiss record. What’s not to like? The video for “I Love it Loud” was awesome and renewed my love for the band at the time.
So I listened to Creatures from stem to stern the other day, 35 years after it was released, and my take on this album is now quite a different story. I am expecting that many will disagree with my slice on this one, but circumstances dictate my review. Metal music just doesn’t inspire me the way it used to. The love is still there but the lust is gone. Obviously there are staples that I will always love, and new exceptions pop up all time time, but the truth is I would rather put on stuff like Steely Dan, Sly and the Family Stone, Grand Funk Railroad, Yes, Steve Earle, Drive by Truckers etc etc.
If I would have done these Meat Slices let’s say…20 years ago?…I probably would have panned Unmasked and praised this album. But now it is the opposite. The album’s title track, “I Still Love You” and “I Love it Loud” are still enjoyable to me, but pretty much every other song sounds very forced and downright boring to me. This is what happens when a band, who was used to ruling the world, tries to regain said status by joining the new Heavy Metal revolution. Trying to be something they are not. The albums previous (with maybe the exception of the song “The Oath”) and the albums that followed were not Metal albums. The following albums have some heavy songs, but are definitely not Heavy Metal records. You have to fast forward a decade until they released Revenge, and even that album had some different styles within it. It’s so strange to me that a Kiss record that sees Kiss trying SO HARD to be a heavy metal band, turns to Bryan Adams for inspiration? What’s Metal about that? Hello. McFly?
Rating this album was tough for me. I had to consider how much I loved it when it came out, and that the Creatures of the Night tour was my first Toronto arena concert. I can’t say I dislike the album, but I can say that of all the Kiss records I have revisited doing these slices, it’s this album that truly disappointed me because I went into the listen looking forward to hearing it again.
My final thoughts are this. Would diehard Alice Cooper fans consider Flush the Fashion a classic Alice Cooper record? It’s an album I owned on vinyl and I like the album, but it’s a blatant grab at the New Wave market and sounds nothing like the rest of his career. Celtic Frost has done everything possible to erase the memory of the deplorable Cold Lake, since it is a very un-Celtic Frost like record for the band. Creatures of the Night is not genuine to me. Most of the album sounds like the inspiration for Spinal Tap’s album, Smell the Glove. Especially the song “Heavy Duty”, and not surprisingly it was released not long after this in 1984. So, to end this slice I will refer to the immortal Derek Smalls and put it like this. Creatures of the Night is a disingenuous collection of head banging bullshit that to me is forgettable. It sounds square, clunky and has way too many forgettable songs on it. I would rather listen to Bryan Adams’ 1983 album Cuts Like a Knife. But Kiss…I still love you.
Favorite Tracks: “I Love it Loud”, “Creatures of the Night”, “I Still Love You”
Forgettable Tracks: The rest
LeBrain’s rebuttal:You’re Wrong on Creatures
For this Kiss Re-Review series, I have purposely avoided reading Uncle Meat’s reviews, and vice-versa, until they are ready to post. We wanted to avoid influencing each other. Creatures is an exception. Meat sent this to me a couple weeks ago, long before I even started my review. And now that I have read it…I feel like crying a single solitary tear of sadness, just like the one Gene shed in the video for “A World Without Heroes”.
Uncle Meat has a point about the switch to heavy metal music seeming like an act of desperation. I don’t doubt that if The Elder had been a hit instead of an abject nearly career-ending failure, Kiss would have continued in that direction. But we are talking about Kiss here. This is a band that have usually been followers, not leaders. Were they the first to wear makeup and heels? No. Did they invent disco with “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”? No. Going forward into the future, you will see Kiss continuing to chase other people’s sounds, such as Jon Bon Jovi and Alice in Chains. Even Revenge, which Meat mentioned above, seemed like an effort to bring things in line with what was happening in rock and roll.
Having listened to Creatures again for what must be the 30,000th time, my love for it is still strong. I’ve bought Creatures five times over the years. Every time I play it, I’m a 13 year old again. I sink into the guitar tones, which Vinnie just nailed on this album, and enjoy the booming echo of the drums. “I Love it Loud” no longer pitches my pup tent, but mostly due to overexposure.
On this, the Meatmaster General and I will have to agree to disagree. It’s something we often do when it comes to music, but the benefit is that it generates rich discussions, just like this one. — LeBrain
“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” – Bram Stoker
For decades, trips to the cottage and music were synonymous. When I was a younger fella, I would bring all my music with me. That usually meant five or six tape boxes, full of cassettes, and a walkman. I even brought my turntable with me for a couple summers.
As the music collection grew, I’d have to pick and choose tunes for the trip. It’s sad to admit it, but true nonetheless: I spent hours picking music, far more time than I used to pack clothes and essentials. It wouldn’t be unusual to find I didn’t pack enough pants, but plenty of Deep Purple.
It’s much easier today. Load up some flash drives, or better yet, bring all the music I have ripped so far on my 2T external hard drive. In the olden days, we didn’t even have a phone or cable TV. We had radios and a big TV antenna that could pick up two channels. It was a cavalcade of classic Ontario television: Bowling for Dollars, the Hilarious House of Frightenstein, and Trivia Company with Johnnie Walters. Now, we have five or six devices fighting for the Wi-Fi signal, with me usually streaming Netflix. We have multiple computers, several phones, and of course cable TV. Talk about roughing it! In the 1980s, my sister and I would struggle to pick up any radio station that wasn’t playing country. Now, I just set my browser window to my home station of 107.5 DaveRocks. Unbelievable!
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The interesting thing is, there are already plenty of sounds available to listen to if you don’t bring your own music. People used to spend tons of money on “nature sounds” CDs, but at the cottage you can get that for free.
You haven’t lived until you’ve gone to sleep with the sound of crashing waves coming through your open window. Nothing can put you to sleep faster, even when it’s just an afternoon nap. The sound of children playing in the lake only makes the afternoon snooze that much more peaceful. In the evening, the waves pick up intensity and are augmented by nocturnal woodland creatures. These “children of the night” can be heard pitter-patting around the deck, and in the branches just outside the window. Soothing sounds. Nothing to be afraid of, even in the dark. The only thing to fear would be a wayward skunk poking around looking for garbage. I used to like pitching a tent in the back yard and sleeping there. I used to bring a Walkman in there to listen to tunes on the earphones, but sometimes in the night I’d be woken up by a raccoon sniffing around for scraps.
The absence of city sounds can be strange for those not used to it. In the city there is a constant backdrop of automobile sounds, planes flying overhead, and trucks hauling their freight. Even at night, there is a dim background hum of traffic, and of electric lights buzzing overhead. At the cottage the quiet is amplified by the dark. We are so used to the light pollution of the city, that the pitch black of a cottage night can be quite striking, especially during a late night stroll.
Bringing music to the lake is still mandatory. It’s important to turn it off now and then, and just listen to the creatures of the night.
How things have changed at the cottage in just two years. It is true that Kincardine is not far from Bruce Nuclear. What’s new is the mandatory early warning system (in case of meltdown) and government-issued emergency iodine pills! Welcome to the atomic age. Cottage essentials used to be beach towels, a few candles if the power went out, and lots of card games. Now it’s distant early warnings and nuclear iodine pills!
This CD was given to me by Uncle Meat for the purpose of reviewing. Unfortunately I was too slow and Paul didn’t live to read it. For that I’m sorry.
With Hawksley Workman in the production chair, one expects great sonics and perhaps just a touch of “weird”. The opening track “Ghosts” has a familiar piano-based “bop” that is reminiscent of Workman. This delightful little track is upbeat with just a slight sense of melancholy. Moving on to “Cruelty”, the song has a strange aura that sounds as if you’re playing it on vinyl. This electric song really showcases how versatile MacLeod’s voice was. “Cruelty” does not easily escape from the memory.
Sadness and loneliness are two prevailing feelings on “Schopenhauer’s”, a beautiful acoustic tune. “Gloat” adds a base of electric guitar for a rock solid foundation. On top of this, Paul sings his soul out. “All I could ever do was, was be but a crutch to you.” The mood flows into the next tune “Pools of Blue” which speaks of regret. This changes to anger on “Broken Wing”. “She’s feeding the bullshit, a mouthful at a time.” A tense little guitar lick goes on until the brilliant chorus releases it. “Broken Wing” is an easy contender for best track on the album.
After the emotional peak of “Broken Wing”, it’s nice to go back to mellow on “Listen Mary”. Its love acoustic guitar solo is a definite highlight. “Giants”, another upbeat catchy number, would also be a peak point.
Closing the CD is “Stanley Steamer”, initially a shock as it begins with uncharacteristic electronic sound effects. This soon turns into a humourous look back to an era long gone. Paul’s song sounds as if it could have been born in that past decade. One thing Paul had a talent for was tapping into the musical feelings of the past, like a human time machine.
Check out this fantastic CD by Paul MacLeod the Musical Tardis.
I will be going LIVE at 12:30 AM (ET) Saturday morning with Robert Daniels on VISIONS IN SOUND. Tune in on your dial to 98.5 or internet toCKWR! You folks in the UK can tune in as you enjoy some morning java!
Rob says: “May is Star Wars month on Visions In Sound and we will be celebrating the 40th Anniversary with a slew of special shows. Joining me this week will be special guests Jason Drury, Michael Ladano & Erik Woods to help with the celebration. Featured music will be from the original Star Wars trilogy (John Williams). Join Us THIS Saturday 12:30-2:30am (ET)”
PETER CRISS – Let Me Rock You(1982 Casablanca, 1998 Mercury CD reissue)
Life after wasn’t easy for the cat known as Peter Criss. His first post-Kiss album was met with indifference, and the superior second LP suffered the same fate. This marked an 11 year gap before the Catman released anything else. Let Me Rock You, Peter’s third solo album in total remains his best to date. It has a number of Kiss konnections, including a song written for Kiss by Gene Simmons. Looking further down the credits and you’ll find Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, Paul Stanley’s co-writer Adam Mitchell, and a young upstart named Vincent Cusano, who features into the main story very soon.
Let Me Rock You is the better of the Criss albums for a number of reasons. One is that is has superior songs, often pulled from outside sources. Another is that returning producer Vini Poncia gave it a harder rocking sound. It’s still nowhere near a Kiss LP, but the adult contemporary leanings are severely curtailed. Opener “Let It Go” has a little bit of the familiar R&B beat that Criss likes, but is otherwise a steady rocker. “Tears” (Cusano/Mitchell) is a pop rocker that missed the mark just enough that John Waite was able to make it a hit a mere two years later. Peter’s version is less overblown, and daresay more likeable.
Most of the songs have a vague pop rock vibe circa 1982: “Move on Over”, “Destiny”, and “Bad Boys” sound like rock hits from the period. Bon Jovi’s early excursions are not too far from this. A Russ Ballard song called “Some Kinda’ Hurricane” fits the same mold, but a second Ballard tune (the better of the two) is completely different. “Let Me Rock You” is doo-wop right out of the 1950s. If “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is OK, then so is “Let Me Rock You”. In fact it’s the most fun track on the album.
The unfortunate cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” adds nothing to the party except a reminder that Peter Criss will never be as good as the artists he so admires. The worst track is Stevens’ ballad “First Day in the Rain”, which might have been a better song performed by…anyone else. Peter sleeps right through this one and some listeners will have a hard time finishing. Keep going though; Stevens plays a sweltering guitar solo. Elsewhere on the album, Steve Lukather contributes six string.
By far the most historically interesting track is the Simmons-penned “Feel Like Heaven”. A snip of the original Simmons demo, for consideration during the Music From the Elder sessions, can be found on the previously reviewed Kiss – Deadly Demos CD. It’s too funky and danceable for Kiss, but Peter sounds more at home. It is a shame that the (very vulgar!) Simmons original has yet to be released. Until then, feast on the Peter Criss version, which is good enough for now.
Although Let Me Rock You was the first album to feature Peter’s unmasked face, it failed to sell and Peter entered a long period of obscurity. A short-lived band called Balls of Fire was followed by a project with another ex-Kiss member called Mark St. John (who joins the main story in 1984). He wrote with Buffalo’s own Phil Naro of Talas, and did a guest shot on Ace Frehley’s 1989 solo album Trouble Walkin’. His biggest humiliation had to be when a homeless imposter claimed to be him with little difficulty since nobody had seen Peter Criss in so long. It didn’t seem too unbelievable…even if there was no resemblance at all.
(l) Criss (r) imposter
At least Peter has one decent solo album, and that album is Let Me Rock You.
DIO – The Last in Line (originally 1984, 2010 Universal deluxe edition)
wasn’t easy for the cat known as Peter Criss. His 
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