Rest in Peace Paul Di’Anno (1958 – 2024)

Paul Di’Anno was one of the first singers I knew and loved. He’s running free now, with Clive Burr, and no longer in pain.

Paul has clearly not been in good physical shape lately. Once walking with a cane, Paul had been in a wheelchair for some time now. Paul has now lost his wheels, and is free to fly.

When Iron Maiden released their debut album in 1980, they were building on five years of battles in the clubs, building their repertoire and their reputation. Much of it had to do with Paul Di’Anno, the short(er) haired lead singer with the punk rock attitude. His sneer was embedded in those first two Maiden albums, both legendary.  Replacing him seemed impossible at the time!

I can’t believe we have to do this, but on Friday we will be paying tribute to Paul on Grab A Stack of Rock.

This sucks!

REVIEW: Frank Zappa – The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989) with Peter Occhiogrosso

FRANK ZAPPA with Peter Occhiogrosso – The Real Frank Zappa Book (1989 Simon & Schuster, New York)

We’ve had enough rock story books.  When not one but two members of Ratt have their own books out, we have hit a point of rock book saturation.  Debauchery, studio fights, groupies and record companies…you can fill a tour bus full of those books!  Instead, dig back a few decades to when Frank Zappa was a pioneer, not only in music, but in text.  The Real Frank Zappa Book is the music book you need when you’re sick to death of music books.  To wit:  not only did Frank dedicate his book to his family, but also to Stephen Hawking, and someone named Ko-Ko, the identity of whom is lost to time.  If you’re in the mood for the eclectic and the educational, The Real Frank Zappa Book is for you.

One of the most interesting chapters to rock historian might be “Porn Wars”, which details Frank’s conflict with the Parent’s Music Resource Center (PMRC) in the early 1980s.  Everyone remembers Dee Snider making a fool of the politicians, but some are not aware that Frank Zappa was just as devastating.  It includes his entire Statement to Congress, September 19, 1985, with lots of text written in CAPSLOCK for emphasis.  Indeed, Zappa makes liberal use of caps and boldface whenever he wants, which can be a little offputting.  Couple this with frequent illustrations between paragraphs.  Yet Zappa was a musical rulebreaker, so why not a literary one too?  This informative section will be the meat of the book for most readers.

Like standard rock books, Frank starts at childhood.  He notes that he became interested in drums around 1952, before rock and roll was even invented, simply because he was fascinated by the idea of making noises by hitting things.  He became interested in orchestral percussion and the works of Edgard Varèse, partially because Varèse looked something like a mad scientist on the cover of The Complete Works, Volume I.  Zappa was curious to hear a composition called “Ionisation” because it had been panned in a review as “all drums”, and “dissonant and terrible”.  Young Frank simply had to hear it!  It is clear that Frank Zappa was Frank Zappa, from a very young age.  Frank even called Varèse on the phone at age 15, and Varèse told the teenager about new music he was working on.

Zappa describes befriending Don Van Vliet, the future Captain Beefheart.  There is a short-lived first marriage, and playing in gigging bands.  There are 10 days spent in jail for “conspiring to commit pornography”.  His career is given a fair overview in about the first 120 pages or so: gigs, albums, the GTOs, and even more brushes with the law.  A transcription of a 1975 court appearance in England is quite entertaining, as he is asked to explain his lyrics.  “What was the concept of the song ‘Would You Go All the Way?'” is the beginning of a discussion on band “members” and “groupies”, all in formal court-speak.  Entertaining as hell.

After running through the gigs and albums and adventures, Frank waxes philosophical on family, drugs, food, the music business, censorship, religion, and life in general.  There are far too many topics and sub-topics to list.  A chapter called “All About Music” will be fascinating to the musically educated and laymen alike.  From dots on pages to a living breathing orchestra, Frank walks us through his processes.  He also describes recording, mixing and the history thereof, an interesting segment.  Consider:  Whatever you hear on a record is not the sound heard by a pair of ears in the recording room.  There are specific microphones placed in carefully selected places, to pick up all the instruments as loud and clear as they can be captured.  Then, those sounds are mixed down, adjusting for volume and placement, and placed in a stereo field.  It’s a completely artificial sound, whereas if you were in the room, standing close to the drums, your living experience of the music would be drastically different.  Just fascinating thoughts from the brain of Frank Zappa.

The Real Frank Zappa Book is quirky, funny, educational, preachy, and utterly unique.  Frank is not content to talk just about what you want to hear.  He’s going to sit you down and talk about what he wants.  He doesn’t get too personal, and keeps aspects of his life guarded.  Instead, he brings you into the recording studio, acts as your tour guide, and your school professor.  The ironic thing is that Zappa was not too keen on post-secondary education for himself, but sounds like the coolest teacher you’d ever have.  The one you wanted to have.

4.5/5 stars

 

#1160: Halloweens Without Bob

RECORD STORE TALES #1160: Halloweens Without Bob

A sequel to #790:  Helluva Halloween

 

The first Halloween costume I distinctly remember wearing was a robot suit.  My mom and dad got a big cardboard box, cut out a head hole and some arm holes, and helped me decorate it with tinfoil.  Then another box became the head.  I drew on buttons and knobs with crayons.  I was so excited to be a robot that night.  That is, until I saw an older kid with a way better robot suit.  His had lights!  I briefly wondered if he was a real robot and dismissed the thought.

My costumes were sometimes store-bought, sometimes home made.  Darth Vader was a plastic mask and glow-in-the-dark sword.  Frankenstein was a costume I made myself, using cardboard to cut a square-ish wig, and green face paint.  It was so difficult to wash all that green off in the bathtub that night.  There was a green ring around the tub that my dad was furious about.  It’s very likely I went out as Empire Strikes Back Han Solo in 1980.  I already had the costume:  a blue hooded snow coat, goggles, with a gun and holster.  Another classic Harrison Ford costume was Indiana Jones.  I used brown makeup to simulate a 5 o’clock shadow, and had a rope-whip and a gun.  I was mistaken for a cowboy, which really peeved me.  How could you have not heard of Indiana Jones in 1981?  Maybe my costume just wasn’t good enough.

In 1984, my mom sewed us elaborate Ewok costumes.  While I wore mine that night, I wore a different costume to school:  that of a Cobra trooper from GI Joe!  I painted some red Cobra logos on a blue helmet, pulled my shirt up over my nose like a balaclava, and armed myself with a rifle.  Back when you could bring toy guns to school!  Weren’t those the days?  School was very particular about Halloween.  You had to participate.  If you didn’t bring a costume to school that day, the teacher would take a garbage bag, cut some holes in it, and force you to wear that.  I’m not kidding.

I went out for Halloween one more time in grade nine, but that was the last year.  I may have only gone to one house:  the “fudge house”.  There was an elderly couple who made home-made fudge.  It was so good, and so popular, that some kids would change costumes and go two or three times.  It was very sugary fudge, but so good.  Then, the era of Bob-Halloweens began!

From grade 10 onwards, Bob Schipper and I started making out own haunted houses.  That’s its own story, but I dressed as Alice Cooper that year. I painted up a black jacket with flames and wore a sword at my side.  Doing Halloween haunted houses was our thing for a few years, each time getting more elaborate.  We had mummies, scary sounds, flashing lights, spiders and cobwebs, and lots more.  It was a passion project.  We would spend a month or two preparing for Halloween.  November 1st always sucked.  Nobody likes cleanup.

When Bob moved on to college and doing his own things, I was left to man the fort by myself.  My first Halloween alone was 1991, and a lonely one it was.  I began preparing to do the haunted house, alone.  Without Bob’s collaboration or input, I made my usual mix tape of scary sounds.  I always took these sounds from cassettes I already owned.  The bit from Judas Priest’s recent “Night Crawler” with Rob Halford talking about the monster at the door was my latest addition to the scary sound library.  When I put the tape together, my sister said there’s “too much Judas Priest!”  She was right, but without Bob, I was left to my own devices.  I did what I wanted to, for better or for worse.

1991 was a lonely Halloween.  It wasn’t fun anymore.  It was a lonely time in general.  Up until then, I looked forward to our Halloween creativity.  I didn’t bother anymore after that.  We were seeing fewer and fewer kids at the front door, and for me, without Bob, what was the point?

 

Standing On The Shoulders Of Kitties I Official Red Band Trailer – Trailer Park Boys, Billy Bob Thornton & Ronnie Wood

Bubbles and the Sh*trockers are back, along with Ricky, Julian and Randy. That’s right – the Trailer Park Boys are back in the cinema December 6!

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen the boys on the screen, but fans know that Bubbles (Mike Smith) has always brought music to the fore.  Whether it’s jamming with Alex Lifeson on “Closer to the Heart”, playing with his band the Shitrockers, or crooning solo hits such as “Kitties Are So Nice”, Bubbles is the musical one.  And now, the Shitrockers are on the road, opening for Billy Bob Thornton’s band the Boxmasters.  And somehow Ronnie Wood figures in it too.  I guess we’ll get the whole story on December 6!

From prison riots to being stranded in London, it sure looks like Bubbles and the boys will have their hands (and pipes, and glasses) full this time!  This’ll get your lazy arses back in the cinema, stoners!

 

The Contrarians Live: Minimalist Album Covers tonight at 7:00 PM EST

I will be joining the Contrarians LIVE tonight at 7:00 PM EST for an excellent topic idea:  minimalist album covers.  Each of us has ten picks.  I will have the honour of sitting on a panel with:

  • Martin Popoff
  • Grant Arthur
  • Tim Durling
  • John “Johnny Homework” Clauser
  • Jamie Laszlo
  • Peter “The Professor” Jones.

70 unique picks for minimalist cover art.  This outta be good.  Link is below!

GUEST FILM REVIEW: Terrifier 3 (2024) – Holen’s Halloween Extravaganza 2024 part 3

TERRIFIER 3 (2024)

Directed by Damien Leone

Since I’ve been covering horror films of old the last two weeks, I thought it apt to cover one more contemporary. As contemporary as it gets as a matter of fact, as I just got out of an opening night showing a few hours before writing this. If you’re unfamiliar with the Terrifier saga, it focuses on serial killer/demonic supernatural entity Art the Clown. Initially appearing in short films and an anthology, he was granted a feature length excursion in 2016, the little indie movie that could, Terrifier. Made for around just $50,000, the film was panned critically, but garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel.

Terrifier 2 was released in 2022 with a budget of just a quarter of a million dollars. However, the film was a surprise hit, making fifteen million dollars at the box office and garnering a number of positive reviews. Fifteen million may not sound like a lot these days, but bear in mind that this is an independent film series so violent that each entry has been released unrated.

And oh: the violence. Director Damien Leone received offers from major studios after the success of the second film to finance the third, but he had the integrity to turn them all down because he knew they’d try to censor his vision. These films make standard slasher flicks look like Walt Disney. Reports of people fainting, vomiting, and leaving the theaters in droves have accompanied the release of each film. None of that happened at my screening of Terrifier 3. The place was packed and people were glued to their seats. I was amused at how many guys were there with reluctant looking dates, possibly getting their girlfriends back for dragging them to something like Anyone But You earlier this year in the cruelest way possible.

It’s not all gruesome macabre gore though. These movies have a spirited sense of humor, and they’re only getting stronger each time out. Art is mute, but unlike other slasher villains, he’s incredibly emotive. David Howard Thorton imbues his performance with the grace, physicality, and body language of a silent film star, leading to moments of genuine hilarity. Whether he’s mocking his suffering victims or eroding their guard before hacking them to pieces, Thorton is perfect and totally committed. I was worried they wouldn’t be able to top sadistic comedy of the salt and bleach scene from 2, but I’m happy to report I laughed as much during 3 than I have at any comedy I’ve seen in years.

 

 

Another impressive aspect of 2 and 3 is the introduction of Sienna Shaw in the former film as the main protagonist. Played by real life martial artist, stunt performer, smokeshow, and general badass Lauren LaVera, we’re gifted a likable character to root for against Art. I say this is impressive because the film manages to have its cake and eat it too. A criticism levied at many slasher movies is that the one dimensional personalities of the victims makes the audience root for the killer, or at least see the movie through their point of view. The film does have its number of anonymous one dimensional meat bags for Art to cut through, but we have someone fundamentally good (angelic even) we hope to see triumph over him. Only after watching him creatively waste the supporting cast of course.

Art disposed of most of Sienna’s friends and family in a Halloween massacre during the second film, and she’s understandably having a hard time coping with that at the beginning of this one. Taking place five years after the previous film, Art being believed dead, Sienna is discharged from a mental institution to the care of her aunt and uncle where she hopes to spend a quiet Christmas with them and her young cousin, Gabbie. Art, who’s simply been dormant, is awakened in a condemned building by a demolition crew. Dispersing them in skin peeling fashion, he now has access to their van and all the goodies inside it.

Lauren LaVera crushes it here. She played a high schooler in one of those high schools where everyone looks like they’re pushing 30 in Terrifier 2, but here she’s convincing as a traumatized woman that fights every moment to stay strong for those around her. Haunted by violent hallucinations of the people she couldn’t save, LaVera navigates the precarious balancing act of portraying a damaged character that still has her innate toughness.

There are supernatural elements to Art and Sienna explored more in this film I don’t intend to spoil here. The imagery is not subtle, but in a film like this, subtle doesn’t really play. I’ve heard criticism that the plot is somewhat aimless compared to the first two with the addition of all the additional mythos. I can understand boring people considering some of Art’s kills to be unnecessary from an economic writing standpoint, but one of the main reasons people see these movies is for the spectacle of those inventively grotesque murders. Being so hyper-focused on plot is missing the forest for the trees. Besides, Art being on screen is guaranteed gold every time, and I was never bored or felt like the story was dragging when we cut to Sienna, because I liked her as a character and wanted her to prevail.

Admittedly, you need the right mindset or physical constitution to endure or enjoy this thing. Maybe I’m a sick fuck, but I had an absolute blast seeing this in the theater. So far each film has been a step up from its predecessor, and its cliffhanger ending has me excited for part four whenever it’s released. Damien Leone has assembled a group of very talented people, and his direction rises to their level. The film has reportedly already earned fifteen million dollars, which I hope ensures the production of the next one.

4/5

REVIEW: Jet – Get Born (2003)

Review dedicated to the donor of this CD, Mr. Harrison Kopp.  I hope I like it.  I am writing this review “live” so to speak, on first listen.

JET – Get Born (2003 EMI)

Get Born is Jet’s first LP, only two years after forming, and after one 4-track EP.  Let’s listen and find out how adept this band got at writing songs after only two years.  You already know track 2, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”, the one that everyone says is “Lust For Life” re-written.  Both songs utilize Motown beats, though the Jet song has more frantic energy.  Plagiarism is excusable in some cases.  In this case, I’m still undecided.  Is the rest of the album more original?

Many of these songs are fast and short.  Opener “Last Chance” doesn’t even break two minutes.  It possesses a strong riff, reminiscent of AC/DC in their Bon Scott heyday.  Lead singer Nic Cester is quite adept at “Yeahs!” and “Woos!” which will suffice.  This leads directly into the signature bassline on “Are You Gonna”, which we don’t need to review.  You already have your opinion, and mine is that you can’t tell me those guys never heard “Lust For Life”.  That kind of thing always has a subliminal influence, intentional or not.  The only question I have is how much was intentional, but I really stopped caring 20 years ago.  It is, admittedly a good song if overplayed on radio (still).

“Rollover D.J.” hits right off the bat with bass and guitar, and sounds great in that second it smashes you in the face.  Then it lays back a bit, in a Def Leppard-y way, when they used to rock.  The chorus is punkier, but feels somehow incomplete.  “Look What You’ve Done” switches up to a piano ballad, an unexpected twist.  This tender song has an Oasis quality without the snot-nosed BS.  This means, yes, you can hear a Beatles influence.  Nic Cester demonstrates a smoother side to his singing.  I didn’t want to like it, but the truth is, if this was on one of the first three Oasis albums, I would have liked it anyway.  A keeper.

A nice rock n’ roll riff brings in “Get What You Need”, and one must admire the nice thick bass tone on this album.  This song is all about the guitars.  The melodies are inconsequential.  It’s all the guitars, and the bass.

In another surprise, “Move On” opens with the distant sound of a steel guitar, before an acoustic intro.  This western tinted ballad might be too soon after the previous ballad, but it’s a good song!  Very much like the way the Stones would throw those acoustic numbers on their albums.  It’s now clear that Jet are not interested in breaking new musical ground.  They are focused on writing and recording classic sounding songs that fall within a certain boundary.  That’s allowed.

Another surprise:  acoustics and piano return on “Radio Song”, a moody trip that has me questioning everything I just wrote.  Lead vocals by guitarist Cameron Muncey.   I can hear some Radiohead, but the irony is the chorus:  “This won’t be played on your radio, tonight.”  It’s as if they knew “this is the song where we’re going to experiment a bit.”  It’s different, and it has an audible heart to it.  It goes epic by the ending, but not too much.  Not into Guns N’ Roses bombast.  Still sticking to the core instruments.  An album highlight.

Back to rocking.  A stock riff occupies the necessary space on “Get Me Outta Here”, which fortunately compensates for it with verse and chorus power!  Really great work here, with all the singing parts hitting the spot, satisfying a certain craving for a song that’ll be in your head long afterwards.

AC/DC’s fingerprints are all over “Cold Hearted Bitch”, though with drums more out of the Who school of crashes and smashes.  Unfortunately, momentum is lost on “Come Around Again”, another Stones-y ballad with piano and twang.  It takes time to build, but the reward is brief.  The mellotron and organ are the most interesting parts.

Energy returns on the punk-surf-rock-blast of “Take It Or Leave It”, like a shot of pure adrenaline to the album.  By this stretch of the album, the “Yeah’s!” are getting a bit tiring and the schtick is wearing thin.  “Lazy Gun” has a completely different vibe, with a Gary Glitter sound, and an unexpected secondary section that may or may not fit the first part.  We’re over 40 minutes into the album now, and this, the longest song, shouldn’t be track 12.  Ear fatigue is setting in.

Finally, “Timothy” is an acoustic ballad to close the album.  It sounds extraneous, though with a psychedelic rock twist.  I like the chorus, “It’s not what it seems, but it is…” but it seems the song never builds to anything bigger.

Two takeaways:  1) Jet is more diverse than I expected.  2) I don’t think they have a lot of character on this album.  Nothing strikes me as unique.  Further listens are warranted, but…

To Harrison:  “I’m sorry, old friend…”

3/5 stars

 

#1159: The Community is Dead – Long Live the Community!

RECORD STORE TALES #1159:
The Community is Dead – Long Live the Community!

Once Upon A Time, the old WordPress music Community was an important part of our daily breakfast.  It was a wonderful way to connect and talk music with like-minded folks.  It was even a good way to seek support in our lives.

Then in 2023, the Community died.  I don’t know why, and I no longer care.  It’s possibly a “type of feint, or fake technique, whereby a player draws an opposing player out of position or skates by the opponent while maintaining possession and control of the puck.” People just…disappeared.  Ghosted.  I actually don’t want to know why.  “Let the past die,” Kylo Ren said.  “Kill it, if you have to.”  That is done, but not by my own hand.

I knew it was dead in 2024, when several people from the old Community refused to watch or acknowledge my trip to Toronto with Aaron, the Community’s spiritual leader.   It was a shunning, with intent.  Rest in peace, Community!

Whatever their issues are, I hope they find peace and harmony, wherever they went and whatever they are doing now.  I miss them. But there was a silver lining.

A new Community awaited me.  A bigger, more welcoming Community.  A Community that stretches from Australia to America, east coast to west, and up north to Canada.  A stronger Community. For me it began as the old Community died in 2023.  Marco D’Auria encouraged me to work with the Contrarians, and suddenly I started getting invites to appear on other shows, such as Rock Daydream Nation and My Music Corner.  With these fine folks, together, we have rebuilt what was lost.  Bigger, better, faster, stronger!

I welcome you to the Community!  A place where we support each other, collaborate, and celebrate the power of music!  A place where you will not be judged for your mistakes, nor shunned.

Welcome…I bid you welcome!

Finding the Beatles and Beck: That’s the “B” Section – Compact Disc Collections with John Clauser @MyMusicCorner

An exhaustive two hours with Johnny Metal took us through almost everything we own in the “B” section of the CD collections!  From Sebastian Bach to Bryan Byrne, we looked at everything on CD, except a few box sets.  As such, we did not see all my Beatles, Black Crowes, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, or Blue Rodeo on CD.  We saw pretty much everything else.

Johnny Metal’s collection, as usual, featured some really cool and rare Christian metal, and other assorted metal and blues that most of us might not have heard of.  Many of his CDs included collector’s cards or autographs.  John excluded (most of his) Black Sabbath and all of his Beatles for this exercise.

Speaking of the Beatles, halfway through the show, I realized I didn’t have any Beatles in my stack, which is just not right.  I have lots of Beatles besides the Stereo and Mono box sets.  Then viewer Ashley mentioned I had no Jeff Beck.  Well, obviously I do!  I reviewed two of them here on this site!  I realized I had a whole stack I left behind!

That’s how much B stuff I have.  Bon Jovi was the majority of it, and a lot of it turned out to be Bon Jovi I don’t even like.  There was, however, some Bon Jovi that I really really do like, and I hope you enjoy having a look at them.

We saw a lot of CD singles, remasters with bonus tracks, deluxe editions, remasters, digipacks, Japanese imports, and even one 3″ CD.

Thanks for watching this show, which might take you two viewings to finish, but that’s it – that’s the B section, done n’ dusted.

The “B” Section – Compact Disc Collections with John Clauser @MyMusicCorner

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 74:  The “B” Section with Johnny Metal

Johnny Metal Homework is back for the third week in a row, to grab some stacks of rock!  As a sequel to our “A” section show, this time we are diving into some killer “B’s”.  You’ll be seeing my Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, and yes…Blaze Bayley.  This episode will exclude box sets which have been shown off before on their own dedicated episodes.  CDs only; no vinyl, cassettes or 8-tracks on this week’s episode.

John says it won’t be as crazy this time (no 74 CDs from a Christian parody band), but it will be  heavy!  The big section is loaded with “Big” bands (Wreck, Sugar, House), and plenty of “Black” (Sabbath, Country Communion, Label Society, Star Riders, Jack).  Let’s take a deep dive into some Japanese imports, rarities, and heavy hitters.

Join us live!

Friday October 11 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!