RECORD STORE TALES Mk II: Getting More Tale #357: “Dream Bands” (1990 version)
I’m sure you and your friends have made these lists many times: put together a lineup of your dream band! Any living players can qualify.
I had deep, long conversations about this with my friends in highschool. One of them simply listed the four members of Led Zeppelin (Jason subbing in for John) as his dream band. You could certainly make an argument for that. My highschool dream band (1990-91 year) was instead made up of the players that I thought were the absolute best in their fields. Can you guess who I was listening to that year? Lineup:
Lead vocals – Rob Halford
Lead guitar – Steve Vai
Rhythm guitar – Malcolm Young
Bass – Billy Sheehan
Drums – Scott Travis
Keyboards – Jon Lord
As a joke, I also added a seventh bonus member, Walter Ostanek on accordion! That was for my buddy Andy, who also played accordion. Upon submitting my official list for consideration, I removed Ostanek. But I figured that Walter could show up for a guest appearance on a track or two, because everyone loves accordion.
An interesting band lineup to be sure, but as my highschool friends pointed out, they would probably implode after only one rehearsal. Steve Vai and Malcolm Young in the same band? I can’t see how that would work. Sorry, LeBrain circa 1990. Fail! I’m glad I kept this stuff though, because it’s so funny to look back on it now. 25 freakin’ years ago!
Who would you place in your “dream band” lineup today? One stipulation: the artist must be alive and able to play. For example I couldn’t put Malcolm on my list today, nor could I put Phil Collins on drums, since he can no longer play them due to injury.
SAVATAGE – Hall of the Mountain King (1987, 2002 Steamhammer remaster)
Man, I just love Hall Of The Mountain King! Who can forget that classic video…the little elf running through the mountain trying to steal the King’s gold! Any time in the past that I have thrown an “80’s metal video” party, that one was the star of the night.
Elf or no elf, the album is solid front to back. Savatage have many different styles, from thrash to ballads to progressive metal, and have housed three different singers over the course of their long but too brief career! Hall Of The Mountain King falls into the first era with original lead howler Jon Oliva, and captures them at their most “metal”. Which isn’t to say that other influences aren’t audible. Progressive rock was definitely starting to creep in. You can tell by the rendition of Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” (here listed as “Prelude to Madness”). When metal bands start playing classical pieces, you know that rock operas aren’t far behind (and they weren’t: four of them, to be exact).
One important factor that separates Hall from earlier and later ‘Tage albums is the riffage of Criss Oliva (RIP.) By this time, working with producer Paul O’Neill, the writing was becoming very focused and the riffs and melodies very sharp. I don’t think the riffs had ever been honed to an edge like this on Savatage albums before. They are just crushing. Criss of course passed away in the early 90’s, and his riffs were never to be heard again. This, in my humble metal heart, is the absolute best of Savatage’s early metallic phase.
There are no bad songs on this album, though “Prelude To Madness” runs a little long and is a tad too synth-heavy. But since it segues right into the title track, we’ll forgive Savatage.
The metal on this album begins with a groove called “24 Hours Ago”. Jarring riffs, great bass lick and patented Oliva screams — what an opener. Just rips your head off! “Beyond the Doors of the Dark” is where the album really begins, in my opinion. This is just an awesome, heavy rocker with a riff of carbon steel as only Savatage could forge. One of their all-time best songs. Joining it is “Legions”, another Sava-classic. Again, it’s dark and riffy, with great lyrics and melodies from Jon. Definitely makes my desert island. Closing side one is a bit of a surprising song: “Strange Wings”. This one is more hard rock, but it’s certainly great. The late Ray Gillen (ex-Black Sabbath & Badlands singer) duets here, and raises the bar up another notch. His vocal soars. Both singers kill it. Manager Paul O’Neill, who also produced the first Badlands album, was was managing both that band and Savatage!
“Hall of the Mountain King” is the song most people know Savatage for. Its riff will drill its way into your head, and that is a promise. I fell hard for this band, and it all started with this one song. You might want to skip that long intro, unless you’re dying to hear Grieg played by a metal band (and even if you do, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow also covered the same Grieg piece on Strangers in Us All).
Tempo slides back a notch on “The Price You Pay”, this one’s a little more Dokken. Yet with another great Criss riff, and more great vocal melodies from Jon, it’s not filler. “White Witch” isn’t either, but it’s the weak link. This is thrash metal like old-school ‘Tage. Reminds me of “Skull Session” or songs of that ilk…fast Savatage with Jon screaming his face off. Then finally “Last Dawn” is a Priest-like instrumental intro to “Devastation”. The riff to “Devastation” is awesome. Chris was at the top of his game, riff wise, in 1987. What a way to end the record. So memorable, and classic ‘Tage.
Special shout-outs go to bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Steve “Dr. Killdrums” Wacholz for some damn fine metal performances. And, of course, producer/manager/co-writer/arranger Paul O’Neill. He changed the band forever, and Hall Of The Mountain King was just the beginning.
The 2002 Steamhammer version contains two live bonus tracks. From Cleveland in ’87 come “Hall of the Mountain King” and “Devastation”. While the vintage recordings aren’t as beefy as the album itself, they are a very nice add on. “Are you metal?” asks Jon. Yes, yes we are!
Don’t miss this classic. If you enjoyed it, pick up Power Of The Night and Sirens.
Alright Nuge, it’s been a bumpy ride between you and I. It’s been a love/hate thing with us. Let’s see if I can stomach 2014 Ted, or if the politics are overshadowing the music. As we Canadians say, Give’r!
One thing for sure: there is no denying that Ted has lost absolutely nothing. The opening title track is faster, meaner and more fun than 99% of the flock. The great Gonzo still shreds a chaotically perfect solo as if the studio is Cobo Hall. “There just comes a time when you just gotta rock,” he sings. Sounds good to me Ted, I’m on board for that! Ted keeps it rolling with a vicious riff on the excellent “Fear Itself”, and old pal Derek St. Holmes lends lead vocals to “Everything Matters”. A whole album of Ted’s shrieking has never been easy to swallow, so I’m always glad to hear Derek’s smooth pipes. By the slippery bluesy rock, you might think it’s ZZ Top.
Speaking of old friends, Sammy Hagar (who is friends with everyone except the current members of Van Halen) shows up to sing lead on “She’s Gone”. It’s a ball crusher of a song (basically just a variation on “Going Down”), but I guarantee that the guitar solo will sound great wailing out of your car windows this summer. Even better though is the pure fucking joy in the riff for “Never Stop Believing”. I have a new favourite riff and it’s “Never Stop Believing”. The song ends on some really nice laid back picking from Ted, reminding me that he is one of the most underrated players from the classic rock era.
“I Still Believe” indicates to me that Ted really wanted to get his point across when he said he’d “Never Stop Believing”. The opening riff apes “Helter Skelter” a little bit, but the rest of the track is pure Nuge. I like that Nuge is singing fairly tame things like “I still believe in America” and “I believe in liberty” rather than “fuck the Democrats”. The next patriotic statement Ted has for us is “I Love My BBQ”. And I absolutely dig the shout-out to us Canucks. “I love my Barbeque, it’s what Canadians do” sings Ted in the first verse! A small minority may be offended but my mouth is drooling. But I really don’t think it’s Ted’s primary intention to upset you. I think he’s really just trying to be funny, like a stand up comic. Sometimes comedy involves a little bit of a poke and a prod. If Weird Al sang a song about a delicious hamburger, nobody would have a problem with it.
Kicking ass is Ted’s business and “Throttledown” is just one of those pedal-to-the-metal rock instrumentals. “Do Rags and a .45” sounds like Anvil except for that title. “Screaming Eagles” doesn’t give up an inch either, guitars fueled and ablaze. None of these songs overstay their welcome. Shutup & Jam features five songs in the 2 minute range in a row! “Semper Fi” is the last of these five, a stomper rather than a screamer. Ted then tells us he’s going to “Trample the Weak Hurdle the Dead”. “War is not the answer,” sings Ted. “I only know evil has got to go.” It’s a great tune and it’s not hard to sing along. And that’s the key. All of these tunes are immensely catchy with lyrics I can sing without having to worry about being considered a right-wing radical by my neighbors.
A blues version of “Never Stop Believing” closes the album; a rough recording appropriate for the gritty approach. It’s a bit of a throw-away compared to the regular version, decent but not nearly as special. Ted’s playing is always the reason to listen.
I really liked Shutup & Jam. If I had heard it in 2014, it would have been a contender for the Top Five list.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #352.5: CODA – “It’s All Helix’ Fault!”
RECAP: In Getting More Tale #352, we learned about my history of dental problems coinciding with Helix concerts.
Today, that legacy has continued.
This morning, I won tickets to see Helix next time they hit town. (For concert details, click here.) Simon McGhee was giving away tickets this morning on 107.5 Dave FM. All you had to do was call in, and give Simon the nicknames for Brent Doerner (“The Doctor”) and Greg Hinz (“Fritz”). Before Simon could read off the phone number, I was already listening to it ringing. The show is at the Wax in Kitchener on February 14. That being Valentine’s Day, I am of course going with Uncle Meat.
This evening, I had a dentist appointment. And wouldn’t you know it? Cavities! Two of them! My history of dental issues and Helix concerts continues.
Damn you Helix! See you on the 14th, I’ll still give you an “R”.
Aaron at the KMA and I have coordinated posts today about cassette singles! If you can’t get enough,click here for his!Geoff at the 1001 has also thrown his hat into the ring, and you cansee his cassettes here!
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #356: Cassingles
Cassingle (noun): “cassette single”, a musical single release, usually consisting of two songs, on the cassette format.
A couple years ago, my parents found in their basement something I had lost and presumed would never see again: an old shoebox full of my old cassette singles! This was especially valuable to me, because a couple of those cassettes have exclusive tracks on them that have never been released on any other format. Helix’s “Good to the Last Drop” is one such single. Van Halen’s “Right Now” is another.
The shoebox also contained my prized cassette copy of the Sonic Temple Collection by The Cult. Buy cassette one (“Fire Woman”) and you can send away for the box. Buy cassette two (“Edie”) and you get three Cult cards. Buy cassette three (“Sweet Soul Sister”), and you can send away for a Sonic Temple pin. (Which I still have, just not handy for a picture.)
There are some tapes that I know I’m missing. They include three by Warrant: “Cherry Pie”, “I Saw Red”, and the horrid “We Will Rock You”, which I probably sold at garage sales when I temporarily disowned Warrant in the 1990’s! I could also swear that I owned Extreme’s “More Than Words”, but I don’t know what happened to that one. I’m not worried about it since the B-side remix track is being reissued on the deluxe edition of the Pornograffitti album. Maybe I gave it to Crazy Thunder Bay Girl!
Check out what remains of my cassingle collection below.
IZZY STRADLIN and the JU JU HOUNDS – Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds (1992 Geffen)
Izzy was quick out of the gates after leaving Guns N’ Roses at the height of their success. Less than a year after his departure, a dreadlocked Izzy reappeared with his new band the Ju Ju Hounds, a Stones-y outfit also featuring Rick Richards from the Georgia Satellites. Guns’ main songwriter and rhythm guitarist unleashed an album of songs that easily could have been released in the early 1970’s.
There’s very little resemblance to Guns, aside from a few tracks on Use Your Illusion. “Pressure Drop” (the reggae classic) is redone here as a classic rock/punk hybrid, and it’s probably the only tune that you would think, “Yeah, that sounds like Guns.” “Bucket O’ Trouble” also has a distinct punk rock vibe, but the Hammond organ keeps it from going all the way. The rest of the songs are a lot more open, and far less heavy than fans were used to. Fans who “got it” loved it, and those that didn’t probably never will.
There are no bad songs on Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds, but there is little question about who this album sounds like. Izzy approaches it like a Keith Richards album with songs suited to his raspy voice. Izzy’s singing voice is so Stones-y and raspy that you’ll have trouble telling him apart from guest Ronnie Wood, who sings with Izzy on his own song “Take a Look at the Guy” (originally from Wood’s 1974 solo record I’ve Got My Own Album to Do, his first). “Train Tracks” is a Stradlin original that sports some tasty slide guitar straight out Wood’s book.
The single was the still-great “Shuffle it All”, which was criticized by some for a superficial resemblance to Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”. Only the bassline has any similarity; which is admittedly a pretty significant hook. I like “Shuffle it All” better (heresy!), which easily could have been on Beggars Banquet. Those “ooo, ooo, ooo” backing vocals seal the deal for me.
There were also a couple mellow tracks. “How Will it Go” and “Come on Now Inside” are both lovely ballads with piano and acoustic guitars. “Come on Now Inside” contains a hidden bonus track called “Morning Tea”, but this isn’t really a full-fledged song of its own. This is just a percussion instrumental outro.
The Japanese edition has a bonus track called “How Much” which was also on the single for “Shuffle It All”. I’ll review that single on its own at a later time. It’s an Izzy original but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an old Bob Marley cover. Great tune — I’m a sucker for reggae. The song is worth it if you want to track down the single or Japanese import.
This photo gallery (entirely music related I assure you) is by request of Jason, who is interested in getting these toys. Below you can see the the following pieces:
Hasbro Transformers Universe Hound and Ravage set.
Reprolabels sticker set.
Dr. Wu DW-P02 Duel add-on kit (silver gun and missles)
MGS-03 add-on kit (darker guns and missiles)
How are they music related? One of them transforms into a cassette, while the other one plays a wicked guitar solo on the electric axe, as you can see below! Also note Hound’s cool light-piped eyes. Nifty eh?
I used to get so excited back in the Record Store days, checking the purchase logs from the day before. Many times, people logged KIM MITCHELL – ST (self-titled) in the books, immediately catching my attention. The self titled Kim Mitchell EP, after all, was and remains a true rarity. CD copies go today for up to $120. When I would check the purchase logs against the physical CDs, I was always disappointed that the Kim Mitchell EP didn’t come in; rather his 1994 album Itch did. The graphics are laid out in such a way that a part-time employee who didn’t know better couldn’t see that the album was called Itch, within the name Kim Mitchell. Truth be told, I couldn’t figure out what it was called when I first started at the store in ’94 either! I was working the week it came out. “I didn’t know Kim Mitchell had a new album out!” Staring at the cover…”What’s it called?” I bought it on cassette initially.
The mid-90’s were a confusing time to be a Kim Mitchell fan. His 1992 record, Aural Fixations, was pretty straightforward and for the first time lacked lyrics written by Pye Dubois. When 1994 kicked off, the new Kim single “Acrimony” featured Kim rapping. Yes, rapping. Inappropriate comparisons to the Red Hot Chili Peppers were bandied about in the press. I did not like “Acrimony”. Some people do; in fact some people think Itch is Kim’s best CD. I am not one of those people.
So how good is Itch? Well, it’s OK. It’s not great, not like Kim’s past work with the near-legendary Max Webster, though it does return Kim to some mild musical experimentations. There are standard Kim rockers like “Wonder Where & Why” and some great grooves like “Lick Yer Finger”. “Stand” is one of those classic Kim anthems that are perfect for the car in the summer time. There are also just just plain weird moments that just don’t work. “Acrimony” is one of them, and “Lemon Wedge” is another. “Lemon Wedge” is a cool funk tune with horns, but is ruined by some guy (possibly Peter Fredette?) screaming out the chorus in a weird falsetto. Strangely though, those two songs made onto Kim’s first solo Greatest Hits CD, so maybe I’m the one who’s just not getting it.
In general Itch is a more somber album from Kim than the good time rock he produced in the 80’s. It was also bluesier (“U.S. of Ache” for example) and harder edged, but I don’t think it had the songs to back it up. Kim’s playing is fantastic of course, but you can say that about any of his albums. Kim can play circles around most rock and blues players in his sleep. He also has a crack band, featuring Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve on bass who did time in a couple legendary Canadian bands such as Loverboy and Tom Cochrane & Red Rider. Notably, Pye Dubois returned to pen the lyrics, the last time he would do so. I think the main problem with Itch comes down to the songs.
The best tune on this CD is the last one, “Cheer Us On”, a great campfire song that should have been a single. However, it wasn’t, so it’ll just have to remain one of those little-known album songs with a few diehard fans. I wouldn’t hesitate to put it on a greatest hits CD, even though it has never been used on a greatest hits CD.
As it stands, Itch was a commercial flop. It has its staunch defenders, and maybe you are one of them. Who’s right?
2.5/5 stars
Footnote: Eagle-eyed readers will recall seeingItch inRecord Store Tales Part 187; a video called “A Day in the Life at a Record Store”. Yes, a customer really did bring this album to the counter and inform me that someone had ruined the cover art with crayon. I had to tell them that it WAS the cover art!
Ah, Poison! The band everybody loved to hate! In spite of that, Poison made a couple pretty good albums. Flesh & Blood is the best of the original C.C. DeVille era, and probably their most successful. It spawned a huge headlining tour that also produced a double live album. Flesh & Blood was also their “get serious” album, although in that regard it was only a partial success. The idea was to write and record more mature music and lyrics, something that C.C. was opposed to. He saw nothing wrong with the glam-slam-king-of-noize direction that they started on, and maintained that Look What the Cat Dragged In was their high point. He saw the introduction of blues influences as diluting the Poison sound he liked.
That’s all bullshingles. Flesh & Blood is the best thing C.C. has done, and is second only to Poison’s Native Tongue album with Richie Kotzen. C.C. was still far from a great guitar player, but on most tracks it’s his most accessible and least annoying playing. (On others…well, we’ll get there.) Take the opening track “Valley of Lost Souls” for example (preceded by a jokey answering machine tape called “Strange Days of Uncle Jack”). “Valley” rocks heavy with integrity and an edge that Poison hadn’t displayed before, and C.C. throws in a lot of tasty, toffee-like strings. His soloing will never be considered virtuoso, and his tone has always been thin and annoying, but never has C.C. generated such guitar thrills as he does on this album. (Most of it.)
I’m sure that producer Bruce Fairbairn steered this ship with a firm hand. His stamp is all over Flesh & Blood: from weird segues to rich backing vocals, this is a Fairbairn production through and through. Fairbairn was known to be a taskmaster, and I’m sure he worked C.C. (and the whole band) to the bone. The title track, “(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice” has his patented, perfectly arranged vocal stamp. The vocals are layered and almost Leppard-lush. When we’re talking about a singer like Bret Michaels, you know it’s not going to be Pavarotti. The credits don’t list additional singers, but there are some names in the tail end of the thank-yous: Paul Laine, for example. Laine was a Vancouver local, where Poison recorded the album. Why is he being thanked? I think it’s safe to assume that Laine and others helped out in the backing vocals department. Anyway, “Sacrifice” is the second excellent song in a row. Say what you like about Poison as performers, they wrote some fucking good songs too.
“Swampjuice (Soul-O)” is some surprisingly good C.C. acoustic blues. Actually not bad at all — but just instrumental filler. As is the next song, a massive huge hit single: “Unskinny Bop”. The song is awful, the lyrics worse, and C.C.’s solo is like razor blades. I mean that in a bad way. Total shit. Garbage. “Let It Play” verges on filler, but it’s good enough. It’s simple but memorably melodic. Better is the timeless sounding single “Life Goes On”. I liked this bombastic electric ballad then, and I still do now. Michaels is a limited singer, but this is a damn good ballad. I give Fairbairn credit for the backing vocal hooks. The first side of the album closes on the forgettable but adequate hard rocker “Come Hell or High Water”.
Kicking off side two with the single “Ride the Wind” is a no-brainer. This song sounds like its title. It sounds like a car song, a rock and roll ode to the thrills of the road. I’d rank this easily among Poison’s best hits — top five. “Don’t Give Up an Inch” is filler, but “Something to Believe In” was another huge single. Hearing it again today, I find it hard to dislike. I wanted to, but I can’t. I think Bret wrote some pretty good lyrics here. The part about his best friend who died “in some Palm Springs hotel room” is about his bodyguard, a guy he was really close to. It’s pretty heartfelt, and the piano ballad still stands up as well as any by Aerosmith from the same era.
Some boring C.C. pedal steel guitar leads into “Ball and Chain”. It’s a pretty good rock boogie, but the second-to-last song “Life Loves a Tragedy” is the best track on the album. Even better than “Ride the Wind” but similar in vibe, this song shoulda woulda coulda been a hit. The soft intro fools you into thinking it’s a ballad. It’s not. It’s a ballsy rocker with another Bret Michaels lyric that you’d call more mature. “My vices have turned to habits, and my habits have turned to stone,” sings Bret. “I gotta stop living at a pace that kills, ‘fore I wake up dead.” Not poetry really, but a hell of a lot better than “Unskinny bop bop, blow me away.” The chorus kills, as does the whole song. Another top five Poison track in my book.
The album ends on a pile of shit called “Poor Boy Blues”. This may well be the worst Poison song of all time. Of all time! C.C.’s playing is so pointless, so brutal, so annoying, that I don’t know why somebody didn’t pull the guitar out of his hands. Wah-wah alone does not a solo make! This song stinks so bad. Dammit, Poison, you’re not a blues band fer fuck’s sakes! This song should have been axed, there is no reason for it to still exist.
The 2006 remastered edition has two bonus tracks. The first is a disappointing acoustic version of “Something to Believe In” from the “Life Goes On” single B-side. It has new lyrics (erasing one of the things I liked about the song) and absolutely pointless guitar playing by C.C. His solos and melodies go nowhere. It’s just a guy playing all kinds of notes on an acoustic guitar that don’t have any direction: There’s no tension, no release, no hooks. This version sucks. Lastly there’s “God Save the Queen”, an instrumental demo version. This too sucks. More directionless soloing from C.C. over the Pistols riff. That’s all it is.
Interestingly the remastered edition has two changes that I’ve noticed. The cover is the “censored” version without the extra blood on the arm. This is a US import, and I think in Canada we had the other cover originally. Second, the reprise of “Strange Days of Uncle Jack” that closes the album is missing. Normally this would fade in from the end of “Poor Boy Blues”. Now, “Poor Boy Blues” ends with a few seconds of silence where that reprise used to be. I don’t know why they did that. I’m assuming somebody mistakenly used a version of the song from a compilation album.
I know I’ve been hard on Poison in this review, but this is actually a great album. Take away “Unskinny Bop” and “Poor Boy Blues” and I would call it pretty damn solid. As for the remaster? Disappointing.
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #355: “The man’s hot piss warmed my freezing cold hands”
Once upon a time, in a Record Store not far away, there was a manager named Joe. Some people call him “Big Nose”. Some people just call him Joe. Two things about Joe you must understand: 1) Joe doesn’t give a crap about what anybody thinks, and 2) Joe doesn’t really know boundaries. Joe is the one who told me he had a crush on my mom. Joe is the one who introduced me to the Open Door Piss. I like Joe, don’t get me wrong. He was pretty much the only one at the Record Store that I could confide in towards the end. He is trustworthy, 100%. A solid individual. He was the best support I could have had. But I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you that Joe is different from just about everybody you know.
The Tale goes like this:
Joe and Uncle Meat were driving from Waterloo to Windsor, to go and visit Tom who was attending teacher’s college there. It was December, and a cold one it was. By this time, Tom sold his own branch of the Record Store, so he could continue his education and become a teacher. Joe and Meat were travelling in Joe’s old beat up piece of shit. It was the quintessential “old man car”. It was huge, ancient, and nothing worked. I’m amazed it made to Windsor and back, honestly. One of the features that no longer functioned was the heat, which is a pretty darned important thing during a Canadian December.
Sometime during the three hour tour, Joe had to piss. Pulling off highway 401 to pee isn’t Joe’s style. Instead, he re-invented the piss jug, but with a large Tim Horton’s coffee cup. After relieving himself in said cup, he passed it to Meat!
Meat, all this time, was freezing his ass off in the passenger side. His hands and fingers in particular were as frigid as icicles. Although being passed a cup of piss in most situations isn’t a position you want to be in, this time it wasn’t so bad. The cup “felt like a hot double double in my hands,” says Meat. Still warm with Joe’s body heat, the piss-cup helped Meat regain some of the sensation in his digits. “What’s the greatest gift you can give? The warmth from inside of you. The man’s hot piss warmed my freezing cold hands,” according to Uncle Meat.
After warming his fingers, Meat rolled down the window. He carefully prepared the cup for ejection. He managed to throw it while only getting a surprisingly “minimal amount of piss” on his arm.
Neither Uncle Meat nor I condone littering, but sometimes life hands you a warm cup of piss, and you have no choice in the matter!
mikeladano.com 