Welcome to the 400th freakin’ instalment of Record Store Tales/Getting More Tale!
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #400: The Open Door Shit Theory
The following is my own theory, based on memory and knowledge of the people and circumstances involved. I call it the “Open Door Shit” theory because the Record Store alumnus in question, Joe “Big Nose”, is already well renowned for his Open Door Piss. Sometimes circumstances may dictate that the easiest course of action is to take a dump with the door wide open. This is the theory of those circumstances.*
My theory depends on a few facts and several assumptions.
FACT #1: Joe “Big Nose” worked alone at his Record Store for an average of four hours per day.
FACT #2: Joe is a human being who has to shit periodically.
ASSUMPTION #1: Anything he says is potentially merely a joke.
ASSUMPTION #2: Then again, anything he says is also potentially the truth masquerading as a joke. That’s his modus operandi.
ASSUMPTION #3: When it comes to gross-out stories about bodily functions, he was more than likely telling the truth. His friends testify that they have heard similar stories from him in the past. I was told by Uncle Meat that this story is “probably true”.
Although I haven’t been there for a while, I do remember his store well. I got to work a couple shifts, though never with Big Nose himself. It was a small store, with a small bathroom, located behind the counter off to the side. The story that Big Nose told me was this: On at least one occasion, he had to take a giant shit while working alone. He waited for the store to empty completely, and then rather than lock the door and put up a “Back in 5” sign, he kept it open.
Because store layout is crucial to this theory, I had contributor Thussy draw a rough store layout using AutoCAD. You can see, from his extremely accurate rendition, how Joe’s toilet had a direct line of sight to the store entrance.
Thanks to Thussy for this wonderful AutoCAD layout
Big Nose told me that in order to take a shit while working alone, he decided to do it with the door open, so he could easily spy if a customer was about to enter.
He also told me that when a customer did enter, they were greeted by the toxic stench slowly wafting over from the washroom. According to Big Nose, the customer visibly wrinkled their nose at the smell.
Is this story true? I believe it to be. But only Big Nose knows!
* Former co-worker Dave “Homer” has confirmed that Big Nose did in fact take an open-door dump in-store, with him as a witness. He adds that the store’s counter would have blocked the line of sight unless Joe stood up.
Let’s pretend that you’re involved with Ozzy Osbourne’s management or record label. When it comes time to release that first “definitive” box set, I’m sure you’d have your own ideas for making it the best box that Ozzy could release. Ozzy Osbourne in 2005 had eight mostly great studio albums, numerous live records, and more rarities than you could shake a stick at. They certainly had a lot of music to choose from. I greeted the eventual release of Prince of Darkness with great excitement at these rarities…but tremendous disappointment at the overall listening experience.
A 4-CD box set is a lot of listening and in order to keep it riveting from end to end, you have to pick the right tracks and sequence them for maximum firepower. Somebody at Sony’s box set department didn’t get my memos on that, obviously, because Prince of Darkness is one of the most annoying box sets to listen to in its entirety. They decided to do two discs “anthology” style, with live and rare tracks mixed in. The third disc is a questionable collection of Ozzy collaborations. The final CD is the worst of all: covers that Ozzy recorded and later released on their own album, Under Cover! A CD that was released only months after Prince of Darkness itself — with additional bonus tracks to milk it further, forcing the completist to buy it again!
I have so many complaints about this set that I felt it best to list them all off in point form.
1. Never, ever start your box set off with a live track. Even if that live track is “I Don’t Know” from Randy Rhoads Tribute.
2. Because this set was released in 2005, you are hearing the re-recorded bass and drums on all the songs from Blizzard and Diary…not the classic original versions.
3. Same with the tunes from Bark at the Moon. These are the remixed versions found on the 2002 reissue of that album. There are only two songs from that album anyway. “Bark” itself is an unreleased live version.
4. Two CDs is not enough space to represent Ozzy’s album output in a box set, especially when you include the studio albums, live albums and rare tracks too. The early Randy Rhoads material makes up the bulk of disc one, leaving the Jake E. Lee years under represented. There are no songs from The Ultimate Sin at all, only the three live tracks originally for the Ultimate Live Ozzy EP.
5. There are a few baffling exclusions, such as “Miracle Man” (first single with Zakk) and “I Just Want You”, in favour of also-rans such as “Spiders”.
6. The collaborations disc is a total mess. “Purple Haze” is just a Hendrix cover from the No Rest For the Wicked era, by Ozzy’s band. It’s not a collaboration, just a cover they did for the Make A Difference Foundation CD called Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell. It’s a real challenge to listen to this whole CD in one sitting. One moment you’re rocking out to a killer version of “N.I.B.” with Primus, the next you’re barfing through a piece of crap with Tony Iommi and Wu-Tang Clan. From Was Not Was to Miss Piggy, at least the CD is diverse, and it does collect a lot of Ozzy’s singing from albums I don’t have. I already had the Miss Piggy track but not the cover of “Stayin’ Alive” by Dweezil Zappa! Nor did I have “I Ain’t No Nice Guy” by Motörhead, from the mediocre March ör Die. This disc is too jokey and not at all consistent.
7. Even though the third disc collects a variety of tracks from a number of CDs, I am certain that Ozzy fans who buy this kind of box set already had some of them. Including “Psycho Man” by Black Sabbath (not even a single remix version) from the Reunion CD (2008) is odd. Many Ozzy and Sabbath collectors already have the Nativity in Black CDs, where the Primus and Therapy? tracks come from.
8. “Nowhere to Run (Vapor Trail)” by DMX, Ozzy Osbourne, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, The Crystal Method and Fuzzbubble is edited! This track was from the South Park album and still features Isaac Hayes’ introduction, as “Chef”. For reasons I cannot explain at all, the swearing and “n” words are blanked, and there were a lot of them. It’s also missing ODB’s rant at the end, which itself was edited off later versions of the South Park CD. (I have an earlier version with the rant intact.)
9. The packaging leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. Inside the box which is just book-style, you will find a nice big booklet that just sits loose inside. There is no way to secure it in, so it’ll fall out any time you pick it up!
10. Speaking of that booklet, the liner notes suck. Ozzy has a brief note about each song, but not necessarily any useful information. For example, regarding that South Park track, all we’re told is that Ozzy bit the head off Kenny. Nothing about how that random assortment of artists was assembled. The book is padded out with lyrics and shoddy credits that aren’t very accurate. “Bark at the Moon” live for example was recorded in 1982-1983 according to the notes. Come on, guys! Not good enough for a box set.
11. The entire fouth CD sucks. You can read my review of the expanded Under Cover version of it here. (Long story short: 1/5 stars.) The only difference is that the box set includes Kelly Osbourne’s duet with daddy, on “Changes”. This song was only included on the Japanese version of Under Cover but not the regular domestic.
Fortunately, Prince of Darkness is not a total bust. Some of the unreleased tracks are real treasures, such as the demo of “S.I.N.” called “Won’t Be Coming Home”. I prefer this to the album version from No More Tears by a long shot, as I do the twangier “I Don’t Want to Change the World”. I also love the demo for the emotional ballad “See You On the Other Side”, which features previously unheard saxophone accompaniment. I appreciated that they included the live version of “Perry Mason” from the Ozzfest 1 CD, which enabled me to sell off that pretty crappy album.
It’s easy to bitch and complain (don’t I know it?) but if I were to make a 4 CD Ozzy box from the same period, I would have done it very differently. The covers CD would be axed completely and the rarities set aside to a disc all their own. The first two “anthology” discs would be strictly studio versions, and original studio versions at that, with only a sprinkle of tracks from Randy Rhoads Tribute. I would try to squeeze in more rare tracks from B-sides and EPs, and I would definitely try to mix them in with the collaborations so that you’re not left listening to so many of those novelty tunes in a row.
Buyer beware — Prince of Darkness is not the feast you were hoping for. This is a poorly executed package. When you have an artist like Ozzy Osbourne, you really gotta screw up bad to put out a set that is this hard to listen to. Prince of Darkness is going back on the shelf, for a good long while.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #399: Record Shopping in the Sticks
Summers in Kincardine, Ontario in the late 1980s and early 90s were beautiful, but to a teenage me they felt isolated. No phone at the cottage, no cable TV, and nothing that cityfolk would call a record store. We did have a few options. There were places that you could buy music, including one crummy music store that popped up for a brief while. Summertime is made for music, and one of my favourite childhood experiences was listening to brand new tunes in the summer.
We’d be at the cottage for two weeks straight every August, and I would usually pack my entire my tape collection to come with me (oh how my dad loved that). Having all my favourite songs with me meant I’d always have music for whatever mood I was in. Still, nothing could beat the rush of new music! New didn’t have to mean “new” per se; I was collecting the back catalogues of many metal masters too. There was always something to buy that would be brand new to me.
In the very early days, you could buy tapes at the local Stedmans store downtown. Stedmans sold everything from clothes to musical instruments to toys. Like many of these places, they are now closed. It was one store to buy new cassettes, and that is where I picked up Priest…Live! back in July of 1987. The other place to buy tapes at that time was an electronics store called Don’s Hi Fi. White Lion’s Big Game and W.A.S.P.’s Headless Children came from Don’s Hi Fi during the summer of 1989. I couldn’t wait until I got home and played them. We’d rip open the plastic and check out the pictures in the car, waiting to get back and hit play. The following summer, I bought Jon Bon Jovi’s Blaze of Glory at the same store. We would also be able to find tapes in the cheapie bin at places like drug stores, and I picked up The Earthquake Album from such a bin.
Around 1988, an actual music store opened up in Kincardine. It was there that I purchased Painkiller by Judas Priest, and Exposed by Vince Neil. It was a small store and they didn’t have many catalogue items, but you could pick up new releases there and some key older releases such as greatest hits.
Beyond these few stores, you had to get out of town. Kincardine is a small place, but Port Elgin to the north offered a few more options. There was a Radio Shack there with a different selection of tapes. They also had 7” singles, of which we bought a couple on clearance.
L-R Peter, Bob, Mike. Note Peter wearing deck shoes on a deck. He always was the best dresser. Also note my official Starfleet sideburns. Summer 1992
In the summer of ’92 we made several day trips to Port Elgin. My sister and I were headed to a “cards & comics” store that we discovered. One afternoon my sister phoned them up to ask if they had any promotional Star Wars cards? They did – road trip! The first of many happy and successful trips to Port Elgin looking for goodies. (Yes, promo cards are collectible just like some promo CDs.)
On the same trip, we found this grungy record store on the corner of the main drag. Really scummy, really dirty. They bought and sold used tapes and records. My sister brought in a whole bunch of her cassettes for store credit, and walked out with Rod Stewart’s Out of Order and one or two others. My first purchase there was Black Sabbath’s Live at Last. I bought my original copy of Helix’s Wild in the Streets on cassette at that store. The tape glowed in the dark. I’ve never seen another glow-in-the-dark tape before or since! I also picked up Kiss’ Creatures of the Night (original cover) on vinyl, as well as Twister Sister’s Come Out and Play. You might remember that Come Out and Play had that awesome cover with the opening manhole? That was the reason I bought it.
Those stores in Port Elgin are both gone. Don’s Hi Fi still exists in Kincardine, but they don’t sell music anymore. I did buy a pair of earbuds there about five years ago, but things have changed so much. There’s no such thing as “isolation” anymore, not like it felt back then. Today I can sit on the front porch of the cottage, streaming live radio from home straight to the laptop. I used to pack my entire tape collection for the cottage, but now anything I want to listen to, I can search for on Youtube. It is simply amazing how much has changed in the last two decades, and I am sure that in another 20 years it will be just as startlingly different.
As long as I can still listen to my music there, I’ll be happy!
This album was huuuuge in 1989. In Canada, summer time is Mitchell time. Cottages, brewskies, BBQ and Mitchell. That’s what it was all about! Shakin’ Like a Human Being was also a huge success for Kim, but he expressed a desire to use less keyboards and programming. Kim recorded in the US this time, and for budget reasons, did not bring along lyricist Pye Dubois with him. Pye had been in the studio with Kim for every album prior, and this caused a rift between the two that took years to heal. This was the last time they collaborated until 1994’s Itch.
The pseudo-title track, “Rocklandwonderland” refers to the “concert bowl” at Canada’s Wonderland. “Listen to the music, listen to the voices, listen to my guitar,” sings Kim, although the song is a little light on guitar. “Rocklandwonderland” was a big hit for Kim, and although it’s not a heavy rock, his guitar playing on it is stellar. Perhaps he shouldn’t have followed a slow rock tune with a ballad, although “Lost Lovers Found” is a hell of a ballad, with just a hint of twang. Some felt that Rockland was too soft compared to Kim’s progressive rock past, but a Kim ballad has more integrity than most. Kim’s backup singer extraordinaire, Peter Fredette, is present here and he also serves to class up any song by several notches.
Other ballads on the record include “Tangle of Love”, which is quirky and experimental but not great. “O Mercy Louise”, which has a rocking chorus, is a fine song with cool lyrics. The “big one” however was the single “Expedition Sailor”. This introspective acoustic song is sparse and effective. Kim’s buddy Rik Emmett from Triumph drops by to play an excellent solo on classical guitar. “Expedition Sailor” is top drawer stuff. (The music video received a remix, which you can get on Kim’s Greatest Hits album.)
The “big” song on the album, still getting airplay today, is the anthem “Rock N’ Roll Duty”. The tougher direction of the song is exemplified by a “live” style music video in a seedy bar. As a fan I really wanted Kim to come out with a tough rocking tune, with a killer chorus, and he did.
“I’m just doing my rock n’ roll duty,
Creating a buzz buzz buzz,
Some say I’m in it for the money,
Man, I’m in it for love love love!”
The phrase “I’m just doing my rock n’ roll duty,” is now commonly heard among music fans in Canada. The song just hits the spot, and the riff is now synonymous for summer in my mind.
Other highlights on Rockland include the joyful “The Crossroads” which opens side two. The guitar-heavy “This Dream” is another favourite. I could always identify with the lyrics. It’s just a stellar song, an also-ran that could have been a fourth single. The record is rounded out by “Moodstreet” and “The Great Escape”, two decent but unremarkable tunes.
MVP: Drummer Lou Molino, a near legend in these parts. Curiously, when you Google images of Lou Molino, you will also get hits for Lou Ferigno.
Overall I was pleased with the direction of Rockland, going a bit more raw and rocking. Unfortunately with the exception of a few tracks like “Rock N’ Roll Duty”, it feels very tame. Except for quirky moments within guitar solos, it doesn’t possess enough of Kim’s humour and idiosyncrasies. It feels as if it’s on a leash, but it’s also not straining to get off it. It feels like Rockland hits the mark in many respects, but plays it too safe.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #398: New Rock, Old Rock
A selection of songs I’ve been rocking out to on the radio lately, for your consideration and perusal.
ROYAL BLOOD – “Figure It Out”
It seems that bass/drums duos are all the rage. I like this awesome, aggressive groove from the English duo of Royal Blood. Just slammin’! Proof that you don’t need more than two people to make good heavy rock!
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 – “Trainwreck 1979”
Having ignored these two Canadian guys for years, I have recently become infatuated with “Trainwreck 1979”. I could do without the piano touches and the “woo ooo ooo’s” but it’s hard to deny that this is a slamming song living up to its name. Well done, Death From Above 1979.
THE TREWS – “New King”
This aggressive riff-based song combines three elements I love about the Trews – guitar hooks, memorable melodies, and a great singer. Bonus points for cool lyrics like, “A bitter hipster hick, Can’t stop talking shit, The F’N idiot, Don’t know when to quit.”
DANKO JONES – “Do You Wanna Rock”
No surprises here! Danko Jones = Danko Jones = Danko Jones, but it’s always nice to hear a new track. This one’s pretty simple — it’s about rocking! More cowbell!
I MOTHER EARTH – “The Devil’s Engine”
Different from anything I’ve heard this band do before, “The Devil’s Engine” combines traditional IME percussion with metallic riffs and licks. With the prior single “We Got the Love” out in 2012, it would be nice to get a new album by I Mother Earth.
THE PRETTY RECKLESS – “Follow Me Down”
I haven’t been a fan of the Pretty Reckless. Until now I’ve found their music to be tiredly generic. This track, however, kicks it! Taylor Momsen’s turned herself into a metal howler, in her natural environment. Her songs can get repetitive but I’m not bored with this one yet.
I’ve also recently rediscovered some of these tracks that I knew very well, but have been dusted off on the radio recently.
AC/DC – “Rock the Blues Away”
I’m glad that after “Play Ball” and “Rock Or Bust”, this excellent AC/DC track has been chosen as the newest single from AC/DC’s latest. It’s absolutely a favourite of mine! Great choice for a single.
NEIL YOUNG – “Downtown”
I’m pleasantly reminded of this collaboration between Uncle Neil and Pearl Jam, showcasing their kickass new drummer Jack Irons. A great, simple little rock tune.
TRIUMPH – “Lay It on the Line”
This is undeniably a Canadian classic of double-necked guitar majesty. I noticed that the version getting airplay today is the beefier remixed version, from Greatest Hits Remixed. (I was the only listener that noticed, I know because I wrote in to ask about it!)
Part 2 of 2 — for yesterday’s instalment,click here. For Aaron’s review of the domestic CD, click here!
SCORPIONS – Face the Heat (1993 Polygram, Japanese and Canadian versions)
1990’s Crazy World was a huge hit, but before Keith Olsen produced it, Scorpions had approached Canada’s Bruce Fairbairn. Pleased with his work on their Who cover “I Can’t Explain”, Scorpions prepared to convene in Vancouver with the producer. They were disappointed when Bruce changed his mind at the last minute when forced to choose between the new Scorpions and AC/DC projects. Fairbairn chose AC/DC, and the result was the five times platinum (US) Razors Edge album.
Since Crazy World ended up selling two million in the US and another five million worldwide, I’m sure there were no hard feelings between the two parties when they finally did hook up together on the followup album, Face the Heat. Personally speaking I felt Crazy World wasn’t heavy enough. I was hoping for more in Face the Heat. Additionally, this album was the Scorpions’ first since 1972 without bassist Francis Buchholz. Replacing him was five-stringer Ralph Rieckermann who ended up spending almost a decade with the Scorpions. Rieckermann was a very different player and added new elements such as slapped bass.
The first single “Alien Nation” showed promise. A menacing, metallic riff ushered in a tune with some slamming drums (thank you Herman Rarebell), and that ultra-low fifth string on the bass guitar. I preferred “Alien Nation” to just about any song on Crazy World. The year was 1993 and a heavy groove was exactly what the doctor ordered.
“No Pain No Gain” exhibits the Scorpions’ knack for naff song titles. Thankfully it too is a grinding metal groove, showing off Matthias Jabs’ talkbox skills on the guitar. With the Scorpions post-Schenker and post-Roth, you have to expect a certain amount of boneheaded metal. I think these guys genuinely love givin’ er on that trademark, simple sound. I believe they like playing this kind of thing with earnest, so good on them.
Three songs in and “Someone to Touch” is another great little Scorpions rocker. This speedy one won’t tax your brain cells in the lyrical department, but you will find yourself singing along to the chorus without realizing it. The chorus bears the stamp of Fairbairn with its answering lines. After this much firepower, I don’t mind a ballad and “Under the Same Sun” (perhaps a sequel to the worldwide hit “Wind of Change”) is a good one. Besides, Scorpions follow it by firing off another rocker called “Unholy Alliance”, another knockout with a great chorus. This helps lessen the impact of the next ballad, “Woman”. “Woman” is very different from “Under the Same Sun”, being dark and mournful. Another success.
Unfortunately, Face the Heat stalls in a major way on side two. A number of boring songs in a row (“Hate To Be Nice”, “Taxman Woman”, “Ship of Fools”, “Nightmare Avenue” boast only a few surprises and memorable moments. Jabs sports a nice fatbody jazz guitar solo on “Hate To Be Nice”, a trick that Fairbairn later encouraged Eddie Van Halen to use on his band’s next album, Balance. Unfortunately, a cool unique solo like this is within the same song as these lyrics:
“Hey baby, listen up, I’m not in love with you, You keep runnin’ off at the mouth, And someone else can scratch my back, And I could care less about your legs, I just wanna see ’em walk all over me!”
The last listed track on the domestic CD is the ballad “Lonely Nights”, another really good ballad. Who cares that they just copied the way they ended Crazy World, with a slow dark ballad like “Send Me An Angel”? All well and good says I, but as I mentioned in yesterday’s instalment of Getting More Tale, the US and Canadian versions of the album have a hidden bonus track! Way back in ’89, the Scorps and Fairbairn discussed recording an Elvis cover. Tucked away unlisted after “Lonely Nights” is Elvis Presley’s “His Latest Flame”. It is a pleasant surprise! The trombone and trumpets are the perfect added touch. I’m sure Scorpions grew up listening to a lot of Elvis Presley records, and this version is faultless. It’s gleeful and authentic sounding despite the fact that it’s the Scorpions!
Neither of the two bonus tracks on the Japanese version of the CD are as good as “His Latest Flame”. Both are ballads: “Kami O Shin Jiru”, and “Daddy’s Girl”. They are inconsequential to casual Scorpions fans who don’t obsessively collect all their songs. Additionally, they are disappointing to Scorpions collectors who buy these things hoping the extra tracks will be better. I dig Rieckermann’s fretless bass on “Kami O Shin Jiru”, but these songs only serve to end Face the Heat on an excessively mellow note. “Daddy’s Girl” is particularly depressing; I don’t want to listen to songs about child abuse — I already know it’s bad! Scorpions tackle the subject in their usual subtle-as-a-brick fashion.
If only the second half of Face the Heat was as strong as the first.
Rest in peace Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015).
Yesterday, blues legend B.B. King passed away at age 89, leaving a vacuum in the blues that can never be filled. I’m not very good at writing these tributes, although my soul aches too. Rather than write something about B.B., I thought instead I would share some of the memories from the WordPress community. Please click the links below to see the tributes and memories of B.B. King. If we try to remember, then the thrill will never be gone.
Aaron at Keeps Me Alive: “I was fortunate to see B.B. in concert four times, over the years.”
Derek Kortepeter at MixolydianBlog: “As a guitarist, I reflect on how he, along with many others like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, made my guitar style a possibility.”
Part 1 of 2 — First the tale, tomorrow the review! This tale itself is a direct sequel to Aaron’s story “Mail From Jedi Master LeBrain”.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #397: Face the Heat (Mail From Sydenham)
I collect Japanese imports, especially when there are bonus tracks afoot. A year ago, I found a Japanese copy of Scorpions’ Face the Heat CD with two such bonus tracks. I bought it from one of my favourite vendors, at the Toronto Musical Collectibles Record & CD Sale. It was $15 and complete with obi strip. A steal. (Who says Japanese imports are very expensive anyway?)
Because I try to avoid redundant copies in my collection, I donated my original CD of Face the Heatto Aaron. He reviewed it and called it “a collection of strong songs that gets better as it goes along”. I played my Japanese copy, and filed it away without giving the album much thought until recently. Martin Popoff’s excellent Scorpions tome, Top of the Bill, reminded me of an Elvis cover that Scorpions did as a hidden bonus track.
The Scorpions almost recorded “His Latest Flame” back in 1989 for their hits compilation, Best of Rockers ‘n’ Ballads. It was between Elvis and The Who’s “I Can’t Explain”. “I Can’t Explain” won out, but the Scorps gave it another go in 1993 for Face the Heat. (Incidentally both tracks were produced by the late Bruce Fairbairn.)
“His Latest Flame” was one of the first “hidden bonus tracks” in my collection. It’s very unlike anything the Scorpions had done before, but they did a damn fine job of it in my opinion. I love the horn parts. I’m sure that was Fairbairn’s doing, a trumpet player. It was buried unlisted after the end of “Lonely Nights”, the final song on the CD, as part of the same track. When I read Popoff’s book, I realized, “When I gave Aaron my original CD, I didn’t check if the Japanese CD retained that bonus track…”
Indeed, “LeBrain” the Bonehead did fail to check if “His Latest Flame” was on the Japanese CD, and it is not. It’s very rare to find a domestic CD that has a bonus track not included on a Japanese version, but it does happen, and it did happen on Face the Heat!
Gratefully, when “LeBrain” the Bonehead asked if he could have the disc back, Aaron immediately said “no problem”! He knows the kind of collector I am. He sent it back to me as a part of a recent parcel exchange that we enjoy doing from time to time!
I do appreciate that he was willing to send this “gifted” CD back. It just goes to show how two collectors understand one another! As for Face the Heat, look for my review of both CDs right here tomorrow!
A few gigs led to a greatest hits CD and two new songs. That led to a tour and a live album. That in turn finally gave way to a new studio album by Stryper. The aptly titled Reborn was unlike any prior Stryper album: Detuned and heavier than hell, Reborn shocked pretty much everybody that heard it! Drum loops, chugging riffs…this was Stryper? There was also a new bassist on board — Tracy Ferrie, from Michael Sweet’s solo band.
“Open Your Eyes” begins abruptly, as if to further surprise the listener with the new Stryper sound. It bears no resemblance to old Stryper whatsoever. It is stripped down, heavy, droney, with emphasis on the riff, and no screams! Stryper appeared to go very “2000’s” with their new sound, but unlike Metallica, they hung onto the guitar solos! Then “Reborn” is stuttery and chunky. It takes some getting used to, because melody takes a back seat to heavy here. It’s good — but there are few hooks. Overall, the CD reminds me of mid-90’s Dio. I must say that drummer Robert Sweet seems particularly in his element on this heavy stuff, but his snare drum sound is a bit stuffy.
Some understated and cool guitar harmonies help out “When Did I See You Cry” on the chorus. It’s also the first song to present those uplifting Stryper harmonies. “Make You Mine” is a slow rocker with a melodic vocal and a highlight. It’s remarkable how Michael Sweet’s voice has grown to have so much character while retaining its power. “Live Again” steals the riff from “Shout at the Devil” and shakes it up a bit. “Shout” was stolen from “Foxy Lady” anyway, so who cares? The song sounds nothing like “Shout” otherwise, but it’s back to that heavy detuned Stryper sound.
“If I Die” is a slow, heavy burner with a great chorus. That’s followed by “Wait For You” which is a simple pop rock song but recorded heavy, complete with “na na na” backing vocals. “Rain” is a bit of a ballad, and Sweet really reaches for it on the chorus. Solid song albeit a tad generic. “10,000 Years” is stuttery and rhythmic but doesn’t have a lot of hooks. Album closer “I.G.W.T.” is a much heavier, much better remake of the title track from 1988’s In God We Trust. This version kills the original in every single way possible. Michael even nails that final scream.
The best song on the album, by a fair shake, is the mighty “Passion”. Not only does it possess a chorus that will shake the foundations, but it’s also the most blatantly in your face about their faith. “Jesus Christ, I wanna serve you, I want what you want for me. Sacred voice, I don’t deserve you, through your Passion I am free.” That chorus will not be for everybody obviously, but damn it sure is catchy when Sweet lets it all out! Give it a listen and see what I mean. You don’t have to sing along if you don’t want to.
When originally released, the CD came packaged in a semi-transparent yellow cellophane wrap. I found it as such when it first came out at a nearby Christian book & CD store. They wanted $24.99 for it, and I couldn’t justify paying that much for yellow shrink wrap, when I could wait for a used copy to come in at the Record Store at which I worked. I ended up with the used copy, but boy I sure did like the way it looked with the yellow cellophane. The image on the cover of the band ripping the yellow ooze from their bodies is meant to represent how Stryper felt “reborn” individually and collectively. Of course the yellow and black are a return to Stryper’s original trademark colour scheme which they dropped on Against the Law.
Since Reborn, Stryper have zeroed in on the “perfect” sound, sort of a cross between this and old Stryper with loads of melody and power. Their albums continue to impress. Reborn was a necessary first step back, and it takes some getting used to. It doesn’t have the longevity of their classic work, but it definitely ain’t shabby.
3.25/5 stars
I hope you enjoyed Stryper week here at mikeladano.com! Tomorrow we return to our regularly scheduled instalment of Getting More Tale.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t, Stryper finally took the second biggest gamble* of their lives and dropped the overtly Christian themes in their lyrics. It was a decision they would quickly regret. Changing their lyrical message did nothing to help them sell records, and they found themselves without a record deal. They spurted out some new songs for a greatest hits album called Can’t Stop the Rock before Michael Sweet bailed and the band dissolved. In the liner notes to that album, drummer Robert Sweet states, “We were making a grab for musical freedom, but we never should have let that be misinterpreted as a change in our beliefs.”
Before the change, cynics accused Stryper of faking the sincerity of their beliefs in order to “cash in” on the “gimmick” of being a Christian metal band. Now that they had dropped those lyrics, they were accused of cashing in once again. There was no winning at this point for Stryper. No wonder the band caved in.
The shame of it is, fans in the know consider their 1990 album Against the Law to be among their very best. It earned a cult classic status with those who ignored the hype. The change wasn’t just lyrical, but total. Eager to reverse the musical damage of In God We Trust, Stryper toughened up their sound and got veteran producer Tom Werman behind the console. They also changed their image for the better. Gone were the massive hairdos and the yellow and black bumblebee suits. In were beards and goatees, and darker understated clothes. The stripes were still there in the stage costumes, but they were now gray and black. New logo, new start. Or not.
A thunderous new sound opened the new album — a funky heavy metal riff. No, this isn’t Extreme, it’s Stryper. “Against the Law” is a really cool shuffle with echoes of Van Halen too. The band were displaying a new toughness, and Werman captured a more appropriate raw sound from the band. Guitar-wise, Michael Sweet and Oz Fox are not content to just law down some solos, but instead leave jaws on the floor with their creative shreddery.
“Two Time Woman” is not the kind of song title that Stryper fans were used to see on their albums. This Motley Crue/Scorpions-ish rocker is strong but not a standout, despite its release as a music video. It’s just nice to hear Stryper rocking out with solid production behind them.
The next track “Rock the People” takes the album back to a funky “extreme”. It’s the lighter “Two Bodies (One Mind One Soul)” that really had hit potential. The acoustic guitars lull you in, but the chorus kills! “Two Bodies” gets my vote for best track on the album. It really is a shame that it never became a hit in this universe. Maybe on another Earth, where rock never fell to grunge….
“Not That Kind of Guy” is a blazingly fast Van Halen-style shuffle. David Lee Roth would have given his left nut for a song this much like his old band at the time. This kind of tune really reveals why Stryper were right to free up their songwriting a bit, if only for one album. This kind of music does not really fit spiritual lyrics all that well, so good on them for stretching out and writing a few songs like this. And listen to Michael Sweet’s scream at the end! Never before on a Stryper album had he let loose like that.
The big surprise of the album was the song chosen as lead single: a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Shining Star”! In a 1990 MuchMusic interview, bassist Tim Gaines recalled that the song was suggested to them and the reaction was “‘Shining Star’? What the hell is that going to sound like?” Not bad, actually. “Then we ended up making a video for it, which I’m not sure how that came about,” said Gaines.
“Shining Star” did not grab me at all, at the time. Today I really find it fun and enjoyable. Stryper already had funky metal elements on this album, so why not cover Earth, Wind & Fire? I’d say they pulled it off in their own way. The only mistake was choosing this song as the lead single! Leading with “Two Bodies” might have given the hard rock fans at the time something more familiar to sink their teeth into, than an Earth, Wind & Fire cover. That’s Randy Jackson on bass for this track by the way — that’s one reason why it’s so dang funky!
A few songs ago, Michael Sweet claimed to be “Not That Kind Of Guy”, now he is saying he is just an “Ordinary Man”. This smooth mid-tempo track retains those classic Stryper angelic harmonies, but better arranged to suit harder rock music. Of course, every hard rock album needed to have a ballad. Rather than keep re-writing the same old piano ballads as they had been, Stryper went acoustic for “Lady” (not the Styx song). It was a good move, and a good song. It too had hit potential, but alas, it was not to be for Stryper. They were “Caught in the Middle”; so goes the next song. It is as close as we got to old-school metal Stryper. It’s good that they did not neglect that side of the band’s sound. Again, Sweet throws in some of those unearthly screams that he is capable of.
The sleek metal stomp of “All For One” sounds like classic Dokken to me, and that’s not a bad thing. It has the same dark, ominous chug that George Lynch is so capable of. No wonder Sweet & Lynch hooked up later on! The chorus kills it, too. Against the Law is ended by “Rock the Hell Out of You” which is about as preachy as Stryper get on this album (not very). It’s another killer speedy metal scorcher to go out on. Kudos to Robert Sweet on drums for being able to play like this!
I like stories with happy endings, so I’ll share this. Stryper has since reunited, heavier than ever. Christian lyrics and ordinary rock songs co-exist on the same albums now, and fans couldn’t be happier that they are back. The fact that their reunion-era albums are so damn good doesn’t hurt, either. If the story of Against the Law has a bright side, it is that it was a step on the journey to Reborn, Murder By Pride, The Covering and beyond.
4/5 stars
*Their biggest gamble was trying to be a Christian metal band in the first place.
mikeladano.com