REVIEW: Helix – Wild in the Streets (1987, Rock Candy remaster)

Canadian Rawk week continues with a double dose of HELIX! Boppin at boppinsblog reviews the same record today. For his review, click here!

HELIX – Wild in the Streets (1987 Capital, 2011 Rock Candy remaster)

Before this handy-dandy 2011 Rock Candy reissue, Wild in the Streets was an exceptionally hard album to find on CD. By the time I started working at the Record Store in 1994, it was already long deleted. I had a pretty neat cassette version, with a glow in the dark shell, but the sound was pretty muddy and warbly. The CD finally fell into my lap thanks to a kind hearted customer named Len, who picked it up for me at a rival store. The full story of this rare item and the quest to find one was told in Record Store Tales Part 234: Wild in the Streets. Since I’ve already told that story, no further background is necessary and we can cut to the chase.

It has been well documented, both in Brian Vollmer’s book Gimme An R and the fine liner notes in this CD, that Wild in the Streets was not an easy album. This album had to make it, or Helix’s deal with Capital wasn’t going to be renewed. They had trouble coming up with songs. They recorded overseas with a disinterested producer (Mike Stone). The album was mixed and remixed again, until Stone had to demonstrate to the guys that they had lost perspective and couldn’t tell one version from another anymore. Other stressors added to the pressure, but finally some singles were selected and videos filmed. Time to rock!

The action-packed video for the title track made quite an impression. The high-flying Helix were (and are) one of the most exciting live bands around. The video perfectly fit the music, an unforgettable rock anthem about turnin’ on the heat and going wild in the streets. It was written by guitarist Paul Hackman and his friend Ray Lyell, a Canadian solo artist gaining success at the time. This kickin’ track represented a high point for Helix; never before had they combined the rock with catchy melody like this. MuchMusic gave it plenty of exposure, but it failed to jump the border and make an impact down south.

To make up for a shortage of originals, Helix recorded some covers. FM’s “Never Gonna Stop the Rock” was a funky dud. According to the liner notes, the band didn’t particularly like the song either. Manager Bill Seip chose it among many submissions, and on the album it went, because nobody had any better ideas. Nazareth’s “Dream On” was a much more natural fit. Helix always had a way with tender ballads; witness their success with “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want”. An inspired choice like “Dream On” works well as a Helix song, in fact up here in the Great White North, I daresay the song is associated more with Helix than Nazareth. It’s hard to say who plays the subtle keyboards and piano, as three players are credited on the album: Sam Reid from Glass Tiger, the legendary Don Airey, and Helix bassist Daryl Gray. Dr. Doerner brought up his huge doubleneck for the video, an image burned in our memories. Doerner had to be the coolest looking guy on the scene, he had the star quality.

“What Ya Bringin’ to the Party” is the question, on another Lyell/Hackman original. The slicker production of Wild in the Streets doesn’t really do it any favours. If it had been on an earlier album like No Rest for the Wicked (and been a teensy bit faster), it could have been a sleezey rock classic. “High Voltage Kicks” is better because it delivers what it promises. This sounds like Helix to me. It’s fast, high-octane, and recommended for head banging. You’ll want a breather afterwards, which is good because it’s time to flip the album over to Side Two.

Ready to “Give ‘Em Hell”? Helix are, and this is a good quality album track to do it. It fits that mid-tempo rock niche that Helix often call home. It’s back to hot flashy rock on “Shot Full of Love”, a Vollmer/Doerner co-write with some pure lead guitar smoke. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s his twin brother Brian laying waste on the drums. Brian Doerner is one of four drummers credited, including Mickey Curry, Matt Frenette, and of course Helix skinsman Greg “Fritz” Hinz. “Love Hungry Eyes” is one of the strongest songs in the bunch, and I think if there was to be a third single, it would have been “Love Hungry Eyes”. Brian Vollmer kicks this one right in the ass. I don’t think Helix get enough credit for their background vocals, but all five members sing. Brent Doerner has a unique voice and when the Helix backing vocals kick in on the chorus, you get a whallop of the Doctor right in the ears. That’ll cure what ails ya.

Joe Elliot of Def Leppard contributed “She’s Too Tough”, but then the shit hit the fan. Leppard’s label (Polygram) were terrified of Elliot competing with the soon-to-be released Hysteria album. Even though “She’s Too Tough” never passed the demo stage and was never in consideration for Hysteria, the label was so afraid that they were going to force Helix to remove it from their album. A compromise was reached: Helix could keep the song for their album, but could not release it as a single. As such, you’ve probably never heard Helix’s version of it. Leppard eventually recorded a proper version for a single B-side (“Heaven Is“) and it has become the more famous of the two. That’s too bad, because Helix’s version is far more adrenalized, pardon the pun.

“Kiss It Goodbye” inspired the infamous Helix tour shirt that I would never have been allowed to buy or wear to school! The song, another Doerner/Vollmer rocker, was unforgettable in concert. It’s still a barnstormer on CD, certainly one of the most memorable tracks from this era. The album is over and out in under 40 minutes, but you’ll probably have lost a couple pounds in sweat, if you were rocking out properly during those 40 minutes.

Unfortunately for Helix, despite a great live show featuring their fancy new stage set, the album failed to perform and the writing was on the wall. Morale took another blow when Brent Doerner told the band that he was leaving. The guitarist had been there since 1975. He was integral to every album they made, and he was a charismatic personality on stage. What were a band to do? If you’re Helix, you do what you have always done. You keep on givin’ ‘er. They responded to this dire time with one of the best albums of their career.

Wild in the Streets was the end of an era. It was also the last Helix album of the 1980’s. With the benefit of hindsight, Wild in the Streets capped the decade off properly. Mushy production aside, it was a strong collection of songs that probably could have been presented better. Too bad!

3.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Barstool Prophets – Last of the Big Game Hunters (1997)

Welcome back to Canadian Rawk Week!

BARSTOOL PROPHETS – Last of the Big Game Hunters (1997 Mercury)

This album, the third and final by the Barstool Prophets, was the one that got me into the band. You can blame T-Rev for that. Unfortunately this album was also the last for the Prophets. They never really hit the big time, even though it was certainly deserved. Their biggest claim to fame is that they had to change their name from their original, The Wallflowers. Some guy named Jakob Dylan owned that one. Therefore, their first album was called Deflowered!

Barstool Prophets is a better name anyway. It’s more descriptive of this band. Picture solid Canadian bar rock, with the poetic lyrics to rival the Tragically Hip. Both bands are similar, and fans of one should definitely check out the other. For this CD, they got Joe Hardy (ZZ Top) to produce, and the result is a stellar collection of great sounding, upbeat yet rocking tunes.

I have a promo CD of this with a white cover. I also have the correct cover art for the retail version. The reason for this is, when I was living with T-Rev in our shitty apartment, some assholes stole his CD changer out of his Jeep, including his copy of this CD. The cover art was safely inside the apartment, but without a CD to go with it, it was a kind of useless thing. He gave the cover to me to augment my fairly plain promo CD.

The brief title track sets the stage perfectly. Witty words, guitars panned hard to the right and left, and an understated groove. That’s all you need, baby. According to the liner notes, “Barstool Prophets wrote the songs, Graham Greer wrote the words, and they slapped them all together.” The album and songs sound much more cohesive than that implies. “Last of the Big Game Hunters” is hooky, radio ready, tough and smart. It’s also short and to the point, as is the following song “Upside Down”. From experience, I can tell you that these songs work great on the road. I have done many, many cottage road trips with this CD in the deck. The first half of the disc is mostly rockin’ with some mellowness creeping in on the second. It all seems to work brilliantly.

My favourite song has always been the bulletproof “Vigilante”. This is about as intense as the Prophets get both musically and lyrically. Edgy but low-key spoken verses give way to the blistering chorus. Most people will have to research Bernard Goetz (I did), who is named in the incendiary bridge:

“I am prepared to carry out, without hesitation,
A cold and calculated act of intense dedication.
I am the store clerk forced once too often to his knees,
I am the few disgruntled Postal Service employees,
I am the widowed wife, left alone to carry on,
The grieving father, I, whose one and only child is gone.
I am the hand of Justice, with finger poised to test,
I am a bigger badder better bane than Bernard Goetz.”

It’s a powerful song.

Graham Greer shares one specific interest with me, which is UFOlogy. There are two songs on the album referencing them. The first is “Weird and Wonderful”, which musically is as fast as metal. The reference is vaguely to Betty and Barney Hill, one of the first documented UFO abduction cases:

“A family driving on a lonely stretch of highway,
Returning sadly from a very pleasant holiday.
Just then the starry night is filled with blinding light,
They’d later testify they’d never seen a greater sight.”

The gist of the song is that some things are just weird and wonderful; futile to explain. I prefer searching for the answers, but perhaps the Barstool Prophets have it right.

“Running Out” mellows things down a bit, with a melodic mid-tempo groove. It’s the radio hit “Friend of Mine” that you might remember though. What a great song. Shall we call it a ballad? I guess? Whatever — it doesn’t matter. It’s a blunt song anyone can relate to, about what true friendship means. “My views and dreams and favourite songs will shift and turn with the passing of time, but one thing for certain is you’d always be a friend of mine.” Even on the ballad (?), their knack for rhythm shines through. This is a great band — just the rhythm section players alone are interesting to isolate and listen to. The also goes for “Tangled Up”, an acoustic song that follows. Weaving words and rhythms seems to be this band’s forté. And they do it with an uncanny ability to write melodies too. Just astounding. How did these guys not become the biggest thing ever? Maybe it’s because it’s just too easy to compare them to The Tragically Hip. I daresay, Barstool Prophets wrote songs that were just as edgy and just as smart, but twice as catchy in the melody department.

About the only lull in the proceedings is “Five Wheel Highway”, a low-key slow grind on the pavement. It’s also the second longest song. It’s loaded with a harmonica hook, but it’s not enough to keep me interested. “More” brings us back to center, with a solid album quality track. It’s upbeat and it has those guitar jangles that I dig. “Hungry Joe” is amusing, a man who “lived in a dream, where he was a ladies man supreme.” Joe seems to get what he deserves, but the song is just another catchy one that probably sounded great live. “Get Along” then is a stomping body slam. It’s interesting lyrically and dramatic musically. Good mixture for cerebral rock and roll.

Back to UFOs one last time for “Thrusters”. Slow picking leads to quavering vocals: “I have spent many nights, staring at the sky…” It’s an unorthodox song, with no real chorus. “I know they’re coming back for me, but how much longer will they be?” I think it’s a haunting song, and it builds beautifully.

Last of the Big Game Hunters is still a fine album indeed. I’d put it on my top records of 1997 easily. Thanks T-Rev for getting me into it!

4.5/5 stars

#471: Canadian Rawk

GETTING MORE TALE #471: Canadian Rawk

What do you think of when you read the words “Canadian rock”? Perhaps you imagine the vocal shrieks and drum thrills of Rush? If you have a negative impression of Canadian music, no doubt your mind drifts to the sultry sounds of Nickelback. Landmark artists from the golden age that you know would include Neil Young, the Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Joni Mitchell, Steppenwolf and countless more.

Canada has always had an inferiority complex when it comes to our southern neighbours, the Americans. In the music world, this is manifested in “CanCon”. Simply put, Canadian radio broadcasters must play at least 40% Canadian content. Starting in 1968, fears that American artists would flood our airwaves resulted in the first CanCon rules. If you have ever bought a Canadian CD, perhaps you have seen the letters MAPL on the back. MAPL is an acronym that determines if content does indeed qualify as Canadian.

M: Music. Did a Canadian write the tune?
A: Artist. Is the primary artist a citizen of the Great White North?
P: Performance. Was the recording made in Canadian, in a Canadian studio? Or for live albums, was the concert on Canadian soil?
L: Lyrics. Separate from the music qualifier, this determines if the lyrics were written by a Canadian.

Controversy erupted in 1991. Bryan Adams had the biggest record of his career, Waking Up the Neighbors, which was co-written by Robert John “Mutt” Lang and recorded overseas. Under the MAPL rules (since tweaked to avoid this situation), Adams did not qualify as CanCon. His manager Bruce Allen was quite vocal against these rules. Allen was never one to mince words, but he sparked a discussion on CanCon rules and how they ultimately hurt Canadian artists. Flooding the airwaves with Canadian songs that weren’t that good was one issue commonly discussed. Another was that some international artists qualified for CanCon by recording in Canada with some of our most in-demand hit-makers such as Jim Vallance or Bruce Fairbairn. Finally, these rules implied a lack of confidence in the strength of our own music.

Some feel that there is a stigma in being Canadian. Though controversial, some feel there is such thing as a “Canadian sound”. While this is obviously not universal, I do think there is something to it. There is a commonality in Canadian bands that defies description. To my ears, the Tragically Hip sound Canadian. BTO and the Guess Who sound Canadian. So does Bryan Adams. I can’t explain it nor do I want to open that can of worms. I think the roots of Canadian rock, going back to Neil Young and the Guess Who, are basic folksy traditional origins. I think this has somehow been passed on in our DNA. This is not always considered a good thing. The alternative rock band I Mother Earth put out their debut album Dig in 1993, utilizing Mike Clink as producer and hoping to break open in the American market. They were hyped as “the next Jane’s Addition”, but they did not want to be openly identified as Canadian in promo materials. They felt that there was indeed a Canadian stigma and they would have more success if their citizenship wasn’t brought up. M.E.A.T Magazine covered this story but were firmly in the pro-Canadian camp.

Here at mikeladano.com, we don’t have to follow CanCon rules, but Canadian content has dominated regardless. I believe that our music is strong enough to stand proudly on its own. We have so much talent in this country. So many incredible songs have emerged from the frozen tundra. Countless incredible, under-appreciated, creative artists: VoiVod, Paul MacLeod, Sloan, Death From Above 1979, Blue Rodeo, Strapping Young Lad, the Trews, Sarah Harmer, Big Sugar…the list truly is endless because great new performers emerge every day. When I worked at the old Record Store, we were fiercely proud Canadians. We put a little Canadian flag sticker on the header cards of every Canadian artist. A lot of customers would say, “I didn’t know that singer was Canadian!”

This week, join me each day for a close look at some good Canadian Rawk albums that you may have missed over the years. Trust me, you do not want to miss these reviews or you may miss a future favourite record. Grab a Timmies or a wobbly pop and get ready to rock!

REVIEW: Alice Cooper – Prince of Darkness (1989)

ALICE COOPER – Prince of Darkness (1989 MCA)

Even though Alice hadn’t produced anything as timeless as “School’s Out” during his 1980’s comeback, his profile rose greatly. Clean, sober and focused, Alice Cooper was very active in the last part of the decade. The same year as his final MCA album Raise Your Fist and Yell, he had memorable appearance at Wrestlemania III. In the corner of “good guy” Jake the Snake Roberts, Cooper had the honour of draping Roberts’ snake named Damien all over the Honky Tonk Man. After that, even my dad knew who Alice Cooper was.

Cooper only had a two record deal with MCA: Constrictor was the first in ’86; also the first album in the comeback period. Having re-established himself with MCA, Alice then signed with Epic and had a genuine smash success with 1989’s Trash. With a dream team of writers and collaborators (including hitsmiths Desmond Child, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and many more), Alice scored a platinum album.

While Trash was still charting and producing singles, MCA put out a competing record: Prince of Darkness, a 10 track compilation of Cooper’s material for that label. Normally these kinds of releases are throw-aways, but Prince of Darkness is not and this review will tell you all about it.

It is not unfair to state that Constrictor and Raise Your First were mixed affairs. You had to wade through a significant amount of filler to reach a disproportionate amount of modern classics. Prince of Darkness does a great service by collecting some of the best material together on one CD. It is well sequenced and even includes one rare track, an exclusive on compact disc.

A grand opening is the dark and metallic “Prince of Darkness”, a theme song from a movie of the same name. This ominous and menacing track is one of the more memorable from this era, a heavy monument. It works amazingly well as an opening track, and “Roses on White Lace” follows by going faster and heavier. It was surprising to hear Alice creep this close to thrash metal, but what a track! A distorted vocal adds to the creep factor, making this one of the better samples of Cooper’s music during his “splatter horror” period. The 1986 single “Teenage Frankenstein” would be a must-own for any fan, and there it is in the #3 position. The big single from this era was “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)”, a synthpop classic quite unlike the prior metal material. Right here is an easy and simple way to get this classic track, without having to buy Constrictor. Same with “Teenage Frankenstein”.

A nice little track here is a 1976 live recording of “Billion Dollar Babies”! This was a B-side from the “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)” single, but Prince of Darkness is the only CD with it. The track itself sounds heavily remixed (remixing is credited to Garth Richardson) but it is indeed a B-side that is easy to acquire by getting this disc. Ignore the annoying, screaming overdubbed crowd and just dig the vintage performance of one of Alice Cooper’s most timeless numbers.

There are a few filler tracks on side two. “Lock Me Up” was fun, but not particularly memorable. Feel free to skip “Simple Disobedience” and “Thrill My Gorilla”, and go straight to “Life and Death of the Party”. Alice steps back into the shadows for a chilling horror number, mid-tempo and overcast. We are over and out with “Freedom”, another great single and dangerously close to thrash metal again. Prince of Darkness serves as the most effective way to get this one.

That’s why I recommend Prince of Darkness to any fan who wants to get a slice of Alice in the late 80’s — but just a slice. The whole cake is for diehards.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Alice Cooper – Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987)

ALICE COOPER – Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987 MCA)

And lo! The beast named Alice reincarnated with a slab of wax, and they called it Constrictor. Slithering into the spotlight again was a triumph of will: Alice battled his demons (including the bottle), found some new young band members and started fresh on a new label. Though the music was merely OK, at least the man himself was doing just fine. As fans, I believe we genuinely wish our rock star heroes to be healthy and happy, so even if the music wasn’t the greatest, we could be glad that Alice was back.

In the 70’s and early 80’s, Alice Cooper maintained a breakneck release schedule. This slowed down a bit in the second phase of Cooper’s career, but he still managed to follow Constrictor a mere 12 months later with Raise Your Fist and Yell. I probably don’t need to tell you this, but look at the cover: certainly one of the worst to ever envelope a major label release. The guilty party is a fella named Jim Warren who must hate this cover as much as I do, because just look at it.

It continued with the same shock-rock horror-splatter-movie theme, but turned up louder. Indeed, the lead single “Freedom” was the fastest most thrash-like track that Alice had yet performed. Censorship was a big target in Alice’s sights. “Freedom” was his ode to the PMRC: “You want to rule us with an iron hand, you change the lyrics and become big brother. This ain’t Russia! You ain’t my dad or mother.” Lemme tell you, when “Freedom” came out, the PMRC seemed a genuine threat. Dee Snider and Frank Zappa were testifying in front of the senate and stores were refusing to stock records. “Freedom” was an anthem we could all get behind. I don’t think anybody expected him to go so heavy!

The video was interesting. Kane Roberts looks like he’s not sure if he’s at a bodybuilding competition or a music video shoot. There were some new guys in the band; that’s not Kip Winger on bass. On drums is Ken Mary, later of House of Lords. Most interesting is the guy dressed as a priest. You can see him up close during the lyric “Back off preacher I don’t care if it’s Sunday.” They looked like the biggest bunch of misfits assembled. Perhaps this is what Alice was going for?

During this period, Alice was writing a few goofy rock songs. “Lock Me Up” is silly, but fun. It has a beat and you can headbang to it. “Take the Radio Back” sounds like a predecessor to “Hey Stoopid”, but not quite. “Give the radio back to the maniac!” sings Alice. Is he begging for airplay? It’s OK, but “Step on You” isn’t really. There are moments here and there, but these are mediocre songs. “Step on You” has an interesting atonal instrumental section but it doesn’t fit the song at all. “Not That Kind of Love” continues the heavy rock, but without hooks.

Back to quality, “Prince of Darkness” is a heavy metal horror movie theme, from the film of the same name in which Alice had a cameo. Menacing and intense, this tune scores high marks on both the Cooper Scale of Rock Thrills and Chills, and the Cooper Scale of Heavy. Kane Roberts’ lead solo is pure pointless 80’s excess, but the song is what counts and it’s a good’un. The acoustic outro is perfection.

“Time to Kill” keeps things above the bar. “Chop, Chop, Chop” does not. I know — you’re surprised, right? A song called “Chop, Chop, Chop” isn’t a diamond of the highest carat weight? Nor is it a turd, but certainly well below the watermark. It does serve as a lead-in to “Gail”, a high quality also-ran that recalls Alice in the year 1975. It is the only Kip Winger co-write on the album, and he’s responsible for its eerie keyboard vibe. Finally it’s “Roses on White Lace”, another borderline thrash metal track that absolutely rips every head in the room off. This track, firmly in the splatter film world, is an excellent example of Alice at his heaviest. For its entire duration, it’s breakneck speed. Bold song to end an album with.

Post album, Kip Winger and keyboardist Paul Taylor bailed, and formed another band you might have heard of. Michael Wagener produced this record, and while heavy, the album is definitely lacking sonically in comparison to its contemporaries. All told there are four songs worth buying the album for: “Freedom”, “Prince of Darkness”, “Roses on White Lace”, and Gail. Three of those four songs can be found on the MCA compilation Prince of Darkness. So…your move.

2.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Warrant – The Best of Warrant (1996)

WARRANT – The Best of Warrant (1996 Sony)

Whooboy. Look, I’m sure Warrant are a nice bunch of guys, and poor Jani sure suffered his demons. I’ve always considered Warrant a bit of a jokey band, and that was certainly true for the first two albums. Even when I did love ’em (that would be August and September of 1989), I always sensed that they weren’t taking anything very seriously. I had their live video, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich – Live. Lemme tell ya, they were just too jokey and inconsistent live. I outgrew Warrant pretty fast. Which in a way was too bad, because the next album after our “breakup” was the critically acclaimed third record Dog Eat Dog.

All this being said, their first Best Of (1996) was actually a reasonably solid collection of songs, if a bit long at 57 minutes. You get the three big hits from album #1, including “Down Boys”, “Sometimes She Cries”, and “Heaven”. Decent also-rans from that album include “32 Pennies” and “Big Talk”. Nothing but pure stink is “D.R.F.S.R.”, a song I never understood the popularity of among Warrant fans. I guess the joke is still funny to some?

Album #2, Cherry Pie, was a mixed bag like its predecessor. The title track of course was the biggest steaming pile of crap released by a rock band in the year 1990. Having said that, there is video evidence of a young LeBrain rocking out to it, but I didn’t really know what Jani was singing about! We all have our musical skeletons in our closets, I believe. Mine is that there is a VHS tape in my house right now with footage of me, age 18, lip synching to “Cherry Pie”. I cannot lie about that.

Cherry Pie didn’t suck all the way through, however. It was a step up in sound, and boasted some cool tunes. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is the one Warrant song that really still stands up today as a great single. “Mr. Rainmaker” is also a pretty memorable rocker, with chorus built to please. I like that they included two single B-sides on this set. The pop rock track “Thin Disguise” was always better than most of the album tracks. Perhaps it was too middle of the road? Not quite ballad, not quite rocker, but pretty classy nonetheless. And please note, “classy” is not a word often used to describe a Warrant song. The other B-side was the acoustic version of “I Saw Red”, which was actually released as its own music video.

Things seemed to get most interesting with Warrant on their third album. By 1992, Warrant were absolutely buried by the new wave of grunge rock bands that swept in between their albums. They were also playing catch-up with the biggest metal albums of the period, Metallica and Slave to the Grind (Skid Row). These high-charting smash hits were much heavier than Warrant’s general output. They had to heavy up; they really had no choice. They started wearing Doc Marten boots and growing facial stubble. It all seemed so very contrived, and according to Jani Lane, it was. Even though he was the soul songwriter, he later claimed to strongly dislike the new heavier direction Warrant took. He quit Warrant briefly after this album to explore mellower Mellencamp-esque songs and ballads. It was all very shocking and confusing, considering that Warrant’s heavy and choppy single “Machine Gun” was so fucking awesome. Not that it mattered. Nobody but die-hards were listening to Warrant in 1992. I only ever saw the video for “Machine Gun” on TV once. Once! Compare that to the mega-exposure that “Heaven” and “I Saw Red” once had.

What Sony should have done with this CD is end it there. But no, they tacked on one more useless song at the end, the horrendously putrid cover of “We Will Rock You”. This was done for a really early Cuba Gooding Jr. movie called Gladiator. Warrant actually had two songs on the soundtrack, but this one was released as a single. In my opinion, if you choose to cover “We Will Rock You”, then you are doomed. Warrant were doomed before they even set foot in a recording studio.

Overall, not a bad little Best Of. You get the requisite non-album tracks, and they are generally good (“We Will Rock You” being the big exception). All the big songs are included. You have to wade through a little bit of poo, but otherwise The Best of Warrant is pretty solid.

3.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Vince Neil – Exposed (1993)

VINCE NEIL – Exposed (1993 Warner)

When Vince Neil finally unleashed his first solo album Exposed in 1993, it looked like he was the early winner in the great battle: Vince vs. Motley.

As is par for a volatile band like Motley Crue, the acrimony behind the split was intense and overshadowed any music either party was about to come out with. Even after reading Motley’s book The Dirt, it’s not really clear what happened. Vince was complaining that he wasn’t into the new Motley music they were working on. “Like 4th rate Physical Graffiti outtakes” he once commented in Metal Edge, with too much emphasis on keyboards and backing singers. Crue, meanwhile, felt the lack of dedication coming from the singer. He had missed a few rehearsals. After driving through a torrential rainstorm making him late at the studio, he was confronted. “We’re thinking about having new lead singer auditions again,” said Nikki Sixx to Vince Neil. The band put out a bogus statement saying Neil was diverting his focus to race cars, and Vince was battling from the bottom again.

After working on one tune with the Damn Yankees (three out of four anyway, minus Ted Nugent) called “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” for the opening song of the Encino Man soundtrack, it was time to put together a new band. An early lineup consisted of ex-Ozzy Osbourne bassist Phil Soussan, but that didn’t last. When Soussan left, newcomer Robbie “Ichabod” Crane (a nickname he pretty much stopped using immediately) switched from rhythm guitar to bass, while the legendary Steve Stevens of Billy Idol fame was the main shredder. Vik Foxx from Enuff Z’nuff was hired on drums, and another newcomer named Dave Marshall took over the vacant rhythm guitar spot. Vince wanted two guitars, unlike Motley’s one.

With the ex-Billy Idol axeman by his side, Vince Neil already had everything he needed to make an incredible album. The help of Stevens, Soussan, and Tommy Shaw & Jack Blades from Damn Yankee meant he had a songwriting dream team. Fired up and motivated to prove everybody in the music business wrong, Vince was in the zone, and the chemistry was working. He also beat Motley to the punch by 11 months.

The last thing I expected from a new Vince Neil song would have been a six minute epic with more guitar action than Motley Crue had packed into six albums. Vince was in great voice at this time, and his singing on this album is exemplary. On every track, he sounds like he means it. Crisply captured by producer Ron Nevison, the song is driven forth by the relentless Vik Foxx (sounding like he’s doing his best Rush impression) and the space-age technique of Steve Stevens. It’s an exotic metal groove, with flash and tricks like you have never heard before. I don’t know how Stevens does some of the things he does, but that’s why he’s the guitar hero and not me. If record labels weren’t scared shitless of releasing a six minute single, then this should have been the single.

Instead “Sister of Pain” was the single, a song that does not make as strong an impression. It’s a hard boned sleezy cock rocker in the Motley fashion, which is probably what they were going for. Vince felt that since Motley were changing styles, it was up to him to keep the old Crue sound alive. That’s “Sister of Pain”, a catchy and satisfactory rock single, although still five minutes due to the intense soloing. This is one of the tunes that Vince wrote with Shaw and Blades.

“Can’t Have Your Cake” has a neat slippery riff, and it too was used as a single. This fits the niche of the “fast Motley rocker”, like (say) “Kickstart My Heart”, though it’s not as heavy. Thankfully it’s a song to its own, thanks to Stevens’ creative licks. I like “Fine, Fine Wine” better. Vince is as dirty as ever, proving he doesn’t need Nikki Sixx to write a sleezy rock lyric. It’s just a kicking groovy guitar song, perfect for playing air instruments to.

Stevens fans know his flamenco work is incredible. He gets to show it off for the first 30 seconds of “The Edge”, finally a song about Vince’s supposed true passion — racing! Not an instantaneous song in any way, “The Edge” has a lot going on but it’s worth the challenge. This kind of technical rock was beyond Motley Crue before, but with guys like Steve Stevens, Vince was able to show them up a bit. There’s more of Stevens’ incredible classical guitar on the ballad “Can’t Change Me”, a sentiment I have always identified with. This is the kind of pop ballad that would have made Vince the king of radio only two years earlier. Not surprisingly it’s a Tommy Shaw co-write, because that’s exactly who it sounds like.

Nothing like a cover to kick off side two, and “Set Me Free” by the Sweet is basically the original “Kickstart my Heart”. May as well go back to the original and amp it up a bit with some slippery Steve Stevens fretwork. It’s a heavy, layered presentation of guitars and ass kicking drums, and we can certainly forgive Vince for putting a cover on his album. Besides, the next track “Living is a Luxury” has a nocturnal, smoky vibe that makes it one of the most interesting cuts. The jazzy guitar is like nothing on any Motley Crue album.

Then we’re down to a remake of “You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)” from Encino Man. Damn Yankees played on the original, and sonically and vocally, that is the one I prefer. The album version of course has more guitars. It’s too bad they couldn’t add that one in as a CD bonus track, but the Encino Man soundtrack was on Hollywood, not Warner. Regardless of which version we’re listening to, this is still a dynamite blast of adrenaline that seems over way too soon. I used to play the soundtrack version on repeat in the car. Rewind and go again.

“Gettin’ Hard” is a great mid-paced rock tune, but what’s odd is that the lyrics in the booklet are nothing like the actual song, except for the choruses. It’s as if they changed the words at the last minute but forgot to tell the people who print the CD sleeves! A strange little oddity to go with a grooving cool song. Out come the acoustics again for the last track, “Forever”, a really sweetly made ballad. The layers of shimmery guitars make it a class above most ballads of this ilk. It ends the album on a glowing nostalgic note.

Unfortunately for Vince, he was unable to follow this album with anything decent. We realistically knew that Steve Stevens wasn’t going to hang around long, but what hurt Vince most was his ill-advised attempt to cross over, getting the Dust Brothers to produce. 1995’s Carved in Stone failed to make any impression whatsoever. Meanwhile, his former cohorts in Motley Crue quietly cooked up a beast of an album with Bob Rock. 1994’s Motley Crue was about the only thing that could have topped Exposed.

4.5/5 stars

#470: Awards

GETTING MORE TALE #470: Awards

Do you watch award shows? I don’t — not anymore, anyway. In the Record Store days,we had to keep an eye on this sort of thing. If somebody swept the Grammys, we had to be prepared with inventory. The day after an award show, the requests would circle around the winners and headline-makers. The same still happens today, with much of the post-show sales being downloads. Adele is most grateful.

As a child I was aware that award shows didn’t seem to recognize any music that I liked, but I also knew that didn’t mean squat. It’s nice when a talented artist is honoured for their music, but the Grammys are the same organization who awarded Milli Vanilli with “best new artist”. To even call such commercial product “art” at all is such a deception. They were manufactured from the ground up as a money-making endeavour and nothing more. That was 1990, but the year before was another titanic embarrassment for the besieged awards.

I didn’t watch the ’89 awards but I heard all about it the next day. The following morning, my mom asked me, “Who is Jethro Tull?” I had to confess I didn’t really know. Old guys. “They won best heavy metal,” my mom explained. Who? I was a metal fanatic but I never heard any of their music.

The actual category was best “Hard Rock/Metal” and it was introduced in 1989. The nominees included a couple actual hard rock and heavy metal artists: AC/DC, Tull, Metallica, Jane’s Addiction, and Iggy Pop. Of those bands, I think only two can be consider unambiguously “hard rock” or “heavy metal”. I’m sure the members of Jane’s Addiction didn’t consider themselves either. God knows what Iggy Pop thinks of his music as, since he’s been all over the board. With the benefit of hindsight, we know today that the most important album historically in that category was …And Justice For All by Metallica followed by Jane’s Nothing’s Shocking. Tull’s Crest of a Knave was a good, solid return but hardly “hard rock”. Ian Anderson was gracious but befuddled by it all. Metal fans declared it highway robbery. To them, Metallica was clearly the only band who deserved that trophy that year, and with all due respect to AC/DC and Jane’s Addiction, it is hard to argue with that. …And Justice For All was one of the most challenging albums for the genre, real art, yet it sold millions. Not to mention overcoming the personal tragedy of losing Cliff Burton in that crash a few years before. Plainly, Metallica deserved that award. Fans were livid.

The Grammys furthered their embarrassment by contritely awarding Metallica the “best metal” award for the three years in a row that followed, even when it was not deserved. In 1990 they split “hard rock” and “metal” into two awards, and gave Metallica a trophy for “One”. The real head-shaker was 1991, when Metallica won again for a cover of Queen’s “Stone Cold Crazy” (from Rubáiyát: Elektra’s 40th Anniversary). This little-heard cover beat out stunning new albums by Judas Priest, Anthrax and Megadeth. A single Metallica cover from an obscure compilation CD beat Rust in Peace by Megadeth? Yeah, right. You could not take this seriously. Their streak continued into 1992, when they won the prize for the Black album, Metallica, once again beating Anthrax and Megadeth (and Motorhead and Soundgarden).

Here are some other stunningly bad decisions the Grammys made that you may not be as familiar with. The same year of the Tull debocle, the awards introduced a “best rap” category, but chose not to air them. The Fresh Prince Will Smith compared it to graduating high school but not being allowed on stage to accept your diploma. Not to mention, the “best new artist” award is often a curse. Just ask Hootie and the Blowfish, Debby Boone, Marc Cohn or Milli Vanilli. Then there was the year that Steely Dan beat Radiohead’s Kid A and the Marshall Mathers LP.

What you may not realize is that the Grammy awards were never designed to recognize the raucous and rebellious artists of rock and roll. In fact, they were created to stem the tide. In order to protect “quality” and tradition against the rockers of the 1950’s, the Grammys were created in the mold of the Oscars. And on their very first night, their mission to promote and honour quality music was blown spectacularly. Check out this tale from my Uncle John’s desktop calendar:

Hey, at least Frankie won. But the awards remain as troubled today as when they began.

It’s nice to see artists and albums that you like win awards for their work. Ultimately however the impact is zero. How the music makes you feel is everything.

DVD REVIEW: A Serious Man (2009)

“When the truth is found to be lies, and all the joy within you dies…then what?” — Rabbi Marshak

A SERIOUS MAN (2009 Alliance)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

A Serious Man is a black comedy about Larry Gopnik, a Jewish mathematics professor, age unspecified, who realizes one day that his life seems to be falling apart. The setting is a very convincing 1967 in Minnesota.

His brother is sleeping on the family’s couch and constantly nursing a monstrous (but never seen, thank God) cyst on his neck. Then he learns that his wife is leaving him for his friend Sy Ableman. His son Danny is smoking pot and signed up for the Columbia Record Club, under dad’s name. Santana’s Abraxas was automatically mailed but no payments have been sent! Danny’s selling the records for drug money, but he’s more worried about taking a beating from Mike Fagel (“a fucker”) over a $20 pot debt when he should be worried about Hebrew school and his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. (“Studying Torah, asshole!”) His daughter Sarah is always either washing her hair or out with her friends. Within this setting, innumerable irritants and stumbling blocks fall in his way, usually within the same scene. Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” is the opening and recurring music to a heap of problems the characters get in. (Rock fans also take note: Jimi Hendrix shows up later.)

All that Larry (Michael Stuhlbarg) wants is to make something of his life, and become “a serious man”. Expectations, demands and obligations seem to obstruct him at all times. Confusing advice from Rabbis, a neighbor who seems to tease him by sunbathing topless, a South Korean exchange student offering him bribes, another neighbor seemingly encroaching on the property line, his card-counting brother, and his own faith seem to taunt him at every turn. It’s not a complex story: it is character driven, comedic, dramatic and nostalgic all at once. In other words, typical Coen fare. I love the ironic but authentic touches like a doctor lighting up a cigarette in his office.

The recurring theme of the movie is (or isn’t) Shroedinger’s paradox. Larry’s about to get tenure at work even though everything else is falling apart. “Even I don’t understand the dead cat,” says Larry near the beginning of the film, but it is clear that actions do have consequences. All Larry needs are answers, but they are not forthcoming. He thinks that perhaps the reclusive Rabbi Marshak can help him, but he knows that the math says you can’t ever know anything with certainty.

As is par for the course with Coen films, special features are sparse. There is a brief bit explaining all the Jewish terminology in the film done as entertainingly as possible. There’s a great feature on how they made the neighborhood look exactly like 1967, and how they got the cars, costumes and locations. Finally there is a feature with the Coens and actors on the film itself, what it means, and what inspired it.

I particularly enjoyed the unconnected short story that opened the movie. Jewish folklore and the vivid minds of Coens collided and this short story is the result. I think it’s designed to set a mood, but also to act something like an opening cartoon which used to precede movies in the 60’s. This tale of the returned dybbuk is subtitled and presented in the old fullscreen format instead of wide.

Look for The Big Bang Theory‘s Simon Helberg in a small role as Rabbi Scott.

5/5 stars

#469: Stump LeBrain (Getting More Retro!)

GETTING MORE TALE (Retro) #469: Stump LeBrain Week, by Aaron!

“Getting More Retro” is a sub-series of my music stories Getting More Tale. I posted this back in March in 2012, when nobody was reading except Aaron and my old boss from the Record Store. Before that, Aaron posted it on the KeepsMeAlive (Feb. 19). And now, for the third time, here’s Stump LeBrain Week!

I had become such a dominating force on the 4 O’Clock 4-Play, my favourite music contest on 107.5 Dave Rocks, that listeners were now writing in 4-Play quizzes specifically to stump me! For a while there it seemed everybody wanted to be the one to put an end to LeBrain’s reign!

Craig had me in the studio for the contest, live on the Craig Fee show, during what he dubbed “Stump LeBrain Week”. Each day that week, I came in at 4 o’clock in order to play the contest on the air. Craig selected five 4-Plays, one for each day. If I answered correctly, I won the prize (I Mother Earth tickets). If I was stumped, the person who wrote the 4-Play question would win the prize.

At the end of the week, I sent Aaron audio CDs of all my appearances minus commercials. He was kind enough to document it in the written word for history. Since very few saw this when I re-posted it at the launch of this site, I’m re-posting it once again for you! Re-use and recycle, baby!

Big thanks to Aaron for listening to all five shows and writing it down, and of course thanks to Craig for giving me the opportunity! Here we go. Ready?

Four-Play #1 (submitted by Chris Cottingham)

01 Motley Crue – Shout At The Devil

01 Mike’s Guess: ‘tracks that were not singles’ (no)

02 Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar

02 Mike’s Guess: ‘bands that have toured with guns ‘n roses’ (no)

03 Bruce Springsteen – Cover Me

03 Mike’s Guess: ‘special lp packaging’ (no)

04 Loverboy – Working For The Weekend *

04 Mike’s Guess: ‘album covers featuring pants’ (yes!)

* at this point, before Mike’s last guess, it was exposed that the Motley Crue song was supposed to have been Live Wire, which changed everything, and he got it from there.

Comment: He still got it, even with a wrong song played. Improbable? Never! The man is a machine.

Score: Mike is 1/1.

Four-Play #2 (submitted by The Crook in Elmira)

01 Motorhead – Ace Of Spades (live)

01 Mike’s Guess: ‘artists who’ve done duets with Ozzy Osbourne’ (yes!)

02 Alice Cooper – School’s Out

03 Dio – Holy Diver

04 Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly

Comment: He nailed this one before the first song was even over. Jeez.

Score: Mike is 2/2.

Four-Play #3 (submitted by Kathryn Ladano, Mike’s sister)

01 Rush – Subdivisions

01 Mike’s Guess: ‘album covers with dogs on them’ (no)

02 Neil Young – Rockin’ In The Free World

02 Mike’s Guess: ‘all Canadian artists’ (no)

03 Guess Who – Runnin’ Back To Saskatoon

03 Mike’s Guess: ‘songs about Canadian cities’ (no)

04 Loverboy – Turn Me Loose

04 Mike’s Guess: ‘all artists who sang on Tears Are Not Enough’ (yes!)

Comment:

Broadcasted live from Chicopee ski resort. This was not the Four Play that Kathryn had wanted played, so her confidence at being able to stump her brother was pretty low, at the outset. It shocked me that Mike had never heard the Guess Who song before. I thought everybody knew that song.

Score: Mike is 3/3.

Four-Play #4 (submitted by Greg Laughtenschlager)

01 Megadeth – Hangar 18

01 Mike’s Guess: ‘science fiction, aliens, conspiracy theme’ (no)

02 Quiet Riot – Mama We’re All Crazy Now

02 Mike’s Guess: ‘books (1984, Roswell)’ (no)

02 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘stripey pants’ (no)

03 Iron Maiden – The Trooper

03 Mike’s Guess: ‘bands that opened for Sabbath’ (no)

04 Dio – Rainbow In The Dark

04 Mike’s Guess: ‘all four albums covers were paintings with mascots’ (yes!)

Comment: Definitely a HEAVY set, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And Mike nails it. So cool.

Score: Mike is 4/4.

Four-Play #5 (submitted by Nick Byerjean sp?)

01 KISS – Beth

01 Mike’s Guess: ‘songs that originated as b-sides’ (no)

01 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘no members of the band played on the track’ (no)

01 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘crappy songs from great albums’ (no)

02 Guns ‘N Roses – Used To Love Her

02 Mike’s Guess: ‘single monikered album titles’ (no)

02 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘songs with unusual percussion’ (no)

02 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘songs people think is about one thing, but it’s about something else” (no)

02 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘acoustic ballads’ (no)

03 Aerosmith – Angel

03 Mike’s Guess: ‘bands led by duos’ (no)

03 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘bands who shortened their name from something longer (no)

03 Mike’s Extra Guess ‘all are bands from America’ (no)

04 Slash with Andrew Stockdale – By The Sword

04 Mike’s Guess: ‘songs released in even numbered years’ (no)

04 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘all albums released in leap years’ (no)

04 Mike’s Extra Guess: ‘songs released in Canadian-hosted Olympic years’ (yes!)

Comment: OK, that was RIDICULOUS. Hearing him work through that last one was incredible. Even with all the extra guesses, that answer was from so far out of left field. Wow.

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